NCAA 2nd Round Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Game #533 Saturday 10* Top Play Florida Gators (+) vs Texas Tech Red Raiders @ 8:40 ET - The Gators had some slip-ups this season but when they come to play they can play with anybody. That said, their performance against St Bonaventure in Round 1 showed me they're ready to go here in the Big Dance. Keep in mind, Florida beat Cincinnati, Kentucky, and Texas A & M in the regular season plus also beat Gonzaga by 6 and lost to Duke by just 3 points! Texas Tech's 10 point win over Stephen F Austin is the perfect example of a deceiving final score as the Lumberjacks were really in that game most of the way against the Red Raiders. It was the 8th straight Texas Tech game where the Red Raiders did not cover and I expect this one to make it 9 in a row. Keep in mind, TT entered that game on a 2-5 SU run and that included losses to West Virginia twice and Kansas as well. The point is that the Red Raiders have had trouble against the top teams in the nation and they're in trouble again here in my opinion. Texas Tech is on a 5-13 ATS run against teams with a winning record! The Gators are a long-term 9-4 SU and 10-3 ATS versus Big 12 opponents and also an overall 12-4 ATS in games on a neutral court with a line between pick'em and +3. They get the job done again here! 10* FLORIDA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #527 Saturday 10* Top Play Seton Hall Pirates (+) vs Kansas Jayhawks @ 7:10 ET - The #1 seed Jayhawks are laying a very small number against the #8 seed Pirates. Of course you know what that means for a contrarian guy like me. When something looks "off" or "too easy" you know where I'll be more often than not...on the other side! Many will be lining up to lay a very small number with a top-seeded Kansas team but I believe the odds makers were very sharp in the way they set this line because Seton Hall is built well for an upset here. If the Pirates do fall short look for it to be by just a single possession (3 points or less). Seton Hall is loaded with upper classmen, is solid both in the frontcourt and backcourt, and they are hungry after first round exits from the tourney each of the past two seasons. Now, after getting past NC State in the first game, look for the Pirates to make some noise in this tourney. The Jayhawks have been hot but Seton Hall is on a 6-0 ATS run. Also, Kansas only got 4 points from their bench in the win over Penn Thursday. The Quakers hung around with the Jayhawks until midway through the 2nd half. The Pirates can do more than just "hang around" here and the thin bench of Kansas could do them in here especially with 7-footer Udoka Azubuike still dealing with a knee injury for the Jayhawks. The Pirates are a long-term 26-11 ATS as an underdog and Kansas is 0-3 ATS the last 3 times they've held an opponent to 66 points or less. They held Pennsylvania to 60 points Thursday. 10* SETON HALL

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #538 Saturday 8* Kentucky Wildcats (-) vs Buffalo Bulls @ 5:15 ET - With all due respect to the Bulls for a strong season and an upset win over Arizona Thursday, this is not the MAC! Yes, I know they just beat a Pac-12 team and certainly deserve credit for that but they shot lights out while Arizona made only 11% of their three pointers in that game! Now Buffalo faces an SEC school known for being a basketball powerhouse. I know it has been a "down season" by Wildcats standards but Kentucky is now playing their best basketball of the season. UK has won 8 of their last 9 games both SU and ATS and they're ready to make a run here in the Big Dance. Look for Buffalo to drop to 0-4 SU and 1-3 ATS in games versus SEC opponents. As for the Wildcats, they are peaking at the right time and are 15-2 SU (and 13-4 ATS) in tournament games. 8* KENTUCKY

NCAA 1st Round Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Game #875 Friday 10* Top Play Syracuse Orange (+) vs TCU Horned Frogs @ 9:40 ET - TCU started the season 12-0 and then wrapped up the season going 9-11. The Horned Frogs numbers on offense are impressive but they leave a lot to be desired on the defensive end. Facing Syracuse is going to be a problem as the Orange play a unique style that is tough to prepare for when you're not use to seeing it. This games has a low total posted on it because the odds makers are expecting Syracuse to dictate the tempo. That said, it is certainly noteworthy that TCU is an ugly 4-7 SU in neutral court games with a posted total in the 135 to 139.5 range. Also, as a neutral court favorite of 3.5 to 6 points, the Horned Frogs have gone 2-6 ATS and all 6 of those losses were upset defeats which is what I am expecting here. It actually helps that the Orange had the play-in game on Wednesday and they certainly impressed in their ability to slow down a high-powered Arizona State offense. Syracuse should do the same thing to TCU here. The Orange will take advantage of a Horned Frogs team that will struggle with its shooting after the long layoff. Syracuse is 11-2 ATS (including 4-0 ATS in recent seasons) when they are a neutral court dog of 3.5 to 6 points. TCU went 1-4 SU this season when held to 68 points or less in a game and the Orange allowed 68 points or less in 22 of their 34 games this season. 10* SYRACUSE

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #865 Friday 10* Top Play Kansas State Wildcats (+) vs Creighton Bluejays @ 6:50 ET - Creighton's overall numbers on the season look impressive but they rely heavily on outside shooting and that has not traveled well for them this season. The Bluejays are strong at home but on the road they've knocked down a more modest 34.8% of their threes while allowing 39.1% three-point shooting to their opponents. Creighton averages 77.2 ppg on the road while allowing 82.3 ppg away from home! While most all teams have a home/road dichotomy the Bluejays is at the far end of the spectrum and I will take advantage by backing Kansas State here. The Wildcats were no match for Kansas in the Big 12 tournament but, prior to that, the Cats had held 7 of their last 9 opponents to 67 points or less. That holds significance here as the Bluejays (prior to a tight loss in the Big East tournament) had allowed 83 points or more in 4 of their last 5 games. Creighton is 2-8 ATS their last 10 lined games. The Wildcats were 5-3 ATS their last 8 games away from home prior to the ugly loss to the Jayhawks. The Cats are 4-0 SU the last 4 times they've played with 5 or 6 days of rest between games while the Bluejays are just 2-2 SU as their shooting tends to go cold after a layoff. Also, Creighton is on an ugly 3-9 ATS run versus teams with a winning record. Going contrarian here. Give me the lower seed! 10* KANSAS STATE

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #887 Thursday 8* Murray State Racers (+) vs West Virginia Mountaineers @ 4 ET - Plenty of veteran leadership in the form of upperclassmen on this Murray State team. Yes they come from the Ohio Valley Conference but these guys can play and they are loaded with confidence right now. That makes for a dangerous combination for West Virginia to contend with here. Sure, the Mountaineers played the tougher schedule on the season but the Racers enter this game having won 13 games in a row. Murray State has covered 4 games in a row and only 1 of their 5 losses this season came by more than 5 points. Keep in mind, West Virginia is only 9-9 SU since starting the season 15-1. The Mountaineers have allowed 50% from the field in their last 4 games. The Racers have only allowed about 40% from the field in their last 10 games! Murray State went 3-1 SU and ATS versus teams that average 77 points or more per game this season. West Virginia went 3-7 ATS this season versus teams that average 77 points or more per game. This could be one of the upsets many have been looking for and if the Racers do fall short I still expect it to be a game in which they keep it within single digits. 8* MURRAY STATE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #867 Friday 8* Providence Friars (+) vs Texas A & M Aggies @ 12:15 ET - Friars 32-18 ATS L50 as an underdog. Providence covered 10 of last 15 games versus teams with a winning record. Overall, Friars covered 5 of last 6 games and the lone ATS loss narrowly missed covering. Providence has been playing very well on the defensive end. Aggies enter this game on just a 3-4 SU (and 2-5 ATS run!) and are over-rated in my opinion. After yesterday was nearly devoid of upsets, you're going to see a few more today on Friday and though this is only a "mild one" (10 seed over a 7 seed) it is an upset I am expecting. Grab the points just in case but Texas A & M likely to struggle again here. Aggies only 2-7 ATS (and 2-7 SU!) when off of a loss in conference action and Friars have played the tougher competition in recent games which has them battle-ready here! 8* PROVIDENCE

Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #722 Thursday 10* Top Play Virginia Tech Hokies (-) vs Alabama Crimson Tide @ 9:20 ET - Time and time again when Alabama faced a big game it seems they tensed up and could not make shots. The Crimson Tide shooting performance to close out the season was abysmal and I don't foresee any reason that should change here as Bama faces the pressure of a "win or go home" situation. The Tide were held under 38% from the field in 3 of their last 5 games. Alabama averaged just 60.3 points per game in those 3 games. The Hokies certainly haven't been lighting up the scoreboard of late but they faced a slew of tough opponents and Virginia Tech at least shot 44% or better until they were held to 42% in their loss to Notre Dame in the ACC Tournament. The Hokies have wins over Duke, North Carolina, and Virginia this season. They have proven they can beat the best teams in the nation and I think they step up here and crush Alabama. The Crimson Tide have lost 6 of their last 8 games and Donta Hall is listed as questionable here. Hall leads the team in rebounds and blocked shots and is 2nd in scoring. Alabama is 0-4 ATS this season after allowing 80 points or more in their prior game. The Hokies are 14-5 ATS in first round tournament games and also went 7-2 ATS this season in non-conference games. Compared to the Crimson Tide, the Hokies are the much better shooting team including from three point land. 10* VIRGINIA TECH

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #732 Thursday 10* Top Play Houston Cougars (-) vs San Diego State Aztecs @ 7:20 ET - On the surface, it would seem logical to grab the points with the team that has won 9 straight games and gone 8-1 ATS in the process. Of course, defying logic is a big part of being a contrarian and the fact is that the Aztecs are going to have their hands full with a Cougars team that is also playing their best basketball of the season. Houston, prior to losing by a single point to a quality Cincinnati team in their conference tournament, had won 10 of their 11 previous games. Both these teams play solid defense but the Cougars numbers are even better and, again, they face a tougher schedule than San Diego State does. Also, Houston is the much better shooting team from three point land in comparison with the Aztecs. San Diego State is a long-term 7-11 ATS (and 6-12 SU) as an underdog and only 3 of Houston's 27 wins this season came by less than 4 points. Only 2 of San Diego State's 10 losses came by less than 4 points. The Cougars are 5-1 ATS when off of a game where they were held under 60 points and they are also a perfect 4-0 ATS this season when off of a loss to a conference foe. 10* HOUSTON

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #735 Thursday 8* Loyola (IL) Ramblers vs Miami (FL) Hurricanes @ 3:10 ET - Miami played the much tougher schedule but this Loyola team is a very strong one on both ends of the floor. The concern for the Hurricanes is not only that they went just 4-4 SU in their last 8 games (Ramblers lost only 5 games all season), but it is also the fact that the Canes allowed 52.8% or higher from the field in 3 of the 4 wins! A lack of defense kills a team come tournament time and I like the way Loyola has played on that end of the floor. The Ramblers enter this game on a 10-game winning streak and have won 17 of their last 18. The lone loss came by just 2 points. By the way, the Hurricanes recent wins in their unimpressive 4-4 SU run their last 8 games have come by an average margin of just 2 points per game. That is why there is certainly some additional value by having the points in this one even though they're small. The Ramblers have allowed an average of just 54 points per game their last 5 games! Loyola is 15-1 SU their last 16 games against teams with a winning record. Miami is 4-10 ATS their last 14 games against teams with a winning record. This has the makings of an upset (11 seed over 6 seed) and that is why this line is where it is! Grab the small dog in this one! 8* LOYOLA (IL)

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #723 Thursday 8* Oklahoma Sooners (+) vs Rhode Island Rams @ 12:15 ET - The Rams have the better record by far, they are the higher seed, and this line is an enticing to the markets to take Rhode Island and lay the small number. Of course you know what that means where there appears to be an enticement on the board. It means it usually doesn't pan out and it certainly is something that bears digging deeper into. In this case, a huge key is that Oklahoma played a much tougher schedule than the Rams did. The strength of schedule edge that the Sooners had this season will serve them well in crunch time in this game. Though I don't expect it to last throughout the tournament, I do expect freshman phenom Trae Young to have a huge game here. Oklahoma is 9-3 SU in their last 12 March games and they went 10-2 SU in non-conference games this season. Though the Rams have the better defensive stats by far, Rhode Island is actually 2-5 ATS when facing a team that allows 77 points or more per game. Also, the Rams are 6-11 ATS when off of a loss in conference action. 8* OKLAHOMA

Philly Special - Rickenbach CBB Game #617 Wednesday 10* Top Play Temple Owls (+) @ Penn State Nittany Lions @ 8 ET - Yes the Nittany Lions are home and yes they won 20 games this season. However, Penn State displayed awful shooting in the Big Ten Tournament. The Nittany Lions averaged 36% from the field in their 3 Big Ten Tourney games. Now PSU hosts a Temple team that relishes the role of underdog and that shot very well in their conference tournament. The Owls shot 48% from the field and that included a match-up with Wichita State! Temple comes into this game with plenty of confidence after the way they battled with the Shockers and 6 of their last 10 losses have come by 8 points or less. On the season the majority of their losses were by 8 points or less and I love the big dog value we're being offered here in a game for Pennsylvania pride. As a road dog of 9.5 to 12 points Temple is 3-1 ATS and all 3 victories were SU upset wins! Also, the Owls are 11-3 ATS in tournament games the last 3 seasons combined. Yes PSU is definitely improved and they are at home here. But still are they truly 10 points better in this situation? I don't believe so. They've won only half of their last 4 home meetings with Temple. The Owls have won the other 6 meetings. So the point is that the Nittany Lions are only 2-8 SU their last 10 games versus Temple and I know that Penn State is improved and the Owls are down a little overall this season. But when you look at the way these teams shot in the conference tourneys too and how that is likely to carry over here, the road dog has some big scoring runs in them here. 10* TEMPLE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #610 Wednesday 8* Texas Southern Tigers (-) vs North Carolina Central Eagles @ 6:40 ET - After starting the season 0-13, the Tigers finished up the campaign going 15-6 their last 21 games. Of course Texas Southern had a brutal non-conference schedule filled with road games against top quality programs. I believe this will serve the Tigers well here and their strength of schedule was much tougher than that of North Carolina Central. Have to give the Eagles credit for getting here of course but they did get a rather favorable string of match-ups through their conference tourney with the only truly tough opponent coming in the Championship Game when they got by Hampton. Keep in mind, prior to their conference tourney, in their last 5 road games of the regular season, NC Central went 0-5 SU and ATS in road games. Of course this is a neutral site game but the point is that the Eagles couldn't do anything away from home and they'll have their hands full with taking a big step up in class (don't be fooled by Texas Southern's overall season record) and the Tigers should roll in this one. 8* TEXAS SOUTHERN

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #547 Tuesday 10* Top Play Louisville Cardinals (-) vs Northern Kentucky Norse @ 7 ET - Big line move toward Northern Kentucky here based on the fact that Louisville certainly had higher hopes than the NIT and, of course, the Norse would love nothing more than to knock off a big in-state school. However, even if Northern Kentucky is up at the half here I would foresee Louisville crushing them in the 2nd half. The Cardinals can approach the NIT two different ways. Make a run at winning the whole thing or just lay down because they're disappointed about not being in the Big Dance. I am confident that the former not the latter will be the case and, once again, even if down at the half, these guys would wake up at halftime and crush the Norse in the 2nd half. They don't want to lose to a much smaller in-state foe. Of course the Cardinals have played a much tougher schedule than the Norse. Also, the Cards have the home court edge here. As a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points, Louisville has gone 8-1 SU and they only failed to cover twice in those 9 games! Before getting knocked out of the ACC Tourney in a game in which Virginia started on fire and the Cardinals hit a bad stretch of shooting in the first half, the Cards had gone 13-6 ATS in their 19 prior games. They bounce right back here. 10* LOUISVILLE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #543 Tuesday 8* LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds vs Radford Highlanders @ 6:40 ET - Big move toward Radford in this one and I understand based on their defensive numbers on the season. The Highlanders also played a slightly tougher schedule than LIU Brooklyn. However, the key to the value with the Blackbirds here is they have a veteran backcourt that is not going to be rattled by Radford's style of defense. In fact, I like Brooklyn's chances of breaking down the defense and getting some easy buckets in transition. The Blackbirds are loaded with confidence now after finishing the regular season strong and then making a big run through the conference tourney. LIU Brooklyn has won 5 straight games and they are shooting the ball very well. The Blackbirds have held 3 of their last 5 opponents under 35% from the field! Radford has not been shooting the ball well at all as they've been held to 36.2% or less from the field in 3 straight games. On the other end of the floor the Highlanders have allowed 39.5% or more in 5 of their last 6 games. The Blackbirds are 6-2 ATS (and SU!) their last 8 games as an underdog and are relishing that role again here! Radford is a long-term 4-12 ATS as a favorite and I love fading the masses here as the Highlanders are getting plenty of attention. Grab the generous points! 8* LIU BROOKLYN

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #513 Monday 8* North Carolina AT & T Aggies @ Liberty Flames @ 6 ET - I know that Liberty has the home court edge and that the play a tougher schedule than North Carolina AT & T does. However, the Flames missed out on a chance to go to the Big Dance because of a last second deep three-pointer at Radford in the conference tourney championship. That type of loss is very difficult to get over as Liberty had visions of the NCAA Tourney dancing in their heads before that gut-wrenching last second shot. I feel this opens up the door for the scrappy Aggies to make a good push early on in this game. That said, even if the Flames are able to recover and get the win I feel they'll struggle to win this by more than single digits. NC AT & T comes into this game having shot very well and averaging 78 points per game in their last two games. On the season they do average 75.6 points per game and Liberty is averaging just 71.2 points per game. Certainly the Flames are the better team defensively but I doubt they're going to be on top of their game after that disappointing loss at Radford. Keep in mind that Liberty had gone on a 5-8 SU run from mid-January through late February and they are simply over-priced here given the situation. 8* NORTH CAROLINA AT & T 

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #827 Sunday 10* Top Play Houston Cougars (+) vs Cincinnati Bearcats @ 3:30 ET - Of course it goes without saying that the Wichita State team that Houston beat yesterday is certainly a much stronger team than the Memphis team that Cincinnati knocked off. The key to the value here is that the Bearcats expended a lot of energy in the 2nd half to beat the Tigers after a dismal first half effort that was truly inexcusable. For Cincinnati to have a first half like that in a semi-final game truly says a lot about whether or not the Bearcats can be trusted and the answer right now is a no. After back to back non-covering wins for Cincy, they are now 3-5 ATS in their last 8 games and, though they have revenge here they were held to 39% in their last meeting with the Cougars and they have not been shooting well recently either. After yesterday's performance, the Bearcats have been held to 41% from the field in their last 3 games combined. Houston has been at the other end of the spectrum. After scoring 77 against Wichita State yesterday, the Cougars have scored 77 points or more in 6 of their last 7 games. Houston is on a 7-2 ATS run and they've shot 40% or better from three point land in both meetings with the Bearcats this season. The Cougars are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games against teams with a winning record and I'll grab the points here as they are 4-2 ATS (and SU!) this season as an underdog. Upset potential certainly looms here! 10* HOUSTON

Philly Special - Rickenbach CBB Game #519 Saturday 8* St Joseph's Hawks (+) vs Rhode Island Rams @ 1 ET - The Rams actually were losing outright to VCU yesterday with about 5 minutes to go but rallied for the 9 point win. As for the Hawks, they dominated George Mason yesterday by holding their shooting under 30% overall from the field. St Joseph's has now held each of their last 3 opponents under 37% from the field and that included a big win at Rhode Island a week and a half ago. Of course the Rams are looking to avenge that loss here but the Hawks also certainly weren't happy about getting swept by Rhode Island in last year's series and are looking to return the favor this season by delivering an upset here in conference tourney action. St Joseph's is 9-5 ATS as an underdog this season and the Hawks are also a long-term 7-2 ATS in tournament semi-final games. The Rams didn't cover yesterday's game unless you played them very late in the 30 minutes are so leading up to tip-off. I played against them with VCU and the Rams were +10 and held in the +9.5 range for much of the morning. The point is that Rhode Island failed to cover yesterday for the 5th time in their last 6 games (1-5 ATS run) and I am going to go against them again right here as the Hawks stay hot! The ATS runs above combine for a 21-8 run! 8* St Joseph's 

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #549 Saturday 8* UMBC Retrievers (+) @ Vermont Catamounts @ 11 AM ET - Of course the Catamounts have all the history on their side in their match-up with the Retrievers and they also have the home court edge here. However, UMBC lost badly in both games with Vermont in the regular season and that has led to line value here. The Retrievers lost the two games by an average margin of 21.5 points even though they actually took a combined 5 more shots from the field in the 2 games. The point is that, just with hitting some more shots, the end results would have been much different and UMBC comes into this game as hot as they've been all season. They've won 10 of their last 12 games SU and covered both of their tourney games. Of course the Catamounts are also hot, as usual, as they've won 5 straight but they are just 1-1 ATS in tournament action and this will be, by far, their toughest match-up yet. I like the fact that the Retrievers are a long-term 8-2 ATS in tournament action while Vermont is a long-term 4-9 ATS in their games against teams with a winning record. This will be a much closer game than many are expecting. 8* UMBC

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #858 Friday 10* Top Play Xavier Musketeers (-) vs Providence Friars @ 6:30 ET - The Friars are off of a hard-fought OT win over Creighton while Xavier blew right past St John's. That sets up the Musketeers well for pushing the pace and blowing right past Providence here. Xavier now on a 15-5 ATS run in neutral court games. 4 of the last 5 wins for the red hot Musketeers have come by a double digit margin. 10 of Providence's 12 losses this season have been by 9 points or more so, when they lose, they tend to lose big and of course I am not expecting a Friars upset here. In other words, this one has blowout written all over it. Providence is 0-4 ATS in a neutral court game with a posted total between 150 and 154.5 points. Each of the last 5 meetings between these teams has been decided by 9 or more points and I expect another one here. 10* XAVIER

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #829 Friday 8* Virginia Commonwealth Rams (+) vs Rhode Island Rams @ Noon ET - VCU lost the regular season match-up and failed to cover with a big key being the fact they got dominated on the glass. However, when you look at how these two teams rebounded during the season that edge doesn't make sense at all. In other words, don't look for a repeat of that here. Also, Virginia Commonwealth has triple revenge here including the fact they were knocked out of the conference tourney by Rhode Island last March after losing to them in February of last year as well. RI 5-11 ATS when off of a loss in conference action. VCU now 5-2 SU and ATS L7 conference tourney games. Payback time! 8* VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #719 Thursday 10* Top Play San Diego State Aztecs (-) vs Fresno State Bulldogs @ Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, NV @ 5:30 ET - Not only is San Diego State playing this game with double revenge from the regular season, they also hold a huge edge because of a key injury for Fresno State. The Bulldogs recently lost senior guard Jaron Hopkins to injury. In the game he got hurt he had only played 12 minutes and Fresno State lost that game by double digits. In the games since, the Bulldogs scored only 54 points against Air Force and then they lost at New Mexico in OT. When Hopkins was rolling the Bulldogs were rolling - 5 straight wins and he averaged 17.6 points per game. Included in that stretch was a huge 20-point performance from him in the most recent win versus San Diego State. I look for his absence to make a huge difference in this rematch. The Aztecs come in red hot on a 6-0 SU and 5-1 ATS run and that continues here as Fresno State remains winless ATS since the Hopkins injury. 10* SAN DIEGO STATE

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #663 Thursday 8* Boston College Eagles (+) vs Clemson Tigers @ Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY @ 2:30 ET - At first glance this line might seem "off" to the casual observer as Clemson is ranked, well-rested, and went 22-8 this season and they're only laying 4 points to a Boston College team that was barely above .500 for the regular season and is now playing a 3rd game in 3 days. Don't be fooled though. The Eagles are now officially "in the zone" after they proved they could remain hot a 2nd straight day. Sometimes teams can get that first win but they don't really have the moxie to put together a run but this Eagles team is really starting to believe in themselves after wins over Georgia Tech and NC State in this tourney. Now, here is the biggest key of all though. The Tigers went 16-3 in the 19 games Donte Grantham played. Clemson is only 6-5 in the 11 games since he was lost for the season (ACL). Also, 2 of those wins came against Georgia Tech, 1 against Pittsburgh, and 1 against Wake Forest. Those are the 3 worst teams in the ACC. Yes, the Tigers got one big win (over NC) after Grantham got hurt but their other win was against Florida State which again showed their true disappointing selves in yesterday's loss to these Eagles. The point is that the Tigers (other than the win over the Tar Heels) really don't have a lot to show for their efforts since Grantham was lost for the season. His absence will loom large in today's game too with the way the upstart Eagles have been playing. Clemson 1-4 ATS last 5 games and I am grabbing the points but expecting the upset here! 8* BOSTON COLLEGE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #661 Thursday 8* Louisville Cardinals (+) @ Virginia Cavaliers @ Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY @ Noon ET - The Cardinals get their shot at revenge against the Cavaliers. Not only did Virginia win both games this season, they won the 2nd game in one of the craziest finishes of the season that resulted in a 1-point last second win at Louisville. The Cards enter this game on a 13-6 ATS run and, just as they showed again yesterday, they can get wicked hot with their outside shooting. That is a key to success against the Cavs stifling defense and the Cardinals were down only 5 in the final minutes of their loss at Virginia this season too. In summary, it was a rather tight road loss and a home defeat in the final second for the Cardinals and that is why I am grabbing the generous points being offered in this one on a neutral floor. 8* LOUISVILLE

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #578 Wednesday 8* NC State Wolfpack (-) vs Boston College Eagles @ 2:30 ET - The Eagles got the early win yesterday over Georgia Tech but the Yellow Jackets got plenty of good looks at the basket and open shots. The problem for GT was just an inability to knock down shots and Boston College won't have that same luxury against a Wolfpack team that averages 81 points a game. NC State was particularly hot over the last 5 weeks of the season. In their 9 games since the calendar turned to February North Carolina State shot a combined 50% from the field. The Wolfpack are not great defensively but, keep in mind, the Eagles just don't have the offensive firepower to keep up with NC State and they're will be some tired legs after yesterday's game. BC just doesn't have much of a bench. Yesterday they only got a total of 22 minutes from the bench. That means the 5 starters averaged about 36 of the 40 minutes! The Wolfpack will run Boston College right out of the building in this one. 8* NC STATE

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #521 Tuesday 10* Top Play Wake Forest Demon Deacons (+) vs Syracuse Orange @ 7 ET - This line has gone from a -3 to a -5 on Syracuse as the markets feel the odds makers have made some type of egregious error by having the 19-12 Orange as only a 3 point favorite over an 11-19 Demon Deacons team. It's never that easy guys and the odds makers knew what they were doing with this one. Wake Forest plays Syracuse tough. The Demon Deacons are only 1-2 in the last 3 meetings but all 3 games were close ones and the Orange have really struggled to knock down shots this season. Syracuse is averaging 67.6 points per game on just 41.9% shooting this season. The Demon Deacons are hitting 38.2% of their threes this season while the Orange are hitting only 32.3% from three point land. While it is true that, on the season, Syracuse has the better numbers on defense than Wake Forest, the Demon Deacons finished up the season strong and allowed an average of just 39% from the field in their last 3 games. The Orange defense really struggled more as the season went on and, prior to allowing just 40% in their regular season finale, Syracuse had allowed 44% or more from the field in 6 of their previous 8 games. Look for the Orange to drop to 1-5 ATS on the season in games against teams with a losing record. 10* WAKE FOREST

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #517 Tuesday 8* Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+) vs Boston College Eagles @ Noon ET - After standing by to let the markets do their thing they've now driven this line all the way up from Boston College being about a pick'em all the way up to a 4 point favorite. It is now "go time" with Georgia Tech here! The Yellow Jackets are 12-4 ATS in March games and 3-0 ATS in first round tournament games. The Eagles are 1-8 ATS in tournament games. The Yellow Jackets also looking to avenge an 8 point loss at Boston College early last month where they were outscored by 16 points in the 2nd half. The difference is the game was the Eagles hitting 11 of 23 three-pointers and it is highly unlikely they do that here in a neutral court game. Grab the generous points here. 8* GEORGIA TECH

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #715 Monday 10* Top Play Bowling Green Falcons (+) @ Central Michigan Chippewas @ 7:05 ET - I had my eyes on Bowling Green for their first round game in the MAC Tournament since they got blasted on their home floor by Buffalo in their regular season finale. Of course the Bulls are in a class of their own this season as they dominated the MAC East but the fact is that anytime a team gives up 100 on their home floor, especially in their final game of the season, you know they're going to be geared up for a bounce back performance in their next game. The fact that this game is on the road means extra line value for the home shading factored in plus the fact that odds makers had to over-adjust some after the Falcons got blasted. Bowling Green did lose at home to Central Michigan in their regular season match-up but the Falcons led the Chippewas at the half in that game. Also, Central Michigan just had to play on Saturday due to a shooting on campus that moved their game from Friday to Saturday and from on-campus to another location 30 miles away. While they did win that game the Chips are now on short rest and have gone just 2-4 ATS the last 6 times they've played with 1 day of rest or less between games. Central Michigan is also 2-4 ATS as a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points and all 4 of those losses have been outright upset defeats! Another one wouldn't surprise here but I am grabbing the generous points with the Falcons. They are 5-0 SU and ATS this season when playing with home loss revenge. 10* BOWLING GREEN

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #815 Sunday 8* Cincinnati Bearcats (+) @ Wichita State Shockers @ Noon ET - After opening up at a pick'em, this line has gone all the way up to a 3. Of course everyone is jumping on Wichita State at home and that is leading to great line value with the revenge-minded Bearcats. Cincinnati wants this game badly after losing to the Shockers at home two weeks ago. That loss ended a long home winning streak for the Bearcats and they're hungry to avenge that loss early Sunday. Cincinnati is allowing just 57.2 points and 36.9% from the field this season. Wichita State allowing 71.1 points and 41.7% from the field. Look for the edge on defense and the high motivation factor to lead to a road win for the revenge-minded team here. The Bearcats have a straight-up mark of 13-1, 93% when off of a win in conference action this season. 8* CINCINNATI

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NCAAB Game #564 Saturday 10* Top Play Virginia Cavaliers (-) vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ 4 ET - Here is what people are talking about: Virginia is off of a miraculous last second win at Louisville. Notre Dame has Bonzie Colson back. Here what people are not talking about: The Cavaliers were knocked out of the ACC Tournament last spring by the Fighting Irish. It was the first time that Notre Dame had beaten the Cavaliers since joining the ACC. Also, Colson was good but not great in his first game back and that was against a very bad Pittsburgh team. So here is the takeaway: there is tremendous line value here with the Cavaliers in their home finale. They have revenge on their minds after what happened in the ACC Tourney last year. To put that game in proper perspective, the Cavaliers haven't allowed that many points (71) this entire season. The Cavs defense is going to bring their "A game" here. The Irish are smart enough to know this not a game to push Colson too hard in. They need him for the upcoming tournament games not for this one final regular season games. For the Cavaliers they are a very hard-working team and they want to send the seniors off the right way in their final home game. They'll be able to dominate defensively and the Cavaliers offensive production this season is much better than last year. Of course this is a big reason they're now the #1 ranked team in the nation and they're not getting the respect they should here. I'll gladly step in and take advantage. Notre Dame is just 4-8 ATS their last 12 games. The Cavaliers win at Louisville was a non-covering win and the Cavs haven't had 2 straight ATS losses this entire season. In other words, an ATS win for the home team as they avenge last season's loss. 10* VIRGINIA

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #545 Saturday 8* Boston College Eagles (+) @ Florida State Seminoles @ 2 ET - The Eagles beat the Seminoles earlier this season at Boston College. As a result, the Seminoles will be seeking revenge here. However, BC lost at Florida State by 32 points here last February and were knocked out of the ACC Tournament in a 22-point loss the prior year. In other words, Boston College still has some unfinished business in terms of dealing with FSU. The Eagles are off of a dominating home win versus Syracuse and only lost by a single point (for an easy cover) at Miami in their most recent road game. A recent 23-point blowout road win at Pittsburgh (as well as that gritty performance against the Hurricanes) gives the Eagles plenty of confidence heading to Florida State. Simply put, the Noles have been a disappointment as this season has gone on. They've now lost 4 of their last 6 games and Boston College can actually finish with a higher seeding in the ACC tournament than FSU by getting the upset win today. Florida State is on an 0-6 ATS run and though the Seminoles are a very lengthy team on defense they've still been giving up high shooting percentages and big points. Florida State has allowed 81.2 points per game their last 5 games! FSU is 3-8 ATS when they enter a game on an ATS losing streak of 3 or more games. The Eagles are 10-6 ATS in conference games this season. 8* BOSTON COLLEGE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #519 Saturday 8* St John's Red Storm (+) @ Providence Friars @ Noon ET - The Red Storm may be without Big East leading scorer Shamorie Ponds again. However, they just beat Butler in double OT Wednesday without him. They used a lineup that was long on length and defensive skill and St John's got another big win. They are as hot as they've been all season as they've won 5 of of their last 7 games including 3 wins over tournament teams. Those 3 wins included Wednesday's win over the Bulldogs and victories over Duke and Villanova! The Red Storm are on the road for this one but that hasn't mattered in the series with Providence. The last 4 meetings have not only been covers for the road team they've also been outright wins. Those four victories have come by an average margin of 13 points per game. Way back in late December the Friars handed the Red Storm what would end up being their worst home loss of the season! St John's hasn't forgotten that 22 point embarrassment on their home floor and they're seeking redemption today! The Red Storm are 3-1 ATS this season when seeking revenge for a blowout loss of 20 points or more. Providence is 3-10 ATS as a favorite this season! I'll gladly take all the points I can get in this one but we likely won't need them. 8* ST JOHN'S

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #860 Friday 10* Top Play Southern Illinois Salukis (+) vs Missouri State Bears @ 7 ET - Missouri State hung on for the win versus Valparaiso despite the Bears allowing 79 points on 45.5% from the field including 52.6% from three point land. Their luck runs out here as the Bears defense has been garbage for 3 straight games and, keep in mind, they had lost 4 straight games before getting past the Crusaders yesterday. Now they face a Salukis team that is ticked off of after a sub-par ending to the regular season. Southern Illinois is the healthier team and they are the more rested team here. Also, there is no shame in the fact that they lost to Loyola (top team in MVC) two games ago and then they definitely just threw in the towel in the season finale on the road. That said, lets not forget that before these two losses, the Salukis had won 8 of their last 9 games! Missouri State is on a 2-9 ATS run against teams with a winning record. They also are 1-6 ATS when playing with road loss revenge. Also, after scoring 80 points or more in a game, the Bears are 4-12 ATS the past 3 seasons. Look for the Salukis to improve to 4-1 ATS when playing with 5 or 6 days of rest between games. 10* SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

Hidden Gem - Rickenbach CBB Game #876 Friday 8* Rider Broncs (-) vs St Peters Peacocks @ 7 ET - This one is real simple guys. I got burned by St Peters yesterday. They got very fortunate, caught lightning in a bottle, and rallied late to win against Monmouth. The Peacocks are not a very good basketball team. Sometimes crazy thing happens and that was the key to St Peters truly miracle win over the Hawks yesterday. They won't be so fortunate against the Broncs! Rider's defensive numbers sure don't impress but the reason they went 22-8 this season is because of their firepower on offense. Simply put, the Peacocks won't be able to keep up. Also, unlike Monmouth, the Broncs are loaded with scorers so they'll be able to get the big buckets they need during the stretch run. St Peters is 1-9 SU (and 3-7 ATS) when playing against a team with a winning record this season. Also, the Peacocks are 2-5 SU the last 7 times they've played a game with 1 day of rest or less between games. As for Rider, they are 14-3 SU (and 12-5 ATS) this season against teams with a losing record. Also, the Broncs are a long-term 15-8 ATS after a game in which they allowed 80 points or more. 8* RIDER

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #565 Thursday 10* Top Play Valparaiso Crusaders (+) vs Missouri State Bears @ 9:30 ET - The whole world is jumping on the Bears here. That is a Missouri State team that has lost 8 of its 10 games since Reggie Scurry has been out. Also, the Bears could be without another player that is part of their regular playing rotation as guard Ronnie Rousseau is questionable with an illness. Another key here is that it is hard to beat a team 3 times in one season. The Bears have knocked off the Crusaders in each of the first two meetings in the regular season and you can bet that Valparaiso loves the fact that they are getting this opportunity at revenge in the conference tourney. The Crusaders have picked up some momentum with 3 wins in their final 5 games of the regular season and are definitely playing their top basketball of the season right now. One of those two losses came to the MVC top team too as it was a loss at Loyola-Chicago. Valparaiso actually was down only 3 points on the road against the Ramblers with less than 4 and 1/2 minutes to go in that game. A valiant effort and the Crusaders will have no trouble with a similar effort in a "win or go home" game against the Bears. Simply put, a wounded and bad Missouri State team is getting too much respect here. The Crusaders are 3-1 SU and ATS when playing with road loss revenge this season and the Bears are 1-9 ATS when off of a loss in conference action. 10* VALPARAISO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #580 Thursday 8* Monmouth Hawks vs St Peters Peacocks @ 5 ET - This is a neutral site game and the Hawks are favored with good reason. Monmouth actually stood up to top competition at times during the season and I feel that gives them a significant edge in a tourney setting like this. The Peacocks closed the regular season with back to back wins but those came against two of the worst teams in the MAAC. You have to look long and hard to find a game where St Peters actually stepped up against top competition and I feel they'll once again struggle in a big-game setting. Monmouth is on a 6-3 ATS run in neutral court games while St Peter's is on an 0-3 ATS run in conference tournament games. The Hawks are the better shooting team from the field including from 3-point land and I expect that to be a key difference maker in this match-up. 8* MONMOUTH 

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #719 Wednesday 8* Providence Friars (+) @ Xavier Musketeers @ 6:30 ET - Xavier is seeking revenge here for a loss at Providence in early January. However, the Musketeers entered that game also seeking revenge and it still didn't matter as the Friars beat them for a 2nd straight time. Yes, it is true that the Musketeers have home court edge here but that has also been factored in this line and Xavier is a very sizable favorite considering they've lost the turnover battle 32-17 in their last two meetings with Providence! Also, the Musketeers defense just isn't what it use to be. Even in home games Xavier has allowed about 50% from the field in their last 5 games! The Musketeers are allowing 75.4 points per game this season and in the Big East only one other team, Marquette, is allowing a higher ppg average. Only 4 of the last 16 wins that Xaviers has have come by more than 10 points. The Musketeers tend to let teams hang around I like the value here with a Friars team that is a long-term 28-18 ATS as an underdog. Look for Xavier to drop to 3-6 ATS the last 9 times they've been a home favorite in a range of 9.5 to 12 points. 8* PROVIDENCE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #513 Tuesday 8* Miami-Ohio RedHawks (+) @ Kent State Golden Flashes @ 7 ET - This is one of those games (line opened up at just 1.5 on Kent State) where it simply looks too easy to just take the revenging team on their home floor and lay a small number. Of course we all know what happens more often than not when something looks too easy. The fact is that the RedHawks are offering solid line value here as this line has already climbed up to a 3 and could even go a little higher. Miami-Ohio has seen their last 6 games decided by an average margin of just 3.5 points per game. They're use to playing tight low-scoring games and they're the better team defensively in comparison with Kent State. These two teams are currently tied for 2nd place in the East Division of the MAC and I look for the RedHawks to ride the momentum of back to back wins. Kent State is off of a win but it came by just a single point and they entered that game having lost 5 of their 6 prior games. In other words, the Golden Flashes last 7 games have featured just 1 win by more than a single point! Also, prior to the tight win over Bowling Green, Kent State had allowed 48% or more from the field in 4 of their 5 prior games! The RedHawks are 10-4 ATS on the road this season and 14-6 ATS as an underdog! Kent State is 9-24 ATS in home games with a posted total between 135 and 139.5 points. 8* MIAMI-OHIO

Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #526 Tuesday 10* Top Play Alabama Crimson Tide (-) vs Florida Gators @ 7 ET - Florida, of course, has the long-term reputation in basketball while Alabama is all about football. However, it is no mistake that the Crimson Tide are favored here. This basketball program has come a long way under coach Avery Johnson and, on Senior Night, I look for a huge game from Alabama here. They've suffered 3 straight losses but 2 of those were on the road. Off of a rare home loss in their most recent game, look for the Crimson Tide to bounce back huge here. Alabama is still 12-3 SU at home this season and, with this line having fallen to just a -2 this morning, any SU win is likely to equate to an ATS win for the Tide as well. Alabama is 49-28 SU long-term when they enter a game on an ATS losing streak of 3 or more games. Also, in home games with a posted total between 135 and 139.5 points, the Crimson Tide are a long-term 26-11 SU. They are the better defensive team in this match-up and also shoot better than the Gators. So why are people backing Florida here? Long-term reputation and the revenge angle since the Gators lost to the Tide earlier this season. However, the reason not to buy into all that is that prior to a tight win versus Auburn in their most recent game, Florida had lost 5 of their last 7 games and had just 1 ATS win in those 7 games! The Gators are 0-4 SU and ATS this season in games with a posted total in the 130s. 10* ALABAMA

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #820 Sunday 8* Temple Owls (-) vs Central Florida Golden Knights @ 2 ET - The Owls got embarrassed 60-39 in a very ugly loss at UCF earlier this season. Temple hasn't forgotten that defeat and they're out for revenge in a big way here. While the Owls are a healthy team, the Golden Knights are quite banged up and Temple will take advantage of this. Central Florida is on a 1-5 ATS run in road games while the Owls had covered 6 in a row before an embarrassing home loss to Houston last Sunday. That sets this one up well and I expect Temple to roll. The Owls are 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS in a home game with a posted total in the 120s and also a long-term 4-2 ATS as a home favorite in a range of 3.5 to 6 points. The Golden Knights are a long-term 7-18 ATS as a road dog of 3.5 to 6 points. Payback time here for the Owls! 8* TEMPLE

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #593 Saturday 8* Kansas Jayhawks (+) @ Texas Tech Red Raiders @ 4:15 ET - The Red Raiders are 16-0 SU at home this season, ranked higher than the Jayhawks, already beat Kansas, and yet they are very nearly a "pick'em" in this match-up. Don't be fooled! The Jayhawks are the play. Kansas is going for a national record 14th straight regular season conference title and, to do it, they need to avenge a rare home loss to Texas Tech which was suffered last month. The Jayhawks are playing so much better now than they were then as they've reeled off 3 straight wins and these were, by no means, easy match-ups. Kansas got a hard-fought road win at Iowa State plus key victories over quality Big 12 opponents Oklahoma and West Virginia. While the Jayhawks have been shooting lights out of late, the Red Raiders confidence is shaken after demoralizing road losses at Baylor and Oklahoma State where poor shooting certainly played a role. Expecting Texas Tech to bounce back off of a loss? The fact is that the Red Raiders are 0-4 ATS this season when off of a loss in Big 12 action. Kansas is 7-1 SU in road games with a posted total between 140 and 144.5 points while Texas Tech is 2-4 ATS in home games with a posted total between 140 and 144.5 points this season. Look for the Jayhawks to improve to 5-1 SU the last 6 times they've played with home loss revenge. 8* KANSAS

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #555 Saturday 8* Boston College Eagles (+) @ Miami-Florida Hurricanes @ 2 ET - The absence of Bruce Brown is significant for the Hurricanes. Since the guard got hurt, Miami has won just 4 of 7 games and, in those 7 games, only 1 was a victory by double digits for the Canes. In other words, there is huge value here with the big road dog Eagles. Yes, this is a revenge game for Miami as they lost at Boston College two weeks ago and are seeking to avenge that defeat. However, the Hurricanes are off of a big upset road win at Notre Dame and the Canes had entered that game on an 0-3 SU run and 2-9 ATS run! Miami is just 1-6 ATS in home games this season and also just 1-6 ATS this season when off of a win in ACC action. The Eagles are off of back to back losses (SU and ATS) but had previously gone 9-4 ATS in conference action this season and they resume their winning ways (at least in terms of a cover) at Miami early Saturday afternoon. 8* BOSTON COLLEGE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #532 Saturday 8* Maryland Terrapins (+) vs Michigan Wolverines @ Noon ET - It looks too easy to simply take the ranked team that is 12-5 in Big Ten games over the unranked team that is 8-9 in Big Ten games. Of course whenever something looks too easy on the surface, you know what that means. Nothing is ever that easy and that is when it is time to dig a little deeper. What you will find upon further digging here is that Maryland is 15-2 SU at home this season and also playing their best basketball in a long time. The Terrapins are off of back to back wins, have won 4 of their last 6, and they've shot better than 50% combined from the field in their last 6 games! The Wolverines are also coming into this game hot but are off of a road win at Penn State that was preceded by Michigan losing 3 of their 4 prior road games. In road games with a line ranging anywhere from +3 to -3 the Wolverines have gone 4-9 ATS and SU! The Terps are 9-3 SU when playing with road loss revenge and also a perfect 5-0 SU in Saturday games this season. 8* MARYLAND

Earliest Cash Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #705 Wednesday 10* Georgia Bulldogs (+) @ South Carolina Gamecocks @ 6:30 ET - The first lines that popped up on this game had South Carolina as nearly a pick'em on their home floor. Keep in mind, this is even though the Gamecocks are 39-11 SU in home games the past 2+ seasons and the Bulldogs are 12-23 SU in road games the past 2+ seasons. Wow...must be a gift from the odds makers, right? It is never that easy folks and yet sure enough the markets have jumped all over South Carolina here and Georgia is now available at as high as a +3.5 and I'll gladly go contrarian and grab the dog here. I love to fade the line moves in situations like this and the Bulldogs are playing with home loss revenge here as they lost despite holding the Gamecocks to just 27% from the field last month at Georgia. The Bulldogs are 7-1 ATS (including 2-0 this season) when playing with home loss revenge. Georgia enters this game with plenty of confidence as they are off of back to back wins and have played very well on both ends of the floor in those victories. The Gamecocks are off of a big upset win as a sizable underdog but previously had lost 6 straight games. In those 6 games South Carolina averaged only 62 points per game. The Bulldogs are the better shooting team on the season and also have the better defense in terms of field goal percentage allowed. The Gamecocks are 1-3 SU and ATS this season when off of a win in SEC action. Also, South Carolina is a long-term 13-27 ATS as a home favorite of 3 points or less. Bulldogs payback time. 10* GEORGIA

Early Annihilation Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #509 Tuesday 10* Creighton Bluejays (+) @ Butler Bulldogs @ 7 ET - Even though this is a revenge game for Butler (lost at Creighton last month), there is a history of success for the Bluejays in their meetings with the Bulldogs. Creighton has won and covered 3 straight in this series and the Bluejays are 7-2 ATS in their 9 meetings with the Bulldogs. I also like the fact that Creighton is off of a loss here as they are 7-0 SU this season when off of a loss. You read that right, the Bluejays have not lost back to back games this entire season. As for Butler, they are off of a win which adds to the line value here because, prior to that win, the Bulldogs had lost 3 straight ATS and SU! Butler allowed 56% shooting from the field in those 3 games as their defense has struggled. As for Creighton, they had played solid defense (particularly defending the perimeter and 3 point shots) prior to their home loss to Marquette. Creighton is on a 21-4 SU run (including 7-1 SU this season) when off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. The Bulldogs won't be able to keep up here. Butler is 3-7 SU and ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a winning record plus 2-6 SU and ATS in their last 8 games against teams that average 77 points or more per game. The Bluejays come into this angry and improve to 8-0 SU this season when off of a loss but I'll grab the generous points in case they fall just short. 10* CREIGHTON

Situational Slaughter Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #706 Monday 10* Northwestern Wildcats (+) vs Maryland Terrapins @ 7 ET - The Wildcats led by as many as 27 points in the first half versus Michigan State Saturday. Northwestern was still up by 22 points at the half. The Cats ended up losing the game. After scoring just 11 points in the 2nd half against the Spartans Saturday, there is no doubt the Wildcats are going to give a huge effort here! Even though Bryant McIntosh missed the game versus Michigan State, Anthony Gaines did a great job in his absence. McIntosh could be back here but whether he is or not should not prove to be a factor against the Terrapins given the way Gaines played. This line is roughly a pick'em and Maryland is 0-10 SU this season when they are not favored. Also, the Terrapins are 1-5 SU when off of a win in Big Ten action and also just 1-8 SU in road games this season! The Wildcats are on a 39-12 SU run in home games including 11-4 SU this season. Also, the Cats are 4-2 SU and ATS this season when revenging a road loss. Off of a loss at Maryland earlier this season, payback is on order for the very angry home team here as the Wildcats look to redeem themselves after giving top-ranked Michigan State a run for their money but then letting it slip away. 10* NORTHWESTERN 

Contrarian Crusher Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #856 Sunday 10* Temple Owls (+) vs Houston Cougars @ 4 ET - Everyone just watched Houston knock off Cincinnati in a big win Thursday so they'll be the popular choice here. The line has already moved the way of the Cougars in this one as the markets are pushing that way early on gameday. The fact is that the Owls are very quietly playing solid basketball and are flying under the radar right now. This is the perfect spot to back Temple (off of a tight loss at Wichita State) and to fade Houston after their upset win at home versus the Bearcats. The Cougars are only 3-4 SU in their last 7 true road games and the Owls are 4-0 SU in their last 4 home games. Prior to that, Temple's two most recent home losses came by just 2 and 3 points respectively and both of those teams were quality opponents. The Owls can play with anyone with the way their playing right now and they are catching Houston at the right time for a mild upset win at home. Temple has covered 6 straight games and is playing as well as they have all season long. The Owls are shooting the ball very well and will also rally around the home crowd here. Houston is a long-term 5-9 ATS as a road fave of 3 points or less. Also, the Cougars are 3-6 ATS this season when they are off of a win in conference action. Temple is 6-1 SU and ATS after a game in which they scored 80 points or more. The Owls are 11-3 ATS this season off of a conference game. They are "all in" on this one and primed for the upset! 10* TEMPLE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #845 Saturday 8* DePaul Blue Demons (+) @ Seton Hall Pirates @ 1 ET - The odds makers must have made a mistake, right? If Seton Hall was favored by 6.5 at DePaul 3 weeks ago wouldn't the Pirates be favored by at least 12.5 at home (factoring in at least 3 points for home court edge)? Instead Seton Hall opened up as low as a 10 and the markets are jumping on the Pirates and the line has been driven to as high as an 11 as of about 4 hours before game time. The key to the value here (and the reason the odds makers handled this one the way they did) is because DePaul is playing their best basketball of the season and Seton Hall is playing their worst ball of the season. I don't see that changing here. The Blue Demons are at the bottom of the Big East standings so it is hard for the Pirates to get excited for this game. Seton Hall just faced one of the top teams (Xavier) in the standings and they have Providence on deck. That holds some significance here because the Pirates are looking up in the standings at the Friars. Should the Pirates find a way to win this game today? Yes but I don't see it being a blowout. Seton Hall has allowed at least 48% from the field in 4 straight games and DePaul is 1-2 SU (but 3-0 ATS) in their last 3 games as they've scored at least 75 points in all 3 games and the two losses each came by just a single point! The Pirates are 1-6 ATS (and 2-5 SU!) after allowing 80 points or more in their prior game. This could be a huge upset but certainly the big points should prove to be enough even if the Blue Demons don't pull off the shocker. 8* DEPAUL 

Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #634 Saturday 10* Top Play Louisville Cardinals (-) vs North Carolina Tar Heels @ 8:15 ET - After missing two games, Cardinals forward (and leading scorer) Deng Adel is expected back for this one. That should help key a Louisville signature win which is much needed at this time of year as teams need to impress the tournament committee. The fact that the Tar Heels are a ranked team and have won 4 straight games and yet are installed as a dog should tell you a lot here. It is no mistake...the odds makers know what they're doing...and the home team is the play in this one. Louisville will prove to be the hungrier team. Also, the home team has dominated this series as 6 of the last 10 games were not neutral floor games. In those 6 games, the home team won every game. North Carolina is 0-7 SU and ATS the last 7 times they've been an underdog. While the Tar Heels have won 4 straight games, their defense has been sketchy at times with sub-par efforts versus NC State and Duke included in that winning streak. The Cardinals have won back to back games heading into this one and they really put the clamps down on defense in those two games. That return to solid D was much needed and resembled how the Cards were playing earlier this season when they were on top of their game. Couple this resurgence with Deng's return and the fact that Louisville is playing their biggest game of the season and you have a great set up here. The Cardinals are on a 9-3 ATS run and are 6-1 ATS this season when off of a win in conference action and are 48-5 SU at home the last 3 seasons. 10* LOUISVILLE

Daytime Dominator Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #513 Saturday 10* Missouri Tigers (+) @ LSU Tigers @ 2 ET - Missouri is red hot right now, playing solid defense, and they have revenge here. LSU of course has the home court edge here but their defense has been missing in most all of their recent games and the odds makers have this one priced this way for a reason! As you can see it looks inviting to just take LSU at home in a game that opened up at a -1 but the fact is that Missouri's mediocre road record is poised to add another W today. Even though LSU is 10-4 at home this season they come into this game having lost 7 of their last 10 games. Also, in 6 of their last 8 games, LSU has allowed their opponent to hit at least 51% from the field. Missouri's defense, on the other hand, has been rock solid as they've held 4 of their last 5 opponents to 69 points or less and 40% or less from the field. Missouri is 4-0 SU this month and on a long-term 16-5 ATS run in February games. This team is playing with a ton of confidence right now and the fact they lost at home to LSU last season and have lost all 3 visits to LSU is what strengthens this play as there is plenty of motivation. As for the home team here, they are on a 6-14 SU run in February games and also are 2-6 SU and ATS their last 8 games against teams with a winning record. 10* MISSOURI

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #502 Saturday 8* UCF Golden Knights (-) vs SMU Mustangs @ 11 AM ET - The Golden Knights want this game badly as the Mustangs have held the upper hand in this series in recent years. This includes SMU winning their first match-up this season as well as knocking them out of the conference tourney last spring! Suffice to say, UCF hasn't forgotten this and they're ready to exact revenge today. Central Florida is going to take advantage of home floor as well as the fact that the Mustangs are dealing with a ton of injuries. Having already lost a couple of scholarship players in Everett Ray and Jarrey Foster, things went from bad to worse when star Shake Milton was injured earlier this month. UCF has a boost of confidence heading into this one as they've shot the ball very well and won each of their last two games. As for SMU, they haven't shot the ball well in any of their past four games. All 4 were losses! The Mustangs are 1-4 ATS this season in games with a posted total in the 120s. The Golden Knights are a long-term 23-9 ATS as a favorite including 7-2 ATS this season! 8* CENTRAL FLORIDA

Contrarian Crusher Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #827 Friday 10* Bowling Green Falcons (+) @ Buffalo Bulls @ 7 ET - Perfect spot for a huge upset but, at the very least, the Falcons should at least keep this one in single digits. Buffalo only lost 2 games in conference action this season. One was at Northern Illinois but they had beat the Huskies in the 1st meeting. The other defeat was at Kent State and then the Bulls badly wanted revenge in the next meeting. They got it and that was Buffalo's most recent game as they are off of a huge revenging win versus the Golden Flashes. Look for that to leave the Bulls a little flat in this one. The fact is that Buffalo has owned this series recently with Bowling Green so they may not be as focused on the Falcons as you would otherwise think. That is going to allow a quality BG team to give the Bulls a run for their money in this one. Before Buffalo's strong effort on defense versus Kent State, they had allowed 85 points per game on 46% shooting from the field. As for the Falcons, before allowing 81 points in a high-scoring win versus Western Michigan, they had held their last 4 opponents to 58.5 points per game on 38.5% shooting! The Falcons are playing their best basketball of the season and are fully focused on this game and on a 5-0 ATS run. The Bulls are off of a big revenging win and could be in for a letdown here. That said, the big points should prove to be more than enough in this one! Buffalo is 0-5-1 ATS in their last 6 games. The Falcons are 5-1 ATS this season when off of a win in MAC action. 10* BOWLING GREEN

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #510 Thursday 10* Top Play Houston Cougars (+) vs Cincinnati Bearcats @ 7 ET - Everyone will want the small road fave here that is undefeated in conference games this season. Hence the title of Contrarian Crusher on this one. Houston is being overlooked by most in this match-up because Cincinnati is so highly ranked and because the Bearcats are 12-0 SU in AAC action. The key to the value here on the Cougars is that many have forgotten they led the Cats by 18 on the road in their first match-up this season. Yes, that big lead did get away from the Cougars and they ended up losing the game by double digits. However, that is unlikely to happen at home. In other words, don't be surprised if Houston again gets a sizable lead but, the difference this time is that they'll hold onto it! This is why I see great value with grabbing the points here. Cincinnati is only 9-15 ATS in games against teams that average 77 points or more. Also, the Bearcats are off of a big win at SMU and they have a showdown with Wichita State on deck. The Cougars have quietly gone 12-0 at home this season and are "flying under the radar" which makes them a very dangerous home dog here. Houston is also 10-4 ATS (and 11-3 SU!) when playing with road loss revenge. Having gone 6-2 ATS in lined home games this season and coming into this game having allowed just 49.8 points per game in their last 4 games, the Cougars are going to be extremely tough as they eye their 20th win of the season and a big upset. 10* HOUSTON

Early Blowout Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #519 Tuesday 10* Boston College Eagles (-) @ Pittsburgh Panthers @ 7 ET - When you are laying close to a half-dozen points on the road you better have the decided edge and it also helps to have a motivational edge. In this specific case we can certainly "check the box" on both of those important factors. The Panthers are having a horrific season that honestly can't end soon enough! Pittsburgh is on a 13-game losing streak! The Panthers aren't just losing either, they're getting blasted! Pitt's 13 losses have included 11 defeats coming by a dozen points or more! Here is the problem though...will the Eagles be motivated? Of course they will! They lost at home to the Panthers last January by double digits! That game was tied at the half but Boston College had half as many field goal attempts even though they were the home team in that one. In other words, payback is in order here. The Eagles are 5-0 SU as a favorite this season so, even though they've had some SU losses of late they've been playing a very tough schedule and now will take full advantage of facing a weaker foe. As for the Panthers, they are 5-13 ATS in games with a posted total in the 130s. Also, Pittsburgh is 1-5 ATS when they enter a game on an ATS losing streak of 3 or more games! 10* BOSTON COLLEGE

ESPN Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #831 Sunday 10* Top Play Cincinnati Bearcats (-) @ SMU Mustangs @ 4 ET - Even though the Mustangs have revenge from a 20 point loss at Cincinnati earlier this season, the Bearcats still have revenge on their minds too. Why? Because SMU knocked them out of the conference tourney last March AND also because the Mustangs have dominated Cincinnati in recent meetings at SMU. With that said, there will be no shortage of emotion from the road team in this one. Though their line may seem high, keep in mind the odds maker is factoring in the same key factors as what I noted above plus the fact that the Mustangs are down to just 7 scholarship players right now. SMU is currently without a couple of key players too as both Shake Milton and Jarrey Foster are expected to miss this game. The Mustangs are 1-3 ATS in games with a posted total in the 120s this season and the Bearcats stifling defense will frustrate them. SMU is also 5-9 ATS in games against teams with a winning record. Cincinnati is on a 6-0 ATS run against teams with a winning record. Also, the Bearcats are 11-0 SU and 8-3 ATS in conference action this season. This play has the makings of a road rout. 10* CINCINNATI

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #820 Sunday 8* Wisconsin Badgers (+) vs Michigan Wolverines @ 1 ET - First reaction will be to play the ranked team laying a small number against a team that has had a very rough season. Of course that is why there has already been a major line move toward the Wolverines in this one. However, this truly looks like a great spot for an upset win at home for the Badgers which makes having the points a great option in this one. Wisconsin is coming off of a road trip where they were very competitive at Maryland and then smashed Illinois. This gives Wisconsin some extra confidence returning home to take on Michigan. This is always a big game for the Badgers and they have some added incentive this season after being bounced from the Big Ten tourney by the Wolverines last season. The Badgers are 13-3 SU at home in their last 16 meetings as the host versus Michigan. Also, Wisconsin is 5-2 SU and ATS in home games with a posted total in the 120s. You can see from the total in this one that a low-scoring grinder of a game is expected here and that certainly favors the Badgers whose confidence has grown with better play in recent games. Michigan is off of a loss at Northwestern is now just 11-19 SU in their last 30 road games. 8* WISCONSIN

Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #621 Saturday 10* Top Play Purdue Boilermakers (+) @ Michigan State Spartans @ 4 ET - The Boilermakers are off of a loss by a single point. Not only was that just their 3rd loss of the season, the 3 defeats have come by an average margin of just 2.7 points per game! Purdue has not lost a game by more than 4 points this season. There is certainly value here as they are getting 3.5 points in this match-up and they've defeated the Spartans 3 of the last 4 games including a sweep last season (with both wins by double digits). These teams have identical records but Michigan State's 3 losses have come by an average margin of 11 points per game. Those were 3 of the Spartans most challenging games of the season too in terms of the match-up and this is certainly another one. That is why there is great line value here with the underdog Boilermakers. Purdue is 7-0 SU on the road this season and 7-0 SU on Saturdays. Michigan State is 1-8 ATS when off of a win in conference action. Also, the Spartans are the much younger team while the Boilermakers start 4 seniors who certainly know how to handle playing on the road. 10* PURDUE

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #531 Saturday 8* Mississippi State Bulldogs (+) @ Missouri Tigers @ 2 ET - This is a revenge game for the Tigers since they lost at Mississippi State in late January. However, the Bulldogs have had Missouri's number as they have won each of the last 3 meetings and all 3 meetings came by a double digit margin. Another issue for the Tigers here is that their leading scorer, Kassius Robertson, has shot much better on the road than at home. He has had enough bad performances at home this season to prove that it is certainly no fluke. Something gets in Robertson's head when at home. The only other Tigers player averaging double digits this season is Jordan Barnett and he is stuck in a shooting slump that has seen him go just 9 for 31 in his last 4 games! The Bulldogs enter this game having won 4 straight while Missouri has won 3 straight. There is no question that both teams have been hot but the information above as well as the fact that Mississippi State is a sizable underdog here has me eagerly backing the road dog in this one! The Bulldogs are on a 12-6 ATS run in February games. Missouri is improved this season but this is still a team that is only 3-8 SU the last 11 times they're off of a win in conference action. I expect their 3-game run ends here as this is a big game for both teams and an outright win by the Bulldogs wouldn't surprise me in the least. Grab the generous points! 8* MISSISSIPPI STATE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #527 Saturday 8* Florida Gators (-) @ South Carolina Gamecocks @ Noon ET - The Gamecocks knocked the Gators out of the SEC Tournament and then won again at Florida on January 24th. Since that victory last month, South Carolina has gone 0-4 SU and ATS. The Gators, playing with double revenge here, are 6-0 ATS as a road favorite of 3 points or less. The Gamecocks are also 0-2 ATS this season when off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. South Carolina has been playing poorly on both ends of the floor while Florida is back on track after a home win versus LSU. The angles above combined for a 12-0 ATS spot favoring the Gators. 8* FLORIDA

Earliest Cash Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #836 Friday 10* Top Play Miami (OH) Redhawks (+) vs Toledo Rockets @ 6:00 ET - The Rockets will be a popular choice here as they are leading the MAC West Division and because they have had their way for many years now in match-ups with the Redhawks. Of course that makes this a big revenge game for Miami (OH) and I love the fact that the Redhawks are off of a tight road loss that was decided very late while Toledo is off of a very tight home win where they barely hung on for victory against upset-minded Northern Illinois. The Rockets are facing another upset-minded team today and this time it is on the road. That certainly holds significance here because Miami's home record is nearly identical to Toledo's road record this season. Additionally, the Redhawks are allowing only 64.2 points per game and just 40.6% FG shooting in home games this season. For comparison's sake, the Rockets are allowing 77.1 points per game and a lofty 45.5% FG shooting in their road games this season! Toledo is a long term 13-23 ATS in Friday games and I look for the Rockets to drop to 5-9 ATS on the season in games where they are a favorite. Miami is an incredible 11-4-1 ATS as an underdog this season. Also, the Redhawks are 6-2-1 ATS this season against teams that average 77 points or more per game. 10* MIAMI-OHIO

ESPN Dominator Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #550 Thursday 10* North Carolina Tar Heels (+) vs Duke Blue Devils @ 8 ET - Both teams have under-performed compared to expectations. Of course Duke is ultra-talented but they are a very young team certainly as they start 4 freshmen. North Carolina is the much more experienced team and, of course, they have the home court edge here. With Duke as the higher-ranked team and with the Tar Heels having lost 3 of their last 4 games, there has been a line move from a pick'em to as high as a 2.5 on this game. This is offering up exceptional line value on the home dog. UNC is 6-3 ATS in home games this season. Duke is on a 6-11 ATS run in February games. In regular season meetings the home team has won 3 of the last 5 and in the 2 home losses one came by just 4 points and the other by just a single point. I'll gladly take the more veteran team at home and getting points. Remember that the Tar Heels are also seeking revenge for last season's loss to Duke in the ACC tournament. 10* NORTH CAROLINA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #713 Wednesday 10* Top Play Maryland Terrapins (+) @ Penn State Nittany Lions @ 6:30 ET - While it is true that the Terrapins defeated the Nittany Lions in Maryland early last month, it is also true that Penn State is still a game ahead of them in the Big Ten standings entering this contest. The Terps have been tough-luck losers in a number of their games and are a much better team than their Big Ten record indicates. Keep in mind, Maryland went 11-2 in non-conference action and they've faced some very tough teams in their Big Ten schedule thusfar. The Nittany Lions are entering this game off of a huge win where seemingly everything went right for them while everything went wrong for their opponents. This resulted in a PSU win by a score of 82-58 versus Iowa. The last 4 times that the Nittany Lions have held their opponent to 65 points or less, they are 0-4 SU in those games. The Terrapins are 5-1 SU against Penn State. The Terps are off of a win but had previously lost 6 of their 8 prior games. The key there was they faced Michigan State twice, Purdue, Michigan, and Ohio State. The other of the 6 losses was a 3-point loss at Indiana. In fact, Maryland's last 4 losses have come by an average of 4.5 points per game which also happens to be the line on this game. However, Penn State is not in the class of those teams that the Terrapins lost to. In other words, big value here. The Terps are on an 18-8 ATS run as an underdog and get the cash again here! The Nittany Lions are a long-term 5-15 ATS when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. 10* MARYLAND

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #532 Tuesday 10* Top Play Northwestern Wildcats (+) vs Michigan Wolverines @ 7 ET - The Wildcats seek revenge for a double digit loss at Michigan a week ago in a game in which turnovers were the difference. On the season there is only a small difference between these teams in terms of turnovers so that is unlikely to be an issue again. Look for Northwestern to come up big at home. They won their most recent home game versus the Wolverines. Also, they still remember being knocked out of the Big Ten tourney by Michigan two years ago as well. Payback time here and the Wildcats come into this game playing excellent defense. The Cats are catching the Wolverines off of a high-scoring OT win versus Minnesota. In road games in Big Ten action this season, Michigan is allowing opponents to hit 52% from the field! As for the Wildcats, they have allowed just 43.3% from the field in Big Ten action and also have allowed only 62.7 points per game on 40.7% shooting in home games this season. The Wolverines are 2-4 SU and ATS as a road favorite of 3 points or less. Also, Michigan is 3-4 SU (and 2-5 ATS) when off of a win versus a conference opponent. Northwestern thrives in games projected to be low-scoring as the Wildcats have gone 7-1 SU in games with a posted total in the 120s the past 2+ seasons. 10* NORTHWESTERN

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #519 Tuesday 8* Xavier Musketeers (+) @ Butler Bulldogs @ 6:30 ET - With an excellent home record and a chance to host one of the nation's top teams, I can understand why Butler is favored here and why they are also getting some attention from the markets. However, the Bulldogs have a key glaring issue here that is not being factored into this line properly. Xavier is a 21-win team and there is no questioning their deserving status as one of the top teams in the nation. While the Musketeers are 9-2 in the Big East, Butler is 7-4 in conference action. Other than their shocking upset of Villanova (thanks to ridiculously hot shooting on Dec. 30th) the other 6 wins that the Bulldogs have all have come against the bottom teams of the Big East. Butler has two wins against DePaul (2-8) and two wins against Marquette (4-7). The other Big East wins that the Bulldogs have were against Georgetown (3-8) and St John's (0-11). With that said, I am happy to challenge Butler to not only win this game but to cover a spread that is being inflated by the markets. Look for the Bulldogs to drop to 2-5 SU and ATS in their last 7 games against teams with a winning record. As for the Musketeers, they are 13-2 SU (and 10-5 ATS) when they are off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. 8* XAVIER

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #717 Monday 8* Syracuse Orange (+) @ Louisville Cardinals @ 7 ET - The Orange won't be a popular choice here after everyone watched them struggle badly to score points against Virginia Saturday. However, the Louisville defense has allowed 70 points per game while the Cavaliers are allowing 52 points per game. In other words, look for things to open up for Syracuse on the offensive end in this one. The Orange have lost back to back games but previously won 3 straight games. Also, in this 5 game stretch Syracuse is allowing only 55.4 points per game and now they're catching more than a half-dozen points here against a Louisville team that is allowing 77.4 points per game in their last 7 games. Of course I know the Cardinals are at home here and they have the better numbers on the offensive end of the court this season but the hungry, defensive-minded road dog is the way to go here! Also, the Cardinals have won each of the last 3 meetings between these teams and the average margin here in Louisville has been 17 points. In other words, revenge payback here! The Cards are a long-term 23-40 after allowing 80 points or more. Louisville is also 13-25 ATS as a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points. The Orange improve to 5-2 ATS this season when off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less! 8* SYRACUSE

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #827 Sunday 10* Top Play Temple Owls (-) @ Tulane Green Wave @ 3 ET - Many may look to fade Temple here since they are off of the big upset win versus Wichita State in their most recent game as they delivered the "shock" to the Shockers! However, the Owls are still right behind the Green Wave in the American Athletic Conference standings. In other words, it is very unlikely that that Temple will overlook Tulane here! Also, the Owls were a 10 point home dog versus the Green Wave in late December and yet lost the game outright by 10 points. This was after having notched 5 straight victories in this series. Again, given the above factors, there is no way Temple isn't focused on the task at hand in this one. On the season, the Owls have played a tougher schedule than the Green Wave have. That also adds value here. Look for the Owls to improve to 4-1 SU and ATS this season when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. Keep in mind, Tulane is just 12-37 SU in AAC games and 11-37 SU in games against teams with a winning record. Lay the short number in what should turn into a road rout. It's payback revenge time. 10* TEMPLE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #821 Sunday 8* Wisconsin Badgers (+) @ Maryland Terrapins @ 1 ET - The Badgers are having a tough season but their 8-15 ATS mark shows that the odds maker need to adjust and I feel they have here. Wisconsin is getting more points than they should in this spot as even though they have had their share of issues this season and are thin in the backcourt, Maryland also has dealt with a spate of injuries. The Terrapins lost two members of their playing rotation - Justin Jackson and Ivan Bender - early this season. For today's game center Michal Cekovsky is doubtful. He also plays significant minutes. Then, leading scorer Anthony Cowan and another member of the playing rotation Dion Wiley are both likely to play today but neither is 100%. Cowan is bothered by a thumb injury and that certainly could effect the leading scorer's shooting while Wiley is currently dealing with an ankle injury. After two straight losses at home look for the change of scenery to help the Badgers as they certainly won't be over-confident here...not with the way they've been playing. So it's back to basics for Wisconsin on the road and that should prove to be a good thing while the Terrapins struggle as a big fave here. Maryland has lost 5 of their last 6 games and the lone win came by only 11 points even though they shot 20 percentage points higher than their opponent in that won! 8* WISCONSIN

Daytime Dominator Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #552 Saturday 10* Missouri Tigers (-) vs Kentucky Wildcats @ 2 ET - The very earliest lines on this one had the Tigers favored by as much as 3.5 points. The line, as of early gameday morning, is now down to as low as a 1.5 as everyone is jumping on the Wildcats. Of course that doesn't surprise me as Kentucky is ranked and has won 3 straight while Missouri is unranked and, prior to winning their most recent game, had lost 3 straight. I will gladly fade the market perception here and fade the Wildcats. The fact is that Kentucky starts five freshmen and had to put together back to back 2nd half rallies to come back from 17 down against West Virginia and 14 down against Vanderbilt. The big 2nd half deficits finally catch up with Kentucky here on the road. Missouri is a very talented team and much stronger than their record would lead you to believe. Before an embarrassing home loss by double digits versus Auburn, the Tigers were 9-1 at home this season with the only loss by just 2 points versus Florida. Missouri has held 6 of its last 10 opponents to 39.1% or less from the field and they'll turn up the heat on defense here. The Wildcats have allowed 75 points per game in their last 7 games played away from home. The Tigers, prior to the loss to Auburn, allowed 62 points or less in 7 of their 10 home games this season! Kentucky is only 2-6 ATS in SEC action this season and the Wildcats are 2-5 SU the last 7 times they've been an underdog! Missouri is 20-5 SU the last 25 times they've been a favorite and I'll gladly lay the small number here. Also, the Tigers are 13-4 ATS in February games the past two years. 10* MISSOURI

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #520 Saturday 8* St John's Red Storm (+) vs Duke Blue Devils @ Noon ET - Even though the Red Storm have lost 11 straight games, I expect them to be highly competitive here at Madison Square Garden. St John's is one of the top teams in the nation for steals and turnover margin and you know they're going to bring an intense effort here with a chance to knock off a highly ranked foe. For Duke, though they are likely to find a way to get a SU win here, it is hard not to get caught looking ahead to the big game with North Carolina on Thursday. The fact is that this game is a break in the rigorous ACC schedule for the Blue Devils. The fact that the Tar Heels are on deck makes this an even tougher match-up for Duke. The Red Storm have seen 8 of their last 10 losses come by 7 points or less. The point is that, in most games, St John's has been very competitive and yet they end up falling just short. That is the type of game I expect here. Duke has a long-term mark of 14-27 ATS versus Big East teams. Also, the Blue Devils are on a 10-21 ATS run in Saturday games and that includes an ugly 1-6 ATS this season. The Red Storm are 34-20 ATS when they enter a game on an ATS losing streak of 3 or more games. I look for them to improve to 4-1 ATS when they are a home dog in a range of 9.5 to 12 points. 8* ST JOHN'S

Ranked Rout Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #820 Friday 10* Virginia Commonwealth Rams (+) vs Rhode Island Rams @ 7 ET - Rhode Island has won 13 games in a row and is 10-0 in conference action. With Virginia Commonwealth in 2nd place in the Atlantic 10 conference with a 6-3 record this game clearly means much more to the home dog. Yes, Rhode Island would love to keep their streak going. However, VCU is relishing this opportunity to host a ranked team that is at the top of their conference in a primetime nationally televised game. It will be a great atmosphere for the home team in this one and Virginia Commonwealth is the better rebounding team and is 40-6 SU in home games the past 3 seasons combined. Also, VCU is 12-2 SU in home games with a posted total between 150 and 154.5 points while RI is 5-12 SU in road games with a posted total between 150 and 154.5 points. Overall, in all games with a posted total in the 150s in the last 2.5 seasons, Rhode Island is 2-5 SU and this is a very challenging spot for them. RI is off of a pair of grueling wins and VCU is 6-2 ATS when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. From a situational standpoint, this spot favors the home dog in a big way! 10* VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH

ESPN Smash Pass Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #514 Thursday 10* Temple Owls (+) vs Wichita State Shockers @ 7 ET - Temple is a very talented, well-coached team. The Owls had high hopes coming into this season but have fallen short of expectations. Truly this is one of the toughest road tests a team can face. Wichita State is a ranked team going into an underachieving teams house. What that means is the Shockers are going to get the Owls "best shot" and that is why there is extreme value here because Temple has the talent to win a game like this! They simply have under-achieved but when they're up emotionally (as they surely will be tonight) they can be a very tough team to beat. The Owls enter this game off of their 4th win in 6 games and one of those two losses came by just 3 points. With the line on this one going from a very early line of just 5 all the way up to a 7.5 there is great home dog value. Wichita State, of course, is a quality basketball program. However, they have allowed 69 points or more in 4 of their last 5 games. That holds some significance here because the Owls have held the opposition to 64 points or less in 6 of their last 8 games. Temple has been playing solid D in most of their recent games and it will be tough for Wichita State to get much of a margin, if any, in this game. One of the Shockers best outside shooters has gone cold and the Owls are 8-1 ATS in recent seasons, when in Game 15 or later in a season they are facing a team that averages 77 points or more per game. 10* TEMPLE

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #731 Wednesday 10* Top Play Duquesne Dukes (+) @ George Washington Colonials @ 7 ET - The Dukes play defense and the Colonials don't and that will again prove to be the difference here. In 8 conference games, George Washington has a 2-6 SU record and has allowed opponents to hit 49.8% from the field. In 9 conference games, Duquesne has a 5-4 SU record and has held opponents to only 41.7% from the field. Both teams enter this game off of back to back losses but the Colonials are reeling with 6 losses in their last 7 games and all defeats coming by double digits. The Dukes back to back losses each came by 4 points or less. Duquesne is 3-0 ATS this season when off of a loss in conference action. George Washington is 2-8 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record. The Colonials have the long-term reputation but the Dukes are the better team this season and finally getting some payback for years of dominance at the hands of the Colonials. Having already taken the first match-up as the host this season, look for the Dukes to get the job done again in the road match-up. Grab the points! 10* DUQUESNE

ESPN Early Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #523 Tuesday 10* North Carolina Tar Heels (-) @ Clemson Tigers @ 7 ET - The Tar Heels are off of back to back losses and they have not lost 3 straight conference games since the very beginning of their ACC schedule back in 2014. In other words, this is a great spot to back them and it is certainly helped by Clemson's situation here. The Tigers are off of a Sunday night game and it was quite a battle as they fought off the Yellow Jackets for a 2 point win at Georgia Tech. UNC already defeated Clemson two weeks ago at North Carolina and the rematch will be even tougher for the Tigers because they are without Donte Graham. The starting forward is out for the season due to an ACL injury. Clemson is only 2-5-1 ATS in their last 8 games and the Tar Heels are a long-term 12-4 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. Also, there are three 100% perfect angles in our favor here that combine for 18-0. The Tar Heels are 9-0 SU in Tuesday games, 5-0 SU in games with a posted total in the 140s, and the Tigers are 0-4 ATS this season when off of a win in ACC action. I'll gladly test this triple perfect situation here. 10* NORTH CAROLINA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #714 Monday 8* Michigan Wolverines (-) vs Northwestern Wildcats @ 7 ET - The Wolverines are off of a tough loss versus Purdue but they still have plenty to play for. They want good seeding in the conference tourney and Michigan also wants to make a big push and be playing their best basketball in the final month of the regular season coming up. That said, they'll respond at home off of the loss to a highly ranked Boilermakers team. Yes, Northwestern is off of a win versus Minnesota but the Golden Gophers are one of the worst teams in the Big Ten and certainly are filled with issues and distractions this season. The Wildcats, even with that win, are still just 2-5 SU on the road this season and now they face a Wolverines team that is 11-1 SU at home this season and on a long-term 39-8 SU run in home games. The teams are roughly "equal" in terms of defensive numbers this season but Michigan certainly holds a big edge in terms of offensive production and they also have the home court edge here! Look for the Wildcats long layoff to hurt them in this one as Northwestern is 11-24 ATS when they enter a game having had 5 or 6 days off between games. The Wolverines are 3-0 SU and ATS this season when they come into a game off of a loss against a conference opponent. 8* MICHIGAN

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #825 Sunday 8* Oakland Golden Grizzlies @ Wright State Raiders @ 2 ET - Revenge game for the Golden Grizzlies as they lost at home to the Raiders three weeks ago. The difference in the game was shooting as Oakland shot an uncharacteristic 35.7% from the field in that game. The Golden Grizzlies also lost at Wright State by 21 points when they met last January. The last time these teams met in the conference tourney (2016), the Raiders also prevailed with a tight 4 point win over Oakland. In other words, this game will be played with plenty of emotion from the road team and I feel the line is a "trap line". Wright State is 10-1 at home this season and Oakland is 6-5 on the road this season and yet the game opened up at a pick'em. As expected, the betting markets are hammering the home team and you know where that puts a contrarian like me. I love the Golden Grizzlies here as they are 18-8 ATS when they are on the road and their line ranges anywhere from +3 to -3. Also, Oakland is 10-1 SU and 8-3 ATS when playing with home loss revenge! Wright State is only 1-3 ATS in conference home games this season and this will be their toughest test yet from a revenge-minded Golden Grizzlies team. 8* OAKLAND

Hidden Gem - Rickenbach CBB Game #717 Saturday 10* Top Play North Dakota Fighting Hawks (+) @ Idaho Vandals @ 10 ET - The Fighting Hawks had won 3 straight games with the last of the 3 being a win over rival North Dakota State. Not surprisingly, they then fell flat and lost their next game on the road in OT. Then, off the curse of an OT loss that always makes the next game ultra tough to bounce back in, North Dakota had another road loss in their next game. This is now the finale of a two week stretch where all of the Fighting Hawks games have been on the road. They started the trip with a win and desperately want to end it with a win. Also, this is a revenge game as North Dakota was embarrassed at home by the Vandals in late December when Idaho had a great shooting night and the Fighting Hawks had a rare off night. That is the worst home loss that North Dakota has suffered so far this season and they want payback tonight. Prior to that defeat, the last 3 match-ups between these teams saw the Fighting Hawks take 2 games by an average margin of 14 points per game plus lose the other one (here in Idaho) by only a single point. That said, there is great line value with the big points being offered here. Though the Vandals are looking to bounce back off of a home loss, they are only 3-6 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. North Dakota is 20-10 SU and 22-8 ATS in games with a posted total in the 140s. Also, when playing with home loss revenge, the Fighting Hawks are 14-7 ATS. When playing in game 15 or later in a season, and facing a team that has a winning record, ND has gone 13-3 ATS! 10* NORTH DAKOTA

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #590 Saturday 8* Kansas Jayhawks (-) vs Texas A & M Aggies @ 4:30 ET - The Jayhawks are flying under the radar now due to some choppiness in their early season play. That has afforded excellent line value opportunity in a situation like this. The Jayhawks are 18-1 SU against the Aggies and are being asked to cover a moderate, but certainly manageable, number here. Keep in mind that, as talented as Texas A & M is they have struggled with consistency and they enter this game on a 2-6 SU run. 4 of those 6 losses have been by a dozen points or more. The Jayhawks, despite unimpressive ATS numbers, are starting to play better and have won 9 of their last 11 games. Kansas however is off of a loss at Oklahoma and they are fired up to make up for that here. The Jayhawks are 7-0 SU (and 5-2 ATS) when off of a loss in Big 12 action. Also, Kansas is 15-2 SU (and 11-6 ATS) when off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. The Jayhawks are also 46-2 SU in home games with a posted total between 140 and 144.5 points. With Aggies losses showing a tendency to come by double digits and with the home favorite in a foul mood here, I look for a blowout win! 8* KANSAS

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #550 Saturday 8* Alabama Crimson Tide (+) vs Oklahoma Sooners @ 2:15 ET - Everyone jumping on the Sooners with freshman star Trae Young. However, in his last two road games he has shot a combined 22 of 60 from the field! Also, Young has averaged 8.3 turnovers per game in his last 4 games. Alabama head coach Avery Johnson lives for games like this. The highly competitive former NBA player (won an NBA championship with the Spurs in the late 90s) will have his troops ready here as they relish the opportunity of a marquee match-up against a ranked foe in this Saturday matinee affair. The Crimson Tide are making great progress under Johnson (now in his 3rd season) and they are allowing just 69.9 points per game this season while the Sooners are allowing an average of 81.5 points per game. Yes, I know that Oklahoma has the more impressive numbers on offense but don't be surprised if Young has some struggles again on the road. Also, the Sooners are 0-4 ATS as a road favorite of 3 points or less and also 7-15 ATS when off of a win in Big 12 action. Alabama is 9-1 SU at home this season and a long-term 24-4 SU when they face a team that is allowing 77 points or more per game. That means there are angles combining for 52-12 (81%) that favor the home dog Crimson Tide in this one. 8* ALABAMA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #519 Saturday 8* Texas Tech Red Raiders (-) @ South Carolina Gamecocks @ Noon ET - Ever since their big road win at Kansas in early January, Texas Tech has struggled away from home. The Red Raiders are sick of hearing about it too and I expect them to do something about that here. Texas Tech is off of a non-covering home win versus Oklahoma State and is now 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games including 0-3 SU/ATS in road games. 13-0 at home this season but sub-.500 on the road, this is helping to give some line value here as no one wants to lay any points with the Red Raiders away from home. The fact is that South Carolina is a poor shooting team and they've been struggling badly. On the season the Gamecocks are hitting only 40.8% from the field (Texas Tech is hitting 47.1%) and also South Carolina has hit only 36.1% of their shots in their last 5 games. The Gamecocks are 0-3 ATS in home games with a posted total between 130 and 134.5 points. Texas Tech is 3-0 ATS in games where they are favored and the posted total is in the 130s this season. In other words, we have double perfect angles here favoring the Red Raiders in this one and they are 34-7 SU as a favorite which bodes well for a cover here considering the small line. 8* TEXAS TECH

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #836 Friday 8* St Francis (PA) Red Flash vs Wagner Seahawks @ 5 ET - Revenge game for the Red Flash as they lost at Wagner last week after blowing a 32-25 half-time lead. St Francis came into the season expected by many to end up in the top spot in the Northeast Conference. That said, solid line value is available here with the Red Flash at home and laying a very small number in this revenge spot. St Francis is only 1 game behind the Seahawks in the conference standings and Wagner is tied at the top of the NEC. With that said, this game is even that much bigger for the Red Flash in terms of staying alive in the race for the top spot in the conference. St Francis is the better team offensively. Even though the Seahawks hold the edge in rebounding and on defense as well, look for the Red Flash offense to lead the way on their home floor at the DeGol Arena in Loretto, PA Friday. Payback time. 8* ST FRANCIS (PA)

Rickenbach CBB Game #537 Thursday 8* Youngstown State Penguins (+) @ Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers @ 8 ET - The Panthers are off of a huge upset win over Wright State. That snapped an 8-game winning streak for the Raiders and for UW-Milwaukee it means they took down one of the top teams in the Horizon League. Keep in mind that Wisconsin-Milwaukee had lost 4 straight games prior to that win and the upset victory is also likely to leave them very flat here! The fact is that it is hard to get up for taking on a Youngstown State team that annually is one of the weaker teams in the league. Of course that, coupled with the Panthers big win over Wright State, is what makes this such a dangerous spot for UW-Milwaukee. The big dog Penguins are the play here as the Panthers Jeremy Johnson (illness) and August Hass (ankle) are both questionable tonight. Each of those guys average more than 20 minutes a game and certainly they are key cogs in the rotation that could be limited tonight. Youngstown State did defeat the Panthers 3 weeks ago but the revenge angle (after the big win over the Raiders) is tough to pull the trigger on here. That's because UWM is an ugly 12-26 ATS as a favorite (including 3-9 ATS this season) and also is 2-7 ATS in conference games this season. Youngstown State is 7-1 ATS in Horizon League action this season. Look for the Penguins to improve to 5-2 ATS as a road dog in a range of 6.5 to 9 points. 8* YOUNGSTOWN STATE

Rickenbach CBB Game #520 Thursday 10* Top Play Connecticut Huskies (+) vs SMU Mustangs @ 7 ET - SMU is only 2-5 SU in games played away from home this season. Connecticut has played the tougher schedule this season in comparison with the Mustangs. Also, the Huskies are 8-2 SU at home this season. Southern Methodist is off of back to back wins but previously had lost 3 straight. Connecticut is off of back to back losses but previously had won 3 straight games. Also, the Huskies have held opponents under 41.9% from the field in 8 of their 10 home games. Hungry off of back to back losses and playing at home where their defense will be kicked up a notch, Connecticut will prove to be a tough "out" for SMU in this one! The Mustangs are 4-7 ATS against teams with a winning record this season. The Huskies are 9-1 (90%) SU in home games with a posted total between 130 and 134.5 and another upset here would not surprise. Certainly there is value in grabbing the half-dozen points with the hungry home dog here. 10* CONNECTICUT

Top Play Special - Rickenbach CBB Game #513 Tuesday 10* Arkansas Razorbacks (+) @ Georgia Bulldogs @ 6:30 ET - With the Razorbacks still winless (ATS) in SEC games, the Bulldogs look "too easy" here as a home team at nearly a pick'em price. Of course you know what happens most of the time when something looks "too easy". The fact is that Arkansas is the play here as they are the much better team offensively and Georgia won't be able to keep up. The Razorbacks are averaging 85.1 points per game this season while the Bulldogs are averaging 69.9 points a game. Arkansas is knocking down 49.3% of their shots from the field including 39.6% from three point land. In games with a posted total in the 140s the Razorbacks are 15-7 ATS including 2-0 ATS this season. Arkansas is also 4-1 ATS in games where they are a road dog of 3 points or less. Arky also is 13-5 SU (and 11-5 ATS) in Tuesday night games. The Hogs are 8-3 SU this season when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. At game 15 or later in a season, when the Bulldogs face a team that is averaging 77 points or more per game, they've gone 8-14 SU. As I said above, Georgia struggles to keep up with high scoring, better shooting teams. Yes the Dogs have the better defense but the Razorbacks have too many scoring options! 10* ARKANSAS

Big 12 Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Game #562 Saturday 10* Top Play Oklahoma State Cowboys (+) vs Oklahoma Sooners @ 2 ET - The Cowboys lost badly at Oklahoma early this month but Oklahoma State was simply done in by ridiculously hot shooting by the Sooners. I certainly don't expect a repeat of that on the road in Stillwater and the home dog Cowboys have a great shot at the upset here. For Oklahoma State, this is truly their "Game of the Year" as they host their biggest rival as a highly ranked foe in this one plus the Cowboys seek revenge. Keep in mind OSU had won each of the prior two meetings and 1 of their 2 prior losses had come by just 2 points. The Sooners hit a ridiculous 15 of 27 three-pointers in the January 3rd win and that won't be repeated here. OU, from Game 15 onward in a season, is on a 12-23 ATS run in games against teams with a winning record. Also, Oklahoma is on a 19-31 ATS run as a favorite. As for Oklahoma State, they have a long-term mark of 10-5 SU (and 11-4 ATS) when playing with a revenge from a blowout loss of 20 points or more. Keep in mind, in that bad loss at Norman, the Cowboys took 25% more shots from the field than did the Sooners. OSU had 80 field goal attempts in the game while the Sooners had 64. I know the phenom for Oklahoma needs a bounce back game but he has been exposed a bit in losses to West Virginia and Kansas State. Both those losses were on the road and this is another tough venue to play in. Give me the home dog BIG in this one. 10* OKLAHOMA STATE

Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #540 Thursday 10* Top Play Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+) vs Virginia Cavaliers @ 8 ET - Virginia has been stellar this season and is certainly a tough team to play against due to their stout defense. However, another solid defense in the Atlantic Coast Conference is certainly that of Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets are allowing just 62.8 points per game on the season. This is a big number for the Cavaliers to cover on the road considering Georgia Tech has a penchant for getting into low-scoring grinder-type games just like Virginia does. With that said, the Cavs are in for a real battle here. The Yellow Jackets are on a 5-1 SU run and also a 5-0 ATS run. GT is allowing only 58.5 points per game in their last 6 games. In recent seasons the Cavaliers are only 14-12 SU in road games so it won't be a surprise to see this one turn into a bit of a dogfight. The Jackets are on an incredible 16-3 ATS run in January games. Also, Georgia Tech is 28-14 ATS in conference games. When facing a team with a winning record after the midway point in a season (game 15 or later), the Yellow Jackets have gone 25-11 ATS. 10* GEORGIA TECH

Rickenbach CBB Game #513 Thursday 8* Illinois-Chicago Flames (-) @ Youngstown State Penguins @ 7 ET - The Flames are off of a home loss to Oakland which snapped a 3-game win streak for UIC. As a result, Illinois-Chicago is in a great "play on" situation here as they travel to Youngstown State. We're getting line value with a low number on this game since the Flames are on the road. That fact is that Illinois-Chicago is 5-2 SU (and 4-1 ATS) in games against teams with a losing record this season. Youngstown State has been awful on the defensive end this season. The Penguins are allowing 82.9 points per game on 51.3% shooting from the field including 37.9% from beyond the arc. UIC is the much better team on the defensive end. Also, Youngstown State has lost 12 of its last 15 games. All but one of those dozen losses have come by at least a 7-point margin. The strength of the Flames is their frontcout while that same area is the biggest weakness of the Penguins. UIC has arguably the top frontcourt in the Horizon League. In other words, this is a mismatch. Lay the small number. 8* ILLINOIS-CHICAGO

Rickenbach CBB Game #600 Thursday 8* Tennessee State Tigers (-) vs Austin Peay Governors @ 6 ET - This line is right around a pick'em which has opened up fantastic line value on the Tigers to just win at home. Tennessee State played very well in a tight loss at SIU-Edwardsville Saturday so they are extra hungry to bounce back here at home The Tigers are 4-3 in home games this season while the Governors are just 1-6 in road games. Of course the line is where it is because when you look at the overall records of these teams it would be easy to assume that Austin Peay is the better team. That is simply not the case and I look for Tennessee State to win big at home here. This is the first time the Tigers have hosted the Governors since they knocked them out of the Ohio Valley Conference tournament two years ago. Payback time here. Austin Peay lost all 5 starters from last year's team and has a new head coach this season. It is early in conference action so don't be surprised if the Governors start to slip while the Tigers move their way up the conference standings. That begins here. Austin Peay is 12-26 SU in road game in recent seasons while Tennessee State is 23-11 SU in home games. Also, as a home favorite in a range of 3 points down to a pick'em, the Tigers are 6-1 SU and ATS! 8* TENNESSEE STATE

Ultra Early Blowout - Rickenbach CBB Game #726 Wednesday 10* Top Play Dayton Flyers (+) @ St Joseph's Hawks @ 6:30 ET - Of course the Hawks wish they had Charlie Brown but he never even played a game this season. The same holds true for Lamarr Kimble but he only played 1 game and is now out for the season. While those are known "issues" for St Joseph's, they certainly are also further weakened here by the fact that 6'8 Pierfrancesco Oliva is currently dealing with the flu. He leads the team in rebounds and is 2nd in assists. Though he may indeed play tonight I expect him to be at less than 100%. With that said, there is value here with a Dayton team that still is seeking some revenge here. Yes the Flyers beat the Hawks in their match-up last season but they did lose their last visit to St Joseph's and also were eliminated from the Conference Tourney by the Hawks in March of 2016. While St Joe's is hitting only 41% of their shots this season, the Flyers are hitting 48% from the field this season. Also, Dayton allows 5 points per game less than the Hawks do. In games with a posted total in the 150s the Flyers are on a 5-1 SU run. Also, when it is game 15 or later in the season, and Dayton faces a team with a losing record, the Flyers are a perfect 10-0 SU. The Hawks are 1-4 ATS as a favorite this season. Also, St Joseph's is 3-6 SU this season in games against teams with a winning record. As a home fave of 3 points or less in recent seasons, the Hawks have gone 2-5 ATS. 10* DAYTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #525 Tuesday 10* Top Play Louisville Cardinals (+) @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ 7 ET - After this line opened up at a 1.5 on the Irish it has already moved up to a -3. Of course that is the power of home court in the betting markets' eyes and it would seem justified here. That's because Notre Dame is on a 6-0 SU and ATS run in home games versus Louisville. However, this is one of those cases where there is more than meets the eye at first glance. The fact is that the Irish have built much of their 13-3 start on the backs of Bonzie Colson and Matt Farrell. Notre Dame now enters this game off of back to back losses and Colson (leading rebounder and leading scorer) is out with a foot injury. Farrell (leads teams in assists and second in scoring) is questionable tonight with an ankle injury. Though he may indeed play tonight he is not 100% and these two players are key guys for ND no doubt. Another key to the value with this play is that the Cardinals have played the tougher schedule in comparison with the Fighting Irish so far this season. As a road dog of 3 points or less the Cards are a long-term 19-10 ATS. The Cardinals enter this game on a 4-game ATS win streak while the Irish, not including true road games, are on a 2-4 ATS run. In other words home court hasn't been overly favorable to Notre Dame of late. 10* LOUISVILLE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #753 Monday 8* New Hampshire Wildcats @ UMass-Lowell River Hawks @ 2:30 ET - The Wildcats returned all 5 starters from last season's team and even though they are winless away from home this season, don't be fooled by that here. UMass-Lowell is in its first year of full eligibility as a Division 1 program and they are still going through a transition phase. They are winless so far in America East Conference action and just got blasted at home by the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) on Saturday. That makes this a short rest spot for the River Hawks and they're facing a New Hampshire team that is 2-1 so far in conference action. The Wildcats lone loss was also to UMBC but they lost that game by only 4 points on the road while UMass-Lowell lost to the Retrievers by 27 points even though the River Hawks were at home for that game. 8* NEW HAMPSHIRE

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #822 Sunday 10* Top Play Rutgers Scarlet Knights (+) vs Ohio State Buckeyes @ 7 ET - Ohio State is off of a huge win versus Maryland where everything went right for the Buckeyes and everything went wrong for the Terrapins. The Buckeyes have been shooting the ball very well but most of those games have been at home. Now they are on the road and they're facing a scrappy Scarlet Knights team that is looking to bounce back off of a tight 4-point loss at Michigan State. Keep in mind, prior to that game Rutgers fought hard for a home win versus Wisconsin. Certainly the Scarlet Knights were not expected to follow that up with playing so well against the Spartans as a 22 point underdog but that is precisely what they did. The fact is that Rutgers, particularly on their home floor and playing with a lot of confidence, will be tough for the Buckeyes to "put away" in this one. With the way the Scarlet Knights have been playing, they have a great shot at the upset here which makes the points very valuable here. This is particularly true with the markets backing the Buckeyes heavily as this line has been driven all the way up to a 7. The Scarlet Knights are 6-0 ATS at home this season. The Buckeyes are 0-3 ATS in their last 3 match-ups with Rutgers. That means we have a combined 9-0 ATS spot here favoring the Scarlet Knights over Ohio State. I'll take it as the public is backing them in this revenge spot but the home dog is going to bring plenty of fight to this one! 10* RUTGERS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #526 Saturday 8* Minnesota Golden Gophers (+) vs Purdue Boilermakers @ Noon ET - The Golden Gophers are off of an embarrassing loss at Northwestern. They certainly were still adjusting without Amir Coffey and Reggie Lynch. Rest assured, the Golden Gophers will play much better at home in this one even though those two players are still out. Minnesota shot an unreal 30% from the field plus allowed 83 points. The Golden Gophers are 3-1 SU when they are off of a game this season where they allowed 80 or more points. Also, Minnesota is 7-2 ATS when, after the midway point of a season, they face a team that averages 77 points or more per game. In other words, look for the Golden Gophers to "D up" here at home after that embarrassing loss. Last season Minnesota won at Purdue and the Golden Gophers home loss in this series came by just 4 points in the prior season. I expect another tight one here as Minny wants to make up for their effort against the Wildcats and they're relishing this opportunity to knock off a highly ranked Big Ten foe at home. Purdue is off of a tight win at Michigan and they are 1-3 ATS this season when off of a win in conference action. 8* MINNESOTA

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #820 Friday 8* Yale Bulldogs (-) vs Brown Bears @ 5:30 ET - The Bears have the better record so far this season but the Bulldogs have played the much tougher non-conference schedule. Now that Ivy League action gets underway, Yale is going to benefit from all those tough non-conference match-ups they endured. The Bulldogs are without forward Jordan Bruner and guard Makai Mason. However, they were without those players most of last season too and yet they still finished 3rd in the conference. As for Brown, they were at the bottom of the Ivy League standings last season with a 4-10 conference record and a similar result is expected this season. Yale is 3-0 SU (and 2-0 ATS) when off of a game where they were held to 66 points or less this season. That said, with the Bulldogs off of a 74-60 loss at Georgia Tech Saturday, look for another big win here. Brown is off of a win but it came against New Jersey Tech and the game was played in Providence and that was over a week ago. In other words, don't be surprised if the Bears are very rusty here as this is their first game in nearly a week and a half. The home team is offering great line value here and I'll lay the points with the battle-tested Bulldogs. 8* YALE

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #513 Thursday 10* Top Play Maryland Terrapins (+) @ Ohio State Buckeyes @ 7 ET - The Terrapins are already without Justin Jackson and Ivan Bender and now they lost Dion Wiley for this game. Certainly this has impacted the depth of the Terps but they didn't have Wiley in the 2nd half of their big win over Iowa and it was the 2nd half where Maryland made their big run against the Hawkeyes. That said, the fact this game is on regular rest (haven't played since Sunday) and the fact the Buckeyes are off of a huge upset win over Michigan State, this is a great spot to back the road dog. Maryland has won 4 straight meetings with Ohio State and Maryland lost by 30 points to the same Spartans team that the Buckeyes just rolled by 18 points. You can bet that the Terrapins are well aware of all this and are looking to make a statement against a Buckeyes team that is likely to get caught still celebrating this win. The Terps are on a 13-6 ATS run as an underdog and certainly this is their preferred role at the betting window! Ohio State is 11-19 ATS (including 2-4 ATS this season) in games with a posted total in the 140s. The Buckeyes will be caught back on their heels in this one as the Terrapins look to make up for the ugly loss at Michigan State in their most recent road game. 10* MARYLAND

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #611 Thursday 8* Lafayette Leopards (+) @ Army Black Knights @ Noon ET - Lafayette played the tougher non-conference schedule in comparison with Army and it has helped the Leopards to be ready for for conference play. Though they're coming off of an OT loss, Lafayette has been ultra-competitive and were going for their 3rd straight win before succumbing to Bucknell in overtime. 5 of the Leopards 7 losses since Thanksgiving have come by 5 points or less. Army is off of a win at American but the Black Knights turned the ball over 25 times in that game. Army is only 4-4 SU in their last 8 games and 2 of their last 5 wins have been by 7 points or less. With more sloppy guard play expected here (25 team turnovers versus the Eagles), I look for the Black Knights to struggle to pull away in this one and it is likely to be a tight game all the way. Teams in the Patriot League don't get a lot of "lined" games but the Leopards are 4-1 ATS their last 5 in conference action. Army is 0-2 ATS as a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points. Combined 6-1 (86%) ATS spot favoring the road dog in this one. 8* LAFAYETTE

TV Big East Beast - Rickenbach CBB Game #763 Wednesday 10* Top Play Xavier Musketeers (+) @ Villanova Wildcats @ 8 ET - Xavier is off of a poor performance at Providence but it was not a huge surprise as they were clearly looking ahead to this showdown with the Wildcats at Villanova. Also, the Musketeers did play better in the 2nd half against the Friars and the difference tonight is that they'll be ready from the opening tip! Xavier had won 10 straight before the loss at Providence and were 15-1 overall on the season. The Wildcats are the #1 team in the nation and certainly should get this win at home but they are over-priced with a very challenging team coming to the Main Line to pay them a visit in Philly. The Musketeers are 82-30 SU when off of a loss against a conference rival. The Wildcats are 14-23 ATS when off of a win against a conference rival. A lot of points expected here and I look for Xavier to improve to 4-1 ATS this season in their games with a posted total in the 160s. Keep in mind, the Wildcats had trouble stopping the 3-ball in their recent games against Marquette and Butler. That said, the Musketeers are another dangerous team from three point land. 10* XAVIER

Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #529 Tuesday 10* Top Play Texas Tech Red Raiders (+) @ Oklahoma Sooners @ 7 ET - Of course the money came in early on the Sooners here as they are at home and playing with revenge and opened up as a very small favorite in this one even though the game is being played in Norman. The fact is that the Red Raiders are still highly doubted by many but this is a very good Texas Tech team that plays fantastic defense, has a deep bench, and gets key contributions by using a deeper player rotation than many other teams. That is a key variable that helps them greatly here against a Sooners team that relies so heavily on their freshman phenom at point guard. The Red Raiders are allowing just 59 points per game on the season. Texas Tech is off of another strong effort versus Kansas State in their most recent game and the Red Raiders are 5-1 ATS this season after allowing 60 points or less in their prior game. Also, Texas Tech is 8-1 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record. Oklahoma is 8-14 ATS when, after the midway point of a season, they face a team averaging 77 points or more per game. The Sooners are also just 18-29 ATS as a favorite and the Red Raiders rebounding margin, defensive stats, and bench depth speak volumes here in a game where I am projecting the outright win but certainly am happy to grab the points being offered. 10* TEXAS TECH

Rickenbach CBB Game #509 Tuesday 8* Georgetown Hoyas (+) @ St John's Red Storm @ 6:30 ET - Everyone who has followed me early this season certainly knows I am anything but enamored with Georgetown. However, this is a great spot to back the Hoyas. They are 17-7 ATS as a road dog of 6.5 to 9 points and this is a key revenge game for them. The Red Storm knocked Georgetown out of the conference tourney by a single point last March. Also, in their last regular season meeting St John's prevailed by 6 points at home. While the Red Storm have those back to back wins in this series, both wins were tight and the Hoyas had previously won 3 straight in this series by a margin of 20 points or more. This is an unusual price range for the Red Storm and they have covered just 1 time the last 5 times they've been a home favorite in a range of 6.5 to 9 points. Also, when St John's enters a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games, the Red Storm have gone 3-19 SU. Marcus LoVett is out for St John's this evening and the Hoyas are hungry to get back on the floor after an embarrassing home loss to Creighton Saturday. Revenge time for the road dog in this one. 8* GEORGETOWN

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #717 Monday 10* Top Play Navy Midshipmen (+) @ Colgate Raiders @ 5 ET - The Midshipmen have won 10 of their last 13 games. Just like Colgate, Navy returned 4 starters this season. The difference is that the Midshipmen have proven they do play up to their potential while the Raiders continue to underperform. On paper, Colgate looks good but they just continue to fall short on the court. The Raiders are 2-1 in Patriot League action but their two wins came against American and Holy Cross. Those two teams are two of the three weakest teams in the conference. Colgate's 2 prior wins came against Pitt-Bradford and New Jersey Tech - not exactly powerhouses! Prior to that the Raiders had lost 4 straight and they do enter this game off of a loss to Lafayette and the Leopards are projected to finish dead last in the Patriot League. With that said, Colgate is being priced here based on home court edge but that would be home court edge if they were the better team. They truly are NOT the better team and that means we are getting a favorable line here with the much better team. The Midshipmen are 15-4 SU in January games. The Raiders are 8-20 SU in games against teams with a winning record. 10* NAVY

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #843 Sunday 10* Top Play Arizona State Sun Devils (-) @ Utah Utes @ 8 ET - The Sun Devils started the season 12-0 and then lost by 6 at Arizona. Of course this let the wind out of their sails and it wasn't a complete surprise when they then fell flat at Colorado and lost by 9 as a 9-point favorite. Now, after getting that game out of the way where they suffered "unbeaten letdown" after the loss to the Wildcats, the Sun Devils should come roaring back here. Enough is enough and this is a team that certainly proved themselves in early season wins over Kansas and Xavier. Now it is time to get rolling in conference action and a win at Utah is what ASU needs (and gets!) tonight. The Utes have been a nemesis for the Sun Devils in recent seasons and Arizona State lost at home last season plus got embarrassed two years ago in their most recent visit to Utah. The Sun Devils lost that game by 35 points and were down 44-10 at halftime. You can bet that ASU has revenge on their minds here and yet we are getting a low line here because of the back to back losses that Arizona State just suffered after their 12-0 start. Keep in mind, ASU is 9-0 ATS this season when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. Utah, in home games with a posted total between 155 and 159.5 points, is 0-3 ATS in recent seasons. That means we have a combined 12-0, 100% ATS stat working in our favor here and I love this situation for the under-valued Sun Devils as they respond after B2B losses. 10* ARIZONA STATE