ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #801 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Tulane Green Wave vs SMU Mustangs @ 7 ET - This is the perfect set up for a high-scoring game. Though Tulane has not shot well lately, they are finally back home and that is a key here! The Green Wave have shot 49.2% from the field (including 39.2% from 3-point land) in their home games this season. However, SMU is nearly a double digit favorite here with good reason. The Mustangs are the much stronger overall team and they have revenge on their minds too. That is a big help when playing an over because SMU won't hesitate to run up the score here given the chance. Last season the Mustangs had a 7 point lead at the half but then got outscored by double digits in the second half and lost. It is payback time here for SMU but I do expect the Green Wave to also have a huge scoring night as they hang within single digits for much of this game. In terms of technical support, Tulane is 5-1 to the over in games against teams with a winning record this season. Also, the Green Wave have gone 15-4 to the over when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more consecutive SU losses. The Mustangs are 7-3 to the over this season in games in which they are the favorite. Also, SMU is on a 14-5 run to the over in games against teams with a losing record. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Tulane

NBA TV Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Game #575 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Raptors vs Utah Jazz @ 7:35 ET - Yes, I am aware of Kyle Lowry being out for this game. However, I am also aware of the fact that the Raptors are off RARE back to back POOR shooting games. There have been only 2 other times that Toronto shot less than 42% from the field in back to back games. BOTH times their next game flew over the total and, in fact, the average points scored in that next game was 229! Of course the Jazz like to play a slower, grinder-style of game but it is not their choice today. With this game in Toronto, the Raptors will dictate the tempo. The over is 17-10 in Utah's last 27 against Atlantic Division opponents. Look for the over to improve to 5-2 on the season when the Jazz are playing with home loss revenge. Toronto is 17-8 to the over against Northwest Division opponents. Look for the over to improve to 4-1 on the season in Raptors Tuesday games. 10* OVER the total in Toronto

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #605 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in St John's Red Storm vs Marquette Golden Eagles @ 7 ET - This is a contrarian play because many are likely to be looking to the under here considering both of these teams stats make them look improved on defense early this season. The key to the value is that the Red Storm and Golden Eagles have padded their defensive stats by having big games against much weaker teams. For the most part, when St John's and Marquette have stepped up in class and faced tougher competition, they've struggled on the defensive end as per usual. That is noteworthy here because both of these teams are known for their high-scoring ways and I expect that to continue in this one. Both games between these teams last season went over the total and I like the fact that each of the last 4 meetings between these teams totaled at least 158 points. The current total on this game as of early Tuesday morning is as low as a 155.5 in some spots. Note that the over is a long-term 7-3 in Marquette's road games with a posted total between 155 and 159.5 points. Overall in road games it is a long-term 15-6 run to the over for the Golden Eagles. St John's has had just 3 unders in its 12 games subsequent to their season opener. Also, the Red Storm are a perfect 3-0 to the over when they are at home and their line ranges from -3 to a pick'em. 10* OVER the total in St John's

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #559 Tuesday 8* OVER the total in Oklahoma City Thunder vs Houston Rockets @ 3:05 ET - The Rockets game versus the Spurs Saturday stayed under the total but Houston entered that game on a 6-2 run to the over in their last 8 as a host. The Thunder enter this game on a 3-1 run to the over in their last 4 games overall. Oklahoma City is 3-1 to the over in their last 4 road games with a posted total of 220 or more points. The Rockets are off that big win versus San Antonio and Houston has gone 4-2 to the over this season when off a divisional game. The Rockets are 7-3 to the over their last 10 games with a posted total of 220 or more. I am going contrarian here. Many will look at the total in the 220 range and feel it is too big but, as you can see per the above, there is plenty of  support for expecting a close game. Also, there have only been two other times this season that Houston entered a game having been held under 40% from the field in each of their two prior games. In both instances, the Rockets shot much better in that third game and the match-up flew over the total. Look for that to be the case again here as the rare situation improves to 3-0 on the season. 8* OVER the total in Oklahoma City

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #735 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in San Diego Toreros vs Drake Bulldogs @ 7:30 ET in Las Vegas, NV - The Bulldogs are 4-1 to the over in games with a posted total in the 140s this season. Drake is 22-12 to the over the last 3 seasons combined in games with a posted total in the 140s. The Bulldogs are shooting 48% from the field this season and San Diego is also shooting 48% from the field so far this season. As a neutral court favorite of 3.5 to 6 points, the Toreros are 4-1 to the over. In tournament games the past 2+ seasons, San Diego is 4-2 to the over. I like the fact that the Toreros are off win over Washington State and are set for a letdown here while the Bulldogs are off a tight low-scoring loss and should bounce back here. It sets this one to be a back and forth affair with plenty of points in my opinion. 10* OVER the total San Diego

Game of the Week Total - Rickenbach NBA Game #547 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Brooklyn Nets vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 7:35 ET - For the 4th time in their last 6 road games, the Lakers allowed at least 48.5% shooting from the field as they gave up 128 points in a loss at Washington on Sunday. Los Angeles, of course, will be looking to bounce back off that loss and I expect their going to have a huge scoring night Tuesday at Brooklyn but I also expect them, per the above, to struggle to stop the Nets. Brooklyn has actually been very hot with their shooting. Part of the reason the Nets are on a 6-0 ATS run and 5-0 SU run is because they have shot 52.1% from the field in their last 4 games! Brooklyn, however, has also allowed 52.9% shooting in their last 3 games! As you would expect with those types of numbers, the O/U is 3-0 in the Nets last 3 games. LA is also 3-0 to the over in their last 3 games. Additionally, the Lakers O/U is a perfect 4-0 in their last 4 road games with a posted total of 220 or more. The Nets O/U is 5-1 when they are off a game in which they scored 130 points or more. Brooklyn is also 4-1 to the over when they are on a winning streak of 3 or more games. The Nets are 9-4 to the over in games against teams with a winning record. 10* OVER the total in Brooklyn

Game of the Month Total - Rickenbach CBB Game #613 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Georgia Bulldogs vs Oakland (Mich) Golden Grizzlies @ 7 ET - The Golden Grizzlies upset the Bulldogs in 2016 by a count of 86-79. Another high-scoring shootout is likely in the rematch. Oakland (Michigan) continues to be an offensive juggernaut that also pays little attention to defense! The Grizzlies are allowing 49.2% from the field including 37.3% from three point land this season. The strength for Oakland, as per usual, is their shooting abilities. The Grizzlies have shot 48.3% from the field this season including 42.7% from beyond the arc and they've been particularly hot in recent games. They catch the Bulldogs in a "sandwich game" between Arizona State and Georgia Tech. In other words, Georgia may not be totally focused on defensive intensity here. As a result, look for a "run and gun" type game here and the Bulldogs should have no trouble putting up a ton of points as they're shooting 48% from the field this season including 35% from three point land! Georgia is averaging 87 points per game in home games this season. Oakland has averaged 84 points per game in their last 3 games and all those games were on the road too. The over is 6-1 when the Golden Grizzlies are a road dog of 9.5 to 12 points. The over is 6-0 when Oakland is off a game in which they scored 80 or more points this season. The Bulldogs are 8-3 to the over in games with a posted total in a range of 150 to 159.5 points. More of the same expected here! 10* OVER the total in Georgia

NBA TV Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Game #537 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Houston Rockets vs Utah Jazz @ 8:05 ET - The Jazz are off on extremely ugly shooting game Saturday but it was played at Mexico City. After that tough performance in an unusual venue look for Utah to shoot much better in a very familiar venue now as they face a Rockets team that eliminated them from the playoffs in the most recent post-season. What is interesting is that now Houston is the revenge-minded team in this match-up as the Jazz took each of the first two games this season. Look for this to result in a very spirited effort from the Rockets here with plenty of points scored! Houston will play "Rockets ball" on their home floor in this one. They've averaged 120.7 points per game in their last 6 home games. Utah should certainly bounce back after the low-scoring game against the Magic. In fact, the over is 5-1 the last 6 times the Jazz were off a game in which they were held to 99 points or less! Utah has averaged a solid 106 points per game in their last 3 games at Houston and we've got a low total to work with here when you consider the way the Rockets have been piling up points at home. The over is 5-1 in Houston's last 6 home games. The over is also 4-1 this season when the Rockets are off a divisional game. Utah is a long-term 34-18 to the over in games played against Southwest Division opponents. Look for another "Southwest Shootout" in this match-up tonight! 10* OVER the total in Houston

Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #733 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Michigan State Spartans vs Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix @ 5 ET - The Spartans are off a hard-fought low-scoring win over Florida. However, they've had a full week off since then and now face "only" Wisconsin-Green Bay and Oakland (Michigan) to wrap up their pre-Christmas schedule. The point is that the Spartans are highly unlikely to put forth a huge effort on the defensive end here. Keep in mind UWGB likes to play very fast but their game at Creighton earlier this week stayed under the total simply because the Phoenix had a rare poor shooting night. Their normal struggles on the defensive end continued in that game and the over is a perfect 4-0 in UWGB's meetings with Michigan State. As for the Spartans, they had averaged 87 points per game in their first 9 games this season before that low scoring win over the Gators. They can get to triple digits here against the Phoenix. As for the UWGB offensive production, they are averaging 85 points per game this season. You can see that the line on this game is in the -25 range on Michigan State and there is no reason they can't get about 100 in this game. Look for a game in the range of 100 to 75 as this one is played very "loose" with plenty of run and gun. The result is a high-scoring game that flies over the total. Not only is the over 4-0 in the last 4 games between these teams, the over is also 4-0 this season when Green Bay is off a game in which they allowed 80 or more points. The over is also 3-0 when the Spartans enter a game with 7 or more days of rest between games. Combined 11-0 mark here favors a very high-scoring contest. 10* OVER the total in Michigan State

Hardwood Hammer - Rickenbach NBA Game #509 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in San Antonio Spurs vs Chicago Bulls @ 8:35 ET - I suffered a very frustrating loss with the Spurs "over" on Thursday. San Antonio was up 66-57 at the half against the Clippers so it was on pace for 246 points. Inexplicably, the Clippers were so inaccurate with second half shooting they "couldn't even throw the ball in the ocean" as they saying goes. LA scored 30 points in the ENTIRE second half after scoring nearly that in EACH of the first two quarters. Anyway, that is leading to come key total value here as the total between the Bulls and Spurs was higher when these teams just recently met in Chicago. The fact is that San Antonio has been playing some solid defense but they also have been red hot with their shooting on offense. That said, after a string of solid performances on D against Western Conference foes, don't be surprised if SA is a bit lack-luster on the defensive end as the 6-23 Bulls come to town. As for Chicago, they are off a game in Mexico City which was a grinder with tough shooting in an unfamiliar setting. The Bulls will be happy to get back to a regular venue and should thrive tonight with a strong game offensively. Chicago scored 107 points versus the Spurs in their match-up about 3 weeks ago. San Antonio enters this game having averaged 118 points per game in their last 7 games. Also, SA is still 10-4 to the over their last 14 games despite that ridiculous "under" result on Thursday. The over is 3-1 this season in Spurs games against Central Division opponents. 10* OVER the total in San Antonio 

Early Blowout Rout - Rickenbach CBB Game #801 Friday 8* OVER the total in DePaul Blue Demons vs Illinois-Chicago Flames @ 7 ET - Though the last time the Blue Demons hosted the Flames the game did stay under the total, the match-up did total 155 points. Additionally, each of the 3 prior meetings at DePaul between these rivals did result in an over. I look for another high-scoring game here as Illinois-Chicago is averaging 80.3 points per game this season but allowing 82.1 points per game. UIC has been hot from three point land this season and the Blue Demons are allowing 35.7% shooting from beyond the arc. Both teams are comfortable playing at a fast pace and UIC is shooting 49% from the field and 38% from 3-point land. The issue for the Flames is they don't play well on the defensive end and the Blue Demons, particularly since they are at home here, will take full advantage. In terms of solid technical support here, there is plenty of it. The Flames are 9-0 to the over in road games with a posted total in a range of 150 to 154.5 points. Illinois-Chicago is also an overall 3-0 to the over this season with games in a posted total range of 150 to 159.5 points. DePaul is 2-0 to the over this season in home games with a posted total in a range of 150 to 154.5 points. Also, the Blue Demons are 2-0 to the over in games against teams that are allowing 77 points or more per game. Taking the combined numbers above this is a 16-0 situation in favor of plenty of points in this one! 8* OVER the total in DePaul

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #561 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in San Antonio Spurs vs Los Angeles Clippers @ 8:35 ET - The Spurs have had back to back unders in their last two games but the over was 10-1 in their 11 prior games. Also, the over is a perfect 4-0 in San Antonio's last 4 games versus Los Angeles. The Clippers are on a 12-3-1 run to the over in their last 16 games. The Spurs are 9-2 to the over in their games against teams with a winning record this season. The Clips are 39-18 to the over (including 11-2 this season) when off a game in which they allowed 115 points or more. Look for the defensive struggles of LA to continue in this one but also note that Los Angeles has averaged 114.5 points per game in their last two games versus the Spurs. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in San Antonio

NBA TV Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Game #531 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Houston Rockets vs Portland Trail Blazers @ 8:05 ET - Each of these teams enter this game having stayed under the total in 3 straight games. However, it is a statistical anomaly that won't continue here. That's because the Blazers are actually hitting 49% from the field their last 5 games and the Rockets are now back home where they've gone over the total in 4 straight games. Houston has shot 52% from the field in those 4 games. The over is 5-1 in Portland's last 6 road games. The over is 6-2 when the Rockets enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. Also, when Houston is off an upset loss as a favorite, the over is 6-3 this season and the Rockets are 4-0 to the over when off a divisional game this season. Portland is 3-1 to the over this season when playing with 2 days of rest between games. Both teams have fresh legs here and the shots will be scorching the nets in this one! 10* OVER the total in Houston

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #601 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Pennsylvania Quakers vs Villanova Wildcats @ 7 ET - The Wildcats had one of their worst games on offense Saturday while at the same time having one of their best games of the season on defense. Of course the result was an under and the added result is some extra value with the low total on this game involving the Quakers. Pennsylvania has been shooting the ball very well particularly on their home floor this season. As for Villanova, they've averaged 86 points per game in their last two meetings with Penn. The Quakers are averaging 80 points per game this season. I am well aware of the fact that Pennsylvania has struggled to score well against Nova in recent meetings but this situation is entirely different as, for the most part, the Wildcats have not been as strong on the defensive end early this season. At the same time, the Penn offense has been a real positive early this season with hot outside shooting leading the way. The over is a long-term 17-6 when Villanova is a road favorite in a range of 6.5 to 9 points. The over is a long-term 13-7 in Penn's games against Big East opponents and also the Quakers are a perfect 3-0 to the over in home games this season. 10* OVER the total in Pennsylvania 

NBA TV Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Raptors vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 6:05 ET - Yes this is a big game so you would expect some extra defensive intensity but, truth be told, neither one of these teams is where they are today because of defense. The Raptors and Bucks are two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference because of their scoring prowess. Of course this is a big revenge game for Toronto after losing at Milwaukee earlier this season. That is certainly noteworthy as the Raptors are a perfect 6-0 to the over this season when playing with revenge. As for the Bucks, they are a perfect 4-0 to the over this season in games in which they are an underdog. Additionally, the over is a perfect 5-0 this season in Milwaukee's games against Atlantic Division opponents. Last but not least, the over is a perfect 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these teams. That means we have combined angles of 19-0 / 100% PERFECT in this one in support of a high-scoring blockbuster. I'll take it! 10* OVER the total in Toronto

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Game #705 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Atlanta Hawks vs Denver Nuggets @ 7:35 ET - The Nuggets are off a loss last night that snapped a 7-game winning streak. Even though Denver shot very poorly in the game it still went over the total. In other words, that tells you the type of quick pace they're playing. Yes, I am aware there are some injury situations for each team heading into this game but, the point is, I do not expect the Nuggets to take their foot off the games in this one. That said, Denver did score 138 points when they hosted the Hawks last month. As for Atlanta, the over is 7-2 in their last 9 games. Also, the Hawks are 6-2 to the over when off a game in which they allowed 130 points or more. Atlanta is 8-4 to the over in home games this season. The over is 25-12 when the Nuggets are on the road and the posted total on their game is 220 points or more. Look for another one to fly over the total here as Denver will be ready to push the pace from the opening tip after what happened last night at Charlotte. 10* OVER the total in Atlanta

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #743 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Villanova Wildcats vs St Joseph's Hawks @ 2 ET - The Wildcats have blown out the Hawks each of the past two seasons and have averaged 91 points per game in doing so. Villanova has held St Joseph's to an average of only 55 points per game in those two victories but I don't see that happening this time. The Hawks have been impressive in terms of balanced scoring this season and have a lot of top scoring options. St Joseph's is averaging 81 points per game on the season and the Nova defense has not been as impressive early this season. Possible championship hangover? Either way the fact is that the Hawks are likely to put up plenty of points in this one but they won't be able to stop Villanova. St Joseph's is allowing 45.5% from the field and 38.7% from three point land and the Wildcats are fully capable of putting up plenty of points against Phil Martelli's team as they've shown each of the past two seasons. Both Villanova and St Joseph's are shooting the ball very well early this season including the Hawks knocking down nearly 40% of their three pointers thus far! The over is 11-6 (including 2-0 this season) when St Joseph's is off a game in which they allowed 80 points or more. Look for the Wildcats to improve to 11-6 to the over in December games. 8* OVER the total in Villanova

Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #521 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Providence Friars vs Massachusetts Minutemen @ 7 ET - Both teams have gotten a lot of scoring options from new faces this season but each team is also still looking to gel in terms of defensive rotations. As a result, plenty of high-scoring games have resulted. Both teams are shooting the ball quite well, including from beyond the arc, and the over is 7-2 in UMass games this season and 5-2 in Providence games with a posted total of 140 or more. In recent seasons, the over is 13-6 when the Minutemen are off a game in which they allowed 80 points or more. Also, the over is 17-8 in Massachusetts road games and this is their first true road game of this season. Both of the neutral site games for UMass this season did go over the total. The Friars are 25-11 to the over in games where they are the favorite. Also, Providence is 19-6 to the over in games where they are a home favorite in a range of 9.5 to 12 points. Both the Friars and Minutemen take a ton of threes and both teams have enjoyed solid success in knocking them down this season. That said, I look for this non-conference match-up to result in plenty of points. Each of the last two meetings with the Friars as the host have gone over the total and this one is destined to do the same! 10* OVER the total in Providence

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Celtics vs New York Knicks @ 8:05 ET - This is a revenge game for the Celtics. That means they are NOT going to try and grind out a win against a Knicks team they know they can dominate. Look for this one to be played at a very fast pace as a result as Boston will NOT take their foot off the gas in this one. The Celtics have fresh legs as they've been off since Saturday. Boston seeks payback here for that 117-109 loss to the Knicks two weeks ago. In that game the Celtics had 97 shots from the field but simply had an "off" shooting night. That won't happen again here! New York has allowed 119 points per game their last 4 games. The over is 6-2 in the Knicks last 8 road games. The over is 6-1 in the last 7 Celtics games overall. In Boston's last 6 games they had one horrible scoring effort (versus Utah) but have averaged 117.6 points per game in the other 5 games. The over is 4-1 when Boston is a home favorite of 12.5 points or more. The over is 21-9 when the Celtics enter a game on a streak of 3 or more consecutive games going over the total. In other words, don't be surprised when we see another one here. The over is 8-4 in Knicks games against teams with a winning record. More of the same in this one. 10* OVER the total in Boston

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Knicks vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 5:05 ET - The Bucks are averaging 120.8 points per game this season. However, their defense has been sub-par over the past week and they certainly are unlikely to be overly "amped up" about facing a 7-16 Knicks team. In other words, this one is likely to be played at a fast pace with plenty of open floor for New York to "run and gun". Milwaukee has allowed 48.9% shooting and 117 points per game in its last 4 contests. The over is a perfect 3-0 in the last 3 meetings between the Bucks and Knicks. Milwaukee is also 4-0 to the over in games against Atlantic Division opponents this season. Saturday games for the Bucks are a long-term 24-9 to the over and December games are 22-7 to the over the past two seasons. The Knicks most recent game stayed under the total but they entered that contest having gone 6-2 to the over in their prior 8 games. New York is also an incredible 17-6 to the over in Saturday games and 15-6 to the over when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. 10* OVER the total in New York

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #507 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Central Florida Golden Knights vs Alabama Crimson Tide @ 7 ET - The Golden Knights are known for their defense but they've also been shooting the ball very well this season and have averaged 75.3 points per game thus far. That is noteworthy here in terms of looking for a high-scoring game because the Crimson Tide have scored 78 points or more in 5 of their 6 games this season. Alabama is struggling on the defensive end this season and I expect Central Florida to take advantage. However, Crimson Tide also has plenty of confidence from their offensive production leading the way to a 5-1 start. These teams met last season and that familiarity with what to expect will also help each team better attack the defense in this rematch. I know last year's game played out to an under but the Tide are quite a different team this season and I expect them to push the pace much more in this rematch after falling short in a low-scoring battle last season at home. The over is 3-0 this season in Alabama's games with a posted total in the 130s. Look for UCF to improve to 3-1 to the over in home games this season. Before a low-scoring win over Northern Kentucky last week, the Golden Knights had scored 77 points or more in 4 of their first 5 games. 10* OVER the total in Central Florida

Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Tuesday 8* OVER the total in Detroit Pistons vs New York Knicks @ 7:05 ET - The Knicks have stayed under the total in back to back games but previously had gone over the total in 5 straight games. Also, New York is 5-2 to the over when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 or more games. The Knicks are 6-3 to the over this season when facing a team with a winning record. The Pistons are 4-0 to the over in their last 4 games as, just like New York, Detroit enters this game on an overall hot run. The over is a perfect 3-0 in the last 3 meetings between these teams. The Pistons are 6-2 to the over this season in games against teams with a losing record. With both teams rolling and playing with plenty of confidence right now, look for plenty of points in this one with the game played at a good pace. 8* OVER the total in Detroit

Total of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Cavaliers vs Minnesota Timberwolves @ 7:05 ET - The over is a perfect 7-0 in the last 7 meetings between these teams and that includes a perfect 4-0 in meetings in Cleveland. Both these teams have trended under this month and that has resulted in this total being set lower than it should be. The Cavaliers have averaged 119 points per game their last two games. However, the Cavaliers have also given up an average of 112 points per game their last five games. The Timberwolves have played at a fast pace in recent games and also Minnesota has averaged 93 field goal attempts per game their last 7 road games. The Cavaliers have averaged 95 field goal attempts per game their last 3 games. Look for a good pace to this game and plenty of points as the long term high-scoring trend in this series continues. 10* OVER the total in Cleveland

Total of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #716 Monday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Clemson Tigers vs Nebraska Cornhuskers @ 7 ET - This total opened up at a 137 and has climbed as high as 139 as of early Monday morning. The fact is that both of these teams play strong defense and I feel we're getting excellent value with the under here. Both teams showed great improvement on the defensive end last season and that has continued into this season. The Cornhuskers are allowing just 51.7 points per game on shooting of 32.4% from the field and 22.4% from beyond the arc. The Tigers are off a rare poor game defensively against Creighton but this was preceded by Clemson allowing an average of only 57 points per game in their 4 prior games. When these teams most recently met (2 years ago) they combined for only 118 points and I expect another "grinder" here in this one Monday. The Cornhuskers are on short rest and have gone under in 7 of their last 10 when playing with just 1 day of rest between games. Nebraska has stayed under in 5 of their 6 games this season. Also, the past two seasons the Huskers played 5 road games that had a posted total between 135 and 139.5 points. The result of those games from a totals standpoint was 0 overs and 5 unders! Look for that trend to remain perfect here. 10* UNDER the total in Clemson

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Sunday 8* OVER the total in Los Angeles Lakers vs Orlando Magic @ 3:35 ET - The Magic are off a horrific effort at Denver Friday where they were held to 87 points. Orlando is now off back to back low-scoring games after having scored an average of 119 points per game in their 6 prior games. The Lakers are off a rare low-scoring contest as well as they beat the Jazz 90-83 on Friday. Los Angeles previously had averaged scoring 116 points per game in their 4 prior games. I feel these low-scoring results have set this one up with nice value in a game where a bounce back effort offensively with plenty of "run and gun" basketball in this Sunday non-conference match-up. The long-term trending in this series is "under" but I look for the over to improve to 3-0 this season when LA is entering a game on a winning streak of 3 or more games. Also, the over is 3-1 this season when Orlando enters a game off back to back unders. 8* OVER the total in the Los Angeles Lakers game

Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #517 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Bowling Green Falcons vs Drexel Dragons @ 3 ET - First off I am aware of the injury situation with Dragons guard Kurk Lee but he truly hasn't played much of a factor this season as he has totaled only 12 minutes on the floor in Drexel's last 3 games. As a result, he is not much of a factor in terms of this total and the Dragons are on a 3-0 run to the over. Also, Drexel gave up 78 points to the Falcons last season in Philly and now they face them at Bowling Green which means even more points likely here! That's because the Falcons are happy to be back on their home floor and they're also coming off a loss where they had a rare poor night and scored just 67 points. Prior to that low-scoring defeat, BG had scored at least 75 points in 4 of their first 5 games plus they had reached the 80 point mark 3 times. The Dragons have averaged 98 points their last 3 games and yes one of those games was against a very weak foe but, even taking that out of the equation Drexel has averaged 87.5 points their last two games. The over is a long-term 14-6 when the Dragons are off a non-conference game. The over is 15-9 when Bowling Green is off a game in which they allowed 80 points or more. Also the Falcons are 14-7 to the over when facing a team that is averaging 77 points or more per game. In other words, they have not been (and still are not) afraid to get into "run and gun" type games with teams like Drexel and that is what I expect here. 10* OVER the total in Bowling Green 

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #523 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Denver Nuggets vs Orlando Magic @ 9:05 ET - The Magic are off a low-scoring loss at Toronto Tuesday as they had a horrific shooting night. Orlando entered that game red hot from the floor in their 6 prior games and scoring an average of 119 points per game during that stretch. That said, the low-scoring loss was surprising and I expect the Magic to get right back on track here (offensively) in this one. The Nuggets may have trouble staying fully focused here as they are off a win at Minnesota and have a game at Oklahoma City on deck. That said, this is a "sandwich game" against an Eastern Conference foe so it is unlikely to bring out the best in terms of defensive intensity. In fact 3 of the 4 meetings between these teams have gone over the total (including 2 for 2 at Denver). The over is 17-7 when the Nuggets enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. The over is 20-11 when Denver is off a divisional game. Also, the over is 51-26 when the Nuggets face a team that is scoring an average of 106 points or more per game. 10* OVER the total in Denver

Zig Zag Best Bet - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Tuesday 8* OVER the total in Orlando Magic vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:05 ET - The under seems to be attracting some early attention in this game but who is going to be playing defense and why? When you look at this match-up you have an Orlando team that has been on fire with their shooting and certainly is not known for defense. You also have a Raptors team that is proving to be one of the elite teams in the NBA and games like this, against sub-par competition, are the types of games for which they certainly aren't known for bringing "lock-down defense". Toronto held the Bulls to 83 points in their most recent game but they were angry off a loss to Boston when they entered that game. The Raptors entered the game against Chicago having allowed an average of 117 points per game in their 4 prior games and those went 3-1 to the over. The Raptors have been lighting it up on the other end of the floor as they've averaged 117 points per game their last 8 games. The Magic are on a 4-2 run to the over. They've shot 54% from the field in their last 3 games. Also, Orlando has averaged scoring 119 points per game their last 6 games but they've also allowed 117 points in each of their last 2 games and 3 of their last 4. The over is 22-11 when the Raptors enter a game with 2 days of rest. The over is 14-8 when the Magic are off a win by a double digit margin. 8* OVER the total in Orlando

Zig Zag Best Bet - Rickenbach CBB Game #519 Monday 8* OVER the total in Cincinnati Bearcats vs Western Michigan Broncos @ 7 ET - Though I am posting this play early it will not surprise me if this total moves lower because of the long-term defensive reputation of Cincinnati. That is why this is a Zig Zag play for me as we're looking at this game with a different outlook than most would. The fact is that the Bearcats are favored by 17.5 here and they allowed 63.5 points per game to Ohio State and Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The point is that this game should end up an 82 to 64 type game and that is a full ten points off from the current total posted on this game. Note the Broncos have been involved in high-scoring games and the over is a perfect 4-0 in Western Michigan's first four games. Also, the Broncos have allowed an average of 81 points per game against Division I competition this season. Western Michigan is 4-1 to the over when playing with 1 day of rest or less between games. The Bearcats are 3-1 to the over in home games with a posted total between 135 and 139.5 points. 8* OVER the total in Cincinnati

NBA TV Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Game #715 Saturday 8* OVER the total in San Antonio Spurs vs Houston Rockets @ 8:35 ET - Both teams coming off ugly losses where they did not shoot the ball well at all. The Spurs were criticized by coach Gregg Popovich for being "soft" after that game. No players wants to hear that of course. I feel that both San Antonio and Houston, coming off ugly losses where their offensive production failed them, are going to be very aggressive about attacking the rim. Keep in mind that doesn't mean the points have to come from the paint. When guys are attacking toward the rim and the defense collapses on them it then frees up open looks from the outside. The Rockets are 3-1 to the over this season when off a loss by a double digit margin. The Spurs are 4-2 to the over in their six home games this season. The last time here snapped a winning streak in this series for the Rockets and they were held to just 83 points. You know that Houston is going to go hard tonight in this rivalry and atone for that poor performance as well as their ugly performance at Oklahoma City Thursday. At the same time, San Antonio is in full on bounce back mode after their ugly shooting night at Miami. The Spurs will shoot much better at home and both teams are going to be very aggressive which will help the tempo of this game. It should lead to a high-scoring match-up. 8* OVER the total in San Antonio

NBA TV Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Philadelphia 76ers vs Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - The last time these two teams met the game stayed well under the total but the pacing of the game should have sent it flying over the total. The problem, for over players, in that game was that both teams shot under 40% from the field. Even with that the game totaled 208 points and I feel the situation here is conducive to an over. The set up here is ideal for plenty of points. The 76ers, after a very sloppy game against Brooklyn, cleaned up their game and also played solid defense in a win at Indiana Wednesday. Now I would not be surprised to see them somewhat complacent here after finally notching their first road win of the season. As for the Hornets, they roll into this game off back to back wins. While it is true that the competition certainly was not fierce. It is also true that Charlotte has been able to build up confidence by getting those two victories. Taking a look at the Hornets last 6 games, the one poor shooting effort was against Philly but Charlotte has shot 49.2% from the field in the other 5 games combined. As for the Sixers, they are averaging 115 points per game at home this season. Look for the over to improve to 5-2 in Philly's games versus teams with a winning record this season. As for the Hornets, the over is 3-1 this season in their games as an underdog. The lone under was the aforementioned 105-103 loss at Philly. Charlotte and the Sixers make up for that here with a high-scoring shootout! 10* OVER the total in Philadelphia

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Indiana Pacers vs Houston Rockets @ 7:05 ET - The Rockets now have James Harden back and, after shaking off some rust in his first game back, he'll be ready to go strong tonight. Keep in mind that was a crazy low-scoring result at Chicago in Houston's most recent game and it is helping to give us line value here. The fact is that the game was on pace for 220 points at half but then the Bulls scored just 7 points in the 3rd quarter. Some credit is due to the Rockets defense but it was also a lot of horrific shooting from Chicago that led to that result. The rest of the game the Bulls scored at least 25 points in each of the other 3 quarters. We all know what this Houston offense is capable of and I expect them to start clicking tonight as the Pacers D may not be at its strongest in a non-conference affair like this. Additionally, we all know Indiana can light up the scoreboard - particularly when at home - and the result of the above is that we should see a shootout between these non-conference foes Monday. The Rockets first 3 road games had all totaled at least 227 points. That "ugly" win at Chicago was Houston's 1st under in 4 road games this season. As for the Pacers, they are averaging 109.5 points per game at home this season and are knocking down 42.6% of their threes when at home! The Rockets have scored 118 points in each of their last two games versus the Pacers. Look for more of the same here as I expect, per all of the above, that each team gets to the 110 range in this one! 10* OVER the total in Indiana

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #505 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Cavaliers vs Denver Nuggets @ 7:05 ET - Yes, the Nuggets are in a back to back and off an OT game. Yes, the Cavaliers have a new head coach so "focus" could change for the team. However, lets address those two factors because this total has dropped significantly early this morning and this has led to strong line value on the over. First off, the Cavs first game with Larry Drew instead of Tyronn Lue calling the shots resulted in a win and Cleveland's defense did create turnovers. However, the Cavaliers still allowed their opponent (the Hawks) to make a high percentage of their shots. In other words perhaps the aggressive defense did result in transition points for the Cavs but it also resulted in more open looks for the opponents shooters when they did get past the over-aggressive defenders. The fact is that the Cavaliers game with Atlanta still totaled 250 points and I feel this game with Denver is going to be a shootout as well. The Nuggets defense could be lacking here after putting a ton of effort into the win over the Bulls last night. Also, note that Denver is 14-7 to the over in games against Central Division opponents in recent seasons. Also, over this same time frame, the Nuggets are 46-23 to the over BOTH against teams that allow 106 points or more per game and also teams that score 106 points or more per game. Of course the Cavs fall into both of those categories this season. Additionally, the Cavaliers are on an 11-2 run to the over when off a game where they scored 130 points or more. 10* OVER the total in Cleveland

Grim Reaper ESPN Smash - Rickenbach NBA Game #705 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Knicks vs Indiana Pacers @ 8:05 ET - The Pacers are off a rare poor shooting game and will bounce back strong here. Even though Indiana is on the road for this one, the Pacers actually have averaged 117.5 points per game in their last two road games. On the season Indiana is hitting 50% from the field overall and 43% from three point land. They'll take advantage of a Knicks team that is allowing 110.7 points per game this season on 47% shooting from the field including 38% from beyond the arc. Although New York's defense leaves a lot to be desired, the Knicks are averaged 110.5 points per game at home this season. I feel we're getting great line value here considering both teams are off a day of rest, the Pacers should be burning up the nets tonight with hot shooting, and New York score very well at home. All these factors combined with a total in the 210 range means excellent line value here! The Pacers are 3-0 to the over this season when off a non-conference game. The Knicks are 2-0 to the over this season in games against teams with a winning record. Indiana is 3-0 to the over in Eastern Conference match-ups this season. The over is 2-0 in the last two meetings between these teams. That means we have combined edges here of 10-0 / 100% PERFECT supporting this selection! Look for a shootout in this one. 10* OVER the total in New York

NBA Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #709 Tuesday NBA 10* Top Play OVER the total in Milwaukee Bucks vs Toronto Raptors @ 8:05 ET - Yes, I am aware of the head injury suffered by Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks but he is NOT in the concussion protocol and I just do not see him missing a huge game like this. The last two undefeated teams in the league are meeting in Milwaukee tonight in what should be a fantastic game with plenty of points scored! The over went 3-0 in meetings between these teams last season. Also, after I got burned on the Raptors over in their most recent game (only went over the closing number but should have finished with 240 points) I have had my eyes on this match-up. Each team, compared to the opening number at least, has stayed under in each of its last two games. However, the pacing of the game has been conducive to an over for each of those games and also each of these teams started the season with 4 straight overs. The first total that popped up on this game was 223 but it has dropped to 221.5 since then and there is huge value here with the over in my opinion. The Bucks have allowed an average of 101 shots per game their last 4 games! The Raptors have allowed an average of 95 shots per game their last 3 games! On the other end of the floor, of course, both teams can fill it up! The Bucks are averaging 119.3 points per game this season and Toronto is averaging 116.8 points per game this season. The over is a long-term 37-25 when the Raptors are off a game where they scored 115 points or more. Also, the over is 20-10 in Toronto's games when they have two days of rest between games. The over is a long-term 47-25 in Bucks games played in the first half of a season. This should be a VERY entertaining shootout tonight! 10* OVER the total in Milwaukee

NBA Total of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Game #505 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Raptors vs Dallas Mavericks @ 7:35 ET - The Raptors are undefeated on the season. The Mavericks are coming off a game where they let a 26 point lead slip away. Toronto can score on anybody but has also allowed triple digits in all five of their games this season. Dallas is allowing an insane 50% from three point land this season and the Raptors are allowing just a shade under 40% from beyond the arc this season. The point is that there should be plenty of points in this one. The Mavericks got burned for taking the foot off the gas in their most recent game while the Raptors are averaging 117 points per game this season and have to be licking their chops at attacking the struggling Mavs defense. Dallas is allowing 119.2 points per game this season. Both teams play at a quick pace with the Mavericks averaging 92.5 field goal attempts per game and the Raptors not far behind at around 90. Couple those stats with the fact that both teams have had trouble defending the 3-point line this season as well as the fact that this total, as of early this morning, has dropped big from its opener, and you have a great situation here in terms of value. Toronto's most recent game stayed under the total but, prior to that, the over was 4-0 in Raptors games this season. The over is 5-2 in Mavs games with a posted total of 220 points or more. The over is 9-5 in Raptors home games with a posted total of 220 points or more. 10* OVER the total in Toronto

NBA TV Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Celtics vs Orlando Magic @ 7:35 ET - This total is dropping early this morning which is understandable given the fact that each of these teams has trended early this season as well as the fact that the Celtics are known for defense. However, the drop on the total is also a key to additional value here because I just don't foresee Boston giving a real huge effort on the defensive end in this game. It is a non-divisional match-up against a bad team. These types of match-ups, as a general rule, don't tend to bring out the best in terms of intensity on defense. Also, the Magic have added confidence from scoring 115 points and shooting lights out in a 1 point loss at Philly Saturday. Boston is off a tight win Saturday over the Knicks and this will now be the 3rd game in 4 nights for each of these teams. That also can mean some tired legs on defense. The over is 3-1 in the last 4 meetings between these teams in Boston. The Magic have scored at least 103 points in 2 of their last 3 meetings with the Celtics and at least 104 points in 2 of their 3 games this season. Orlando should ride momentum from the hot shooting at Philly but their defense is poor. That said, look for the Magic to get to the 105 range in this game but they are forecast to lose by double digits for a reason and this one should fly well over the total as the Celtics enjoy a breakout game on offense against a sub-par defense. The over is 22-15 in Orlando's games against Atlantic Division opponents and the over is 26-17 in the Celtics games against Southeast Division opponents. Look for another one here! 10* OVER the total in Boston

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #703 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Charlotte Hornets vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:05 ET - Interesting match-up here with each team having a new head coach. I expect this to lead to plenty of points here as a pair of former Spurs assistant coaches square off. It is Mike Budenholzer for the Bucks and James Borrego for the Hornets. Milwaukee is going to be emphasizing the 3-point shot this season and they've added some key pieces relating to that and I expect to see plenty of threes fired up by Milwaukee tonight. However, the Bucks also can attack the paint as Charlotte no longer has Dwight Howard in the middle and the Hornets are definitely going toward more of a small ball lineup. It all equates to plenty of points here in the season opener as we should see a good tempo in this one. The over is a perfect 3-0 in the last 3 meetings between these teams and also a perfect 3-0 the last 3 times they've met in Charlotte. Additionally, in games played in the first half of a season, Milwaukee has gone 43-23 to the over their last 66. Look for that trend to add another one on the high side Wednesday. 10* OVER the total in Charlotte

Total of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Golden State Warriors vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:05 ET - The extra rest here will serve both teams well. Not only did they have some time off between the conference finals and these NBA Finals, they now also have 2 full off days between Game 1 and Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Also, after this, the teams will have 2 more full off days before Game 3 as the series then shifts east. The point is that the players are rested and they know they have more rest coming. As a result, there will be no holding back on Sunday evening and I expect plenty of big scoring runs. The Cavaliers are 39-18 to the over when off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more and that includes 17-8 this season. Now, of course, I know Game 1 included OT but, keep in mind, it went over the total before overtime. Also, it is hard to be impressed with the Cavaliers defense when one considers that the Warriors did hit over 50% from the field for the game, scored 17 points in OT (just 5 minutes), and scored at least 27 points in 3 of the 4 quarters in the game. Of course LeBron James is going to get his points and the Warriors showed in Game 1 they're not going to stop him. In fact, the Cavs scored at least 26 points in 3 of the 4 quarters. The point is that if a "normal" quarter is at least 27-26 (53 points) you can see why I like the over in this match-up. Adding to the value is that neither team shot as well as they normally do from three point land in Game 1. Look for better outside shooting in Game 2 and the Cavaliers will once again be very determined after falling just short in Game 1. That said, I expect this game to still be close enough late to encourage late fouls and plenty of "scramble points" at the end should we need them. Look for the over to improve to 6-2 in the last 8 meetings between these teams. 10* OVER the total in Golden State

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NBA Game #711 Sunday 8* OVER the total in Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:35 ET - The flow (and pace!) of the game "totally" changed in Game 6 after Kevin Love was knocked out of the game with a head injury. The Cavs big man is going to miss this game too and I look for Cleveland to again try to "force the issue" with LeBron James. I also expect the Celtics to continue to be content to let LeBron "get his" while simply focusing on all other aspects of their own game. That said, Boston has scored much better when at home in these playoffs. Not only are the Celtics 10-0 at home in the post-season, they've averaged 108.7 points per game in those games. That said, and with this total now falling below the 200 mark, I see great value with the over in this match-up. Keep in mind that James has fought hard to try and make yet another trip to the NBA Finals. The Celtics are also very hungry to finally get back to the Finals. That said, and with the loser going home for the summer after this game, I also expect late fouls to help our cause (if needed). The fact that this game is projected to be a tight one means late fouls and hoisted three-pointers are likely to be a part of the "end game" as even if down 10 points with a minute to go the team on the wrong end of that knows there is "no tomorrow". The over is 9-3 this season when the Celtics are off of a loss by a double digit margin and I look for another over in this one after they got blown at Cleveland on Friday. 8* OVER the total in Boston

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NBA Game #509 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Golden State Warriors vs Houston Rockets @ 9:05 ET - This total is 15 points below where the total was posted when these teams met here in Game 4. The markets have over-adjusted because the last two games have been so low-scoring. The fact that Golden State and Houston were each held below 100 points in each of the last two games is truly an unbelievable result. It won't happen again here. Chris Paul is a key defender for the Rockets and his absence is going to really hurt Houston on that end of the floor. Keep in mind Eric Gordon will get a lot of minutes for the Rockets here as a result and he is a strong player on the offensive end. What we are unlikely to see happen is the Rockets James Harden going 0 for 11 again from 3-point land. Also, the Warriors had averaged 121 points per game in their 4 home games prior to their dismal effort in Game 4. Look for an explosion on the offensive end from Golden State here and look for the Rockets to shoot much better as the Warriors are going to be willing to turn this one into a "run and gun affair" with Houston. 8* OVER the total in Golden State

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Houston Rockets vs Golden State Warriors @ 9:05 ET - Tuesday's game saw the total close at 227.5 in a number of shops with some even as high as a 228. Of course after the dismal shooting effort in Game 4, the markets have had to adjust but a double digit adjustment is something not normally seen. In other words, it is not the odds makers doing this as much as it is the markets. The odds makers opened up Tuesday's total at 224 and this Game 5 total at 220. That is a difference of only 4 points. But the markets hammered the over in Game 4 and got crushed and now they're hammering the under in Game 5 and I suspect they will get crushed again. This morning's total (as low as 218.5) is nearly 10 points below where we were before tip-off in Game 4. The value is too much to ignore because you know that two fantastic shooting teams are going to find their rhythm again after each of them was held below 40% from the field in Tuesday's game. This season there were only 3 times that the Warriors were on the road following a game in which they were held below 100 points. The average point total of the next game in those 3 occurrences was 232 points! Also, when on the road this season following a game in which they allowed less than 100 points, Golden State went 8-2 to the over on the season! There has only been 1 under in the Rockets last 6 home games and that was Game 3 of this series which totaled 225 points. In other words, given the low number on tonight's total that also would have resulted in an over. The Rockets are averaging 114.2 points per game in their last 6 home games and the Warriors should match them bucket for bucket as you can tell by the spread on this game being a pick'em. In my opinion the best value (and it is strong value) is the over in this match-up. 10* OVER the total in Houston

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #505 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Golden State Warriors vs Houston Rockets @ 9:05 ET - The Warriors Andre Iguodala is listed as doubtful for this game. He is a starter and he is important come playoff time because he is a very solid player on the defensive end. That said, this should help lead to a high-scoring match-up in Game 4. You know the Rockets are going to bounce back after scoring just 85 points in Game 3. However, the Warriors offensive production is unlikely to be slowed down on their home floor where they have averaged 121 points per game their last 4 games. The over is 9-2 in Houston's Tuesday games this season and the Rockets are a long-term 5-2 to the over after they were held to 85 points or less in their prior game. Golden State is 22-13 to the over when leading in a playoff series. Also, the Warriors are a long-term 13-4 to the over when they are off of a game where they allowed 85 points or less. Factor all this in with the banged up knee plaguing Iguodala and you have the right "recipe" for an absolute shootout in this one. 10* OVER the total in Golden State

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #705 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics @ 8:35 ET - Celtics games have now recorded 3 straight unders. The over is 5-1 this season when Boston enters a game on an "under streak" of 3 or more games. Celtics coach Brad Stevens, one of the best in the business, is making some adjustments here and I expect it to result in a lot more offense. Boston scored just 86 points and got blasted in Game 3 as they lost by a margin of 30 points. The over is 8-3 this season when the Celtics are off of a game they lost by a double digit margin. The over is a long-term 17-11 when the Cavaliers enter a game on an "under streak" of 3 or more games. The total on this game is currently 206.5 as of early morning on game day. The last 13 times that Cleveland has been off of a win by a double digit margin, their next game has totaled 207 points or more 11 of 13 times! In other words, look for the Cavs offense to stay red hot here (particularly since they are at home but also look for Stevens to make some adjustments to get his teams offensive production right back up where it should be. Keep in mind the Cavaliers had allowed an average of 107 points per game before Saturday's blowout win and, on the season, the Cavs allowed 109 points per game. 10* OVER the total in Cleveland

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Golden State Warriors vs Houston Rockets @ 8:05 ET - You know the Warriors will be out for blood here after a 22 point loss in Game 2 on Wednesday. However, look for Golden State to respond with offense, not defense. The fact is that the Warriors over should go to 6-3 the last 9 times they've played a game with 3 or more days of rest between games. Fresh legs for Golden State coupled with being on their home floor coupled with being off of a blowout loss all equates to a run and gun affair here. You know the Rockets will play with plenty of confidence after knocking off the Warriors by 22 points at home. That is going to lead to a shootout here. Houston has averaged 113 points per game in their last 9 games. The Warriors have averaged 119 points per game in their last 3 home games. Golden State's most recent home game stayed under the total but the Warriors entered that game with a record of 7-1 to the over in their 8 prior home games. The Rockets are 7-3 to the over in their past 10 games. Game 3 went over the total despite the Warriors shooting only 30% from three point land and you know another performance like that is highly unlikely. That said, this one should easily crush the posted O/U Sunday. 10* OVER the total in Golden State

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:35 ET - You know that LeBron James and Company are going to respond here but they have had issues on defense all season long and are one of the worst teams in the league when it comes to their defensive efficiency rating. With that said, look for this one to surprise many and be a shootout. The Cavaliers are 11-5 to the over in Tuesday games game this season. Cleveland is also 24-14 to the over when playing with revenge. After a loss by a double digit margin, the Cavs are 32-19 to the over. The Celtics are 18-10 to the over this season when off of a win by a double digit margin. That is because it is hard to keep up defensive intensity when a team is off of an easy blowout win. Also, the over is 19-10 Boston's last 29 versus teams that allow 106 points or more per game. Also, versus teams that average 106 points or more, the Celtics are on a 24-12 run to the over. Before game 1 stayed under the total, Cleveland was on a 5-1 run to the over their prior 6 games and had been shooting the ball very well. Also, prior to that Game 1 under, the Celtics had gone 10-1 to the over in their last 11 home games. After a rare OFF night for the Cavaliers in the offensive end, look for things to return to "normal" Tuesday in Game Two. 10* OVER the total in Boston

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Golden State Warriors vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 10:35 ET - New Orleans was held to just 92 points Sunday as they endured a horrific shooting performance versus the Warriors. The Pelicans are 12-5 to the over the last 17 times they've been held to 102 points or less. Also, the Game 4 loss was just the 4th time this season that New Orleans has been held to 39.5% or less from the field. The game after each of the first 3 occurrences went over the total all 3 times! Look for the record in this situation to improve to a perfect 4-0 this season. However, the issue for the Pelicans is the fact that they won't be able to stop the Warriors potent attack. Golden State is at home and wants to close this out tonight and avoid a trip back to New Orleans. As a result, look for the Warriors to push the pace here as they attempt to push the Pelicans right out of the post-season! The over is 7-1 in Golden State's last 8 home games. Also, after a loss by 10 points or more New Orleans is 12-5 to the over this season plus the over is 27-14 in Pelicans games in which they are playing with revenge. The over is 21-12 when the Warriors are leading in a playoff series and they'll keep their foot on the gas for all 48 minutes of this one at home. 10* OVER the total in Golden State

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Monday 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia 76ers vs Boston Celtics @ 6:05 ET - Even with OT Saturday, Game 3 still stayed under the total. However, the 76ers shot 39.2% from the field as they lost their 3rd straight game. The last 5 times that Philadelphia has been held to 41.7% or less from the field they've bounced back by averaging 114.4 points in their next game. The Sixers were 8-4 to the over in their dozen games prior to Saturday's low-scoring loss. Philly is 11-6 to the over this season when playing with home loss revenge. The Celtics were 13-3 to the over in their 16 games prior to Game 3's low-scoring win. Boston is a long-term 7-3 to the over in 2nd round playoff games. Also, when facing a team that averages 106 points or more per game, the Celtics are on a 23-10 run to the over. Look for the 76ers offensive production to bounce back in a "win or go home" Game 4 but they've yet to stop the Celtics in this series and I don't see that changing here. As a result, look for plenty of points in this one! 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #707 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Utah Jazz vs Houston Rockets @ 8:05 ET - The Jazz were held to just 92 points on their home floor in the Game 3 loss. Utah is a perfect 6-0 to the over they last 6 times they were off of a game where they scored 96 points or less. The Jazz should respond here and they might even get an extra boost with the return of guard Ricky Rubio. When trailing in a playoff series, Utah has gone 4-2 to the over. Also, the over is a perfect 9-0 in Sunday games for the Jazz this season! Houston is 4-1 to the over in this post-season when they are leading in a playoff series. The Rockets started slow in this post-season but they've now averaged 114.4 points per game their last 5 games. Houston is a 5-point favorite in this match-up. If the game hits right near the line and the Rockets hit their recent scoring average, you're talking about a 114-109 type game. That covers this total by double digits and that is exactly what I am looking for here. Houston likely to shoot even better from three point land as the Rockets rarely have 3 straight sub-par games from beyond the arc. The Jazz fight back hard in hopes of evening this series up. The result is plenty of points in this one. 10* OVER the total in Utah

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #555 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Celtics vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 8:05 ET - Sixers head coach Brett Brown spent many years on the Spurs coaching staff and learned plenty from San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich. That said, Brown knows exactly what to do in this spot. He has a very talented Philadelphia team that can put up a ton of points in a hurry and they are well-rested with fresh legs here as they have not played since Monday! Brown knows he is catching a weary Celtics team that just finished battling a 7-game series with the Bucks that wrapped up on Saturday. The 76ers will be playing just their 3rd game in 10 days while Boston will be playing their 6th game in 11 days! You can plainly see which team is going to be fresher here and coach Brown is smart enough to have his team "run and gun" here. That could stake Philly to an early lead which helps take the crowd out of it but it also will allow the fresh legs of the 76ers to wear down a Celtics team coming off of that grueling battle with the Bucks. The Boston over is 11-3 their last 14 games. Also, the Celtics are 21-9 to the over their last 30 games when they face a team that averages 106 points or more per game. Look for the Philadelphia over to go to 4-1 this season when they are playing with 3 or more days of rest between games. 10* OVER the total in Boston

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #511 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Indiana Pacers vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:05 ET - With all the games in this series staying under the closing number, the downward trend on the posted totals in these games has continued. With tonight's game also being a possible elimination game for the Pacers, we are being given additional line value with the low posted total on this one. I expect Indiana to come out with a ton of energy and to also sustain it. The Pacers have lost 3 of the last 4 games in this series so clearly the grinder style of games is not suiting them. They need to take advantage of getting quick points in transition and push the tempo a little bit and try to change things up here in Game 6. Indiana has shot better on the road than at home in this series and, of course, that is the inverse of what you would expect. Don't look for that trend to continue here. Look for a shootout tonight with plenty of threes as well as quick points in transition. The Cavaliers wrapped up the regular season with an O/U mark of 6-3 in road games and Game 4 of this series in Indiana did go over the total for all but later bettors (closed at 206). As for the Pacers, they averaged 106.4 points per game at home this season and I have a strong feeling about what is coming tonight in terms of tempo and that should lead to an easy over in this one. 10* OVER the total in Indiana

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #713 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Houston Rockets vs Minnesota Timberwolves @ 9:35 ET - The very first number that popped up on this total was a 219. The markets have pounced on it and have pounded it down to as low as a 215.5 as of early game day morning. I'll gladly grab the additional line value here. The Wolves are down 3-1 in this series so they have no option but to pull off a huge upset here if they want to stay alive in this post-season. That said, there is great value with the over here because the Rockets are going to push the pace and look to close out big at home. The first two games in this series were played in Houston and both stayed under the total. However, the Rockets shot uncharacteristically poor from 3-point land in those two games. They've gotten hotter since then as they've shot better from beyond the arc in the last two games, both played in Minnesota. That said, I look for them to be even hotter still in Game 5 as they're back on their home floor and have found their shooting stroke again. The Timberwolves have hit 40% of their threes in this series and I look for this one to turn into a run and gun affair. We're simply getting value here because the first two games in Houston stayed under the total. Given this elimination setting and the Rockets game plan to run the Wolves out of the playoffs by running them right of the arena, this will be a shootout tonight. Look for the over to improve to 6-3 when the Rockets are leading in a playoff series. Minnesota is 9-4 to the over when they are off of a loss by double digits. 10* OVER the total in Houston

Rickenbach NBA Game #703 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Philadelphia 76ers vs Miami Heat @ 8:05 ET - The Game 4 win for the Sixers was the 3rd time in 4 games in this series that one of the teams attempted at least 94 shots from the field. However, the game did stay under but the point is that we're getting line value here with this total as a result. The way the pacing has gone in this series 3 of the 4 should have gone over but instead it is a 2-2 split. With Miami having their backs against the wall, down 3-1 in this series, I look for them to be especially aggressive on the offensive end in this one. They know the Sixers are going to "get theirs" in terms of points but the Heat have scored at least 102 in each game in this series and have, in fact, averaged 106.5 points per game. Considering the spread on this game is double digits and yet Miami should end up in the 102 to 107 range in points, this total is definitely a little low as you can see! In terms of technical support, the over is 10-4 in Miami's last 14 road games and 10-5 in 76ers games this season when they are playing with 2 days of rest between games. Fresh legs and plenty of run and gun as the Sixers want to end this at home while the Heat will be firing away to try to stay alive and send it back to Miami. 10* OVER the total in Philadelphia

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Indiana Pacers vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:35 ET - With a drop down to a 203.5 this morning, this total is now down double digits from where it was earlier in this series. This is a classic case of the books having to over-react due to market perception forcing an over-correction. Yes all 3 games of this series have stayed under the total but let us not get carried away here! The Celtics scored 57 in the first half of Friday's game. The Pacers scored 52 points in the 2nd half of that Game 3 match-up. The Cavs also scored 58 in the first half of Game 2 while the Pacers scored 51 points in the 2nd half of that match-up. The key here is Cleveland is now desperate for a win as they are on the road and down 2 games to 1 and the Cavaliers best success in this series has come when they're pushing the pace. The Cavs have led by double digits at halftime in each of the past two games. Today I look for Cleveland to push hard for a full 48 minutes. While I do respect the Pacers defense this is still an Indiana team that allowed 104 points per game this season. Of course the Cavaliers struggles defensively were well-documented this season and they've allowed nearly 110 points per game on the season. There is simply exceptional value with the drop in this total because you know with the importance of this game, big difference between a 3-1 series and a 2-2, neither team is going to lie down late no matter the score. So a good tempo here with late fouling and big threes also a distinct possibility to add points. 10* OVER the total in Indiana

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #721 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Timberwolves vs Houston Rockets @ 7:35 ET - Ladies and gentlemen, this total opened up at a 213 and is now as high as a 214.5 despite the fact that both games in this series have easily stayed under the total AND the Rockets are on an 11-2 run to the under. So what does that tell you? Some sharp money is on the over here folks. This is a contrarian play. Most will be enticed to the under but the over is the way to go. Yes, the Timberwolves are on a 5-1 run to the under also but, after struggling with their shot at Houston, look for them to shoot much better at home in Minnesota. Also, the Rockets are making just 29% of their three pointers so far in this series but that is not going to continue. Houston is too strong of a shooting team and they will hit their stride again. The Rockets actually hit 38 of 82 (46.3%) of their three pointers in their two games at Minnesota in the regular season and they'll get it rolling again tonight. The Wolves have averaged 114 points per game in their last 4 home games versus the Rockets and the over is a perfect 3-0 in the last 3 meetings there. The Timberwolves are 8-4 to the over this season when off of a loss by a double digit margin. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #713 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Wizards vs Toronto Raptors @ 8:05 ET - There really is no reason to expect the high-scoring ways of this series to come to a stop just yet. The Wizards average nearly 4 points more at home compared to on the road while the Raptors average under 2 points less on the road compared to at home. Also, the Toronto defense does allow about 4 points more when on the road this season while the Washington defense shows an average only about 2 points better when at home compared to on the road. The Wizards simply are not known as a team that wins with defense. In fact, in their last 15 home wins they've allowed an average of 105.4 points per game. Again, they win with offense and this is a desperate Washington team in search of a win to get back into this series but they simply can not stop the Raptors. Toronto has scored an average of 116.3 points per game in their last 4 games versus the Wizards. The Raptors have shot the ball very well overall in their last 5 games and have averaged 114.6 points per game during this stretch. The Wizards are 6-2 to the over in their last 8 games. Toronto is a long-term 23-16 when playing with 2 days of rest between games. The Raptors also are 9-5 to the over this season when they are an underdog. Washington is 27-16 to the over when playing with 2 days of rest between games. Also, only 4 of 12 games have stayed under when the Wizards are off of a loss by a double digit margin. In other words, the Wizards respond to ugly defeats with offense not defense and that is what I expect to see again on Friday. 10* OVER the total in Washington

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #525 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New Orleans Pelicans vs Portland Trail Blazers @ 9:05 ET - During the regular season an average game for the Blazers or the Pelicans sees about 42 free throw attempts. However, in the last 3 meetings between these teams, including the first two of this post-season, the teams have averaged a total of only 25 free throw attempts. This certainly has had an impact on each of those 3 meetings staying under the total and I look for it to change tonight. Down 0-2 in the series and having lost both games on their home floor, Portland needs to come out very aggressive and attack the basket. This leads to more trips to the free throw line. The fact is that the Blazers have averaged 98 field goal attempts in their last 3 games against the Pelicans so the pacing has certainly been there for an over. Tonight we'll finally see the pace correlate properly to a higher scoring game. New Orleans has shot the ball very well their last 7 games and that is why they've scored 111 points or more in 6 of those 7 games. Look for the Pelicans to stay hot here but the desperate Blazers will answer them bucket for bucket as this game goes on. The over is a long-term 81-42 in Pelicans home games and that includes 28-13 this season! More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in New Orleans

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #517 Wednesday 8* OVER the total in Cleveland Cavaliers vs Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - The Cavaliers couldn't throw it in the ocean on Sunday. Seriously they shot awfully bad including from three point land and that is what did them in. You know LeBron James and Company are going to bounce back after that dismal effort. However, the fact is that the Pacers are playing with a ton of confidence right now. They have an "us against the world" attitude as no one is giving them a real chance against the Cavs. Of course this has fueled a ton of motivation for Indiana and I expect them to have a big game on the offensive end tonight but they won't be able to stop the determined Cavaliers. While the spread on this game - currently an 8 - may prove to be just right, I do feel there is exceptional value with the over. Keep in mind that the Game 1 result was an aberration and the Pacers allowed 113 points per game in their last playoff series with the Cavs. Also, Cleveland allowed 110 points per game this season! Look for a shootout in this one. The Cavaliers are 7-2 to the over when trailing in a playoff series. Since the calendar hit 2018, Indiana has allowed 92 points or less in a road game 5 times. The 5th time was Game 1 of this series. The first 4 times it happened, the Pacers next game went over all 4 times. Look for that over streak to reach 5-0 tonight! 8* OVER the total in Cleveland

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #705 Tuesday 8* OVER the total in Toronto Raptors vs Washington Wizards @7:05 ET - Raptors hitting 50.3% from the field in their last 4 games. Game 1 of this series went over the total (for most everyone) and Toronto got the win but they know they can ill afford another slow start. The Raptors were down 4 at the half of Game 1. The Wizards gained confidence from Saturday's performance despite the loss. Keep in mind, Washington had 59 points at half and 85 points through 3 quarters. After a putrid 4th quarter did them in, the Wizards will have even more resolve tonight and they've shot 48.4% from the field in their last 3 games versus the Raptors. The over is 27-16 when the Wizards are playing with 2 days of rest between games. Also, Washington is 9-5 to the over in playoff games and the Wizards are 70-42 to the over in their last 112 games as an underdog. Toronto is on a 6-3 run to the over in their last 9 games. When playing with 2 days of rest between games, the Raptors are 5-1 their last 6 and that includes a perfect 3-0 in 2018 when on their home court in that situation. Fresh legs and both teams have reason to be plenty confident shooting the ball tonight based on those stats noted above. As a result, a high-scoring shootout likely to unfold north of the border. 8* OVER the total in Toronto

Total of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Game #707 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets @ 8:05 ET - The winner of this game goes to the post-season. The loser is out. As a result of those high stakes as well as Denver's ultra low scoring win over Portland Monday, there has been a dramatic over-reaction with this total. The very first O/U that popped up on this one was a 220. Now, as of Tuesday evening, the total is all the way down to a 213. This is offering incredible line value for the over. Keep in mind, the loser is out. There is no tomorrow for this season. That said, I look at this game from a different viewpoint. Late game big scoring pushes are going to be huge. There will be fouling for the team that is trailing. They will be jacking up threes. Even if still down 10 with a minute to go there is likely to still be fouling (hence free throws) and then corresponding quick threes jacked up. Again, because there is no tomorrow. With all that said, I like the fact that both of these teams are plenty capable of going on quick scoring runs and I expect this game to have plenty of dramatics throughout. The Nuggets are averaging 110 points per game this season and the Timberwolves are averaging 111.4 points per game at home this season. Both teams allow at least 107.3 points per game as their season average. The Nuggets have hit 37% of their threes this season. Minnesota hit 36% of their threes at home this season but also allowed 36.6% three-pointers! You can see why there are likely to be some big shots and big scoring runs in this one. The over is 26-14 this season in Denver's games versus teams with a winning record. The over is 16-7 in the Timberwolves last 23 games versus teams with a winning record. Sure there will be intensity in this game but guys will be knocking down threes too and also looking to get quick points in transition rather than let their opponent get set on defense first. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Sunday 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia 76ers vs Dallas Mavericks @ 1:05 ET - If the Sixers weren't worried about too many defensive stops against the Cavaliers, they surely aren't worried about playing too much defense against the Mavericks! The fact is that this is a definite flat spot for the 76ers after the big win over Cleveland. That said, I am expecting the Mavericks to enjoy some success offensively. They have scored better in recent games and will take on a Philadelphia team still relishing their big win over the Cavs. As for the Mavs defense, they're not going to be able to stop a 76ers team that is playing so well and with such good flow that they've been on fire on the offensive end. Philly has won 13 straight games and they've scored 118 points or more in 11 of those 13 games. The over is 6-3 in Sixers games versus Southwest Division opponents this season. Dallas enters this game having gone over the total in 3 straight games. More of the same here. 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Thursday 10* OVER the total in Indiana Pacers vs Golden State Warriors @ 7:05 ET - This total opened up at a 213.5 and is now down to a 210.5 as of early gameday morning. Of course everyone is looking at the match-up last week between these two teams in Golden State and the fact that it totaled only 173 points. Folks, it is never that easy. The fact is that the result from last week is merely serving to give us exceptional line value here and I won't hesitate to step in. The Pacers were on a 3-1 run to the over before their game at Denver stayed just under the total Tuesday. Also, Indiana has shot at least 48.1% in each of their last 5 games and that includes the loss to the Nuggets. As for the Warriors, they are starting to heat up again and have averaged 111.8 points per game their last four games. They have shot at least 49.4% from the field in all 4 of those games. Golden State is off of an upset win at Oklahoma City and the Warriors are 5-2 to the over the last 7 times they were off of an outright win as an underdog. The fact that both of these teams have been trending under of late has greatly impacted market perception right now. The fact is they both come into this game shooting the ball very well and this is a late season non-conference match-up that should see plenty of offensive fireworks. 10* OVER the total in Indiana

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Pistons vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:05 ET - The 76ers and Pistons are two of the hottest teams in the league. However, both teams are also without key big men in the paint. This is going to allow both teams to attack the basket and, with the confidence of long winning streaks in tow, each team comes into this game with plenty of confidence on the offensive end. The 76ers have won 11 straight games and have averaged 116.8 points per game during this streak. The Pistons have won 5 straight games and 7 of their last 8 and they've averaged 109 points per game during this strong 8-game stretch. The point is that we could easily see this game reach the 226 range if these teams just play like the have been. With some missing pieces in the paint, I definitely expect this one to get into that range as the interior defense for each team has been weakened. 10* OVER the total in Detroit

Situational Smash - Rickenbach NBA Game #719 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Denver Nuggets vs Indiana Pacers @ 9:05 ET - The over is 22-6 in the Nuggets last 28 games yet this total drifted down some this morning. Of course that is because the Pacers have a much different reputation than that of the Nuggets. However, with Denver being at home I do expect they will control the tempo and they'll force the Pacers to keep pace! Additionally, Indiana has shot at least 48% from the field in 4 straight games but has struggled at times on the defensive end. The Pacers have allowed 47.7% or more from the field in 4 of their last 5 games. The over is 3-1 in Indiana's last 4 games. Also, the last 7 times that the Pacers have entered a game on a winning streak of 3 or more games, they over has gone 5-2. Look for more of the same here as Denver is 7-2 to the over this season against Central Division opponents. Also, the Nuggets are 25-11 to the over in their games against teams with a winning record this season! 10* OVER the total in Denver

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Los Angeles Clippers vs Indiana Pacers @ 3:35 ET - When these teams met in Indiana a week ago, the Clippers shot 55% and yet they lost and the game stayed under the total. This is helping to give us solid line value with this total because the Pacers are off of another unique result too. Indiana is off of a win at Sacramento Thursday despite allowing 53.8% from the field. As you can see, the Pacers defense hasn't exactly been on point of late! The Clippers are on an under streak but there is a reason this total is as high as it is. It is more than just some "strange results" recently, it is also that the Clips are now back home where the over is 5-2 in their last 7 games as hosts. LA is still alive in the playoff race and the Pacers are still chasing the Cavaliers for the top spot in the Central Division. With that said there will be no let up from either team and a tight game late could also lead to some free throws and "scramble points" helping our cause. The Clippers have averaged 115.7 points per game in their last 7 home games. The Pacers have scored 106 points or more in 4 of their last 6 games and the Clippers are going to push the pace in this one as they seek revenge for last week's loss. 10* OVER the total in Los Angeles Clippers

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #803 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Knicks vs Detroit Pistons @ 5:05 ET - The last time the Knicks were in action they combined with the Sixers to give me one of the worst "Bad Beats" I'll likely have this entire calendar year in any sport. The teams combined for 130 points at halftime and yet the game (a big play for me) did not go over the total. It was a horrific beat and, suffice to say, I had my eyes out for when I could get some payback involving New York. Now the Knicks host a Pistons team that, though not officially eliminated, knows that the odds of a playoff berth are basically somewhere between minuscule and nothing. In other words, this is a late season match-up of two non-playoff teams and that means defense goes out the window. Look for for a free-flowing offensive showcase. The Knicks are 7-3 to the over this season when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games on the road. Also, New York is 6-2 to the over in Saturday games. The Pistons are 7-2 to the over this season when off of an upset win as an underdog. 10* OVER the total in New York

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #703 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Miami Heat vs Chicago Bulls @ 7:35 ET - With the Bulls having shot so poorly in many recent games I know I am going against the grain here. However, that is all part of being a contrarian and this is an excellent situation. The Heat are off of a huge win versus Cleveland where they held the Cavs to just 79 points. That is certainly noteworthy as Miami is 12-5 to the over (including 4-1 this season) when off of a game where they allowed 85 points or less. Also, as the Heat have been pushing hard to secure a playoff spot, they have been trending over. Prior to the low-scoring match-up with the Cavaliers, the over was 16-6 in Miami's 22 previous games. As for the Bulls, they were 5-1 to the over in their 6 games prior to getting obliterated by Houston and scoring only 86 points. As you would expect, Chicago struggles to stop quality teams and that has played a key role in the over going 25-13 in Bulls games versus teams with a winning record this season. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Miami

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #711 Thursday 10* OVER the total in Utah Utes vs Penn State Nittany Lions @ 7 ET - 3 of the Nittany Lions 4 NIT games have gone under the total. However, a big win at Marquette thanks to hot shooting followed up by continued hot shooting here at MSG on Tuesday is what has Penn State in the NIT Championship. As a result, I feel we're getting great line value here because the results are similar for Utah. The Utes have stayed under the total in 3 of their 4 NIT games but they have shot the ball very well in their last 5 games. I just don't see Penn State as wanting this game to slow down too much. Couple that with Utah having shot 50% from the field in their last 5 games and you have the makings of an easy over here. The Utes, though they shot well overall, did not shoot the 3-ball well Tuesday versus Western Kentucky and that has led to value here. Utah is 6-3 to the over this season when off of a game where they were held under 32.2% from 3 point land. The over is 13-7 in Penn State's last 20 games versus teams with a winning record. 10* OVER the total in Utah

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Philadelphia 76ers vs New York Knicks  @ 7:05 ET - Look for this to be a very entertaining game with a ton of points scored. The Knicks Trey Burke looks like and, at least for the last 4 games, plays like his idol Allen Iverson. That said, off of a 42 point performance (with 12 assists) at Charlotte Monday, look for another huge game from Burke here as he's certainly excited about playing in Philly. This is his first visit to the City of Brotherly Love since he took on an increased role with the Knicks after the All Star break. The Sixers are red hot again and have won 7 straight games. They certainly are excited about Markelle Fultz being back on the floor finally and he had 10 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds in just 14 minutes in the 76ers big win over Denver Monday. Philadelphia is averaging 118 points per game during their current 7-game winning streak and the way the Knicks have been scoring since the All-Star break (and coinciding with Burke's increased role) sets the stage for an easy over here. The Knicks have scored at least 104 in 11 of their last 16 games while the Sixers have allowed 105.4 in their last 5 home games. This one should get well into the 220s based on that as Philly opened up as a 14 point favorite and both of these teams are really feeling it right now in terms of execution on offense! The over is 3-0 this season in Knicks road games with a posted total of 220 points or more. The over is 13-6 when the 76ers enter a game on a winning streak of 3 or more games. 10* OVER the total in Philadelphia

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #733 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Charlotte Hornets vs New York Knicks @ 7:05 ET - Though it is not official yet, even though the Hornets have won 3 straight games, Charlotte is effectively eliminated from the post-season race and they know it. That said, I like to look at the over in late-season match-ups like this that are between two teams that are not going to the post-season. These types of late season ho-hum games tend to lead to plenty of offense and very little defense as there is certainly not a lot of incentive to get stops on the defensive end. That said, I like the fact that this total already has dropped from it's earliest number of 224 down to a 222 and I would not be surprised if it drops even further. With their upset win at Washington yesterday, New York has scored more than 100 in 7 of their last 9 games. The rarity about yesterday's win was that the Knicks didn't allow triple digits. In fact, NY entered that game having allowed 108 points or more in 15 of their last 18 games. Not much defense in those numbers! The over is 8-4 this season when New York is playing the 2nd game of a back to back. Also, when off of an outright upset win as an underdog, the Knicks are 10-5 to the over this season! The over is 5-0 in the Hornets last 5 home games and they've averaged scoring 118.7 points per game their last 10 at home! 10* OVER the total in Charlotte

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #705 Sunday 8* OVER the total in Indiana Pacers vs Miami Heat @ 5:05 ET - The over is 3-0 in the 3 meetings between these teams this season and that is even with the Pacers making only 1 of 18 from beyond the arc in the most recent meeting between these teams. Miami's game at Oklahoma City Friday stayed under the total but, prior to that, the Heat were on a 15-5 run to the over! I am well aware of the fact that Indiana is on a recent trend toward the under. However, their last 4 games have seen them allow an average of 49% from the field. In other words, don't be surprised when the Pacers recent trend of going under begins to reverse as there are already signs. I expect to get in on the front end of that cycle by grabbing the over in this one at it improves to 4-0 this season in meetings between these teams. 8* OVER the total Indiana

Total of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Game #719 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Kansas Jayhawks vs Duke Blue Devils @ 5:05 ET - This total may seem to be on the high side but, keep in mind, these are two of the most potent offenses in college basketball today. The fact that Duke is off of a game where they scored only 69 points and didn't shoot well simply helps to add even more value here. The Blue Devils faced the tough frustrating defense of Syracuse but, in their prior games Duke had scored 87 points or more in 3 of 4 games and they shot extremely well from the field overall and from 3-point land in all 3 of those game! The Jayhawks have averaged 81 points per game in their last 6 games and they have consistently shot the ball very well over their last 10 games. It is no wonder why the over has gone 7-3 in those 10 games as Kansas is playing their best basketball of the season on the offensive end and playing with a ton of confidence. The Jayhawks are averaging 81.4 points per game and the Blue Devils 84.4 points per game on the season. Ton of offense expected here as both teams believe they can outdo each other on the offensive end and you may be surprised to see a very fast pace to this game but that is what I am expecting based on the game management expected from these coaches for this match-up. This is going to be a back and forth shootout. The over is 10-2 this season in Blue Devils games versus non-ACC foes. The over is 6-2 this season when the Jayhawks are playing with 1 day or less of rest between games. 10* OVER the total in Kansas 

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Pistons vs Chicago Bulls @ 7:05 ET - The Pistons, though of course they wouldn't admit it, are coming to terms with the fact that they're not going to make the post-season. They're just too far back now. After a loss to the Rockets, Detroit has lost 11 of its last 15 games. I know the Pistons have some good recent stats on defense but I look for this to be a run and gun shootout on Saturday evening in Detroit. This is a match-up of two teams not going to the post-season and the Bulls quit playing defense a long time ago. Chicago has allowed 117.3 points per game their last 7 games. Detroit needs a breakout game on offense after a frustrating game at Houston. Of course facing the weak Bulls is going to allow the Pistons to enjoy a huge electric game on the offensive end. Chicago is off of a home loss to Milwaukee that went over the total and the over is 9-4 this season when the Bulls are off of a divisional game. The Bulls have averaged 107.7 points per game on offense their last 7 games and you can see why I am looking for a 120 to 108 type game here which, of course, equates to an early over. This will appear to be a bit of a contrarian play given the Pistons recent numbers on defense but you can see, per the above, why I am expecting an entirely different mindset for this one. 10* OVER the total in Detroit

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #859 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Raptors vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - The Raptors and Nets just met early last week in Brooklyn and the game barely stayed under the total. In the Nets other 10 games dating back to their final game of February, the over is 7-3. As for the Raptors, they played very solid defense late in their win at Orlando Tuesday but they then suffered a tough beat at Cleveland Wednesday as they let that one get away from them late. Toronto may not have a lot of defensive intensity left after trying desperately to hang on in that revenge game at Cleveland (they just can't see to win there) and, keep in mind, this is the Raptors 6th game in 9 days! Toronto has allowed 52.7% or more from the field in 3 of their last 4 games. As for the Nets defense, they've allowed 110.4 points per game on the season. Brooklyn is 6-3 to the over when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games at home. The Raptors are 6-3 to the over in home games with a posted total of 220 points or more. This big total is absolutely justified and there won't be much D in this one! 10* OVER the total in Toronto

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #757 Wednesday 8* OVER the total in Brooklyn Nets vs Charlotte Hornets @ 7:35 ET - When a team is giving up a lot of points but still winning the tendency is to still overlook the shortcomings of their defensive efforts. That said, look for Brooklyn to continue their recent trend of high-scoring games as they are off of back to back wins but have allowed an average of 117 points per game in their last 10 games (only 1 of those was an OT game). As for Charlotte, they have been playing at a faster pace than usual and that is why their opponents have averaged 97 field goal attempts per game their last 4 games! The over is 5-2 in the Hornets last 7 games and they've allowed 119.4 points per game in these contests - none of which went to OT. That said, and with Charlotte having now faded from the playoff picture, tonight's battle features two teams simply playing out the string on the season which means all offense and no defense will be a recurring them throughout this match-up. The over is 7-3 in Brooklyn's last 10 games. Also, the Nets are 14-9 to the over in home games with a posted total of 220 points or more. In other words, don't let the big number on this one scare you. The over is 9-4 the last 13 times Charlotte has faced a team allowing 106 points or more per game and I expect that trend to continue here. 8* OVER the total in Brooklyn

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #651 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Orlando Magic vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:05 ET - Who would play defense in this one and why? The Raptors certainly have bigger fish to fry and the Magic are just playing out the string on the season. Orlando is off of a very ugly game versus Boston Friday which is helping to give line value here as that one fell well short of the total. The fact is that, prior to that game, the Magic had allowed an average of 112.7 points per game in their 3 prior games. Also, in their 5 prior home games, Orlando had averaged 113 points per game. These teams just met 3 weeks ago and the total opened up at a 220. With this one opening up a half-dozen points short of that, I'll gladly step in. The Raptors have allowed 54.2% from the field in their last two games and defense is unlikely to be a priority here with a huge game at Cleveland on deck for tomorrow night. The over is 8-4 this season when Toronto is off of an upset loss as a favorite. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Orlando

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #611 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Brooklyn Nets vs Memphis Grizzlies @ 7:35 ET - I successfully used the over in Brooklyn when the Nets hosted the Mavericks Saturday and this is a very similar situation. You have two non-conference foes matched up and both teams playoff aspirations are long gone. Simply put this is the perfect type of match-up that lacks in intensity and that almost always features loosely played defense and up-tempo offense throughout. The fact that both the Grizzlies and Nets are off of wins also helps in this regard as that further lessens the likelihood of any intense defense being played here. The over is 15-5 the last 20 times these teams have met in New York. Also, Brooklyn enters this game having gone 6-3 to the over in their last 9 games. They've allowed 117.2 points per game in those 9 contests. The Grizzlies, prior to a very rare win Saturday, had allowed 115.3 points per game in their 3 prior games. When Memphis enters a game having played each of their 3 prior games at home, the over has gone 19-8. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Brooklyn

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Raptors vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 1:05 ET - The Raptors and Thunder have gone over the total in each of their last 4 meetings. Overall, Toronto is 20-8 to the over in their last 28 games against Northwest Division opponents. Keep in mind, the Raptors aren't going to play as intense of defense against non-conference opponents as they would against a division rival. The same holds true for Oklahoma City and I look for the over to improve to 6-3 in Thunder games versus Atlantic Division rivals this season. The over is 5-2 in OKC's last 7 road games. Toronto is 20-2 SU in their last 22 games and their dynamic offense has led the way. The Raptors have averaged 115.5 points per game in those contests. They are a 6.5 point favorite here. If they just hit their recent average and the odds makers are right about the spread in this one, you're talking about a game hitting 225 points. That said, we have plenty of value here for a top play and that is what I am going with. 10* OVER the total in Toronto

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Brooklyn Nets vs Dallas Mavericks @ 7:35 ET - This is the ideal type of late season match-up and scheduling situation that I look for when it comes to finding what should be an easy over. Non-conference match-up, two teams eliminated from playoff contention already, and both teams in a back to back spot. The fact each of these teams were in action last night means tired legs on defense which means less effort trying to close out on shooters or make the switch on screens, etc. The fact that neither team has playoff pressure means plenty of free-flowing offense in this one. Both teams scored very well last night and I expect more of the same here. Brooklyn has gone over the total each of the last two times they've hosted the Mavericks and the Nets game at Dallas earlier this season also went over the total. There should be very little defense in this game! 10* OVER the total in Brooklyn

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #525 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Villanova Wildcats vs Alabama Crimson Tide @ 12:10 ET - The Crimson Tide shot the ball very well in their win over Virginia Tech Thursday. This was the 3rd time in 4 games that they've shot at least 47.5% from the field. The issue for Alabama is on the other end of the floor where they've now allowed 84.5 points per game on 60% shooting from the field in their last two games. The high-powered Wildcats are ready to take advantage. Villanova is averaging 87 points per game this season and they're on a 13-3 run to the over in their last 16 games. The over is 4-1 this season when the Crimson Tide are off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. On the season Alabama has trended under but the Wildcats are the better team and will dictate the tempo of the game here and they've trended over all season long. The Cats are 23-11 to the over on the season. 8* OVER the total in Villanova

Philly Special - Rickenbach NBA Game #705 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Knicks vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:35 ET - The 76ers kicked me hard on Tuesday when their game versus the Pacers did not go over the total. The game was perfectly on pace with the 1st quarter, 2nd quarter, 3rd quarter...ALL 3...being perfect for an over. Then came a dreadful 4th quarter that burned badly. I wasn't the only one getting burned as the Sixers did too! That dreadful performance cost them an important W in the standings. As a result, I look for Philly to take out their frustration on a dreadful Knicks team and that means plenty of points here! New York is 9-2 to the over in their last 11 games versus teams that average 106 points or more per game. The fact is that the Knicks just aren't playing defense any more and the over was 7-2 in their 9 games prior to a rare under versus Dallas Tuesday. As for the Sixers, they've averaged 113 points per game in their last 5 road games and they will not take their foot off of the gas after what happened against the Pacers! 10* OVER the total in New York

Philly Special - Rickenbach NBA Game #523 Tuesday 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia 76ers vs Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - Pacers games have recorded 7 straight unders but they have shot the ball very well in their last two games and averaged 105.5 points in those. Sixers games have recorded 6 unders in their last 8 games but they've shot better than 50% from the field in 4 of those 5 games. The point is that this total has already come down from an opener of 213.5 and it is understandable based on recent trending but the reality is both teams come into this game confident and shooting the ball very well. I'll happily step in and grab the resulting value. The over is a perfect 5-0 the last 5 times these teams have met in Philadelphia and I expect another one here as the 76ers have allowed 109.3 points per game their last 4 games. Also, I don't see the Pacers stopping the high-flying Sixers offense in Philly in this one either. The result should be a shootout. 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #813 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Celtics vs Indiana Pacers @ 7:35 ET - The over is 10-3 in Boston's last 13 games versus teams that are averaging 106 points or more per game. The over is 6-2 this season when the Celtics are off of a game where they scored 115 points or more. The Pacers have stayed under the total in 6 straight games and Indiana's most recent game with Boston was also an easy under. However, their 4 prior meetings with the Celtics all went over the total. Look for Boston, the home team, to dictate the tempo here and 7 of their last 8 games have gone over the total. The Pacers have averaged 105.3 points per game in their last 7 road games. Red hot Boston has won 6 of their last 7 games. The Celtics have averaged 116.9 points per game in their last 8 games. They have allowed an average of 113.5 points per game their last 4 home games and we're getting good value here with the low total on this one. 10* OVER the total in Boston

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #819 Sunday 8* OVER the total in Harvard Crimson vs Pennsylvania Quakers @ Noon ET - Both of these teams games yesterday stayed under the total but they were games won by wide margins which means there were no late "scramble points" as the games were decided before the latter stages. In today's game you're likely to see a tight close game (of course you can see that by the small number posted on this one) and that means it should be close enough late that there will be some late fouls leading to free throw attempts for the team in the lead and quick shots by the team trailing. Couple that with the fact that these teams regular season games both went over the total with each team shooting well in each game, as well as the fact that the line on today's total has dropped significantly from the over and you have great value here. The over went 4-0 in Harvard's last 4 regular season games. The Crimson also wrapped up the season going 5-0 to the over in their last 5 games played away from home. The Quakers finished up the regular season on a 3-0 run to the over. 8* OVER the total in Pennsylvania

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #803 Friday 8* OVER the total in Detroit Pistons vs Chicago Bulls @ 7:05 ET - The Pistons off of a tough OT loss versus Toronto on Wednesday and they have a long road trip on deck so they want to make sure and take care of business in this one. They don't play again until Tuesday after this one so Detroit won't hesitate to push the pace in this one and the Bulls sub-par defense is unlikely to present a challenge. Chicago has allowed 112 points per game their last 8. The Pistons have allowed 105 points or more in 11 of their last 13 games. Bulls are 4-1 to the over this season when off of 3 straight home games. 8* OVER the total in Detroit

Afternoon Contrarian - Rickenbach CBB Game #593 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Utah State Aggies vs Colorado State Rams @ 4:30 ET - The very first total that popped up on this (Monday) was a 150 and it has been dropping ever since. That is part of the reason I am calling this a contrarian play because the markets have moved this one down but I am going with the over. Even though Rams guard J.D. Paige is suspended, people often forget to look at more than just offensive stats when factoring in a player's absence. Coming into this season Colorado State felt that Paige and Prentiss Nixon combined to give the Rams one of the top defensive pairings in the backcourt in the MWC. Of course it has been a disappointing campaign for the Rams and defense has not been their strong suit! The absence of Paige only exasperates the defensive shortcomings in the backcourt. CSU has allowed 93.3 points per game their last 4 games - all losses. However, they've also had the Aggies number and always tend to play them tough. They scored 84 at Utah State in January and the Rams enter this game having truly had just one bad game on the offensive end in their last 6 games. They struggled badly at home against Boise State. In their other 5 games since early February, Colorado State averaged 80 points per game! Utah State has averaged 73 points per game on the season and has guards Koby McEwen and Sam Merrill both listed as probable for this game. Those are the Aggies two leading scorers and will give the Rams backcourt a lot of match-up trouble. The over is 7-2 in Aggies tournament games and the over is 15-5 in Colorado State's games as an underdog this season. 10* OVER the total in Utah State

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #519 Tuesday 8* OVER the total in Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Pittsburgh Panthers @ 2:30 ET - No one will want the over here based on the Panthers long-term O/U numbers this season. However, prior to their ugly loss at Notre Dame last week, Pittsburgh's most recent road game saw them score 75 points on 50% shooting at Florida State. The Panthers were a bit of an anomaly this season as they actually shot better on the road than at home. Certainly 40% shooting from the field is not a fantastic percentage but the fact is that, prior to the big performance versus the Seminoles, the Panthers did average 40% from the field in their 4 prior ACC road games and that included match-ups at Clemson and Miami in addition to Duke and North Carolina! As for the Fighting Irish, after a loss at Virginia Saturday (done in by suffocating Cavaliers defense), they'll be happy to exploit the subpar defense of the Panthers. The over is 3-1 in Pittsburgh's conference tournament games in recent seasons. The Fighting Irish went 11-4 to the over this season as a favorite. 8* OVER the total in Notre Dame

Divisional Total of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Cavaliers vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - The Cavaliers are banged up in the frontcourt and won't be able to prevent Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond and other Pistons from plenty of scoring in the paint. On the other end of the court Cleveland will exploit Detroit's perimeter defense. The Pistons have had one good game defensively (held Milwaukee to 87 points) in their last 6 games. In the other 5 games Detroit gave up hot shooting from the outside and allowed an average of 113.4 points per game. Overall, the Pistons have allowed 105 points or more in 9 of their last 11 games. Of course the Cavs issues on defense have been well-documented this season and they're allowing 110 points per game on the season. In their last 7 home games, Cleveland has allowed 119.3 points per game. The Cavaliers lost at Detroit in late January and the over is 19-9 this season when Cleveland is playing with revenge this season. Also, when off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more, the Cavs are a long-term 33-16 to the over. The Pistons game at Miami stayed under the total by a bucket but, prior to that, the over was 4-1 in Detroit's last 5 road games and the lone under was by a half point. Look for another wild one between these two divisional foes as they go over for the 4th time in the last 5 meetings! 10* OVER the total in Cleveland

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #833 Sunday 8* OVER the total in UNC Wilmington Seahawks vs Hofstra Pride @ 8:30 ET - Defensively these are two very weak teams as the Pride allowed 47.7% from the field this season and the Seahawks allowed 47.9% from the field. Offensively neither team is afraid to get in a shootout as they each average about 80 points per game. The over is 8-0 in UNC Wilmington's March games in recent seasons and also 5-0 when they are playing with 7 or more days of rest. In other words, don't be surprised if the Seahawks are pushing the tempo here with their fresh legs. The problem is that they allow 83.4 points per game on average too! As for Hofstra, they are 9-1 to the over this season when facing a team that allows 77 points or more per game. The point is that the odds makers adjust the lines higher against poor defensive teams but they still haven't gotten it high enough most of the time. With the added value of this total already coming down a couple ticks this morning I'll gladly step in on the over in this one as I just don't expect much, if any, defense in this one! 8* OVER the total in UNC Wilmington

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #821 Sunday 8* OVER the total in Tulsa Golden Hurricane vs Temple Owls @ 3 ET - The Owls game at Connecticut Wednesday stayed under the total but had no business doing so. The teams combined for 138 points even though Temple shot 36% from the field and the Huskies shot 36.8% from the field. The point is that the proper pacing was there for an over and yet the game still barely stayed under even with horrific shooting. This has led to line value here as this total is nearly the same number that the Owls prior game was and yet the Golden Hurricane are playing with road loss revenge from losing a tight one at Temple in mid-January. Tulsa is 4-2 to the over when playing with road loss revenge and also a long-term 22-9 to the over (including 7-3 this season) when they are entering a game off of a win in conference action. The Golden Hurricane are also 12-6 to the over when off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. Tulsa's defense has looked good against poor teams but struggled against better teams. Hence a 7-2 mark to the over the last 9 times the Golden Hurricane have faced a team with a winning record. The Owls are a perfect 4-0 to the over when they are a road dog of 3 points or less. Also, this season, Temple is 3-0 to the over in road games with a posted total between 140 and 144.5 points. I'll gladly back the double perfect system here. 8* OVER the total in Tulsa

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #613 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Duke Blue Devils vs North Carolina Tar Heels @ 8:15 ET - Blue Devils games have stayed under the total in 5 straight but much of that has had to do with who they played. Now they face their biggest rival, North Carolina, and things are always a lot tougher on the Duke defense when it is the Tar Heels they are facing. UNC has averaged 85 points per game in it last 3 games versus the Blue Devils. Duke's offense also seems to go into overdrive mode when facing the Tar Heels as well. The Blue Devils have averaged 84.5 points per game in their last 4 meetings with North Carolina. You can see why I am expecting this one to end up with at least 170 and yet we're dealing with a total down closer to the 160 range which is why this is a top play for me. The over is 7-2 in the Tar Heels last 9 games. UNC has averaged 87 points per game during this 9 game stretch. The over is 4-1 this season when North Carolina is off of a loss in ACC action. Look for the over to improve to 10-5 this season when the Blue Devils face a team that is averaging 77 points or more per game. 10* OVER the total in Duke

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #505 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Miami Heat vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:35 ET - The over is 6-1 in the last 7 meetings between these teams. The Pistons are 4-1 to the over in their last 5 road games. Detroit has allowed 118.2 points per game in those 5 contests away from home and last night's result at Orlando was further evidence that the Pistons continue to leave their defense at home. Miami also comes into this game with concerns on the defensive end. The Heat have allowed over 100 points in 9 of their last 11 games. However, very quietly Miami's offense has continued to ramp up production as they've scored over 100 points in 9 of their last 10 games. The over is 8-2 in the last 10 games for the Heat. The over is 5-3 this season when Miami is off of an upset loss as a favorite. Also, the over is a long-term 15-9 when the Heat are off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. In other words, look for them to answer the call with a bigger game on offense here and that should not be a problem against the porous road defense of the Pistons. Detroit is also 4-2 to the over this season when they are in the 2nd game of a back to back and that 2nd game is on the road. More of the same here. 8* OVER the total in Miami

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #803 Friday 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia 76ers vs Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - The 76ers are off of a huge win last night at Cleveland where they gave a taxing effort on defense to get past LeBron James and the Cavaliers. I look for the Hornets to now come into Philly and take advantage by pushing the pace against the road-weary Sixers. However, Philadelphia is still fully capable of putting up big points (particularly at home) so I see this game turning into a high-scoring shootout. The Hornets have averaged 114.2 points per game in their last 5 games as they've been shooting very well. The problem for Charlotte has been on the other end of the floor as they've allowed an average of 108.7 points per game their last 7 games. The Hornets have allowed the opposition to hit at least 48% from the floor in 11 of their last 14 games. The over is 9-4 in Charlotte's last 13 games. The over is 7-2 this season when the 76ers are off of an upset win as an underdog. The Hornets got blasted in their most recent game and Charlotte is 9-4 to the over this season when off of a loss by a margin of 10 points or more. 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #849 Friday 8* OVER the total in Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Michigan Wolverines @ 2:30 ET - This play is mainly based on the nonsense that was my loss with the Michigan over yesterday. Yes the game went to OT and still didn't go over but it shouldn't have even come to that. Even in regulation the game should have gone over the total. But the teams BOTH had a ton of free throw attempts and yet combined to hit 56% from the free throw line for the game. Additionally, neither the Wolverines nor the Hawkeyes could do anything from beyond the arc. After all the horrific 3-point shooting and free throw shooting I expect a much more "normal" game today and that means value with this low total. Michigan and Nebraska average about 74 points each per game so we should see close to 150 scored in this one. The Wolverines were held to 52 points at Nebraska in the regular season but that was a fluke and they previously averaged 92 points a game in the two prior meetings. After the slow start for Michigan yesterday they won't make the same mistake today and they'll be pushing the tempo. The Wolverines are 3-1 to the over this season when playing with road loss revenge. The Cornhuskers are 6-2 to the over in March games. 8* OVER the total in Nebraska

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #557 Thursday 8* OVER the total in Michigan Wolverines vs Iowa Hawkeyes @ 2:30 ET - The Hawkeyes game with Illinois flew over the total yesterday. While I don't expect 183 points again, I certainly do expect plenty of points to be scored here. Iowa is loaded with confidence after pumping in 96 points last night and shooting the ball extremely well and having that game under their belt and getting familiar with a neutral floor certainly helps them. However, the issue for the Hawkeyes -as it has been all season - is an ability to defend well and the Wolverines have so many weapons that Michigan is going to pile up the points here. Anytime you double Michigan's dual-threat big man they can then have someone else slash quickly to the bucket for a quick two or pop out to knock down a wide open three. There is simply too much for an average defense to handle and, keep in mind, the Iowa defense ranks well below average! The over is 4-0 in the Hawkeyes last 4 games and the over is 3-0 in the Wolverines last 3 games. The over is also 4-0 when Iowa is playing a game with road loss revenge this season. That means this is a triple perfect spot for an over and also the Wolverines are 13-5 to the over their last 18 against teams with a losing record. 8* OVER the total in Michigan

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #703 Wednesday 8* OVER the total in Boston Celtics vs Charlotte Hornets @ 7:35 ET - The Hornets are off of another big win last night as they poured in 118 points. Charlotte has now won 5 straight games and what has been most impressive is their hot shooting. The Hornets have averaged 116.3 points per game their last 4 games and are showing no signs of slowing down. That should mesh well with the Celtics in terms of a good flow to this game in Boston Wednesday. The Celtics have gone over the total in 5 straight games. Boston has allowed an average of 111.6 points per game in those games but the fact that the Celtics have won 3 straight games means there is little focus on improving what has been some sub-par defensive play of late. Boston's strength of late has been offensive production which has led to a scoring average of 114.8 points per game for the Celtics in their last 4 games. Charlotte is 7-3 to the over in their last 10 games against teams with a winning record. The Celtics are 7-2 to the over in their last 9 games against teams that allow an average of 106 points or more per game. 8* OVER the total in Boston

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #737 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Connecticut Huskies vs Temple Owls @ 7 ET - Temple is off of a big revenging win versus Central Florida on Sunday. The Owls had wanted that game badly as they got embarrassed by the Golden Knights earlier this season. That said, Temple gave a very strong effort on the defensive end in the win over UCF this past weekend. Couple that with the fact that the Owls already pummeled the Huskies when they faced them in Philly last month and I feel you have a great set-up here for a letdown effort on defense in this one from the Owls. Temple's offense should stay hot as they've shot better than 48% from the field in 3 of their last 4 games overall and also in each of their last 3 road games. However, don't be surprised if they take this one "off" in terms of the defensive effort tonight after that big win versus UCF. Speaking of taking time "off" on the defensive end, Connecticut has now allowed an average of 81.6 points per game in their last 5 games and the Huskies have gone 6 straight games without an under. The over is 8-1 in UConn's last 9 games and they just don't get the job done on the defensive end. However, the Huskies have shot 47% or better from the field in 4 of their last 6 games and that is why I am expecting a shootout with the Owls in this one. The over is 7-2 this season when the Huskies are off of a loss in conference action and the over is 4-1 this season when UConn is playing with road loss revenge. The over is 5-2 this season when Temple is off of a win in conference action. 10* OVER the total in Connecticut

Early Tourney Smash - Rickenbach CBB Game #761 Wednesday 8* OVER the total in Iowa Hawkeyes vs Illinois Illini @ Madison Square Garden in New York, NY @ 5:30 ET - This early conference tournament match-up features two of the three teams in the Big Ten that allow the most points per game. That of course resulted in a big total posted on this game but don't let that big number scare you. The Illini allowed only 62 points in their most recent game but was against offensively-challenged Rutgers. Prior to that, Illinois allowed 78 points per game in their last 7 games. The Illini have been shooting the ball better of late and have knocked down at least 37.5% from 3-point land in 4 straight games! Also, in their last two games Illinois has averaged 80.5 points per game so their confidence is high heading into this match-up. That should lead to plenty of points because Iowa certainly loves to run and gun. The Hawkeyes are 16-5-1 to the over in their last 22 games (the "and 1" being a game that didn't have a total posted). Iowa has scored at least 77 points in 15 of those 22 games. The over is 11-5 in Iowa's games with a posted total in the 150s, 9-5 in their tournament games, and the Hawkeyes are on a 4-1 run to the over in neutral court games! Illinois, anytime past the midway point of a season, is on an 7-3 run to the over when they're facing a team with a losing record. Don't look for much defense in this one! 8* OVER the total in Iowa

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #721 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Georgetown Hoyas vs Marquette Golden Eagles @ 7 ET - Georgetown's game miraculously stayed under the total Saturday. The fact the game "died late" and stayed just under the total is helping to lead to exceptional value here. Yes, on the surface, this total looks book but Marquette's only concern is offense and their numbers on defense are awful. As for the Hoyas, they've been playing some of their best basketball of the season on the offensive end in recent games. Georgetown has shot 44% or better from 3-point land in 3 straight games. Also, the Hoyas had shot 48% or better from the field in 3 straight games before falling short of that due to a late collapse versus Providence Saturday. Over the past 5 weeks the Georgetown offense has been performing at a high overall level and the over was 7-1 in their 8 games prior to the tight loss to the Friars. Marquette is allowing 78 points per game this season but they're known for their offensive production. Prior to a rare poor effort at DePaul on Saturday, the Golden Eagles had averaged 85 points per game in their 4 prior games. All of those games went over the total and Marquette was 6-1 to the over in their 7 games prior to the loss to the Blue Demons. The over is 7-2 this season when the Golden Eagles are on the road and also the over is on a 7-2 run when they are playing with 1 day of rest or less between games. The over is 4-1 when the Hoyas are a home dog of 3 points or less. 10* OVER the total in Georgetown

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #827 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Purdue Boilermakers vs Minnesota Golden Gophers @ 4 ET - Purdue simply wants to win and move forward to the Big Ten tournament. They have no reason to play excessively well on defense. The Boilermakers already blasted the Golden Gophers at Minnesota earlier this season to get revenge for last season's home loss to Minnesota. Now the emphasis for Purdue is to get ready for the Big Ten tournament and I expect this game to be played with plenty of "open floor" as a result and it will feature very little resistance on the defensive end. The Boilermakers had already begun to play this way as they've allowed 50% shooting in each of their past two games and both went over the total. The Golden Gophers defense has them ranking as one of the worst teams in the Big Ten and now they're likely to have the Boilermakers Vince Edwards to contend with as well. He is expected back from his ankle injury and I expect him to be a catalyst for the offense as well. Minnesota is off of a rare win in conference action and they are on an 11-6 run to the over when off of a Big Ten win in recent seasons. Also, the Boilermakers are a long-term 5-1 to the over in a home game with a posted total between 150 and 154.5 points. 10* OVER the total in Purdue