NBA Game of the Week Sunday 10* Top Play San Antonio Spurs +11 @ Brooklyn Nets @ 12:10 ET - Home game for Brooklyn means no Kyrie Irving. Nets struggling too as they are 1-4 SU and 0-5 ATS last 5 games. I know San Antonio also struggling but they are not the ones laying double digits here! The point is that Brooklyn has been struggling to win games let alone cover big double digit spreads like this. I know the Spurs are down some guys but they hung around against the 76ers for much of that game Thursday until Philadelphia pulled away late. The way the Nets are going, I just don't see them as being capable of pulling away like that in this game. 10* SAN ANTONIO

NBA Hoops Annihilation Saturday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz -3.5 @ Indiana Pacers @ 7:10 ET - I am aware of the injury issues / covid issues (at least as of 9 AM ET game day) but the fact is I just love the situational edges here. Yes I know that Utah is in a back to back but the fact they are off a loss and it was a game in which they led by double digits at the half has me liking the Jazz a ton here. They will clean things up after a defeat in which they turned it over 21 times in comparison to an opponent that turned it over only 7 times. Also, the Pacers are struggling badly. Indiana has lost 6 straight games and 9 of its last 11. Adding to the value here is Indiana won at Utah earlier this season in November. The Jazz want payback and they'll get it here! 10* UTAH -3.5

NBA PA Dominator Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 7:10 ET - Spurs are on the road again and playing for 3rd time in 4 nights. Also, San Antonio off a huge upset win at Boston. The 76ers crushed SA by 35 points the last time they hosted them. After tonight, the Sixers next game not until Monday and that one is back on the road and Philly enters this game off a road win at Orlando. In other words, the 76ers will be fully focused and want to make the most of this opportunity at home. As for the Spurs, they have two more tough games while on this long road trip as they have the Nets and Knicks up next for Sunday and Monday. Look for this one to be all Philly as the home team is the healthier team too plus will be up for this one and this looks like a flat spot for the travelers in this match-up. 10* PHILADELPHIA -7.5

NBA Earliest Cash Friday 10* Top Play Phoenix Suns -4.5 @ Boston Celtics @ 1:10 ET - The Celtics are without leading scorer Jayson Tatum. The Suns have struggled recently and that has led to line value in this spot as it has kept the line lower than it should be. Boston has struggled and lost 3 straight games SU and now has lost 8 of last 11 games. Phoenix has won 11 of 14 road games SU this season and they get the win and cover in this one as home team struggles without Tatum and plus without Dennis Schroder and also Marcus Smart still dealing with a hand injury. 10* PHOENIX -4.5

NBA PA Dominator Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -6.5 @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:40 ET - The Raptors roster is severely depleted by covid right now. Even though Pascal Siakam and Gary Trent Jr should return tonight they could be on minutes restrictions and this is still a team expected to be without its top two scorers. Both Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby are expected to still be out for this one. Keep in mind the #3 and #4 scorers are Siakam and Trent so this team is far from 100 percent right now. Also, the road team has won and covered each of the last two meetings between these teams and that includes a road win for the Raptors at Philly last month which makes this a revenge game for the Sixers. With revenge on their side, including the playoff loss a few years ago in a season that ended in Toronto for Embiid and Philly, I am expecting the 76ers to come up big here and take advantage of a short-handed Raptors team. Lay it! 10* PHILADELPHIA -6.5

NBA Earliest Cash Monday 10* Top Play Houston Rockets +6.5 @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:10 ET - The Hornets are missing a few key players. The Rockets are getting a little healthier and could have a few key guys back on the floor for this one. That said, I like the value with the under-valued underdog in this one. Charlotte is off a win but has not won back to back games since before Thanksgiving. Don't be surprised if the road dogs get the outright upset here but, of course, I am grabbing the points as added insurance. Charlotte was only 3-9 last 12 before most recent win and 2 of those 3 wins were by a margin of just 3 or less points! Tremendous underdog value here especially considering the current covid/injury issues for each club. 10* HOUSTON +6.5

NBA PA Dominator Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -3 or -3.5 @ Washington Wizards @ 6:10 ET - The Wizards are expected to be without one of their top scorers as Bradley Beal likely to miss due to covid protocols. The Sixers will take advantage with fresh legs for both Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris and I expect each of them to play in this game. Either way, I like Philly in this match-up as the Sixers have won 9 of last 11 meetings between these teams and this is a small number to lay so a SU win should equate to an ATS win as well. I know the Sixers have been struggling but this looks like an ideal bounce back spot as Washington will be short-handed and is also just 1-3 SU and ATS last 3 home games. That trend continues here. 10* PHILADELPHIA -3 or -3.5

NBA Earliest Blowout Saturday 10* Top Play New York Knicks -6 vs Atlanta Hawks @ 12:10 ET - Trae Young has been ruled out for this game so that explains the Hawks being an underdog of about a half dozen points in this one. New York is at home and the Knicks, very short-handed Thursday, actually impressed me with their efforts. I had Washington in that one and we got the well-deserved win but I did like what I saw from the Knicks. That said, they will be in a little better shape health-wise for this one and they catch the Hawks missing a very key player, Young, among others who could miss as well due to covid. This is the first time the Knicks have hosted the Hawks since Atlanta knocked them out of the post-season here at Madison Square Garden back in early June. That said, we have plenty of motivational factors working in our favor here as well. Yes the Knicks won at Atlanta last month but they have waited a long time for this chance to exact some revenge at home as well. I look for them to get it and for it to be a solid win by 9 or more points just like their 9-point win last month. 10* NEW YORK -6 

NBA Earliest Blowout Thursday 10* Top Play Washington Wizards -1 @ New York Knicks @ 7:40 ET - The Knicks have been greatly impacted by covid. That is why the Wizards are a small favorite here and is also why I will gladly take them in this spot! Washington has triple revenge from losing all 3 meetings with New York last season. The Wizards are off a big road win at Utah and have picked up 4 road wins since Thanksgiving so it is not as if Washington does not win on the road. Also, the Knicks are just so depleted in terms of their roster right now and this is a New York team which is off a win versus Detroit but this followed losses in 8 of last 10 games. 10* WASHINGTON

NBA Earliest Dominator Wednesday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers +6.5 @ Boston Celtics @ 7:40 ET - The Cavaliers have won and covered 6 straight games and overall are on an incredible 13-1 ATS run. The Celtics are off a home loss to Philly and have lost 5 of last 7 games SU. The Cavaliers have revenge from loss in most recent meeting between these teams and, keep in mind, before that defeat Cleveland had won 3 straight meetings with Boston. The Cavs have an incredible overall ATS record on the season plus are 10-5 SU in road games this season. Look for those trends to continue here. 10* CLEVELAND +6.5

NBA Divisional Annihilation Saturday 10* Top Play New York Knicks +4.5 @ Boston Celtics @ 7:10 ET - The covid protocol situation suddenly impacting all sports in a heavy way is going to make things even tougher on teams in back to back situations. That is the situation tonight for Boston and the Celtics expended a lot of energy in battling back against the Warriors last night only to ultimately fall short anyway. This back to back spot will be very tough on Boston while New York comes in rested and off a win at Houston Thursday. That said, value with the underdog in this one. I know that neither team has been playing very well but the situation makes the underdog very attractive in this one. 10* NEW YORK +4.5

NBA Southeast Division Game of the Year Friday 10* Top Play Orlando Magic +7.5 vs Miami Heat @ 7:10 ET - Still have football fever? Look at this game in this way then - the Heat opened up favored by a field goal and now are favored by a touchdown :) - but in all seriousness, I love fading the line move here. Miami was favored by 3 and now is favored by 7 in this one and they are still without Butler and Adebayo. I know Orlando has had a very rough season but, keep in mind, 4 of their last 8 games were either an outright win (Denver) or a loss by 5 or less points (3 of the defeats). The Magic also beat Utah here in Orlando earlier this season and they are catching the wounded Heat off a hard-fought win over the 76ers in Philly. This looks like the ideal flat spot for Miami. The Magic failed to cover at Miami earlier this season but had gone 3-0 ATS in the 3 meetings preceding that one. The Magic get up for facing the in-state rival Heat and I look for them to get the job done here and an upset would not surprise me as Miami has struggled on the road this season and are battling injuries. 10* ORLANDO +7.5

NBA PA Dominator - 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -6 vs Miami Heat @ 7:10 ET - Joel Embiid (ribs) did participate in the morning shootaround. That is no guarantee he will play but it is a good sign for the 76ers. Either way we do the Heat will not have Bam Adebayo or Jimmy Butler and I look for Philly to roll in this one. Philadelphia is 5-1 SU last 6 times when off a loss and the Sixers lost at Memphis in an embarrassing ugly blowout loss to the Grizzlies by 35 points. Bounce back time here at home. Miami is off a road loss and is now on a 1-5 ATS run in road games. 10* PHILADELPHIA -6

NBA Contrarian Dominator Sunday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks -4 @ Oklahoma City Thunder @ 7:10 ET - Luka Doncic is out for this game. Of course that is factored into this line however and I am going to lay the small number with Dallas on the road. The Mavericks fell apart in the 4th quarter at Indiana Friday after Doncic got hurt. Also, he made just 1 of 8 three pointers and the team made just 4 of 29! No wonder the Mavs lost by 13 with ridiculous numbers like that. In fact, Dallas actually outscored the Pacers by 14 not including 3-pointers. In other words, the horrible 3-point shooting of the Mavs was the difference in the game and that won't be repeated here against a bad Thunder team. Yes, OKC had B2B wins before losing to the Lakers Friday but, prior to those two wins Oklahoma City had lost 10 of 11 games. Only 1 of their last 11 losses by less than 4 points. Each of the Mavs last 6 wins by 8 or more points. Each of last 3 games between these teams decided by 8 or more points and the Mavs took 2 of the 3 and I look for guys to step up with Doncic out and help lead the Mavericks to a big road win in this one. 10* DALLAS -4

NBA Dominator Saturday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets Pick @ San Antonio Spurs @ 8:40 ET - In games played since Thanksgiving, Denver is 3-0 SU/ATS when they enter a game off a loss. After losing at San Antonio Thursday (Nuggets were in a B2B by the way), Denver should respond here. They get a chance at immediate revenge against the Spurs and note that in each of the past 6 meetings between these teams there has never been a case where there the Nuggets did not get either the SU or ATS win or both in back to back games. Throughout calendar year 2021 that trend has held true and with Denver failing to cover or win outright in the loss Thursday at San Antonio, look for them to get payback Saturday. Of course with this line a pick'em, any SU win also an ATS win for the Nuggets and I look for them to get it done in a big way here! 10* DENVER Pick'em

Perfection Play Friday NBA 10* Dallas Mavericks +2 vs Indiana Pacers @ 7:10 ET - The road team is on a perfect 4-0 SU and ATS run in meetings between these teams the past two seasons. Home court just has not mattered in their recent match-ups and I do not expect it to matter here either. The Mavericks are off a win and very hungry to build a win streak again like they did in early to mid November when they won 5 of 6 games. Consistency key for this Dallas team right now and they circled this 3-game road trip (began with win at Memphis Wednesday) as a chance to get things rolling again as they wrap up at Oklahoma City Sunday. I like the fact that, in addition to the 4-0 trend above, we also have a situation that is 3-0 this season going against Indiana. The Pacers enter this game off B2B wins and they have yet to win 3 straight this season. Indiana is 0-3 this season when they enter a game off B2B wins. Look for all these trends to continue Friday. 10* DALLAS +2

NBA Earliest Cash - 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) vs Utah Jazz @ 7:10 ET - The Sixers seek revenge for a 35 point blowout at Utah last month. The home team is now a perfect 5-0 SU and ATS in last 5 meetings between these teams and that trend should continue here. Philly has been playing better as they have gotten healthier and now have won 3 straight games. The Jazz off a win and cover last night but were on a 2-5 ATS run in the 7 games prior to last night's contest. So Utah is off a win and cover but they have not won and covered both games of a back to back yet this season and that is another trend I don't expect to change tonight either. This is their 4th back to back this season and I look for them to continue to struggle to put together back to back wins in these spots. 10* PHILADELPHIA +3.5

NBA Non-Conf Game of the Month - 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks +4 vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - I am grabbing the home dog in a great situation here. Dallas is off back to back ATS losses and they have performed very well ATS when in that situation this season. Also, Kristaps Porzingis is upgraded to probable for this one and Luka Doncic was at practice yesterday and is simply dealing with a sore ankle. I don't see him missing this game even though he is listed as questionable. Mavericks are 3-0 SU and ATS last 3 meetings with Brooklyn. The Nets enter this game on a stretch that has seen them cover just 1 time in their last 9 games! 10* DALLAS +4

NBA Earliest Cash - 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -7 @ Charlotte @ 7:10 ET - I expect Tobias Harris to be back tonight as his illness was non-covid related and the Sixers have had two off days since knocking off the Hawks on Friday. Philly showed great resilience in that game and, even if Harris does not play, I like them here. The 76ers have allowed an average of 93 points per game last 3 while the Hornets, NOT even including OT points, have allowed 131 points per game last 4 games. This is also the front end of a 2-game set as these teams meet again in Charlotte Wednesday. That said, the road team should be fully focused on the task at hand here and I look for the team that is much better defensively to prevail by double digits. 10* PHILADELPHIA -7

NBA Game of the Week - 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks -5.5 vs Miami Heat @ 8:10 ET - Giannis is likely to be out for this game for the Bucks. However, Butler and Adebayo both likely to miss for the Heat. That said, I love the situational aspect of this game as Milwaukee is seeking revenge for a 137 to 95 loss at Miami early this season. Also, the Bucks are off a loss but this was preceded by 9 straight wins SU and a 4-1 ATS run. Heat are off a win but this was preceded by a 2-4 SU run and 1-5 ATS run. 10* MILWAUKEE -5.5

NBA ESPN Rout - 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers +2.5 @ Atlanta Hawks @ 7:40 ET - The first thought here might be revenge on the part of the Hawks since they got blasted at Philly earlier this season. However, two key points relating to that. One is that the Sixers, despite that win, still have much to atone for here as they lost in the post-season to the Hawks last season and they are very hungry for a win at Atlanta. Also, the 76ers - in comparison with Atlanta - are now the much healthier team. In the only meeting between these teams this season nearly 40% of Atlanta's points came from Reddish, Bogdanovich, and Hunter. The latter two of those guys are out for tonight and Reddish has been downgraded to doubtful. The Hawks, simply put, are short-handed for this one in a big way while Philly - despite some recent struggles still - is much healthier now than they have been in a long time. That said, a lot of line value here with the road dog. 10* PHILADELPHIA +2.5

NBA Earliest Cash - 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks -3.5 @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:40 ET - I know this is a back to back for the Bucks but they are 2-0 SU L2 times in the 2nd game of a B2B and each win by 9 or more points. Also, the road team 3-0 SU and ATS in last 3 meetings between these teams. Additionally, Milwaukee has won 8 straight games while the Raptors have lost 10 of last 13 games. Toronto has been held to 97 points or less in 3 straight games and the last two of those were at home. Bucks averaging 111.5 points per game on the road this season and they have been hot. 10* MILWAUKEE -3.5

NBA TV Rivalry Rout - 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers +3 @ Boston Celtics @ 7:40 ET - The Sixers are finally getting healthy and after a double-OT loss and a narrow win have been how the first two games have played out, look for the third time to be the charm! Yes, barring something unforeseen, this should be the 3rd game with both Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris on the floor together. The 76ers won all 3 games against the Celtics last season after Boston knocked them out of the post-season in 2020. There is a special disdain that Philly has for Boston in the sports world and it certainly carries over to this long-time NBA rivalry. Philadelphia will be hungry for a big win over their rivals as they make up for lost time when they have been without key players like Harris for Embiid for extended stretches this season. It has made them a bit disjointed but they can start to turn the corner now. At the same time, Celtics might rest Jaylen Brown tonight and, either way, he could be somewhat limited with his ongoing hamstring injury. Also, Boston is off a big win and cover at Toronto but they are 0-4 ATS the last 4 times they entered a game off an ATS win. The Sixers won the 3 games last season by average of 10 points and each victory was by 8 or more points. I look for that trend to continue here! 10* PHILADELPHIA +3

NBA Early Annihilation - 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -4.5 vs Minnesota Timberwolves @ 6:10 ET - The Sixers have a huge rest edge here as they were off Thursday and Friday. Not only did the Timberwolves play yesterday on Friday, they also were in action on Wednesday which makes this a back to back and 3rd game in 4 days scenario. The Sixers could get Embiid and Harris both back for this one. Either way, the 76ers get it done in this one! Philly is off an ugly loss at Golden State but had won 2 of 3 before that and is ready to turn the tide back east after a rough trip out west. Getting healthier and back on the east coast will get the Sixers going again. Minnesota is 2-4 last 6 road games and has allowed 123 points or more in all 4 of those defeats away from home. More of the same expected here. 10* PHILADELPHIA -4.5

Early Dominator - NBA 10* Top Play Phoenix Suns -3 @ New York Knicks @ 7:10 ET - The Suns have won 14 straight games but are on the road and facing a Knicks team that just beat the Lakers and so they are getting a little extra respect from the betting markets here. I feel New York is getting a little too much respect though! The Knicks are off a win but have not won back to back games since October! In fact, prior to beating LA, New York had lost 7 of 11 games. Now they host a Phoenix team whose 14 straight wins feature only one by less than 4 points and that was a 3 point win. The Suns are 3-0 against the East and 7-1 on the road this season. Knicks are only 5-5 at home this season and were on an overall 3-9 ATS run before getting the cover versus Lakers. Lay the points with short road favorite. 10* PHOENIX -3

NBA Game of the Month - 10* Top Play Boston Celtics +1 vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:40 ET - The Celtics are seeking revenge for the playoff exit (in 5 games) to the Nets that ended their season last year. Brown and Richardson both listed as questionable for this game. I expect both will end up playing but even if the they did not (Brown being the bigger key), note that Celtics have been playing well even in games he has recently missed. Brown just came back from injury on Monday so he had a day off heading into this game and has a day off after this game too so, in terms of minutes management, I do expect him to be a go in this big game tonight. The key about big games is also the key to this play by the way. So often this season the Nets have struggled in the biggest of games while Boston has been much better in the big games against tough competition. I look for that trend to continue on Wednesday night. The Celtics enter this game having won 3 straight and 8 of 11 games and the Nets have been piling up wins lately too but against bad teams. Keep in mind they lost games against the Warriors, Bucks, and Heat and those were all double digit losses this season. Look for the hungry Celtics to get their revenge here. 10* BOSTON +1

NBA Earliest Cash - 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons +10 vs Miami Heat @ 7 ET - The Pistons have covered 6 of last 8 games (compared to opening number). They continue to fight hard and, as a result, have only 2 losses by more than 5 points out of their last 8 games. With Miami laying double digits on the road here in the front end of a back to back, we have excellent line value with a motivated home dog still a bit steamed from blowing game versus Lakers Sunday and with the whole LeBron James - Isaiah Stewart incident. Stewart is out for this game as a result but these Pistons continue to battle hard and this game is decided by single digits. 10* DETROIT +10

NBA Contrarian Crusher - 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons +7.5 - There is a chance LeBron James won't play for LA tonight and, even if he does, he is not 100% just yet as he recovers from oblique injury. The Lakers have lost 3 straight and the Pistons showed a lot of heart at home against Golden State on Friday when they battled to what ultimately ended up being a 3-point defeat. That said, I like the home dog value with a scrappy Detroit team that certainly has been showing they will not quit on games. Prior to the 3 point loss to the Warriors, the Pistons had covered 4 of 6 games and I feel strongly they will bring a highly motivated effort hosting the Lakers tonight. 10* DETROIT +7.5

NBA Earliest Cash - 10* Top Play HOUSTON +11.5 - The Rockets are having a very rough season and have lost 13 straight games. You know they are hungry to end that streak and they catch a Knicks team that is in the front end of a B2B as they are at Chicago tomorrow night. That said, I feel we have great line value here with with big points. New York is only 3-6 SU last 9 games. The Knicks last five wins have featured only one by a margin of more than 8 points. Right or not the Rockets view this as a winnable game and they are desperate to stop their streak. That said, even if they do fall short, you can see why the loss is likely to be a margin in the single digits. 10* HOUSTON +11.5

Early Punisher - NBA 10* DETROIT +7 - The Warriors might rest Stephen Curry here. 2nd game of a back to back and 3rd game in 4 days. Even if he plays this Golden State team has to be running out of gas here. It actually will be their 8th game in 12 days during what has been a brutal scheduling stretch. I know the Warriors found a way last night but what a miracle cover it was. They outscored the Cavaliers 36 to 8 in the 4th quarter. Suffice to say they used a lot of energy in coming back for that win and unreal cover as a big favorite. They will struggle to put away a rested Detroit team. The Pistons are playing just their 6th game in 15 days. Also, Detroit is off a home win versus Indiana and are now on a 4-2 ATS run. They have been playing much more competitive and will be up for this game at home and a chance to knock off Curry and Company - whether he plays or not. 10* DETROIT +7

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #504 Thursday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers +8.5 vs Golden State Warriors @ 7:40 ET - Yes, this is the 2nd game of B2B for Cavaliers but at least they are at home and they did put up a good fight at Brooklyn. This Cleveland team is not showing any quit. That is why the Cavs entered last night's game on a 10-2-1 ATS run. As for the Warriors, everyone knows they have been red hot. But now this is the 1st game of a B2B and it is after the big marquee game win at Brooklyn Tuesday and Steph Curry is dealing with a sore hip. That means even if Curry plays he could be limited and also it means the red Warriors will need to hold a little something back for Friday's game at Detroit. That said, Golden State has played a home heavy schedule and though they are now 4-1 SU in road game this season, the Warriors had only 1 road win by more than 8 points prior to Tuesday's big win at Brooklyn. Considering the full situation here, I see GS in a battle just to win this game let alone cover the big road number. The value is with the home team that has been quite hot ATS for multiple weeks now. 10* CLEVELAND +8.5

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #566 Wednesday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets -9 vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:40 ET - The Nets off embarrassing home loss to Warriors last night. They will respond here. Brooklyn is 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS this season when off a loss. Also, this is their 3rd back to back this season. So far each one featured a double digit win and a double digit loss. That pattern continues here. After getting blown out last night, the Nets are on the right end of the blowout tonight. I know Cleveland has been a pleasant surprise this season thus far but the Cavaliers, between injury and illness, are missing too many guys right now. 10* BROOKLYN -9

TNT Punisher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #552 Tuesday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets -2.5 vs Golden State Warriors @ 7:35 ET - Two strong teams matched up here but I feel the home team is offering excellent value. Brooklyn will make the most of this opportunity as it is their first home game since nearly two weeks ago. The edge the Nets have here is catching the Warriors playing the 2nd road game of a 4-game trip and Golden State will be playing those 4 games in just a 6 day span. Yes GS has a great record early this season but they also were helped by the fact that 10 of their first 13 games were at home to start this season. In fact, their loss at Charlotte Sunday was the Warriors first road game since the 26th of October. The Nets blew out the Warriors in both meetings last season and, while I do expect this one to be a much closer game, I still expect the hosts to prevail and easily cover this low number along the way to the victory circle in this one. 10* BROOKLYN -2.5

NBA TV Blowout - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #550 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -2.5 vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:10 ET - The Sixers are off B2B home losses and have a huge 6-game road trip on deck that sees them not play again at home until after Thanksgiving Day! Suffice to say, this game carries extra importance as a result. Even though Philly is expected to still be without Joel Embiid, they could get Tobias Harris back from covid-19 protocols. Also, the Raptors are in a tough back to back spot after losing at Boston last night. Toronto has lost 3 straight games and, with this being a back to back, Pascal Siakam is expected to be rested. Look for the 76ers to get back on track with a much needed home win here. 10* PHILADELPHIA -2.5

Atlantic Div Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #502 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -4.5 vs New York Knicks @ 7:10 ET - The Knicks have now lost 3 of 4 and are in the 2nd game of a back to back. They rested Kemba Walker last night because it was a back to back but also it does appear he is dealing with an undisclosed injury too. Either way, I look for the Sixers to roll at home here. Philly has won 6 straight games. What preceded the 6-game win streak? A loss to the division rival Knicks. In other words, this is a payback game and the 76ers have an edge in that they were off yesterday too. That is important for big man Joel Embiid and he is coming off a strong game on Saturday as it was one of his best of the season. Putting the Ben Simmons situation out of their minds and even playing without Tobias Harris (covid), the 76ers have continued to find a way to get it done. I expect more of the same in this revenge game. Each of the Knicks losses have been by 6 or points the last 3 in the 1-3 run have all been by 9 or more points. Look for Philly to roll again and get the cover at home. Sixers on a 5-0 ATS run and Knicks on a 1-4 ATS run. 10* PHILADELPHIA -4.5

PA Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls -3.5 vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 8:10 ET - Revenge game for Bulls. Yes they lost at Philly on Wednesday but it was because of sub-par shooting. It was absolutely a winnable game and I do not see them being denied in this game after they outrebounded the Sixers by a big margin but were outscored by 18 points from 3-point land. That was the difference in the game and the Bulls get some payback as the 76ers continue to deal with injury and quarantine issues and Embiid's knee is certainly nowhere near 100 percent right now either. 10* CHICAGO -3.5

PA Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #535 Monday 10* Top Play Portland Trail Blazers +2.5 @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:10 ET - I liked this situation a ton even before Joel Embiid was set to rest but now with the 76ers big man expected to miss this game I especially like the underdog in this one. The Trail Blazers have been much better with Norman Powell in the lineup and they had won 2 of his 3 games by big margins before losing at Charlotte on Saturday. However, in that defeat the Hornets simply shot a ridiculous 48% from three point land and that was the difference in the game. Now Portland bounces back off that loss and note the Blazers are 3-0 SU and ATS in their last 3 games against Philly. Also, the Trail Blazers had won 3 of 4 (all by 19 or more points) before the loss at Charlotte. They also are catching Philly off huge revenge win over the Hawks as Atlanta had knocked the 76ers out of the playoffs last season. Set ups just do not get much better than this and now, with Embiid set to rest, this easily gets my highest rating. 10* PORTLAND +2.5

PA Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #510 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -2.5 vs Atlanta Hawks @ 7:40 ET - Though Joel Embiid is listed as questionable again with knee soreness, the big man has yet to miss a game for the Sixers this season. I certainly do not see him missing this one either as it is a huge revenge game for Philly. While one definitely does not want to just blindly play revenge, the fact is that the favored 76ers will want this game badly after losing in the playoffs to the Hawks last season in June. Note that the home team is 5-0 ATS in Atlanta's games this season and I look for that trend to continue here as Philly is known for being tough on their home floor. 76ers off a non-covering win versus Detroit in most recent game and that is keeping this line lower than it should be. Lay the small number and look for a big home win in this one as the road teams drops to 0-6 ATS in Hawks games on the season! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Early Punisher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #529 Wednesday 10* Top Play Charlotte Hornets -5.5 @ Orlando Magic @ 7:10 ET - The Magic are still without a number of key players to begin this season. Not only is Orlando off to a tough 1-3 start to the season, the Magic have lost all 3 games by at least 17 points apiece and an average margin of defeat of 23 points! That said, it comes as no surprise that I like the Hornets to cover this rather short number that is in the range of a half-dozen points. Charlotte is off a home loss in OT versus Boston so they will be hungry to bounce back here as they had started the season 3-0 SU. I just don't see the short-handed Magic as being able to score enough to avoid a loss by a double-digit margin here. Keep in mind, Orlando is averaging only 98 points per game this season! The Hornets, not including OT, are averaging 120 points per game this season! Each of Charlotte's two road games this season resulted in wins by double digits. I fully expect this one will as well as the Hornets roll big on the road. 10* CHARLOTTE -5.5

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #525 Tuesday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Lakers -4.5 @ San Antonio Spurs @ 8:40 ET - The Lakers should be fully focused here as they lost at home to the Spurs in most recent meeting. Los Angeles is 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS in last 4 meetings at San Antonio and the lone non-covering win was a win by 6 points which, as you can see from today's line, would get us the cash here. That said, I am laying the points here with the Lakers as LeBron James is on the injury report but I do expect him to play. Either way, I like LA here as the Spurs are not going to be a very good team this season. They lost too many key players and are rebuilding right now with young players. Also, the Spurs only SU win was over a Magic team missing a ton of their regulars. I know Lakers started slow this season and also are 0-3 ATS but I look for them to build off their first SU win of the season with another one here and I expect them to cover the small number here in the process. 10* LOS ANGELES LAKERS -4.5

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks -6 @ San Antonio Spurs @ 8:40 ET - The Bucks just got absolutely destroyed at Miami. That means this is a bounce back spot for Milwaukee and they should have Jrue Holiday back for this one. Yes they are not 100% percent healthy yet for sure but that it is a big plus for them here to get Holiday back. While the Bucks also were off yesterday, the Spurs were at Denver. San Antonio coming off a game in high altitude where they expended a lot of energy. The Spurs in 2nd game of tough back to back and yes they did win their only home game so far but that was much better situation and they faced a bad Magic team missing a ton of starters. This situation is much different and features a very strong, and angry, Bucks team that is rested and in bounce back mode! 10* MILWAUKEE -6

PA Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Friday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets -3 @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:40 ET - The Ben Simmons saga rolls on in Philly. A lot of pressure on Tobias Harris here as the Sixers are in the process of parting ways with Simmons plus Joel Embiid is now questionable for tonight's game with knee issues. That makes this a fantastic situation because Philadelphia is off a blowout win in their first game but it was against a bad Pelicans team while Brooklyn is off a blowout loss in their first game but they faced the defending champion Bucks. Not only off a loss at Milwaukee but also with an extra day of rest between games compared to Philly. The Nets also have double revenge here from losing their last two meetings with the Sixers last season. The road team is favored with good reason here! Lay it! 10* BROOKLYN -3

TNT Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks +2.5 @ Atlanta Hawks @ 7:40 ET - The Hawks are at home and had a decent record last season. That is leading to solid line value with the road dog in this one. Keep in mind, Atlanta was barely above .500 against Western Conference teams last season. Conversely, Dallas was 21-9 against Eastern Conference teams last season and that included 2-0 versus the Hawks. I still feel strongly that there exists an East-West dichotomy in the NBA and, until we see this dynamic change, there is always a bit of shading toward the West in my mind when it comes to East-West match-ups. That said, when I can get the team from the West on the road and getting points then I pay particularly close attention. Looking at this match-up, the Hawks also are a bit banged up while the Mavs appear healthy entering this one. I do expect an outright upset but will gladly grab the points as added insurance in this one. 10* DALLAS +2.5

PA Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ New Orleans Pelicans @ 8:10 ET - The Sixers are eager to prove that life will go on without Ben Simmons. They want to put that entire nonsense behind them and press ahead. Joel Embiid and company will dominate here as the Pelicans are without Zion Williamson to open up the season. I know Brandon Ingram is going to play for New Orleans here but he was bothered by his knee as the preseason went on. Of course Williamson and Ingram are two key players for New Orleans. As for the 76ers being without Simmons, he honestly had become more of a distraction than anything else and hurt them in the post-season with his reluctance to take shots. Look for Embiid and Tobias Harris to help lead the way to a dominating road win here as the 76ers get payback for a loss here the last time these teams met at New Orleans. 10* PHILADELPHIA -3

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #502 Tuesday 10* Top Play Phoenix Suns (-) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 9:05 ET - Giannis Antetokounmpo is doubtful for this game. The line still may look a little steep to most considering the Bucks have been winning some games without him. However, in typical contrarian fashion, I am on the other side of that thinking. I look for Phoenix to win this game by double digits. This is the toughest team the Bucks have faced in the post-season and they are on the road and they are not at full strength and likely without their best player. Blowout home win in the forecast here to get the finals underway. Suns on 10-3 ATS run. Milwaukee off a rare road win and cover and had been on 2-4 ATS run in road games. 10* PHOENIX

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #562 Saturday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks (-) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 8:35 ET - Giannis is more likely to miss this game than Trae Young. I just can't see Young missing a win or go home game while Giannis has the luxury of knowing there would still be a Game 7 at home in Milwaukee he can rest up for if the Bucks lose this game. Subconsciously, the Bucks could have a letdown here. They rallied the troops in the first game without Giannis on Thursday but I just don't see them again shooting 50 percent from the field without him like they did in Game 5. That said, regardless of who plays, I like the Hawks to get a big win here at home in Game 6. They did win Game 4 convincingly here without Young and even before Giannis got hurt in the 3rd quarter of that game, the Bucks were down by double digits for most of that game. Milwaukee has lost 4 of last 6 road games. The home team has won 4 of last 6 games between these teams and the Hawks held the Bucks to 39% from the field and 20% three pointers the last time these teams met in Atlanta. The home team, after being embarrassed at Milwaukee in Game 5, will respond big here in Game 6 regardless of who is on the floor. But, in that regard, the odds favor that it will be Young coming back for this one and not Giannis. Either way, the play here is the home team in a blowout. 10* ATLANTA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #531 Wednesday 10* Top Play Phoenix Suns (+) @ Los Angeles Clippers @ 9 ET - As you know, I am not fond of laying big juice or big points and, that said, this the perfect spot to take Phoenix to finish this series off. Since the Suns are on the road, we get great line value here with this line right around a pick'em and even available at +1 for Phoenix in some spots this morning. The Suns had won 10 of 11 prior to Monday's loss and I look for them to improve to 3-0 the last 3 times they were on the road and coming off a loss. The Clippers made 54.8% of their shots from the field and I certainly do not expect that to be repeated. In fact, LA made just 32.5% of their shots in the last game here. Considering that as well as the Suns being fired up off a loss and Los Angeles still without Kawhi Leonard, look for this series to end tonight. 10* PHOENIX +1

Money Line Mauling - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #522 Tuesday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks Money Line +230 vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 8:30 ET - Of course you can grab the Hawks at +7 if you prefer but I am grabbing the money line. I am glad we won with the Clippers last night as a plus points underdog but still kicking myself for not using their big plus money line like I did on Atlanta in Game 1 of this series when they won outright at nearly +300 odds. The fact is that the Hawks are off back to back losses now and they are 5-1 SU the last 6 times they have entered a game off consecutive losses. We are getting extra line value here because of the Trae Young injury situation but I would be shocked if he did not play and/or was not effective. Either way though I expect a huge response from the Hawks here and certainly do not expect the Bucks to shoot better than 50% from the field for a 3rd consecutive game either. Milwaukee has a solid home record but Atlanta's home record even better. Also, the Hawks were the better team for the first 3 quarters of Sunday's loss before blowing the game in the 4th quarter as they were flustered by the Young injury situation. That will not impact them here as it known he has a bone bruise and he and the Hawks rally the troops for this one. 10* ATLANTA Money Line +230

Western Conf Finals Game of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #511 Monday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Clippers (+) @ Phoenix Suns @ 9:05 ET - This series has featured tight games and I am expecting another one here. The Clippers lone win was by 14 points but their 3 losses were by a total of only 11 points! That said, we have some value with the 5.5 points being offered here as the Suns, despite going against an LA team playing without Kawhi Leonard, has struggled to put them away in each game. Phoenix has made just 20 of 78 three pointers in the last 3 games in this series and that included one at home of course. The Clippers actually have shot better at Phoenix from downtown in this series as they have made 33 of 81 three pointers in the 2 games played here. That said, don't be surprised if Los Angeles finds away to stay alive in this series with an upset win here in Game 5. However, if LA does fall short, look for the points to be enough for the all-important cover in this one. 10* LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

East Conf Finals Game of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #581 Friday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 8:35 ET - Bad news for the Bucks here. The Hawks Bogdan Bogdanovic scored just 2 points on only 1 of 6 shooting in Game One as he was bothered by a sore knee and Atlanta still won the game outright. That said, I am grabbing the points here in Game Two for the same reasons I took the Hawks to win Wednesday's game outright as a +$300 money line dog. The only reason I am grabbing the points here is I would not be surprised to see the Bucks find a way to get a SU win here but I certainly don't see them getting that win by any kind of sizable margin. As mentioned in Wednesday's write-up, the Hawks are just feeling it right now and are playing with no playoff pressure on them. The Bucks, conversely, have a ton of pressure on them because of high expectations coupled with recent post-season disappointments. The loose and relaxed team is the Hawks and that makes for a very dangerous underdog. Atlanta is 6-2 SU on the road in the playoffs and they enter this game on an overall 4-1 SU run with the only loss in that stretch coming by just 5 points. The Bucks last 7 games have resulted in 3 SU losses and only 2 of the 4 SU wins for Milwaukee were by more than 4 points. You can see the value in having the points on your side with numbers like this and you know the Bucks will be geared up to not drop a 2nd consecutive home game. But again, this Hawks team is simply incredibly resilient and Trae Young right now is playing at another level that is simply phenomenal. 10* ATLANTA

Money Line Mauling - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #561 Wednesday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks Money Line +300 @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 8:35 ET - The Bucks beat a Nets team that was a giant mess. Kyrie Irving got hurt during series. James Harden was hurt for the key early part of the series and had no rhythm with his shooting when he came back. So basically Milwaukee beat a Brooklyn team that for much of the series was a shell of the team it should be. That does not mean the Bucks are not a rock solid team as they truly are one of the best teams in the league. But I feel strongly they are in for some "shock value" when they face Atlanta here. Yes I know the Hawks are a little banged up right now but they are not dealing with major injury issues like the Nets were. That said, Atlanta comes into this series having defeated a high-quality 76ers team that had their stars on the floor. The Hawks have plenty of momentum on their side and a confidence and a swagger that are both keys to winning on the road. Atlanta gets down double digits in a game that is still not a problem as they have shown throughout this post-season. But I actually expect the Hawks to get a great early jump on Milwaukee in this game and to play from ahead for much of the way. Trae Young is the Hawks superstar and he only played in ONE of the three games against Milwaukee in the regular season because of injuries during the year and he shot an uncharacteristic 3 of 17 in that one game. So Young essentially did nothing against the Bucks in the entire regular season series and yet Atlanta still went 1-2 in the 3 games. Also, the Hawks are on a 4-1 SU run in road games. The ATS winner has been the SU winner in 9 of Milwaukee's last 10 games. In other words, whoever you like ATS here you can certainly also feel confident about in terms of a SU win too and I am going for the big payback here. Grab the money line on the Hawks as they are rolling with confidence right now and are a cohesive group unlike the wounded and broken Nets team that the Bucks just played. 10* ATLANTA +300

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #552 Tuesday 10* Phoenix Suns (-) vs Los Angeles Clippers @ 9:05 ET - Per the zig zag theory, the Clippers are the play here since they lost Game 1. However, in typical contrarian fashion, I am on the Suns here but it certainly is not without reason. I know Phoenix is still without Paul but the Clippers still being without Leonard is an even bigger factor. Also, I love the fact that the Suns won and covered the first game despite LA having nearly twice as many free throw attempts PLUS the fact that the Clippers outscored the Suns by 21 points from the 3-point line! Yes Los Angeles hit 20 threes compared to 13 threes for Phoenix and yet they still lost the game by half a dozen points! Keep in mind, the Suns are allowing only 100 points per game last 6 home games. The Clippers have allowed 115 points last 4 road games and are missing a key defender with the aforementioned absence of Kawhi. The Suns have won 8 games in a row and all have been by 6 or more points. Look for this one to fall into that category as well! 10* PHOENIX

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #521 Saturday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks (+) @ Brooklyn Nets @ 8:35 ET - Normally I would suggest playing the money line here but at the time of this write-up at 8 AM ET on gameday morning, the money is only +110 but the spread is +2 and that gives enough value to grab the point spread in my opinion. Why I am looking for a Milwaukee win here? As long-time followers know I am a contrarian. These teams have met 9 times this season. 3 times in the regular season and 6 times in this playoff series. The home team has won all 9 games. Then the oddsmakers opened up the Bucks as 1.5 point road favorites here. The betting markets of course are saying the oddsmakers do not know what they are doing and the line has moved 3.5 points to where it is now Brooklyn that is a 2-point favorite. Keep in mind, the Nets are without Kyrie Irving and to me the Bucks sure look like the hungrier team. They are playing with a lot of intensity and passion right now. I know Brooklyn will dig deeper at home in this Game 7 but the hungrier team and healthier team will not be denied in Game 7 no matter the venue. The Bucks did a great job in the rebounding department and in terms of getting to the free throw line in Game 6 and they will do the same here and get the road win. 10* MILWAUKEE

2nd Round Game of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #511 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Atlanta Hawks @ 7:35 ET - The Sixers led by 18 going to the 4th quarter Wednesday and lost. They led by 13 at the half in Atlanta Monday and lost. After blowing back to back games the 76ers are in trouble as the Hawks are in the drivers seat now. However, Philadelphia knows that with one win tonight, the Sixers can force a Game 7 which would be in Philly. I do not see them being denied in that quest. Someone, or even a few players (the star talent is there) will step up for the 76ers in the fourth quarter of this game. This team should have a "going for the kill" mentality throughout the entirety of this game. The following is an excerpt from what I mentioned in a write-up earlier in this series on Philadelphia when they took a 2-1 series lead by winning Game 3 at Atlanta: "The Hawks played in a much weaker division this season than Philadelphia did. Note that Philly played in a tough Atlantic Division but still went 10-2 in the division. Also, the 76ers went 13-2 against the weak Southeast Division. The Hawks record was helped by the fact they went 9-3 in their own division. Against the Atlantic Division, Atlanta had a losing record at 7-8." All of that still holds true here and now you have the 76ers very angry after back to back losses and they are on the road so that is keeping this game at a very playable number - currently in the -3 range. Lay it! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #582 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Atlanta Hawks @ 7:30 ET - The following is an excerpt from what I mentioned in a write-up earlier in this series on Philadelphia when they took a 2-1 series lead by winning Game 3 at Atlanta: "The Hawks played in a much weaker division this season than Philadelphia did. Note that Philly played in a tough Atlantic Division but still went 10-2 in the division. Also, the 76ers went 13-2 against the weak Southeast Division. The Hawks record was helped by the fact they went 9-3 in their own division. Against the Atlantic Division, Atlanta had a losing record at 7-8." All of that still holds true here and now you have Philly, after blowing a big lead in Game 4, all of the sudden knotted at 2 games apiece in this series but back home where they are known for dominating. The 76ers have one of the best combined home records in recent seasons among any of the teams in the league. Now of course we not only need the Sixers to win this game but also cover the spread. To put your mind at ease about this but, not sure if you have noticed in this post-season, the spread has hardly ever mattered. There have been very few games where the SU winner was not also the ATS winner. That trend dates back to the regular season in 76ers games to as only 1 of their last 14 games has seen the SU winner not also be the ATS winner. Look for the home team to get right back on track here and win this one in a blowout by a double digit margin. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #522 Thursday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks -3.5 vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:30 ET - So far in this series, excluding 3 pointers, the Bucks have outscored the Nets by 19 points. That is crazy to think about, right? But it is true and it is even more crazy considering Brooklyn has been without James Harden. He is going to miss tonight's game too and I feel strongly that this is where it will catch up with the Nets. They are on the road facing an angry Milwaukee team and I expect a huge effort from the Bucks as Brooklyn's 3-point shooting finally settles back down from astronomical levels! In the regular season the Nets were only 20-16 SU in road games while the Bucks were 26-10 SU in home games. The home team has won and covered all 5 meetings between these teams this year and I look for that trend to continue tonight as the Bucks finally put forth a very strong effort and Brooklyn's ridiculously hot outside shooting finally cools. 10* MILWAUKEE

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #504 Tuesday 8* Utah Jazz (-) vs Los Angeles Clippers @ 10:05 ET - The Jazz have won 11 of 14 straight up and have a huge rest edge here. They have not played since June 2nd while the Clippers have played twice since then. Before those two wins for Los Angeles over Dallas to wrap up a 7-game series win, LA had lost 5 of 7 both SU and ATS. All 11 of Utah's wins in their 11-3 SU run have come by a margin of 7 or more points and I fully expect this one will too! Rest edge and home court edge will be huge and the Clippers could be fatigued in the thin air of Utah after that 7-game battle with the Mavericks took everything they had to advance. 8* UTAH

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #502 Tuesday 8* Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Atlanta Hawks @ 7:30 ET - The 76ers will respond off the Game 1 loss. The Sixers had won 10 in a row at home prior to that loss. 9 of the 10 wins came by 7 or more points. The Hawks made twice as many three pointers in the game as Atlanta knocked down 20 from beyond the arc while Philadelphia made just 10. That is a 30-point variance from downtown and yet the Hawks only won the game by 4 points even with that 30 point edge beyond the arc. You get my point. Sixers roll by double digits. 8* PHILADELPHIA

TNT Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #581 Monday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks (+) @ Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - The Nets are without James Harden but he went out in the first minute of Game One with a hamstring injury and yet Brooklyn still ended up building a huge lead and winning the game by 8 points. That said, the Bucks are in real trouble here, right? Actually I expect them to be able to make some solid adjustments now since they know Harden is out. Also the reason they lost Game One was they made only 6 of 30 from downtown while Brooklyn made 15 of 40 from beyond the arc. When you get outscored by 27 points from three point land you actually should lose the game by a lot more than 8 points. In other words, there were some things to like in the Game One performance for Milwaukee. The Bucks were the better rebounding time and did a better job of getting to the free throw line than did the Nets. That said, I will take the road team in anticipation of a big bounce back win here in Game Two. 10* MILWAUKEE

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #573 Sunday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks (+) @ Los Angeles Clippers @ 3:35 ET - Too much line value to pass up on here in my opinion. The road team not only has covered all 6 games in this series they have won each game outright. That said, grabbing the Mavericks on the money line here is in a 6-0 / 100% perfect SU situation. But we can add insurance to our play by grabbing the points being offered with Dallas. The Mavs are currently a 6.5 dog in this one as of early game day morning and that is a big value. 3 of the 6 games in this series have been decided by single digit margins - an average of 6 points per game - and this should be another tight one here. I do expect the road team trend to continue but will grab the points as added insurance with this one. 10* DALLAS +6.5

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #543 Thursday 10* Top Play Phoenix Suns (+) @ Los Angeles Lakers @ 10:35 ET - Looking at this series and looking at Anthony Davis, you can see how there is a clear relationship. Davis had a sub-par game one and the Suns won that game. Angry and motivated, Davis and the Lakers bounced back with big performances in each of the next two games. Then, still dealing with some lingering injury issues Davis was not the same guy in Game 4 and then got another injury - groin - that knocked him out of the game. However, even before the new injury, you could see Davis was not the same guy. Why does this matter? Well, the Suns went on to win Game 4 after he exited and, again, he was not himself for the 1/2 game worth of minutes he was out there. Then, without him in Game 5, the Lakers got blasted. Now, even if he comes back in Game 6, Davis is dealing with multiple injury issues. That said, I see the Lakers as "without Davis" no matter what in this game. He was not the same player in Game 4 even before he got hurt. He was playing hurt already. Now dealing with a multiple-injury situation, Davis will not be capable of a dominating performance here and, as we have seen throughout this season, Davis is the key to this team NOT LeBron James! With all of the above said, I expect the Suns to take advantage of this situation and end this series tonight. I will grab the bucket just in case they fall just short but I do expect an outright win here. 10* PHOENIX +2

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #521 Tuesday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (+) @ Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - Just too many points in my opinion. When you look at the box score from Game 4 of this series you see that the Nets made a ridiculously high percentage of 3-pointers and also just a ridiculously high percentage of shots overall. The Celtics actually had more field goal attempts and free throw attempts in the game and yet ended up on the wrong end of a blowout loss. I am not saying that Boston will not again lose this game but I am saying that they will not lose it by a double digit margin. We are currently getting 12.5 points in this one and I expect the Celtics, playing for their season here, to stay within single digits against Brooklyn. I am aware of the injury situation for Boston and that this is not the same Celtics team we have seen in recent playoff years but this is still too many points in my opinion and I just do not see the road dog being put down here without a helluva fight. Grab the big points. 10* BOSTON

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #512 Monday 10* Top Play Washington Wizards (+) vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:05 ET - The markets are on Philly in this one so waiting to game day morning paid off some in terms of additional line value here as this one is now up to an 8.5 and I am expecting the Wizards to play a strong game. You know Washington does not want to get swept out of the playoffs by losing this one on their home floor. Of course being motivated is not reason enough to win a game but I expect a hard-fought battle here and at least a cover in this one. Washington actually did find a way to cover Game 1 of this series and in the past two games they have combined for 13 more shot attempts to the Sixers. How did they lose both so badly? Well, the Wizards are a ridiculous 10 of 57 from three point land the past two games while the 76ers are an equally ridiculous (the other way) 26 of 54 from three point land. Neither one of these statistical variances is likely to continue into a third straight game and that means value here with the big dog as I expect the gap of the last two games between these two teams to be closed in a big way. The home dog will not go down without a very strong effort and I see that leading to at least a cover in this one! 10* WASHINGTON +8.5

Western Conference Game of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #503 Sunday 10* Top Play Phoenix Suns (+) @ Los Angeles Lakers @ 3:35 ET - I have heard that Anthony Davis will play no matter what but could his sprained knee limit him a little bit here? Either way, the fact is the Suns are going to come out strong here after losing back to back games. Phoenix needs to be stronger on the boards and they know they can ill afford falling into a 3-1 hole in this series so I look for the Suns to play their best game of the series thus far. Maybe that still does not avoid the 3-1 series deficit but it should at least get us the cash here as they stay inside the number on this one. There were 3 times in the regular season in which the Suns entered a game off consecutive losses in which at least one of the losses was a road defeat. In all 3 instances, Phoenix won that game and I am expecting that record to reach a perfect 4-0 today but will grab the points as added insurance in this one. The Lakers are off back to back covers but this was on the heels of a 4-13 ATS stretch. It has been a very long time since Los Angeles has covered 3 straight and I do not expect that to change here either as LA falls short of the cover in this one. Look for the Suns to be very active defensively and extra aggressive on the boards in this one and I am expecting them to play a much more complete game after falling short in back to back games. 10* PHOENIX

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #552 Thursday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:35 ET - The Heat got blasted on Monday by 32 points but were outscored by 42 points from three point land! It was just "one of those games" where the Bucks were making everything and the Heat were cold from beyond the arc. Miami actually had 35 free throw attempts compared to just 20 for Milwaukee. The Heat will be much better here after dropping the first two games of this series in Wisconsin. Miami lost Game One by only a 2-point margin. Now they are a home dog of a bucket here in a must win game. I like the Heat to get back on track in a big way here. Miami had covered 13 of 17 before the ugly loss in Game 2. Also, the Bucks had failed to cover 7 of 8 before getting that blowout win. Payback time for the Heat as they get back into the series with a key win Thursday. 10* MIAMI

1st round Game of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #542 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - In game one, the Wizards shot 56% from the field and 40% from three point land so your next question would be, okay how many points did Washington win by? Exactly...and yet the Wizards did not even win the game and barely covered as they lost by 7 points to stay just inside the number. The point of all this? Washington is in huge trouble if they can shoot like that and yet still not win the game. The Wizards had the better shooting numbers both inside and outside the 3-point line and yet still lost the game by nearly a double digit margin. That said, with the Sixers fully aware they need to D up even stronger, Philly wins this game by more than a dozen points in my opinion. The extra rest is another edge for the 76ers here as it is a key for Embiid to stay as healthy as possible and they are at home again and game one was on Sunday so two full off days in between. This is a big edge for Philly. Ride the home team to a cover here as the home team in 76ers games was on a 12-3 ATS run prior to their non-covering home win Sunday. That 80% run makes sense as Philly is known for struggling on the road but dominating as a host. Look for home domination in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #531 Tuesday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (+) @ Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - Yes the Nets covered Game 1 but the Celtics actually led by 6 points at the half. The teams ended up taking an equal amount of shots but poor overall shooting for Boston cost them the game and the cover. I expect Brooklyn will shoot better from three point land here and fully understand they are do for a bounce back in that regard. However, the Nets are going to see some adjustments from the Celtics who are known for making good game to game adjustments. I know it has not been the same Boston team we have seen in the past but they are well-coached and will be ready to go here and I simply do not see them losing this game by a double digit margin. I know Brooklyn has been hot but the Celtics had covered 3 straight prior to that loss and I feel the Nets are over-priced here. Market is favoring the home favorite and, in typical contrarian fashion, I am going the other way! 10* BOSTON

Pacific Div Game of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #514 Sunday 10* Top Play Phoenix Suns (-) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 3:35 ET - Granted they would have another chance to make the post-season by facing Memphis but that does not change the fact the Lakers were fortunate to get past the Warriors in their play-in match-up. LA barely beat Golden State and I am well aware that the Lakers now have a winning streak going but 4 of their last 6 wins in the streak were against teams that did not end up making the playoffs. Now Los Angeles faces a major challenge here. Yes they beat Phoenix earlier this month but the Suns had won the prior two meetings this season by double digits. Also, this match-up is in Phoenix where the Suns went 27-9. This line has dropped from a 3 to a 2.5 and I feel we have fantastic line value here with the small home favorite. The Suns had a week off to rest up for this game and are healthy. With the Lakers now having Anthony Davis and James back on the floor again they are getting a lot of love from the betting markets but this is a very strong Suns team that has the rest edge and is on their home floor. Lay the small number. 10* PHOENIX

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #509 Saturday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks (+) @ Los Angeles Clippers @ 4:35 ET - The Mavericks lost their regular season finale but how important was that game? Exactly! That said, it is playoff time now and Dallas entered that final game having won 12 of 15 games! The Mavs are out for revenge here from last year's playoff ouster at the hands of the Clippers. You can expect a very strong effort here as a result. I like the fact that Los Angeles is on a 3-8 ATS skid and I feel they are overvalued here with the line move from 4.5 now up to a 5.5 as of early game day morning. The Mavericks won 2 of the 3 meetings between these teams in the regular season and have plenty of confidence entering this post-season rematch. That makes for a very dangerous dog here. Give me the points! 10* DALLAS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #567 Wednesday 10* Top Play San Antonio Spurs (+) @ Memphis Grizzlies @ 7:30 ET - Good news for Spurs fans in this one! The game is AT Memphis! While that may seem like a facetious statement, the fact is that San Antonio went just 14-22 in home games this season and have proven to be a much better road team this season. More good news for Spurs fans is that the 3 games between these teams this season were not only ALL WON by the road team, the average margin of victory was 20 points per game! Not necessarily expecting a road rout here but I do expect the road team to find a way to get the outright win and, if they do fall short it should be by the slimmest of margins. That said, grabbing the points with the road dog in this one is the value play in my opinion as an outright upset certainly is possible, if not probable! The Grizzlies enter the post-season stumbling with a 4-9 ATS run! The Spurs went 23-13 ATS on the road this season. 10* SAN ANTONIO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #559 Tuesday 10* Top Play Charlotte Hornets +3 @ Indiana Pacers @ 6:40 ET - The Pacers wrapped up the season on a 7-0 ATS run while the Hornets wrapped up the season on an 0-5 SU run. That said, it looks awful easy to take Indiana -3 at home and fade Charlotte here does it not? Exactly! This is precisely why, in typical contrarian fashion, I am on the other side of this one! Give me the Charlotte team that no one else wants. However, this is certainly not a play without some strong reasoning behind it. For one thing, the Hornets won the last meetings with the Pacers this season by an average margin of 10 points per game and they dominated with a 20-10 turnover margin edge in the most recent meeting. For another thing, out of all 20 teams that either made the playoffs already or are in this play-in tournament, Indiana has the worst home record. In fact, the only other team even close to their 13-23 SU futility as a host is the Spurs out west. All other 18 teams have at least a .500 record at home on the season. So, the point is, some home court edge is baked into this line but the Pacers do not even deserve it. If I can take a team +3 against a team that is 13-23 at home plus that appears to have some match-up issues when facing this opponent, I will take that team every single time! Grab the points. 10* CHARLOTTE

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #552 Wednesday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks (-) vs Washington Wizards @ 7:10 ET - The Wizards will again be without leading scorer Bradley Beal. The Hawks, after allowing Washington back in the game with a horrific 4th quarter performance, will be much better defensively in this game in my opinion. Speaking of defense, that is something Washington does not believe in. All kidding aside, the Wizards have indeed allowed - NOT including OT points - 124 points or more in 5 of last 6 games. In fact, Washington has allowed 127.5 points per game in those 6 games and, again, that is taking OT points out of the equation! As for the Hawks, normally they have been pretty solid defensively and, keep in mind, this is an Atlanta team that has won 8 straight home games. By the way, the 1st 7 wins in that 8-game streak all were by a margin of 7 or more points. Also, the Hawks are off back to back high scoring games but this followed Atlanta allowing an average of only 109.3 points over an 8 game stretch. Certainly the Hawks have proven much more capable of playing some respectable defense in comparison with the Wizards. Now, after back to back high-scoring thrillers, I look for the home team to absolutely turn things up a notch on the defensive end in this one and get a big blowout home win as a result. 10* ATLANTA

NBA TV Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #507 Sunday 10* Top Play New Orleans Pelicans (+) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:10 ET - The Pelicans showed a lot of heart and got big performances from the bench in their 2-point loss at Philly Friday. New Orleans was without Williamson, Ingram, and Adams in that game. Only Adams might be back tonight but, even if he does not play, I like the Pelicans a lot here. New Orleans proved against the 76ers that they are not going down without a fight as they work hard to keep their playoff hopes alive. I was particularly impressed with their performance in the hustle stats like rebounding, steals, and blocked shots. Look for the Pelicans, also seeking revenge for a home loss to Charlotte earlier this season, to give the Hornets all they can handle here. I am grabbing the points but expecting the outright upset. 10* NEW ORLEANS

TV Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #505 Tuesday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:40 ET - Chance at immediate revenge for Brooklyn after losing a tight one at Milwaukee on Sunday. The Nets did outrebound the Bucks in that game but were done in by turnovers. Also, the Bucks were simply the better shooting team that night and, even with all that, the Nets still lost the game by just a very slim margin. I expect the Nets to shoot better tonight and get payback. Brooklyn is 5-1 SU this season when they enter a game off back to back losses. The Nets were on a 29-8 run prior to now suffering back to back defeats. They will respond here. The Bucks had lost 10 of 19 prior to now coming up with back to back wins. 10* BROOKLYN

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #549 Sunday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 3:40 ET - The Nets are off a loss but it was without Kevin Durant as he was rested. He'll be back for this one and Brooklyn is 9-0 SU the last 9 times when off a loss and here we can grab them without laying any points so I am testing this 9-0 situation. I know Giannis will be back for the Bucks here too but how healthy will he be? Also, the Nets won the first meeting and I know Harden played in that one and he is out for this one but Irving did not play in that one and he is back for this one. Plus Brooklyn won that game despite a 17-5 turnover deficit. That will not happen again with Irving on the floor in my opinion. Also, the Nets were strong on the glass in that one and I look for more of the same here. Keep in mind the Bucks are just 10-10 SU last 20 games. Couple that with the fact that Brooklyn has been so strong off a loss and you have the ideal set-up here. Many will be enticed to take the Bucks here as Milwaukee is known for being so strong at home but, there is plenty of reason as to why this game is priced this way and I am going contrarian and grabbing the Nets in this one as they get it done on the road. 10* BROOKLYN

Earliest Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #513 Friday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks (+) @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:10 ET - The Hawks are off back to back blowout losses and the Sixers are off back to back blowout wins with the latter of the two coming on Wednesday when Atlanta got destroyed as a 9.5 point dog at Philadelphia. This line is the same as the line was Wednesday even though the 76ers won the game by 44 points. The odds makers must not know what they are doing, right? Of course that is not the case! The fact is that the Hawks should be healthier for this game and could even have Trae Young back on the floor which would be huge for them. Either way, with Atlanta having been embarrassed in two straight games and the Sixers rolling to back to back blowout wins, this is the perfect spot to bank on an underdog response and a favorite to fade. It is just natural for the motivation to be much higher for the Hawks here and as long as they stay within single digits, we cash our ticket. I fully expect that here. 10* ATLANTA

Earliest Dominator - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Atlanta Hawks @ 7:05 ET - When you think of the Hawks you probably think of Trae Young. Atlanta's star point guard is absolutely the guy that makes this team go. That said, with Young out with an ankle injury, the Hawks are currently a shell of the team they normally are. Atlanta is off a 14-point loss at Detroit and now faces a much tougher test with this game at Philadelphia. Not only are the 76ers known for a being one of the best teams in the league when at home, they play this game with revenge for a loss by double digits at Atlanta earlier this season. The Sixers have been angry after some recent sub-par performances but are getting healthier again as evidenced by their 120-91 blowout win over the Thunder on Monday. They will continue to take out their frustration of some recent losses by pulverizing the next team in their path as well. This is the first of back to backs between these teams as they meet again on Friday so there is no lookahead here. The 76ers will be fully focused here as a result and that is bad news for a Hawks team that will really miss Trae Young in this one! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Northwest Div Game of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #545 Monday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz (-) @ Minnesota Timberwolves @ 8:10 ET - The loss of Donovan Mitchell to an ankle injury is, no doubt, a big one for the Jazz. However, after they lost their first game without him to the Lakers (tough spot as was 2nd game of B2B) they got to face LA again in their next game and blasted them by double digits. Then their next game was a blowout win at Houston in which they destroyed the Rockets by 23 points. Now, after a home loss to the Timberwolves Saturday, the Jazz get a shot at immediate revenge with this game at Minnesota tonight. I am expecting a massive win here as they are determined to get payback and have already proven they can win by big margins against bad teams even when they are without Mitchell. The clincher for me is this nice little nugget about the Wolves. The last 7 times Minnesota entered a game off a SU win, the Timberwolves have gone 0-7 ATS! Blowout time! 10* UTAH

Game of the Month - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #556 Thursday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (+) vs Phoenix Suns @ 7:10 ET - The Suns barely got by at Philadelphia and the 76ers were without two starters as Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris missed that game. Now Phoenix takes on a Celtics team that also has some injury issues but is expected to have both Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart back for this game. Also, it is the 2nd game of a back to back for Phoenix and the Suns are on a 1-3 ATS run in this situation. Additionally, the Celtics are in a great spot as they have had two days off after a home loss to Chicago. Look for Boston to have plenty of energy here. The Celtics are rested and ready to avenge their loss at Phoenix two months ago and also get back on track after losing to the Bulls. I am aware that Jaylen Brown is likely to miss this game but having Walker and Smart back will be big for this team and they are getting too many points at home in this one in my opinion. Lets take advantage and grab the value. The Celtics had won 6 in a row before their home loss Monday and I look for them to get right back on track here but will grab the points as added insurance in the event they fall just short of the outright win. 10* BOSTON

Earliest Dominator - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) vs Phoenix Suns @ 7:10 ET - This line is right around a pick'em and so we don't have to worry about a point spread. At the time of this posting the line is a +1 on the Sixers. Philadelphia enters this game off a home loss to the Warriors. That is noteworthy for multiple reasons. One is that Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris did not play but one, or both, should be back for tonight's game. But is also noteworthy because each of the last 7 times the 76ers have been at home and coming off a loss, they have gone 7-0 / 100% PERFECT straight-up. Certainly very strong odds as Philly is known for being very strong on their home floor and they have been particularly strong when off a loss! Look for this one to make it 8 in a row as they catch the Suns off another showdown against a top Eastern team and that was a one point win for Phoenix at Milwaukee. Also note that the Suns are 0-7 ATS the last 7 times they have entered a game off an ATS cover. So we have double 7-0 PERFECTION trends working in our favor here. I also like the fact that Philly lost at Phoenix earlier this season and also lost last season's home match-up with the Suns played in August with no fans. All signs pointing to a big home win here. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #536 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Los Angeles Clippers @ 7:10 ET - I still can not believe that Philadelphia did not cover against the Nets Wednesday night as they let the easy cover slip away late. Much less to worry about here as we have a very small number to work with and the Clippers have injury issues. I know LA comes into this one having won 7 straight but Leonard is questionable (foot) and Ibaka and Beverley are both out with injuries. The Sixers are the much healthier team and also have two off days on deck as they do not play again until Monday. The 76ers are on a 3-game winning streak and are 4-1 this season when they entered a game having won 3 straight. The home team has been the winning team in recent meetings between these teams and here Philly gets revenge for the double digit loss at Los Angeles 3 weeks ago. Situation and injuries strongly favor the home team here. Lay the small number. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Situational Slaughter - NBA Rotation #502 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:10 ET - This is a big showdown for Eastern Conference dominance but the problem is that it may not live up to its billing. It is a back to back spot for the Nets. Kevin Durant played yesterday. Playing in a back to back would be rare for him and he might be limited or certainly not at his best. Kyrie Irving missed yesterday's game for personal absence. He might be in Philly physically tonight but will he be there mentally? LaMarcus Aldridge dealing with an illness (missed yesterday's game) may not seem like a big deal but actually the Nets were hoping he could guard Joel Embiid who is becoming the most dominant big man in the NBA. That said, the fact Aldridge might miss or be limited or not be 100% is another issue for Brooklyn in this one. Of course James Harden is out for sure with his hamstring injury. So the Sixers hold a ton of edges here in the health department and situational department as they are at home and were able to rest yesterday. These teams are tied for the top spot in the East with identical 37-17 records. The 76ers are the much healthier team and the home team has won both meetings by more than a dozen points this season. Different night, same result here as the injury factor is just too much for the Nets to overcome against a highly motivated Sixers team. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Big East Beast - NBA Rotation #501 Sunday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets (-) @ Chicago Bulls @ 2 ET - I am aware that James Harden is out for the Nets and, of course, Kevin Durant is still out. However, there is still plenty of talent on this Brooklyn team and others are stepping out with key guys out. Long-term the Nets have won 12 of 14 games and they enter this game on a 4-game winning streak. We are simply getting line value here because of the injury situation for Brooklyn because the fact is the Bulls are struggling badly. Chicago has lost 5 straight games and 7 of their last 8 games. Lay the small number with the Nets in this one as this is a classic case of hot versus not. 10* BROOKLYN

NBA TV Game of the Month - NBA Rotation #547 Friday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks (-) @ New York Knicks @ 7:40 ET - The Mavericks only won by 5 points at Boston Wednesday but anyone who watched the game realizes it could have (and should have) been by much more. That said, there is value here with this rather low number as Dallas takes on a much lesser team in New York. The fact is the Knicks are fourth quarter failures this season and proved that again with an inexcusable loss at Minnesota in their most recent game. I haven't looked this up because whether they are dead last or not is besides the point but I just know that the Knicks have to be one of the worst scoring teams in the 4th quarters of games in the NBA this season. I just see it time and time again that this team chokes and even if they hang around with the Mavs through 3 quarters in this one then they will get obliterated in the 4th quarter like they have done so often this season. This is the first of two meetings between these teams this season and with the Mavericks just 1-3 SU and ATS the past two seasons against the Knicks, New York has their full attention here. I know the Knicks have a decent record and particularly at home but the Mavericks are on a mission to win their division and have won 16 of their last 23 games. They will stay hot here! 10* DALLAS 

Big East Beast - NBA Rotation #529 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:10 ET - The 76ers are on the road for this one but I am mentioning their home record (19-4) here because only one team in the NBA, Utah, has fewer home losses and so the Sixers certainly remember theirs. One of those four defeats as a host came at the hands of the Cavaliers in late February. Now it is time for payback. Even though Embiid is still out for Philadelphia, he is expected back this weekend. Just the fact his return is imminent is a big boost to the spirits of his Sixers teammates and they are still much more talented than this Cleveland team even though the Cavaliers have won both meetings this season (one in OT). Another issue for the Cavs is they have a number of players listed as questionable for tonight's game. Look for the 76ers to take advantage! The Sixers are off back to back losses but they were road games against the Nuggets and Clippers. Though still on the road for this one, Philly will take advantage of facing one of the worst teams in the league. Philadelphia had won 12 of 14 games before the back to back losses and Cleveland has lost 9 of 12 games and the average margin of defeat has been 16 points per loss. Look for another ugly Cavaliers loss here as the 76ers get their revenge. 10* PHILADELPHIA

NBA Rotation #512 Wednesday 8* Detroit Pistons (+) vs Portland Trail Blazers @ 7:10 ET - The Pistons got a strong night from young players and had hot shooting at home to take down the Raptors on Monday. The fact Detroit is still at home and continues to play with more confidence and heart than they had been has me liking them as a sizable home dog here against Portland. The Pistons are on a 7-3 ATS run and have covered 3 of last 4 at home and just do not seem to show any quit in their game. The Trail Blazers enter this game on a hot 10-4 SU run but this is a team whose last 9 wins have all been by single digits and the average margin of victory in those games was only 4.4 points. This will be another tight one here and if the Pistons don't pull out the SU victory look for them to lose by the slimmest of margins here. Grab the points. 8* DETROIT

NBA Rotation #510 Wednesday 8* Indiana Pacers (+) vs Miami Heat @ 7:10 ET - Solid spot for a small home dog here. The Pacers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Heat last season and Indiana has already gotten revenge this season by winning 2 games at Miami earlier this month. However, I don't expect any let up here as this is the Pacers first shot at home against the Heat this season. Sure Miami would like to get revenge for the two home losses versus Indiana this season but this is just not the same team this season. The Heat are off a win at New York but that was preceded by 6 straight losses both SU and ATS. Now Miami takes on a Pacers team that is off a loss at Washington but previously had won 4 of 5 games. Indiana has not played well at home this season and that has cost them. They are currently just outside the playoff spots in the East and the Heat are just inside for the final playoff spot. Long way to go in the regular season but the Pacers know they need to start to defend their home floor better if they are going to get into the post-season. Look for that to begin here with a big win over the Heat. 8* INDIANA

NBA Rotation #501 Tuesday 10* Top Play Charlotte Hornets (-) @ Washington Wizards @ 7:10 ET - Washington off a crazy win over Indiana yesterday. Why was it crazy? The Wizards are one of the worst teams in the NBA and were without Bradley Beal but shot a ridiculous 56% from the field including 53% from three-point land and also outrebounded the Pacers by a huge margin. None of those things are likely to be repeated here. This is a divisional game and the Hornets, leaders in the division, will come in focused. They have won 6 of 7 divisional games this season while the Wizards have lost 6 of 7 divisional games. Washington is off back to back wins but this was preceded by a 2-10 stretch and we have got a low number to work with here with Charlotte. The Hornets are angry off an OT loss and that defeat was preceded by a 7-3 run. They resume their divisional dominance here with another convincing win over the Wizards similar to the 119-97 victory in their earlier meeting this season. 10* CHARLOTTE

#559 NBA 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers (-) @ Washington Wizards @ 7:10 ET - Great spot to fade a bad team and lay a short number. Yes the Wizards are off a win but it came against a very bad Pistons team and Washington almost blew that game before recovering just in time to secure the win after blowing a massive halftime lead. The Wizards are just 6-20 in Eastern Conference games this season! They had lost 10 of 12 games prior to the win over Detroit. They are hosting a Pacers team that has the most road wins (13) of all but one other team in the entire Eastern Conference. Indeed Indiana has been better on the road than at home this season the Pacers enter this game on an overall run of 4 wins in their last 5 games. 3 of Indiana's last 4 road wins have come by a double digit margin. The Wizards most recent loss was by a margin of just 4 points but this was preceded by a stretch in which 7 of Washington's last 8 losses were by a margin of 6 or more points. Look for this one to turn into a road rout as the Pacers also have fresh legs as they have not played since Friday. The Wizards also have a key injury (Beal - hip) to deal with. 10* INDIANA

Big East Beast - NBA 10* Portland Trail Blazers (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:10 ET - I was looking to fade the Raptors after they so luckily got the back door cover against the Suns on Friday and now I have the perfect situation to do so. To the public it looks easy to take Toronto at nearly a pick'em price on their home floor. After all, most bettors love the home court "edge" but this season the Raptors have not even been playing in Toronto. That said, is it any surprise they are only 9-11 at home this season? Also, this is a Raptors team that is only 6-11 against Western Conference teams. Also Toronto enters this game on a 2-12 SU run. As for the Trail Blazers, they are on a 9-4 SU run their last 13 games and also are a rock solid 12-6 against Eastern Conference teams. Damon Lillard missed the last game for the Blazers but they still beat Orlando. However, they did not cover in that game which is also helping to give us line value in this one. Portland only beat the Raptors by a single point when these teams met in January so there is no way the Blazers will overlook them here. Look for a road rout as a result as Toronto's losing stretch goes to 2-13 last 15 games. 10* PORTLAND

Big East Beast - NBA 10* Top Play Washington Wizards (-) vs Detroit Pistons @ 8 ET - The Pistons burned me yesterday as they rallied for the backdoor cover. On that note the Raptors did the same thing to me yesterday but they are not in action tonight. Detroit is in action and we are going to get our money back by fading this weak team. I know the Wizards are not a great team but they are better than Detroit and also a better team when they are on their home floor. Washington is off 3 straight losses but those games were on the road. The Wizards most recent home game was a win over Utah - one of the best teams in the league! Now Washington hosts one of the worst teams in the league and I expect them to take full advantage. The Pistons are 5-19 SU in road games this season and the Wizards are laying only 3.5 points here. Washington is a respectable 8-9 SU last 17 home games and the average margin of victory in the 8 wins is 9.8 points per game. Look for a win by a double digit margin as the Wizards have played just 3 games the last 8 days while Detroit is playing the 2nd game of a back to back and it will be their 3rd game in 4 days! 10* WASHINGTON

Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #515 Friday 10* Top Play Phoenix Suns (-) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:30 ET - Ideal set-up for a road rout here. The Suns are off a 1-point loss at Orlando but that was preceded by wins in 12 of their last 15 games both SU and ATS. As for the Raptors, they are off a rare win as they knocked off Denver in convincing fashion on Wednesday. The blowout win over the Nuggets followed a 9 game losing streak for Toronto and a 1-5 ATS run their last 6. That ugly run for the Raptors even included an 18-point loss to a Rockets team that had lost 20 straight games! In fact, that Toronto loss immediately preceded the win over Denver and now I look for the Suns to immediately return the Raptors to their losing ways. Phoenix is angry here and will not take their foot off the gas in this one. Each of the Suns last 14 wins have come by at least a 6 point margin and all signs point to that streak reaching 15 in a row here! 10* PHOENIX

Earliest Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #511 Friday 8* Brooklyn Nets (-) @ Detroit Pistons @ 7:00 ET - The Nets lost by 30 at Utah Wednesday but, already without Durant and Irving, Harden did not play either. Harden is dealing with a neck injury but I really don't see him missing this game. The fact is Brooklyn got him some extra rest and treated the Jazz game as a throwaway game. Now, however, the Nets take on one of the worst teams in the league and they have two off days on deck after this. As a result, I fully expect the Nets to go hard here plus Harden to be back. Additionally, Griffin is expected to be back and could have a special game considering he'll be facing his former team. Even short-handed against the Jazz, Brooklyn did have more shot attempts from the field in Wednesday's loss. The difference was that the Nets had a very poor shooting night while the Jazz were lights out from three-point land and outscored Brooklyn by 48 points from beyond the arc. Suffice to say that was a huge difference in the 30-point win and that won't be repeated here. No matter who ends up on the floor for the Nets in this one, they take advantage of a Pistons team that has lost 12 of its last 16 games and is having a very rough season overall. 8* BROOKLYN

Earliest Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #560 Wednesday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers (-) vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - The Pacers are not just off a loss here, they are off a thorough beatdown. That said, they certainly should respond huge here. Indiana just allowed 140 points in a loss at Milwaukee but this was on the heels of back to back wins over a Miami team that knocked them out of the playoffs last season. In other words, perhaps the beatdown made sense. But now the Pacers go from facing of the league's best teams to facing one of the league's worst. Indiana has not tasted victory on their home floor since the beginning of February so I know they are going to bring a huge effort here. The Pacers will take advantage of hosting a Pistons team that is the only team in the NBA that is still winless in their own division. Detroit is 0-8 this season in divisional play and also 5-18 in road games. This one gets ugly! 10* INDIANA

Earliest Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #547 Tuesday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (-) @ Orlando Magic @ 7:10 ET - The Nuggets are off a loss and that sets this one up perfectly. Denver is a perfect 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS the last 4 times when off a defeat. Also, they are on the road here so we get a manageable line and they are facing a Magic team that is enduring a horrific long-term run. Orlando is 1-10 SU their last 11 games. The Magic have been held to an average of just 97 points per game their last 5 games. Denver, when off a loss, averaged 119.5 points per game the last 4 times after tasting defeat. Look for the Nuggets to cruise to a double digit victory here. 10* DENVER

Earliest Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #531 Monday 10* Top Play Sacramento Kings (-) @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:40 ET - The Kings are off a bad loss at Philly but entered that game 9-13 against the East this season. That is noteworthy here because the Cavaliers are just 4-14 against the West this season. Also, Cleveland is in a back to back spot here plus off a big win versus Toronto. Sacramento is 4-1 SU the last 5 times they were off a loss and I expect them to bounce back here and take advantage of a Cavs team in the 2nd game of a back to back and known for struggling against Western Conference teams. 10* SACRAMENTO

Earliest Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #512 Sunday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (-) vs Indiana Pacers @ 1:10 ET - These teams just met Friday and the Pacers were seeking revenge for last year's playoff exit. They got it in a big way but it was a bit of a fluke. Give Indiana credit for sure but it was also just one of those nights where everything was falling. Indiana made 20 of 36 three pointers while Miami made just 9 of 34. The Pacers won the game by a 27 point margin but they outscored the Heat by 33 points from beyond the arc! Suffice to say that kind of disparity is not happening again and you know Miami will be hungry today after suffering such an embarrassing loss on their home floor Friday! The Heat are now off back to back losses and will be out for blood after one of their worst defeats of the season. That said, lay the short number here. 10* MIAMI

Earliest Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #532 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:05 ET - Well aware of the fact that Philly is in a back to back spot and playing 5th game in 7 days and still without Embiid. However their key guys did not play huge minutes yesterday and Philadelphia has won 6 straight games. Yes the Bucks are on a winning streak too but Milwaukee's road cover at Washington was their first ATS win in their last six road games. That's right...Bucks had been on an 0-5 ATS run in away games. The 76ers are off a non-covering win but have not had back to back ATS losses since mid-February. They may not get the outright win here but I look for at least a cover in this one. The Bucks, prior to huge win over Wizards, had seen 4 of last 5 wins come by 6 or less points. Look for the home team to get the cover for the 4th straight time in this series as the host is 3-0 ATS last 3 meetings between these teams. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #503 Monday 10* Top Play Sacramento Kings (+) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - The low line on this game makes no sense and, in typical contrarian fashion, I am fading public perception and fading the line move as this one has moved up a little higher this morning. Charlotte is a very small favorite here even though they are at home where they are 11-8 this season and even though the Kings are on the road where they are 6-11 this season. Additionally, the Hornets are on a 9-5 run and have won 3 straight games while Sacramento is on a 3-12 run. Given all of the above the line makes no sense here, right? Exactly! Give me the team no one wants here! The Kings are off a loss but are 3-0 L3 when off a loss. Also, Sacramento does have revenge in this one for a 1 point home loss to the Hornets earlier this season. Charlotte does have a long road trip on deck and could look right past the Kings here. Grab the points! 10* SACRAMENTO

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #562 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 6:35 ET - The Spurs blasted Orlando without DeMar DeRozan but that game was at home and the 76ers are not the Magic. That said, the reason for this low line on the Sixers is that Joel Embiid is out. I know that Philly has often struggled in games without Embiid in the lineup this season. However, the 76ers will have Ben Simmons back for this one and the Spurs being without DeRozan is a key loss. The Spurs had lost back to back games and 4 of 6 prior to the win over the Magic. The Sixers have won 4 straight and 8 of their last 10 games. They won both match-ups last season including by 11 when the teams met here in Philly. Look for another double digit win in this one as well as a well-rested Simmons takes over with Embiid out and look for Dwight Howard, as he so often does, to have another huge game with the big man out. 10* PHILADELPHIA