ESPN Smash Pass Monday - Rickenbach NFL 8* Washington Redskins (+) @ Kansas City Chiefs @ 8:30 PM ET - It so hard to win in the NFL week in and week out and, with the Falcons getting upset at home by the Bills Sunday, the lone remaining undefeated team is the Chiefs. Now certainly Kansas City has played good football this season but they're also over-rated in my opinion. Last week against the Chargers they were certainly helped by 3 Los Angeles turnovers. The fact is that the Chiefs were outgained by the Chargers in that game and the 14 point win for KC certainly fits the bill as a deceiving final. When factor that along with the fact that Kansas City truly pulled away late in each of their first two wins (at New England and versus Philadelphia) and you have the perfect recipe of an over-priced, over-rated team. The Chiefs scoring defense ranks high but their defense based on yardage ranks them near the bottom of the league and that right there tells you a lot. The Redskins defense (based on yardage) actually ranks near the top of the league and comparing these two offenses (based on yards per game) shows the Chiefs ranked only slightly higher. The point is we're getting fantastic value here with a Redskins team that is quite talented and you know Washington is going to "bring it" on a national TV Monday night game. By the way, the Skins also have an edge over the Chiefs in pass protection with KC ranked near the bottom of the league in sacks allowed. I also like the fact that the Redskins completely obliterated the Raiders last week and now have a bye week on deck! They are loaded with confidence and definitely read to go after undefeated Kansas City here. Redskins are a long-term 43-24 ATS as a road dog of 3.5 to 7 points. The Chiefs are on a 6-11 ATS run in home games. An outright upset wouldn't surprise here but certainly I am grabbing the generous points. The Chiefs are over-rated at this point in the season and, while the Redskins have a bye on deck, KC has a tough match-up with red hot Deshaun Watson in Houston next week! 8* WASHINGTON

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 8* Seattle Seahawks (-) vs Indianapolis Colts @ 8:30 ET - Normally I don't lay this many points but this is not a "normal" situation and I do expect the Seahawks to roll easily in this one! I know Seattle is 0-3 ATS on the season but they've played a much tougher schedule than the Colts have. Also, Indianapolis is, of course, still without Andrew Luck at QB. They're going to struggle to move the ball at Seattle - arguably the toughest place for visitors in the NFL The 49'ers were held to 312 yards when they played here in Week 2 and, back in Week 1, the Seahawks defense also was strong on the road as they held a solid Packers team to just 225 yards of offense. Of course the Seattle defense will be dialed here as they are off of that frustrating loss at Tennessee last week. As for the Colts defense, they've given up an average of 283.7 passing yards per game this season and their ground defense has been betting bashed the past two weeks. More of the same here and that turns this one into a rout. The Seahawks have won 7 of their last 9 games against AFC foes and they've only lost 2 times ATS in those 9 games. 8* SEATTLE

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NFL 10* Top Play Oakland Raiders (+) @ Denver Broncos @ 4:25 ET - It is hard to look much worse than the Raiders did at Washington last week but that is part of the key to value in a spot like this. In fact, it is likely that Oakland was already peeking ahead to this game. Not only is Denver a divisional foe but the Broncos knocked the Raiders playoff positioning by upsetting them in the final regular season game last year. Of course Oakland was without Derek Carr in that game and now Carr and the Raiders are anxious for their revenge. As for the Broncos, though they still have a solid defense, they've got some significant issues on their offensive line and Oakland has the pass rushing ability to take advantage. It is likely going to be hard for the Denver offense to do much here and the Broncos have been a turnover-prone team with 2 in each game so far. Oakland is on a 13-6 ATS run in road games including 4-1 ATS when they are a road dog of 3 points or less. That is the case here and I love the value with the healthier team coming in off of an ugly loss and also seeking divisional revenge that had a playoff impact. 10* OAKLAND

Total of the Month - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Los Angeles Chargers vs Philadelphia Eagles @ 4:05 ET - The Eagles defense is riddled with injuries. A lot of it happened in the Giants game and is what allowed New York to rally back to tie it. Philadelphia did eventually hang on for the win thanks to the miracle 61 yard field goal from the back-up kicker. The offense for Philly has moved the ball quite well. The Eagles are averaging 372 yards of offense per game this season. The problem here will be the defense that is so hampered by injuries. Philip Rivers and company are ready to exploit that defense as they are off to a frustrating 0-3 start but the offense has certainly looked better at times than what they have to show for it. The Chargers D is allowing 146.7 rushing yards per game and the Eagles, when they show commitment to the run, have been able to run the ball effectively. Even without Sproles (injured) they have a fine group of running backs that have all shown explosiveness. The over is 7-3 in Eagles games against teams with a losing record. Also, the over is 10-5 when Philadelphia is an underdog and 11-6 when they are on the road. The Chargers are 16-9 to the over in games against the NFC East and 6-3 to the over the past 2 seasons in October games. LA knows they can ill afford an 0-4 start and their offense will go full bore here but the Eagles offense won't be stopped either. The result? Shootout! 10* OVER the total in Los Angeles

Early Contrarian - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 8* Los Angeles Rams (+) @ Dallas Cowboys @ 1 ET - Most will likely end up looking the way of Dallas here as everyone remembers the Rams dreadful season last year and certainly the Cowboys looked better in their bounce back effort versus the Cardinals. However, there are a couple of key edges here that offer significant line value for Los Angeles! The Rams last played a week ago Thursday so they have a huge rest edge over a Dallas team that just played on Monday night. Also, even though LA has a divisional foe (Seattle) on deck, the Cowboys have a huge revenge game versus the Packers up next. Remember Green Bay knocked them out of the playoffs on a last second field goal last year. Dallas certainly hasn't forgotten. On a short week and with a huge game on deck and with the Cowboys documented struggles at home, I have every reason to believe the Rams are going to present a major challenge on Sunday. Los Angeles has averaged 374.3 yards per game this season. By comparison, the Cowboys have averaged just 311 yards per game this season. Dallas is on an 8-15 ATS run in games played on turf and the Cowboys are on a 4-9 ATS run in games against teams with a winning record. The Rams have only been a road dog in the 3.5 to 7 point range twice in recent seasons. The result? Not only a perfect 2-0 ATS but also a 2-0 SU!  I am grabbing the points here but an outright win certainly would not be a complete shock. The Cowboys are in a true sandwich spot as they love being inthe spotlight and they are off of the MNF game and now have the huge game with the Pack on deck. 8* LOS ANGELES RAMS 

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 8* OVER the total in Miami Dolphins vs New Orleans @ 9:30 AM ET (game played in London) - I am aware the Saints have some injury issues on their offensive line but, keep in mind, New Orleans put up 34 points at Carolina last week and their confidence is back. Certainly the Saints have a potent offense but, as usual, their defense if very suspect. Before obliterating the Panthers last week, New Orleans had allowed 32.5 points per game in their first two games. I know that Miami's offense hasn't scored many points so far this season but they got ripped by their head coach after the loss to the pitiful New York Jets last week. Certainly the Dolphins haven't run the ball well but Jay Cutler has the ability to move this Miami offense through the air. Though they are averaging only 210 passing yards per game thusfar, look for the Dolphins to take advantage of a Saints pass defense that had allowed 388.5 passing yards per game in its first two games. The over is on a 10-4 run in games where the Saints are favored and the over is on a 7-4 run when the Dolphins are off of a divisional game. With New Orleans having a bye on deck, they'll go all out here but that means plenty of offense and some leaky defense as usual. As for the Dolphins offense, look for them to take advantage of facing a weak Saints defense as they respond after last week's embarrassing performance in the loss to the Jets. 8* OVER the total in the London game EARLY Sunday morning

Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFB Game #194 Saturday 10* Top Play Virginia Tech Hokies (+) vs Clemson Tigers @ 8 ET - Virginia Tech has taken on a much easier schedule than Clemson but the Tigers schedule has been so tough that they could run out of gas here. Clemson is playing their 3rd tough game in a span of 4 weeks as the other tough match-ups were with Auburn and Louisville and now they take on a solid Virginia Tech team. The Hokies defense has settled in nicely after struggling versus West Virginia in the opener. Of course everyone is gunning for the Tigers this season and Virginia Tech is excited about this opportunity to host the defending national champs who, like the Hokies, are a perfect 4-0 this season. Clemson did give up over 400 yards in their only road game this season, at Louisville, and I feel this will be another tough test for the Tigers. Virginia Tech is loaded with confidence after their red hot start to this season and, of course, that makes them a very dangerous dog in this spot. The Hokies are 21-11 ATS as an underdog of 3.5 to 10 points and, within that number, they are also a perfect 4-0 ATS as a home dog of 3.5 to 7 points. The Tigers are an ugly 7-12 ATS as a road fave of 3.5 to 7 points. Keep in mind the Hokies have revenge from last season's ACC Championship Game loss to the Tigers and Clemson is without their kicker as he was lost for the season with an injury. The Tigers are on a 2-6 ATS run in conference action. The Hokies are on a 14-7 ATS run as a dog in conference action. 10* VIRGINIA TECH

Big 12 Total of the Year - CFB Game #199/200: Rickenbach Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Texas Tech Red Raiders vs Oklahoma State Cowboys @ 8 PM ET - While this total is a huge number it is absolutely justified. These teams combined for 89 points last year and they combined for 123 points the year before. Both teams are averaging over 580 yards of offense per game so far this season. The Red Raiders only gave up 24 points at Houston last week but they were fortunate because of turnovers. The Cougars did total over 400 yards of offense. Keep in mind, Texas Tech did allow nearly 500 yards of offense (plus 45 points) the week before versus Arizona State. While the Red Raiders defense might be slightly improved this season, it still is far from being a top level defense and opposing QBs are completing 64% of their passes versus the Texas Tech D. Also, facing an offense like Oklahoma State's (one of the most dynamic in the country) is going to expose the weaknesses of the Red Raiders pass defense. Of course the flip side is that the Red Raiders unique offense is also difficult to prepare for and difficult to stop. Though they only scored 27 points last week that was an aberration because Texas Tech did gain over 500 yards. Oklahoma State allowed TCU 44 points on 466 yards last week. Certainly the Cowboys are fired up as a result but they truly are not a good team defensively. That means the way OSU responds off of a loss is by pounding the ball the other way! Their offense is going to attack, attack, and then attack some more. Remember that they scored 70 points the last time they were in Lubbock. Also remember that the Red Raiders have totaled 97 points in their last 2 games versus the Cowboys. Indeed this game should be a track meet and the weather looks good. The rain will have moved through and the winds will be light with nice, cool evening temperatures in Lubbock. The over went 8-2 the past two seasons when Texas Tech faced a team with a winning record. The over is on a 14-5 run the past 2+ seasons in Oklahoma State's games when they are favored. 10* OVER the total in Texas Tech in evening action Saturday.

ABC Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFB Game #148 Saturday 8* Wake Forest Demon Deacons (+) vs Florida State Seminoles @ 3:30 ET - The Seminoles have had a rough start to the season with all the schedule changes due to Hurricane Irma. Florida State sits at 0-2 on the young season and certainly looks to bounce back and get their first win under their belt with a W over Wake Forest in his one. However, the Noles do have a big game with Miami on deck. Considering that FSU did play Alabama their YTD numbers don't look too bad after 2 games but they certainly didn't play well against NC State. Now, with Miami on deck, and having won 21 of their last 25 meetings with the Demon Deacons, it would not surprise to see FSU underestimate Wake Forest here. Keep in mind, the Demon Deacons have certainly not played a tough schedule but the fact that they are a perfect 4-0 has allowed them to build up plenty of confidence. A revenge-seeking team that is a big home dog and that has had their confidence boosted is the very definition of a tough "out". That said, the Noles are going to have trouble putting the Demon Deacons away in this one. FSU is a long-term 25-36 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points. WF is on a 12-6 ATS run as an underdog. Grab the generous points here as the Demon Deacons already have 4 games under their belt while FSU has played just two games so far. That is another edge for the home dog here. 8* WAKE FOREST

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CFB Game #118 Saturday 8* East Carolina Pirates (+) vs South Florida Bulls @ Noon ET - The Bulls numbers look great but their schedule has been super soft! They've played Stony Brook, an FCS team, plus San Jose State, Illinois, and Temple. San Jose State is 1-4 SU, Illinois is 1-2 ATS, Temple is 0-4 ATS. Three underachieving teams that all have been struggling. The point is that the Bulls are laying quite a steep price here considering their weak schedule and the fact that they're on the road facing an East Carolina team that has a decent offense. The Pirates have averaged 321.8 passing yards per game this season. The Pirates defense has certainly been a weakness but they've got the offense to hang around in this game against an over-priced favorite. South Florida has dominated in this series and may overlook the Pirates as a result. They have a bye week on deck and may already be going into "relax mode" before playing the full 60 minutes in this one. The Bulls also have benefited greatly from being +10 in turnovers while the Pirates are -6 in turnovers this season. The result is line value here in a spot where I expect East Carolina to be excited about stepping up at home as they host a ranked conference foe. Keep in mind this is the first conference road game for the Bulls under coach Strong. 8* EAST CAROLINA

Earliest Cash Friday - Rickenbach CFB 8* Duke Blue Devils (+) vs Miami Hurricanes @ 7 ET - The Hurricanes have only played 2 games this season due to scheduling issues caused by, coincidentally, a hurricane! Miami really hasn't been able to get into a rhythm yet with all the scheduling complications and the Canes were only up 38-30 in the middle of the 4th quarter of last week's win over Toledo. Also, Miami's first win was over an FCS team as they faced Bethune Cookman. With that said, the Hurricanes really haven't been challenged yet and, again, they didn't look all that sharp versus the Rockets last week. Now the Canes make their first road trip of the season and they're facing a Blue Devils team that is 4-0 SU and ATS this season. Duke has faced some tougher competition than Miami has. Also, with the Hurricanes having dominated this series long-term, you know that Duke is fired up about this opportunity at home in a big weeknight match-up. I look for the Blue Devils to make the most of it. Though both teams have impressive stats on offense so far this season, the key edge favoring Duke is the strength of schedule as well as the fact that their defense is allowing 128 yards per game less than Miami's. Also, the Hurricanes have a big game on deck with Florida State. The Canes are on a long-term 7-11 ATS run as a road fave in a range of 3.5 to 7 points. The Blue Devils are on a 10-5 ATS run as an underdog and a long-term run of 15-5 ATS in home games with a posted total between 56.5 and 63 points! Remember too that the last time Duke hosted the Hurricanes they lost on a last-second crazy play with 8 laterals that really shouldn't have counted but ended up giving Miami the win over the Blue Devils at the final gun. Crazy finish and it's revenge time here. 8* DUKE

Thursday Thrasher - Rickenbach NFL 8* Chicago Bears (+) @ Green Bay Packers @ 8:25 ET - 3 of the last 4 meetings between these teams have been decided by a single possession. The average margin of victory in those 3 games was 5 points and I look for the Bears to again "hang tight" in this one. Chicago did win in Green Bay in November of 2015. Also, in their most recent meeting, December of 2016 in Chicago, the Bears lost by just 3 points. The Packers off of a draining overtime win versus Cincinnati where they had to rally for the win against the Bengals. That type of win expends a lot of energy and the Packers now are playing short rest with this being a Thursday match-up. The Bears are also off of an overtime win but they let most of the game so it didn't require the same effort that Green Bay's W did. Also, Chicago has been running the ball better and defending the run better than the Packers have so far this season. I like defensive-minded dogs that hold an edge in the ground game. Especially when they're getting more than a TD like the Bears are in this one. Chicago is 13-8 ATS as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points. The Bears have been tough already in this TD price range this season and I look for another cover here as the Packers are also dealing with more injuries than the underdogs in this one. 8* CHICAGO

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach Thursday CFB 8* OVER the total in Iowa State Cyclones vs Texas Longhorns @ 8 ET - The Longhorns and Cyclones are both averaging over 40 points per game this season. I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see each team get to that 40 mark tonight and that is why I feel we're getting exceptional line value here. This is especially true with the downward move on this total as of early gameday morning. Texas and Iowa State are both averaging over 450 yards per game too and their issues truly are on the defensive side of the ball. The Cyclones show two "strong" defensive performances in their 3 games this season but they benefited from 3 turnovers in each game. The fact is that the Cyclones allowed at least 259 passing yards in each game and the point totals given up easily could have been much higher. As for the Longhorns defense, their overall numbers benefited from facing woeful San Jose State. The Texas D got shredded in the opener versus Maryland and then again in their most recent game which was a valiant effort against a solid USC team. The fact that the Longhorns lost by just 3 against the Trojans could leave their D a little flat here. They brought an intense effort to that game and yet still fell short. Look for the over to improve to a long-term 9-5 when the Horns are a road fave in the 3.5 to 7 point range. As for Iowa State, they are on a 3-1 run to the over as a home dog of 3.5 to 7 points. Even adjusting for the impact on stats of UT being involved in a double OT game and the Cyclones also being involved in an OT game, there is HUGE value here as only once in 6 games has either one of these teams been held below 41 points of offense. 8* OVER the total in Texas

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach Monday NFL 10* Top Play Arizona Cardinals (+) vs Dallas Cowboys @ 8:30 ET - The Cardinals had a disappointing 7-8-1 season last year while the Cowboys went 13-3. The key though is that the breaks really seemed to go the way of Dallas last year in tight games while Arizona was at the other end of the spectrum. The result is line value in a spot like this because Dallas actually was ranked in the lower 3rd of the league for pass offense and pass defense last season. Now they come into this game off of a match-up where RB Ezekiel Elliott just couldn't get going last week and with an inability to establish the run it exposes the fact that QB Dak Prescott does not have a great arm for getting the ball downfield. As for the pass defense, the Cowboys have some injury issues in the secondary and this puts them at risk here. Arizona was actually a solid all-around team statistically last year with their offense ranking 9th in the league and their defense ranked 2nd! The point is that they deserved better than where their record ended up. Hence, the value here. Now, in week 1 they did fall apart at Detroit as turnovers ate them alive as the game went on. However, the ability to bounce back and win on the road last week (albeit in OT) was a big confidence-booster for the Cards. Speaking of confidence, Arizona has won 4 straight versus the 'Boys. This is the Cardinals home opener and they are 5-0 ATS their last 5 as a home dog in non-divisional action. Couple that with the 4-0 ATS mark in their last 4 versus Dallas and you have a 9-0, 100% PERFECT combined mark favoring the home dog Cards here. I won't be surprised to see them get the outright win in this one but certainly am happy to grab the generous points. 10* ARIZONA

Sunday Night Game of the Month - Rickenbach NFL 10* Top Play Oakland Raiders (-) @ Washington Redskins @ 8:30 ET - The Raiders showed a lot in their season opening win at Tennessee and then they were able to coast to a blowout win over the hapless Jets last week. That home win over the Jets certainly came much easier than what the Redskins went through last week. Not only did Washington have a tough divisional battle in Week 1 with the Eagles (and they lost badly and were outplayed significantly) they then had to go to battle with a Rams team in Los Angeles last week that was much tougher to "put away" then expected. The Redskins passing attack has not looked good this season whereas the Raiders overall offensive production has them ranked among the top teams in the league. Also, Oakland's aerial attack can take advantage of a Redskins pass defense that ranks among the worst in the league here in the early going this season. The Raiders are on a fantastic 13-3 ATS run in road games and QB Carr and WR Crabtree are proving to be a dangerous combo. Even though Oakland has a big divisional game on deck with Denver, they aren't going to overlook a Sunday Night game. Also, the Raiders are a "team on a mission" after getting ousted from the playoffs last season so quickly (because QB Carr had gotten hurt at the end of the regular season). Their "mission" continues Sunday night. 10* OAKLAND

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach Sunday NFL 8* Los Angeles Chargers (+) vs Kansas City Chiefs @ 4:25 ET - A lot of home dog value here because the Chargers have essentially blown both of their games as they lost by 3 points or less each time and the Chiefs have won big despite being involved in games that were very close very late each time. Kansas City certainly has impressive wins for their "resume" with a 15-point win over the Patriots and a 7-point win over the Eagles but the fact is those were close games that "turned on a dime" in the 4th quarter. That's not to say that won't happen again here but the fact is that Los Angeles has been "on the cusp" in each game and the Chargers are catching the Chiefs at the right time to "get over the hump". That was an emotional win for Kansas City in their home opener last week and I look for them to be "spent' after head coach Andy Reid led his troops to victory over a former protege (Eagles head coach Doug Pederson) and his former team (Philadelphia). The Chargers have been swept by the Chiefs each of the last 3 years and this is LA's first divisional home game. In other words, the Chargers have had this one circled! 8* LOS ANGELES CHARGERS in late afternoon action Sunday

Game of the Week - Rickenbach Sunday NFL 10* Top Play Cincinnati Bengals (+) @ Green Bay Packers @ 4:25 ET - Both teams are off of losses last week but, statistically, both were "right there" with their opponents even though the fell short on the scoreboard. That said, the difference is the Packers lost a very important game as they were seeking revenge against the Falcons for defeating them in the NFC Championship Game in January and preventing a Super Bowl trip for Green Bay. Though the Bengals are also off of a loss last week it wasn't nearly as "deflating" of a defeat and the fact is that Cincinnati, sitting at 0-2 on the season, comes into this one very hungry as a result. The Bengals defense has played well and the team as a whole hasn't played as bad as their results would indicate as they were done in by turnovers in Week 1 and then, in Week 2, they played out a "defensive struggle" with the Texans. Keep in mind the Packers were down by as much as 24 in their loss at Atlanta last week so they certainly did not impress overall. The Bengals are 5-1 ATS when they are off of a game where they held to less than 10 points. Also, Cincinnati is 6-1 ATS when they are a dog in the first of back to back road games. The Bengals do have another road game on deck next Sunday while the Packers are in a tough scheduling spot off of a big Sunday night game and with a Thursday night game on deck. 10* CINCINNATI plus the big points in late afternoon action Sunday

Contrarian Crusher Early - Rickenbach Sunday NFL 8* Buffalo Bills (+) vs Denver Broncos @ 1 ET - Nice set-up here. The Broncos are off of a huge home win versus Dallas as they were up big in terms of emotions heading into that one. Now they travel for the first time this season and, not only that, Denver has a huge game on deck with division rival Oakland. This definitely looks like a "trap game" for the Broncos and, in addition, a "trap game" for the betting public. This line has been driven up from an opener of 1 to as high as a 3.5 as of Saturday evening. The Bills are on a 10-4 ATS run as a home dog and truly are "built" to be a dangerous home dog. That's because their defense ranks right up there statistically with Denver so far this season and Buffalo has a good ground game on offense. That rushing attack could surprise many by enjoying success against a Broncos run defense that, surprisingly, actually ranked among the league's worst last season. Don't be surprised if the Bills get the upset but certainly the available points are well worth the taking. 8* BUFFALO in early afternoon action

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Sunday CFB 8* East Carolina Pirates (+) @ Connecticut Huskies @ Noon ET - This game was originally scheduled for November 4th but got moved to a RARE Sunday date in late September due to the scheduling impacts of Hurricane Irma. As a result we get some RARE Sunday College Football here and I look for the underdog Pirates to respond after firing their defensive coordinator. Yes, East Carolina fired him BEFORE the Virginia Tech game and the Pirates still got throttled by the Hokies but that team is certainly at a much different level than the Huskies. Connecticut entered this season 14-35 the last 4 seasons! They only scored 20 TD's last year which was dead last in the nation. The Huskies averaged just 16 points per game on offense the last 3 seasons combined. Already this season they are struggling too as they only put up 27 in a win over Holy Cross - a team they should have blasted. The UConn defense has been giving up huge yardage too. While the same can be said of the Pirates defense, East Carolina has played the tougher schedule with games against West Virginia and Virginia Tech the past two weeks. In other words, this is the week for the Pirates to put it all together. They have the much better offense in comparison with the Huskies and I like the East Carolina D to respond here now that they've had some time since the DC was fired. Note that the Huskies are 0-7 ATS when they are at home after a non-conference game. Also, the Pirates are 9-0 ATS when they are a road dog of less than 6 points and they're coming off of a loss by double digits. Conference opener for both teams and a chance for winless East Carolina to have a fresh start. I look for them to take advantage and I certainly like the combined 16-0, 100% ATS factors in favor of the Pirates as detailed above. 8* EAST CAROLINA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Sunday NFL 8* OVER the total in Jacksonville Jaguars vs Baltimore Ravens @ Wembley Stadium in London @ 9:30 AM ET - The Jaguars are playing in London for the 5th straight year and, for the 5th straight time, I expect the Jacksonville game at Wembley Stadium to result in an over. The 4 games across the pond (all OVERS) for the Jags from 2013 to 2016 have averaged a total of 55.5 points per game. We're getting line value here because the Ravens defense is involved. The fact is that the vaunted Baltimore D may not be fully focused because they've got their biggest rival, Pittsburgh, on deck for next week! I also like the additional line value here as this total has dropped from it's opener of 40.5 points. Look for this situation to improve to a PERFECT 5-0 to the over. 8* OVER the total in Jacksonville ULTRA EARLY Sunday morning

Total of the Month - CFB Game #409/410: Rickenbach Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Stanford Cardinal vs UCLA Bruins @ 10:30 PM ET - UCLA is a perfect 3-0 to the over this season and their games have left no doubt either.  All 3 games totaled at least 79 points and the Bruins offense has not been held below 45 points in any game.  The weakness for UCLA, as you can see, is their defense.  The Bruins allowed an average of 46 points per game in their games against Memphis and Texas A & M.  The only game in which they didn't allow a big point total they still gave up over 500 yards - in their big win versus Hawaii.  With all that said, the Bruins are unlikely to slow down a Stanford offense that is excited about their first home game of the season.  The Cardinal O did struggle in their two road games this season but they faced a quality team (USC) and a quality defense (San Diego State).  In their other game (neutral site) Stanford put up 62 points against Rice in Australia.  The problem for the Cardinal this season is their defense is not what it once was.  Their only challenging game in terms of facing a tough offense was against the Trojans and USC ripped them for over 600 yards.  Not including bowls, the Cardinal were on a 5-0 run to the over prior to their loss versus the Aztecs last week which easily stayed under the total.  Look for the over trend to resume here as both UCLA and Stanford rank among the top teams in the nation for yards per play on offense so far this season.  This highly efficient offenses will be at their best here in a night game with beautiful weather.  The last time these teams met in Stanford they combined for 91 points.  The over is 8-4 in Stanford's games against teams with a winning record.  The Bruins are averaging 564 yards per game this season but UCLA is also allowing 515.3 per game.  This will prove to be a shootout as the Cardinal respond on offense after last week's ugly performance in the loss at San Diego State.  10* OVER the total in Stanford in late game west coast action Saturday.

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach Saturday 10* Top Play CFB Game #364: Wyoming Cowboys (-) vs Hawaii Warriors @ 10:15 ET - Wyoming is getting some help from the weathermen here. Hawaii has been known to struggle in cold weather games. The Warriors just aren't used to it. Even though the calendar shows September, it's already going to be getting downright cold in Laramie, Wyoming Saturday night (Cowboys also helped by this being a night game). Temperatures will likely be in the low 40s at kickoff and could even drop into the 30s as the game goes on. Additionally it will be chilly due to a very cold rain falling and the Warriors were already at a disadvantage simply because of playing on the road and in high altitude. Hawaii relies on their offense to stay in games and I expect them to struggle in the unusual conditions. As for the Warriors defense, they have allowed over 400 yards in each of their three games and, keep in mind, that included a very bad Massachusetts team and Western Carolina - an FCS team. As for the Wyoming defense, they did struggle against Oregon (who doesn't?) but in their other two games they allowed an average of just 229 yards per game. Historically speaking, the Cowboys have won each of their last 4 times hosting Hawaii and Wyoming went 3-1 ATS in those games. Also, this is a conference game and the Cowboys are on a 10-6 ATS in conference action while the Warriors are on a 4-12 ATS run in conference games. Also, as a road dog of 3.5 to 7 points, Hawaii is a long-term 2-17 SU run and 5-14 ATS! The Cowboys have played the much tougher schedule and are just 1-2 on the season but the Warriors are on a 1-9 ATS run in their last 10 games against teams with a losing record. 10* WYOMING

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Saturday 8* CFB Game #377: Arkansas State Red Wolves (+) @ SMU Mustangs @ 7 ET - Nice situation here for the Red Wolves. They're off their easy win versus an FCS team (Arkansas-Pine Bluff). Keep in mind, the Mustangs also had one of those earlier this season as they crushed Stephen F Austin. The key difference though is what happened in the other games for these teams. The Red Wolves fought hard in a 7-point loss at Nebraska in their season opener. As for the Mustangs, they actually did NOT outgain North Texas in their 22 point win over the Eagles. Then, in SMU's most recent game, they hung around with TCU for awhile but then fall apart as the game went on. It was a demoralizing loss because they felt it slip away as the game went on and TCU is their DFW rival. Each of the last 4 seasons, SMU has lost their next game after facing the Horned Frogs. The Red Wolves have a bye on deck and they are on an 8-3 ATS in their last 11 as they are 1-1 this season and wrapped up last season on a 7-2 run at the betting window. Even though Arkansas State is a Sun Belt team, they are up at the top of the conference each and every season and have a winning culture. As for SMU, they entered this season with an 8-28 SU record the last 3 seasons. Grab the undervalued dog here. 8* ARKANSAS STATE

Big Ten Network Day Game - Rickenbach Saturday 8* CFB Game #350: Nebraska Cornhuskers (-) vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights @ 3:30 ET - With the firing of their athletic director on Thursday, there are shockwaves going through Nebraska right now. However, one thing is for sure, the players know it is "put up or shut up time" and I expect a huge effort as a result. The Huskers didn't play well in their season-opening win over Arkansas State but their 7-point loss at Oregon certainly wasn't unexpected as they were a 14-point dog. Then in looking at their loss to Northern Illinois they outgained the Huskies 384 to 213 but were done in by turnovers. I firmly believe all this has served to give us fantastic line value here because now Nebraska, whom hasn't played as bad as the "bad rap" they're getting in some circles, is actually a manageable favorite against a bad Rutgers team that certainly has issues of it's own. The Scarlet Knights just don't belong as a Big Ten team. They are 6-18 the past two seasons and this season they already lost to a MAC team (just like Nebraska did last week) but, unlike the Huskers, Rutgers was outgained in their loss to a MAC foe. The Scarlet Knights are on a 6-13 ATS run as an underdog. Nebraska is 3-0 straight-up (and undefeated ATS) the past 2 seasons when they've entered a game on a losing streak of 2 games or more. Keep in mind too, this is the Scarlet Knights first road game this season. Also, this is a Big Ten opener so Nebraska will be fully focused and the Cornhuskers are 10-1 ATS when they are a favorite of more than 5 points coming off of a non-conference game. After being embarrassed by Northern Illinois last week, huge response here. 8* NEBRASKA

TV Game of the Week - Rickenbach Friday CFB 10* Top Play Virginia Cavaliers (+) @ Boise State Broncos @ 8 ET - The Broncos were actually outgained in last week's win over New Mexico and they failed to cover in the 28-14 win. Boise State returned only 9 starters coming into this season and, even though QB Brett Rypien is probable for this game, he has not been overly impressive early this season. That said, I feel the Broncos are overpriced here. Overall, this team has failed to cover 11 straight home games. You read that right, it is an 0-11 ATS run for Boise State on the Blue FieldTurf at Albertsons Stadium. Even when Boise State has played back to back home games it hasn't helped either as they are on a long-term run of 1-8 ATS in the 2nd game of back to back home games. Also, as a weekday home fave of more than 7 points, the Broncos are on an 0-8 ATS run! Boise State has a bye on deck but then they face BYU. The Broncos are on an 0-4 ATS run in their games that precede facing the Cougars. Ironically, Brigham Young is a "tie-in" feature here as it relates to this match-up with Virginia. That's because Cavaliers head coach Bronco Mendenhall used to coach BYU so he has plenty of familiarity with the Boise State program. Prior to Mendenhall coming to the Cavs, they were blown out at home (56-14) by the Broncos in 2015. Certainly the Cavaliers are looking to avenge that embarrassing home loss and Virginia is 6-1 ATS when playing with revenge against an opponent with a winning record. Both these teams come into this game having gone 2-1 this season and both have a bye on deck. While an upset is asking a lot I certainly do expect the revenge-minded Cavs to stay within single digits of the Broncos in this one! Boise State is averaging only 340.7 yards of offense per game this season and the Cavaliers passing offense alone is averaging 325 yards per game this season. Coming off of a confidence-building win by a huge margin over Connecticut last week, the Cavs are a very dangerous dog here. 10* VIRGINIA

Thursday Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NFL 8* OVER the total in San Francisco 49'ers vs Los Angeles Rams @ 8:25 ET - Both teams have good running threats with the Niners led by Carlos Hyde and the Rams led by Todd Gurley. When NFL teams establish the ground game it adds to the ability to attack downfield through the air. LA QB Jared Goff is certainly looking more comfortable this season and though the 49'ers QB Brian Hoyer has missed some throws he also has been plagued by some key drops from his receivers. Still, with last week's cover against the Seahawks, Hoyer's teams are now 10-2 ATS in divisional action when he gets the start. However, the reason I am backing the over here and not San Francisco is because I expect the Rams to continue to enjoy some success on offense. Keep in mind they're averaging 33 points per game this season and they're also seeking revenge for having lost 3 straight games to the Niners. Los Angeles has gone over in 4 straight games (the first 2 this season and the final 2 last season). The 49'ers have allowed an average of 29.1 points per game in their last 8 home games since shutting out LA in last year's home opener. The Rams remember that shutout loss and make up for it in a big way here but don't be surprised if this game is back and forth all the way with more offense than you would expect. 8* OVER the total in San Francisco

Thursday ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFB 8* Temple Owls (+) @ South Florida Bulls @ 7:30 ET - Certainly Temple has not impressed early this season but, keep in mind, South Florida was down 16-0 to a very poor San Jose State in Week 1 before they pulled away and won by 20. Then, the Bulls were actually tied with Stony Brook, an FCS team, in the 4th quarter before they pulled away and won by 14. The point is that, even though the Owls have struggled this season, they're getting nearly 3 touchdowns here against a Bulls team that hadn't truly looked good until they put it all together and played a complete game against Illinois last week. In that win over the Illini, they got 3 picks from the Illinois QB which certainly keyed the win. Note that Temple's QB has yet to thrown an INT this season so the Bulls defense is unlikely to be so fortunate here. Even though South Florida covered last week, that was their first cover the last 8 times as a favorite in a weekday game when coming off of a SU win. In other words, it is still a 1-7 ATS run for the Bulls as a weekday fave and coming off of a win and last week they had extra rest due to their game against UConn being postponed. This week USF will be on short rest having just played on Friday. As for the Owls, they have covered 6 straight weekday games against conference opponents! Look for that run to reach 7-0 ATS by the time this Thursday night affair is in the books. 8* TEMPLE

Monday Night Top Play - Rickenbach NFL 10* Detroit Lions (+) @ New York Giants @ 8:30 ET - Not only are the Giants off of a divisional loss (at Dallas), they have a another divisional match-up (at Philadelphia) on deck. This is significant as the Giants are on a 3-7 ATS run in games that precede a divisional match-up. New York, has played 18 games (including one playoff game) since Ben McAdoo took over as head coach. They've gone 9-8-1 SU in those 18 games but have averaged just 18 points per game! In their last 7 games, the Giants have averaged just 13.6 points per game. It's hard to cover any type of spread as a favorite when you're not scoring points and, even if Odell Beckham Jr returns tonight, he's not 100% and he's also not necessarily going to be a magical elixir for the struggling Giants offense. Their long-term numbers tell the real story and I look for their struggles scoring points to continue. On the other side of the equation here, the Lions are off of a big season-opening win over the Cardinals and the way they rallied from a 3rd quarter deficit and then turned it into a blowout victory gives them plenty of momentum heading into this game. Also, Detroit is playing this game with revenge as they lost at New York in a late season match-up last year. That is significant here because the Lions are on an 8-1 ATS run when they are a road dog of less than 6 points and they are playing with revenge. Detroit was done in by turnovers in the loss at New York last year as the Lions did outgain the Giants in the 17-6 defeat. Payback time here. 10* DETROIT

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Atlanta Falcons vs Green Bay Packers @ 8:30 ET - While it is true that recent meetings between these teams have been wild, high-scoring shootouts (each of the last two totaling 65 points), the Packers defense is certainly in much better shape than they were when they had to face the Falcons in the NFC Championship Game in January. That is likely to key an under in this spot. This line was in the low 50s earlier this week but everyone sees Aaron Rodgers vs Matt Ryan and they see the recent point totals when these guys have matched up and everyone jumps on the over. The result is that this O/U has gone all the way up to a 56.5 and that offers great value to the under. The Packers secondary is like "night and day" compared to the end of last season when they faced the Falcons. Also, I look for a huge effort from Atlanta's defense as they open up their new home stadium on Sunday night. The Falcons D also could be helped because the Packers are still a little banged up along the offensive line. Note that Atlanta allowed only 301 yards in their road win last week and Green Bay allowed only 225 yards in their win over the Seahawks. The Packers were solid in run defense last season and now, with a healthy secondary, they will do a much better job against the Falcons prolific passing attack here. As for the Falcons defense, they shut out GB in the entire first half in the NFC Championship Game and, like the Pack, they are also healthy here. 10* UNDER the total in Atlanta

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 10* Top Play Washington Redskins (+) @ Los Angeles Rams @ 4:25 ET - You'll be hard pressed to find a more value-filled situation than this one. The Rams are off of a huge win last week and now are getting a ton of respect from the betting markets in this one. I'd like to take this moment to remind everyone that Los Angeles was 4-12 last season and let's talk about the Colts team they just beat. Indianapolis was without QB Andrew Luck and the Colts defense was one of the worst in the league last season. Certainly the Rams benefited from Indy turnovers in that game just like the Redskins were hurt by turnovers in their loss to the Eagles last week. By the way, Philadelphia is certainly viewed as a team with playoff potential this season while the Colts (without Luck) are viewed as a team that is arguably going to be the worst team in the league this year. With that said, Washington's loss to Philly gives them huge motivation here while the Rams have a false sense of confidence after crushing a Colts team that is a mess right now. Keep in mind Los Angeles has still covered only 2 of their last 13 games while the Redskins are on a 14-6 ATS after last week's home loss. Last year the Rams defense was one of the worst in the league (including against the pass) and they now face a Redskins passing attack that was one of the best in the league last season. Look for Washington QB Kirk Cousins to bounce back with a huge effort this week. By the way, Los Angeles does have their divisional opener on deck and it is a Thursday game! Tough spot for the Rams here and the Redskins are angry! 10* WASHINGTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Sunday NFL 8* Philadelphia Eagles (+) @ Kansas City Chiefs @ 1 ET - The Chiefs just beat the defending Super Bowl champs. That was a huge upset win in the NFL season opener and it leaves Kansas City ripe for an upset here. While KC is off of an upset win, the Eagles are off of a win in a game that was right around a "pick 'em" spread. Philadelphia played very well on defense and forced turnovers in that game while QB Carson Wentz also proved his value with a solid game and making big plays when he had to. The Eagles are on an 11-2 ATS run against AFC opponents. A tightener within that is that it is a perfect 7-0 ATS run if their non-conference opponent has a winning percentage of .400 or more. Of course the Chiefs are 1-0 after their big 42-27 win at New England. Note that Kansas City is 0-5 ATS when they are at home off of a game where they scored 35 points or more! That means this spot is a combined 12-0 ATS in favor of the Eagles. I'll take it. Remember the Eagles were 5-1 last season in the games that offensive lineman Lane Johnson played in. He is back this season after the 10-game suspension last year and the Eagles running game looks very potent with LaGarrette Blount now in the mix! 8* PHILADELPHIA

Early No Doubt Rout - Rickenbach Sunday NFL 8* Arizona Cardinals (-) @ Indianapolis Colts @ 1 ET - Last week, Arizona looked like they were headed for a road win against a Lions team that was in the playoffs last season. However, the Cardinals were outscored 24-6 to finish the game as they blew the lead thanks in part to a rare turnover-filled game from QB Carson Palmer. The Colts are also off of a loss but their situation was much different. Indianapolis was simply dreadful last week at Los Angeles and the Colts got buried by a 37-point margin by a Rams team that was 4-12 last season. That is bad news for Indy here as they're really taking a step up in class this week as Arizona is much better than their 6-10 record last season and yes I am aware that RB David Johnson is out with injury. The Colts are not only still without QB Andrew Luck, they also were one of the worst defenses in the league last season while the Cardinals ranked as one of the best stop units in the NFL. The Cards are on a 6-3 ATS run as a road fave of 3.5 to 7 points. The Colts are 1-6 ATS when they're facing a non-divisional opponent that is off of a straight-up loss as a favorite. The Cardinals were a small fave at Detroit last week and they're fired up about the way they let that game get away and the way they came unglued as the game went on. The Cardinals need to "get right" before their home opener against Dallas coming up on Monday night. Look for the Cards to use the down-trodden Colts as their "punching bag" in this one. Road rout. 8* ARIZONA 

Game of the Week Top Play - Rickenbach CFB 10* Saturday Game #148 - Louisville Cardinals (+) vs Clemson Tigers @ 8 ET - Clemson, reigning national champs, gets a ton of respect from the betting markets. Of course when you're coming off of a championship season you should but the fact is that the Tigers lost a ton of talent from last year's team. A QB who threw for over 4,000 yards plus a running back who ran for over 1,000 yards and a receiver who had more than 1,000 yards gained on receptions last season. Certainly this is still a very talented team but they did lose a lot of starters from last year's squad. Of course those "holes" haven't showed up yet but as they now face a conference foe that is ultra talented and gunning for them, I think you'll see it first-hand today! The Cardinals have the edge as their defense, just like Clemson, is fantastic but Louisville has the extra edge at QB. Of course former Tiger Deshaun Watson is now in the NFL but the Cards Lamar Jackson is still at the collegiate level wrecking havoc on defenses. He will be the difference maker here. The Cardinals are on a 7-1 ATS run when they are an underdog of less than 6 points. Considering the big posted total here, the odds makers expect quite a bit of scoring. The Tigers are on a 5-10 ATS run long-term in road games with a posted total between 56.5 and 63 points. The fact that two high quality defenses are matched up and yet a big total is posted here tells you that some big plays are going to be made here. When all is said and done I certainly like the revenge-minded Cardinals and ultra-talented Jackson to be the ones making more of those big plays on offense! The Tigers offense is still adjusting after losing key talent from last year. 10* LOUISVILLE

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach CFB 8* Saturday Game #187 - LSU Tigers (-) @ Mississippi State Bulldogs @ 7 ET - Mississippi State, of course, will be amped up and hoping for the big performance at home necessary to knock off a strong LSU team. However, don't lose sight of the fact that the Bulldogs only won 5 games in the regular season last year. In fact, Mississippi State entered this season on a 6-9 SU run in their last 15 regular season games. Both the Bulldogs and Tigers have impressed early this season but of course the competition has been weak. The key here is that there is more of a difference between the current state of these two SEC foes than what is being factored into this line but we're getting line value because Mississippi State has played weak competition and hasn't been "exposed" just yet. The Tigers are the stronger team in the trenches and have much more in the way of game-changing speed and talent on both sides of the ball. LSU has won each of the last two meetings but by slim margins. That's because the Tigers have blown big leads in each game. They've learned their lesson and I expect them to keep their foot on the gas in this one. In other words, they again get up by double digits but this time they don't let the Bulldogs get back into it. The Tigers are 7-1 ATS as a favorite in a range of 3.5 to 10 points! Mississippi State is on a 3-6 ATS run in home games. 8* LSU

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFB 8* Saturday Game #115 - Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-) @ Boston College Eagles @ 3:30 ET - The Eagles were a small home dog last week versus Wake Forest and got blasted 34-10. That drops Boston College to 0-7 ATS the last 7 times they've been a home dog! This ATS losing streak dates back to the 2014 season and the long-term futility is likely to continue here. The Eagles defense is again playing quite well this season but so too is Notre Dame's. The difference in this game is that the play of the two offenses is light years apart! The Fighting Irish are off of a tight loss last week but that was against a quality SEC program as Georgia nipped Notre Dame. That has the Fighting Irish fighting mad for this one and the Eagles defense hasn't faced anything close to the offensive weapons that Notre Dame brings to this one. Keep in mind, Boston College has faced Northern Illinois and Wake Forest thus far. Now they take on a very dangerous offense this afternoon. Also, Notre Dame is poised to respond huge after the tight loss last week. They have a tough game at Michigan State next week which means this game is a must win for them. Though they only beat Boston College by 3 the last time they faced them (in 2015) that outcome was impacted by turnovers as the Irish outgained the Eagles by 145 yards in that game. Look for the Fighting Irish to improve to 21-12 ATS in road games with a posted total between 49.5 and 56 points while Boston College drops to 3-12 ATS in their last 15 home games and loses for the 8th straight time (ATS too!) as a home dog! 8* NOTRE DAME

Earliest Cash Top Play - NCAAF Game #119/120: Rickenbach Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Michigan Wolverines vs Air Force Falcons @ NOON ET - Air Force never scored less than 27 points last season. The Falcons are a 23 point dog here. Does that mean we should expect no less than a 50-27 Michigan win here? Of course not necessarily but you get my point. Air Force can score some points and the Wolverines are certainly a large favorite with good reason. What I like so much about the low total on this game is the fact that Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh doesn't have experience against the option. Having talent, size, depth and similar edges like that certainly all matter in football but lack of experience against the option has been a problem for many in the past and it will continue to present an issue for even the most talented of defenses. The point is that the Falcons will move the ball surprisingly well at times in this game and I expect the Wolverine D to take some time to adjust. Keep in mind that Air Force had a bye last week so they'll be geared up and ready to go here. The issue for the Falcons is that their defense is certainly vulnerable to the size, speed, and talent of the Wolverines offense. Air Force has been a respectable team the last 3 seasons but when they are over-matched and lose it has a lot do with giving up huge points. In fact, in their last 11 losses under coach Troy Calhoun, they've allowed an average of 37.6 points per game! Their last 6 losses have seen them give up an average of 40.5 points per game. Michigan's offense hasn't really had that breakout game yet but this is likely to be the day for the Wolverines! The Falcons defense returned only ONE starter from last year's squad and they now go from facing VMI in their opener to facing Michigan! The Wolverines offense is going to have a "field day" today but look for the Falcons option attack to keep the Wolverines defense a little off balance as well. The result should be a 42-21 type game here. 10* OVER the total in Michigan very EARLY Saturday.

Philly's Finest Friday - Rickenbach NCAAF 8* Temple Owls (-) vs UMass Minutemen @ 7 ET - The Owls certainly have not impressed thus far as they were blown out by Notre Dame and then blew a 13 point lead against Villanova last week before eking out a 3 point win. Temple gave up a lot of yardage in the loss to Notre Dame and then also gave up a lot of passing yardage versus the Wildcats. The secondary of the Owls was supposed to be their strength this season. That said, those guys are playing with a chip on their shoulder here and have something to prove. They are hell-bent on shutting down UMass and the good news is that the Owls will benefit from taking on a Minutemen team that scored just 7 points against an FCS team, Old Dominion, last week. Massachusetts is now 9-42 since the start of the 2013 season as they're already 0-3 this season. Though each of their 3 games this season has been decided by 10 points or less, that does not mean they'll be able to compete with Temple here. The Owls barely got by UMass when these teams met 2 seasons ago but the Minutemen have regressed since then and the Temple talent level (even though down from last year) is still vastly superior to that of UMass. The Minutemen gave up 8 sacks in last week's game! Even though Massachusetts has revenge here, they actually entered this season on a 1-8 ATS run when playing with revenge. Also, the Owls entered this season on a 13-0 ATS run when facing an opponent playing with revenge. Additionally, Temple is 6-0 ATS when facing a team off of back to back straight-up losses and the Owls are on an overall 11-3 ATS run in home games. 8* TEMPLE

Thursday Thrasher - Rickenbach NFL 8* OVER the total in Cincinnati Bengals vs Houston Texans @ 8:25 ET - Both teams are off of horrible performances on offense last week and their games stayed under the total. Overall, the statistics on defense last week certainly look solid for the Bengals and Texans and, by all means, I am not saying they don't have respectable defenses. However, since both of these teams were down huge at halftime in their games, their opponents went into "safety mode" on offense. Cincinnati's opponent and Houston's opponent each had the luxury of going into "game management" mode and just trying to run a lot of clock and not make mistakes. That is helping to give us some line value here because each of these teams was on pace to allow some decent sized point totals last week. As for the poor performances of each offense, these guys are professionals. The biggest problem for the Texans was their offensive line and they've been hearing about it ever since. Those offensive linemen are going to come to play tonight and rookie QB Deshaun Watson is going to surprise some people in this start. Now, I am not saying the O-line is going to be completely fixed but I am saying they'll play much better tonight. As for the Bengals, QB Andy Dalton is off of a poor performance where he threw 4 picks. He will bounce back here. That's what solid quarterbacks do and he certainly is a solid QB! Look for the over to improve to 3-0 the last 3 times the Texans have been off of a divisional loss and also 6-3 in Houston's last 9 Thursday games. As for the Bengals, they are a long-term 20-11 to the over in home games with a posted total in a range of 35.5 to 38 points. Simply put, the odds makers had to over-adjust for this one due to over-reaction from the public based on the week one results. I am happy to step in and take advantage of the additional line value being offered. 8* OVER the total in Cincinnati

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach Thursday NCAAF 8* OVER the total in Boise State Broncos vs New Mexico Lobos @ 8 ET - In the 5 seasons Bob Davie has been at New Mexico, 4 of the 5 games with Boise State have totaled more than 60 points and I certainly see no reason for that trend to change here. The Broncos are off of a tough multiple-overtime loss at Washington State. Now, on a short week, a disheartened defense (Boise State blew huge lead versus Cougars) now has to try and prepare for the option attack of the Lobos. That is never easy to do and New Mexico was the #1 rushing team in the nation last year. The Lobos did return a lot of offensive starters but the defense was not the same story and it certainly is showing already. New Mexico has allowed an average of 338.5 passing yards per game and they now face a Boise State offense that can move the ball just fine whether it is Rypien or Cozart under center. The Broncos are 9-6 to the over when playing on rest of 6 days or less. The Lobos are 3-1 to the over as a road dog of 10.5 to 21 points. New Mexico is also on a long-term run of 4-1 to the over in Thursday games. 8* OVER the total in Boise State

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Monday NFL 8* OVER the total in Minnesota Vikings vs New Orleans Saints @ 7:10 ET - Here we have the "all defense, no offense" Vikings hosting the "all offense, no defense" Saints. That said, what gives? In my opinion Minnesota was fully focused on shoring up the offense in the off-season and lets not forget that QB Sam Bradford did put up some impressive stats last season. That said, no matter how hard the Saints try to shore up their defense it never seems to pan out and certainly there are no "quick fixes". The Vikings should (and will) score early and often in this one. As for the Saints, they have one of the top offenses in the league and now with Adrian Peterson returning to Minnesota in a Saints jersey, there is no doubt New Orleans has plenty of motivation and I expect some big plays from this dynamic offense. Tremendous respect for the Vikings defense but the Saints offense has tremendous talent and depth at running back and of course Drew Brees is one of the top quarterbacks in the league. New Orleans wrapped up last season on a 3-0 run to the over. The Vikings are 3-1 to the over the last 4 times they have been a favorite. In games with a line between +3 and -3, the Saints have gone 10-5 to the over the past two seasons. In road games with a posted total between 45.5 and 49 points, New Orleans is on a long-term run of 27-16 to the over. 8* OVER the total in Minnesota

Game of the Week - Rickenbach Sunday NFL 10* Top Play New York Giants (+) @ Dallas Cowboys @ 8:30 ET - Are you ready for the sophomore slump? Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott had great rookie campaigns for the Cowboys last season but Dallas finished the season on a 1-6 ATS run (including post-season loss versus Green Bay) and that is a sign of things to come. Even though Elliott is playing in this game his suspension issues have been a major distraction for Dallas. Also, the offensive line did lose two starters from last season's team and that could certainly be an issue here. The Cowboys were also very poor against the pass last season and the Giants are chomping at the bit to turn Eli Manning and Company loose in this one after a disappointing performance for the Giants offense in coach Ben McAdoo's first year at the helm. I like the offseason moves the Giants made to strengthen the offense. Also, the G-men have had the Cowboys number as they are on a 5-0 ATS run in games versus Dallas. That includes 3 straight SU wins and the most recent loss came by just a single point at Dallas in the season opener of the 2015 season. The Cowboys are off of a "miracle season" where everything seemed to fall in place for them in the regular season but lets not forget they were 4-12 in 2015. This is still a quality Cowboys team but they haven't had back to back playoff seasons in many, many years and New York has been a nemesis for them. In road games with a posted total between 45.5 and 49 points, the Giants are on a 28-16 ATS run. In games played on turf the past two seasons, Dallas is 6-15 ATS! More struggles for them at the betting window in this one! 10* NEW YORK GIANTS

Top Total Blowout - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Green Bay Packers vs Seattle Seahawks @ 4:25 ET - Beautiful weather for football at Lambeau Field Sunday afternoon as mild temperatures and lights winds will allow both offenses to operate at full efficiency. The Seahawks are running more of a hurry up offense heading into the new season and they also seek revenge from a beatdown at Green Bay last season. That said, I do expect Seattle to put up a lot of points here but the problem will be in stopping Aaron Rodgers and Company. The Packers averaged 33.7 points per game in their final 7 games of last season (including playoffs) and the over was a perfect 7-0 in those games! The Seahawks final 7 games of last season (including playoffs) saw them go 5-2 to the over. Other than the ugly performance at Green Bay (which their offense will surely atone for here), the Seahawks averaged 26.7 points per game in the other 6 games. Seattle is 7-1 to the over in their last 8 road games versus NFC North teams. The over is also 7-3 in Seattle's 10 games with a line between -3 and +3 the past two seasons. 10* OVER the total in Green Bay 

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Sunday NFL 8* Philadelphia Eagles (-) @ Washington Redskins @ 1 ET - You think the Eagles are ready for this huge divisional showdown? You'd better believe it! They've lost 5 straight games to Washington and are on an 0-6 ATS run versus the Redskins by the way. Coach Doug Pederson and quarterback Carson Wentz are both ready to shine in their second years here. The Eagles have won their first road game of a season in 7 of the last 8 years. Philadelphia made some great off-season additions and they now face a Redskins team that could be primed for a tough season. They are off of back to back winning seasons (although barely with their 8-7-1 last season) and you have to go back 25 years to find the last time that Washington has had a stretch where they recorded 3 straight winning seasons. Also, the Redskins are on an 0-4 SU and ATS run in season openers so, of course, that includes the final season Mike Shanahan was here and each of the 3 seasons that Jay Gruden has been the head coach here. Redskins defense (378 ypg) was ranked near bottom of the league last season while Eagles defense (20.7 ppg) ranked them 12th out of the 32 teams. Couple that with big off-season additions on offense and the fact that big offensive lineman Lane Johnson is back after missing 10 games due to suspension last year. He is a key player for Philly and they won 5 of 6 when he was on the field in 2016. Look for another W here. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NFL 8* Arizona Cardinals (-) @ Detroit Lions @ 1 ET - The Cardinals have had the Lions number. Included in this run of domination for Arizona, Detroit is on an 0-4 ATS run with the average margin of defeat 16 points per game! Also, the Lions wrapped up last season (including the playoff loss) with 4 straight losses and also an 0-5 ATS run. Detroit is hosting an angry Arizona team in this one too. The Cardinals feel they have "something to prove" coming into this season as they suffered a rare losing season after going a combined 35-14 (70%) the 3 prior years. The Cards actually had the #2 ranked defense in the NFL last year based on yards per game as they allowed only 305 per game. Arizona also had a top ten offense. Motivated by last year's disappointment, the Cardinals are going to come out strong here in Week 1 and that means great line value being offered here as a small favorite on the road at Detroit. If you have access to the money line on this one it is a very fair price so I would recommend taking it. If not, lay the small number with the Cards as they are 4-2 SU and ATS in September games the past two seasons while the Lions are an ugly 1-5 SU and ATS the past two seasons combined with September games. 8* ARIZONA

Contrarian Crusher - NCAAF Game #388: Rickenbach Saturday 10* Top Play USC Trojans (-) vs Stanford Cardinal @ 8:30 ET - The Trojans seek revenge for their loss by 17 points at Stanford last season. Keep in mind, star QB Darnold did not play in that game. Although USC struggled some in their eventual 18 point win versus Western Michigan last week, the Broncos are a quality football program and Southern Cal also could not be blamed if they were perhaps peeking ahead to this big Pac-12 battle. As for Stanford, they had a bye week after blasting Rice in Australia two weeks ago. As impressive as that win may seem, the Owls are dreadful and the Cardinal (after an early season bye) may struggle to match the Trojans intensity here as USC benefits from having just played last week (maintaining early season rhythm) and from facing a higher quality opponent. Stanford has held the upper hand in this series in recent years but the odds makers certainly are not stupid. The first numbers that were posted on this game were up near 10. It quickly moved down before the big money could be bet put the point is I side with the odds makers here and love the value of having a team that should win by double digits and yet they're laying less than a TD. Note that the Trojans are on a long-term 24-12 ATS run as a home favorite. In all home games the past 3 seasons, Southern Cal is 9-5 ATS. The Cardinal lost some key personnel from last year's team and that certainly was not an issue against a team like Rice but it will be an issue here against the revenge-minded Trojans. Southern Cal has won 10 straight games and I look for another one here as they cover the small number along the way. 10* USC

Top Total - NCAAF Game #367: Rickenbach Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in North Carolina State Wolfpack vs Marshall Thundering Herd @ 6 PM ET - The Wolfpack suffered a tough loss last week as they had 30 first downs and 500+ yards of offense versus South Carolina but lost 35 to 28. NC State was done in by a kickoff return for a TD and a pair of key turnovers. Even though their defense played well I do expect Marshall to enjoy some success here on offense. More on that in a moment as the biggest key (and the reason North Carolina State is a 24 point favorite) here is the fact that the Thundering Herd are going to be unable to stop the Wolfpack offense. NC State is fired up after the way they lost last week and they'll take advantage of a Marshall defense that allowed over 400 yards to Miami-Ohio last week. The Herd were fortunate to get the win in that game and their defense certainly was unimpressive. What I do like about Marshall is their veteran QB and they do have more overall team speed with their wide receivers this season.  Although they didn't put up impressive numbers last week on offense that was partially due to just having to "manage the game" since they benefited from 2 kickoff returns for touchdowns as well as an interception run back for a touchdown! The fact is that your offense can just grind out a win when you get "other" production like that. This week the Herd won't be so lucky and the offense will be forced to play catch up and they won't be able to run the ball against this Wolfpack defense. That said, and with playing from behind, Marshall is going to be forced to throw, throw, and throw some more to try and hang around in this game. Of course the aerial attack is good news for "overs" as is the fact that North Carolina State is ticked off and should be "scoring at will" in this game. The weather is good for Raleigh, NC on Saturday evening and the over is on an 8-3 run in Wolfpack non-conference games. Also the over is 7-2 in Marshall's non-conference games.  The Thundering Herd are also 8-2 to the over when they are an underdog in a range of 21.5 to 31 points. They are in that price range here and this one should fly over the total. 10* OVER the total in NC State early Saturday evening.

Daytime Dominator - NCAAF Game #309 - Rickenbach Saturday 8* Western Michigan Broncos (+) @ Michigan State Spartans @ 3:30 ET - The Broncos gave a valiant effort against a very strong Trojans team at USC last Saturday. Though Western Michigan fell short on the scoreboard, they showed that this solid MAC program isn't going to lay down for anyone even though they lost head coach PJ Fleck. The fact is that they're in very good hands with Tim Lester at the helm. At the same time, the fact is that the Spartans are in for more struggles this season. Remember they fell to 3-9 last season and now Michigan State returns very few starters this season. The fact that Sparty blasted a weak Bowling Green team (also from MAC but nowhere near the current level of Western Michigan program) is helping to give us line value here. Keep in mind the Spartans also have a bye on deck and then face Notre Dame and then start their Big Ten schedule. In other words, Michigan State could get caught looking ahead here while Western Michigan certainly is not going to be looking ahead to anything. They want this game against the "big boys" from in-state. Substantial ATS support here too! The Broncos are on a 6-0 ATS run as non-conference dogs of more than 3 points. Also, Western Michigan has covered 6 of their last 7 (86%) as a dog playing with revenge. The Broncos lost to Michigan State at home to open their 2015 season - that was when Spartans were much stronger and Western Michigan had not quite yet emerged. As for Michigan State, they are on a 2-11 ATS run when they are at home and off of a non-conference game. Also, the Spartans have covered just 1 of 9 (11%) as a non-conference favorite of less than 28 points. That system fits here as well! 8* WESTERN MICHIGAN

Earliest Cash - NCAAF Game #329: Rickenbach Saturday 8* Wake Forest Demon Deacons (+) @ Boston College Eagles @ 1 PM ET - The Eagles certainly were not impressive in having to go to overtime and barely surviving that road trip to Northern Illinois last week. Granted, Boston College's competition was tougher than what Wake Forest faced last week but the Demon Deacons at least were able to get their offense rolling and build up a lot of confidence heading into this ACC opener. Even though the Eagles have a solid defense their offense is a major weakness while, on the other hand, Wake Forest is maturing on offense and all the freshmen that saw plenty of playing time beginning in the 2015 season are starting to fully develop. The Demon Deacons are poised to "make their move" this season in the ACC and the Eagles are on a 1-9 ATS run when they are at home and facing a team that is playing with revenge. Also, Boston College is on a 4-10 ATS run in conference games while the Demon Deacons are on a 10-6 ATS run in ACC action. The Eagles offense simply can't be trusted here and, even though not too much stock can be put into Wake Forest's win over an FCS team, it was indeed a huge momentum boost for the Demon Deacons offense and their dual threats at the QB position (Kendall Hinton now healthy too) means that they're going to give Boston College an extra threat to worry about here with their scrambling ability. QB John Wolford had a huge game for the Demon Deacons last week. 8* WAKE FOREST

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Thursday NFL 8* New England Patriots (-) vs Kansas City Chiefs @ 8:30 ET - Though I expect a "correction" on the Patriots this season after their insane ATS success last season and then improbable comeback win in the Super Bowl, the "correction" does not begin here. That's because, even though they lost WR Julian Edelman for the season with an injury suffered in preseason action, their offense is still light years ahead of the Chiefs. In fact, their defense is too. The key to the Chiefs success last season was being +18 in turnovers on the year. If you look closely at Kansas City's numbers, they ranked well in scoring offense and scoring defense last season but they were very fortunate with turnovers. The fact is that their defense ranked 24th as they allowed 369 yards per game and their offense only ranked 20th with just 343 yards per game. By comparison, the Patriots ranked at or near the top of the league in all 4 of those categories - yards and points both offense and defense. The fact is that the Chiefs offense is a concern that they did little to address in the off-season. This is nothing against QB Alex Smith but more so it is about the weapons (or lack thereof) that surround him. Also, the KC defensive line lost some key starters from last year's unit. Add in the fact that the Patriots unfurl their Championship banner tonight, QB Tom Brady is eager to make up for missing the first 4 games last season, and that the Patriots are seeking revenge for the last regular season meeting between the clubs. Yes, the Pats got some revenge with a playoff win following the 2015 season but they were embarrassed on national TV in regular season action at Kansas City in the 2014 season. That was Bill Belichick vs Andy Reid as well. Who do you think comes out on top this time? This one gets UGLY for the Chiefs. 8* NEW ENGLAND

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach Monday NCAAF 8* OVER the total in Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs Tennessee Volunteers @ 8 ET - Both teams replacing quarterbacks but both head coaches quite happy with their options there. The Yellow Jackets also have plenty of options at running back and that is why the dismissal of RB Dedrick Mills from the program, though significant, is certainly not a back-breaker for them. The Volunteers run defense was horrid last season and they now lost a starting linebacker to injury and also a starting defensive lineman is questionable for this game. I don't care how much time a team has to prepare for the option either because the fact is that if a defense is not used to seeing it in game action it is very difficult to stop. The Vols just don't see it much at all and they are known to have issues stopping the run so this is an issue for them. The good news for Tennessee fans is that they're offense should move the ball well. They return a ton of talent on offense and, as noted above, coach Jones likes what he sees with his options at QB. The Yellow Jackets are only a "middle of the pack" type defense and they lost a lot of starters from the front seven of last year's team. Look for the Volunteers offense to enjoy plenty of success here but their defense will struggle against the option. Couple that with the fact that this total has dropped from a 63 to a 55 and you can "count me in" on this one! 8* OVER the total in Georgia Tech

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Sunday NCAAF 8* UCLA Bruins (-) vs Texas A & M Aggies @ 7:30 ET - The Bruins have revenge on their minds in this one and that includes QB Josh Rosen. The UCLA quarterback got hurt and missed the rest of the season after early October but he faced the Aggies a year ago to the day and he threw 3 picks in that game. He still was able to rally the Bruins back and force overtime but UCLA then lost in OT. The noteworthy aspect of the 3 picks in that game is that Rosen threw a TOTAL of only 2 picks in the other 5 games he played last season. Indeed Rosen has revenge on his mind here and I expect him to lead the way to a convincing victory over an Aggies team that lost a lot of starters from last season and is also now having to test an inexperienced QB on the road against a tough Bruins defense. Even though Texas A & M head coach Sumlin has a history of strong starts with plenty of wins (and covers) in recent seasons in August and September games, I am happy to go contrarian here and lay the points with the revenge-minded Bruins whom are on a rough 3-10 ATS run in home games. This is not just "any" home game for UCLA! Also, note that the Bruins are on a long-term ATS run against SEC opponents. 8* UCLA

TV Top Game - Rickenbach Saturday NCAAF Game #203 - 10* Top Play Vanderbilt Commodores (-) @ Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders @ 8 ET - Sure Middle Tennessee State is seeking revenge but this line drop from an opener of Vanderbilt -6 to now just a 3 point favorite as of gameday morning is a huge value for the Commodores. Vandy has come a long way in recent seasons and returns a solid starting group. This is still a case of an SEC team versus a CUSA team and the Commodores are also no longer the SEC's doormat! Yes the Blue Raiders threw the ball very well versus Vandy last season but the Commodores improvement on defense came as the season went on. They allowed an average of only 20.8 points per game in their final 8 regulars season games. The MTSU defense is a concern here. Not only are you talking about Conference USA talent but also the Blue Raiders are replacing their entire defensive line. Keep in mind that is part of the same front seven that Vandy ran all over for 234 rushing yards per game in the last two meetings. The Commodores are on a 7-1-1 ATS run against Conference USA opponents. Also, Middle Tennessee State is a long-term 0-4 ATS as a home dog of 3.5 to 7 points and now this line is all the way down to a +3 and giving the Blue Raiders even less value here. Look for the road fave to roll again. 10* VANDERBILT

ABC Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach Saturday NCAAF Game #202 - 8* Florida Gators (+) vs Michigan Wolverines @ 3:30 ET - The big story here is all the suspensions for Florida. The key is that this has opened up even greater line value for the Gators. Keep in mind, Michigan comes into this season with only 5 returning starters. The point is that the Gators losing some players for this game just means that the rosters are a little more evened out! Florida is still loaded with talent and this is an even match-up even with the suspensions. The Gators football program also certainly hasn't forgotten the 41-7 beatdown they were handed on New Years Day 2016. Time for a little payback here and the Florida suspensions made a lot of headline but if you look at which of those players were starters (not many) and the other depth the Gators have at those spots, you will find those suspensions are not as impacting as you would think. Florida's New Years Day loss is still etched in their memories but that is one of just 6 times the Gators have failed to cover in their last 21 neutral site games. Also, the Wolverines wrapped up last season covering just 1 of the last 6 games in which they were a favorite! The Gators are on a 6-1 ATS run in neutral site games with a posted total between 42.5 and 45 points. Michigan is 0-4 ATS the last 4 times they've been a neutral field favorite in a range of 3.5 to 7 points. 8* FLORIDA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NCAAF Saturday Game #177 - 8* California Golden Bears (+) @ North Carolina Tar Heels @ 12:20 ET - With both teams going through significant changes from last season, I am happy to back the big dog in this match-up. The Tar Heels have a huge game on deck with conference rival Louisville while the Golden Bears have only Weber State on deck. Also, California is on a fantastic 7-0 ATS as a non-conference road dog of more than 3 points. Look for defensive-minded head coach Justin Wilcox to have the Golden Bears playing a completely different brand of football early this season compared to the all offense, no defense style of his predecessor Sonny Dykes. While both teams are undergoing changes at the QB position, Cal returned more starting firepower at the surrounding skill positions and I expect this to be a difference-maker Saturday as well. Also really like the coordinator hires that were made for the Golden Bears in support of Wilcox. He and his OC and DC will have the troops ready to go in this one and the points are generous here! The Bears are on a 5-2 SU and ATS run in September games and also are a long-term 10-3 ATS in games where they are a road dog in a range of 10.5 to 14 points. 8* CALIFORNIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Friday NCAAF 8* Colorado Buffaloes (-) vs Colorado State Rams @ 8 ET - The Rams absolutely crushed Oregon State last week. Or wait...did they really? Yes I know the final scored shows a 59-27 shellacking in favor of Colorado State. However, the Beavers were only outgained by 30 yards through the air and 39 yards on the ground. For the game Oregon State actually gained over 450 yards of offense but the difference in the game was 5 Beavers turnovers. Certainly not taking anything away from what the Rams did in that game but the fact is that there has now been an over-reaction in the betting markets. Colorado State opened up as an 8.5 point dog here and now the line is just 3.5 as of gameday morning. Given me the small favorite in this one as we take advantage of the huge value offered by this line move. Yes it is a revenge spot for the Rams but Colorado is now a PAC-12 team that annually plays a much tougher schedule than Colorado State does. Also, the Buffaloes have held the upper hand in this series recently with the Rams getting the cash only 3 times in the last 10 meetings! Certainly Colorado lost key personnel from last year's defense but there was certainly some talent waiting in the wings too. The Rams are 0-4 SU and 0-3-1 ATS the past two seasons in games played on a neutral field. Also, Colorado State is 5-12 SU (and 6-10-1 ATS) long-term in games played against PAC-12 foes while the Buffaloes are 14-9 SU against Mountain West Conference opponents. Additionally as a neutral site favorite of 3.5 to 7 points, the Buffs are 7-3 SU (and 7-3 ATS) as all 7 wins have covered. I expect the same result here. 8* COLORADO

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Thursday NCAAF 8* UL-Monroe Warhawks (+) @ Memphis Tigers @ 9 ET - While it may seem "scary" to back a 4-8 team from the Sun Belt Conference against an American Athletic Conference team that has gone bowling each of the last 3 seasons, the fact is there is tremendous value here with UL-Monroe. Traditionally, one of the big neutralizers when a game has the potential to be a mismatch is the weather. That said, I expect that to be fully in play here as the epic storm that is Harvey is now meandering through the southeastern part of the country after ravaging Texas with horrific weather. With very significant rainfall and windy conditions expect throughout this game, it will be tough for Memphis to get a huge margin of victory. Also, the Warhawks are in their 2nd year under head coach Matt Viator and they did show improvement under him last season. As for Memphis, their win total dropped again last season as the Tigers have gone from 10 to 9 to 8 wins successively the last 3 seasons. Also, while UL-Monroe has another non-winnable non-conference game on deck (at Florida State), the Tigers do have their conference opener on deck as they play Central Florida next week. With Memphis in a lookahead spot and just trying to survive the elements tonight, I feel there is great line value with the big underdog. Also the Warhawks are on a 4-2 ATS run as a road dog of 21.5 or more points. Look for Memphis to drop to 1-3 ATS as a favorite of 21.5 to 31 points. 8* UL-MONROE

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NCAAF Saturday 8* Hawaii Warriors (+) @ Massachusetts Minutemen @ 6 ET - Many are looking at Massachusetts in this one since they have revenge from losing last year's season finale at Hawaii. However, out of all 130 FBS schools, the Minutemen very well may be the worst team in the nation. That said, I certainly see value in fading them here with a Hawaii team that made significant strides last season and got back to a bowl game. UMass is laying a full field goal here even though they are just 9-39 SU the last 4 seasons. Also note that the Minutemen are only 1-8 ATS when playing with revenge! The fact is that revenge certainly has a tendency to be "over-played" and this is particularly true when the team seeking revenge is a very poor team. The Warriors responded well under head coach Nick Rolovich last season and the fact they opened the season at Australia plus had to play Michigan at The Big House plus went to (and won!) a bowl game has this Hawaii team well prepared for this long road trip to open up the new season. Hawaii has tremendous talent on offense and the Minutemen don't have the firepower to keep up. The Warriors are a long-term 5-1 ATS in August games while UMass is 0-3 ATS in August games. Hawaii also is 3-1 ATS the past 2 seasons in road games with a posted total between 56.5 and 63 points. The Minutemen are getting attention here in the revenge spot but the value is with the road dog. 8* HAWAII

Rickenbach NFL 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Super Bowl LI @ 6:30 ET Sunday 5 February, 2017 - Both teams certainly respect their opponents offense in this match-up. In other words, the Falcons know they need to keep Tom Brady off of the field as much as possible and, likewise, the Patriots know they need to keep Matt Ryan off of the field as much as possible. That said, even though the story line for this Super Bowl match-up is the two star QBs and the potent offenses they operate, I won't be surprised to see a fair amount of emphasis on the ground game for both these teams. Don't get me wrong, each QB will still be looking for opportunities to attack downfield but one of the keys here is that whoever has the lead throughout this game (and this could be back and forth in that regard) is going to look to run the ball as much as possible to keep their opponents strength (for each team it is the offense) off of the field. The reason this total got so high is all the crazy scores we saw in this post-season and the fact that the Falcons have been an "over machine" this season as well as the fact that public oftentimes makes its biggest wagers on the Super Bowl and is known for having an affinity for the overs (particularly in the Super Bowl). With all that said, the odds makers were forced to hang a high total on this game just to generate balanced action which, of course, is their ultimate goal. That said, note that Atlanta is fully capable of running the ball with success and has averaged 29 rushing attempts per game in their last 5 games. The Patriots also have been running the ball plenty and are averaging 32.4 rushing attempts per game in their last 5 games. On the defensive side of the ball both teams have been good of late about being "bend but don't break" and that has resulted in the Pats allowing only 10.6 points per game in their last 5 games and the Falcons allowing a respectable average of 19.3 points per game in their last 6 games. The last 4 times the Super Bowl has had a total in the 50s the under has cashed in every single time - a perfect 4-0 mark to the under. Also, the under is 10-4 in the Falcons games played on grass the last 3 seasons combined and the under is 4-1 in Patriots games played on grass this season. 10* UNDER the total in Super Bowl LI

Rickenbach NFL 10* Top Play Atlanta Falcons (+) vs New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI @ 6:30 ET Sunday - The Patriots have only gained 155 yards on 54 carries in this post-season. The Falcons have not only gained 200 yards on 59 carries in the post-season, their rushing attack was stronger at the end of the regular season too. Atlanta has averaged 148.4 yards per game on the ground over their last 5 games. The reason I am talking so much about the ground game here is because I do feel it could be a key in this game. Both teams are led by tremendous quarterbacks with Tom Brady for the Patriots and Matt Ryan for the Falcons and each head coach knows the key to winning this game is keeping those guys off of the field. That said, a heavy dose of ground game is likely to be key from both sides here and I expect Atlanta to enjoy more success on the ground which could be the key here. Another angle I like is certainly the underdog mentality (hunger) of the Falcons here and the fact that QB Ryan has faced the Pats just twice in his career (2009 and 2013) and Atlanta lost both match-ups. Not only is it double revenge in that regard but Falcons coach Dan Quinn was the defensive coordinator with Seattle when the Seahawks faced the Patriots two years ago in the Super Bowl. Keep in mind Seattle was up 24-14 through 3 quarters in that game before the Pats rallied for the win in the 4th quarter. That experience will help Quinn here and the Falcons are "only" a 3 point dog here with good reason. This is an excellent football team and the Patriots strength of schedule this year has not been as strong as Atlanta's schedule. Also, for all that is made of how "dominant" the Patriots are (and certainly their amazing seasons and overall playoff performances are noteworthy) they are only 4-4 in their 8 Super Bowl appearances and the 4 wins have ALL come by 4 points or less. The aforementioned win over Seattle was the only 4 point win and the other 3 all came by just 3 points. Of course the Patriots are the "popular choice" here due to the public loving to back the "been there, done that" mentality but I really like the Quinn angle here against the Pats and the fact that New England is without Gronkowski and the fact that Atlanta will play up the underdog "us against the world" mentality for this game. QB Ryan has had a phenomenal season and, with all due respect to Brady, the Falcons weapons at the skill positions (guys like Julio Jones just to name one) are likely to be the ones that make the big plays necessary to win this game. I'll grab the points because in 8 Super Bowls the Patriots have only one win by more than 3 points so certainly there is value in having the field goal on our side BUT certainly I am playing this expecting the outright win for the underdog. 10* ATLANTA FALCONS plus the points

PA Insider Top Play - Rickenbach NFL 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Steelers (+) @ New England Patriots @ 6:40 ET Sunday - New England knocked off Pittsburgh earlier this season but the Steelers were without QB Ben Roethlisberger in that game. I know it is difficult to knock the Patriots but, one thing I will say is that they sure got a fortunate match-up last week. The only reason Houston was in New England is because Oakland fell apart once they lost their QB. That is what allowed a Texas team with a nightmare (Osweiler) at QB to venture up to Foxboro. Finally, this week, New England will be tested and it could be tough on them as they have had so many easy match-ups since Tom Brady returned early this season after his 4-game suspension. The Pats rarely have been challenged and arguably, their toughest match-ups did not end up impressing. The Patriots, in addition to facing the Steelers at Pittsburgh when Roethlisberger was on the shelf, had only two other truly tough games that were home games this season. In those, they lost to Seattle and they snuck by Baltimore by 7 points as a 6 point favorite. As usual, the Patriots are a public team and very few people will want to bet against Brady and coach Belichick in Foxboro in January. However, if any team can knock them off there, it is this Steelers team and they are healthy again at the skill positions and come into this game having won 9 straight games! Pittsburgh's defense has been phenomenal in their last 6 road games as they've allowed 310 yards or less in all 6 games. Of course the Steelers want revenge badly against the "mighty Pats" who always seem to find their way to the top and that only intensifies the defensive effort here. Keep in mind too that New England was okay without Rob Gronkowski for getting past a team like the Texans but facing the Steelers is a much tougher task! Pittsburgh has faced the tougher strength of schedule this season and the Patriots are in for a war in this one. I do expect the Steelers to win this one outright but I will, of course, grab all the available points as that is where the huge value is in this one, the generous points. 10* PITTSBURGH STEELERS plus the points Sunday evening

NFL Playoff Total of the Year - Rickenbach NFL 10* Top Play OVER the total in Atlanta Falcons vs Green Bay Packers @ 3:05 ET - Huge number (60) posted as the total on this game but it is absolutely justified. The Packers have won 8 straight games and have averaged 35 points per game in their last 6 games. The Falcons have won 5 straight games and have averaged 38 points per game. The funny thing about those numbers is the fact that a 38-35 type game would not be a surprise at all. Atlanta's Matt Ryan and Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers are certainly two of the best QBs in the league and also two of the hottest. I don't see the Falcons as being able to slow down the Packers as Atlanta's pass defense has been exploited in a number of games this season. As for Green Bay, they are so banged up on defense that they aren't going to be able to stop Ryan and Company in this one. Of course another real positive for the over is the fact this game is being played indoors on the fast turf in Atlanta. The Falcons have completed 80 of 106 passes in their last 3 games. The Packers are are well known for the fact that they have allowed ridiculously high completion rates this season. Of course the key for Green Bay staying in this game is their own offensive production and they throw much more than they run (another significant positive for an over). All 11 games that Atlanta has played on turf this season (including their 9 home games) have gone over the total - a perfect 11-0 mark. The over is 7-2 in Packers road games this season. Even though these teams each have some decent defensive numbers in recent weeks, those came against inferior competition and neither defense is built well enough (nor is healthy enough) to stop what they're going to be facing on Sunday. Look for VERY few punts in this one as both teams move the ball quickly up and down in the field in a track meet. 10* OVER the total in Atlanta Sunday afternoon

AFC Playoff Game of the Year - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Steelers (+) @ Kansas City Chiefs @ 8:20 ET Sunday - Of course one has to respect the Chiefs and their 12-4 record but Kansas City benefited greatly from a positive turnover margin and because their special teams play is very strong. However, Pittsburgh is the stronger overall team and that should punch the Steelers ticket to the AFC Championship Game by the time this one is in the books. The Steelers, based on yardage, rank 7th in the league on offense and 12th in the league on defense. By comparison, the Chiefs rank 20th on offense and 24th on defense. Now you can see why the special teams and turnover margin have been such huge keys for the Chiefs this season. Now look for KC to be exposed by a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The Steelers already hammered the Chiefs 43 to 14 in the regular season and Pittsburgh enters this game having won 8 straight games. The Steelers offensive weaponry finally has "all hands on deck" and, in the 2nd straight game with everyone available (all skilled position starters) it is probable that Pittsburgh will prove to be even tougher to stop than they were last week against Miami. The Chiefs get a lot of "line shading" here because of their history at Arrowhead Stadium but note that Kansas City went an ugly 1-4 ATS in their home games against non-divisional foes this season! Also, the Chiefs are a long-term 2-11 ATS in playoff games. I am also well-aware of Andy Reid's long-term history of success when off of a bye week but the Steelers are the superior team on both sides of the ball and the Chiefs truly got here with some "smoke and mirrors" this season. 10* Top Play PITTSBURGH Sunday night

Texas Insider - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 10* Top Play Green Bay Packers (+) @ Dallas Cowboys @ 4:40 ET - Most people aren't giving the Packers a chance here and I realize they do have some injury issues, particularly in the secondary, that are impacting here. However, what many people don't realize is that the "anointed one" with the Cowboys is really Ezekiel Elliott rather than Dak Prescott. Dallas is where they are today because they have a powerful running game and because certainly the ball bounced their way on a number of occasions (particularly early this season) that helped give them the momentum and confidence to get this point. The fact is that all the success that came from those two factors has masked the fact that their passing attack ranks just 23rd in the league. For comparison sake, note that the Packers passing attack ranks 7th in the league. Also, the Green Bay run defense ranks 9th so that matches up well with the Cowboys ground attack which ranks 2nd in the league. As for the Cowboys the concern on defense is their pass defense which ranks 26th in the league. The way I am approaching this game is have a veteran QB (Aaron Rodgers) who has plenty of weapons even with WR Jordy Nelson out, and he's attack a weak pass defense. I have a strong ground defense (Packers) that can focus on slowing down Elliott. I'll challenge the rookie QB (Prescott) to beat Green Bay through the air because, let's not forget, this is his first ever playoff game and he is facing a team that already saw him earlier this season and certainly is fired up about the rematch. The Packers have won 7 straight games and covered 6 of their last 7. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the Cowboys have failed to cover 5 of their last 6 games and yet they are the popular choice here as this line is now all the way up to a 6 as of the night before the game. The Packers are on an 8-3 ATS run when playing with revenge. The Cowboys aren't exactly a "covering machine" at home and, in fact, are on an 11-21 ATS run in games played on turf. 10* GREEN BAY plus the points Sunday afternoon

Saturday Night Special - Rickenbach NFL 8* Houston Texans (+) @ New England Patriots @ 8:15 ET - No one will give the Texans a chance here and I completely understand that, and yet, it has given us very strong line value on Houston in this match-up. Even though hosting a wounded Oakland team last week is nothing like facing a powerful Patriots team in New England, last week's win did quite a lot for Houston. It gives the Texans added confidence in QB Brock Osweiler and it allowed the defense to stay "in the zone" as Houston's D continues to be among the most dominating units in the league. That said, and especially with consideration to the factor that Rob Gronkowski is out, I don't buy into the Pats being more than two TD's better than the Texans. I am certainly well aware of the fact that the Texans go ripped by New England earlier this season and that Tom Brady didn't even play in that game. However, that was a turnover-fueled victory for the Patriots. Houston turned the ball over 3 times (compared to 0 for the Pats) and that was a key factor in why New England won 27-0 at Houston despite the yardage being very nearly equal! In fact, the Texans have now held the Patriots to 313 yards or less in each of the last 2 meetings and it helps that this will be their third time seeing New England in the past 13 months. The Pats, as a result of being 13-3 ATS this season, are simply over-priced here. The Texans defense is fired up about this chance at redemption against the Patriots and the offense is rejuvenated thanks to 4 wins in their last 5 games and Osweiler looking like he definitely learned a few things after being relegated to back-up duty. In the divisional round, #1 seeds have gone just 7-19 ATS the last 13 years. The Pats, of course, are the #1 seed in the AFC, and they have no reason to try and "run up the score" here and against a solid Texans defense I doubt they'll even have the chance. Grab the huge points as this Texans team come into this one with some newfound confidence and a defense that, deservedly, has a swagger in its step! 8* HOUSTON plus the big points Saturday evening

Saturday Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NFL 8* Seattle Seahawks (+) @ Atlanta Falcons @ 4:35 ET - I have a ton of respect for the Falcons offense but they're facing a red hot Seattle defense and, make no bones about it, the Atlanta defense is a major weakness. That said, the Seahawks have been moving the ball very well and I just don't see the porous defense of the Falcons as being capable of stopping them. Based on yardage allowed, the Falcons rank 25th in the NFL on defense while the Seahawks rank 5th in the league! Another concern for Atlanta here is that they haven't tough competition since their very first game of December. That was against the Chiefs and Atlanta lost even though they were at home. Since the, the Falcons played 4 games against the two worst teams in their division and the two worst teams in the Seahawks division. The combined record of those 4 teams was 19-45. That certainly didn't help Atlanta in terms of being "game ready" for this one and sometimes the week off can actually hurt a teams rhythm on offense. As for Seattle, they've had to face the top two teams in the NFC North in the past few weeks. The Packers (an ugly loss but an aberration for the Seahawks) and the Lions combined to go 19-13 in the regular season. Seattle did beat the Patriots in New England earlier this season and they are 3-0 ATS as an underdog this season! The Seahawks also won all 4 games this season when facing a team with a winning record and Seattle is 10-2 SU on turf this season! Surprisingly, the Falcons are only 1-4 ATS this season in home games with a posted total of 49.5 points or more. Atlanta has trouble "putting teams away" and has gone 8-18 ATS as a favorite the last 3 seasons and 2-8 ATS when off of a win against a division rival and the Falcons are a long-term 3-11 ATS in playoff games. It's hard to argue against the better defense here and a more "proven team" in terms of playoff experience. The Hawks are hungry! 8* SEATTLE plus the points Saturday afternoon

National Championship Game - Rickenbach CFB 10* Top Play Clemson Tigers (+) vs Alabama Crimson Tide @ Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on Monday @ 8:30 PM ET - Alabama, it goes without saying, is a phenomenal football program. There is no doubt about that fact. However, that doesn't mean that value can't be had in going against them. The Crimson Tide are here because they got by Washington last weekend. I want to remind everyone though that the Huskies come from the Pac-12 and that conference went 0-6 ATS in the bowls! In other words, one could argue that Alabama certainly should have done a lot more damage than they did against Washington last week. Yes, the Crimson Tide did get enough for the cover in the 24-7 win but their offense only gained 326 yards in that game. Believe it or not, that was the 4th time in their last 6 games that Alabama has been held to less than 373 yards of offense! That said, is the firing of offensive coordinator Kiffin and his replacement with Sarkisian really going to be a good thing before a huge match-up with a high-quality foe? I highly doubt that! The Clemson D just stepped up HUGE against the Buckeyes last week in their 31-0 win as the Tigers held Ohio State to just 215 yards. In fact, in 4 of their last 6 games, Clemson held their opponents under 278 yards of offense! I expect the Tigers, playing with revenge and playing their best defense of the season, to bring their "A game" again in this one. As for their offense, it is one of the most dynamic in the country and Clemson has also been amazingly consistent. They have averaged 502.9 yards per game this season and, they have gained over 441 yards per game in each of their last 12 games. While one could argue that Alabama faced the tougher schedule this season, the SEC overall was not nearly as strong as it was in past seasons. The "playing field" here has truly leveled out and the value is with the revenging dog getting a full TD in this one. The Tigers are on a 6-1 ATS run as an underdog and a long-term run of 31-14 ATS as an underdog in a range of 3.5 to 10 points. The Crimson Tide had just 18 first downs in last year's Championship game while allowing 31. The Tigers had to get in the backdoor for that cover but the stats do tell a better story here. This year I would not be surprised to see the outright upset and will gladly grab the big points here. 10* Top Play CLEMSON on Monday Night

NFL Playoff Game of the Year Sunday - 10* Top Play New York Giants (+) @ Green Bay Packers @ 4:40 ET - The Packers secondary is banged up. Yes it will be cold in Green Bay Sunday but no precipitation is expected and winds are not expected to be significant enough to impact the aerial attack. In other words, look for the Pack to struggle to stop Eli Manning, Odell Beckham Jr. and company in this one. The Packers do enter the post-season on a 6-game winning streak but they've certainly had some good fortune on their side during the streak and they have allowed over 1,000 passing yards in their last 3 games! Of course Aaron Rodgers has been the key as he's seemingly willed this Packers team to victories throughout this winning streak. I have plenty of respect for Rodgers and his weapons in the receiving game as well but this Giants defense is going to give them some problems. New York is one of the top defenses in the league against the run and they also came on strong against the pass as the season went on. In their last 4 games of the regular season, the Giants allowed only 834 passing yards total! I am well aware of the fact that Green Bay beat the Giants earlier this season but, keep in mind, New York had a lot of new faces on defense early this season and it took this unit quite some time to jell. The Giants loss at Green Bay earlier this season dropped New York to 2-3 on the season. Since then, the Giants have gone 9-2. Also, the Giants have allowed only 15.3 points per game in their last 10 games. Green Bay has allowed an average of 25.3 points per game in their last 3 games. Also, the Giants have allowed more than 24 points only one time this entire season. The Packers have allowed 24 points or more in 7 of their last 10 games. Green Bay's average points per game allowed during this stretch was 26.5 points in the 10 games. Now for some history that is hard not to ignore here. Eli Manning and the Giants have been a machine in the playoffs as long as they've avoided their nemesis (division rival Eagles). Philadelphia knocked New York out of the post-season in 2006 and 2008. Prior to that, way back in 2005, Eli Manning made his playoff debut and he had an ugly game. So chalking up 1 game to the rookie experience and 2 games to facing a hated division rival that always gives them trouble, how have the Giants fared in all their other post-season experiences with Manning? 8-0 SU and 8-0 ATS. 7 of the games saw the Giants as a dog and, as you can see, they won all 7 outright. The lone time they were a small fave they won by 22 points! Green Bay lost to the Giants for two of those post-season New York victories and they would love to get revenge here. However, the defense (including the cluster of injuries that have hurt the secondary so badly) is going to prove to be the Packers downfall here. Green Bay is 3-5 in their last 8 playoff games and, in their last 5 home playoff games, the Pack covered the spread just once, that's 20% ATS! The Giants are 5-1 ATS when off of a win against a division rival and look for them to add another cover to that mark here. 10* Top Play NEW YORK GIANTS late afternoon Sunday

Earliest Cash Sunday - Rickenbach NFL 8* Pittsburgh Steelers (-) vs Miami Dolphins @ 1:05 ET - The biggest favorite on the board for Wild Card weekend and I am laying the points here. This huge line is absolutely justified. This is a revenge spot for the Steelers as they lost at Miami earlier this season and Ben Roethlisberger got hurt in that game and certainly wasn't himself. Look for Big Ben and Pittsburgh to get revenge here as they have won 7 straight games and they were on a 5-1 ATS run before the meaningless season finale where they did beat Cleveland but, of course, were resting starters. The Dolphins, other than their win over the Steelers, did not beat a single team this season that had more than 7 wins! Also, Miami's last 4 losses all came by 13 points or more. They're more than capable of getting blown out, especially when facing  revenging opponent that now has the huge edge at QB. While Ryan Tannehill is out for Miami, Big Ben is fired up for this rematch. The Steelers have the superior weapons all over the field in looking at this match-up. Miami head coach Adam Gase certainly deserves some credit for getting this Dolphins team to the playoffs but this is not a good match-up for them at all and, again, their only win against a team that didn't end up with a losing record this season was when they beat Pittsburgh with Roethlisberger basically playing the 2nd half on one leg! It's payback time in a big way here. Miami is 2-6 ATS when off of a loss against a division rival and also 0-3 ATS as a road dog of 7.5 to 10 points. The Steelers are 2-0 ATS in recent seasons and 23-12 ATS long-term when they are a home favorite of 7.5 to 10 points. 8* PITTSBURGH early Sunday afternoon

NFL Value Game of the Week Saturday - Rickenbach NFL 10* Top Play Detroit Lions (+) @ Seattle Seahawks @ 8:15 ET - No one will want the Lions here and you know what that means at this time of year. Yes, I am being a contrarian and grabbing Detroit plus the big points. Of course it is certainly not without support! One of the biggest keys is that if you look at who Seattle has played this year you become much less impressed with them. The Seahawks certainly benefited in their own division because the Rams and 49'ers were awful this season. Those teams combined for a 6-26 record this season. Of course the other divisional foe was Arizona and Seattle did not defeat the Cardinals in either game. The Seahawks lost at home to the Cards just a few weeks ago and they tied the Cardinals at Arizona much earlier this season in a game where Seattle didn't even deserve to get the tie. The point is that Seattle ended up 3-2-1 in a division where the other teams were a combined 13-34-1. That is NOT impressive. Outside of their division the Seahawks lost to New Orleans and Tampa Bay (non-playoff teams with combined 16-16 record). Seattle did get to face a couple playoffs team and most of the results were not overly impressive when you try to justify laying big points here with the Seahawks. They beat Houston by 2 points, beat Atlanta by 2 points and lost at Green Bay by 28 points! Their only impressive win was of course the revenging win they got at New England in a primetime game where they played their best game of the season and managed to hang on for the win. While Detroit struggled to finish out the season those defeats against 3 straight playoff teams truly "swung" on big plays that shifted the momentum in each game. The playoffs are here, the Lions are battle-tested, and they'll hang in this one all the way. Detroit does have a solid defense and they only lost 2 games by more than 7 points this entire season. The Lions have some playoff experience under coach Jim Caldwell (lost by just 4 at Dallas two years ago) and the Seahawks are getting priced here as if they're the powerhouse they were two and three seasons ago when they made the Super Bowl each year. This team is not as that level. Grab the value here with the big dog. 10* Top Play DETROIT LIONS Saturday night

Daytime Dominator Saturday - Rickenbach NFL 8* Oakland Raiders (+) @ Houston Texans @ 4:35 ET - Both teams have issues at QB and I'll gladly take the points here. Houston is expected to go with Brock Osweiler because of Tom Savage's concussion. Oakland is expected to go with Connor Cook because back-up QB Matt McGloin injured his shoulder. Of course regular starting QB Derek Carr is out with a broken fibula. Everyone is likely to flock to Houston here because of having the home field edge and because of the Raiders being down to their 3rd string QB. However, the Texans offense is such a weakness (especially with Osweiler running the show) that I would not be surprised to see Oakland hang around throughout this game and then spring the upset late. Even if Houston does hang on for a win here I expect it to be by 3 points or less. Remember Oakland got the comeback win over the Texans in the Mexico City game not too long ago. Houston is only 7-7 in their last 14 games and every single win was decided by just a single possession. The average margin of victory in the 7 Texans wins was just 4 points. Houston's last 6 wins have seen 4 decided by a field goal or less. Look for everyone on the Raiders to "step up" and bring a huge effort because they know they have a rookie QB to support. Sometimes that brings the best of efforts out of an entire team and that is what I expect here as Cook makes his first-ever NFL start. The Raiders are a long-term 35-15 ATS as a road dog of 3.5 to 7 points. They are also 7-1 ATS the past 3 seasons when off of a loss to a division rival. The Texas are 0-5 ATS this season when off of a game against a divisional foe. 8* OAKLAND Saturday afternoon

Bowl Total of the Month - Rickenbach 10* Top Play OVER the total in Oklahoma Sooners vs Auburn Tigers in Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, LA @ 8:30 ET Monday - While it may seem surprising to see a big O/U line posted on this game the odds makers know what they are doing here. Auburn's numbers on offense may have looked putrid at times late in the season but the key here is their health on offense has improved tremendously heading into this game. QB Sean White (shoulder) is ready to go after missing the Alabama game and RB Kamryn Pettway is also ready to go after playing against the Crimson Tide but being nowhere close to 100%. In other words, don't be surprised if the Tigers offense, in this bowl game, looks like it did during Auburn's 6-game winning streak earlier this season. In their 8 wins this season Auburn scored 38 points or more in 6 of the games! The Tigers, before the season-ending loss to Alabama, had gained 228 yards or more on the ground in 8 of their 10 prior games. On the season they have averaged 279 rushing yards per game and they'll be ready to go here. Oklahoma's defense is a weakness as they allowed huge yardage in all their games against quality offenses. However, I certainly respect the Sooners offense and they have averaged 44.7 points per game this season on 557.3 yards per game. Auburn's D is not going to be stop the dynamic offense of the Sooners! This game should turn into an absolute "track meet" on the turf at the Superdome and look for a huge shootout here. The over is 4-2 in Tigers games played on turf and the over is 9-2 in Sooners games played on turf. Those records are over the past 3 seasons combined and this again will be another "track meet" on turf with plenty of big plays. 10* OVER the total in the Sugar Bowl

Bowl Game of the Year - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Penn State Nittany Lions (+) vs USC Trojans in Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA @ 5 ET Monday - The Nittany Lions, as usual, are getting no respect. The Buckeyes got invited to the CFB Playoffs, instead of Penn State who beat them head to head and then also won the Big Ten Championship over Wisconsin. Regardless of the "ugly" win over Ohio State and the fact that they had some "luck" in the rally over the Badgers for the conference championship, this is a strong Nittany Lions team. They are confident, their defense is solid, their offense is surging, AND perhaps most important of all, they're playing with a chip on their shoulder here. They feel disrespected and are out to make a statement in this game by knocking off USC. The Trojans certainly got hot this season and I have plenty of respect for them. However, the Pac-12 has looked weaker and weaker the more the bowl performances have come in. Washington couldn't move the ball in their bowl game. Colorado got crushed by Oklahoma State in their bowl game. Washington State lost to Minnesota in their bowl game. Utah won their bowl game by only 2 points and Stanford won their bowl game by just 2 points. The point is that these are the types of teams that USC played all season long and yet now they're supposed to beat the Big Ten Champion Nittany Lions by more than a TD. I feel the Trojans are being over-rated here. They built up their stats with games against Pac-12 weaklings like UCLA, Oregon, Cal, Arizona, and Arizona State. Those teams had a combined record of 21-39 this season. In tougher games away from home, the Trojans lost at Utah and at Stanford and got absolutely crushed in a neutral site game versus Alabama. Does that sound like a team a that is a full TD better than the Big Ten champs? I say no way. Another thing that is hard to put a measurement on is momentum and confidence and moxie. Penn State has all 3 as they have rallied from huge deficits to win the biggest of games and they've won 9 straight games after a 2-2 start. As you can see, the Nittany Lions have momentum, confidence and they "never say never" as shown in the Big Ten Championship Game. Look for USC to drop to 0-5 in their last 5 neutral field games. As for the Nittany Lions, I look for them to improve to 5-1 SU in neutral site games but I'll definitely grab all the points I can get with this dangerous dog. They have averaged 328 passing yards per game in their last 4 games and look for RB Saquon Barkley to have a huge game as he is refreshed after the break. 10* PENN STATE

Outback Bowl - Rickenbach 8* Iowa Hawkeyes (+) vs Florida Gators @ Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL @ 1 ET Monday - The Hawkeyes defense (17.9 points per game) is just as good as the Gators. In fact, Iowa allowed a total of just 23 points in their last 3 games of the regular season. Florida has allowed 31 points or more in 3 of their last 5 games. While the Gators wrapped up the season with back to back losses, the Hawkeyes come into the bowl game riding the momentum of 3 straight wins and they scored 34 points per game in their final two games of the season. The Gators offense has been held to 16 points or less in 4 of their last 5 games. Florida's injury list is also a much longer one than that of Iowa. The Gators are banged up and the Hawkeyes are hot at the right time. Iowa is on a 6-3 ATS run in games where the line is in a range of +3 to -3 and Florida is on a 2-4 ATS run in games where the line is anywhere from +3 to -3. Big value with the defensive dog in this one. 8* IOWA

Cotton Bowl - Rickenbach 8* Wisconsin Badgers (-) vs Western Michigan @ AT & T Stadium in Arlington, TX @ 1 ET Monday - Western Michigan is 13-0...and yet they've played no one. Seriously. With all due respect to the Broncos for not faltering and coming up with an amazing undefeated record, let's keep in mind that they play in the MAC which is one of the weakest conferences in CFB. The Broncos toughest games this season were as a 3 point dog versus Northwestern and a 3 point favorite with Illinois. They did dominate an Illini team that went on to go 3-9 on the season but they only snuck by the Wildcats by a single point and that Northwestern team is a far cry from the strength of the Big Ten team their facing Monday. Wisconsin is absolutely one of the best Big Ten teams and they have a tremendous defense that is in a foul mood after the way they failed to close the door on Penn State in the Big Ten Championship. That means a huge effort is coming from the Badgers D here and they often dominate teams (allowed 17 points or less in 10 of their first 12 games this season). The Badger offense can pound the ball on the ground and the Broncos D line is going to have trouble with the powerful Badgers O line. Wiscy ran the ball extremely well to wrap up the season. Western Michigan's D did allow 200+ rushing yards in 5 of their last 10 games despite facing a weak schedule. To put that in perspective, the Badgers D (even with facing a tough schedule) never allowed more than 185 rushing yards this entire season. Look for the Badgers to dominate this one in the trenches and that should lead to a victory by a double digit margin. 8* WISCONSIN

Primetime Punisher Top - Rickenbach NFL Sunday Night 10* Top Play Detroit Lions (+) vs Green Bay Packers @ 8:30 ET - No matter what happens earlier in the day Sunday this game will of course decided who wins the NFC North. However, it is also quite likely that this game will end up resulting in the loser staying home for the post-season! That said, this is a huge game no matter what and I expect it to be a huge battle. That is all the more reason that there is tremendous line value with being able to grab the Lions at +3.5 in this game. Getting the home dog in that price range is a huge edge. Green Bay enters this game on a 5-game winning streak but 3 of the games were against teams that will not end the season with a winning record. Also the Packers have benefited greatly from turnovers in many of their recent wins. That is why they keep on winning despite their biggest overall yardage edge in any of their last 4 games being just 2 yards (twice). The Packers actually were outgained in the other two games! A high total is posted on this game and the Lions are 7-0 (ATS and SU) in games with a posted total of 49.5 or more points the past 3 seasons. Detroit has lost the past two weeks but they were on the wrong end of the turnovers (2-0) in each game. Green Bay rates the better offense but is Aaron Rodgers really healthy? Also, the Lions do rate the edge on defense and special teams. Don't be surprised if the Lions get revenge for their loss at Green Bay earlier this season. However, I am certainly grabbing all the points I can get here in case the Lions fall just short. Home dog value! 10* DETROIT

Rickenbach NFL 8* Washington Redskins (-) vs New York Giants @ 4:25 ET Sunday - Yes this line is a little bit high (considering it has moved above a 7) but is absolutely justified. The Redskins don't completely control their destiny but they're about as close as you can get truly. Washington simply needs to win this game and they should absolutely be in the playoffs because the only way they wouldn't make it is if Detroit and Green Bay finished in a tie Sunday night and, of course, that is highly unlikely. That said, the Redskins actually catch a break by matching up with the Giants here. New York is already locked into the #5 seed in the NFC and it would be foolish for New York to risk injuring guys when this game can do nothing for their playoff position. That means a hungry Redskins team with an ultra-dangerous offense should hold the upper hand in this one. Washington's offense ranks as one of the tops in the league thanks to QB Cousins and the Giants strength is their defense but I can't see them being ultra-intense in this game considering their playoff position is already set and they need to stay healthy for next week. The Redskins are on an 8-3 ATS run in divisional action. The Giants are off of a loss at Philadelphia last week and are actually a surprising 1-6 SU (and 1-5-1 ATS) when off of a loss against a division rival. 8* WASHINGTON

Rickenbach NFL 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Denver Broncos vs Oakland Raiders @ 4:25 ET - Make no mistake about it, the Broncos want this game! The issue for them though is that they have one of the worst offenses in the NFL and the Raiders defense has shown improvement late in the season. That said, this has the makings of a low-scoring grudge match because the Broncos have a fantastic defense and will be going against an Oakland offense that is going to struggle badly in their first game without the injured QB Carr as the reins have now been handed over to Matt McGloin. He couldn't ask for a tougher assignment than to have to start at division rival Denver who would love nothing more than to spoil the Raiders hopes of an AFC West title. That said, this game means an awful lot to the Broncos who also have revenge for a loss at Oakland earlier this season. Sure the Broncos season has been a disappointment but they can still put a damper on the Raiders plans by getting a win here. That is what has led me to the under here as I don't trust Denver's offense at all but I do feel strongly that their D is going to make life miserable for McGloin and Company. That means the under should come in solid here. The under is a perfect 3-0 this season when the Broncos are off of a loss to a division rival. Also, the under is 5-2 this season in Denver games where their line is in a range of +3 to -3. Denver's offense is one of the league's worst and the Raiders offense is going to be completely different after the Carr injury. 10* UNDER in Denver

Rickenbach NFL 10* Top Play San Diego Chargers (+) @ Kansas City Chiefs @ 4:25 ET Sunday - This is another one of those "danger spots" for a playoff bound team. Even though the Chiefs have locked in a playoff spot they still know that a win coupled with a Raiders loss would give them the AFC West Division. That said, Kansas City has all the pressure on them here while the Chargers would love nothing more than to make sure that they're hated division rival does not win the division. San Diego also has revenge from a loss at KC very early this season where the Chargers blew a big lead and then lost in OT. Look for San Diego to be amped up for this opportunity as it's the best way to finish their season (by making sure the Chiefs don't win the division) after the disappointment of losing at Cleveland last week. As ugly as San Diego's overall season record is, they've been "in" virtually every game this season and 5 of their last 9 losses all have come by 4 points or less. All but one of their 10 losses has been decided by 8 points or less. The Chargers will bring their A game this week and the Chiefs are one of the most over-rated 11-5 teams in league history as, based on yardage, they rank 20th on offense and 24th on defense in the league! San Diego actually ranks higher in both categories and the Chiefs special teams edge isn't enough to warrant them being this sizable of a favorite on the road. Ugly home dog likely to get the job done once again in a season finale (they beat Miami by 16 in LY's season finale). 10* SAN DIEGO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 8* Philadelphia Eagles (-) vs Dallas Cowboys @ 1 ET - This rivalry means a ton to the Eagles and especially the Philadelphia fans. The Eagles players, coaching staff, and upper management are certainly all well aware of this as well. What that means is that, even though Dallas is the team going to the playoffs and they have already locked up the #1 seed in the NFC, you'd better believe that Philly is going to "Bring It" on Sunday. For the Eagles, this is their Super Bowl. For the Cowboys, this is the one game where they walk the fine line of trying to keep starters "game ready" before the two week layoff while also getting the back-ups some work. Long story short, the Eagles want to win and are highly amped up about finishing this season on a high note for rookie QB Carson Wentz, first year head coach Doug Pederson, and the entire organization and it's rabid fan base. Remember this is a big revenge game for the Eagles too because they never should have lost the game in Dallas earlier this season. They had a huge lead but then relinquished it and lost in overtime. It is time for payback here. That payback means a lot to the Eagles while the Cowboys have "bigger and better things" to look ahead too. Dallas could care or less about this game! 8* PHILADELPHIA

Playoff Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach CFB 10* Top Play Clemson Tigers (+) vs Ohio State Buckeyes in Fiesta Bowl @ University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ @ 7 ET - I am not going to waver from my pre-season prediction which did have Clemson in the national championship game. That said, I do expect them to grab the outright victory in this match-up but will certainly take any and all available points here! Both the Buckeyes and the Tigers lost a lot of key talent from last season's teams and yet all the younger players certainly gained valuable experience this season as the year went on and each team is here after losing only 1 game apiece this entire season. The key for Clemson is their dynamic offense as they did return 8 starters on that side of the ball and QB Deshaun Watson has delivered another huge season. The Tigers have the much better passing attack in this game (they average 333 passing yards per game whereas the Buckeyes average only 221 passing yards a game). Certainly I have a ton of respect for coach Urban Meyer and his long-term success (including bowl games) in his career. However, the Buckeyes loss to Penn State (coupled with the fact that the Nittany Lions won the Big Ten Championship) means Ohio State truly shouldn't even be here. Trust me I understand how the system works but a team that won the conference (PSU) and also beat the Buckeyes head to head is the team that should represent in the playoffs. I am not saying that this is on the minds of OSU, not in the least. I am just saying that "turnabout is fair play" and the Buckeyes didn't deserve to get their ticket punched to the playoffs and I look for the bounces of the ball to go Clemson's way in this one. The Tigers can certainly "make their own breaks" in this one as the speed of their offense all over the field is going to give the vaunted defense of OSU plenty of trouble in this one. Also, don't underestimate the strength of the defensive line of of the Tigers. Their rush defense is arguably just as good as that of the Buckeyes and, in terms of QB pressure, Clemson had 46 sacks this season while Ohio State only had 26 sacks. Looking at their final 7 games of the season, the Buckeyes did have 2 blowout wins but the other 5 games included a pair of overtime victories, a pair of wins by a combined total of only 5 points, and the loss to the Nittany Lions. This Ohio State team is clearly not the dominant team of old and I like Clemson (only loss was by a single point in a game they out-yarded Pitt by 166 yards) to be in this one all the way and to get the W thanks to their potent offense leading the way. The Tigers are on a 5-1 ATS run as an underdog and long-term it is a 58-35 ATS run in the underdog role. 10* CLEMSON plus the points Saturday night

Playoff Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CFB 8* Washington Huskies (+) vs Alabama Crimson Tide in Peach Bowl @ Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA @ 3 ET - Similar to Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder, Washington head coach Chris Peterson has always enjoyed special success (and almost seems to relish) when in the role of an underdog. Peterson certainly has his wish here as he and the Huskies are huge underdogs against Alabama and are basically being given "no chance" to upset the Crimson Tide by most prognosticators. While I am certainly not calling for the outright upset here I am saying that the 2 TD spread should prove to be far too generous. Peterson, who of course was with Boise State before coming to Washington, has gone 6-3 SU (and ATS) in bowls. This includes a perfect 3-0 ATS mark for Peterson as a dog and 2 of those bowl ATS victories as dogs were outright upsets! After the Huskies lone loss this season, they responded by winning their final 3 games of the season by a combined score of 130 to 45. Two of those teams had combined records of 18-5 at the time Washington played them and those opponents were certainly two of the top teams in the PAC-12 this season. Now much is being made of the strength of the SEC and that the Huskies have no chance against an SEC foe. However, the SEC teams have gone just 3-4 so far in these bowls and the only win that came by double digits was Tennessee yesterday and they played a Nebraska team without their star QB (and others) so the big Vols win was not a shock. Certainly the Crimson Tide are not just "any" SEC team but, keep in mind, these teams that have under-performed in the bowls include the same type of SEC teams that Alabama beat to get to their 13-0 record. The Crimson Tide did allow 400+ yards of passing to Arkansas and Ole Miss in the regular season and Huskies QB Jake Browning has had a tremendous season. Washington had 300+ yards of passing in 5 of its last 7 games before it simply relied on its ground game to dispatch Colorado in the PAC-12 Championship Game. The Huskies aerial attack can absolutely keep them in this game and the Washington defense allowed just 17.2 points per game and 316.2 yards per game this season. Most everyone is expecting a complete thrashing here but they are underestimating the coaching ability of Peterson and the talent level that this veteran group (returned 15 starters this year) of Huskies has fired up and ready to for this big game opportunity. 8* WASHINGTON

#1 Bowl Top Side - Rickenbach CFB 10* Top Play Michigan Wolverines (-) vs Florida State Seminoles in Orange Bowl @ Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL @ 8 ET Friday - Many seem surprised to see Michigan as a TD favorite over Florida State in this match-up. As a result, it also seems that the Seminoles are an extremely popular choice in this game. Certainly the dogs have dominated the bowls thusfar but what I see in this match-up is a game that will be dominated by the defense of the Wolverines. Michigan allowed just 12.5 points per game and only 252.7 yards per game this season. The Wolverines allowed only 280 yards per game in their two losses this season. Compare this with Florida State's three losses where their porous defense allowed over 500 yards in every single game! The Noles also are the much more banged up team heading into this bowl game as one can plainly see by comparing the two injury reports of these teams. All of Michigan's wins this season came by a double digit margin and fiery head coach Harbaugh is hungry (and has his team hungry) after that tough OT loss to Ohio State that prevented "bigger things" for the Wolverines. Can you imagine the pent up anger and frustration that this Wolverines defense is about to unleash on the Seminoles in this game? This is a fired up team and I also expect a big game from a much healthier Wilton Speight (QB) in this game for Michigan. It's amazing he even tried to play against Ohio State with the shoulder injury. He's had 5 weeks since then to heal up and a solid Wolverines ground game will also keep the FSU defense off balance. Don't be fooled by the solid season-ending performance of FSU as they faced 3 weak offenses. This is an FSU defense that, prior to that 3-0 ATS run had given up 450 yards or more in 5 of their 7 prior games and the two games they didn't were one played in a hurricane and one played against the weak offense of Wake Forest. Make no mistake, the Seminoles defense is vulnerable here and the Wolverines defense is anything but! Look for the Michigan D, their solid edges in the trenches, their special teams advantage, and their high level of motivation to prove to be the big keys in this one. FSU is on a 1-4 ATS run in games played on a neutral field. The Wolverines are 5-2 SU and ATS in games played after a loss to a conference rival. 10* MICHIGAN

Bowl Total of the Year - Rickenbach 10* Top Play OVER the total in Air Force Falcons vs South Alabama Jaguars in Arizona Bowl in Tuscon @ 5:30 ET Friday - I don't care how much time a team has to prepare for it, the triple option offense of Air Force is ultra difficult to face until you've gotten "up close and personal" with it and the South Alabama defense is in trouble here. The Jaguars are a Sun Belt team whose weakness on defense is against the run. They were gouged for 359 yards in their season-ending win over New Mexico State and allowed an average of 212.6 rushing yards per game on the season. Under head coach Troy Calhoun, Air Force bowl games have totaled at least 62 points in 6 of their 8 bowls! Other than bowl games against Georgia Tech and Rice (two teams that because of their own offenses certainly knew the option well), Air Force's offense exploded in their bowl games. In those 6 other bowl games Air Force averaged 37.7 points per game! The weakness for the Falcons is their pass defense and I expect South Alabama to exploit that. The Jaguars overall numbers on offense may not be that impressive but the Jags passing attack started strong this season and now finished strong as well so they have great momentum heading into this game. They gained an average of 274.4 yards through the air in their first 5 games this season and then look at their last 4 games of the year. They didn't have to throw against Presbyterian because that was a blowout win but in their other 3 games to wrap up the season, South Alabama averaged 300.3 passing yards per game. The Falcons final 6 games of the season saw them face Army (who doesn't throw the ball much at all) but in the other 5 games Air Force pass defense was ripped for 330.8 passing yards per game! With perfect weather in Tuscon expected, this game should absolutely be a back and forth high scoring affair. The Falcons can't stop the Jaguars passing attack and South Alabama can't stop the the Air Force ground game! The over is 7-2 when the Jags are an underdog 10.5 to 21 points and also 7-2 in their last 9 games against teams with a winning record. The over is a perfect 5-0 this season in games where the Falcons are favored by 10.5 to 21 points. 10* OVER the total in the Arizona Bowl

1st of 3 star rated Bowl Picks Friday. The other 2 are 10* Top Plays. Here is the 8*: Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CFB 8* North Carolina Tar Heels (+) vs Stanford Cardinal in Sun Bowl in El Paso, TX @ 2 ET - The Cardinal finished up the season winning 5 straight games so they certainly appear to be the "play on" team here based on momentum. However, those 5 wins came against a 5-7 team, a pair of 4-8 teams, and a pair of 3-9 teams. In fact, the only challenging opponents that Stanford has faced in their last 10 games were Washington and Washington State. The Cardinal got blasted by a combined 86-22 in those games. While the Tar Heels are without RB Elijah Hood in this game (medical reasons), the decision on the part of Stanford's Christian McCaffrey to "skip" this game because he is preparing for the NFL draft is the bigger blow! Not only does that hurt the Cardinal mentally, it truly crushes an offense that is otherwise "pedestrian" anyway! Stanford just does not move the ball well and QB Keller Chryst is more of a "game manager" QB who is just asked to not make mistakes while the Cardinal try to pound away with their ground game. I am well aware of the Tar Heels defense being a weakness but we've seen time and time again in this bowl season that lesser defenses have been able to rise to the occasion and shut down sub-par offensive units. North Carolina is not as impacted by losing Hood for this game because their offense revolves around QB Mitch Trubisky anyway and he has a 28-4 TD-INT ratio. He and the Tar Heels are very hungry for this bowl win and they went 8-3 this season after losing their season opener and one of their losses came by just a single point. After losing to NC State in their season finale, look for North Carolina to come up big in the Sun Bowl. The Heels went 4-1 SU against teams with a winning record this season and I look for them to drop the Cardinal to 0-3 SU and ATS in games against teams with a winning record this season. 8* NORTH CAROLINA

Bowl Insider Top Play Thursday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Oklahoma State Cowboys (+) vs Colorado Buffaloes in the Alamo Bowl @ the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX @ 9 ET Thursday - The Cowboys certainly have more bowl experience. This is the Buffaloes first bowl since 2007 whereas Oklahoma State is in its 11th straight bowl. Certainly OSU is looking to atone for last year's poor result in the Sugar Bowl as they lost 48 to 20 to Ole Miss. There are some key match-up edges here. Even though the Buffaloes pass defense was fantastic this season, they lost their defensive coordinator heading into this bowl game as Jim Leavitt took a job in Oregon. The Buffs defense is going to be kept off balance because the Oklahoma State offense is so well-balanced. On the ground they have the elusive speedster in Justice Hill and then the pounding punisher in senior Chris Carson. Their ground game will open things up for the aerial attack on the Colorado defense and OSU QB Mason Rudolph has thrown for 25 TD's and just 4 INT's this season. Overall, Oklahoma State averages nearly 500 yards of offense per game. Even though the Cowboys lost at Oklahoma to wrap up the regular season, they gained over 400 yards. Comparing that to Colorado' last game, the Buffaloes were held to just 163 yards of offense in the Pac-12 Championship game where they were blasted by Washington. The Cowboys have the edge not only on offense but also special teams and there are a lot of OSU fans in Texas...much more than Colorado and, as a result, the site edge here (in San Antonio) also goes to Oklahoma State. The Buffaloes are 0-3 ATS when off of a bye week and the Cowboys are 3-0 ATS this season in games where the line is between +3 and -3. Getting the +3 here with OSU is simply an added bonus as I do expect them to win outright. Grab the +3 here just in case though. 10* OKLAHOMA STATE

Daytime Dominator Thursday - Rickenbach CFB 8* South Florida Bulls (-) vs South Carolina Gamecocks in Birmingham Bowl @ Legion Field in Birmingham, AL @ 2 ET Thursday - There is a tremendous energy around the South Florida football program right now. They have a new head coach, Charlie Strong, coming in from Texas. They have a true 2017 Heisman candidate in QB Quinton Flowers who is a tremendous dual-threat quarterback with his running ability. The Bulls have scored at least 30 points in 16 straight games for the longest streak in the nation. That is significant here because the Gamecocks where held to 14 points or less in more than half of their games this season. I certainly respect the fact that South Carolina is an SEC program but looking at strength of schedule on the season, their schedule was truly not much tougher than the one South Florida played. I also know that dogs have dominated these bowls but this is a game where I expect a large favorite with too much offensive firepower (as well as motivation) to simply run away on the scoreboard. USF is fired up about the opportunity to play an SEC team in this bowl game and they want to make up for last year's loss to Western Kentucky in the Miami Beach Bowl. The Bulls are on a 13-5 ATS run as a favorite. The Gamecocks went 1-3 ATS in non-conference action. South Carolina is a young team and this veteran Bulls team has a powerful enough offense (515 ypg) to be the difference maker here. The weakness of USF is on defense but they're fired up here, will be flying all over the field, and the young Gamecocks offense averaged a putrid 336 yards per game this season. 8* SOUTH FLORIDA

Total of the Month - Rickenbach CFB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Texas A & M Aggies vs Kansas State Wildcats in the Texas Bowl @ NRG Stadium in Houston, TX @ 9 ET Wednesday - The Wildcats are going to struggle to stop a potent SEC offense in this match-up. However, even though the Aggies offense (with QB Trevor Knight healthier and back under center for the final game of his collegiate career) is ultra-dangerous, the Texas A & M defense is truly a weakness. In the Aggies 8 SEC games and lone tough game in non-conference action (against UCLA), Texas A & M allowed an average of 506 yards per game! Kansas State is not a powerhouse offense but veteran head coach Bill Snyder can come up with plenty of ways to attack a porous defense like the Aggies have. The problem for the Wildcats will be the simple fact that the Aggies offensive juggernaut (especially with Knight being a dual-threat QB) is not going to be stopped. The Wildcats final game of the season was a good defensive showing but that was against a demoralized TCU team having a down season. Prior to that, the Cats gave up 347 passing yards per game in their 8 prior games! The Aggies are going to attack this Kansas State weakness all game long and that should turn this one into an absolute shootout. The Wildcats are a perfect 6-0 to the over when playing with 2 or more weeks of rest between games. The Aggies went 3-1 to the over this season in their games against teams with a winning record. 10* Top Play OVER the total in the Texas Bowl

Russell Athletic Bowl ATS Blowout - Rickenbach CFB 8* Miami Hurricanes (-) vs West Virginia Mountaineers @ Camping World Stadium in Orlando, FL @ 5:30 ET Wednesday - West Virginia is ranked. Miami is unranked. The Mountaineers went 10-2 on the season. The Hurricanes went 8-4 on the season. With that said, doesn't it look funny to see the Canes as the favorite in this one? Don't be fooled by the line as the fact is that Miami is the better team and when they win (8-4 SU) they also cover (8-4 ATS). Not only are did they go a perfect 8-0 ATS in their 8 SU wins this season, head coach Mark Richt has an incredible 94-45, 68% ATS mark in SU wins in his career. In this particular match-up, the Hurricanes have the edge on defense and special teams while truly the offenses are about equal. The Mountaineers gain more yards but the Canes score more points - a little more efficiency for Miami. As for the defense, West Virginia allowed nearly 500 yards per game in their last 5 games of the season. The Hurricanes only allowed 353.8 yards per game on the season. Miami also wrapped up the regular season allowing only 16 points per game in their last three games. West Virginia benefited greatly from turnovers late in the season. That helped keep points off the board but also masked the fact that the defense was constantly getting gouged for big yardage. The Hurricanes will be able to do plenty of damage here as they piled up yardage late in the season with plenty of big performances from QB Brad Kaaya during this stretch. He ended the season with a solid 23-7 TD-INT ratio. Miami has a long-term mark of 9-4 SU against Big 12 opponents while West Virginia is an ugly 10-22 ATS long-term against ACC opponents. The Mountaineers have lost 7 of their last 9 SU when they are an underdog while the Hurricanes are 19-6 SU the last 25 games in which they were a favorite and, as noted above, head coach Richt has a phenomenal ATS rate in games in which his teams get the SU win. Very low number here and I'll gladly lay it! 8* MIAMI

Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFB 10* Top Play Minnesota Golden Gophers (+) vs Washington State Cougars in Holiday Bowl @ Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, CA @ 7 ET - We're getting extreme line value here because of the Minnesota suspensions that were then followed by a potential boycott by the Golden Gophers team. All that has simmered down and yet we now have a team getting double digits that originally opened up as less than a TD underdog in this game. Of course the result of all this is some great line value with a team that brings the physicality of a Big Ten unit to this match-up with a Pac 12 team that stumbled down the stretch. I do have a lot of respect for the Cougars offense but the Washington State defense is a definite weakness. Look for Minnesota's offense to take advantage of that and this is a Golden Gophers team that, prior to their loss at Wisconsin in the regular season finale, had not lost a game by more than 7 points this entire season. The Cougars have played the tougher schedule of these two schools this season but Washington State finished the regular season with back to back disappointing losses. The Cougars also didn't travel all that great this season...at least not well enough to warrant this large point spread here. Washington State went 3-2 away from home with only 1 win by more than 5 points. The Cougars last 3 games away from home produced an 0-3 ATS mark. Look for the Golden Gophers to rally around the entire "distraction" and possibly even get the upset here but certainly they should at least get the cover. The Cougars were only 1-3 ATS this season against teams with a winning record and also are on a 1-4 ATS run the past 3 seasons as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points. The Golden Gophers are on a 10-2 ATS run when off of a loss against a conference rival and they also went 4-0 ATS as an underdog this season. 10* Top Play MINNESOTA Tuesday

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CFB 8* Temple Owls (-) vs Wake Forest in the Military Bowl @ Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis, MD @ 3:30 ET Tuesday - Many will be hesitant to lay the big points here because of the Wake Forest defense. However, the Demon Deacons simply are not a very good football team. Their offense is horrible and the only win they had this season against a team that finished the year with more than 4 wins was a victory over Indiana. In that game Wake Forest actually was outgained by the Hoosiers by a margin of 611 to 352! So that right there (outgained by 259 yards!) is actually the Demon Deacons "big win" this season. Now I am well aware of the fact, of course, that Temple has made a coaching change heading into this one but Owls interim head coach Ed Foley will do just fine against Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson as Foley has known him for many years. In fact that actually adds a bit of "spice" to this match-up and the better offense (Temple 35 points per game in their last 12 games) won't hesitate to put up big points to pull away as this game goes on. The Demon Deacons only went 1-3 ATS in non-conference action and the lone cover was the "bogus" one against Indiana. Temple is on an insane 12-0 ATS run and they also want to atone for finishing last season on a down note as they lost to Toledo in the Boca Raton Bowl. This Owls team finishes up a record-setting season the right way and has all the momentum here. 8* TEMPLE

Primetime Punisher Monday - Rickenbach NFL 10* Top Play Detroit Lions (+) @ Dallas Cowboys @ 8:30 ET Monday - Certainly the Cowboys are "saying the right things" in terms of wanting to keep playing their starters and keep the momentum going even though they've now locked up the #1 seed in the NFC. However, I just don't see Dallas as being able to truly bring forth the high level of intensity necessary to knock off the Lions in convincing fashion on Monday Night Football. Detroit needs this win and will be the hungrier team. Also, the injuries to quarterbacks Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota Saturday have to heavily weigh on the minds of the Cowboys here. It is now that fine line between maintaining momentum but trying not to get anyone hurt that is in effect for Dallas here. The key value is not only in that plus the hunger of the Lions here, but also the fact that the Cowboys truly haven't been playing all that dominant of late. Dallas has failed to cover 4 straight games and their weakness is their pass defense while the strength of the Lions offense is their aerial attack. Detroit is on a 5-1 SU run and 4-2 ATS run and they did outgain their opponent in each of the two ATS losses but the problem was turnovers as they lost the TO battle 2-0 in each of those games. The Cowboys come into this game with 6 turnovers in their last 3 games and only twice in their last eight games have they won by a margin of more than 6 points. Detroit is 7-3 ATS in games played on turf, 3-0 ATS in Monday night football, and the Lions are 5-1 ATS versus the NFC East. The Cowboys are 7-12 ATS their last 19 games against teams with a winning record and also 10-21 ATS their last 31 games played on turf. The Lions were up 17-7 at halftime in a playoff game in January of 2015 in the most recent game between these teams. That match-up ended up being a 24-20 win for the Cowboys here in Dallas and the Lions have their sights set on payback in this one. 10* DETROIT LIONS Monday

Monday Top Bowl Play - Rickenbach 10* Top Play N.C. State Wolfpack (-) vs Vanderbilt Commodores in the Independence Bowl @ Independence Stadium in Shreveport, LA @ 5 ET Monday - Vandy might fall into that category of "just happy to be here" considering this is their first bowl in 3 years. As for NC State, they are looking to atone for last year's 51-28 Belk Bowl loss to Mississippi State. The Wolfpack did face a tougher schedule than Vanderbilt this season and NC State has outperformed the Commodores even though both teams enter this game at 6-6. Vandy has one of the weaker offenses in the nation and getting hot in their last 2 games of the season doesn't erase the fact that the Commodores were held to 17 points or less in 7 of their first 10 games this season. Also, Vanderbilt is going up against a solid NC State defense that is very strong against the run. The Wolfpack held 9 of their 12 opponents to 24 points or less this season. On offense, though their point totals weren't that impressive as the season wore on, NC State did averaged 282 passing yards per game in their 11 games not played in a hurricane. The reason I say that is the 41 passing yards against Notre Dame in the game played during Hurricane Matthew certainly should be taken out of the equation when evaluating the strength of this NC State offense. The aerial attack as a strength is very significant here because the Commodores weakness on defense is against the pass. Vandy gives up a lot of yard through the air and they don't get many sacks. NC State's defense more than doubled Vanderbilt's sack total for the year. Vandy is on a 4-7 ATS run in non-conference games the past three seasons and also is 1-3 ATS when off of a win against a conference rival. NC State is 12-2 SU (and 10-4 ATS) in non-conference games and also the Wolfpack produced a 5-1 ATS mark when playing with 2 or more weeks of rest between games and they are 8-1 ATS in games played on turf. 10* Top Play NC STATE Monday

Daytime Dominator Monday - Rickenbach CFB 8* OVER the total in Boston College Eagles vs Maryland Terrapins in the Quick Lane Bowl @ Ford Field in Detroit, MI @ 2:30 ET Monday - This is a contrarian play because certainly this match-up features two of the weaker offenses to be involved this bowl season. The key to this contrarian play actually makes perfect sense. The strength of the Terrapins offense is running the ball but Boston College is one of the best defenses in the nation against the run. As for the Eagles offense, they also much prefer running the ball to throwing it but they haven't had great success in doing so as they average only 146.8 rushing yards per game. What is going to happen as a result of the above is that both teams, especially with this game being an indoor game on the "fast track" turf of Ford Field, are going to have to turn to their aerial attacks to try and move the ball down the field in this one. Keep in mind, as strong as the BC run defense is, they have struggled against the pass at times. In 6 games this season they allowed between 236 and 434 passing yards per game. The average they gave up through the air in those games was 301.5 yards per game. As you can see, Boston College can be thrown on. As for Maryland, the Terps did allow 260 points in their 6 defeats this season for an average of 43.3 points allowed per game. This is game is priced right around a "pick'em" so it's projected that it could go either way in terms of the winner here. But I feel the value here is with the total as both teams will look to the aerial attack to quickly and more efficiently attack the defenses they are facing in this one. The over is 4-1 the past three seasons combined when the Terrapins are playing with 2 or more weeks of rest. The over is 4-1 the past three seasons combined when the Eagles are off of a win against a conference rival. Both these teams wrapped up their seasons with a win in their final game to secure a 6th win and a bowl spot and they bring positive momentum into this one which will prove to be a higher-scoring affair than one would expect for this match-up at first glance. 8* OVER the total in the Quick Lane Bowl Monday

Primetimer Punisher 10* - Rickenbach NFL 10* Top Play Kansas City Chiefs (-) vs Denver Broncos @ 8:30 ET Sunday - This is a revenge game for the Broncos as they lost a game to the Chiefs they never should have lost when Denver hosted Kansas City 4 weeks ago. However, even though the Broncos have revenge, they also are a team with a lot of issues. Those "issues" boiled over last week as there was some in-fighting on the team between offensive and defensive players after another pathetic effort for the Denver offense. The Broncos have now scored a total of just 13 points plus had 5 turnovers the past two weeks. The issue on Sunday night is that very windy conditions are expected in Kansas City and that means the running game will have some added importance in this one. Denver has run for a total of only 76 yards in their last two games and, overall, the Broncos have been held to 58 rushing yards or less in 4 of their last 7 games. The Chiefs are off of a 158 yard rushing performance against the Titans last week and that is the same Titans team against whom the Broncos could not run against and netted only 18 yards on the ground. With KC losing that game to Tennessee on a last second field goal, the Chiefs are fired up for their final home game of the regular season. Kansas City had won and covered 3 straight prior to that loss. The Chiefs are 3-0 ATS this season when off of a loss and also 4-0 SU (and 3-1 ATS) in divisional games this season. The Broncos are 1-4 SU and ATS in their games against teams with a winning record this season and also an ugly 1-3 SU and ATS in divisional games this season. Those trends continue here. 10* KANSAS CITY

Christmas PA Insider - Rickenbach NFL 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Steelers (-) vs Baltimore Ravens @ 4:30 ET - The Steelers will ride the momentum of last week's comeback win over Cincinnati (trailed 20-6) to get some payback against the division rival Ravens. Baltimore got the win in the first match-up but that was QB Ben Roethlisberger's first game back after returning from injury and he clearly was not 100% yet. Big Ben did lead a late comeback in that game but it fell short as the Steelers had fallen into a 21-0 hole in that game. The Ravens have taken 4 straight meetings with the Steelers and overall have won 5 of the last 6 including a playoff game in Pittsburgh in January of 2015. Needless to say, the Steelers have plenty of pent up frustration they are going to unleash today as they look for payback and Pittsburgh comes into this game as the healthier team. After the loss to the Ravens earlier this season the Steelers then lost a heartbreaker to the Cowboys but they have since won and covered 5 straight games and are now one of the hottest teams in the league. The Ravens are off of a win over a fading Eagles team. Prior to barely notching that 1 point victory, Baltimore had allowed 294 passing yards per game in their previous 4 games. Look for Roethlisberger and company to attack the Ravens with great success early and often through the air Sunday. Baltimore is on an 0-3 ATS run as a dog of 3.5 to 9.5 points this season. The Steelers are on a 10-1 SU (and 9-1 ATS) run in December games. Mild weather for late December and light winds with no precipitation will combined to allow one of the top offenses in the league (Pittsburgh) to hold the upper hand in this one. 10* PITTSBURGH 

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL 8* Cincinnati Bengals (+) @ Houston Texans @ 8:25 ET Saturday - I realize Texans backers deserved a better fate last week as they thoroughly dominated Jacksonville statistically but only won the game by a single point as a 3 point choice over the Jaguars. However, Houston certainly has issues - most prominently the QB position of course - and the Bengals come into this game with nothing to lose and that makes for a dangerous late-season dog. Keep in mind, Cincinnati led the Steelers 20-6 last week before losing while the Texans were down 20-8 last week before rallying for the win over the Jaguars. The point is that there is some value here with the way the latter portions of last week's games involving these teams played out. Also, you can bet that the Bengals paid particular attention to how QB Savage engineered the comeback win for Houston last week when he came on in relief of an ineffective Osweiler. The point is that Savage may not find it so easy this week against a Bengals defense that had allowed just 14.8 points per game in their 4 games prior to allowing 24 to Pittsburgh last week. Of course the Steelers offense is light years ahead of the Texans so that is another important point to consider when looking at this game. Houston does have a solid defense but they have allowed 21.1 points per game in their last 6 games. In other words, it's going to be an all out war for the Texans just to win this game and while I'd love to have +3 in this game I still have no trouble backing the better offense at +2.5 and going against a QB (Savage) whose only NFL regular season action since 2014 came last week against a 2-12 Jaguars team. The Bengals are ticked off of about the loss to the Steelers and are 4-2 SU and ATS when off of a loss against a division rival. The Texans are off of that tight win over the Jags and have gone 0-4 ATS this season when off of a win against a division rival. 8* CINCINNATI

Christmas Eve Bowl Special - Rickenbach CFB 8* Hawaii Warriors (+) vs Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders in Hawaii Bowl @ Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, HI @ 8 ET Saturday - This was the one bowl game that had to wait awhile for a line to come out because of the collarbone injury for QB Brent Stockstill. The fact the line opened up at a 4.5 and then shot up to 7 (a lot of hype around the fact Stockstill is probable now for this game) is giving us great line value with a highly motivated home dog here. The Warriors are playing in their first bowl game since 2010 and get to enjoy playing this game in their backyard. Of course, Middle Tennessee State has the superior record this season but Hawaii has played the tougher schedule. Keep in mind, not only do the Warriors play in a tougher conference than do the Blue Raiders, they also played Power 5 Conference teams California, Michigan, and Arizona earlier this season. I like the fact that after a slow start this season, the Warriors got things going and QB Dru Brown really stepped up once he was handed the starting reins. Keep in mind, Hawaii needed a win over UMass in their season finale to earn a spot in this bowl and they put up 46 points in the win over the Minutemen. Like I said above, the Warriors really wanted to get a bowl berth after missing out on the post-season activities for 5 straight years. That means you have a motivated underdog here and note that MTSU head coach Rick Stockstill is only 1-4 SU and ATS in bowl games. The Blue Raiders lost by 2 TDs in the Bahamas Bowl last year and I don't expect this even longer road trip for them to work out well either! While Hawaii's defense is a weakness they have a history of outscoring teams in situations like this. The Warriors are a long-term 9-5 ATS (and 13-1 SU!) in home games with posted total of 70 points or more. The Blue Raiders have a long-term mark of 2-7 ATS in December games and 1-4 SU (1-3 ATS) in games where MTSU enters with 2 or more weeks of rest. The hungry home dog gets the job done here. 8* HAWAII

Rickenbach NFL 8* Arizona Cardinals (+) @ Seattle Seahawks @ 4:25 ET Saturday - The Cardinals have had a disappointing season especially considering that expectations were high coming into this season. That said, they still hate the Seahawks and they know they let one get away earlier this season when they finished in a 6-6 tie with Seattle in Arizona. That said, it is time for a little payback Saturday and it doesn't matter what the records are when these teams match-up as the Cards are going to "bring it" when they face the Hawks. Arizona is on a 6-2 ATS run as a road dog in divisional action. Also, the Cardinals are 9-4 ATS long-term in Saturday games. They enter this game on a 2-game losing streak and have gone 2-0 ATS this season when they have entered a game on a losing streak of two or more games. Seattle's last two wins have come against teams that are a combined 10-18 but they've lost their other two games by a combined score of 52 to 15 in games where they were challenged by a quality opponent. I realize their tough record this season says otherwise but the Cardinals are a quality opponent and they'll fight all the way in this game at Seattle. Remember that when they matched up in Arizona earlier this season the Seahawks didn't even make it past mid-field until there were about 5 minutes to go in the game. The Cardinals give Seattle's offense headaches once again in this one as they look for the upset and that has me grabbing the big points in this one. 8* ARIZONA

Rickenbach NFL 10* Top Play New Orleans Saints (-) vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ 4:25 ET Saturday - The Saints are an amazing team in dome games. With their huge win at Arizona last week they have averaged 33.1 points per game in their 8 games played in domes this season. That win over the Cardinals was a dome game and, of course, their first 7 home games are the other part of that equation. Saturday's game in the Superdome is the Saints home finale and I expect their high-octane offense to lead the way once again. The Buccaneers certainly are the better defense when comparing these two teams but they don't have the offense to keep up in this one. This is especially true with the Saints seeking revenge for an ugly 16-11 loss to the Bucs two weeks ago in Tampa Bay. New Orleans is looking to do anything they can to play "spoiler" here against a division rival and, having lost their most recent home game (to Detroit), the last thing the Saints want to have happen is to finish the season on a 2-game home losing streak. Tampa Bay is coming off of a grueling battle with Dallas last week and I expect them to be a little deflated from the loss to the Cowboys and they took a beating up front with the bruising offensive line of the Cowboys plus running back Ezekiel Elliott pounding away. The Saints will be the fresher team and certainly have the stronger offense. In road games with a posted total of 49.5 or more the Buccaneers have gone 1-4 SU and ATS long-term. Also, long-term mark on Saturdays for the Bucs is 3-10 SU and 2-11 ATS! The Saints are 8-3 ATS the past 3 seasons when playing with revenge. 10* NEW ORLEANS

Rickenbach NFL 10* Top Play OVER the total in Oakland Raiders vs Indianapolis Colts @ 4:05 ET - The Colts defense has looked better lately but they've faced a number of weak offenses with struggling QB's. Certainly facing the Raiders - one of the top offenses in the league - is going to present a greater challenge and I expect the Indianapolis defense (ranked 28th for yards allowed) to give up plenty of big plays in this game. What is likely to keep the Colts in this game is that they do have one of the top passing offenses in the league and the Raiders defense (ranked 30th for yards allowed) is one of the worst units in the NFL. The over is 5-1 this season (and 15-5 the L3 seasons) in Raiders home games. This season the over is a perfect 4-0 in Oakland's games where they are a favorite in a range of 3.5 to 9.5 points. The over is 5-1 this season (and 15-8 the L3 seasons) in Colts road games. Also, in games played on grass Indianapolis has gone 14-4 to the over the L3 seasons including a perfect 5-0 this season. This is the biggest total on the board in this week's NFL but it is absolutely justified. Good weather, weak defenses, dangerous offenses led by solid QBs will all combine to turn this one into a shootout. 10* OVER the total in Oakland