SEC Rivalry Rout - Rickenbach CBB Game #720 Tuesday - 10* Top Play Tennessee Volunteers (-) vs Arkansas Razorbacks @ 6:30 ET - As I wrote in my write-up last Thursday when I rode the Vols to victory over the Aggies, head coach Rick Barnes is in his 2nd season at Tennessee but, though the Volunteers are certainly still rebuilding, they did notch a few victories over SEC rivals like Florida, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt last season. Though not a traditional SEC rival like those, Arkansas has been in the SEC long enough to get under the skin of Tennessee fans and this is especially true considering that the Razorbacks have won 4 straight meetings with the Volunteers. Those wins included knocking the Vols out of the SEC Tourney 2 years ago. As for coach Barnes experience against the Hogs, he is certainly not happy about dropping both match-ups with them last season. That said, the Razorbacks absolutely have the full attention of coach Barnes. Keep in mind, this is their SEC home opener and after an embarrassing loss to open up the season (against Chattanooga), coach Barnes has the Vols settled in. They have gone 8-4 since then and the only 4 losses were to teams ranked in the top 20 in the nation. While the Vols have been battle-tested this season, Arkansas only has one win against a major conference foe and most of their early season wins have come against weak competition. In their first SEC game of the season Arkansas already found out just how tough it's going to be as they step up in competition and Florida handled them rather easily and Arky was home for that game! Now they're on the road and facing a hungry team that is looking for revenge and that has been playing well. The "cherry on top" here is that Arkansas has a game at highly ranked Kentucky on deck and just lost to a ranked Florida team that also knocked the Razorbacks out of the SEC Tourney last spring. That said, this could easily be an emotional letdown game for Arky and the Vols will gladly take advantage. The Volunteers are 5-1 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record. The Razorbacks are 1-4 ATS this season in games with a posted total in the 150s. Look for plenty of points here as the Vols pull away and win this in a blowout. 10* TENNESSEE

Sun Belt Conf Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #533 Monday - 10* Top Play UL-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (-) @ Arkansas Little Rock Trojans @ 9 ET Monday - The set-up here is fantastic. The Ragin Cajuns are highly motivated as they have revenge from the Trojans knocking them out of Sun Belt Conference tourney spring. Also, UL-Lafayette comes into this game off of a tight 3-point loss at Arkansas State but previously had won 10 of their last 11 games. They now visit Little Rock looking for revenge and they catch the Trojans off of an OT win @ UL-Monroe. That was the same Warhawks team that Arkansas-Little Rock had beaten last spring in the SBC tourney to make it to the Big Dance. Make no mistake that was an intense hard-fought win for the Trojans Saturday and now they won't be able to match the intensity of the hungry, revenge-minded Ragin Cajuns Monday night. Louisiana is 3-0 ATS as a favorite this season while the Trojans are a long-term 1-7 ATS in home games with a posted total between 145 and 149.5 points. Both teams lost some key personnel from last year's squads but the Ragin' Cajuns are a pleasant surprise so far this season and they are fired up for this revenge game. The set up is perfect. I'll take it! 10* UL-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns

Big Ten Network Smash - Rickenbach CBB Game #714 Sunday - 8* Illinois Illini (-) vs Ohio State Buckeyes @ 7 ET - This situation favors the Illini in many ways. Illinois is coming off of an embarrassing loss on Tuesday that saw them score only 59 points at Maryland. Of course that means extra motivation for the Illini here, not that they needed it. These teams have met 3 times in the past 2 seasons (once at OSU and once in Illinois) and the Buckeyes have taken all 3 meetings. This is the ideal spot for the Illini to put an end to that streak as, not only do they have home court, not only are they off of an embarrassing loss, Illinois is catching Ohio State after a 9-day break! The Buckeyes have a lot of rust to work off and, additionally, they have a huge game on deck with the Boilermakers. Ohio State lost at Purdue last season so they're looking for revenge in that game and, of course, the Boilermakers have the attention of all of the Big Ten right now as they are highly ranked. Even though OSU won both games with Illinois last season won came by just 2 points and the other one came in overtime. Those tight losses certainly show just how "close" the Illini were and this is the perfect spot for them to get over the hump. Illinois has a SU record of 29-12 in home games the past three seasons (including 7-1 this season) while Ohio State is only 8-13-1 ATS (9=13 SU) in road games the past three seasons. All the extra rest heading into this game is not something the Buckeyes are use to and they lost and failed to cover the only such game like this the past two seasons. This season they are 0-3 ATS in games with a posted total in the 130s. The Illini are on a 3-year run of 35-6 SU (and 25-14 ATS) in games in which they are a favorite. Look for the hungry revenging home team to get the job done here. 8* ILLINOIS Sunday

Philly's Finest Top - Rickenbach CBB Game #575 Saturday - 10* Top Play Temple Owls (+) @ Central Florida Knights @ 4 ET - Central Florida is currently playing with only six scholarship players because they have a number of transfers having to sit out and then they're also dealing with a couple of key injuries. The Knights are currently without Chance McSpadden and leading scorer BJ Taylor. While UCF is off of a win in their AAC opener, they had the benefit of facing a Tulane team that is now 3-10 on the season and easily the worst team in the conference. Temple is 0-1 in conference action after their loss to open up the AAC schedule so they'll be fired up to get back on track here. They shot horribly in that game but, keep in mind, they played Cincinnati and the Bearcats are one of the top teams in the conference. Overall, the Knights have the better record so far this season but the Owls have played the tougher schedule. Also, Temple has gone 4-0 the last 2 seasons against Central Florida. When off of a game where they scored 60 points or less, the Owls have gone 14-5 SU the past three seasons. This line is right around a pick'em so that trend certainly fits here and Temple is fired up after the ugly loss at Cincinnati. This game is expected to be a grind it out, low-scoring affair and UCF is only 2-5 SU in games with a posted total in the 120s while Temple has gone 18-8 SU the past three seasons in such games. Also, in home games with a total in the 120s, Central Florida is 0-3 ATS the past 3 seasons. More of the same here and the hungry Owls get the W over the short-handed Knights. 10* TEMPLE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #552 Saturday - 8* Delaware Blue Hens (+) vs Hofstra Pride @ 2 ET Saturday - This line opened up with Hofstra -3 but is now all the way up to a -6 in some spots this morning. I completely understand the move as Delaware is coming off of a 7-23 season and Hofstra has been hammering the Blue Hens in recent meetings. However, the Pride could be a little "rusty" here as they haven't played since the 22nd. Conversely, Delaware got back in action, after the Christmas break, by crushing Iona on Wednesday. The Blue Hens were a double digit dog in that game and won the game outright...very nearly by double digits as it ended up a 19 points cover for Delaware. Certainly the Blue Hens have a ways to go but they are still under-valued at this point so far this season. Keep in mind they are 7-6 on the  year so they've already equaled last season's win total. A big key has been a couple of key contributors that were not expected to be as "ready" as they have been. Freshman guard Ryan Daly is their leading scorer and Chivarsky Corbett has returned from an ACL injury and been a solid contributor as well. These players have joined returning starters Cazmon Hayes and Anthony Mosley and George Washington transfer Darian Bryant to give Delaware a strong core group of 5 players all capable of scoring double digits in each game. Corbett did miss Wednesday's game but is probable for this afternoon's game. The Blue Hens are 5-0 SU at home this season and also 3-0 ATS in games against teams with a winning record. The Pride are on a 7-14 ATS run in games with posted total in the 140s. Also, Hofstra is 1-4 SU their last 5 when playing with 7 or more days of rest between games. 8* DELAWARE

ESPN2 Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #723 Friday 8* West Virginia Mountaineers @ Oklahoma State Cowboys @ 4 ET - This is a significant revenge game for coach Bob Huggins and the Mountaineers. They were knocked out of the Big Dance by 14th seeded Stephen F Austin last spring. Why does that matter here? Because Oklahoma State is now coached by the former Lumberjacks coach, Brad Underwood. Certainly West Virginia (nor coach Huggins) have forgotten about the 70-56 dismantling they suffered at the hands of coach Underwood's team in March. It is time for a little payback here and the line (right around a pick'em) is certainly "ripe for the picking" in this one! Even though both teams are off to great starts this season (and I must say it is impressive what coach Underwood has done with a Cowboys team in rebuild mode) it gets "real" now as Big 12 conference play gets underway and this ranked Mountaineers team wants to make a statement and they have the depth and talent to do just that! The biggest difference between these teams is that West Virginia is allowing only 58.2 points per game while Oklahoma State is allowing 77.4 points per game! The Mountaineers have a long-term SU record of 19-2 in their games against teams allowing 77 points or more per game. West Virginia's offense has been strong this season and they are averaging 91.8 points per game. That is significant here because, even though the Cowboys offensive production has also been big early this season, OSU is 3-13 SU the past three seasons when facing teams averaging 77 points or more per game. So we have combined angles of 32-5 working in our favor but, truly with the revenge angle (coaches) and the more veteran and deeper team, we have all the key edges in this one. 8* WEST VIRGINIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #535 Thursday - 8* Evansville Purple Aces (+) @ Illinois State Redbirds @ 8 ET Thursday - The Purple Aces certainly lost a lot of key cogs from last year's roster. However, Evansville is still a quality team with a quality coach and they had some key replacements coming in including a transfer player that had sat out last season and now has been one of the Aces top contributors so far this season. What has impressed me about Evansville is that they've come out this season like a team with something to prove (due to all the roster turnover) and after an early adjustment phase they've certainly turned things up a notch. The Purple Aces are entering their conference opener on a 7-game winning streak. Also, two of the four losses that Evansville had earlier this season came by 4 points or less. Here we are getting a sizable amount of points considering that the Redbirds, though considered a top MVC team for this season, are only 6-4 so far on the young season. Illinois State did not shoot the ball well in the Hawaii tourney they just returned from and if they're shots aren't falling early in this game they could be in trouble here. The Purple Aces, thanks to a 7 game winning streak, are a very confident team and they've drained at least 46% of their shots from the field in 10 of their last 12 games! Also, the Aces were only held under 68 points twice in their last dozen games. Confident, scoring a lot of points, and out for revenge (Evansville lost at home to Illinois State last season plus the Redbirds knocked them out of the MVC tourney 2 years ago), the Purple Aces make for an ideal "dangerous" underdog! I am grabbing all the points I can get here! 8* EVANSVILLE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #539 Thursday - 8* Tennessee Volunteers (+) @ Texas A & M @ 7 ET Thursday - Head coach Rick Barnes is in his 2nd season at Tennessee. Though the Volunteers are certainly still rebuilding, they did notch a few victories over SEC rivals like Florida, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt last season. Though not a traditional SEC rival like those, Texas A & M is a team that absolutely has the full attention of coach Barnes. Keep in mind, he was at Texas for 15+ season before coming to Tennessee so he knows the Aggies very well as the Longhorns and Texas A & M are the biggest rivals in the state of Texas due to their many years together in the same conference. That said, even though a few things have changed, you can bet that this game, especially with it being the SEC opener, means an awful lot to coach Barnes and he's had a full week to prepare for this match-up. The Aggies have a slightly better record than the Vols so far this season but Tennessee has played the tougher schedule. Also, the Volunteers are 4-1 ATS as an underdog this season and 4-1 ATS in games against teams with a winning record. The Vols are also a perfect 3-0 ATS in road games this season. The Aggies are only 1-3 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record and they are 0-2 ATS this season when off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. The Vols battled hard at home last season against Texas A & M but fell just short in the 4-point loss. Barnes almost got the W against his long-time rival in that match-up. Even if he does fall short again, look for the Volunteers to at least get the cover here. 8* TENNESSEE

Contrarian Crusher - CBB Game #755 Wednesday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Iowa Hawkeyes (+) vs Purdue Boilermakers @ 8:30 ET - Many of you will recall that I used Iowa against Iowa State about 3 weeks ago in a game where nobody wanted the Hawkeyes as certainly it was the Cyclones that "made sense" in that match-up. The same key aspect in that game applies in this one as well. Even though Iowa is likely to have a "down year" and not be the team they've been in recent seasons, this is still an in-state rivalry game and there is no doubt that the Hawkeyes are going to bring their "A game" in this one. Iowa certainly has been playing solid defense of late and that has helped lead the way to a 5-game winning streak and 4-0-1 ATS run. The Hawkeyes have held 4 of their last 5 opponents (including Iowa State!) under 36% from the field. While I do expect Purdue to get revenge here (they lost both match-ups last season), I do not expect the Boilermakers to win by a sizable margin. With this line having jumped from 11.5 to 13.5 this morning, it has made this situation even stronger in favor of the big road dog. Purdue's only challenging games this season (where they weren't a double digit fave or it was not a non-lined game) have seen the Boilermakers go just 1-2 with a 5-point win over Notre Dame and losses to Louisville and Villanova. Now, of course, I am not saying that the Hawkeyes are on par with those teams but the point is that this is a quality Big Ten basketball program that is going to bring a huge effort and that will very likely lead to this one playing out to a similar margin (5 points) seen in the Fighting Irish game. By the way, the Boilermakers did allow at least 48% from the field in all 3 of those games. The Hawkeyes have really stepped up their defensive efforts recently (spurred on by the win over Cyclones) and I look for that trend to continue here. Purdue has a long-term 4-8 ATS mark in games with a posted total in the 150 to 159.5 range. The Hawkeyes enter on a 4-0-1 ATS run and stay hot at the cashiers window tonight! 10* IOWA

Big Ten Network Smash - CBB Game #738 - Rickenbach 8* Indiana Hoosiers (-) vs Nebraska Cornhuskers @ 6:30 ET Wednesday - While the points look big here, keep in mind this is Indiana's Big Ten opener and they have a conference game on deck. In other words, there will be no let-up from the Hoosiers in this one and, that said, they have the talent level and depth to absolutely bury Nebraska. Indiana has 10 wins this season and 8 of those came by a margin of 22 points or more. The only two victories that the Hoosiers have had by smaller margins came against North Carolina and Kansas. Of course those are two of the top programs in the nation so smaller victory margins in those games was understandable. That said, the Cornhuskers should be another team to join Indiana's "22 point club" as the Hoosiers get another win by at least that margin here. Indiana averages 89 points per game this season and the Huskers average 69 points and just don't have the offensive firepower to keep up here with all the weapons that the Hoosiers have. Most concerning for Nebraska here is that their defense has regressed. Even though their last 4 games have included easy opponents like Southern U and Gardner Webb, the Huskers have allowed more than 50% from the field against their last four opponents combined. With depth and with this being a conference opener, the Hoosiers should win this one going away and will never really take their foot off of the gas here. By the way, Indiana's D (38% from the field) has also been fantastic this season. The Cornhuskers are on an 18-35 ATS run against teams with a winning record and 0-3 ATS when playing with 7 or more days of rest between games. The Hoosiers are 5-2 ATS at home this season and on a 13-7 ATS run in December games. They have also won and covered each of the last 3 meetings between the teams. 8* INDIANA

Tourney Top Play - Rickenbach CBB 10* Top Play San Francisco Dons (+) vs San Diego State Aztecs in Diamond Head Classic @ Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, HI @ 8 ET Sunday - The Dons have certainly exceed expectations early this season and the way they've won their two games in this Diamond Head Classic certainly says a lot about this team. They beat Utah with a strong offensive performance (shot 52.5% and won 89-86) and then beat Illinois State with a huge effort on defense (held Redbirds to 30.3% and won 66-58). San Francisco is now 10-2 on the season and their two losses have come by 6 points or less. That said, getting 5 points with the Dons in the Diamond Head Classic Championship Game is the way to go here. San Francisco has played a similar strength of schedule to that of San Diego State and they are only 7-4 on the season. The Aztecs faced weaker competition in this tourney however as they were a 20 point favorite in one game and also were favored in the other. The Dons were a sizable dog in both of their games in this tournament. The Aztecs were on a 1-5 ATS run before their win Friday and the losses of Winston Shepard and Skylar Spencer have been tougher to overcome than most expected. The Aztecs are on a 2-11 ATS run in December games the past three seasons and the Dons are on a 6-1 ATS run in neutral court games the past three seasons. Give me the points with the highly motivated underdog (lost 2 prior meetings with Aztecs) that is surging with confidence right now. 10* SAN FRANCISCO 

Contrarian Crusher - CBB Game #742 Friday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Oakland Grizzlies (+) vs Georgia Bulldogs @ 7 ET - Nice situational aspects to this one. Oakland is off of a tough loss to in-state rival Michigan State. The Bulldogs are off of an easy win over in-state rival Georgia Tech. Georgia has had to travel. Oakland has stayed in their home state. The situational advantage is clearly in favor of the Grizzlies here and they also have revenge for a tight loss to Georgia in last year's meeting which also took place in December. The past three seasons combined the Bulldogs are an ugly 5-13 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. Long-term that run is an ugly 48-77 ATS with those same parameters so, as you can see, it's no fluke. As for Oakland, the Grizzlies have gone 22-8 ATS the past three seasons combined when they are an underdog. In their games against teams with a winning record, Oakland has gone 27-13 ATS. The Grizzlies have shot surprisingly poor in back to back games that occurred on back to back days. Now, after a day of rest, Oakland will be ready with fresh legs and I look for their hot shooting (in the high 40's with FG % their first 10 games this year) to resume tonight at home. Note that the Bulldogs have been held to 64 points or less in 3 of their 4 games played away from Georgia this season. More of the same here. 10* Top Play OAKLAND

CBB Game #531 Thursday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play LSU Tigers (+) @ Wake Forest Demon Deacons @ 9 ET - This line has gone from 8 to now double digits and the situation is offering exceptional value on the big dog. LSU only lost by 6 points to Wake Forest last season and yes this game is now on the road rather than at home but the fact is that the Tigers were outscored by 18 points on 3 pointers and that was the difference in the game. The Demon Deacons knocked down 8 threes in last season's match-up while LSU was held to an uncharacteristic 2 of 14 performance from three point land. Both teams come into this season's match-up with 8 wins but the Demon Deacons are off of a disheartening loss to Xavier in a game Wake Forest badly wanted. The fact is that Wake Forest is still a young team and that shows a lot of promise for the future but they still have struggled this season in games where they've had a chance to make a statement. They got the cover at Xavier but they lost the other two games both SU and ATS in which they've been dogs this season. Now, of course I realize Wake Forest is not a dog here but the point I am making is that they truly don't have a "signature win" yet this season as they also lost to Villanova and Northwestern. Now certainly LSU has had it's share of issues, including last year's frustrating finish but the fact is this is still a solid SEC program and I am going to challenge Wake Forest to not only win this game but to blow out the Tigers. I just don't see that happening. The Demon Deacons haven't proven capable of dismantling an opponent on the level of LSU yet this season and the Tigers have some added confidence from an 8-2 start this season and I expect them to stay within single digits all the way in this one. Overall, LSU has shot the ball just as well as Wake Forest this season and their defense has been even slightly better than that of the Demon Deacons. LSU is on a long-term run of 19-11 ATS as a road dog of 6.5 to 9 points and now this line has even moved up into double digits! A lot of points expected here and Wake Forest is 9-16 ATS (and 7-18 SU) in games with a posted total in the 150s. The Tigers are in this one all the way. 10* LSU TIGERS

CBB Game #561 Thursday - Rickenbach 8* DePaul Blue Demons (+) vs Wyoming Cowboys in Las Vegas Classic @ Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, NV @ 8:30 ET - The Cowboys burned me recently when they had a surprising blowout win over Cornell but quickly came back down to earth with a non-covering win over Troy in their next game. Not including the blowout win over the Big Red, Wyoming's other 3 recent wins have come by an average margin of victory of just 5 points per game. The 2 opponents, besides Troy, were Montana and Colorado Christian. The point is that Wyoming is not exactly a dominant team and yet they sit at 9-2 on the season and are now laying points in a neutral site game against a quality DePaul team. The Blue Demons, though annually near the bottom of their conference, come from the Big East which is loaded with basketball talent. DePaul struggles in conference action as a result but non-conference action is a different story. The Blue Demons have a winning record in non-conference games the past 3 seasons combined and that includes a 7-4 mark so far this season. Wyoming is on a 13-22 ATS run as a favorite and the Blue Demons have seen forward Tre'Darius McCallum continue to "step up" this season and the backcourt tandem of Eli Cain and Billy Garrett, Jr (both 6'6 guards) will give the Cowboys some match-up issues. Cain has been shooting very well while Garrett continues to get to the free throw line with great regularity and this has given defenses problems trying to stop the drive but respect the perimeter shooting of DePaul's outside shooters. The Cowboys strong early start (albeit against weak competition) is masking the fact that this is still a team in rebuild mode. 8* DEPAUL BLUE DEMONS 

CBB Game #528 Thursday - Rickenbach 8* North Texas Mean Green (-) vs San Diego Toreros @ 8 ET - San Diego has won 4 straight games and they have covered 3 straight games. However, the Toreros schedule has been weak this month. On the season, when a dog of 5 points or more, San Diego has lost all 3 games and all were double digit defeats with an average margin of defeat of 17 points per loss. The Mean Green are 6-2 SU at home this season and, like the Toreros, have played mostly a weak early season schedule. However, I like the fact that North Texas is catching San Diego in their first trip east of Arizona. The point is that this won't be an easy travel spot (especially right before Christmas) for a Toreros team that has only won 6 of 27 road games the past 3 seasons combined. The Mean Green, in home games with a posted total in the 135 to 139.5 range, are on a 3-1 SU (and ATS) run. North Texas won, but was disappointed with their effort on defense, Tuesday and the Mean Green will respond Thursday with a huge effort in what is their final game until New Year's Eve. 8* NORTH TEXAS

CBB Game #721 Wednesday - Rickenbach 8* St John's Red Storm (+) @ Syracuse Orange @ 7 ET - Syracuse just absolutely demolished Eastern Michigan on Monday 105-57. However, so often, after a blowout win like that where everything breaks your way, things can be come so much tougher in the next game. That said, tonight's game is truly the perfect set-up for such struggles as the Orange are facing a Red Storm team that has been a bit of a nemesis for them. That means Syracuse has two battles to fight tonight. One is fatigue as the Orange will be playing their 3rd game in 5 nights. The other battle is in trying to knock off a St John's team that has defeated them by 12 points in each of the last two meetings. As for Syracuse being able to absolutely dominate tonight and cover this large spread, note that the Red Storm have covered 9 of the last 11 meetings between these teams. Also, the Orange have Tyler Lydon listed as questionable for tonight's game. Syracuse is only 4-8 ATS when they are off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. Also, St John's has been at their best in their toughest games this season as they have already covered 4 of 6 against teams with a winning record. More of the same for the Red Storm this evening. 8* ST JOHN'S

CBB Game #771 Wednesday - Rickenbach 8* Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks (+) @ Pittsburgh Panthers @ 7 ET - Those who follow my CBB closely know there are two key reasons why I am fading the Panthers here. One is that Pittsburgh absolutely burned me badly this past weekend against Rice. Those who played it late got a win with Rice at +10.5 but it was a loss in my books for certain as I released it at +9.5 and what a burner it was. The Owls were in the game all the way and then Pitt did pull away late but still it was an 8 point game with about 30 seconds to go when Rice then missed BOTH free throws and Pitt followed by making BOTH free throws. It was the only way I could lose that play and I'll be damned if it didn't happen. Anyway, the other reason I am involved as followers know is that I do like taking high-scoring big dogs and Nebraska-Omaha certainly fits that description as they were top 5 in the nation for pace last year and are averaging 83 points per game so far this year. This gives us two chances to win a play like this essentially because part of it is that the Mavericks can score well enough to hang around all game long. However, part two is that even if the Mavs do get down by 15 to 20 points there is that opportunity for late scoring runs to get them in the backdoor. I expect Omaha to hang around in this game as Pittsburgh shot a ridiculous 64.4% from the field against Rice and yet still only won by 10 points. It is no fluke either as the Panthers also shot 54.5% from Buffalo a few games back and yet only beat the Bulls by 5 points. Of course the reason is that the Panthers D just isn't what it use to be and they will have their hands full with the Mavericks here. Omaha thrives in games like this with an 11-5 ATS mark in road games with a posted total in the 160s. The Panthers are on a 14-31 ATS run as a favorite and they are again over-priced here. 8* NEBRASKA-OMAHA 

CBB Game #728 Wednesday - 10* Top Play Michigan State Spartans (-) vs Oakland (Mich) Grizzlies @ 7 ET - The Grizzlies are 9-2 on the season and the Spartans are only 7-5. However, Michigan State has played a very tough early season schedule while Oakland has played a very weak early season schedule. That is skewing the market in this one and it has led to exceptional value with the Big Ten team who is far too proud to not bring a huge effort tonight against this Horizon League team. This is an in-state match-up and the Spartans have won all 13 meetings the past 20 years. That said, we're getting exceptional line value here with this one dropping all the way down to a -6 on Michigan State. Take a look at the last two meetings as an example of the disparity between these teams in terms of talent level and how that translates to how the games play out on the floor. In last season's meeting the Grizzlies actually led by 13 at the half. However, the Spartans then outscored them by 19 points the rest of the way. In the prior season's meeting Michigan State was up by 13 points at half and then outscored them by another 13 in the 2nd half in the 26 point win. The fact is that, even if one perceives this to be a "down season" for the Spartans, they have dominated the Grizzlies in the past and they don't have to be truly "dominant" for us to get the cash in this one. That has me raising this one to Top Play level. The Spartans are 4-2 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record. Michigan State will be ready to respond off of a loss to Northeastern Sunday and they have the rest edge over Oakland here as the Grizzlies just did battle with Northeastern yesterday! Plus the Grizzlies have another game on deck before Christmas (versus Georgia Friday) while this is the Spartans only chance (before the Christmas break) to respond off of a disappointing loss. 10* MICHIGAN STATE

TV Top Play - CBB Game #541 Tuesday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Creighton Blue Jays (-) @ Arizona State Sun Devils @ 9 ET - Laying 8 on the road against a Pac-12 team with a good reputation may seem a little "scary" on the surface but this is the perfect spot for the Blue Jays. They just survived a scare at home (against Oral Roberts) and snuck out a 1-point victory. Creighton doesn't play again until after Christmas and you can be sure that they learned the lesson in their tight win over Oral Roberts and now will be be prepared to blowout the Sun Devils in this one. Arizona State beat the Blue Jays at Creighton by a bucket last December so this is a revenge game for the road fave here. Creighton is the better team on defense and an inconsistent Sun Devils team went from bad to worse as their starting small forward recently left the team. The Blue Jays only scored 66 points against Oral Roberts Saturday and the only other two times they have been held under 80 points this season they responded with big wins in their next game and scored over 100 points in each contest. This included a big win over another Pac-12 team, Washington State, and that certainly is an indication of what to expect for Creighton tonight at Arizona State. The Blue Jays have covered 5 of 7 this season against teams with a winning record. The Sun Devils have gone an ugly 2-5 ATS against teams with a winning record. Revenge is on order tonight at Arizona State as the dangerous Blue Jays offense (53.8% from the field, 89.3 points per game, 44.4% from beyond the arc) responds off of a rare, poor performance. 10* Top Play CREIGHTON

Watch-n-Win Crusher - CBB Game #711 Monday - Rickenbach 8* Eastern Michigan Eagles (+) @ Syracuse Orange @ 7 ET - As always, Syracuse is a "dangerous" team but they lost a lot of firepower (to say the least!) from an Orange team that was in the Final Four last season. The key to the value here is that last year's team is still fresh in the memory of the marketplace and Syracuse continues to have a tendency of being over-priced. I believe that is precisely the case here as the Orange are priced at more than a dozen in this one against an Eastern Michigan team that is one of the top teams in MAC. Yes, of course, the MAC is not the ACC but the point is that this Eagles team has a veteran-laden roster with strong guard play and a key to being competitive against a Jim Boeheim coached team is having veteran floor leaders and a solid backcourt. The Eagles have that covered and I look for them to be a tough "out" for the Orange tonight. Even though Syracuse is off of a loss this is a tough scheduling spot as they just played on Saturday. Yes it is true that Eastern Michigan also just played on Saturday as well but, keep in mind, the Eagles aren't the ones being asked to cover a large number in this game! Eastern Michigan is shooting 47% on the season and averaging 85 points per game. Certainly the Eagles defense is not on par with that of the Orange but their offense is dangerous and they can trade buckets with the Orange throughout this game. I look for Syracuse, off of a loss, to be content to "grind out a win" here and I don't see them covering this large number against a talented Eagles team. Also, the Orange have another game (St John's) on deck for Wednesday so this is part of a 3 games in 5 days stretch for Syracuse and Boeheim will manage the players' minutes accordingly. Conversely, Eastern Michigan has a small school on deck and that game is not until Thursday so the Eagles are "all in" for this game tonight! The Orange are 0-3 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record while the Eagles are already 3-1 ATS on the season. Those trends continue here. 8* EASTERN MICHIGAN

Contrarian Crusher - CBB Game #531 Sunday - Rickenbach 8* Western Michigan Broncos (+) @ Washington Huskies @ 8 ET - The Broncos and Huskies both are below .500 so far this season and certainly the Huskies are the better team from the bigger conference. However, I view this as a very difficult spot for Washington to cover a large impost. They've been off for over a week. So too have the Broncos but they're not being asked to cover a big number like the Huskies are. The last time Washington had a week of rest they then got blasted by 27 against Gonzaga as they had their worst shooting night of the season. They're a rather young team which can make the time off even more difficult. As for Western Michigan, they returned four starters from last season's team and they're early season schedule has been just as difficult as the Huskies so don't underestimate them here. Both teams lack in terms of defense but the Broncos can put up big points and that will allow them to trade buckets with the Huskies throughout this game in my opinion. The points are simply too much here for Washington in what is a challenging situation for an offense to be in rhythm. The Broncos are 7-4 ATS in their games against teams averaging 77 points or more per game. Washington is on a 4-7 ATS run in games after having 5 or 6 days of rest between games. 8* WESTERN MICHIGAN

Non-Conf Game of the Month - CBB Game #747 Saturday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Rice Owls (+) @ Pittsburgh Panthers @ 7 ET - There is no doubt about it that even though these teams are both 8-2 on the season, the Panthers have played the much tougher schedule. However, with winning comes a lot of confidence and the Owls are filled with confidence right now. Keep in mind, this is a Rice team that returned their top five scorers from last season's team plus they brought back Marcus Jackson who had missed all of last season. So, essentially, the Owls brought back 6 top scorers as in the 2014-15 season, Jackson had averaged 14.5 points per game. Even though the Panthers have a decided edge in the frontcourt in this match-up, the weakness of Pittsburgh is that they do have some vulnerability to athletic backcourts and the Owls are certainly 'stacked' in that department! Not only is Rice full of confidence with an 8-2 record, note that their two losses came by a TOTAL of just three points! The Panthers are coming off of a full week off as they have not played since last Saturday when they defeated Penn State. That makes this a tough spot for Pittsburgh because it is tough to just hit the court and be firing on all cylinders after a long layoff and so being asked to win by 10 points or more here is asking a lot! 5 of the Panthers 8 wins this season have come by 8 points or less. They're not known for blowing teams out and lost key personnel from last season's team. Pittsburgh is actually on an ugly 12-23 ATS run in home games and poor 14-30 ATS run as a favorite. The Owls are a perfect 3-0 ATS as an underdog this season and head coach Mike Rhoades is in his 3rd season now and this team is starting to put it together as many teams often do when in the 3rd campaign of a coaching transition. 10* RICE OWLS plus the points Saturday evening

Contrarian Crusher - CBB Game #739 Saturday - Rickenbach 8* Cornell Big Red (+) @ Wyoming Cowboys @ 6 ET - The Cowboys will likely be a popular choice Saturday because Cornell has not played since November 30th! However, this is the "annual exam break" that the Big Red have and so it is not something they are completely unfamiliar with. Also, Cornell returned 97% of their statistical contributors from last season's team in terms of minutes, points, assists, and rebounds. The point is that this is more of a veteran team and they are familiar with having this long layoff between games. The Big Red have won 2 of their last 4 games and in the 0-3 stretch that started their season they lost those games by an average margin of just 7 points. That is significant here because Wyoming has not been blowing out teams this season. The Cowboys, though 7-2 on the season and though having played an easier schedule than Cornell, have seen their last 6 wins come by an average margin of only 6.7 points per game and NONE of the wins came by more than a dozen points. Also, it is hard to blowout an opponent when a team has had extra rest and the Cowboys have been off since playing last Saturday. When Wyoming enters a game having had 5 or 6 days of rest between games they have gone 0-5 ATS! Also, speaking of a failure to blowout lesser foes, the Cowboys are known for overlooking teams as they are 4-15 ATS the past three seasons in their games against teams with a losing record. First year Cornell coach Brian Earl (a star player at Princeton not too long ago) has brought a new energy and new attitude to this Big Red team and a trip to Spain in August (went 3-0) helped this team bond quicker with its new coaching staff. I know the Big Red record does not look good so far this season but they are starting to turn the corner and this team will not quit and that makes for a dangerous dog in a spot like this with Wyoming likely coming in sluggish. The Big Red are 28-14 ATS long-term in December games and they add another W to that record here. 8* CORNELL BIG RED early Saturday evening

High Noon Showdown - CBB Game #767 Saturday - Rickenbach 8* Arizona Wildcats (+) vs Texas A & M Aggies @ Lone Star Shootout @ Honda Center in Houston, Texas @ Noon ET - Even though this neutral site location certainly favors the Aggies in their home state, it still is not Texas A & M's home court. Don't be surprised if that ends up being an issue for A & M because they'll be facing arguably the toughest defense they've seen all season and I look for the Aggies to struggle to knock down shots in this one. After this line opened up at a pick'em it has now gone as high as a -3.5 on the Aggies and I see huge value on the underdog Wildcats as a result. Arizona, under Sean Miller, is well-coached and coming off of an easier portion of their schedule that allowed them to rest up some after a grueling start to the year. Though they are young, Arizona is playing extremely well and also has good size to match-up well with the Aggies solid frontcourt. That is another key to this match-up and is an area that the Cats should enjoy success in. The Wildcats have held 7 of their last 9 opponents to 40% or less from the field. The Aggies just allowed South Carolina State (!) to hit 43.8% from the field and, in their most recent game against a tougher team (ULCA), Texas A & M allowed the Bruins to hit 47.5% from the field. The Wildcats also are the better three point shooting team in comparison with the Aggies and Arizona defends the 3-point shot much better than A & M as well. The Wildcats are 3-0 SU and ATS against the SEC the past three seasons. Texas A & M is only on a 5-5 ATS run in December games while the Wildcats have dominated with an 11-6 ATS mark and 15-2 SU mark in the month of December. 8* ARIZONA WILDCATS early Saturday

Dam City Classic - CBB Game #525 Friday - 10* Top Play South Dakota Coyotes (+) vs Portland Pilots @ Moda Center in Portland, OR @ 8:30 ET - The Pilots returned much of their playing rotation from last season's team but they have a rookie head coach in former NBA player Terry Porter. The Coyotes lost all 5 starters from last year but are a bit of a "hidden gem" as coach Craig Smith (in his 6th season) brought in 3 Division 1 transfers prior to this season. That is a big edge for South Dakota as they brought in Matt Mooney (from Air Force), Carlton Hurst (from Colorado State), and Trey Dickerson (from Iowa). Keep in mind those guys are from much bigger programs than the Summit League that the Coyotes play in and even bigger schools than the West Coast Conference where Portland resides. That said, I am not surprised that South Dakota is already 7-2 ATS this season and I would also not be surprised to see them upset Portland in this game. Even though this game is being played in Portland it is not the Pilots home venue. That said, don't expect the Pilots offense to necessarily light it up here from downtown and they do rely heavily on their three point shooting. The Coyotes thrive in games projected to be higher scoring. In games with a posted total in the 140 to 149.5 range, South Dakota has gone 12-5 ATS the past three seasons while the Pilots have a 4-12 SU record in games with a posted total in that same range over the same time period. Also, both of these teams come in with extra rest and the Coyotes are 4-1 ATS when playing with 5 or 6 days of rest. The Pilots are on a 6-12 ATS run when playing with 7 or more days of rest. Also, when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more, Portland has gone 0-2 ATS this season and an ugly 4-13 ATS the past three seasons combined. The Pilots are off of a big win but previously had lost 3 of their last 4 games. The Coyotes come into this game having covered three straight games. Look for them to make it 4 straight as they are playing very well (and with confidence) under coach Smith who just celebrated his birthday with the team and now this will be the proverbial "icing on the cake" here. 10* SOUTH DAKOTA Friday night

Earliest Cash - CBB Game #712 Thursday - Rickenbach 8* George Washington Colonials (-) vs Central Florida Knights @ 7 ET - The Knights were already worried about a thin bench coming into the season and now the injuries to B.J. Taylor (#1 scorer) and Chance McSpadden (solid reserve) have exasperated the situation. Central Florida is off to a surprisingly strong start this season but they are coming off of a loss where they scored just 49 points and that could be a sign of things to come with Taylor out. Making this situation even worse for the Knights thin rotation is the fact that this will be their 3rd game in 5 days. UCF got blasted at home by the Colonials last December and now they have to face them at George Washington this December. The Colonials have won 4 of their last 5 games (including a big upset win of Temple). The only loss during this stretch was to Florida State and George Washington was a double digit dog for that game so it was expected. This is the Colonials "time of year" and they are proving it once again with their high level of play this month. They are 15-3 SU (and 10-6 ATS) in December games the past three seasons combined. The Knights are on a 5-8 ATS run in December games and they're really hurting without B.J. Taylor. George Washington won by 17 at Central Florida last season and while I expect this game to be closer, the margin should still be plenty for the cover. 7'6 300 lb Tacko Fall has certainly emerged in his sophomore season for the Knights but the Colonials have good size all over the floor and they did a great job against Fall in last season's match-up too. 8* GEORGE WASHINGTON Thursday

Earliest Cash - CBB Game #525 Wednesday - Rickenbach 8* St Joseph's Hawks (+) @ Princeton Tigers @ 5 ET - Both teams are 4-4 so far this season. Although Princeton is at home for this one and the Tigers have the better defensive stats on the season, they have played the easier schedule. In other words, St Joseph's is undervalued here. They are getting significant points even though they've faced some tough competition and have gone 14-5 ATS in game with a posted total in the 130 to 139.5 range the past 3 seasons combined. Certainly the Hawks are in rebuilding mode after losing their 3 leading scorers from last season's team. However, St Joseph's turned the corner with their win at Drexel Sunday and that helps build confidence for this "still developing" team that is certainly well-coached under Phil Martelli who is in his 22nd year with the Hawks in Philly. The fact that St Joseph's has failed to cover 5 straight games is helping to inflate this line. Princeton has struggled every time they've stepped up in level of competition this season. The Tigers only wins are against Liberty, Hawaii, Rowan, and Lafayette. You may think Hawaii was a "big win" but Princeton was a double digit favorite for a reason in that one. Hawaii is only 4-5 on the season and their wins were against weak teams. The Tigers did return their full rotation from last year's team and that certainly helps them but this is still "Ivy League basketball" and the boys from Philly will have something to say about that in this ultra early game Wednesday. Princeton is on a 6-12 ATS run in non-conference action the past 3 seasons combined and they again appear to be over-priced here. 8* ST JOSEPH'S

PA Insider 10* - CBB Game #713 Tuesday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Temple Owls (+) @ Villanova Wildcats @ 7 ET - This is one of those Big Five games in Philly and this one is being played on the Main Line as Villanova does battle with Temple. With those not from the area or not familiar with the "Big Five" series it certainly is a big deal in the Philadelphia area. This is why, even though Villanova is currently ranked #1 in the nation and also are the reigning NCAA Champs, I have no qualms about backing the Owls in this spot. Temple won't be intimidated all in this big game and the points are simply too much here as I expect the Owls to be able to stay within single digits throughout this game. They recently welcomed back senior guard Josh Brown and he's gradually been increasing his minutes (and his overall production) in each of the four games since returning from the injury to his left Achilles. In his absence, Shizz Alston has done a great job with the ball handling and that has made the rotation even deeper in the backcourt. Daniel Dingle is a solid swingman who is a great defender and then big man Obi Enechionyia is having a huge season with big scoring (including knocking down big threes) and his rebounding and shot blocking. The point is that, while Temple is certainly not on the same level as Villanova (of course!), they definitely are a well-rounded team with good inside-out balance and they are very well coached under Fran Dunphy who is in the 28th year of his career. The Owls play solid defense and they also (just like Villanova) are knocking down 39% of their threes so far this season. The 3-ball also helps big dogs to "hang around" in a game and I like the balanced attack of Temple to make them a dangerous dog in this one. The Owls are already 5-0 ATS as an underdog this season and they've gone 9-2 ATS the last 3 seasons combined in their games against teams that are averaging 77 points or more per game. The Wildcats are 1-4 ATS this season as a favorite of 14 points or more. 10* Top Play TEMPLE OWLS Tuesday evening

Bulldog's Best - CBB Game #520 Monday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Seton Hall Pirates (-) vs South Carolina Gamecocks @ 9 ET - The Gamecocks rallied, as teams often do, in their first game without star player, forward Sindarius Thornwell, who is current suspended. South Carolina "rallied the troops" and everyone was anxious to "pick up the slack" and the Gamecocks won 70-54 in their first game without him. That brings South Carolina to a perfect 8-0 on the season. However, that win came against Florida International and it was over a week ago. Not only could there be some "rust" here for the Gamecocks, they also are facing a much tougher foe in what will be just their 2nd game without Thornwell. Seton Hall is a solid 7-2 on the season and the Pirates brought most everybody back from the team that knocked off Villanova in the Big East tourney last spring. The point is that this is a solid Big East team that also, unlike South Carolina, has all hands on deck! Seton Hall will be playing their 4th game so far this month so, unlike the Gamecocks, there will be no rust for the Pirates. Seton Hall wrapped up a Hawaii trip on Wednesday so they've had ample time to come back and adjust their body clocks as they've had the ideal amount of rest leading into this game. Enough time off to be rested but not so much that they're not game-ready! The Pirates are amped up about an opportunity to knock off a ranked, undefeated foe. They'll be the hungrier team tonight in a game where South Carolina will really miss Thornwell. The Gamecocks have a long-term mark of 5-14 ATS when playing with 7 or more days of rest. The Pirates are 13-3 ATS when they are off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. 10* Top Play SETON HALL PIRATES Monday night

Earliest Cash - CBB Game #518 Monday - Rickenbach 8* Boston College Eagles (+) vs Auburn Tigers @ 6:30 ET - The Tigers certainly are the better team but they've been off since December 3rd and, in fact, this will be just the 2nd game for Auburn since they played on November 29th. This is the kind of "lull" in the action that can lead to "rust" and that certainly makes it difficult to win by a double digit margin in a neutral site game against an ACC foe. Boston College is definitely one of the worst teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference but they have an edge here in that they are a 3-point shooting team (39% on the season) and they are playing their 4th game in the past 10 days. The Eagles, unlike the Tigers, are in a good playing "rhythm" and I expect them to hang tough in this game. After this one Boston College has a weak team on deck and that game is almost a full week away so they certainly want to make this one count. The Eagles have lost two straight but both defeats came by 8 points or less. Auburn has won 3 of their last 4 but all 3 wins came by a margin of 7 points or less. In games with a posted total in the 140s the Tigers have gone 9-16 (36%) ATS. The Eagles are a long-term 7-3 (70%) ATS in neutral court games with a posted total between 145 and 149.5 points. 8* BOSTON COLLEGE early Monday evening

Contrarian Crusher - CBB Game #735 Sunday - Rickenbach 8* UC-Irvine Anteaters (+) @ St Mary's Gaels @ 8 ET - Clearly the Gaels - ranked team from a bigger conference - are the better team in this match-up. However, I am using the same premise I used earlier this week when Colorado upset Xavier and that's "unbeaten letdown". The Musketeers had just suffered their first loss of the season and while many looked for them to bounce back, Xavier was sluggish and ended up losing outright to the Buffaloes. Now, in this case, I certainly don't expect an outright upset, but I do expect this game to be much closer than many expected. Keep in mind, St Mary's just lost by 14 points as a 15 point favorite so the Gaels were way off the mark. That was on Thursday and now this will be just their 2nd game this month so it's not completely surprising that St Mary's is having some issues with being a little "rusty" so far in December. They're taking on a Cal-Irvine team that is off of a game against a weak foe but the blowout win still helps in terms of confidence-building and the Anteaters shot the ball very well in that game. UC-Irvine is actually playing better defense (in terms of FG % allowed) so far this season in comparison with the Gaels. Also, the Anteaters have lost the last two match-ups with St Mary's by a TOTAL of only 13 points and here they are getting more than that in this game. With the low O/U number posted on this game you can see that a low-scoring game is expected here and I just don't see the Gaels getting the margin they need to cover this. Note that St Mary's is already 0-2 ATS a home fave of 12.5 points or more this season. The Anteaters thrive at the betting window in games like this as they are 8-2 ATS in games against teams that are allowing less than 64 points per game. Look for a tight, low-scoring battle to make the big points the way to go in this one. 8* UC-IRVINE ANTEATERS Sunday evening

Top Play Smash - CBB Game #564 Saturday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Ohio State Buckeyes (-) vs Connecticut Huskies @ 6 ET - Big revenge game for OSU as they got embarrassed in a 20-point loss to Connecticut last season. The Huskies simply shot "lights out" in that game and that was the difference as the Buckeyes only made 35.7% of their shots and UConn topped 60% which, of course, is very unusual. The set up for this game Saturday is perfect because there is much more to it than just the revenge angle. The Buckeyes are off of an embarrassing home loss to Florida Atlantic. Ohio State lost that game by a bucket and they were a 20-point favorite in the game! The Buckeyes were clearly looking ahead to this game. As for the Huskies, they are off of a huge upset win over Syracuse. That makes Connecticut ripe for a letdown here and that was the 2nd straight game that the Huskies have shot poorly and have been held under 53 points. Both of these clubs are solid defensively but Ohio State is the much better team on offense with better shooters and better overall point production. In road games with a posted total of 130 to 134.5 points, the Huskies have gone 5-18 ATS. With the low total posted on this game you can see that the odds maker are expecting a bit of a grudge match here and Connecticut simply won't be able to keep up with Ohio State on the score board. The Buckeyes are 7-1 SU (and 46-7 SU long-term) in home games with a posted total in a range of 130 to 134.5 points and OSU is fired up for revenge here. That said, I am forecasting not only the SU win but a big, dominating revenge win by double digits. 10* Top Play OHIO STATE BUCKEYES for a Smash of the spread in this one early Saturday evening

Rivalry Rout - CBB Game #537 Saturday - Rickenbach 8* Wisconsin Badgers (-) @ Marquette Golden Eagles @ 2 PM ET - Revenge game for the Badgers as they lost a tight one to the Golden Eagles last December. Wisconsin attempted 20 more shots than did Marquette in that game but the Eagles simply shot lights out and that was the difference in the victory - albeit just a two point margin. The Badgers are the more experienced team in this year's match-up and they come in shooting the ball very well as Wisconsin has made at least 49% from the field in 4 straight games. Marquette has also shot the ball well but the Badgers have faced the tougher competition. In the Golden Eagles three most recent games against tougher competition they were held to 46% against Georgia and 40% in each of their games against Pittsburgh and Michigan. Note that Wisconsin's recent hot streak shooting has included games against Oklahoma and Syracuse. The Badgers also should hold a big rebounding edge in this match-up. Wisconsin is 5-1 SU (and 4-2 ATS) as a favorite this season. The Golden Eagles are on a 13-27 ATS run in home games and are an ugly 5-11 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. 8* WISCONSIN BADGERS minus the short number Saturday

Rivalry Rout - CBB Game #520 Thursday - Rickenbach 8* Iowa Hawkeyes (+) vs Iowa State Cyclones @ 8 ET - How can Iowa possibly make up for last season when they blew a 20 point lead at Iowa State? As the saying goes, turnabout is fair play! The Hawkeyes are again the unranked team, but they are now at home, and battling their ranked in-state rival. Iowa State comes into this game with the better record and certainly (on paper) would seem to be the play in this game. However, as the Cyclones well know, the game isn't played "on paper" and just like they rallied for an improbable win over the Hawkeyes last season, don't be surprised if underdog Iowa is the one getting the last laugh this season. That crazy win (came with 9 seconds left) last season was the 3rd straight win for the Cyclones in this series. Iowa State has never won 4 straight in the series. Also, although the Cyclones have certainly been the better team on defense so far this season, the Hawkeyes can put up big points (just like Iowa State does) and you can bet that Iowa is going to bring their most intense defensive effort so far this season in tonight's huge rivalry game. Certainly the Hawkeyes are very well coached under veteran Fran McCaffery. Iowa State has gone 3-7 ATS in road games with a posted total of 155 to 159.5 points. The Cyclones are also 1-4 ATS against teams with a losing record and, surprisingly, are also a long-term 6-13 ATS when they face a poor defensive team (allowing an average of 77 points or more per game). Iowa is 12-6 ATS as a home dog of 3.5 to 6 points and also is 31-8 SU in home games the last 2+ seasons. Revenge time. 8* IOWA HAWKEYES plus the points Thursday 

Rivalry Rout - CBB Game #745 Wednesday - Rickenbach 8* Creighton Blue Jays (-) @ Nebraska Cornhuskers @ 9 ET - The Blue Jays are undefeated so far this season and they undoubtedly will get tripped up soon but I don't see that happening tonight and will take advantage of the downward line move that has occurred on this one. Creighton has held the upper hand in this series with Nebraska for many years. Currently the run for the Blue Jays is 15-5 ATS the last 20. Certainly the Cornhuskers would love nothing more than to be the ones to put the first blemish on Creighton's unbeaten season record thusfar. However, this Huskers team does not even look as strong as others that the Blue Jays have dominated in recent meetings. The Cornhuskers lost their two best players from last season, Andrew White and Shavon Shields, and are truly a young team in terms of scholarship players. The way Creighton has been shooting the ball this season, and the fact they're use to playing at Nebraska every other season, means another night of "raining threes" is quite likely as the Blue Jays are knocking down an average of 10 three pointers a game so far this season! Creighton's 3-point shooting has cooled off of late but they're still on fire inside the arc and, amazingly, have made at least 50% of their shots from the field in all 8 of their games this season. For comparison sake note that the Huskers have been held under 42.5% from the field in 4 straight games! The Cornhuskers are also 14-39 SU and 17-33 ATS the past three seasons combined in their games against teams with a winning record. Creighton is off of a non-covering win against Akron but, with the small number on this game, and with a 15-5 SU mark in this series with Nebraska too, I look for the Blue Jays to get right back into the ATS win column here. 8* CREIGHTON BLUE JAYS minus the short number Wednesday night

Contrarian Crusher - CBB Game #748 Wednesday - Rickenbach 8* Colorado Buffaloes (+) vs Xavier Musketeers @ 9 ET - After opening up right around a pick'em this line has shot all the way up to -3 on Xavier. I will take the contrarian role in this one as I expect Xavier to suffer from "unbeaten letdown" in this one. Before their loss (by 15 points at Baylor) Saturday, the Musketeers were off to a 7-0 start and flying high. However, other than against Northern Iowa (whom they played twice and whom is fine playing methodical basketball) and Buffalo (who was over-matched), the Musketeers defense truly has not been all that impressive this season. In 4 of the 5 "other games" not played against the Panthers or Bulls, the Musketeers allowed at least 76 points. Also, in all 5 of those games, Xavier did allow at least 41.5% shooting from the field. For comparison sake, note that the Buffaloes have allowed just 37.6% from the field on the season. Coach Tad Boyle is doing a fantastic job with the recruiting and player development he has done at Colorado and, keep in mind, they returned most everyone from last year's NCAA Tourney team. As for Xavier, they certainly are still hurting some without the services of senior guard Myles Davis. Certainly the Musketeers want to bounce back off the loss they just suffered but that is tough to do on the road and facing a quality Pac-12 team. Colorado is looking for that "marquee" early season win and this is easily their biggest home game prior to conference play getting underway. In other words, the Buffaloes are fully focused on the task at hand here and I look for the Musketeers to drop to 2-5 ATS the L7 times they've been a road favorite of 3 points or less. The Buffaloes have an 18-7 ATS mark as a home dog of 3 points or less and all 18 wins were outright wins! 8* COLORADO BUFFALOES plus the small number Wednesday night

Earliest Cash - CBB Game #529 Tuesday - 8* East Carolina Pirates (+) @ Virginia Cavaliers @ 7 ET - I am well aware of the fact that the 7-2 Pirates have played an easy schedule so far this season and that the 7-1 Cavaliers are off of their first loss of the season and that it was also a rare home loss for Virginia. However, one can not ignore the fact that East Carolina knew they had to improve their defense coming into the season and they have done just that. The Pirates are allowing only 59.2 points per game and have held opponents to 34.7% from the field which, coincidentally, is the exact same percentage as the vaunted Cavaliers defense has allowed. Now, once again, I am certainly mindful of the fact that East Carolina has not played the level of competition that the Cavs have. Also, I know that the Pirates certainly are not nearly the level of team that Virginia is. However, East Carolina is playing solid defense, they are one of the nation's leading teams in rebounding, and they are getting 20+ points here as a big dog that could very well play out as an ugly, low-scoring grudge match (note the low O/U posted on this game). The Cavaliers offense has been held to 63 points or less in 3 straight games and the Pirates can absolutely hang around in this one. East Carolina has gone 9-2 ATS as a road dog of 18.5 to 24 points. Virginia has gone 4-7 ATS as a home favorite of 18.5 to 24 points. This number is simply too big and it's offering great line value on a scrappy underdog that is hustling this season (note the numbers on defense and on the boards). 8* EAST CAROLINA plus the big points Tuesday

Contrarian Top Play - CBB Game #527 Tuesday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Old Dominion Monarchs (+) @ Rhode Island Rams @ 7 ET - Old Dominion is known for playing solid defense and crashing the boards. Those two variables tend to make the Monarchs a dangerous dog and, in this case, Old Dominion is the benefactor of too many points. The Rams are off of a loss at Providence Saturday and that is inflating this line as Rhode Island is in a bounce back spot here. The problem with the "bounce back" angle on the Rams here is the fact that the Friars are a huge rival of theirs and to again lose (and it was a tight loss) to their in-state rival is a bitter pill to swallow. Rhode Island will be doing good just to muster enough energy just to win this game, let alone cover it, after they truly "gave it their all" Saturday at Providence. Keep in mind the Rams are on a 1-5 ATS run as they've only gone 3-3 SU in their last 6 games and, by the way, Rhode Island did not have a single win by more than 9 points in this stretch and the average margin of those 6 games was just 6 points. Old Dominion is allowing only 58.6 points per game this season and their two losses were to LSU and Louisville. Both defeats came by only 6 points and they were a huge dog against the Cardinals. The Monarchs won't be intimidated here - just like they weren't against Louisville) and Rhode Island is not only off of the tough loss to the Friars, they also have a solid 7-1 Houston team on deck. This is a definite flat spot in the schedule for the Rams. Yes, I know Old Dominion beat Rhode Island last year so there is a revenge factor here for the Rams but, trust me, Saturday's game meant a ton to Rhode Island and they are a deflated team which makes it difficult to cover a big spread. Even if the Rams win here it will likely be a tight win. Look for Rhode Island to drop to 4-10 ATS in Tuesday games while the Monarchs improve to a perfect 5-0 ATS as an underdog. 10* Top Play OLD DOMINION MONARCHS plus the big points Tuesday.

Top Ten Top Play - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Game #787 Saturday - 10* Top Play Akron Zips (+) @ Creighton Blue Jays @ 8 ET - The Blue Jays are off to such a fantastic start (7-0 SU, 6-1 ATS, 46.5% 3-pointers) that the odds makers have had to over-adjust. The result is fantastic line value in this spot. Akron certainly has played a weaker schedule than has Creighton. However, the Zips were one of the top teams in the MAC last season and they will be again this season. We are getting extra line value here because, even though Akron is 6-1 SU on the season they are only 1-3 ATS. The fact is that the Zips match up very well with the Blue Jays and that means this game is likely to play out much closer than many are expecting. Akron, like Creighton, loves the 3-ball. The Zips, like the Blue Jays have great size in the paint. Also, both teams have deep rotations. The result will be a very evenly matched contest and the kicker is that Creighton has a big game with in-state rival Nebraska on deck while Akron has an unexciting match-up with Coppin State up next. The result will be the Zips definitely "leaving it all on the floor" tonight and they're excited about this opportunity against a Top Ten and I expect them to make the most of it. Creighton snuck out a cover over Buffalo Tuesday but they face a much tougher MAC team in this match-up and the Blue Jays are simply over-priced here. 10* Top Play AKRON ZIPS

Rivalry Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Game #765 Saturday - 8* Rhode Island Rams (-) @ Providence Friars @ 4:30 ET - Big revenge game for Rhode Island. This is a huge rivalry but Providence has certainly held the upper hand in recent meetings. That is a key as to why the Rams are the play here. Not only are they highly motivated, they also are the deeper team with more experience and depth in comparison with the Friars. Look for star guard E.C. Matthews to have a big game as he has been "streaky" with his shooting so far this season as he is still recovering from a torn ACL early last season. Certainly they Rams have been holding him back a bit to save him for the upcoming conference schedule but they will take the reins off of him for this huge rivalry game and I expect a strong effort from him. Certainly the Rams have plenty of other scoring options as they returned most of their key contributors from last season and already have 5 guys averaging double digits (or close to it) this season. By contrast the Friars rely heavily on Rodney Bullock (22 ppg) and you can bet he will be the focus of the RI defense. As a team Providence is shooting 43.2% from the field while the Rams are at 49.3% from the field. The Rams are 12-6 ATS in games with a posted total in the 120s while the Friars are 8-19 ATS in games where they are a home dog of 3 points or less. 8* RHODE ISLAND RAMS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #519 Friday - 8* Duquesne Dukes (+) vs Pittsburgh Panthers @ PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh @ 7 ET - This is a city rivalry game and, although the Panthers have certainly dominated the series, that doesn't make it any less important for the Dukes players. Rest assure, Duquesne wants this game badly. The chance to beat their "big brother" is always a huge game for the Dukes and though I feel they will fall short of the outright win here, I do expect Duquesne to keep this one to a margin of single digits. The Dukes are catching the Panthers at an ideal time as Pitt can't help but to be "still celebrating" their big upset win over Maryland in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Now the Panthers come into this game as a large favorite and the early line move has seen this one jump from 13.5 to 15 points. I like the extra value that is giving us with the big dog here. Duquesne is seeing Nebraska-transfer Tarin Smith run the floor and handle point-guard duties. Also, even though they lost 4 starters from last season's team, the Dukes have seen other guys step up this season including a number of newcomers. Granted, Duquesne is still certainly not on the level that Pitt us but they are going to bring their "game of the year" effort to this one tonight and that should be more than enough for he cover. Keep in mind, Pitt has a new head coach in Kevin Stallings and, though the Panthers are a solid 6-1 on the season, they haven't shown a penchant for absolutely murdering over-matched foes. The Panthers only beat Yale by 5 and Eastern Michigan by 3. Also, they certainly took their foot off of the gas against a clearly out-classed Gardner Webb team which, by the way, that 19 point win was the only win that Pitt has by more than 14 points this season. Off the huge win over the Terrapins, look for Pittsburgh to fall a little flat here. The Panthers are on a 13-28 ATS run as a favorite, 2-12 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less, and on a 1-8 ATS run in their games against teams with a losing record. Duquesne is off of an embarrassing loss to UMBC but they are 13-8 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more and the Dukes only loss by a double digit margin this season was against Kentucky and, of course, the Dukes were expected to get hammered in that game. This rivalry game plays out tighter than expected tonight. 8* DUQUESNE DUKES early Friday evening

MAAC Attack - Rickenbach CBB Game #731 Thursday - 8* Monmouth Hawks (-) @ Quinnipiac Bobcats @ 7 ET - Perfect set-up here. Monmouth was at the top of the MAAC last season and should end up there again this season as they returned 4 starters and the majority of their key reserves from last season's team that reached the 2nd round of the NIT Tourney after just missing out on the Big Dance. As for Quinnipiac, they are known more for their ice hockey than basketball and, the Bobcats finished near the bottom of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference last season and and are likely to end up in a similar position this season. The key to the set-up here is that, even though the Hawks are off of a win, they had their worst defensive performance so far this season and they'll be ready to respond tonight with conference action getting underway. The Hawks are allowing only 67.7 points per game (and just 39.7% shooting from the field) and this is in stark contrast with a Bobcats team that is off of a shocking upset win over Indiana State. Don't put too much into that win over the Sycamores. Indiana State was in a flat spot and ended up getting beat by the hungrier team. The fact is that it was the first win of the season for a Quinnipiac team that doesn't play good defense. The Bobcats have allowed 85.8 points per game (and 50.2% shooting from the field). The Hawks won both match-ups with the Bobcats last season by at least 14 points in each game and we're getting line value here because of Quinnipiac's upset win which actually makes them "ripe for the picking" here as the better team, the Hawks, are fully capable of again dominating this match-up and Monmouth certainly is going to be hungry for the conference opener after a poor defensive effort. Hawks coach King Rice will have his team ready to go here. The Hawks are on a 22-11 ATS run in road games. The Bobcats are 10-20 ATS when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. 8* MONMOUTH Thursday evening

Top Play Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #577 Wednesday - 10* Top Play Cal-Irvine Anteaters (+) @ Santa Clara Broncos @ 10 ET - This line has moved from as low as a 1 on Santa Clara all the way up to where even a few postings at 4 were popping up. In any event, this line move has opened up some great line value on UC-Irvine. The Anteaters are looking to move to 4-0 in this series and the Broncos are over-valued. Even though both teams are 3-4 on the season, Cal-Irvine has played the tougher overall schedule. Also, even though Anteaters are without star guard Luke Nelson, others have certainly picked up the slack in his absence. The injury to KJ Feagin of the Broncos might be the bigger story here anyway. He was a key for the Broncos coming into the season as the top point guard and off of a surprisingly strong freshman campaign. Though new coach Herb Sendek has an impressive resume and will do a great job at Santa Clara, it always takes time to get the right pieces in place and, right now, he's just trying to manage some improvement on a team that lost 20 games last season. UC-Irvine went 28-10 last season and, though they lost a lot of key contributors from last season's team, they did return a number of key reserves plus they are getting a boost with the newcomers that coach Russell Turner brought in. The big edge the Anteaters have here is in the paint and the Broncos are known for their struggles with interior defense and rebounding in recent years. That weakness will again be a glaring one in tonight's game as I expect Santa Clara to drop their 4th straight in this series. The Anteaters are 19-8 ATS in road games with a posted total in a range of 120 to 129.5 points. The Broncos are 1-4 ATS (and SU!) as a home fave of 3 points or less and that is where this line has settled out. 10* Top Play CAL-IRVINE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #525 Wednesday - 8* James Madison Dukes @ Charlotte 49ers @ 7 ET - This line has gone from a 4.5 to a 7 in favor of Charlotte and I completely understand the line move (James Madison is winless on the season). However, this is a classic case where we are getting extra line value because of "going against the grain" and it is absolutely justified here. The 0-6 Dukes have played a tougher schedule so far this season in comparison with the 49ers who are 4-2 so far this season. Also, Charlotte plays in Conference USA and is projected to end up in about the 10th or 11th spot in the 14-team conference this season. The significance in that from my perspective is that I have resided in the San Antonio area for many years now and am quite familiar with the level of play of the UTSA Roadrunners and they are projected to finish "neck and neck" in that 10th/11th spot in the conference this season. The quality of UTSA basketball has not been that strong in recent seasons and so, the point is, we are getting excellent line value here in fading this move. Keep in mind, James Madison is projected to finish near the top of the Colonial Athletic Association this season and, though certainly not a powerhouse conference, the Dukes are off of a 21-11 year and hungry for more this season. They are adjusting to the coaching change but did return the majority of their team (including 4 of the 5 starters) from last season's team. After getting blown out by Rice and losing a tight one to Old Dominion (both are more talented C-USA teams in comparison with Charlotte) look for the Dukes to take advantage of the step down in level of competition here. James Madison is on a 20-7 ATS run in road games while Charlotte has gone 28-40 ATS when playing with one day or less of rest and this is also the 49ers 3rd game in 5 days. Big rest edge to the Dukes in this one. 8* JAMES MADISON

ESPN2 Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #713 Tuesday - 8* Pittsburgh Panthers (+) @ Maryland Terrapins @ 7 ET - The Terrapins are undefeated (7-0 on the season), at home, and they opened as only a 4-point favorite in this one. Something definitely looks "funny" here and you know where that had me looking of course, right? The other side! The fact is that Maryland lost so much from last season and, outside of Melo Trimble there certainly is a ton of talent but it is going to take awhile to piece everything together. That said, the reason the Terps are undefeated this season is they've faced an easier schedule than Pittsburgh has and Maryland has managed to win some tight games. 5 of their 7 wins have come by an average margin of victory of only 3.8 points! Keep in mind, this is even though the Terrapins early-season schedule certainly has not been overly tough. Now the Terps have to deal with a hungry Panthers team that is looking to establish themselves under new head coach Kevin Stallings - a 24-year veteran coach in his first year with Pittsburgh. The Panthers only loss so far this season was to a strong SMU team and Pitt has shot the ball well (at least 44% from the field) in 5 straight games. The Terrapins have been held under 40.5% from the field in 3 of their 7 games. Maryland is on an 11-19 ATS run in non-conference games, 12-22 ATS run in home games, and the Terps are already 0-3 ATS as a favorite this season. The Panthers as a dangerous dog with plenty of returning talent from last season are offering significant line value here. 8* PITTSBURGH

ATS Blowout - Rickenbach CBB Game #726 Sunday - 10* Top Play Washington State Cougars (-) vs San Jose State Spartans - Both of these clubs are projected to finish at the bottom of their respective conferences but that's where the key difference is in this match-up. Washington State plays in the tough PAC-12 while San Jose State is at the bottom of the Mountain West. The Cougars have a distinct size edge in this match-up and the last time these teams met, two years ago, Washington State rolled by 29 points. This one is unlikely to be quite that easy but I certainly expect the Cougars to get this by double digits and the line has dropped from a 10.5 to an 8.5 which is offering us even more line value with the big home fave here. Washington State will be fired up off of a loss as they had held 3 of their first 4 opponents to 39% or less from the field. Also, the Cougars have shot the ball very well on the other end of the floor with a 49.2% mark so far this season. The Spartans on the other hand have been held under 44% from the field in each of their last three games while allowing at least 50% from the field in 3 straight games. This is a mismatch and, though the Cougars may again struggle in PAC12 games this season, this is another non-conference match-up where they can absolutely dominate. The Cougars are 17-7 ATS as a home favorite of 9.5 to 12 points and now this number has dropped even lower offering more value! San Jose State is on a 7-13 ATS run in non-conference games. 10* WASHINGTON STATE minus the big points Sunday evening

Top Play Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #531 Saturday - 10* Top Play UT-Arlington Mavericks (+) @ Fordham Rams @ 5 ET - This line has moved from UT-Arlington being the 2.5 point favorite to Fordham now being the 2.5 point choice. Of course this 5 point move has opened up phenomenal value on the Mavericks. UT-Arlington does not have the record that the Rams have so far on this young season but the Mavs have played the tougher schedule. Even though Fordham is from the Atlantic Ten and UT-Arlington is from the SunBelt, the Rams are expected to finish near the bottom of the A-10 as they lost their top two scorers from last season while the Mavericks are the clear choice for the #1 spot in the SBC as virtually everyone is back (including all 5 starters and key reserves) from last season's team. The Mavericks are on a 14-6 ATS run in non-conference game and are 9-2 ATS the last 11 times they have been a road dog of 3 points or less. Fordham is on a 19-36 ATS run in November games. 10* Top Play UT-Arlington plus the points on Saturday in very early evening action

BLACK FRIDAY Best Bet - Rickenbach CBB Game #735 Friday - 10* Top Play Southern Illinois Salukis (+) @ Minnesota Golden Gophers @ 8 ET - Minnesota is off to a 5-0 start this season and I like the direction the Golden Gophers are headed. I already used them once this season (as a Free Pick) and cashed in easily. However, Minnesota seems to have an over-inflated pointspread here. This is not a good situational spot for them. The Golden Gophers are off of a hard-fought win over an SEC foe (Arkansas) and they have a tough ACC foe (Florida State) on deck followed by another SEC foe (Vanderbilt). With that said, the Salukis are not exactly commanding a lot of Minnesota's attention and I like what Southern Illinois is doing early this season. They did lose some key talent from last year's team but Rodriguez, Fletcher, and Vincent are all returning players and they have combined to give the Salukis solid backcourt play. The frontcourt was a big concern outside of the 6'7 senior forward O'Brien. However, not only is O'Brien off to a big start both with scoring and rebounding, the addition of junior college transfer Thik Bol has proven to be a huge addition to the frontcourt. Though he is "only" 6'8 he is a proven shot-blocking machine (102 blocks last year and averaged 4.9 blocks per game the prior season) and Bol has come in and averaged 9 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game so far this season. This means the Salukis are a little more "complete" than expected early this season and couple that with the fact that they have shot the ball very well (51.2%) early this season and I expect Southern Illinois to stay within single digits of Minnesota throughout this game. In games with a posted total in the 150 to 159.5 range, the Salukis are on a long-term 5-1 ATS run. The Golden Gophers are only 17-30 SU (and 19-28 ATS) in their last 47 games against teams with a winning record. Yes, the Big Ten is tougher than the Missouri Valley Conference but this line is simply "too much" as Barry Hinson is the reigning MVC Coach of the Year last year and has his team ready to compete and make up for a loss to Arkansas on the 14th that was the Salukis only ugly loss so far this season. They know this is a "big game" opportunity for them while the Golden Gophers simply aren't highly motivated here. That keeps this one much closer than many are expecting and yes I know Minny has been playing solid defense early this season but I expect them to be flat here. 10* Top Play SOUTHERN ILLINOIS Friday evening

CBB Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #759 Wednesday - 10* Top Play Old Dominion Monarchs (+) vs Louisville Cardinals @ in Battle 4 Atlantis @ Imperial Arena in Nassau, Bahamas @ 9:30 ET - Louisville is a top ten team in the nation and the Cardinals have absolutely dominated their first three games of the season. That really helps us here in terms of line value because this is not a good spot for the Cardinals to run up a big score. The Monarchs like to play a methodical style on offense and they rely on their "length" on defense and they also crash the boards well. As you can see from the low total posted on this game, not a lot of points are expected in this one and I look for Old Dominion to keep this game much closer than many are expecting. The Monarchs did suffer a pair of key losses (Trey Freeman and Aaron Bacote) from last season's team but they've got some solid newcomers in the mix for this season and have good size in both the frontcourt and backcourt. Keep in mind this was a 25-win team last season and Jeff Jones is a veteran coach (entered this season 427-326 in 24 years!) and he is now 72-39 at Old Dominion as he works into his 4th season there. Louisville, of course, is well-coached under Rick Pitino. However, this will be the first game they get forced into really having to score significant points in the half-court game because Old Dominion certainly is not going to let them run wild in transition. This is a key because the Cardinals lost their top three scorers from last season's team. The Cards are 0-4 ATS L4 against Conference USA opponents while the Monarchs are 3-0 ATS L3 as a neutral court dog of 12.5 to 15 points. That's a combined 7-0 ATS mark that favored Old Dominion based on the opening number on this game. Now that the spread has moved even higher, there is even more value with a team that truly is a "dangerous dog" in a situation like this. One final note on this, both teams have had significant time off since their most recent game but that favors the underdog as, if shots aren't falling due to the layoff and each team has some rust, it also helps to keep this game closer than the inflated number. 10* OLD DOMINION

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #757 Wednesday - 8* St John's Red Storm vs Michigan State Spartans in Battle 4 Atlantis @ Imperial Arena in Nassau, Bahamas @ 7 ET - The Red Storm went 8-24 last year. The Spartans, as usual, are ranked as one of the top basketball teams in the country. That said, this opening line of 6.5 had to look funny to most casual observers. Of course the key here is that you and I aren't "casual observers" and truly there is value in grabbing the points in this match-up as it has already moved up to 7.5 - no surprise there. The Spartans are a quality team (of course) but, even with a 6 for 6 performance from downtown for Eron Harris (scored 31 points) they only snuck by Florida Gulf Coast by a single point and that says a lot right there! St John's is in their 2nd year under head coach (and former Red Storm star) Chris Mullin. There can be a lot of improvement in year 2 under a new coach and with the strong newcomers they have brought in, this Red Storm team is likely on a faster than expected upward trajectory. The fact they are off of their first loss of the season is giving us even more value here as St John's is very hungry for this shot to knock off a highly ranked foe on a neutral floor. The biggest issue for the Red Storm is depth but they truly are very talented and got a big boost with newcomers Marcus LoVett and Shamorie Ponds. The depth won't be such an issue here as it's early in the season and they are playing for just the 2nd time in 10 days. Michigan State is actually the team that could be a little "stretched out" here as this their 3rd game in 5 days. Grab the points and look for the Red Storm to be in this one all the way. A lot of talent and Mullin is making believers out of this team. 8* ST JOHN'S 

Contrarian Crusher Tuesday - Rickenbach CBB Game #520 Tuesday - 8* Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders (-) vs Toledo Rockets @ 7:30 ET - The Rockets have burned me twice early this season as they beat the spread against me by a point and a half the first time and a single point the 2nd time. The third time will be the charm as they are on the road to face a Middle Tennessee State team that beat them by 8 points last season on a neutral floor. The Rockets are a MAC team that really hasn't improved from last season while the Blue Raiders are a C-USA team that will battle UAB for the top spot in the 14-team conference this season. The key to the Raiders further improvement this season (won 25 games last season) is how quickly Arkansas transfer 6'8 Jacorey Williams "fit in" with the team. Surprisingly, Williams has already proven to be a great addition and he combines with guard Giddy Potts and senior forward Reggie Upshaw to give Middle Tennessee State a "Big Three" that is tough on the opposition. The Blue Raiders are in a great spot here to come up big as they are at home and off of an embarrassing loss. They lost to Tennessee State as MTSU simply "slipped up" and did not shoot the ball well nor did they defend well in that game. You can bet they will now bring a huge effort tonight and, keep in mind, the Blue Raiders had scored an average of 94.5 points per game in their first two games plus they held the opposition to under 43% from the field in each of their first two games. Middle Tennessee State is 10-4 ATS their last 14 games against teams averaging 77 points or more per game. Toledo, given those same parameters, is an ugly 2-8 ATS in recent seasons and a poor 24-43 ATS long-term. The point is, the Rockets won't be able to keep with the Blue Raiders in this one as MTSU bounces back with a huge scoring night at home. 8* Middle Tennessee State Tuesday evening

TV Blowout Smash - Rickenbach CBB Game #762 Monday - 8* Georgia Bulldogs (-) vs George Washington Colonials @ CBE Hall of Fame Classic @ Spring Center in Kansas City, MO @ 7 ET - The Bulldogs already have a loss this season as they lost their season opener (against Clemson) while the Colonials are a perfect 3-0 this season. However, George Washington seriously hasn't played "anybody" yet this season and the fact that the Colonials have only made 41.1% of their shots from the field (considering the teams they've faced) is scary when you consider they're finally stepping up in class for this game. The Bulldogs are a team on the rise under head coach Mark Fox and even though they are off of a game where they faced an over-matched foe, it is still good news that they shot 52.8% from the field in that game. Note that the Colonials also faced an over-matched foe but they only shot 35.6% from the field and that was against Arkansas-Pine Bluff! That team is projected to be one of the worst teams in one of the worst conferences (Southwestern Athletic) in all of Division I college basketball. Look for the Bulldogs to shoot the ball much better than the Colonials in this one and they also have the added edge of already being battle-tested early this season. The fact that Georgia already has a loss (to Clemson) under their belt is a good thing here. George Washington is 3-7 SU (and 2-8 ATS) in their last 10 against SEC competition. The past two seasons, the Bulldogs are 9-4 (SU and ATS) when they are off of a game in which they scored 80 points or more. Off of an 84-78 win, the offense stays hot here for the Dawgs. 8* GEORGIA early Monday evening

No Doubt Blowout Rout - Rickenbach CBB Game #726 Saturday - 8* Wright State Raiders (+) vs Toledo Rockets @ 7 ET - Toledo is coming off a non-covering win against Youngstown State. That is the same Penguins team that went 6-12 in the Horizon League last season and is projected to be dead last in the 10-team league this season. That said, a 5-point win over the Pens even though the game was in Toledo, doesn't bode well for the Rockets as they now are on the road to face a Wright State team that went 13-5 in Horizon League action last season and tied for 2nd place. The Raiders have a new coach in Scott Nagy and I already like what he's doing with this team that has some key go-to scorers as they already had Mark Alstork in place but Justin Mitchell and Grant Benzinger also have put up double digits in points early this season. The Raiders also got a big boost with the return of 6'8 senior Steven Davis. He missed last season but is already averaging 21 points this season! Coach Nagy had a great pedigree with his results at South Dakota State as he helped make them a Division 1 team and they made it to the NCAA Tourney 3 of the last 5 seasons and the NIT Tourney in one of the other two seasons. With the line move on this from a pick'em to now being able to get the Raiders at +3 on their home floor, there was no question about me pulling the trigger in this home dog spot. Wright State is 19-10 SU at home the past 2+ seasons and the Raiders are 7-3 SU after a game in which they scored 80 or more points. The Rockets are 4-8 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. Toledo was also very fortunate to get the cash in their opener against St Joe's as they were down 5 points very late in that game. The point is there is great line value with this home dog. 8* WRIGHT STATE RAIDERS Saturday

Big Ten Network Smash - Rickenbach CBB Game #521 Friday - 8* Georgia State Panthers (+) @ Purdue Boilermakers @ 7 ET - Georgia State has a lot of connections to basketball in Indiana. Panthers head coach Ron Hunter was a coach at IUPUI for many years. Also, star senior forward Jeremy Hollowell was heavily recruited in the Indiana area. The 6'8 low-post player will be a key to "evening out" the match-up inside against the Purdue big men. The biggest key to this play is the way the Panthers mix up defenses and keep opponents off-balance with a mix of full-court pressure and match-up zones. Yes, I know that Georgia State just got walloped at Auburn but they were only down by 5 at the half in that game and the biggest issue for the Panthers in that game is that they simply had a poor shooting game. Look for coach Hunter to have his team ready to respond here in s a game that means an awful lot to him with his Indiana connections. Though Purdue is looking to bounce back off of a loss, keep in mind that the Boilermakers just lost to the defending national champs. Purdue put an awful lot (physically and mentally) into that game and though they should have enough left-over to get the win here, I certainly don't see it being enough for the cover. Look for the Panthers to "hang around" in this one before ultimately losing the game by no more than a dozen points. 8* GEORGIA STATE Friday

Top Insider - Rickenbach CBB Game #715 Thursday - 10* Top Play Temple Owls (+) @ Massachusetts Minutemen @ 7 ET - These are former Atlantic Ten rivals and though the players have changed the coaches can certainly remember the last time they met. Fran Dunphy is now in his 11th season as head coach at Temple and Derek Kellogg is entering his 9th season at Massachusetts. The Owls lost to the Minutemen in an A-10 Quarterfinals game in March of 2013 the last time these two coaches squared off. It is time for a little payback for Dunphy and his team comes in "fighting mad" off of their loss to New Hampshire on Monday. Certainly UMass comes into this game hungry as well since they are off of a loss to Ole Miss. However, as is typically the case with Massachusetts, they are all about the offense and still not getting the job done on the defensive end. The Owls allowed only 67.6 points per game last season and was good enough for 4th in the AAC last season. UMass allowed 75.8 points per game last season and that ranked them very near rock bottom in the Atlantic 10. This season the Minutemen have already allowed 83 points per game whereas the Owls got involved in a wild first game that did go to OT but in their 2nd game they held a good New Hampshire team (one of the best in America East) to only 57 points. Though 1-1 on the season (with one good offensive showing and one good defensive showing), Temple is expected to put it all together in this revenge spot. The Owls defense and their size advantage in the frontcourt (with more depth too) to be the difference maker in this one. After a game where Temple has allowed 60 points or less they've gone 21-6 straight-up and, after a game where they've scored 60 points or less, the Owls have gone 13-4 straight-up. That's a combined 34-10 angle in play here as they are actually getting a few points in this match-up since it's at UMass. The Minutemen are 6-12 SU (and 5-10 ATS) when off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more and, once again, their defense does them in at home tonight. 10* TEMPLE Thursday

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #745 Thursday - 8* Northern Iowa Panthers (+) vs Arizona State Sun Devils at the San Juan Tipoff in Orlando, FL @ 4:30 ET - This line has gone from Arizona State -1 all the way to a -4 as of gameday morning. This is offering significant line value on Northern Iowa. Keep in mind that, even though the Panthers had some significant personnel losses from last season's team, the Sun Devils lost five players (Atwood, Blakes, Goodman, Jacobsen, and Spight) that combined for 43.3 points per game. Also 4 of those 5 averaged at least 4 rebounds per game as well. The big key here is that head coach Bobby Hurley is only in his 2nd year with the Sun Devils whiereas the Panthers Ben Jacobson has been at Northern Iowa now for more than a decade. Though they lost three starters, the Panthers do return a couple of key starters, a couple of key reserves, and they also added to the roster with four freshmen who redshirted last season plus added four others who are not true freshmen. This is a quality program that won 23 games last season and truly is not in a rebuild mode whereas Arizona State is only in the 2nd season under Hurley and has quite a ways to go yet. Also, the Sun Devils are 1-5 SU (and 1-4 ATS in neutral court games) while the Panthers are 13-3 SU (and 12-4 ATS) in neutral court games. 8* NORTHERN IOWA Thursday afternoon

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #530 Wednesday - 8* Illinois-Chicago Flames (-) vs UTSA Roadrunners @ 8 ET - UTSA lost a top scorer and leading assist man when Christian Wilson was arrested (again) and got suspended before this season started. Amazingly the Roadrunners have come up with a couple of road covers to begin their season but they've shot the ball very poorly and it catches up with them here against an Illinois-Chicago team hungry for a win after a tight loss began their season. UTSA has made just 34.6% of their shots from the field in their first two games this season and now is on the road for a third straight game. They won't be able to keep up with a Flames team that shot the ball very well (but came up just short by a bucket on the scoreboard) in their season-opening loss at San Francisco. The Flames will have the fresher legs for this match-up while the Roadrunners are playing their 3rd game in 6 nights away from home and could get caught looking ahead to their home opener. For UIC, this is their home opener and they will make the most of it. Both of these teams are off of poor seasons last year but the Flames have more continuity with more returning starters than the Roadrunners plus more continuity in coaching as UTSA has a new coach (Steve Henson) this season (rest in peace Brooks Thompson my friend) while Illinois-Chicago has Steve McClain now in his 2nd year at the helm. The Flames played a sloppy first game and shot poorly from the free throw line. You can bet (literally!) that they'll have all that cleaned up as they've had 5 days between games to get ready for this home opener. 8* Illinois-Chicago Wednesday

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #743 Tuesday - 10* Top Play Kansas Jayhawks (+) vs Duke Blue Devils in New York, NY @ 9:30 ET - The Jayhawks lost in OT on Friday in Hawaii as four players fouled out and they didn't play "Kansas D" in that game either. The Jayhawks allowed Indiana to connect on 48.4% of their three pointers and ended up losing the game by 4 points in the extra session. Kansas is going to respond in a HUGE way Tuesday night as coach Bill Self's Jayhawks had not lost a season opener in his 14 years with the team! They are fired up and ready to go here and what better opportunity for response than facing the #1 team in the nation? As usual, Duke is stacked this season but they faced a pair of weak foes to begin their season and now they will get truly tested tonight. The Blue Devils will be playing their 3rd game in 5 nights and they're facing a Jayhawks team that went 5-0 SU (and 4-1 ATS) the past two seasons when they are off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. Long-term Kansas has a record of 66-13 SU (and 48-24, 67% ATS!) when off of a game where they gave up 80 points or more. Keep in mind that as "stacked" as Duke is, the Blue Devils are without three highly-touted newcomers for tonight's game. Missing Harry Giles, Jayson Tatum, and Marques Bolden was not a problem against the likes of Marist and Grand Canyon but the Jayhawks are an elite team. 10* Top Play KANSAS Tuesday

ESPN Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach CBB Game #741 Tuesday - 8* Michigan State Spartans (+) vs Kentucky Wildcats in New York, NY @ 7 ET - Apparently the Spartans don't even need to show up for this game. The very first numbers to show up on this one had the Wildcats as a 4 point choice. They have since doubled to where Kentucky is now an 8 point favorite in this game. I am not buying it. Sure the Spartans were in Hawaii Friday and Manhattan is a long way from Honolulu! However, Michigan State has had plenty of time for travel and to adjust their body clocks. Both of these teams are rather young but Kentucky particularly is inexperienced on the floor and now playing at Madison Square Garden. Also, this situation isn't very favorable for the Wildcats from a scheduling standpoint either. They're already playing their 3rd game in 5 days and what is also concerning for Kentucky is they've made only 26.5% of their three pointers even though they've played two weak teams to start the season. Also, the Wildcats have allowed their foes to connect on 43% of their shots from the field while the Spartans held Arizona to just 38.5% from the floor in their season opening loss. That was a tough defeat for multiple reasons as Michigan State had jumped out to a 17-2 lead in the game plus they eventually lost it on a late coast to coast drive for the winning bucket. The point is that the Spartans, known for playing tough D and crashing the boards, are going to play with an extra edginess and grittiness for coach Tom Izzo tonight as they look to shake off that opening night loss. That makes the big points well worth grabbing in this spot. Kentucky is 1-5 SU and ATS in a neutral court game with a posted total between 150 and 154.5 points while the Spartans have a 9-2 SU record in those game. Sparty for the cover in this one! 8* MICHIGAN STATE Tuesday

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #534 Monday - 8* St Joseph's Hawks (-) vs Columbia Lions @ 7 ET - Both teams are off of wins in their season openers but the Hawks win was more impressive even though I got burned by it in the non-covering win. I had St Joseph's but they blew a late 76-71 lead to settle for a 77-76 win as a 2.5 point choice. The reason it was more impressive than the Columbia victory is because the Hawks faced a MAC team (Toledo) while the Lions opened up with an America East foe (Stony Brook). Even though the Seawolves were off of a strong season they suffered huge player losses coming into this year and are expected to drop into the middle of the pack in the AEC. In other words, don't put a lot of stock into that win and keep in mind that Columbia is actually expected to finish near the bottom of the Ivy League this season. The Lions are going through a coaching transition (from Kyle Smith) to Jim Engles and Columbia also lost a senior group from last season that was the strength of this team. The Lions are having to replace their entire backcourt and that's never a good sign for early season success. With this line dropping from an opener of 7.5 in some shops to as low as a 6 now in some shops as of late morning Monday, I love backing the stronger team from the stronger conference at home as there is no reason the Hawks shouldn't win this game by double digits. The backcourt of the home fave will be the difference-maker here as, though they lost some key talent from last season's squad, the Hawks are still strong (particularly at the guard spot). 8* ST JOSEPH'S Monday

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #725 Sunday - 8* Yale Bulldogs (+) @ Washington Huskies @ 7 ET - The last time I checked under any rocks I didn't find any odds makers. All kidding aside, the point is that odds makers don't live under rocks. It's not like they don't know what is going on with these teams when they set the lines. That said, this line on Washington has jumped like crazy on Sunday morning because of Makai Mason being out for the season with a bad foot injury. This news about Mason has been out since early in the week so it was factored into the opening number on this game. That opening number was -9 on the Huskies but it has since moved to -15. So what the markets are saying here is that the odds makers missed the mark by a ton with this one. That is rarely the case (odds makers missing badly just doesn't happen that often) and I am siding with the big dog in this match-up. Oftentimes in the first game after a star player gets hurt, the rest of the team rallies around his absence and many of the supporting cast tend to have their biggest games in situations like this. Though he was their best player, Mason was not the captain of the team and I look for senior guard Anthony Dallier, team captain, to rally the troops for this one. Coach James Jones has been at Yale for 17 years and he'll have his team ready to go in this one. Even though the Bulldogs lost a lot of talent from last year's team it is important to note that the Huskies also suffered three key player losses as Andrew Andrews, Dejounte Murray, and Marquese Chriss combined for 51 points and 17 rebounds per game last season! The Huskies get the win here but I am leaning with the odds makers in this one as this game should be decided by single digits. 8* YALE BULLDOGS Sunday

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #526 Saturday 8* St Joseph's Hawks (-) vs Toledo Rockets @ 7 ET - The opening line came out at -6 on this game. It's been hammered all the way down to -2.5 as of late morning Saturday. The reason for that is the fact that St Joseph's lost 3 key contributors from last season's team. However, let's not forget that Toledo did lose a pair of key contributors from their roster as well. The other key point is that it is not as if the odds maker is unaware of these player losses from last season and he hung a 6 on this game. St Joseph's is still at home for this game, they are still coached by a very solid head coach in Phil Martelli, and they still get some homegrown talent from the area that comes in and contributes right away. That said, I am not buying that Toledo is the better team in this match-up. They are a MAC team that is projected to be one of the weaker teams in the MAC again this season whereas St Joseph's does battle with teams like Dayton, Rhode Island, VCU, Davidson, LaSalle, and George Washington in the Atlantic 10. The Hawks went 22-8 in home games the past two seasons and Toledo has lost 11 of their last 14 games with a total posted in the 150s. That said, and with only having to cover a 2.5 here, my money is on the Hawks at home. 8* ST JOSEPH'S Saturday

ESPN Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #776 Friday - 10* Top Play Kansas Jayhawks (-) vs Indiana Hoosiers @ 9:30 PM ET in Armed Forces Classic @ Joint Base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii - The Hoosiers are ranked far too high in my opinion. Yes the Hoosiers are a very talented group but they didn't have a lot of time to jell together in the offseason and to try to create team chemistry as a group. Also, not having lone senior Collin Hartman for this game against Kansas certainly hurts IU. Including him with four key losses (Biefeldt, Ferrell, Williams, Zeisloft) from last season's team means the Hoosiers will be without 50.3 points and 18.8 rebounds per game for this season opener. Yes, there is a lot of talent that will be on the floor tonight for the Hoosiers but they're facing a stacked Kansas team that absolutely could win it all this season and, keep in mind, the Hoosiers allowed an average of 71.7 points per game last season with a positive point differential of only 5.7 points per game. The Jayhawks allowed only 67.6 points per game and they had a positive point differential of 13.7 points per game. Even though the Jayhawks lost a pair of top starters in Perry Ellis and Wayne Selden, Kansas returns three starters plus a pair of McDonalds All-Americans. One of those is Josh Jackson who, along with returnees Frank Mason and Devonte Graham gives the Jayhawks arguably the top trio of players in the nation once Jackson goes through the early season adjustment that is normal for a freshman at the collegiate level. Also, with 7 footer Udoka Azubuike joining 6'10 returnee Landen Lucas, Kansas should continue to dominate the boards (3rd in Big 12 for rebounding margin last year). The Jayhawks ranked in the top 5 in the nation last season for shooting percentage from the field overall and from 3-point land. Kansas has won the Big 12 regular-season championship 12 straight times and veteran coach Bill Self enters his 14th season with the Jayhawks. Svi Mykhailiuk could be a pleasant surprise as he is now in his 3rd season and could providing significantly bigger scoring off of the bench. Having Mason and Graham (strong defenders) back also helps in terms of the team defense and Kansas has a great shot at winning it all this season. Certainly I look for them to get their season off to a strong start as I feel Indiana is without question a Top 40 team but definitely not a Top 10 team. The Hoosiers are over-valued here until all their newcomers perhaps jell later in the season. Indiana is only 4-6 SU and ATS in tournament games. The Jayhawks are a stellar 15-3 SU (and 13-5 ATS!) in tournament games the past two seasons. Lay it! 10* KANSAS Friday

Rickenbach NCAA *10* Top Play Villanova Wildcats +3 vs North Carolina @ 9:15 ET - The mighty Tar Heels will sway the masses on this one but the upstart Wildcats seem to be on a magical ride that's not going to stop. One of the biggest keys here is that this is a cavernous arena which is a different "setting" in comparison with a typical basketball arena. It certainly didn't bother the Wildcats on Saturday as they were on fire with their shooting from all over the floor including from three point land. The shooting beyond the arc here could be a key in this match-up because 3-point shooting has been a weakness for UNC this season and North Carolina did make only 23.5% of their threes in the win over Syracuse. That marked the 5th time in their last 6 games that the Tar Heels were held to 33.3% or worse from beyond the arc. On the season UNC only made 32% of their threes. Not only did Villanova better that by hitting 36% of threes on the season, the Nova shooters have been on fire for weeks now! The Cats hit 61% from three point land in the complete annihilation of the Sooners on Saturday. That marked the 8th time in their last 11 games that the Wildcats have shot at least 41% from three point land. In 6 of their last 10 games the Cats have shot at least 45% from downtown! Indeed the Wildcats are on fire and do have the look and feel of a team of destiny this season. Similar to the '85 Villanova team that surprised the nation with their run to the national title led by head coach Rollie Massimino. The play on Villanova for the title today certainly has some solid ATS angles to support it. The Wildcats the past three seasons combined are 31-12 ATS in non-conference games and 53-25 ATS in their games against teams with a winning record. Also, when off of a game where they held their opponent to 60 points or less, the Cats are 40-6 SU and 30-14 ATS. The Tar Heels are indeed facing a strong defense today as the Wildcats continue to play fantastic on that end of the floor as well. Look for North Carolina to drop to 1-5 ATS this season in their games against teams allowing 64 points or less on the season as Nova should take the Championship tonight. Grab the points "just in case" it is a Wildcats loss by a point or two. *10* VILLANOVA

Rickenbach NCAA *10* Top Play Syracuse Orange +9.5 vs North Carolina @ 8:45 ET - This game is being played in a football venue. This makes for a cavernous setting and this absolutely could work against the Tar Heels in this match-up. The Orange live and die with the success they have on defense with their 2-3 zone. The best way to beat Syracuse at the style of defense they play is with the three ball. Against the Orange, the 3-pointer (and hot outside shooting overall) is the "kryptonite" if you will. This is a double whammy for North Carolina in this match-up because, first off, UNC does NOT shoot well from three point land and, secondly, this venue is going to make it tough on teams to have success with outside shots. That means the Tar Heels are going to be forced to work inside and though that is a strength of North Carolina it is also the strength of the Syracuse defense. The Orange use their length and athleticism and positioning on defense to frustrate opponents when they try to come into the middle. I feel the venue is a big edge favoring Syracuse Saturday. The 12 NCAA Tourney games that have been played at the NRG Stadium in Houston have resulted in less than a 30% success rate from beyond the arc! The Tar Heels also were the worst three point shooting team in the ACC this season! The Orange are an incredible 10-0 ATS the past three seasons when playing with 5 or 6 days of rest between games. The Tar Heels are 9-10 ATS with those same parameters. Syracuse is 7-1 ATS in neutral court games this season. North Carolina is 4-8 ATS this season in games with a posted total in the 140 to 149.5 range this season. Look for the Orange defense to frustrate the Tar Heels offense in this one and that will make this a much closer game than what the spread is calling for. *10* SYRACUSE

Rickenbach NCAA *8* Villanova Wildcats -2 vs Oklahoma @ 6:05 ET - This game is being played in a football venue. This makes for a cavernous setting and this absolutely could work against the Sooners in this match-up. Oklahoma relies heavily on the 3 ball and the 12 NCAA Tourney games played at the NRG Stadium in Houston have resulted in less than a 30% success rate from beyond the arc. The Sooners get a high percentage of points from three pointers and they could struggle with the shooting background and unusual setting for this Final Four match-up. The Wildcats rely much less on the three pointer and also have revenge on their minds in this one. These teams met very early this season in a neutral court match-up and Villanova got embarrassed in the 23 point loss to the Sooners. That defeat was, by far, the worst loss the Wildcats have had this season. They're now playing their best basketball of the season and they catch an Oklahoma team that certainly is a stellar unit but that definitely has been a bit overvalued all season long. The Sooners are off of back to back covers but this was preceded by a 6-19 ATS run! Nova has gone 52-25 ATS the past three seasons combined in their games against teams with a winning record. Oklahoma has gone 10-18 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record. The Cats have the guard play necessary to do a solid job against Sooners star guard Buddy Hield and that will be the difference maker here. *8* VILLANOVA

Rickenbach College Hoops *10* Morehead State Eagles @ Nevada @ 9 ET - The Eagles rallied against the Wolf Pack Wednesday but still fell short. It was amazing they only lost by 9 points though because there was incredible statistical anomalies when you look at this game. Morehead State went 1 of 16 from three point land while Nevada went 6 of 10 from beyond the arc. Both of those stats are unusual and highly unlikely to come even close to being repeated here. Additionally, the Eagles took 69 shots from the field compared to just 44 shots from the field for the Wolf Pack. It's hard to lose a game by 9 points when you take 25 more shots than your opponent. That said, the line in this final game is right where it was in Game 2 of this series and I feel that is offering excellent line value for the underdog. The Eagles had won 11 of their last 12 games before dropping Game 2 of this series. Also, Morehead State has 18 steals so far in this series while Nevada has had just 7 steals. Despite the loss Wednesday, the Eagles are 9-3 ATS as an underdog this season. Also, as a road dog of 3.5 to 6 points, the Eagles are 6-2 ATS the past three seasons combined and 23-10 ATS long-term. Look for the Eagles to shoot much better tonight and I expect them to score the upset win but certainly will grab the generous points here. *10* MOREHEAD STATE

Rickenbach College Hoops *10* Top Play Morehead State Eagles +4.5 @ Nevada @ 9 ET - The Eagles got the win in Game 1 of this best of 3 series but they did not get the cover. That is helping to give some nice line value here because Game 1 truly showed that Morehead State has some match-up edges they can exploit against the Wolf Pack. Tonight's game may indeed be another tight one and the value is with the generous points being offered here. Morehead State went 9-2 ATS as a dog this season. Also, the Eagles are 6-1 ATS as a road dog of 3.5 to 6 points the past three seasons. Their long-term record as a 3.5 to 6 point road dog is a fantastic 23-9 ATS. As you can see, Morehead State has a history of being undervalued and that is the case again tonight. After allowing 80 points or more in a game, the Eagles have responded by going 4-1 ATS in their next game. That is a full season record whereas the Wolf Pack have gone 2-5 ATS this season when they are off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. Morehead State is the much better shooting team from three point land and yet they were outshot in that area in Game 1 and yet still won the game. With "normal" three point shooting tonight the Eagles can easily get the upset win on the road as they also have strong guard play that takes great care of the basketball. Nevada is just 23-40 SU in their games against teams with a winning record the past three seasons. Also, even though the Wolf Pack are playing this game with road loss revenge, they have gone 8-14 SU when avenging road losses the past three seasons combined. Nevada may sneak out the win thanks to their home floor tonight but, if they do, I look for the victory to come by just a single point and I certainly would not be surprised to see the Eagles win this one outright. *10* MOREHEAD STATE

Rickenbach College Hoops *10* Cal-Irvine Anteaters +1.5 @ Columbia @ 7 ET - Cal Irvine has gotten the job done on the road throughout the CIT Tourney. The CollegeInsider.com tournament will crown the tourney champion on Tuesday night in New York. Though the homecourt edge goes to Columbia, the Anteaters have displayed an "us against the world" mentality throughout this tournament as they've had to battle for wins on the road. I look for UC Irvine to get the job done one more time on the road tonight. The Anteaters have held their opponents under 39% from the field in 7 of their last 9 games. This stellar defense has led the way to UC Irvine notching victories in 8 of those 9 games. Columbia also has been hot with wins in 7 of their last 9 games but they have allowed their opponents to hit 50% or better from the field in 4 of those 9 games. The Anteaters have played a tougher schedule than have the Lions and yet UC Irvine, and their better defense, comes in as the dog in this match-up thanks to the location of the game. The way the Anteaters have been playing, they have been true "road warriors" so the location tonight should not be an issue. The better team wins and UC Irvine is 9-0 SU (and 7-2 ATS) when they are off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. The Lions have a long-term mark of 9-18 ATS when they are at home with a posted line of pick'em to -3. *10* CAL-IRVINE

Rickenbach College Hoops *10* Top Play UC-Santa Barbara Gauchos -4.5 vs Northern Illinois @ 5:30 ET - John Green is going to miss this tournament but the Gauchos still have plenty of the firepower necessary to knock off the Huskies. Northern Illinois won only 3 of their 14 road games this season while UC-Santa Barbara went 12-8 on the road this season. As you can see, the team more likely to go on a tournament run away from home would be the Gauchos. UCSB went 10-3 ATS as a favorite this season and they are laying a very small number of points here. This is thanks to Green's absence which, as noted above, is not going to be a big detriment to a team that averaged 78.5 points per game in their last 6 games. UC-Santa Barbara won 9 straight games before losing to Hawaii in the Big West tourney. Even with that non-covering loss the Gauchos bring an 8-2 ATS run into the Vegas 16 Tourney. While UCSB was strongest late in the season, Northern Illinois went on a late season fade and lost 9 of their last 14 games. The Huskies haven't won a game away from DeKalb, IL since January 12th! When playing with 7 days or more of rest, Northern Illinois is 0-4 SU (and 1-3 ATS) the last three seasons. The Gauchos have a history of playing their best ball at this time of year with a 44-25 ATS long-term mark in March games! They also went 4-1 ATS this season when off of a loss versus a conference rival. The loss to Hawaii certainly disappointed the Gauchos but they can erase some of that disappointment by getting the Vegas 16 Tournament off to a good start and I expect them to do just that. *10* UC-SANTA BARBARA

Rickenbach College Hoops *8* Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles +7 vs Old Dominion @ 3 ET - Old Dominion is known for their solid defense and the ability to frustrate opponents as a result. However, having not played in over 2 weeks I don't expect the Monarchs to absolutely be at their best in terms of rotations on defense. That said, the more dangerous offense, Tennessee Tech in this case, absolutely could spring the upset in this game. Certainly if the Golden Eagles do fall short, the generous points should be enough for the cover. Tennessee Tech averaged 78.6 points per game this season. While the Las Vegas 16 (which actually ended up with 8 teams) is quite a disappointment for Old Dominion, the Golden Eagles are excited to make the most of this opportunity. The last three seasons combined, the over is 11-5 in Tennessee Tech games with a posted total in the 130s. Also, in their 4 games the last 3 seasons against teams allowing an average of 64 points per game or less, the Golden Eagles have gone a perfect 4-0 ATS. Old Dominion is an ugly 2-7 ATS this season in non-conference games. Also, the Monarchs are 0-3 ATS this season when they are off of a game where they scored 60 points or less. Old Dominion is 6-11 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record. Look for the Monarchs to struggle just to win this game (let alone cover it!) against a talented Golden Eagles team that gets most of it's production from seniors and juniors (in other words, an experienced group). *8* TENNESSEE TECH

Rickenbach NCAA *10* Top Play Syracuse +8 vs Virginia @ 6:05 ET - You can tell by the low total posted on this game that it's expected to be a low-scoring "grind it out" type affair. This favors the big dog. If the Orange just get on a few "runs" in this game where they knock down some big threes or are able to get some quick points in transition, they absolutely have the shot at an outright upset in this game. With that said, there certainly is great line value with the big points here based on the success of the 2-3 zone defense that Syracuse employs. The Orange have certainly been. literally, "in the zone" in this tournament thusfar as they have allowed an average of just 54 points per game in the 3 games! Prior to going on a 3-0 run in the Big Dance to reach this point, the Orange did lose their final three games before this tournament. However, all 3 of those losses came by 5 points or less and that is precisely what I would expect here should Syracuse fall short in their upset bid tonight. The Orange are on a 13-5 ATS run and have certainly been a different team since Jim Boeheim returned to the bench after serving a 9-game suspension earlier in the regular season. Surprisingly, Virginia has been getting the job done with their offense in this tourney. The defense has allowed the opposition to make at least 51% of their shots in 3 of their last 5 games dating back to their final pair of ACC Tourney games. The point is that that Cavaliers haven't been at their best on the defensive end and I like grabbing the team playing the better defense plus getting the big points here! The Cavs have also allowed 39% or better from three point land in 4 of their last 6 games! When off of a game where they scored 80 points or more, Virginia has gone 1-5 ATS this season. Also, the Cavaliers are 3-6 ATS this season when playing with one day or less of rest between games. The Orange are 6-1 ATS in all neutral court games this season and are 5-1 ATS this season when playing with one day or less of rest between games. *10* SYRACUSE

Rickenbach NCAA *10* Top Play Villanova Wildcats +2.5 vs Kansas @ 8:45 ET - Of course there is no doubt that Kansas is a fantastic team. Certainly I am not going to try and argue against that .However, one thing i can say with the utmost certainty is that Villanova has faced the tougher match-ups so far in this tourney. That said, not only have the Wildcats won those games they've absolutely crushed the opposition. When you look at who Kansas has played, the Jayhawks got an easy first round game with Austin Peay, then took advantage of a UConn team that had "used up all their bullets" in some earlier miracle wins that also took a lot out of the Huskies, and finally Kansas faced a Maryland team that made a habit out of inconsistency and underachievement this season. The point is that these match-ups are in stark contrast to a Wildcats team that faced a tough Iowa team and then an even tougher Miami team and yet Nova dominated both match-ups. The Cats have won 8 of their last 9 games and the lone loss during this stretch came by just 2 points. The Villanova offense is on fire with hitting 57% or better from the field in all 3 tourney games. Conversely Kansas has seen their shooting percentages drop with each successive match-up in the Big Dance as the Jayhawks have gone from 56% to 49% to 47% and they now face their toughest match-up yet. Kansas has gone 16-19 ATS the last 3 seasons in their games against teams averaging 77 points or more per game. Over this same stretch the Wildcats have gone 14-8 ATS with the same parameters. One of the big difference makers coming into the tourney was expected to be 3-point shooting for each of these teams. The Jayhawks excel at it and the Wildcats do not. However, Villanova is "in the zone" to say the least as, overall, they've shot at least 41% from three point land in 7 of their last 9 games and the Wildcats have been particularly hot in the tournament. As for the Jayhawks, they've been held to 37.5% or less from three point land in 5 of their last 6 games including all 3 of their NCAA Tourney games. It appears as if nothing may slow down the Wildcats freight train right now. Their confidence with their hot shooting is simply sky high. *10* VILLANOVA

Rickenbach NCAA *8* Gonzaga Bulldogs -4 vs Syracuse @ 9:40 ET - Gonzaga is on fire and they already crushed two solid opponents in knocking off Seton Hall and Utah. Let's not forget the Pirates knocked off Villanova so Seton Hall is certainly no slouch and they were playing at their highest level of the season. The Orange got fortunate in that they faced a Middle Tennessee State team in the round of 32 that was off of a huge upset in the first round. Also, prior to Syracuse's win over Dayton in the first round,the Orange had lost 3 straight games and 5 of their last 6 games. The tough stretch earlier this season could be "written off" as coach Jim Boeheim being out for a 9 game suspension. However, the slump at the end of the season has no excuse and now that the Orange are facing one of the hottest teams going I look for Syracuse's season to come to an end. Gonzaga has won 7 straight games and they also have not lost the cash in any of those 7 games. The Bulldogs averaged 81 points per game in those 7 games and Gonzaga, unlike the Blue Raiders, have the weapons and skill sets to overcome the 2-3 zone defense of Syracuse. The Bulldogs are 5-1 ATS in tournament games this season and Gonzaga has a 21-4 SU record in all tournament action their last 25 games. The Zags have a solid defense and the hot shooting offense also certainly has what it takes to dominate a Syracuse team that had a nice run but now faces their toughest match-up. *8* GONZAGA

Rickenbach NCAA *10* Top Play Iowa State Cyclones +5 vs Virginia @ 7:10 ET - The long layoff here may not help Virginia. They are 0-6 ATS the last 3 seasons when they enter a game on 5 or 6 days of rest. Sure the Cavaliers play solid defense but they're now facing a white hot team that has been on fire with its shooting for many weeks now. The Cyclones have hit at least 50% from the field in 8 of their last 11 games. Iowa State is on a 5-1 (83%) run and they held their opponents to 61 points or less in 3 of those games. The Cavaliers have been hot as well but their biggest key to winning games is their defense and the Cavs have actually allowed 46% or more from the field in 3 of their last 4 games. Virginia can struggle at times in games projected to be higher scoring. In fact the Cavs have a long-term mark of 32-54 ATS in games with a posted total in the 140 to 149.5 range. Head coach Tony Bennett has done a great job in Virginia but this Iowa State has the right strengths on offense to give the highly regarded Cavaliers defense some headaches. The Cyclones are also a sparkling 16-4 straight-up and 14-4 ATS in all tournament games the past 3 seasons combined. When playing with 5 or 6 days of rest, unlike the Cavs, the Cyclones have excelled. They've gone 11-1 SU and 7-3 ATS the past three seasons. With all due respect to Virginia and their solid defense, the Cyclones have had extra time to prepare for this match-up and are still highly motivated by their untimely ouster at the hands of UAB in last year's dance. These Cyclones are on a mission and have a veteran group that will be able to handle all that the Cavs defense can offer and Virginia does not have the weapons to keep up on offense. *10* IOWA STATE

Rickenbach NCAA *10* Top Play Texas A & M Aggies +3 vs Oklahoma @ 7:35 ET - I guess one could argue certainly that Oklahoma is "due" but I still don't think that justifies the line move we're seeing in this game. If the Aggies miracle win against Northern Iowa had occurred just a couple days ago I might feel differently about backing Texas A & M here. However, the fact is that since the big come from behind victory came on Sunday, the Aggies have had a full 3 days off to rest and recuperate both physically and mentally after the huge win over the Panthers. There will be no letdown here and the Aggies now have the added advantage of knowing that certainly "anything is possible" in this tourney and, indeed, they may be a team of destiny this season. The "due factor" for Oklahoma is huge but I don't buy into that theory here. The Sooners have failed to cover 7 straight games and are on a 2-11 ATS skid. They are facing an Aggies team that had covered 8 of their last 10 games prior to the non-covering win over Northern Iowa. Texas A & M has held 4 of their last 5 opponents to 39% or less from the field. The Sooners defense has actually been heading the wrong direction as they have allowed 43% o better from the field in 6 of their last 7 games. The Sooners are 1-5 ATS in NCAA Tourney games the past three seasons combined. The Aggies have a long-term mark of 9-5 ATS in NCAA Tourney games. This season Oklahoma failed to cover their only game against an SEC foe while the Aggies were a perfect 4-0 against Big 12 opponents this season! *10* TEXAS A & M

Rickenbach NCAA *8* Villanova Wildcats -4 vs Miami @ 7:10 ET - The Wildcats take a lot of threes. That said, knocking down threes with great regularity can key some dominating performances for Villanova. Right now the Cats are certainly in the zone as they've hit better than 41.1% from three point land in 6 of their past 8 games. Villanova dominated Iowa last weekend and the Wildcats did it with red hot shooting. Building on confidence as they finally shook the "second round jinx" that had plagued them, this Cats team fully believes "this is the year". Let's not forget that Nova did hold down the #1 spot in the country for a time this season. The Hurricanes have had a favorable draw in the Tourney thusfar and I believe they will get a "reality check" today. The Canes faced an overmatched MAC team (Buffalo) in the first round and yet only won the game by 7 points. The Hurricanes then faced a Wichita State team that had to be running on fumes on all the effort to win their play-in game and then their first round game. The Shockers just didn't have much left. Give the Canes credit for taking care of business but let's not forget they had failed to cover 4 straight games before getting the cash against Wichita State. Also, two of those four games were straight-up losses to Virginia and Virginia Tech. Look for another straight-up loss for Miami today and note that the Wildcats have only ONE WIN (out of 31 victories!) this ENTIRE season that came by less than FIVE points! If you like the Cats to win this game (with their solid defense and hot shooting, who wouldn't?) than certainly you like them to get the cover! *8* VILLANOVA

Rickenbach NIT *10* Top Play Florida +2 @ George Washington @ 7 ET - I rode the Colonials to victory in their easy win over Monmouth on Monday. However, it is now time to fade George Washington as they take a major step up in class here. GW is now hosting a tough SEC team and the Colonials have a long-term mark of 2-7 SU and 1-8 ATS in their last 9 games against SEC opponents. Simply put, they go from facing an over-rated Monmouth team to facing an under-rated Gators team. Florida is solid and appears to be a team that is absolutely on a mission in the NIT after missing out on the Big Dance this season. The Gators have won 4 of their last 5 games straight-up and they have not lost the money in any of those 5 games ATS. Florida has been doing it with defense as they have held 3 of their last 4 opponents under 39.5% from the field! This season, the Gators are 9-5 ATS in road games and 8-4 ATS in non-conference games and 4-1-1 ATS in tournament games. The past two seasons George Washington has been a home fave of 3 points or less just twice and they lost both games straight-up. The Colonials history of struggles against SEC foes will rear it's ugly head again today. Unlike Florida, George Washington's defense has been suspect of late. Sure the Colonials shutdown an overmatched Hawks team Monday but, prior to that, GW had allowed 5 of their 6 prior opponents to shoot 49% or better from the field. One final note here, as you would expect the Gators faced a tougher schedule this season in comparison with the Colonials. *10* FLORIDA

Rickenbach NIT *10* Top Play St. Mary's Gaels +4.5 @ Valparaiso @ 7 ET - St Mary's plays in the West Coast Conference. We've all seen what fellow conference members Gonzaga (Big Dance) and Brigham Young (NIT) are doing in the post-season. The point is that the Gaels come from a conference that produced three solid teams and I believe that St Mary's is being undervalued here. Sure this is a road game for them but, in the regular season, the Gaels beat Gonzaga in both games before then losing to the Bulldogs in the West Coast Conference Tournament. St Mary's also split in their games with a tough BYU team during the regular season. This is a very strong St Mary's team that has hit 50% from the field the last 11 games while also holding 7 of those 11 opponents under 42% from the field. The Gaels are facing a Crusaders team that played in a much weaker conference, Horizon League, in my opinion. Valparaiso was challenged only by Green Bay, Milwaukee, Wright State, and Oakland in that conference. They did go 6-3 in the 9 games against those teams but 3 of those 6 wins came by 4 points or less. St Mary's is better than all of those teams. The point is that had Valpo being laying 4.5 points in all of their games against those teams they would have gone 3-6 ATS. The Crusaders now taking on a tougher opponent than all four of those and yet they are laying 4.5 points. It's too much! This game could very easily be a Gaels outright win and, if it's not, I see it being a game decided very late and likely by just one possession. That means we are getting great value here with a dangerous underdog and the Gaels are 12-1 SU this season in non-conference games. St Mary's is also 19-10 ATS in non-conference games the past three seasons combined. The Gaels are also 11-6 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record whereas the Crusaders are just 3-7 ATS in their last ten games against teams with a winning record. You can tell by the low total on this game that it is expected to be a dogfight and Valparaiso is an ugly 2-5 ATS the past three seasons in home games with a posted total between 130 and 134.5 points. *10* ST MARY'S  

Rickenbach NIT *10* Top Play South Carolina Gamecocks -4 vs Georgia Tech @ 9 ET - This is another one of my "contrarian" plays if you will. The Yellow Jackets, of course, are an ACC team and there is a lot of noise right now about the ACC because of their huge representation at The Big Dance with six teams in the Sweet Sixteen! That is going to have many looking at Georgia Tech plus the points in this match-up. The other thing that makes this a contrarian play on South Carolina is that the Gamecocks report is filled with suspensions. Lucky for the Gamecocks, the suspensions didn't effect them against an overmatched High Point on Tuesday but I also don't expect it to effect the here either. The missing players are back-ups and so the key group of Gamecocks is still on the floor. The biggest impact is on depth but considering that South Carolina has had five full off days in between games the lack of depth is a non-issue here. Lets not forget that the Gamecocks have a SU record of 16-2 in home games this season while the Yellow Jackets went 6-9 SU in away games. With that said, the line is short enough here that any SU win is likely to equate to an ATS win as well. Of Georgia Tech's last 13 losses only 3 came by 3 points or less. Of South Carolina's 25 wins this season only 2 came by 3 points or less! The Gamecocks are 14-0 SU in non-conference games this season and 9-1 ATS! *10* SOUTH CAROLINA

Rickenbach NIT *8* George Washington Colonials +4 @ Monmouth @ 7 ET - Monmouth is on everyone's radar right now because they were considered one of the biggest snubs of March Madness since they were relegated to the NIT instead of the Big Dance. As a result of all the attention being given the Hawks, I feel there is great value in going against Monmouth and grabbing a solid George Washington team plus a handful of points. The big noise about the Hawks was their upset wins of UCLA, USC, Georgetown, and Notre Dame. Of those teams, the only one still playing is the Fighting Irish who narrowly escaped with a one point win over Stephen F Austin yesterday in the NCAA Tourney. With all that said, the "upsets" Monmouth had in the regular season may not be so impressive after all. Additionally, George Washington has played a much tougher schedule this season than did Monmouth. Also, the Colonials were knocked out of the Atlantic 10 Tourney in a tight loss to St Joseph's. The Hawks went on to win the tourney and make it to the Big Dance where they knocked off Cincy in the first round and very nearly upset Oregon (the class of the Pac 12 - unlike UCLA and USC) in the 2nd round. The point is that George Washington can hang with the best of teams and I don't put Monmouth up in that category. I feel this Metro Atlantic team is certainly a solid basketball team but this is still the MAAC we're talking about and I think all the hype about Monmouth has caused that key factor to be a bit overlooked by the betting markets. There were 6 twenty win teams in the Atlantic 10 this season whereas Monmouth only had one true challenger in the MAAC which was Iona who knocked them out of the MAAC Tourney. Great value with the underdog against an over-hyped favorite in this one. *8* GEORGE WASHINGTON 

Rickenbach NCAA *10* Top Play Maryland Terrapins -7 vs Hawaii @ 7:10 ET - Hawaii got by Cal in the first round as the Golden Bears multiple issues (off the court) and an injury (in practice to a key player) ended up playing a larger role than expected. Unlike an "out of sorts" California team, it will be a "fired up" Maryland team taking the floor against the Rainbow Warriors in this one. The Terrapins played an excellent first half against South Dakota State on Friday but they then "let up" in the 2nd half and it nearly cost them the game and certainly cost them the cover. That simply serves to ensure the likelihood of a "full forty" effort from the Terps on Sunday. Maryland knows this is their "new lease" on life here in the Big Dance after suffering through a late season slump that cost them a chance at a Big Ten regular season title. After then getting bounced from the Big Ten Tourney, this Terrapins team wants to make a run and has their chance to make a big statement with a match-up with Kansas looming up ahead. That means this ultra-talented and yet oft-underachieving Maryland team should have their "A game" ready for Sunday. Hawaii played such a weak schedule that there is great value in fading them here as they are being given a little too much respect by the markets after knocking off a Cal team that, as noted above, proved to be disoriented in the first round. Look for the Terrapins to improve to 8-2 ATS (and 18-5 ATS long-term) in neutral floor games with a posted total in the 140 to 144.5 range. *10* MARYLAND

Rickenbach NCAA *8* Virginia Commonwealth Rams +7 vs Oklahoma @ 5:15 ET - A lot of value for the underdog Rams here. VCU is 21-9 ATS this season. Coincidentally, Virginia Commonwealth is also 21-9 ATS the past three seasons when they are in a game with a posted total in the 140s. In all tournament games this season (includes regular season tourneys), VCU is 5-1 ATS. Virginia Commonwealth also has historically been "money in the bank" in the NCAA Tourney with a long-term 14-3 ATS run going in the Big Dance. The Sooners are 1-5 ATS this season when playing with one day or less of rest. Also, Oklahoma is 1-5 ATS in all tournament games this season (includes regular season tourneys). The Sooners continue to be over-valued as they are on a 3-12 ATS run in games against teams with a winning record. The 25-10 Rams can put up big points in a hurry. VCU is averaging 77.1 points per game this season and the Sooners also are on a 2-7 ATS run in their games this season against teams averaging 77 points or more per game on the season. Oklahoma got a favorable draw in the tourney with Cal State Bakersfield in round one and yet their ATS futility continued as they failed to cover the spread for the 19th time in their last 26 lined games! OU does have great guard play as there is no denying their solid backcourt. However, VCU continues to thrive with pressure defense and is again built well with a solid backcourt of their own. The Rams had tight losses to Wisconsin, Duke, and Cincinnati this season as the average margin of defeat was just 5 points per loss. The point is that this team can (and will) play tough with anyone in the nation. *8* VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH

Rickenbach NCAA *8* Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks +1.5 vs Notre Dame @ 2:40 ET - In what looks like a "gift" from the odds makers I am sure many will be backing the Irish in a big way on Sunday. After all, it's a chance to lay a very small number with a 6th seeded Notre Dame team facing a 14th seeded Stephen F. Austin team. Looks too easy doesn't it? Exactly! Don't fall for the trap here. The Lumberjacks are a veteran-laden team and a very cohesive group. They have won 21 games in a row and share the ball very well on offense - which led to 19 assists per game during the regular season for one of the top marks in the country. One of the Lumberjacks key concerns is their size but, in that regard, the Irish are a favorable match-up for them. Also, Notre Dame is not known for playing particularly strong defense and after a rare big effort against Michigan (held them to 40% from the field) they could struggle with the precise ball movement of the SFA offense. Amazingly the Irish only beat the Wolverines by 7 points even though ND shot a fantastic 58% from the field in that game. That says a lot right there and is a concern for Notre Dame heading into this game as the Irish had been held to 36% or less from the field in 3 of their 5 prior games. ND is only 23-34 ATS as a favorite the last 3 years and certainly all the pressure is on them in this game. Conversely, the Lumberjacks come into this game loose and continuing to relish the underdog role. SFA allows just 31.9% from 3-point land while the Irish have allowed 37.5% from beyond the arc this season. Look for that to be a difference maker Sunday. *8* STEPHEN F AUSTIN

Rickenbach NCAA *8* Villanova Wildcats -6.5 vs Iowa @ 12:10 ET - Because of what has happened to the Wildcats in recent 2nd round appearances (heartbreak) there is no doubt that Villanova will be ready for this match-up with a stumbling Iowa team on Sunday. Yes I used the word "stumbling" because the Hawkeyes are fortunate they even got there. It took a late putback - in overtime no less - to get past Temple in the first round. That is the same Owls team that Nova destroyed by double digits at Temple in the regular season. Iowa's non-cover against the boys from Philly now leads to an even worse non-cover against the bigger boys from Philly. Villanova is no Temple and the Hawkeyes have failed to cover 8 of their last 9 games! The Wildcats have certainly not been a "covering machine" but they haven't been on Iowa's levels. The Cats are 7-7 ATS in their last 14 games and Villanova is on a 13-2 straight-up run. Daniel Ochefu's ankle was much better in the big win over UNC-Asheville Friday. That big win has the Wildcats now sitting at 9-4 ATS this season (and 27-12 ATS the L3 seasons) in non-conference action. The Hawkeyes are 1-5 ATS this season (and 3-14 ATS the L3 seasons) in neutral court games. Look for the Cats to finally shake the 2nd round "jinx" that has plagued them in recent trips to the Big Dance. *8* VILLANOVA

Rickenbach NCAA *10* Top Play Kansas Jayhawks -8 vs Connecticut @ 7:45 ET Saturday - Congrats to UConn on a great run. Ever since the Huskies improbable 4-OT win over Cincinnati in the AAC Tourney Connecticut certainly has had the feel of a "team of destiny" to say the least. However, a team destined for success in the AAC Tourney they may have been but the Huskies are about to get a reality check in the Big Dance on Saturday in my opinion. The only reason the Huskies are even here is because they got a favorable draw in the round of 64 by facing a Buffaloes team that had 8 losses in the Pac-12. Connecticut snuck by Colorado to get to this point but, even in their win over the Buffs, the fact that the Huskies allowed Colorado to hit 45% from the field is certainly a concern. UConn was held under 44.5% from the field for the 7th time in their past 10 games. They now face an ultra-talented and extremely potent Jayhawk offense. Kansas has made at least 50% of their shots from the field in 11 of their last 16 games! Kansas enters this game on a 15 game winning streak. The Jayhawks have averaged 80.3 points per game during this streak and are averaging 82.2 points per game on the season. Only 4 of the 15 wins came by less than 9 points. For the Huskies, as neutral court dog of 6.5 to 9 points they only got the upset twice in the last seven such games. That said, a SU loss here is likely to equate to an ATS win for the Jayhawks as they have 31 wins on the season and only 7 were non-covers. As a neutral court favorite of 6.5 to 9 points Kansas is 29-6 SU and, looking at the 29 wins their ATS mark was 20-8-1 ATS in those games! With UConn having won the whole thing in 2014 you can bet that have the full attention of the Jayhawks who are the top team in the country when they are fully focused and playing at a high level. That will be the case again Saturday and I look for this one to be an absolute no doubt blowout rout. *10* KANSAS

Rickenbach NCAAB *8* Indiana Hoosiers +3.5 vs Kentucky @ 5:15 ET - The Hoosiers still remember the heart-breaking 2012 loss to Kentucky and they finally get their shot at revenge on Saturday. Look for Indiana to use aggressiveness in the paint to attack one of the few weaknesses that the Wildcats have. As always, Kentucky is ultra-talented but they have been pushed around some in the paint at times and I expect Indiana to be very aggressive down low in this game. Of course the key edge for the Wildcats has been point guard Tyler Ulis but the sophomore will be matched up with Hoosiers senior star guard Yogi Ferrell. This is a key battle that Indiana has a great shot at winning which is why I see solid line value with the points in this one. A ton of points is expected in this one as you can tell by the posted total on this game. What is interesting about that is that it just might play right into the hands of the Hoosiers. Indiana is a phenomenal 14-1 straight-up this season in games played with a posted total in the 150s. The Wildcats have only gone 4-4 straight-up in games with a posted total in the 150s. In non-conference action this season Kentucky has gone just 5-9 ATS and the Hoosiers went 11-3 SU in non-conference games this season and getting a few points here. Those points are well worth the taking. *8* INDIANA

Rickenbach NCAA *8* Yale Bulldogs +6.5 vs Duke @ 2:40 ET Saturday - The almighty powerful Duke opened up at just a 6 point favorite against 12th seeded Yale. Think about that for a second...it doesn't even seem plausible, does it? The feeling here is that the low line is absolutely justified and is an open invitation for public money to flood in on the Blue Devils. That money flow has already started as the line is up to a 6.5 as of early gameday morning. I would not be surprised to see the line climb even higher but I am pulling the trigger right now. The Bulldogs lost at Duke by 19 points back in November. Note that Yale was only down by 2 points to the Blue Devils at the half in that game. Also, the Bulldogs are a perfect 7-0 ATS the last three seasons combined when they are playing with road loss revenge. Yale also is now 8-1 ATS the last three seasons combined in all tournament games after their upset of Baylor in the first round. Duke fell short of the cover against NC-Wilmington Thursday and is now on a 6 game ATS losing streak dating back to the regular season. Also, the Blue Devils are now 0-7 ATS in games played on a neutral court this season. Also, when playing with no rest or just one day of rest this season, Duke has gone 1-5 ATS. The Bulldogs have a veteran, cohesive group and this game is likely to go down to the wire which means there is superb line value with the points. *8* YALE

Rickenbach NCAA *8* Wisconsin Badgers -1 vs Pittsburgh @ 6:50 ET Friday - The Badgers hurt their backers early this season but they've certainly turned things on since Greg Gard took over. Overall, Wisconsin is on a 13-5 ATS run and that's even with failing to cover their last two games of the season as the Badgers lost their regular season finale at Purdue and then were upset in the Big Ten tourney by Nebraska. Rest assured, Wisconsin will be ready to respond and they have been playing their best basketball of the season the past two months. The Badgers methodical style will slow this game down and frustrate the Panthers. Pittsburgh comes into the Big Dance having failed to cover 4 straight games. That struggle at the betting window has Panthers backers anxious to back them in a bounce back spot. However, I wouldn't bet on it. In fact, when Pitt enters a game on an ATS losing streak of 3 games or more, the Panthers have gone 5-14 ATS the past three seasons combined! Pittsburgh is on a 11-20 ATS run in non-conference games and an 8-16 ATS run in non-conference games. The past three seasons combined, the Badgers are 20-5 SU in neutral court games. Of course with such a low line on Wiscy, any SU win is likely to equate to an ATS win as well. The Badgers still have plenty of hunger after losing to Duke in the NCAA Championship game last year. Many are counting them out this year but this team still has plenty of experienced players and Wiscy has "Big Dance experience" as well. The Panthers struggled down the stretch and the Pitt defense is simply not on par with what we've seen from past Pittsburgh teams. The Badgers will frustrate the Panthers with their style of play and remember Pitt lost by double digits to another Big Ten foe, Purdue, earlier this season. *8* WISCONSIN

Rickenbach NCAA *8* South Dakota State Jackrabbits +9.5 vs Maryland @ 4:30 ET Friday - Maryland lost 5 of their last 8 games and are over-valued here. The Terrapins are certainly talented but they have proven time and time again that they can't "put it all together" as a team. That is likely to spell trouble for the Terps as they now take on a Jackrabbits team that truly is their polar opposite. South Dakota State doesn't have the talent level of a Maryland nor the star power of a player like Melo Trimble. However, as the Terrapins struggles away from home are problematic as they travel all the way to the West Coast for this one, look for the "team concept" of South Dakota State to be the difference maker. The Jackrabbits have balanced scoring, they play with discipline, have a defense that forces opponents to make mistakes, and South Dakota State also takes good care of the basketball. The Jackrabbits went 7-3 ATS in non-conference games this season. The Terrapins went 5-6 ATS against teams outside the Big Ten. South Dakota State has been off for more than a week since they won the Summit League title but they are a solid 3-1 SU and ATS when they enter a game with a week or more of rest. The Terrapins have been off since their loss to Michigan State on the 12th and the Terps are 4-5 SU and 3-5 ATS when they enter a game with rest of 5 or 6 days prior to the game. Maryland already was having issues with not being a "cohesive unit" on the floor and so a layoff is not going to help them in a "game time" situation. The Jackrabbits are ready and make for a traditional dangerous 12/5 seeding match-up here. *8* SOUTH DAKOTA STATE

Rickenbach NCAA *8* Temple Owls +7.5 vs Iowa @ 3:10 ET Friday - The Hawkeyes are 1-4 ATS this season (and 3-13 ATS the last 3 seasons combined) in neutral court games. Iowa certainly stumbled down the stretch too. The Hawkeyes won just 2 of their last 8 games and had a 1-7 ATS mark during this ugly season-ending skid. Iowa has a veteran-laden team but no one other than Jarrod Uthoff has truly been stepping up. Hawkeyes head coach Fran McCaffery has an ugly 3-7 record in his Big Dance Tourney experience. Owls head coach Fran Dunphy also has a poor record in Big Dance action but Temple is getting 7.5 points here and that makes them a dangerous dog against an Iowa team that just hasn't been able to shake their late season swoon. The Hawkeyes had the perfect opportunity with taking on an over-matched Illinois team in the Big Ten tourney but Iowa managed to under-perform in that game as well. Temple has a great inside out game as big man Obi Enechionyia has been tough to stop inside while strong guard play from big scorer Quenton DeCosey and point guard Josh Brown gives the Owls a fantastic back-court combo. Temple lost in the AAC Tourney to red hot Connecticut but Temple hasn't lost two games in a row since before Thanskgiving! In other words, the Owls could definitely be a tough out for the Hawkeyes and, certainly, Temple is proving good value with the points being offered here. The Owls are 14-7 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record. Look for Iowa to drop to 4-10 ATS in games played in the month of March the last three years combined. *8* TEMPLE

Rickenbach NCAA *8* California Golden Bears -4.5 vs Hawaii @ 2:00 ET Friday - The big story for Cal coming into this match-up is that they lost starting guard Tyrone Wallace to a hand injury. That has forced a significant line drop on this game and I'll gladly step in and grab the extra value being offered. The Golden Bears have plenty of depth, including at the guard spot where they have solid talent ready to step in because of the absence of Wallace. The Bears played a much tougher schedule than did the Rainbow Warriors and this is not being properly reflected in this line. Also, this game will tip off at 11 AM Pacific as it is a very early game in Spokane, Washington. The significance of the early tip is that it will be 8 AM Hawaiian time when the game tips off! Certainly a rare, early start for the Rainbow Warriors body clocks. Hawaii has been off since knocking off Long Beach State on the 12th. When playing with 5 or 6 days of rest, the Rainbow Warriors have gone 0-3 ATS this season and are 1-7 ATS the last 3 seasons combined. Give credit to Hawaii for taking advantage of a weak Big West Conference to get here but they are taking a major step up in class now as they face Cal. The Bears are 4-0 SU (and 3-1 ATS) this season when they are playing with 5 or 6 days of rest. California lost a tight one to Utah on the 11th by an 82-78 final. The Golden Bears are 10-3 SU this season when they are off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. With the small line here, a SU win is likely to also be an ATS win for the Bears. *8* CALIFORNIA

Rickenbach NCAA *8* Syracuse Orange +1.5 vs Dayton @ 12:15 ET Friday - The Orange lost to the Flyers by a bucket as an 8.5 point favorite two years ago in tournament action. It is time for a little payback for Syracuse in this year's tourney. The Orange wrapped up the season on a 10-5 ATS run. Although they had some tight straight-up losses to finish the season, Syracuse is battle-tested to say the least. As you would expect based on the comparison of the conferences these two teams play in, the Orange played a much tougher schedule than did Dayton. The Flyers allowed 6 of their last 10 opponents to score at least 74 points. Syracuse allowed an average of just 65 points per game during their 10-5 ATS run that they carry into this tournament. The Orange are hungrier than ever after last season's self-imposed postseason ban and the fact that head coach Jim Boeheim missed 9 games this season (punishment for the school's NCAA violations). Syracuse has been playing much better since Boeheim returned to the bench and I look for their 2-3 zone defense to frustrate the Flyers. Dayton has gone 1-4 ATS the past two seasons in neutral court games with a posted total in the 120s. The Orange have gone 8-4 SU and ATS in all neutral court games the past three seasons combined. *8* SYRACUSE

Rickenbach NCAAB *10* Top Play Arizona Wildcats -1 vs Wichita State @ 9:20 ET - Certainly Wichita State deserves credit for their huge second half against Vanderbilt Tuesday as that punched their ticket for today's showdown with Arizona. However, I still think the Shockers are getting way too much respect here. Let's not forget that Wichita State had failed to cover three straight games before their big late-game run against the Commodores. As good as the Shockers defense has been, the offense has labored with poor shooting being the culprit in 3 of their last 4 games. Taking a look at those 3 games which does include the win over Vandy, Wichita State has been held to shooting percentages from the field of 41%, 37%, and 32%. From three point land the Shockers have been held to 22% and 8% in 2 of their last 4 games. The Shockers now take on a Pac-12 team that was among the top teams in the conference for points per game on offense and points allowed on defense. The Wildcats also are a strong rebounding team and they are loaded with size and experience and are among the toughest teams in the country when focused. You can bet that coach Sean Miller (17-8 in Big Dance) will have his team ready to go here and the Wildcats made it all the way to the Elite 8 last year. Arizona is averaging 81 points per game this season but also went 7-0 straight-up in games with a posted total in the 130s. In neutral court games with a posted total in the 135 to 139.5 range the Wildcats did go 6-1 straight-up the past three seasons and this line is essentially a pick'em. The Shockers are a long-term 3-12 SU and 3-12 ATS when they are playing on a neutral court and the line is a range of pick'em to +3. Too much respect is being given to Wichita State just because they had a phenomenal late game run against Vandy. The Wilcats aren't the Commodores! *10* ARIZONA 

Rickenbach NCAAB *10* Top Play North Carolina Tar Heels -22 vs Florida Gulf Coast @ 7:20 ET - Do you remember when Florida Gulf Coast ("Dunk City") made their improbable run to the Sweet 16 three years ago? If you're a big March Madness fan that answer is likely a resounding YES! Well, the fact is that many other bettors remember that huge run for the under-rated Eagles as well. The result is that this line (for the betting markets to react properly) had to be set lower than it should be because Florida Gulf Coast was expected to attract some "big dog money" whether this line was in the low 20s or high 20s. The fact is that this line should likely be closer to 30 than 20 and I see great value with the Tar Heels here. This FGC team is simply not on par with the team of 3 years ago. Additionally, this is Eagles coach Joe Dooley making his first trip to the big dance. As for the Tar Heels Roy Williams this is his 89th! Williams has a 65-23 record here, UNC is playing the best defense they've played all season, North Carolina has emphasized not stopping until the final whistle in this tournament, the Tar Heels have great depth, and the Eagles are simply out-classed here. UNC simply won't let up in this game and it's being played in their home state and the depth the Tar Heels have means even the reserves get in on the act in making sure this is a colossal rout. Outside shooting is one weakness that North Carolina has but the Tar Heels don't need it to be able to pulverize the Eagles. The Heels will victimize FGC with transition points and fast-break opportunities. Facing a weak Fairleigh Dickinson team in the First Four only makes this insurmountable task even more daunting for a Florida Gulf Coast team that is facing a Tar Heels team that has gone 24-13 ATS long-term as a neutral court favorite of 12.5 points or more. *10* NORTH CAROLINA

Rickenbach NCAAB *8* Purdue Boilermakers -9 vs Arkansas-Little Rock @ 4:30 ET - Arkansas-Little Rock actually has decent size for a Sun Belt Conference team. However, the Trojans are facing a Purdue team that not only has great size but also has edges all over the floor in this one. The Sun Belt Conference is weak and UALR is taking a major step up in class to face the Boilermakers here. The Trojans lost by 12 to Texas Tech earlier this season and Purdue can certainly win this by more than a dozen. The difference in strength of schedule here is huge. The Trojans are getting some respect from the betting markets here because of their 29-4 record but they won't be able to match up that well with the Boilermakers talent level. I also like the coaching edge here with Purdue's Matt Painter coaching in his 17th Big Dance game while this will be the first ever for Arkansas-Little Rock's Chris Beard. The last time the Trojans got to the Big Dance was 2011 and they were knocked off by UNC-Asheville in a First Four match-up. They certainly face a much bigger challenge this time around, to say the least! Adding fuel to the fire here is that Purdue still remembers getting knocked out by Cincinnati in the first round last year. They'll make the most of a favorable draw in the first round of this year's tourney. Remember the Boilermakers wrapped up their season with games against teams like Wisconsin, Michigan, and Michigan State. UALR wrapped up their season going 2-3 ATS even though they faced weak Sun Belt foes. Arkansas-Little Rock has a long-term mark of 3-6 ATS in first round tournament games. The Boilermakers are 6-0 SU and 5-1 ATS long-term against teams from the Sun Belt Conference. Mismatch! *8* PURDUE

Rickenbach NCAAB *8* Yale Bulldogs +5 vs Baylor @ 2:45 ET - Baylor has a lot of weapons and certainly ranks among the top scoring teams in the tournament. However, the Bears are also known for slow starts in their games and then trying to battle back for the win. That could spell trouble here because Yale is going to be a difficult out for the Bears. The fact this game is in Providence, RI certainly favors the Bulldogs and should Baylor again have one of their slow starts the crowd is very likely to get behind Yale. Not only are dogs popular to root for but with where this game is being played the Bulldogs will be a likely choice for the fans. That will make a Baylor comeback even tougher. Remember last season the Bears were upset in the tourney (I had Georgia State plus the points) in that amazing outright win where the Panthers rallied late. This is putting additional pressure on Baylor to 'close out a game' in the Tourney this year and that pressure can lead to some poor shooting. The Bulldogs play strong defense, are loaded with veteran players, are very strong on the glass despite their "smallish" size, and have won 17 of their last 18 games entering this tournament. The Bulldogs only lost by 2 points at SMU in November and the Mustangs started the season on that incredible winning streak. That game says a lot about how Yale may stack up here as a tough dog to say the least! Baylor went 1-6 ATS in non-conference games this season and I feel they are again over-valued here. The Bulldogs are in the Big Dance for the first time in 55 years! But, in tournament games the past two seasons (in-season and post-season) the Bulldogs went 7-1 ATS and SU. This veteran team will have no problem handling a setting like this and the Bears are feeling all the pressure. The Bulldogs are simply "in the moment" and enjoying their underdog role here where they will prove to be ultra-dangerous. *8* YALE 

Rickenbach NCAAB *8* Texas Tech Red Raiders +4.5 vs Butler @ 12:40 ET - There is a certain affinity for the Bulldogs from their days as a mid-major school that still seems to persist today based on the betting markets. Butler has moved all the way from a -2.5 to a -4.5 in this match-up and it's offering some very favorable line value for the underdog Red Raiders. Texas Tech coach Tubby Smith has now taken 5 different teams to the Big Dance in his career and he has an all-time 30-16 record in his appearances. The Red Raiders are back in the Big Dance for the first time in 9 years and their balanced scoring attack creates problems for the opposition. Butler comes out of the Big East so they certainly have played a respectable schedule but Texas Tech has played one of the toughest schedules in the country. The Bulldogs defense has not been as impressive this season as it was in prior seasons. This was especially true late in the season and through the conference tourney. Butler allowed 6 of their last 8 opponents to hit at least 46.3% from the field with 5 of the 6 connecting on better than 48% from the field! By contrast, the Red Raiders held 6 of their last 8 opponents under 45% from the field and 4 of the 6 were held below 43% from the field. The Bulldogs went 1-3 ATS in tournament games season and the Red Raiders went 6-3 ATS in non-conference games this season as they continue to be under-valued. *8* TEXAS TECH

Rickenbach March Madness *10* Top Play Tulsa Golden Hurricane +4.5 vs Michigan @ 9:10 ET - There was a lot of noise about the Golden Hurricane making the Big Dance and it was mostly from naysayers. Tulsa is a senior-laden team and I look for them to make the most of this opportunity. Certainly they have heard all the negative talk about their invite to the tourney and the Golden Hurricane are out to prove the doubters wrong. Michigan's big win over Indiana is what sticks in the minds of many when they think about the Wolverines but lets not forget that Big Blue then turned around and got throttled by Purdue. Michigan allowed the Boilermakers to shoot 53% from the field and the game was a blowout with the Wolverines also getting dominated on the boards. Give credit to Michigan for what they've been able to do without Caris LeVert but his absence really hurts the Wolverines in a big game like this against a team loaded with experience players. No team in the tourney has more seniors than Tulsa. The Golden Hurricane also have extra motivation here as they felt they should not have been left out of the tourney last year (and yet they were) and now they do get in but are hearing negativity about it. If any team is playing with a chip on their shoulder in these early games it certainly is Tulsa! The Golden Hurricane have a long-term 7-3 ATS mark in NCAA Tournament games and I feel they are again undervalued here. The Wolverines have failed to cover 10 of their last 16 games against teams with a winning record. *10* TULSA

Rickenbach March Madness *8* Southern Jaguars -2 vs Holy Cross @ 6:40 ET - Of course both of these teams come from weaker conferences but, similar to my play on Florida Gulf Coast over Fairleigh Dickinson yesterday, I look for the athleticism of Southern to cause problems for Holy Cross. The Crusaders just won't be able to keep up with the Jaguars in this one. Southern allowed just 53 points in the SWAC Championship game and, prior to that, the Jags had averaged 80 points per game in their 4 prior games. Yes the Southern offense was a little ugly in the championship game but I feel they will create some match-up problems for Holy Cross. The Crusaders deserve credit for fighting their way through the Patriot Conference tournament to get here but I don't expect much of a "run" from the Crusaders here as they were held to an average of 65 points per game on the season. Even in the tourney Holy Cross averaged just 67 points per game and that was even with facing 4 conference opponents whose season records combined for only a .500 mark on the season. The Crusaders not only have questionable production on offense, they are also weak in the rebounding department. Southern is on a long-term 9-1 (90%) ATS run when they are off of a game where they held their opponent to 60 points or less. Holy Cross is 13-25 straight-up in all their games against teams with a winning record the past three seasons combined. *8* SOUTHERN