Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #811 Sunday 8* OVER the total in Cincinnati Bearcats vs Tulsa Golden Hurricane @ Noon ET - The Bearcats, after a couple sub-par defensive performances, really put it all together in their most recent games as they crushed Connecticut 77-52 and held the Huskies to just 29.5% from the field. However, that game still very nearly went over the total and that tells you why I like the value here with this one. Cincinnati is unlikely to repeat that effort on defense but their offense has been consistently producing as they've scored at least 72 points in 4 of their last 5 games. Tulsa is known for their offense and they've averaged 77 points per game in their last 4 games. The over is 5-2 this season in Golden Hurricane games with a total in the 130s and Tulsa is a long-term 21-9 to the over when they are off of a win in AAC action. The Bearcats are 14-9 to the over as a home favorite of 12.5 points or more. 8* OVER the total in Cincinnati

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia 76ers vs Orlando Magic @ 5:05 ET - The Magic enjoyed red hot shooting in their first game after the break and they have a history of getting involved in high-scoring games with the Sixers as 7 of the last 9 match-ups have gone over the total. The 76ers defense has been sub-par in their last 2 games and both went over the total. It is unlikely that Philly will kick it up another notch here defensively as they have a tougher game (at Southeast division leader Washington) that is coming up tomorrow. That said, look for a rather loosely played and free-flowing affair in this one. The over is 9-2 in Orlando's Saturday games this season. The over is 6-1 this season in 76ers games against teams from the Southeast division. Those trends continue here. 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia

Earliest Cash Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #833 Friday 10* OVER the total in Rhode Island Rams vs Dayton Flyers @ 7 ET - The Flyers are off of a low-scoring slugfest with St Louis - typical of old-school Billikens basketball. However, look for things to now return to normal for Dayton and they were on a 6-0 run to the over before that defensive-minded battle. The Flyers are a long-term 56-33 to the over when they are off of a game where they were held to 60 points or less. Dayton is also on an incredible 18-2 run to the over in February games. The Rams are trying to lock up the Atlantic Ten regular season title but, of course, the Flyers would love to prevent that. For Dayton to get the upset, they're going to have to rely on their offense because their defense is certainly not their strong suit. As for Rhode Island, they have beaten sub-.500 teams by running them right out of the gym this season. The Rams are a long-term 16-5 to the over when facing teams that have a losing record and that includes 5-0 to the over this season! Also, when off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more, Rhode Island is 4-1 to the over. As a home favorite of 12.5 to 15 points, the Rams are a long-term 16-5 to the over. RI has scored 72 points or more in 16 of their last 17 games. The Flyers are averaging 75 points per game in their last 6 road games. You can see why I am expecting plenty of points here and I'll gladly take advantage of the downward line move on this total. 10* OVER the total in Rhode Island

AAC Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Game #563 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cincinnati Bearcats vs Connecticut Huskies @ 7 ET - The Bearcats are off of back to back losses and in need of a big win. I feel that is giving us superb value with the over in this match-up because, the fact is, Cincinnati will not take their foot off of the gas in this one no matter what the score is. With that said, a blowout win is likely here and that should equate to a game that easily eclipses the total. The Bearcats have allowed 71.5 points per game game and 50% shooting from the field in their last two games. They did shutdown the Huskies the last time they faced them but, since then, Connecticut's confidence on the offensive end has increased as they're shooting a combined 49% from the field in their 4 games since then. The Huskies defense has been shredded for 82.7 points per game in their last 3 games and those lapses on the defensive end will continue to cost them here because the Cats are looking to run up the score. The over is 6-1 in Connecticut's last 7 games. The over is 4-1 this season in Bearcats games against teams with a losing record. Also, in home games with a posted total between 130 and 134.5 points, Cincinnati has gone 9-5 to the over long-term. The over is 3-0 in the last 3 meetings between these teams where the Bearcats were the host or were facing the Huskies on a neutral floor. Connecticut is 4-1 to the over in road games with a posted total between 130 and 134.5 points and also 8-3 to the over when off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. 10* OVER the total in Cincinnati

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #505 Tuesday 8* OVER the total in Ohio State Buckeyes vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights @ 7 ET - With the Buckeyes off of back to back losses, with it being senior night at Ohio State, and with Rutgers being the punching bag of the Big Ten, this game should fly over the total. The Buckeyes simply won't let up in this game and whether they win by 10, 15, or 20 doesn't really matter. The fact is they will keep pushing the pace and scoring big all game long because they're ticked off about losing straight. Of course with this line sitting right around a 15 that is why I don't like the side here but I do like the total because of the "no let up" aggressiveness with which the Buckeyes are likely to play given the situation here. The Scarlet Knights have had some ugly shooting results in recent games but this is their final road game of the season and I expect them to bring a strong effort after being held to just 51 points at Maryland. Prior to the loss to the Terrapins, Rutgers had scored 60 points or more in 3 of their 5 previous games. The over went a perfect 3-0 in those 3 games. Ohio State has allowed 69.3 points per game in their last 7 games. The over is 11-6 when the Scarlet Knights are a road dog of 12.5 or more points. The over is 8-3 when the Buckeyes, in game 15 or later in a season, are facing a team that allows 64 points or less per game on the season. Rutgers simply won't be able to slow the pace in this game like they usually like to. The Buckeyes control. 8* OVER the total in Ohio State

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #703 Monday 8* OVER the total in Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Miami Hurricanes @ 7 ET - The Hurricanes are 6-1 to the over this season when they are an underdog. Within that stat is a perfect subset as they are 3-0 to the over this season as a road dog in a range of 3.5 to 6 points. Notre Dame is 7-2 to the over this season in home games and 9-3 to the over this season when they are a favorite. The Fighting Irish are a long-term 26-14 to the over as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points and that includes 4-1 to the over the past 2+ seasons. Notre Dame has allowed an average of 76.6 points per game their last 10 games. However, the Fighting Irish have won 3 of their last 4 games and scored at least 84 points in all 3 wins. In other words, ND is putting up big points but they've been weak on the other end of the floor. As for Miami, they've lost 3 straight and their offensive production has been shut down in their past two games but that's because they've faced Virginia and Syracuse. Those are two of the top defensive teams in the ACC and I expect a breakout game from Miami here as they had averaged scoring 80.4 points per game their 8 games prior to this tough 2-game stretch. The Canes defense truly has not impressed as they've allowed nearly 50% from the field their last 11 games. This one should soar past the number! 8* OVER the total in Notre Dame

Contrarian Crusher Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Tuesday 10* OVER the total in Toronto Raptors vs Miami Heat @ 7:05 ET - These teams met early last month and the low-scoring battle resulted in a 5th straight under in this series. Also, the Raptors enter this game having played solid defense recently. Their most recent game went over the total but the 3 prior stayed under. However, I am going contrarian here because I am anticipating a very high-scoring match-up. The Heat, prior to a low-scoring win over the Bucks, had gone over the total in 3 straight games. That was part of a 4-game stretch where Miami allowed 108.5 points per game. Couple this sub-par stretch on the defensive end with the fact that the Raptors put up a ton of points at home and you have the recipe for a shootout here. The Heat offense will respond after shooting just 36.4% in their most recent game. Miami had previously averaged 105.7 points per game in their 3 prior games. The over is 11-5 (including 3-1 this season) when the Heat are off of a game where they allowed 85 points or less. As for Toronto, the over is 32-20 (including 13-8 this season) when they are off of a game where they scored 115 points or more. Also, the Raptors are 21-13 to the over (including 5-2 this season) when they are playing with home loss revenge. 10* OVER the total in Toronto

ESPN Smash Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #713 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in North Carolina Tar Heels vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ 7 ET - When you are not playing great defense but still winning, there is a tendency to continue to overlook play on the defensive end. North Carolina has allowed 48% or higher from the field in 4 of its last 5 wins. Overall, the Tar Heels have allowed 78 points or more in 5 of their last 6 games. Not surprising given those numbers, the UNC over is 6-2 in their last 8 games. The Fighting Irish are also playing at a fast pace as they are 4-1 to the over in their last 5 games. Like North Carolina, Notre Dame has struggled some on the defensive end of the floor as, before a fairly strong game versus Florida State, they had allowed 49% or higher from the field in 5 of their 6 prior games! The Irish are full of confidence as they've averaged 90 points per game in their last 2 games. However, the Tar Heels are also putting up huge numbers as they've averaged 86.6 points per game in their last 5 games. Off of grueling games against rivals Duke and NC State, the Heels defense may not be at its best for this one. Couple that with Notre Dame's newfound confidence on the offensive end and you've got the makings of a shootout here! The over is 5-2 when the Fighting Irish are playing with home loss revenge. The over is 9-2 in Tar Heels home games this season. Also, the over is 4-1 when UNC is off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. 10* OVER the total in North Carolina

Afternoon Annhilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #805 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Atlanta Hawks vs Detroit Pistons @ 3:35 ET - The Pistons are off of a loss Friday versus the Clippers where their offense let them down, particularly in the 4th quarter. As a result, don't be surprised when you see that offensive production will be the emphasis for them in this match-up! Prior to that under Friday, the over was 6-1 in Detroit's 7 previous games as the Pistons had averaged 111.1 points per game in those 7 games. They should have no trouble putting up big points here as they take advantage of the sub-par defense of the Hawks in this one. That said, this one can be expected to be a shootout because Atlanta has averaged 106.8 points per game in their last 5 home games. The Hawks are off of a home loss to Cleveland but had gone 3-3 in their 6 prior games. The fact that Atlanta has been playing better on offense and getting some wins gives them some added confidence on the offensive end and the result is some big point totals. Other than allowing 82 points to Memphis (definitely an aberration), the Hawks have given up point totals averaging 116.6 points per game in their other 5 home games since January 23rd. The over is 8-1 in the last 9 meetings between these teams and, given the situation here, that trend should certainly continue here. Also, the over is 9-5 this season when the Hawks are off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. The over is 8-4 in Detroit's games against Southeast Division opponents this season. 10* OVER the total in Atlanta

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #529 Thursday 8* OVER the total in Clemson Tigers vs Pittsburgh Panthers @ 7 ET - After getting routed by Virginia in the first game after they lost Donte Grantham to injury, the Tigers have responded by winning 3 straight games! In other words, the adjustment has certainly taken place and Clemson is rolling thanks to strong guard play leading to big points being put on the scoreboard. That is why each of those 3 games have gone over the total for the Tigers and I expect the over streak to reach 4 in a row here. Clemson is unlikely to be slowed down by a Pittsburgh team having a dreadful season. However, the other key here is that the Tigers defense is unlikely to be at its best considering it is very easy to overlook an opponent that is 0-11 in the standings! Clemson also has big games up ahead with Florida State, Duke, and Georgia Tech. Certainly those games appear more challenging than the Panthers. That said, the Tigers will put up plenty of points here but don't be surprised if Pittsburgh hangs around in this one as they take advantage of some lackluster defense. The over is 8-2 in Clemson's last 10 games. Also, the Panthers have allowed 82 points per game in their last 3 road games. Pitt has been an "under" team and that is helping to keep this total lower than it should be. The Tigers are a long-term 16-6 to the over (including 6-1 this season) when off of a win in conference action. 8* OVER the total in Clemson

Earliest Cash Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #703 Monday 10* OVER the total in Indiana Pacers vs Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - Both of these teams are "feeling it" right now as the Pacers have won 4 of their last 5 and the Wizards have won 4 straight. Indiana has averaged 110.6 points per game in their last 7 games. Washington has averaged 116 points per game in their last 5 games. The Wizards are 63-37 to the over as an underdog. Also, in the 2nd half of a season, when facing a team that averages 106 points or more per game, Washington has gone 20-8 to the over. 5 of the last 7 meetings between these teams has resulted in an over. Look for the Indiana over to go to 7-3 this season when facing a team from the Southeast Division as both teams have been red hot and confident in the offensive end. Both teams stayed under the total in their games on Saturday but the Wizards had been 8-3 to the over and the Pacers had been 5-1 to the over. Those streaks resume here. 10* OVER the total in Indiana

Afternoon Annihilation Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #587 Saturday 10* OVER the total in Syracuse Orange vs Virginia Cavaliers @ 4 ET - Of course the very low total here makes sense on one hand. That's because both of these teams are very sound defensively. However, the reason it doesn't make sense is that these are two very well-coached teams and each coach knows each other well enough to figure out how to break down the defenses they will face and get some open looks. Then the only question that remains is whether or not enough open looks will fall and in this case there is plenty of reason to believe they will. Yes, the Orange are off of back to back horrible shooting performances but those games were on the road, At home, Syracuse is averaging 70 points per game on 45% shooting from the field this season. Also, the Orange have managed to average a respectable 65 points per game in their last 4 games versus the Cavaliers tough defense. The Cavs have averaged 66 points per game in their last 4 games versus Syracuse's vaunted 2-3 zone defense. Also, though Virginia is certainly known for being patient on offense they have done a great job of taking advantage of getting good looks at the basket. The Cavs are hitting 47% from the field on the season and that includes 39% from beyond the arc! The over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these teams and I expect them to make it 5 in a row here. The Orange are 15-8 to the over when off of a loss to a conference foe and 21-9 to the over as an underdog. 10* OVER the total in Syracuse

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Thursday 8* OVER the total in Washington Wizards vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:05 ET - The Wizards game versus the Thunder Tuesday stayed under the total due to rare sub-par shooting from both teams as Washington and Oklahoma City were each held under 38.3% from the field in that one. The over was 7-2 in the Wizards 9 prior games and now they host a Raptors team whose most recent road game went under the total but that entered that game with a perfect 6-0 over mark in their last 6 road games. When the Raptors, past the mid-way point in a season, are facing a team that averages 106 points or more per game, the over is 27-16 and that includes 3-1 this season! The Wizards, in the same situation, the past 3 seasons combined, have gone 19-8 to the over! Also, the over is 23-13 when Washington is off of an upset win as an underdog. The Wizards are an underdog again here and I look for the over to improve to 63-37 the last 100 times that they've been an underdog. Two high-scoring teams, both coming off of an under, it sets up well for value on the over in this one! 8* OVER the total in Washington

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #511 Thursday 8* OVER the total in Villanova Wildcats vs Creighton Bluejays @ 6:30 ET - A pair of high-scoring sharp-shooting teams matched up here and the total has moved lower. This is likely due to the fact that, surprisingly, the last 4 meetings between these teams have finished under the total. As a result I see exceptional line value here. The Bluejays are 4-2 to the over this season as an underdog. The Wildcats are a perfect 5-0 to the over the last 5 times they've been at home or on a neutral floor and are favored by 10.5 points or more. Villanova has scored 85 points or more in 12 of their last 15 games. Creighton has scored 80 points or more in 15 of their 22 games this season. You can see why the odds favor that we should at least get to 165 in this one. Both teams come in with plenty of confidence in the offensive end thanks to recent wins and hot shooting. More hot shooting here! 8* OVER the total in Villanova

ESPN Early Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #711 Wednesday 10* OVER the total in Boston Celtics vs New York Knicks @ 8:05 ET - The Knicks most recent road game stayed under the total but that broke a streak of 9 straight New York games going over the total. Certainly the pace was there for another over as the Knicks allowed Phoenix 94 field goal attempts. The problem for the Suns was they had one of their worst shooting nights of the season and the game easily stayed under the total. New York did score 107 points in that game and, with scoring 111 points in last night's home win versus Brooklyn, that was the 10th time in their last 11 games that they've scored at least 107 points. As for Boston, 3 of their last 4 games have gone over the total. The Celtics have allowed 102 points or more in 7 of their last 8 games. Boston has scored an average of 109 points per game their last 4 games. The Celtics are 3-1 to the over this season when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games on the road. With both teams happy to be back on the east coast after lengthy west coast road trips, look for a free-flowing high-scoring match-up here. The over is 7-1 the last 8 times the Knicks are in the 2nd night of a back to back situation. 10* OVER the total in Boston

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #717 Wednesday 8* OVER the total in East Carolina Pirates vs Tulane Green Wave @ 6:30 ET - The Pirates have gone over the total in 3 straight games and 6 of their last 7. Each of their last 4 meetings with the Green Wave have gone over the total. Tulane is 6-3 to the over in their last 9 games. Also, the Green Wave are 3-1 to the over in their last 4 true road games. Tulane is 6-1 to the over when playing with 5 or 6 days of rest between games. Also, the over is 12-1 in the last 13 Wednesday games for the Green Wave! When Tulane, in Game 15 or later in the season, faces a team with a losing record, the over has gone 12-2. The Pirates are 21-9 to the over when off of a loss to a conference foe. Also, East Carolina has gone 9-2 to the over when they are off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. Both teams allowing over 70 points per game this season and you can see with the line on this game (around 5 points) a rather close game is expected. Of course that means plenty of late "scramble points" are possible too with plenty of late fouling leading to free throws for the team in the lead and quick threes from the team trailing. The Pirates bounce back at home but Tulane scores big points right along with them in the projected 5 point Green Wave win. 8* OVER the total in East Carolina

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Tuesday 8* OVER the total in Washington Wizards vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 7:05 ET - John Wall expected to miss again but he also missed the game at Atlanta Saturday and the Wizards exploded for 129 points in their win over the Hawks. There is still plenty of offense on this Washington team even with Wall sidelined. The Wizards enter this game having gone 13-4 to the over their last 17 games. Washington has scored 109 points or more in 6 of their last 8 games. The red hot Thunder have won 8 straight games and they've averaged scoring 122.5 points per game in their last 6 victories. The over is a perfect 5-0 in Oklahoma City's last 5 games. The over is also a perfect 5-0 the last 5 times the Wizards have been an underdog. I'll gladly test this double perfect situation here. 8* OVER the total in Washington

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #519 Tuesday 8* OVER the total in Massachusetts Minutemen vs Rhode Island Rams @ 6:30 ET - The Minutemen or truly missing the interior presence of Rashaan Holloway as he is out for the season due to academics. The absence of the center has had a big impact on defense in the paint for Massachusetts as he was averaging 2.1 blocks per game at home this season! Look for the Rams to take advantage inside but I don't expect Rhode Island's defense to be at its best either after they used a lot of energy to rally for an improbable 2nd half comeback win versus Duquesne. The Rams allowed the Dukes to hit 49% from the field and, keep in mind, the prior Saturday Rhode Island allowed Dayton to hit 63.4% from the field. The Rams keep on winning but the defense has certainly had lapses and that should help lead to an over here as UMass won't be able to stop the RI offense but the Minutemen will score well at home here. Massachusetts was shut down by St Louis in their most recent home game but previously had scored 72 points or more in 9 of their first 11 home games this season! The over is 2-0 this season when the Minutemen enter a game on a losing streak of at least 3 games. The over is a long-term 4-0 when Rhode Island is a road favorite in a range of 9.5 to 12 points. I'll gladly test this double perfect situation here. 8* OVER the total in Massachusetts 

Total of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #719 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Kansas State Wildcats vs Kansas Jayhawks @ 9 ET - The Jayhawks are averaging 84 points per game on the season. The Wildcats have scored at least 84 points in half of their games the past 2 months! Kansas State is off of a very low-scoring win versus Georgia but, prior to that, had shot 47.6% or better in 6 straight games. Both teams are hitting a high-percentage of their shots on the season. Also, even though this is a rivalry game, there has been only 1 under in the last 4 meetings. In other words, don't be surprised if there is plenty of scoring in this one! The Jayhawks are a small road favorite here but teams (ex. Oklahoma) have taken advantage of the awful free throw shooting of the Jayhawks big man and foul him often late in games. The result is an extended game and a chance for opponents to catch up. Kansas coach Bill Self has already said he wants to keep him in the game in those late game situations. In other words, don't look for this to change any time soon and, of course, an "extended game" means even more late-game scoring. The over is 6-2 when Kansas State is playing with 1 day of rest or less between games. Also, the Wildcats are 8-2 to the over when off of a game where they were held to 60 points or less. 10* OVER the total in Kansas State

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Monday 8* OVER the total in Indiana Pacers vs Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - The Hornets had an awful shooting performance in their loss at Indiana. However, the last 3 times that Charlotte has been held to less than 40% from the field, they've responded by averaging 120 points per game in their next game. As for the Pacers, they come into this game enjoying red-hot shooting as they've averaged 113 points per game on 52.3% from the field in their last 3 games. However, the Indiana defense has allowed 54.5% or more from the field in each of their last 2 games. The over is 3-0 in the Pacers last 3 games. The Hornets are off of the aforementioned under but the over was 5-1 in Charlotte's 6 prior games. Also, the Hornets are 29-17 to the over against Central Division opponents including 7-3 to the over this season. The Pacers are 5-2 to the over against Southeast Division opponents this season. 8* OVER the total in Indiana

Total of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Game #807 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Raptors vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 6:05 ET - After a lackluster effort versus a Western Conference foe resulted in a home loss to begin their 3-game homestand, the Raptors won't make the same mistake here. Toronto likes to run and play at a fast pace but they had bad energy from the start in their loss to Utah Friday and will make up for that here versus the Lakers. The reason the play is the total and not the side is because the Raptors are a double digit fave here and Los Angeles comes into this game hot and putting up a lot of points. With the Lakers having won 4 straight and 8 of their last 10, look for a shootout here. Los Angeles is averaging 107.7 points per game during this 10 game run. The Raptors were held to 93 points in their home loss to Utah. That is noteworthy here because the over is a perfect 5-0 this season when Toronto is off of a game where they were held to 95 points or less! The Raptors are averaging 112 points per game at home and the Lakers allow 112 points per game on the road. With Toronto also fired up off of that loss you can expect about 120 here which should have the Lakers hitting about 110 per the spread on this one. In other words, it should fly over the total. The over is 6-1 this season in Lakers Sunday games. The over improves to 6-0 ATS this season when the Raptors are off of a game in which they were held under 96 points of offense! 10* OVER the total in Toronto

Total Smash - Rickenbach CBB Game #833 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Indiana Hoosiers vs Purdue Boilermakers @ 3:30 ET - The Hoosiers are relishing this opportunity to knock off a highly-ranked Purdue team that just got another win, over Michigan, Thursday. The Boilermakers are now 20-2 on the season while Indiana is scuffling a bit after a horrible effort at the free throw line resulted in a loss at Illinois Wednesday. The Hoosiers have averaged 77.4 points per game at home this season and Purdue (85.1 ppg) is the top scoring team in the Big Ten. With that said, I am expecting a very high-scoring game here as Indiana will be forced to push the pace against a Boilermakers team that has been shooting the ball very well. Purdue has shot 57% from the field in their last 3 games. Also, in 4 of their last 5 games, the Boilermakers have shot an incredible 57% or better from three point land! The over is 7-3 in Purdue's road games with a posted total between 140 and 144.5 points. When the Hoosiers, in Game 15 or later in a season, face a team that averages 77 points or more per game, the over has gone 10-5. Look for another one here! 10* OVER the total in Indiana 

Rickenbach NBA Game #511 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Timberwolves vs Brooklyn Nets @ 9:05 ET - The Timberwolves have allowed 114 points per game their last 8 games and their last 3 opponents have all knocked down 53.9% or better from the field. Minnesota has averaged 117 points per game in their last 4 games and also will give a huge effort at home so I expect plenty of points here. The Wolves only home game between January 20th and February 1st is this one so look for Minny to "run and gun" just like they've done in the past versus the Nets. Each of their last two home games versus Brooklyn have flown over the total and they scored 129 points the last time they hosted Brooklyn. The Nets have averaged 109 points per game in their last 3 match-ups with Minnesota and, also, Brooklyn is 20-8 to the over in their games against Northwest Division opponents. The Nets were averaging 109 points per game in their last 7 road games before a rare poor shooting effort at Milwaukee last night. I fully expect Brooklyn will return to their high-scoring ways tonight. The over is 36-22 when the Nets face a team that allows an average of 106 points or more per game. Minnesota is 4-0 to the over in their last 4 games and they are a long-term 25-12 to the over when on an over streak of 3 or more games. Also, the Timberwolves are 5-1 to the over this season when off of a loss by a double digit margin. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota

Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Miami Heat vs Charlotte Hornets @ 7:35 ET - Even though this is a divisional match-up, the meetings between these two teams have trended over in recent seasons and, long-term when they meeting in Miami as well. The last 5 overall meetings between these teams are 4-1 to the over. Long-term, when meeting in Miami, the over is 21-10. The Heat are off of a low-scoring upset loss as a favorite. That holds significance here as the Heat are 4-2 to the over when off of an upset loss as a fave and also 6-3 to the over when off of a game where they allowed 90 points or less. Charlotte comes into this game off of scoring 121 points in a win versus Atlanta last night. The over is 36-22 when the Hornets are off of a win by a double digit margin. Also, Charlotte is 6-3 to the over when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games at home. Overall, the Hornets are 5-1 to the over in their last 6 games. More of the same here. 8* OVER the total in Miami

Total Smash - Rickenbach CBB Game #611 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toledo Rockets vs Bowling Green Falcons @ 7 ET - Both these teams fire up threes and both of these teams love to play at a "run and gun" pace. Of course that is why we're seeing a high total on this game but it won't prove to be high enough. 3 of the last 4 meetings between these teams have gone over the total. Bowling Green is averaging 79 points per game this season and Toledo is averaging 80 points per game. The Rockets are 5-1 to the over this season in their games against teams that average 77 points or more per game. In other words, in the games where you would expect the result to be high-scoring the games have indeed lived up to the billing. The Falcons are 4-2 to the over in their games against teams with a winning record this season. When Bowling Green is off of a loss to a conference foe, they are a long-term 75-50 to the over. The over is 4-0 in the Falcons last 4 games and the Rockets have hit at least 40% of their threes in 7 of their last 9 games. More hot shooting here. 10* OVER the total in Toledo

Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #815 Friday 10* OVER the total in San Antonio Spurs vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 8:35 ET - The last two meetings between these teams averaged 216 points and I expect another free-flowing affair here. The Spurs have scored 100 points or more in 12 of their last 17 games. The Sixers have scored 100 points or more in 11 of their last 12 games. This total has dropped from an early opener of 205.5 all the way down to a 200 and with odds truly favoring each team getting to the century mark here I like my chances with the over. The 76ers were off yesterday and also are off tomorrow. That helps insure plenty of minutes from key personnel. Also, the Spurs without Kawhi Leonard means a key defender is not on the floor. Looking at the last 3 match-ups between these teams you're talking, of course, about 6 halves of basketball. 5 of the 6 halves have totaled over 100 points! Again, just another proving point here about the value of the over in this one based on the low total. This one should easily get past 200 and, in the process, the over goes to 6-1 this season when Philadelphia faces a team from the Southwest Division. 10* OVER the total in San Antonio

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #821 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Ohio Bobcats vs Buffalo Bulls @ 6:30 ET - The Bulls are the best team in the MAC hands down but they certainly are unlikely to be highly motivated about facing the team that is at the bottom of the MAC East division. As a result, I expect Buffalo to be a little "soft" on the defensive end for this one but certainly they can score points like crazy as they are averaging 88.3 points per game in conference action. That said, the play here is the over as Ohio is averaging 76.6 points per game at home this season and the Bobcats also are draining 37% of their three pointers at the Convocation Center in Athens, OH. The weakness for Ohio University is on the defensive end. The Bobcats have allowed 46.6% shooting in conference games including 48.3% in their last 5 games. We're getting some line value with this total because Ohio U. is on a long-term under streak and truly the style of game I expect tonight should put an abrupt end to that streak tonight. The Bobcats are on a 16-8 run to the over in games where they are an underdog. Versus teams that average 77 points or more per game they are on a 17-8 run to the over. The Bulls are a long-term 115-77 to the over as a favorite. Also, Buffalo is 5-2 to the over as a road favorite of 6.5 to 9 points. The Bulls are also 8-5 to the over when facing a team with a losing record and 8-5 to the over after a game in which they scored 80 points or more. 10* OVER the total in Ohio

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Thursday 8* OVER the total in Miami Heat vs Sacramento Kings @ 7:35 ET - The Kings are off of a rare SU win and that is noteworthy as the over is a perfect 3-0 the last 3 times they were off of a SU win. The over is a also a perfect 5-0 the last 5 times these teams have met. So we have double perfect angles here combining for an 8-0 run and I am happy to test that here. The Heat are off of a SU loss and will take advantage of facing a lesser foe. Sacramento has been trending under recently in road games but off of that rare SU win and playing with a little extra confidence in the offensive end, the Kings should put up good numbers again tonight. Sacramento has averaged 104 points per game their last 4 games. More of the same here. 8* OVER the total in Miami

Rickenbach CBB Game #513 Thursday 8* OVER the total in Purdue Boilermakers vs Michigan Wolverines @ 7 ET - The Wolverines held Rutgers to just 47 points in their most recent game. However, prior to this solid effort, Michigan had allowed at 67 points and at least 46.7% shooting from the field in 6 straight games! Now the Wolverines must try to stop a Purdue team that is averaging 84.8 points per game on the season and averaging 88 points per game on 51% shooting from the field in home games this season. The last time the Boilermakers hosted Michigan they scored 87 points. 8 of the last 13 meetings at Purdue have gone over the total. The over is 20-8 in Wolverines road games and 22-9 when they are off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. The over is 3-0 when Michigan is a road dog of 9.5 to 12 points and the over is 4-2 when Purdue is a home favorite of 9.5 to 12 points. In other words, this one should fly over the total as the Wolverines seek revenge for a 1 point home loss two weeks ago but simply can't stop the potent Boilermakers attack. 8* OVER the total in Purdue

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #719 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Xavier Musketeers vs Marquette Golden Eagles @ 6:30 ET - These teams are 4-1 to the over in their last 5 meetings. Xavier averages 88 points per game at home this season. Marquette is averaging 86 points per game on the road this season but the Golden Eagles have allowed 85 points per game on the road as well. Also, in their last 3 games away from home, Marquette has allowed 94.7 points per game! The over is 6-1 in the Golden Eagles 7 games played away from home this season. Xavier is known for playing tight games. 7 of their last 9 wins have come by single digits. The reason that is significant (and note that the spread on this game is also single digits) is because tighter games in the later stages tend to lead to a lot of free throw attempts for the team in the lead and a lot of three point attempts from the team trailing. Both these teams shoot threes very well and also are very strong with their shooting from beyond the arc. The over is 3-0 this season when Marquette is off of a win versus a conference rival. The over is 3-0 when the Musketeers are a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points. Another shootout is on tap in Cincinnati. 10* OVER the total in Xavier

Top Play Total - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Monday 10* OVER the total in Charlotte Hornets vs Sacramento Kings @ 7:05 ET - The Hornets are 3-0 to the over in their last 3 games. Charlotte has averaged 118.7 points per game in these 3 games while allowing 107.3 points during this stretch. The struggling Kings enter this game on a 7-game losing streak. Sacramento has allowed 110.6 points per game in these 7 losses but the Kings have scored 105 points or more in 3 of their last 5 games. Though Sacramento is averaging only 97.7 points per game on the season, the Hornets are 4-0 to the over this season in games against teams averaging 98 points or less per game. The Kings are a long-term 76-53 to the over in games against Southeast Division opponents. Overall, 4 of the last 5 meetings between these teams have gone over the total. Also, the over is 9-4 the last 13 times these teams have met in Charlotte. The Hornets are coming off of a loss and will push the pace here as they seek the blowout win. Couple that with their recent hot shooting stretch and you can expect this one to easily eclipse the number. 10* OVER the total in Charlotte

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #721 Monday 8* OVER the total in Virginia Tech Hokies vs North Carolina Tar Heels @ 7 ET - The over is 4-0 in the Hokies last 4 games. Virginia Tech has scored over 80 points in 4 straight games. However the Hokies have allowed over 90 points in each of their last two games. Now they deal with a Tar Heels team that is averaging 82.7 points per game on the season (Virginia Tech averaging 85.6 points). This one has the makings of a shootout as these are two of the highest-scoring teams in the ACC and both come into this game hot from the field. That said, don't let the big number scare you as it will prove to be not big enough! North Carolina is 3-1 to the over in their last 4 games. The over is 10-5 this season when UNC is a favorite. The Hokies are 7-1 to the over this season when they're off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. 8* OVER the total in Virginia Tech

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #809 Sunday 8* OVER the total in North Carolina State Wolfpack vs Miami Hurricanes @ Noon ET - The pressing defense of the Wolfpack also leads to plenty of offense in transition. I also expect the Hurricanes to be ready to attack it and history is certainly on our side here in terms of the over. 8 of the last 9 meetings between these teams at NC State have gone over the total. Also, this season the Wolfpack are 5-1 to the over in home games and, going further back, they are 25-10 to the over in home games the past 3 seasons combined. As a home dog of 3 points or less the over is 4-1 in NC State games. The over is 7-2 in Wolfpack home games with a posted total between 145 and 149.5 points. NC State is averaging 89 points per game at home this season. Miami is averaging 82.5 points per game in their last two meetings with the Wolfpack. The Hurricanes are fired up and ready to be aggressive here and break down the pressure defense after the Canes blew a big late lead in their home loss versus Duke Monday. The Hurricanes have not shot well in 3 of their last 4 games but after their first back to back games this season that featured poor shooting, I expect a big game here. Also, even with some sub-par shooting, 3 of their last 4 games have gone over the total. NC State is off of back to back unders but previously each of their last 3 games had resulted in an over. The Hurricanes are 4-0 to the over this season in games against teams averaging 77 points or more per game. I look for another one here. 8* OVER the total in North Carolina State

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Cleveland Cavaliers vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 3:35 ET - Cleveland finally hung on for a win Thursday versus Orlando. Though the victory only came by a single point, it at least gets the Cavs pointed back in the right direction. However, their defense continues to be sub-par and they now take on a Thunder team that has won 3 straight games and is playing with a ton of confidence. Also, you know Russell Westbrook and company are going to be up for this game against LeBron James and company in Cleveland! OKC wants this and I expect a very up-tempo game to result. The Cavaliers are 13-5 to the over in home games with a posted total of 220 points or more. Also, when Cleveland enters a game on an under streak of 3 or more games, the over has gone 11-6. Don't let the big number on this game fool you. The odds makes have it right. Westbrook and James (among others) put on quite a show here in an attempt to outdo each other! 8* OVER the total in Cleveland

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #527 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Iowa Hawkeyes vs Purdue Boilermakers @ Noon ET - The over is 9-1 in Iowa's last 10 games with a total posted. The Hawkeyes enter this match-up having gone over the total in 7 straight games. Being at home and playing in a rivalry match-up, Iowa will of course be looking to dictate the flow of the game and their results this season show you that they know only one way to play and that is to get involved in shootouts. Of course Purdue is the much more solid team, particularly on defense, but their offense is also among the most dangerous in the nation. The Boilermakers are averaging 84.7 points per game and will be happy to run and gun with Iowa here. Purdue is a long-term 10-5 to the over in a game with a posted total in the 150s. Iowa is 8-2 to the over this season in games with a posted total in the 150s. Also, in game 15 of a season or later, when facing a team that averages 77 points or more per game, the Hawkeyes are 10-3 to the over. Similar numbers for the Boilermakers in that situation as they are 9-4 to the over. More of the same here. 8* OVER the total in Iowa

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #817 Friday 8* OVER the total in Michigan State Spartans vs Indiana Hoosiers @ 7 ET - The Spartans full season defensive numbers look good but they've allowed 78 points per game on 45% shooting in their last 3 games. Two of those three games were at home so the upstart Hoosiers could certainly prevent some challenges here as their strength is a veteran backcourt. It is strong guard play from opponents that has led to trouble for Michigan State and the Hoosiers should score plenty here. However, I expect the Spartans to take advantage inside and get plenty of points in the paint against Indiana. Michigan State has averaged 85 points per game on the season and will score plenty at home in this one. They are fired up after the embarrassing home loss to Michigan and will look to take out their frustration on Indiana. However, the Hoosiers have won 3 straight and 6 of their last 8 and have plenty of confidence coming into this game as they've averaged 79 points per game in their last 9 wins. Not saying they will win this of course. Indiana is a big dog for a reason but I am saying they will hang around in this one and score big. The over is 7-2 in the Spartans last 9 games. The over is 6-3 in Indiana's games this season when the posted total is in the 140s. The over is 10-4 when the Hoosiers face a team averaging 77 points or more and it is game 15 or later in the season. For Michigan State, the over is 8-2 this season in their home games. Also, the Spartans are on a 6-2 run to the over when they enter a game on 5 or 6 days of rest. 8* OVER the total in Michigan State

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Cavaliers vs Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - The Magic come into this game off of an outright win as a home dog to the Timberwolves Tuesday. Orlando has gone 5-2 to the over this season when off of a upset win as an underdog. Also, the Magic are 6-2 to the over in games with a posted total of 220 points or more. The past 3 seasons combined, Orlando is 8-3 to the over in road games with a posted total of 220 points or more. The Cavaliers have been slumping but most of the losing has been coming on the road. Yes, they did lose their most recent home game but that was to the World Champion Warriors Monday and the Cavs had previously won 13 straight home games. Even with that loss, in their last 6 home games Cleveland has averaged 117.2 points per game! They'll be ready for a blowout home win here and are catching the Magic at the right time off of their upset win of Minnesota. However, I wouldn't be surprised to see Orlando lose this one by about 10 points (right at the line) which is why the big value is with the over. That's because the angry Cavaliers won't take their foot off of the gas in this one. Cleveland did lose at home to the Magic earlier this season. While the Cavs did get some revenge with a win at Orlando earlier this month, they still want to make a statement here at home. The result should be an easy over. The Cavaliers are 13-4 to the over in home games with a posted total of 220 points or more. The Cavs are also 30-12 to the over when they allowed 115 points or more in their prior game and also 10-2 to the over when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 games or more. 10* OVER the total in Cleveland

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #709 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Milwaukee Bucks vs Miami Heat @ 8:05 ET - This is a revenge game for the Bucks as they had a horrible shooting night and were held to just 79 points in a loss at Miami Sunday. After that fluke performance, look for Milwaukee to put up a ton of points Wednesday at home. The problem for the Bucks though is that they certainly aren't known for their defensive prowess and they'll have their hands full trying to stop the Heat tonight. Miami is hungry to bounce back off of a loss Monday at Chicago which snapped their 7-game winning streak. The Heat have been shooting the ball very well and have averaged 106.3 points per game in their last 8 games. Milwaukee has averaged 109.2 points per game in their last 13 home games. The Bucks are 5-2 to the over this season when off of an upset win as an underdog and they are also 16-8 to the over this season when playing with revenge. Miami enters this game on a 6-2 run to the over. 10* OVER the total in Milwaukee

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #721 Wednesday 8* OVER the total in Temple Owls vs Tulsa Golden Hurricane @ 6 ET - This total was up near a 140 and has dropped down to the 135 range which is offering up nice value on the over as of gameday morning. Temple is allowing opponents to hit 45.3% of their shots from the field. Long gone are the days of stifling Owls defense. As for the Golden Hurricane, they have no hesitation when it comes to getting involved in some "run and gun" affairs and this is particularly true on the road. In their last two games away from home, Tulsa has given up an average of 90 points per game and they allowed 50% from the field in one game and 55.2% in the other! The Golden Hurricane are averaging 75.1 points per game this season and that makes one of the higher scoring teams in the American Athletic Conference. Tulsa, however, allows 73.8 points per game which ranks them dead last in the AAC. Their most recent game stayed under but, prior to that, the over was 3-0 in their last 3 games. Temple has not shot well in recent games but facing the AAC team allowing the most points per game on the season should certainly help the Owls get back on track with their shooting. Of course it also helps that they'll be on their home floor and the over is 6-3 this season in games where they are favored. As for Tulsa, when they are past the midway point of the season (game 16 or later) and facing a team with a losing record, the over is a fantastic 10-2 the past two seasons. 8* OVER the total in Temple

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Orlando Magic vs Minnesota Timberwolves @ 7:05 ET - Orlando has allowed 53.5% shooting from the field in their last 4 games. On the season the Magic allow 111 points per game. The over is a perfect 3-0 in the last 3 meetings between these teams and the Timberwolves come into this game averaging 117 points per game in their last 5 games. Minnesota has shot 51% from the field in their last 5 games. This is simply the perfect situation for an offensive eruption for the T-wolves considering their hot shooting and Orlando's poor efforts on the defensive end. The real key to the value here is that the Magic also have shot 50% or better in 2 of their last 3 home games and also shot 50.5% from the field in their high-scoring loss at Minnesota earlier this season. I look for more of the same in the rematch here in Florida. The Timberwolves are 7-2 to the over this season when off of a divisional game and Minnesota's defense certainly is unlikely to be at it's best for this non-conference match-up after the big win over Portland. Minny offense has no trouble here but watch the Magic score right along with them in what figures to be an absolute shootout! 10* OVER the total in Orlando

Big East Blowout - Rickenbach CBB Game #725 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Providence Friars vs Butler Bulldogs @ 4:30 ET - The Bulldogs are off of a 94-83 win versus Marquette and have now gone over the total in 10 of their last 11 games. Butler has been shooting the ball very well but as you can tell from that O/U run they certainly aren't playing great defense this season. In fact, the Bulldogs have allowed 83 points or more in 6 straight games. As for the Friars, they are off of back to back unders but they previously were on a run of 10-4 to the over on the season. Providence is averaging 80 points per game at home this season and Butler is scoring an average of 80 points per game on the season. The Friars have allowed 80.7 points per game in their last 3 home games and, with both teams coming in confident off of wins, they will be very aggressive on offense and I look for this game to be played at a fast pace. Both teams have been shooting the 3-ball well in recent games also. The over is 7-2 this season and an incredible 31-12 long-term when Providence is a favorite. Also, the Friars are a perfect 4-0 to the over this season in home games with a posted total between 145 and 149.5 points. The over is 7-3 this season when Butler is off of a game where they scored 80 points or more and the over is 5-1 when the Bulldogs are off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. 10* OVER the total in Providence

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #711 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago Bulls vs Miami Heat @ 3:35 ET - Miami put a lot of effort on the defensive end in yesterday's game as they held the Bucks to just 79 points in that home victory. Now the Heat are on the road in a back to back and feeling quite content about their defensive performance yesterday. As a result, don't be surprised when today's game turns into a shootout. The Bulls have been playing much better basketball, particularly on the offensive end, and as a direct result of that Chicago is on a 16-4 (80%) run to the over in their last 20 games. The over is a perfect 5-0 in the Bulls last 5 home games. Also note that the Heat were 5-1 to the over prior to yesterday's low-scoring result with the Bucks. The Bulls are 15-6 to the over this season in games against teams with a winning record. 10* OVER the total in Chicago

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Monday 8* OVER the total in Detroit Pistons vs Charlotte Hornets @ 12:35 ET - The Hornets are off of a 10-point loss versus Oklahoma City Saturday. Charlotte is 7-3 to the over this season when off of a loss by double digits. Also, the Hornets are 6-3 to the over against Central Division opponents this season. The Pistons are off of a tight 2-point loss at Chicago but now are back home where they have won 5 in a row and are playing with a lot of confidence. The last 24 times these teams have met in Detroit the over has gone 19-5. Also, the Pistons are on a 22-11 run to the over in January games. 8* OVER the total in Detroit

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #803 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Knicks vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 3:35 ET - The Knicks have gone over the total in 4 of their last 5 games as they continue to score quite well but can't get stops on defense. The Pelicans have gone over the total in 15 of their last 21 games. New Orleans is averaging 111 points per game on the season but also allowing 111 points per game. Of course this is why there is a big total posted on this game even though the last 5 meetings between these teams have all stayed under the total. I look for this one to be different as the Pelicans are allowing 93 field goal attempts per game their last 4 games. The Knicks have had some recent overtime games so one always has to factor that in when evaluating a team's performance. However, the fact is that New York has allowed at least 45% from the field in 5 of their last 8 games and the Knicks have shot 49.4% from the field in their last 5 games. The over is 15-9 this season when the Pelicans are playing with revenge and New Orleans is 10-5 to the over this season when they are off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. 10* OVER the total in New York

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #811 Sunday 8* OVER the total in East Carolina Pirates vs Houston Cougars @ 2 ET - The Pirates just got blasted by Wichita State Thursday and while I expect them to find more scoring options against the Cougars defense than the Shockers defense, the fact is that Houston's offensive production should steamroll East Carolina. The Pirates are a very weak team on the defensive end and are proving that as the strength of opposition has increased in recent weeks. East Carolina has particularly struggled to defend the 3-point ball and are also weak in the paint on defense. With the Cougars knocking down 40.8% of their threes and also having the ability to work inside, this one should fly over the total. Houston is averaging 81 points on the season and the Pirates won't stand in their way after the Cougars just exploded for 104 points in their win over Tulsa Thursday. The over is 3-1 this season in Houston's games with a posted total in the 140s and the over is 8-1 the past 3 seasons when the Pirates are off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. 8* OVER the total in East Carolina

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Dallas Mavericks vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 2:05 ET - The Lakers are off of back to back unders but they faced the low-scoring Kings and then a Spurs team that certainly knows how to play some defense. Also, those games were at home. Now Los Angeles is back on the road where the over has gone 5-1 in their last 6 games. Also, the Lakers are being hosted by a Mavericks team that has scored 114 points or more in 6 of their last 7 games! The over is 5-2 in those 7 games and Dallas has shot 47% or better in 10 of their last 12 games including 50% or better in 8 of those games! The over is 5-2 this season in Lakers games against teams from the Southwest Division. More of the same here. 8* OVER the total in Dallas

Total Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #543 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Xavier Musketeers vs Creighton Bluejays @ 2 ET - The Musketeers have not shot well in their last two games (both unders) but they are now back home where they've been a different "animal" this season! As for Creighton, they have stayed under the total in 4 straight games but the Bluejays are still shooting the ball quite well and I am expecting a shootout here. This is a series that is on an 11-4 run to the over including 5-1 to the over in the last 6 played at Xavier. The Musketeers are averaging 88 points per game at home this season and the Bluejays are averaging 90 points overall this season. Creighton has averaged 82.5 points per game in their last two visits to Xavier and are certainly familiar with playing here. Both teams hitting 50% of their shots this season and both shoot the ball very well from 3 point land. Creighton is at 38.5% on the season and the Musketeers at 36.2% in home games this season. The over is 6-2 when the Bluejays are a road dog of 3.5 to 6 points. After being held to just 65 points in a loss at Villanova, the Musketeers respond here but Creighton is going to be scoring right along with them and that results in the aforementioned shootout I am expecting here. 10* OVER the total in Xavier

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #808 Friday 8* UNDER the total in Atlanta Hawks vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - Two bad teams meet up here and this could be very ugly. The Hawks are off of a RARE game where they shot the ball well as they got an upset win at Denver Wednesday. Prior to that game, Atlanta had gone 7 straight games without shooting better than 44.9% from the field. 6 of the Hawks last 8 games have stayed under the total and Atlanta has allowed just 42.2% from the field in their last two games and both of those were on the road. At home the Hawks have allowed just 42.8% from the field in their last two games and they should have no trouble keeping the Nets in check here. Brooklyn has been struggling mightily on the offensive end and a road game is unlikely to help the shooters suddenly get hot. The Nets have been held to just 36.5% from the field in their last 3 games! The under has cashed in 17 of their last 23 games! Also, Brooklyn has stayed under the total in 8 of their 10 games versus Southeast Division teams this season! The Hawks are playing with home loss revenge here but have stayed under in 26 of 40 when in that situation. Also, Atlanta is off of that upset win at Denver and they've stayed under in 5 of 6 this season when off of an outright win as an underdog this season. When facing a team that allows an average of 106 points or more per game, the Hawks have stayed under the total in 40 of 62 games. More of the same here. 8* UNDER the total in Atlanta

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #821 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Butler Bulldogs vs Marquette Golden Eagles @ 6:30 ET - After a 12-3 start to the season, Butler has lost 3 straight games. How to snap the slump? They'll turn to an offense that is averaging 88 points per game at home this season. The only problem here for the Bulldogs is that the Golden Eagles can score right along with them. Marquette has won 10 of its last 13 games and they've averaged 89 points per game in true road games and 84.7 points per game in neutral site games. The point is that, even away from home, the Golden Eagles offense is very dangerous. Marquette's defense is a continual weakness though and they've allowed 80 points or more in 5 of their 6 games played away from home this season. The Bulldogs defense has also left plenty lacking as they've allowed 85 points or more in all 5 Big East match-ups and have allowed 50% from the field in their last 4 games. The over is 9-1 in the Bulldogs last 10 games. The over is 5-1 in Marquette's 6 games played away from home. That's a combined 14-2 (88%) mark favoring the over in this one. 10* OVER the total in Butler

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #575 Thursday 8* OVER the total in The Citadel Bulldogs vs Samford Bulldogs @ 6 ET - This total opened up at 179.5 and quickly dropped down to a 175 and there is exceptional value with the over here. The Citadel are allowing 92 points per game this season and Samford has shot 54% or better from the field in 4 of their last 6 games. Samford has averaged 82 points per game in those 6 games but will easily top that as they now face one of the worst defenses in the nation. Citadel, though very poor defensively, should score a ton of points here as they are averaging 94.4 points per game at home this season. The over is 4-2 this season Citadel's games with a posted total of 170 points or more. Samford, when after the midway point of a season, faces a team that averages 77 points or more per game, has gone 11-2 to the over! 8* OVER the total in The Citadel

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #711 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Milwaukee Bucks vs Orlando Magic @ 8:05 ET - I am not expecting to see much defense in this one! The Bucks are off of an ugly loss at division rival Indiana and they have a big game on deck against the World Champion Warriors. In other words, it is hard to blame Milwaukee for overlooking a 12-29 Orlando team. That said, very little defense here! The Bucks are 11-2 to the over this season in their games against teams with a losing record. Also, Milwaukee is 38-18 to the over long-term when they are entering a game off of a loss by a double digit margin. As for the Magic, their game at Dallas last night barely stayed under the total. Orlando did allow 114 points in that game and they've now allowed 120.3 points per game their last 3 games. The Bucks have allowed 114.6 points per game in their last 5 games. The over is 4-1 the last 5 times the Magic have had a back to back. In fact, on the season, in the 2nd game of a back to back Orlando is averaging 107.7 points per game. With the line on this game right around a 10 there is no reason to expect anything less than a 118-108 type game here which easily gets it over. I am expecting about 230 in this one. Both teams are allowing 38.6% three pointers this season and both teams shoot the 3-ball rather well (35.4%) also! 10* OVER the total in Milwaukee

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #732 Wednesday 8* UNDER the total in Pittsburgh Panthers vs Duke Blue Devils @ 7 ET - The Blue Devils have trended over the total in a big way this season. However, they're coming off of a loss at NC State where they allowed 96 points. They're emphasizing defense heading into this match up at Pittsburgh as they've allowed 94.5 points per game their last two games. The only other time the Blue Devils lost this season, they followed it by allowing just 40 points in their next game (at Evansville). Coincidentally, that is Duke's lone "under" this season. Off of their 2nd loss of this season, I expect their 2nd "under" tonight. The Panthers are a young team and having trouble scoring. Pitt has averaged only 58.5 points per game their last 4 games. As an underdog this season the Panthers have stayed under in 7 of 8 games! The under has cashed in 27 of the last 37 times that Pitt has been an underdog. Considering the situation here, I expect another one to stay well under the total tonight as the Blue Devils bring an intense effort on defense to the Petersen Events Center. 8* UNDER the total in Pittsburgh

Rickenbach CBB Game #527 Tuesday 8* OVER the total in West Virginia Mountaineers vs Baylor Bears @ 7 ET - The Mountaineers are off of an 89-76 win over Oklahoma Saturday that barely stayed under the total. West Virginia now hosts a Baylor team that beat them in their most recent meeting (in Waco in February) and that means payback is on order here. In other words, the Mountaineers certainly aren't going to take their foot off of the gas in this one. That holds significance here because West Virginia is averaging 90 points a game at home this season and they're hosting a Baylor team that averages 80 points per game so far this season. The Bears do shoot the ball very well but the Mountaineers are sure to get plenty of easy buckets in transition too thanks to being "Press Virginia" with their defense. The over is 8-3 (73%) in meetings between these teams. Also, in games with a total in the 140s, the over is 23-12 in Mountaineers games including 4-1 to the over in home games with a posted total in the 145 to 149.5 range. The over is a long-term 72-48 (60%) when the Bears are off of a win in conference action. Also, Baylor is a long-term 77-53 to the over in road games. The Mountaineers control the tempo here at home and, as usual, that will translate to plenty of points in this one. 8* OVER the total in West Virginia

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Indiana Pacers vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:05 ET - The Bucks are 17-3-2 to the over in their last 22 games. You read that right...85% over their last 22 games. Milwaukee has shot 47% or better from the field in 10 straight games. Indiana averages 107 points per game on the season and the Bucks are averaging 106 points per game on the season. Both teams allow just as much as they put up. The Pacers are off of a blowout win over Chicago and the over is a perfect 3-0 the last 3 times that Indiana has held a team under 100 points. The Bucks are off of an upset win as an underdog and Milwaukee is 5-1 to the over this season when off an outright win as a dog. Also, the over is 12-5 this season in Bucks road games! These teams met last week in Milwaukee and the teams combined for 223 points despite Victor Oladipo being out. Now the Pacers leading scorer is back and I expect a high-scoring back and forth shootout here. 3 of the last 4 times the Pacers have hosted the Bucks the game has gone over the total. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Indiana

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #807 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Portland Trail Blazers vs San Antonio Spurs @ 9:05 ET - The Spurs will be without Kawhi Leonard here and while many people look at his point production, make no mistake about it, his absence certainly impacts the defense of San Antonio. The last time these teams met it was also in Portland and the Spurs got out of town with a tight 2-point win but the Trail Blazers had 96 field goal attempts in the game but had an off shooting night. They'll bounce back here and I expect a huge game from Portland but look for San Antonio to score right along with them. The Spurs have scored at least 100 points in 6 of their last 7 games. In fact, in those 6 games San Antonio averaged 107.5 points per game. The Blazers have scored 110 points or more in 3 straight games. The Spurs are 21-12 to the over the last 33 times they've been an underdog. Before the most recent game between these teams stayed under the total (again Blazers shot poorly that night), 5 of the last 7 meetings between these teams had gone over the total. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Portland

Annihilation Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #513 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Timberwolves vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 9:05 ET - The Timberwolves are off a low-scoring loss at Boston and have now stay under the total in 5 straight games. However, 4 of those 5 games were on the road and before that most recent under at home the Timberwolves had gone over the total in 4 of their last 5 home games. In fact, Minnesota is averaging 114.5 points per game in their last 6 home games. They're hosting a high-scoring, sharp-shooting New Orleans team whose average game this season totals 222 points! It is no wonder that 8 of the last 9 meetings between these teams has resulted in an over and I expect another one here! The over is 15-7 this season when the Pelicans are playing with revenge. Also, the over is 13-6 in New Orleans games against teams with a winning record and the over is 11-4 this season when the Pelicans are an underdog. The Wolves are happy to be back home but the Pelicans scored 122 points in their last visit and are seeking revenge. This one has the makings of a shootout! 10* OVER the total in Minnesota

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #633 Saturday 8* OVER the total in West Virginia Mountaineers vs Oklahoma Sooners @ 7:15 ET - This total opened up at a 176 and dropped rather quickly to 172. Keep in mind, the Sooners have played 13 games this season and have never been held below 82 points. Also note that the Mountaineers opened up as a favorite of about a half dozen points. That means that even if Oklahoma matches their worst output on offense so far this season and the odds makers were right about the West Virginia opening spread as a favorite, we are already "right there" with this total. With that said, I certainly don't expect OU to have their worst offensive showing here. I expect a very fast paced game with a lot of transition points because of the way these two teams play. Of course I know West Virginia has a great perimeter defender that will be the key player tasked with slowing down Oklahoma's phenom freshman. However, if the Mountaineers focus too much on that, they certainly are leaving a lot of other key scoring options open and the freshman phenom is a tremendous passer. The Sooners are going to score plenty here but, keep in mind, they also give up a ton of points because of their fast-paced style leaving them short-handed on defense at times. That sets this one up well to be an absolute shootout likely to finish somewhere in the 180s or 190s. Oklahoma has scored an average of 102 points per game in their last 4 games. West Virginia has scored an average of 90 points per game at home this season. The over is 11-1 in Sooners games this season. The over is a long-term 86-56 in Mountaineers Saturday games and you know it will be an electric atmosphere for this Saturday night home game! 8* OVER the total in West Virginia

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #801 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Miami Heat vs New York Knicks @ 8:05 ET - The series between these two teams has a history that has certainly trended under in recent seasons. However, the situation here as well as the way these two teams have been playing of late, certainly lends itself to a solid over in this one. The Knicks have averaged 105 points per game in their last 3 road games. However, the New York defense has allowed 108 points per game in their last 9 road games. Miami has averaged 114 points per game in their last 2 games and they are filled with confidence after shooting 51% from the field in each of those two games. Like the Knicks however, the Heat have left a lot to be desired on the defensive end of late. Not only is Miami allowing an average of 109 points per game their last 3 games, the Heat have given up 101 points or more in 6 of their last 8 games. On the season, both teams shoot quite well (particularly from 3 point land) but they both allow solid shooting (also particularly from beyond the arc). The over is 8-3 in New York's last 11 road games and they've allowed 103 points or more in 10 of those 11 games! The over is 4-2 the last 6 times the Heat have hosted an Eastern Conference opponent. 10* OVER the total in Miami

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #821 Friday 8* OVER the total in Toledo Rockets vs Akron Zips @ 6:30 ET - Both these teams are hitting a high percentage of threes as the Zips are knocking down 38.4% of their threes and the Rockets have hit 39.7% from beyond the arc this season. Neither team plays very well defensively as they both allow in the 45% range from the field and 36% from three point land. Akron has given up 79 points or more in 6 of its last 7 lined games. Toledo has given up 77 points or more in 6 of its last 8 lined games. The over is on a 4-2 run in Zips games and a 5-1 run in Rockets games. The over is on a 12-6 run in January games for Akron. The Rockets have that same 12-6 over mark in January games. Also, Toledo is 4-0 to the over in home games this season and they are a long-term 14-4 to the over in home games where they are favored in a range of 9.5 to 12 points. Certainly the Rockets are happy to be back home for the first time in over two weeks and they are a long-term 8-4 to the over when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games on the road. 8* OVER the total in Toledo

Total Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #505 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Wichita State Shockers vs Houston Cougars @ 7 ET - The Shockers will be ready to put on a show in their first conference home game as a member of the American Athletic Conference. Wichita State has shot the ball very well this season and they are averaging 92 points per game in their home games. Houston also is shooting the ball very well and both of these teams are very dangerous (40%!) from three point land. I expect this game to be played at a lively place with plenty of run and gun as the Cougars aren't afraid to turn the game over to their quick scorers. The over is 4-1 this season in Wichita State's home games. Also, the Shockers are 12-5 to the over in January games the past two seasons. Wichita State is also a perfect 4-0 to the over in home games with a posted total of 150 to 154.5 points the past two seasons. 10* OVER the total in Wichita State

TNT Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Houston Rockets vs Golden State Warriors @ 8:05 ET - The fact that the Rockets are without top scorer James Harden could actually help this game get over the total. How is that? Well the fact is that Harden does drive to the basket, force contact, and shoot free throws. The difference with him being out is that the Rockets are going to be jacking up even more threes. Houston is known for hitting threes at a high percentage (particularly at home) and now the Warriors are in town with Stephen Curry shooting lights out in his first two games since coming back from injury. The point is that the Warriors and Rockets are very likely to get into a very high-scoring shootout in this one. Since Curry returned for Golden State, their two games have averaged 258 points! For the Rockets, they poured in 116 points last night and the game only stayed under the total due to the ineptitude of the Magic offense as well as the fact that Houston was then able to coast to victory and rest up for tonight's big game. The over is 6-2 this season when the Warriors are off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. The over is 30-18 the past 2+ seasons in Rockets games against Pacific Division opponents. 10* OVER the total in Houston

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #707 Wednesday 8* OVER the total in Brooklyn Nets vs Minnesota Timberwolves @ 7:35 ET - The Nets are off of a tight low-scoring win over Orlando Monday but don't be fooled by the low scoring in that game. The Magic had 96 shots in that game but simply shot poorly that night. The point is that the pace was there for an over but it just did not come to fruition. Also, prior to that game, Brooklyn had at least 90 field goal attempts in 4 of their last 5 games. The Nets had averaged 110.7 points per game in their 6 games prior to scoring just 98 versus the Magic. Brooklyn now host a Timberwolves team that has scored at least 106 points in 10 of their last 11 games. Minnesota is off a big win versus the Lakers that barely stayed under the total (and truly had no business resulting in an under as the scoring died late). The over is 14-7 in the Timberwolves games against Atlantic Division opponents. The over is 19-7 in the Nets games against Northwest Division opponents. Each team has Boston on deck too so they've got a bigger game on deck and there certainly won't much defensive intensity in this one. This is especially true with both of these teams off of wins too. 8* OVER the total in Brooklyn

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Wizards vs New York Knicks @ 7:05 ET - The Knicks are off of a home loss last night that got ugly in the 4th quarter as nobody could hit shots. Both the Spurs and Knicks played at the type of pace last night that should result in an over but, instead, the game fell short of the number due to poor shooting and a late collapse from the scorers of both teams. I'll get my payback tonight as I come right back with a Knicks over knowing that New York is 5-1 to the over this season in the 2nd game of a back to back. Also, the Wizards are 22-13 to the over the past 2+ seasons when they enter a game with 2 days of rest between games. Washington is on a 4-1 run their last 5 games and averaging 115 points per game during this hot stretch. For the Knicks, last night's game was just the 4th time in 13 games that New York didn't score more than 100 points in a game. They'll bounce back tonight in a typical "run and gun" affair involving these two teams as 5 of the last 7 meetings have gone over the total. The last 4 meetings between these teams have averaged 220 points a game and I expect to see at least that tonight! 10* OVER the total in Washington

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #725 Wednesday 8* OVER the total in Providence Friars vs Marquette Golden Eagles @ 6:30 ET - Both of these teams shoot the 3-ball very well. Marquette is knocking down 40.6% and Providence 38.8% from beyond the arc on the season. The Golden Eagles have stayed under the total in 3 of their last 4 and the Friars have been held under 65 points in 4 of their last 6 games. That is helping to give us some line value here as Providence will be ready for an offensive explosion at home. Before scoring just 64 points at Creighton, the Friars had averaged 91.5 points per game in their two prior games. Marquette's defense is a weakness and Providence will take advantage as this one turns into a shootout. The over is 5-1 in home games for the Friars this season. The Golden Eagles are a long-term 11-5 to the over in road games with a posted total between 150 and 154.5 points. 8* OVER the total in Providence

Contrarian Crusher NBA Game #503 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total New York Knicks vs San Antonio Spurs @ 7:35 ET - The Spurs are off of a horrific shooting performance at Detroit where they netted only 79 points. Now they face the same Knicks team they just lit up for 119 points on Thursday. New York comes into this game off of a win and the Knicks have averaged 106 points in their last two games. That said, they'll be willing to "run and gun" at home in this one and the Spurs will oblige as they are looking for a "breakout game" on offense after the horrible result in Saturday's loss to the Pistons. The Spurs are 4-1 to the over this season when off of an upset loss as a favorite. Long-term San Antonio is 140-98 to the over when off of a loss by a double digit margin. The Spurs also are 19-9 to the over in January games the past two seasons. The Knicks are 9-5 to the over in non-conference games and also 6-3 to the over when off of an upset win as an underdog. Both of those stats are current records this season and I expect another over to be added to those trends tonight. With the downward line move early on this one, I am going contrarian and going over the total here. 10* OVER the total in New York

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #703 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Raptors vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:35 ET - Milwaukee has trended over this season but they enter this game off of back to back unders. That certainly holds some significance here as the Bucks have only had 3 straight unders one time this entire season and we are nearing the halfway point of the season. The Bucks allow 107 points per game on 47.5% from the field and 40.7% from three point land when on the road this season. Toronto averages 114.4 points per game on 48.2% from the field in their home games this season. The Raptors are off of an under versus Atlanta Friday as they took 105 shots but had a rather poor shooting night. The Bucks win at Oklahoma City Friday was the first time since November 20th that Milwaukee did not reach the century mark in points scored. Also, the Raptors have scored 107 points or more in 12 of their last 16 games. This is a playoff revenge game for the Bucks after losing to the Raptors last April. However, Toronto will control the tempo here at home and they're going to run and gun. Look for the Raptors over to improve to 4-1 this season in games against Central Division opponents. The Bucks are 4-1 to the over this season when off of an upset win as an underdog. Also, Milwaukee is 11-5 to the over in road games this season. More of the same here! 10* OVER the total in Toronto

TV Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #849 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Kentucky Wildcats vs Georgia Bulldogs @ 6 ET - The Wildcats have gone over the total in 7 straight games and there is no reason for that streak to end here. In fact, coming off of their big win over rival Louisville makes the streak very likely to continue. Kentucky can't help but have a defensive letdown after really ratcheting things up a notch in their win over the Cardinals. The Bulldogs have gone over the total in each of their last two games as well as 4 of their last 6. Georgia has shot the ball exceptionally well in 5 of their last 6 games. Their tourney match-up in March stayed under the total but, prior to that, each of the 3 prior meetings between these teams went over the total. Georgia is 5-1 to the over this season when facing a team with a winning record. Also, the over is 20-12 the past 2+ seasons when the Bulldogs face a team that is averaging 77 points or more per game. Kentucky is 4-0 to the over this season when they are off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. 12 of the Wildcats last 16 December games have gone over the total. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Kentucky

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Orlando Magic vs Miami Heat @ 7:05 ET - The Magic are off of a rare win and a rare game where their opponent was held under 90 points. Prior to holding the Pistons to 89 points on a poor shooting night for Detroit, Orlando had given up 114.8 points per game in their 5 prior games! The Heat come into this game off of a rare horrific shooting night as they shot just 33.7% from the field in scoring only 87 points at home versus Brooklyn last night. The point is that the pace with with each of these teams played at in their most recent games supported an over but rare bad shooting resulted in an under. That is resulting in solid line value here. The Heat are allowing 102 points per game on the season and the Magic are allowing 110 points per game on the season. Miami has stayed under the total in 3 straight games now but they are 20-14 to the over when they enter a game on an under streak of 3 or more games. Orlando is 5-1 to the over this season when off of a win by a double digit margin. Also, the Magic are 5-2 to the over in their divisional games this season. This total was as high as a 208 and has dropped to a 204 as of gameday morning. I am happy to grab the extra value here! 10* OVER the total in Orlando

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #551 Saturday 8* OVER the total in TCU Horned Frogs vs Oklahoma Sooners @ 2 ET - The immediate thought when looking at this total is that it looks so big. However, don't be fooled. The big number is absolutely justified and, in fact, this total has actually come down from the mid-170s which was where it was yesterday evening. The fact is that both these teams like to run and gun. Both teams also shoot the ball very well and have been putting up huge points all season long. The Sooners are averaging an insane 95 points per game on the season. The Horned Frogs are averaging 87.5 points per game on the season and that includes 90 points per game at home so far. This came absolutely should finish in the 180 to 185 range and hence the value with the over in this one. The over is 24-12 when Oklahoma is off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. Also, the over is 9-1 in all Sooners games this season. As for TCU, the over is 6-2 this season in their games against teams with a winning record. The Horned Frogs are also a long-term 7-1 to the over then they enter a game with 7 or more days of rest between games. 8* OVER the total in TCU

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #807 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Oklahoma City Thunder vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 8:05 ET - The Bucks finally stayed under the total in a come from behind win versus the Timberwolves that certainly fell under the category of "ugly game" as it was played at a slower pace than you would typically see. The teams averaged just 73 field goal attempts between them. That under snapped a 9-game over streak for Milwaukee but the Bucks are still 14-2-1 to the over their last 17 games. Also, this is a back to back spot for Milwaukee and they've gone 5-1 to the over in back to back situations this season. This is a revenge game for the Bucks and they are 13-4 to the over when playing with revenge this season. With tired legs from a strong effort versus Minnesota last night, Milwaukee's defense will likely be lax tonight. That is bad news against a Thunder offense that has caught fire. Oklahoma City has shot 51.9% or better in 4 of its last 5 games. The Thunder are averaging 113.2 points per game their last 5 games and the Bucks have scored 100 points or more in 17 straight games! Milwaukee is averaging 108.5 points per game during this 17-game stretch. You can plainly see why I am expecting about 220 points in this one! 10* OVER the total in Oklahoma City

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in San Antonio Spurs vs New York Knicks @ 8:35 ET - The Knicks are in a back to back spot and even though their game last night was ugly, the over is 5-1 this season when New York is in the 2nd game of a back to back. Also, the Knicks are 8-4 to the over in non-conference games and each of their last 2 visits to San Antonio have resulted in an over. The Spurs have been heating up on offense and have shot 48.8% or better from the field in 5 of their last 7 games. Their game versus Brooklyn Tuesday barely stayed under the total and prior to that 5 of San Antonio's last 7 home games had resulted in an over. We're getting value here because the Knicks have been staying under the total but truly the pace of their games has been conducive to an over. That said, with the way the Spurs are shooting and New York's willingness to run and be aggressive, this should fly over the total. 10* OVER the total in San Antonio

Big East Blowout - Rickenbach CBB Game #515 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Seton Hall Pirates vs Creighton Bluejays @ 6:30 ET - Both these teams shoot the ball very well, like to play at a fast pace and create quick open looks, and their scoring numbers this season are very impressive. Seton Hall is averaging 83.5 points per game at home this season. Creighton is averaging 92.3 points per game overall this season. The over is a perfect 3-0 in the last 3 meetings between these teams. The Bluejays are a perfect 5-0 to the over this season in their games with a posted total in the 160s. Creighton also is a long-term 27-12 to the over when coming off of a non-conference game. Against teams with a winning record, Seton Hall is 5-2 to the over this season. Also, the Pirates are a perfect 3-0 to the over this season when they face a team that is averaging 77 points or more per game. Of course with the line at a 4 you know a close game is expected. Both teams are fully capable of staying in the game late thanks to strong 3-point shooting. That said, there can be plenty of "scramble points" in a game like this with plenty of late free throws and three pointers as there will be no quit from either team until the final horn. 10* OVER the total in Seton Hall

Big East Blowout - Rickenbach CBB Game #727 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Marquette Golden Eagles vs Xavier Musketeers @ 8:30 ET - Both these teams are shooting lights out from three point land and the Musketeers are averaging 87 points per game this season while the Golden Eagles are averaging 83 points per game on the young season. With this total falling so far this morning, there is great value on the over in this one. Xavier is connecting on 39% of its three pointers and Marquette is hitting 40% from beyond the arc. Neither team is afraid to play at a fast pace. The Golden Eagles weakness is their defense and while the Musketeers are fairly solid defensively, Marquette is known for putting up especially impressive numbers on offense at home. That has this one destined for a shootout. The over is 7-3 this season in Xavier's games against teams with a winning record. The over is 63-44 when the Golden Eagles are off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. Also, Marquette is 32-23 to the over when playing with 5 or 6 days of rest between games. The Golden Eagles are 28-19 to the over in their games against teams with a winning record. 10* OVER the total in Marquette

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #713 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets @ 8:05 ET - The Nuggets are off of a big win over Utah last night where they held the Jazz to only 83 points. That makes it 3 straight unders in Denver's games but they haven't recorded more than 3 in a row since October. I see the streak of unders quickly coming to an end tonight as the Timberwolves have been red hot. Minnesota has won 4 straight games and offensive production has led the way. Minny has had 4 straight overs and the over is 10-3 in their last 13 games. The Timberwolves have been shooting the ball very well and the over is 5-1 in their divisional games this season. Also, Minnesota is a long-term 23-11 to the over when they enter a game on a streak of 3 or more consecutive overs. For Denver, the over is 9-5 this season and an incredible 41-13 the last 3 seasons combined when they face a team that is averaging 106 points or more per game. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #711 Monday 8* OVER the total in Davidson Wildcats vs Akron Zips @ 12:30 ET - This game starts at 7:30 AM local time in Hawaii. I don't expect either team to have a lot of defensive intensity here at this early time of day and neither team is known for being particularly intimidating in the paint. With that said, I look for a fast-paced game with a lot of easy buckets as there won't be a lot of challenging of shooters here. Each team is allowing 46% from the field on the season and each team is coming off of consecutive losses that put them at the very bottom of the consolation bracket in this Holiday Tourney. Davidson is 3-1 to the over against MAC teams, 38-26 to the over in December games long-term, and also an impressive 8-2 to the over when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. The Wildcats are off of a poor shooting game and the Zips are off of back to back poor shooting games. The day off yesterday was much needed for these teams. Fresh legs and a good pace to this one early Monday. 8* OVER the total in Davidson

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #505 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Indiana Pacers vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:05 ET - The Nets burned me yesterday as, though they scored 119 points, they only allowed 84 due to strangely poor shooting from the Wizards. Brooklyn allowed Washington to have 93 shots from the field but the Wizards shot a very poor 36.6% from the field. That won't happen again here and I expect the Pacers to put up a ton of points in this one but don't be surprised if the Nets hot shooting continues too. Brooklyn is "feeling it" after last night's blowout win and certainly will "leave it all on the floor" tonight as they don't play again until Tuesday after Christmas. The Pacers have shot 50.6% from the field in their last 3 games and averaged 108.3 points per game. The over is a perfect 3-0 the last 3 times these teams have met in Indiana. The over is 33-20 long-term when the Nets face a team that is allowing 106 points or more per game. The Pacers average game this season is 215 points and the Nets average game is 217.5 points. Consider that plus the situational factors here and this one is a value at the 215 range it is in now because the other factors (teams off big wins, not playing again until Tuesday) help point toward a very loosely played affair here with plenty of points. 8* OVER the total in Indiana

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #805 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Brooklyn Nets vs Washington Wizards @ 7:35 ET - The Nets burned me Wednesday with a very poor 4th quarter against the Kings. The game was on the pace for the over all the way through the first 3 quarters but then it was a dreadful final stanza that did me in. I'll get some payback here because the Wizards are off of a high-scoring win versus New Orleans Tuesday and that sets this one up perfectly for an over. The Wizards have a divisional home game on deck and may not bring the best of their defensive intensity here given the situation. The first game between Washington and Brooklyn this season stayed under the total but the over was 6-1 in the 7 prior meetings. Both these teams have been trending under of late but that has resulted in excellent line value with this total Friday. The well-rested Wizards should put up plenty of points hare and are 22-12 to the over when they enter a game on rest of 2 days or more. The Nets are averaging 110 points per game at home this season. The Wizards scored only 98 points in their most recent road game (coincidentally also at Brooklyn) but they had scored 106 points or more in 5 of their 7 prior road games. Washington, playing with revenge, comes up strong here! Keep in mind, the Wizards 4 prior games against the Nets saw them average 119.8 points per game. That type of production resumes in this rematch! 10* OVER the total in Brooklyn

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Cavaliers vs Chicago Bulls @ 7:05 ET - Two of the hottest teams in the league match-up here and, yes, one of them is actually the Bulls! With their win last night versus Orlando, Chicago has won 7 straight games. Ever since Nikola Mirotic has come back, the Bulls offense has enjoyed a huge resurgence and this has helped lead the way to 7 straight wins! Chicago is averaging 111.1 points per game during this 7-0 run. Cleveland also comes in red hot as the Cavaliers had won 18 of 19 before their 3 point loss at Milwaukee Tuesday. Amazingly, the Cavs have not been held under 100 points since October! Cleveland has averaged 113 points per game in their 25 games since November 1st. The over is 5-2 this season when the Cavaliers are off of an upset loss as a favorite. Also, the Cavs are 5-1 to the over this season (and 27-11 to the over long-term) when off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. Cleveland is also 12-5 to the over this season in their games against teams with a losing record. Last but not least the Cavaliers are 30-14 to the over the past 2+ seasons when they face a team that is allowing an average of 106 points or more per game. 10* OVER the total in Cleveland

Earliest Cash Eve Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #553 Thursday 8* OVER the total in Purdue Boilermakers vs Tennessee State Tigers @ 6 ET - The Boilermakers are averaging 85.6 points per game this season and they will dictate the pace in this one. We get some added value here because Tennessee State is off of an ultra low scoring game. The Tigers lost a heart-breaker 47-46 to Texas on Monday. The Boilermakers are off of a big win versus Butler Saturday. After a huge effort from each of these teams on the defensive end in their most recent games, they may not have a lot left in the tank for Thursday's game in terms of defensive intensity. After all, proper defense takes a lot of effort and execution and the Boilermakers and Tigers are also looking ahead to their nice Christmas break that follows this game. Of course you can tell by the big line on this one that Purdue should win easily and I feel that sets this one up well to be a high-scoring match-up as both teams just run and gun to wrap things up before the break. The Boilermakers have had just 3 unders in their last 10 games. 8* OVER the total in Purdue

Daytime Dominator Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #541 Thursday 10* OVER the total in Louisiana Tech Bulldogs vs Alabama State Hornets @ 3:30 ET - The Hornets are one of the weaker teams in D-1 basketball. There is no doubt about that as they are winless on the season and also projected to finish near the bottom of the standings in the Southwestern Athletic Conference which is one of the weaker conferences in the nation. With that said, Alabama State does like to run and gun. It is the nature of their offense and was the game plan of head coach Lewis Jackson coming into this season. The problem with that is the Hornets end up weak on defense and they've allowed 87.6 points per game this season. No doubt the Bulldogs are going to take advantage and put up a ton of points in this one. However, despite being a 20-point dog here, don't be surprised if the Hornets but up a lot of points too. I am expecting a 90-70 type game here. Alabama State comes into this game with some added confidence by virtue of scoring 80 points on 48% shooting (including 39% from three point land) in their game against Winthrop Saturday. Louisiana Tech is off of a loss to Texas that was their lowest scoring game of the season. The Bulldogs will be ready to respond here and put up a ton of points against a weak defensive team. The over is 5-1 in Hornets games with a posted total in the 140s and 5-0 in Alabama State's games against teams with a winning record. The over is a perfect 3-0 when Louisiana Tech is a neutral court favorite of 12.5 points or more. That means we have a combined 8-0 spot favoring the over in this one. Also, the Bulldogs are 9-4 to the over in their games against teams that allow 77 points or more per game on average. At the Convocation Center in New Orleans, look for this one to fly over the total. 10* OVER the total in Louisiana Tech 

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #703 Wednesday 8* OVER the total in Brooklyn Nets vs Sacramento Kings @ 7:35 ET - The Kings are off of a big upset win at Philadelphia last night that easily stayed under the total. Sacramento is allowing 109 points per game this season when in the 2nd game of a back to back. The Nets are allowing 111 points per game on the season and, after making some progress, they certainly have regressed in recent games with interior defense being of particular concern. As a result, Brooklyn has allowed 113.3 points per game in their last 3 games. Given the above factors, and with the Kings off of that upset win last night, I would not be surprised at all to see both teams have issues on defense throughout this game. That means we should see a game where each team ends up close the aforementioned 110 mark in points in this one. The over is 42-29 when the Nets are off of a loss by double digits. 3 of the last 4 meetings between these games, including both in New York, have gone over the total. More of the same here. 8* OVER the total in Brooklyn

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #507 Tuesday 8* OVER the total in Xavier Musketeers vs Marshall Thundering Herd @ 6:30 ET - I am well aware of the injury situation with J.P. Macura and Kaiser Gates for Xavier. The fact is that the Musketeers have plenty of depth and I look for this one to be a shootout. Marshall is a tough team to defend against and the Thundering Herd are averaging 90.2 points per game this season. Xavier is off of a dismal effort versus East Tennessee State where the Musketeers had to rally from 22 down for a last second win. Even though the Musketeers only scored 68 in that game, they are still averaging 88.4 points per game on the season. Also, the over was 7-2 in Xavier's games this season prior to that under. The over is 3-1 in Marshall's road games this season and also on a 23-10 run the past 2+ seasons. Also, in games with a posted total of 170 points or more, the Thundering Herd have gone 16-8 to the over so don't let the big number scare you. Marshall is also 28-14 to the over when off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. Xavier is 23-14 to the over in home games including 5-2 this season. Also, the Musketeers are 6-2 to the over this season when facing a team with a winning record. 8* OVER the total in Xavier

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #743 Monday 8* OVER the total in Western Michigan Broncos vs Idaho Vandals @ 7 ET - These are two quality teams that have plenty of experienced players and that means a ton of confidence in terms of ability to put up big points. The Broncos certainly will have fresh legs as they've been off since the 9th. The Vandals got a nice tune up with a win over Simon Fraser University Friday. Idaho was totally flat in the first half but responded with 43 points in the 2nd half and the Vandals were likely already looking ahead to this game. Idaho will carry momentum right into this game but Western Michigan is a tough team that can push the pace and I look for a great tempo to this game. Tempo of course is a key to the over as well as solid shooting and the Vandals have knocked down 40.4% of their three pointers this season. The Broncos have a solid 36.3% shooting percentage from beyond the arc and they're averaging 78 points per game this season while Idaho is averaging 73.2 per game. Western Michigan is 3-0 to the over when playing with 7 or more days of rest between games. The Broncos are a long-term 18-7 to the over in home games. In non-conference games, Western Michigan is 14-9 to the over. In December games, it is an 8-3 run to the over for the Broncos. More of the same here. 8* OVER the total in Western Michigan

PAC-12 Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #821 Sunday 8* OVER the total in USC Trojans vs UC-Santa Barbara Gauchos @ 8 ET - New Gauchos coach Joe Pasternack admitted before the season that he wasn't sure if Santa Barbara had the personnel on hand to run the type of defense he wanted to. Certainly the transition is going to take time and the early evidence is that the D has a long way to go. The over is 6-3 this season in all of the Gauchos games and that includes 5-1 in UCSB games with a posted total in the 140s. Against quality opponents the UC-Santa Barbara defense has certainly proven vulnerable. However, the key to some early season success has been offensive production that is averaging 76.7 points per game this season. The Gauchos are shooting 47% from the field and 39% from three point land. The Trojans overall numbers on offense on the season don't look ultra impressive but, keep in mind, they had two tough games against SMU and Texas A & M where points were hard to come by. That certainly won't be an issue against a UCSB team that will struggle to guard them! That said, USC averaged 84.2 points per game in their other 6 games this season. Last year these teams combined for 168 points. The over is 6-3 when Southern Cal is off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. The over is 12-6 when UC-Santa Barbara is a road dog of 12.5 points or more. 8* OVER the total in USC

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #805 Sunday 8* OVER the total in Brooklyn Nets vs Indiana Pacers @ 6:05 ET - The pacing of recent games involving the Nets has been conducive to an over and yet they've been trending under. The same holds true for the Pacers. The result here is solid line value on the over. Indiana is averaging 90 field goal attempts per game and allowing 90.4 FGA/game their last 7 games. The Nets are allowing 92.9 field goal attempts per game their last 7 games. Keep in mind the Lakers (at 89.4 FGA/game) lead the NBA in pace. In other words, you can see from the numbers above that both these teams are trending toward good pacing for overs and yet their games have been falling under. That has resulted in solid line value here and I'll take it. Yes this total is a rather big one but it is certainly justified and the over is 31-19 when Brooklyn is facing a team that allows 106 points or more per game. Also, the Nets are 42-28 to the over when off of a loss by 10 points or more plus they are 8-4 to the over in home games this season. Indiana is 8-5 to the over in road games this season. 8* OVER the total in Brooklyn

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Game #809 Friday 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia 76ers vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 7:05 ET - The Thunder are off of a big win over the Pacers. They wanted that game badly for Paul George in his return to Indiana. That said, Oklahoma City really turned up the heat on defense in that game as they held the Pacers to just 95 points. Now the Thunder will put forth the typical lackluster effort in the defensive end that follows a game like that. As for Philadelphia, they are happy to run and gun as their average score per game this season is a total of 217.5 points. Also, the 76ers are off of a big upset win at Minnesota. That holds significance here as the Sixers are 3-1 to the over this season when they are off of an outright win as an underdog. Also, when playing with 2 days of rest between games Philly is 3-1 to the over this season. The 76ers are also 9-5 to the over this season when off of a non-conference game. Look for the over to improve to 5-2 this season in OKC's Friday games. Oklahoma City's game at Indiana stayed under the total but, prior to that, the Thunder were on a 4-1 run to the over in true road games. That pattern resumes here! 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Timberwolves vs Sacramento Kings @ 8:05 ET - The Kings have allowed an average of "only" 101 points per game their last 3 games but opponents have averaged 89 field goal attempts in those 3 contests. The point is that the proper pace for high-scoring games has certainly been there but the results simply haven't followed as 2 of the 3 games stayed under the total. Now Sacramento faces a Minnesota team that won't hesitate to "run and gun" here. The Timberwolves have gone 8-4 to the over in their last 12 games as they've averaged 107 points per game during this stretch. The over is 3-1 in the last 4 meetings between these teams including a perfect 2-0 in games played in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves are 44-25 to the over when off of a non-conference game. Also, in this particular case the Wolves were upset by the Sixers! That holds significance here as Minnesota is 5-1 to the over this season (and on a long-term 24-8 run to the over long-term) when they enter a game off of an upset loss as a favorite. In other words, look for the Timberwolves to be very aggressive in the offensive end Thursday! 10* OVER the total in Minnesota

ESPN Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #529 Tuesday 10* OVER the total in Texas Longhorns vs Michigan Wolverines @ 9 ET - The Longhorns are off of a huge win versus Virginia Commonwealth. Why was the win over the Rams so big? Because that is where head coach Shaka Smart was from 2009 to 2015 and he and the Horns wanted that game badly. It was a dog-fight to the finish as VCU rallied in the 2nd half after being down big. Had the Horns lost the game it might have left them a little hungrier for this one. However, after that big effort on the defensive end, and hanging on to beat the Rams, I expect the Wolverines to put up plenty on a still-celebrating UT team tonight. The difference though will be that the Longhorns are at home and certainly capable of better shooting and up bigger points when they are at home at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin. The over is a long-term 16-6 when the Wolverines are a road dog of 3.5 to 6 points. Overall, in recent seasons, Michigan is 18-6 to the over in all road games. The Longhorns are averaging 78.2 points per game this season. The Wolverines are averaging 75.5 points per game this season. I know each team has some solid defensive numbers too but the UT defense will be somewhat sub-par after the huge effort against the Rams and then the long lay-off. Also, the Wolverines have allowed 69 points or more in 3 of their last 4 games and have allowed 73.7 points per game in their 3 true road games this season. 10* OVER the total in Texas

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #707 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Oklahoma City Thunder vs Charlotte Hornets @ 8:05 ET - The Thunder are off of a couple poor shooting efforts but both those games were away from Oklahoma City. With OKC back home tonight and averaging 104 points per game in their last 8 games on their home floor, the Thunder offense gets back on track in this one. Additionally, their opponent tonight certainly has no hesitation in terms of being happy to push the pace. The Hornets games this season have averaged about 211.5 points and I look for another fast-paced shootout here. Charlotte has averaged 108 points per game in their last 4 road games. The Thunder have trended under this season but I love this situation in terms of them returning home off of a rather low-scoring road win and now facing a team that trends over. The Hornets are 4-1 to the over this season when off of a loss by 10 points or more in their prior game. Also, Charlotte is 7-2 to the over when off of a non-conference game. 10* OVER the total in Oklahoma City

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #713 Monday 8* OVER the total in South Florida Bulls vs Florida International Panthers @ 7 ET - Both of these teams lost a lot of key players from last season. Making matters worse for USF is that they have a new coach plus have already lost a couple of key players they had high hopes for this season because one was one of their few key returnees and another was their most highly touted freshman. With the loss of Troy Holston and David Collins indefinitely with knee injuries, the Bulls are even having to go through more of an adjustment phase than originally projected. As for FIU, they lost all 5 starters from last season. The reason this helps with an over is that neither team is particularly sound in terms of solid team defense in terms of the proper switches and rotations required to be a strong defensive unit. This is a low total and South Florida is actually 11-0 to the over in games with a posted total in the 120s the past two seasons. Florida International is 24-13 to the over as an underdog. Also, the Panthers are off of a rare game where they allowed less than 61 points. That holds significance here as the over is 5-2 when FIU is off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. 8* OVER the total in South Florida

Dominator Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #527 Sunday 10* OVER the total in Washington Huskies vs Gonzaga Bulldogs @ 8 ET - The Huskies are off of their huge upset win versus Kansas. It's hard to worry too much about defense when you just beat one of the top teams in the country and you're offense has not been held below 70 points in your first 9 games of the season. Simply put, the Huskies are a very confident team right now. That is a key here as they feel they can score with (keep up with) Gonzaga in this big regional rivalry. Look for the Huskies to be on the attack early and often in this game. The trouble for Washington is they catch the Bulldogs off of a bad loss to Villanova. It was the first time this season that Gonzaga has been held to less than 76 points in a game. With the Bulldogs averaging 90.6 points per game and the Huskies averaging 80.6 points per game, I feel we're getting some solid line value here with this total in the mid-150s. When the Bulldogs are off of a bad game they generally respond with their offense. That is why the over is 4-0 when Gonzaga is off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. Also, Washington is 3-1 to the over this season as an underdog and the Huskies are hosting a Bulldogs team that has gone over the total in 4 straight games. More of the same here! 10* OVER the total in Washington

Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #787 Saturday 10* OVER the total in Arkansas Razorbacks vs Minnesota Golden Gophers @ 6:45 ET - This is one of the biggest totals on the board Saturday but the big number is absolutely justified. The Golden Gophers are coming off of an ugly loss where they were held to just 32.4% from the field. Minnesota will be ready to respond here. Last year's match-up with Arkansas so the Gophers score at least 42 points in each half while the Razorbacks scored 46 points in the 2nd half after a dismal first half performance. This season, playing at home and seeking revenge, Arkansas will hit the floor firing on all cylinders proving to be very much unlike last year's dismal first half performance at Minnesota. As a result (and as you can see by the spread of just 3.5 points on this game) look for a close game all the way through with these teams trading buckets. Also, speaking of trading baskets, both these teams have solid outside shooting capability and have been hitting a high percentage of their threes on the season. The Razorbacks are hitting 40% of their three pointers and the Golden Gophers are hitting 37% from beyond the arc this season. The fact Minny has allowed 38% shooting from downtown and that the Hogs are allowing 75 points per game tells you why you can expect this one to turn into an absolute shootout! The Golden Gophers loss at Nebraska stayed under the total but they previously were 7-1 to the over this season! The Razorbacks are 4-2 to the over as a favorite this season and 5-2 to the over as a home fave of 3.5 to 6 points the past 2 seasons. Each of these teams is averaging 87 points per game this season so, again, don't let the big O/U here scare you! These teams are likely to get close to 180 points! 10* OVER the total in Arkansas

Rickenbach Wednesday NBA 8* UNDER the total in Milwaukee Bucks vs Detroit Pistons @ 8:05 ET - 8 of the Pistons last 9 road games have stayed under the total. This is a divisional game so defensive intensity tends to be up for games like this. Both meetings this season have stayed under the total and with the upward movement on this total early today we're now getting even more line value with the under. Even though the Bucks most recent home game went over the total, that was just the 2nd over in Milwaukee's last 8 home games and I expect a strong effort here on the defensive end here as they look to duplicate last month's effort in Detroit where the Bucks held the Pistons to just 35% from the field. The Pistons are wrapping up a lengthy road trip and that is significant here as Detroit is 15-8 to the under when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. The Pistons are 8-3 to the under in road games this season. More of the same expected here. 8* UNDER the total in Milwaukee

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 8* OVER the total in Toronto Raptors vs Phoenix Suns @ 7:35 ET - The Suns are off of an upset win at Philadelphia last night but the 76'ers simply had an awful shooting night. Philly only made 7 of 30 three pointers and that was the difference in the game. That also is what helped the game stay under the total and I don't expect a repeat here. The Suns are scoring a ton of points but, as usual, their defense leaves a lot to be desired and the well-rested Raptors can take advantage. Toronto has been off since a big win Friday versus Indiana. That game went over the total and the Raptors are a solid 6-3 to the over in home games as they are averaging an incredible 115 points per game at home this season. The Suns give up 115 points per game so you can see why this match-up is indeed set up well for a ton of points. The Raptors have shot 51.7% from the field in their last 4 games. Also, the over is 9-3 in Suns non-conference games this season and Phoenix is 34-16 to the over the past 3 seasons combined when they are facing a team that allows 106 points or more per game. The past 3 seasons combined Toronto is 23-15 to the over when off of a game where they scored 115 points or more and 65-42 to the over in home games. I see every reason to expect another one here as the Suns are on a 3-0 run to the over when they are playing the 2nd game of a back to back and that 2nd game is on the road. 8* OVER the total in Toronto

Rickenbach CBB Game #707 Tuesday 8* OVER the total in Bowling Green Falcons vs Evansville Purple Aces @ 7 ET - The Aces games with posted totals this season - all 5 - have stayed UNDER the total. However, the reason this total is quite lofty is certainly no mistake. Evansville got their confidence back with a 98-56 win over a smaller school Saturday. The Purple Aces took advantage of facing the nearby Oakland City University Mighty Oaks and Evansville certainly got their shooting stroke back. That will do wonders for them here at Bowling Green and they're facing a Falcons team that love to play uptempo fast-paced games. The AVERAGE score of a Falcons game this season is 167 points and that is why I feel we're getting phenomenal line value here with the truly (considering BG's numbers) rather low total posted on this game. The over is 7-4 in Evansville's games against the MAC and 7-2 in their Tuesday games. The over is 17-8 when Bowling Green is a home fave in range of 3.5 to 6 points. Also, the Falcons are 9-4 to the over when they are off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. 8* OVER the total in Bowling Green 

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Monday 8* OVER the total in San Antonio Spurs vs Detroit Pistons @ 8:35 - Nothing like a 14-14 fourth quarter performance to ruin your play when you're on an over! Suffice to say the Spurs are fired up after losing by just 3 points last night thanks in part to a 14-point 4th quarter. Also, I am fired up too as I had the over in their game at Oklahoma City and I was done in by a dreadful fourth quarter from both teams. I'll look to get retribution right away by coming back with the Spurs over here as I do expect LaMarcus Aldridge and Tony Parker to be back in the lineup after they were each rested in the front-end of this back-to-back situation. The Spurs are off of back to back unders and so too are the Pistons. However, Detroit is averaging 110.8 points per game their last 4 games and San Antonio was averaging 105 points per game in their 4-game winning streak that preceded last night's ugly performance. The Spurs are a perfect 3-0 to the over this season when playing an Eastern Conference foe in the 2nd game of a back-to-back situation. Look for another one here as they'll push the pace at home off of a loss and the Pistons are scoring 105 points per game this season but Detroit also allows an average of 103 points per game. 8* OVER the total in San Antonio

Big Ten Network Smash - Rickenbach CBB Sunday 8* OVER the total in Illinois Illini vs Maryland Terrapins @ 8 ET - The Illini are off of an OT loss that stayed under the total despite overtime. However, there were only 14 points total scored in OT and Illinois only had 5 of those. That said, the Illini are averaging 83.75 points per game this season even when you remove the OT points from Friday's game. The Terrapins are averaging 77 points per game on the season. With both teams playing on short rest, I look for plenty of offense in this one. With both teams coming off of tight losses, they'll push the pace to get "over the top" in this one. As you can also see from the line, we're dealing with a small number on the spread in this game. A close game late (likely!) leads to plenty of late fouling and late "scramble points" and I'll gladly take advantage of the downward move on this total that the markets have driven this morning. The over is 15-9 when the Illini are a home dog of 3 points or less. Look for the over to improve to 6-3 when Maryland is off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. 8* OVER the total in Illinois

NBA TV Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 8* OVER the total in Oklahoma City Thunder vs San Antonio Spurs @ 7:05 ET - The over is 3-1 this season in Oklahoma City's games against teams from the Southwest Division. The over is 19-10 when San Antonio is an underdog. Also, the over is 13-7 in the Spurs last 20 Sunday games. Also, the last 8 times the Spurs were off of a game where they held their opponent under 100 points and the game stayed under the total, the over is 6-2 in their next game! The Thunder have allowed their last 4 opponents to hit a combined 51.4% from the field! The Spurs have won 11 of 14 games and averaged 108.2 points per game in those 11 wins. The Thunder have scored 101 points or more in 7 of their last 10 games. 8* OVER the total in Oklahoma City

Earliest Cash Top Play - Rickenbach NBA 10* OVER the total in Orlando Magic vs Golden State Warriors @ 7:05 ET - This total opened up at a 230 and so, of course, under players got very excited with seeing such a big total and have pounded this thing down early. With it down to a 227 as of the time of this posting, I am rolling with the over in this one. This is a non-conference game and both teams are coming off of wins. As a result, there is very little incentive for either team to play much defense in this one. The Magic are off of a 13 point upset win where they shot "lights out" but they did allow 96 field goal attempts for the Thunder. In other words the pace was certainly there for a high-scoring game and they're not going to slow down the Warriors whom have both Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry listed as probable for tonight's game. Orlando has gone over the total in 5 straight games and Golden State has gone over the total in 5 of its last 7. The Warriors are 6-2 to the over in their games against teams with a losing record this season plus 6-2 to the over in road games with a posted total of 220 points or more. The Magic are 11-6 to the over in games with a posted total of 220 points or more the past 3 seasons combined. 10* OVER the total in Orlando

Rickenbach CBB Game #512 Thursday 8* UNDER the total in Michigan State Spartans vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ 7 ET - Both these teams have trended under this season with Notre Dame having stayed under in all 3 games with a posted total this season and Michigan State having stayed under in 3 straight games. Additionally, this situation is perfect for another under because the Spartans are off of a huge win versus North Carolina Sunday that absolutely leaves them in a flat spot here emotionally. As for the Fighting Irish, they have not played a game in over a week. That is the type of layoff that leads to fresh legs but also cold shooting as teams timing is off after long layoffs like this. The past 3 seasons combined, the Irish have stayed under all 3 times they have had a layoff of 7 or more days. The Spartans are known for slow starts to the season on offense as they've had 11 of 17 November games stay under the total the past 3 seasons combined. Look for yet another one here! 8* UNDER the total in Michigan State