Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks +4 @ Toronto @ 7:35 ET - The Hawks have been playing stellar defense. Atlanta comes into this game off of a win at Utah where the Hawks held the Jazz to just 87 points. It was the 5th time in their last 6 games that Atlanta has held their opponent under 39.9% from the field. The Hawks have covered all 6 games of these games and I look for them to take their ATS win streak to 7 in a row with another win tonight. While the Raptors also come into this game off of a Tuesday win, the victory marked the 6th time in their last 7 games that Toronto had allowed 47% or better from the field. The Raptors are allowing 105.3 points per game during this 7 game stretch. The Hawks are allowing just 88.5 points per game in their 6 game ATS winning streak. This series has been dominated by the road team. Not only has the roadie won each of the last four meetings, each victory has come by a double digit margin. The Hawks are on a long-term 23-10 ATS run in games played at Toronto in this series and they also have revenge for a home loss to the Raptors in their only meeting this season. That defeat in December continued the recent road domination in the series and now the Hawks seek road revenge in Toronto. Atlanta is 24-16 ATS when playing with home loss revenge the past three seasons combined. Also, the Raptors come into this game on a 3-game ATS losing streak. Toronto is 10-17 ATS as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points the past three seasons. The Hawks are 5-1 ATS as a road dog of 3.5 to 6 points this season. When off of a game where they allowed 85 points or less, Atlanta is 3-1 this season. The Hawks continued strong effort on defense leads the way today while the Raptors defensive struggles continues to hurt them at the betting window. *10* ATLANTA

Rickenbach NBA *10* Indiana Pacers +7 vs San Antonio @ 7:05 ET - There is no disputing that the Spurs are one of the top teams in the league. However, the books are starting to catch up with them and, that said, the value is now in fading the Spurs. They are on a 4-6 ATS run and are here they are being asked to cover 7 points on the road against a solid foe. I just don't see it happening. Taking a look at the Pacers last 19 games they are only 10-9. But in the 9 losses they have had only 3 defeats by more than 7 points. Indiana just does not get blown out and that is particularly true on their home floor. Even though the Pacers are off of an upset win as an underdog at Washington Saturday, Indiana is 5-1 ATS this season when off of an upset win. The Pacers also are a stellar 20-10 ATS in games against teams with a winning record this season. Over a span of two weeks from late Feb to mid March this is the only home game on the Pacers schedule. With a standalone game like this on the schedule you can bet that Indiana is going to make the most of their home floor. For the Spurs this is a tough scheduling spot as it is part of a 5 games in 7 days stretch and they have another road game at Minnesota on deck for tomorrow. The Pacers lost both meetings with the Spurs last season but each came by 6 points or less. With revenge from those tight defeats plus having lost this season's earlier meeting at San Antonio, a little payback is on order here. *10* INDIANA

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Oklahoma City Thunder -7 @ Milwaukee @ 3:35 ET - The Thunder have lost 6 of 8 games since the All Star break but Oklahoma City truly has played a brutal schedule. The Thunder are coming off of a loss at Golden State but playing the best team in the league on the road after losing on the road in a game in which you held a huge late lead (at LA against the Clips) the night before is absolutely a tough situation. Now that Oklahoma City has had two days off to regroup after the loss to the Warriors followed a stunning loss to the Clippers, I look for the Thunder to respond in a huge way Sunday. This is the only game that OKC has in a 5 day stretch as the Thunder have two days off after this game. There is no way that Oklahoma City won't be ready here and that is bad news for the Bucks. Milwaukee has been playing better for sure but they still are nowhere close to being on par with a team the caliber of the Thunder. The Bucks have been emphasizing a new offensive attack but, in the process, they've forgotten about playing defense. Milwaukee has allowed 47% or better from the field in 4 of their last 5 games. The Thunder defense got lit up by Golden State - then again...who doesn't against the Warriors? - but, prior to that, Oklahoma City had held 5 of their last 8 opponents under 45% from the field. The Thunder have the better defense, they have the more explosive offense, they are hungry and highly motivated for a win here, and the Bucks are off of a rare win. Set-ups don't get much better than this and the expected absence of Michael Carter-Williams is also going to impact Milwaukee Sunday. *10* OKLAHOMA CITY

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Minnesota Timberwolves -5 vs Brooklyn @ 8:05 ET - I have been riding the Nets a lot in recent weeks as they are definitely improving and they have offered some nice value of late. However, this is a very tough spot for them and has the makings of an absolute blowout. It is hard enough for a team to play the 2nd night of a back after facing Denver but in this case it will be ultra tough. Not only is the Nets 2nd game on the road. Not only did the Nets get the outright upset last night. The game went into overtime and was an OT victory in the Mile High City for Brooklyn. I don't expect the Nets to have much left in the tank for tonight's game and the Wolves are absolutely not going to be in a hospitable mood here. The Timberwolves are off of a loss at Milwaukee last night and, after playing better in prior weeks, Minnesota has now lost three straight games for the first time in a month. That means we can expect an "A game" from the T-wolves tonight who are a rock solid 7-3 ATS in their last 10 home games. Brooklyn has lost 9 of 11 on the season when it is the 2nd game of a back to back and, in this case, off of an OT win at a very tough venue last night, it looks like the perfect spot for that record to drop to 2-10 on the season AND for the defeat to be a blowout loss to the hungry Wolves. Minnesota is 8-4 SU and ATS the past three seasons as  home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points. The Nets are 15-34 SU (and 20-29 ATS) when off of an upset win as an underdog. *10* MINNESOTA

Rickenbach NBA *8* Indiana Pacers +2.5 @ Washington @ 7:05 ET - Home court hasn't meant much in this series. The road team has covered 12 of the last 15 meetings between these teams and that includes each of the last six. The Pacers seek revenge for an ugly 14 home loss in January and they catch the Wizards off of a deflating 25 point loss at Cleveland last night. That's the kind of defeat that can have a team hanging their heads and Washington is certainly a fragile team from a psyche standpoint. The Pacers are also coming off of a loss last night but they only lost by 7 at Charlotte. Though Indiana lost to the Hornets, the Pacers are the much better team on the defensive end in comparison with the Wizards. Indiana has used this to their advantage against the better scoring teams in the league this season and that is why the Pacers are 25-18 ATS this season in games against teams averaging 99 points or more per game. Indiana has won 6 of their past 7 against teams with a losing record and has a SU record the past three seasons combined of 80-39 in games against teams with a losing record. The Wizards are 2-6 SU and ATS in their last 8 games against teams with a winning record. The Pacers are 5-2 SU and 6-1 ATS in their last 7 visits to Washington and the Wizards John Wall has downplayed his foot and ankle injury that he tweaked again in last night's loss. This is absolutely something he is likely to play through but also something that will impact his effectiveness and, as Wall goes so go the Wizards. *8* INDIANA

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Portland Trail Blazers +5 @ Toronto @ 7:35 ET - Toronto certainly is a solid team but I like to look for strong teams off of a bad loss and that is the situation here with Portland. The Trail Blazers are off of an ugly 23-point loss at Boston on Wednesday. Portland will be ready to respond in a huge way Friday. The Blazers, prior to the loss to the Celtics, had won 18 of their past 22 games. Portland went 16-6 ATS in those 22 games and they have held each of their last four opponents to 43% or less from the field. The Trail Blazers simply had a sloppy, ugly effort at Boston and they'll be ready to atone for that performance here. Toronto is off of a win and cover versus Utah Wednesday but the Raptors had previously failed to cover the spread in 8 of their last 13. The Raptors are in a vulnerable spot here in my opinion because, even though they've been winning they've allowed their last 4 opponents to combine for a 50% shooting percentage from the field. Winning games even while playing subpar defense can lull teams into a false sense of confidence. In other words, the Raptors can run into trouble against a determined, hungry, strong team that is playing better defense than they are. The Blazers also have revenge here from a home loss to Toronto early last month. Portland had swept the season series each of the prior two years and the Trail Blazers are 7-2 SU and ATS this season when playing with home loss revenge. Portland also is 16-9 ATS this season when off of a game where they allowed 105 points or more. They will be ready to go tonight. The Raptors have covered just 10 of 27 games the past three seasons when they are a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points. *10* PORTLAND

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Minnesota Timberwolves +3.5 vs Washington @ 8:05 ET - The Timberwolves are off of an embarrassing loss at Dallas where they shot poorly and the Mavs simply shot lights out. It happens and Minnesota knows it. Now the T-wolves have had a couple days off to think about that loss and to get ready to respond in what is their first home game in over a week. I expect them to do just that. Minnesota has won 5 of their last 8 home games and one of the three losses came by just three points against a top tier Western Conference team, Oklahoma City. With that said, the Timberwolves are fully capable of giving the Wizards all they can handle...and then some! Washington's 3 game winning streak looks good at first glace but they faced the hapless 76'ers twice! The Wizards now could get caught looking right past a Timberwolves team that is better than their record would indicate. Washington will be looking ahead to a big game with LeBron James and the Cavs and will fail to recognize just how tough it can be to knock off "these" Timberwolves in Minnesota. The fact is that Minny has been playing much better than they were previously and the T-wolves have held their own against high-scoring teams like the Wizards. Minnesota has gone 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games against teams that average 99 points or more per game. Washington is 1-4 both SU and ATS in their games against teams from the Northwest Division this season. The Wizards also have gone 10-20 ATS in games in March that past two years. This is their first game this month and they have lost 6 of their last 9 road games. *10* MINNESOTA

Rickenbach NBA *8* Utah Jazz +6 @ Toronto @ 7:35 ET - The Jazz went from a +6 to a +5 in their most recent game at Boston and that resulted in a "push" against the Celtics except for those who played it early and got the win. Utah has hit a tough patch where they have struggled to win and struggled to get covers. That means the Jazz are very hungry heading into this match-up with Toronto and they could be catching the Raptors at the right time to spring the upset. Toronto is coming into this game on a 4-1 streak but that could actually lead to some false self confidence here because the problem is the Raptors aren't playing defense very well at all. Toronto has been lit up for 52% combined in their last 3 games and yet they won 2 of the 3 games. That spells trouble for taking on a fired up Utah team that has held 4 of their last 6 opponents to 44% or less from the field and yet lost 4 of those 6 games. This is a rare statistical anomaly and I feel it is offering significant line value to the road dog in this one. Utah is 3-1 SU and ATS this season when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 games or more. The Raptors are an ugly 9-16-1 ATS as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points the last three seasons combined. Also, the 7 times this season that Toronto has faced a Northwest Division opponents, the Raptors have gotten the cash just TWICE! *8* UTAH

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Orlando Magic +5.5 @ Dallas @ 8:35 ET - With their blowout win over the Timberwolves the Mavs are now 4-6 their last 10 games. That is hardly impressive and this is especially true when you consider that 2 wins came over awful Minnesota and Philadelphia teams, 1 win came in OT (versus Denver) and was truly a game the Mavs had no business covering the spread, and the other win came by just 4 points. The point is I don't see Dallas covering this spread when you consider the 4 wins they have notched in their last 10 games. 3 of them did come by more than 4 points but 2 of those were against awful teams and the other was a ridiculous OT cover where the Mavericks looked like the wrong side the entire game. We're getting nice line value here with a hungry road dog that is anxious to get back on track after they had hit a little lull. Even though the Magic are off of a big win they know it was only the Sixers and they know their defense left a lot to be desired as Orlando let them back in the game late. With that said, the Magic should look sharp on both ends of the floor tonight as they will be emphasizing the defensive end while certainly their offense has been firing on all cylinders for weeks now. That potent offense makes for a dangerous dog and the Magic have covered 9 of their last 13 games. Dallas is just 1-7 ATS and SU this season in games against teams from the Southeast Division and the Mavs could get caught looking ahead to 3 straight Western Conference match-ups that follow this game. Orlando is 7-1 ATS against Southwest Division opponents this season and, off of the big home win Sunday, note that the Magic are 5-1 ATS and SU this season when they are off of a win by a margin of 10 points or more in their prior game. They will carry momentum right into tonight's big game. *10* ORLANDO

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets +13 @ LA Clippers @ 10:35 ET - As I have stated before, sometimes rest isn't such a good thing when it's a little much. For example, it may be ideal to have a day off between games but when it's multiple days off between games some teams don't react well to that. For example, the Clippers have a losing record this season when they have 2 days of rest between games (as is the case for tonight's game). The ATS numbers are not good either as the Clippers have grabbed the cash just twice in seven such occurrences this season. The Clips not only might be a little rusty or lethargic due to the extra rest here, they also could easily get caught looking right past an Eastern Conference foe with one of the worst records in the league. This is especially true because the Clippers have a huge game on deck against a Western Conference foe that has one of the best records in the league. The Clips have lost three of their past five home games and while I don't expect them to lose this game outright, I do expect them to be challenged all night by a Nets team that has been surging for quite some time now. Brooklyn has covered 3 straight games and 8 of their last 12. In these last 12 games the Nets have gone just 5-7 SU but only 2 of the 12 games was a defeat decided by more than 8 points. As you can see, Brooklyn has been ultra-competitive of late and, the fact that the Nets are coming off of back to back straight up wins has built up confidence for them coming into this match-up. Brooklyn is 16-9 ATS this season in non-conference games and, against the Pacific Division, the Nets are 20-8 ATS the past three seasons combined. The Clippers are 2-5 ATS against Atlantic Division opponents this season and they will get caught looking ahead to the big game with the Thunder that is up next. *10* BROOKLYN

Rickenbach NBA *8* Houston Rockets -1.5 @ Milwaukee @ 8:05 ET - Even though the Bucks are off of an upset loss as a favorite I do not expect them to bounce back here. In fact, Milwaukee is in a "go against spot" that is is 100% perfect so far this season. The Bucks are 0-4 SU and ATS when they are off of an upset loss as a favorite. Milwaukee's double digit loss to the Pistons Saturday was their 10th loss in their last 15 games. Houston is also off of a double digit loss as they lost to the Spurs by 10 points on Saturday. The Rockets are on a stellar 28-14 SU (and 26-16 ATS) run when they are off of a loss by a margin of 10 points or more the past three seasons. In road games with a posted total of 210 points or more, Houston has gone 10-5 this season. I look for the Rockets to put up a ton of points tonight after being frustrated by the stifling defense of San Antonio this weekend. The Bucks, of course, don't even come close to the talent and execution level of the Spurs. The Rockets, as a result, should get right back on track here. Houston had covered three straight games before the loss to San Antonio. Also, the Rockets have won 5 straight games with Milwaukee and I look for another one here in road rout fashion as Houston knows they must get right back on track as they cling to the #8 spot in the Western Conference. *8* HOUSTON

Rickenbach NBA *8* Utah Jazz +6 @ Boston @ 7:35 ET - The Jazz are off of a home loss to Brooklyn and they know this road trip is the key to getting back on track. Utah had won 7 straight games before their recent 2-5 slide and are still on a 10-6 run dating back to January 22nd. During this stretch 4 of the 6 losses came by a margin of 4 points or less. The fact is that in their last 16 games the Jazz have been blown out just twice. With that said, I like their chances of staying inside the inflated number at Boston Monday. The Celtics are laying about a half dozen points here and Boston is on a 15-22 ATS run in home games with a posted total in the 200 to 204.5 range. The Jazz, of course, were a large favorite at home against the Nets on Saturday and yet they lost the game outright. That is noteworthy to say the least because Utah is an incredible 8-0 ATS and SU this season when they are off of an upset loss as a favorite. While it wouldn't shock me to see the fired up Jazz get the outright win tonight at Boston, I am grabbing the generous points and I look for the better defensive team to stay inside the sizable number here. *8* UTAH

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Miami Heat +1 @ New York @ 7:35 ET - The Heat suffered a tough loss yesterday as they actually played well against the Celtics until Boston pulled away late in that game. Miami had previously won 10 of 14 games and the 4 losses had come against solid Western Conference opponents - Golden State, San Antonio, LA Clippers, and Houston. The point is that the Heat won each of their other 10 games during this stretch before falling short at Boston yesterday afternoon. Miami is fired up about coming forth with a big response and the Knicks certainly aren't on par with any of the teams that the Heat have lost to during this 15 game stretch. New York is off of a rare win, versus Orlando Friday, as the Knicks had lost 13 of their 15 prior games. They are likely to stumble again here as New York hasn't recorded back to back wins in nearly six weeks! The Knicks also are playing right into the teeth of revenge here as New York did win at Miami last month and it's time for payback for a Heat team that had won each of the 5 prior meetings including three straight in New York! Miami should continue their success in The Big Apple Sunday. The Heat have won 4 straight games SU and ATS against teams with a losing record. Also, New York has lost 9 straight games SU against teams with a winning record and this line is basically a pick'em. The point is that the Knicks have not been able to beat winning teams and the only losses the Heat have had over the past five weeks have come to solid solid winning teams. Miami has taken care of business against subpar opposition and, even though this is a back to back for the Heat, they will get the job done once again. *10* MIAMI 

Rickenbach NBA *8* Minnesota Timberwolves +7 @ Dallas @ 7:05 ET - The Mavericks are off of a fortunate win...not only straight-up but also ATS. The Mavs were getting hammered by the Nuggets for much of their game on Friday night and then, even with a late rally, they still looked like they were going to lose. However, they were fortunate to send the game to overtime where they then went to win the game by 6 points. With the line at 5.5 in some shops and a full 6 in others they got the "miracle" win or push for their backers. Sunday I should get a little payback against Dallas as everyone still seems to be buying into the Mavericks even though they certainly nothing special. A line as low as a 6 is now up to a 7 as of early gameday morning and that means it is go time with the Timberwolves plus the points. Minnesota has been playing very competitive basketball of late and has covered 3 straight and 10 of their past 15. The Timberwolves have, included in this stretch, covered 8 of their last 10 games against teams with a winning record. As for the Mavs, prior to their miraculous win over the Nuggets, they had failed to cover 9 of their last 13 games. With five straight wins over Minnesota it is easy for Dallas to overlook the T-wolves and that will prove to be a mistake on Sunday. The Mavericks are playing the 4th game of a 6 game homestand and, this season, Dallas has gone 0-4 SU and 0-4 ATS when they enter a game having played three or more consecutive games at home. *8* MINNESOTA

Rickenbach NBA *10* Charlotte Hornets +4.5 @ Atlanta @ 3:35 ET - With Atlanta seeking revenge for a 23 point beatdown at Charlotte last month, the "masses" seem to be piling up on the Hawks here as this line on Atlanta has moved upward as of early Sunday morning. Of course that means even more value for those backing the Hornets and that includes me and that is why it is now "go time" with this selection. Charlotte has presented some match-up problems for Atlanta this season and that is why the two wins the Hawks have over the Hornets each came by three points or less while the lone Charlotte win was an absolute blowout. Atlanta is off of a win over the Bulls but it was only the 2nd win for Atlanta in their last 7 games and the Hawks have shot less than 42% from the field in three straight games. Conversely, the Hornets have won 11 of their last 15 games and the Hornets have shot 48.7% or better from the field in 3 of their last 5 games. Charlotte has won 7 of their last 10 road games and they are fully focused on wrapping up this 6 game road trip with a victory as there is no lookahead (bad Phoenix team on deck). The Hornets have gone an incredible 22-8 ATS as a road dog of 3.5 to 6 points the past three seasons. The Hawks are just 4-7 ATS in divisional games this season and they are 6-15 ATS on Sunday games the past three seasons combined (a lot of nightlife in Atlanta to enjoy on a Saturday night has something to do with that for the Hawks I am sure). With this being an afternoon game, it makes the situation even tougher on an inconsistent home team facing a roadie that is rolling with confidence right now. *10* CHARLOTTE

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets +11.5 @ Utah @ 9:35 ET - While you could certainly put an asterisk by the Nets win at Phoenix because the Suns are simply awful right now, you certainly should not discount how ultra competitive Brooklyn has been for a full month now. Dating back to their final game in January, the Nets are on a 7-4 ATS run. In these 11 games, Brooklyn has lost by more than 8 points just twice. That means getting the 11.5 we're being offered here would have Brooklyn on a 9-2 ATS run. They simply have been playing like a rejuvenated team and the road win at Phoenix, no matter how bad the Suns are at times, is absolutely a confidence builder for this team. Now the Nets take on a Jazz team that has failed to cover 7 of its past 10 games and continues to be over-rated. During this entire 10 game stretch Utah has only one win by more than 9 points and most of the wins they notched were by 4 points or less. Utah simply is not known for blowing teams out and, couple that with the way the Nets are playing right now, and you have the makings of a tight one in Utah tonight. The Jazz are off of an ugly home loss to San Antonio but Utah has gone just 2-4 ATS this season when they are off of a loss where they were held to 85 points or less. The Nets are 15-9 ATS in non-conference games this season as their non-conference opponents certainly aren't too excited about facing them. Keep in mind that's a full season record too and Brooklyn is playing much better now than they were earlier this season. The Nets do have revenge here as well as they have lost ugly in recent meetings with the Jazz and that includes at home last month. That was before the Nets started playing better and now they get some revenge by, at the very least, being ultra competitive tonight. *10* BROOKLYN

Rickenbach NBA *8* Miami Heat +6 @ Boston @ 3:05 ET - The Heat are off of a SU loss but they got the cover in a fierce battle with Golden State. That was Miami's 4th straight covered and brought them to 10-3 ATS their last 13 games. The Heat are rested and ready after losing to the Warriors on Wednesday night. Miami has gone 5-1 SU and ATS this season when playing with two days of rest. They also are 22-10 SU in that situation the past three seasons combined. This is an ideal spot for backing them as they not only are rested but are getting between 5 and 6 points as of early Saturday morning. The Celtics have certainly been playing well but they have been keyed by an explosive offense and that often means overlooking defense. That works fine against a lot of teams but it could spell problems against a Heat that plays some of the best defense in the league. Boston snuck out a win versus Mlwaukee in their most recent game but the Celtics failed to cover for the 4th time in their last 6 games as Boston continues to be overvalued. Miami is seeking revenge for a 10 point home loss to the Celtics earlier this season and the situation is ideal for them to get it. *8* MIAMI

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Denver Nuggets +5.5 @ Dallas @ 8:35 ET - The Nuggets are an ugly 12-18 straight-up on the road this season while the Mavericks are a respectable 16-12 on their home floor. That will have many flocking to the Mavs here but, there is significant line value with the generous points here. The Nuggets are on a 15-7 ATS run and simply don't get blown out often at all. Even though Denver is only 6-6 SU in their last 12 games, 4 of the 6 losses have come by 4 points or less. Another of the  6 losses came by just 6 points. In their last 12 games, the Nuggets have only been blown out once. The way Dallas is playing, they are unlikely to inflict a blowout here. The Mavericks have failed to cover 9 of their past 13 games. The Mavs are 5-9 SU in their last 14 games and two of those victories came by 4 points or less. The only 3 big wins that Dallas has notched the past five weeks have been over Philadelphia, Brooklyn, and Phoenix. Those are 3 of the 4 worst teams in the league. The 4th is the Lakers and that is a team Dallas only beat by 2 points during this ugly 5-9 run. The Mavs just aren't playing that well and that makes the Nuggets a dangerous dog here. This is especially true with Denver coming off of a confidence building win where they held the Clippers to just 81 points in Los Angeles! The Nuggets are 19-10 ATS on the road this season and Denver also has covered 8 of its past 10 games against teams with a winning record. Dallas is slumping and a lot of that has to do with poor defense which of course has resulted in plenty of overs lately. That is noteworthy because when the Mavericks enter a game on a streak of 3 or more overs, they are 11-21 ATS the past three seasons! As a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points the Mavs have gotten the cash just 9 of 24 times and, in fact, lost the game outright 12 times. Don't be surprised if the Nuggets win this outright but certainly the value is with grabbing the points. *10* DENVER +5.5

Rickenbach NBA *8* Charlotte Hornets +3.5 @ Indiana @ 7:05 ET - This line looks "odd" to me and, as long-time followers know, I am a "contrarian" who is known to "go against the grain" in many situations like this. Here you have Indiana on their home floor where they are 18-9 SU this season hosting a Charlotte team that is 10-18 SU on the road this season plus the Pacers are playing with revenge and yet Indiana opened up as a 3 point favorite! Strange, isn't it? Of course the reality is that when lines look "off" it is usually for good reason and that is absolutely the case I think we have here. The fact is the Pacers have failed to cover 4 of their past 6 games overall and 6 of their past 9 games at home. Indiana just isn't getting the job done right now and I look for them to have the same "match-up issues" they had against the Hornets when Charlotte blasted them by 22 points in Indiana two weeks ago. The Hornets are off of a loss at Cleveland but they had previously won five straight games and 7 of their past 8 games. Charlotte will be fired up off of the loss and they've done very well in this price range. The Hornets are 6-3 ATS this season and 21-8 ATS the past three seasons combined when they are a road dog of 3.5 to 6 points. This season, in road games where the total is posted in the 200 to 204.5 range, Charlotte has gone 7-2 ATS. When off of a loss by a margin of 10 points or more, the Hornets are 9-4 ATS this season. Charlotte has been playing their best basketball of the season and you can bet on a response here. Even though Indiana has revenge from a home loss, note that the Pacers are an incredibly poor 1-9 SU and 1-9 ATS this season when playing with home loss revenge. What that tells you of course is that, with Indiana it's not so often that a home loss happened because of a bad night; rather, it's because of issues in matching up properly with that opponent. I expect that to be the case again tonight and whether or not the Hornets get the outright victory or not, I do expect the Pacers to see that ATS mark drop to 1-10 on the season. *8* CHARLOTTE +3.5

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play New Orleans Pelicans +5.5 vs Oklahoma City @ 8 ET - Very tough spot for Oklahoma City here. They are off of a big win at Dallas last night and they have a home game on deck with the top team in the NBA, the Golden State Warriors. That makes this a classic sandwich spot for the Thunder and I don't expect it to work out well for them. Oklahoma City is 7-17 ATS on the road this season and it looks like they are again overpriced here in this tough road match-up. The Thunder also are 7-14 ATS when off of a win by a margin of 10 points or more in their prior game. Oklahoma City is also 9-19 ATS this season against teams with a losing record. As you can see, the Thunder are known for falling flat after a big win and also known for overlooking a team with a subpar record. That puts them in a perfect "fade" spot here and the Pelicans can certainly be counted on to be ready for this one. New Orleans is off of an embarrassing 20 point loss at Washington on Tuesday. The Pelicans are 10-5 ATS the L3 seasons combined when they are a home dog in a range of 3.5 to 6 points. Also, New Orleans is "chomping at the bit" to get back on the floor after the embarrassment against the Wizards and the embarrassing 26 point loss the Pelicans were dealt at OKC two weeks ago. Looking at their last 6 games overall, New Orleans had these two ugly losses but all four of their other games were wins. They look to get back into the win column tonight and they are catching the Thunder at the perfect time to do it. If the Pelicans do fall short it should be by only a single possession. *10* New Orleans 

Rickenbach NBA *8* Charlotte Hornets +8.5 @ Cleveland @ 7 ET - While it is true that this is a revenge game for Cleveland, it is also true that the Hornets are playing their best basketball of the season and this game is likely to go down to the wire. Charlotte has won 7 of their past 8 games and 10 of their past 13 games. The only loss the Hornets have in their past 8 games came by just three points. Charlotte is well rested here and has gone 6-2 ATS this season and 22-10 ATS the past three seasons when playing with two days rest. The Hornets also are 8-3 ATS this season and 30-15 ATS the past three seasons in their games against Central Division opponents. The Cavaliers are off of a home loss to Detroit and now have failed to cover 6 of their past 9 games. Once again they are over-priced here. *8* Charlotte

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Houston Rockets +6 @ Utah @ 9 ET - The Rockets have won 3 straight in this series and 10 of the last 12. This includes having won 4 of the past 6 meetings in Utah. That said, though the Jazz have the home court "edge" here I look for them to struggle to put away the Rockets in this match-up. Houston is "dead set" on making a big push here after the All Star break as they know it is absolutely necessary. While Utah will already be playing their 4th game since the break, the Rockets are in much better shape in terms of rest as this will be just their 2nd game since the break. Houston hit the boards hard and played solid defense in their game on Friday as they held the Suns to 36.6% from the field and outrebounded Phoenix as well. The Jazz seem to have lost some of their defensive "mojo" as they allowed Portland to have a huge 2nd half against them on Sunday. Additionally, prior to the win over the Celtics, Utah had allowed 3 straight opponents to hit at least 47.6% from the field. Having some issues on defense is a big concern with the high-powered Rockets coming to town. Houston has scored 108 points or more in 11 of their past 15 games. By contrast, Utah has only reached that figure 3 times in their past 12 games. This game is projected to be rather high scoring and the Rockets have won 12 of 21 road games with a posted total in the 200 to 204.5 range while the Jazz have lost 16 of 21 home games where the posted total is in the 200 to 204.5 range. Of course, as impressive as those SU numbers are, the beauty here is that Houston doesn't even need the SU win to get the cover here and I look for them to improve to 19-6 (76%) ATS in Tuesday games while the Jazz fall to 4-9 ATS this season when they are off of a game where they scored 105 points or more. 

Rickenbach NBA *8* New Orleans Pelicans +5 @ Washington @ 7 ET - The Pelicans have won 4 of their past 5 games and are motivated for a sweep of the Wizards here after Washington took both games over New Orleans last season. The Wizards got victories in their first two games after the break but then got blasted by 20 in Miami in what was a tough scheduling spot for Washington. Though many might look for the bounce back from the Wizards here, a higher scoring game is expected and Washington is an ugly 3-6 SU and 3-6 ATS in home games with a posted total of 210 or more this season. When facing teams that average 99 points or more on the season, the Wizards have lost 7 of their past 9 games. The Pelicans appear to be on a mission and have been crashing the boards hard and shooting the ball very well in their first two games since the All Star break. They are looking to make it 5 out of 6 with another win here and the road team has covered 5 straight match-ups between these teams. In the Wizards last 13 games they only have 3 wins by more than a 3 point margin. Look for them to be challenged just to win this game let alone to cover the spread. The Wizards have been outrebounded significantly in 4 of their last 5 games and, with the way the Pelicans are crashing the boards since the All-Star break, that could again be an issue for Washington tonight. Look for the Pelicans to give another huge performance as they look to make it 5 wins in their last 6 games. 

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Toronto Raptors -4 @ New York @ 7:35 ET - The Raptors lost a tight game right before the All Star break and then had a disappointing effort on the road right after the break as well. Toronto, at home, "righted the ship" yesterday and played solid defense and got a big home win over Memphis. The Raptors not only "talked the talk" they also "walked the walk" yesterday and Toronto looks refocused, re-energized, and is saying the right things heading into this match-up at New York on Monday. Even though the Raptors beat the Knicks recently in Toronto, they won't lose focus here on the road at New York. That's because Toronto is hungry to end a 2-game road losing streak. Prior these back to back road losses, the Raptors had won three straight on the road. The Knicks, though they are at home, will prove to be no match tonight as the Raptors intensity level will be high. New York is off of a win but it came against a struggling Timberwolves team. Prior to this victory, the Knicks had lost 11 of their past 12 games. In other words, New York is going nowhere fast and I like the edges I see here with the Raptors laying such a small number on the road. We can take advantage of the initial line move too as it has come down from a -5 to a -4. New York is an ugly 1-4 ATS this season, and 6-13 ATS the past three seasons, when they are a home dog of 3.5 to 6 points. The Knicks also have lost 7 straight (and gone just 2-5 ATS) in their last 7 games against teams with a winning record. The Raptors are 8-1 SU (and 7-2 ATS) in games against divisional opponents this season. Look for Toronto to prove again that they are clearly the top team in the Atlantic Division. 

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Utah Jazz +4 @ Portland @ 9:05 ET - Utah plays this game with revenge from a 14 point loss at Portland last month. The Jazz had previously covered each of their last two visits to Portland and that included an outright win over the Trail Blazers last April. Utah comes into this game having won 8 of their past 10 games and they are fully focused on this divisional road opportunity as it is their only road game over a span of about a week and a half. The Jazz are catching the Blazers are the perfect time to spring the road 'upset' as Portland just knocked off Golden State by an insane 32 point margin on Friday. It was just one of those nights when everything 'clicked' for the Trail Blazers. Oftentimes when a team is off of a huge win like that (a 40 point cover), they come crashing back down to earth in ugly fashion in their next game. That is absolutely what I am expecting here. Prior to their win over the Warriors, the Blazers had allowed 3 of their past 4 opponents to hit 47% or better from the field. Utah's solid performance on defense against Boston Friday was the 5th time in their last 8 games that the Jazz have held their opponent to 43.3% or less from the field. Look for defense to play a key role in tonight's game and look for Portland to get caught still celebrating their big win over the #1 team in the NBA. The Trail Blazers have a long-term mark of 68-101 ATS as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points. The Blazers enter this game on a 4 game winning streak but, prior to the win over the Warriors, Portland was 1-5 ATS this season when entering a game on a winning streak of 3 games or more. The Jazz are 15-8 ATS when playing with revenge this season. Also, Utah is 9-5 ATS when they are off of a win by a margin of 10 points or more in their prior game. Look for the Jazz to roll again tonight.

Rickenbach NBA *8* Cleveland Cavaliers +3 @ Oklahoma City @ 3:35 ET - Many will be looking at the Thunder in this game based on the situation but the numbers just don't support it. The Thunder do have revenge against the Cavaliers because of a loss in Cleveland back in December. However, Oklahoma City is an ugly 5-12 ATS this season when playing with revenge. Also, the Thunder are off of an upset loss to Indiana on Friday and were a significant favorite in that game. However, Oklahoma City is a putrid 1-9 ATS this season when they are off of an upset loss as a favorite. On Sunday afternoon, the Thunder are hosting a Cavaliers team that seems to be "a team on a mission" over the past month. Cleveland has won 11 of their past 14 games and the Cavs are also a sparkling 5-1 ATS as an underdog this season. LeBron James and Company thrive off of the underdog mentality and use that to their advantage. The Cavaliers are also 14-9 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record. The Thunder have failed to cover 8 of their last 11 games overall and Oklahoma City has failed to cover 4 straight games against teams with a winning record. While the Cavs have been very focused on the defensive end, the play of the Thunder of late has left a lot to be desired in terms of the performance on defense. I expect this to be the case again on Sunday and there is solid line value here with Cleveland plus the points. 

Rickenbach NBA *8* Milwaukee Bucks +9 @ Atlanta @ 7:35 ET - The Bucks and Hawks are both off of losses last night where each got sloppy with the ball and were done in by turnovers. Milwaukee blew a fourth quarter lead in their game but there really was no excuse for Atlanta to lose their game as they took on a short-handed Miami Heat team. With that said, the value today is with the Bucks as the Hawks continue to struggle with consistency while the Bucks, having nothing to lose and playing very relaxed, will absolutely "bring it" tonight and should stay well within range of the upset throughout this game. The Hawks have allowed two of their last three opponents to connect on at least 49% of their shots from the field. Atlanta also is in a bit of a lookahead here as they have Golden State up next. Even though that is a non-conference opponent, the Warriors are the top team in the league and the Hawks could look right past a 22-33 Milwaukee team. That will prove to be a mistake as the Bucks are 9-5 ATS in the 2nd game of a back to back this season. Also, Milwaukee is a stellar 9-2 ATS the past three seasons combined in road games with a posted total in the 205 to 209.5 point range. The Hawks have shown they overlook teams as they are 11-15 ATS this season in their games against teams with a losing record. Also, Atlanta has lost the 2nd game of a back to back 3 of the last 4 times it has occurred over the past month. Take the big points with the hungry dog here as Atlanta is still trying to sort itself out and is overpriced here.

Rickenbach NBA *8* Charlotte Hornets +1 @ Milwaukee @ 8:05 ET - The Bucks managed a couple of tight wins before the All Star break but Milwaukee had previously lost 7 of their past 8 games prior to the two victories. The Bucks now host a Bobcats team that has won 9 of their past 13 games. I see good line value being able to get a surging Charlotte team in a pick 'em price range while being able to fade a Bucks team that simply had a couple of fortunate victories heading into the All Star break. The Hornets have won each of the past three meetings between these teams in Milwaukee and also has revenge on their minds after losing to the Bucks in Charlotte last month. The Hornets are 7-3 SU and ATS in their games against Central Division opponents. Charlotte also is 5-2 ATS this season in road games with a posted total in the 200 to 204.5 range. The Bucks are 1-3 ATS in home games with a posted total in the 200 to 204.5 range. Milwaukee has a SU record of 20-78 in their last 98 games against teams with a winning record. Look for newly acquired Courtney Lee to have an immediate impact and help lead the way as the Hornets look to continue their playoff push tonight.

Rickenbach NBA *8* Detroit Pistons +2 @ Washington @ 7:05 ET - The Wizards got me last night. The Jazz played a very sloppy game and while Washington certainly deserves some credit for last night's win, this is still not a team I am impressed with. Also, off of an upset win as an underdog (Wizards ended up being a small dog last night), Washington has gone 2-8 ATS this season. The Pistons will be playing their first game since prior the All Star break when they lost as a home favorite against Denver. Detroit has been waiting quite awhile for their chance to get back on track and they are fired up and fully rested for tonight's game. That said, this is a team that is 9-1 ATS this season when they are off of an upset loss as a favorite. Also, tonight's game (as usual in a Washington game) is expected to be higher scoring and Detroit is on a long term 25-12 ATS run in games where the posted total is 210 or greater. With the Wizards playing the 2nd night of a back to back and off of an upset win, and with the Pistons well-rested with fresh legs and healthier bodies after the break PLUS being off of an upset loss as a favorite, Detroit is the play here and I'll gladly grab the extra line value as this game has already gone from a pick'em to a +2 for the Pistons. 

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Utah Jazz +1 @ Washington @ 7:05 ET - The Jazz had won 7 straight games before suffering a tight loss in their final game before the all star break. Look for Utah to bounce right back here. The Jazz have been a different teams since Derrick Favors returned from injury. Favors was having issues with his back and, since his return, Utah has now won 7 of 9 with him in the lineup. The Jazz also recently were happy to welcome the return of Rudy Gobert to the floor. In games with both Favors and Gobert in the starting five, Utah has won 13 of 20 games this season. The Wizards have one of the top offenses in the Eastern Conference but their defense continues to be an issue. Washington also has been getting dominated on the boards in the month of February. The Wizards have lost 9 of their past 13 games and, in the Eastern Conference, only Brooklyn and Philadelphia have less home wins than Washington. The reason this game is in the pick'em range is because the Wizards have shown time and time again this season that their home court edge is practically non-existent. The Jazz are the hotter team and, even though the all star break can hurt a team's momentum, the fact that Utah is off of their first loss since January 25th makes this the perfect spot to back them. Look for the Jazz to get revenge for losing both games to Washington last season as the Wizards drop to 0-5 SU and ATS in their games against Northwest Division opponents this season.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Washington Wizards +1.5 @ Milwaukee @ 8:05 ET - The Bucks barely held on to beat Boston on Tuesday and this was just the 2nd win for Milwaukee in their last 9 games. This is the final game before the All Star Break and Washington is intent on earning the series sweep against the Bucks for the season. Not only have the Wizards won all 3 meetings this season, Washington has taken 8 of the last 10 meetings between the teams. The Bucks welcomed back a couple players in Tuesday's game against the Celtics but neither contributed much and Milwaukee was very fortunate to escape with the victory. Now Milwaukee must try to match-up with a red hot John Wall. He and his Wizards teammates have created some significant match-up issues for the Bucks this season and I look for that to continue to be a problem tonight. Wall has been red hot for the Wizards and, overall, Washington has shot a sparkling 49.3% from the field in their last 6 games combined. The Bucks shot surprisingly well against the Celtics on Tuesday but previously Milwaukee had been held to 43% combined in their prior two games. The Wizards have won the cash in 6 of their last 8 road games and I expect them to enter the break with a fourth straight ATS cover in all games overall. Look for Washington's dominance of Milwaukee to continue tonight and, overall, the Wizards are 7-2 ATS against Central Division opponents this season. The Bucks are 1-4 SU and ATS in their last 5 games against teams averaging 99 points or more per game on the season and Milwaukee simply won't be able to keep up with the potent offense of the Wizards Thursday. 

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Minnesota Timberwolves +6.5 vs Toronto @ 8:05 ET - Minnesota had been playing much better before their home loss to New Orleans on Monday. That defeat on their home floor was simply a 'dud' and just 'one of those nights' and I look for the Timberwolves to bounce right back tonight. Prior to that defeat, the T-wolves were on a 6-2 ATS run. Minnesota has outrebounded each of their last five opponents and that margin has been double digits twice. Minny is a young team but simply is playing hard and the units have grown more cohesive as the season has gone on. This has paid off for sharps in terms of cashing a few more tickets at the window lately and, after the 'dud' versus the Pelicans, the Timberwolves are likely to bounce back strong tonight. The Raptors have dominated this series of late and that makes it easy for Toronto to underestimate Minnesota. That will prove to be a mistake as the Raptors are off of an easy win at Detroit but that was preceded by a 1-4 ATS run in their past 5 games. In fact, the win over the Pistons was the first time since January 28th that the Raptors had defeated an opponent by more than seven points. The Timberwolves won't be an easy match-up for Toronto. The Raptors are 9-15 ATS when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. Toronto had allowed 104 points per game in their first three games of this road trip and the Raptors were fortunate that they shot a ridiculous 56% from the floor in their win over Detroit. The Timberwolves have been shooting the ball extremely well and, in their last five home games, they've averaged 112 points per game! They will be tough for Toronto to put away here and I am forecasting the outright upset here but I will grab the generous points being offered! *10*

Rickenbach NBA *8* Denver Nuggets +6 @ Detroit @ 7:35 ET - The Nuggets are fired up off of a tight loss at Brooklyn on Monday. Denver had previously covered 7 straight games and was on a long-term 13-2 ATS run. This is the last chance for the Nuggets to get into the win column before the All Star break and they've got the right match-up to do it. Detroit is on a 6-10 SU and 6-10 ATS run their last 16 games. The Pistons have allowed about 55% shooting from the field in their last two games and this is nothing new as Detroit has allowed at least 100 points per game in 7 straight games. The Pistons have allowed an average of about 107 points per game during this stretch. The Nuggets, before their loss to the Nets, had allowed 96 points or less in 3 of their past 4 games. Denver is 13-4 ATS when off of a non-conference game this season and has gone 17-9 ATS in all road games this season. While the Pistons do put up a lot of points, the Nuggets have covered 8 of their past 9 games against teams averaging 99 points or more per game on the season! Detroit is on a 9-16 ATS run as a home fave of 3.5 to 6 points and 12 of those 16 losses were outright defeats! In going 4-7 in their past 11 games the Pistons had only 1 win by more than 6 points and that was against the league-worst 76'ers! In other words, as you can see, there is a ton of line value here with underdog Denver as we are able to challenge Detroit to do something they've only done once in their past 11 games...and the Nuggets aren't the Sixers!

Rickenbach NBA *8* Orlando Magic +8 vs San Antonio @ 7:05 ET - The Spurs did get the win and cover at Miami last night. That was despite allowing 57% shooting. San Antonio, already without Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, has a tough situation here because of a back to back. As mentioned above, the Spurs got the cover last night and it's certainly worth noting that in 3 of their last 4 back to back situations San Antonio has FAILED to cover both games. It's tough to do and, after getting the cash last night, I look for the Spurs to fall short tonight. The Magic played tough with the Spurs in their recent meeting in San Antonio but they simply fell short in the fourth quarter. That is a scenario that is unlikely to be repeated here. The Magic were down just five points to the Spurs on February 1st and then got outscored by 10 points in the fourth quarter. But, on the road and in a back to back, I am not expecting such a significant "end game edge" for San Antonio here. Orlando has been playing much better of late with covers in 5 of their past 6 games. The Magic are off of an upset win on the road at Atlanta Monday and Orlando is an incredible 8-1 ATS this season when off of an outright upset win as an underdog. In other words, the Magic have been solid at sustaining momentum. Orlando is also 8-3 ATS this season when off of a game where they scored 105 points or more. Against the Western Conference this season the Magic have gone 13-5 ATS. Look for another big non-conference COVER on Wednesday. 

Rickenbach NBA *6* Miami Heat +7 vs San Antonio @ 8 ET - The Spurs have had an insane ATS record this season and finally the odds makers have adjusted properly and San Antonio has no longer been the ATS machine it was earlier this season. The Spurs failed to cover at home against the Lakers on Saturday and their covering road win at Dallas had followed a stretch of three straight non-covers on the road. Overall, the Spurs bring a 3-5 ATS run their last 8 games into tonight's match-up at Miami and I look for San Antonio to drop to 1-4 ATS their last 5 road games. The Heat are fired up as they are off of a tough home loss to the Clippers Sunday and Miami has revenge on their minds here as they lost both match-ups with the Spurs last season and that was after having losing in the NBA Finals 4 games to 1 in June of 2014. When the Spurs are in town, it is always a big deal to Miami and the Heat will be ready to go tonight. Miami had covered 6 of 7 before the home loss to the Clips. Also, the Heat have already won 5 of 7 against Southwest Division opponents this season. The Spurs recent ATS fade on the road continues here. 

Rickenbach NBA *6* Boston Celtics -4.5 @ Milwaukee @ 8:05 ET - This is simply a case of two teams heading in opposite directions right now and I see nothing that is likely to change the recent patterns of these teams tonight. In fact, the return of OJ Mayo for the Bucks could "throw off" the current player rotation for the Bucks even more. That's bad news when you consider just how "fluid" Boston's offense has been of late. The Celtics have won 4 straight games and 9 of their last 10 as their offense has led the way. Boston is off of another huge performance as they put up 128 points on Sacramento on Sunday. Milwaukee has been going the other direction as they have lost 5 straight games and 7 of their last 10 as their offense has faltered. Even though their defense kept them in the game at Utah Saturday you may be surprised to know that the Bucks are an incredibly ugly 4-20 ATS the past three seasons when they are off of a game where they allowed 85 points or less! The Celtics are 15-9 ATS when they are off of a game where they scored 105 points or more and Boston has won 15 of their 21 games against teams with a losing record this season. With a non-conference home game on deck there is no way the Celtics will overlook this Eastern Conference foe and the Celtics domination of losing teams this season continues Tuesday night.

Rickenbach NBA *8* Denver Nuggets -2 @ Brooklyn @ 7:35 ET - Though this is a back to back spot for the Nuggets they are 7-4 ATS in the second game of back to backs this season. Also, Denver did play early yesterday and there is not any significant travel issue for tonight's game because Denver was already in New York for the match-up with the Knicks yesterday. The Nuggets now face a Nets team that has lost 16 of its past 20 games as they are off of a loss to the lowly Sixers on Saturday. Brookyln has shown a pattern of 1 win followed by 5 straight losses ever since the New Year. That means that the loss to the Sixers is likely just the first of 5 straight defeats for a Nets team that has simply struggled badly all season. Conversely, the Nuggets are surging and have been huge at the betting window too with 6 straight covers and an overall 12-2 ATS run. The past three seasons the Nuggets are 7-0 straight-up when they are a road favorite of 3 points or less. Denver went 5-0 ATS (two games pushed) in those 7 match-ups. Look for Denver to improve to 5-0 ATS against Atlantic Division foes and 12-5 ATS in non-conference match-ups as the Nuggets continue to be under-valued when facing teams from the weaker divisions that are back east in comparison with the tough competition that Denver faces out west. Brooklyn is on a 3-10 SU (and 4-9 ATS) run in their last 13 games as a home dog of 3 points or less. The Nuggets lost both games with the Nets last season and this included a 28 point beatdown in Denver in the most recent match-up a year ago. This ensures that the Nuggets will have the proper focus here and that means a road rout should ensue on Monday night.

Rickenbach NBA *8* Orlando Magic +3 vs Atlanta @ 1:05 ET - Orlando has lost four straight games to Atlanta so this is a huge revenge spot for the Magic hosting the Hawks. The Magic have been battling hard but still falling short in many of their recent games. After beating Boston, Orlando has lost three straight even though they've taken a total of 27 more shots than their opponents in out-shooting them in each of the past three games. The hard work will pay off and the Magic are hosting a Hawks team that is off of a big win over Indiana Friday. Atlanta won the game despite getting out-rebounded by 20 boards in the game! The Hawks were fortunate as hot shooting definitely bailed them out. However, prior to a hot shooting win at Philadelphia (and who doesn't dominate the Sixers?), Atlanta had been held to a shooting percentage of 43% or less in 6 of their past 8 road games. The Hawks also have been held to 43.3% or less from the field in 2 of their past 3 visits to Orlando. Atlanta is known for enjoying the "nightlife" on Saturday nights and has gone 6-14 ATS in Sunday games the past three seasons combined. Conversely, Orlando is 3-1 ATS in Sunday games this season. The Magic are also 3-1 ATS as a home dog of 3 points or less this season. Orlando is the hungrier team in this match-up and with this being the front end of a home and home set the Magic know they need to take this game tonight because it is not easy to win in Atlanta. Value to the hungry home dog in this one. Grab the points.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks +6.5 @ Memphis @ 8:05 ET - The Grizzlies are off of a hard fought win at New York last night as Memphis was very nearly upset by the Knicks and it took a minor miracle in the final seconds for the Grizzlies to cover that game. Although Dallas was also in action last night there was nothing hard fought about their game as the Mavs were down big early and essentially cruised to an ugly loss to the Spurs. Dallas rested their key players as last night's game was decided rather early. That means fresh legs for the Mavericks here while the Grizzlies are likely to be spent from last night's hard battle in New York. Memphis has fared well in the second game of back to back games this season but the Mavericks beat the Grizzlies in their most recent meeting and Memphis is only 5-9 ATS when playing with revenge this season. The Mavericks are looking to move to 3-0 both SU and ATS this season when they are a road dog of 6.5 to 9 points. Also, Dallas is 9-4 ATS this season when off of a loss by 10 points or more. The Mavericks have lost three straight games but they are 4-1 SU and ATS the past three seasons when they enter a game on a losing streak of three games or more. Dallas is on a long-term 24-14 ATS run in games played at Memphis and this one sets up perfectly. The Mavs are getting sizable points, have the motivational edge off of a loss last night, and have the fresher legs based on the way last night's games played out for these two teams. 

Rickenbach NBA *8* Boston Celtics +7 @ Cleveland @ 7:35 ET - The whole world is likely to line up on Cleveland here because they are off of a loss. However, the right side should absolutely be the Celtics plus the points in this one. Boston has been playing very well with 7 wins in their past 8 games. Going further back the run is 10 wins in their last 13 games. Also, even when the Celtics have lost they have been ultra-competitive. Since the calendar hit 2016 the Celtics have played 19 games and only one of those games was a loss by more than 6 points! That means if you had Boston +7 in every game since January 1st you would have an 18-1 ATS record! That's how competitive this team has been and they'll certainly be ready to go tonight. Not only did Boston suffer a home loss against Cleveland back in mid-December, the Celtics also were swept out of the playoffs by LeBron and Company last spring. Boston is playing much better basketball now than they were back in mid-December and back in the spring of last year. With that said, there is excellent line value here and I am grabbing the points with the highly motivated road dog in this one. In road games with a posted total of 210 or more, the Celtics are 5-0 ATS this season and a phenomenal 12-1 ATS the past three seasons combined. Though the Cavs defeated Boston earlier this season, Cleveland has a 3-8 ATS mark this season in their other games against Atlantic Division opponents.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play New York Knicks +4 vs Memphis @ 7:35 ET - The whole world is likely to line up on Memphis here because the Knicks are off of another loss last night and are now in a tough back to back spot. However, a few key factors are being overlooked here and are providing excellent line value for the Knicks. First off, Memphis has a big game on deck tomorrow night as they face the division rival Mavericks. Dallas enters tonight's action right behind the Grizzlies in the divisional standings. Second key factor is that the Knicks showed a tremendous amount of heart and resilience at Detroit last night. New York came all the way back from a 27 point deficit to actually take the lead in the latter stages of the game. The Pistons barely snuck out the win over the Knicks and New York showed they are going to play hard no matter what the score is. That said, look for a faster start from the Knicks at home tonight after struggling to hit shots early at Detroit last night. New York has suffered some recent losses at home but has faced a very tough schedule. Prior to this tough stretch the Knicks were 13-8 at home on the season. The Grizzlies are off of a win at New Orleans on Monday but previously had gone 3-8 in their 11 prior road games. The 3 wins away from home came against teams that currently have a combined home record of 29-45. In other words, the Grizzlies certainly have not proven to be road warriors and, with the lookahead to the game with the Mavs also proving to be a distraction, I expect Memphis to struggle just to win this game. If Grizzlies do win this game look for it to be by 3 or less as the Knicks will turn this one into a dogfight. Memphis is 3-6 ATS this season when off of a win by a margin of 10 points or more. New York lost to the Grizzlies last month on the road and now the Knicks should get revenge on their home floor as they are 22-11 ATS this season when playing with revenge.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Boston Celtics -2.5 @ New York @ 7:35 ET Tuesday - This is a classic case of two teams heading in opposite directions and the situation is also strengthened by the fact that a revenge angle favors the team that has been hot. Boston had won five straight games (and 8 of their last 10) before they lost at Orlando on Sunday. The loss to the Magic this weekend coupled with the fact that the Celtics lost at New York in their most recent meeting on January 12th ensures that Boston is going to bring an extremely intense effort to this game on Tuesday. Look for the Celtics to take advantage of a Knicks team that has been playing sloppy basketball lately and has lost 5 of their past 6 games. Going further back it's a 3-7 run for New York since they got the win over the Celtics three weeks ago. New York has been held to 95 points or less in four of their past six games and they will not be able to keep up with a Boston team that has averaged 112.6 points per game in their last 12 games. The Celtics have scored at least 109 points in all but one of those dozen games. Boston is on a long-term 41-29 ATS run when they are off of a game where they scored 105 points or more. New York certainly would be looking to bounce back here after an ugly loss in their most recent game. However, the Knicks pattern in this situation in recent seasons has not been good. New York's straight-up records are 3-9 this season and 18-54 the past three seasons when they are off of a loss by a margin of 10 points or more. In other words, look for the Knicks recent struggles to continue tonight at home against Boston.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Chicago Bulls +4.5 @ Utah @ 9:05 ET - The Bulls got "blown out" at LA by the Clippers yesterday but a lot of it had to do with the Clips hitting a ridiculous 52% from three point land. In fact, the Bulls were outscored 51 to 15 from beyond the arc because the Clippers hit 17 of 32 threes. Chicago had won four of their past five road games before yesterday's disappointing result and I look for them to bounce right back at Utah tonight. The Jazz do have 4 wins in their past 7 games but they've beaten all the weak (or struggling) teams. The victories for Utah have come against Minnesota, Charlotte, Brooklyn, and the Lakers. None of those teams will be making the post-season come April. That said, Utah is certainly not on par with the recent opponents the Bulls have faced which has included all winning teams in their last eight games except for the Lakers. Look for battle tested Chicago to take advantage of an out-classed Jazz team that is over-priced here due to being on their home court. Even though Utah is playing with two days of rest they have only won 3 of 10 games this season in that spot and have a long-term 10-19 ATS mark with these parameters. As for the Bulls, they are 16-7 SU (and 14-9 ATS) in February games the past two seasons and they are focused on making the most of this lengthy road trip that began last week. The Bulls have excelled on long road trips in recent seasons and I would "chalk up" yesterday's game to insanely hot three point shooting for the Clippers. Chicago should bounce back tonight against a weaker foe that has struggled in recent games when stepping up in level of competition. The Jazz have feasted on weaker teams lately and this will lead to overconfidence tonight that shouldn't even be there for a Utah team with a losing record on the season. The Bulls jump on Utah early in this one and then hang on late is my prediction but I'll grab the points in case Chicago falls just short of the outright win I am predicting. 

Rickenbach NBA *8* Indiana Pacers +5 vs Cleveland @ 7:05 ET - The Cavs have been hot but the Pacers are offering a lot of line value here as a sizable home dog. Indiana is catching Cleveland at the right time to spring the upset as the Cavaliers are off back to back big wins. The Cavs last two games have come against a division rival and against one of the NBA's elite (San Antonio) in a revenge spot. With that said, it's difficult to maintain such a high emotional level in three straight games and I look for LeBron James and Company to fall short tonight. The Cavs are an ugly 7-14-1 ATS the past three seasons combined as a road favorite of 3.5 to 6 points. Cleveland is only 18-27 ATS against divisional foes the last three seasons combined as they are consistently overvalued in these spots. The Cavs also are 7-11 ATS this season when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 games or more. Indiana is off of back to back home wins but has a two-game road trip on deck so they know how critical this game is and, of course, have plenty of hatred toward the division rival Cavs. The home team has won each of the last five meetings between these teams and even if the Cavaliers do pull off the road upset here, the last four meetings have been decided by an average of just 4.5 points per game. Cleveland will have trouble getting much of a margin on the Pacers in Indiana. The Pacers have been at their best against the better teams in the league and that has led to a 16-5 ATS record this season in games against teams with a winning record. In divisional action this season Indiana is 7-2 ATS and I look for another solid cover tonight. 

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Orlando Magic +4.5 vs Boston @ 6:05 ET - This one definitely fits the description of an "ugly dog" theory as Orlando certainly is not attractive at all. The Magic have lost 12 of their past 13 games. Also, Orlando has failed to cover 12 of their past 14 games. Boston comes into this game having covered 7 of their past 10 games and the Celtics are riding an overall 5 game winning streak. The key to this play though is that no matter how hot one team has been and no matter how cold another one is, these are still professional and prideful athletes playing this game they love. That said, after getting embarrassed at Boston on Friday night, you can bet that the Magic are going to make the most of this opportunity to "return the favor" on their home floor on Sunday. The home teams have absolutely dominated in this series and, even if Orlando doesn't manage to get the outright win on their home floor, I look for them to lose by no more than one possession in this game. Even though the Magic have been losing games most of them have been ultra competitive and it is going to be hard for Boston to pull away in this game as they are going to face a fired up Orlando team. Prior to getting embarrassed by the Celtics, 7 of the prior 8 losses for the Magic had come by a single digit margin. They have been on the cusp of getting back into the winners' circle and I look for Orlando to do just that tonight in this revenge spot. But I recommend grabbing the points just in case the Magic do fall a little short of the upset win. Orlando is 8-3 ATS in divisional games this season. Boston is 2-4 ATS this season when they enter a game on a winning streak of three games or more. 

Rickenbach NBA *8* Chicago Bulls +5.5 @ LA Clippers @ 3:35 ET - E'Twaun Moore got the start as he took Tony Snell's spot at small forward in the lineup in Thursday's game. It was evident that Moore definitely played a role in speeding up Chicago's pace in their 114-91 blowout win over the Lakers. That was the beginning of a seven-game road trip for the Bulls and Chicago comes into this one well-rested as that Thursday game has been their only game in the past 5 days. With four off days in their last five and with "only Utah" on deck I look for the Bulls to push the tempo here against the Clippers. The Clips have been trying to get by on defense as they continue to deal with absence of Griffin. On offense the Clippers have relied on the hot shooting of Paul and Redick. The issue about that relating to today's game is that Bulls guard Jimmy Butler has done a great job defending Redick and that has limited Redick to some ugly shooting in recent meetings. Look for the solid defense of the Bulls to be a difference maker here as the Clips offense will struggle to score enough to put away a Bulls team that has been on a scoring surge in road games. Chicago has averaged 107.4 points in their past ten road games. The Bulls are a great value getting the big points here at LA. The Clippers are on an 8-17 ATS run as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points. Also, this season, when off of a win by a margin of 10 points or more, the Clippers have gone 4-9 ATS in their next game. Chicago has straight-up marks of 4-2 this season (and 23-10 the past three seasons) when they are playing with two days of rest. The rested Bulls are a great value as a sizable road dog in this spot. 

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers +2 vs San Antonio @ 8:35 ET  Saturday - In the first game after the coaching change the Cavaliers struggled as they shot an ugly 37.2% from the field. Since that tough first game Cleveland has responded by winning three straight and shooting 51% from the field in the three games combined. They beat a respectable Pistons team on the road last night and Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, and LeBron James all scored at least 20 points. The "Big Three" have only recently all been healthy and all playing together and the results are starting to show. Detroit's coach raved about how well the Cavs played last night and commented about the fact that he couldn't blame his team for last night's loss the Cavs were simply that good. I don't see any of that changing tonight for Cleveland either. The Cavaliers are at home and playing with revenge as they host a Spurs team that defeated them by four points down in San Antonio earlier this month. Payback is on order here and San Antonio's road games over the past five weeks that have come against winning teams have included Houston and Golden State. The Spurs lost both games and got absolutely annihilated by the Warriors. Of course Cleveland also was recently thoroughly embarrassed by Golden State but the way the Cavs are now playing with James, Love and Irving leading the way and complemented by others giving solid contributions, I see huge value with the small home dog here. The Spurs are 6-11 SU and ATS in their last 17 games as a road favorite of 3 points or less. Cleveland is 4-1 ATS as an underdog this season and 13-6 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record. The Cavaliers are 18-3 at home this season and, as amazing as the Spurs have been at home this season, let's not forget they have already been beaten 7 times on enemy floors this season. That means in their stiffest road challenges they fall short quite often and I look for that to be the case again tonight.

Rickenbach NBA *8* Houston Rockets -3 vs Washington @ 8:05 ET Saturday - Even though Houston is in a back to back spot here the situation is actually quite positive for the Rockets. They faced a tough Thunder team in Oklahoma City last night and took the loss. Prior to that game Houston also lost against a very strong Spurs team in San Antonio. These two road losses against NBA elite were preceded by a stellar 9-3 run in the Rockets prior 12 games. The point is that the Rockets have proven this month that they have turned the corner and they are taking advantage of weaker foes. That said, the Wizards certainly fall into the category of weaker foe. Washington has been struggling of late and the Wizards simply are not playing fundamentally sound basketball. Washington has lost five of their past six games and they've given up 106 points or more in all five of those losses. The Wizards are showing no signs of turning things around and a road game in a tough venue against an angry foe is unlikely to help matters for Washington. The Wizards are 2-6 ATS this season in games with a posted total of 210 points or more and I look for Washington's faulty defense to let them down once again in this one. Houston is 13-7 ATS this season in games with a posted total of 210 points or more and the Rockets are also a solid 12-4 SU (and 10-6 SU) when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. Houston makes the most of the home court edge tonight.

Rickenbach NBA *8* Cleveland Cavaliers -4 @ Detroit @ 7:35 ET Friday - The "knee-jerk reaction" here is to back the Pistons at home because the Cavaliers have a big game on deck with San Antonio tomorrow night. However, the fact that the Cavs lost at Detroit earlier this season (without Kyrie Irving that night) has me backing Cleveland in this revenge spot. LeBron James and Company don't like losing (as evidence by their 32-12 record on the season) and they are hungry about getting revenge against a divisional foe tonight. The Cavs are certainly "on the uptick" after a recent home loss at the hands of the Bulls. The Cavaliers simply had a horrific shooting night against Chicago but the Cavs have responded by shooting "lights out" in their next two games. In fact, the Cavaliers have scored at least 114 points and shot at least 50.5% from the field in three of their past four games. The Cavs, prior to their loss at Detroit early this season, had won each of the three prior match-ups with the Pistons and Cleveland won those games by an average margin of nearly 10 points per game. Look for Cleveland, highly motivated here (James also fired up because of the allegations relating to his involvement in the firing of their coach) to get an absolutely huge road win tonight. Detroit is off of an easy win over the Sixers but has gone 4-7 ATS this season when they are off of a win by a margin of 10 points or more. Cleveland is 12-6 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record and the Cavs will certainly bring their "A game" tonight in this revenge situation. *8* CLEVELAND

Rickenbach NBA *8* Denver Nuggets +6.5 @ Washington @ 7:05 ET - The Nuggets have now covered 7 of their last 9 games as they snuck in for the cover at Boston last night. Though that game was very close to the spread I look for tonight's ATS win to come much easier for Denver as last night the Nuggets were flustered by the defense of the Celtics as evidenced by the 20 turnovers that Denver committed. Tonight the Nuggets will take advantage of facing a subpar Wizards defense that is certainly not known as being tenacious in the same manner that Boston was last night. Washington is struggling badly now with four losses in their past five games including four ATS losses in those five games. In a home game with a posted total between 205 and 209.5 points the Wizards are 1-5 ATS this season. The Nuggets are 8-3 ATS when they are off of a non-conference game and Denver has failed to cover the spread just once in their last four meetings with Washington.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Charlotte Hornets +5.5 @ Utah @ 9:05 ET - The Jazz are getting a lot of attention today but many are apparently losing sight of the fact that Utah has lost 5 of their past 7 games both straight-up and against the spread! The Hornets are certainly coming off of a hard-fought win at Sacramento but that victory over the Kings was on Monday so Charlotte has had some time to recuperate and get ready for tonight's battle at Utah. With that win the Hornets have now won 3 straight games and Charlotte also has covered the spread in 6 of their last 8 games. The Hornets are 5-2 ATS this season and 20-7 ATS the past three seasons as a road dog of 3.5 to 6 points which is where this line was before it started to move even higher offering even more value to Charlotte. It is hard to say where this line will settle but Utah is 8-23 straight-up (and has covered just 11 of the 31 games) when facing a team that is averaging 99 points or more per game this season. The Jazz seek revenge for a tight loss at Charlotte this month but don't overlook the fact that the Hornets scored just 66 points in an embarrassing loss at Utah in their most recent visit here. If that's not enough motivation for Charlotte to perform well tonight than nothing is! In all seriousness, the Hornets with significant underdog line value are the play here at Utah tonight. This is a case of two teams that have been trending in opposite directions in recent weeks and the Jazz will have to battle hard just to win this game let alone cover the sizable spread.

Rickenbach NBA *8* Denver Nuggets +8.5 @ Boston @ 7:35 ET - Denver is off of an ugly 14 point home loss to Atlanta on Monday as the Hawks shot lights out while the Nuggets struggled. Simply put, it was just 'one of those nights' and I look for Denver to bounce back in a big way tonight as, prior to the Atlanta game, the Nuggets had covered four straight games and were on a 6-1 ATS run long-term. Boston is in a tough spot here. Not saying they won't win this game but the Celtics are now facing a Western Conference foe after back to back Eastern Conference foes on their two game road trip and they have a 'home and home' set with Orlando on deck. Boston is off of a big 25-point win over Washington and the Celtics could easily overlook the Nuggets with their 17-28 record on the season. Boston is off of three straight wins but they are 1-3 ATS this season when they enter a game on a winning streak of three games or more. As for the Nuggets, Denver is 7-3 ATS this season when they are off of a non-conference game and, after 'letting their guard down' at home against Atlanta, the Nuggets know they need to 'bring it' on the road at Boston if they want to get the win over the Celtics. Denver has revenge here as they lost both games to Boston last season and those defeats came by a combined margin of just five points. Look for another very close game here and that means huge line value with the big points and the Nuggets!

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Detroit Pistons +2 @ Utah @ 9 ET - The Jazz are hosting the Pistons at the wrong time. Detroit is fired up after their Saturday loss at Denver as a 4.5 point favorite. The Pistons have responded well in this situation so far this season and I expect that to be the case again tonight as Detroit adds to an ATS mark of 8-1 this season when they are off of an upset loss as a favorite. While the Pistons are off of a loss the Jazz are actually off of a big win but it came against a horrible Nets team in Brooklyn. Prior to that victory for Utah on the road, the Jazz had lost four of their last five games. The Jazz have had two days off between games but often Western Conference teams struggle in the first game back home after a road trip to the East Coast. I look for that to be the case again tonight. Also, the Jazz are 11-17 ATS this season against strong offensive teams (those averaging 99 points or more per game). Utah also is 10-18 ATS the past three seasons when they enter a game with two or more days of rest between games. Once again holding true to the theory that sometimes rest = rust. The Pistons defeated the Jazz earlier this season in Detroit but they lost both match-ups last season and that included, of course, the lone match-up in Utah. That said, a little 'road revenge' is on order for Detroit tonight and, as they've done all season long, they respond when they are off of an upset loss in their prior game. *10* Top Play DETROIT

Rickenbach NBA *8* Boston Celtics +2.5 @ Washington @ 7 ET - Having not played since Wednesday (due to the snow storm that paralyzed DC starting Friday evening), this is a tough spot for the Wizards. Washington is likely to not be as sharp as they normally would as there is a point where too much of a good thing can be a problem. In this case I am talking about too much rest. Having not played a game in five days, rest can oftentimes turn to rust for a team and that is what I expect from the Wizards tonight. The concern is magnified by the fact that Washington already had not been playing well at home because, before the win over the Heat Wednesday, the Wizards had lost five of their last six home games! Now Washington is hosting a confident and fresh Celtics team tonight. Yes, Boston did play yesterday but the game was in Philly against the hapless Sixers so the Celtics didn't have to work too hard in earning the victory by a 20 point margin over the 76'ers. Boston has won 5 of their past 7 games and the Celtics have averaged 112 points per game in their last 8 games. Look for the rusty Wizards to have trouble keeping up with a Celtics offense that has been putting up some big numbers on offense in recent games. Boston is 11-1 ATS the past three seasons in road games with a posted total of 210 points or more. The Celtics are also 33-14 ATS in the second game of back to backs the past three seasons. The Wizards are 2-4 ATS in games with a posted total of 210 or greater this season. Washington is also an ugly 2-6 ATS this season when they are off of a win by a margin of 10 points or more.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Toronto Raptors -1.5 vs LA Clippers @ 6:05 ET Sunday - The Clippers are playing their 3rd game in 4 nights and they have lost 2 of their past 4 games with the Blake Griffin injury definitely having an impact. That said, the play here is on a rested and healthier Raptors team that has won and covered each of the last three match-ups between these teams. Toronto brings a 7 game winning streak into this game and the Raptors have covered 6 of those 7 games. The Raptors are 12-7 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record. While Toronto has been at their best against strong teams it is unlikely the Clips are going to "turn the corner" here as LA has gone 4-8 ATS when they are off of a game where they allowed 105 points or more. Look for the Raptors to stay hot here at home (where they are 14-6 this season) while the Clippers drop to 0-4 ATS in Sunday games this season. 

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks +5.5 @ New Orleans @ 7:05 ET - The Bucks fell just short of the cover last night in Houston. Though this is a back to back spot for Milwaukee it involves only a short trip from Houston to New Orleans, the Bucks had two days off before facing the Rockets, and Milwaukee is a stellar 9-2 ATS this season when playing the second game of a back to back. Also, the Bucks are 9-1 ATS in road games with a posted total between 205 and 209.5 the past three seasons combined. Milwaukee is 11-6 ATS this season in their games against teams with a losing record and the Bucks are also 4-1 ATS this season when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. The Bucks will be hungry after last night's loss and they have been playing quite well. They catch the Pelicans at an ideal time as New Orleans is off of back to back wins but has a big game on deck with a division rival, Houston, on deck. That makes this a nice flat spot for the Pelicans and I plan to take advantage. As a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points the past three seasons, New Orleans has gone 3-12 ATS. Also, in non-conference action the Pelicans have gone 4-10 ATS this season. Look for New Orleans to get caught looking ahead to Monday's divisional game as they overlook this Eastern Conference opponent. Grab the road dog value with the Bucks and the points!

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks +3 @ Houston @ 8:05 ET - The Rockets have lost two straight games and they are currently mired in a 1-4 ATS slump. Houston also has a big game on deck with the in-state rival Dallas Mavericks and Dwight Howard is expected to miss tonight's game in hopes of healing up his ankle. The Rockets are dealing with some other injury issues as well and just because they lost to Detroit Wednesday it does not mean you should expect a bounce back here. Houston is actually an ugly 1-11 ATS this season when they are off of an upset loss as a favorite this season. The Rockets are also 4-12 ATS in non-conference action this season and the impact of facing an Eastern Conference foe is magnified in strength here due to the big divisional game on deck as noted above. As for the Bucks, they are well-rested here and they enter this game having won three straight games. Also, Milwaukee has covered 6 of their past 7 games. The Bucks are 18-11 ATS this season when facing teams that are allowing 99 points or more per game this season. Milwaukee has lost both match-ups with Houston each of the past two seasons and, with these four straight losses in this series, there is no doubt the Bucks will be focused on getting a revenge win tonight. Look for the Bucks, who have been playing solid defense while also shooting well, to continue their big surge Friday.

Rickenbach NBA *8* Utah Jazz -5 or -5.5 @ Brooklyn @ 7:35 ET - A match-up of two struggling teams but the Nets are certainly in far worse shape than the Jazz. Utah comes into this game off of back to back losses. However, the Jazz are 33-17 (66%) ATS the past three seasons when they are off of a game where they allowed 105 points or more. The Nets are simply a huge mess and things have not improved even since they made the coaching change. Brooklyn is on a 1-9 (10%) run both straight-up and ATS. That makes me very comfortable in fading them tonight as they continue to not only lose but to get pounded! The Nets last ten games have all been decided by six points or more and most have been blowout losses by double digits margins of defeat. I look for another one of those tonight as the Jazz are hungry to get back on track and they'll leave it all on the floor tonight. That's because Utah's next game is scheduled at Washington Saturday but that game is likely to be postponed due to the expected blizzards conditions in DC. 

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies -1.5 @ Denver @ 9:05 ET - In a home game with a posted total between 190 and 194.5 the Nuggets have gone 0-3 ATS this season and 0-6 ATS the past three seasons combined. That doesn't bode well for this match-up with Memphis. The Grizzlies are a master at slowing games down to the tempo they want. Memphis comes into this game having won 5 of their past 6 games and they've covered the spread in four of those five victories. Also, the Grizzlies have limited four consecutive opponents to 77 shots or less from the field. The Nuggets, even though they are at home, have been struggled no matter the venue. Denver has lost six of their past nine home games. On Thursday, Denver is facing a Grizzlies team that has beaten them three straight times by an average margin of 16 points per victory! Memphis enters this game off of a six game homestand and the Grizzlies are a perfect 4-0 straight-up and solid 3-1 ATS when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games at home. On deck for Memphis is a match-up with the hapless Timberwolves so there certainly is no lookahead here. Also,the Grizzlies have the rest edge on the Nuggets here as Memphis had two days off between games and they've gone 26-8 straight-up (and tonight's line is only -1.5) when they enter a game having had two days of rest between games. 

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Detroit Pistons +3 @ Houston @ 8:05 ET - Great spot for the Pistons. They catch the Rockets just getting back from a two game road trip out west that featured back to back games in LA on Sunday and Monday. Detroit is off of a home loss to the Bulls and the Pistons, as you would expect on their home floor, were favored in that game. The significance in that is we should expect a bounce back from Detroit in this game and the Pistons have bounced back in this situation all season long. Detroit is 7-1 SU and 7-1 ATS when they are off on upset loss as a favorite. The Pistons are also 6-1-1 ATS when off of a divisional game and 7-3 SU and 7-3 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 105 points or more. The Rockets are an ugly 4-11 ATS in non-conference games this season. Houston has failed to cover in 4 of their last 6 home games and the first game back after a west coast road trip always tends to be the toughest. Before the Bulls shot a ridiculous percentage from the field at Detroit Monday, the Pistons had held 6 of their 8 prior opponents to 95 points or less. Contrast this with a Rockets team that has given up 104.5 points per game in their last 6 home games. Grab the line value here with the highly motivated, dangerous road dog in this one. Houston struggled to stop the Clippers in LA on Monday and that turned into an overtime battle that further strengthens this situation for Detroit to hold the edge here. The Rockets are an ugly 7-16 ATS after allowing 105 points or more. Houston also is an ugly 9-14 ATS in home games this season. 

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks +5.5 @ Miami @ 7:35 ET - This scheduling spot favors the Bucks in a big way as they had two days off prior to this game and Milwaukee has two days off after this game. Conversely, the Heat have yet to have two straight off days since the end of December. Whether it is the schedule or not that is causing it, the fact is that the Heat are wearing down. Miami has lost four of their last five games and the Heat have been held to 90 points or less in three of the five games. They now host a Bucks team heading the other direction as Milwaukee has won four of their past six games and the Bucks have covered five of those six games. The road has been kind to Bucks backers of late as Milwaukee has gotten the cash in 7 of their past 10 games away from home. While the Bucks next game is not until the 22nd and is against a non-conference foe, the Heat have a big game at Washington on deck tomorrow night. The Heat are 2-5 ATS against Central Division opponents this season and this scheduling situation is making it highly unlikely that they will be able to improve upon that tonight. Look for the Bucks recent surge to continue Tuesday and, in doing so, Milwaukee makes it five straight wins and ATS covers in their last five match-ups with Miami! 

Rickenbach NBA *8* Portland Trail Blazers +4.5 @ Washington @ 2:05 ET - It doesn't get much more embarrassing than losing by a margin of 25 points to the hapless Sixers! Needless to say, the Trail Blazers will be ready to respond on Monday afternoon after Saturday's embarrassing 114-89 loss at Philadelphia. It was a strange game as Philly shot an uncharacteristically high 55% from the field while Portland only made 39% of their shots. That helps to make this the perfect bounce back spot for the Blazers who were able to rest mentally and physically because of how much of a blowout loss the game was at Philadelphia. As for Washington, there was no rest for the Wizards in their game Saturday as they were in a grueling game with the Celtics that ended up being a tough two-point loss to Boston. The Wizards are an ugly 9-17 ATS as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points the past three seasons combined. The Trail Blazers, off an upset loss as a favorite (in this case at Philly), are 4-2 ATS this season and have a straight-up record of 25-13 when off of an upset loss as a favorite the past three seasons combined. Portland will be hungry to bounce back off of one of the worst games of the season and the extra line value is here since they are a road dog. Odds makers are predicting a high scoring game tonight and the Trail Blazers are 4-1 ATS this season in games with a posted total of 210 or more while the Wizards this season are 2-4 ATS in games with a total set at 210 points or more. *8* Portland Monday

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Washington Wizards +8 @ Chicago @ 8:05 ET - Even though one might look at the Bulls here and fully expect a bounce back since they are off of a loss, that definitely has NOT been the MO of Chicago the past six weeks. After winning two straight as of early December the Bulls then have had a pair of three game losing streaks and winning streaks of four games and six games. The point is that the Bulls have been quite streaky rather than the type of team that alternates wins and losses. Also, off of a loss like they had at Atlanta following a huge six game winning streak, it can be very tough to bounce back. Additionally, the Bulls have a game with a divisional foe on deck and, certainly, Chicago has struggled against some non-divisional foes. In fact, the Bulls are 0-5 ATS this season against Southeast Division foes. Also, as a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points, Chicago has gone 3-6 ATS this season. The Wizards are 13-4 ATS the past three seasons as a road dog of 6.5 to 9 points. Also, Washington is 4-0 ATS this season with those parameters! Couple that with the 0-5 ATS that goes against the Bulls (noted above) and you have a combined perfect 9-0 ATS mark in support of the Wizards here whom, by the way, have been very strong against the Central Division as Washington this season has gone 5-1 ATS against those teams. Grab the line value with the hungry dog here as the road warrior Wizards have covered 6 of their last 8 away from home and will build off of Saturday's outright win at Orlando.

Rickenbach NBA *8* Dallas Mavericks -4 @ Minnesota @ 5:05 ET - The Timberwolves have lost 17 of their last 21 games. Also, since December 1st, Minnesota has covered just 4 of their last 20 games. The Timberwolves bring an 0-5 ATS streak into this one and I look for the Mavericks to make it 6 in a row today. Even though Dallas has a game on deck with Cleveland, that is still a non-conference match-up with LeBron James and Company. Also, coming off of tight, frustrating late loss at Milwaukee, there is no way the Mavs are going to look past this very winnable game at Minnesota. Look for Dallas to improve to 7-3 in their last 10 games with another win today. The Mavs are 3-0 ATS in Sunday games this season and the Mavericks are 4-0 ATS against teams from the Northwest Division. The Timberwolves are an incredible 0-10 ATS in home games with a posted total between 200 and 204.5 points this season. That means that adding up all the perfect trends in favor of Dallas and all the perfect trends going against Minnesota, today we are testing a combined 22-0 ATS mark -> the 10-0 go against T-wolves plus the fact they have failed to cover 5 straight games (5-0 go against) and then the 4-0 and 3-0 trends in favor of Dallas. Look for Big D to roll on the road in this one. 

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Philadelphia 76'ers +9.5 vs Toronto @ 7:35 ET - The Sixers showed some heart in the way they battled against Atlanta on Thursday. The final score ultimately was ugly but the 76'ers made some runs in the third quarter of that game and the final score is simply helping to give us some line value here. That's because I do fully expect the 76'ers to continue to fight hard and this time I don't expect them to be plagued by facing an opponent that ends up hitting a ridiculous percentage of outside shots. The Sixers are catching the Raptors at the perfect time to spring the upset. Toronto is off of a big win at Washington last night. Not only is the 2nd night of a back to back, it is also the Raptors 5th game in 7 nights. Look for a road-weary Toronto to take to the floor tonight in Philly. The Raptors are off of rare back to back covers as they had previously suffered ATS losses in 8 of their last 11 games! The Sixers have played better since they acquired point guard Ish Smith as they had won 3 of 6 (and covered 4 of 6) before the ugly loss to Atlanta. Look for Philly to bounce right back here. The 76'ers will improve to 3-0 ATS this season in home games with a posted total between 200 and 204.5 and I look for the Raptors to drop to 7-15 ATS when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. We will see a road-weary Toronto team tonight. Sixers are a good value plus the big points. 

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks +1.5 @ Milwaukee @ 8:05 ET - The Mavericks are off of a big win at New Orleans on Wednesday. What made that win so impressive was that the Mavs were off of a double OT victory over the Kings the night before and so Dallas decided to rest four of their starters and yet they still knocked off the Pelicans in impressive fashion. What that means for tonight's game is that we get excellent line value with a well-rested Mavericks team paying a rare visit to Milwaukee. The Bucks come into this game with a 5-10 season mark against teams from the West. The Mavs come into this game having won 7 of their last 10 games overall. Dallas has won 6 straight meetings with Milwaukee and the Mavericks have covered 5 of the 6 meetings. The Bucks have been having trouble on the defensive end and there is no reason that won't continue against a Dallas team that has won 6 of their last 8 games overall, has been red hot on offense, and has a rested starting five ready to go hard in this one. 

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Toronto Raptors -6.5 @ Brooklyn @ 7:35 ET - Toronto is off of back to back losses but they simply ran into teams that would not miss! The shots were just falling from all over the floor for each of the Raptors' last two opponents and that included three pointers dropping in at an insane rate. Toronto hasn't lost three straight games since mid-November and I look for them to bounce back after a tight home loss to Chicago and then a 'strange' loss at Cleveland that saw the Cavaliers seemingly making 'everything' from the floor. The Raptors are 3-1 SU and 3-1 ATS in their divisional games this season. Also, Toronto has a straight-up record of 78-28 when facing teams with a losing record the past three seasons. Of course the 6.5 points must be covered here but the point is that Toronto normally takes care of business against weaker opposition as evidenced by this record. Brooklyn comes into this game with losses in 9 of their last 12 games. 5 of the Nets last 6 losses have been by at least 7 points. Brooklyn has lost 7 straight games at home so the home court 'edge' here certainly isn't much! That's why I like Toronto to win this road game by big margin. The Raptors have lost their last two meetings with the Nets and that ensures the proper focus here for the hungry road team!

Rickenbach NBA *8* Washington Wizards +7 vs Cleveland @ 7:05 ET - Cleveland is off of a big win over Toronto on Monday but the Cavs simply shot ridiculously well. The Cavaliers made over 50% of their three pointers and, overall shot 55.4% from the field. To put this in perspective in terms of how unlikely it was, Cleveland had been held to 41.5% or less from the field in four of their six prior games and this included three performances where the Cavaliers shot under 39% from the field. They will have trouble covering this big line on the road as the Wizards are a 'tough out' on their home floor and Washington comes into this one fired up. The Wizards are off of an embarrassing loss to Miami where Washington only managed 75 points on their home floor! With the Wizards off such a poor shooting night but at home again tonight and the Cavaliers off of such a great shooting night but now on the road again as they begin a six game road trip, there is tremendous line value with the hungry home dog in this one. Washington is 4-1 ATS against Central Division opponents this season and 4-2 ATS this season when playing with two or more days of rest. The Cavaliers are 3-11 ATS in their games against teams with a losing record this season and, just because Cleveland has been winning does not mean the ATS covers will continue. In fact, it means that the Cavs could be in a prime spot for an upset loss as they are 4-8 ATS when they enter a game on a winning streak of three games or more.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks +8 @ Chicago @ 8:05 ET - The Bucks are in a back to back spot here but Milwaukee has gone 7-1 ATS in the second night of back to back games this season! Sure the Bucks got humiliated on their home floor last night but that was against one of the best teams in the league. The Bulls certainly not in the same high-ranking category that the Spurs are. Additionally, Chicago is hurting right now. Derrick Rose is doubtful for tonight's game as he deals with a hamstring injury. Also, the Bulls Joakim Noah has been dealing with a shoulder injury. The upstart Bucks had won two straight plus covered 4 of their last 6 before the ugly home loss against San Antonio last night. After that embarrassing loss, and knowing the success that the Bucks have had in back to back situations this season, Milwaukee is likely to respond in a huge way tonight at Chicago. The Bulls are off of an upset win at Toronto Sunday and Chicago is 0-4 ATS this season (and 10-22 ATS the last three seasons combined) when they are off of an upset win as an underdog! Also, the Bulls are 0-6 ATS in divisional games this season. As home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points this season, Chicago has gone 1-6 ATS. The Bucks are 3-1 ATS as a road dog of 6.5 to 9 points this season. As you can see, some real nice trending support for this game but particularly I like the two "go-against" angles relating to the Bulls (0-4 and 0-6) leading to a 10-0 perfect combined angle in support of the Bucks here!

Rickenbach NBA *8* Toronto Raptors +8 @ Cleveland @ 7:05 ET - The Raptors are fired up after blowing their game at home against Chicago yesterday. Toronto lost by a bucket at home to the Bulls and it was a game that the Raptors held the lead much of the way and then they let it get away late. Toronto will bring an extra 'edginess' to tonight's game as a result of what happened yesterday north of the border. The Raptors already defeated the Cavaliers at home in late November and Toronto stands a good chance at getting another ATS cover in this one. The road team had covered each of the four prior meetings between these teams. The Raptors are 9-3 ATS as an underdog this season. Also, the past three seasons combined, Toronto has gone 9-3 ATS when they are a road dog in a range of 6.5 to 9 points. The Raptors, even with the loss yesterday, are 10-5 ATS this season against teams with a winning record. The Cavaliers are 2-7 ATS against Atlantic Division opponents this season and could get caught peaking ahead to their big 6 game road trip that is on deck immediately after this game. The Cavs are 2-4 ATS as a home favorite in a range of 6.5 to 9 points this season. Also, Cleveland is 3-8 ATS this season when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 games or more. Generous points being offered here considering the hunger of the Raptors entering this game. Grab the points!

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play New York Knicks +7.5 @ Boston @ 7 ET - Both teams are in a back to back here but I look for the Knicks to be the hungrier team. Boston is off of a road win at Detroit while the Knicks had an ugly turnover-filled loss at Atlanta yesterday. Look for New York to quickly clean things up as they will be fully focused after the embarrassing 19 points loss to the Hawks. The Knicks also have the motivation of playing this game with triple revenge as they've lost three straight games to the Celtics. Boston comes into this game having lost three of their last four home games. They are a sizable favorite here and the Knicks are a dangerous dog considering the situation leading into this one. New York is on a 3-1 ATS run in the 2nd night of a back to back situation. Boston is 0-2 ATS this season when they are a playing a home game that is the 2nd night of a back to back situation. The Knicks are 4-1 ATS this season as a road dog of 6.5 to 9 points. New York is also a perfect 4-0 ATS this season in divisional games. Again, after yesterday's turnover-plagued effort, the Knicks are going to bring their "A game" tonight. After allowing 105 points or more in a game this season, New York has gone 6-2 ATS in the very next game. Boston is 9-20 ATS in Sunday games the last three seasons combined. In a home game with total posted between 200 and 204.5 points, the Celtics have gone 2-5 ATS this season. Play New York plus the points as a *10 Top Play Sunday.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play New Orleans Pelicans +1.5 vs Houston @ 7:05 ET Saturday - Off a tight road loss yesterday in OT the Pelicans will be ready to bounce back huge here at home. The Rockets are off of a big home win over the Spurs yesterday. That was a game that Houston wanted badly and was a hard-fought home win for the Rockets. Now they have to travel in a back to back spot and the Rockets are likely to be flat after yesterday's big win. This line opened with New Orleans as a small favorite and Houston has gone 0-3 SU and ATS as a road dog of 3 points or less. The Rockets have lost three of their last four road games while the Pelicans have won 5 of their last 7 home games and that includes wins over the Spurs and Cavaliers. New Orleans has played very well at home while the Rockets have struggled on the road. Add in the situational advantage based on yesterday's results and you have the making of a blowout home win for the Pelicans in this one. The home team has won three of the last four meetings between these teams and New Orleans is playing this game with revenge for a road loss at Houston earlier this month. Play New Orleans +1.5 as a *10* Top Play Saturday.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play San Antonio Spurs -7 @ Houston @ 8:05 ET - This is the first match-up between these divisional rivals this season. The Spurs have won each of the last three meetings between these teams but there is no shortage of motivation for San Antonio in the first match-up this season as they were not happy about last year's Christmas Day result. The Spurs lost at home against Oklahoma City last year on Christmas Day and that means you can bet that Gregg Popovich will have his team ready to go today. I feel that Christmas Day games favor the road teams as a general rule because the road team doesn't have the same distractions that a home team does when it's a holiday in your home city with family commitments, etc. For the Spurs it's all about business here and that means another huge performance on defense should be expected here. San Antonio is allowing only 89 points per game this season. In stark contrast, Houston is allowing 105.6 points per game this season! The Rockets are only 6-10 ATS in home games this season. The Spurs are 10-2 ATS in December and 9-4 ATS this season when they are off of a game where they scored 105 points or more. San Antonio comes into this game having won 7 straight games and the Spurs have covered all 7 of those games too! In their final road game until Jan 4th, the Spurs will not let up in this game. Play San Antonio -7 as a *10* Top Play Friday.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers +7 @ Golden State @ 5:05 ET - Of course this is a huge revenge game for the Cavaliers as they lost in the NBA Finals to the Warriors last season. Golden State is off of a covering win against Utah but, overall they continue to be overpriced. The Warriors have only managed to cover back to back games one time in the past four weeks. Couple that with the fact that the Cavaliers come into this game having won six straight games and you have the perfect set-up for a Cavs upset. If the revenge-seeking Cavaliers do fall short it is likely to be by just one or two possessions. Only twice this entire season has Cleveland lost a game by more than 6 points. Look for Stephen Curry's calf to to be a hindrance to him today. He will certainly play today but I don't expect him to have his usual rate of success as a result of the nagging calf injury. The Cavaliers are 6-3 ATS this season against teams with a winning record. Cleveland is also 14-6 the last 3 seasons combined when they are off of a game where they allowed 85 points or less. The Cavaliers have held 4 of their last 5 opponents to 39% or less from the field and that super high defensive intensity will continue today as this is such a massive revenge game for the Cavs. Play Cleveland plus the points as a *10* Top Play Friday.

Rickenbach NBA *8* New Orleans Pelicans +5.5 @ Miami @ 12:05 PM ET - New Orleans has won two straight and three of their last four and two of those three wins came on the road. The Pelicans are playing with more and more confidence and that will be even more evident today after they blew out the Trail Blazers by 26 points on Wednesday. Even though the Heat are wrapping up a four game homestand today they have lost 2 of the first 3 games. Homecourt hasn't exactly been kind to Miami lately and they now host a Pelicans team that has won 3 of the last 4 meetings between the teams. The Heat are 1-6 ATS this season when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games at home. In other words, complacency sets in when on an long homestand. Also, generally there are more distractions on Christmas Day for the home team because of the proximity to family and other obligations in their home city. The Pelicans are 3-1 ATS this season in road games with a posted total between 200 and 204.5 points. Play New Orleans plus the points as an *8* selection.

Rickenbach NBA *8* Orlando Magic -1.5 vs Houston @ 7:05 PM ET - Orlando plays this game with double revenge as they lost to the Rockets in Houston in their final match-up last season and in their first match-up this season. The last time the Magic hosted the Rockets they got the home win by a margin of 7. Orlando opened as a very small favorite in this game but could end up moving and becoming a very small dog. This line is essentially right around a pick 'em. Orlando is 9-5 in home games this season. Also, the Magic are 5-1 ATS when off of an upset win as an underdog and 6-1 ATS after scoring 105 points or more in their prior game. When playing with revenge this season the Magic have gone 11-5 ATS. Against Western Conference teams, Orlando has gone 9-3 ATS. Conversely, the Rockets are 3-8 ATS against Eastern Conference teams. In road games with a posted total between 205 and 209.5 the Rockets have gone 0-3 SU and 0-3 ATS this season. The Magic have won 10 of their last 14 games and the Rockets have a huge Christmas Day showdown on deck with the Spurs. Play Orlando as an *8* selection Wednesday. 

Rickenbach NBA *10* Charlotte Hornets +3 @ Houston @ 8:05 ET - Houston caught the Clippers in a tough spot (as the Clips had played in San Antonio the night before) and the Rockets were able to get the win over LA. They previously had hosted the other team from LA - the awful Lakers - and of course got that win. Prior to that though the Rockets had lost three of their five prior games and Houston has struggled against the East this season. In non-conference games the Rockets are 2-8 ATS this season. Also, Houston is 0-4 ATS in home games with a posted total between 205 and 209.5 points. The Rockets have gone just 6-12 ATS as a favorite this season and only 5-10 ATS in home games. Houston is hosting a Hornets team that is fired up after a 109 to 101 loss to the Wizards Saturday. Charlotte had previously won 10 of their 14 prior games and the Hornets are a perfect 6-0 straight-up and ATS when off of a game where they allowed 105 points or more. This line jumped off the page at me when I was reviewing the NBA card for today. That's because the odds seemed a little "odd" when seeing the Rockets as such a small home favorite. Of course upon closer inspection I can now see why the Hornets are such a small dog here based on the situation leading into this game for each team. Play Charlotte +3 as a *10* Top Play Monday.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play LA Clippers +1 @ Houston @ 8:05 ET - Even though this is a back to back spot for the Clippers, motivation for this game is so huge that the Clips will have no trouble 'digging deep' for their energy in this one. The Clippers played right into the hands of revenge last night as they were at San Antonio and the Clips had knocked the Spurs out of the playoffs last spring. Ironically, on the very next night, the Clippers are now the ones playing with revenge as they face a Rockets team that knocked them out of the post-season. Not only that, the Clippers did lose at home to Houston earlier this season. With that said, this is truly a 'double revenge' scenario for the Clips and I expect a huge effort from them tonight. The Rockets, even though they were off last night, just returned from a road trip to the west coast. Teams returning from a trip like that oftentimes struggle in their first game back home. Prior to the win over the Lakers (a dreadful team), the Rockets had lost 11 of their last 19 games. Houston will not be able to match the intensity of the highly motivated Clippers here as the Clips remember all too well that they blew a 3-1 series lead over the Rockets last year. Also, the Clippers had won 8 of their last 10 games before the loss at San Antonio last night. The Clips are 4-1 on Saturdays this season and 31-7 in Saturday games the last 3 seasons combined. The Rockets are 4-10 ATS in home games this season. Play the LA Clippers +1 as a 10* Top Play Saturday.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Boston Celtics -3.5 vs Atlanta @ 7:35 ET - The Hawks are off of a big win but it came against a very poor Philadelphia team whom Atlanta allowed to hit 52% of their shots from the field! The Hawks gave up 106 points to the Sixers and Atlanta is 1-7 ATS this season when off of a game where they allowed 105 points or more. Also, the Hawks had lost three straight SU and ATS prior to the win over a 1-26 Sixers team. Atlanta now is facing a tough challenge tonight as the Celtics are off of back to back losses and will be fired up and ready to go this evening on their home floor. The Celtics are off of a road loss at Detroit and their recent losses prior to this have been at the hands of some of the top teams in the league like Cleveland and Golden State and San Antonio. Boston will be ready to bounce back on their home floor tonight and they also play this game with revenge as they lost by 24 points at Atlanta just before Thanksgiving. That means it is payback time tonight. The Celtics were on a 13-7 run prior to the back to back losses and all 16 of their wins this season have come by at least 4 points. With this line dropping down below a 4 that means there is exceptional value with Boston here. The Celtics are 5-2 SU and ATS against teams from the Southeast Division this season. Also, Boston is 8-5 ATS this season in games against teams with a winning record. The Celtics also are 34-24 ATS the last three seasons when off of a game where they scored 105 points or more. Play Boston -3.5 as a *10* Top Play Friday.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Philadelphia 76'ers +12.5 @ Toronto @ 6:05 ET - The Raptors could easily overlook the 1-23 Sixers here. Toronto has a game at Indiana against a 13-9 Pacers team so it would be easy for the Raptors to overlook a Philadelphia team they already destroyed by 16 points in Philly earlier this season. Besides the lookahead situation, the other key to this play is that Toronto has not been playing at a fast pace in recent games. The Raptors have averaged just 69 shots per game from the field in their last three games. The Sixers are 4-2 ATS this season as a road dog of 12.5 points or more. Philly also is 6-3 ATS this season when playing with home loss revenge. The Raptors are on a 5-10 ATS run as a home fave of 12.5 to 18 points. This line is simply over-inflated and, considering the scheduling situation, I don't look for Toronto to be too interest in attaining a blowout margin in this one. The Raptors just want to get the W and move forward looking ahead to Indiana. 

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks +9 vs Golden State @ 8:35 ET - The Warriors 24-0 start to the season is, of course, nothing short of amazing. But now Golden State is off of a double OT win at Boston last night and then had to travel to Milwaukee for tonight's game. This match-up will be the 5th game in 8 nights for Golden State and the Warriors still have concerns about Klay Thompson's ankle. After this game the Warriors return home and have 3 full off days before beginning a homestand. With the big double OT win last night and with a lookahead situation here (Warriors looking forward to getting back home) I could easily see this being the trap game that trips up Golden State. I would not be surprised to see Milwaukee get the outright win but the big points are certainly generous in this spot. The Bucks are off of a loss at Toronto last night but they now return home where they have won 7 of their last 10 games. Milwaukee has gone 4-1 straight-up and a perfect 5-0 ATS when playing the 2nd game of a back to back this season. The Bucks have been playing solid defense the past two weeks and I like their chances here at home against a road-weary Warriors team that has a target on it's back right now. Every team they play is wanting so badly to take them down. It insures motivation from the opponent and the Warriors have now failed to cover 3 of their last 6 games. Golden State's lines continue to be inflated. Play Milwaukee +9 as a *10* Top Play Saturday.

Rickenbach NBA *8* Los Angeles Clippers -5.5 @ Brooklyn @ 5:05 ET - The Nets got the cash against the Sixers Thursday but it certainly was a struggle. Brooklyn had to pull away late against the worst team in the league and still only won the game by 9 as a 7 point favorite. The Nets now have a much tougher test Saturday and I don't expect it to go well for them. Brooklyn is hosting the Clippers and Los Angeles is not in a good mood after their 83-80 loss at Chicago on Thursday. Look for a huge bounce back effort here from a Clips team that had won 6 of their last 7 before the loss to the Bulls. The Clippers are on a 15-5 ATS run the past three seasons (and incredible 41-16 ATS run long-term) when they are a road favorite of 3.5 to 6 points. After scoring 85 points or less the Clips have gone 4-0 ATS. After allowing 85 points or less the Clippers have gone 11-6 ATS. Brooklyn is playing game four of a six game homestand and this is a situation that has seen complacency set in for the Nets in the past. This is likely to occur again this time because the Nets are off of back to back victories too. In the past three seasons, when the Nets enter a game having played each of their three prior games at home, Brooklyn has gone 3-11 ATS. Play the Los Angeles Clippers -5.5 as an *8* selection Saturday.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Boston Celtics +6.5 vs Golden State @ 7:35 ET - When this line first opened up at a 6 it jumped off the page at me. I patiently waited. Got in after the jump to 6.5 and now the markets are correctly moving this line back down. This is one of those games where the public is likely to be fooled and that is what helped retain some line value on this one. The reason the Warriors at 23-0 are only a 6 point favorite against a Boston team that is just 13-9 on the season is because the injuries issues, now including Klay Thompson's ankle, are starting to catch up with Golden State. The Warriors are playing their 6th straight road game and I look for the depth of the Celtics to wear down the Warriors in this one. Boston has covered five straight games and has held three of their last four opponents under 43% from the field. Of course a big total is posted on this game and the Celtics are a perfect 3-0 ATS this season and 14-3 ATS the last 3 seasons in games with a posted total of 210 or greater. Boston is 5-2 ATS as an underdog this season and four of those five wins have been outright victories. I expect the Celtics to get the upset win here. The timing is perfect. The Warriors injury issues have taken a turn for the worse and they do have another road game on deck for tomorrow. Tough spot for Golden State and I am calling for the outright upset tonight but certainly going to grab the generous points here. Play Boston +6.5 as a *10* Top Play Friday.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Philadelphia 76'ers +7 @ Brooklyn @ 7:35 ET - Philadelphia is off their horrible loss against the Spurs that saw them lose by a ridiculous 119-68 count. The 76'ers previously were on a 6-1-1 ATS run. As bad as Philly has been this season the fact is that the Sixers were playing better before that disastrous effort against San Antonio. Look for Philly to bounce back big at Brooklyn tonight. The Nets are off of an outright upset win over Houston on Tuesday that saw them win by 5 as a 5 point dog. Brooklyn's straight-up record when off of an upset win as an underdog is an ugly 13-25 the last 3 seasons combined. It would not surprise me to see the Nets come out flat here against a hungry Sixers team. The 76'ers, on the other hand, are likely to be extremely motivated for a huge effort and they have gone 5-1 ATS this season when off of a game where they were held to 85 points or less. Overall, Philly has covered 8 of their last 11 road games. Not only is Brooklyn off an upset win over the Rockets, they also have a solid Clippers team on deck. It would be easy for the Nets to overlook a 1-21 Sixers team tonight. Another key tonight for Philly is a bigger game from Jahlil Okafor as he was definitely rusty in his first game back on Monday. Play Philadelphia +7 as a *10* Top Play Thursday.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Philadelphia 76'ers +1 vs LA Lakers @ 7:05 ET - This is set up perfectly to be "the game" for the Sixers finally. Their 0-18 start to the season of course is making headlines but there is a reason this line is where it is for Tuesday night. The Sixers are battling harder than ever and have covered five straight games even though they've still fallen short of that elusive first straight-up win of the season. Taking on a floundering 2-14 Lakers team looks like the perfect spot for the 76'ers to finally get into the win column. Los Angeles has failed to cover 5 of their last 6 games overall and 5 of their last 6 games on the road. The Lakers have just one straight-up win in their 9 road games this season and just made the cross-country road trip after hosting the Pacers on Sunday. This will be their third game in four days and even though Kobe Bryant is making his return to his native Philly I just don't see him having a big game here. He's having an awful season and of course has now announced his retirement that will come after this season ends. There is no denying that these are the two worst teams in basketball meeting on the court Tuesday night but the Sixers have big edges here. They are at home, they catch the Lakers right after coming cross country, they get the Lakers playing 3rd game in 4 days, and the Sixers confidence is up as they've had some recent 'near misses' in attempts at victories in recent games. The Sixers have been so utterly close to that elusive first win they could practically taste it. Tonight they finally should as the 76'ers are playing better defense and shooting the ball better than the Lakers in recent games and they have the all important 'hunger factor' on their side in this game. Play Philadelphia as a *10* Top Play Tuesday.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Chicago Bulls +4 vs San Antonio @ 8:05 ET - The Spurs have been so hot that they are not getting a little overvalued even when in a tough spot like this. Note that San Antonio has a phenomenal record on the season but that's helped by their 9-0 mark at home. On the road the Spurs are only 5-3 this season. Also, tonight will be their 7th game in the last 11 days. That's tough on an aging roster like San Antonio has. The Bulls situation is much better as they are playing just their third game in the last ten days. Chicago is well rested here but coming off of a road loss at Indiana so they will certainly be fired up tonight and they are happy to be back home. The Bulls are already a sparkling 5-1 at the United Center this season. Chicago will seek to revenge an 11 point loss at San Antonio in March and the Bulls did knock off San Antonio by 23 points the last time they hosted them (January). Chicago has a strong history of responding well off of bad losses. They lost to the Pacers by double digits in their most recent game but they are 2-0 both SU and ATS this season when off of a loss by 10 or more points. Also, looking at the last three seasons combined their record in this situation is 28-10 SU and they are getting points tonight against the Spurs so the SU record is absolutely a good barometer for tonight's game. Rested and hungry Bulls against a Spurs team that is a little weary and has won five straight and has a home game on deck...this is a beautiful spot for the home team. Play Chicago plus the points as a *10 Play Monday.

Rickenbach NBA *8* Phoenix Suns +5.5 @ Toronto @ 6:05 ET Sunday - Toronto is off of a come from behind win on the road at Washington last night. The victory also was a big emotional win for the Raptors not only because of how it played out but because Toronto had been swept from the playoffs by the Wizards last spring. The point is that the Raptors wanted this game badly and getting that huge win on the road last night could absolutely leaven them a little flat for this early evening start against the rested Suns on Sunday. Phoenix comes into this game on a losing run but the Suns were off yesterday and so they are rested here as well as ready to respond after a tough four game losing streak. The Suns are an incredible 17-3 ATS in their last 20 games against Atlantic Division opposition and Phoenix also is a fantastic 54-31 ATS in road games the last three seasons combined. The Suns are off of an ugly loss to Golden State Friday and Phoenix has gone 2-1 ATS this season and 18-9 ATS the last three seasons combined when they are off of a loss by a margin of 10 points or more. Toronto enters this game on a four game winning streak but the Raptors are 14-20 ATS the last 3 seasons when they enter a game on a winning streak of three games or more. Also, Toronto is on an 8-13 ATS run as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points. Play Phoenix plus the points as an *8* selection Sunday.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Toronto Raptors -2.5 @ Washington @ 7:05 ET - This is a beautiful setup as the Wizards are not only in a back to back situation, they are playing their 4th game in 5 nights. Plus, Washington is certainly floundering as the Wizards have lost 3 straight games by an average margin of defeat of 21.7 points per game. This is nothing new as all but one of Washington's losses have come by a margin of 14 points or more this season. When the Wizards lose they have a tendency to get blown out and while they are struggling and playing their 4th game in 5 nights, the situation is quite different for Toronto. The Raptors have gotten back on track by winning three straight games and they are playing just their 2nd game in the past 6 days. They are rested, confident, and ready. Also, the Raptors were swept out of the playoffs by the Wizards last spring so a little payback is on order for today. Washington is 1-5 ATS as an underdog this season. The Raptors are 11-4 ATS on the season and continue to be undervalued by the betting markets. We'll take advantage here. Play Toronto minus the short number as a *10* Top Play Saturday.

Rickenbach NBA *8* Dallas Mavericks +5.5 @ Oklahoma City @ 7:05 ET - Dallas has won 5 of the last 7 meetings between these clubs. They also come into this game red hot as the Mavericks have won six straight games (and gone 5-1 ATS in those games). The Thunder are slumping as Kevin Durant is dealing with a hamstring injury and Oklahoma City has lost three of their last four games straight-up and has gone 1-3 ATS during this rough stretch. If you look at their overall combined stats in their last four home games they are not shooting well at all and they now face a Mavs team that has been playing solid defense throughout their winning streak. Also, the Mavericks have shot very well from the field in three of their last four games. The Thunder are 0-3 straight-up and ATS when off of an upset loss as a favorite this season. The Mavericks are a long-term 96-73 ATS when they are a road underdog in a range of 3.5 to 6 points.  

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Philadelphia 76'ers +7.5 vs Indiana @ 7:05 ET - The Pacers have some injury issues and the Sixers are continuing to get some nice line value based on their 0-11 straight-up record so far this season. Indiana has injury issues with Myles Turner out for this game and George Hill also likely to be out for this one. Additionally, Rodney Stuckey is dealing with an ankle issue that could limit his production or perhaps even keep him off the floor tonight. The Pacers also are in a bit of a 'sandwich spot' here as they are off of a big divisional match-up with Chicago and they have another divisional game with Milwaukee on deck. With that said, it's hard to imagine Indiana being able to get highly motivated for a match-up with an 0-11 Philadelphia team. Of course that is what makes Philadelphia a dangerous dog in a spot like this and I expect the 76'ers to get their third straight cover. Even with way too many turnovers in their most recent game, Philadelphia still got the cover versus Dallas. The Sixers have been competing hard on the defensive end and on the glass and certainly are earning 'hustle points' with their style of play. That will make them a 'tough out' for Indiana tonight. The Pacers have covered just 1 of their 3 games as a favorite this season. Also, Indiana entered this season with a 15-21 ATS mark against Atlantic Division opponents the past two seasons. The Sixers are 3-1 ATS against Central Division opponents this season and 3-0 ATS this season when off of a non-conference game. I would not be surprised to see the Sixers get their first SU win of the season tonight but certainly they should hang tough for the ATS cover. Play Philadelphia plus the points as a *10* Top Play. 

Rickenbach NBA *8* Utah Jazz +5.5 @ Atlanta @ 6:05 ET - People jumped on the Hawks early to drive this line up to as high as a 5.5 but it has since started to come back down. The Jazz, even though they have lost 3 straight games, have averaged 10 more shots from the field than their opponent in these last 3 games. All 3 defeats have come by single digits and the Jazz either get over the hump today or lose another very close game decided by one possession in my opinion. The Hawks are back home but off of a 13 point loss at Boston and have lost two of their past three games. The Jazz are the much better defensive team in this match-up. Also, Utah is 14-6 ATS in road games with a posted total between 190 and 194.5 points. The Jazz also are a perfect 3-0 ATS in road games this season. The Hawks are just 2-4 ATS at home this season and only 5-11 ATS in Sunday games the past two seasons. This is their first Sunday game this season and I look for another ATS loss for the struggling Hawks as the better defensive team gets this one. The Jazz are so hungry because they've played well recently but still come up just short on the scoreboard. That means another huge effort is coming today and, this time, I expect them to come out on top.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Philadelphia 76'ers +17 @ San Antonio @ 8:35 ET - The Spurs are 6-2 ATS and SU so far this season while the 76'ers are winless on the season. That said, I certainly understand where this line is coming from. But it is simply out of hand. The Spurs are laying 17 points here and they may not even have Kawhi Leonard available. Additionally, this is simply not the type of game in which Gregg Popovich and company are likely to go all out. San Antonio tries to protect their veteran cast of stars with adequate rest and, off of a game against Portland, and with the Trail Blazers again on deck for SA, I just can't see them being too excited about facing the Spurs here. The fact that San Antonio just got back from a West Coast road trip adds even more value for the underdog Sixers here. The 76'ers are on a 9-4 ATS run as a road dog of 15.5 to 18 points. Also, Philly is off a poor shooting night at Oklahoma City last night where they scored just 85 points. The Sixers are 17-11 ATS when off of a game where they were held to 85 points or less. The Spurs are an ugly 43-58 ATS in home games with a posted total between 195 and 199.5 points. Philly will play the Spurs surprisingly tough just like they did in their most recent meeting on December 1st when the Sixers lost by just a half dozen points. 

Rickenbach NBA *8* Toronto Raptors +2.5 @ Miami @ 6:05 ET - Toronto is ready to bounce back after suffering their first loss of the season. On Friday at Orlando, the Raptors had more shots from the field than the Magic, more rebounds, and less turnovers. So how did they lose? You guessed it! They shot just 35% from the field. Look for Toronto's high flying offense to get right back on track as they had not been held to less than 102 points in a single game this season until they scored just 87 points in the loss to Orlando. The Raptors will take advantage of a Heat team that has lost 2 of their last 3 games and been held to an average of just 92 points per game in their last 3 games. The Miami offense simply won't be able to keep up with Toronto here. The Raptors are 11-5 ATS the last three seasons and 70-44 ATS long-term in road games with a posted total between 190 and 194.5 points. Miami, when facing teams averaging 99+ points per game, has gone 37-54 ATS the last 3 seasons. As I stated above, the Heat simply won't be able to keep up with the Raptors potent offense in this one. Play Toronto plus the points as an *8* selection Sunday.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Philadelphia 76'ers +4 vs Orlando @ 7:05 ET - In the Magic game last night a streak ended...and in the Magic game tonight look for a season opening streak to be ended as well. Last night Orlando knocked off Toronto to put an end to the Raptors perfect start to the season. Tonight the Magic now face a Sixers team that is winless so far this season and, the irony is, another streak is likely to end tonight. I am grabbing the points but I am expecting the 76'ers to win outright. Philadelphia is on a perfect 3-0 ATS run but still coming up short on the scoreboard. Each of the Sixers last three games have been decided by 7 points or less. Catching Orlando off of a big upset win, tonight looks like the perfect spot for the Sixers to break through. The Magic are a perfect 6-0 ATS this season but Orlando is just 2-4 SU on the season and this is their 4th game in 5 nights and 2nd back to back during the span. They lost the 2nd game of the first back to back and I look for an even tougher time in this one with Orlando growing weary of the tough scheduling situation. Also, the Magic are 32-48 ATS when playing a team with a losing record. The Sixers are 10-5 ATS in home games with a posted total between 190 and 194.5 points. Play Philadelphia plus the points as a *10* Top Play Saturday.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Oklahoma City Thunder +1 @ Chicago @ 8:05 ET - I am well aware of the fact that the Thunder are playing the second night of a back to back situation and that this will be their fourth game in five nights. However, I also am well aware of the fact that it is very early in the season and the Thunder have two very hungry All Stars who don't take kindly to losing and whom are capable of dominating in a game like this. Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook helped lead their team to an 8 point lead last night with only about 5 minutes to go in the game. The Thunder ended up blowing that game against Toronto and certainly this has some fire burning for Durant, Westbrook, and Company as they prepare for this match-up with the Bulls. Chicago has had very questionable defense at times this season and they now face an Oklahoma City team that is 68-38 ATS and 77-32 when off of an upset loss as a favorite. Also, the Thunder are 20-13 when playing on back to back days. The Bulls have lost the battle of the boards every game this season. Oklahoma City had won the battle of the boards in all of their games this season until last night. You can guess what will happen tonight as a result of this...yes, that's right...look for the Thunder to dominate the glass. Play Oklahoma City as a *10* Top Play Thursday.

Rickenbach NBA *8* Philadelphia 76'ers +13.5 vs Cleveland @ 7:05 ET Monday - The Cavs are 3-0 ATS to start the season. The Sixers are 0-2 SU and ATS to start the season. These are the type of early season disparities I like to hone in on and, as bad as the Sixers are, this line is simply getting "out of line" here. The Cavaliers are now favored by 13.5 points in this match-up and this game means a lot more to the 76'ers than it does to the Cavs. Cleveland is coming off of a big win over Miami, LeBron's former team. The Sixers are coming off of an embarrassing home loss to Utah. From a situational standpoint it sets up very nicely for the Sixers. Philly, in recent seasons, has certainly shown a tendency to "rise up" for games like this. Philadelphia has gone a stellar 8-2 ATS as a home dog of 12.5 or more points the past 3 seasons. This will be Cleveland's first game in the month of November, a month in which they've gone 9-20 ATS the past two seasons. The Sixers are the more motivated team here after the embarrassment they suffered at the hands of the Jazz in their home opener. I also can't see the Cavaliers being too interested in achieving a blowout margin in this game. This game should stay within a margin of single digits all the way. Play Philadelphia plus the points as an *8* selection Monday.

Rickenbach NBA *8* Chicago Bulls -7.5 vs Orlando @ 7:05 ET - Love grabbing the Bulls here off of a loss. Also, this line has been dropping all morning and that adds even more value for Chicago. While the Bulls are off a tough loss at Detroit they also catch Orlando at the perfect time to take out their frustration on a weaker foe. The Magic had the perfect scheduling opportunity to knock off Oklahoma City and Orlando very nearly did end up knocking off the Thunder but lost in double overtime. The Magic had an 18 point lead going to the 4th quarter of that game and they blew it. That's the type of brutally tough loss that is super tough to bounce back from and Orlando is truly in the wrong place at the wrong time tonight. The Magic are playing their first road game of the season and Orlando went 16-66 straight-up on the road the past two seasons with many of those losses getting ugly and being decided by double digits. That is what is on tap here as they are simply outclassed by a hungry Derrick Rose and company tonight. The Bulls are 133-77 SU and 116-91 when they are off of an upset loss as a favorite. They also are known to take care of business against lesser foes with a 60-34 straight-up record against teams with a losing record. Yes a straight-up win does not guarantee an ATS win but the Bulls are so fired up and ready to put a beating on someone I just don't see this game being decided by less than double digits. Play Chicago minus the points as an *8* selection Sunday.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play New Orleans +4.5 vs Golden State @ 7:35 ET - The Pelicans were unceremoniously swept by the Warriors in last year's playoffs. New Orleans then lost on opening at Golden State by 16 points. However, this is the perfect spot for the Pelicans to now get some small measure of revenge. The Warriors are 2-0 this season but this is a back to back spot for Golden State and they were in Texas last night. New Orleans is 0-2 this season but they have been off each of the last two days. The well-rested non-traveling highly motivated home dog is going to be hard to put away tonight. New Orleans is 8-4 ATS the last 3 seasons when they are a home dog of 3.5 to 6 points. The Pelicans simply ran into some hot shooting at Portland in their most recent game. Now they catch the Warriors with some tired legs in their first back to back of the season and I expect Golden State to struggle to knock shots down with a raucous arena in a revenge situation and a home opener for the Pelicans. Play New Orleans plus the points as a *10* Top Play Saturday.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Orlando Magic +8.5 vs Oklahoma City @ 7:05 ET Friday - Oklahoma City is off of a huge win in their season opener as they knocked off the rival Spurs in a very tightly contested game. Off of that big win and with a divisional game on deck with Denver, I just don't foresee the Thunder being highly motivated about this match-up with Orlando tonight. The Magic have plenty of motivation though. Not only did Orlando lose their home opener (despite a 100 to 84 edge in number of shots from the field), the Magic also were thoroughly embarrassed in their most recent game as a host to the Thunder. Orlando last faced OKC in Florida in January and the Magic lost at home by 28 points. The Magic also have extra motivation tonight because plenty of news about this game in Orlando has circulated around the fact that, back in 2007, Billy Donovan (new head coach for the Thunder) formally accept the Magic head coach job position only to end up turning it down and going through a legal battle to get out of the contract. It was a giant mess and adds even more intensity to this game from Orlando's perspective. The Magic will undoubtedly play inspired basketball from the opening tip to the final horn in this one. Orlando is 13-7 ATS in their last 20 games against Northwest Division opponents. Oklahoma City went just 45-46 straight-up in road games the last two seasons and here, in a spot that is a situational disadvantage, the Thunder are being asked to cover a large number on the road. I don't see that happening. Play Orlando +8.5 as a *10* Top Play Friday.

Rickenbach NBA *8* Detroit Pistons +6.5 @ Atlanta @ 8:05 PM ET - Simply put, this looks like a trap line. The Hawks finished the regular season with the #1 record in the Eastern Conference last year. Atlanta had a 35-6 record at home last season while the Pistons were 14-27 on the road. So, why the low line here? Things change from season to season and the Pistons are a team on the rise while Atlanta is likely to fall from their perch atop the Eastern Conference this season. Remember they got destroyed in last year's post-season when the Cavaliers swept them in the Eastern Conference finals. I look for the loss of the Hawks DeMarre Carroll to hurt this team more than many people realize. He was a key cog for Atlanta and a bit of a jack of all trades. The Pistons season record from last year looks bad but they did go 27-27 over their last 54 games of the season and I look what coach Stan Van Gundy is doing with this team. The players are buying into his system...and that is showing up in the way they've been playing on the floor. They are in this one all the way tonight and might even spring the outright upset on the road. Grab the points. Play Detroit plus the points as an *8* selection Tuesday.