Game of the Week - Rickenbach CFB Game #347 Saturday 10* Top Play Georgia Bulldogs (-) @ South Carolina Gamecocks @ 3:30 ET - This is the year for the Gamecocks. That is what most everyone is saying at least. I know my choice here will be an unpopular one because just about everywhere you look in terms of thoughts on this match-up you're going to read about the value on South Carolina. Ladies and gentlemen, the odds makers don't make many mistakes. That is a fact. While most of the sports betting world scratches their heads and wonders how the Bulldogs can be a double digit favorite on the road in this match-up I am here to tell you that the likelihood is going to be domination in the trenches. I know the Gamecocks are improved and I know the Bulldogs lost some key players from last year's team. But Georgia simply "reloads" and they have a huge talent pool where their best players are coming from. The fact is that they've outgained South Carolina by a combined total of 578 to 73 in rushing yardage in the past two meetings between these teams. That is absolute domination in the trenches but we're getting line value here because they won each of those two games by only 14 points each despite dominating the ground game. I expect Saturday's win to again feature domination and this time it translates even better to the scoreboard with the win to come by 21 points. The Bulldogs have had this game circled because they know that this is one of their toughest games of the season up until they travel to LSU in mid-October. The point is that one of the top teams in the nation here, Georgia, is absolutely going to be ready and up to the South Carolina challenge. The Bulldogs are 6-1 SU (and 5-2 ATS) in their last 7 games as a road favorite. Also, in road games with a posted total between 49.5 and 56 points, the Bulldogs are an incredible long-term 21-6 SU and ATS! South Carolina, as a home dog of 7.5 to 10 points is 1-6-1 SU and 2-6 ATS! Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart and Gamecocks coach Will Muschamp are each in their third years with their respective teams. The vast improvement that Georgia showed from year one to year two tells me that, despite the experience returning on offense for the Gamecocks (both teams lost a lot on defense), the systems and the buy-ins from the players into those systems are having much more success for the Bulldogs than the Gamecocks and we'll see that again on Saturday in my opinion. Lay the big points on the road. 10* GEORGIA BULLDOGS

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFB Game #301 Friday 8* OVER the total in SMU Mustangs vs TCU Horned Frogs @ 8 ET - The first total that popped up on this game was a 64. Now, as of Tuesday mid-day we're seeing totals in the upper 50s. I realize that there is rain in the forecast for Friday in the Dallas area. However, SMU's home stadium has FieldTurf. In other words, it is not natural grass and so I don't expect a muddy, slow field to result here. That said, I am expecting plenty of points here because everyone is over-reacting to TCU's great defense (they play an FCS school) and SMU's poor offense. Yes I know the Mustangs were awful in their performance versus North Texas last week but even though all their points came in garbage time against the Mean Green, that brings to mind a couple of important factors here. One is that SMU scored 23 points in the 4th quarter alone against UNT. Secondly, the Mustangs are now back home and certainly have some talent on offense that should perform better in Coach Dykes 2nd regular season game at the helm as they are now home plus worked out some kinks in game one. However, the concern for the Mustangs is their sieve-like defense and the fact that they are now taking on a TCU team that is fully capable of putting up a ton of points with all the weapons they have on offense. The Horned Frogs put up 55 points in last week's game. They scored 56 in last season's win over SMU too. As for the defense, yes TCU has a solid D but keep in mind they have a game on deck against Ohio State. Even if the Frogs defense enjoys a lot of success early in this game they will start tapering off as the game goes on and will start looking ahead to their showdown with the Buckeyes. Also, the Horned Frogs already showed they are capable of putting together some big play scores in the "garbage time" of a game. You can see with the big spread posted on this game that it is expected to be a blowout win for TCU. That said, some late game scoring opportunities should certainly be there for SMU whom will go hard in their home opener. Their issue however is their defense is very poor and even Horned Frogs back-ups should annihilate this defense. The over is 5-2 in TCU's September games and the over is a long-term 4-1 in Frogs games versus American Athletic Conference opponents. 8* OVER the total in SMU

Thursday Thrasher - Rickenbach NFL Game #452 Thursday 7* Philadelphia Eagles Money Line (-) vs Atlanta Falcons @ 8:20 ET - The Eagles may as well not even show up for this game. The betting markets are basically saying Philadelphia has no chance in this game. We're getting tremendous line value here because Nick Foles rather than Carson Wentz is starting at QB here. We're getting fantastic line value here because this is a revenge game for the Falcons and the Eagles looked so bad in the preseason. Do I have to remind everyone that the Cleveland Browns went 4-0 in preseason last year and then 0-16 in the regular season? Does everyone need reminded that Atlanta went 0-4 in preseason last year and then was playing in the playoffs in mid-January after a solid regular season. The point is that public sentiment is very anti-Eagles right now but it is not justified. Of course anything can happen in any game but one thing I know for sure is that the Eagles are not going to simply "lay down" on opening night on their home field in primetime action and allow the Falcons to run all over them. That said, there is tremendous line value here because the Eagles, as of Tuesday morning, are such a small favorite ATS that their money line (opened up at -200) is now as low as a -130 in some shops. That is the route I am going as I'll gladly take an Eagles team that has a very solid defense as well as an offense that is much better than what was displayed in preseason. Keep in mind, by taking the money line we just need the Eagles to win the game and they are 15-3 SU in home games under coach Doug Pederson. That includes 11-1 SU their last 12 and the only loss was the meaningless regular season home finale versus the Cowboys last year when the Eagles rested everybody. In other words, in the last 11 home games that actually had meaning for Philly, they are 11-0, 100% PERFECT. Now certainly this is a very good Falcons team and Atlanta deserves respect. However, the total dis-respect of the Super Bowl Champion Eagles has opened up a simply phenomenal situation to back the Eagles at a bargain price on the money line in a home game! Keep in mind the Falcons are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 visits to Philly. 7* PHILADELPHIA money line

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFB Game #220 Monday 8* Florida State Seminoles (-) vs Virginia Tech Hokies @ 8 ET - Both teams have inexperienced defenses. That said, I like the advantage that FSU has by being at home for this one. Florida State is going to be loaded with energy with the new coaching regime and also feeding off the energy of the how crowd. The Seminoles, though a bit inexperienced on defense, are still loaded with athleticism on that side of the ball and are going to give the Hokies offense trouble. Keep in mind, Virginia Tech really struggled to establish the run last season. When teams can't do that, it bogs down the offense. I also like the fact that the Noles are returning a ton of talent on the offensive side of the ball plus they get back QB Deondre Francois whom got hurt right away in Week 1 last year. Simply put there is a "buzz" around this FSU program right now and with the home field, the energy and enthusiasm that followed the coaching changes, and the fact that Florida State fell far short of expectations last year, we are going to see a massive effort from the Seminoles in this one. There is a reason this line is holding around a touchdown even though these teams are right next to each other in the rankings right now! In terms of technical trends, the Hokies went 0-3 as a dog last season, and also are a long-term 1-8 ATS in road games with a posted total in the 52.5 to 56 range. The Seminoles are 8-2 SU the last 10 times they've been a favorite in a range of 3.5 to 10 points and so, of course, a SU win is expected here. The reason this one also translates to a cover is simply a big difference between the status of these two offensive units right now. FSU is loaded on that side of the ball much moreso than the Hokies and the Noles also certainly have some new "wrinkles" under the sleeve of head coach Willie Taggart and they're going to surprise Virginia Tech early and often in this one. 8* FLORIDA STATE

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach CFB Game #218 Sunday 8* LSU Tigers (+) vs Miami Hurricanes @ 7:30 ET @ AT & T Stadium in Arlington, TX - When you're good people want you to fail. Where I am going with this is a play on LSU. Part of the reason is there is an early season move by the betting markets that is anti-SEC. I heard it here at the sports books in Vegas yesterday too. Many people rooting against the SEC. The fact is that the SEC, for the most part, rolled in their games yesterday and I am not talking about the games that were expected to be mismatches. Vanderbilt won their game by 28, Ole Miss won by 20, and Auburn hung on to beat higher-ranked Washington. The lines on all 3 of those game were tight and yet there were two blowouts plus the Tigers proved themselves against the doubters as there were a lot of Huskies backers for sure in that one. The point being that now we get a very solid football program, LSU at +3.5 in a "neutral" site game where the location certainly favors them. Of course I am well aware that Miami returns more starters than LSU but that is not some magic system that works for all early season games. You can't just take the team with more returning starters. The fact is that Hurricanes QB Malik Rosier struggled in closing out last season and I like what QB Joe Burrow brings to the table for the Tigers. The Ohio State transfer (and the Buckeyes know a thing or two about recruiting!) is a perfect fit for what LSU is wanting to do on offense this season (remember that OC Matt Canada clashed with head coach Ed Orgeron last season). That is why Canada is now with Maryland and Orgeron has a new system in place for 2018 on offense. That said, lets not forget that LSU is annually a very tough defense too. Those who like technical trends will be glad to know that the Tigers are 7-3 ATS (and 9-1 SU!) in neutral site games with a posted total between 45.5 and 49 points. Miami, with those same parameters, is an ugly 1-4 ATS and SU! Getting the Tigers as a dog of more than a field goal here is truly offering superb line value. 8* LSU

Total of the Week - Rickenbach CFB Game #207 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Oregon Ducks vs Bowling Green Falcons @ 8 ET - Big total when it opened up and it has also even moved a little higher since its opener. That should tell you something right there. The fact is that there is plenty of support to expect this game to be filled with plenty of points. For on thing the weather in Eugene, OR is going to be gorgeous for this one at Autzen Stadium. Keep in mind the Ducks led the nation in scoring when QB Justin Herbert was under center last season as they averaged 52 points per game when he was at the helm. The key to the value here is three-fold. One is that Oregon has an easy early season schedule the first 3 games so there certainly is no lookahead here. Secondly, and related to this first point, they'll not hesitate to keep their foot on the gas throughout this game as new head coach Mario Cristobal (only coached in bowl for Ducks last season) wants these guys to make a statement immediately in the new season. Thirdly in terms of the value here is that I believe Bowling Green's offense will surprise some people (including the Ducks defense). The Falcons have a very deep and experienced group of wide receivers, a respectable offensive line, and sophomore QB Jarret Doege put up some very impressive numbers in his 7 games as a freshman last year. Of course the Ducks defense is not without some holes and I expect Bowling Green to take advantage. The weakness for the Falcons is that they were on of the worst defenses in the nation last year and the Ducks should score at will in this game. That means this game should get into the 80s and might even approach the 100-point mark in my opinion. 10* OVER the total in Oregon

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CFB Game #194 Saturday 8* Auburn Tigers (-) vs Washington Huskies @ 3:30 ET @ Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA - This is a contrarian play because the Huskies are ranked higher in the polls, have QB Jake Browning at the controls, and are getting points in this match-up. Don't be be fooled ladies and gentlemen. When a lower ranked team is favored over a higher ranked team it is usually with good reason. This one will prove to be no different. For one thing, though this is a "neutral" site game, the location strongly favors Auburn. I am not just saying that because the game is being played in the southeastern part of the country. I am also saying it because this will be the 3rd straight time that the Tigers are playing in this stadium. Keep in mind they played the SEC Title game here then the Peach Bowl here and now they open up their 2018 season here. This is a big edge for Auburn in this match-up as there is a lot of familiarity for the Tigers while this is certainly a challenging road trip for Washington. The Huskies are 0-2 SU and ATS the past two seasons when they've been an underdog. Also, they are 0-3 SU in their last 3 meetings with SEC foes. Now I know this is not a "true" home game for the Tigers the location still heavily favors them and that is why I will mention the fact that Auburn is 33-1 SU in non-conference home games the past dozen years. Washington has rarely been tested with a non-conference road game that is as tough as this one will be and I do not expect this to go well at all. 8* AUBURN

Game of the Week - Rickenbach CFB Game #205 Saturday 10* Top Play Washington State Cougars (-) @ Wyoming Cowboys @ 3:30 ET - Everyone seems to love Wyoming here. They are the more experience team, they have a game under their belt, and they won big at New Mexico State last week. However, that same Aggies team then went to Minnesota last night and got absolutely blasted by a Golden Gophers team that normally doesn't score a lot of points. That blowout loss put bullet holes into a couple of those aforementioned theories. One is about having a game under your belt (NM St had that edge over Minny) and the other is that the Cowboys win over the Aggies even matters! Here are the facts that do matter. Experienced or not Wyoming is still a Mountain West team and think about it ladies and gentlemen, how many kids grow up thinking I want to play football at Wyoming? This is not some football powerhouse. Now they're hosting a Pac-12 team that early this summer was laying a TD against them. Now Washington State is down into the pick'em price range and is available at a pick'em price on the money line in a number of books as of mid-day Friday. I am happy to back the Cougars here at a fantastic discount as the markets have done what they usually do - they overreact to one game! Keep in mind Washington State has a couple of easier non-conference home games on deck. In other words, the Cougars have been fully focused on this road challenge all summer long as they know this will be their toughest game before Pac-12 action gets underway for them. They'll be ready...and so am I! 10* WASHINGTON STATE

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFB Game #197 Saturday 8* Ole Miss Rebels (+) vs Texas Tech Red Raiders @ Noon ET @ NRG Stadium in Houston, TX - Both of these teams last season were defined by their offense and had struggles on defense. I watched the Red Raiders struggle time and time again to convert chances in opponents red zones though. I also know that Texas Tech is very inexperienced on offense this season while Ole Miss is absolutely loaded. That said, even though the Red Raiders are returning more starters on defense than the Rebels are, I love Mississippi in this spot. They are not getting near the respect they should in a game that is on a neutral field and, of course, I also love having the SEC over the Big 12 in this match-up. I just feel that Ole Miss is going to be so far head of Texas Tech in terms of offensive production in this one that the Red Raiders won't be able to keep up. With this line moving all the way up to a +3 now the value is even greater with the underdog as of mid-day Friday and I am pulling the trigger right now and grabbing the great value. 8* OLE MISS

Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFB Game #144 Friday 10* Top Play Western Michigan Broncos (+) vs Syracuse Orange @ 6 ET - I know this is a MAC team that Syracuse is facing but the Orange sure are getting an awful lot of respect from the betting markets when you consider that they are 2-8 SU in road game the past two seasons. Simply put, Syracuse is not known for traveling well and they're taking on a Western Michigan team that is 10-2 SU in home games the past two seasons. I am well aware of the fact that the Broncos have a game at Michigan on deck next week but they are not looking ahead to that. This is their home opener and this is an important game to win and they know of course that a win next week against the Wolverines would be nothing short of a miracle. In other words the Broncos are most certainly focused on the task at hand here. I also like the fact that Western Michigan head coach Tim Lester was the offensive coordinator with Syracuse as recent as just a few years ago. He has some insight into the Orange (including their players) that others don't have. Also, Lester is going to be resuming play-calling duties again this season which I feel will bring out the best in this Western Michigan offense. The Broncos are anxious to get back on the field after an ugly season-ending loss at Toledo last year. Prior to that defeat Western Michigan had won 6 of their 9 prior games and none of the 3 losses came by more than 7 points. The average margin of defeat for the Broncos was just 4 points in those 3 losses. Syracuse lost a ton of talent from last season's wide receiver corps and in their linebacker unit. Keep in mind the Broncos, by the end of the year, had lost 21 players to season-ending injuries last year. That has created a roster this season that is much deeper and much more experienced (others forced into action last year) than first meets the eye and, of course they are healthier right now too. Add it all up and you have great "hidden value" with the home dog here! 10* WESTERN MICHIGAN

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach CFB Game #139 Thursday 8* Wake Forest Demon Deacons (-) @ Tulane Green Wave @ 8 ET - The very first number that popped up for Wake Forest in this game was a 13 and now it is as a low as a 5.5 as of Tuesday evening. Of course I am aware of the fact that Demon Deacons QB Kendall Hinton is suspended. The fact is that Wake Forest has a pair of solid options behind him. Also, these guys are going to be functioning behind a very strong offensive line that is a cohesive group in terms of returning starters from last year. On the other side of the ball WF will have to deal with facing the option of Tulane. However, that is also an added edge here being the first game of the season as Wake Forest has plenty of time through August to get prepared for it. That has been a big focus for the Demon Deacons heading into this game. Keep in mind Wake Forest returns a ton of talent on the offensive line and they're going up against a Green Wave defensive line that lost all but one starter from last year's team. I am looking for Tulane to drop to 5-10 ATS in their last 15 as a home dog while the Demon Deacons improve to 8-3 ATS in their last 11 road games. The mismatch in the trenches coupled with the big downward line move on this one past the key number of 7 made it a definite play for me for Thursday. 8* WAKE FOREST

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NCAAF Game #293 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Colorado State Rams vs Hawaii Rainbow Warriors @ 7:30 ET - Things can change in a hurry year to year in College Football so one has to be careful relying on just the past seasons data in analyzing wagering opportunities. In this case, we have excellent line value on this total because Hawaii is going to a "run-and-shoot" offense per se. This will be the first time since 2011 that the Rainbow Warriors are going to back to the roots of a fast-paced offense similar to the June Jone years from '99 to '07. Now, of course, this does not mean immediate success for the Warriors on the offensive side of the ball. However, it does mean an excellent opportunity for success when facing the likes of a Rams defense that lost a lot of key personnel from last season. That is bad news for Colorado State in this match-up because they were already one of the worst teams in the Mountain West Conference against the pass. Look for Hawaii to play at a fast pace and put of plenty of points here on a night with perfect weather conditions at Fort Collins. The problem for the Warriors will be on the other side of the ball. Hawaii was one of the worst teams defensively in the entire nation last year and, like the Rams, they lost some key personnel too. That said, Colorado State was the #1 team in the MWC last season in scoring, passing, and total yards. They put up 51 points on the Warriors at Hawaii last season and I look for another big scoreboard night in this one too. The over is 11-6 the last 17 times the Warriors were an underdog and the over is 18-8 the last 26 times the Rams were favored in a range of 10.5 to 21 points. Look for another shootout Saturday night! 10* OVER the total in Colorado State

The NFL Game of the Year - Rickenbach NFL Game #101 February 4th Sunday 10* Philadelphia Eagles (+) vs New England Patriots @ 6:30 ET @ U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN - Defense wins championships. The Patriots defense is ranked #29 in the NFL out of the 32 teams. New England is a sizable favorite here only because of their pedigree. The Pats will get plenty of attention from bettors because, let's face it, it is a "been there, done that" mentality when it comes to the Patriots. However, New England was very fortunate in last year's Super Bowl as anyone with a pulse surely remembers! I had Atlanta and the under in that game for the ultimate double whammy with the ridiculous finish to that game as the Falcons blew what looked like an insurmountable lead. Give credit to New England for that miracle comeback last season but at the same time, they're not going to be so fortunate this time around. The Eagles are the much better team defensively plus have a great ground game thanks to arguably having the best offensive lines and defensive lines in football. Anyone who has followed my analysis for all these years knows that I consider the battle in the trenches to be extremely important to the outcome of football games. In this case, the Eagles certainly hold the edge both when they have the ball and when they're on defense. Philly also has a great running back trio with Ajayi, Blount, and Clement. All 3 of those guys are capable of pounding away at a vulnerable Pats defense. With that said, the Eagles will use their ground game as well as a rejuvenated Nick Foles at QB to go only plenty of clock-eating drives that will help limit the number of possessions Tom Brady and Company get. While the Patriots certainly deserve all the respect in the world for their many years of success this is not their year. They are fortunate to be here as they barely got by Jacksonville and they got a fortunate draw by facing Tennessee in the prior round. The point is that the Pats avoided the Steelers and then, arguably, did have significant help in their comeback win over the Jags in the AFC Championship. That was in Foxboro and they won't be so fortunate here in Minnesota as the Eagles appear to be a team of destiny with all the right pieces in place. Make no mistake about it, the NFC was the tougher conference this season with teams like the Saints, Panthers, Falcons, Rams, and Vikings. In the AFC playoffs you had the Bills get in via a miracle, the Chiefs were on a huge second half fade and the Titans certainly were at nobody's top of the list in terms of powerhouse. The point is that the Patriots should have lost to the Jaguars team they faced and certainly would have been challenged by the Steelers had they faced them as Pittsburgh also should have won the regular season match-up with the Pats. New England's luck runs out here as the Eagles earned this spot out of a very tough NFC and they did it in impressive fashion with last week's manhandling of the Vikings. The Patriots certainly have the edge in Super Bowl experience but note that they are 5-4 in 9 appearances and 4 of the 5 wins have come by 4 points or less. The only one that didn't was last year's ridiculous 6-point win over the Falcons (in OT) and the point is that New England - in 9 super bowl appearances - has never blown anyone out. If they do somehow manage a win here I would expect it to be another tight victory for the Pats but the Eagles have a great shot at the upset and certainly are a value play with the generous points! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Sunday Game #314 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Eagles (+) vs Minnesota Vikings @ 6:40 ET - Truth be told the Vikings don't even belong here. I am not taking away from their great regular season but, as everyone saw last week, they truly won the game on a miracle. The Vikings benefited in the first half from two Saints turnovers. Keep in mind, prior to the final-play 61 yard miracle TD pass, Minnesota was outgained by New Orleans and losing on the scoreboard DESPITE the two Saints turnovers. As for the Eagles, sure their game was a nail-biter too but Philly (like New Orleans) was also done in by turnovers last week. It's just that the Eagles defense stood so tall that they managed to weather the storm of an early fumble by RB Jay Ajayi and the "fluke" fumble (bad break) on a punt return. This led to the Falcons 10 points and otherwise we could be talking about a 15-0 shutout win for the Eagles last week. Again Philadelphia is getting no respect this week despite home field edge, continued fantastic defense, and the fact that QB Nick Foles grew more and more in confidence as last week's game went on. He overthrew some guys early but ended up with a solid overall performance and looked more and more comfortable as the game went on. Keep in mind this guy is no rookie. Foles has enjoyed plenty of success before at the NFL level and the Eagles can again play the "no respect" card this week. Two great defenses matched up here but the Vikes may have used up their "get out of jail" card already for this post-season with last week's miracle win. The Vikings have kept the dream alive of becoming the first team ever to host a Super Bowl but this Eagles team is now 8-1 at home this season with the only loss being in a season finale game against the Cowboys that meant nothing. Also, the Philly defense has allowed a TOTAL of only 29 points in their last 4 home games! The Vikings shut out the Packers (without Aaron Rodgers of course) in their final road game of the regular season but, prior to this, the Vikes allowed an AVERAGE of 23 points per game in their 6 true road games this season. In road games with a posted total between 38.5 and 42 points, Minnesota is 2-6 ATS. This line currently sits at a 3.5 in a lot of books as of Noon ET on Tuesday (the time I am posting this) but there are some 3's out there and it wouldn't surprise me if the line moves down to a solid 3 as the week goes on. The point is that you should play it now but it also brings another key stat to the forefront here. Philly has thrived in games like this all season long. In games with a line on the Eagles between -3 and +3 they are not only 5-0 ATS but also 5-0 SU. I expect a home dog upset here but also very happy to have the +3.5 points as an added bonus. Look for that stat to improve to a perfect 6-0 ATS on the season! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Total of the Year - Rickenbach NFL Game #312 Sunday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in New England Patriots vs Jacksonville Jaguars @ 3:05 ET - The Jaguars defense is much better than one would think when they look at the final score of last week's upset win at Pittsburgh. Crazy things can happen in a game where you jump out to a 21-0 lead and that is exactly what happened in last week's game for Jacksonville. Keep in mind, the Jaguars actually allowed scores on only 3 of the Steelers first 9 possessions. The 6 stops featured 2 on downs, 2 on turnovers, and 2 punts. Jacksonville's problem in the AFC Championship Game won't be the defense, it's going to be the offense. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is known for "dialing things up" that frustrate quarterbacks in a mold similar to Blake Bortles. Keep in mind, though the Jags put up a ton of points last week their offense has still averaged only 279 yards per game the last 3 weeks. Also, the Patriots defense at home has allowed an average of only 265 yards per game in their last 4 games at Foxboro. The Jaguars face a really stiff challenge here in terms of the Pats defense. Also, New England is well aware of the ball-hawking aspects of the Jags "turnover machine" defense. With that said, Tom Brady and Company are likely to feature more conservative play-calling on offense than you would typically expect from New England. Look for the Patriots to feature a lot of runs and quick, short passes and this will keep the clock moving in this one. The Under cashed in 9 of the Patriots last 12 games prior to last week's win over Tennessee sneaking over the total. In Jaguars true road games (not neutral site) against AFC opponents this season the under cashed in 5 of the 6 regular season games. There have only been 4 Overs in the Patriots last 12 conference championship game appearances and, indeed, another Under is likely in this one! 10* UNDER the total in New England

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NFL Game #307 Sunday 10* Top Play New Orleans Saints (+) @ Minnesota Vikings @ 4:40 ET - A big money move toward the Vikings throughout this week but one must keep in mind, their competition in the NFC North this season was Detroit (horrible defense), Green Bay (lost QB Rodgers to injury) and Chicago (the bad news Bears). As for the Saints, they did battle with Carolina and Atlanta this season and while every other NFL division (there are 8) finished with only 1 team with double digits in wins, the NFC South had THREE of them - New Orleans and the Panthers and Falcons. Another key comparison here is at QB where the Saints have Drew Brees  and the Vikings have Case Keenum. I know the Vikes have a fantastic defense but I still don't trust Keenum and this Minnesota offense and lets not forget that the Saints defense did improve a lot this season. The Vikings played 5 December games and never totaled more than 356 yards of offense. The Saints have totaled at least 400 yards of offense in 7 of their last 12 games. This game is being played indoors which further favors the better offense and New Orleans is certainly used to playing in domed stadiums. The Saints have revenge from losing at Minnesota to open up this season and they are 12-3 ATS when playing with revenge and also 10-3 ATS as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points. The Vikings recent playoff history is not good with a 6-15 SU mark their last 21 games. With the line move here from an opener of 3.5 up to a 5.5, Minnesota is particularly over-valued here. 10* NEW ORLEANS

PA Insider - Rickenbach NFL Game #305 Sunday 8* OVER the total in Pittsburgh Steelers vs Jacksonville Jaguars @ 1:05 ET - Even though it will be very cold at Heinz Field this afternoon in Pittsburgh, the winds will be very light and skies will be clear. With that said, both offenses will be able to be fully functional here. I know the Jaguars offense did not look good versus Buffalo last week but that is helping to give some line value with the over here. Jacksonville is facing a Steelers defense that has allowed an average of 243 passing yards per game their last 9 games. Also, Pittsburgh has allowed 127 rushing yards per game their last 5 games. Of course the key to the over here is the Steelers playing with revenge from the home loss to Jacksonville earlier this season coupled with the fact that WR Antonio Brown is back for this game and the Jaguars have no way to stop all the Steelers weapons. Pittsburgh has put up an average of 30.3 points and 302 passing yards per game their last 7 games! On the ground the Steelers have averaged 124 rushing yards per game their last 3 games. The over is 5-1 in Pittsburgh's last 6 home games. The over is 26-14 in their January games too and the Steelers are 8-3 to the over as a home favorite of 3.5 to 7 points. The Jaguars, prior to last week's low-scoring battle with Buffalo, were 8-3 to the over in playoff games. That trend resumes here a week later. 8* OVER the total in Pittsburgh

Saturday Night Special - Rickenbach NFL Game #303 Saturday 8* Tennessee Titans (+) @ New England Patriots @ 8:15 ET - The Patriots have incredible success both SU and ATS so I know it seems tough to fade them in a spot like this. They are at home and have had two weeks of rest and are laying less than two TDs in most spots as of Friday afternoon. However, the key to the value here is that the Titans play exactly the kind of style that can have them hanging around in this game. Tennessee loves to try and move the ball on the ground and control the clock and the one glaring weakness the Patriots do have is that their defense is not that great. They do have a rather low points per game total and certainly deserve credit for that but this New England team is allowing 366 yards per game on the season. The Patriots D allows more passing yards than the Titans do and also New England gives up 30 more rushing yards per game. That is even more impressive when you consider all the games where the Pats had a big lead and then teams are forced to throw the ball to come back. In fact, the Patriots did allow 4.7 rushing yards per carry and that is a very telling stat. The Titans ran for 202 yards in last week's upset win at Kansas City. New England is such a popular team that the odds maker simply have to over value them at times and that is the case here. The Titans are 10-7 (including last week's win) and only 2 of those 7 losses came by more than 10 points. I expect the Patriots to win this game but only by a single score. The Titans ground game and a respectable defense keeps them much more competitive in this game than many expect. Also, the upset win on the road last week does wonders for this team's confidence. They are going to be ultra competitive in Foxboro. 8* TENNESSEE

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NFL Game #302 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Eagles (+) vs Atlanta Falcons @ 4:35 ET - Nick Foles instead of Carson Wentz at QB is why this line is where it is and I won't hesitate to step in and take advantage. Everyone is giving Foles a bad rap coming into this game but people have to remember that he threw 4 TDs and 0 INTs in his first start after replacing Wentz. Then, in his next start the game did not matter at all (plus was played on Christmas Day) and ladies and gentlemen when your teammates aren't going "all out" that also effects you. That Christmas Day game against the Raiders didn't mean a thing and of course the season finale against the Cowboys was also a meaningless game in which he only threw 11 passes. Now in this game you will see every teammate going hard. The offensive line blocking like it is the last game of their career, the running backs hitting holes as hard as they can, receivers running routes crisp and sharp, etc. You get my point...THIS ONE COUNTS! The Eagles have had two weeks to get ready for this game and they are at home and mother nature has cooperated as well. The cold air is moving into Philly just in time for this game and no matter what anyone says a dome team like Atlanta is effected in a game like this. In fact their long-term history supports that as well. But I am not big on history. I am big on match-ups and the Eagles running game is going to be a big difference maker here. They run the ball better than the Falcons and also stop the run better than Atlanta does. In fact, the overall defense of Philly makes a big difference here. They are allowing just 13.4 ppg at home this season while the Falcons are allowing 21.6 ppg on the road this season. While the whole world lines up on Atlanta here, the sharp money will be on a disrespected team that should win this one handily. I am glad to have the 3 points but shouldn't need them. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Bowl Game of the Year - Rickenbach CFB Game #152 Monday 10* Top Play Georgia Bulldogs (+) vs Alabama Crimson Tide in National Championship Game @ Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA @ 8:10 ET - Alabama got their big W last week with the much wanted revenge game victory over Clemson. Certainly I am not saying the Crimson Tide don't want this game because, of course they do as winning the Championship is the ultimate goal. However, what I am saying is that Alabama played their ideal game last week (at least defensively) and I don't think they're going to have enough left in the tank to do it again this week. The Bulldogs are going to pound away with their potent ground game and, keep in mind, Alabama only gained 264 yards of offense last week. Just like Clemson, Georgia has a fantastic defense. Additionally, the Bulldogs offense has the added confidence of piling up 517 yards of offense and 54 points in last week's OT win over Oklahoma. This is one of those situations where the whole world is basically ready to hand the trophy over to Alabama before the game is even played. Let's not forget that Georgia head coach Smart was a defensive coordinator under Crimson Tide head coach Saban for 8 years. The Bulldogs did get blown out by Alabama when they met 2 seasons ago but that was a turnover-fueled loss. Georgia has done a great job of not turning the ball over and QB Fromm was very efficient and effective in last week's win over Oklahoma. Winning a pressure-filled game like that (and also winning the SEC Title Game over Auburn in dominating fashion) has done wonders for the confidence of this team. The Bulldogs are absolutely ready and capable of becoming national champs and, if they don't, I expect the loss to be by 3 points or less so grab the value with the points being offered. Look for the Crimson Tide to finish the season with a 3-6 ATS mark against SEC foes. The Bulldogs are 6-2 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record and they've played just as tough of a schedule as Alabama has and yet they don't get near the respect that the Crimson Tide do. I'll gladly step in and take advantage. 10* GEORGIA 

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NFL Game #107 Sunday 10* Top Play Carolina Panthers (+) @ New Orleans Saints @ 4:30 ET - It is very hard to beat a division rival 3 times in one season. I am well aware of the fact that New Orleans won each of the first two meetings by double digits but Carolina had won 3 of the 4 meetings between these teams with the lone loss coming by only 3 points. The fact is that this line has now climbed all the way up to a full 7 points as of gameday morning and I feel we're getting great line value here. The Saints defense has shown great improvement this season but, keep in mind, the Panthers defense still rates as the better defense in this match-up. Also, Carolina rates a particular edge in the ground game as they are the stronger D against the rush and, even though the Saints have the better overall offense, the Panthers also outgain New Orleans on the ground. Against a divisional foe, when at home and off of a SU loss as a favorite and facing an opponent off of a SU loss, the Saints are 1-8 ATS! Carolina is 8-2 ATS when they are an underdog of greater than +1 against a divisional foe and they are playing with revenge. The Panthers are also 3-0 SU and ATS in the Wild Card round of the playoffs while the Saints are a long-term 9-12 ATS in January games. 10* CAROLINA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NFL Game #105 Sunday 8* Buffalo Bills (+) @ Jacksonville Jaguars @ 1 ET - The Bills are riding the emotion of a 4-2 run to end the season that vaulted them into the playoffs thanks to the Bengals miracle last win versus the Ravens in their season finale. There is a lot of positive vibe flowing in the Buffalo locker-room right now and the stumbling Jaguars aren't going to shut that off. Jacksonville lost their final two games of the regular season. The Bills are 4-2 SU (and 5-1 ATS) in their last 6 visits to Jacksonville. Buffalo running back LeSean McCoy is now listed as probable for this game. The Bills are a huge dog here but have allowed only 18 points per game their last 6 games of the season. Keep in mind, that 6-game stretch included facing the Patriots twice! The Jaguars allowed 24 points or more 3 times in their final 6 games and none of those 3 teams are in the playoffs. That says a lot right there. The only 2 times the Bills allowed more than 16 points in their 6-game stretch it was to the Patriots and of course New England is the super bowl favorite. The Bills are a "bend but don't break" defense so their yardage stats are not as impressive as the Jaguars but truly Buffalo is playing better, more confident football, than Jacksonville coming into this one. Look for the Bills to improve to 3-0 ATS as a road dog of 7.5 to 10 points while Jacksonville drops to 8-14 ATS long-term as a home favorite of 7.5 to 10 points. 8* BUFFALO

NFC Game of the Year - Rickenbach NFL Game #103 Saturday 10* Top Play Atlanta Falcons (+) @ Los Angeles Rams @ 8:15 ET - The Falcons regular season certainly may not have played out exactly like they wanted it to. But the fact is they are here and that means part one of their mission is complete. Rest assured Atlanta has been on a mission ever since the sickening loss to the Patriots in the Super Bowl last year where they blew a huge lead and lost in overtime. To get another chance they've got to get a few wins and I expect win number one here which is why I love the big points being offered here. The Rams are an up and coming team there is no doubt about that but they still are young and unproven when it comes to a big playoff match-up like this. Also, they played in the much more meager NFC West where Seattle dealt with injuries and struggled and the other two teams went a combined 14-18 with many of the 49ers wins coming late in the season. The point is that the Falcons played in the NFC's elite division this year as the Saints and Panthers each won 11 games and prevented Atlanta from taking the division title. The battle-tested Falcons have a huge edge over the Rams in this regard. Also, Atlanta is the much better team on defense (particularly against the run) and I expect that to be a factor here. Certainly the Rams have proven all season long they don't have much of a crowd edge in LA either! Los Angeles went 3-4 SU in home games this season while Atlanta went 5-3 SU in road games this year! The Falcons are on a 6-1 ATS run against NFC West opponents. The Rams are on an 0-4 ATS run in home games with a posted total between 45.5 and 49 points. Give me the proven, veteran team here. Grab the points but I do sense an outright upset here. 10* ATLANTA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NFL Game #101 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Kansas City Chiefs vs Tennessee Titans @ 4:30 ET - The Chiefs will look to control the tempo here at home and they don't want to allow the Titans to get in their typical "ground and pound" style. It is that style that allowed Tennessee to get the low-scoring upset win at Kansas City in their most recent match-up in 2016. This time around, the Chiefs force the issue through the air. Keep in mind, Kansas City has averaged 280 passing yards per game in their last 5 games and Tennessee's weakness on defense is their pass D. The Titans, before their win over Jacksonville in the season finale, had allowed at least 284 passing yards in 4 of their last 6 games. The KC offense is going to attack the Titans weakness. However, don't be surprised if Tennessee scores surprisingly well here too. The Chiefs overall defense ranks as one of the weaker units in the NFL as they allowed 365 yards per game. The over went 3-1 this season in games where the Titans were an underdog. Also, Tennessee is a long-term 26-14 to the over in games played on grass. Cold temperatures (but right around freezing so not brutal) for this one and rather light winds and no precipitation. Both offenses will be fully functional here. 8* OVER the total in Kansas City

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CFB Game #368 Saturday 8* James Madison Dukes (+) vs North Dakota State Bison @ Noon ET in FCS Championship Game in Frisco, TX - The Dukes are the defending champs but the Bison had won 5 straight FCS Championships before falling short last year. While the markets are heavily favoring North Dakota State to take the title back, there is a lot of value with the points being offered here. These are truly two very evenly matched teams and the only common opponent, South Dakota State, they faced this season created much different results. For the Bison it was a loss and a yardage deficit of 136 yards. For James Madison it was a win and a yardage edge of 97 yards. In a true #1 vs #2 battle in this year's FCS Championship I am happy to grab the generous points with the undervalued underdog. After opening up at a 3.5 this line has moved up to a 4.5 as of Friday evening and the added value here is truly a bonus. 8* JAMES MADISON

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #274 Monday 10* Top Play Clemson Tigers (+) vs Alabama Crimson Tide @ 8:45 ET in Sugar Bowl @ Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana - Alabama started the season with a tough match-up versus Florida State. Even though the Crimson Tide won that game by 17 points, they only outgained the Seminoles by 19 yards! Alabama was then a huge favorite for many consecutive weeks and basically it was Roll Tide Roll week in and week out. However, looking their final 4 games of the season, including some tougher match-ups finally, I believe shows that the Crimson Tide are not quite what they once were in recent years. Of course one of the final four games was against Mercer so remove that from the equation but, looking at the other 3 games shows some keys. Alabama only beat Mississippi State by 7 points. Also, the Crimson Tide did beat LSU by 14 points bur they were outgained in that game. Then, Alabama's other game saw them get crushed by Auburn as they lost by double digits! As for Clemson, their schedule had many more challenges sprinkled in it throughout the year and the way the Tigers responded in facing regular more consistent challenges will serve them well here. The fact this is a revenge game for Alabama and, with the long-term reputation the Crimson Tide has, this line may look funny to some. However, the line is perfectly fine as, the fact is, it is offering exceptional value to a Clemson team that did face a tougher schedule than Alabama did. Also, while both teams are strong defensively, the Tigers do have the stronger defensive line and I look for that key battle in the trenches to be a key to an upset victory for the dog in this one. Alabama has lost each of their last 3 trips to the Sugar Bowl while Clemson is on a 7-0 SU/ATS run in bowl games. The Tigers are on a 5-0 ATS run as an underdog and I'll grab them again here in their preferred role. 10* CLEMSON

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CFB Game #271 Monday 10* Top Play Georgia Bulldogs (-) vs Oklahoma Sooners in Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California - With Oklahoma having playoff experience, a Heisman winning QB, a 4-0 SU/ATS run against SEC foes, and a current overall 6-0 ATS run entering this game, you may be surprised to see Georgia as the favorite here...EXACTLY! Don't be fooled! The Bulldogs are the better team and the odds makers knew what they were doing with this line. The fact is that Georgia's vastly superior defense is going to be the difference maker in this game. Not only do the Bulldogs allow only 270.9 yards per game, the Sooners average points allowed of 25 is nearly double what Georgia has allowed (13.2) this season. Also, in comparing the offenses, the Bulldogs actually have the better ground game. Georgia will use their potent rushing attack to dominate the clock and keep the ball out of Baker Mayfield's hands as much as possible. The Bulldogs only loss this season was to Auburn and they got revenge against the Tigers in a big way in the SEC Title game. Also, how much will Mayfield's illness impact him here? He may not be 100% but, either way, a vicious Georgia defense is going to be attacking him early and often. The Bulldogs are on a 14-6 ATS run in bowl games while Oklahoma is on a 7-11 ATS run in bowls. OU beat Auburn in last year's Sugar Bowl so how can they be a dog this season against another SEC foe? EXACTLY! Going contrarian here ladies and gentlemen...and it works again! 10* GEORGIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CFB Game #269 Monday 8* LSU Tigers (-) vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ 1 ET in Citrus Bowl @ Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida - The Irish are hurt by suspensions at WR and TE. Though the Tigers also have concerns at a key position with injuries effecting their LB corps, LSU has more depth at LB than Notre Dame does at WR and TE. The Fighting Irish love to run the ball but now they'll very nearly be one-dimensional due to all the issues at WR and TE as they don't have the usual passing targets they would have. The LSU defense, thanks to a stout defensive line, will be up for the challenge in terms of stopping the run. The Tigers are on a 6-0 ATS run and the Irish are on an 0-4 ATS run. That means we have a combined 10-0 ATS streak here favoring LSU. Also, the Tigers are 8-2 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points while Notre Dame is on a 2-9 ATS run in January games. 8* LSU

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NFL Game #327 Sunday 10* Top Play Arizona Cardinals (+) @ Seattle Seahawks @ 4:25 ET - This is expected to be Bruce Arians last game as head coach of the Cardinals. They would love nothing more than to prevent the Seahawks from making the playoffs by notching a huge upset win at Seattle. Granted, the Hawks could win and still not get in if Atlanta defeats Carolina. However, the point is that Arizona can make sure Seattle doesn't get in by getting the upset win here. I feel the Cardinals have a great shot at the upset here which is also why this play (getting big points) easily earned Top status for me. The Seahawks were actually outgained by 147 yards in their win at Dallas last week! Seattle's offense has averaged a paltry 142.5 yards per game the past 2 weeks! It is hard to cover a large spread when you're not moving the ball well and the Cardinals defense won't do them any favors this week. Keep in mind, Arizona's defense has still been solid this season. In fact, they're allowing less yards per game than Seattle is! Also, the Cardinals did outgain the Seahawks in their home loss in the earlier meeting this season! Also, home field has been worthless in recent meetings between these teams. The road team is 4-0-1 in the last 5 games. That's right, the home team has not a single SU win in the last 5 meetings and there was of course also the infamous 6-6 tie last season. I look for another very tight game here with Arizona going all out with 100% effort in this one for Arians. The Cardinals are 5-2 ATS in games with a posted total between 35.5 and 42 points. The Seahawks are only 2-5 ATS in games played in Seattle this season! 10* ARIZONA

Total of the Month - Rickenbach NFL Game #305 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Miami Dolphins vs Buffalo Bills @ 4:25 ET - Very nice weather in Miami so both offenses will be able to operate at full efficiency in this one. Yes, because it is a divisional game and the Bills are still clinging to playoff hopes, one would expect a little extra defensive intensity for this one. However, the Dolphins have allowed 20 points or more in 9 of their last 10 games. In those 10 games, Miami has allowed an average of 28.7 points per game! As for the Bills, they've given up 33.8 points per game in their last 4 road games! Buffalo's offense has averaged 227 passing yards the past two weeks and the Dolphins pass defense has struggled the past 3 weeks. Of course this includes one match-up between these teams and that one totaled 40 points. However, prior to that meeting, each of the last 4 match-ups went over the total and they all totaled at least 50 points! The Dolphins offense is averaging 255 passing yards per game their past 8 games. The over is 7-1 when Miami is a home dog of 3 points or less. The over is 15-5 when Buffalo is a favorite. Also, the over is 6-2 ATS in Bills games when they are off of a loss in divisional action. 10* OVER the total in Miami

Earliest Cash Side - Rickenbach NFL Game #321 Sunday 8* Chicago Bears (+) @ Minnesota Vikings @ 1 ET - The points are simply too much here. This is a divisional game so the Bears are still going to bring a strong effort though their season has long been over. The Vikings do still have something to play for here (first round bye) but that also means that if they get up big they could take their foot off the gas and put things on cruise control. The fact is Minnesota may not ever get such a big lead. The Bears are known for close games as the favorite had covered only 2 of the last 10 games before Chicago won as a favorite versus Cleveland last week. With Bears games trending toward the dog, there is big value here as statistically, these teams are not as far apart as the line would lead you to believe. The Bears defense allows only 37.6 yards per game more than the Vikings. Minnesota's offense gains only 65.8 yards per game more than Chicago's offense. Also, 6 of the Bears last 7 losses have come by a margin of 10 points or less. This game is projected to be low-scoring which makes it even tougher to cover a large spread. The fact is that the Bears are 12-1 ATS in games with a posted total between 35.5 and 42 points the past 3 seasons. 8* CHICAGO

Earliest Cash Total - Rickenbach NFL Game #313 Sunday 8* OVER the total in New England Patriots vs New York Jets @ 1 ET - Big drop on this total as it has gone from a 46.5 down to a 43 as of gameday morning. Yes it will be very cold in Foxboro for this one but skies are expected to be clear and winds just moderate, nothing excessive. In other words, both offenses should be able to operate freely. What I really like about this total is that New England has a dangerous offense of course and they're still looking to lock up the top seed in the AFC. However, the Patriots defense is not that great. They actually rank near the bottom of the NFL statistically on defense. If the Jets just hit their average here (20 points) and the odds makers are right (like they typically are) about the Patriots winning by a 2 TD margin, that would make this a 34-20 game and that's a double digit cover for the over here. I'll take it! The Jets ran for 197 yards in last week's loss. The Patriots ran for 193 yards in last week's win. The ability to establish the run opens up opportunities in the passing game and both these defenses have been struggling against the pass. The over is 3-0 this season in New England's games as a favorite of 10 points or more. The over is 3-1 long-term when the Patriots are a home favorite of 14.5 to 21 points. The Jets are 6-1 to the over this season when New York is facing a team with a winning record. 8* OVER the total in New England

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CFB Game #259 Saturday 10* Top Play Iowa State Cyclones (+)  @ Memphis Tigers @ 12:30 ET in Liberty Bowl @ Liberty Bowl Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee - Memphis is 10-2 and they are at home for this game and yet they opened up as only a 3-point favorite over a 7-5 Iowa State. Sure enough the masses jumped all over the Tigers and drove this line to as high as a 4.5 in some spots. It has settled in around a 4 as of gameday morning and I am very happy to back the Cyclones in this spot. Iowa State played a much tougher schedule than Memphis did. The Big 12, of course, is much tougher than the American Athletic Conference. Also, the Cyclones have the much better defense. Even with facing a number of tough offenses that reside in the Big 12, Iowa State allowed only 21 points and 368.4 yards per game on the season. As for the Tigers, they allowed 33.4 points and 476.2 yards per game. Of course the Memphis numbers on offense look great but let's keep level of competition in mind when evaluating that offense. Also, note that the Cyclones held Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech to a combined 291 yards below what those 3 potent offenses typically average per game. Iowa State is a solid 11-6 ATS the past 3 seasons combined when facing a team with a winning record while Memphis is an ugly 5-11 ATS over this same span. Also, as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points, the Tigers are a long-term 17-33 ATS. Both teams lost their regular season finale but Memphis allowed a whopping 726 yards in their loss while the Cyclones allowed a paltry 264 yards in their loss. Big difference between the defenses of these teams and I love defensive-minded dogs in bowl games! 10* IOWA STATE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CFB Game #257 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Mississippi State Bulldogs vs Louisville Cardinals @ Noon ET in Taxslayer Bowl @ Everbank Field @ Jacksonville, Florida - The Cardinals are without a pair of key defensive players for this one. Even though the Bulldogs are using a freshman QB, it is not like he taking his first snaps here. Also, Mississippi State's ground game averages 250 yards per game. Both of these teams move the ball very well overland as Louisville is also averaging 250 rushing yards per game on the season. Overall, the Cardinals have one of the most dangerous offenses in the nation thanks to QB Jackson as they averaged total yardage of 560.5 yards per game this season. Louisville averaged 46 points per game over their final three games of the season. The Bulldogs averaged 32 points per game on the season. The over is 9-5 when Louisville enters a game off of 2 or more consecutive wins. Also, the over is 6-2 when Mississippi State faces an ACC foe and the Bulldogs are 8-3 to the over when they enter a game off of a loss to an SEC foe. Last, but not least, very pleasant weather expected in Jacksonville today. 8* OVER the total in Mississippi State

Contrarian Crusher - CFB Game #256 Friday 10* Top Play Ohio State Buckeyes (-) vs USC Trojans @ 8:30 ET in Cotton Bowl @ AT & T Stadium in Arlington, TX - The Buckeyes were in the discussion for a playoff spot. The fact they didn't get it means they come out fired up and with something to prove in this game. You can't expect anything less from a Meyer-led team. They are going to prove they should have belonged by coming up with a huge game here. Keep in mind, both of these teams have very dangerous offenses but, when you look at the defenses, there is no comparison. The Trojans allowed 405 yards per game while the Buckeyes allowed only 292 yards per game. Also, though both teams played equally tough schedules, Southern Cal's scoring margin on the season was 8.2 points per game while Ohio State's scoring differential was 22.6 points per game. That is a variance of 14.4 points and indeed I am expecting the Buckeyes to win this game by 2 TDs but they are only favored by about one. Ohio State rates the edge on both the offensive line and defensive line and I love backing teams that can win those battles in the trenches! USC is on a 1-7 ATS run as an underdog, an 0-5 ATS run in neutral site games, and December has not been kind to the Trojans either - a long-term 5-14 ATS mark. After their miracle comeback win over Penn State in last year's bowl action, they won't be so fortunate here against the mighty Buckeyes. Ohio State is a long-term 13-4 (SU and ATS) against Pac-12 opponents. Also, the Buckeyes Meyer is on a long-term 10-3 (ATS and SU) run in bowl games. 10* OHIO STATE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CFB Game #249 Friday 8* NC State Wolfpack (-) vs Arizona State Sun Devils @ 3 ET in Sun Bowl @ Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, TX - I am well aware of the fact that the Sun Devils have a solid ATS record as an underdog while the Wolfpack have struggled ATS as a favorite. However, the edges are just too big for me to ignore in this one. I particularly like the fact that NC State has the stronger offensive line and defensive line. That means that the Wolfpack certainly should control the trenches in this one and that is such a critical aspect of the game. NC State has the stronger passing game on offense, and on defense they do rate an edge both against the run and defending the pass. The Wolfpack are 3-0 ATS as a neutral site favorite of 3.5 to 7 points. Also, NC State is on a 7-3 (SU and ATS) run in games played on turf. Arizona State is a long-term 5-9 ATS in bowl games and a long-term 0-4 ATS against ACC teams. The Sun Devils are 5-10 (SU and ATS) in games played on a neutral field and also 2-5 ATS when they enter a game on a winning streak of 2 games or more. The past 3 seasons combined, in non-conference games, Arizona State is 3-7 ATS. More of the same here! 8* NC STATE

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CFB Game #244 Thursday 10* Top Play Oklahoma State Cowboys (-) vs Virginia Tech Hokies @ 5:15 ET in Camping World Bowl @ Camping World Stadium in Orlando, FL - The Hokies will be without WR Cam Phillips and this is a significant absence as he was their leading receiver (by far) for both catches and yardage! That is going to make it even tougher for Virginia Tech to keep up with the high-flying Cowboys. Yes, I know that Hokies defensive coordinator Bud Foster has a great long-term reputation and that Virginia Tech's defense did bounce back this year after some tough seasons in recent years. However, the Hokies D was rarely challenged by strong passing attacks (schedule was friendly in that regard) but now Virginia Tech faces an OSU attack that will give them a ton of trouble. Note that in the Hokies games against West Virginia, East Carolina, and Pittsburgh, they allowed an average of 308 passing yards per game! As for Oklahoma State's offense they average nearly 600 yards per game including nearly 400 yards per game through the air! The Cowboys have faced the tougher schedule this season and Virginia Tech is a long-term 1-4 ATS as a neutral field underdog of 3.5 to 7 points. OSU is 3-0 ATS long-term against ACC opponents and also went 3-0 SU and ATS in non-conference games this season. Long-term they've won 40 of 53 games SU (and gone 31-22 ATS) when they are a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points. All but 1 of the Cowboys wins came by at least 7 points this season and all 3 of the Hokies losses came by 6 points or more! With that said, we've got a great number to work with here! 10* OKLAHOMA STATE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CFB Game #241 Thursday 8* Virginia Cavaliers (-) vs Navy Midshipmen @ 1:30 ET in Military Bowl @ Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis, MD - While it is true that Navy has the home field edge here, there are a couple of key factors to like about Virginia in this one. First off they are excited to be here as it is their first bowl game in six years and they are playing close to home as well. Secondly, Cavaliers head coach Mendenhall fares well against the option. He coached many years at BYU and was used to facing the option rather often in the Mountain West Conference. As an example of how much this factor helps, Mendenhall and Company hosted Georgia Tech as a nearly double digit dog this season and won outright while holding the Yellow Jackets to only 220 yards on the ground. That is not too far off from the lowest amount (188) that GT was held to all season and that was by the great run defense of Georgia. The point is that you can see why I expect Virginia to keep Navy's offense under wraps here. As for the other side of the ball, the Cavaliers offense should enjoy success against a Midshipmen defense that struggled often against the pass. Navy, prior to facing run-based Army in their season finale 3 weeks ago, allowed 241 passing yards per game in their 7 prior games. Mendenhall's teams are on a 9-1 (90%) Run both SU and ATS against option teams and that keys a victory in this one! 8* VIRGINIA

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach CFB Game #275 Wednesday 10* Top Play Purdue Boilermakers (+) vs Arizona Wildcats in Foster Farms Bowl @ Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California @ 8:30 ET - The Boilermakers faced a much tougher schedule than Arizona did this season. Also, Purdue is the much better team on defense. The Wildcats allow 34.1 points per game while the Boilermakers allow only 19.3 points per game. Purdue has gone 4-2 ATS their last 6 as a dog and they are 3-0 ATS after a bye week as well as 3-0 ATS in non-conference action! In games with a line range from -3 to +3, the Wildcats have gone an ugly 2-6 SU and ATS! Of course when you have a poor defense you often struggle to win close games and that is likely to be the case again with Arizona here. While the Wildcats stumbled late in the season by losing each of their last 2 games and 3 of their last 4, the Boilermakers have the momentum edge as they won each of their last 2 games as well as 3 of their last 4. Arizona's strength on offense is their ground game but the Boilermakers are very strong against the run and allowed only 84 rushing yards per game their last 5 games of the regular season! 10* PURDUE 

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CFB Game #235 Wednesday 8* OVER the total in Florida State Seminoles vs Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles in Independence Bowl @ Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana @ 1:30 ET - Florida State won 3 straight to close out the regular season and earned a bowl bid in the process. Overall it was a disappointing year for the Seminoles so they'll come out strong here as they'll be playing with a bit of a chip on their shoulder. The Noles averaged scoring 52.3 points per game in their 3-game winning streak to close out the regular season and they should have no trouble attacking a defense from a lesser conference. The Golden Eagles strength is solid offensive production and they certainly flexed their muscles in wrapping up the regular season on a 3-game winning streak as they scored an average of 45.7 points per game. The over is 8-4 when Southern Miss enters a game on a winning streak of 2 games or more. The over is 3-1 in non-conference games for FSU. 8* OVER the total in Independence Bowl

Contrarian Crusher Top Play - Rickenbach CFB Game #233 Tuesday 10* OVER the total in UCLA Bruins vs Kansas State Wildcats @ 9 ET in Cactus Bowl @ Chase Field in Phoenix, AZ - Even with Drew Rosen doubtful for the Bruins and Jesse Ertz out for the Wildcats, the back-up QBs have been able to step into these offenses and get the job done and I expect that to continue. Both of these teams are weak defensively and that should lead to plenty of points in this one no matter who is under center for each team. Of course with Chip Kelly now hired as head coach for UCLA, regardless of his involvement in this game, the fact is you can see the Bruins are going to continue on the path they've already been on which is all offense and no defense! UCLA averages 465.7 yards per game but allows 488.8 yards per game. Kansas State allowed 467 yards per game in road games this season. I am calling this a contrarian play because many will shy away from the over due to the QB situation but the fact is that both these offenses still have plenty of weapons to move the ball very well and the defenses are very "beatable". The over is 5-1 in Kansas State games when the Wildcats are playing with 2 or more weeks of rest between games. The over went 3-0 this season in Bruins non-conference games. UCLA is 3-1 to the over when playing after a bye week. Also, long-term the Bruins are 12-6 to the over in games against Big 12 opponents. 10* OVER the total in Cactus Bowl

Primetime Punisher Top Play - Rickenbach NFL Game #131 Monday 10* Oakland Raiders (+) @ Philadelphia Eagles @ 8:30 ET - The Raiders got eliminated from playoff contention with Sunday's results but they already knew their chances were slim as tough losses have helped lead the way to a tough 6-8 record entering this match-up. The point is that the elimination is not a total shock and I fully expect Oakland to still want to perform well in a primetime Christmas night performance when they know all of the NFL world will be watching. The fact is that now all the pressure here is on the Eagles as they are still trying to secure the #1 see in the NFC. Also, with Nick Foles now in for Carson Wentz, the Eagles certainly are not quite as explosive on offense. Philly is 2-1 their last 3 games and both wins came by 8 points or less. The Raiders are 3-3 their last 6 games and one loss was by just a field goal and another by 11 points. In other words, the big points here are certainly offering big value. The Eagles have allowed 29.3 points per game the past 3 weeks. By comparison, the Raiders have allowed only 19.3 points per game their last 4 games! Philadelphia is a long-term 12-22 ATS when playing in a home game with a posted total between 45.5 and 49 points. The Raiders are 4-1 ATS when on the road in non-conference action and facing an opponent with a winning percentage of .401 or greater! The Raiders have covered 4 of the last 5 against Philly and though I expect the Eagles to get the win here I expect it to be by just a single possession as Raiders go to 5-1 ATS L6 versus Philadelphia. 10* OAKLAND

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NFL Game #129 Monday 8* OVER the total in Houston Texans vs Pittsburgh Steelers @ 4:30 ET - This is a contrarian play as most won't want an over considering the Texans QB situation. However, the odds makers are well aware of Houston's QB situation when setting the total and yet they pegged this game in the mid-40s. Why? Because there is reason to believe both of these defenses struggle. The Texans have had such a frustrating season that it shouldn't be a huge surprise that the defense is showing signs of having quit on the season. Houston has allowed an average of 441 yards of offense per game the past two weeks. Long-term also proves that this Texans defense just isn't what it once was. Houston has allowed 29.2 points per game their last 10 games. As for the Steelers, their defense could be "spent" here both physically and emotionally after the bitter loss to the Patriots last week. Keep in mind that gut-wrenching loss followed tough physical games with the division rival Ravens and Bengals. Pittsburgh is unlikely to have much juice left here on defense and they've allowed 28.3 points per game the last 4 games. The over is 4-2 this season in Texans games against teams with a winning record. Last week's Pittsburgh under was their first since November 12th and even though it stayed under that was only due to the high total as there were 51 points scored in the loss versus New England. 8* OVER the total in Houston

Christmas Eve Special - Rickenbach CFB Game #228 Sunday 10* Top Play Fresno State Bulldogs (+) vs Houston Cougars in Hawaii Bowl @ Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii @ 8:30 ET - The Bulldogs played at Hawaii in mid-November when they got a 31-21 win over the Warriors. Fresno State having already made the trip here for that game, plus having played in the Hawaii Bowl multiple times in the past, gives them an edge here. The Cougars are without their offensive coordinator for this game. That negates one of the edges they were anticipated to have here as Houston's offense was their advantage in this match-up. The fact is that the Bulldogs are the much stronger defense, they are motivated by recent bowl losses, and they have a significant coaching edge with Tedford over Applewhite. The Bulldogs are 9-1 ATS (including 5-0 ATS this season) in games against teams with a winning record. Also, Fresno State is 4-0 ATS the last 4 times they've been involved in games with a line between +3 and -3. The Cougars are 3-5 SU and ATS against Mountain West Conference opponents long-term while the Bulldogs are 4-1 ATS against teams from the American Athletic Conference. Coach Tedford has done great things with the Bulldogs in his first season here after coming over from Cal and they want to carry momentum right into next season with a big bowl win. Houston is at the other end of the spectrum and just not the same team they were under coach Tom Herman. The public perception is still "off" on these two teams and I'll step in and take advantage. 10* FRESNO STATE

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NFL Game #127 Sunday 10* Top Play Seattle Seahawks (+) @ Dallas Cowboys @ 4:25 ET - The Cowboys have won 3 straight games and they're getting Ezekiel Elliott back this week and they are at home. Dallas has become an "automatic play" for many public bettors as a result this week. After all, the public watched the Seahawks get destroyed by the Rams last week in Seattle. In fact, the Seahawks have now lost two straight games so everyone is very "anti-Seattle" at this point in time. The Seahawks are a long-term 50-32 ATS when off of back to back SU losses. Seattle is also a long-term 70-39 ATS in December games. The Cowboys are known for fading late in the season. Yes, they are off of 3 straight wins but those teams have a combined record of 14-28 on the season! That is noteworthy here because Dallas is facing a much tougher challenge this week and, when the Cowboys, in the 2nd half of a season, face a team with a winning record on the year they have gone an ugly 2-9 ATS! Dallas is a long-term 11-20 ATS and the value is with the very hungry underdog Seahawks here. After getting thoroughly embarrassed (at home no less!) last week, they are relishing this opportunity to take down "America's Team" at "Jerry's World". Grab the generous points here but you shouldn't need any! 10* SEATTLE

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NFL Game #123 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in San Francisco 49ers vs Jacksonville Jaguars @ 4:05 ET - The 49ers are averaging 284 passing yards per game their last 6 games and will be more than up to the challenge presented by a solid Jaguars pass defense. The problem for San Francisco will be their own overall defense as they are allowing an average of 27.4 points per game at home this season. With Jacksonville looking to secure better post-season positioning the Jags will come at the 49ers hard in this one. Jacksonville is averaging 35 points per game in their last 3 games and The Jaguars are averaging 308 passing yards per game their last 3 games. Cloudy skies but no precipitation and light winds means perfect conditions for an over in San Francisco Sunday afternoon. Jacksonville is 11-5 to the over as a road fave of 3.5 to 7 points. The Jaguars are 3-0 to the over in games against the NFC West this season. The 49ers are 4-2 to the over in their last 6 home games. Jimmy Garoppolo has been playing very well since coming to the Niners and Blake Bortles is enjoying an excellent stretch of play for the Jaguars. The result should be an easy over here! 10* OVER the total in San Francisco

Rickenbach NFL Game #105 Sunday 8* Detroit Lions (+) @ Cincinnati Bengals @ 1 ET - The Lions are still in the hunt for a playoff spot and they won't let the hapless Bengals stand in their way. Cincinnati has lost 3 straight and has been blasted by an average margin of 18.7 points per game in those 3 defeats. The Bengals have scored just 7 points in each of their last two games and they've been held to 20 points or less in 6 of their last 7 games. By comparison, Detroit has scored at least 20 points in 7 straight games and has averaged 26 points per game during this hot streak that has seen them win 5 of 7. With this number down to a 3, there is a lot of value in taking the Lions with such a small spread to cover. In the 2nd half of a season, when facing a team with a losing record, Detroit is a long term 12-1 SU while the Bengals, when facing a team with a winning record, have gone 1-10 SU. That's a combined 22-2 SU factor favoring the Lions to win in this one! 8* DETROIT

Rickenbach NFL Game #115 Sunday 8* Atlanta Falcons (+) @ New Orleans Saints @ 1 ET - The Falcons are still in the hunt for a playoff spot and they have had the Saints number. Yes, this is a revenge game for New Orleans as they lost at Atlanta two weeks ago. However, that was their 3rd straight loss in this series as they were swept last season. Sometimes a team just has another teams number and lets not forget that the Falcons played in (and should have won) the Super Bowl last season. This Atlanta team won't quit here as this is a team on a mission. The Falcons are off of a non-covering win at Tampa Bay but they were in a poor scheduling spot as they were off of playing the Saints and Vikings and with another big game versus Saints and then a regular season finale versus the Panthers on deck. Prior to that ATS loss, Atlanta had covered 4 of their last 5 and they have SU wins in 5 of their last 6. The Falcons are a 6 point dog here and that is significant as they have only 1 loss by more than 6 points this season! New Orleans is on a 1-4 ATS run as the betting markets have over-valued them after their hot run. That appears to be the case again here and one glance at the injury report tells you that the Saints are the more banged up team too. New Orleans is 2-7 ATS when they are at home off of a double digit SU win. The Falcons are 9-1 ATS when off of a Monday game! 8* ATLANTA

Rickenbach NFL Game #120 Sunday 8* Kansas City Chiefs (-) vs Miami Dolphins @ 1 ET - A second straight cold weather game for the Dolphins and I expect them to struggle here just like they did in Buffalo. The Chiefs are playing their home finale and looking toward locking up the AFC West. There is no way that Kansas City comes out flat here even though they are are off back to back big divisional wins. The fact is that too much is at stake here for the Chiefs to be flat and their defensive dominance (known for that at Arrowhead Stadium) is likely to key the win. KC has forced 7 turnovers the past two weeks and Miami has turned the ball over 3 times or more in 4 of the past 5 weeks. As you can see from those numbers, the Dolphins are in trouble here and the average margin of their 8 losses this season is 17 points! So, yes the points look big here but don't worry about the Chiefs covering double digits. This should be complete dominance. The average yardage allowed by Kansas City in their last 4 home games is just 302 yards per game. The Dolphins defense, on the road, has allowed 431 yards per game in their last 3 games. Miami is 2-5 ATS on the road this season. The Chiefs are 7-3 ATS in games played on grass this season. Lay the big points! 8* KANSAS CITY

NFC North Game of the Year NFL Game #104 Saturday 10* Top Play Green Bay Packers (+) vs Minnesota Vikings @ 8:30 ET - The Packers certainly have had their share of ups and downs without Aaron Rodgers at the controls but one thing is for certain, there has been no quit in this Green Bay team. The Packers continue to battle hard including road losses by just a single possession at Carolina and Pittsburgh! Yes, Minnesota has been ultra hot this season but here the Vikings are laying more than a TD on the road in very cold conditions where points could be at a premium. You know the Packers would love nothing more than to knock off a hated division rival in a big upset and there is no doubt Green Bay is going to be up emotionally for this game. GB is attempting to avenge the 13 point loss at Minnesota earlier this season. The Packers are on a 6-3 ATS run when playing with revenge and also an 8-3 ATS run in December games. In road games with a posted total between 38.5 and 42 points, the Vikings are on a 1-6 ATS run. In true road games this season (played Browns at neutral site), Minnesota is 4-2 SU and the average margin of their 4 wins was 5.75 points with not a single win by more than 8 points! That creates fantastic value here and the hungry Packers are in this one all the way! 10* GREEN BAY

Bowl Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFB Game #226 Saturday 10* Top Play Toledo Rockets (-) vs Appalachian State Mountaineers @ 7 ET in Dollar General Bowl in Mobile, AL - The Rockets seek revenge from last year's 31-28 loss to the Mountaineers in bowl action. Of course you can't just blindly play revenge. However, in this case it plays very well because Toledo is the much stronger team in my opinion. Appalachian State played one of the weakest schedules in the nation and lets not forget they lost on the road at Massachusetts and Louisiana Monroe this season! Those two teams each ended the season with 4-8 records. The Rockets hold big edges over Appalachian State in terms of offense and on special teams. Also, the Mountaineers pass defense got picked apart by Coastal Carolina and Louisiana Monroe and they face a much tougher challenge here. The Rockets are averaging 220 yards per game on the ground this season while also throwing for nearly 300 yards per game! Appalachian State is 0-6 SU (and only 2-4 ATS) the last 6 times they've been an underdog and I like the fact this line has now dipped below a 7 as of gameday morning. The Rockets are a long-term 31-16 ATS as a favorite in a range of 3.5 to 10 points. 10* TOLEDO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NFL Game #101 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Baltimore Ravens vs Indianapolis Colts @ 4:30 ET - The Ravens are working hard to secure a playoff spot and I wouldn't be surprised to see some breakdowns on defense in this one. Sometimes when teams start to feel the pressure they tend to have lapses in their level of play. This looks like a bit of a trap game for Baltimore coming off of back to back big road wins. However, the reason I am on the over and not on the big dog Colts here is because the Indianapolis defense is atrocious. They have the worst defense in the league which is also why it is amazing they have had 6 straight unders entering this contest. Yes a lot of that is, of course, due to the Colts shortcomings on offense but, the point is, with the league's worst defense, I expect this under trend to come to a halt here. The Ravens have won 5 of their last 7 games thanks to an offense averaging 30.7 points per game. The Colts have scored at least 18 points in 4 of their last 6 road games. You can see why I am expecting a 31-17 type game here. The over is on a 13-3 run in Indianapolis games played on grass. The over is 7-3 this season in Ravens games when playing with rest of 6 days or less between games. 8* OVER the total in Baltimore

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CFB Game #224 Saturday 8* San Diego State Aztecs (-) vs Army Black Knights @ 3:30 ET in Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, TX - Both teams are run-dominated but what I like about San Diego State here is that head coach Rocky Long is known for great success when facing option-based offenses. Long has gone 11-1 SU (and 8-4 ATS) when facing an opponent that runs the option. Army was fortunate to defeat Navy two weeks ago but that win still resonates with the betting markets and is helping to keep this line lower than it should be. The Aztecs are the superior team and finished up the season with a 4-0 SU and ATS run with no win by less than a margin of 19 points! San Diego State has won in blowouts in their bowl games each of the past two seasons and I expect another here. Army is 3-21 SU (and 8-16 ATS) long-term when facing a Mountain West opponent. The Aztecs are 19-3 SU (and 16-5 ATS) when they enter a game on a winning streak of 2 or more games. That means we have combined angles (from all of the above) of 44-17 (72%) ATS supporting backing the fave in this one! 8* SAN DIEGO STATE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CFB Game #221 Saturday 8* OVER the total in South Florida Bulls vs Texas Tech Red Raiders @ Noon ET in Birmingham Bowl in Birmingham, AL - The Red Raiders defense struggles against mobile quarterbacks like Quinton Flowers who is the ultimate dual threat QB. The Bulls defense is over-rated because they played a very weak schedule. Both teams will move the ball at will throughout this one. The Red Raiders are 21-8 to the over in game played on a neutral field. The Bulls are 5-0 to the over in games played with a line between +3 and -3. That's a combined factor of 26-8 (76.5%) favoring the over in this one. 8* OVER the total in Birmingham Bowl

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CFB Game #219 Friday 8* Central Michigan Chippewas (+) vs Wyoming Cowboys in Famous Idaho Potato Bowl @ Albertson's Stadium in Boise, ID @ 4 PM ET - The big news here is that Cowboys QB Josh Allen will play. The earliest lines on this game had it at a pick'em but now Wyoming is -3.5 as of gameday morning. I love the value with the underdog here. Keep in mind, Allen's shoulder is not 100%. His performance this season also was not that impressive. I know he has the size and some skill sets that have the NFL scouts enamored but others tell it like it is that his field vision and accuracy both are lacking...the latter of which won't be helped by a sore shoulder! Of course the Cowboys aren't exactly loaded with talent around him and that has also hurt Allen. The bottom line is that Central Michigan has the better offense here as they averaged 392.1 yards per game compared to just 286.9 for Wyoming. While some may expect the Cowboys to bounce back after their upset loss at San Jose State as a huge favorite in their regular season finale, Wyoming is actually 0-7 ATS as a fave of more than 3 points when off of a straight up loss as a favorite. Also, the Cowboys are 1-5 ATS when facing an opponent off of a straight up win as an underdog. The Chips knocked off Northern Illinois as a small dog in their regular season finale. That brings the Chippewas to 5-0 SU and ATS in their last 5 games. Wyoming is on an 0-2 ATS run. Add up all the ATS factors and streaks here and you have a 19-1 (95%) ATS spot favoring the underdog! Grab the points! 8* CENTRAL MICHIGAN

Bowl Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFB Game #215 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Florida International Panthers vs Temple Owls @ 8 ET - The Owls were an inexperienced team entering the season so it comes a no surprise that their offense showed solid improvement as the season went on. Temple scored 34 points or more in 3 of their last 4 games. Also, in their last 4 games away from home, the Owls averaged 35 points a game. Florida International, like Temple, also put up a lot more points late in the season compared to the first half of the season. The Panthers scored 30 points or more in 4 of their last 6 games. FIU averaged 459.3 yards per game in their final 4 games of the season. The Panthers defense allowed 29 points or more in 4 of their last 6 games. The over is 4-0 in FIU's last 4 games. The over is 5-0 in Temple's last 5 games. The Owls defense allowed 29.3 points per game in their last 6 games. The over is 4-0 in their 4 games played on turf this season. That means we have combined streaks of 13-0 favoring the over in this one. 10* OVER in Gasparilla Bowl

ESPN Special - Rickenbach CFB Game #213 Wednesday - 8* OVER the total in SMU Mustangs vs Louisiana Tech Bulldogs @ 8 ET in Frisco Bowl @ Toyota Stadium in Frisco, TX - Perfect weather conditions for an over here. Cool but not cold temperatures, light winds, and clear skies. SMU has an explosive offense that is averaging 40 points per game this season. However, the Mustangs weakness this season was their defense as they allowed nearly 500 yards per game. That won't be helped by the fact that head coach Chad Morris was hired by Arkansas and RB coach Jeff Traylor is serving as the interim head coach for this game. The offense will function just fine as that was the team's strength coming into this season and it continued all season long. The problem is the defense and the Bulldogs have enough weapons to take advantage. Louisiana Tech put up 42 points in each of their most recent road games (at UTEP and at Rice) and they'll travel well to Texas again here. The over was 4-1 in the Bulldogs 5 games prior the low-scoring season finale versus UTSA. Southern Methodist wrapped up the season with three straight overs. Louisiana Tech is on an 8-3 run to the over as an underdog, 10-4 run to the over in non-conference games, and an incredible 30-12 to the over when they enter a game on a winning streak of 2 or more consecutive SU wins. SMU is 4-1 to the over in games played on grass and 3-1 to the over in non-conference games this season. 8* OVER the total in Frisco Bowl

Boca Raton Total Dominator - Rickenbach CFB Game #211 Tuesday - 10* Top Play OVER the total in Florida Atlantic Owls vs Akron Zips @ 7 ET - Even though the Owls allowed only 17 points versus North Texas, they gave up 437 yards to the Mean Green. Also, prior to that game Florida Atlantic faced a horrible Charlotte team and allowed only 12 points. The point is that the FAU defense needs to be looked at more closely and, the fact is, the Owls allowed 28.6 points per game in their 10 prior games against FBS schools this season (doesn't include shutout of Bethune Cookman of course). There is no doubt that Florida Atlantic's offense can put up points early and often in this game but, the point is that the Zips are likely to enjoy more success on offense than many are expecting. The Owls are averaging 44.1 points per game their last 11 games and Akron is averaging 25.6 points per game their last 12 games. This one gets into the 70s. The over is 4-0 in Zips games versus CUSA opponents, 3-1 in December games, and though Akron mostly trended under this season 3 of their 5 games against teams with a winning record did go over the total. Look for the Owls over to improve to 6-3 when they enter a game on a SU winning streak of 2 games or more. 10* OVER the total in Florida Atlantic 

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NFL Game #331 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Atlanta Falcons @ 8:30 ET - Both of the meetings between these teams last season went over the total. Their first meeting this season (3 weeks ago) also went over the total. The Buccaneers are a poor running team so they must look to move the ball through the air. The Bucs weakness on defense is defending the pass so the Falcons will attack with their passing game. Atlanta has averaged 333 passing yards per game in their last 5 match-ups with Tampa Bay. Weather conditions are projected to be perfect Monday Night in Tampa. The Buccaneers have lost 3 straight but they are averaging 23 points a game in their last 4 games and have averaged 261 passing yards per game during this stretch. The Bucs loss to the Lions last week stayed under the total but, prior to that, each of their last 3 games went over the total. Also, for Tampa Bay, that was the 3rd time in their last 4 games that their defense has allowed at least 365 passing yards! The Falcons defense has allowed an average of 24 points per game in their last 5 road games. 10* OVER the total in Tampa Bay

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Game #330 Sunday 8* Oakland Raiders (+) vs Dallas Cowboys @ 8:30 ET - The Cowboys are off of a road win at New York but the Giants have clearly thrown in the towel on the season. The Raiders, despite a loss to the Chiefs in Kansas City last week, certainly don't fall into the same category as the Giants. The betting markets have moved this line from around a pick'em to now a -3 on Dallas and, keep in mind, that was their line last week at New York. So are you telling me the 6-7 Raiders are in the same category as the 2-11 Giants? No way...and this is absolutely the definition of line value. Sure the Cowboys are still fighting to keep playoff hopes alive but so too are the Raiders and there is no way Oakland is going to bring anything less than 100% in this situation. This is Oakland's home finale and the Raiders are off of a road loss and haven't lost back to back games since the first half of October. As for the Cowboys, they are off of back to back wins but only one time this entire season have they managed to win 3 straight. Also, in road games this season the Cowboys have defeated the Giants, Redskins, and 49ers but those teams all have 5 wins or less on the season. In fact the combined record of those teams is 10-29. The Raiders have 6 wins just like the Cardinals team that Dallas also defeated on the road earlier this season but the Cowboys were outgained by Arizona in that match-up. Couple that with the fact that the 'Boys other two road games this season saw them lose at Atlanta and Denver by a combined score of 69-24 and I like my chances here with a Raiders team whose backs are against the wall. Oakland is 8-1 ATS when off of a SU loss in divisional action (lost at KC last week). The Raiders are also 4-1 ATS after facing the Chiefs. Dallas is on a 2-6-1 ATS run in games played in the final 4 weeks of a season. Fade the masses! 8* OAKLAND

AFC Game of the Year - Rickenbach NFL Game #326 Sunday 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Steelers (+) vs New England Patriots @ 4:25 ET - The Steelers have won 8 straight games. Clearly Pittsburgh was looking ahead to this game as they struggled to get past the Ravens last week. Even though that was a divisional game for the Steelers they have been talking about this match with the Patriots for many weeks now. The Pats beat them in the regular season last year when the Steelers were without Ben Roethlisberger and then the Patriots eliminated them from the post-season with a big January win in Foxboro. This time however the Steelers host and this time Pittsburgh has a simply massive edge on defense. New England actually ranks as one of the worst defenses in the league this season while the Steelers are up near the top of the league as usual. This will prove to be a big difference-maker in this match-up. The Steelers offense has been "clicking" to say the least and Pittsburgh put up 39 points against the Ravens last week. The Steelers are 6-1 ATS when off of a game where they scored more than 35 points. Pittsburgh is 12-6 SU and 10-5 ATS in games with a line between +3 and -3. The Patriots are 1-3 ATS as a road fave of 3 points or less and they lost all 3 of those games outright! I expect another outright loss here as the Steelers get their revenge but I'll gladly grab the available points. 10* PITTSBURGH

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NFL Game #323 Sunday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Rams (+) @ Seattle Seahawks @ 4:05 ET - The Seahawks won the first meeting (in Los Angeles) despite being outgained by 134 yards. The key for Seattle was being +3 in turnovers. Not only was that a bit of a "phony final" the fact is that this is a very tough spot for the Seahawks as they had to travel all the way down to Florida for last week's game - a loss at Jacksonville. Seattle still holds the attention of the public due to their long-term success (particularly at home). However, the Seahawks only real home win of note this season was against the Eagles and Seattle was outgained by over 100 yards in that victory too. Again the Hawks benefited from turnovers in that one. This is still a Seattle defense that is hurting due to the loss of Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman to injury. The Rams come into this game hungry off of a home loss to those same Eagles. Look for Los Angeles to get their revenge here as they are 5-1 SU in road games this season. The Seahawks have struggled in games projected to be tight ones as they are 1-4 SU and ATS in games with a line between +3 and -3 this season. The Rams are a stellar 10-1 ATS when they are on the road in divisional action after scoring 35 or more points in their prior game! After the high-scoring loss to the Eagles last week, LA takes out their frustration on an over-rated Seattle team that is not as strong as they've been in the past. 10* LOS ANGELES RAMS

Earliest Cash Total - Rickenbach NFL Game #315 Sunday 8* OVER the total in Jacksonville Jaguars vs Houston Texans @ 1 ET - Yes the Texans are down to their 3rd string QB but it is TJ Yates who has plenty of experience in the Texans system. He is 30 years old and, though he hasn't played a lot, it is not as if Houston is sticking some rookie into the game this week. He threw for two touchdowns in last week's loss to San Francisco after Tom Savage got hurt. Also, the Texans are catching the Jaguars off of a huge win over Seattle. With this total dropping to a 38 as of game day morning, I love the value with the over. The Texans defense (seemingly demoralized as the season has faded away) has allowed an average of 27 points per game the last 7 games. Houston is averaging 253 passing yards per game and the Jaguars have allowed 5.6 yards per carry on the ground the past two weeks so the Texans offense should be able to move the ball here. The problem for Houston will be the defense not being able to hold off of a confident Jaguars offense that is averaging 25 points per game on the season and 28 points per game the last 3 weeks. The Jags are on a 7-3 run to the over in December games and the weather will be perfect in Jacksonville today. 8* OVER the total in Jacksonville

Earliest Cash Side - Rickenbach NFL Game #314 Sunday 8* Buffalo Bills (-) vs Miami Dolphins @ 1 ET - The Dolphins are off of a huge upset win over the Patriots on Monday night. As impressive as that was, one should not lose sight of the fact that Miami had turned the ball over 11 times in their 3 prior games. Also, the Dolphins have won just once in their last six games away from home and those 5 losses came by an average margin of 23.2 points per defeat! The Bills are 5-2 at home this season and battling hard to stay alive in the playoff race. This is their home finale and with a tough game at New England on deck before traveling to Miami for their regular season finale, Buffalo knows that a sweep of the Dolphins is likely essential to their playoff hopes. The Fins won both games from the Bills last season and Buffalo is ready for revenge this season. It begins with this match-up. Miami is a long-term 13-28 ATS after playing on Monday Night Football. The Bills are a long-term 43-24 ATS in home games with a posted total between 38.5 and 42 points. The Dolphins are also 1-6 ATS when they are on the road off of back to back SU wins and now facing an opponent with a winning record. The Bills are favored by 3.5 in some spots and that is noteworthy here as Buffalo is 5-0 ATS when favored by more than 3 points against a divisional foe that is off of an upset win as an underdog. The back to back wins for Miami including the big upset win over the Pats and the fact it is a short week for the Dolphins combine to make this a great spot for the Bills. 8* BUFFALO

AFC West Game of the Year - Rickenbach NFL Game #305 Saturday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Chargers (-) @ Kansas City Chiefs @ 8:25 ET - The Chargers and Chiefs both have solid offenses (particularly in the passing game). However, they key to the value here is that Los Angeles is much better in terms of pass defense in comparison with Kansas City. Of course that is why you're seeing this line right around a pick'em despite the fact that the Chiefs have won 7 straight in this series and also have the home field edge here! Don't be fooled, the Chargers are priced this way for a reason and I am jumping all over them in this spot. KC finally got back into the win column last week but they had previously lost 4 straight games. As for red hot LA, they come into his game having won 4 straight games! The Chargers are a long-term 15-7 SU (and ATS) as a road fave of 3 points or less. Los Angeles is also on an 8-4 ATS run when playing with revenge. LA has averaged 32.8 points per game their last 4 games. The Chiefs have averaged only 18.6 points per game their last 5 games. The Chargers pass defense has allowed only 181.5 passing yards per game their last 4 games while the Chiefs pass defense has given up 248.5 passing yards per game on the season! Kansas City was on a 1-6 SU and ATS run prior to last week's win versus Oakland and I don't see them getting two straight wins over very hungry division rivals! 10* LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NFL Game #303 Saturday 8* Detroit Lions (-) vs Chicago Bears @ 4:30 ET - Sure the Bears numbers looked great last week at Cincinnati but they caught the Bengals off of a heart-breaking loss to the division rival Steelers. Cincy was about as flat as a team could be last week and give Chicago credit for taking advantage. However, the Bears now take on a Lions team that is in a fight to stay alive in the playoff race and I don't expect Chicago to be able to keep up here. Detroit has averaged 27 points in their last 6 games. By comparison, the Bears had averaged 14.3 points per game in their 6 games prior to the big win against a deflated Cincinnati team. That big margin of victory last week for Chicago has led to exceptional line value here as the Lions are the vastly superior team. Keep in mind, the Bears had averaged just 244.7 TOTAL yards per game their 6 prior games. The Lions are averaging 268.2 PASSING yards per game on the season. Chicago may hang around for a little bit in this game but the Lions will pull away as the game goes on and that makes the small number here a very manageable one. Detroit is 12-4 SU (and 11-5 ATS) when facing a team with a losing record. The Bears are playing with revenge here but have gone 0-6 SU (and 1-5 ATS) in that situation! 8* DETROIT

Contrarian Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFB Game #208 Saturday 10* Top Play Colorado State Rams (-) vs Marshall Thundering Herd @ 4:30 ET @ Dreamstyle Stadium in Albuquerque, NM in New Mexico Bowl - Marshall certainly has been the popular choice here as the markets have pushed the Rams line all the way down to just 3.5 as of early game day morning. I love the value here we're getting with Colorado State. Trend players are all over the Thundering Herd because they have good recent history in the bowls and because the Rams don't! Also, Colorado State failed to cover their final 6 games of the regular season. However, that big Rams win over Fresno State by 28 points in the season finale did wonders for the confidence of this team heading into this bowl match-up. Also, even though their offensive coordinator has left to join Tennessee, the strength of the Rams is the offense and they'll be just fine here. The issue for CSU this season has been the defense but I expect an absolutely huge effort from the D in this one because Colorado State's defensive coordinator (Marty English) will be coaching the final game of his career! Look for every Rams defender to have a great "motor" in this game as a result as they go hard all game long to send English out the right way! Keep in mind, Marshall lost 4 of their last 5 games and they have a lot more questions on their injury report than do the Rams heading into this one. Colorado State averages a full TD more per game than the Thundering Herd do. Marshall's edge here, in normal circumstances, would be the defense but I expect CSU to step up big given this situation. Also, the fact the Rams have lost 3 straight bowls has them highly motivated here and they're use to playing in Albuquerque while this is certainly an unusual location for Marshall. The Thundering Herd are 2-4 ATS when they enter a game off of 2 or more consecutive SU losses. The Rams are a long-term 8-4 ATS against CUSA foes and also did face the tougher schedule this season. Fade the masses and lay the points here! 10* COLORADO STATE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CFB Game #203 Saturday 8* Georgia State Panthers (+) vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers @ 2:30 ET @ Camping World Stadium in Orlando, FL in the Cure Bowl - The Hilltoppers are getting all the attention here with this line being driven up to a 7 as of game day morning. In my opinion, Western Kentucky is being vastly over-valued. The Hilltoppers are horrible running the ball (2.1 ypc) and also allowed 3.5 sacks per game. They just don't hold enough of an edge to justify being a full TD favorite here. There was a concern about Panthers WR Penny Hart but Georgia State's leading receiver (foot injury) has been upgraded to probable for this game. It is Western Kentucky that has been bit by the injury bug this season and the Hilltoppers did lose 4 of their last 5 games The Panthers won 3 of their last 5 games and they lost their season finale because of turnovers as Georgia State did outgain Idaho by 60 yards in that 24-10 loss. The Hilltoppers have had 3 weeks off and are likely to be the rustier team compared to a Panthers team that has just had 2 weeks off. Western Kentucky is on a 3-8 ATS run in non-conference games including 0-3 ATS this season. Also, as a favorite this season, the Hilltoppers have gone an ugly 1-6 ATS. The Panthers enter this game off of back to back SU losses and that is a situation that has seen them respond by going 7-2 ATS! Look for another cover here! 8* GEORGIA STATE

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Game #301 Thursday 8* Denver Broncos (-) @ Indianapolis Colts @ 8:25 ET - First off, the common line at the time of this posting is -2.5 -115. With that said, the money line is the way to go here if you have access to it as the money line is priced as low as -135 so, for just 20 cents more, you can make -1 and -2 be winning results for you. I do, of course, look for Denver to win this game by 3 points or more or I wouldn't be on it. I love the fact that the Broncos (other than the 0-13 Browns of course) are the only team in the NFL that is without a road win this season and yet they odds makers made them the favorite here! Do you really think the odds makers made a "mistake"? I certainly don't! The fact is that, though both offenses have struggled this season, one thing that no one can argue is that the Broncos have one of the best defense in the league while the Colts certainly have one of the worst. Also, Denver is off of a shutout home win versus the Jets where their defense totally dominated. The Broncos are 8-0 ATS when on the road and facing a non-divisional opponent that has a winning percentage under .250 on the season! Denver is also 10-2 ATS when off of a SU (and ATS) win and facing a team that is off of back to back SU losses. The Colts are 1-5 ATS this season in games with a posted total between 35.5 and 42 points. That means we have combined factors here of 23-3 (88%) favoring the Broncos against Indianapolis Thursday. I'll take it! 8* DENVER

Divisional Game of the Year - Rickenbach NFL Game #134 Monday 10* Top Play Miami Dolphins (+) vs New England Patriots @ 8:30 ET - The Patriots need one more win to clinch the AFC East and, indeed, the Pats are likely to get that here. However, they are vastly over-priced in my opinion. Of course this is what happens when you have the long-term reputation that New England does plus when you come into a game on an 8-game winning streak! Also, the Patriots have covered 6 straight games after a ridiculous ATS run last season (including the playoffs and their miracle Super Bowl comeback win). The point is that the Pats are highly regarded by the betting markets as a result and, in this case, they have become over-priced. Keep in mind, New England has a huge game on deck with the Steelers at Pittsburgh. The Patriots, though they would say otherwise, can't help but be peeking ahead at that showdown with the other top team in the AFC. Also, this is part of a stretch of 5 road games in 6 weeks and I feel it finally catches up with the Pats here. The Dolphins are 3-2 in home games this season and one defeat came by 10 points (despite a yardage edge for Miami of over 100 yards) and the other defeat came by just 3 points. The Patriots find a way to win this one but the Dolphins stay well within the inflated number! Miami is 9-2 ATS when they are at home against an AFC opponent on a winning streak of 3 games or more. Also, the Dolphins are 10-1 ATS when they are at home in a divisional game and they have a losing record and are playing with revenge against an opponent with a winning record. The Patriots are 1-4 ATS when on the road after a game in which they allowed less than 10 points. New England is also 0-7 ATS as road favorite of more than 8 points against an AFC opponent that has a winning percentage of .201 or greater on the season. Also, the Pats covered by double digits versus Buffalo last week and they are 2-11 ATS when playing in divisional action and off of a divisional game where they covered the spread by 10 or more points. Add it all up and you have angles that combine for 41-6 (87%) ATS supporting the Dolphins. 10* MIAMI

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 8* Pittsburgh Steelers (-) vs Baltimore Ravens @ 8:30 ET - The Ravens have won 3 straight games and that certainly looks very impressive on the resume but they've benefited from 11 turnovers in those 3 games. Also, the combined record of 16-20 of those 3 opponents is certainly unimpressive. Baltimore faced Green Bay without Aaron Rodgers and Houston without Deshaun Watson and then beat the Lions by 24 despite only having a total yardage edge of just TWO yards in the game. The result is line value here as the Steelers should win this game by at least a TD. They blew out the Ravens in Baltimore earlier this season and it was no fluke as they won by 17 in a game they were up 19-0 at the half and a game in which Pittsburgh dominated the ground game. As an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points, Baltimore is 5-8 ATS and 1-12 SU so, as you can see, the likelihood of an upset here is remote. That is significant here because the Steelers are a long-term 51-30 ATS as a home fave of 3.5 to 7 points. Also, the Ravens are just 3-3 SU against teams with a winning record this season while the Steelers are 3-0 SU and ATS versus teams above .500 on the season. Baltimore has lost each of its past two games against the Steelers and that sets up an interesting system here. Entering this season Pittsburgh is 10-2 ATS when facing a divisional opponent off of a SU win that is now facing the Steelers with double revenge. Also, the Steelers entered the season 8-1 ATS when facing a divisional opponent that is off of a non-divisional game where they scored more than 35 points. As for the Ravens, they are an ugly 2-12 ATS when they enter a game with a winning record and are off of a non-divisional game and now facing a divisional opponent with a winning record. They already failed to get the cover in this scenario earlier this season versus the Steelers and I look for them to again fall short in the same scenario in the rematch. 8* PITTSBURGH

Non-Conf Game of the Year - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 10* Top Play Jacksonville Jaguars (-) vs Seattle Seahawks @ 4:25 ET - The Jaguars, as of early Sunday morning, are -2.5 on the point spread but actually as low as a -125 on the money line. I would certainly suggest grabbing the money line on this one if you access to it. The Seahawks are off of their huge upset win over the Eagles last week and the defense feels like they proved themselves. While they certainly deserve some credit for the win let's not forget that Seattle's D is still without Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor and they did allow 425 yards to the Eagles last week. I have no doubt that had Eagles QB Carson Wentz not fumbled at the goal line (into the end zone for a touch back) when Philly was going in for the tying score early 3rd quarter, the Seahawks would not have won the game. The Eagles moved the ball up and down the field but shot themselves in the foot throughout that game. The result is line value this week as everyone loves Seattle while the Seahawks are still injured and vastly over-rated in my opinion. This is especially true when they are on the road but, overall, Seattle only has two wins over quality foes (LA Rams and Eagles) and the Seahawks were outgained by over 100 yards in each game. I'll gladly grab the 8-4 Jaguars at home in this one. In the Jags last 5 games that were not true road games (home or neutral site) they've outgained the opposition by an average of 167 yards per game! The Seahawks are on a 3-8 ATS run in games played on grass. The Jaguars are 6-3 ATS (and 7-2 SU) in games played on grass this season. 10* JACKSONVILLE

Blowout Game of the Month - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Eagles (+) @ Los Angeles Rams @ 4:25 ET - The Eagles are done. They're left for dead. After that loss to the Seahawks on primetime last week it proves they are a fraud and really aren't a very good football team. I jest of course as really it is funny to listen to the so-called experts talk about the Eagles after last week's loss. Turnovers happen, it is part of the game and sometimes it can be the turning point in a game too. Last week the Eagles went into Seattle and piled up over 400 yards of offense and yet still ended up with only 10 points on the scoreboard. It was one of the craziest results you'll ever see and you better believe they're going to be ready to bounce back big this week. They're catching the Rams at the right time too as Los Angeles is off of back to back wins over a strong Saints team and then a divisional foe last week. That sets this one up very well and another key here is the way these teams match up. The Eagles have one of the best rushing offenses in the league while the Rams are among the worst teams in the league for rush defense. On the other side of the ball, Philadelphia is the best defense in the league against the run. This will force Jared Goff to have to beat the Eagles defense through the air while Carson Wentz gets the luxury of beating the Rams defense both ways, through the air and overland. Los Angeles is only 2-8 ATS when at home playing with revenge (lost at Philly in 2014) and off of a divisional road game. Also, LA entered this season with an 0-11 ATS mark when playing with revenge against a non-divisional foe that has a winning record! The Eagles are 14-3 SU the last 17 games that Lane Johnson has played in. He is a key member of the offensive line and the Eagles went 5-1 in his starts last season and are 9-2 in the 11 starts he has made this season. Johnson and the rest of a strong offensive line power a huge ground game for the road victory here. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Rickenbach NFL Sunday 8* Carolina Panthers (+) vs Minnesota Vikings @ 1 ET - The Vikings have covered 7 straight games and are on an 8-game winning streak. However, last week's tight win at Atlanta was the first time this season that Minnesota has a road win over a team that currently has a winning record. Keep in mind, the Vikes got blasted at Pittsburgh earlier this season. Not only is this a 3rd straight road game for Minnesota, the Vikings are facing a Panthers team that is angry off of their double digit loss at New Orleans last week. The line has continued to move this week and the Panthers are now a field goal underdog in this match-up. I love the value here as Carolina is also 8-0 ATS when they are an underdog and facing an opponent who is off of an upset win as an underdog! The Vikes were a small dog against the Falcons last week and won outright so that system is in play here! Also, Minnesota is 1-5 ATS when on the road after an upset win as an underdog. 8* CAROLINA

Rickenbach NFL Sunday 8* OVER the total in Kansas City Chiefs vs Oakland Raiders @ 1 ET - Nice weather this afternoon in Kansas City considering it is mid-December. Clear skies, temperatures in the 50s, rather light winds. Considering both of these offenses are better throwing the ball than running the ball and both defenses struggle against the pass, I expect plenty of fireworks in this one. The Raiders D has benefited the past two weeks by facing the anemic offenses of the Giants and Broncos. Now Oakland will have to contend with a revenge-minded Chiefs team that got their offense rolling again last week with 474 total yards against the Jets. The trouble for KC was that their defense allowed 488 yards to New York and now the Chiefs take on an Oakland offense that has some swagger back with wins in 4 of its last 6 games while averaging 26 points per game in the 4 wins. When these teams met in Oakland two months ago they combined for 930 yards of offense. I expect another wild one in the rematch. The over is 3-0 this season when Kansas City is a home favorite in a range of 3.5 to 7 points. The over is 21-11 in Oakland's games with a posted total between 42.5 and 49 points. 8* OVER the total in Kansas City

Rickenbach NFL Sunday 8* Cleveland Browns (+) vs Green Bay Packers @ 1 ET - The Browns have very few chances left to earn a victory this season and I look for them to make the most of this one. Green Bay is off of a win versus Tampa Bay last week but they were fortunate as they were outgained by 119 yards in that game. QB Aaron Rodgers could be back next week but, in his absence, the Packers have certainly struggled badly. Prior to the win over the Buccaneers (again, a fortunate win!), Green Bay had lost 5 of their 6 prior games. Of course it is still hard to tout an 0-12 team but the Browns have a small sense of optimism this week as there were finally some front office changes made that could indicate a new direction for the team after another strategy failed in hapless Cleveland. The Browns did cover versus the Chargers last week. Though they failed to cover their most recent home game, 3 of their first 4 home games were losses by just 3 points apiece. The point is that Cleveland does play better at home and they've been right on the cusp of getting over the hump. I am projecting this is the week they do it and will grab the points but I don't expect to need them. Green Bay is 1-5 SU and ATS as a road fave of 3 points or less. 8* CLEVELAND

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CFB 8* Navy Midshipmen (-) vs Army Black Knights @ 3 ET - Army will be the popular choice here as they have the better record and also have the chance to win their first Commander-in-Chief Trophy in 21 years! However, in typical contrarian fashion (but not without proper reasoning) I am going against the masses in this one. The fact is that Navy played a much tougher schedule this season. Also, last year the Midshipmen lost to the Black Knights to snap a 14-game winning streak for Navy in this series. They'll be ready for payback here and now all 3 of their quarterbacks are healthy. Abey, Lewis, and Perry are all available here and the Midshipmen haven't lost back to back games in this series in over 20 years. Rest is a good thing but too much rest can lead to rust. The Midshipmen have been off for 2 weeks which is good as they enjoyed a bye week last week. However, the Black Knights have been off for 3 weeks as they haven't played since a loss at North Texas 3 weeks ago. While Army is off of a loss, Navy is off of back to back losses and that is noteworthy here as they are 10-2 ATS when off of back to back SU losses and facing an opponents off of a SU loss. Army is 2-8 ATS the last 10 times they've been a dog of less than 5 points. Also, the Black Knights are a horrible 0-8 ATS when playing with rest and facing a team playing with revenge. Certainly the record of the Midshipmen is unimpressive this season after they started the year well but their quarterbacks are now healthy and they played the much tougher schedule than Army and they have revenge against the Black Knights. I'll gladly lay the small number. 8* NAVY 

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Thursday 8* OVER the total in Atlanta Falcons vs New Orleans Saints @ 8:25 ET - This total has gone from the mid-50s all the way down to as low as 51 as of Wednesday evening and I like the value here with the over. Yes the Falcons are off of a low-scoring game but they faced the Vikings who have one of the top-ranked defenses in the league. Prior to that sub-par effort the Falcons had produced 34 points in back to back weeks and had averaged 27.4 points per game in going 4-1 in their 5 previous games. The Saints defense has certainly improve this season but the competition has toughed in recent weeks and New Orleans has allowed 26 points per game the past 3 weeks. As for Atlanta's points allowed, before giving up just 14 versus Minnesota, the Falcons had allowed at least 20 points in 9 of their 10 prior games. Now Atlanta's D faces one of the best offenses in the league and the Saints have averaged 32.5 points per game in their 8 games since their early season bye allowed them to make adjustments and really get rolling. The last two match-ups between these division rivals averaged a total of 73.5 points scored. While I don't expect this one to get that high we should expect close to 60 in this one. The over is 8-2 in Falcons home games with a posted total of 49.5 points or more. The over is 19-8 when New Orleans is a road favorite of 3 points or less. The Saints are particularly dangerous when you put them on a "fast track" and the over is 6-2 this season (and 19-11 long-term) in games played on turf. 8* OVER the total in Atlanta

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Monday 8* Pittsburgh Steelers (-) @ Cincinnati Bengals @ 8:30 ET - The Bengals are 5-6 on the season and off of back to back wins. However, Cincinnati has not beaten a single team that currently has a winning record this season. The Bengals best win would be over a 6-6 Bills team. Their other wins include 2 over the 0-12 Browns and 1 each over the 3-9 Colts and 3-9 Broncos. Cincy's last 2 wins have been over a Cleveland team that has lost 13 straight dating back to last season and a Denver team that has lost 8 straight games. The Steelers 9 wins this season include a dominating win in Pittsburgh over these Bengals in late October. Of the other 8 wins the Steelers have, only 2 have been against teams that currently have a losing record this season. Also, Pittsburgh has beaten teams that have the following current winning records: Vikings (10-2), Titans (8-4), and Ravens (7-5). Until the Bengals prove they can step up against a quality opponent I am backing a 9-2 Steelers team that has plenty of motivation here. If Pittsburgh loses this game then their division lead over the Ravens could quickly slip to 1 game with a loss versus Baltimore next week! I am aware of WR Antonio Brown's questionable status for tonight's game but the Steelers are loaded with plenty of weapons in comparison with the Bengals. Also, Cincinnati is 0-7 ATS as a divisional home dog of more than 4 points. The Steelers are 10-0 ATS as a favorite when they are off of a game where they allowed 28 points or more. Also, the fact that they allowed 28 points versus Green Bay is a bit deceiving as the Steelers outgained the Packers by 155 yards but lost the turnover battle 3-0. That result (a 3 point non-covering win as a 2 TD fave) is resulting in line value this week. 8* PITTSBURGH

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Eagles (-) @ Seattle Seahawks @ 8:30 ET - The Seahawks are still without defensive end Cliff Avril who started all 16 games the past 3 seasons and totaled 20.5 sacks the past 2 seasons. Seattle also is without cornerback Richard Sherman and strong safety Kam Chancellor. Also, when you look at the Seahawks overall injury report heading into this game, they've got a number of newer injuries which have resulted in guys being listed as doubtful or out for this game. This is why we're getting extreme line value here. Seattle is simply not healthy and they're now taking on the top team in the league that also is the only team in the league to score at least 20 points in all 11 games this season. The Eagles have won 9 straight games and they've covered 8 straight games and yet the WOUNDED Seahawks are getting a lot of attention from the betting markets this week. Everyone likes to point to Seattle's great home record and their success in primetime but, ladies and gentlemen, this Hawks team is very short-handed right now on defense! As for the Eagles defense, they are one of the best in the league and they are also healthier than they've been for much of this season. QB Carson Wentz is NOT the type of quarterback to struggle in a tough road venue like CenturyLink Field in Seattle. Yes, the Eagles lost here last year but that was his rookie season and was part of a 2-9 stretch for Philly. They are a different team this year and, remember, they went 5-1 last season when offensive tackle Lane Johnson was available. This season Philadelphia has lost only one game with him in the lineup. Look for the Eagles to make it 10 straight wins and 9 straight covers while dropping Seattle to 1-5 ATS in home games this season. Keep in mind, the Seahawks only have one win against a team with a winning record this season and that was when they were healthier and faced the Rams and won despite being outgained by 134 yards! In other words, a fortunate win. Seattle won't be so fortunate here against an Eagles team that is rolling! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 10* Top Play Arizona Cardinals (+) vs Los Angeles Rams @ 4:25 ET - This is a very tough spot for the Rams and great spot for the Cardinals and that is why I am unloading on this big dog with a big play. Los Angeles is off of a huge win last week versus the red hot Saints. On deck for the Rams is a huge game with the red hot Eagles. In other words, even though this is a divisional game, this is a truly tough spot for LA to remain focused. Not only are the Cards only 5-6 on the season but the Rams blasted them 33-0 in London in late October. That makes this the perfect "flat spot" for Los Angeles (off New Orleans and with Philadelphia on deck) and yet you've got a highly motivated home dog on the other side of the field. I love having Arizona plus a full TD here as their defense has been particularly strong of late. The Cardinals have allowed an average of just 298 yards per game their last 4 games. Of course the Rams defense has been strong too but how much will they have left in the tank for a "trap game" like this? I feel certain it won't be enough! The Cardinals last 2 wins versus the Rams have come by an average margin of 31 points per game while their 2 losses to the Rams, prior to that ugly one in London, each came by 4 points or less. Entering this season, Los Angeles was 1-11 ATS when facing an opponent off of a SU win as an underdog. That is the case here with the Cardinals as they upset the Jaguars last week as a 6-point dog. That gives the Cards extra confidence as they fight to remain alive in the wild card race. Arizona coach Bruce Arians, with last week's win versus Jacksonville, has led his team to a 10-2 ATS record when they are at home and facing an opponent off of a SU and ATS win in their prior game. Perfect spot to upset the Rams here. Whether the Cards win outright or not, I am certainly comfortable with having them plus the big points here! 10* ARIZONA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 8* Detroit Lions (+) @ Baltimore Ravens @ 1 ET - The Ravens are off of a hard-fought win versus the Texans on Monday night. Baltimore also has a game at division rival Pittsburgh on deck. This is not a good spot for the Ravens. While Baltimore comes in on short rest, the Lions come in with extra rest as they played on Thanksgiving Day versus the Vikings. Red hot Minnesota got the better of Detroit and that has the hungry Lions ready to go here. Detroit is 4-1 SU on the road this season. Also, they haven't faced the Ravens since 2013 but that was a home loss and the Lions are 8-1 ATS as a revenging road dog of less than 6 points. Baltimore is 3-8 SU and 2-8-1 ATS in non-conference games! Also, the Ravens are off of back to back wins but they faced two teams (Packers and Texans) that are each without their starting QBs. When Baltimore enters a game on a streak of 2 or more consecutive wins, the Ravens have gone 1-5 SU and 1-4-1 ATS. Additionally, Baltimore is 1-5 ATS after a Monday night game and also 0-7 ATS in their game prior to facing the Steelers. Remember the Ravens got crushed in this role earlier this season when they had a home game versus Pittsburgh on deck and they went to London and got demolished by the Jaguars. 8* DETROIT

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 8* Kansas City Chiefs (-) @ New York Jets @ 1 ET - The Chiefs have struggled recently so the Jets are getting a lot of action in this one. But have those people who are jumping on New York actually watched the Jets play recently? This Jets team is bad. The way they handled situations last week versus Carolina was deplorable and that is a game they never should have lost. It just shows how bad the Jets truly are. Now certainly the Chiefs, losers of 3 straight and 5 of 6, have not played well of late but this Kansas City team is still far superior to the Jets. Keep in mind, the Chiefs have allowed an average of just 14 points per game their past two games. Also, KC has held 7 of their last 10 opponents to 20 points or less. By comparison, the Jets have allowed 24 points or more in 4 of their last 6 games. Also, New York has allowed an average of 25 points per game in their last 5 home games. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has led his team to an 11-2 ATS mark when they are off of SU loss as a favorite and facing a team with a losing record that is off of a SU loss. Kansas City is 7-1 ATS as a fave of less than 6 points when facing a team with a winning percentage under .400 and the Jets are 4-7, .364 on the season. The Chiefs also are on an 8-2 ATS run as a favorite of 3 points or less. The Jets have already begun another one of their typical ugly late season stretches and are now 2-7 SU and 2-6-1 ATS in games played in weeks 10 through 13. The Chiefs are also 12-2 ATS when they are a road fave of less than 7 points against an AFC opponent. KC is the better team and has played the tougher schedule this season in comparison with the Jets and one of these teams today will snap their slump. I'll gladly take the stronger team laying the small number in a case like this. Fade the masses who have brought the Chiefs down to a 3-point fave here. I'll take it! 8* KANSAS CITY

Contrarian Crusher Top Play - Rickenbach CFB Game #325 Saturday 10* Miami Hurricanes (+) @ Clemson Tigers @ 8 ET - It is hard to repeat as champions in any sport at any level - pro or college. It is also difficult to go undefeated in any sport at any level - pro or college. What does that mean for us here? The loss that Miami suffered at Pittsburgh last week was the best possible thing that could have happened to them. Instead of coming into this game 11-0 and with a target on their backs, they are now a hungry 1-loss team. The Tigers also have 1 loss this season but now they again are the "hunted" in this match-up as it is Clemson with the target on their backs. Ranked #1 in the country and the defending national champs, the Tigers are over-hyped and the Hurricanes are getting absolutely zero respect here. Mark Richt is a helluva strong coach and this turnaround at Miami with the Hurricanes football program is no fluke. While Clemson and head coach Dabo Swinney certainly merit plenty of respect, the 58-0 blowout win over Miami in 2015 is something the Canes program is ready to atone for here. That was before Richt got here but he now has this team firing on all cylinders and don't let last week's result fool you. The Hurricanes, sure they made a mistake, but the fact is they were looking ahead to this game. They knew they had the ACC Championship Game on deck no matter what and they'll be ready to go on Saturday night! Miami is 13-1 (93%) ATS as a dog of no more than 14.5 points when they are off of a straight-up loss by 10 or more points!  Off of last week's embarrassing loss by a double digit margin at Pittsburgh and now a big dog against Clemson, that system fits perfectly. Revenge from the 58-0 beating is on tap here and Clemson is an ugly 0-4 ATS as a fave when they are opposed by a revenge-seeking team that is coming off of a straight-up loss as a fave. Combined 17-1 (94%) ATS systems here! 10* MIAMI

Afternoon Annihilation Top Play - Rickenbach CFB Game #322 Saturday 10* Auburn Tigers (+) vs Georgia Bulldogs @ 4 ET - In a normal, regular-season situation, with Auburn off of a huge win over the best team in the nation, you would fade them. However, that is what the betting markets are doing here even though this is not even close to being a normal situation! The winner of this game goes to the 4-team playoff. There is no way, absolutely zero chance, that the Tigers come out flat for this game. They've gone from being as a high as a 3 point favorite to now being a dog in this game. I know the location of this game (Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta) certainly favors Georgia. However, the Tigers absolutely dominated the Bulldogs 3 weeks ago and that was after playing 3 straight road games! Now Auburn comes into this one off of 3 straight home games and their physicality in the trenches will continue to be the difference in this match-up. The fact that RB Kerryon Johnson is now listed as probable for this game (shoulder) is also a big plus for the Tigers. Look for Auburn to again dominate in the ground game (both sides of the ball) in this match-up. Remember they also hold a big edge at QB with Stidham over Fromm. The Tigers Stidham is much more experienced and the Bulldogs Fromm struggled with all the pressure from Auburn in the first meeting. Nothing changes my mind about that again being an issue in the rematch. Also, in terms of technical support, Georgia is 1-8 ATS when off of back to back SU wins and facing an opponent that is also off of back to back SU wins! As for Auburn, they only failed to cover once in eight SEC games this season! Also, the Tigers are a perfect 5-0 SU in games played on a neutral field with a total between 45.5 and 49 points! 10* AUBURN

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CFB Game #317 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Central Florida Golden Knights vs Memphis Tigers @ Noon ET - This total seems extremely high, doesn't it? Don't let the big number fool you. Who is going to get stops in this game? No one I say! The Tigers only scored 13 points in the first meeting but that is because they were done in by 4 turnovers. However, Memphis did total nearly 400 yards of offense in the game even with the turnovers creating a constant uphill battle. Since that game the Tigers have turned the ball over only 5 times in 7 games. Memphis also has rattled off 7 straight wins and averaged 53.6 points per game. The Golden Knights are averaging 55.8 points per game at home this season. From those numbers you can see there is definitely potential this game could hit triple digits in points! Keep in mind, UCF and Memphis are two of the most efficient offenses in the nation as they rank 3rd and 4th in the nation with 7.4 and 7.3 yards per play respectively. The big weakness for the Tigers is a defense that allowed Central Florida to pile up over 600 yards of offense in the first game. Also, the Memphis D is allowing 453.5 yards per game on the season. While the Golden Knights defense has better overall numbers, they too have worn down as the season has gone on. UCF has allowed 488 yards per game in their last 4 games. The Golden Knights are 5-1 to the over in games played on grass this season. The Tigers are 8-3 to the over this season. Also, Memphis has an incredible long-term mark of 27-10 to the over when they enter a game on a winning streak of 2 games or more. 8* OVER the total in Central Florida

ESPN Smash Pass Top Play - Rickenbach CFB 10* Stanford Cardinal (+) vs USC Trojans @ 8 ET Friday @ Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA - Even though the Cardinal played last week and USC was off, the location of this game helps mitigate any edge the Trojans would have had in this situation because it is only about 15 miles from Stanford's home stadium in Palo Alto. Also, Southern Cal is the more banged up team even though they had last week off. They've lost a number of starters during this season and that includes 2 on the defensive line. A third one, Rasheem Green, is listed as probable for this one but he is dealing with a shoulder injury. The Cardinal have lost only one game this entire season by more than a field goal and that was against USC earlier this season in an absolutely embarrassing loss. In other words, payback is on order here! The Trojans defense has allowed 797 passing yards in their past two games. Prior to that, they had poor efforts against the ground attacks of Notre Dame and Arizona as those teams gashed USC for a combined 611 rushing yards. In other words, look for RB Bryce Love (probable) and Company to move the ball quite well in this one. The Cardinal defense has allowed an average of just 17 points per game their last 6 games and they've held their opponents to 24 points or less in 8 straight games. In stark contrast to these numbers, the Trojans defense has allowed an average of 29 points per game their last 6 games. Stanford is 15-1 ATS when off of a non-conference game and facing a conference foe that has at least 1 loss on the season. USC is 1-6 ATS when away from home and facing an opponent with a winning percentage under .850 that is off of a SU dog win. The Cardinal were a 3 point dog versus Notre Dame last week and upset the Irish 38-20. I wouldn't be surprised to see another upset here and certainly am happy to grab the generous points being offered in this one. 10* STANFORD

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Thursday 8* Dallas Cowboys (+) vs Washington Redskins @ 8:25 ET - Everyone is down on Dallas right now and that is understandable. However, with money pouring in on the Redskins here and the line moving from Cowboys being favored to now Washington being the favorite at -2 as of early gameday morning, you can almost sense what is about to happen here. I expect Dallas to bounce back big and continue their recent string of success against the Redskins. The public is very anti-Cowboys right now and there are grumblings from Dallas fans everywhere about firing Jason Garrett. It is most often, when a team is in a dire situation like this, that they step up and pull it together and surprise everyone and that is exactly what I expect here. Yes the Redskins are off of a 20-10 win but that was against an awful Giants team and that game was tied at 10 apiece very late in the fourth quarter. Prior to that victory the Redskins had lost 4 of 5 and their lone win came by just 3 points in a game in which Washington was actually outgained by nearly 200 yards! In other words, a fortunate win for the Redskins just like last week was a fortunate cover for Washington too! Both teams have injury issues but left tackle Tyron Smith is listed as probable for this game for the Cowboys and certainly they miss Ezekiel Elliott but Alfred Morris has averaged 5.8 yards per carry on the season and I expect Dallas to use him even more in this match-up. Plus Dak Prescott is ready for a bounce back game after recent poor performances. Yes, the Cowboys looked bad against the Chargers no doubt but, prior to that, the first two games they lost without Elliott were to Atlanta and Philadelphia and those are two of the top teams in the NFC! The Redskins are a decent team but certainly not at the same level of the Falcons or Eagles. That said, the Cowboys are ready to respond off of 3 straight blowout losses and they'll do just that against their most storied rival. They've beaten the Redskins 3 straight times and Washington has only covered 7 of 22 (32%) as a road favorite of 3 points or less. I am fading the masses here and going with a contrarian play because the Cowboys are angry and ready to respond on national TV tonight! 8* DALLAS

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Monday 8* Baltimore Ravens (-) vs Houston Texans @ 8:30 ET - The Ravens have been a great team in primetime games and they are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 MNF appearances. I also like the fact that the Ravens bye was earlier this month so this is just their 2nd game since the bye and they've got fresh legs and are healthier than a Texans team whose bye was 5 weeks ago. Also, Houston sorely misses QB DeShaun Watson. I know Tom Savage played well at QB for the Texans last week but now he faces a ball-hawking Ravens defense that forced 5 turnovers at Green Bay last week when they faced another back-up QB. Also, in each of their last two home games Baltimore has forced a pair of turnovers. This is the Ravens first home game in a month and they are fired up to make the most of it on Monday Night! Remember that Baltimore destroyed Miami 40-0 in a Thursday night game to wrap up October as their primetime success continues. As for the Texans, they are an awful 1-9 ATS in their last 10 MNF appearances. Also, Houston is just 2-7 ATS when they are a dog of more than 3 points in the first of back to back road games and they do have a divisional game on deck at Tennessee on Sunday! The Texans are just 3-10 ATS when they have the Titans on deck. Houston won by 10 last week against Arizona but they are 2-8 ATS under coach Bill O'Brien when they are an underdog and coming off of a SU win by a double digit margin. The Texans, if they had Watson under center, would have the offensive edge but they don't and I am expecting a big game from Ravens QB Joe Flacco here as he takes advantage of a weak Houston pass defense. Comparing the defenses here, the Ravens have a huge edge (especially with no Brian Cushing or JJ Watt for the Texans). Of course Baltimore also have the home field edge and rest edge since they had that recent bye. The Ravens D has produced shutouts in 2 of their last 3 games. The Houston D has given up an average of 36.8 points per game in their last 3 road games. Now you can see why I am calling for a home rout here! 8* BALTIMORE

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 8* OVER the total in Pittsburgh Steelers vs Green Bay Packers @ 8:30 ET - The Steelers have allowed 17 points or less in each of the 5 games during their current 5-game winning streak. However, Pittsburgh has allowed 290.3 passing yards per game the last 3 weeks. The Packers were done in by turnovers last week but, even without Aaron Rodgers at QB, they have averaged over 200 passing yards per game their last 3 contests. Now, I know those aren't numbers to get overly excited about in terms of the Green Bay offense but what I really like about this match-up is that the Packers are hurting at the running back position too and the Steelers run defense has been great. For that matter the GB run defense has also been phenomenal. The point is that the Packers and Steelers are both going to have to go with predominately a pass-based offense today. Of course plenty of passing is what you want when you're on an over and the Steelers are likely to shred the Packers secondary here. Ben Roethlisberger and Company have led Pittsburgh to an average of 273.8 passing yards per game their last 6 games. Green Bay, before facing a struggling Ravens offensive attack, had allowed 315 passing yards per game their three prior games. The over is 6-1 when the Packers are a double digit dog! The Steelers, in their last 5 regular season home games against teams with a winning percentage of .667 or less, have gone 4-1 to the over. More of the same here as it will be cold at Heinz Field but no precipitation and light winds! 8* OVER the total in Pittsburgh

Blowout Total of the Month - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Los Angeles Rams vs New Orleans Saints @ 4:25 ET - Perfect weather conditions in LA this afternoon. Many will look at this total and fear it is too big but I don't foresee many stops for either defense in this one. The Saints have some injury issues on defense and their offense is a machine. Each team comes into this game averaging 30 points per game on the season. The last time these two teams met they totaled 70 points at New Orleans last season. I am not saying we'll get that here but I do expect at least 60 and this total has dropped from its opener and is around 53 as of very early gameday morning. The Rams lost at Minnesota last week but had averaged 36 points per game in winning each of their 4 prior games. The Saints dropped their first two games of the season but have since won 8 straight and averaged 33 points per game in the process. New Orleans showed a lot of resiliency in coming back and forcing overtime against the Redskins with a huge fourth quarter last week. These are two of the top passing teams in the league. I know the Saints defense has improved but they do have some injury concerns and also exerted a lot of effort (and yet still allowed 456 yards) in the OT win over the Redskins last week. The Rams defense had looked great because they were facing struggling offenses like Arizona, Houston, and the Giants but things turned in a hurry versus Minnesota last week as LA was gashed for 451 yards. Against better teams like the Vikings, Jaguars, Redskins, and Cowboys, the Rams allowed an average of 416 yards per game. They also allowed 421 to the 49ers earlier this season. Drew Brees and Company are in for a huge day here but I also expect Jared Goff and Company to match the Saints score for score in what should be a shootout. New Orleans is 12-5 to the over in games with a line between +3 and -3. Also, the Saints are 3-0 to the over as an underdog this season plus a long-term 22-11 to the over in games against the NFC West. LA is 13-7 to the over in home games with a posted total of 49.5 points or more. The Rams are also on a 4-1 run to the over in games against the NFC South. 10* OVER the total in Los Angeles

NFC West Game of the Year - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 10* Top Play Seattle Seahawks (-) @ San Francisco 49ers @ 4:05 ET - Had the 49ers NOT beaten the Giants before enjoying their bye week last week this situation would be different as San Francisco would have been coming out of the bye with a winless record. However, since the Niners did beat the G-men before the bye, there is not the same hunger with San Fran that we would have otherwise seen. With that said, the hunger here actually lies with a Seahawks team that is off of a home loss to Atlanta on Monday night and is ready to take out their frustrations on a weaker foe. I know that the Seahawks barely got by the Niners in Seattle earlier this season but the 'hawks offense has been playing much better now compared to how they were playing then. Also, the Seahawks are 12-3 ATS when they are off of a non-divisional SU loss and facing a team with a losing record. That is the case here and it is a beautiful set-up with San Francisco off of a rare win. Also, the 49ers are on an 0-5 ATS run with rest. The Niners are also on a 1-7 ATS run as a home dog of 3.5 to 7 points. San Francisco also entered this season 2-13 ATS when they enter a game with a losing record and are facing an opponent off of a SU loss at home. The Seahawks come into this one angry and they impose their will here! Before beating a poor Giants team, the Niners had scored just 10 points in EACH of their three prior contests. Seattle is averaging 27.7 points per game their last 7 games! Of course the absence of Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor hurts the Seahawks defense but they still held Atlanta to 279 yards last week. Prior to the home loss to Atlanta, the 'hawks had allowed 18 points or less in 7 of their 9 games this season. This is a complete mismatch and I'll grab the highly motivated road fave that is fighting to remain in the playoff race with a tough game versus the Eagles on deck. The Seahawks know this is a must win game with what is in front of them. 10* SEATTLE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 8* New York Jets (+) @ Carolina Panthers @ 1 ET - The worst loss the Panthers suffered this season was to division rival New Orleans. Two months ago in Carolina the Panthers were soundly defeated by the Saints by a margin of 3 TDs. Why do I mention that here? Carolina has a trip to New Orleans on deck after facing the Jets in New York! This week's game is a horrific spot for the Panthers as they try to maintain their focus with a huge divisional revenge game on deck. The game holds extra meaning too because the Panthers are only one game behind the Saints in the division. As for the Jets they are much more desperate about today's game than any future game! New York needs a win to hang around in the playoff race. Both the Jets and Panthers are off of a bye week so their situation is equal in that regard. However, the value lies with the hungrier home dog that is fully focused on today's game. I also love the fact that the Jets, since starting the season 0-2, have gone 4-4 and the 4 losses have all come by a single possession. In other words, the Jets have been in every single game since late September and I fully expect that to be the case again here. New York is 6-1-1 ATS their last 8 games and are 5-0 ATS this season as a home dog. The Panthers are on a 1-7-1 ATS mark as an away favorite. The Jets are also 10-5 ATS after a bye week. 8* NEW YORK JETS

Blowout Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFB Game #188 Saturday 10* Top Play Utah Utes (-) vs Colorado Buffaloes @ 10 PM ET - This is a battle for bowl eligibility and it also is a revenge game for the Utes who lost at Colorado last year. The fact that Utah gave up 10 late points to lose to the Huskies last week strengthens this play as the Utes are angry and hungry! Utah is 6-2 ATS in this series and the Buffaloes are an ugly 1-3 (SU and ATS) in road games this season. Each of the Buffaloes last 3 losses have come by double digits. The Utes not only have the home field edge here, they also have the much better defense as they allow 90 yards less per game than the Buffs do. Colorado is 6-11 ATS as a road dog of 10.5 to 14 points. Even though the Buffaloes are off of a bye and the Utes are on regular rest, Utah is 14-8 ATS when on rest of 6 days or less. Colorado is 0-5 ATS when playing with rest and is off of their last season bye week. After playing 10 straight weeks and then having a bye, the Buffaloes are unlikely to be sharp and certainly lost any continuity they had going. The Utes are on a revenge mission, home finale mission, and will be the ones to earn bowl eligibility with a win in this one. 10* UTAH

ESPN Dominator - Rickenbach CFB Game #197 Saturday 8* OVER the total in South Carolina Gamecocks vs Clemson Tigers @ 7:30 ET - The Tigers can't help but be a little distracted by the fact they have the ACC Title game on deck with Miami. Also, the Clemson defense has allowed 289.3 passing yards per game in their last 3 road games. Also, the Tigers D has allowed 29 points and 157.5 rushing yards per game in their last 2 road games. Simply put, Clemson's defense just has not been as strong on the road as they have been at home this season. However, the Tigers offense is a machine and simply has too many weapons for the Gamecocks defense to contain. South Carolina, of course, is looking for revenge for last season's 56-7 loss to Clemson. However, their only hope is that their offense can continue it's recent resurgence. I realize last week's game was against an FCS team but it was still a confidence builder and the Gamecocks have averaged 35.3 points per game in their last 4 home games. South Carolina averaged 196.5 rushing yards per game in those 4 games and they've averaged 221.5 passing yards per game in their last 2 games. Their offense has improved and that is a big part of the reason they're 8-3 this season. The Gamecocks are 3-1 to the over in their last 4 games against the ACC and this game hasn't been held below 48 points since the 2012 season! Clemson's 4 road games this season all totaled at least 48 points and the Tigers allowed at least 252 passing yards in all 4 games. More of the same here but their offense won't be stopped either! 8* OVER the total in South Carolina

MWC Game of the Year - Rickenbach CFB Game #185 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in San Jose State Spartans vs Wyoming Cowboys @ 5 ET - I expect Josh Allen to play as he has thrown with no pain this week even though he didn't fully suit up for practice. However, even if he doesn't, the Cowboys Nick Smith now has a start under his belt and he can shred this Spartans defense that is allowing over 500 yards per game on the season. Off of a disappointing 13-7 home loss to Fresno State last week, Wyoming will be 'out for blood' in this one and they are a huge road favorite with good reason. The Spartans defense is simply atrocious and the Cowboys won't take their foot off of the gas. By the way, Wyoming is 13-4 to the over as a road favorite. San Jose State's offense has struggled but the Cowboys have lost some depth on defense as the season has gone on and will be playing for a 7th straight week as their bye was in early October. Don't be surprised if the Spartans move the ball quite well here in their home finale. Their big problem has been turnovers this season as San Jose State has proven fully capable of moving the ball quite well at times. The Spartans have averaged 213.6 passing yards per game in their last 7 games. Also, San Jose State has run for 123 yards or more in 4 of their last 5 games. The over is 7-3 in Spartans' November games. 10* OVER the total in San Jose State

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CFB Game #194 Saturday 8* Minnesota Golden Gophers (+) vs Wisconsin Badgers @ 3:30 ET - On paper, the Badgers should crush the Gophers. But, of course, they don't play the game on paper and despite all the edges that Wisconsin has here, this line is truly over-priced. Situational analysis is one of the most important elements of handicapping. That said, even though Minnesota has struggled with physical teams and is a one-dimensional team, the Badgers can't help but be peeking ahead to their Big Ten Title game with Ohio State. Yes, Wisconsin wants to remain perfect on the season and I am sure they will. But, they don't need to blowout Minnesota to do that and I know the Golden Gophers are going to go hard on Senior Day in Minneapolis and with Paul Bunyan's Axe up for grabs. The Badgers have won this game 13 straight times BUT the Golden Gophers are a perfect 8-0 ATS their last 8 as a double digit home dog. Also, Wisconsin has gone 1-6 ATS as a road favorite of more than 17 points against a team with a losing record. The Badgers lost (ATS) in this role at Illinois (and the game was even closer than the final score indicated) in late October and I expect another failed cover for Wisconsin here. 8* MINNESOTA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CFB Game #154 Saturday 8* Michigan Wolverines (+) vs Ohio State Buckeyes @ Noon ET - The only other time the Buckeyes have played a tough defense on the road this season, QB JT Barrett threw 4 picks at Iowa and Ohio State got demolished 55-24 by the Hawkeyes. I am not saying the same thing happens here but I am saying a few mistakes by Barrett would not surprise as the Wolverines are one of the top defenses in the nation. Also, I am well aware of the injury situation with Michigan QB Brandon Peters but this line has the Buckeyes extremely over-priced on the road. The fact the line has continued to climb higher has me in play on this one. Though it is only an outside shot, the Buckeyes still have a shot at a playoff spot and that gives the Wolverines even more incentive in this heated rivalry. Ohio State is only 8-13 ATS (including 2-4 ATS this season) when off of a win in Big Ten action. The Wolverines are 10-0 SU in home games with a posted total between 49.5 and 56 points and also 5-1 SU when off of a loss against a Big Ten foe. With Michigan getting beaten at Wisconsin last week and Ohio State off of a blowout win versus Illinois, this line has become inflated and there is significant line value with the big dog Wolverines at home. 8* MICHIGAN

TV Top Game - Rickenbach CFB Game #141 Friday 10* OVER the total in Texas Longhorns vs Texas Tech Red Raiders @ 8 ET - The Longhorns defense caught a break (literally) last week when Mountaineers star QB Grier broke his finger in the first quarter. Make no mistake about it, the Longhorns do have a solid defense but they now face a Texas Tech offense that is one of the better units in the nation in terms of production. Also, under head coach Kliff Kingsbury, the Red Raiders have put up 85 points the past 2 years. The problem for Texas Tech, as usual, is a defense that has given up 41.3 points per game the last 6 times they've faced Texas. The Longhorns has kicked things up a notch their past two games and averaged 35 points per game. They'll have no trouble with a Texas Tech defense that ranks among the worst in the nation. However, the Longhorns have some issues on defense with suspensions and injuries and the Red Raiders offense ranks in the top 20 in the nation for pace. Look for Texas Tech, desperate for their 6th win to become bowl eligibility and perhaps save Kingsbury's job, to play at a very fast pace in this game as they know that turning this game into a defensive battle would not benefit them at all. As a result, points aplenty in this one with perfect weather conditions in Austin also adding to the value here. The over is 5-2 the last 7 times the Red Raiders and Longhorns have matched up in Austin and I expect another shootout in this one as the Horns also got a boost with left tackle Williams returning last week. 10* OVER in Texas

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CFB Game #126 Friday 8* Arkansas Razorbacks (+) vs Missouri Tigers @ 2:30 ET - Arkansas is seeking revenge and this also could very well be head coach Brett Bielema's last game and it is also Senior Day in Fayetteville. With no bowl game for the Razorbacks this is their bowl game and they would love nothing more than to knock off the upstart Tigers. I am well aware that Missouri has won 5 straight and covered 7 straight but the Tigers still are only 3-4 in SEC action and only 1 of those wins (versus Florida) has come against a foe that actually has an SEC win. Two of the Missouri victories came against Tennessee and Vanderbilt (both 0-7) in SEC action. I realize Arkansas has been a disappointment this season and, for that matter, truly disappointing throughout the majority of Bielema's tenure. However, this is the spot where they step up and an outright upset would not surprise. That said, I'll gladly take the huge home dog points and fade an SEC opponent that is highly over-rated right now! The Hogs are 9-4 ATS when off of a loss in conference action. Missouri is 2-4 ATS when they are a favorite in a range of 3.5 to 10 points! Grab the generous points here. 8* ARKANSAS