Rickenbach NFL *8* OVER 45 in San Francisco vs Arizona @ 4:05 ET Sunday - The Cardinals are off of back to back highly charged emotional games. They played at Seattle two weeks ago and got the outright upset on the road. Then, last week, the Cards got the home win over the Bengals in a game that was also on Sunday night and that QB Carson Palmer wanted badly as Arizona faced his former team, Cincinnati. Off of back to back big games like this it would not surprise me to see the Cardinals defense be a little soft in this game today and I feel strongly that this will lead to some success for a 49'ers offense that is moving the ball better now without Colin Kaepernick in there. The Cardinals certainly have some weaknesses on defense as they've allowed 63 points in their two games since the bye week. The 49'ers threw for 247 yards against the Seahawks last week and that was their best performance through the air in over a month. Against an emotionally spent Cardinals defense, look for the 49'ers to put up some solid points at home but they won't stop an Arizona offense that has quickly become one of the best in the league. The Niners defense gave up over 500 yards to Seattle last week and now they must contend with a Cardinals offense that has averaged 33 points per game in winning 4 straight games heading into this match-up. The Cards are already 8-2 to the over this season and this looks like the ideal spot for another. Play OVER 45 in San Francisco as an *8* selection Sunday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Washington Redskins +3 vs NY Giants @ 1:00 ET Sunday - The Giants are off of their bye week but New York is actually 0-2 ATS when off of a bye week and, long-term the Giants have covered just 11 times in 29 chances when off of a bye week! As for the Redskins, certainly they did not perform well at all at Carolina last week but they are a different team when playing in Washington. This season the Redskins have won 4 of their 5 home games and the average score edge has been 27 to 18 and Washington has outgained opponents by an average of nearly 100 yards per game in home games this season. The Giants are only a .500 team on the season so not a lot separates these two teams and the Redskins are certainly fired up about the prospect of tying up the Giants for first place in the NFC East (or should I say NFC Least) standings! With that said, there is great value here with a home dog getting about a field goal against a team, the Giants, that has been outgained by an average of over 100 yards per game in their road games this season. Look for a big difference maker in this game to be the Redskins pass defense which is vastly superior to that of the Giants - last in the league. Play Washington plus the points as an *8* selection early Sunday.

Rickenbach NCAAF *10* Top Play OVER 57 in Fresno State vs Colorado State @ 9 ET - Fresno State is 8-2 to the over this season and I just don't see anything changing the type of result we should expect this week. The Bulldogs will be fired up to try and have a big performance in their home finale but this 3-8 Fresno State team just didn't have the personnel on the defensive side of the ball to have a successful season. The Bulldogs allow an average of 455 yards per game this season and the over is 7-1 (88%) this season in their games played on turf. The Rams come into this game with extra confidence as they've won three straight games and have averaged 34 points per game in the 3 victories. Colorado State's offense should have no problem solving the Bulldogs' defense as Fresno State has allowed at least 437 yards in their last 4 games. In fact, in 3 of those 4 games, the Bulldogs gave up at least 498 yards. The Bulldogs defense is simply wearing down here at the end of the year. Fresno State knows that if they want to pull off the upset in their home finale it's going to come down to having a huge effort on the offensive side of the ball. The Dogs did not perform well at all at BYU last week but that was after a road trip to Hawaii which is often tough on a team's performance in the following week. The Bulldogs did put up 42 points and 455 yards against Hawaii and I look for another big performance here as the Rams clinched their bowl eligibility last week in notching their 6th win of the season (at New Mexico) and their defense could be a little flat here as a result. Each of the last three meetings between these teams at Fresno State have gone over the total and I look for another big over in this one. Play OVER 57 in Fresno State as a *10* Top Play Saturday.

Rickenbach NCAAF *10* Top Play Oklahoma Sooners -7 @ Oklahoma State @ 8 ET - The Sooners have won 10 of the last 12 meetings with Oklahoma State. Though it may seem surprising that Oklahoma is favored in the range of a TD here even though the game is in Stillwater, don't be fooled. The Sooners have played a tougher schedule than the Cowboys have and OU also has the much stronger defense when you compare these teams. It has been nearly 15 years since OSU has won back to back games in this series and they did get the HUGE upset win at OU last year in overtime even though they were down by two TD's at half-time. That big win for the Cowboys last year means there is no doubt that Oklahoma is fully focused on payback in this match-up Saturday. The Sooners barely got by TCU last week but OU lost QB Mayfield in the 2nd quarter with a concussion. He is back this week and will be ready to lead his team to a huge road win that OU must have if they want to win the Big 12. The Cowboys just don't have the defense to get enough stops to win this. OSU gave up 700 yards of offense in their loss to Baylor last week. Keep in mind the Bears were down to their third straight QB in that game so that says even more about just how weak this Cowboys defense is. Oklahoma is 8-3 ATS on the season and the Sooners are on a long-term 13-6 ATS run away from home! They can win this one in road rout fashion. Play Oklahoma -7 as a *10* Top Play Saturday.

Rickenbach NCAAF *8* Illinois Illini +3.5 vs Northwestern @ 3:30 ET - This game is being played at Soldier Field in Chicago and Illinois looks to replicate their effort from last year when they got the upset win over Northwestern. Truly there is no reason to expect anything different this year. The Illini are off of a loss at Minnesota last week but Illinois outgained the Golden Gophers by nearly a full football field and it was a bit of a deceiving final score as a result. That is helping to offer some line value this week as we get the hungry Illini plus points even though they are in a 'must win' situation as they need this victory for bowl eligibility. Illinois is catching Northwestern at a good time to spring the upset as the Wildcats are off of an upset win of their own (over Wisconsin) last week. The Cats were fortunate to get that win as they certainly benefited from 5 Badgers turnovers in that game. Note that Northwestern has covered just 17 of their last 50 games as a favorite. Underdog Illinois has the better offense in this match-up and I look for the Illini (with the situational advantages as well) to ride that offense to the mild upset victory. Play Illinois plus the points as an *8* selection.

Rickenbach NCAAF *8* OVER 61 in USC vs UCLA @ 3:30 ET - UCLA has been an 'under' team this season but this match-up has 'over' written all OVER it. The Bruins are averaging nearly 500 yards of offense per game this season and the Trojans certainly aren't far behind. The fact that Bruins game against Utah last week was so low-scoring is simply adding even more value to this play. UCLA's potent passing attack won't be able to be stopped by a USC defense that has given up an average of nearly 300 passing yards per game in their last 6 games. The Bruins defense had a strong effort against Utah but, prior to that, UCLA had given up 295 or more passing yards in 3 of their last 4 games. The Trojans are averaging nearly 270 passing yards per game in their last 6 games and I look for both teams to attack each other's weakness today and that means an all-out aerial assault for both offenses in this one. In home games with a posted total between 56.5 and 63 points, USC has gone over the total in 4 of the last 5. Play OVER 61 in USC as an *8* selection.

Rickenbach NCAAF *8* OVER 49 in Utah vs Colorado @ 2:30 ET - The Buffaloes defense is known for struggling when facing stronger teams. The over is 14-6 in the Buffs last 20 games against teams with a winning record. Colorado also is 13-6 to the over when they are a road dog in a range of 14.5 to 21 points. The over is 20-12 in Utah home games with a posted total between 42.5 and 49 points. The Utes are off of a loss where they were held to just 9 points on their home field. Now, in their home finale, Utah is going to respond in a huge way off of that disappointing effort. The Utes can take advantage of a Buffaloes defense that allows an average of 30 points per game in road games this season. The Utes, before scoring just 9 points last week, had averaged 36 points per game in their last 8 games. They'll bounce right back here. The Utes had gone over the total in 4 of their last 5 games prior to last week's debacle. The Rams struggles on defense (allowed nearly 500 yard again last week) continue. Play OVER the total in Utah as an *8* selection Saturday.

Rickenbach NCAAF *10* Top Play TCU Horned Frogs -1 vs Baylor @ 7:30 ET - This is another one of those games where the line looks a little funny. Baylor is the significantly higher ranked team in this match-up and yet the Horned Frogs opened up as a small favorite. To me, this looks like another "trap game" situation on a rather highly ranked team. I'll gladly take the hometown Horned Frogs as they are hungry to avenge last season's loss to the Bears. TCU blew a huge lead in that game and ended up losing by a field goal. This is the second year in a row that the Horned Frogs have lost to the Bears by just a field goal and now it's time for a little payback. The Bears are off of a huge performance against Oklahoma State last week and now could fall a little flat here in a match-up that is expected to be a tighter, lower-scoring game. I like having a strong team like TCU here off of a loss. The Horned Frogs lost by a single point to Oklahoma last week. The Horned Frogs may have got caught looking ahead to this game as they certainly haven't forgotten last season's tight loss to Baylor and how that changed the playoff picture last season. The Horned Frogs have won 8 of their last 10 home finales and they've produced a 7-3 ATS mark in those 10 games. Overall, TCU is on a 15-8 ATS run and they get their revenge here on a chilly evening in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Once again, don't fall for the trap line here, take the lower ranked team (with added motivation) in a game where the line is basically a pick'em. Home team payback.

Rickenbach NCAAF *8* Nebraska Cornhuskers +2.5 vs Iowa @ 3:30 ET - Long-time followers know I like to be anti-public when a line doesn't look right. In this case, one would have to wonder how in the world the undefeated Hawkeyes have been installed as such a small favorite against a Nebraska team that has a losing record on the season. I have said it before and I'll say it again, anything that looks too good to be true usually is too good to be true. In this particular case, this looks like a trap game for Iowa. The Hawkeyes are off of a win over Purdue but they were actually outgained in the game. Also, Nebraska is off of a bye week. Huskers coach Mike Riley had a solid 10-3 ATS mark at Oregon State in when off of a bye week. The Cornhuskers have some extra confidence heading into this match-up as they already up set Michigan State three weeks ago at home and the Huskers then went on the road and dominated Rutgers two weeks ago. With last week's bye, it's undoubtedly true that Nebraska comes into this game in good shape both physically and mentally. The Huskers also have added confidence from knocking off the Hawkeyes in Iowa last year. Don't fall for the trap line here, look for Nebraska to get this much needed sixth win to clinch bowl eligibility as they knock off the 11-0 Hawkeyes. 

Rickenbach NFL *10* Top Play Chicago Bears +9 @ Green Bay @ 8:30 PM ET - Weather can be the great equalizer...not that a big equalizer is needed in this match-up anyway...but the fact remains that rainy and cold conditions at Lambeau Field do favor the big dog. Weather like this can make it difficult for the better team to 'impose their will' but, in this case, just how much better are the Packers anyway. Green Bay had lost three straight games before getting that big road win over the Vikes on Sunday. As for the Bears, after struggling in their first three games this season they truly have turned things around. Chicago has won 4 of their last 7 games but what is most impressive about this stretch is that the three losses have come by 3 points or less. In other words, the Bears have not lost a game by a margin of more than field goal since all the way back in September in Week 3 of the season. Chicago will again be ultra-competitive on Thursday night as their offense is averaging more yards per game than the Packers and actually giving up less yards than the Packers defense as well. Truly this line is inflated due to the long-term perceptions about each of these teams and the reality is there is not a big difference separating these teams especially when you look at how each is performing in recent weeks. With the added value of the weather benefiting the dangerous dog I look for the Packers to be in a battle just to win this game...let alone cover the inflated spread. The Bears are 4-1 ATS as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points this season. The Packers are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games against teams with a losing record as they tend to play down to the level of competition. Play Chicago +9 as a *10* Top Play Thursday.

Rickenbach NCAAF *10* Top Play Texas Tech Red Raiders +1 @ Texas @ 7:30 ET - This is a big rivalry game and is now known as the battle for the "Chancellor's Spurs". There is certainly no love lost between these teams and I look for a huge effort from the Red Raiders to atone for bad losses each of the last two years. Certainly the recent history of this series has favored Texas but the Red Raiders have absolutely closed the gap between the two teams. The Longhorns are off of a loss by 18 points in their most recent game and they've been run all over by their opponents in two of their last three games. The Red Raiders have the much more potent offense as they are averaging more than 200 yards more per game than the Horns are this season. Texas Tech's defense has been their weakness as usual but their coming off of a decent effort in their most recent game (against Kansas State) as they held the potent Wildcats to just 123 yards on the ground. The Red Raiders got the win in that game and their momentum roll continues here while the Longhorns are already pondering what "might have been" this season as they need two wins for bowl eligibility but also have Baylor on deck. With that said, the Horns have already 'faced the music' and I expect them to struggle with their motivational level for this game while the Red Raiders are very motivated by recent ugly losses to UT. 

Rickenbach NFL *10* Top Play OVER 45 in Dallas vs Carolina @ 4:30 ET - The Cowboys shut down a pedestrian Dolphins offense last week but they face a much bigger challenge this week. Carolina is averaging 30 points per game this season and off of a blowout win over Washington last week as QB Cam Newton is really 'in the zone' right now with 5 TDs last week. Even though the offensive numbers for Dallas are not strong this season that has to do with all the time that QB Tony Romo has needed. The Cowboys, with Romo at the controls, are quite simply a different offense. They have averaged 25 points per game in the games he's started this season. Also, the Dallas defense has struggled at home this season. Overall, the Cowboys are known for struggling at home in recent years and the D has had a lot to do with that. The one exception this season was when they held Seattle to just 13 points. In the other 4 games this season Dallas gave up an average of 32 points per game. With rain expected in the DFW area on Thanksgiving Day it is likely the roof will be closed which is going to lead to a dome-like setting for this game and I expect both teams to be on the fast track on offense in this one. The Panthers are 8-4 to the over in games played on turf the last 3 seasons combined. Carolina is also 5-1 to the over in games against the NFC this season. Play OVER 45 in Dallas as a *10* Top Play on Thursday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Philadelphia Eagles +2.5 @ Detroit @ 12:30 PM ET - The Lions are getting a lot of attention from the betting markets but last time I checked this is still a Lions team that is 3-7 on the season even AFTER getting back to back wins the last two weeks. Each of those victories were tight ones and that's because the Lions anemic offense has averaged just 16 points per game in their last 4 games. Detroit simply won't be able to keep up with Philly in this one. The Eagles are averaging 25 points per game in their last six games and, even with Sanchez at QB, have been moving the ball well enough. They just need to avoid costly turnovers as that has plagued them each of the last two weeks. I feel last week was rock bottom for Philly and there will be a huge response this week after the embarrassing 45-17 loss they took at the hands of Tampa Bay last week. The Eagles are 4-1 SU and ATS when they are a road dog of 3 points or less. Also, Philadelphia is 8-3 ATS in November games the past three seasons combined. In road games with a posted total between 42.5 and 45 points the Eagles have gone a perfect 3-0 ATS. Detroit enters this game off of back to back wins and the Lions are 1-8 ATS when they enter a game off of two or more consecutive wins. Detroit also is 1-7 ATS in all games with a posted total between 42.5 and 49 points this season. Play Philadelphia plus the points as an *8* selection Thursday.

Rickenbach NCAAF *10* Top Play Northern Illinois Huskies -13 vs Ohio University @ 7:30 ET Tuesday - The Huskies can clinch yet another MAC Conference West Division title by getting this victory tonight. Certainly the Bobcats will be gunning for the upset but Ohio University is simply loaded with injuries right now. The Ohio U injury list looks like a MASH unit report. That is going to make it difficult for the Bobcats to hang around in this game because they are 'talking the talk' coming into this game but basically are going to be physically unable to 'walk the walk' in this one. Ohio U, after a very rough stretch, has responded by getting back to back wins in their last two games but those came at home against weak and struggling foes. Now the Bobcats are back on the road where they have lost their last two games by a combined score of 103 to 41. The average margin of defeat in those Ohio U road losses was 31 points per game. Northern Illinois is certainly capable of putting a whipping on the Bobcats in De Kalb, IL Tuesday. The Huskies are a perfect 5-0 at home this season and the average margin of victory has been 19 points per game. After losing their MAC opener this season, Northern Illinois has responded by winning six straight MAC games by an average margin of victory of 17 points per win. The Huskies punishing ground attack will open up the ability to attack the injury-depleted Bobcats secondary down the field with an aerial attack. This one has home rout written all over it. Play Northern Illinois -13 as a *10* Top Play Tuesday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* OVER 48 in New England vs Buffalo @ 8:30 PM ET - Even though the Patriots have now lost Edelman as well, the health of their offensive line has improved some heading into this game. That is a key factor as Brady should have a little more time now with the better protection and the extra time in a protected pocket will allow him to get the ball down the field. The Bills offense is also quite dynamic now that they are healthy and they have a great 1-2 punch at RB and a talented group of receiving targets for dangerous QB Taylor who can beat you with his legs as well as his arm. The first game between these teams totaled 72 points and another high-scoring match-up would not surprise. Even though it will be cold at Foxboro the skies will be clear and winds will be light. Both teams can be fully functional on offense in these weather conditions. The over is 3-1 in the last 4 match-ups between these teams. The Bills game against the Jets last Thursday stayed under the total but Buffalo had previously gone over in 3 straight games. New England is 3-0 to the over this season in their games against teams with a winning record and the Pats are 14-7 to the over the last 3 seasons combined in games against teams with a winning record. The Bills are 3-1 to the over in divisional games this season. Play OVER 48 in New England as an *8* play Monday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* OVER 48 in Arizona vs Cincinnati @ 8:30 ET Sunday - Cincinnati is off of a surprising low-scoring loss to the Texans on Monday night. Prior to that defeat the Bengals had averaged nearly 29 points per game and gone 7-0 on the season. I look for the Cincy offense to get right back on track here as the Cardinals defense is off of a grueling effort in hanging on for a key divisional win at Seattle last week on Sunday night. As strong as the Cardinals defense has been overall this season they have given up an average of 242 passing yards per game in their last five games. They will have their hands full with a Bengals offense that is fired up and ready to bounce back after being held to just 6 points last week against Houston. The over is 7-2 in Arizona's games this season and the Cardinals potent offense certainly is unlikely to be held in check by the Bengals defense. Cincinnati has allowed an average of 286 passing yards per game in their last 3 road games. The Bengals have been fortunate in many games this season because of a 'bend but don't break' defense but there is likely to be more 'breaking' going on with facing a potent Cardinals offense on the road. The over is 6-3 when the Bengals are off of a Monday night football game and the over is 6-3 when Cincinnati is playing a non-conference opponent. The Cardinals are 6-1 to the over as a home fave of 3.5 to 7 points and Arizona is 5-1 to the over when off of a win against a division rival.

Rickenbach NFL *10* Top Play Green Bay Packers +1 @ Minnesota @ 4:25 ET - As longtime followers know, I love to go with contrarian plays and this is certainly another one of those. This definitely looks like a trap line. The Vikings are at home and they've been rolling and the Packers are on the road and are struggling in recent weeks. Additionally, Minnesota is playing with revenge as they have not won any of the past four games between these division rivals. With all that said, why would this game be in a pick 'em price range? Especially when you consider that the Vikings have won five straight games and covered 8 straight games while the Packers have now lost three straight? That's why the NFL is known for being successful toward contrarian handicappers. We want to fade what the public will think and the Vikings are definitely a public play in a situation like this. The way I see it is a huge response coming from the Packers as they are so hungry and so fired up while the Vikings get caught "going through the motions" as they come into this game feeling just a little too good about themselves! Note that Green Bay has the better passing attack in this match-up and the weather, though cold, is expected to be cloudy with rather light winds and no precipitation. That adds up to a nice situation for the Packers to get their powerful offense back into high gear after some recent struggles. Green Bay did hold the Lions under 300 yards in last week's loss while the Vikings gave up nearly 400 yards of offense against the Raiders last week. Look for the Packers to get the much needed win here and tighten up the race the in the NFC North.  

Rickenbach NFL *10* Top Play OVER 44.5 in San Diego vs Kansas City @ 4:05 ET - The Chargers will have fresh legs off of their bye week and I expect their offense to enjoy great success against a Chiefs team that is off a huge divisional win. Kansas City badly wanted that revenge game against Denver and now the Chiefs defense could get caught a little flat footed against a potent Chargers passing attack that is arguably the #1 passing offense in the league. Phillip Rivers and company have been rolling but yet San Diego has continued to lose games so there is no doubt the Chargers are fired up about producing a huge effort on offense this week as this team is still very hungry. The issue for San Diego is that their defense has struggled to stop anybody as the Chargers have given up 28 points per game on the year. Kansas City comes into this game having averaged 32 points per game in their last 3 games and they have plenty of confidence on the offensive side of the ball heading into this game. The over is 5-1 in Chargers home games where the posted total is between 42.5 and 45 points. The over is 21-11 in Chiefs road games where they are a favorite of 3 points or less. Also, the Chiefs over is 5-1 when, in the second half of a season they are facing a team with a losing record. 

Rickenbach NFL *8* Houston Texans +3.5 vs New York Jets @ 1 ET - This is a contrarian play as the Texans are now without their starting QB and therefore Tyler Yates will be getting the start for Houston today. However, contrarian plays generally work quite well in the NFL and I certainly like the way the Texans have been playing of late. They have been very stingy to their opponents on defense and the Jets are not known for their offensive prowess. With that said, look for the Jets to struggle moving the ball here and I would not be surprised to see them also again struggle with turnovers. The Jets turned it over 4 times last week and the Texans have forced 9 turnovers in their last 4 games. Houston has allowed just 6 points in each of their last two games and they have won 3 of their last 4 games while the Jets have lost 3 of their last 4 games. With the Jets losing a key divisional game last week while the Texans scored a big upset in their divisional game last week, this is clearly a case of two teams heading in opposite directions right now. That said, there is great value with grabbing the points with the undervalued home dog.

Rickenbach NFL *8* OVER 41 in Chicago vs Denver @ 1 ET - This is a contrarian play as most will be looking at the under in this match-up. That's because all you've been hearing in the weather news is all the snow in Chicago and in NFL news it's been all about Peyton Manning being out. Here's the reality of the situation...the weather will be cold in Chicago Sunday but no precipitation is expected and winds will be light. Also, Brock Osweiler is likely to move this offense much better than many are expecting. Keep in mind, Manning hasn't exactly been running the offense with the smoothest of efficiency has he's been hurting for some time. Also, even with Manning having struggles recently, the Broncos recorded just one under in their past four games. Look for Osweiler to step in and get this offense rolling again and he will be helped by facing a Bears defense that ranks among the worst in the league at stopping the run. Look for the Broncos to quickly establish the ground game which will then open up things up nicely for the aerial attack of Denver. The Bears offense has been coming on strong in recent weeks. Chicago, off of a 37-19 win last week, is averaging 28 points per game in their last 4 games. Denver, before scoring just 13 points last week, was averaging 26 points per game in their three prior games. Also, the highly touted Denver defense has allowed at least 23 points in 3 of their last 4 games. 

Rickenbach NCAAF *10* Top Play Washington State -14 vs Colorado @ 10:45 PM ET - Normally one might look to fade a team like the Cougars in this situation. They are off of a big upset win over UCLA last week and the game winning touchdown came very late in the 4th quarter. However, the key here is that the Cougars offense is simply too potent for a weak Buffaloes defense and Colorado just lost their starting QB (Liufau) to injury during last week's game so the Buffs just are not going to be able to keep up in this game. Colorado is going to be starting a redshirt freshman (Apsay) and he'll be making his first start on the road in a big Pac-12 game and facing a Washington team that is a perfect 7-0 ATS in conference games this season. The Buffaloes are dealing with more than just the QB situation here too. Colorado blew a 17-3 lead last week against USC and that guarantees a losing season for the Buffaloes as they dropped to a disappointing 4-7 on the season. It's hard to get up for a game after a disappointing result like that in the prior week. Making things even more difficult for the Buffaloes here is the fact that Washington State will be riding sky high after last week's win. Colorado is not known for traveling well and they have failed to cover 10 of their last 15 away from Boulder. Play Washington State -14 as a *10* Top Play Saturday.

Rickenbach NCAAF *10* Top Play OVER 66.5 in Tulsa vs Navy @ 7 ET - The Midshipmen rolled up 484 yards last week against SMU and put up 55 points on the scoreboard. Navy now gets to take on another awful defense this week and I expect the Middies to again enjoy plenty of success on offense this week. However, the issue for Navy this week is they are facing a much tougher offense. Tulsa put up 588 yards of offense last week and their average of 86.5 offensive plays per game ranks as the #1 fastest pace in the nation. The Golden Hurricane put up 38 points at Cincinnati last week and they have scored at least 38 points in 7 of their 10 games this season. The Golden Hurricane have given up an average of 37 points per game this season. Navy's overall numbers on defense have been helped by facing many weak offenses this season. In one of the few "tests" for the defense this season they allowed 41 points against Notre Dame. This will turn into a back and forth shootout as Navy won't be able to stop the potent and quick attack of Tulsa but the Golden Hurricane's porous defense is also going to be completely dismantled by the Middies option attack. Play OVER 66.5 in Tulsa as a *10* Top Play Saturday.

Rickenbach NCAAF *8* Arizona State Sun Devils -7 vs Arizona @ 3:30 ET - Perfect set up here as Arizona is off of their upset win over Utah which came in double overtime and now the Wildcats are ripe to be faded. Arizona State plays this game with revenge from last season's road loss at Arizona. The Sun Devils did knock off the Wildcats by a 58-21 final score the last time Arizona State hosted. This was two seasons ago and I look for another big dominating win here. The Sun Devils catch the Cats off of an upset win and, at the same time, this is the home finale for Arizona State. The Sun Devils have a road game at Cal on deck and ASU still needs one win for bowl eligibility. That said, notching the victory at home this week is of paramount importance. The Sun Devils will ride the momentum of outscoring Washington 27 to 0 to finish last week's game and forcing four turnovers in the Huskies last four possessions. That's the kind of late-season win that can trigger a teams run toward bowl season. The Sun Devils will carry that momentum into this week. Arizona QB Solomon is dealing with an injury issue here and the Wildcats are 9-14 ATS in their last 23 as a road dog. ASU is 4-1 SU and ATS in their last five home finales. They win bak the Territorial Cup in this big rivalry game Saturday.

Rickenbach NCAAF *8* OVER 55.5 in Utah vs UCLA @ 3:30 ET - The Bruins game against Washington State last week stayed under the total despite the teams combining for nearly 1000 yards of offense! That is helping to keep this total lower than it should be. UCLA likes play at a fast pace and their average of 78 plays per game on offense ranks them among the top 20 teams in the league. The Bruins are averaging 36 points per game this season and they've allowed 30 points or more in 5 of their last 7 games so their defense hasn't exactly been on par with the solid production on offense the past two months. Utah comes into this game averaging 34 points per game on the season. Off of a double overtime loss at Arizona last week, the Utes are fired up to bounce back at home. While I expect their offense to remain hot, the Utah defense has given up an average of 28.5 points per game their last four games. With cold but clear conditions with light winds and sunny skies expected in Utah on Saturday afternoon, I do not see anything stopping each of these two teams from enjoying plenty of success on the offensive side of the football. The Bruins QB, Rosen, was held without a TD pass last week for the first time all season. He'll bounce back here against a Utes defense that allowed 460 yards last week to the Wildcats. Play OVER 55.5 in Utah as an *8* selection.

Rickenbach NCAAF *10* Top Play OVER 64 in South Florida vs Cincinnati @ 8 ET Friday - The Bearcats like to play at a fast pace and their offense averages 82 plays per game which ranks among the top ten teams in the nation. Although the Bulls aren't yet on pace with the likes of Cincinnati, South Florida's goal coming into this season was to run a fast-paced offense and improve production on that side of the ball. The Bulls just might be hitting their stride now. South Florida put up 44 points and had over 550 yards of offense against Temple last week. The Bulls certainly will need a lot of production again Friday because they're hosting a Cincinnati team that put up 49 points and over 650 yards in the Bearcats win over Tulsa last week. The good news for USF fans here is that Cincinnati's defense has been faltering in recent games and the Cats did allow 38 points and nearly 600 yards in the game against Tulsa last week. With good weather expected in South Florida tonight, there is no reason to expect this game to turn into anything but a back and forth track meet. The Bulls offense is gaining some late season confidence and the Bearcats offense feels it can't be stopped and will want to push the tempo throughout the game. Cincinnati has averaged 42 points per game in winning 3 of their last 4 games. The Bulls have averaged 42 points per game in going a perfect 3-0 in their last 3 home games. Play OVER 64 in South Florida as a *10* Top Play Friday.

Rickenbach NFL *10* Top Play OVER 42 in Jacksonville vs Tennessee @ 8:25 ET Thursday - With this line now dropping to the key number of 42, this play easily qualified as a Top Play selection for me. The Jaguars and Titans are both coming off of unders but the Jags allowed nearly 400 yards in their game and were fortunate to hold the Ravens to just 20 points (4 Baltimore turnovers were the key). Tennessee's game staying under last week had a whole lot to do with facing the tough defense of Carolina. The Panthers possess one of the top defenses in the NFL. This week the Titans will be going against a Jacksonville defense that is allowing 28 points per game to rank among the league's worst. Tennessee is allowing 24 points per game and has struggled against the run for much of this season while the Jaguars have struggled against the pass. Remember that the Titans threw for nearly 400 yards in their upset of the Saints two weeks ago. They will do some damage tonight against this week Jags pass defense. Jacksonville is averaging 26 points per game in their last five games while Tennessee put up 34 points on New Orleans in their most recent road game. The Jaguars are 4-1 to the over in games played on grass this season while the Titans are 4-1 to the over this season in games with a line between +3 and -3. Play OVER 42 in Jacksonville as a *10* Top Play Thursday.

Rickenbach NCAAF *10* Top Play OVER 53.5 in Central Florida vs East Carolina @ 7:30 ET Thursday - East Carolina has a lot to play for here. With a 4-6 mark on the season they know they need wins in each of their last two games to have bowl eligibility. Additionally, they certainly have revenge on their minds here after losing to Central Florida last season on a Hail Mary 51 yard TD pass as time expired. The Pirates also are off of their bye week so they had plenty of time to work on their recent struggles on the offensive side of the ball. The fact that East Carolina has only scored an average of 15 points per game in their last 3 games will likely be a distant memory after this game. Central Florida comes into this game having allowed an average of 45 points per game in their last 6 games! Their defense can't stop anyone of late and I can't imagine the winless Golden Knights being able to slow down the revenge-minded Pirates in this one. The key to the over here is I do expect Central Florida, off of their bye week, to enjoy some success on offense in this one. The Pirates have given up an average of 28 points per game this season. East Carolina is 4-1 to the over in road games this year. The Golden Knights are 5-1 to the over in conference games this season. Play OVER 53.5 in Central Florida as a *10* Top Play Thursday.

Rickenbach NCAAF *8* Northern Illinois -2.5 vs Western Michigan @ 8 ET - Northern Illinois has won six straight meetings with Western Michigan. Certainly that makes this a big time revenge game for the Broncos but the Huskies have 'had the Broncos number' as they have covered 14 of the last 18 meetings. Northern Illinois is off a win at Buffalo last Tuesday and they've now won five straight games after a tough 2-3 start to the season. These two teams are battling with Toledo for the top spot in the MAC West and it's going to be tough for the Broncos porous defense to come in and stop the Huskies in DeKalb. Northern Illinois is averaging an incredible 45.2 points per game in their last 5 games. Even though they lost their starting QB to a season-ending injury, the back-up has come in and done a great job. Also, the key tonight could be the running attack as gusty winds are expected throughout the game in DeKalb tonight. The windy conditions are enough to have some impact on the passing attack and this could hurt the Broncos because a ground-based or short-yardage passing game favors the Huskies. So home field and weather is on the side of Northern Illinois in this one. Other than a big win at Ohio U. earlier this season, the Broncos have struggled on the road with 36 points allowed per game in their other three road contests. The Huskies are a perfect 4-0 at home this season and have averaged 51 points per game in their four home games! The Broncos are 1-3 this season and 6-15 the last three seasons (straight up records) when they are an underdog. This bodes well for the Huskies laying the short number here. The Huskies are known for coming up big at this time of year and they have a 7-1 ATS mark in games in weeks 10 through 13 the last 3 seasons combined. Play Northern Illinois -2.5 as an *8* selection Wednesday.

Rickenbach NCAAF *8* OVER 52.5 in Ohio U. vs Ball State @ 7 ET - This total is already making an upward move so going to move quickly with this write-up so it can quickly be posted. The Cardinals are off of a disgusting game that saw them end up with a season low in both yardage and first downs. They have had more than 10 days to think about that ugly performance and they now get ready to take on an Ohio University team that was desperately in need of a win and got it via a shutout last week. Look for the Bobcats defense to now fall a little flat after that huge performance and after notching that victory put an end to a 3 game losing streak for Ohio U. The Bobcats defense previously gave up over 580 yards in 2 of their last 3 games. Last week they simply took advantage of facing a Kent team whose offense is absolutely putrid this season. As for the Cardinals, their defense is allowing a horrific 503 yards per game this season. The porous defense of Ball State is not going to be able to stop the balanced offensive attack of Ohio U. The Cardinals are 3-0 to the over as a road dog of 7.5 to 10 points. The Bobcats are 3-1 to the over in home games with a posted total between 52.5 and 56 points. Play OVER the total in Ohio U. as an *8* selection Tuesday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* OVER 46.5 in Cincinnati vs Houston @ 8:30 ET - Houston got some swagger back with their win versus Tennessee before their bye week. The Texans have averaged 26 points per game in their last 3 games and their passing game has been particularly solid of late. The Texans are averaging nearly 300 passing yards per game in their last 5 games. The Bengals defense has looked great defending the pass against teams like the Browns and Seahawks - faced both when having major issues moving the ball through the air. However, in their other 4 recent games, Cincinnati's pass defense has given up an average of 301.5 passing yards per game. Look for both teams to enjoy plenty of success through the air tonight as the weather conditions also are expected to be ideal in Cincinnati. We're getting some line value with this total because the Bengals have given up just 10 points in each of their last two games and the Texans allowed only 6 points in their most recent game. The opponents that were faced and their QB situations in those games certainly played a role in the low point totals achieved. This game has the makings of a back and forth high-scoring match-up as both teams come in confident with recent strong performances on offense. The Bengals have averaged 30 points per game at home this season. The over is 4-2 in Cincinnati's games on turf this season. The over is a perfect 4-0 in Houston's games where they are an underdog this season. Play OVER 46.5 in Cincinnati as an *8* selection Monday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* OVER 43.5 in Seattle vs Arizona @ 8:30 ET - The Seahawks are known for their solid defense but they will have their hands full with this high powered Arizona offense Sunday night. The Cardinals are coming off of their bye week but rolled up 34 points on the road in their final game before their bye. That marked the 3rd time in 4 road games this season that the Cardinals have scored at least 34 points on the road. Arizona has averaged 34 points per game on the road this season. Granted, facing the tough defense of the Seahawks in Seattle will be a tough test for Arizona but the Cardinals know they aren't going to win this game by sitting back on their heels. The Cards are going to come in strong and look to stretch the Hawks defense immediately with their high-flying aerial attack. The Seahawks are off of back to back strong defense efforts but they faced the 49'ers when Kaepernick was in a huge funk and they faced the Cowboys with Romo on the sidelines. Prior to these two games, Seattle did allow 27 points or more in 4 of their first 6 games this season. The point is that the Seahawks have already shown they have some "chinks in the armor" of this defense. Seattle has averaged 21 points per game at home this season and the Seahawks have been consistent on offense even if unspectacular. The point is that there is no reason to believe that each of this teams shouldn't get into the 20's in this game and that gets us the over in this match-up. The total has dropped down from it's opener as many feel it is high based on Seattle's defensive prowess.The Cardinals have the offensive weapons capable of causing this D some problems. The Hawks are 14-8 to the over when they enter a game on a winning streak of 2 games or more. The Cards are 6-2 to the over in November games the past 3 seasons combined. Both teams move the ball well in this key NFC West battle. 

Rickenbach NFL *8* New England Patriots -7.5 @ New York Giants @ 4:25 ET - The Patriots have lost each of their last three meetings with the Giants and that includes twice in the Super Bowl. Now stop and think for a few seconds about how that might make Tom Brady and Bill Belichick feel. The fact is, they want this game and they want it bad. Whether they would admit or not, that is a factual statement. The last thing the Pats want is to see the Giants end their unbeaten season. That Patriots truly have 'had enough' of the Giants through the years. With that said, the only thing that prevented this from being a top play for me is the line. It's up in the 7 range and inching higher. I do expect the Pats to win by more than 7 but still would have been happy to see this line a little lower than it is. The Giants are off of a win at Tampa Bay but they were outgained in the game. New York benefited from three Buccaneers fumbles in that victory. The Giants have one of the worst defenses in the league and will simply be no match for a highly motivated Patriots team in this one. New England is on a 9-2 ATS run in non-conference games the past three seasons. This game is forecast to be a high-scoring game and the Giants simply won't be able to keep up with the Pats as the Patriots do have the vastly superior defense in this match-up. The Giants are 1-5 ATS in home games with a posted total of 49.5 points or more. The Giants also are 3-6 ATS in non-conference games.

Rickenbach NFL *10* OVER 42 in Denver vs Kansas City @ 4:25 ET - Big revenge game for the Chiefs after they blew the game late in their match-up with the Broncos in Kansas City earlier this season. However, the problem for the Chiefs is they are catching Denver at the wrong time. The Broncos are not going to be in a good mood after they suffered their first loss of the season at Indianapolis last week. The Broncos were done in by two turnovers in that game but still put up 24 points. Their offense has been rolling along much better as Manning seems to be on the same page now with coach Kubiak and Denver had produced an average of 471 yards of offense per game in their two games prior to the subpar effort at Indianapolis. The Broncos are averaging 26 points per game in their last three games and they will take advantage of a subpar Chiefs defense today. The weather is expected to be ideal in Denver this afternoon and that will allow the Broncos aerial attack to be on display with light winds and mild temperatures expected. Kansas City has fresh legs off of their bye week and they erupted for 45 points in London against Detroit before the bye. This has given the Chiefs offense a boost of confidence. Kansas City is 3-1 to the over on the road this season. Long-term, as a road dog of 3.5 to 7 points, the Chiefs are 24-16 to the over. The Broncos are 9-4 to the over in their last 13 games against teams with a losing record.  

Rickenbach NFL *10* Top Play Oakland Raiders -2.5 vs Minnesota @ 4:05 ET - Although the rain is expected to clear out of Oakland before this game gets underway, it is expected to be very windy this afternoon by the bay. This will help Oakland. The Raiders weakness is their past defense. The good news for Oakland fans today is the Vikings weakness on offense is their passing game. Combining that with the fact that the wind is going to limit Minnesota's ability to attack the weakness the Raiders defense has and you have a good edge for Oakland here. I also love this line. The Raiders are a small favorite even though it is the Vikings that have the winning record on the season with a 6-2 mark. This certainly appears to be a trap line. Don't fall for the trap, the play here is the Raiders. While Oakland is fired up off of a tight loss, the Vikings are off of an OT win. Also, Minny has a huge divisional game on deck with Green Bay. With that said, there are huge situational edges here for Oakland. The Raiders are 8-4 ATS in the month of November the last three seasons combined. Oakland has the much stronger offense in this match-up and I don't think Minnesota is going to be keep up in this match-up with the wind factor and situational factors favoring the Raiders in this one. Oakland has produced 35 points per game and 434 yards per game in their three games since the bye and they only lost last weekend's game because of turnovers, particularly three fumbles. Look for Oakland to bounce back big here.

Rickenbach NFL *8* OVER 49 in Green Bay vs Detroit @ 1 ET - Even though Green Bay's stayed under the total in 2 of their last 3 games their pass defense has been ripped all 3 weeks. The Packers have allowed 1,125 yards through the air in their last 3 games. That equates to an average of 375 passing yards per game and the Lions strength on offense is in their aerial attack. The Lions are coming off of their bye week but their defense is among the league's worst. So Detroit is more than willing to turn this game into a wide-open affair with plenty of shots down the field on offense. That's their only hope in this game because they're not going to stop the potent offense of the Packers. Green Bay is angry as they are off of back to back losses since their bye week. Aaron Rodgers and Company will certainly do plenty of damage on offense but their defense is simply a sieve lately and the Lions will be within one or two touchdowns of Green Bay throughout this game most likely. Should be an easy over with no precipitation and light winds expected in Green Bay for this one allowing both offenses to really open things up through the air and neither defense is capable of many stops in this one.

Rickenbach NCAAF *10* Top Play OVER 65 in UCLA vs Washington State @ 10:45 ET - Both of these teams are off of unders last week but UCLA hasn't recorded back to back unders since mid-September and Washington State has one of the most potent offenses in the nation. The Cougars are 3-1 to the over in their road games this season. Washington State is rolling up nearly 500 yards of offense per game this season. UCLA also is piling up close to 500 yards of offense per game so far this season. The Cougars have allowed 36 points per game in their last 6 games. The Bruins are off of a surprising shutout win at Oregon State last week. Prior to that, UCLA had allowed an average of 36 points per game in their last 5 games. Look for this game to get well into the 70's. The Bruins are 6-3 to the over in home games with a posted total between 63.5 and 70 points. The Cougars are off of a win versus Arizona State last week and the Cougars have gone 7-2 to the over when off of a win against a conference foe. With ideal weather conditions, subpar defense, and two high-powered offenses. This game should be absolutely insane in terms of the amassed point totals. 

Rickenbach NCAAF *10* Top Play Utah Utes -5.5 @ Arizona @ 10:00 ET - The Wildcats certainly have an impressive offense but their defense is one of the worst in the PAC-12, if not the entire country! Arizona's porous defense is going to have trouble stopping the balanced offensive attack of the Utes. Utah has averaged 37 points per game in their last 7 games and the Utes have given up 24 points or less in 8 of their 9 games this season. Conversely, the Wildcats defense has proven incapable of stopping anyone. Arizona has allowed an average of 40 points per game in their last 7 games. The Cats loss at USC last week marked the 5th time in their last 7 games that Arizona has allowed at least 38 points. This week, I'll trust the much better defense laying the short number on the road in this one. Adding even more value to the road team here is the extra added edge of motivation. The Utes were ranked in the top 20 teams in the country last season when they got thoroughly embarrassed by the Wildcats 42-10 last season. That embarrassing defeat was in Utah and you can bet (literally!) that the Utes have not forgotten it. Now it's payback time and Arizona is on a 3-8 ATS run while Utah is on a sparkling 8-2 ATS run in road games. 

Rickenbach NCAAF *8* Temple Owls -2.5 @ South Florida @ 7 ET - The Owls are a very small road favorite here. Certainly Temple is off of a miracle cover last week at SMU but that's really not a reason to fade them in this spot. The Owls were expected to be flat last week when they faced the Mustangs as Temple was off of their huge game against Notre Dame. However, the Owls still managed to get the job done last week and now they are even a better spot to get another road win. The Owls are now 3 weeks away from the big game with Notre Dame. Also, Temple is catching South Florida off of a big upset win. The Bulls knocked off East Carolina last week even though they were a road underdog. Now look for USF to be a little flat after that big win. The Bulls are 2-7 ATS in home games with a posted total between 42.5 and 49 points. Temple is 12-5 ATS on the road the last three seasons combined including 4-1 ATS this season. The Owls stifling defense, after relaxing a bit against SMU (because of being off of the ND game), will be back in top form today and will be the difference maker here as they are far superior to the defensive unit of South Florida.

Rickenbach NCAAF *8* OVER 60 in Iowa State vs Oklahoma State @ 3:30 ET - Off of their huge upset win over TCU last week, the Cowboys simply can't be expected to have the same level of defensive intensity this week. The problem for Oklahoma State is also the fact that their defense, even when they try to play at a high level, still does not perform well. The Cowboys gave up 663 yards to the Horned Frogs last week and were very fortunate that TCU ended up with only 29 points on the scoreboard. Now Oklahoma State is traveling to face an Iowa State team that will be ready to respond after going on the road and facing the tough defense of Oklahoma last week. The Cyclones, before last week's tough effort against the Sooners, had averaged 26.5 points per game this season. The Cowboys have allowed at least 26 points in 6 of their last 7 games. So look for Iowa State to have a solid effort on offense in this game but there is every reason to believe that Oklahoma State will also roll on offense. The Cyclones have given up 45 points or more in 4 of their last 5 games. The Cowboys have averaged 49 points per game in their last 7 games. With good weather expected, there is really no deterrent to an absolute shootout in this game Saturday afternoon. 

Rickenbach NFL *8* Buffalo Bills +2.5 @ New York Jets @ 8:25 ET - Bills head coach Rex Ryan goes against his former team. Also, the Bills defense goes against their former teammate, Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. Additionally, this game is big in terms of the wild card picture in the AFC as we're now past the halfway point of the season. I like the fact that the Bills are much healthier now and they certainly pack an explosive punch on offense when healthy. Buffalo has one of the top rushing offenses in the league and, with QB Tyrod Taylor growing in experience as the season has gone on, the dynamic rushing attack is opening things up for him to take some shots downfield. The Bills have scored at least 27 points in 5 of their 8 games this season. Buffalo has averaged 28 points per game in their last 3 games. The Jets have also put up some decent point totals in recent weeks but their offense truly does not have the same explosiveness that this Bills offensive unit has when healthy. That said, Buffalo is healthier than they've been in a long time. The Bills are on a 10-5 ATS run in divisional games. Buffalo also is 3-1 ATS as an underdog this season and all 3 wins have been outright victories. As a home favorite of 3 points or less the Jets are on a long-term 16-24 ATS run. The Jets are 2-6 ATS in November games the last three seasons combined. In games with a line in a range between a 3 point dog and a 3 point fave...the Jets have gone 6-10 ATS the last 3 seasons combined. Don't fall for the trap here with the ability to take a small home fave...the small road dog is the way to go. Play Buffalo +2.5 as an *8* selection Thursday.

Rickenbach NCAAF *8* South Alabama Jaguars -2.5 vs UL-Lafayette @ 7:30 ET Thursday - This is a big revenge game for the Jaguars. Last season these teams met at UL-Lafayette in November and the Jags were embarrassed as they were held to just 9 points in an ugly game for the South Alabama offense. Now it's payback time and what better place to do that than a weeknight game with the ESPN cameras rolling. The Jaguars are fired up and ready here and they come into this game off of a home win that got their confidence going again on offense as they rolled up over 270 yards on the ground again for the 2nd straight game. The Jags will take advantage of a UL-Lafayette team that has struggled to move the ball well quite frequently this season. The Ragin Cajuns have been held to 331 yards or less in 4 of their last 6 games. South Alabama has faced the tougher schedule so far this season as well. This is another key factor that I feel is being overlooked in this match-up. All in all, though UL-Lafayette has the better conference record so far this season and did open up as the favorite in this match-up when the lines first came out, this game did get steamed for all the right reasons and the short fave at home is the play in this one. Note that the Jaguars straight-up record in games where they are favored is 14-6. The long-term straight-up record for UL-Lafayette in games where they are a dog is 28-87. Look for the Jags to tie up the Ragin Cajuns in the Sun Belt Conference standings by getting the home win tonight. Play South Alabama -2.5 as an *8* selection Thursday.

Rickenbach NCAAF *8* Bowling Green Falcons -3 @ Western Michigan @ 8 ET Wednesday - The West is known for domination against the East in recent seasons in the MAC. That said, do you think the odds makers have made a mistake here by making the Falcons (from the East) a 3 point favorite over the Broncos (from the West)? You may especially think so because Western Michigan has defeated Bowling Green four straight times and all four victories have come by a margin of double digits. As I have stated many times in the past and will make the statement again right now...the odds makers don't make many mistakes. Do not fall for the "trap" here. The Falcons are favored with good reason despite the series dominance of the Broncos and the overall West dominance in the MAC. Bowling Green is so hungry and so confident and simply a much different team from last season. The locker room chemistry of this team is just different. You can feel it. The Falcons also are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 as an away favorite while Western Michigan is on a 4-8-1 ATS run as a home dog. Both teams have fantastic offenses but, in the end, the hunger and motivation of the Falcons (as well as the continued stellar play of QB Johnson) will be the difference maker in this one. Play Bowling Green minus the points as an *8* selection Wednesday.

Rickenbach NCAAF *8* Ohio University Bobcats -6.5 vs Kent State @ 8 ET Tuesday - Very nice spot for Ohio University and the fact this line dropped down below a -7 adds even more value. The Bobcats come into this game with plenty of motivation as they are off of three straight losses and they need a win for bowl eligibility and to get their season back on track. Even though the Bobcats have averaged scoring just 18.3 points per game in their last three games, their offensive production has been better than what the points on the scoreboard would lead you to believe. Ohio University has gained at least 354 yards in each of their last four games. They eclipsed the 400 yard mark in 3 of those games with one of the totals (in their most recent loss) eclipsing the 500 yard mark! The fact is that the Bobcats can move the ball and they have a solid offense. The same can not be said for the Golden Flashes. Kent State is averaging less than 300 yards per game this season and their anemic offense will simply be unable to keep up with the Bobcats in this tough road game for the Golden Flashes. Kent State is averaging less than 14 points per game in their last 7 games! Play Ohio University -6.5 as an *8* selection Tuesday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* San Diego Chargers -4 vs Chicago @ 8:30 ET - San Diego was 2-2 earlier this season and heading into a Monday Night Football match-up with the Pittsburgh Steelers sans Ben Roethlisberger. The Chargers failed to take advantage in that situation as they blew the late lead and lost the game outright to the Steelers with a back-up QB. That loss on MNF is helping to ensure that San Diego does not make the same mistake again here. This is a home game. It's MNF. It is again forcing a team to come out west. It is a nice situation for San Diego and I expect them to take full advantage. The Chargers defense has let them down recently but the Bears offense is not exactly among the most potent in the league. That said, I don't think Chicago will be able to keep up with Phillip Rivers and Company in this one. The Chargers offense (particularly through the air) has been among the most dangerous attacks in the league. San Diego has the top ranked passing offense in the league while the Bears overall offensive production ranks them among the league's worst. The Bears are on a 10-19 ATS run as an underdog. Also, Chicago is 3-10 ATS in games where the posted total is 49.5 or higher proving how, as noted above, they struggle to keep up when matched up with a high powered offense. The Chargers are the exact opposite as they are 7-3 ATS the last 3 years and 22-10 ATS long-term in game with a posted total of 49.5 or more. San Diego has gone 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games against NFC foes. Both teams are hungry for a win but the situation and the edges favor the Chargers here. Play San Diego minus the points as an *8* selection Monday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Philadelphia Eagles -3 @ Dallas @ 8:30 ET - Huge revenge game for the Eagles since they were embarrassed on their home field at the hands of the Cowboys early this season. The Eagles offense was a mess back then. But now the Eagles come into this game off of a bye week and their offense has performed much better in recent games. As for the Cowboys, they are still without Tony Romo and they still have not won a single game since, coincidentally, that win over the Eagles early this season. Philadelphia has averaged 434 yards of offense per game in their last 3 games. Dallas has been held to 347 yards or less of offense in 4 of their last 5 games. This includes the Cowboys being held to 264 yards or less of offense in 2 of their last 3 games. This is simply a classic case of two teams heading in opposite directions and the Eagles have the added advantage of coming off of a bye week. Philadelphia is 18-10 ATS and 23-5 straight-up when coming off of a bye week. The line here is only a -3 and I see great value with the low number and the rested Eagles very likely to get this road win. Series note: the road team has won each of the last five meetings between these teams. The Eagles are hungry for revenge here and I look for a huge game from DeMarco Murray who is now much more involved in the offense than he was earlier this season. Play Philadelphia -3 as an *8* selection Sunday. 

Rickenbach NFL *10* Top Play OVER 45 in Indianapolis vs Denver @ 4:25 ET - The Broncos defense was the story line after they completely shut down the Packers two weeks ago. However, what was overlooked a bit is that the Broncos offense looked very sharp and, finally, Peyton Manning seems to be firing on all cylinders now with Coach Kubiak. The Broncos are off of their bye week and they've piled up an average of 471 yards of offense per game in their last two games. Of course this game has special meaning for Manning after all of his years in Indianapolis. I look for another huge game from Manning and Company. However, I look for Andrew Luck and Company to be matching the Broncos score for score in this one. The Colts are averaging 283 passing yards per game in their last 4 home games. The Colts are averaging 25 points per game in their last 6 games since that ugly start to the season when their offense was not clicking. So you take Indy averaging 25 a game and you've got Denver as a 5 point favorite meaning they should hit 30. Last time I checked 30-25 totals 55 points rather than 45. All kidding aside, the point is that this total is too low in my opinion and I expect a back and forth 'score-fest' in this one. The Colts are 8-2 to the over as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points the last 3 seasons. The Broncos are 8-3 to the over in games on turf. Look for both teams to take advantage of speed on turf on this one. Even with Hilton unlikely to play for the Colts, the Broncos defense will have their hands full here. Play OVER 45 in Indianapolis as a *10* Top Play.

Rickenbach NFL *10* Top Play Atlanta Falcons -7 @ San Francisco @ 4:05 ET - The 49'ers are simply a complete mess right now. They now have inner turmoil going on with the 'benching' of Colin Kaepernick in favor of Blaine Gabbert. Additionally, their run defense is now failing them and their pass defense was already a mess. The 49'ers have lost 6 of their last 7 games and 5 of those 6 losses have come by a margin of at least 14 points. That's why laying the 7 here with Atlanta on the road is really not that nerve-wracking. Consider also that the Falcons head coach, Dan Quinn, was the defensive coordinator at Niners division rival Seahawks. He knows all about shutting down this pedestrian San Francisco offense and, with Gabbert thrown into the fire, it just got that much easier. Adding to the strength of this play is the fact that the Falcons are off of a loss. They lost a tight one to the Buccaneers last week and that means we are certain to see an intense effort from Atlanta in this one. The Falcons won the yardage battle by 200+ yards last week and by over 100 yards the week before as well. Yet both games were tight. That is helping to give line value here because this game should absolutely turn into a road rout. The Falcons have bye on deck so they will go all out for the full sixty minutes in this one and they are on a 7-3 (70%) ATS run in games the week before their bye. Play Atlanta -7 as a *10* Top Play Sunday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Washington Redskins +14 @ New England @ 1 ET - The Patriots, undefeated on the season, have become so popular with bettors that their lines are simply getting 'out of hand' now. The Pats are laying two TDs here against a Redskins team that is off of their bye week and fully capable of playing solid defense here to keep them in this game. Helped by the fact that they also have rested legs for this match-up, the Redskins pass defense does rank them in the top third of the league so far this season. A couple of rough efforts on defense heading into the bye week will have the Redskins fully focused on a bounce back performance here and their offense also should enjoy success in going toe to toe with the Pats. Washington got their aerial attack going before the bye week as the Skins threw for 305 yards against the Bucs and have now thrown for 290 yards or more in 3 of their last 5 games. The Patriots have allowed an average of 276 passing yards per game in their last 3 games. The blowout win that New England had over Miami last week is helping to add line value here. Keep in mind the Pats prior two victories each game by just a touchdown and I look for this one to be at least as tight as those games were. Play Washington +14 as an *8* selection Sunday.

Rickenbach NCAAF *10* Top Play LSU Tigers +7 @ Alabama @ 8 ET - I love the "me against the world" attitude that the Tigers have coming into this game. Even though LSU is the higher ranked and undefeated team coming into this match-up, Alabama is still "the team to beat" if you're one of Louisiana's top recruits and passed up on the chance to play for The Crimson Tide. With that said, for LSU, this game is all about earning that respect and getting the big signature win that has eluded them in recent match-ups with Nick Saban and Company. The fact the Tigers got fullback John David Moore back healthier for this game is a key. He will help open up even bigger holes for the fantastic running of LSU's Leonard Fournette. The Tigers running attack this season has been insanely strong all year and this will allow them to have an edge in time of possession and control the clock a bit against a dangerous Alabama team. LSU, of course, would like to wear down the defensive line of The Crimson Tide as well as keep the dangerous Alabama offense off of the field. I expect that they will do just that. The Tigers do have the more explosive offense of these two teams and the LSU defense ranks very close to the lofty level achieved by the Alabama defense. In a smash-mouth game with such huge implications, I love having a big dog that runs the ball extremely well plus plays solid defense. The Crimson Tide have benefited greatly from turnovers in couple of their games and that is unlikely to be a huge help for Alabama in this game. The Tigers have only turned the ball over TWICE this entire seasons. By comparison, The Crimson Tide have been averaging two turnovers per game! Play LSU plus the points as a *10* Top Play Saturday.

Rickenbach NCAAF *8* Nebraska +6.5 vs Michigan State @ 7 ET - The whole world, of course, seems to be lining up on undefeated Michigan State here. Of course that has driven the line all the way from a 4.5 up to as high as a 6.5 in some spots. The line is likely to start coming back down as some sharp money starts to come back in on the Nebraska side. For the Cornhuskers, this is truly their best shot at making some noise this season. They've had a tough year, they are down in the standings but they can certainly gain some notoriety by knocking off the undefeated Spartans this week. While that may seem far-fetched based on their poor straight-up record, do note just how close Nebraska has been in so many of their games this season. The Huskers SU record is 3-6 but 4 of the 6 losses have come by a field goal or less and a fifth loss came by just 5 points. Their only ugly loss this season came last week against Purdue but turnovers sure had a lot to do with that. With QB Tommy Armstrong expected back this week I expect the turnovers to be greatly reduced and I expect Lincoln Nebraska to be rocking for this huge opportunity Saturday that is allowing them to make some noise in the Big Ten. The Huskers, arguably, have the better offense in this match-up and their defense (last week notwithstanding) is certainly not that far off of the pace set by the Spartans. Michigan State is just 1-6 ATS as a favorite this season and those struggles continue here with an outright upset a distinct possibility as the Spartans come out a little sluggish after their bye week. Play Nebraska plus the points as an *8* selection.

Rickenbach NCAAF *10* Top Play OVER 59 in Indiana vs Iowa @ 3:30 ET - Indiana ranks among the top 20 teams in the nation as far as pace. They average 78 plays per game and like to play at a fast pace and, considering they are at home in this game, I do expect the Hoosiers to control the tempo in this game. By November standards, the weather will be very nice Indiana this afternoon with light winds and comfortable temperatures. This will allow the solid aerial attack of the Hoosiers to be a factor in this game. The problem for Indiana is that their porous defense can't stop anyone! The Hoosiers are allowing an average of over 540 yards per game this season. Indiana has allowed at least 52 points in each of their last two games. Even though the Hoosiers are off of their bye I do not expect that to change the high-scoring games we've been seeing with Indiana all season. In fact, the Hoosiers are 10-4 to the over when off of a bye week. Also, as an underdog of 3.5 to 10 points, Indiana is an amazing 37-13 (74%) to the over. Iowa's overs have also been the trend this season and they are 5-1 to the over in games where they are favored this season. The fact they are undefeated on the season has the full attention and focus of Indiana. But the Hoosiers know the only way they can beat Iowa is to turn this into a shootout and outscore them late by wearing them down and turning this into a track meet. Iowa is off another Big Ten win with their victory over Maryland last week and they are 13-6 to the over when off of a conference game. Play OVER the total in Indiana as a *10* Top Play Saturday.

Rickenbach NCAAF *8* Duke Blue Devils +8 @ North Carolina @ Noon ET - The Tar Heels can always expect a fight from the Blue Devils when they meet as the rivals have plenty of emotion for this big game. However, this year's version of the battle for the Victory Bell is likely to have even higher emotions than usual for Duke. That's because after rallying for what looked like a sure win over Miami last week, the Blue Devils gave up a last second kickoff return for a TD. The deciding touchdown was truly questionable and Duke feels a bit jaded, to say the least, about the loss. Look for the Blue Devils to be playing with a little extra 'edge' in their game Saturday. This rivalry used to be confined to basketball due to the large talent gap between these schools in football. However, in recent years, the Blue Devils have closed that gap substantially and I would not be surprised if they spring the upset here. In comparing the two teams Duke has the better defense. The Blue Devils are on an incredible 12-1 SU (and 11-2 ATS) run in road games. North Carolina is on an ugly 2-6 ATS run in home games with a posted total between 56.5 and 63 points. Play on Duke plus the points as an *8* selection Saturday.

Rickenbach NCAAF *10* Top Play OVER 55 in Fresno State vs Nevada @ 10:30 ET - This total has moved down some which is offering even more value to the over. The reason it has moved down is because many are looking at the fact that Nevada has been held to 27 points or less in 5 of their 8 games this season. Additionally, Fresno State has been held to 24 points or less in 6 of their 8 games this season. So, with that said, why would this game get past the mid-fifties in terms of total points scored? It's because there have been some false finals with these teams where the points on the scoreboard are certainly not commensurate with the yardage produced on the field. Additionally, neither team is strong defensively. The Bulldogs have given up an average of 444 yards per game this season. The Wolf Pack are off of a strong defensive effort against an out-classed Hawaii team. However, prior to that Nevada had allowed at least 485 yards in four of their six prior games. The over is 6-0 in Fresno State's games on turf this season. All 3 of the Bulldogs lined home games totaled at least 59 points. The Bulldogs have struggled to defend the run this season. The ability of the Wolf Pack to attack this weakness will also open up the ability to attack through the air. Fresno State has also run the ball quite well their last two games and Nevada has had trouble with defending the run this season too. Play OVER 55 in Fresno State as a *10* Top Play Thursday.

Rickenbach NCAAF *8* Missouri Tigers +8.5 vs Mississippi State @ 9:00 ET - The Tigers are a classic "ugly dog" in this spot. As bad as Missouri's offense has been this season, their defense certainly has been stellar and I look for that strong D to be the key to them staying inside this big number Thursday. The Tigers have had only one loss by more than 8 points this entire season. While the Bulldogs are allowing 375 yards per game this season, the Tigers are allowing nearly 100 yards less per game this season. Mississippi State certainly has the much more potent offense in this match-up but it's projected to be a low-scoring game and that type of grudge match does not bode well for the Bulldogs. They have gone 2-10 ATS in road games with a posted total between 42.5 and 45 points. The Tigers have gone 5-1 ATS as an underdog of 3.5 to 10 points the last 3 seasons. Missouri also is 8-0 ATS in games in the month of November the past two seasons. The Tigers are also 5-1 ATS when off of a bye week. Play Missouri plus the points as an *8* selection.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Cleveland Browns +11.5 @ Cincinnati @ 8:25 ET - Cincinnati QB Andy Dalton has a knack for having some tough performances under the lights and I look for the Browns to be a "tough out" for the Bengals in this one. Cleveland will have Johnny Manziel at QB for this one. Though he's seen limited action this season, he has been more productive and less turnover prone when he's been engineering the Browns offense. Cleveland does have some issues with injuries in the secondary but they still have some talent back there in including guys who read the QB well and can take advantage of errant throws which, again, Dalton has had a knack for in primetime games. The road team won each game last season and the Browns have revenge on their minds after getting embarrassed 30-0 the last time these teams met, in December in Cleveland. While the Bengals certainly look extremely impressive with their 7-0 SU record and undefeated ATS mark on the season, this is a tough spot for Cincy as it's a short week off of a huge road win over the Steelers. After having to rally in the fourth quarter for that win at Pittsburgh, I just don't expect the Bengals to have the focus or the energy to lay a blowout on the Browns here. Cleveland is hungry off of their poor second half versus Arizona and I look for the Browns to get a little spark with Manziel at the helm for the offense. Play Cleveland plus the big points as an *8* selection Thursday.

Rickenbach NCAAF *10* Kansas State Wildcats +17.5 vs Baylor @ 7:30 ET - The powerhouse Baylor Bears are in trouble. The loss of quarterback Seth Russell is a huge blow. In steps Jarrett Stidham and as talented as the young man is he certainly can't step in and be a Seth Russell right off of the bat. His experience so far this season has come in blowout games that were already decided and this will be a lot of pressure for him to have on his shoulders tonight. Stidham is a true frosh and he's being asked to go on the road against a well-coached (Bill Snyder) Wildcats team that, like the Bears, is also off of a bye week and Kansas State will be fully prepared for the only game left on their schedule where they can truly make a statement on the national scene. Every one of the rest of the Wildcats games comes against teams with at least 4 losses on the season. Kansas State themselves also has four losses so this game is truly their "national championship" for the season. The Wildcats are 7-1 ATS when off of a bye week and Snyder will have his troops ready. You can bet on that...literally. Play Kansas State plus the points as a *10* Top Play Thursday.

Rickenbach NCAAF *10* Top Play OVER 60.5 in Toledo vs Northern Illinois @ 8 ET - Considering it's November, the weather is going to be fantastic at "The Glass Bowl" in Toledo tonight. Both of these also like to play at a fast pace. Just look at their recent stats in terms of the numbers of rushing plays and passing plays they've managed to produce in recent games and you will see the pace these teams like to play at. The Huskies have averaged 51 points per game in their last 3 games. The Rockets have averaged 42 points per game in their 4 home games this season and they are off of a huge showing on the road where they put up 51 points on Massachusetts. Toledo has gone over the total in each of their last two games and the Huskies have gone over the total in each of their last 3 games. After a bye week the Rockets are 4-1 to the over. As a home favorite of 7.5 to 10 points Toledo is 5-1 to the over. The Rockets also are on a long-term 42-23 run to the over in home games. The Huskies are 3-1 to the over as a road dog of 7.5 to 10 points and Northern Illinois is 13-9 to the over in road games with a posted total between 56.5 and 63 points. Play OVER the total in Toledo as a *10* Top Play Tuesday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* OVER 46.5 in Carolina vs Indianapolis @ 8:30 ET Monday - The Colts are allowing over 400 yards of offense per game and I don't see them slowing down the Panthers here. In games where Indianapolis is a road dog of 3.5 to 7 points the over is a perfect 3-0 the past three seasons and also a stellar 28-13 long-term! Overall, in all games where they are a dog of 3.5 to 9.5 points, the over is 7-2 the last 3 seasons and 53-31 long-term in Indianapolis games. The Panthers have allowed 133 rushing yards per game in their last 3 games and the Colts running game threat will open up the door for plenty of success with an Indy aerial attack that is averaging 258 yards per game. Each of the Colts last two road games have gone over the total. Though the Panthers are off of an under (they caught the disorganized Eagles off of a big divisional win over the Giants), Carolina had previously gone over the total in 3 straight games. The Panthers are averaging 30 points per game in their last 4 games and the Colts have averaged 31 points per game in their last two road games. The Colts offense will keep rolling on the road here but they have one of the worst defenses in the league and they continue to have trouble getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. With Carolina's top-ranked running game opening up the aerial attack for the Panthers and with Andrew Luck's solid aerial game on the attack on the other side, this one is likely to turn into a shootout. Play OVER 46.5 in Carolina as an *8* selection Monday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Green Bay Packers -2.5 @ Denver @ 8:30 ET - While both of these teams come into this game undefeated I feel that the Broncos have truly lived a "charmed life" up to this point. Denver's defense definitely deserves a lot of praise for their performance so far this season but the offense is still a little shaky under Kubiak in my opinion. Combination of Kubiak's influence and Manning not getting any younger! This has led to the Broncos really winning by the skin of their teeth on a few occasions already this year. Unlike Denver's performances, Green Bay has mostly steam-rolled teams and the extra time of the bye week will certainly help them to adjust after giving up all that passing yardage to the Chargers when Phillip Rivers 'went off' on them before the bye week. To many it may seem surprising that the Packers are favored on the road when Denver is also undefeated on the season. This is one of those classic cases where it helps to remember that odds makers don't make many mistakes. In other words, the Packers are favored on the road against a 6-0 Broncos team for a reason. The "any given Sunday" adage certainly applies each and every week in the NFL but I do feel playing the Broncos as a home dog here would be the "trap play" side of this. The Packers are the much stronger offense in this match-up and that will prove to be the difference maker here. The Broncos finally have one close call too many and this one results in their first SU loss of the season. Play Green Bay minus the short number as an *8* play Sunday evening.

Rickenbach NFL *10* OVER 43.5 in Oakland vs New York Jets @ 4:05 ET - Jets games have flown over the total in each of their last two games. The Raiders are 4-2 to the over this season. Surprisingly the Jets have come on strong by being every opportunistic. They don't put up a lot of yards but they create opportunities and they take advantage of them. That is why the Jets are averaging 28 points per game in their last 3 games. The Raiders defense has been torched for 26 points per game on the season and Oakland is off of their big upset win over San Diego last week which certainly could have the defense a little flat in this game. I look for the Raiders to keep their aerial attack going strong in this game but, on the other side of the ball, Oakland has one of the worst-ranked defenses in the league when it comes to defending the pass. With that said, I look for the Jets to move the ball well through the air and let's not forget the Jets had over 200 yards on the ground in each of their two games prior to facing the Patriots. The over went 8-1 in Raiders games in the month of November the past two seasons. Also, the over is 5-2 in Raiders home games with a posted total between 42.5 and 45 points. The Jets are off of that big divisional match-up with New England and the Jets have gone 8-3 to the over when off of a divisional game. Play OVER 43.5 in Oakland as a *10* Top Play Sunday.

Rickenbach NFL *10* Top Play Cincinnati +1 @ Pittsburgh @ 1 ET - With Ben Roethlisberger coming back there has been a lot of attention on the Steelers in this match-up. I feel strongly that this is simply helping to give even more line value to the Bengals. Let's not forget that Roethlisberger is unlikely to come back and be 100% healthy and completely "in sync" in his first game back since the injury. Also, the Steelers have had trouble with pass protection so far this season. The Bengals are undefeated this season and coming off of a bye week. Cincinnati also plays this game with triple revenge because they have lost each of their last 3 meetings with Pittsburgh and this looks like the perfect spot for the rested Bengals to get their revenge and put an end to this streak. Cincinnati has the much better pass protection and, overall, the far superior offense in comparison with Pittsburgh. Roethlisberger will be challenged early and often by the Bengals defense and Cincy is ultra motivated as they seek their first win since September 2013 in this series. The Bengals have been an ATS machine this season and I expect that to continue here. Even though they are only a small dog in this match-up the motivation is large and I expect Big Ben to struggle at times in his first game back. The Bengals are on a 10-4 ATS run as an underdog. Play Cincinnati as a *10* Top Play Sunday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Detroit Lions +3.5 -120 vs Kansas City @ 9:30 AM ET - Two teams that have had disappointing seasons are trying to get their seasons back on track. I see a lot of value in having the points in a match-up like this. The Lions have battled hard this season but truly have been done in by turnovers. With Stafford at the helm they do move the ball well and they just need to limit their mistakes and they can certainly hang tough with a 2-5 Chiefs team. I would not be surprised at all to see the Lions get the upset win in this one. Kansas City is 2-5 SU and ATS and they are already 0-3 SU and ATS against teams from the NFC North this season. The Chiefs are coming off of a rare win but it had a lot do with facing a Steelers team that was down to their third string QB. Turnovers were the difference in that game and that helped to drive the line value with this game in London. Play Detroit plus the points  as an *8* play early Sunday.

Rickenbach NCF *10* Top Play OVER 61 in Washington State vs Stanford @ 10:30 PM ET - Stanford's game last week stayed under the total but they had previously gone over the total in 4 straight games. Washington State's over last week was the third straight over they've had as they head into this game on a 3-0 run to the over. The Cougars have a fantastic offense but their defense is simply pathetic. Couple that with the fact that Stanford has been an 'over' team this year and you have the perfect set-up for a shootout here. The Cardinal use to have a scary good defense but those days are truly long gone. This unit has been going through a rebuilding phase and Stanford just doesn't have the same talent level on defense that they had in previous seasons. The over is 4-1 in Cardinal games in Pac 12 action this season. The over is 7-1 in Washington State games when they are off of a win against a conference foe. After knocking off Arizona in a wild one last week, look for another wild one this week. The Cougars are averaging a ridiculous 415 yards per game through the air this season...but their defense can stop no one. Play OVER the total in Washington State as a *10* Top Play Saturday.

Rickenbach NCF *10* Top Play Miami Hurricanes +13 @ Duke @ 7 ET - I look for the Hurricanes to be sparked by both the coaching situation as well as the QB situation. The Canes are certainly fired up to perform better under their interim head coach after they suffered the worst defeat in school history last week with their 58-0 loss! After being thoroughly embarrassed, look for the Canes to respond in a huge way this week as nothing would be better for the university to forget about an ugly loss then to go and knock off an upstart Duke team. The Blue Devils, long known for their basketball prowess, have certainly improved greatly on the football field but you'd better believe this gets under the skin of the Hurricanes! Miami wants to resume their supremacy on the football field. The Canes did win by 12 last season at home against the Blue Devils but they lost by 18 the prior season at Duke. It's time for a little payback and note that the QB change now has them with a more mobile and athletic QB under center. This is a key because of the way the offensive line has struggled this season but I do look for a very physical game in the trenches on both sides of the ball for Miami. The Canes are fired up and can't wait to take the field after getting drilled 58 to 0 last week. An outright win would not surprise and certainly the Canes should stay inside this inflated number this week. Play Miami plus the points as a *10* Top Play Saturday.

Rickenbach NCF *8* OVER 51 in Colorado State vs San Diego State @ 3:30 ET - The Rams are allowing 205 rushing yards per game and are not going to be able to stop the Aztecs ground game. Of course if Colorado State really challenges the ground game by stacking the box you can bet that San Diego State will beat them through the air. The Aztecs are flying high after putting up 48 points in their win over Utah State last week. The Rams are also feeling good off of a bye week after scoring 38 points in their win over Air Force two weeks ago. Both teams playing with plenty of confidence on offense and San Diego State did allow 36 points in their first two road games this season. They've faced weaker foes on the road recently and that's helped them pad their defensive stats. This Rams offense will test them early and often but the Aztecs offense will dominate as well. Play OVER 51 in Colorado State as an *8* play Saturday.

Rickenbach NCF *8* Georgia Bulldogs +3 @ Florida @ 3:30 ET - After winning 3 in a row in this series the Bulldogs lost ugly to the Gators last year and they certainly haven't forgotten. Even though Georgia is now without running back Nick Chubb, do not forget they lost him early in the Tennessee game three weeks ago and yet they still moved the ball well in that game and put up 31 points on the Volunteers. The bye week has done wonders for the Bulldogs to adjust to a Chubb-less offense and they also carry momentum into this week from winning a tightly contested defensive struggle against Missouri two weeks ago. I feel that Georgia is largely undervalued here and that Florida has lived a charmed life so far this season. Look for the Gators to now suffer "unbeaten letdown" after having their undefeated season come to an end against LSU before the bye week. Play Georgia plus the points as an *8* selection Saturday.

Rickenbach NCF *8* Oklahoma State Cowboys -1.5 @ Texas Tech @ 3:30 ET - I certainly have a ton of respect for the Texas Tech offense and what they've been doing this season. However, their defense is simply dreadful and in what is projected to be a back and forth high-scoring affair I will gladly take a team at roughly a pick'em price that is certainly more likely than their opponent to get more defensive stops. The Red Raiders have allowed between 45 and 63 points in 4 of their 8 games this season! The most points the Cowboys have allowed this season is 34 and Oklahoma State has given up 13 points or less in 4 of their 7 games. The Cowboys have won 6 straight in this series and only failed to cover 1 of those 6 games. Here any win virtually guarantees the cash and I see the Cowboys better defense to absolutely be the difference maker in this contest. Oklahoma State has gone 17-11 ATS as a road favorite and I look for Texas Tech to be reeling here after getting thoroughly dominated by Oklahoma last week. Play Oklahoma State as an *8* selection Saturday.

Rickenbach NCF *8* OVER 50.5 in Connecticut vs East Carolina @ 7 ET Friday - I like the fact that both of these teams are coming off of unders that were unusual results. That is helping to give some line value here. The Pirates scored only 14 points last week even though they totaled nearly 400 yards of offense. The Huskies scored only 13 points last week and this is masking the fact that they had scored an average of 30 points with an average of over 480 yards of offense per game in their prior two games. The Pirates are known for getting involved in high scoring games and I see them pushing the tempo this week after their unusually poor performance on offense last week. As for the Huskies, look for them to revert to the solid form they had shown on offense in the prior two weeks. East Carolina was averaging 38 points per game on offense before their poor performance last week. The Pirates have gone 8-4 to the over in their last 12 games against teams with a losing record. Also, East Carolina's last two games have stayed under the total but they previously had gone over the total in 5 straight games this season. The Pirates are 4-0 to the over in road games this season. Play OVER 50.5 in Connecticut as an *8* selection Friday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Miami Dolphins +9 @ New England @ 8:25 ET - Miami is a rejuvenated team ever since the coaching change that occurred immediately after the London trip. The Dolphins have gone 2-0 since then and the 2 wins came by a combined margin of 46 points! While the Patriots are certainly one of the top teams in the league, I expect tonight's game to be a very tight one. New England barely got by the Jets last week as it took two late game TDs to pull out the win. While the Patriots 6-0 season record is certainly impressive, 4 of their 6 wins have come by a margin of 8 points or less. The Dolphins are 2-1 on the road this season and their lone loss away from home came by a margin of just 3 points. I like the physicality and intensity that this Miami team is bringing to the field since making the coaching change. They are up to the challenge here and catch the Pats off of a big come from behind win over a divisional rival. Miami is 7-4 ATS in Thursday games including 2-0 SU and ATS the past two seasons on Thursdays. The Patriots have covered just 5 of their last 14 games against divisional opponents. Also, the Pats have failed to cover any of their 3 Thursday games the last 2+ seasons. Statistically, the Dolphins weakness this season has been their rush D but, statistically, the Pats rush O is their weakness. In other words, those offset and I look for this to be a tight back and forth battle in Foxboro tonight. Play Miami plus the points as an *8* selection Thursday. 

Rickenbach NCF *8* West Virginia Mountaineers +14.5 @ TCU @ 7:30 ET - TCU is 7-0 on the season but certainly may be over-rated. The only teams that they've played this season that currently have a winning record on the year are Minnesota (4-3) and Texas Tech (5-3). By the way the Horned Frogs won those two games by a COMBINED 9 points! In other words, don't be surprised if this battle with West Virginia ends up being much closer than what the point spread would lead you to believe. The Mountaineers are only 3-3 on the season but they have played a much tougher schedule than TCU has. West Virginia's 3 losses have come against Oklahoma, Baylor, and Oklahoma State. The combined record of those 3 teams is 20-1 so far this season. By the way, the Horned Frogs do have undefeated Oklahoma State on deck so Thursday's game against the Mountaineers is definitely a lookahead spot for Texas Christian University! West Virginia and TCU have played very tight games against each other in recent seasons and I look for another one here. The Mountaineers really needed the bye week after the recent tough stretch they went through. TCU could have done without a bye week as they were rolling and had momentum. This situation, all the way around, definitely favors the big dog Mountaineers. Play West Virginia plus the points as an *8* selection Thursday. 

Rickenbach NFL *8* OVER 48.5 in Arizona vs Baltimore @ 8:30 ET - Taking a look at who Arizona has played this season you will notice they played a lot of teams that are struggling, particularly on offense. The toughest team the Cardinals have faced (based on their record this season) would be their game at Pittsburgh last week. But the Steelers didn't even have Ben Roethlisberger when the Cards faced them last week. With that said, I absolutely believe Joe Flacco and the Ravens solid passing attack is going to be a challenge for the Cardinals defense. Baltimore is averaging 26 points per game in their last 5 games. As for the Cards, the fact they only scored 13 points last week is deceiving. Arizona was done in by 3 turnovers last week as they actually moved the ball very well and amassed 469 yards of offense in the loss. I suspect a struggling Ravens defense already playing their fourth game west of the Mississippi this season is going to have problems trying to stop the high-flying Cardinals. Arizona was averaging 38 points per game this season before last week's "phony final" saw them total 13 points. That is helping to give line value with this total this week as this game should end up totaling at least 56 points. The over is 13-5 in Arizona games where the Cardinals are a favorite. The over is 9-4 in the Ravens last 13 games against teams with a winning record and the over is 7-3 when Baltimore is an underdog of 7.5 to 10 points. Play OVER 48.5 points in Arizona as an *8* selection Monday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Philadelphia Eagles +3 @ Carolina @ 8:30 PM ET - The Panthers will look enticing to most bettors in this spot...and that's just how I like it. Fading the masses. Grab the "unseen" value on the other side. The fact is that anything can happen in any game any week. But when I see a 5-0 team hosting a 3-3 team and only laying a field goal at home, it certainly grabs my attention. Many will want to back said 5-0 team but I love the underdog in this spot. The Eagles are getting their offense going, they have a bye week on deck, and they are catching the Panthers at the perfect time. Carolina is off of a huge win last week as they knocked off the Seahawks. Every team in the NFL has any match-up with Seattle circled on their calendar. That said, eking out a tough win last week over the Hawks was a major even for the Panthers. They will have trouble being able to duplicate that same intensity this week and that will spell trouble against the Eagles. Note that Carolina has played teams that entered this week with a combined record of 9-20 on the year. The Panthers haven't played a single team yet (until this week) that has at least a .500 record on the season. I feel their 5-0 mark is somewhat "fools gold" as a result and I look for the Eagles offense to continue to move the ball very well this week (944 yards total the past two weeks) plus to cut down on their mistakes. Reducing turnovers has been an emphasis for Philly coming into this game and I look for a huge effort heading into their bye week. The Eagles have gone 4-0 SU and ATS as a road dog of 3 points or less the last 3 seasons. Another outright win here would not surprise but I am certainly grabbing the available points in this one. Play Philadelphia plus the points as an *8* selection Sunday.

Rickenbach NFL *10* Top Play Dallas Cowboys +3.5 @ New York Giants @ 4:25 ET - I look for the Cowboys to respond well to the QB change as Matt Cassel takes over the reins this week. Many are looking at the Giants here since they have early season revenge for the loss at Dallas. Now the G-men get that shot at revenge on their home turf Sunday. However, from a situational perspective (revenge aside) this is a brutally bad spot for the Giants. While Dallas is off of their bye week (and fired up and ready to get after it following the 30-6 shellacking at the hands of the powerful Patriots) the Giants are on a short week off of their Monday night loss to the Eagles. The Giants continue to be plagued by their own mistakes as well as questionable decisions of coach Tom Coughlin. They are a team that simply can not be trusted right now and I like having the points with the underdog here. I know that Dallas is struggling and has lost three straight games but I believe the bye week coinciding with the QB change will do wonders for this team. Cassel has had a lot of extra time to prepare for this start with the bye week coming at an opportune time for the Cowboys as they continued to deal with some injury issues. The Cowboys are 12-5 ATS as an underdog and Dallas is on a long-term 20-10 ATS run with off of a bye week. The Giants are off of a MNF loss to the Eagles and they've gone 2-5 ATS when off of a loss to a division rival the last 3 seasons. Play Dallas plus the points as a *10* Top Play Sunday.

Rickenbach NFL *10* OVER 46.5 in San Diego vs Oakland @ 4:05 ET Sunday - Oakland has, arguably, the worst pass defense in the league this season. They are giving up 300 passing yards per game this season and they now have to face Phillip Rivers and the Chargers in San Diego. Rivers is off of his amazing performance at Green Bay last week where he threw for over 500 yards. Unfortunately for Rivers, he came up just short of the end zone at the end of that game and that prevented a San Diego victory. That also prevented a victory for me as I had the over in that game and it was certainly tough to come up just short when I had handicapped the game correctly knowing that the Packers would not be able to stop Rivers. I am looking for some payback here as I come right back with a San Diego Over. Rivers and the Chargers should move the ball well again this week but, this time, look for it to result in much more than just 20 points. Also, the real key here is that the rested Raiders offense likes to throw the ball and challenge teams through the air and I expect a big performance from them in this one. The Raiders have averaged 266 yards through the air their last 4 games and the Chargers are allowing 253 yards per game through the air in home games this season. Beautiful weather expected in San Diego Sunday so both teams can air it out here. Play OVER the total in San Diego as a *10* Top Play Sunday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Tampa Bay Buccaneers +3.5 @ Washington @ 1 PM ET - The Buccaneers are off of their bye week and have been playing solid defense this season. Don't be fooled by the big point total they gave up in their game before the bye week. The Bucs only allowed 325 yards in that game. Also, the game the week before that definitely skewed the numbers as well. Thanks in large part to 5 Tampa Bay turnovers, the Buccaneers lost that game 37-23 even though they only allowed 244 yards! Of course all of these big points being allowed by Tampa Bay factors not only into the line but also public perception going forward. That is what helps drive line value for games like this and I see big value with Tampa Bay as an underdog in this one. TB will take advantage of a Washington defense that has allowed a total of nearly 900 yards of offense in their past two games! Also, the Redskins are just 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games against teams with a losing record. In home games with a posted total between 42.5 and 45 points, Washington has gone 1-5 ATS the last 3 years and an ugly 16-29 ATS long-term. I love the under-rated TB defense in this spot with the situational advantage of coming off of a bye week and facing a Washington team whose defense has been beaten up for two straight weeks. Play Tampa Bay plus the points as an *8* selection Sunday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Jacksonville Jaguars +4.5 vs Buffalo @ 9:30 AM ET Sunday - The Jaguars got beaten badly in each of their two prior trips to London. That is a little extra added motivation for Jacksonville heading into this one. Even though the Jags lost last week it really had a lot do with turnovers. I was impressed with the way that Jacksonville moved the ball. The Jaguars outgained the Texans in last week's game but lost by double digits due to the turnovers. The Jags come into this game on a losing skid but they have faced some tough match-ups and I see the Bills as the perfect opponent for Jacksonville to get healthy against. Buffalo has been very inconsistent this season and they are 2-3 in their last five games with one of those two wins coming by just a single point. That said, I see value with the generous points being offered to Jacksonville here. The Jaguars, statistically, have numbers very similar to Buffalo and the large point totals they've allowed recently are a bit of a 'fluke' when compared to the yardage numbers they've allowed. The Bills are only averaging 15 points per game in their last three games and they also have some significant injuries on that side of the ball. The Bills are on a 2-6 ATS run in games played on a neutral field and Buffalo also is 1-4 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points the last 3 seasons combined. They struggle in the favorites role again on Sunday and the hungry Jaguars are in this one all the way and just might steal the mild upset as well. Play Jacksonville plus the points as an *8* selection early Sunday in London.

Rickenbach NCF Game #345 - *10* Top Play OVER 59 in USC vs Utah @ 7:30 PM ET - Utah won last week despite a very poor performance on offense and I look for them to bounce back after their worst performance so far this season on the offensive end. The Utes had just 369 yards of offense and only 16 first downs. Each of those marks were season lows for this normally potent Utah offense. I don't expect the Utes to be held down for long and the way the Trojans defense has been struggling, I look for Utah to get right back on track on offense Saturday evening. The issue for the Utes though will be trying to stop the high-flying Trojans offense. USC put up nearly 600 yards of offense last week at Notre Dame but fell short against the Fighting Irish. They'll be seeking payback this week and I expect them to turn to their high-powered offense to try and get it. The Trojans are averaging over 500 yards of offense per game this season but the USC defense has allowed at least 450 yards in 3 of their last 4 games. I look for this one to quickly turn into a back and forth track meet. I know that the series history shows tendency toward the under in recent meetings but these teams are functioning differently this season. As a result, we are getting exceptional value with this total today. The over is 3-1 in USC home games with a posted total between 56.5 and 63 points. Play OVER the total in USC as a *10* Top Play Saturday.

Rickenbach NCF Game #354 - *10* Top Play Mississippi Rebels -5 vs Texas A & M @ 7 PM ET - The Aggies haven't even been out of the state of Texas yet this entire season...until today. This is the first true road game for Texas A & M this season. That said...it's likely to be a tough one too because they're facing the wrong team at the wrong time. The Rebels are not in a good mood after they blew an early 14-0 lead at Memphis last week and lost to the Tigers by double digits. l think Ole Miss got that early lead and then made the mistake of starting to look ahead to their next big game (this one) in SEC action and the Rebels paid the ultimate price for that with a loss. Now Ole Miss takes out their frustration against the Aggies. The Rebels stellar offense is averaging 521 yards per game this season. Also, though Mississippi beat the Aggies last season, they haven't forgotten the most recent time they hosted Texas A & M. In that game the Rebels were dealt a home loss and they are still looking for some home payback here and they should certainly get it. The Rebels still remember the Aggies scoring the final 10 points of that 41-38 defeat. The Ole Miss defense has been stellar at home this season. The Aggies, like the Rebels, do have a strong offense as well but their defense has struggled against both the run and pass this season in SEC games. The Rebels head coach Freeze has led his teams to a 38-19 ATS run while the Aggies are just 1-6 when off of a SU loss. I don't seem them bouncing back this week and I look for the Rebels to roll huge at home. Lay the short number with Mississippi as a *10* Top Play Saturday.

Rickenbach NCF Game #381 - *8* Connecticut Huskies +13 @ Cincinnati @ 4:30 PM ET - I like taking defensive-minded dogs in the right situation and that's exactly what we have here. The Huskies possess a very solid defense and are giving up just 20 points per game this season and yet they are a double digit dog here. Adding even more value is that there is no shortage of motivation for Connecticut here as the Huskies are off of a loss to South Florida even though UConn put up over 500 yards of offense in that game. The Bearcats have allowed an average of nearly 300 passing yards per game in their last four games as their defense continues to be a question mark as the season has gone on. Cincinnati has also allowed nearly 200 rushing yards per game in their last five games. The "cherry on top" here is that Cincy embarrassed the Huskies 41-0 last year in Storrs. Payback time here and even if the Huskies do fall short they should certainly stay inside this inflated number. Play Connecticut plus the points as an *8* selection Saturday.

Rickenbach NCF Game #333 - *8* OVER 34 in Vanderbilt vs Missouri @ 4 PM ET - EACH of these teams has YET to record an over this season. That is precisely why I like this play so much. It's a contrarian play because everyone will want the under in this match-up and this total has, therefore, been driven much lower than it should be. The average total points in Vandy's games this season is 38. This total is a 34. That said, note that as low-scoring as Missouri games have been this season, only 3 of their 7 games have totaled less than 34 points. This total has simply been over-adjusted and I expect an over to finally result here and end these two teams long under streaks to start this season. Note that Missouri has allowed at least 20 points in 3 of their last 6 games and that Vanderbilt has allowed an average of 26 points per game in SEC games. Play OVER 34 in Vanderbilt as an *8* selection Saturday.

Rickenbach NCF Game #410 - *8* Nevada Wolf Pack -7 vs Hawaii @ 4 PM ET - Hawaii is 0-4 SU this season in road games. They didn't even score a single point in the first three of those four road games. The Warriors have lost 15 of their last 16 games and, with all of that said, I like my chances with a Nevada team to win this game by at least 7. The Wolf Pack are fired up after their road loss at Wyoming as a TD favorite. Look for Nevada to now get the job done at home as TD favorite. In home games with a posted total between 49.5 and 52 points, the Wolf Pack are a perfect 6-0 SU and ATS! When Nevada is a home favorite of 3.5 to 7 points they have gone 11-5 SU and 11-5 ATS. So, as you can see, when they win in this price range, they certainly have a good history (100%) of covering and I just don't see Hawaii, the poor travelers that they are, as having what it takes to get the upset on the road here. This is especially true when you know that the Wolf Pack will "bring it" in this game after last week's disappointing loss. Play Nevada -7 as an *8* selection Saturday.

Rickenbach NCF Game #361 - *8* OVER 43.5 in Virginia Tech vs Duke @ 3:30 PM ET - Duke has yet to record an over this season but their offense actually ranks them in the middle of the pack in Division 1 football. That said, with Virginia Tech likely to do some damage at home against a solid Blue Devils defense, I do expect this one to find it's way over the low total. I feel it's being held down too low when you look at the following facts: Duke has scored at least 34 points in four of their six games this season. The Blue Devils have faced many weak offenses in amassing their impressive defensive numbers this season. The Hokies are averaging nearly 30 points per game even though they've faced some tough defenses this season. Virginia Tech has allowed at least 24 points in more than half of their games this season. In Duke's games with a line ranging from +3 to -3 the Blue Devils have gone 10-5 to the over. Play OVER 43.5 in Virginia Tech as an *8* selection Saturday.

Rickenbach NCF *8* OVER 76 in Tulsa vs Memphis @ 8 ET Friday - This is a big total but it is absolutely justified. Tulsa is averaging 551 yards of offense per game this season while Memphis is averaging 532 yards per game. Seeing another game where at least 1,000 yards of offense is accumulated would not be a surprise here. I just don't see many defensive stops at all in this one as, not only are we talking about two powerful offenses here, each defense has struggled all season. The Tigers are allowing 445 yards per game this season (high for a 6-0 team to say the least, they are winning with offense). The Golden Hurricane are allowing an average of 525 yards per game. The Memphis defense can't seem to stop the pass and the Tulsa defense can't seem to stop anything. That will lead to a high-scoring shootout Friday night. This total could easily be in the 80s but it stayed lower than that due to Memphis coming off of back to back unders and Tulsa coming off of a 3 straight unders. Don't be fooled by the recent stretch of unders. The Tigers were fortunate to allow just 24 points last week as they did allow 480 yards! Also, the Golden Hurricane defense continues to get scorched and is very vulnerable to an offense as talented as this undefeated Memphis team. Tulsa is 12-3 to the over in their L15 home games. Memphis is 14-6 to the over in games where they are favored. Play OVER 76 in Tulsa as an *8* selection Friday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* OVER 42 in San Francisco vs Seattle @ 8:25 ET Thursday - This series has been an under series and each of the past five meetings over the past two seasons (one was in post-season) have stayed under the total. However, with former San Francisco head coach Harbaugh now at Michigan - instead of patrolling the sidelines in his khakis with the 49'ers - I would not be surprised a different result tonight. Some of the "edginess" of the San Francisco defense seems to have departed right along with Harbaugh. The Niners have given up an average of 441 yards per game in their last five games and I don't see them slowing down Seattle here. As for the Seahawks defense, they've struggled on the road this season. The Hawks are allowing an average of nearly 30 points per game on the road this season and, even though they were at home last week, they did allow 27 points. Losing their defensive coordinator to Atlanta (new head coach there) certainly seems to have bolstered the Falcons but hurt this Seahawks defense. That shows just how important Dan Quinn was to the Seahawks defense. The total on this game is right around a 42 but has flirted with the 42.5 mark. Seattle has gone 27-13 to the over in games with a posted total between 42.5 and 45 points. In October games the over is 52-35 in Seattle games. The 49'ers are 4-2 to the over this season and they've gone 7-3 to the over in October games the last 3 seasons combined. Hawks defense struggles again on the road and the Niners overall struggles on defense continue. Play OVER 42 in San Francisco as an *8* selection Thursday.

Rickenbach NCF *8* OVER 50 in East Carolina vs Temple @ 7 ET - Temple is 6-0 on the season and have recently put forth some very impressive defensive performances. However, the level of competition must be considered. Now the Owls face a very powerful Pirates offense on the road in East Carolina and I look for the Temple defense to be exposed here. Let's not forget that the Owls gave up an average of 410 passing yards per game in back to back road games against UMass and Cincy earlier this season. The Pirates are averaging nearly 300 yards per game through the air this season and they'll absolutely do some damage tonight with their strong aerial attack. East Carolina also plays this game with revenge from last season when they only scored 10 points in the loss. The Pirates compiled 432 yards in that game but were done in by turnovers and penalites and I look for much cleaner game from East Carolina tonight. They are fired up about getting their revenge but their defense is a weakness. The Pirates are allowing an average of 426 yards per game this season and the Owls are averaging a solid 34 points per game on the year. I see solid line value with the low total posted on this game. Play OVER 50 in East Carolina as an *8* selection Thursday. 

Rickenbach NCF *8* Arkansas State -8 vs UL-Lafayette @ 8 ET - Big revenge spot for the Red Wolves and they have the edges to get the job done in a big way on Tuesday night. Arkansas State lost to the Ragin' Cajuns last year by 15 points at Louisiana. The prior year, the Red Wolves hosted UL Lafayette but also lost that game by 17 points. So why are they such a big favorite here? Because the tables have turned folks. The odds makers don't make many big mistakes guys. That said, even though Louisiana has had the upper hand in this series for a number of years now, the fact is that they don't have the offense to keep up with Arkansas State here. Yes, the Ragin' Cajuns did score 49 points last week but that was against the putrid defense of Texas State. The prior two weeks Louisiana was held to just 14 points each week and I expect a similar result tonight. As for the Red Wolves, they have averaged 44 points per game the last 4 weeks and their offense is ready to roll again here. A big problem for Arkansas State in recent match-ups with Louisiana has been their run defense but last week, against South Alabama, the Red Wolves allowed just 29 yards on 32 carries. Tough early season match-ups with teams like USC, Missouri, and Toledo (still undefeated on season at 6-0). The Red Wolves are ready to dominate here. Don't be fooled by this line! Play Arkansas State minus the points as an *8* selection Tuesday.

Rickenbach NFL *10*Top Play Philadelphia Eagles (-) vs New York Giants @ 8:30 ET - The Eagles finally got their offense on track last week at home against New Orleans. Philadelphia pounded out over 500 yards of offense in that game. Philly will build on that momentum here on the offensive side of the ball. Also, what is so often overlooked with the Eagles is how well their defense plays. Because of having a hurry-up offense on the other side of the ball, the Philadelphia defense has to spend a lot of time on the field. Even with all the time spent on the field, the Eagles defense has allowed 395 yards or less in all but one of their games this season. Contrast that with the Giants defense which has been shredded for an average of over 300 passing yards per game this season. The Eagles haven't even allowed 300 passing yards in a game yet this season. Overall, Philly also has the Giants number. Philadelphia has won 11 of the last 14 meetings between these NFC East rivals and, by the way, only one of those 14 games was decided by less than 6 points. Lay the points with the Eagles. Play Philadelphia minus the points as a *10* Top Play Monday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* OVER 54 in Indianapolis vs New England @ 8:30 ET - Andrew Luck and TY Hilton are both listed as probable for this game. The Colts, after a slow start on offense this season (a lot of wasted opportunities) have averaged 26 points per game in their last 3 games. In the last three match-ups between these teams there have been a pair of overs and one push. Both teams have tremedous firewpower on offense and they each come into this match-up with two overs in their last three games. Both clubs rely heavily on their aerial attacks and the Pats defense has allowed 283 passing yards per game at home this season while the Colts defense is allowing an average of 332 passing yards per game in their last three games. I just don't see many defensive stops likely in this game as the Pats have the #1 offense in the league and the Colts, when Luck is at the helm, are also one of the elite offensive units in the game. When an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points, the Colts are on a 52-31 run to the over including 6-2 the L8. The over is 22-11 in Pats games against the AFC South including a perfect 4-0 the last 3 years. Play OVER the total in Indianapolis as an *8* selection Sunday night.

Rickenbach NFL *10* Top Play OVER 50.5 in Green Bay vs San Diego @ 4:25 ET - San Diego's game versus Pittsburgh Monday night stayed under the total despite the fact that the Chargers had over 400 yards of offense. San Diego has one of the top offenses in the league and I expect Phillip Rivers and Company to expose a Packers defense that has put up better numbers than expected largely due to facing a number of subpar offenses in their early season schedule. That all changes today. San Diego is averaging 410 yards per game this season and the over is 8-2 in their last 10 non-conference games. Also, after playing on Monday Night Football, the over is 13-7 in the Chargers next game. As for the Packers, the over is 28-16 in games where they are a favorite of 10 points or more. Also, against the AFC West, the over has gone 18-8 the last 26. As a home favorite of 10.5 to 14 points, the over is 19-10 in Green Bay games. San Diego has major issues with their run defense and with the Packers able to run all over them that will also open up the passing attack for Aaron Rodgers and Company. The result here, with clear weather conditions expected also, will be a back and forth high-scoring affair. Play OVER the total Green Bay as a *10* Top Play Sunday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Kansas City Chiefs +4 @ Minnesota @ 1 ET - The Vikings may be rested off of their bye week but I still do not believe this is a good situation for them. They suffered a tight loss against undefeated Denver the prior week. It was a tough defeat for the Vikes and now Minnesota also has a pair of key NFC North battles on deck after this less important non-conference battle against the Chiefs. With that said, I think the hungrier more motivated team that you're going to see in this match-up Sunday is going to be the 1-4 Kansas City unit. Having "let one get away" last week versus Chicago and desperate to get back into the win column, look for a huge effort from KC here. Kansas City also is likely to rally after the injury to RB Charles last week. Often, in the first game after a key injury, you see all of the players really step up their game in an attempt to compensate for a key player's absence. With that said, huge effort coming from the Chiefs Sunday. Play Kansas City plus the points as an *8* selection Sunday.

Rickenbach NFL *10* Top Play Cleveland Browns +4 vs Denver @ 1 ET - Denver is undefeated on the season and they certainly deserve accolades for how strong their defense has been this season. But, at the same time, they have certainly been fortunate to remain undefeated. Last week at Oakland the Broncos only managed 15 first downs while the Raiders had 20. It was the 3rd time this season that Denver has been held under 300 yards of offense. This week the Broncos have another tough road match-up as they visit Cleveland. The Browns have played quite well since their opening week loss and, last week, Cleveland picked up their 2nd win in their last 4 games. The Browns amassed more than 500 yards in their win at Baltimore last week. They have averaged 357 passing yards per game in their last 3 games. Even though that win at Baltimore was a big win over a hated rival, there of courese is no way the Browns are going to overlook this great opportunity afforded by hosting an undefeated team this week. Look for Cleveland to step up large in this game while Denver gets caught already thinking this is a win and looking forward to their bye week. I expect the Broncos to get upset here but certainly am grabbing the points withe the underdog Browns though I do expect an outright upset victory. In five games this season, last week marked the second time already this year that Denver did not score an offensive TD. The Broncos luck runs out this week. Play Cleveland plus the points as a *10* Top Play Sunday.

Rickenbach NCF *10* Top Play OVER 55 in Utah vs Arizona State @ 10:00 ET - Hats off to the Utes for allowing 24 points or less in each of their games this season. Certainly forcing turnovers (Utah has forced 17 in 6 games) has had a lot to do with it. However, eventually all the big yardage the Utes are allowing in each game is going to catch up with them and I expect this week to be that week. The Sun Devils have a very potent offense and they're facing a Utes defense that has given up at least 355 yards in every game this season and that has allowed an average of 433.5 yards in their last two games. The Utes defense is absolutly going to be tested here by an Arizona State offense that is averaging 447 yards per gmae and that has thrown for at least 260 yards in each of their last five games. The Utes pass defense won't be the only D struggling in this one. The Sun Devils pass D has allowed an avearage of 353 yards per game through the air the last 3 weeks. A lot of unders this year for Arizona State and the fact that the Utes have been a bit of a statistical anamoly (points allowed compared to yards allowed) has certainly played a role in keeping this total much lower than it should be. I'll gladly step in and take advantage. Play OVER the total in Utah as a *10* Top Play Saturday.

Rickenbach NCF *8* OVER 61 in Notre Dame vs USC @ 7:30 ET - We are getting some line value with this total because the Trojans scored just 12 points as they were done in by turnovers last week. USC, heading into last week's game, was averaging 47 points per game on the season and I do expect their offense to bounce back and get right back on track today. Though it will be chilly at Notre Dame this evening, the conditions are expected to include dry weather and light winds so both teams can open up the entire playbook for this one. With that said, the Irish should enjoy a big game on offense. Notre Dame is averaging 38 points per game this season and is 3-0 to the over in home games with a posted total between 56.5 and 63 points. The Trojans defense has struggled at times this season as they're allowing nearly 400 yards per game. As for Notre Dame, they're allowing an average of 220 yards per game on the ground in their last four games. Also, their pass D has been scorched for 289 yards or more in two games already this season. The other games where their pass defense has looked better has had a lot to do with the opposition they faced. Today the Irish face a team that threw 6 TDs against their secondary last year. Play OVER the total in Notre Dame as an *8* selection Saturday.

Rickenbach NCF *10* Top Play Alabama -3.5 @ Texas A & M @ 3:30 ET - These teams are next to each other in the rankings and the Aggies are at home here...yet it's Alabama that's favored by more than a field goal even though they are on the road. Looks like a trap, doesn't it? Don't fall for it. Lay the points with the Crimson Tide. Alabama has played the tougher schedule and they already have blemish on their record while Texas A & M comes into this game with an undefeated record. The Crimson Tide wants nothing more than to make sure the Aggies get their first blemish today and I expect them to do just that as they deliver a big road win. Alabama crushed Texas A & M 59-0 last year and they also knocked of the Aggies by a full TD in their last visit to College Station. The difference in today's match-up will be the Bama defense as they have continued to dominate on that side of the ball. The Aggies are allowing 110 points more per game than Alabama is this season. The Crimson Tide are 23-15 their last 38 times as an SEC favorite. The Aggies have covered just five times in their last eighteen games against SEC opponents. EVen though the Aggies are off of a bye, head coach Sumlin has led his team to a cover just once in this last seven times off of a bye. The Aggies and their porous defense finally get exposed here while the Crimson Tide defense dominates again. Play Alabama minus the points as a *10* Top Play Saturday.

Rickenbach NCF *8* BYU Cougars -6.5 vs Cincinnati @ 8 ET Friday - Look for turnovers to be a key factor in this one. The Cougars have forced a total of 13 turnovers this season while the Bearcats have only forced 4 turnovers this year! Though Cincinnati is coming in off of a bye week, they are actually only 2-4 SU and 2-4 ATS when coming off of a bye week the past two seasons. Also, the Bearcats were fortunate in their win over Miami before the bye week as they did allow 427 yards in that game. The Cincy D is a concern as they've allowed at least 427 yards in each of their last 3 games and that included match-ups with Miami of Ohio and Memphis. In my opinion, this Bearcats teams is really stepping up in class here and they will struggle to stay in this one. The Cougars, although off of a win, are fired up after almost letting one get away from them last week as they blew a late lead against East Carolina. Look for BYU to learn from that lesson and "keep the pedal to the metal" all the way through this game. The Cougars were 4-1 ATS on the season before the "blown cover" against the Pirates and I look for them to get right back on track here. It certainly helps Brigham Young that this is their third straight home game. Also, the Cougars are hosting an over-matched Cincinnati team that is 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games against non-conference opposition. Play BYU as an *8* selection Friday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* OVER 51.5 in Atlanta vs New Orleans @ 8:25 ET Thursday - The Saints have one of the worst overall defenses in the league so far this season. The Falcons defense against the pass has been awful so far this year. Look for plenty of yards through the air in the dome tonight for both teams. The Falcons game versus Washington last week stayed under the total but they are 7-1 to the over the last 3 seasons when they are a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points. Atlanta is averaging 32.4 points per game this season and they should get at least 30 again tonight. As for the Saints, their game flew over the total last week as the Eagles scorched them for 39 points. Their defense simply can't stop anybody right now. But New Orleans does move the ball well, particularly at home. Though their most recent home game stayed under the total they did have 438 yards of offense in that game against Dallas. Drew Brees and Company will be moving the ball well again tonight but the Saints defense is not going to slow down Matt Ryan and Company as the Falcons roll on offense continues as well. New Orleans has gone 7-2 to the over in their last 9 October games. In home games with a posted total of 49.5 points or more, the Saints have gone 26-16 to the over. Play OVER 51.5 points in New Orleans as an *8* play Thursday.

Rickenbach NCF *8* OVER 51.5 in Kentucky vs Auburn @ 7:00 ET Thursday - Auburn, before their bye week, did put up 35 points on the Spartans but, let's face it, that was San Jose State. The Tigers, in their two SEC games (against LSU and Mississippi State) only averaged 15 points per game. With that said, you can bet their emphasis tonight against Kentucky is going to be on getting their offense untracked and I expect them to do just that thanks to the extra time they have had to prepare and gameplan for this one. Of course Kentucky is also off of their bye so I am expecting a huge effort from them tonight as well and the Wildcats are also focused on getting their offense on track. The Cats did put up 34 points in their tight win over Eastern Kentucky before their bye week but that was an embarrassing performance as the Wildcats didn't get things going until late in the game. Kentucky, like Auburn, has scored an average of just 15 points in their last two SEC games (against Missouri and Florida). With both teams emphasizing offense tonight, look for a back and forth high scoring SEC match-up. The Wildcats are 23-10 to the over in home games with a posted total between 49.5 and 56 points. The Tigers are 4-1 (80%) to the over the last 3 years in road games with a posted total between 49.5 and 56 points. Play OVER 51.5 in Kentucky as an *8* play Thursday.

Rickenbach NCF *8* OVER 58.5 in South Alabama vs Arkansas State @ 8 ET - Arkansas State QB Fredi Knighten missed the last 3 games but is expected back tonight. That just adds even more fire power for a Red Wolves team that in their last 3 games has had offensive explosions of 49 points and 70 points. Also, Arkansas State put up 45 points in last season's match-up with the Jaguars. South Alabama comes into this game off of a strong defensive effort but that came against an overmatched Troy team that is having a down season. Prior last week's win, the Jaguars had lost 2 of their last 3 games and allowed an average of 46 points per game. Their defense will struggle to stop a Red Wolves offense that has already been tested by having to face the likes of USC and Missouri earlier this season. That helped set the stage for the Arkansas State offense to be more explosive as the season went on and that is exactly what you're seeing now. Look for the Jaguars to match the Red Wolves score for score in this one as Arkansas State (just like South Alabama) is allowing an average of roughly 400 yards per game this season. Both teams should be able to move the ball well throughout this one and it sets up to be a back and forth high-scoring affair. The over is 12-3 in Arkansas State's games in conference action and the Red Wolves are 8-1 to the over when they are off of a win against a conference foe. In October games, the Jaguars are on an 8-2 run to the over. Play OVER 58.5 in South Alabama as an *8* selection Tuesday. 

Rickenbach NFL *10* Top Play Pittsburgh Steelers +4 @ San Diego @ 8:30 ET Monday - The Steelers blew a 20-7 lead against the Ravens last week and ended up losing 23-20. Needless to say that defeat has not sat well with Pittsburgh and they're going on the road with a full head of steam as a result. Pittsburgh had won back to back games before that loss and Michael Vick, taking the place of the injured Ben Roethlisberger, was more of a game manager but certainly did a decent enough job in that game. Look for him to do even more in his second start with Pittsburgh as the more time he's had since the Roethlisberger injury the more prepared he is to work a full game-plan with his teammates. The Chargers are coming off of a tight win over the Browns last week and certainly have not been overly impressive so far this season. The Chargers rallied to beat Detroit in week one but how impressive is that now? The horrible Lions still have not won a game this season. Then the Chargers lost two straight games and then they barely got by another weak team, the Browns, last week. I am just not impressed with what San Diego has done so far this season and I see good line value with the underdog Steelers coming in fired up after a tight loss in their last game. Pittsburgh also does have a rest edge since their game was on a Thursday. Also, the Steelers are known for performing well at this critical time of year. In games in weeks 5 through 9 the Steelers are on a 73-28 SU Run and 62-36-3 ATS run. The Steelers are 10-4 ATS their last 14 against San Diego and the Chargers have failed to cover three straight games. Look for that poor ATS streak to reach 4 in a row on Monday night. Play Pittsburgh plus the points as a *10* Top Play Monday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* OVER 43 in NY Giants vs San Francisco @ 8:30 ET - The 49'ers offense certainly has struggled so far this season but the Giants porous pass defense certainly should provide the perfect remedy. New York has allowed 316 passing yards per game so far this season. Also, the Giants certainly could be in a flat spot here from an intensity level and emotional standpoint. Not only is New York off of a big road win last week over a team that was off to a good start this season (Buffalo), the Giants also have huge games on deck with the Eagles and Cowboys (a pair of division rivals) up next on their schedule. That makes this a tough spot for the Giants defense to really "bring it" and they're also likely to take the Niners offense "lightly" since they have struggled so much early this season. The other side of the equation here is that I expect the New York offense to roll though the Niners D. San Francisco has allowed an average of well over 400 yards per game in their last three games. The Giants are averaging 25.5 points per game so far this season. With these teams likely to battle tooth and nail all the way that means a 28-27 or 28-24 type game is to be expected. Great value with this total as low as it is. The Niners are 5-2 to the over as a road dog of 3.5 to 7 points the last three years. Play OVER the total in the NY Giants game as an *8* selection Sunday.