The Total of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Game #509 Tuesday NBA 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago Bulls vs New York Knicks @ 8:05 ET - Who is going to play defense here? The Bulls just faced a Sixers team that was very hungry for a win to lock in playoff seeding and to end a season-long losing streak. As a result, the Bulls scored just 96 points in that game. But that was the first under that Chicago has had in their last 4 games. As for the Knicks, they are coming off their first under in their last 5 games. However, that game totaled 223 points and would get us a win based on today's total. With regards to today's total note that the very first number that popped up off shore on this one was 219 but then it immediately dropped to 215. As of early game day morning, it has settled in around the 216.5 mark. I understand the drop on the total as neither one of these lineups renders any excitement in terms of star power but lets talk facts here! This is a meaningless late season game between two non-playoff teams where the level of defensive intensity is going to vary somewhere between minimal and non-existent! Chicago has allowed an average of 118.7 points per game their last 13 games. New York has allowed an average of 117.2 points per game their last 11 games. Each of the first two meetings this season went over the total and all signs point to another one here. Keep in mind if each team allows 108 points or more we can't lose this play (based on current number of 216.5). The Knicks have allowed 109 points or more in 10 of their last 12 games. The Bulls have allowed 112 points or more in 13 of their last 14 games. I know the lineups lack star power but these guys are hungry and looking to pad stats in a game where the winner does not matter. I see good pace here in this game as well as continue lack of defense and we should see this game get well into the 220s. 10* OVER the total in Chicago

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #567 Sunday 8* OVER the total in Detroit Pistons vs Charlotte Hornets @ 4:05 ET - The very first totals that popped up offshore on this one were closer to 220 than to 215 but, as you can see, there has been a big drop toward that latter number. I like the added value here and feel the odds makers had it right! The fact is that Blake Griffin is now back for the Pistons and he is coming off a monster game. As for the Hornets, they aren't going to quit until their eliminated from post-season contention. They fully realize their chances are slim but, with emotions buoyed by a dramatic win hosting Toronto Friday, this Charlotte team has renewed energy entering this game. Also, the Hornets have won all 3 games with Detroit this season so they have plenty of confidence here. Charlotte will get their share of points (averaged 115.5 points in last two visits here) but won't be able to stop the Pistons. With Griffin back, Detroit scored 110 Friday and that was on the road at Oklahoma City. They'll do even better at home in this one. Yes, this series has trended under and, yes, there are playoff implications here. However, the fact remains that neither one of these teams is exactly dominant defensively. In fact the Pistons have allowed an average of 114 points their last 3 games and the Hornets have allowed 116.8 points per game their last 10 games. Take advantage of the line value here. 8* OVER the total in Detroit

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #735 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in DePaul Blue Demons vs South Florida Bulls @ 7 ET - I am aware of the injury situation for the Blue Demons. The following 3 players are listed as questionable for tonight: Devin Gage, Eli Cain, Jaylen Butz. However, not only do I most certainly NOT expect all 3 of those guys to miss tonight's game and a chance to win the CBI Championship on their home floor, note that the other 5 plays (NONE listed on injury report) are the DePaul players that accounted for 90 of their 100 points in Wednesday's OT win! The point is, we still have plenty of potency with this Blue Demons team regardless of those injured players but, again, I do expect at least 1 if not 2 of them to be good to go tonight. Even though Wednesday's game went to OT, they didn't need it to get the over. The teams totaled 164 points in regulation. With this game total opening up at a 147 and dropping to a 145 I love the value we're getting here in this spot. DePaul made only 31.8% of their threes in Game 2 on Wednesday and yet still totaled 100 points! The over is 9-5 this season in games where South Florida is an underdog. The Bulls are 12-6 to the over the last 18 times they've allowed 80 points or more in a game. DePaul is 15-7 to the over in home games this season. Also, the Blue Demons are 11-5 to the over in non-conference games, 9-4 to the over after allowing 80 or more points, and 4-1 to the over when they enter game having failed to cover the spread in each of their 3 prior games. All of those trends are current season trends and they continue here. 10* OVER the total in DePaul

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #733 Thursday 8* OVER the total in Marshall Thundering Herd vs Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix @ 7 ET - Tuesday I got burned with the over in Marshall when the Thundering Herd combined with Hampton for plenty of scoring in the first half but then the game died early in the 2nd half and fell well short of the total. As a result of that dismal second half, it comes as no surprise to me that this O/U has dropped tremendously from its earliest opener off shore of 173. We are now seeing as low as 165/166 early game day morning. This is a huge value because Green Bay is a high-scoring team just like the Herd and I expect this game to make up for that ugly 2nd half we saw on Tuesday. The Phoenix have scored an average of 92 points per game their last 4 games. On the season Wisconsin-Green Bay is allowing 84 points per game on the road. Marshall scores an average of 86 points per game in home games. In a championship game, of course, there is no tomorrow. That said, even if a team is down by 8 or 10 points late they'll keep fouling and then jacking up threes and, essentially, playing with a "never say die" attitude. The spread on this game is right around a half dozen points, which is also the perfect spread on a game to expect those type of late "scramble points" should they be necessary. But truly I feel the pace tonight will be conducive to a very high-scoring game regardless of the point gap between these teams in the latter stages. The over is 28-16 long-term (including 12-6 this season) when UWGB is off a game in which they allowed 80 or more points. The over is a long-term 45-33 when the Thundering Herd play with one day of rest or less between games. 10* OVER the total in Marshall

Total of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #717 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in DePaul Blue Demons vs South Florida Bulls @ 8 ET - Since the CBI is a series, this sets up a classic situation that leads to great line value. The job of the odds makers is to set numbers that balance the action. Now, because Monday's Game 1 of this Best of 3 series ended up being so low scoring down in South Florida they've posted this one a full 5 points below the Monday opener. They had to do it because they know how the markets would have reacted if they had again posted a number north of 150. But the fact is the odds makers are quite sharp and their 151 in Game 1 was posted with full reasoning and logic. That said, the fact the series has now shifted to Chicago is actually MORE conducive to an over and yet the odds makers had to give a lower number. The home team tends to have more impact of controlling the tempo and pace in games and that favored South Florida on Monday and the Bulls are known for relying on their defense to win games. DePaul, on the other hand, pays little attention to defense and loves to run and gun. The Blue Demons are averaging 81 points per game when at home this season and, keep in mind, they've allowed an average of 76 points per game on the season. The over in DePaul home games went 14-7 this season. Also, the Blue Demons are were 10-4 to the over in non-conference games prior to Monday's game staying under the total. Look for the home team to force a much different pace in this game than what we saw Monday. South Florida is on a 14-4 run to the over in Wednesday games. The Bulls, as a road underdog of 3.5 to 6 points, are 4-1 to the over. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in DePaul

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #723 Tuesday 8* OVER the total in Marshall Thundering Herd vs Hampton Pirates @ 7 ET - Big mistake by the odds makers here, right? Truly this is a huge total when you consider that the Pirates have stayed under in 3 straight games and the Thundering Herd have stayed under in 5 of their last 6 games. Of course long-time followers know how I feel about "mistakes" by odds makers and, in this case, I feel your looking at a game that will get well into the 180s. Keep in mind, Hampton plays at a very fast pace and so too does Marshall. The Pirates aren't going to be able to stop the Thundering Herd and they've allowed an average of 80.6 points per game on the road this season. Note too that those games were against weaker competition than Marshall. The Thundering Herd average 86.4 points per game at home and that has been against stronger competition than Hampton. Look for Marshall to "run and gun" their way to 90 to 100 points in this game and you can see the odds makers have the spread right around 5 in this game and I do expect the Pirates to be "right there with the Herd" throughout this game. The result is plenty of points because, keep in mind, the Thundering Herd aren't big on defense! Marshall allows 81 points per game on the season. Look for the over to improve to 4-1 in Thundering Herd tournament semi-final games. Hampton is 6-1 to the over in tournament semi-final games. The over is 9-4 in Pirates road games this season. More of the same here. 8* OVER the total in Marshall

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #549 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Oklahoma City Thunder vs Dallas Mavericks @ 3:35 ET - The Thunder have been inconsistent on the offensive end of late. However, now comes the perfect remedy. The Mavericks are in town and Dallas is eliminated from post-season contention. I fully expect Oklahoma City to run and gun this game and it is likely to turn into a home blowout. However, I am never a fan of laying huge points in the NBA and this spread currently sits at a dozen points. Don't be surprised if the Mavericks score well in "garbage time" in this game as well. The Mavs are 6-3 to the over in Sunday games this season. The Thunder are 10-2 to the over in their last 12 games against teams with a losing record. OKC has allowed 115 points or more in 4 of its last 6 games. Dallas has allowed an average of 115.4 points in its last 7 games. 10* OVER the total in Oklahoma City

Total Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #693 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Kentucky Wildcats vs Auburn Tigers @ 2:20 ET - The way Auburn is red hot from three point land it is very hard not to like the over in this match-up. What is most impressive about the Tigers run is that all this hot shooting has come in games played on a neutral floor. Auburn has shot 35% or better from 3-point land in 8 straight games and each of the last 7 were games played on a neutral floor. Incredibly, the Tigers have shot about 42% from 3-point land in their last 5 games! They will score plenty here against Kentucky but won't be able to stop the Wildcats. Keep in mind, Auburn has allowed an average of 77 points in their last 3 games and the over is a perfect 4-0 in Auburn's last 4 games. Kentucky is off back to back low-scoring games but that had a lot to do with the type of teams they faced. Prior to those two match-ups, the Wildcats had scored an average of 77 points per game in their 3 previous games. Kentucky is averaging 76 points per game on the season and Auburn is averaging 80 points per game on the season. The over is 14-5 this season in Auburn's games with a posted total in the 140s and I love the value here as this total first opened at a 144.5 offshore and is now a 140.5 as of early Sunday morning. The Wildcats averaged 81 points per game in their two games with Auburn this season! 10* OVER the total in Kentucky 

March Madness Total of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Game #684 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Gonzaga Bulldogs vs Texas Tech Red Raiders @ 6:10 ET - The very first total that popped up offshore on this game early Friday morning was 140 and now we're looking at a 137. Yes, I am well aware of the Red Raiders defense but their not stopping this Bulldogs offense. Gonzaga has the most efficient offense in the nation and, unlike what Texas Tech saw with Michigan, these Bulldogs will be on the run in transition. Unlike the Wolverines, the Bulldogs aren't going to allow this game to settle down into a match-up filled with halfcourt sets. Every chance they get Gonzaga will be pushing the pace and I look for plenty of points in this one because you also don't want to count out the Red Raiders offensive production. Texas Tech scored "only" 63 points in the win over the Wolverines but Michigan is one of the toughest teams in the nation to score on. Prior to that, the Red Raiders had scored 70 points or more in 10 straight games! In fact, Texas Tech averaged 79.4 points per game in those 10 games! Gonzaga is averaging 88.2 points per game on the season! The over is 11-2 in Red Raiders Saturday games this season. The over is a long-term 19-8 in Bulldogs neutral court games with a total in a range of 135 to 139.5 points. Both these teams can play some D but take a look at their full season numbers on offense (including shooting percentages) and you can't help but be very impressed. That said, and knowing the Bulldogs plan of attack for this game, this is a generously priced total that we can take advantage of. 10* OVER the total in Gonzaga

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #517 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Celtics vs Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - The Celtics are 7-2 to the over in their last 9 games. Boston has allowed 48% or more from the field in 7 of their last 10 games. The Celtics have shot 47% or better from the field in 10 of their last 12 games. The other time they hosted Indiana this season the game totaled 243 points. The Pacers are 8-4 to the over in Friday games this season. Boston is 13-8 to the over this season after a win by a margin of double digits. The Celtics also are 10-6 to the over in games against Central Division opponents. The tempo at which Boston has been playing of late and the fact the Celtics are at home here and should control the pace of this game will be the factors that combine to lead to another high-scoring game between these two. 10* OVER the total in Boston

Total of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #655 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Gonzaga Bulldogs vs Florida State Seminoles @ 7:10 ET - These teams each have big frontcourts and that gives them a solid line of defense in the paint. However, don't underestimate the potency of each one of these offenses and also don't forget the big points they've given up in similar match-ups. Yes I know last season's match-up stayed well under the total but now this season's total posted for this game has been adjusted below that one even though one could easily make a case for this game being much higher scoring. Note that Gonzaga is ranked as the most efficient offense in the nation and they are averaging 88.6 points per game on the season. However, also note that the Bulldogs faced two ACC opponents this season (NC and Duke) and they allowed an average of 95 points per game in those two games! As for Florida State, they are surging with confidence in the offensive end after putting up 90 in their 2nd round win. On the defensive end though lets look at how they fared against Duke (twice) and North Carolina. The Seminoles allowed an average of 77 points per game in their 3 meetings with those powerful offenses. Based on the above you can see why plenty of points are likely in this one! Also, in games with a posted total of 144 or more, the Bulldogs are 4-1 to the over their last 5. Florida State has gone over the total in each of their NCAA Tourney games thus far and Zags games against ACC teams both flew over the total this season. 10* OVER the total in Gonzaga

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #575 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Oklahoma City Thunder vs Indiana Pacers @ 8:05 ET - I am well aware of the fact that the Thunder have had some struggles on offense in recent weeks. However, I am expecting a big bounce back on their home floor tonight after both Paul George and Russell Westbrook struggled in Oklahoma City's loss at Memphis Monday. As for the Pacers, they are expected to get a boost with the return of point guard Darren Collison tonight. Even if he does not return though, look for Indiana's struggles with defense on the road to continue. The Pacers have lost 8 straight road games and the fact they've allowed 110 points per game in those defeats has certainly played a role in it. The Thunder defense has not been impressive of late either as they've allowed 113.5 points per game during their current 1-5 overall stretch their last 6 games. The OKC loss to the Grizzlies Monday was an ugly one and the over is 4-1 in 2019 when when the Thunder are off a loss by a margin of 11 points or more. Indiana is 3-0 to the over the last 3 times they were off a game in which they scored 115 points or more. Look for the Pacers offensive production to pick up right where it left off in the win versus Denver Sunday while the Thunder offense gets back on a roll at home after the poor effort versus the Grizz began this week on the wrong foot. 10* OVER the total in Oklahoma City

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #635 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in DePaul Blue Demons vs Coastal Carolina Chanticleers @ 8 ET - The over is a PERFECT 6-0 in the Blue Demons last 6 games. DePaul has allowed an average of 87 points per game in its last 4 games. Coastal Carolina enters this game having scored an average of 95 points per game in its last 2 games. You can see why we should expect plenty of points here as the Chanticleers are hot in the offensive end and the Blue Demons are about the furthest thing from a defensive-minded team. DePaul relies on quick-strike scoring to beat teams and they will simply look to run and gun their way past Coastal Carolina. Of course the Blue Demons have played a tougher schedule than the Chanticleers and that is why I expect DePaul to enjoy plenty of success in the offensive end. I just don't foresee the Blue Demons as being able to stop Coastal Carolina in this one and we should see a wildly high-scoring affair. DePaul has averaged 90.3 points per game in its last 6 games. The Chanticleers have allowed an average of 81 points per game in their last 10 games. The over is a long-term 4-1 in Coastal Carolina semi-final games in tournaments. The over is 13-7 in Blue Demons home games this season and I look for their overall streak with totals to make it 7 in a row on Wednesday. 10* OVER the total in DePaul

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #617 Tuesday 8* OVER the total in Indiana Hoosiers vs Wichita State Shockers @ 7 ET - This total has dropped from a 140 to a 137.5 and I like the value we're getting here now with the over. Even though Indiana's Romeo Langford is likely to miss again, the Hoosiers haven't had him in the first two games of the NIT Tournament either. That said, other than a slow start versus Arkansas Saturday, the Indiana offense has been functioning just fine without Langford. Though the game against the Razorbacks stayed under the total, the Hoosiers entered that match-up on a 6-1 run to the over their last 7 games. The Hoosiers had averaged 86 points per game in their 4 prior games and the same way they eventually broke down the Hogs press Saturday, Indiana will find a way to break through against Wichita State. The Hoosiers know they can't afford to let this get into a half-court grinder slow-paced game with the Shockers. Look for Indiana try to get a huge early jump and run them right out of the building with a trip to the NIT Final Four on the line! This is, of course, the final home game for the Hoosiers and they'll make the most of it but I look for their defense to struggle to slow down a Shockers team that is playing its best basketball of the season at the right time. Wichita State is off back to back road wins and, prior to scoring just 63 points at Clemson, the Shockers had scored 72 points or more in 5 of their last 6 games! Prior to the game against the Tigers staying under the total, Wichita State was on a 3-0 run to the over. The Shockers just played on Sunday and the over is 4-1 this season when Wichita State is playing with one day or less of rest between games. Also, the over is a long-term 9-4 in Shockers NIT games. As for the Hoosiers, the over is 4-1 this season when they are off a game in which they allowed 60 points or less. 8* OVER the total in Indiana

Total of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Game #549 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Memphis Grizzlies vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 8:05 ET - The Grizzlies are off an under but the over was 6-1 in their 7 prior games. As their hopes for a playoff spot have faded, their focus on the defensive end has also faded as well but the markets aren't properly assessing that factor and we can take advantage here. The total opened up at a 220.5 and has already dropped to a 218.5 as of early game day morning. It is likely headed even lower as the recent under streak that the Thunder had is fresh in the minds of the marketplace too. However, OKC is now 2-0-1 to the over in their last 3 games and they've allowed 47% or more from the field in EACH of their last 4 games. The over is a perfect 3-0 the last 3 times these teams have met in Memphis. The Grizzlies are 8-4 to the over this season when off an upset loss as a favorite. Oklahoma City is 18-8 to the over this season when off a non-conference game. Also, the Thunder have gone 9-2 to the over in their last 11 games versus teams with a losing record. Look for more of the same here and fade the false perception of the marketplace in this one. 10* OVER the total in Memphis

Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #871 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Houston Cougars vs Ohio State Buckeyes @ 8:40 ET - The odds makers, fully unaware that the Cougars are a strong defensive team, put the first number on the total in this game at 134. Of course I am joking but I do think many will still feel this total is too high even though it has dropped to a 132 now. The fact is the odds makers are sharper than many people give them credit for. Of course Houston has a strong defense but Ohio State is use to a banging and bruising style in the Big Ten and the Cougars are too smart to let this game turn into a half-course snooze fest. Houston's best bet is to be quick and not allow the Buckeyes to get comfortable playing their typical style. That said, Ohio State is going to get their fair share of points here but they won't be able to stop Houston either. The Buckeyes had a poor shooting effort but snuck by Iowa State in the first round. Note that Ohio State had averaged scoring 72 points per game in their 3 games prior to facing the Cyclones and all 3 of those went over the total. The Cougars are on an under streak right now but they scored 84 points in their first round game and that means Houston has now scored 84 points or more in 6 of their last 10 games. The Cougars averaged 76 points per game this season. Many people talk about their defensive play but also fail to realize how efficient their offense is too. This one will see both teams get to 70 in my opinion. The over is a long-term 25-15 in Buckeyes NCAA Tourney games. The under in the 1st round was their first under in 4 neutral court games this season. The Cougars are 6-3 to the over in a neutral court game where the total is 130 to 134.5 points. 10* OVER the total in Houston

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #531 Sunday 8* OVER the total in New York Knicks vs Los Angeles Clippers @ 12:05 ET - The Knicks are off an under but previously had gone over the total in 3 straight games. New York's 3 prior games saw them allow an average of 129.3 points per game. Prior to a dismal effort in their home loss to the Nuggets, the Knicks had scored an average of 115 points per game in their last 6 home games. The Clippers enter this game also off an under that, just like the Knicks, snapped a 3-game over streak. Los Angeles has allowed an average of 113 points per game their last 13 games. The Clippers have scored an average of 118 points per game their last 12 games. The over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings between these teams. The over is 7-2 this season in LA's games against Atlantic Division opponents. Also, Los Angeles is 25-12 to the over this season in games in which they are a favorite. More of the same expected here. 8* OVER the total in New York

1st Round Total of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Game #797 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Duke Blue Devils vs North Dakota State Bison @ 7:10 ET - The Bison are known for their hot shooting ability but they also are horrible defensively. I expect that to lead to plenty of points in this one. North Dakota State is now 6-2 to the over this season in neutral site games after their game versus North Carolina Central on Wednesday easily went over the total. The Bison have scored an average of 79 points per game in their 8 neutral site games this season. ND St has shot better than 40% from three point land in EACH of their last four games. The way I see this game playing out is that Duke will score a ton of points and get out to a huge lead and then will be able to relax defensively. This will open up the scoring for the Bison in "garbage time" as this game goes on. North Dakota State has proven all season long they have sharpshooters and that will help send this one over the total because Duke might get to triple digits on their own in this one! The over is 4-1 in Bison NCAA Tournament games. The Blue Devils are a long-term 16-10 to the over in games with a posted total in the 140s. Also, just two of Duke's last 6 NCAA Tournament games have resulted in an under. The Blue Devils averaged 88 points per game this season in games where they were favored by 13 or more points. 10* OVER the total in Duke

Total Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #783 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Kansas Jayhawks vs Northeastern Huskies @ 4 ET - The Huskies live and die with the 3-ball but it looks like that should set them up very well in this game. Northeastern knocked down an incredible 40% of their three pointers this season in road games! Kansas allowed a whopping 37.4% from beyond the arc in their road games this season. In other words, the Huskies should do some damage with their outside shooting in this game. The key to the value with the over here is that, while Northeastern should score plenty, they will struggle to stop a high-power Kansas attack that was one of the top scoring teams in the Big 12. The Jayhawks went 9-3 to the over in non-conference games this season. Also, Kansas is 7-2 to the over the past two seasons in NCAA Tournament games! Overall, Jayhawks games played in the month of March on a 15-6 run to the over. The Huskies are 11-6 to the over this season in games with a posted total in the 140s. Northeastern is 8-4 to the over in non-conference games this season. Huskies have allowed 46% shooting to their opponents on the season. Plenty of points in this one! 10* OVER the total in Kansas

Earliest Cash Total Smash - Rickenbach NBA Game #535 Monday 8* OVER the total in Washington Wizards vs Utah Jazz @ 7:05 ET - The Jazz have averaged 118 points per game in their last 5 road games. The Wizards have averaged 122 points per game in their last 8 games overall. Washington is 17-6 to the over in non-conference games this season. In games against teams with a winning record this season, the Wizards have gone 21-9 to the over. This will be Washington's first match-up against the Jazz this season but the over is 5-1 this season in Wizards games against teams in the Northwest Division. Look for more of the same in this early evening Monday match-up. 8* OVER the total in Washington

Big Ten #1 Top Game O/U - Rickenbach CBB Game #655 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Michigan State Spartans vs Michigan Wolverines @ 3:30 ET - The over is a perfect 5-0 in the last 5 meetings between these teams. Also, the over is 9-4 when Michigan State, past the midway point in a season, faces a team that is allowing 64 points or less per game. Why? The reason is because the oddsmakers tend to over-adjust when the Spartans are matched up with a team that is also strong defensively just like they are. That said, we've got a lot of value here as this total opened up in the mid-130s but has dropped down to as low as 130 early this morning. Even with yesterday's Michigan game staying under the total, the over is still on a 7-3 run in Wolverines conference tournament games. The Spartans game yesterday also stayed under the total but that is part of what is driving the total down in this one and leading to even more value on the over. 70% of yesterday's games stayed under the total and the betting public is always guilty of being very short-sighted. Just because the majority of games stayed under the total yesterday does not mean a repeat performance today. Yet you're seeing most of the unders getting pounded today. Even though both these teams were involved in unders yesterday, the Spartans scored 67 points and they're averaging 79 points per game on the season! The Wolverines scored 76 points yesterday and they've scored 69 points or more in 8 of their last 11 games. 10* OVER the total in the Big Ten Championship Game

Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #629 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Villanova Wildcats vs Seton Hall Pirates @ 6:30 ET - The over is 3-0 in Villanova's last 3 games and the Wildcats game with the Pirates last Saturday totaled 154 points. Seton Hall enters this game having allowed 70 points or more in 7 of its last 9 games. The Pirates have also scored 70 points or more in each of their last 5 games away from home. Villanova has scored over 70 points in 4 straight games. Based on these numbers it is very reasonable to expect this game to get into the 140s. The over is on an 11-5 run in Seton Hall's tournament games. The over is on a 10-4 run in Wildcats games played away from home. These teams shot the 3-ball very well in their last meeting and I expect more of the same in the rematch as they play their 3rd straight game in 3 days at Madison Square Garden in New York. 10* OVER the total in Villanova

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Boston Celtics vs Atlanta Hawks @ 12:35 ET - The Hawks are 6-2 to the over their last 8 games. The Celtics are 3-0 to the over their last 3 games. It is hard to envision Boston giving a great effort on defense against the lowly Hawks. The Celtics likely will look right past them as they have a much tougher game (Denver) on deck. Boston has allowed 119 points per game their last 4 games. Atlanta is completely comfortable with getting involved in run and gun games. Since the All Star break the Hawks have allowed 111 points or more in all 11 games and they've allowed an average of 121 points per game since the break. Atlanta has also scored 111 points or more in 10 of those 11 games and they enter this game having averaged 130 points per game the past two games. More of the same expected here. 8* OVER the total in Boston

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #561 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Indiana Pacers vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 7:05 ET - The Thunder are off a win versus Brooklyn yesterday that stayed well under the total as I know all too well. I won't hesitate to come right back with the over today. Oklahoma City had a horrific start on the offensive end yesterday and that set the tone for the entire game. Now on the road and in a back to back spot, the Thunder know they can ill afford another slow start. I look for OKC to hit the floor running in this one and we should see a good pace throughout. Oklahoma City is 16-6 to the over this season when coming off a non-conference game. I am well aware of the fact that, like the Thunder, the Pacers have been trending under of late. However, the Pacers have scored an average of 125 points per game in their last 4 home games versus teams from the Western Conference. The over went 3-1 in those 4 games. Indiana, going further back, is 6-2 to the over the last 8 times the Pacers have been a host in non-conference action. More of the same expected here. 10* OVER the total in Indiana

TV Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #553 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Oklahoma City Thunder vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:05 ET - I looked like a fool with my play on the over in Brooklyn on Monday but I don't know if I have ever seen something like this in my life! The Nets gave up just 75 points even though they allowed the Pistons 97 field goal attempts! Detroit simply was horrific with their shooting as they made just 27.8% of their shots from the field! Truly unreal and also noteworthy here as the over is a perfect 4-0 the last 4 times the Nets were off a game in which they allowed 75 points or less. Brooklyn's pace has certainly been conducive to overs of late even though overs have not been cashing in. The Nets have allowed an average of 101 field goal attempts in their past two games and 97.2 FG attempts their last 11 games! The Thunder certainly have no qualms about getting into high-scoring shootouts with teams but, like the Nets, they are off of a bit of an unusual game. They played the defensive-minded Jazz and Utah and Oklahoma City both failed to reach the century mark in that game. The over is 18-9 in Brooklyn's last 27 games against Northwest Division opponents. The over is 13-7 in Oklahoma City's home games with a posted total of 220 points or more this season. The over is 4-1 the last 5 times the Thunder were off a game in which they held their opponent under 100 points. 10* OVER the total in Oklahoma City

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #635 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New Mexico Lobos vs Wyoming Cowboys @ 4:30 ET - These teams just met at Wyoming on Saturday and the game totaled 169 points. The Lobos totaled 81 points and the amazing aspect of that is that New Mexico had 7 players that played 17 minutes or more in the game and 4 of the 7 combined to make just 9 of their 35 field goal attempts. Even with poor shooting from 4 guys whom each had at least 7 field goal attempts, New Mexico still put up 81 points on the scoreboard. Both the Lobos and Cowboys are two of the worst teams defensively in the Mountain West in terms of points allowed. Also, Wyoming has built up confidence (particularly on the offensive end) based on recent performances. The Cowboys have won back to back games for the first time this season and Wyoming has averaged scoring 80.3 points per game their last 3 games. On the season the Lobos have averaged 76 points per game so I expect plenty of points in this one. New Mexico has averaged 92 points per game in their last 4 meetings with Wyoming. The Cowboys have scored 75 points or more in 3 of last 4 meetings with Lobos. Also, in the last 3 meetings NOT played at New Mexico (either at Wyoming or at neutral site) the Cowboys have averaged scoring 92.3 points per game! The over is 3-0 in Wyoming's last 3 games overall. The over is 4-1 this season in Lobos games with a posted total of 148 or less. This one falls into that category and after opening as high as a 147 has dropped to as low as a 145.5 as of early this morning. That is a value add I won't pass up. 10* OVER the total in New Mexico 

PA Insider - Rickenbach NBA Game #535 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Philadelphia 76ers vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:05 ET - The Cavs are off a big upset win over the Raptors last night. Don't be surprised if they are a little flat on the defensive end tonight. The 76ers are rested after a big win over Indiana Sunday. In that game the Sixers really turned the heat up on defense in the 2nd half to eventually pull away and win by double digits. As they now face one of the worst teams in the NBA and also have 2 more off days on deck after this. I would not be surprised to see Philly lacking in defensive intensity tonight as well. The last 3 meetings between these teams all went over the total and they averaged 242.7 points per game. As you would expect with that type of average, all 3 games flew over the total! The Cavaliers enter this game on a 7-3 run to the over. Cleveland is 11-5 to the over this season in games against Atlantic Division opponents. As a home favorite of 12.5 points or more, the 76ers are 3-1 to the over this season. The Sixers have averaged scoring 124 points per game in their last 3 games against the Cavs. The Cavaliers have scored an average of 121.3 points per game in their last 3 visits to the City of Brotherly Love. Look for more of the same in this one as it crushes the posted total. 10* OVER the total in Philadelphia

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Brooklyn Nets vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:35 ET - The Nets have stayed under the total in 4 straight games. However, Brooklyn has scored an average of 118 points per game their last 3 games. But, as a result of the under streak, the posted total on this one already dropped from an opener of 222.5 down to a 221 overnight heading into Monday. The Pistons come into this game off an under but, prior to that, the over was 9-1 in Detroit's last 10 games! Also, the over is 10-5 this season in Pistons games against Atlantic Division opponents. Detroit has averaged scoring 121 points per game in its last 4 games. The over in Nets game improves to 14-8 the last 22 times they've entered a game on an under streak of 3 more consecutive games. Both teams have been scoring very well and that continues here. 10* OVER the total in Brooklyn

The Total of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Game #839 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in East Carolina Pirates vs Connecticut Huskies @ 2 ET - Two of the worst teams in the American Athletic Conference matched up in this season finale. Allowing too many points has been a big part of the problem for both teams. The Huskies tend to forget their defense at home when they have hit the road this season! Connecticut held the Shockers to 65 points at Wichita State in their most recent road game but previously had allowed 77 points per game in their 4 prior road games. The Huskies gave up at least 73 points in all 4 of those road games. As for East Carolina, they've allowed 72 points or more in 7 straight games. In those 7 games, the Pirates have allowed an average of 81.6 points per game. Look for both teams to play very loose in this season finale. Certainly the Pirates are the lesser of the two teams but East Carolina's games had gone over the total in 4 straight games prior to their ugly loss at Wichita State. In those 4 games the Pirates averaged scoring 75.3 points per game. Look for both teams to get into the 70s in this one as it flies over the total. On the season Connecticut is allowing 78 points per game when on the road. The Pirates are allowing 74 points on the season in all their games. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in East Carolina

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #707 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Memphis Tigers vs Tulsa Golden Hurricane @ 9:30 ET - Many will look at this total and feel it is too big but I see plenty of value here with the over. Memphis has locked in their seeding for the upcoming AAC Tourney and now at home on senior day. The Tigers are loaded with seniors and will be able to play a loose and relaxed game with no pressure. That will equate to plenty of points in this one as Tulsa certainly is fine with a fast-paced style as well. The first meeting between these teams this season saw the teams combine for 174 points. The Golden Hurricane scored 95 in that game and they enter this game off a confidence-boosting win versus East Carolina. They put up 91 points in that game and even though the Pirates are a bad team, having a huge performance like that does wonders for the confidence of scorers. In other words, look for Tulsa to again be lighting up the scoreboard in this one but, at the same time, Memphis is going to have a huge game in their home finale. The Tigers are off a bit of a grinder at Cincinnati but that is typical Bearcats basketball. Now Memphis will go back into run and gun mode for this one and the Tigers had averaged 90 points per game in their 3 games prior to the loss to Cincy. The Golden Hurricane are 5-1 to the over this season when off a game in which they scored 80 or more points. Tulsa is 4-0 to the over this season in games against teams that average 77 points or more per game. The Tigers are 8-3 to the over in Saturday games this season. 10* OVER the total in Memphis

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #573 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Timberwolves vs Washington Wizards @ 8:05 ET - The over is a red hot 11-2 in the Wolves last 13 games. The over is 12-2 in the Wizards last 14 games. This is a back to back spot for Washington and they are 29-13 to the over their last 42 when in the 2nd game of a back to back. The Wizards are 9-1 to the over in Saturday games this season. Minnesota is playing this game with revenge and that is a situation that has seen them go 21-9 to the over this season. Also, the Timberwolves are 7-0 to the over in games against teams from the Southeast Division this season. Minnesota is 18-6 to the over when off a game in which they allowed 130 points or more. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #551 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Charlotte Hornets vs Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - The over is 14-2 in Washington's last 16 games. This is a key divisional battle but I just don't see how this game won't go over the total as both teams have been trending over and they've also trended over in their recent match-ups. 5 of the last 6 meetings between these teams have gone over the total. Charlotte's most recent game stayed under the total but they entered that game having gone over the total in 9 of their 12 prior games. Also, the Hornets most recent game ended up with a ridiculously low total of points scored. Charlotte managed only 84 points against the Heat on Wednesday and the over is a perfect 5-0 this season when the Hornets are off a game in which they were held to 93 points or less. Charlotte held the Heat to just 91 points on Wednesday and the Hornets are 5-0 to the over the last 5 times they are off a game in which they held their opponent under the century mark. Charlotte's divisional games are 8-4 to the over this season. Washington is 9-3 to the over in divisional games this season. The over is 13-6 in Wizards games with posted total of 230 points or more. In other words, though this total may appear to be big, it will prove to once again be not big enough. 10* OVER the total in Charlotte

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #547 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Milwaukee Bucks vs Indiana Pacers @ 8:05 ET - The Pacers are off an under versus the Bulls Tuesday but they actually allowed 93 field goal attempts in that game. A poor shooting night for Chicago helped insure that the game did not go over the total. However, Indiana entered that game on a 5-1 run to the over. As for the Bucks, they are also off of an under. Milwaukee had a poor shooting night at Phoenix Monday. Despite 95 field goal attempts, the Bucks game versus the Suns stayed under the total. Certainly the proper pace was there for an over and that is nothing new in recent Milwaukee games. The Bucks entered that game on a 4-1 run to the over. 2 of the last 3 meetings between the Pacers and Bucks in Milwaukee have gone over the total. The Bucks are happy to be back home and I expect a huge game from them on the offensive end after that shot poorly in back to back games to wrap up their road trip. The over is 27-16 when Milwaukee is off an upset loss as a favorite. Look for the over to improve to 8-4 this season when the Bucks enter a game with two days of rest between games. Indiana is playing this game with home loss revenge and I look for the Pacers over to improve to 5-2 this season when in that situation. 10* OVER the total in Milwaukee 

TNT Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #519 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Raptors vs Houston Rockets @ 8:05 ET - The Rockets burned me bad on Sunday, though they beat the Celtics at Boston. The problem was that Houston scored extremely well each of the first 3 quarters but then in the 4th they didn't even total half the amount of points they did in any of the first 3 quarters. The result was a painful bad beat with the over in that situation Sunday and I won't hesitate to come right back with the over here after that was one of the worst beats of the season for sure. The total on this game at Toronto opened up at a 228.5 but has dropped to a 226.5 as of very early Tuesday morning. This is offering us great line value here. The Raptors have gone over the total in 5 of their last 7 games. Toronto is off a loss at Detroit where they scored only 107 points. Prior to that poor effort they had scored 118 points or more in 12 of their last 16 games. The Rockets were held to 115 at Boston due to a horrific 4th quarter but Houston entered that game having scored 118 points or more in 9 of their 12 prior games. You can see from these numbers why it is logical to expect this game to get to the mid-230s and yet the posted total has dropped to mid-220s. In terms of technical value, the over is 6-1 in the last 7 meetings between these teams. Toronto also has revenge here and that is a situation that has seen them go 13-5 to the over this season. The Raptors also are 7-1 to the over this season in their games against Southwest Division opponents. 10* OVER the total in Toronto

Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #601 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Butler Bulldogs vs Xavier Musketeers @ 6 ET - Butler's game at Villanova stayed under the total but they entered that game having gone over the total in 4 straight games. All signs point to the over trend resuming here. The Bulldogs have allowed 49% or more from the field in 3 of their last 4 games. Also, Butler has allowed 48% or more from the field in 7 of their last 10 games. On Tuesday they are hosting a Xavier team that has been red hot with their shooting. The Musketeers have averaged well over 50% from the field in their last 4 games and also have been consistently knocking down close to 40% of their threes during this stretch. The over only went 2-2 in those 4 games and Xavier is on a long-term under trend but that is helping keep this total lower than it should be. In fact it opened up as high as 140 but is now down to a 138 as of early Tuesday morning. This has led to even more value with the over. The last 6 meetings between these teams have seen 5 go over the total. The Musketeers are on a long-term 9-5 run to the over in games with a posted total in the 130s. Also, Xavier is a long-term 9-5 to the over as a road dog in a range of 3.5 to 6 points. When off a win against a Big East foe this season the Musketeers are 5-2 to the over. Also, there is a "tightener" in all this and that is that Xavier is a perfect 5-0 to the over the last 5 times they've been on the road in a game with a posted total between 135 and 139.5 points. Butler is 8-1 to the over the last 9 times they've been a home favorite in a range of 3.5 to 6 points. In home games with a posted total between 135 and 139.5 points, the Bulldogs are on a 6-1 run to the over. 10* OVER the total in Butler

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Monday 8* OVER the total in Brooklyn Nets vs Dallas Mavericks @ 7:35 ET - The Mavs are off a game where they shot 30.6% from the field and scored just 81 points. The Nets are off a game where they shot 35.2% from the field and scored only 88 points. That has many looking to the under in this match-up. In typical contrarian fashion, I am looking the other way! Prior to Brooklyn's most recent ugly game, the over was 7-2 in the Nets last 9 games. Also, the Mavericks are on a 3-0 run to the over in their last 3 road games. The over is a perfect 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these teams. The over is 8-3 in the Nets last 11 games against teams with a losing record (Dallas currently 8 games under .500). The over is also an incredible long-term 21-8 (including 8-1 this season) when the Nets face a Southwest Division opponent. More of the same on Monday! 8* OVER the total in Brooklyn

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #575 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Celtics vs Houston Rockets @ 3:35 ET - The very first number that popped up on this total offshore yesterday was a 229.5 and now, as of early this morning, the total has dropped down to as low as a 225 in many books. I understand the market perception here as the Celtics are known for their defense but lets not forget this is still a non-conference match-up. I like overs in non-conference match-ups as a general rule because you generally don't see the same defensive intensity you see in, for example, a key divisional battle. The last two meetings between these teams, including the match-up this season in Houston, have each totaled 240 points or more. The Rockets enter this game having averaged 118 points per game their last 13 games. Boston's last two home games have stayed under the total but, prior to this, the Celtics were on a 5-0 run to the over in home games. Also, even including their last 2 games (unders), Boston has allowed an average of 112 points per game in their last 11 games overall. Since the All Star break a Celtics offense that had been red hot before the break, has had its share of struggles. However, on Sunday they will take advantage of a Rockets defense that is allowing 111 points per game this season. This is the Celtics 3rd game of their homestand and I look for them to light it up. The Rockets have allowed 114.3 points per game in their last 6 games. 10* OVER the total in Boston

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #819 Sunday 8* OVER the total in SMU Mustangs vs Wichita State Shockers @ 2 ET - SMU is off a very low-scoring game but that had a lot to do with who they faced as they got involved in a defensive battle with Cincinnati. Keep in mind, prior to this, the Mustangs were on a 6-2 run to the over. Also, when the Mustangs match up with the Shockers it has been points aplenty. The 3 meetings between these teams all went over the total and all 3 games totaled over 160 points! Wichita State, like SMU, also enters this game off on under but only 2 of their 7 prior games had stayed under the total. The Shockers had a poor shooting game versus Connecticut but previously had shot the ball very well in 3 of their 4 prior games. Look for the hot shooting to resume here. This total has dropped to as low as a 139 but is a little higher in some books (and likely will rise again) and Wichita State is 9-2 to the over in road games with a posted total in a range of 140 to 144.5 points. 8* OVER the total in SMU

Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #821 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Temple Owls vs Tulane Green Wave @ 2 ET - There is unlikely to be very much defensive intensity in this match-up. The Owls are one of the top teams in the AAC while the Green Wave are the worst team in the conference. We're getting a little extra line value here because this season's first match-up between these teams stayed under the total. Keep in mind, the over was on a 5-0 run prior to that. Tulane is also a long-term 17-5 to the over when playing with home loss revenge. The Green Wave also are 4-1 to the over this season as a road dog of 12.5 or more points. Temple is 9-4 to the over in home games this season. Also, the Owls are a long-term 4-1 to the over when facing teams that allow an average of 77 points or more per game. The Green Wave enter this game having allowed 82.3 points per game their last 7 games. Tulane has averaged a respectable 73.7 points per game their last 3 games. Temple has scored 81 points or more in 5 of its last 6 home games in American Athletic Conference action. The Owls have allowed 74.6 points per game their last 5 games. You can see why I am expecting this game to get into the 150s or even 160s early Sunday afternoon. 10* OVER the total in Temple

PA Insider - Rickenbach CBB Game #647 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Villanova Wildcats vs Butler Bulldogs @ 2 ET - The over is a perfect 5-0 in the last 5 meetings between these teams. While it is true that Wildcats have been having some shooting struggles recently, it is also true that they have allowed opponents to shoot an average of 50% from the field against them in their last 3 games. Also, being at home again here helps the Villanova offensive production and they've scored 80 points or more in each of their last 4 meetings with Butler. The Bulldogs enter this game on a 4-0 run to the over in their last 4 games. As a road dog of 6.5 to 9.5 points in recent seasons Butler has gone 2-0 to the over. Since December 1st, when the Wildcats enter a game off back to back unders and their line is in a range from pick'em to a favorite of any size, they have gone 4-0 to the over. Combined perfect trends of 15-0 in favor of another high-scoring game involving these Big East foes. 8* OVER the total in Villanova

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #545 Friday 8* OVER the total in Brooklyn Nets vs Charlotte Hornets @ 7:35 ET - This total opened up at a 231 yesterday and now we're seeing numbers as low as 227.5 as of early Friday morning. Great value with the over here as both of these teams love to jack up threes and I am expecting a true "run and gun" affair in this one. These team just met Saturday and that game totaled 232 points. That brought the over to a fantastic 10-3 in Charlotte's games versus Atlantic Division opponents this season. The Hornets enter this game on an overall 7-3 run to the over in their past 10 games. The Nets are off a high-scoring home loss to Washington and the over is now 6-2 in their past 8 games. Also, the over is 7-2 in Brooklyn's last 9 games against teams with a losing record. The Nets are allowing 113 points per game at home this season and Charlotte is allowing an average of 115 points per game on the road this season. This has the makings of a shootout that should approach 240 points. 8* OVER the total in Brooklyn

Early Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Charlotte Hornets vs Houston Rockets @ 7:05 ET - The Rockets are healthy and in rhythm again. Even so, their last 3 games have remained under the total. That is helping to keep this total lower than it should be. This one opened up at a 228 yesterday and has dropped to as low as a 226.5 as of early this morning. Houston has scored an average of 118 points per game in its last 7 road games. Charlotte is off an under versus Golden State but the Hornets entered the Warriors game having gone 6-2 to the over in their 8 prior games. Charlotte has averaged 118 points per game in it last 5 home games. You can see why I am expecting this game to get into the mid-230s! The Hornets lost by double digits to the defending champs on Monday and they are 9-4 to the over this season when off a loss by a margin of 10 points or more. Each of the Hornets last 3 games have totaled at least 231 points. 3 of Houston's last 4 games have totaled at least 230 points. 10* OVER the total in Charlotte

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #781 Wednesday 8* OVER the total in Penn State Nittany Lions vs Maryland Terrapins @ 6:30 ET - The over is 5-0 in the Nittany Lions last 5 games. They allowed 76 points at Illinois Saturday. Prior to that, Penn State's 4 previous games in this stretch saw them allow a combined 50% from the field. Game after game the Lions have proven susceptible on defense and now they face a dangerous and very athletic Terrapins team that will score very well on them. The key to the value with the over here is that Maryland is in a sandwich spot and I suspect their defense, as a result of the situation, is not going to be at its best in terms of intensity. The Terrapins are off a big home win versus Ohio State and have another home game, a huge one, on deck versus Michigan. This is a tough spot for Maryland and all the stellar results on defense that we've seen from them in recent games are likely to take a hit here. Keep in mind, Penn State is playing with a ton of confidence on the offensive end of the floor. The Nittany Lions have scored an average of 85 points per game in their last 3 home games and YES that includes backing out their overtime period versus Purdue. That is the other impressive thing about the PSU scoring surge at home is that it has included games against the Boilermakers, Nebraska, and Michigan. Those teams collectively allow an average of about 63 points per game but the Nittany Lions blew those averages away. The over is 14-7 for Penn State when they are off a win versus a conference rival and that includes 3-0 this season. Also, the Nittany Lions are 5-2 to the over this season when playing with road loss revenge. That game totaled just 125 points at Maryland but this game will play out much differently per all the above. 8* OVER the total in Penn State

Game of the Week Total - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Knicks vs Orlando Magic @ 7:35 ET - The Knicks are building confidence and that lends itself to a high-scoring game versus the Magic here. New York is off a big win over the Spurs Sunday. The Knicks have now won 2 of their last 3 games and also, New York has gone over the total in 2 of its last 3 home games. The Magic show strong defense to the marketplace as their field goal percentage allowed has been low in recent games. However, Orlando is off a huge upset win at Toronto on Sunday. In other words, this is a flat spot for the Magic as they go from facing the best team in the east to now facing the worst team in the east. Also, the pace for high-scoring games has certainly been there of late for Orlando. In the last 11 Magic games, the average field goal attempts for their opponents has been 92. Also, remember the upset win over the Raptors I just mentioned? The over is 13-3 this season when Orlando is off an outright upset as an underdog! Also, when the Magic are off a win by a double digit margin this season, the over has gone 10-4. As for the Knicks, the over is 2-0 the last two times they've been an underdog to Orlando. I look for another high scoring one here as the Knicks are installed as a sizable home dog here and bring another huge effort. 10* OVER the total in New York

Early Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #565 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Charlotte Hornets vs Golden State Warriors @ 7:05 ET - The Warriors are fired up off a loss in which they scored 112 points. That point total may not seem that bad but, keep in mind, Golden State entered that game having averaged 125 points per game their 4 prior home games. Now the Warriors are on the road and ready to run and gun their way to their typical success. I expect the result to be a solid over here at Charlotte. The Hornets have gone over the total in their last 3 games. Also, in home games, Charlotte is on a 4-0 run to the over and has averaged 119.5 points per game in those 4 contests as a host. The Hornets are 5-2 to the over this season against Pacific Division opponents and I look for Charlotte to improve to 8-4 to the  over this season when off an upset loss as a favorite. Keep in mind, like the Warriors, the Hornets are off an outright loss as a favorite in their Saturday game. As for Golden State, the over is 13-5 when they are facing a team with a losing record this season. Also, the Warriors are 5-1 to the over this season against Southeast Division opponents and 15-8 to the over in road games with a posted total of 220 points or more. 10* OVER the total in Charlotte

PA Insider - Rickenbach CBB Game #827 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Xavier Musketeers vs Villanova Wildcats @ 1:30 ET - Great value with this low total in my opinion. Each of the last 3 meetings between these teams have totaled at least 154 points and the posted total on this one has gone from a 137.5 to a 136 as of early game day morning. I like the fact that Villanova is off back to back losses (and has lost 3 of their last 4 games) and is very hungry for a strong performance. The Wildcats won't take their foot off the gas in this game even if they end up getting a double digit lead. Based on the current line (Nova -6), you can see that is a distinct possibility. As for Xavier, they aren't exactly known for their defense. The Musketeers are allowing 71.6 points per game this season. Also, Xavier has allowed an average of 90 points per game in their last 3 games against the Wildcats. That might have you wondering if one of those games went to OT. No, none of the 3 games were OT games. Musketeers simply won't be able to stop the fired up Wildcats here but I do look for Xavier to score very well. The Musketeers are averaging 75.5 points per game at home this season and the Wildcats defense has not been as strong this season. Villanova is allowing an average of 74 points per game in their last 6 road games! The over is 7-3 this season in Wildcats road games. Also, when off a loss in conference action, Villanova is 6-3 to the over their last 9 games. Xavier is 4-1 to the over this season when off a win in conference action and they come into this game with some added confidence thanks to a 3-game winning streak. Also, the Musketeers are 9-4 to the over their last 13 games with a posted total in the 130s. Look for another one here! 10* OVER the total in Xavier

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #549 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Golden State Warriors vs Houston Rockets @ 8:35 ET - We're getting line value here with the total dropping from 237.5 yesterday afternoon to 233 this morning. Part of the reason for the line move is the James Harden injury situation. Should he not play here I still am fully comfortable with this play. However, I really would be surprised if the does not go. Facing the Warriors in a huge game and coming off a loss Thursday - so a day of rest in between - look for Harden to go here. For the next two weeks after this game the Rockets will be facing Eastern Conference teams. Truly this is Houston's last big game for awhile. Not only are they facing the World Champs, it is the same team that knocked them out of the playoffs last season. This is a double revenge spot however for the Warriors as Houston has gotten the best of them in each of the first two meetings this season. The last meeting went over the total and, though it did go to overtime, keep in mind the teams did have 238 at the end of regulation. Look for another wild one Saturday night on ABC. Also, the over is 8-3 this season in Rockets games against Pacific Division opponents. I look for the Warriors over to improve to 11-6 this season when they are playing a game with revenge. After losing both regular season match-ups this season, the Warriors are NOT going to take their foot off the gas here no matter what the score is. So take advantage of the drop on this total and look for a high-scoring shootout! 10* OVER the total in Golden State 

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #631 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Missouri State Bears vs Indiana State Sycamores @ 2 ET - This total opened up in the 135 range and has dropped to the 130 range. When these teams met last month the posted total was 148. This is the type of major adjustment I look for. Of course the Bears have been trending under all season long but the odds makers factored that into their opening number (135) already. Now the betting markets have forced the total to adjust another 5 points. This is how you get extra value in a situation like this because the numbers don't bear out that this game will finish below 130. The Sycamores are off a RARE gem on defense where they allowed just 50 points but that game was at home. In their last 4 road games, Indiana State has allowed an average of 80.5 points per game! Missouri State is off an embarrassing 63-43 home loss. That's right, the Bears scored just 43 points in their most recent game and it was at home. Prior to that Missouri State had scored at least 65 points in each of their 4 prior games. So here you have a situation where the road team is off one of their best defensive performances (rare) of the season and the home team is off one of their worst offensive performances (rare) of the season. The result here is tremendous line value. The first meeting this season stayed under the total but prior to that these teams had gone over in 5 straight meetings. Also, the over is 5-1 the last 6 times the Bears were the host in this series. 10* OVER the total in Missouri State

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #527 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Dallas Mavericks vs Denver Nuggets @ 8:35 ET - The Nuggets are a solid 16-8 to the over in their last 24 games. This total opened up at a 220 and has dropped to a 218.5 as of early this morning. We're getting good value here considering that the last two meetings between these teams in Dallas went over the total. Also, in their only meeting so far this season (at Denver) the teams combined for 244 points (and had 143 at the half). Don't be surprised if another shootout erupts tonight as I also like overs when it is the weaker team that is at home. In this case that is the Mavericks of course and, as you would expect, they shoot better when at home. As for Denver, they are one of the top teams in the league and score quite well most nights on anybody anywhere! The over is 10-4 in the Nuggets last 14 games against teams that are allowing an average of 106 or more on the season. The over is 20-10 in Denver's last 30 February games. All signs point to the over improving to 3-0 in the Mavs last 3 games. 10* OVER the total in Dallas

Total of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #607 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Golden Gophers vs Michigan Wolverines @ 7 ET - The Wolverines are known for defense. However, Michigan also has been known for having some sub-par performances on the road. That said, the Golden Gophers offensive production also has been much better when at home. Combining those factors we've got great value here with a low total posted on this game. The first meeting between these teams this season stayed well under the total but both teams had horrible shooting nights. Prior to that game however, the over was 3-0 in the 3 prior meetings and those games averaged 157 points. Now, consider this as well. The total in the first game between these teams was posted at 137. Now, because of the low-scoring result in that match-up, we're seeing totals as low as 131.5 for this game as of early this morning. This is more than 5 points less than the first match-up even though the fact that this game is at Minnesota means it should be higher scoring. Keep in mind, the over is 8-4 the last 12 times the Golden Gophers have hosted the Wolverines. Also, Michigan has allowed 71.3 points per game in their last 3 road games. As for Minnesota, they've had one ugly recent performance at home versus Wisconsin. However, other than that, the Golden Gophers have averaged 80.3 points per game in their last 6 home games! Minnesota is a much more confident team when at home and their shooting stats show that. Also, the over is 10-5 in Golden Gophers home games this season. More of the same expected here. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #801 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Massachusetts Minutemen vs George Washington Colonials @ 7 ET - This is a type of late-season match-up that I look for when looking for games that should turn into a shootout. Here you have two teams both have disappointing seasons, with a history of high-scoring games when they meet, both shooting the ball well of late, and both struggling on the defensive end of late. Seriously, who is really to going to play intense defense here? There is just no high motivation for defense in this match-up and the 'kicker' for me was confirming that UMass guard Luwane Pipkins (hamstring) did upgraded from questionable to probable. I do expect him to be good to go here. The over is a perfect 5-0 in the last 5 meetings between these teams and all 5 games totaled at least 150 points. The Minutemen have shot over 40% from three point land in their last 3 games combined. However, Massachusetts has allowed 80 points or more in 2 of their last 3 games and they have allowed red hot hot shooting for their opponents in each of their last 3 games (despite the Davidson game being an ugly score, the shooting was there). As for George Washington, they've shot 40% or better from three point land in 3 straight games and all 3 went over the total. The Colonials, however, have allowed 82.3 points per game in their last 3 games as they surrendered hot shooting over this 3-game stretch. The over is 15-8 when UMass is off a game in which they allowed 80 or more points. Also, February games for the Minutemen are on a 15-3 run to the over. The over is 9-3 this season in George Washington games with a posted total in the 130s. Also, the Colonials are 10-2 to the over when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. Ideal set-up here for a shootout. 10* OVER the total in George Washington

Big Ten Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #625 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Iowa Hawkeyes vs Maryland Terrapins @ 8 ET - The earliest total that first popped up on this game was a 151.5 and now, as of early game day morning, the total has dropped to as low as a 147 in some books. I am happy to grab the extra value here. The over is 2-1 in the last 3 meetings between these teams and the lone under did total 150 points. In other words, at the current number posted on this game, the over would be a perfect 3-0 in the last 3 meetings. Look for the over to improve to 7-4 the last 11 times that Maryland has been on the road with a line ranging from a pick'em to a +3. The Terrapins have not had an over since mid-January - a stretch of NINE straight games. Their highest posted O/U in their last 5 games has been a 138. So the odds makers were fools to set this total at 151.5 as an opener, right? You guys know how I feel about this. When something looks "off" to the betting public it is usually for good reason! Keep in mind, Iowa is at home here and loaded with confidence as they continue to find ways to win games even when it takes late game "magic". That said, the Hawkeyes will continue to play at a fast pace here and will dictate the pace of this game with the Terps. Iowa's most recent game, at Rutgers, resulted in an under, but the over was 5-2 in the Hawkeyes 7 prior games. That's because Iowa averaged 81 points per game during that stretch and that is perfectly in line with their season average for points per game! The Hawkeyes are one of the highest-scoring teams in the Big Ten and are averaging 83.3 points per game at home this season. The over is 7-1 the last 8 times the Hawkeyes have been at home with their line ranging from a pick'em to a -3. Look for a shootout here. 10* OVER the total in Iowa

TV Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #853 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Wisconsin Badgers vs Illinois Illini @ 8 ET - The Illini are off a low-scoring upset win at Ohio State. Illinois is now 6-3 SU in their last 9 games. Also, prior to that rare low-scoring result with the Buckeyes, the Illini were on a 7-2 run to the over in their 9 previous games. One of the few ugly games during that stretch was when they lost at home to Wisconsin. In fact, other than the low-scoring win over the Buckeyes and the low-scoring loss to the Buckeyes, the Illini have scored 71 points or more in all their games since mid-January. In fact, in those 7 games Ilinois has averaged 81 points per game. Keep in mind, versus Wisconsin, the Illini should have scored just fine but they were completely off in that one. Illinois shot just 35.5% from the field, 54.5% from the free throw line, and 19% from three point land! Not only that but the Badgers Ethan Happ was limited by foul trouble and had one of his worst games of the season. Note that, even with all that, the game still totaled 132 points! That is why I feel we're getting great line value here with the low total posted on this one. Illinois is playing with a lot more confidence now than they were a month ago when these teams met in Champaign. I expect the Illini to get their fair share of points as a result but, keep in mind, this is still a team that is allowing 77 points per game on the road this season. The strength of Illinois certainly is not defense. Also, the Badgers have long been known for dominating the Illini and have scored an average of 75 points in the last 3 meetings. Wisconsin is 4-1 to the over when playing with 5 or 6 days of rest between games. The Badgers are 4-1 to the over as a home favorite in a range of 9.5 to 12 points. Illinois is 4-1 to the over as a road dog in a range of 9.5 to 12 points. 10* OVER the total in Wisconsin 

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #813 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Cincinnati Bearcats vs Wichita State Shockers @ 1 ET - The Bearcats are in a sandwich game situation as they are off a huge game at Houston and have a big game versus Central Florida on deck. This type of situation is unlikely to bring forth a great effort on the defensive end from Cincinnati. However, I do expect plenty of points here from the Bearcats at they are off a loss (SU and ATS) to the Cougars and they are 6-2 to the over the last 8 times they were off an ATS loss. Cincinnati is averaging 77.7 points per game when off an ATS loss and they just had their lowest scoring game (58 points) of the season and will be ready to respond here. The only time the Bearcats were held under 60 points this season, they responded to the 59-point effort by scoring 93 points! The Shockers enter this game off back to back unders but, prior to that, were on a 6-3 run to the over. Wichita State enters this contest with some added confidence as they've won 4 straight games (SU and ATS). The Shockers have averaged 76.5 points per game during this 4-game winning streak. You can see why I am expecting plenty of points in this one. Their first meeting this season totaled only 121 points and that is helping to keep this total lower than it should be. These two teams are in entirely different situations heading into this match-up in comparison with the first meeting. The result will be a much higher scoring game in the rematch. 8* OVER the total in Cincinnati 

Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #719 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New Mexico Lobos vs Fresno State Bulldogs @ 7 ET - The over is a perfect 3-0 in the last 3 meetings between these teams. The first meeting this season at Fresno State saw the Lobos score 70 points despite shooting only 31.9% from the field. Both teams were horrible from beyond the arc in that game too as they combined for a ridiculously bad 12 of 57 performance from three point land. The point is that, even with all that poor shooting, the game totaled 152 points. Why? Because these teams are known for playing at a great pace in their meetings and, keep in mind, the two prior meetings saw those games average 175 points! This is also the type of situation I love to look for with overs. You have the lesser team, New Mexico, at home and seeking revenge. The Lobos are averaging 80 points per game at home this season. They'll look to win this game with a red hot shooting night and they are known to "run and gun" at home. Of course Fresno State is happy to play the same pace here as they are off a low-scoring win versus Boise State but the Bulldogs previously scored an average of 80 points per game in their 4 prior games. The Lobos confidence at home is very high right now as they have scored 83 points or more in 4 of their 6 home games since the 1st of the year. Look for the over to improve to 4-1 this season in Lobos games with a posted total in the 140s this season. The over is a perfect 3-0 the last 3 times Fresno State has played at New Mexico. The Lobos give the Bulldogs all they can handle here and the result is a shootout. 10* OVER the total in New Mexico

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #609 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Louisville Cardinals vs Clemson Tigers @ Noon ET - A total that was as high as a 134 has now dropped to as low as a 131.5 as of early Saturday morning and I love the value with the over here. The markets are being influenced by some great efforts on defense in recent Clemson games. However, look for Louisville to dictate the pace of this game at home. The Cardinals are fired up and looking to bounce back off back to back losses including a home loss to Duke. Louisville is averaging 78 points per game this season while the Tigers are averaging 70 points per game on the season. Also, this game is projected to be a rather tight game (current line is Cardinals -4.5) and when you have a tight game late you see more free throws. Both these teams are solid at the free throw line. These teams met at Clemson last season and that game wen over the total and their most recent meeting here at Louisville also resulted in an over. The over is 19-11 when the Tigers are a road dog of 3.5 to 6 points. The over is 5-2 when Louisville is a home favorite in a range of 3.5 to 6 points. Also, the Cardinals are a long-term 33-18 to the over in conference games and 12-6 to the over in February games. These trends continue here. 8* OVER the total in Louisville

Total of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Game #523 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Orlando Magic vs Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - The Hornets are off a loss at Indiana Monday but held the Pacers to just 99 points. The over is a perfect 4-0 the last 4 times Charlotte is off a game in which they held their opponent under 100 points. The Magic are off a big road win at New Orleans where they held the Pelicans to 88 points. The over is a perfect 7-0 the last 7 times Orlando is off a game in which they held their opponents to 90 points or less. The pacing for an over has certainly been there in recent Magic games as they've allowed their opponents more than 90 field goal attempts in 7 of their last 8 games. Also, Orlando has had at least 90 field goal attempts in 7 of its last 9 games. The Hornets have fared extremely well against the Magic in recent seasons and, before being held to just 32.2% from the field by the Pacers Monday, Charlotte had scored 115 points or more in 3 of their last 4 games. Orlando's win at New Orleans was an upset win as they were a dog to the Pelicans. That certainly holds significance here as the Magic are a perfect 11-0 to the over when off an outright win as an underdog. That means we have over trending of a combined 22-0 here supporting this play. 10* OVER the total in Orlando

PA Insider - Rickenbach CBB Game #611 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in James Madison Dukes vs Drexel Dragons @ 7 ET - When Drexel travels away from Philly they have shown a strong tendency for leaving their defense at home! The Dragons have allowed insane numbers on the road: 82.8 ppg, 51.6% from the field, and 42.9% from 3-point land! Another weakness of Drexel is they have a weak bench so their starters tend to get over-used. However, they are all very capable scorers (all 5 averaging in double digits on the season) and the Dragons starting five is well-rested here. Drexel hasn't played since Saturday and they shot 53.7% from the field against the College of Charleston but the Dragons also allowed 52.5% from the field in a 2-point loss that totaled 170 points. We have great value with the rather low total posted on this one as Drexel has shown a tendency all season long to get involved in very high-scoring games away from home. James Madison is likely to oblige the "run and gun" style in this one as the Dukes, even though they allowed only 66 points at Towson, allowed 51.1% shooting! James Madison has allowed 49% or better from the field in 5 of their last 7 games. The Dukes, prior to holding Towson to 66, allowed an average of 79.5 in their 6 prior games. The over was 5-2 in James Madison's 7 games prior to the Towson game staying under the total. The Dukes are averaging 76.6 ppg at home this season and have revenge from losing at Drexel this season and from getting knocked out of the conference tourney by the Dragons a year ago. That means they won't take their foot off the gas here but Drexel can match them bucket for bucket. In other words, plenty of points in this one! 10* OVER the total in James Madison

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #689 Thursday 8* OVER the total in Western Michigan Broncos vs Kent State Golden Flashes @ 5 ET - It has been a very rough season for the Broncos but they have some momentum now as they enter this game off a home win versus Northern Illinois. That game versus the Huskies went over the total and Western Michigan is now 6-0 to the over in their 6 home games. That is an impressive streak dating all the way back to late December. As for the Golden Flashes, they're certainly having a much better season than the Broncos but Kent State is off an ugly loss. After scoring just 53 points in an ugly loss at Akron, the Golden Flashes are going to now take advantage of a Western Michigan team that has allowed an average of 83.7 points per game in its last 10 games! Kent State is off back to back unders but prior to this the over was on a 9-4 run in Golden Flashes games. Also, this is just the 4th time this season that Kent State has had back to back unders and the over is a perfect 3-0 in this situation this season. Look for another one here as the Flashes bounce back from an ugly loss but the Broncos, at home and off a confidence-boosting win, match them bucket for bucket! 8* OVER the total in Western Michigan

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #553 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Cavaliers vs New York Knicks @ 7:05 ET - The very first numbers that popped up on this total offshore were as high as a 212.5 in some books. It has since moved down about a bucket from the opener and I like the value here that we're getting in a game where neither team is highly motivated to play much defense. That's because the Cavaliers and Knicks are both in the running for the #1 spot in the NBA draft and are simply playing out the string on very disappointing seasons. I am well aware of the fact that New York has been on a long-term trend of unders and that the Cavs have also been trending under. However, there is plenty of reason to believe that this one plays out quite loose and high-scoring. Cleveland has allowed 114.6 points per game in their last 11 home games. The over is 11-5 in the Cavaliers last 16 home games. The Knicks are allowing 115.7 points per game in their road games on the season! Both teams have unimpressive offensive production but when defenses are this bad there is going to be plenty of quality looks at the basket. This is especially true in a game that is likely to be played a little "loosey goosey" with very little attention to detail on defense. Look for the over to improve to 8-4 this season in Cavaliers games against Atlantic Division opponents and also the over improves to 4-1 in the rare situation of the Cavs being a favorite in a game. Two bad teams, not a lot of defense, and a shootout breaks out in this one! 10* OVER the total in Cleveland

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach CBB Game #855 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in North Carolina Tar Heels @ 7 ET - There are 3 teams that are clearly the top teams in the ACC. That group includes these two matched up here as well as Duke. There is no doubt that the Tar Heels are very similar in style to the Blue Devils. This is the only regular season meeting between North Carolina and Virginia. That said, lets look at how the Cavaliers fared against Duke this season. They just had their 2nd match-up of the season on Saturday. The Blue Devils scorched the Cavs from three point land. In the prior meeting this season, at Duke, the Cavaliers held Duke in check but gave up too much inside. That is why the Blue Devils averaged 76.5 points per game this season in their two games against the vaunted defense of Virginia. Note that UNC is averaging 88.3 points per game on the season. You can see where I am going with this. The fact is the Tar Heels are going to "get theirs" in this game in terms of scoring plenty of points. They do not want to let UVA control the tempo here and, since this game is at North Carolina, I do expect the Tar Heels to have quite a say so in the tempo of this game. The Heels will look to run and gun and create quick transition scoring opportunities. The Cavaliers defensive mindset is still shaken from getting blitzed by Duke and now they have to face a team that is averaging even more points per game than Duke this season. This is a tough match-up for the Cavs but I do expect them to score plenty. Virginia has shot 47% from the field on the road and averaged 70 points per game away from home this season. The over is 4-1 in the Cavaliers last 5 games against teams with a winning record. The over is 3-1 in Tar Heels home games with a posted total between 140 and 144.5 points. North Carolina wants revenge for last season's ACC Tourney loss to the Cavaliers and the Tar Heels know they will NOT get revenge by playing a plodding slow style here. In other words, this game has "up tempo" written all over it! 10* OVER the total in North Carolina

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #547 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Atlanta Hawks vs Orlando Magic @ 7:35 ET - The Magic are off a huge upset win at Milwaukee last night as they held the Bucks to just 83 points. You know it will be easy for them to now fall flat on the defensive end of the courts as they go from facing one of the best teams in the East to facing a team that is nearly 20 games under .500 on the season. Yes the Hawks are a division rival but it is not much of a rivalry when a team is having an awful season. Atlanta did put up 120 points yesterday against Charlotte but the Hawks, even though they were at home, allowed 129 points. As bad as that sounds it is truly not that unusual. The over is 10-4 in Atlanta's last 14 games and a lot of it has to do with porous defense as well as playing at a fast pace. The Hawks have now allowed an average of 122 points per game their last 14 games. The Magic are favored by a bucket here. So if the Hawks continue to play as they have been for the past month now and allow 122 here and the odds maker is right about the spread (as they so often are) this could be a 122-120 game. That puts us nearly 20 points over the posted number on this game. The total was as high as a 226 with early numbers but has been pushed down to a 223. In typical contrarian fashion, I am on the other side of the move in this one! Prior to yesterday's dominating road win at Milwaukee, the over was actually on a 4-1 run in Orlando's last 5 games away from home. How likely is another "grinder" for the Magic after yesterday's low-scoring win? VERY unlikely! The over is 8-1 this season in Orlando games when the Magic are off a game in which they allowed 90 points or less. Look for a shootout here! 10* OVER the total in Atlanta

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach CBB Game #837 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ 6 ET - There is a long history of match-ups between Notre Dame and Georgia Tech staying under the total. That continued in this season's earlier match-up at Georgia Tech 3 weeks ago. The Yellow Jackets are known for getting involved in low-scoring grinder type games. Looking at the final score of 63-61 in the Jackets win over the Fighting Irish 3 weeks ago it looks like Georgia Tech was very successful in slowing down Notre Dame. However, when one digs a little deeper one finds that the Irish actually attempted 65 shots in the game including 30 three pointers! So it wasn't really the tempo of the game that kept it under the total, it was the fact that the Irish shot very poorly in that game. I don't expect a repeat of that here. The Fighting Irish are not offensive juggernauts but they do average a solid 73 points per game when at home this season. They also are allowing 68 points per game at home. It will be Notre Dame, on their home floor, dictating the pace in this game and I expect us to get well above the 128 that is currently posted on this one. You can see that Fighting Irish games tend to total around 140 points and they're very likely to shoot much better in this rematch. Also, the over is a long-term 29-16 (including 6-2 in recent seasons) when the Irish are a home favorite in a range of 3.5 to 6 points. The over is 6-3 when Georgia Tech enters a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. 10* OVER the total in Notre Dame

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #517 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Utah Jazz vs San Antonio Spurs @ 5:05 ET - The over is 8-1 in the Spurs last 9 games. The over is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings between these teams and that includes 4-1 the last 5 times they've met in Utah. The Jazz are a long-term 10-3 to the over in home games with a posted total of 220 or more. In other words, though a big total like this on a game in Utah is quite rare, don't let the big total scare you away from the over. The Spurs have been putting up huge points but can't stop anybody. Also, the Jazz are seeking revenge for a loss at San Antonio in the most recent meeting between these teams. Keep in mind, Utah has been known for some huge shooting performances at home this season and that includes putting up 139 the last time they hosted the Spurs. Also, the over is 12-1 this season in San Antonio's road games with a posted total of 220 points or more. As you can see with both of these teams, when big totals are posted on their games, it has proven to be justified nearly every time and I feel strongly that will be the case again here. The desperate Spurs have lost 3 straight games so they're not going to back down here but they'll have to do it with offense because their defense has had plenty of issues of late and that means this one turns into a shootout. 10* OVER the total in Utah

PA Insider - Rickenbach CBB Game #851 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in St Joseph's Hawks vs St Louis Billikens @ 7 ET - These teams have a history of playing to the under in recent meetings. However, there is plenty of reason to believe that this one snaps that trend. When these teams met three weeks ago at St Louis, the Hawks shot only 29.5% from the field and allowed the Billikens to shoot only 38.6% from the field. Even with those very ugly numbers the game totaled 125 points. This total, as of early game day morning, is currently as low as 131.5 points and I feel we're getting great value here when you consider the first result between these teams. The reason is because St Joseph's will look to increase the pace on their home floor and also it is highly unlikely that we'll see such poor shooting in the rematch. How unlikely? The Hawks have allowed at least 43% from the field in each of their five games since the loss at St Louis and 4 of the 5 games saw St Joseph's opponents shoot 46% or better from the field. The Hawks allowed 73.6 points per game in those 5 games. Also, St Joseph's other 7 games since mid-January (other than the ugly performance against the Billikens) have seen them held under 40% from the field just 1 other time. In the other 6 games the Hawks averaged 70.3 points per game. You can see why I am expecting this game to get to the 140 to 145 range tonight. The Billikens have allowed their last 3 opponents to average 48% from the field and St Louis has shot 42% or better in 3 straight games. The Hawks are hungry for revenge here and they know they can't afford to let the Billikens turn this game into a "grinder" so I expect a lot of pressure and that can turn into turnovers and quick transition points as well as breakdowns in defense when St Louis beats the pressure. In other words, there is going to be some quick scoring runs throughout this game in my opinion. The over is a perfect 3-0 when St Louis is a road favorite of 3 points or less. The over is 12-5 in St Joseph's February games. Also, the Hawks are 3-0 to the over as a home dog of 3 points or less. 10* OVER the total in St Joseph's

TV Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #607 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Ohio State Buckeyes vs Penn State Nittany Lions @ 7 ET - This is a revenge game for the Buckeyes as they lost to the Nittany Lions in the Big Ten Conference Tournament in March. That said, Ohio State is not going to take their foot off the gas in this one and they are known for scoring very well on their home floor. The Buckeyes have averaged 77.3 points per game in their home games this season. However, something about Ohio State always seems to bring out the best in Penn State and the Nittany Lions have averaged 75 points per game in their last 4 games against the Buckeyes. I would not be surprised to see PSU trading buckets with OSU for much of this game and we should see some great scoring runs throughout this contest. The first total that popped up on this game offshore was 132.5 and it dropped to a 131 as of early this morning and I feel we have great value here with the over. Each of the last 5 meetings between these teams have totaled at least 135 points. The over is 8-3 in Penn State's last 11 visits to Ohio State. The over is also 5-1 in the Buckeyes last 6 home games entering this contest. Though the Nittany Lions have mostly trended under this season, the over is 3-1 the last 4 times Penn State has been a road underdog in a range of 6.5 to 9 points. The over is also 3-1 this season in Buckeyes home games versus teams with a losing record. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Ohio State

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Game #563 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Milwaukee Bucks vs Washington Wizards @ 8:05 ET - Huge total posted on this game but absolutely justified. The Wizards recently had one strong defensive game at home against Indiana. In their other 4 games since January 27th, Washington has allowed their opponent to shoot 50% or better from the field in all 4 games. The Wizards have allowed an average of 129 points per game in those 4 games. One of those games was at home against the Bucks and the game totaled 246 points. I would not be surprised to see a similar result tonight. Milwaukee did allow only 94 points in their next game but it certainly wasn't due to a lack of pace! The Bucks hosted the Nets and Brooklyn actually attempted 102 shots from the field but it was simply 'one of those nights' and the Nets made just 32.4% of their shots. While fast pace is expected again here, you can expect the Wizards will shoot very well. Washington has shot 49% from the field their last 4 games and averaged 116.6 points per game their last 5 games. The over is 17-7 this season in Wizards games against teams with a winning record. 10* OVER the total in Milwaukee

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #833 Saturday CBB 10* Top Play OVER the total in California Golden Bears vs Stanford Cardinal @ 4 ET - Those who appreciate strong defensive play in college hoops might want to look elsewhere on Saturday. The Cardinal are allowing 74 points per game on the road this season. The Golden Bears are allowing 50% from the field, 38.5% from three point land, and 79 points per game on the season! Each of the last 3 regular season meetings between these teams has resulted in an over and this total on Sunday is low enough to fully expect another one. The over is 4-2 in Stanford's last 6 road games. The over is 4-2 in California's last 6 home games. The average points scored in the last 6 road games for the Cardinal is 151. For Cal, 5 of their last 6 home games have totaled at least 146 points. That is why the small drop on this total this morning carries even a little more significance for our purposes here. In terms of long-term trending, the over is 11-3 in Stanford's February games the last two years. The over is 4-1 when the Golden Bears are playing with 7 or more days of rest between games and also 4-1 when the Bears are a home dog in a range of 3.5 to 6 points. Look all these trends to continue here on Sunday afternoon. 10* OVER the total in California

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Game #527 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Celtics vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 2:05 ET - The recent match-up history between these teams has trended under and that is the direction many will be looking in this one as a result. However, the way these two have been playing of late and the fact this is a non-conference match-up (generally a little less defensive intensity in those), has me looking for a solid over in this match-up. Both teams are red hot. The Celtics have won 8 of their last 9 games and averaged 116 points per game in doing so. The Thunder have won 7 straight games and they've reached the century mark in each of their last dozen games. In fact, Oklahoma City has averaged 124 points per game in these 12 games. Two of those games did go to OT but if we remove those points for the Thunder they are still averaging, in regulation, 122 points per game those dozen games! The over is 10-2 in those 12 OKC games! The over is 7-2 in Oklahoma City's last 9 games versus teams that average 106 points or more per game. The over is 14-4 this season in Thunder games when they are coming off a non-conference game. The over is 13-5 this season when the Celtics face a team with a winning record. History says under but the current play of these two teams absolutely suggests otherwise. 10* OVER the total in Boston 

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Wizards vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:05 ET - The odds makers made a huge mistake, right? The first total that popped up on this game was a 231.5 on Friday afternoon. Of course with the history of unders between these teams and the perceived "mistake" the total has been driven down to a 227 as of early Saturday morning. I am happy to jump on the over and grab the added value here. The Bucks are off a very strong defensive effort to get a big win over Toronto, the top team in the East. Milwaukee entered that game having allowed an average of 111.5 points per game in their two prior games. As for the Wizards, they are off a surprisingly strong effort on the defensive end as they held the Pacers to 89 points in their win over Indiana. Prior to that, Washington had allowed 124 points per game in their two prior games. While one could argue that those were on the road, also note that prior to beating Indiana the Wizards allowed 126 points in their most recent home game. Both the Bucks and Wizards have been scoring a ton of points and now coming off big wins that involved huge defensive efforts I expect a letdown on D here and an all-out offensive onslaught in this game to result! Note that the over is 21-12 when Milwaukee is off an upset win as an underdog and that includes 3-1 this season. The Bucks are also on a 29-10 run to the over in Saturday games including 6-2 to the over this season. The over is 13-5 in Wizards home games with a posted total of 220 points or more this season. Washington is 6-1 to the over this season when playing with 2 days of rest between games. The Wizards are also on a 23-10 run to the over in Saturday games including 6-1 to the over this season. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Washington

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach CBB Game #677 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Kansas Jayhawks vs Texas Tech Red Raiders @ 4 ET - This total is being kept on the low side because the Red Raiders have played in a lot of low-scoring "grinder" games this season. However, Kansas is going to dictate the pace in this game on their home floor and I expect that to lead to a solid over. The last 4 meetings between the Jayhawks and Texas Tech have all gone over the total. Also, the over is a perfect 7-0 in Kansas games with a posted total in the 130s. The Red Raiders have trended under this season but the over is 6-1 in Texas Tech's Saturday games. The over is 8-3 in Jayhawks home games this season. The Red Raiders enter this game having shot 53% from the field in their last two games but the Texas Tech defense has surrendered 44% from the field over the last 5 games. This reflects the fact that the Red Raiders defense has not been nearly as stifling as it was earlier this season. With Kansas looking to "explode" on offense after being stifled in back to back tough road games (held to 63 at Texas and at Kentucky) this one is set to fly over the total. The Jayhawks are averaging 81 points per game at home this season and get back on track here but look for the hot-shooting Red Raiders to match them bucket for bucket in this one. 8* OVER the total in Kansas 

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #861 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Iowa Hawkeyes vs Michigan Wolverines @ 7 ET - The fact this game is at Iowa makes a big difference. This is a contrarian play because Michigan is allowing just 56 points per game this season. If that average were to hold true and they win the game by 4 points as odds makers are calling for, you've got a 60-56 game that falls well short of this total. So the odds makers must have made a big mistake, right? Of course not! The fact is that Iowa is fully capable of putting up big points (they average 82 per game this season) and this is particularly true when they are at home where the shooters are even more comfortable. The over is actually 7-1 the last 8 times these teams have met at Iowa. The Hawkeyes also lost to the Wolverines in the Big Ten tourney last season so there is extra motivation here - and, by the way, that neutral site game also went over the total. The Hawkeyes enter this game off a defeat and the over is 4-0 this season when they are off a Big Ten loss. The over is 9-5 in Michigan's February games the past two years. The long-term trending of these games going over when the Hawkeyes are the host continues here. 10* OVER the total in Iowa

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach CBB Game #635 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Georgetown Hoyas vs Xaviers Musketeers @ 8 ET - The last 7 meetings between these teams have all gone over the total. In addition to that perfect 7-0 O/U record, the over is 11-3 this season in Georgetown's games against teams with a winning record. The Hoyas are on an 8-1 run to the over in their last 9 games overall. Georgetown is averaging 87 points per game this season but their defense certainly has not been overly impressive. That is where Xavier will look to take advantage. The Musketeers are off a loss versus Marquette Saturday where they had a big lead but perhaps got a little too complacent with hit and they paid the ultimate price as the Golden Eagles rallied for the win. Xavier won't make the same mistake here and they'll push the pace all game long and certainly the Hoyas are proven to enjoy the "run and gun" game this season. The over is 4-1 in the Musketeers last 5 games. Xavier has struggled to stop the 3-point shot this season and the Hoyas are averaging 38% from beyond the arc in their home games. In other words, look for a high-paced shootout and I am happy to take advantage of the line move here too as this one opened up at a 155 but is down to a 152.5 as of early game day morning. 10* OVER the total in Georgetown

Total of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Game #555 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Knicks vs Dallas Mavericks @ 7:35 ET - The Mavericks are off a strong scoring effort but fell just short in their loss versus the Raptors Sunday. Dallas is 8-5 to the over this season when off a game in which they scored 115 points or more. Also, the Mavs are seeking revenge in this games as they lost when they hosted the Knicks earlier this season. As a result, look for Dallas to go hard here and not take their foot off the gas even if they get a big lead. The Mavericks are 5-2 to the over this season when playing with home loss revenge. As for New York, they didn't score well in their most recent home game but that was against defensive-minded Miami. Prior to that game the Knicks 4 prior home games saw them average 107.5 points per game. Also, their match-ups with Western Conference opponents are known for being high-scoring. The over is 10-5 this season in New York's non-conference games. Dallas has gone 5-2 to the over this season in games against Atlantic Division opponents. The Mavericks first game with the Knicks totaled 224 points and I fully expect a similar total to be amassed in the rematch as the situation is ideal for a high-scoring game. 10* OVER the total in New York

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #541 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Pistons vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:05 ET - I know these teams have trended under in recent weeks. I am also aware of the fact that recent meetings between these teams each of the last few seasons have trended under the total as well. However, in typical contrarian fashion here, I am backing the over. Of course it is not without plenty of good reason. First off the Bucks have averaged 114.3 points per game in their 3 games against the Pistons this season. As for Detroit, though they struggled in their games at Milwaukee, they have averaged 107 points per game the last two times they've hosted the Bucks. The Pistons made 14 three pointers in their most recent home contest versus the Bucks and, like most teams, perform better on the offensive end when at home. Detroit is also well rested here and the over is 7-3 the last 10 times the Pistons entered a game with 3 or more days of rest between games. Look for the over to improve to 4-1 this season in Detroit's Tuesday games. As for the Bucks, they're fired up off a loss at Oklahoma City. Milwaukee is 29-14 to the over when off a game in which they allowed 115 points or more. The Bucks won't take their foot off the gas in this one against the Pistons. 10* OVER the total in Detroit

Game of the Week total - Rickenbach CBB Game #619 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Texas Longhorns vs Kansas Jayhawks @ 7 ET - The very first total that popped up on this game was 141 yesterday. It has been adjusted down to as low as a 139 now. The last 7 meetings between these teams have all totaled at least 142 points. That's 7 straight game totals in match-ups between these teams that have eclipsed the total on this game. I understand the mindset that the Longhorns have to bounce back at home after giving up 98 points at Georgia in the Big 12/SEC Challenge this past weekend. However, Texas giving up high percentage shots on defense has been a recurring them in recent weeks. The O/U in Horns games is now 4-1 their last 5 and that includes 2-0 in home games. The Longhorns have allowed an average of 76.6 points per game during this stretch. As for Kansas, they employ a 4-guard lineup and of course that can cause some issues defending the paint and rebounding. The Jayhawks can score just fine though as they're averaging 77.3 points per game on the season. However, Kansas has allowed 72.5 points per game their last 4 games and the Longhorns have averaged 78 points per game in their last 3 meetings with the Jayhawks. That includes the 80-78 loss at Kansas two weeks ago. The over is 3-0 in the last 3 meetings between these teams. Also, the over is 7-0 in Jayhawks games with a posted total between 130 and 139.5 points. The Kansas over is also 9-3 this season when off a non-conference game. The over is 5-2 in the Longhorns last 7 home games. 10* OVER the total in Texas

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #529 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Indiana Pacers vs Golden State Warriors @ 7:05 ET - The Warriors are off of an under but the over was 9-2 in Golden State's 11 prior games. The Pacers enter this game with a record of 10-4 to the over in their last 14 games. The teams combined for 232 points in their most recent meeting in Indiana. The Warriors have been red hot and scoring a ton of points. Golden State is averaging 129 points their last 12 games. If they hit that "average" here and win by 9 as the odds makers are projecting you're talking about a 129-120 game. I am not saying we're going to see 249 points here but I do feel that this number shows we have some great value with playing the over in this match-up. The Pacers have had just one bad game offensively in their last 7 games. In the other 6 games as a host since Christmas, Indiana has averaged 119 points per game. Truly one could make the argument this is going to be a 129 to 119 type of game. The over is 13-7 in Golden State's road games with a posted total of 220 points or more this season. The over is a perfect 3-0 the last 3 times Indiana has entered a game off a road loss. They bounce back with a strong performance on the offensive end on their home floor but they aren't going to stop a Warriors team that will go all out in looking to cap a perfect 5-0 road trip. Golden State won't hold back here as they have two off days on deck before facing the Sixers Thursday. Also, the Warriors are seeking revenge for getting swept by the Pacers last season so they won't take their foot off the gas either. 10* OVER the total in Indiana

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach CBB Game #857 Monday 8* OVER the total in Northern Arizona Lumberjacks vs Southern Utah Thunderbirds @ 2 ET - The Thunderbirds are allowing 80.2 points on the road this season. The Lumberjacks are allowing 76.9 points per game at home this season. There will be a good pace to this game and plenty of open looks at the basket based on the way these two teams play. Northern Arizona is off a rare low-scoring game but they faced Northern Colorado, one of the best teams in the Big Sky Conference. Similarly, Southern Utah is also off a game versus Northern Colorado and that stayed under the total. But the over was 6-1 in their 7 prior games in conference action. Also, when off a loss in conference action, the Thunderbirds are 20-11 to the over including a perfect 3-0 this season. Unlike Southern Utah, the Lumberjacks have more trends pointing toward the under in this match-up. However, Northern Arizona is knocking down 37.6% of their three pointers when at home and the Thunderbirds are allowing 37.4% three pointers on the road. That will prove to be a key to this match-up going over the total and both teams are poised to bounce back. Southern Utah was averaging 83.3 in their 4 games prior to the loss at Northern Colorado. The Lumberjacks had scored 81 points or more in 3 of their 4 games prior to their horrific effort on their home floor against Northern Colorado Saturday. Both teams will be happy to "run and gun" here after having just faced a tough Bears team. 8* OVER the total in Northern Arizona

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #517 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Dallas Mavericks vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:05 ET - Mavericks games have resulted in unders in 5 straight games and 13 of their last 15. So how I am playing this one? Contrarian of course and going over the total but it is with good reason. First off Dallas has looked much better in their last two games since Dennis Smith Jr returned. He and Luka Doncic give the Mavs a powerful 1-2 punch. As for the Raptors, Kawhi Leonard finally came back after 4 games off. Though the Raptors lost that game at Houston they did put up 119 points. With Toronto entering this game off back to back losses and Leonard able to quickly shake the rust off in his first game back, this one is likely to be played at a great pace with plenty of points. The Raptors have averaged 117 points per game in their last 13 games. They are favored by 5 points here. Toronto winning this game by 117-112 certainly would not come as a surprise and that is a full 10 points over the posted total on this game. The Raptors are 5-1 to the over in games against Southwest Division opponents this season. The Mavericks are 5-1 to the over in Sunday games this season. 10* OVER the total in Dallas

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach CBB Game #835 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Golden Gophers vs Iowa Hawkeyes @ 5 ET - Iowa is averaging 82 points per game this season. Minnesota is averaging 80 points per game at home this season. The over is a long-term 17-9 when the Hawkeyes are off a Big Ten loss and that includes a perfect 3-0 this season. Also, when on the road in a game with a line ranging from pick'em to +3, Iowa has gone a perfect 3-0 to the over the past two seasons. Minnesota is 4-1 to the over the past two seasons in home games in which their line ranges from pick'em to -3. The Golden Gophers are also 3-0 to the over this season when off a game in which they were held to 60 points or less. Minny goes from facing the Big Ten's top defense (Michigan) to one of the Big Ten's worst (Iowa). The Hawkeyes go from facing a strong Michigan State defense to facing a Gophers D that, prior to the low-scoring grudge match with the Wolverines, had allowed 78 points per game in their 4 prior games. The Golden Gophers are allowing 38% three pointers at home this season and Iowa is a strong team from beyond the arc. This one turns into a shootout. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #675 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Tennessee Volunteers vs West Virginia Mountaineers @ 4 ET - Of course the Mountaineers have a certain reputation for defense under coach Bob Huggins. However, West Virginia simply hasn't been the same team this season. Certainly it didn't help that they lost one of the nation's top defensive players, Sagaba Konate, to a knee injury. But, overall, their guard play on defense hasn't been there either this season. That is why the Mountaineers have allowed 85 points or more in 3 of their last 4 games. Also, West Virginia has allowed 5 of their last 6 opponents to shoot 47% or better from the field. I just don't see the Mountaineers slowing down the nation's #1 ranked team. The Volunteers are highly motivated after "learning their lesson" in nearly losing at Vanderbilt Wednesday. Now back home and with plenty of motivation to keep their foot on the gas and not suffer another scare, I look for a ton of points in this one. Tennessee is averaging 86.2 points per game this season but certainly their defense has slipped up a bit of late. The Vols have allowed 36% or better from three point land in 5 straight games. Also, the Volunteers have allowed overall 47% shooting from the field in their last 3 games. The over is 4-1 in the Vols last 5 games. The over is also 4-1 in the Mountaineers last 5 games. The over is also 4-1 in West Virginia's last 5 games against SEC opponents and the Mountaineers are 5-1 to the over long-term in games in which they are a road dog of 12.5 points or more. When off a win in SEC action Tennessee is 4-1 to the over this season. Also, the Volunteers are 4-1 to the over in a home game where the total is 150 to 154.5 points. 8* OVER the total in Tennessee

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #603 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Maryland Terrapins vs Illinois Illini @ Noon ET @ Madison Square Garden in New York, NY -  This neutral-site game is part of the Big Ten's annual Super Saturday College Hoops and Hockey double-header. Though Maryland games have stayed under the total in 3 straight games, the Terrapins have faced some quality defenses to say the least. Prior to those 3 games, Terps games were on a perfect 7-0 run to the over. Also, the Illini are allowing 75.3 points per game this season which is dead last in the Big Ten. The most recent game for Illinois stayed under the total but that was versus defensive-minded Wisconsin. Prior to that one, Illini  games were on a 3-0 run to the over. This total opened up as high as a 148 and is now down to as low as a 144.5 as of about 5 hours before tip-off. I am happy to grab the additional value here with the over as Maryland is looking for a break-out game and will run and gun after their 7 game win streak came to an end courtesy of a low-scoring loss at Michigan State. Of course the Illini are not the Spartans and the Terrapins bounce back big here. The Terps had averaged 77.3 points per game in their 9 games prior to scoring just 55 at Michigan State. The Illini loss versus Wisconsin saw Illinois score only 60 points which tied their lowest scoring output of the season. This is the type of situation today that will see both teams in full bounce back mode with an emphasis on quick baskets and getting their flow back on offense. The over is 6-2 this season when Illinois is off a Big Ten game. 8* OVER the total in Maryland (neutral site game) 

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #857 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Creighton Bluejays vs Butler Bulldogs @ 8:30 ET - The very first number that popped up offshore on this total was a 157 and it has since plummeted to as low as 152.5 in some spots. In typical contrarian fashion I am on the over here but it is, of course, not without reason. First off, Butler is 7-0 to the over this season in conference games. Secondly, Creighton is 3-0 to the over this season when playing with road loss revenge. The Bluejays lost at Butler earlier this month and that game was the 2nd straight in this series that flew over the total. Look for this one to make it 3 in a row. Creighton relies heavily on knocking down their 3-pointers and they are hitting 47.7% from beyond the arc in home games this season. Butler is also having a solid season from 3-point land as the Bulldogs are hitting 37.4% of their threes on the season. In fact, Butler has averaged better than 40% from three point land in their last 4 games and two of those games were on the road as well! Amazingly, the Bluejays have hit 40% or better from three point land in 9 of their 10 home games this season. The lone exception was against Ohio State and they still hit 36% against the Buckeyes! Creighton is loaded with shooters and they particularly like the "run and gun" approach when playing at home. Look for the over to improve to 10-5 this season in Bluejays games against teams with a winning record. Take advantage of the drop on this total from the opener. 10* OVER the total in Creighton

Game of the Week Total - Rickenbach NBA Game #567 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Cavaliers vs Miami Heat @ 7:35 ET - The Heat are off back to back games where they were held under 100 points. The last 3 times that Miami has entered a game off back to back games where they scored 101 points or less, the Heat are a perfect 3-0 to the over in their next game. Facing a Cavaliers team that is a horrific 9-40 SU this season and allowing 114 points per game is certain to help Miami's offensive production get back on track. Keep in mind, the over is 2-0 this season Heat games versus the Cavs and Miami averaged 117.5 points in those two games. Also, prior to back to back unders for Miami in a pair of low-scoring losses, the Heat were on a 9-4 run to the over. Cleveland is on a 13-4 run to the over in their last 17 games. Also, the Heat are 8-4 to the over this season when off an upset loss as a favorite. Miami is also 13-8 to the over in their games against teams with a losing record this season. Cleveland is 8-2 to the over this season in Friday games. Also, the Cavaliers are a long-term 51-25 to the over when off a game in which they allowed 115 points or more. Look for Miami to get a big lead in this game and then coast to the win which means a very relaxed game without a lot of intense defense as this game progresses. That should lead to plenty of points and the Heat, off back to back losses, aren't going to slow down here even with a big lead. Take advantage of the low total posted on this one. Yesterday this total was high as a 211.5 when it first was coming up. It's dropped a bucket from there and was already a great value at that number. 10* OVER the total in Cleveland

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #565 Friday 8* OVER the total in Orlando Magic vs Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - The Wizards are in a back to back after hosting the Warriors last night. Washington is 5-2 to the over this season in the second game of a back to back. Also, the Wizards are 7-2 to the over this season in divisional games. They're facing a Magic team that is on a 6-0 run to the over and that was off last night. That said, Orlando is likely to do plenty of "run and gun" in this game as they look to take advantage of a divisional foe that faced the World Champs last night. This should lead to a good pace in this game and I am expecting it to fly over the total. The Magic have been shooting the ball very well during this 6-game over streak. Solid and balanced scoring has also paced the Wizards during their current 9-2 ATS run their last 11 games (including covering vs Golden State last night). That said, both teams are "feeling it" right now and should remain hot in this one. The over is 15-8 this season in Wizards games in which they are an underdog. Also, the over is 7-2 in the last 9 Magic home games. More of the same expected here. 8* OVER the total in Orlando

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Game #559 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Oklahoma City Thunder vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 8:05 ET - Anthony Davis is still out for the Pelicans. While the first two games he missed both resulted in unders I expect that trend to reverse here. Davis is one of the top defensive big men in the league and his absence will have the Thunder attacking the rim early and often in this one. Oklahoma City has been on a scoring tear and they love to play run and gun so I also don't expect too much of a concern from the Thunder in terms of paying attention to defense on the other end of the floor. In other words, this one results in a high-scoring shootout. The over is 5-2 this season when New Orleans is playing the 2nd game of a back to back. Also, the over is 7-1 in OKC's last 8 games overall. Though this total may seem too big, note that the Thunder are 10-3 to the over this season in games with a posted total of 220 points or more. Oklahoma City did lose at New Orleans last month so they are seeking revenge here and they are the healthier team (since Davis is out). That being the case, and catching the Pelicans in a back to back, I have no doubt that the Thunder will employ a game plan of running N.O. up and down the court all game long. Also, since it is a revenge game, OKC won't take their foot off the gas either and that means a ton of points scored in this one. Also, the Thunder have two off days on deck after this game so there is no holding back in this match-up. 10* OVER the total in Oklahoma City

Game of the Week total - Rickenbach CBB Game #609 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Temple Owls vs Memphis Tigers @ 7 ET - The very first total that popped up on this game yesterday afternoon was a 160 and not surprisingly the under starting getting hit and it has dropped as low as a 157.5 this morning. The fact is that this total may seem too big but Temple is at home and is going to get big points here but the problem is they are one of the worst teams in the AAC in a number of defensive categories. One they do excel in is steals which of course leads to a lot of transition points. However, a gambling mentality on defense (going for those steals) also can lead to open looks and easy scoring opportunities for the opposition when Temple fails to get the steal. Facing a Memphis team that is the top scoring team in the AAC means this game is going to be played with a great tempo for over players. The Tigers are averaging 84 points per game this season. The Owls are a 5 point favorite here. If Memphis hits their average and Temple wins by the margin the odds maker is suggesting you've got an 89-84 game that crushes the posted total by 15 points here. In other words, we've got some value here with this total in my opinion. The Tigers love to play up tempo basketball and the Owls will be happy to oblige on their home floor. Temple, prior to their 77-70 loss to Penn, had scored over 80 points in 4 of their last 6 home games. Memphis, other than neutral court games, has scored at least 76 points in every single game this season! That is another way to look at this total too. If the Tigers hit that mark of 76 (they've never failed to at home or in a true road game this season) and the Owls win by 5, you're already at 157 points here. Again, you can see why I am liking the value here in a game that many will perceive to have "too high" of a total. Memphis is 8-4 to the over this season in games against teams with a winning record. The Owls, since the calendar turned the page to 2019, have gone a perfect 6-0 to the over. Look for 7 straight here! 10* OVER the total in Temple

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #601 Thursday 8* OVER the total in IUPUI Jaguars vs Oakland Golden Grizzlies @ 11 AM ET - The Golden Grizzlies are allowing 81.6 ppg on the road this season. The Jaguars are scoring 86.2 ppg at home this season. Can we expect IUPUI might get to 84 points here based on those numbers? Yes. The current line on this game is right around a -3 for the Jags. Can we expect Oakland might put up 81? You bet! That's 165 points and that is well above the current total posted on this game. The point is that even if these teams fall short of expectations here in the scoring department, we've still got a great shot at cashing this. Both teams very content in looking for quick buckets and neither team's defense has been a strength this season. In other words a run and gun type game is quite likely in this one. The over is a long-term 46-26 in Jaguars home games and that includes 5-1 this season! The Golden Grizzlies last two road games stayed under the total but those games each totaled at least 150 points. In other words, they barely fell short and note that, prior to this, Oakland was on a 5-1 run to the over in their last 6 road games. You can why plenty of points are expected in this one. 8* OVER the total in IUPUI

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #537 Wednesday 8* OVER the total in Indiana Pacers vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:05 ET - Kawhi Leonard is expected to rest tonight since the Raptors are in the 2nd game of a back to back. Leonard has multiple Defensive Player of the Year awards. Toronto is 6-3 to the over this season when playing the 2nd game of a back to back. The Raptors are also 7-3 to the over this season when they are an underdog. When Toronto enters a game having played each of their three prior games at home they are 3-0 to the over this season. Also, the Raptors are 13-4 to the over this season when they enter a game on a SU winning streak of three or more games. The Pacers have mostly trended under this season but that trend has started to turn around in recent weeks. Also, Indiana is 4-2 to the over this season when they enter a game with 2 or more days of rest. The Pacers are also 8-4 to the over this season when off a game in which they scored 115 points or more. Toronto has averaged 118 points per game their last 11 games. Indiana has averaged 117 points per game their last 12 games. The Raptors are 7-4 to the over during this stretch and the Pacers are 9-3 to the over during this stretch. More of the same in this one early Wednesday evening. 8* OVER the total in Indiana

NBA TV Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Game #531 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Oklahoma City Thunder vs Portland Trail Blazers @ 8:05 ET - The Blazers are off a win at Utah last night that stayed under the total. Of course Jazz games are known for trending toward being lower scoring match-ups. However Portland was on a 5-1 run to the over entering last night's contest and I fully expect the high-scoring ways to resume at Oklahoma City tonight. Why? Because the Thunder certainly have been in run and gun mode for an extended stretch. With their big win at New York yesterday afternoon, OKC is on a 6-1 run to the over. Also, the Thunder are on a 13-6 run to the over this season as a home favorite. With this game played at a good pace and with some weary legs on defense considering this is a back to back spot, look for little resistance from the D for long stretches in this one. The recent over trending of both teams resumes in this one Tuesday. 10* OVER the total in Oklahoma City

Game of the Week total - Rickenbach CBB Game #603 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Kentucky Wildcats vs Mississippi State Bulldogs @ 7 ET - Two very talented teams matched up here and they are loaded with balanced scoring. I don't see the Bulldogs as being able to slow down the Wildcats scorers at Kentucky. In fact the over is 5-0 in Mississippi State's last 5 road games at Kentucky. Though the Bulldogs won't be able to stop the Cats here, note that Mississippi State ranks 2nd in the SEC for number of 3-pointers made this season. Both of these teams have been lighting it up overall from the floor as well as from beyond the arc. Kentucky is averaging 80 points per game and the Bulldogs are averaging 79 points per game this season. Yes there will be some defensive intensity in this key SEC battle but note that this can also lead to turnovers and quick transition points and both of these teams have been lethal at making teams pay for mistakes. Overall, Mississippi State enters this game having gone 4-1 to the over in their last 5 games. Another key factor here is that the spread on this game has the Wildcats favored by about a half dozen points. This game is indeed likely to be quite close late and that means plenty of late fouls and trips the free throw line could result as the trailing team won't give up without a fight. Again, the ability of each team to knock down threes will also be key at that late stage in the game should we need "scramble points" like this in the final minutes. 10* OVER the total in Kentucky

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #857 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs Nebraska Cornhuskers @ 8 ET - I lost with Nebraska on Thursday when their much improved offense fell short against the stifling defense of Michigan State. After that result, I had a strong feeling I would be involved with the Cornhuskers again in their very next game and, sure enough, we've got great value here. The value in this one lies with the total. I know that this series with Rutgers has a recent history of staying under the total but Nebraska is going to have a breakout game on offense in this one but I am not about to lay a double digit spread on the road. This is one of those solid situations for an over as the road team is the superior team and highly motivated off a loss while the lesser team is at home where, as usual, most poor teams tend to score better. Rutgers will "get theirs" tonight but they're not going to be able to stop a Nebraska team that is averaging 77.7 points per game this season. Keep mind, the Scarlet Knights defense has not been as strong this season as it was last year and they're giving up a higher percentage on outside shots. The over is 3-0 this season when Nebraska is off a Big Ten loss. Prior to the Huskers ugly effort on offense versus the Spartans, they had shot 44% or better from the field in 12 straight games! The over was 5-1 this season in Rutgers Big Ten games before their low-scoring home loss to Northwestern. Including the loss to the Wildcats, the Scarlet Knights are allowing 75 points per game in Big Ten action this season. The Knights do shoot a little better when at home, the game versus Northwestern an exception, but they've also been getting lit up from beyond the arc and, overall, allowed 48% or higher from the field in 3 of their 4 games prior to the loss to the Wildcats. Look for the Huskers to get a big lead in this game and, because of being off a loss, they'll keep their foot on the gas but it is also natural to relax on defense with a big lead. The result should be a game that gets well into the 140s. 10* OVER the total in Rutgers

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Timberwolves vs Phoenix Suns @ 7:05 ET - The Timberwolves are playing this game with revenge and that is a situation that has seen the over go 15-7 this season. The Suns are in a tough back to back spot as they were at Charlotte yesterday where they got crushed and allowed 135 points. This is nothing new as it has been a miserable season for Phoenix and they've allowed 121 points per game in their last 6 road games. The Wolves need a huge win to bounce back after back to back losses and with the Suns putting up little resistance, Minnesota can essentially name the score here. It will be a high-scoring win (likely by double digits as you can see with the big line posted on this game) for the Wolves in a run and gun type game. The over is 14-2 in the Timberwolves last 16 games and I expect another one here. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #817 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston College Eagles vs Florida State Seminoles @ Noon ET - The over is a perfect 3-0 in the last 3 meetings between these teams. I also like having the lesser team, Boston College, at home in a situation like this. The Eagles should be able to score well since they're on their home floor but they have very little chance of slowing down the Seminoles in this one. That's because Boston College is a weak team defensively and Florida State enters this game off a loss and looking for a breakout game offensively. The Noles have faced tough match-ups recently at Pittsburgh, versus Duke, and at Virginia. Now the Seminoles can take advantage of facing a weaker foe with weaker defense. The over is 4-1 in Boston College's last 5 games. Also, the Eagles are 12-3 to the over when they enter game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. Overall, BC is on a long-term run of 25-10 to the over in home games. Florida State found it tough to score this season in only 3 games: at Pittsburgh, at Virginia, and on a neutral floor versus Villanova. In their other 14 games this season the Seminoles have averaged 82 points per game this season. They are a 7 point favorite. In other words if FSU scores like they normally do and the odds makers is right about the spread you have yourself an 82-75 type game which means this one should fly over by double digits. I'll take it. 10* OVER the total in Boston College 

ESPN Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #601 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Duke Blue Devils vs Virginia Cavaliers @ 6 ET - Once again the odds makers made a HUGE mistake, right? You guys know how I feel about the odds makers. Tremendous respect for the quality numbers they put out on games. That said, the last two meetings between these teams totaled just 120 points and 128 points. Yet, even though the Blue Devils also lost point guard Tre Jones to injury in their most recent game, this total opened up at a 140! The odds makers really screwed up, right? Hardly! The fact is people don't fully think about such things and Jones, even as described by his head coach, is a "defensive catalyst". On the flip side, in terms of offensive production, Duke is expected to have Cam Reddish back for this game and of course the Blue Devils are loaded with great offensive production including freshmen RJ Barrett (23.4 ppg) and Zion Williamson (21.2 ppg) - the two leading scorers in the ACC. Well aware of the Cavaliers defensive prowess but the Blue Devils have still averaged 64 points per game in their last two games against Virginia. Also, playing with home loss revenge from last season and arguably as dynamic as their offense has been this season, I look for the Blue Devils to get into the 70s in this one and Virginia will be right there with them! The Cavs are undefeated this season thanks, in part, to an offense that has averaged 74 points per game thus far. Look for the over to improve to 3-1 in Virginia's ACC games this season. The Blue Devils are 13-6 to the over when off a game in which they allowed 80 points or more. 10* OVER the total in Duke

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #633 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Purdue Boilermakers vs Indiana Hoosiers @ 2 ET - The over is a perfect 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these teams at Purdue. Also, the Boilermakers are averaging 83 points in home games this season and are loaded with confidence right now after their most recent road game (OT win at Wisconsin) was followed by a dominating home win over Rutgers. That is how young players grow in confidence and the shots really start falling well when teams are "in the zone" like Purdue is right now. They are on fire but they're facing a very talented rival in the form of Indiana on Saturday afternoon and I expect a shootout here. The Boilermakers certainly aren't known for defense as a strength and they catch the Hoosiers off a frustrating loss at Nebraska where they were stifled by the Cornhuskers zone defense. Now Indiana will "cut loose" against a Purdue team that is certainly more than willing to run and gun and, as noted above, a shootout results and for the 5th straight time in Hoosiers games at Purdue, an over results. The Boilermakers are off the aforementioned dominating win over the Scarlet Knights but the over is 15-8 when Purdue is off a game in which they allowed 60 points or less and that includes 3 of 4 having gone over this season! Overall, when the Boilermakers are a favorite they are 8-3 to the over their last 11 games. More of the same here. 8* OVER the total in Purdue

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #542 Thursday 8* UNDER the total in Washington Wizards vs New York Knicks @ 3:05 ET at O2 Arena in London, England - This total has gone from as low as a 225 to as high as a 228 and is now offering great value with the under. If you look at the history of NBA regular season games played overseas, you rarely see any games getting into totals this lofty. Keep in mind the players have been involved in lengthy travel, sightseeing, etc and are now playing in an unfamiliar arena and in an unfamiliar setting. It is not the type of situation that will tend to bring out the best in shooting ability. That said, I am well aware of the fact that the Wizards have been scorching the nets of late with hot shooting but, the point is, that is unlikely to continue today. Also, the Knicks are without one of their top scorers Enes Kanter and the Wizards are inching closer toward being a legitimate threat at sneaking into the playoff picture. The point is that Washington is not opposed to playing a little defense as they are seeing how important each victory is becoming. New York has averaged only 103.6 points per game their last 13 games. So lets say the odds makers are correct and Wizards win this game by 7. That means you're looking at a 111 to 104 type came here which is still under the posted total on this game by double digits. I just don't see this game getting to the lofty total that has been set when you consider all factors on this one. Also, each of the last 3 meetings between these teams have stayed under the total. Washington has stayed under the total in 3 of 4 this season when off a game in which they scored 130 points or more. The Knicks have stayed under the total in 6 of 9 this season when off a divisional game. 8* UNDER

Game of the Month Total - Rickenbach CBB Game #801 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Penn State Nittany Lions vs Iowa Hawkeyes @ 7 ET - We're getting line value here for a couple of key reasons. One is that the Hawkeyes Tyler Cook is likely a game-time decision and he leads the team in points and rebounds. I expect him to play but, even if he doesn't, Ryan Kriener has been playing much more recently and has now averaged double figures in 3 of his last 4 games. Iowa is averaging 81.7 points per game this season and has plenty of firepower. The other reason we've seen the posted total on this game drop (and another reason we're getting line value) is because the Nittany Lions have been in a scoring slump in Big Ten play. For one thing their games have included Michigan, Wisconsin and Michigan State. Those are 3 of the tougher defenses to face in the conference. Certainly Iowa does not fit into that category and note that Penn State coach Pat Chambers even said he wants to play fast and he wants to see his team scoring 70+ points per game like it often did last season. Considering that fact as well as this game being at home and facing another team that also doesn't mind playing fast, I am expecting plenty of points in this one. The over is 3-0 when Iowa's line ranges from pick to +3 and also the over is 9-3 when the Hawkeyes line ranges from pick to -3. You can see we're in that sweet spot here and the over is also on a 16-6 run in Iowa's January games. The over is 11-6 when Penn State, in game 15 or later in a season, is facing a team that averages 77 points or more per game. Also, the Nittany Lions Wednesday games are 10-4 to the over. 10* OVER in Penn State

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #583 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Atlanta Hawks vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 3:35 ET - Once again the Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo is listed as probable for this game and, hopefully, unlike Friday that will not change before game time and burn me. But either way, I look for the Bucks (Greek Freak or not) to have their foot firmly on the gas from the opening tip all the way to the final horn in this one. Milwaukee is off a loss at Washington and will take advantage of facing one of the worst teams in the league here. Of course that is why they are a double digit favorite but I don't like laying double digits on the road in the NBA and also feel Atlanta (off a big road win) will be able to stay hot and put up plenty of points in this one as they are back on their home floor. Of course at first glance this total looked a little on the high side when it opened up. This has caused the markets to move it down some and in typical contrarian fashion I am taking advantage of the additional value on the high side of this one. The fact is that the odds makers set this total big for a reason and I concur because the Bucks are going to push the tempo all game long and look to put a white-washing on the Hawks. The over is 26-15 when Milwaukee is off an upset loss as a favorite. The over is 13-8 in Bucks Sunday games. The over is a long-term 29-17 in Hawks games against Central Division opponents. 10* OVER the total in Atlanta

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #831 Sunday 8* OVER the total in Creighton Bluejays vs Villanova Wildcats @ Noon ET - As per usual, the Bluejays are known for their three point shooting ability and that has been particularly evident when on their home floor. Creighton is making nearly 50% of their three pointers on their home floor. That said, the Bluejays also again are known for lack of defense. If this game was at Villanova I wouldn't like the total as much because Creighton sometimes struggles with their shooting away from home. But with the Bluejays as the host I expect Creighton to score plenty here. The issue for them will be stopping the Wildcats and that is why I foresee this game flying over the total. Both meetings between these teams went over the total last season and Villanova is a long-term 20-7 in road games with a posted total between 145 and 149.5 points. In road games this season the Wildcats are 3-1 to the over. The Bluejays are 4-1 to the over this season when off a game in which they allowed 80 or more points. More of the same expected here! 8* OVER the total in Creighton