THE Game of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) @ Golden State Warriors @ 9 ET - Both teams have had a long layoff but the Warriors layoff has been particularly long heading into this one. Also, the Cavaliers have responded extremely well after a long layoff in this post-season as they blew out the Raptors and Celtics in Game 1 of each of those series. Certainly this is to take nothing away from Golden State. They definitely have proven they are more than capable of blowing teams out but even though they have revenge from last year's Finals loss to the Cavs, Cleveland comes into Game 1 very hungry here as LeBron James and Company are tired of all the talk about being such a huge dog in this match-up. That is tremendous motivation for the defending champs and, even if they do fall short in Game 1 I would expect it to only be by a bucket or two. I know the Cavaliers got the benefit of facing the Celtics with Isaiah Thomas getting hurt in the series but the Warriors faced the Spurs without Kawhi Leonard after the midway point in Game 1 AND then San Antonio ALSO lost Tony Parker to injury. San Antonio just didn't have anybody left (let's not forget Tim Duncan of course was already retired and SA just not what they once were). The point is that the Cavs faced arguably a tougher test to get here than the Warriors. For all the talk of all the weapons that Golden State has (certainly formidable) let's not forget that LeBron James has a healthier cast around him this season and they've got Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love (healthy!) for star power plus plenty of tremendous role players. They're just not even being given a shot here and remember the Spurs were up HUGE here in GS in Game 1 before Leonard got hurt. LeBron and Company are well aware of the +7 that has been assigned to them here and they'd love nothing more than to make a statement here in Game 1. The Cavaliers are going to bring a ferocious attitude to the floor for this game and I expect Game 1 goes to the wire with an outright upset not surprising me in the least. 10* CLEVELAND

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (+) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:30 ET - I know Kyrie Irving is going to play and his ankle is not "that" big of a deal. However, there is no denying that if the Cavaliers are fortunate enough to have a big lead late in this game they have to start thinking about the Warriors and making sure nobody gets hurt or, in the case of Irving, injures something further. With that said, this is a lot of points for Cavs on the road and I see this game being decided by single digits. Keep in mind, Boston was thoroughly embarrassed on their home floor in this series and, that said, even if they are unable to extend the series by getting an upset win at home tonight, they damn sure want to at least put on a respectable showing for their home fans. Without Isaiah Thomas, the Celtics have looked like a different team and Cleveland even admitted they are still having trouble adjusting to the way Boston is playing sans Thomas. Of course the Cavs don't have to even admit that as it has truly been apparent. The Celtics rallied for the big upset win on the road in Game 3 and for much of Game 4 (even into the 4th quarter) appeared to have a great shot at another upset Tuesday. The fact is that everyone (including bettors) are anxious for the NBA Finals between Cleveland and Golden State to start and many are looking for a close-out game here for the Cavs. That is reflected in this line going from an 8.5 to as high as an 11 and while the Cavaliers may indeed get the close-out win here, I just don't see it coming at a big margin. These series has looked much different since Brad Stevens (a good coach) has made some key adjustments to make things much more competitive after abhorrent performances early in this series in Boston. The Celtics are 11-5 ATS (and SU) this season when off of a loss by 10 points or more and the Game 4 final score does not properly reflect how close that game was. The result is tremendous line value here and, as a result, I am going with my highest rating in this one! 10* BOSTON

TNT Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (+) @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:30 ET - Boston made significant adjustments in Game 3 and guys stepped up with Isaiah Thomas out. The Celtics not only covered that game but also got the huge upset win. Now most everyone will be running to the Cavaliers here expecting LeBron James and company to respond in a huge way here. However, while Cleveland is certainly likely to respond and get a W here are they really going to win this one in complete blowout fashion? To me this line is far too high when you consider that Boston has their sights set on making a series out of this. Keep in mind, they're already guaranteed of getting a Game 5 on their game floor so they know they can still battle and make something out of this series. Also, once the mighty has fallen once it can cast a little bit of doubt upon a team. In other words, the Cavs don't have the same "unbeatable" aura flowing around them the way they did before getting upset in Game 3 Sunday. In terms of ATS stats, since the All Star break, the Cavs only once have had a single ATS standalone loss. In other words, when they are off of a defeat at the betting window, it almost always has started a streak of ATS losses and I expect that to be the case here as well. The Cavs were on a 6-0-2 ATS run before Sunday's loss but prior to this ATS hot streak, the Cavaliers were on a long-term 9-18-1 ATS run. Could this be the start of their next big decline at the betting window. I certainly am glad to test that theory with the big points being offered here. The Celtics are on a long-term 16-6 ATS run as a road dog of 12.5 or more points. Cleveland is on a 15-25 ATS run when playing with home loss revenge. 10* BOSTON plus the big points Tuesday evening

Contrarian Special - Rickenbach Saturday NBA 8* San Antonio Spurs (+) vs Golden State Warriors @ 9 ET - The Spurs, under coach Gregg Popovich, have long been known as a "character team" in the NBA. The way San Antonio lost on Tuesday (got down huge early and never recovered) totally threw "character" out the window. The Spurs, without Kawhi Leonard, seemed to have self-doubt from the opening tip and they gave a horrific effort in that game. That, of course, is unacceptable to coach Pop and the Spurs and you can bank on a huge effort Saturday night in front of a raucous home crowd in San Antonio. The ugly loss Tuesday was bad enough but the fact that SA has had to wait so long for their next game to try and get rid of the bad taste in their mouth from Game 2 means you're going to see an extremely intense and focused effort from the Spurs in Game 3 Saturday night. There is no doubt the Warriors are loaded with talent and certainly are the healthier team but, after the 36 point shellacking the Spurs were handed Tuesday night, look for this game to be decided by only a bucket or two as San Antonio is far too proud to go away without a fight under coach Popovich. The Spurs had everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, called into question after their effort Tuesday. That is the kind of embarrassing loss that will bring out the best in a team in the next game especially given the circumstances here. In our favor is the extra time off for the Spurs to regroup, the fact they are down 2-0 in the series, and the fact they are now back home. Look for SA to improve to 9-3 ATS this season as an underdog while the Warriors drop to 2-5 ATS when playing with 3 or more days of rest this season. 8* SAN ANTONIO

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Friday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (+) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:30 ET - The Celtics didn't come this far and battle so hard for home court edge only to get trampled in both games on their home floor to open up this series. In other words, after a "wake up call" in Game 1 on Wednesday, look for Boston to respond in a big way on Friday in Game 2. The Celtics were on a 9-2 ATS run before getting blown out by double digits Wednesday. Boston is 10-4 ATS (and SU!) when off of a loss by 10 points or more this season. While I do indeed expect that the Celtics will win this one outright, I am absolutely going to grab the generous points being offered. Boston is 77-52 ATS the last 3 seasons combined when playing with revenge. As for the mighty Cavaliers, they managed to win Game 1 despite making only 35.5% of their three pointers. That is significant because that type of shooting performance has been an ominous sign for the Cavs in recent months. When Cleveland is held under 38% from three point land in their prior game they have a 2-9 ATS record in their next game! The Celtics will turn up the heat on defense in this game and make the proper adjustments and I look for this game to go right down to the wire which means excellent line value with the generous points being offered here. 10* BOSTON

TNT No Doubt ATS Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (+) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:30 ET - The Cavaliers have been off for a week and a half. I know the Cavs were off for a week before they met Toronto and yet they still blasted the Raptors by double digits in that game. However, the Celtics are not the Raptors AND this game is on the road! Look for Cleveland to struggle to put away the top-seeded Celtics here. I do expect Boston to win this game outright but I'll gladly grab the generous points being offered. The Celtics might be a little sore and/or tired after their 7-game battle with the Wizards. However, Boston unless comes into this game with momentum and should play crisp basketball tonight while the Cavaliers could be a little disjointed after the long lay-off. Cleveland is facing one of the higher-scoring teams in the league and, interestingly, the Cavs are 10-13 ATS (and SU!) in games this season against teams that are averaging 106 points or more per game. The Celtics are playing this game with home loss revenge from an embarrassing loss in Boston in early April. This season the Celtics are 23-13 SU and 21-13 ATS when playing with revenge! Ton of respect for the Cavs but they opened up as a 3-point favorite here with good reason and yet everyone has jumped all over them and pushed this line higher. Boston coach Brad Stevens is an excellent coach and the Celtics fought hard to earn the #1 seed and home court edge in the East. They certainly aren't going to easily relinquish it. Look for the Celtics to come out very strong here as the Cavaliers struggle to get back into proper game flow. 10* BOSTON

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Golden State Warriors vs San Antonio Spurs @ 3:30 ET - Even though the Warriors won the most recent meeting between these teams (by 12 at San Antonio in late March), Golden State still has revenge on their minds heading into this one. The only time this season that the Warriors hosted the Spurs this season, it was Golden State's home opener and they got embarrassed in a 29 point loss. Home loss revenge is a pretty strong motivator and there is another reason to expect the Warriors to show no mercy here. They want to set the tone for this series. Golden State wants to flex their muscles in Game 1 and not give the big dog Spurs any chance to get any momentum going early in this series. This line may look big at -10 but the odds makers opened this one up at double digits with good reason. The Warriors are 8-0 in the post-season and 7 of the 8 wins have come by a double digit margin! As for the Spurs, each of their 6 games with the Rockets was decided by double digits except for the lone OT game. It was that OT loss for Houston that took the wind out of their sails and left them dead in Game 6. No excuse really for that but the Rockets were no match for SA in Game 6 and that helped to create some line value because everyone watched the Spurs blowout the Rockets in that series-clinching road win. The Spurs are 2-4 ATS this season when off of an upset win as an underdog. San Antonio is also 5-9 ATS when off of 2 days or more of rest. The Warriors are on a powerful 14-7 ATS run in games against teams with a winning record and, after what happened at Oracle Arena on October 25th, the Spurs have their full attention! 10* GOLDEN STATE

Texas Insider - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 10* Top Play San Antonio Spurs (+) @ Houston Rockets @ 8 ET - Even though the Rockets are at home and should have won Game 5 outright (rather than just covering in OT), the fact is that the emotional and physical drain on Houston is big right now. That loss in Game 5 really strung the Rockets emotionally. From a physical standpoint Houston went with just a 7-man rotation Tuesday and 6 of those players combined to average 40 minutes in the grueling overtime affair. In fact 4 of the 5 starters did log 40 minutes or more. It's starting to take a toll on the Rockets and I look for this to once again be another tight match-up that could go either way late in the fourth quarter. That said, there is huge line value with the big points being offered in this one and the word here in San Antonio (I have resided in this area for many years) is that Kawhi Leonard's ankle is not an issue at all. The Spurs are 7-2 ATS as an underdog this season. The Rockets are on a 2-7 ATS run in home games. Fade the line move and grab the big points being offered in this one! 10* SAN ANTONIO

Texas Insider - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (+) @ San Antonio Spurs @ 8 ET - The Rockets got their transition game going in Game 4 and they also got their three point shooting back on track. Both teams have each won on their opponents home court but the difference now is that the Spurs being without Tony Parker is absolutely a big deal. San Antonio managed to rise up in Game 3, their first game after he got hurt. But the Rockets then made the proper adjustments on how to attack the Spurs without Parker and, of course, Game 4 was a full display of just how successful those adjustments can be. Of course it's a bit of cat and mouse here as SA coach Gregg Popovich will most certainly have his team ready to go here and will make some adjustments after getting blown out in Game 4. However, one thing is for certain, Pop's ability to truly "replace" his floor leader Parker is just not there. This is a glaring hole for the Spurs and yet this line is set right near where it was in Games 1 and 2 here in San Antonio. How can that be? It's because the betting public likes to play the "zig zag" theory and many will be backing the Spurs here to bounce back off of the ugly Game 4 loss. The fact that the dynamics surrounding Game 5 are much bigger than anything a "zig zag" can properly address is why we're getting amazing line value with the Rockets here. I'll take it! Grab the points as Houston is 12-5 ATS as an underdog this season. By the way, the Spurs are only 4-6 ATS this season and 10-15 ATS the past 3 seasons combined when they are off of a loss by a double digit margin. San Antonio will certainly be looking to bounce back but I just don't see it sans Parker and with the Rockets fully prepared to maintain the momentum. Keep in mind they blasted the Spurs in SA in Game 1 to start this series. 10* HOUSTON ROCKETS

Primetime Punisher - NBA Monday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz (+) vs Golden State Warriors @ 9 ET - The Jazz are going to fight hard (just like the Raptors did yesterday) as they look to avoid the series sweep on their home floor. Even though Toronto did fall short yesterday, they got the cover for some and pushed for others. In this case Utah is being given an even bigger number in comparison with the Raptors and there is solid line value here with this hungry home dog. The Warriors managed to pull away very late in Game 3 but that has also created line value for Game 4 because this line is a bucket higher even though the Jazz were "right there" with Golden State in the fourth quarter before a late run for the Warriors sealed Utah's fate. The Jazz are 39-16 ATS the last 3 seasons when playing with home loss revenge and they are still 7-3 ATS in all playoff games this season. Also, Utah is 8-4 ATS (and SU!) when off of a loss by a double digit margin this season. The Jazz are definitely going to go hard tonight and look to notch that highly sought home win to extend this series and avoid the sweep. Even with Saturday's win, Golden State is only 3-6 ATS this season in games against teams that allow an average of 98 points or less per game. The Warriors very well could stamp their ticket to the Western Conference finals tonight but the points are simply too much here as I anticipate this one going to the final horn. 10* UTAH JAZZ

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (-) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 9 ET - Surprisingly the Spurs were able to get an upset win on the road at Houston in Game 3 even without Tony Parker and even after a huge fourth quarter in Game 2 had propelled them to a massive home court win. Sometimes teams are able to rise up in the first game after a star goes down as everyone is so highly motivated to perform huge and make up for the star's absence. However, those teams then often fall flat in the 2nd game. That is not the only thing going in our favor here however as the other big key is the Rockets are still at home and they are coming off of a dreadful shooting performance and a 2nd straight blowout loss. Sometime a good team will lose bad once but when they lose bad in back to back games there is no doubt about the effort their going to bring in Game 3 of such a scenario. Houston is 9-3 ATS this season when playing with home loss revenge. The Rockets are also 14-4 SU (and 12-6 ATS) when off of an upset loss as a favorite. Harden needs some help from his teammates after he was the only big scorer for the Rockets in Game 3. Similar to how others stepped up for the Spurs in the first game without Parker, look for others to step up for the Rockets to help provide more balanced scoring in a must win scenario in Game 4. Houston can ill afford to go back to SA down 3-1 in this series. Keep in mind, this is not the Spurs of the "Dynasty Years" and I look for San Antonio to drop to 4-8 ATS their last 12 games when leading in a playoff series. 10* HOUSTON

TNT Early Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 8* Boston Celtics (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 6:30 ET - After making only 35% of their shots and getting thoroughly blown out in Game 3 (thanks to a 22-0 1st quarter run for the Wizards), look for the Celtics to respond in a big way here. They just couldn't make any shots Thursday but Boston is 9-3 SU and ATS this season when off of a loss by 10 points or more. Look for Isaiah Thomas to get back on track after a very tough performance for him in Game 3. He's been so hot in the post-season and he'll be ready to be aggressive again as the Celtics make some adjustments to counteract what the Wizards were successful in putting together in Thursday's win. I am well aware of Washington's 4-0 home record so far in this post-season but the Wizards don't exactly have a storied playoff history in 2nd round playoff games. Their long-term runs included 5-14 SU in 2nd round playoff games (including 3-6 in recent seasons) and 8-17 SU when trailing in a playoff series. The Celtics are the better team defensively and they'll bounce back in Game 4. Even with that Game 3 loss, Boston is still 31-15 SU the last 3 seasons combined in games against teams that allow 106 points or more per game. The physicality is on the increase in this series and the Celtics will come out strong and have gone 21-12 SU this season when playing with revenge. 8* BOSTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 8* Toronto Raptors (+) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 3:30 ET - With professional pride on the line, the Raptors are going to do everything in their power to avoid the sweep and get a W Sunday. The beauty of this situation though is in terms of the line value. The Raptors don't have to get an outright win for us to get the cash and the fact is that this line is truly inflated as it has moved as high as +7 as of Saturday evening. Keep in mind the Raptors were only down 2 heading to the 4th quarter of Game 3 on Friday. So how in the world did Toronto end up losing that game by 21 points? The explanation is really quite simple and it also is a reason that we're getting tremendous line value in Game 4 because the unusual results are highly unlikely to be repeated. The Raptors Tucker made 1 of his 2 three pointers and the rest of the team was 1 of 16 from beyond the arc. For the Cavs, Irving made only 1 of 5 from beyond the arc but the rest of the team was an absolutely insane 12 of 18 from three point land. When a team gets outscored by 33 points from beyond the arc, they are going to have trouble to say the least! Those ridiculous results are leading to big-time line value here. I'll take it! The Cavaliers have covered just 3 of 10 Sunday games this season and this is a rather early start. The Raptors are 30-15 SU at home this season and I expect them to respond here even if Lowry is out again. 8* TORONTO

ABC Blowout ATS Rout - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz (+) vs Golden State Warriors @ 8:30 ET - The Jazz went 29-12 at home in the regular season. Though they're down 0-2 in this series they certainly showed plenty of fight at Golden State and did get the cover in each game. Some of the adjustments that Utah made in the 2nd half of that game certainly paid off and the Jazz were able to close within as close as 6 in the fourth quarter. Grabbing some momentum from those adjustments as well as the fact that they now get a game on their home floor, I would not be surprised to see Utah get the outright upset here but certainly there is value with the generous points being offered. Even though he's listed as probable, Draymond Green's knee injury is something that the Warriors can afford to be careful with and rest him some as they are working toward a long playoff march. As for the Jazz, there is no time to waste and, though George Hill is questionable for this game, I would be surprised if he is not back out there running the offense for Utah in this one and that will be a big plus. Either way, I am grabbing the home dog here. The Jazz are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games versus the Warriors. Also, Utah is 8-3 ATS (and SU!) this season when off of a loss by a margin of 10 points or more. Tonight I look for the Jazz to improve to an incredible 8-2 ATS in this post-season. Look for the Warriors to drop to 2-7 ATS this season in games played against teams that allow an average of 98 points or less per game. 10* UTAH JAZZ plus the points Saturday evening.

Western Conf Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (-) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 9:30 ET - After getting embarrassed in the 4th quarter at San Antonio Wednesday night, the Rockets will be ready to respond here. The Spurs found that their small ball lineup worked well even without Tony Parker on the floor after he got hurt early in the 4th quarter. Even though Parker is now out for the post-season, the Spurs still have others that can step in and maintain the small ball attack in Game 3. However, what is unlikely to happen is for the Spurs to again shoot 54.5% from the field. That said, the Spurs could be in trouble willing to play a game where the winning team is in the 120s. The fact is that even though this series is 1-1, the way it's being played thusfar certainly favors the Rockets. Houston loves to get involved in high-scoring shootouts and they'll hold the upper hand in this one at home. The Rockets had won 6 of 7 before the loss Wednesday. The Spurs barely got by a Memphis team that was without Tony Allen in round one and then San Antonio got pounded in Game 1 of this series before responding in Game 2. One game certainly does not sure all that ailed the Spurs and there will be points in this game where they'll certainly miss the veteran leadership of their floor general, Tony Parker. The Spurs were on a 5-8 ATS run before the big win in Game 2. The Rockets are 25-7 SU (and 21-11 ATS) this season when off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. Bounce back time for the Rockets here. 10* HOUSTON

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Friday 8* Toronto Raptors (+) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7 ET - After getting embarrassed on the road in each of the first two games in this series the Raptors respond big here. Toronto has won 8 of its past 10 home games. The Cavaliers aren't going to be able to maintain the ridiculously high clip at which they hit three pointers in the first two games of this series now that the Cavs are on the road. Late in the season Cleveland had some very tough shooting nights from beyond the arc when on the road. The Cavaliers are 6-0 in the playoffs but only 2 of those wins came on the road. Also, the Cavs went only 4-9 SU on the road in their last 13 regular season games away from home. Look for Cleveland to fall to 18-26 ATS in road games this season as the Raptors respond large here. Toronto has only had one home game since the 18th. The 18th was a 6 point win over the Bucks and the the Raptors destroyed Milwaukee at the Air Canada Centre on the 24th by 25 points. In other words, Toronto is thrilled to be back home and will make the most of this opportunity with LeBron James and company in town. In last year's post-season series between these teams the home team won each of the first 5 games before the Cavs then blew out the Raptors for the series-clinching Game 6 victory. The Raptors haven't forgotten that defeat and, for the 8th time in the last 9 post-season games between these foes, I look for the home team to get the job done. 8* TORONTO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 8* Boston Celtics (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 8 ET - Once again fading what is likely to be public perception here. Most everyone is likely to load up on Washington because they are down 2 games to 0 and now back home and basically in 'must win' mode. Of course we all know that the pressure can actually be nearly insurmountable when a team truly 'must win' and I don't expect the Wizards to react well here. They never should have lost Game 2 but they blew a big early lead and then lost ugly in OT. That is a tough loss to bounce back from and Washington doesn't exactly have a good pedigree of recent success. The Wizards are 2-6 in 2nd round playoff games in recent seasons and 4-14 long-term! As for the Celtics, they simply seem to be riding high no matter the scenario they are faced with and are already 6-2 (SU and ATS) in this post-season despite the tough times Isaiah Thomas has dealt with because of his sister's passing. The Wizards are simply an awful team on defense and this includes being bad at defending the 3-point ball. They have allowed 49.4% or more from the field in 9 of their last 18 games. It is truly no wonder that Washington is on a 6-10 ATS run. As for the Celtics, since dropping the first two games to the Bulls they've responded with a 6-0 SU and ATS run! Boston is 26-16 ATS on the road this season. Versus team that average 106 points or more per game, the Wizards have a history of having trouble. They've gone 28-59 SU and 34-51 ATS in those games. More of the same here as the Wizards deficiencies on the defensive end continue to be an issue. 8* BOSTON

TNT Blowout ATS Rout - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (+) @ San Antonio Spurs @ 9:35 ET - Again, the "zig zag" theory is in effect here and yet I'll gladly be a contrarian and step in on the other side of it. Many will be looking to back the Spurs after the ugly loss in Game One. However, I rode the Rockets to victory there and, as I mentioned in my write-up for Monday's game, San Antonio is just not the team they use to be. I firmly believe that had the Grizzlies had Tony Allen available for that first round series, the Spurs would not have even got past Memphis! Now the Spurs have quickly found out they have their hands full with this uber-talented scoring machine filled with lethal three point shooters. The Rockets simply are too much for the Spurs and, though San Antonio will surely make adjustments and will look to respond here on their home floor, that still is no guarantee of victory and certainly no guarantee of a cover. Let's face it, the Rockets are better than they use to be, and the Spurs are just not the same team they were a few short years ago. Kawhi Leonard is an amazing player for San Antonio but just look at the production the Spurs have gotten from the key that is supposed to be their 2nd best player, LaMarcus Aldridge. He hasn't scored more than 20 points in a game since March 23rd and had a very poor Game One performance. The Rockets are relishing the underdog role they are in for this series and they are 12-4 ATS an underdog this season. Houston is also 6-2 SU in recent seasons when leading in a playoff series. The Spurs are on a 2-5 (SU and ATS) run in 2nd round playoff games. After a loss by 10 points or more San Antonio went just 3-6 ATS this season. After allowing 115 points or more the last 3 seasons combined the Spurs are only 4-6 SU! They aren't necessarily going to bounce back here like many expect them to. The last 5 games between the Rockets and Spurs have featured only one Spurs win by more than 2 points and that one came by just 6. I'll take the points with a team that gives SA some major "match-up issues". 10* HOUSTON 

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 8* Cleveland Cavaliers (-) vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:05 ET - As usual the "zig zag" theory will be played here by most and, as a result, many will go running to the Raptors and looking for them to bounce back here. The problem with that theory? Toronto is just not that at the same level that this Cavaliers team is and, the last time I checked, this game is still being played at Cleveland. In other words, it's a tough spot for the Raptors to bounce back considering they aren't playing the Bucks anymore. These are the defending champs and Toronto put just enough of a scare into Cleveland (with some big scoring runs in Game One) that there is no way the Cavs aren't going to keep the pedal to the metal tonight. Overall, the Cavaliers had huge leads multiple times in the win on Monday and ultimately settled for an 11 point win and I expect another double digit win here. Toronto is 4-7 ATS when trailing in a playoff series. Overall, after getting blown out in Game One, the Raptors are 10-21 ATS in all playoff games. Cleveland is an incredible 18-3 SU when leading in a playoff series and taking a look at the Cavaliers last 25 SU wins they have covered 20 of them! That's an 80% ATS clip in Cavs victories dating back to late January. The Raptors are an insane 2-28 ATS in their last 30 losses so, as you can see, when Toronto loses SU they tend to lose ATS as well! In other words, unless you think the Raptors are winning this outright, better not be backing them and I'll back a Cavs team that is clicking on all cylinders again and has gone 17-2 SU against Atlantic Division opponents this season. 8* CLEVELAND

Top Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz (+) @ Golden State Warriors @ 10:30 ET - The Warriors are, of course, the superior team. But that doesn't mean they're going to crush the Jazz in Game One. After having more than a week off there is just no way that Golden State is going to be clicking on all cylinders here in Game One on Tuesday night. At the same time, the Jazz are riding the momentum of their series win over the Clippers where they got the big Game 7 victory on the road on Tuesday. In fact, that was the 8th time in the last 9 Utah games that the road team has gotten the cash. The road team has also been a big money winner in Golden State's recent games with the away team getting the cash in 9 of their last 13 games. Look for the fact that the Jazz have been playing consistently while the Warriors are off of a long layoff to be a huge difference maker here. Also, Golden State is only 2-4 ATS this season when facing a team that allows 98 points or less per game and the Utah D is rock solid. I look for the Jazz to improve to 6-2 ATS in the post-season with this one decided by single digits as they keep this one much closer than many people are expecting. The Warriors rely so heavily on their outside shooting and I just don't see them being strong in that department after the long lay-off. 10* UTAH JAZZ

TNT Blowout ATS Rout - Rickenbach NBA Monday 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (+) @ San Antonio Spurs @ 9:35 ET - The Spurs barely got by a Memphis team that was without their top defender Tony Allen. My strong opinion is that the Spurs would not have advanced if Allen had not been hurt for the Grizzlies. Memphis played them tough in the regular season and then gave them hell in the post-season even without Allen! I have said it before and I'll say it again, because I reside in the San Antonio area and I follow this team closely. The Spurs are not what they use to be. Certainly they are still a talented, solid team that is well coached but I don't believe they have what it takes to go far in the post-season. Now the Spurs go from facing a short-handed Grizzlies team that barely got into the playoffs to facing one of the best in the west as they host the Rockets. The road team won 3 of the 4 meetings straight-up in the regular season and the road team did go a perfect 4-0 ATS in the season series! One meeting was decided by 6 points and the other three were each decided by only 2 points! You can see why I like having the points in this one and I also like the fact that the Spurs lost 4-2 in their most recent trip to the 2nd round and they also went just 2-4 ATS in that series. With Tim Duncan retired and Manu Giinobili no longer the X factor he once was, too much is expected of Kawhi Leonard. The Rockets weaponry will prove to be too much (at least in Game 1) and I'll gladly fade the line move as the betting markets have pushed this line higher! The Rockets won their most recent 2nd round playoff series, are 4-1 (SU and ATS) when playing with 3 or more days of rest between games and I look for them to improve to a fantastic 13-4 ATS as an underdog this season as they continue to thrive in that role! 10* HOUSTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Monday 8* Cleveland Cavaliers (-) vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:05 ET - Sometimes too much rest can lead to rust. Will that be that the case for the veteran Cavaliers here? I don't think so! The defending NBA champs are certainly accustomed to all sorts of scenarios and how to handle them. You don't become the champions of the league if you don't have the ability to adjust and to adapt. That said, the extra rest won't be rust for the Cavs. Instead, look for their fresh legs to have benefited greatly from the time off. The past 3 seasons combined the Cavaliers have gone 14-4 SU (and 11-7 ATS) when playing with 3 or more days of rest between games. Also, Cleveland knocked Toronto out of the post-season last year and all 4 Cavs wins came by at least 19 points per game! In fact, the Cavaliers average margin of victory in that series was 28.5 points per win! Cleveland will want to set the tone early in this series and that means a very aggressive and relentless approach in Game One and I see them winning this one by double digits to make a statement. Toronto got by the Bucks in round one but Milwaukee was lacking in playoff experience. In round two the Raptors get a reality check about the caliber of opponents they're really supposed to face in the playoffs and I expect it to take Toronto so some time to adjust going from facing a team that had a losing record in the regular season to facing one of the elite teams in the league. With the Cavs rested and raring to go, look for the Raptors to drop to 10-21 ATS in playoff games the past 3 seasons combined. 8* CLEVELAND

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 8* Washington Wizards (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 1:05 ET - Washington's first round opponent was a tough Atlanta team. Boston's first round opponent was a Chicago team that had the Celtics in an 0-2 hole (at home no less!) before the Bulls lost Rajon Rondo to injury for the series. Chicago's loss of a key contributor ended up being the key to Boston winning 4 straight games. The point is that I am more impressed with how the Wizards got here in comparison with how the Celtics got here. The road team got the cover in 5 of the 6 first round games in the Boston series and in each of the last two games in the Washington series. Look for those trends to continue here as the Celtics are 3-15 ATS this season when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 games or more. The Wizards are 8-3 ATS when off of an upset win as an underdog. 8* WASHINGTON

Playoff Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Friday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 8:05 ET - The Bulls lost the turnover battle big in Wednesday's Game 5 and that certainly was a factor in them ending up on the wrong end of a 11-point game. Chicago knocked down 50% of their shots but they could not overcome the turnover differential and they'll need to play a much cleaner game tonight. With the Celtics not shooting well - 19 off 77 from three point land the last 2 games - they are fortunate to still be up in this series. The poor shooting catches up with Boston here. The Bulls will go "all out" at home in hopes of forcing a Game 7 and Chicago plays solid defense when fully focused. Full focus will certainly be at the forefront for the Bulls in this one and they are 7-2 SU and ATS this season (and 16-5 ATS and 15-6 SU the last 3 seasons combined) when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 games or more. The Celtics are a horrible 2-15 ATS this season when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 games or more. Also, Boston is 6-11 ATS this season when off of a win by a double digit margin. The Bulls have shot well in each of their last two road games with the Celtics but, surprisingly shot poorly in the 2 home games in this series. That has led to line value here as the Bulls are actually a home dog now in this one. Even with Rajon Rondo still out, the Bulls have more than enough weapons to force a Game 7 with a big home W tonight. 10* CHICAGO BULLS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Friday 8* Atlanta Hawks (-) vs Washington Wizards @ 7:35 ET - The home team has won all 5 games in this series and I see no reason for that trend to stop here. The Hawks have actually out-rebounded the Wizards in 4 of the 5 games in this series. The only reason Atlanta lost Game 5 on the road at Washington was because the Hawks shot only 41% from the field. The Hawks have shot 48.3% in their last 5 home games and outscored by double digits in each game in Atlanta while losing only by single digits in each of their losses at Washington. In many respects, the Hawks have deserved a better fate than being down 3-2 in this series but, in any event, that is helping to keep this line lower than it should be and I look for Atlanta to roll at home and force a Game 7. The Hawks are on a 9-4 ATS run while the Wizards have slumped to a 5-8 ATS mark their last 13 games. Washington is 11-23 SU the last 34 times they've been an underdog and I look for another loss in that role here. With the low number on the Hawks, that SU Wizards loss should also equate to a solid ATS cover for the home team. 8* ATLANTA

TNT Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies (+) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 9:35 ET - I lost a tough one Tuesday when the Spurs pulled away late to get the cover as a double digit fave over the Grizzlies in Game 5 of this series. However, the Spurs finally got some points from Manu Ginobili and they shot a ridiculous 14 of 28 from three point land. Memphis responded at home in both Games 3 and 4 after losing Games 1 and 2 and I expect the Grizzlies to again come up big on their home floor in Game 6 after coming up short in Game 5. Each of the last 3 games in this series have gone over the total and the Grizzles are 19-10 SU (and 18-11 ATS) the last 3 seasons combined when they enter a game on an "over streak" of 3 games or more. The Spurs are only 4-6 SU (and 3-7 ATS) the last 3 seasons combined when they are leading in a playoff series. Spurs had lost 5 of their last 7 (SU and ATS) before getting the big win in Game 5 that was largely attributable to red hot three point shooting. The odds of that continuing here just are not that good and the Grizzlies have been fired up ever since their head coach's tirade about the officiating after Game 2. There is no way that Memphis is going to stop fighting in Game 6 as it's "win or the season is over" for the Grizzlies. Dating back to the regular season and including this series so far, the home team has a perfect 7-0 ATS mark in the Spurs last 7 games. Look for more of the same Thursday as San Antonio has not had a hot shooting night on the road since they shot 48% from the field at Minnesota over a month ago! The Grizzlies "D up" hard in this one. 10* MEMPHIS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 8* Toronto Raptors (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:05 ET - The Raptors are fired up about closing out a playoff series in Game 6. They're well aware of their poor history in this situation as they are 0-7 SU (and 1-6 ATS) when leading in a playoff series. Toronto is sick of hearing about that and doesn't want to let Milwaukee extend this to a 7th game. Luckily for the Raptors, this is the right team for Toronto to face to have a great shot at erasing the bitter taste of past defeats. The Bucks have lost 7 straight playoff series and the last 6 all have come in the first round with the final defeat in each of the last two appearances coming in a Game 6. That said, the Bucks aren't exactly loaded with post-season experience to fall back on. Look for the Raptors to improve to 12-3 SU (and 10-5 ATS) this season when playing with two days of rest. Also, Toronto is 19-8 SU (and 17-10 ATS) when off of a win by a double digit margin. The Bucks have been out-rebounded in this series and have now lost 3 of the last 4 games. Their only two wins came when the Raptors were held to 36% or less from the field. How likely is that here? Not too likely! The Raptors were held to 36% or less from the field 3 times in their 82 regular season games. Note also that the Bucks Khris Middleton was ill Wednesday and missed practice. If he's not 100% this further weakens a Milwaukee team that has been outscored by 36 points in the last two games! 8* TORONTO

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 8:30 ET - The Bulls aren't done yet. I know they just lost two straight at home to the Celtics and are still trying to adjust without Rajon Rondo, but the fact is Chicago won both games at Boston to open up this series. Additionally, the Bulls started out dominating the boards in this series and that domination has continued throughout. With just slightly better shooting, the Bulls just aren't going to lose this game by double digits. That said, there is tremendous line value with  the big number posted on this game. Keep in mind, Boston's Sunday win in Game 4 of this series was the 1st cover in the last 4 times the Celtics were off of a game where they allowed 100 points or less. I look for the Bulls to respond in a big way here after scoring under 100 in back to back home games. Look for Boston to drop to 1-4 ATS the last 5 times they've been off of a game where they held their team under the century mark. The Celtics are an ugly 4-10 ATS this season when playing with 2 days of rest between games. The Bulls are a fantastic 8-4 ATS this season when playing with 2 days of rest between games. Look for the Celtics to drop to 17-27 ATS in home games this season while the Bulls improve to 29-19 ATS as an underdog this season. Big dog value being offered here as the Bulls are off of back to back losses and haven't lost three straight games since early March. They'll make some adjustments here sans Rondo. 10* CHICAGO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 8* Atlanta Hawks (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 6 ET - The home team has won and covered all 4 games of this series but there is a reason the odds makers are holding this number right in line with where it was in the first two meetings in this series in Washington. The fact is that the home dominance in this series is likely to be busted in Game 5. The Hawks have now won the battle of the boards in 3 of the 4 games and they've also cut down on the turnover issues that plagued them earlier in this series. Atlanta is 81-58 ATS in their games against teams with a winning record and, overall, the Hawks come into this game having covered 8 of their last 12. The Wizards are on a 10-17 ATS run entering this game and I believe the fact that this line opened up right in line with Games 1 and 2 of this series is an open invitation to take Washington. We all know what happens when something looks too good to be true...it usually is and I see the Hawks turning this series on its ear with a big upset win on the road but I'll grab the points here just in case. 8* ATLANTA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies (+) @ San Antonio Spurs @ 9 ET - The Spurs are getting heavily played again as this line is already up to double digits. Do you remember the Big 3 of the Spurs? Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker. Why do I mention this? Duncan is now retired. Ginobili is 0 for 15 in the series and still hasn't scored a single point. As for Parker, he did bounce back to play his best game of the series in Game 4 but he was held scoreless in Game 3 and his assists are way down in the post-season. The reason I mention all this is because the Spurs true star now (and arguably their only star), Kawhi Leonard scored 43 points in Game 4 and, guess what, San Antonio still lost! This is bad news for the Spurs because they just aren't the team they use to be. I know they had a great regular season but it's playoff time and for a team like Memphis (without the defender - Tony Allen - that was going to be key in slowing down Leonard) to be as tough on SA as they have been, it shows just how far the Spurs have fallen. Making the situation even worse for San Antonio is that they've now given Memphis the confidence that comes with back to back wins. Ever since the Memphis coach went off on all the officials after Game 2 you've seen a different Grizzlies team and they won't stop on Tuesday night. Memphis is now 9-4 SU and ATS in games against teams that allow 98 points or less on the season. Also, the Grizzlies thrive on the underdog role and building momentum from it. They are 12-8 ATS (and 14-6 SU!) when off of an upset win as an underdog this season! The Spurs are just 4-9 ATS this season when playing with 2 days of rest between games and though they should get the home win tonight it's very likely to be an all out war decided by single digits. That said, grab the big points in this one. 10* MEMPHIS

TNT Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 8* Oklahoma City Thunder (+) @ Houston Rockets @ 8 ET - The Rockets blew out the Thunder by 31 points in Game 1 of this series. Since then, every single game has been tight with none of the last 3 games being decided by more than 4 points. I certainly don't see that changing here in what is a "win or go home for the summer" game for Oklahoma City. As strong as Houston is, the fact is that the Thunder (ever since the game 1 "reality check") have put up quite a fight in this series and I certainly don't see that stopping here! OKC shot better from the field than the Rockets in Games 3 and 4 and they've shot better from three point land in 3 of the 4 games in this series. Oklahoma City has proven to be that they're not going to go away quietly and these points are simply too much for Tuesday's Game 5. The Rockets were on a 1-10 ATS skid before covering both games at Oklahoma City. The Thunder are 7-2 ATS when playing with home loss revenge this season and they'll be looking to bounce back after coming up just short in Game 4. Also, the Rockets are 2-4 ATS this season (and 14-23 ATS the L3 seasons) when off of an upset win as an underdog. If Nene Hilario hadn't gone 12 for 12 from the field the Rockets would not have won that Game 4 and I look for them to struggle to put away this resilient Thunder team Tuesday as Russell Westbrook does everything he can to send this series back to OKC. 8* OKLAHOMA CITY

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Monday 8* Milwaukee Bucks (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7 ET - Off of an embarrassing home loss where the Bucks shot just 37% from the field and had 20 turnovers Sunday, look for Milwaukee to respond here. These teams have alternated wins and losses in this series and I wouldn't be surprised to see that trend continue. The Bucks are 9-2 ATS the last 11 times they are off of a loss by 6 points or more and they were drilled by 11 in Milwaukee on Sunday. That big Raptors road win was their first ATS cover in this series and Toronto is still just 3-12 ATS in 1st round playoff games the last 3 seasons combined. As usual, look for the Raptors to have trouble with developing consistent success. Not only has playoff success been elusive for Toronto but, over the last 4 weeks, they've only had back to back covers once. Even if the Raptors do get the SU win here look for the half dozen points they're laying to prove to be too much! 8* MILWAUKEE

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 6:30 ET - The Rajon Rondo injury is certainly impacting to the Bulls but it is also far from being insurmountable. I look for Chicago to bounce back in a big way at home after getting embarrassed at home on Friday. Certainly that final score looks ugly as the Bulls fell by 17 points to the Celtics but Boston knocked down 46% of their three pointers and outscored Chicago by 33 points from beyond the arc. That's your ballgame right there and that is highly unlikely to be repeated on Sunday. The Celtics won big in Game 3 despite being outrebounded (they've lost badly on boards in this series) and despite attempting just 7 free throws! Now you can see why I am expecting Chicago to prevail in Game 4. They will respond at home after the embarrassing home loss. Keep in mind, the Bulls had covered 4 straight and 12 of their last 16 before losing Friday. Also, the Celtics had failed to cover 9 of their last 12 before the big win in Game 3. The Bulls are 28-18 ATS as an underdog this season. The Celtics are 5-12 ATS this season when off of a win by 10 points or more. Even with the win Friday, Boston is still just 3-10 SU in playoff games the last 3 seasons combined. Look for the Bulls to improve to 7-3 SU and ATS in their last 10 playoff games as they are poised to bounce back and win outright here but certainly I will grab the points being offered. 10* CHICAGO

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (+) @ Oklahoma City Thunder @ 3:30 ET - The Rockets don't want to give the Thunder any hope in this series and that means they certainly can't afford to lose another tight one at Oklahoma City. Houston can't allow the Thunder to tie it up and I like the Rockets chances to take the 3-1 lead here. Keep in mind, the Thunder shot 55.4% from the field (including 47.4% from three point land) and the Rockets were held under 46% from the field plus misfired on 25 of their 35 three pointers and yet Houston still only lost Game 3 by a bucket! That says a lot right there and I expect a more "normal" shooting performance tonight. The noteworthy aspect of that is the fact that OKC had been held to 43.5% or less from the field in 10 of their last 12 games before the offensive explosion on Friday night. As for the Rockets, they haven't been held below 45.8% from the field in any of their last 4 games. Also, on the season, Houston is the better three point shooting team so the Game 3 result certainly was a bit of an aberration. The Rockets are 10-4 ATS this season as an underdog. Houston is also 19-11 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. OKC is 7-14 ATS this season (and 17-35 ATS the L3 seasons combined) in games with a posted total of 220 points or more. The Thunder also are 22-37 (SU and ATS) the last 3 seasons combined in games against teams that average 106 points or more per game. 10* HOUSTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 8* Indiana Pacers (+) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 1 ET - Devastating loss for sure the way the Pacers lost Game 3 to the incredible Cavs comeback. However, a closer look at the boxscore reveals why I won't hesitate to back the home dog in Game 4 as I expect Indiana to fight incredibly hard to avoid getting swept out of the post-season. The Pacers don't want this to happen on their home floor and now, about that boxscore. Cleveland's comeback was keyed by the fact they made a ridiculous 21 of 44 three pointers! Simply put, that's not happening again and, even with that insane shooting performance the Cavaliers only won the game by 5 points. Note that Indiana outrebounded the Cavs, made more shots from inside the arc, and made more free throws. The fact that Cleveland made 21 three pointers was the difference in the game and the likelihood of that happening again rests somewhere between slim and nil. Keep in mind the Pacers had covered 8 straight games before that ATS loss. Also, the Cavaliers had covered just 5 of their last 18 games before that miracle win and cover. The Cavs are 7-13 ATS this season when on a winning streak of 3 games or more. The Pacers are 6-3 ATS this season when they are on a losing streak of 3 or more games. 8* INDIANA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks (-) vs Washington Wizards @ 5:30 ET - The Hawks lost the turnover battle in each of the first two games and that proved to be the difference maker in the two losses, each by single digits. They truly had a great shot at winning the 2nd game outright but lost the game and the cover late in that one. Look for Atlanta to respond now that they're back home where they've won 4 straight games and also covered 3 straight. The home team has won 6 of the last 7 meetings between these teams and all the games have been decided by at least 3 points. The low line here makes sense considering the Wizards were favored by about 5 or 6 at home but the fact is the low number gives great line value to a solid home team. Atlanta is 93-43 SU in home games the last 3 seasons combined. The Wizards are 11-21 SU the last 32 times they've been a dog. That said, any SU loss is likely to also result in an ATS loss for Washington here considering the low number posted on this game. The Hawks are 3-1 ATS the last 4 times they've been held to 40.5% or less from the field. After a poor shooting performance in Game 2, and hungry and highly motivated for a win to get back in this series and avoid the 'death wish' of a 3-0 hole, look for thee Hawks to respond and get the big home win here. 10* ATLANTA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 8* Toronto Raptors (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 3 ET - The last 6 times the Raptors have been held under 40% from the field they've responded every single time with a win, a perfect 6-0 SU mark. Toronto did win the battle of the boards again in Game Three and I look for them to be even more aggressive tonight after the embarrassing loss at Milwaukee by 27 points in Game 3. The Raptors are 6-3 SU this season when off of a loss by a double digit margin. The Bucks are 7-18 ATS the last 3 seasons when they are off of a game where they allowed 85 points or less. The Raptors are known for "ups and downs" in playoff series but, as they've done in the past, they'll make the proper adjustments and come up huge in Game Four after that embarrassing Game 3 loss. Look for the Raptors to improve to 7-0 SU the L7 times they've been held under 40% from the field but I'll also gladly grab the couple points being offered here in case they fall just short in a heart-breaker. 8* TORONTO

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Friday 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (+) @ Oklahoma City Thunder @ 9:30 ET - Oklahoma City took 19 more shots from the field in Game Two compared to the Rockets and also had fewer turnovers and won the battle of the boards. However, the end result was a loss for the Thunder and that certainly doesn't bode well for Game Three for OKC. The problem for Oklahoma City is they're just not shooting well at all right now. The Thunder have been held to 43.5% or less from the field in 7 straight games and 10 of their last 12. The Rockets are at 49% so far in this series and even though Houston has been held under their season average of 36% from three point land, the Rockets have still managed to win both games. You know a big game from Houston's outside shooters is coming and, that said, when the markets zig I am glad to zag as most everyone is likely to be backing the Thunder here at home since they're in an 0-2 hole and now back home. This ignores the fact that, sans Durant, the Thunder are just 1-5 and the lone OKC win came by just 2 points. That said, giving the Rockets the 2.5 or 3 points they're getting in this match-up, Houston would be on a 6-0 ATS run their last 6 versus Oklahoma City. In fact, the Rockets are on a 10-3 ATS run the last 3 seasons combined versus OKC and that includes 5-1 ATS in games played at Oklahoma City. The Thunder are 5-15 SU this season in games with a posted total of 220 points or more and I again expect the Rockets offensive potency to prove to be took much for OKC here. Westbrook is simply being asked to do too much with this team. Look for the Rockets to improve to 11-4 ATS as an underdog this season. 10* HOUSTON

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies (+) @ San Antonio Spurs @ 9:30 ET - Of course the Memphis head coach made some headlines with his comments about the officiating after Game Two and got fined $30K for said comments. One could argue it may end up being the best $30K he's ever spent! I jest of course but there is some truth to my statement. The Grizzlies are fired up, they are back home, they should get some calls tonight, and let's not forget that Memphis split the season series with the Spurs as they won both games at home. In fact, including regular season and post-season, the home team has now won 6 straight match-ups between these teams! Of course the absence of Tony Allen has hurt the Grizzlies here against the Spurs in this series but this is the do or die game for Memphis as they have chance to either make the series "interesting" tonight or they fall into a 3-0 hole. I believe the former will prove true but I am grabbing the points in case the Grizzlies fall just short and lose a close one. The fact is that Memphis is going to go "all out" tonight and the Spurs, even with the win in Game 2, are still just 4-4 SU (and 3-5 ATS) when leading in a playoff series. The Grizzlies respond big here and I do like for the free throw disparity gap to be closing in a big way in tonight's game. That had a big role in the Spurs only attempting 61 field goals compared to 82 for the Grizzlies and yet San Antonio still won the game by a double digit margin. Big changes coming tonight. 10* MEMPHIS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 8* Toronto Raptors (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 8 ET - Give the Bucks credit, not only did they win Game 1 but they kept battling back in Game 2. The telling statistic though is that the Bucks biggest lead in the entire game was 3 points. The Raptors led most of the way and led the game by as much as 13 points. Toronto kept pulling away but then the Bucks would battle back each time. However, while the Raptors shot 48% from the three point line and from inside the arc, the Bucks made 47% of their threes but only 39% from inside the arc. Toronto, after being challenged by Milwaukee with the loss in Game One, came out with a much stronger game in Game Two and neither team is likely to be so hot from three point land in this one. In other words, advantage Raptors as they've made some adjustments that paid off with easier 2-point buckets for them and tougher shots for the Bucks. Of course it looks easy to back the Bucks here at home since they're laying such a short number and had a solid home record this season but, keep in mind, the Raptors road record was just as strong as the Bucks record in Milwaukee. Also, Toronto is 6-1 SU when tied in a playoff series in recent seasons while Milwaukee has a long-term mark of 3-9 SU in the playoffs when they are tied in a playoff series and truly they don't have the recent experience level in post-season that the Raptors have. Toronto also has been red hot long-term with 13 wins in their last 16 games while the Bucks have lost 5 of their last 8. The home team will be the popular choice tonight and long-time followers know how I feel about "popular" choices! 8* TORONTO

Eastern Conference Game of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 7 ET - The Hawks, after losing game one despite outrebounding the Wizards and earning 22 more free throw attempts and having the stronger bench play, will make the proper adjustments in game two. The two day break should favor Atlanta and they're plenty familiar with John Wall and company and can't let them run wild like they did in the 3rd quarter on Sunday. That was the difference maker in the game as the Hawks looked strong in the first half. Atlanta is 27-11 SU when playing with 2 days of rest between games. Also, prior to the game one result, the dog had gotten the cash in 5 of the last 7 meetings between these teams. The Hawks 4 prior visits to Washington had resulted in 1 outright win and two losses by 4 or less points. Good value with the points here considering that Atlanta, before a meaningless season finale, had gone 6-2 SU with one of the 2 losses by just a bucket. Washington had gone just 8-9 SU to wrap up the regular season and 5 of their last 9 wins this season came by 5 points or less. The defense of the Wizards let them down late in the season while the Hawks defense had tightened things up to close out the season. In other words, don't overreact to the Game 1 result. The Wizards took Game 1 but I certainly would not be surprised to see the Hawks even this up with an outright win and there is definitely added value with the generous points being offered. Looking at the last 14 games between these teams there has not been a single occurrence where one has beaten the other by more than 4 points in back to back games. I like those odds! 10* ATLANTA HAWKS

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 8 ET - The normal reaction here would be to back the Celtics at home and looking to avoid going into an 0-2 hole in this series. However, Boston showed some very concerning signs in Game One and even if Chicago doesn't again get the upset here, the points should prove to be enough for the cover. Boston got dominated on the glass on Sunday and they've been losing the battle of the boards far too often of late while the Bulls are on a streak where they've been a rebounding machine the past few weeks. Chicago also has been playing rock solid defense with only 89.4 points allowed per game in their last 5 games. Boston has struggled at times on the defensive end late in the season and that was expected to potentially change come playoff time but perhaps the added distraction of Isaiah Thomas' sister having passed away in a car accident is impacting the team. In any event, the Bulls certainly look like the hungrier, fresher team and Chicago is on a 9-4 ATS run in playoff games while the Celtics are on a 2-9 SU run in playoff games! The Bulls are 27-17 ATS as an underdog this season while Boston is 2-7 ATS this season when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games at home. Look for the hungry road dog to be in this one all the way. They're aggressive, they've got some key veteran players, and they're confident as they've won 8 of their last 10 games. 10* CHICAGO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 8* Toronto Raptors (-) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7 ET - The last 5 times the Raptors have been held under 40% from the field they've responded every single time with a win and cover, a perfect 5-0 ATS mark. Toronto did win the battle of the boards in Game One and I look for them to be even more aggressive tonight after losing at home by double digits Saturday. The Raptors are 9-4 ATS this season when playing with 2 days of rest between games. The Bucks are 6-18 ATS the last 3 seasons when they are off of a game where they allowed 85 points or less. The Raptors are known for Game One struggles in playoff series but, as they've done in the past, they'll make the proper adjustments and come up huge in Game Two. 8* TORONTO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Monday 8* Indiana Pacers (+) @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7 ET - With the Pacers one point loss at Cleveland on Saturday, Indiana is now a perfect 7-0 ATS in the month of April. I see no reason to not keep riding the Pacers and their ATS streak. The Cavaliers are at the other end of the spectrum as they're currently on a 5-12 ATS run. Keep in mind, Cleveland failed to cover Game One of this series despite shooting 54% from the field and that says a lot right there. The Cavs are highly unlikely to again shoot that well tonight. Cleveland is now 6-11 ATS this season (and 20-39 ATS the last 3 seasons) in divisional games. The Pacers are 6-2 ATS in all playoff games in recent seasons. Indiana is also 2-0 SU and ATS when trailing in a playoff series and long-term the Pacers are 27-15 ATS when trailing in a playoff series. After coming up just short in Game One, Indiana will go even harder in Game Two and should the Pacers again fall short of the upset, the points should prove to be more than enough here. 8* INDIANA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (-) vs Chicago Bulls @ 6:30 ET - The markets reacted, as expected, to the news that Isaiah Thomas' sister tragically passed away in a car accident early Saturday morning. Now a line that was as high as a -8 has dropped to a -6. This is as if bettors have intimate knowledge of the family, how close knit they are or are not, and how Thomas will react to this. News flash: they really don't know any of this. That said, Thomas is going to play Sunday and I expect his teammates to also rally around him and I also can tell you that when looking at some of the historical events with this family and Thomas being on the East Coast and his sister on the West Coast I think it is evident that this is not going to be nearly as impacting as many think it would be. In any event, I would have been fine laying 8 here but am even happier to lay just 6. By the way, I don't mean to make light of the passing of someone in the Thomas family. I express my condolences on that. I am just saying it's unlikely to be anywhere as impacting to Thomas as some think it may be. If anything it is likely to drive he and his Celtics teammates (on his behalf) to play even harder on Sunday evening. I know the Bulls made a nice late season push and have some playoff veterans. However, I also know that the Celtics earned this #1 seed and are now being severely undervalued even though they have the home court edge. The Celtics went 11-6 ATS against Central Division opponents this season. The Bulls went 3-8 SU (and 4-7 ATS) this season when off of a game where they allowed 90 points or less. The home team has won each of the last 7 meetings between these teams and the average margin of victory has been 8 points. Look for the home team to get it done again and 11 of the Celtics last 14 wins have been by 7 points or more. 12 of the Bulls last 15 losses have come by 7 points or more. 10* BOSTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 8* Atlanta Hawks (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 1 ET - Look for defense to be the difference maker here. The Wizards big weakness is defense and they allowed their opponents to hit at least 49.4% from the field in 15 of their last 23 games! As for the Hawks, they have held their opponents to less than 46.3% from the field in 18 of their last 26 games. Washington finished up the season on an 8-9 run and 4 of the 8 wins came by 5 points or less. Atlanta, before a meaningless season finale where they benched their starts, won 6 of their last 8 games and one of the two losses came by just a bucket. Even though the Wizards took 3 of the 4 regular season meetings, two of the three wins came by 4 points or less. Also, they've met only once since late January and the Hawks truly have turned things up a notch on defense during their late season run while the Wizards defensive shortcomings became even more apparent in their late season fade. Grab the value with the dangerous, defensive-minded road dog here. 8* ATLANTA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 10* Top Play San Antonio Spurs (-) vs Memphis Grizzlies @ 8 ET - Memphis gave the Spurs some trouble in the regular season and, as a result, we're being given some line value here. Let's not forget that in the post-season last year San Antonio ripped the Grizzlies by an average margin of 22 points per game in an absolute shellacking of Memphis. While the Spurs are not necessarily the same team as last year, they are still unquestionably one of the league's best teams and, in game one, they host a Grizzlies team that relies on physical play and defense to overcome it's offensive shortcomings. That said, Memphis has a major problem here as they lost Tony Allen to injury in their final regular season game. He is a veteran defensive stalwart that the Grizzlies absolutely had to have to have a real shot at slowing down Kawhi Leonard. With Allen out, Leonard is going to run roughshod over the Grizzlies and let's also not forget the Spurs are one of the top three point shooting teams in the league. This one is likely to quickly turn into a home rout as San Antonio takes advantage of an Allen-less Grizz team that lost 9 of its last 12 games. Memphis went 1-11 SU (and ATS!) when playing with 2 days of rest this season. The Spurs are 9-2 in the last 11 meetings with the Grizzlies and the average margin of victory in those 9 games was 15.7 points per win! Look for another home rout here! 10* SAN ANTONIO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 8* Indiana Pacers (+) @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 3 ET - The defending NBA champs have struggled on defense this season and they also come into this game having lost 4 straight games. Conversely, the Pacers come into this match-up having won 5 straight games and certainly are the hungrier team. That hunger factor is very important and I see that being a limiting factor here in Game 1 for the Cavaliers who arguably come into this series with a "cavalier" attitude in terms of a "been there, done that" approach. It's going to be hard for that "approach" to get the job done (at least in Game 1) when the Pacers are going to come in with a huge push of energy and emotion after they fought their way into the playoffs with a red hot season-ending run. Indiana is full of confidence right now and they are 31-17 ATS against divisional foes the last 3 seasons combined. The Cavs are 20-38 ATS versus divisional foes the last 3 seasons combined and they are an ugly 3-15 ATS when off of a game where they scored 85 points or less. I know Cleveland comes into this game thinking they can "flip a switch" and everything will immediately be "alright" but that is unlikely to be the case against this determined and highly motivated Pacers team that has covered 6 straight games to begin April! 8* INDIANA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks (+) @ Memphis Grizzlies @ 8:05 ET - The Mavericks will likely play without Dirk Nowitzki and Jose Juan Barea tonight and, as a result, this line has jumped tremendously. This is even though Memphis has no concern about this game whatsoever and the Grizzlies head coach admitted he is spending zero time worrying about the Mavericks and all of his focus is going into their upcoming playoff opponent, the Spurs. The hungry role players that will be on the floor tonight for Dallas are playing their final game of the the season. Conversely, the Grizzlies players (including the bench) are excited about the upcoming post-season and are just trying to stay sharp in tonight's game. I give the Mavericks a great shot at winning this game outright as the players who are on the floor tonight will be giving it their all and looking to close out the season with a win while the Grizzlies only concern is staying healthy for a big match-up with the Spurs coming up. By the way, Memphis has lost 8 of their last 11 games and have gone 1-10 SU and ATS this season when playing with two days of rest between games. The Mavericks are 15-10 ATS this season when off of a double digit loss and they'll be the more focused team in tonight's game. Grab the big dog value in a game where distracted Memphis just isn't likely to score enough to get a big cover no matter who the Mavs have on the floor. The Grizzlies have only reached triple digits 4 times in their last 11 games! This should be an ugly game where there is solid line value with the big points! 10* DALLAS plus the points Wednesday evening

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (+) @ Dallas Mavericks @ 8:35 ET - The Nuggets playoff hopes got dashed by a last second super long three pointer against the Thunder and, as disappointing as that is, Denver knew their post-season chances were slim. The fact is, the way they lost to OKC is going to have the Nuggets fired up here. That was their final home game of the season and Oklahoma City ruined it for them. What is the only thing that Denver can do now to make up for it per se? They can beat the Mavericks in their home finale and at least ruin someone else's. You can bet (literally!) that the Nuggets are geared up to do just that here. Look for a strong effort from the road team here as they look to avenge a 20 point loss in their only other visit to Dallas this season. It's time for redemption and they want to do to the Mavs what the Thunder just did to them. The Nuggets had covered 4 straight and 11 of 15 before that loss. Conversely, the Mavericks come into this game having lost 4 straight and 8 of their last 9. The Mavs have seen each of their last 3 games go over the total as they've allowed an average of 113 points per game with some sub-par defense included! The past 3 seasons combined, when the Mavericks are on a 3-0 run to the over, they have gone 8-16 ATS! The D is just not there for the Mavs right now, and the Nuggets will bring their D in the Big D tonight as they look to let out some frustration. Look for the Nuggets to improve to 15-7 ATS in their last 22 games against teams with a losing record. 10* DENVER

NBA TV Blowout ATS Rout - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 8* Oklahoma City Thunder (+) @ Minnesota Timberwolves @ 8:05 ET - The Timberwolves have lost 11 of 14 games. Granted the Thunder got Russell Westbrook his record and also are locked into their seeding for the post-season so they have little to play for here. However, the T-wolves only have 3 wins in their last 14 games and 2 of those wins came by only a single point. Also, Minny just lost to the Lakers as a 6 point favorite. Even with OKC resting some guys and letting back-ups get plenty of minutes here, think of how bad the Lakers are and how many of them would actually beat out guys that are on the Thunder roster. The point is that this line is inflated given the talent of depth of Oklahoma City as well as the fact that they're motivated by a 10 point loss in their last meeting with the Timberwolves. OKC is 10-3 ATS when off of a divisional game and 6-3 ATS when off of an upset win as an underdog. The Thunder also are 10-5 ATS in their last 15 games against teams that allow 106 points or more per game. The Timberwolves are 13-22 ATS as a favorite this season and 25-42 ATS the last 3 seasons combined. They are a young team that has trouble closing teams out and the Thunder will surprise here as they get revenge even with guys sitting and resting. The bench steps up. 8* OKLAHOMA CITY

Rickenbach NBA Monday 8* Washington Wizards (+) @ Detroit Pistons @ 8 ET - I realize that the Pistons are closing out The Palace of Auburn Hills. However, Detroit is also closing out another disappointing campaign where they've fallen short of the post-season. That said, even though the Wizards are going to rest some guys as they're preparing for the playoffs and are locked into position, Washington also wants to get some momentum back and strengthen it's bench play as it prepares for the first round of playoff action. That being the case, 4 losses in their last 6 games is not going to cut it and the Wizards know they must start playing better. I look for a strong effort from the road team here and the fact that Washington has gone from a 3.5 point favorite to a 3.5 point dog in this match-up is huge in terms of the line value. The Pistons are in a back to back here and have gone 5-11 ATS (and 3-13 SU) in the 2nd game of a back to back this season. The Wizards are 22-14 SU (and 23-13 ATS) when playing with revenge this season and, unlike Detroit, they were off yesterday. 8* WASHINGTON

Rickenbach NBA Monday 10* Top Play Charlotte Hornets (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 8:05 ET - The Bucks just clinched a playoff spot and I know they have some motivation to win here because of seeding for the playoffs but I also know they're laying big points here considering the Hornets just got eliminated from the post-season over the weekend and would love nothing more than to upset the Bucks tonight. Charlotte will be motivated by the opportunity to push the Bucks down a little in the standings. Keep in mind, this is a unique situation as Milwaukee just got in this past weekend and Charlotte just got knocked out over the weekend. That makes this a bit of a revenge spot for the Hornets who also do have true revenge here because they lost at home to the Bucks two weeks ago. The road team has covered 6 straight meetings in this series and the away team has notched the outright SU win on the road in 5 straight meetings. Even though the Bucks are expected to have Malcolm Brogdon back tonight his back may flare up on him again and he is truly not 100% and, also, Giannis Antetokounmpo is still dealing with an illness. That is why, even though Kemba Walker of the Hornets may not play tonight, I still like the road dog to put up one helluva fight in this game and that should be enough for the road cash even if they fall short of the upset win. It's payback time here. 10* CHARLOTTE

Rickenbach NBA 8* Monday Philadelphia 76'ers (+) vs Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - The Pacers need to win as they still haven't locked up a post-season spot while the 76'ers have been eliminated for a long time. That said, Indiana just has to be the play here, right? As usual, the old "must win" scenario is very over-priced and the market has pushed it even higher. The Pacers are now laying 9 points on the road and, keep in mind, Indiana is only 12-28 in road games this season and the 76'ers have gone 17-23 at home. Also, this is Philly's home finale so they are certainly are not going to just "lay down" for this game. Give me the big home dog here! The Sixers are 21-12 ATS (including a perfect 3-0 this season) when off of a game where they scored 85 points or less. The Pacers are 6-11 ATS in games against Atlantic Division opponents and, as noted above, the home/road dichotomy is huge here as Indiana has gone just 15-25 ATS in road games this season while the 76'ers have gone 26-14 ATS in home games this season. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks (+) @ Phoenix Suns @ 6:05 ET - The first numbers posted on this one had Dallas as a 2.5 point favorite and they are now a 1.5 point underdog as of early Sunday morning. With a full 4 point move here we are even getting more line value in a game where the Mavs are highly motivated and catching the Suns at the right time for a big win. Keep in mind, Phoenix is off of their huge win over Russell Westbrook and company as they knocked off the Thunder by a 120-99 final on Friday night. Prior to that win the Suns had lost 13 straight and they could definitely come out a little flat here. Dallas has lost two home match-ups with Phoenix this season as they Mavericks only win over the Suns was a victory in a neutral site game played in Mexico. Phoenix is 2-11 SU in Sunday games this season while the Mavericks are 9-1 SU (and 10-0 ATS!) in Sunday games this season. I don't use a lot of "day of the week" trends but the Sunday trends are worth paying attention too because the Sunday games involves two key factors. That is, how a team handles things the night before (being that it is a Saturday night) and then how they prep for what is generally an earlier than usual tip-off the next day. As you can see from those numbers above, Dallas has handled it well this season and Phoenix certainly has not. Also, going further back, the last 3 seasons combined Dallas is 24-11 SU in Sunday games while Phoenix is 11-27 SU! The Mavs will be hungry to bounce back after their home loss to the Spurs Friday and the Mavericks are 14-8 ATS this when off of a loss by a double digit margin. The Suns are off the huge win over the Thunder and Phoenix has gone 8-13 ATS (and 5-16 SU) this season when off of a game where they scored 115 points or more. I'll gladly fade them in this spot as the Mavericks are out for revenge. 10* DALLAS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 8* Denver Nuggets (-) vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 5:05 ET - Denver is still alive in the playoff race and the team they're chasing, Portland, is off until tomorrow. That means nothing is going to change the mindset of the Nuggets here. They're going to go hard and try to stay alive as they know their playoff hopes, though slim, are still there. They could be catching the right team at the right time. The Thunder would like to help Russell Westbrook get his triple double record but, other than that, the main concern of Oklahoma City right now is to just stay healthy. That was evident in the 21 point beating that they just took at Phoenix on Friday night. Now the Thunder face a motivated Nuggets team and Denver has a long losing streak in this series and are highly motivated by that as well as the playoff implications. The Nuggets have covered 4 straight games and the Thunder are on a 4-6 ATS run overall and have failed to cover 9 of their last 14 road games as well. OKC is 4-12 SU (and 5-11 ATS) in games with a posted total of 220 or more this season. The Nuggets are 23-15 ATS in games with a posted total of 220 or more this season. Denver is off of a big win over New Orleans Friday and they are 13-8 ATS when off of a win by a margin of 10 points or more this season. Look for the Nuggets to improve to 7-2 ATS in Sunday games this season. 8* DENVER

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 8* Miami Heat (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - I am well aware of the fact that this is a tough back to back spot for the Heat. But these things must be treated differently late in the season. A back to back at this time of the year is not the same as one early in the season or mid-season. In this case for Miami, after falling just short at Toronto last night, it's do or die time. The Heat need to win and keep their playoff hopes alive. Until their playoff chances are pronounced dead they are not going to stop fighting. That said, I see great line value here. Washington's defensive inadequacies continue to do them in. The Wizards are off of a non-covering win at New York and are now on a 6-14 ATS run. Even if they win this game versus Miami (and certainly the Heat are the more motivated team) they may not cover this inflated number. The Wizards are 14-10 in their last 24 games but only 4 of the 24 games was a Wizards win by double digits. They just don't blow teams out very often and Miami is a dog by half a dozen here and that's a sizable spread for them. Even though the Heat have cooled off and are only 10-7 in their last 17 games, only 2 of those 17 games resulted in a Miami loss by more than 4 points. The Heat are 12-2 ATS in the 2nd game of a back to back this season. They're also on an 11-1 ATS run in games against teams with a winning record. Look for the Wizards long-term ATS woes to continue here as the Heat are once again playing their "game of the year" as wins are so critical for them right now. 8* MIAMI

PA Insider - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76'ers (+) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:05 ET - The Sixers were held to a ridiculous 36.3% from the field in Thursday's home game versus the Bulls and still only lost the game by 12 points. I expect Philly to bounce back and shoot much better here and that's bad news for a Bucks team that is simply playing pathetic and inexcusable basketball right now. Milwaukee hasn't even managed to punch their ticket to the playoffs just yet because they've lost 3 straight games. Overall it's an 0-4 ATS run for the Bucks and they've averaged just 84 points per game in their last two games and yet they've allowed 106.4 points per game in their last 7 games. It looks like Milwaukee is falling back into old habits and the Sixers are a dangerous home dog when they're motivated. That said, the Bucks have had the 76'ers number in recent meetings in Philly and the Sixers will be out for some payback here. This is especially true with Philadelphia coming off of back to back embarrassing performances at home. The 76'ers played awful defense in one game and had awful offense in the next. They still have covered 11 of their last 14 games against teams with a winning record and are 20-8 ATS this season when playing with home loss revenge. Also, the Sixers are 19-8 ATS when off of a loss by a double digit margin. The Bucks are an ugly 5-11 ATS against Atlantic Division foes this season. Also, Milwaukee is 16-27 ATS in their games against teams with a losing record this season. The Bucks underestimate the 76'ers here and I smell an upset but will certainly grab the generous points. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Friday 8* Miami Heat (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:35 ET - Toronto has Kyle Lowry back but is beating a Pistons team that has lost 10 of 12 games really that great of a sign for the Raptors? Toronto had to rally just to get the win and the Pistons had been in an awful slump. Now the Raptors host a Heat team that is desperately hanging on to it's post-season hopes and that means they'll be very tough for Toronto to put away here. I would not be surprised to see Miami get the outright upset win they need but certainly there is value with the points being offered here. The Heat have been at their best in spots like this as they are on a 10-1 ATS run against teams with a winning record. Miami got an upset win at Charlotte Wednesday that they desperately needed. While that may seem like it makes this a good spot to fade them, the fact is that in a late-season spot like this with their playoff lives on the line, there is no way the Heat are going to come out flat here. Also, when off of an upset win as an underdog this season, Miami has gone 13-5 ATS this season! The Raptors are on an 11-18 ATS run in April games and, although Toronto still has some home court playoff seeding implications at stake here, they won't be able to match the intensity and will of a Heat team that is playing for their lives right now. That makes the dangerous, revenge minded dog the play here and the Heat are 10-5 ATS this season when playing with home loss revenge. 8* MIAMI early Friday evening

NBA TV Blowout ATS Rout - Rickenbach NBA Friday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks (+) @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:35 ET - The very first number that came out on this game was a -9 for Cleveland and now the Cavaliers are all the way up to being a 12 point choice in this game. I'll gladly grab the value on the other side with the Hawks plus the big points. Atlanta is likely to be without Paul Millsap but, keep in mind, the Cavs are expected to be without Tristan Thompson and that hurts since they don't have Andrew Bogut whom they had high hopes for before he got hurt a month ago. The interior defense of the Cavaliers is going to be impacted here and I look for Dwight Howard and company to take advantage. This game has meaning for both teams so I expect plenty of intensity from both teams and a much closer game than many are expecting here. Keep in mind, the road team has won 4 straight meetings between these teams. Atlanta is seeking revenge for a hard-fought 5-point home loss to the Cavaliers in their most recent meeting. The Cavs are suddenly receiving a lot of love because they just trounced Boston but the Hawks are also coming off of a win over the Celtics. Also, let's not forget that Cleveland had lost 11 of their last 18 games before their recent 4-game winning streak. By the way the 4 victories have included wins over the Magic and 76'ers (2 very poor teams) as well as a 5-point win over Indiana. This is simply too many points in a game that means a lot to Atlanta. The Hawks have won 3 of 5 after a tough recent stretch and one of the two losses came by just a bucket. The point is they should hang tough in this one throughout. The Hawks are 16-10 ATS as an underdog this season and 11-4 ATS in divisional games. The Cavaliers are 7-12 ATS this season when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 games or more. 10* ATLANTA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 8* Brooklyn Nets (+) @ Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - Both teams are eliminated from post-season contention but the comparison ends there because Brooklyn is still playing hard but Orlando certainly is not. The Nets have won 3 straight and covered 13 of their last 17 games. The Magic have lost 5 straight and they've covered just 3 of their last 13 games. Orlando does have a home game on deck with Indiana and they may "rise up" in a game like that since they may be able to hurt the Pacers post-season chances. However, in a game like this, there is simply no reason for the Magic to be excited as they host a team they've beaten in 5 of the last 6 meetings. As for the Nets, not only are they still giving some strong effort on the floor, they are motivated by the late-season visit here last year where the Magic pummeled them 139-105 in a game where Orlando did not seem to let up. Look for the Nets to return the favor on the road this time around. The Magic have failed to cover 12 of their last 13 games against teams that allow 106 points or more per game. Also, on the season, Orlando is 1-7 (SU and ATS) in games with a posted total of 220 points or more. The Nets are 10-5 ATS in their last 15 games with a posted total of 219 points or more and I look for a road upset in this one but will grab the available points. 8* BROOKLYN NETS early Thursday evening

PA Insider - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls (-) @ Philadelphia 76'ers @ 7:05 ET - The Sixers beat the Bulls in Chicago two weeks ago but much has changed since then. Philly is showing that they have officially thrown in the towel on the season. Yes, the lack of a shot at post-season has long been determined but at least Philadelphia was playing with some pride. However, they enter this game having lost 4 straight and the 76'ers have allowed a ridiculous shooting percentage of 56.5% from the field in their last 3 games. They now face a Bulls team seeking revenge and still alive in the playoff race. I highly doubt that Philadelphia is going to be able to match the intensity of Chicago in this one. The Bulls had won 4 straight before the loss to the Knicks and Chicago will bounce back here. They know they have 4 very winnable games to wrap up the regular season and they know it's basically a "win and your in" situation for them. The Bulls only shot 38% at New York Tuesday and they are 3-0 ATS the last 3 times they've been held under 41% from the field. Also, Philly is unlikely to shoot 55% like they did at Chicago two weeks ago. The 76'ers last 9 games featured the aberration that was the win at Chicago and, other than that, the 8 games saw the Sixers shoot a combined 42.7% from the field. Philadelphia is 8-15 ATS (and 3-20 SU) when they enter a game off of 3 more consecutive overs. The 76'ers also are now 1-15 SU in April games the past 3 seasons combined. The Bulls get the win here and I look for a big cover too as they improve upon a 31-20 ATS mark in their last 51 games against Atlantic Division opponents. Revenge time here. 10* CHICAGO early Thursday evening.

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 8* Charlotte Hornets (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - This is a classic case of "hot versus not" and, at the same time, it is also a game that means much more to the Hornets than the Wizards. Sure, Washington would like to get back on track after a disappointing finish to their road trip. But the first game back after a West Coast road trip is often the toughest one on an East Coast team and the Wizards just wrapped up playing 4 games in 6 days out West by getting blasted by 24 points at Golden State. Washington has now lost 3 straight games and they're playoff positioning at this point is really not giving them any huge motivation for winning games. Conversely, Charlotte has been playing "desperate" basketball of late as they are fighting hard for a playoff berth. The Hornets have won 3 straight games and 7 of their last 9. Also, Charlotte has gone 10-3 SU and ATS in divisional games this season. Off of an upset win at Oklahoma City many may want to fade the Hornets here but Charlotte is actually a perfect 3-0 SU this season when off of an upset win as an underdog. Also, the Wizards have covered only 5 games in their last 18 so it's not like their streak of sub-par play is only short-term. The fact is that Washington continues to be over-valued and they've covered only 1 home game since February 28th. The Hornets have not enjoyed success in recent trips to DC so there is no shortage of motivation here as they continue to fight for a playoff spot. The hungrier hot team catches the Wizards still reeling and needing more time to recover from their west coast road trip. 8* CHARLOTTE

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Monday 10* Top Play Portland Trail Blazers (+) @ Minnesota Timberwolves @ 7 ET - The Trail Blazers opened up as the favorite here but are now a 2 point dog. Of course many are looking at the fact that Minnesota is seeking revenge and would love to play the role of spoiler here. However, the Timberwolves just don't play enough defense to get the stops necessary to stay in front of the Trailblazers. The Blazers have won 6 straight games and 14 of their last 17. The Wolves have lost 7 of their last 9 games. Minny has only won 1 game in it last 7 meetings with Portland and that victory came by a single point. In other words, give the Blazers +2 (the line on this game as of early gameday morning) and they would be on a 7-0 ATS run in games against the T-wolves. The other reason people are likely fading Portland has to do with Jusuf Nurkic being out but Noah Vonleh got extra minutes against Phoenix as a result of Nurkic's absence and he scored 14 points and had 13 rebounds. The Blazers still have enough firepower to get past a Wolves team that has allowed a ridiculous 54% from the field during their current 2-7 streak their last 9 games. Look for more of the same Monday. The Trailblazers are 9-3 SU (and 8-4 ATS) in divisional games this season and 4-0 SU and ATS the last 4 times they've been off of a game where they scored 130 points or more. The Timberwolves are 4-8 SU in divisional games this season and 4-10 ATS when off of a game where they scored 115 points or more. 10* PORTLAND

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach Sunday NBA 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 3:35 ET - This line looks "funny" to me and long-time followers know how I feel about "strange" lines. They are usually set that way for a reason. In this case, the line on this game opened up with the Bucks as "only" a 5.5 point favorite even though Milwaukee has won 14 of 17 games and are at home hosting a Mavericks team that has lost 4 straight games and 8 of its last 11. The line appears even more "questionable" when one considers that not only are the Bucks the much hotter team but Dallas has gone 9-26 in road games this season. That said, in typical contrarian fashion, I am on the Mavs here. Now, as always, there is support for the contrarian decision. Even though the Bucks are motivated to improve their position in the playoff standings, the Mavericks are even more motivated to make sure they stay alive in the race for a post-season spot. Certainly things are looking bleak for Dallas but I don't see them stopping the fight until the final bell on their season has been rung. The Mavericks have gone 10-6 ATS their last 16 games against teams with a winning record. Also, the Mavs are a phenomenal 9-0 ATS (and 8-1 SU) in Sunday games this season! Could an outright upset be in the offing here? The Bucks are just 2-5 SU (and an ugly 1-6 ATS) in Sunday games this season. Milwaukee also is only 16-25 ATS in their games against teams with a losing record this season. Additionally, the Bucks are 6-16 ATS in recent season (and 52-93 ATS long-term) when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 games or more. Grab the points! 10* MILWAUKEE plus the points Sunday.

NBA TV Blowout ATS Rout - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks (+) @ Chicago Bulls @ 5:05 ET - The Bulls are still fighting for a playoff spot but the Hawks haven't clinched theirs either. That said, I am backing an Atlanta team that is rejuvenated and got a little bit of their swagger back thanks to back to back wins. Yes, it is true that the wins came against bad teams (Suns and Sixers) but sometimes that's all it takes for a team to get back into rhythm. Keep in mind, the Bulls are off of back to back wins but, prior to that had been struggling just like the Hawks had. Also, Chicago's most recent win was a big one as they knocked off the defending champs (and division rival) Cavaliers. When off of an upset win as an underdog the Bulls have gone 7-12 SU this season and 16-28 ATS the L3 seasons combined. Even though Chicago is playing this game with home loss revenge the Bulls have gone 4-8 ATS (and 3-9 SU) this season when they are looking to avenge a home defeat. Against southeast division opponents the last 3 seasons Chicago is a combined 17-35 ATS. The Hawks are 10-4 ATS against central division opponents this season and, even though they come into this game with their offense still struggling a bit, Atlanta has been very impressive on the defensive end. The Hawks have held teams to a combined 41% from the field in their last 6 games! By comparison, the Bulls haven't held a team below 44% in any of their past 5 games. Don't be surprised if this is an upset win but certainly I am grabbing the generous points available in this one. 10* ATLANTA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 8* Los Angeles Lakers (+) @ Los Angeles Clippers @ 3:35 ET - When you have the worst record in your conference and the season is almost over, there are very few games that will motivate you. That is why when motivation does come up it is very often a very strong "play on" situation as the team very often will have plenty of mental energy for the game and will outwork their unsuspecting foe. That is is the case here with the Lakers as their face their LA rivals one last time for the season. Keep in mind the Lakers have been the "punching bag" of the Clips for some time now in recent seasons but they did get an upset win over the Clippers on Christmas Day. Since then though, the Lakers lost twice to the Clippers and a little payback is on order here. Now I am certainly not saying the Lakers are going to upset the Clips here but the generous points should be plenty for us to get the cover in a game that is likely to be decided by single digits. Tough spot for the Clippers here as they are playing their 3rd game in 4 days. Also, what has been unimpressive about the Clips recently is that their defense has allowed 49.4% shooting from the field in their last 3 games. Now they face a Lakers team that has knocked down at least 46.7% from the field in 5 of their last 6 games. In 3 of those 5 solid shooting efforts the Lakers shot better than 50.5% from the field. With their shots continuing to fall and the Clippers guilty of being lackadaisical on defense once again (who can blame them for being disinterested in this one), look for the Lakers to hang around in this game. The Clips are 4-12 ATS in their last 16 games against teams with a losing record while the Lakers are going to go all out in one of their last games of the season that really carries much meaning for them. The early start likely to make it that much more difficult for the Clips to pull away in a game that is their 3rd in 4 days. 8* LOS ANGELES LAKERS

Rickenbach Friday NBA 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 8:05 ET - The Pistons, though their playoff hopes are slim, certainly aren't going to quit on the season as long as they still have a mathematical shot at the post-season. That said, last night's win (albeit a non-cover) was a big one for Detroit and they aren't going to slow down tonight. Couple that with the fact that this line has been consistently moving up since it first came out (we're now getting double digits with the Pistons) and you have a great value spot for a big dog play. Detroit has lost their last two games against the Bucks by a combined 38 points so revenge is on order here. Even though this is a 4th game in 5 nights situation for the Pistons they can worry about rest later. They have 4 days off coming up after tonight's game and they know this game is basically their season when it comes to playoff chances. That said, this can't be looked at as a "normal" 4 games in 5 nights situation. When teams playoff hopes are on the line this isn't treated in the same way as a "4th in 5" situation played in December or January, as an example. Also, as hot as the Bucks have been they've not made a good home favorite when in this price range. In fact, Milwaukee is 1-8 ATS their last 9 home games where they are favored by more than 4 points. Look for the Bucks to drop to 5-12 ATS in Friday games this season as the division rival Pistons come into this game with their season on line and knowing they don't play again until Wednesday. It's now or never for the hungry road dog in this one. 10* DETROIT

Rickenbach NBA Friday 8* Charlotte Hornets (+) vs Denver Nuggets @ 7:05 ET - Though both teams have slim post-season hopes at this point in the season, the key to the value here is the home court factor as well as how each of these teams is current playing. Momentum is certainly on the side of the Hornets who have won 5 of their last 7 games to keep their shot at a playoff berth alive. As for the Nuggets, they are off of a second straight loss and it was of the back-breaker variety at Portland. Denver trails the Blazers in the playoff race at that was a key game and the defeat was the Nuggets 4th in their last 6 games. I expect this to lead to the demise of Denver down the stretch run as that demoralizing loss really took a lot out of this Nuggets team. Charlotte won in Colorado earlier this month and now I expect them to again come up big here at home as the Hornets improve to 7-2 ATS against Northwest Division opponents this season. As for the Nuggets, though they play this game with home loss revenge, they are only 5-10 ATS (and an awful 2-13 SU) when playing with home loss revenge this season! 8* CHARLOTTE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (-) vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - The Pistons are on a losing streak but most of those defeats came on enemy hardwood. Detroit did lose their most recent home game but only by a single point to Miami and this is a Pistons team that is still 23-15 in home game this season. Thursday they host Brooklyn and the Nets are an ugly 6-30 on the road this season. We're getting line value here because of Detroit's recent losing streak and the fact that the Nets have played a little better of late. Even with Brooklyn having won 3 of their last 5 games should a team that has won only 16.7% of its road games this season really be only a +6 in this spot. This line was as high as a +7 in some spots yesterday but has come down as of very early Thursday morning and this has led to great line value with the hungry Pistons on their home floor. Detroit has been given a little extra life in terms of their playoff hopes because Indiana has lost two straight games. In other words, the Pistons certainly aren't going to stop fighting at this point and I look for them to get back on track at home in a big way Thursday after the tough one point loss to the Heat Tuesday. Detroit also plays this game with double revenge as they lost both games with the Nets this season but both of those games were in Brooklyn. The home team has now taken 5 of the last 6 meetings between these teams and I expect more of the same here. The average margin of victory in the Pistons victories the last two times they've hosted the Nets was 14 points and I expect a similar result here which is why this play is getting my Top Play rating. Brooklyn is 8-13 ATS when off of an upset loss as a favorite and they just got upset by the 76'ers Tuesday. The Pistons are 8-3 ATS this season when they are on a SU losing streak of 3 games or more and I look for them to "stop the bleeding" in a big way Thursday night. 10* DETROIT PISTONS

Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 8* Boston Celtics (-) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:35 ET - The Bucks are off of a rather "crazy" road win at Charlotte last night as Milwaukee simply shot lights out including hitting a ridiculous percentage of their threes. Note that the Hornets played a clean game with only 4 team turnovers and the Bucks scored just 2 fast break points in the game. In other words Milwaukee certainly wasn't forcing turnovers nor scoring in transition. But the fact is that its hard to lose a game when your team hits 14 of 30 three pointers plus hits 73% from inside the arc and that what Milwaukee did last night. Needless to say everything was falling the Bucks way last night and I feel that Boston may remain a little under-valued tonight as a result. After all, the Celtics are currently holding the top record in the Eastern Conference and they are at home and rested with only a bad Orlando team on deck. Boston has won 7 of its last 8 games and are 11-4 ATS against Central Division opponents this season. The Bucks were on a 3-5 ATS skid before last night's insane shooting performance and Milwaukee had been held under 44.4% from the field in 5 of their last 6 games before the big win at Charlotte yesterday. The Bucks are 4-11 ATS against Atlantic Division opponents this season and I look for Milwaukee to drop to 6-11 ATS on the season when off of a game where they scored 115 points or more. The Celtics have won 3 straight meetings with the Bucks including a blowout win by 15 the last time they hosted Milwaukee. 8* BOSTON 

Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Charlotte Hornets (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:35 ET - The Hornets are off of a tough home loss to Milwaukee as the Bucks simply shot lights out including hitting a ridiculous percentage of their threes. Charlotte played a clean game with only 4 team turnovers and the Hornets allowed just 2 fast break points. But its hard to win when a team hits 14 of 30 three pointers plus hits 73% from inside the arc. Needless to say everything was falling the Bucks way last night and Charlotte is a little under-valued tonight as a result. The Hornets are trying to stay alive in the playoff race and had won 4 of 5 before last night's disappointing results. Though the Raptors have won 4 of the last 6 meetings between these teams, 3 of the 4 wins came by a margin of 6 points or less. Toronto has allowed 48% shooting from the field in their last 4 home games while the Hornets have allowed 45.5% or less in 3 of their last 4 road games. Over the past 5 weeks Charlotte has gone 6-2 ATS when off of a loss and, coming off of an ATS loss last night, note that only 2 times this entire season have the Hornets failed to cover both games of a back to back situation. Look for the road team to prove to be the hungrier team as Raptors 6 straight wins will have them looking right past the Hornets here. 10* CHARLOTTE

Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 8* Charlotte Hornets (-) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:05 ET - This seems to be a popular revenge spot but, honestly, does it really matter that Milwaukee has revenge here? The Hornets have won 3 straight times over the Bucks and all 3 of those games were in Milwaukee and the Bucks couldn't get their revenge there either. Milwaukee is on a 3-13 ATS run in games against Southeast Division opponents. Also, the Bucks defense has been on the decline again of late as they've allowed 49% from the field in their last 5 games. The Hornets defense has struggled in their last 2 games but previously had held their opponents under 46% from the field in 8 of their 10 prior games. Charlotte is off of a big win over Phoenix, scoring 120 in the victory, and they are a stellar 8-3 ATS this season when off of a game where they scored 115 points or more. Though the Hornets playoff chances are slim, they're not dead yet and I look for them to improve to 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games with a big home win here. 8* CHARLOTTE

Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 8* Minnesota Timberwolves (+) @ Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - From late January through early February, the Pacers were hot and won 7 straight games. However, from then until March 24th, Indiana lost 14 of 21 games! Now, coming off of another rare win (albeit against the lowly Sixers), the Pacers appear to be in the perfect spot to fade them! This is a team that hasn't won back to back games in 7 WEEKS! They are laying a short number here but don't be fooled. The road team has covered each of the last 5 meetings between these teams. The Timberwolves do come into this one on a losing streak (6 games both SU and ATS) but they are looking to avenge a home loss to the Pacers in January and Minnesota is 47-33 ATS when playing with home loss revenge. Indiana is 7-11 ATS this season when off of a win by a double digit margin. Also, the Pacers are an ugly 15-24 ATS when facing teams with a losing record this season. The Indiana bench has been thinned with Robinson and Jefferson out plus Stuckey unlikely to play tonight. With the Pacers playing again tomorrow night and this being part of a stretch of 7 games in 11 days for Indiana, I look for the Timberwolves to wear them down in this one. 8* MINNESOTA

TNT Blowout ATS Rout - Rickenbach NBA Monday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) @ San Antonio Spurs @ 8 ET - The Cavaliers seek revenge for a home loss to the Spurs two months ago. Cleveland comes into this game off of a home loss to Washington. That is significant because the regular season is almost over and yet there have been only 4 times this entire season that the Cavaliers have had a losing streak of 2 games or more. In other words, look for the Cavs to respond here. Cleveland was off yesterday and they have two days off after tonight's game so you can bet that LeBron James and company are going to go 'all out' in terms of the effort for tonight's revenge game. Though the Spurs certainly won't overlook the Cavs, San Antonio does have big games against Western Conference foes Golden State, Oklahoma City, Utah and Memphis on deck. The Warriors are up next on Wednesday and the Spurs are still hopeful of catching them for the #1 seeding in the West so that is a huge game. San Antonio has been hot but, keep in mind, they are only 11-18 ATS this season when they enter a match-up on a winning streak of 3 games or more. The Cavs are 8-3 SU this season when off of a loss by a margin of 10 points or more. The Cavaliers are also 61-31 SU the last 3 seasons combined when they are playing with revenge. I won't be surprised if they get the upset win on the road here and they are 37-18 SU when off of an upset loss as a favorite. That said, after the loss to the Wizards, look for the Cavs to bounce back here. Grab the points for the added "insurance" as I don't see the Spurs winning this by more than one possession if they even win it all! 10* CLEVELAND

No Doubt Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (-) vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 8:05 ET - Some teams handle playoff pressure well and others handle it poorly. This season, the Nuggets certainly fall into the first category! Denver has won 6 of its last 8 games as they look to secure a post-season berth in the West and the Nuggets have also been a covering machine as they are on a 11-4 ATS run their last 15 games. Look for Denver to take advantage here of facing a Pelicans team that is in a tough scheduling spot. While the Nuggets are fully focused on this game as it is their only home game between March 22nd and April 7th, New Orleans is in a much different situation here. The Pelicans are off of a divisional loss (at Houston) Friday and they have a game at Utah tomorrow night. So New Orleans is in the midst of a 3 games in 4 night stretch and tonight's game and tomorrow's game are both played in high altitude. In other words, rather than gasping for air tonight as the game goes on, if the Pelicans are down big the smarter thing to do is to conserve energy and save it for tomorrow night's game at Utah. I just don't see the Pelicans staying within the rather small number here given the situation. Keep in mind, New Orleans is going to have to "run and gun" to keep up with the Nuggets here and the Pelicans are 2-6 SU their last 8 road games with a posted total of 220 points or more while Denver is 11-6 SU (and ATS) in home games with a posted total of 220 points or more. The Pelicans have lost 4 of their last 6 road games and are also 5-9 SU (and ATS) when off of a divisional game this season. The Nuggets are on an 11-4 ATS run in games against teams with a losing record and will take advantage of facing a Pelicans team that has gone just 11-24 SU on the road this season. 10* DENVER

PA Insider - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 8* Philadelphia 76'ers (+) @ Indiana Pacers @ 6:05 ET - The 76'ers are on an incredible 17-4 ATS run after a big upset win at Chicago Friday. While the first though would be to fade Philadelphia off of an upset win like that, the Sixers have proven time and time again this season that you simply should not fade them in a spot like this! Philly is 18-7 ATS off of an upset win as an underdog this season. Also, the 76'ers are 5-1 (ATS and SU!) when off of a win by a double digit margin this season and 9-2 ATS when they are off of a game where they scored 115 points or more. While Philly is playing loose and relaxed at this late juncture of the season, the Pacers have been feeling the pressures of playoff positioning. Indiana is an ugly 7-14 SU their last 21 games! Also, the Pacers come into this game on a 2-6 ATS run and they'll be doing good just to win this game let alone cover the spread! Versus teams that allow 106 points or more on the season, Indiana has gone 8-18 ATS. Also, the Pacers are an ugly 4-10 ATS in games against the Atlantic Division this season. Wins have been few and far between for Indiana for quite some time now and, in the entire month of March, the Pacers have had just 2 wins of more than 7 points. That said, I like my chances with the Sixers continuing to relish their underdog role and the opportunity to play spoiler. The 76'ers should again be in this one all the way! 8* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 8* Brooklyn Nets (+) @ Atlanta Hawks @ 1:05 ET - The Hawks will most assuredly be a "public play" here and, as long-time followers know, I love to fade the "popular" choice. The key here is this line just "jumped off the page" today because when you see a playoff-caliber team with a winning record at home and facing a team that is 42 games under .500 (Nets are 15-57) and yet only laying 6.5 points you have to wonder what is going on. I can tell you what is going on though! The Hawks are in a massive funk and feeling the pressure of really taking a plunge in the playoff picture. That is why Atlanta has been shooting poorly and they've now lost 6 straight games. Here they are hosting a Brooklyn team that has not had to worry about the post-season for a long time and they are simply playing loose and relaxed basketball. Though they lost at Washington Friday, the Nets did shoot 52.4% from the field and they also shot well it was just a 5 point loss here at Atlanta less than 3 weeks ago and that was back when the Hawks were playing a little better. Now Brooklyn can take advantage of a slumping Hawks team that just got back from a road trip and is 1-4 (SU and ATS) this season when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. Keep in mind, the Nets had covered 8 of their last 10 games prior to the ugly loss to the Wizards. They'll bounce back here against a floundering Atlanta team. 8* BROOKLYN

No Doubt Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 10* Top Play Toronto Raptors (+) @ Dallas Mavericks @ 8:35 ET - Even though this is a revenge spot for the Mavericks (lost ugly at Toronto two weeks ago), the Raptors simply are too dominant on the glass for the Mavs. In the last two meetings Dallas has been outrebounded by a combined 42 boards. Also, Toronto comes into this game having won 4 straight games and they've outrebounded their opponents by a combined 56 rebounds in their last 3 games. The Mavericks are off of a win but they failed to cover 5 of their 7 prior games and they've been outrebounded by 85 caroms in their last 6 games. Look for the rebounding edge to again be a key here as the Raptors dominate the boards. Toronto has been shooting the ball better than Dallas of late as the Mavericks seem to be wilting under the playoff pressure quite often while the Raptors (truly quite secure in their playoff position) are playing relaxed and confident and shooting the ball quite well again as they've rebounded from a recent slump. Toronto is 5-2 SU and ATS this season when off of an upset win as an underdog. The Raptors are also 14-7 ATS (and 15-6 SU) when off of a game where they won by a double digit margin. As for the Mavericks, they are 3-6 ATS against Atlantic Division opponents this season. Also, the Mavs are only 11-19 SU against teams with a winning record this season. 10* TORONTO

Rickenbach NBA Friday 8* Orlando Magic (+) vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - The Magic had a bad fourth quarter and lost to the Hornets Wednesday. Now this line has gone from an opener of 2.5 on the Pistons all the way up to a -4 as of mid-morning on gameday. Detroit has lost (and failed to cover) 5 of its last 6 games. The Pistons shots just aren't falling and, as a result, they're feeling all the pressure here. Conversely, the Magic come into this game loose and relaxed and playing with nothing to lose as they certainly don't have to worry about any playoff pressure! That makes for an ultra dangerous home dog in a spot like this and I like the fact that the Magic had won 4 of their last 7 home games before falling apart late against Charlotte Wednesday. Look for Orlando to bounce back and take advantage of a Pistons team that's been held to 44.3% or less from the field in 6 straight games! Detroit is 3-6 SU (and ATS) when off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. Also, on the season, the Pistons are an ugly 12-23 ATS in road games. I smell an upset here but I am happy to grab all the points I can get. 8* ORLANDO

Rickenbach NBA Friday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (+) @ Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - Both teams dealing with playoff pressure right now as they work hard to secure a post-season berth. However, the Nuggets are dealing with the pressure much better than the Pacers and that's why you shouldn't be "fooled" by the interesting line that was posted on this game. Considering Denver is only 13-20 SU in road games this season and Indiana is 25-10 SU in home games this season, why would the Pacers have opened up at very close to the "pick'em range" in this game? Of course it is with good reason but many will feel the odds makers made a mistake here or simply "giving this one away" for the Pacers. It just doesn't work that way folks and I actually like to look for games like this for the sole intention of playing the other side. Here are the "real" keys for this one. Indiana is on a long-term 7-13 (35%) straight-up run their last 20 games. The Nuggets are 8-4 SU (and 9-3 ATS!) in their last 12 games. This is a classic case of two teams going in opposite directions but the betting markets, as usual, are likely to be slow to adjust. That is when you can find significant value which is what I believe we have here. The Pacers have been held under 44.7% from the field in 6 of their last 7 games. The hot-shooting Nuggets have knocked down over 48.7% from the field in 9 of their last 12 games! Denver is also on a 4-0 ATS run against the Pacers and a long-term 19-8 ATS run against Central Division opponents. Even though the Nuggets full season numbers are not impressive (in terms of defense), note that Indiana is 8-17 ATS (32%) in their games this season against teams that are allowing 106 points or more per game! The Pacers offense simply won't be able to keep up with the hot shooting Nuggets in this one. 10* DENVER

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Toronto Raptors (+) @ Miami Heat @ 7:35 ET - While I successfully played against the Raptors Tuesday because their playoff seeding is highly unlikely to change a great deal, that doesn't mean there are not going to be games that Toronto will be "up for" as the regular season winds down and this is one of those! The Raptors lost at Miami by 15 points a little less than 2 weeks ago and that sets this rematch up perfectly for revenge. Even though the final margin looked ugly it had a lot do with Toronto getting outscored by 27 points from three point land as they had a horrific night shooting the 3-ball. The Raptors did win the battle of the boards in that game and had 16 more field goal attempts than the Heat in that one. Even though Serge Ibaka is likely to miss tonight's game he shot very poorly against Miami two weeks ago and was also not a big factor on the boards. With that said, his absence from tonight's game is unlikely to have the impact that many are expecting. With this line having already moved from a 3 up to a 4.5 excellent line value is being offered with the road dog. The Raptors have a SU record of 24-13 this season (and 86-34 the L3 seasons combined) in their games against teams with a losing record. The Heat are 12-21 SU this season (and 49-74 the L3 seasons combined) in their games against teams with a winning record. Miami also has a big game at Boston on deck while the Raptors have a non-conference foe up next. 10* TORONTO

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 8:05 ET - Both these teams have been struggling with recent losses but, as a result, that means we are getting extra line value with the revenging team that is on the road and therefore catching inflated points here. The Hawks lost by 26 points versus the Wizards in late January and that game was at Atlanta! Needless to say some home loss revenge is on order here and now they're being given points against a division rival that has covered just TWICE in their last 11 games! Though Atlanta is also in a slump I question whether Washington should really be this big of a favorite against a tough division rival whose road record this season is just as good as their home record (Hawks 2 games over .500 both away from home and at home). The Hawks have some injury issues but not enough to justify the Wizards being priced in the way they are tonight. This is not an uncommon time of year for Washington to be struggling. The Wizards are now 15-26 ATS in March games the past 3 seasons combined. The Hawks are 25-16 ATS the L3 seasons combined when they are playing with home loss revenge. Also, Atlanta is off of a loss at Charlotte and the Hawks are 9-4 ATS (and 10-3 SU!) this season when they are off of a divisional game. 10* ATLANTA HAWKS Wednesday evening

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 8* Orlando Magic (+) vs Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - The Magic lost by 40 points at Charlotte a little less than 2 weeks ago. Even though Orlando's post-season aspirations are long gone, as professionals, players will get up for a game like this. Not only do the Magic have a chance to play spoiler here and put a major dent in the last bit of playoff hopes that the Hornets still have, this game also comes against a division rival. Couple that with the embarrassing 121-81 defeat at Charlotte on the 10th of the month and you have the perfect ingredients for a huge effort from Orlando in this one. Also, Charlotte has a big home game on deck as the defending champs will be in town as LeBron James and company pay a visit. The Hornets will certainly be up for that game against the Cavs but it would not surprise me to see them a little flat tonight as they face the Magic. Charlotte is on a 3-11 ATS run against teams with a losing record. Also, the Hornets are off of back to back big divisional wins over Washington and Atlanta and Charlotte is only 3-8 ATS this season when off of a divisional game. Also, the Hornets are an ugly 3-8 ATS this season when they are off of a game where they held their opponent to 90 points or less. I am grabbing the classic "ugly dog" in a highly motivated spot! 8* ORLANDO MAGIC early Wednesday

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 8* Chicago Bulls (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:05 ET - While the Raptors are very nearly locked into their playoff position - unlikely to catch Boston and unlikely to drop below Indiana - the Bulls are fighting for their playoff lives right now. Chicago is part of a grouping of 4 teams in the East - currently seeded from 7th to 10th - that are all only separated by 1.5 games in the standings. That makes this game critical for the Bulls and they are catching Toronto at a good time as the Raptors are off of a big win over the Pacers (the closest team to them in the standings). Chicago has certainly had the Raptors number with 11 straight wins over Toronto and an 11-0 ATS run for the Bulls in their match-ups. Chicago has had the past two days off and is 7-3 SU and ATS this season when they enter a game with two days of rest between games. The Bulls are also 24-14 ATS (and 27-11 ATS) the L3 seasons combined when playing with 2 days of rest between games. Chicago also now has a few games under their belt without Dwyane Wade as they adjust to life without the veteran player who is now out for the season with a fractured elbow. The Raptors are known for playing down to their level of competition and, off of that big win over Indiana, and with a strong Miami team on deck, don't be surprised if Toronto again falls short here. The Raptors are 6-11 ATS in their last 17 games against teams with a losing record. 8* CHICAGO BULLS Tuesday evening

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Monday 8* Philadelphia 76'ers (+) @ Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - The 76'ers just keep on covering. They won versus Boston yesterday and, even though this is a back to back spot for Philly, yesterday's game was an early afternoon start so the travel situation is truly not bad. Also, the Sixers have been a covering machine in the 2nd game of back to backs too with a 6-1 ATS mark in their last 7. Overall it's been an incredible 31-9 ATS run for the 76'ers. Philadelphia is also on a 6-0 ATS run against teams that allow 106 points or more per game while Orlando is on a 1-8 ATS run against teams that give up 106 points or more per game on average. Even though Jahlil Okafor hurt his knee in yesterday's game and is questionable tonight, the Sixers were -11 in the 12 minutes he was on the floor versus the Celtics. That means they were +17 with their "small ball" lineup and that should bode well for success against the Magic as well. Orlando is back from a west coast road trip and east coast teams often struggle in the first game back after traveling out west. Also, Nikola Vucevic is having issues with his achilles and that is likely to impact him if he plays tonight. The Magic are on a 10-18 ATS run overall and Orlando is off of an upset win as an underdog (at Phoenix Friday) and they are 5-10 ATS and 1-14 SU this when off of an outright win as a dog. Since Orlando is the fave here we can include SU stats in the equation and combining that 1-14 mark with the Sixers 6-0 ATS run noted above and Orlando's 1-8 ATS run noted above (both against poor defensive teams) we have a combined 28-2 (93%) mark favoring the 76'ers here! 8* PHILADELPHIA

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 8* Utah Jazz (-) @ Chicago Bulls @ 9:05 ET - Though it may seem a little uncomfortable laying sizable points on the road, is the perfect spot to do just that. Utah is fired up off of a loss and they catch the Bulls playing the 2nd game of a back to back and also it's the 5th game in 7 days for a Chicago team that used a lot of energy trying to rally from a big deficit at Washington last night. The Bulls have lost 7 of their last 8 games. The Jazz had won 6 of their last 7 before the loss at Cleveland Thursday. Utah is playing this game with home loss revenge and that is a situation that has seen them go 37-13 (74%) ATS the last 3 seasons combined! Also, the Bulls are an ugly 14-27 ATS in Saturday games the past 3 seasons combined and also 10-19 ATS in games against Northwest Division opponents. Road rout should result here. 8* UTAH

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 8* Portland Trail Blazers (+) @ Atlanta Hawks @ 6:05 ET - The Blazers are off of a huge win over the Spurs at San Antonio but that was back on Wednesday so they'll have no problem being ready to go here. The motivational factor helps as they lost at home versus the Hawks last month. Since that loss the Trail Blazers went 3-1 at home. Portland is also 3-1 in their last 4 road games and I like their chances here against a slumping Hawks team. Off of a home loss the Hawks have now failed to cover 10 of their last 13 games since knocking off the Blazers in Portland. As you can see, Atlanta has been in a downward spiral since the very game that is creating this nice revenge spot for the Blazers here. While many will likely look to fade the Trail Blazers since they are off of an upset of the Spurs, Portland is actually 23-11 SU (and 21-13 ATS) the L3 seasons combined when off of an upset win as an underdog. The Hawks are only 18-28 ATS as a favorite this season and their recent 3-10 ATS slump continues here. 8* PORTLAND

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Friday 8* Detroit Pistons (-) vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:35 ET - The Raptors are off of a home loss to the Thunder and are now back on the road where they are on a 2-6 ATS skid. Making matters worse for Toronto is the fact that they are likely in the wrong place at the wrong time. Detroit is coming off of embarrassing back to back losses at Cleveland and then versus Utah and the Pistons are fired up about a bounce back effort here. Detroit got a 1 point win at Toronto last month but revenge has not played out well at all for the Raptors this season. Toronto has gone 2-9 SU and 3-7-1 ATS this season when playing with home loss revenge. The Pistons are a solid 13-8 ATS when off of a loss by a double digit margin this season. Also, the past 3 seasons combined, Detroit is a strong 15-8 ATS when they are off of a game where they were held to 85 points or less. The Pistons were on a 10-2 (SU and ATS!) run in home games before the embarrassing loss to the Jazz Wednesday. Look for a big bounce back here as the Raptors road misery continues! 8* DETROIT

Double Burial - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 8* Detroit Pistons (+) vs Utah Jazz @ 7:35 ET - Calling his a rare Double Burial situation as the Pistons not only got crushed by the Cavaliers last night (128 to 96), they also lost at Utah 110 to 77 in mid-January. Those two ugly losses make this the perfect spot to back Detroit in revenge mode. I am well aware of the fact that this is a back to back spot for the Pistons but their most recent back to back saw them upset the Cavaliers (also as a home dog) back on Thursday. Now they are a home dog to a Jazz team that is off of a huge win versus the Clippers and also has a big game on deck at Cleveland to face the defending champion Cavaliers tomorrow night. Detroit is on a 10-2 (SU and ATS) run since January 1st in home games. Going a little further back it is a 13-3 SU run for the Pistons in home games. The Jazz, prior to their big win over the Clips, had failed to cover 8 of their last 13 games. Utah also has failed to cover 3 of its last 4 road games. The Pistons are 7-2 (SU and ATS) against Northwest Division opponents this season but one of those losses was the aforementioned burial at Utah in January. Couple that with last night's burial at Cleveland and the Pistons are in double burial bounce back mode here. They'll be hungry and I look for them to get revenge at home but will gladly grab the generous available points. 8* DETROIT

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA 8* Detroit Pistons (+) @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:05 ET - This is a revenge spot for the Cavaliers but, of course, the odds makers know that too and they had to put an over-inflated number on Cleveland just to get balanced action on this game. We'll take advantage by grabbing the under-valued Pistons on the other side. Detroit comes into this game having won and covered 12 of their last 18 games. The Cavs have been at the other end of the spectrum of late as they are on a 3-6 SU and ATS run their last 9 games. Over their last 6 games the Cavaliers have been outrebounded by an average of 5 boards per game and they've turned the ball over 79 times while forcing just 49 turnovers. The Pistons have outrebounded their opponent in 6 straight games and, in their last 7 games, they've forced 99 turnovers while they've had just 52 turnovers of their own! The Cavaliers are just 19-36 ATS in divisional games the past 3 seasons and this season they are 6-12 ATS when they are off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. The Pistons have the rest edge here and they are 8-1 SU (and 7-2 ATS) when playing with 2 days of rest between games. Detroit also is on an 8-2 ATS run against teams that are allowing 106 points or more per game on the season. The Pistons are still in search of securing a playoff spot as they have a ways to go so there certainly will be no let up here. Look for the road dog to remain red hot Tuesday. 8* DETROIT

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA 8* Chicago Bulls (+) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - Everyone saw the Bulls take a beating yesterday at Boston because they simply couldn't buy a bucket throughout the first half of that game. For Chicago, it was extremely ugly and I look for the Bulls to redeem themselves tonight at Charlotte. Not surprisingly, the Hornets are already up to a 7 point favorite after opening up at a -5 for this game. Of course much of that has to to with the beating that Chicago took yesterday at Boston. I'll grab the extra value with the Bulls here as Chicago still has playoff hopes alive (actually sitting a little in front of the Hornets right now) and they certainly aren't going to lay down in Charlotte! Adding to the value for this play is the fact that Chicago just scored a season-low in points with just 80 yesterday and they are 6-2 ATS this season when off of a game where they scored 90 points or less. By the way, the only two ATS losses in those record were a 2 point win and a 2 point loss. That said, had the Bulls been at the number they are for tonight's game in those two contests, the record would be a perfect 8-0 ATS on the season. The point is, expect a bounce back from Chicago here! Also, the Bulls are 3-2 SU in the 2nd game of back to backs since the calendar turned to 2017 and both losses came by 5 points or less. Working with the number on tonight's game, the Bulls would be 5-0 ATS in the 2nd game of back to backs on the year. Even though Charlotte has revenge from a loss at Chicago in early January, the Hornets are only 12-18 ATS when playing with revenge this season. Charlotte is also an ugly 6-10 SU and ATS when off of an upset loss as a favorite and they suffered a home loss versus New Orleans Saturday. The Bulls may not wow you with their record and current losing streak but the Hornets aren't exactly known for taking care of business when they're supposed to. In fact, Charlotte is 11-20 ATS on the season (including 3-10 ATS their last 13) when they are facing a team with a losing record. 8* CHICAGO BULLS 

NBA TV Blowout ATS Rout - Rickenbach NBA Game #873 Sunday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) @ Indiana Pacers @ 6:05 ET - The Pacers are a popular choice today and that's understandable based on the situation involving Miami. On the surface, Indiana looks like the play. But when you look further into this situation, the Heat won so easily versus Toronto yesterday that key players were able to get significant rest and did not have to log big minutes. Also, Miami had two days off prior to that win over the Raptors. The Heat also have the added benefit of having two days off after this game. In other words, the situation is not nearly as bad as a "normal" back to back and, by the way, Miami has gone 10-2 ATS this season when playing the 2nd game of a back to back. Also, the Heat come into this one having won and covered 4 straight games and, of course, Miami has been one of the hottest teams in the league now for quite some time. They're taking on an Indiana team they've beaten 4 straight times and one of their two losses against the Pacers that preceded that run came by just three points. Also, Indiana comes into this game having lost 10 of their last 14 games. The Pacers are off of a loss to the division rival Bucks and are only 5-8 ATS when off of a divisional game this season. The Heat are 8-0 SU and ATS in their last 8 games played against teams with a winning record and they'll stay red hot here. 10* Top Play MIAMI

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #871 Sunday 8* Chicago Bulls (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 3:35 ET - Chicago has lost and failed to cover 4 straight games. However, Boston just got back from a west coast road trip and that first game back is often the toughest. The Celtics have been struggling too as they have lost 3 of their last 4 and overall have won just 4 of their last 10 games. Only twice in their last ten games has Boston won by a margin of more than 6 points. That said, there is good value here with a hungry Bulls team. Chicago gets fired up after a losing streak like they've been on. In fact, the Bulls are 6-1 ATS this season (and 15-4 ATS the L3 seasons) when on a losing streak of 3 games or more. The Celtics are only 2-6 ATS this season when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games on the road. Grab the ugly dog in this one. 8* CHICAGO

Early ATS Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #706 Saturday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (-) vs New York Knicks @ 5:05 ET - This looks like a typical spot where one would want to fade Detroit. They are off of a big win versus the defending NBA Champs and it is a trip to Cleveland that is on deck for the Pistons so they are truly in a division rival sandwich her involving the Cavaliers. However, one should not overlook the fact that the Pistons are currently fighting for their playoff lives so truly I just see no way possible that Detroit is going to overlook the Knicks here. That is especially true when they know it will be very tough to win at Cleveland Tuesday. Also, the fact that the Pistons have two days off after this means they can certainly put all energy and focus and attention into this game. The Knicks are having another "train wreck" season and, besides the enticement of fading a bad team here, it is certainly also worth noting that the home team has won each of the last 5 meetings between these teams. The Pistons are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games against teams that allow 106 points or more per game. Also, the Knicks are on a surprising 3-7 ATS run against teams with a losing record. The Pistons are hungry to get back to .500 and continue to make strides toward a playoff berth. 10* DETROIT

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Friday 8* Orlando Magic (+) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - Ugly dog theory in full effect here. I know the Magic may not appear overly attractive on the surface but there is value here because the Hornets are laying big points even though they had lost 6 of their last 7 home games prior to a win over Indiana Monday. Charlotte promptly followed up that rare home win with a loss at Miami Wednesday and this is a Hornets team that has covered the spread just 6 times in their last 21 games. Also, when off of a divisional game (just faced Heat), the Hornets have gone 2-6 SU (and 1-7 ATS) this season. Also, Charlotte has gone 10-20 ATS this season in their games against teams with a losing record. In other words, the Hornets are known for playing down to the level of competition. Orlando is off of a home win versus Chicago and the Magic have been playing much better, after a tough stretch, as the Magic have now covered 4 of their last 6 games. Orlando has lost each of the 2 prior meetings with the Hornets by an average margin of defeat of 20 points per game so a little payback is on order here. While Charlotte is playing with playoff pressure as they look to stay alive, the Magic are playing loose and relaxed. Also, if the Hornets are able to get a big lead in this game don't be surprised if they allow a backdoor cover as they will be wanting to save their legs for tomorrow's match-up with New Orleans. Simply no incentive for a blowout on the part of the Hornets here while the Magic do have revenge incentive in this match-up. That is why this should prove to simply be too many points! 8* ORLANDO

No Doubt Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NBA Game #705 Thursday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Clippers (+) @ Memphis Grizzlies @ 8:05 ET - Memphis is seeking revenge for a loss at LA in early January. However, each of the two prior meetings were taken by the road team and there is actually plenty of reason to expect the "road edge" to return here. The fact is that the Grizzlies are struggling as they are currently on a 3-6 run (both SU and ATS). Also, even though the Clippers are in a back to back here and Memphis is playing with rest, the Grizzlies are a surprising 1-7 (SU and ATS) when they enter a game with 2 days of rest between games. Additionally, the fact that the Clips lost by 16 at Minnesota last night will have them fired up here. The Clippers were on a modest 7-4 winning run prior to the loss to the Timberwolves. Also, when playing the 2nd game of a back to back, the Clips are actually 34-19 SU the past 3 seasons combined. In 2017, when off of a loss where the Clippers have been held to less than 100 points (as they were last night at Minny), they have won their next game all 4 times. I look for that SU mark to improve to 5-0 here and that means the added points we are getting here should prove to just be a bonus. 10* LA CLIPPERS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #702 Thursday 8* Detroit Pistons (+) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:35 ET - "Everybody and their brother", as the saying goes, will be piling on Cleveland here since they are off back to back losses. Of course that is why this line has been driven from as low as the Cavaliers -3.5 all the way up to now as a high as Cavs -6 as of gameday morning. This has opened up exceptional line value on the Pistons here because, keep in mind, it's about more than back to back losses for Cleveland here. The fact is that the Cavaliers are in the midst of a 2-4 stretch that has seen them go 1-5 ATS at the betting window! This team is simply struggling right now and they are on the road and facing a division rival who is off of a loss and has not lost back to back games since January! The Pistons were on an 11-5 ATS streak before their ugly 17 point loss at Indiana last night. Look for Detroit, even though this is a back to back spot, to get right back on track here as they have gone 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games against teams that allow 106 points or more per game. Also, the Pistons are 12-7 ATS this season when off of a loss by a double digit margin. The Cavaliers are only 11-19 ATS against teams with a losing record on the season. Also, even when off of an upset loss as a favorite, the Cavs have gone 4-7 ATS this season. The Cavs knocked Detroit out of the post-season last April and so these games always have extra meaning for the Pistons. The home team has easily covered each of the first two match-ups this season and I look for that trend to continue here. 8* DETROIT

Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Monday 8* Miami Heat (+) @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:05 ET - Cleveland lost by 28 at Miami on Saturday so now, automatically, the Cavaliers are the play here in the eyes of most people. Being a contrarian, I am not "most people" and the fact is that the Cavs are not the same team without Kevin Love. The Cavaliers enter this game on a 2-3 SU (1-4 ATS) run and the 2 wins each came by 7 points or less. That said, the Heat would be on an 0-5 ATS run at the price range they are being bet up to in this game. This line, after being as low as a 7.5 yesterday, is already up to a 9 on gameday morning and this is offering fantastic line value with a Miami team that is fighting for their playoff lives and certainly won't let up here! The Heat are 18-4 SU their last 22 games and only 1 of the 4 losses have come by double digits (just barely, defeated by 11 at Orlando). With that said, the value we are getting here with a hungry Miami team against a Cavs team that is still suffering from a bit of "World Champion hangover" is simply too good to pass up on. The World Champs are only 14-11 SU their last 25 games. They'll certainly pick up the intensity in the post-season but, until then, spots like this are perfect to fade them. Even when playing with revenge this season, the Cavs are just 6-6 ATS and an uninspiring 7-5 SU. Against teams with a losing record, the Cavaliers are 11-18 ATS this season. Cleveland is also an ugly 6-11 ATS this season when off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. The Heat are 7-1 ATS when they are off of a game where they scored 115 points or more and they've covered 6 straight games against teams with a winning record. The Heat lost by 30 in their last visit here (early this season) and they haven't forgotten that beating either. 8* MIAMI plus the big points Monday

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Saturday 8* Detroit Pistons (-) @ Philadelphia 76'ers @ 6:05 ET - Philadelphia, though truly starting to tank the season, is off of a win last night versus the Knicks. That victory snapped a 3-game losing streak for the Sixers. Overall, the 76'ers had lost 11 of their last 16 games prior to last night's win. Now, in a tough back to back scheduling spot, Philly hosts a Detroit team that is well-rested (off since Wednesday) and also fired up (off of a 23 point loss). The Pistons had won 8 of 12 before that ugly loss at New Orleans and that was a strange loss for Detroit as they took 25 more shots from the field than the Pelicans and yet still managed to lose ugly. Poor shooting from three point land and insanely bad shooting from the free throw line were big difference-makers in the game. Look for the Pistons to take advantage of facing a weak foe today as they bounce back on Saturday. Detroit is 5-1 in their last 6 games against the 76'ers and all 6 games were decided by a margin of at least a dozen points! The Pistons are 7-1 SU and 6-2 ATS when playing with 2 days of rest between games this season. 8* DETROIT