Earliest Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #529 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Washington Wizards @ 8:05 ET - The 76ers rolled the Bulls last night despite being without Joel Embiid plus Ben Simmons and despite the fact Chicago made 14 of 29 three pointers. The Sixers still won the game by 22 points. Now they could have Embiid back tonight plus the Wizards have a very concerning situation with Bradley Beal. A top scorer for Washington, he is currently being limited by a knee injury that is lingering and this is even after the All Star break was able to give him some rest too so this is certainly not a good sign. That plus the fact the Wizards just got blasted by 15 points at Memphis Wednesday is not a good sign for Washington as they now host a tough Philly team. Philadelphia has beaten the Wizards 4 straight times by an average margin of 9 points per game. That said, I am happy to lay the short number on the road in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #505 Thursday 8* Detroit Pistons (+) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - The Hornets entered the All Star break off a win but this is a Charlotte team that hasn't won back to back games since early February. The Pistons used the All Star break as a chance to get healthier and also have the Blake Griffin situation now fully in the rear view mirror after his departure to the Nets. That said, look for a fully focused Detroit team to shock the Hornets here so I am happy to grab the points in this one. The Pistons are off a non-covering loss at New York prior to the All Star break but entered that game having only lost the money twice in their eight most recent road games! Detroit bounces back here as Charlotte's pattern of alternating wins with losses continues here. The road team has covered each of the last two meetings between these teams. Also, the Pistons last two trips to Charlotte have both been losses but by an average margin of just 2 points per defeat. 8* DETROIT

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #501 Wednesday 10* Top Play Washington Wizards (+) @ Memphis Grizzlies @ 8:05 ET - This line looked funny based on its opener and of course the masses are going one way and I am going the other in a typical fade the masses contrarian situation for me. The Grizzlies just beat the Wizards by double digits before the All Star break. That game was at Washington and now this game is at Memphis and the line opened up at nearly a pick'em. This is despite the Grizzlies having the much better record plus being at home plus having just destroyed the Wizards. Something seems odd about that right? Do not let the odds fool you! The road dog is the play here. The Wizards want revenge and the all star break was a good reset point for them plus they have been playing much better overall of late with 8 wins in last 11 games and 1 of the losses was the loss to Memphis and one of the other defeats came by just a single point. 10* WASHINGTON

Earliest Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #532 Wednesday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) vs Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - The Pacers are on a 4-game SU and ATS losing streak while the Cavaliers have won and covered 4 straight. Of course Indiana would love to reverse this trend but this is Cleveland's last game before the All-Star break and they are hungry to keep the winning going and enter the break on a 5-game run. The Pacers have their home finale before the break on deck for tomorrow so this situation favors the Cavs in my opinion. Cleveland had a horrific losing streak going before starting this win streak and they do not want to lose that winning feeling right before the break. They will go all out here and if they do fall short look for it to be by only a bucket or two. The Pacers are just 3-9 SU their last dozen games and one of the wins was by just 6 points. That said, I love the valuable with the sizable home dog in this one. 10* CLEVELAND 

Earliest Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #504 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - The Sixers are normally fantastic on their home floor. But they just gave a horrific effort versus the Cavaliers on Saturday and lost the game in OT outright as a double digit home favorite! Suffice to say, Philadelphia was not happy with that result and will be ready to go here after a very rare home loss. The 76ers beat Brooklyn by 16 points the last time they entered a game off a home loss. Also, here they can take advantage of an Indiana team that has lost 10 of its last 14 games. The Pacers Malcolm Brogdon is dealing with a knee injury and missed their last game. Even if he goes tonight he is unlikely to be 100 percent and this is an angry Sixers team that Indiana will be facing here. Look for the home team, 14-3 this season and 31-4 last season as a host, to roll by double digits in this one! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Early Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #536 Friday 10* Top Play Toronto Raptors (-) vs Houston Rockets @ 7:35 ET - The Rockets have lost 9 straight games. Houston went 1-8 ATS during this run and the lone ATS win never should have happened. The Rockets trailed by 26 points at the half - and by as many as 29 points during the game - at Philly last week but got a bit of a miracle back door cover in that game. Even with under 10 minutes to go in the game Houston was still down 18 points. The point is that the Rockets very easily could be on an 0-9 ATS run and the fact is they are highly like to fall to their 10th straight SU loss here and I look for Toronto to win this one by double digits. The set up here is solid as the Raptors are off back to back losses and will be extra hungry here as a result. Toronto, prior to the B2B defeats, had won 9 of 12 games both SU and ATS and I fully expect them to respond here. Also, the Raptors are on a streak of 20+ games in which whoever the SU winner is in their games is also the ATS winner. Considering that as well as the fact that the Rockets have lost 9 straight games, you can see why I fully expect the home team to get the win AND cover in this one! 10* TORONTO

Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #554 Monday 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (+) vs Chicago Bulls @ 8:05 ET - The Rockets have had extra time off due to cancelled games. This has given them even more time to think about their current 7-game losing streak. That said, I expect a highly motivated Houston team to take the floor tonight at home against Chicago. As for the Bulls, they take the floor off a win and cover but that was at home against Sacramento. What is noteworthy about this is Chicago hasn't covered consecutive games since mid-January so, coming off an ATS win, odds favor the Bulls falling short tonight. There was a reason the odds makers opened up the team on a 7-game losing streak as the favorite here. Don't let the line fool you. Grab the Rockets as they get back on track in a big way in this one. Chicago was on a 4-9 ATS run prior to knocking off the Kings Saturday. 10* HOUSTON

Eastern Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #537 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:05 ET - The Sixers are off back to back wins but non-covers. Finally in this one they should have both Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons both on the floor together and I expect a road rout to result. Since the Raptors have had some recent wins and because the 76ers are the visitors for this one, we are getting a low number to work with. That said, I won't hesitate to step in as there is great value with this line opening up at a 2.5 this morning. 6 of the Raptors last 7 losses have come by 4 or more points. Each of Philly's last 7 wins have come by 5 or more points. Toronto is playing their home games in Tampa this season and they have certainly not held the same home court edge as in years past. The Raptors enter this game 1-3 SU last 4 home games and the lone win was against an Orlando team this is winning just 40 percent of their games this season. Now Toronto is facing a 76ers team that is 19-5 SU this season in games in which Embiid has played. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Eastern Conference Game of the Year - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #506 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Chicago Bulls @ 7:35 ET - Two games ago the Sixers had Ben Simmons on the floor but played without Joel Embiid. Then the very next game Embiid was back but Simmons missed. The 76ers still built a 29 point lead in that game and led by about 15 to 20 points at a minimum from that point on but found a way to blow the cover late against the Rockets. I do not expect a repeat of that here with both stars back together on the floor tonight. Also, the Bulls are still without Lauri Markkanen and Otto Porter and those two forwards average a combined 30.7 points and 12.4 rebounds a game. This one sets up well, as a result, to be a home blowout. Prior to the non-covering win versus Houston, the 76ers had been a perfect 4-0 ATS run when at home off an ATS loss. Once again off a non-cover and with big personnel edges in this one in terms of the injury situation, the 76ers roll and get a solid cover to improve to 5-1 ATS last 6 when at home and off a non-cover. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #570 Thursday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks (-) vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:35 ET - The Bucks just lost to the Raptors by a double digit margin on Tuesday. They were favored by about a half dozen points in that game and yet got crushed. In Thursday's rematch, Milwaukee again favored by a similar amount. Must be a huge mistake by the odds makers, right? Long-time followers know how I feel about supposed mistakes by odds makers! The point is that this is set this way with good reason and, in typical contrarian fashion, I am backing the team no one will want here. The Bucks have lost 4 straight games but note that they are 2-0 this season when off a home loss and both victories came by a double digit margin. I expect this one will too. Lay it. 10* MILWAUKEE

ESPN Smash Pass - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #556 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Houston Rockets @ 7:35 ET - 76ers will have Joel Embiid back tonight plus they are back on their home floor where they are known for dominating. After 3 straight losses - all on the road - the Sixers can't wait to come out strong at home and take out their frustration someone. That someone is the downtrodden Rockets and they should provide the perfect punching bag for Philly to take advantage. Houston has cleaned house this season and now is struggling ever since. The Rockets enter this game having lost 6 straight games. Also, Houston's last five road losses have all come by 12 or more points and, in fact, the average margin of defeat has been a very ugly 21 points per loss! That said, you can see why I am expecting a blowout home win for Philly here and this is a rare case in which I am willing to lay big points. The 76ers need a big win and the Rockets continue to get crushed in road games. More of the same here. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #545 Friday 10* Top Play San Antonio Spurs (+) @ Atlanta Hawks @ 7:35 ET - The Spurs are off home loss and it was a bad one as they lost by a margin of 23 points. That type of loss often easier to bounce back from than the one the Hawks just had which was a one point loss at Dallas. Atlanta did win their most recent home game but that was preceded by 4 straight losses for the Hawks as a host. As for the Spurs they have been road warriors this season with a 7-3 mark away from home both SU and ATS. San Antonio has played the tougher schedule so far this season. Also, the Spurs are at that time of the year where they would take their annual rodeo trip and they will not be back in San Antonio until their game over two weeks from now on the 27th. Traditionally the Spurs have done very well on this annual road trip and this is the first of 7 away games. Also, Atlanta is just 4-6 SU against Western Conference teams this season while the Spurs are a perfect 3-0 SU against Eastern Conference teams this season. Look for that trend to reach 4-0 after the final horn sounds on this one. 10* SAN ANTONIO

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #534 Thursday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (+) vs Indiana Pacers @ 8 ET - While it might seem hard to trust a 6-18 team against a team playing around .500 this season, in typical contrarian fashion I am on the ugly dog here. In this case the Pistons have a rest edge as they were off last night after hosting the Nets on Tuesday. As for the Pacers, they were at Brooklyn last night to face those same Nets. That said, tough spot for Indiana here. Also, as bad as the Pistons full season record is, they have been more competitive of late. Detroit has won 3 straight home games outright as home dogs and that was against tough teams - Nets, Lakers, 76ers! Going further back, the Pistons are on a 7-2 ATS run last 9 home games so they have been strong as a host this season. The Pacers entered last night's game at Brooklyn on a 3-9 ATS run and I look for Indiana's covering struggles to continue here. 10* DETROIT

Non-Conf Game of the Year - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #520 Wednesday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks (-) vs Atlanta Hawks @ 7:35 ET - The Hawks are off a big win versus the Raptors Saturday and that snapped a 3-game losing streak for Atlanta. That said everything must be "all good" again and the Hawks back on track, right? No, not at all! They were very fortunate to not only beat the Raptors but especially by a double digit margin! Toronto had 97 shots from the field compared to just 74 for Atlanta. The Hawks had 18 turnovers compared to just 6 for the Raptors. So how did this win happen? Insane shooting that will not be repeated for Atlanta on the road here. The Hawks shot 57% from the field and made a ridiculous 19 of 36 from three point land. Just crazy numbers for shooting and that leads to value here with the Mavs as short home favorite. Dallas has gotten back on track with wins in 3 of its last 4, including a win at Atlanta, but the Mavericks are still flying under the radar with the betting markets because they are on a long-term poor ATS run. That can lead to special value in certain situations and that is precisely what we are seeing right here. Lay it! 10* DALLAS

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #560 Sunday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Clippers (-) vs Sacramento Kings @ 3:05 ET - The Kings have won and covered 7 in a row so, in typical contrarian fashion, I am on the other side here. Sacramento is in a very tough spot here as this game starts at Noon local time and this is after the Kings were in action yesterday at home against Denver. Sacramento did get an upset win in that game while LA enters this game angry off an upset loss so the situation is perfect. That is why I am willing to lay points here as I expect the Clippers to go all out here and roll to a win by at least a dozen points. Los Angeles does not play again until Wednesday and also they do not have another home game until next Sunday. Also, they were off yesterday so they are rested and ready to go all out here and they are not happy about their home loss to a Celtics team that was without Jaylen Brown. Look for them to make up for that here as the Clippers are a perfect 6-0 this season when off a loss! The Clips have won the last two meetings by an average margin of 28.5 points and roll again here. 10* LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

NBA TV Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #531 Saturday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (-) @ Sacramento Kings @ 5 ET - The Kings are hot so they are garnering the attention of the betting markets and I fully understand that. But in typical contrarian fashion, I like the Nuggets here. Denver is really ticked off heading into this game as they were up nicely at halftime against the Lakers Thursday and then had a horrific 2nd half. The Nuggets also play this game with double revenge against Sacramento. These teams met twice earlier this season and the Kings won each game including a 2 point win at Denver when the Nuggets were an 8 point favorite. The Nuggets have had enough of this Sacramento team this season plus are in a foul mood after what happened against the Lakers Thursday. Denver had won 11 of 15 before the collapse against the defending champs. Also, the Kings were on a 2-9 SU run before covering 6 straight games heading into this one. I am not totally sold on Sacramento just yet and feel the odds makers are on to something considering the Nuggets have lost both match-ups to the Kings and yet are now favored by more than the -1 they laid in the first meeting at Sacramento. Trust me it is not a mistake and I feel the road team wins by 7 to 10 here. 10* DENVER

Early Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #506 Thursday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz @ Atlanta Hawks @ 7:35 ET - The Hawks are in a very tough spot here. Even though they are at home and it is the Jazz who are the travelers, Atlanta had to do battle with Dallas last night while Utah was resting. The Jazz have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA for awhile and have won 12 of their past 13 games. The Hawks have been a little short-handed of late and now playing a back to back certainly won't help matters. Atlanta entered last night's game against the Mavericks having lost each of their past two home games so playing at home certainly hasn't translated to an automatic W for the Hawks this season. In fact they already had a 3-game losing streak in home games earlier this season. 11 of the last 12 wins for the Jazz have come by a double digit margin. Look for this one to as well. 10* UTAH

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #550 Tuesday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers (-) vs Memphis Grizzlies @ 8:05 ET - The Pacers will certainly be ready to go here. They are off a bad loss to Philadelphia where they blew a big lead late courtesty of a horrible 4th quarter and bad play in the final minutes. Now Indiana will take advantage of hosting a Memphis team that, after nearly two weeks off, will be playing the 2nd game of a back to back plus it is their 3rd game in 4 nights plus they have division rival Houston on deck. Horrible spot for Grizzlies and the Pacers come in angry after blowing that game against the 76ers Sunday. 10* INDIANA

Game of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #540 Monday 10* Top Play Oklahoma City Thunder (+) vs Houston Rockets @ 8:05 ET - The Rockets are on a roll with 5 straight wins but 2 of the wins came by a margin of 3 or less points and the most recent one, though by double digits, had a lot do with being an ideal situation. Houston is off a win at New Orleans where the caught the Pelicans off a huge upset win over the Bucks and completely out of gas in a back to back. That said, the value here is with the home dog. Oklahoma City might have been looking ahead to this game when they got throttled and allowed 147 points to Brooklyn  Friday. Either way, that kind of ugly loss certainly caught their attention after entering that game off back to back road wins that were outright upsets as underdogs. That said, I look for the revenge-minded Thunder to get right back on track here. I know each of these teams are different in terms of their rosters compared to August through early September when the Rockets ousted them from the playoffs. However, there is no doubt this game means a little extra something to Oklahoma City and, coming off that ugly loss, they respond large here and very likely even get the outright win for some true payback. For added insurance, I am grabbing the points here. 10* OKLAHOMA CITY

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #501 Saturday 10* Top Play Portland Trail Blazers (+) @ Chicago Bulls @ 8 ET - As long-time followers know I often like to go against the grain and I like the fact that this line is moving toward the Bulls in early market activity. I will fade the move and grab the extra value with the Trail Blazers. Portland was up by 20 in the first quarter of their eventual 3-point loss at the Rockets and they know they let one slip away there. Look for the Blazers to be extremely focused on getting back into the win column here. Portland is on a 5-2 ATS run in road games and had won 4 of 6 SU away from home prior to the tight loss at Houston. As for Chicago, they are just 2-5 SU in home games this season and plus the Trail Blazers have revenge from a home loss to the Bulls early this month. Payback time is here. 10* PORTLAND

ESPN Smash Pass - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #572 Friday 8* New Orleans Pelicans (+) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:35 ET - Too many points here. Of course the Bucks are the better team but they are on the road where they were only 2-5 ATS in road games this season prior to their win at Toronto on Wednesday. As for the Pelicans, they are only 3-3 SU in home games this season but all 3 losses came by a single digit margin and two of the defeats were by a margin of 2 points and 1 point, respectively. The point is that New Orleans generally does not get blown at home and Milwaukee generally does not blow teams out on the road. Also, this is part of a 3 games in 4 nights stretch for the Bucks as they are at Charlotte tomorrow. The Pelicans build off Wednesday's big win and will be difficult for Milwaukee to put away here. 8* NEW ORLEANS

Game of the Month - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #540 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 7:35 ET - The Lakers are in the middle of a 7-game road trip and when you look at this trip a couple of games caught LA's attention. One was at Milwaukee as they are considered the best team in the east and another was at Cleveland because of the LeBron connection there. That said, off a win over the Cavaliers and still undefeated in road games this season, Los Angeles opened up as a very small road favorite here with good reason. That reasoning is that this is actually a tough spot for them. The 76ers want this game and a very tough at home. They went 31-4 at home last season and are 9-1 at home this season. Joel Embiid will be back after missing the last game which was as much rest as it was anything else. The Sixers have actually won 3 of their last 4 with LA both SU and ATS plus the home team won each meeting last season by a double digit margin. I like the home edge and the situational edge and the markets of course will be backing the small road favorite here that is 10-0 SU in road games this season. That is why this line is moving higher and I'll gladly grab the additional value with the home dog that will prove to be the more motivated team here. Remember Sixers coach Doc Rivers was the Clippers coach and has extra motivation facing the Lakers as they battled hard again for LA supremacy last season before the Lakers of course ultimately prevailed and went on to win it all while Rivers and the Clippers parted ways. Big motivation here. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #527 Tuesday 10* Top Play New York Knicks (+) @ Utah Jazz @ 9:05 ET - There are two ways to look at this game but I am choosing the latter. The first way to look at this match-up is that the Jazz are on an 8-0 SU and ATS run. Not only that, the 8-game run dates back to a loss against, you guessed it, the Knicks! So this is a revenge game for a red hot Utah team. However, here is how I look at this one. The Jazz are laying too many points here. They are off a string of big Western Conference wins and now face a non-conference opponent plus have back to back big games on deck against the Mavericks. I like the fact that the Knicks are on a 4-1 ATS run. Also, not only are 3 SU wins included in that run, note that the Knicks last 4 SU losses have all been by a single digit margin. The average margin of defeat for NY during this run was just 5.5 points. The Knicks have gone 7 straight games without a single loss by more than 9 points. I am grabbing the big underdog here. 10* NEW YORK KNICKS

Professional Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #503 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - The Pistons are still without Derrick Rose for this one. Blake Griffin is expected back tonight but he has not been as effective as in years past. As for the 76ers I am aware of the Joel Embiid situation but he might play with tomorrow being an off day for Philly too. Plus Dwight Howard has really raised his level of play at times when Embiid is out. The Pistons did get the cover on Saturday but Detroit outscored Philly by 18 points from 3-point land in that one. Had they simply been dead even from beyond the arc, the Sixers win that game by 22 points. Also, lets look at this match-up from another vantage point as well. Philadelphia is currently at the very top of the Eastern Conference standings while Detroit - you guessed it - is at the very bottom of those same standings. Yes the Pistons have a home court "edge" here but have lost 7 of 9 games on their home floor this season! The 76ers, were it not for the 3-point shooting disparity, would have won Saturday's game by 22 which is not a huge surprise as their other road wins this season have come by an average of 22 points per game too! When these teams met over the weekend, the Sixers were of back to back huge wins against the Celtics so it was the perfect spot to fade them and, indeed, the Pistons delivered the ATS cover. Now, things are back to normal and we can lay a rather small number here and have the best team in the east against the worst team in the east so far this season. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Early Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #573 Sunday 10* Top Play Oklahoma City Thunder (+) @ Los Angeles Clippers @ 4:05 ET - The Clippers beat the Thunder by 14 points on Friday. They outscored them by 14 points at the free throw line. Also, Los Angeles dominated Oklahoma City on the boards. The Thunder will respond after losing badly in those two key stat departments on Friday. Neither one of those stats was expected when you look at the full season statistics for these two teams. No I do not expect OKC to win this game outright but I do expect the points to prove to be too many for LAC to cover in the rematch. The Clippers 5 most recent home games preceding the blowout win included 1 outright losses and 2 wins by a margin of 5 or less points. Look for this one to fall into that latter category or very close to that in terms of the final margin here. 10* OKLAHOMA CITY

Early Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #558 Saturday 8* Detroit Pistons (+) vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 8:05 ET - You likely have heard the expression when talking about the NFL "on any given Sunday". Well this may be a Saturday rather than a Sunday and it may be the NBA rather than the NFL but that expression is likely to hold true here. I would not be surprised at all to see the downtrodden Pistons upset the 76ers here because situations simply do not get much better than this. Last season Philadelphia was eliminated from the playoffs by their long-time rivals, the Celtics. Now, the last 3 days the Sixers have faced Boston twice and they rallied yesterday to make it a clean 2-0 sweep. Now Philly is in a back-to-back plus playing their 3rd game in 4 nights and one can argue that the Pistons are in the exact same situation here from a scheduling standpoint and that is somewhat true but not entirely. The Pistons were already in Detroit last night at home here hosting the Rockets. Also, Detroit is on a losing streak while Philly enters off back to back key wins. The hungry home dog may not get the upset here but they should at least get the cash and keep this game much closer than one would normally expect in this match-up. Note that the Sixers have lost 3 straight road games and 4 of their last 5 on enemy hardwood. 8* DETROIT

Early Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #535 Friday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (+) @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:35 ET - Grabbing a good team off a loss is always worth a look. When that team is getting points it is even better. When that team is also playing with revenge against a divisional foe that is better still. Finally, it gets even stronger when the teams just met. The Celtics loss at Philly Wednesday is certainly fresh in their minds as they blew a 6-point lead they had entering the 4th quarter. Here is a stat too that is unlikely to be repeated tonight: the 76ers had 45 free throw attempts compared to just 20 for the Celtics. You think a shot an extra 25 points might have helped Philly in their eventual 8 point win? Of course it did and, even though Boston is still without Jayson Tatum, the Celtics are perfect ATS this season when off back to back ATS losses and also perfect SU when they enter a game off a SU loss. Payback time here and, keep in mind, the Celtics had won 5 straight games against Philadelphia before that loss Wednesday. 10* BOSTON

Game of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #502 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Boston Celtics @ 7:05 ET - This is a rivalry that goes back a long way as you know. But last season put an exclamation point on how one-sided things can be at times. Boston swept the Sixers out of the playoffs and that led to the firing of coach Brett Brown. Now Doc Rivers is the new man in charge and his players want revenge here. Yes the Sixers just struggled at Memphis but Joel Embiid did not play. He is back and is listed as probable for this game. Also, it is a home game for Philly and they are known for dominating at the Wells Fargo Center. Additionally, the Celtics are still without Jayson Tatum and he is not even making the trip to Philly due to health protocols. That is a major loss for the Celtics as he was on fire this season. Speaking of major losses, Boston just got blasted at home by 30 points by Orlando. Of course that makes this a bounce back spot for the Celtics but, keep in mind, their ATS losses have come in pairs this season and I look for the loss to the Magic to be the first of two as the hungry 76ers get their playoff revenge in a big way here. Embiid on the floor for Philly and Tatum not on the floor for the Celtics is absolutely a big deal! Home team by double digits in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Double Perfect Play - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #571 Tuesday 10* Top Play New Orleans Pelicans (+) @ Utah Jazz @ 9:05 ET - I have had great success with each of these teams as I am 3-0 my last 3 involving the Pelicans and 5-0 my last 5 sides involving the Jazz. Putting both of those streaks to the test here because I really like the value with the points being offered in this one. The last 4 meetings between these clubs have all been decided by a single digit margin. That includes 2 of the last 3 decided by just 2 points with the outlier decided by 6 points. All 3 of those results would get us a win in this one tonight. That said, the Pelicans come into this game off a confidence boosting win and 4 of their last 5 losses were by a single digit margin with 3 of the 4 decided by a margin of 5 or less. The Jazz have been hot and that is what has driven this line higher but their 5-game winning streak started with a win over the Bucks. Since then the last 4 teams they have faced all currently have losing records and a combined record of 21-31. I know the Pelicans also have a losing record so far this season but, without a doubt, they have underachieved. That is what is leading to value in this spot and I look for the revenge-minded Pelicans to get revenge for the July 30th loss to the Jazz. If they do fall short look for them to stay inside the number as they improve to 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games. 10* NEW ORLEANS

PA Insider - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #534 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Miami Heat @ 7:05 ET - The Heat simply missing too many guys due to health protocols in this covid-impacted world we currently live in. Additionally, the Sixers are off a road loss last night in which they got blasted. They will now bounce back at home where they went 31-4 last season plus are 5-1 this season. While the 76ers have only 1 home loss this season, Miami has only 1 road win this season and plus Philadelphia has revenge from getting blasted by 31 points the last time they faced the Heat. This is actually a triple revenge spot as Philly has lost 3 straight against Miami and the set-up and the situation is perfect with the Heat outmanned in this game to a large extent. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #508 Sunday 10* Top Play New York Knicks (+) vs Denver Nuggets @ 6:05 ET - The Nuggets are in a back to back spot and off a big win at Philly yesterday and have a challenging match-up at Brooklyn on deck. That said this is absolutely a flat spot for them. After all, they blasted the Knicks by a 37 point margin the last time they faced them in New York. However, that was then and this is now and this is a different New York team and the Knicks are off a home loss Friday that ended a stretch of 3 straight wins SU and ATS and an overall 5-1 SU/ATS stretch. That said, I fully expect a big bounce back effort from the rested Knicks here at home and they'll take advantage of catching the Nuggets in a back to back. Also, Denver was just 3-5 SU this season entering yesterday's match-up with the 76ers and the Nuggets also have played a weaker schedule than the Knicks have. All signs here are point to great line value with the home underdog and I will take it. 10* NEW YORK KNICKS

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #569 Saturday 10* Top Play Phoenix Suns (+) @ Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - As a general rule I love taking a look at winning teams as underdogs. Of course that is because you have a team that wins more than the lose SU and they are also getting points to work with as well. So this game already caught my eye and I am well aware of the fact the Suns are off an OT game last night. However, a few keys from that game: the Suns lost, the Suns blew a 23 point lead, and no one played ridiculously high minutes for Phoenix. In other words, the Suns will be ready to go tonight and they are fired up and they are hungry for a victory after letting that game slip away last night. Note that Phoenix is 2-0 this season when playing the 2nd game of a back to back and also 2-0 this season when off a loss. Indiana is a quality team too of course but will they be complacent here off back to back wins? Also, the Pacers are 4-2 SU their last 6 games but two of those wins came by a victory margin of 2 or less points. That said, if you had played Indiana at -3 or more in each of their last 6 games you went just 2-4 ATS. I know the Pacers have a scheduling edge but I love the hunger factor for a Suns team whose starters didn't play all that well last night. The bench actually was better and now I look for the starters to come out hungry tonight and the bench to continue their strong play. Grab the points! 10* PHOENIX

Blowout Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #536 Thursday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies (-) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:05 ET - Even though the Grizzlies are still without Ja Morant, they are certainly in much better shape than the Cavaliers right now. Yes, Memphis is off back to back losses but they faced the Lakers and lost the 2nd of the 2 games by just a bucket. Prior to those 2 losses the Grizzlies had won 2 of 3 and that included a 15-point blowout win over Charlotte. As for Cleveland, they have lost 4 of their last 5 games and all 4 of the losses have come by a margin of at least 9 points. In fact, the average margin of the 4 defeats was 15 points and I would not be surprised to see another big loss here as the Grizzlies are anxious to bounce back after back to back losses. Memphis has not lost 3 straight games yet this season. The set up here is perfect as the Grizzlies are 0-4 at home this season and desperate for a big home win and the wounded Cavaliers come in here as the perfect punching bag for the home team to take out their frustrations. 10* MEMPHIS

ESPN Smash Pass - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #517 Wednesday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (+) @ Miami Heat @ 7:35 ET - This is a revenge game from the post-season as the Heat took the series 4 games to 2 back in September. Revenge is never an automatic but I like this spot quite a lot because I have tremendous respect for Brad Stevens as a coach and I know he'll have his guys ready for this one. Yes I know Marcus Smart missed Boston's most recent game but that was precautionary more than anything else. It was a back to back spot and it was facing a struggling Raptors team and Smart has been dealing with a thumb injury so they let him rest it. I know he listed as questionable for tonight as of early game day morning but I am quite positive he'll be playing tonight and I know Boston very hungry for payback here. Also, the Heat have been quite unimpressive early this season. Miami is off a win and is 3-3 this season and has yet to win back to back games. I look for that trend to continue here as the Heat again follow a win with a loss but I am grabbing the points as added insurance in case the Celtics fall short by the slimmest of margins in this one. In looking at the hustle stats for this one, Boston has been the better rebounding team, they have been getting many more blocks and also turning over the ball less in comparison with the Heat. We're getting line value here with the Celtics courtesy of the injury situation. Lets take advantage and fade Miami in this one! 10* BOSTON

Game of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #502 Tuesday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets (+) vs Utah Jazz @ 7:35 ET - Brooklyn will be without Kevin Durant (covid protocol) but the markets have over-reacted in my opinion. Now the Nets are as much as a 5 point home dog in this game and, keep in mind, others are going to step up big with KD being out. Especially in the first game without a superstar, you often see the rest of the team give a massive effort. So this may not last for the full 7 days he is out but I certainly expect it to be the case in this first game. That said, I feel the Jazz are being vastly over-valued here. We are getting line value here because they just blasted the Spurs by a 21 point margin courtesy of red hot outside shooting. I don't expect a repeat of that here as I expect some solid defense from an inspired Brooklyn team that is off back to back losses. 3 of the Nets 4 losses this season have come by a margin of 5 or less points and I am well aware of their 5-game ATS skid. Keep in mind that skid came with Durant on the floor. All I am saying is just watch how everyone steps and gives a huge effort tonight with KD absent. I am expecting an outright upset but will bet this one at plus the points for the added insurance. Look for a valiant effort from the hungry home dog in this one as they get some payback against a Jazz team that has held the upper hand in recent meetings between these two non-conference foes. When Utah has won a game this season and scored at least 110 points in that victory they are 0-2 SU and ATS in their next game. The Nets won the only time they entered a game off B2B losses this season. Look for them to again respond in that situation as they once again avoid a 3-game SU losing streak. 10* BROOKLYN

Philly Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #573 Monday 10* Top Play Charlotte Hornets (+) @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:05 ET - The Hornets are off back to back losses by a double digit margin which included getting beaten badly at Philly on Saturday. However, that was the 2nd night of a back to back for Charlotte and, after getting down huge in the first quarter, the Hornets actually played even with the Sixers the rest of the way. That said, the value is with the big dog here as now Charlotte comes into this game rested and they were 2-2 SU in their first two games this season with each loss by 7 or less points. As for Philadelphia, they have gone 5-1 SU this season but 2 of their first 3 wins came by a margin of 7 or less points. Now, after back to back blowout wins for the 76ers but back to back blowout losses for Charlotte, I look for the Hornets to prove to be the hungrier team in this one tonight. That does not mean an outright win but it does mean, unlike Saturday's loss, they should stay within single digits throughout this one. 10* CHARLOTTE

Contrarian Crusher - Memphis already adjusting to life with out Ja Morant - at least for a bit - and I expect the Lakers to be a bit disinterested here. Los Angeles is off back to back wins over San Antonio and also they know Morant is not playing here. Could Le Bron Jams skip this game or be limited with his ankle injury? Either way I do expect LA to get the win here but not to cover this enormous spread on the road. The fact that the Grizzlies are off a win in their most recent game also helps their confidence levels heading into this one. 10* MEMPHIS

Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #529 Friday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies (+) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7 ET - Of course this is a contrarian play as Ja Morant is out for the Grizzlies. The odds makers were aware of this when they set this line with Charlotte favored by only a bucket. Of course the betting markets though are all over the Hornets here and the line is now up to a 4.5 which is offering great value on the underdog in my opinion. Keep in mind, after an ugly first half at Boston on Wednesday the Grizzlies did outplay the Celtics in the 2nd half as they started to adjust to being without Morant. I like backing Memphis here, hungry off a loss, while Charlotte comes into this game perhaps feeling a little too good about themselves. The Hornets enter this one off back to back wins plus this is a front end of a back to back as they are at Philly tomorrow. The only other time this season that Charlotte was in the front end of a back to back they suffered a home loss. This could be another one here and, if the Grizzlies do fall short look for it to be by only a bucket in a game that is likely to be a tight one and has potential for an upset. 10* MEMPHIS

Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #558 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:05 ET - the 76ers are off a loss but it was without joel embiid...the sixers are 2-0 su in games he has played this season and they are just a 2 point favorite in this match-up...the raptors are 0-2 su this season even though they played two teams that finished with a losing record last season...now toronto faces a philly team that went 31-4 in home games last season...the sixers were very tough at home up until the mid-march point of last season when our world got changed by covid...philly will come up with a big home win here to respond after the bad loss at cleveland...i like taking quality teams off a loss and this is a great spot with embiid expected back and having fresh legs and also the revenge factor...yes the sixers can't forget the playoff loss at toronto back when kawhi leonard was there in the spring of 2019...that infamous series defeat ending philly's season...they didn't get the payback they wanted last season but did win the only game played in philadelphia and i expect them to get this one as well on their home floor...10* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #501 Saturday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks (+) @ Memphis Grizzlies @ 5:05 ET - The Hawks won big in their opening game while the Grizzlies fell short against the Spurs. I know that would make this a bounce back game for Memphis at home but there is a reason the odds makers opened up Atlanta as the favorite in this one. Now with the line move all the way up to a 3 there is excellent line value with the underdog Hawks. Getting a big win like Atlanta did gives them confidence and certainly the Spurs team that the Grizzlies got hammered by is not the strong San Antonio level of team which use to see in years past. That said, the fact that Ja Morant had a huge game versus SA but Memphis still got hammered is absolutely not a good sign. Simply put, the Grizzlies are being over-valued here and I am happy to fade them in this spot with a Hawks team that will be playing with extra confidence and got a lot of contributions from all over the floor in their season opening win. 10* ATLANTA

Early Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #578 Friday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (-) vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 12:05 ET - Perfect set up here. The Heat lost outright as a favorite in their season opener on Wednesday at Orlando while the Pelicans got a huge outright upset win as an underdog in their season opener Wednesday at Toronto (game played at Tampa Bay). The Pelicans made only 50% of their free throws but knocked down 45% of their threes while the Raptors shot only 30% from beyond the arc. Of course that was the difference in the game. Adding some additional value here is that the Heat lost their most recent game against the Pelicans. Look for Miami to avenge that road loss with a huge win here at home.  The Heat were a little sloppy in their opening game loss but the Pelicans had even more turnovers (24) in their season opening win. New Orleans survived that thanks to strong 3-point shooting but don't look for a repeat of that here against a determined home team that is angry off a season opening loss after playing in the NBA finals last season! 10* MIAMI

Philly Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #558 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76'ers (-) vs Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - We saw yesterday that teams that re-tooled or re-shuffled after disappointing finishes to last season really responded in a big way. The Clippers knocked off the Lakers and the Nets blasted the Warriors. Look for this trend to continue as remaining teams start getting their season underway and that includes the Sixers tonight. Philadelphia has new management and a new head coach and I expect the personnel on the roster to respond very well. Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are both on the injury report for tonight but those two stars are both listed as probable for Philly. As for the Wizards, they now have Russell Westbrook joining Bradley Beal. However there is a problem because there is still just one basketball to share and this could be problematic with those two and certainly there will be some growing pains early in the season. Each of the last 3 times the 76ers have hosted the Wizards they have gotten the win and cover. Look for that trend to continue here as Philly, similar to Brooklyn and the Clips yesterday, open the season with a big resounding win tonight...a statement victory if you will. Look for Doc Rivers to help Philly be "all business" tonight and finally start to play in a way they are fully capable of but simply couldn't under prior coach Brett Brown. Philly set up much better now for success and it shows right away here at home on Wednesday. 10* PHILADELPHIA

ABC Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #712 Sunday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 7:30 ET - This line is now moving to 5.5 as of early game day morning and that means even more value with Miami. The Heat are resilient, hungry and determined. Those are all attributes you want when backing an underdog and I love getting significant points again with these scrappy guys as they are proving they won't go down without a fight. I would not be surprised to see them force a Game 7 but also certainly don't expect them to lose this game by more than a bucket or two even if they do fall short of the upset. Keep in mind that Miami is now 14-6 SU in the post-season and two of the losses were very tight games (one in OT) decided by an average margin of 4.5 points. Look for another tight game here as the Lakers last 7 games played on "regular rest" of 2 or less days between games are just 4-3 SU. Los Angeles has cooled off from their early post-season dominance and each loss shakes their confidence a little more while we're also seeing the confidence of the Heat grow with wins in 2 of the last 3 games. More of the same here. 10* MIAMI

ABC Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #709 Friday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 9 ET - The Heat don't get blown out often. They have had a very solid post-season and I would not be surprised to see them dig deep and extend this series. The extra time off certainly was welcome for Miami as they have been battling through injuries. That said, having been off since Tuesday's game, this Friday match-up might end up going to the hungrier team. Even if the Heat are unable to extend the series, I expect a very tightly contested game decided by only a bucket or two. Again, Miami will dig deep here. The Heat have played 19 post-season games and only 4 of the 19 have resulted in a loss by more than 6 points. The line on this game, as of early gameday morning, is available as high as a 7.5 and I'll gladly grab the points here given the above. Having Bam Adebayo back, and now playing his 2nd game since coming back, will be a key for the Heat in this one. Again, the extra rest between games could help Adebayo and the Heat get over the hump in this one. Either way I do NOT see the Lakers winning this one by a big margin. 10* MIAMI

Game of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #708 Tuesday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) vs Los Angles Lakers @ 9 PM ET - This is from my write-up on Sunday's game and, not only did most of these things hold true, I expect it it continue in Game 4 now that Miami has momentum on their side in this series after the outright upset win in Game 3: **Couple of unlikely stats so far in this series as the Lakers are getting better 3-point shooting than expected from unexpected sources and also have dominated the offensive glass. Having a slight edge in either one of those categories is not a surprise but to have a huge edge in both of them is highly unlikely to continue. The Heat, now down 0-2 in this series, are extremely hungry. Miami also could get Bam Adebayo back for this one (expected) as well as Goran Dragic (possible). Either way, whatever Heat players are on the floor are going to give a valiant effort in this must win situation. I am expecting huge games from Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Jae Crowder and Duncan Robinson. Look for role players like Kelly Olynyk, Kendrick Nunn, and Andre Iguodala to also come up big if called upon. This is a "rally the troops" game for a well-coached Heat team that shouldn't be catching nearly double digits again in this spot. We have seen what this team is capable of throughout this post-season and I wouldn't count a resilient bunch like this just yet. A lot of line value here, given the situation, with this under-valued hungry big dog.** Again, they got Game 3 and will follow the same recipe in looking to get Game 4 as well which would not surprise me. What would surprise me is that if they do fall short it is by more than a handful of points. I just don't see that happening here. The Heat are in this one all the way and just might pull off another shocker. Grab the points with the still-hungry dog as Jimmy Butler again looks to will his team to victory. They have the right pieces around him to surprise again here! 10* MIAMI

ABC Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach Rotation #706 Sunday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 7:30 ET - Couple of unlikely stats so far in this series as the Lakers are getting better 3-point shooting than expected from unexpected sources and also have dominated the offensive glass. Having a slight edge in either one of those categories is not a surprise but to have a huge edge in both of them is highly unlikely to continue. The Heat, now down 0-2 in this series, are extremely hungry. Miami also could get Bam Adebayo back for this one (expected) as well as Goran Dragic (possible). Either way, whatever Heat players are on the floor are going to give a valiant effort in this must win situation. I am expecting huge games from Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Jae Crowder and Duncan Robinson. Look for role players like Kelly Olynyk, Kendrick Nunn, and Andre Iguodala to also come up big if called upon. This is a "rally the troops" game for a well-coached Heat team that shouldn't be catching nearly double digits again in this spot. We have seen what this team is capable of throughout this post-season and I wouldn't count a resilient bunch like this just yet. A lot of line value here, given the situation, with this under-valued hungry big dog. 10* MIAMI

Game of the Month - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #715 Friday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 9 ET - Ever heard the expression that it is the wounded dog that bites the hardest? It is very true! The Heat are wounded in more ways than one here as they got embarrassed by their ugly loss in Game 1 plus suffered multiple injury issues. With the situations involving Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo look for Kelly Olynyk and Kendrick Nunn to step up big time in Game 2. The Heat still have plenty of talent on this team and they are very upset that they played like garbage after jumping out to a solid double digit lead in the first quarter. Keep in mind the line on Game 1 ended up at 4.5 but now the line on Game 2 is up to a 10 as of early Friday morning. I understand the viewpoint of the marketplace but that doesn't mean I agree with it. The Heat didn't get this far without being well-coached and making proper adjustments and they will be ready for Game 2. Do they win this one outright? Probably not BUT it would not totally shock me that is for sure. The fact is I do expect them to keep this game to a single digit margin as they fight all the way through it. There is no quit in this Miami team and they have yet to lose back to back games in this post-season. Watch Heat players simply playing out of their minds in this game! They will be that fired up and ready to respond and will stay aggressive throughout this game! The Lakers 4 games prior to the blowout win in Game 1 featured 1 SU loss and 3 SU wins ALL by 10 or less points. We've got great line value here. I'll take it. 10* MIAMI

Perfect Matchup - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #701 Wednesday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 9 ET - The Heat are 12-3 SU in the post-season and one of those 3 defeats came by just 3 points in overtime. Miami got past the Bucks and Celtics. The Lakers are a bit fortunate as they missed facing Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers and, instead, got a tired Nuggets team. Denver had gone too far in seeing each of their first two series turn into 3-1 deficits before rallying to win each series in 7 games. That left them out of gas in terms of facing the Lakers and once Anthony Davis hit that game-winning last second shot in Game 2 of the series that was the handwriting on the wall for a tired Nuggets team. Denver managed just 1 win in the series with Los Angeles. The only time the Lakers won Game 1 of the series in this post-season was when they caught the Nuggets in a very tough spot for Denver as they were worn out after rallying against the Clippers to take that series in 7 games. The Lakers now face a much tougher test than a tired Nuggets team. Just like their first two series of this post-season, Los Angeles drops this opening game. As added insurance I am grabbing the points here but I am expecting an outright upset. The Heat present some different defensive looks that could give the Lakers some trouble until they adjust. By the time they do, it could be too late for Game 1 and this Heat team has been shooting lights out from beyond the arc. More of the same here. 10* MIAMI 

Game of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #718 Sunday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 7:30 ET - The Heat were outrebounded by a double digit margin in the Game 5 loss. Miami also made just 19% of their 3-pointers in Friday's loss. The Heat lost the game by 13 points but were outscored by 15 points (5 threes) from beyond the arc as the Celtics were the better shooting team Friday. If you think any of the above stats are going to be repeated on Sunday you have another thing coming. The fact is that Miami is the better team in this series and now, after a loss and wanting to avoid a Game 7 where anything can happen, the Heat are the hungrier team. Boston was a little hungrier in Game 5. Now the shoe is on the other foot. This one is all Heat. I am expecting an outright win as I just don't see Jimmy Butler and Company being denied in this one but I will grab the insurance of having the points - as high as 3.5 as of game day morning - as added insurance in this one. 10* MIAMI

TNT Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #711 Saturday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (+) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 9 ET - Though the Lakers Anthony Davis is listed as questionable I am sure he is going to play here. Still I like the Nuggets in this one. Even though LA had a dozen more free throw attempts in Game 4, the Lakers still only won the game by a half dozen points. That says something right here. What we also know about this Denver team is there is no quit in them. They were down 3-1 in each of the prior two series and rallied to win both. I am not saying that happens here but I am expecting them to go toe to toe with the Lakers in this one all the way. If the Nuggets do fall short look for it to be on a buzzer beater type scenario like how Davis beat them on the late 3 in Game 2. The fact is the Nuggets have been hanging tough with the Lakers in each of the past 3 games and I see no reason that won't continue here. That being the case, give me the points! 10* DENVER

Scott “The Bulldog” Rickenbach NBA Rotation #715 Friday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 8:30 ET – This line opened up at a -2 on Boston and is already up to a 3.5 as of Thursday afternoon. I fully understand the line move since the Celtics are in a “win or go home” situation but the odds makers set this number very low for a reason. In typical contrarian fashion I am against the move here. I will gladly grab the extra points being offered but it is certainly not without reasoning! The fact is that the Heat seem to have Boston’s number. No matter the situation, no matter the score, Miami just keeps battling and finding a way and they have frustrated this Celtics team and shattered its confidence. Look at the box score from Wednesday’s Game 4 and you will see that Boston actually shot better from 3-point land than the Heat did plus the Celtics made 4 more 3-pointers than did Miami and yet they still lost the game. It speaks volumes that Boston outscored the Heat by 12 points from beyond the arc and yet still lost the game by 3 points. Whether it is Herro or Butler stepping up, the Heat just keep coming at the Celtics and keeping them on their heels and that makes for a very dangerous underdog. I’ll take the points here. 10* MIAMI

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #710 Thursday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (+) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 9 ET - The Nuggets were in a bit of a tough spot in Game 1 as they were off a grueling 7 game series where they rallied from a 3-1 deficit against the Clippers. Likewise, in that series they had lost Game 1 to the Clippers after rallying from a 3-1 deficit to knock the Jazz out of the post-season. The point is that maybe the Lakers weren't really that good in Game 1 of this series but rather that Denver was simply out of gas. The Nuggets have now been the better team in each of the last two games and only lost Game 2 because of a miraculous last second shot by Anthony Davis. In other words, there is no way I would lay big points here with a Lakers team that has been the lesser team so far in this series and that has given all the momentum to the Nuggets in this series. Denver believes. Let me repeat that...Denver believes! They have confidence because of what they've been able to accomplish when everyone has counted them out throughout this post-season. As a result, even if they did go down 3-1 in this series they still would not be shaken in their confidence. I actually don't expect that though. I expect the Nuggets to continue to outplay the Lakers and to get the upset win here. I will grab the value of the points however because if the Nuggets do fall short I expect it to be by only a bucket or two. They are 4-2 SU their last 6 games and the only big loss was Game 1 of this series and we all understand that was not the best situation, to say the least, against a rested Lakers team. 10* DENVER

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #713 Wednesday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (-) vs Miami Heat @ 8:30 ET - The Celtics got back into the series with a win in Game 3. Keep in mind they were up 5 late in the 4th quarter of the Game 2 loss and they lost Game 1 in overtime. In other words, and considering Boston had big leads in each of the games too, the Celtics could easily be up 3-0 in this series. Now that's not to say Miami doesn't deserve to be here because they most certainly do and they have earned their 2-1 series edge. However, my key takeaway from all this is two-fold. One is that the Celtics have confidence from the ability to establish double digit leads in games. Two is that Boston has swung momentum after finally hanging on for a win in Game 3. Another added factor that has me backing the Celtics here is the extra time off. Keep in mind that gave Hayward extra rest as he recovers from injury and having him back and as healthy as he has been in a long time is a big plus for Boston. After losing Game 3 on Saturday you know Miami couldn't wait to get back on the floor. Instead they've had to wait around for extra days due to the scheduling quirk. This favors a Celtics team and head coach Brad Stevens as he was able to make even more adjustments and is generally regarded (and rightfully so) as the best coach in the NBA. I wish the number was a little lower but even at the -3 range the Celtics are the play here for sure as they should take this one by at least half a dozen points. 10* BOSTON

Game of the Year - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #708 Tuesday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (+) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 9 ET - Murray and Jokic combined to hit just 3 of 13 from beyond the arc in Game 2 and yet the Nuggets still should have won the game outright. Denver was outrebounded by a double digit margin Sunday night by the Lakers and yet still should have won the game outright. Only an incredible clutch shot by Anthony Davis bailed out Los Angeles in that one and I am expecting another strong game from a desperate Nuggets team here. Look for Denver to be stronger on the boards here and also hit better from long-range. Additionally, one has to like the fact that the Nuggets had 33 free throw attempts compared to just 19 for the Lakers. I liked the way Denver was aggressive and attacking and resilient as the game went on. They just never gave up and it has been their MO throughout the playoffs and they are showing they are certainly not going to stop now in the Western Conference Finals either...not on your life! There is simply no quit in this resilient Nuggets team and I am expecting their best game of the series tonight. Denver, including regular season and post-season, is 7-3 SU when they enter a game on a SU losing streak of 2 or more games. The 3 losses saw 2 of the defeats come by 5 or less points. The Lakers are favored by 6.5 in this game. I feel the Nuggets have a great shot at the outright upset here and, as you can see from the above, +6.5 in this situation would have netted a 9-1 ATS record in the Nuggets 10 such prior occurrences. Like I said, you are going to see the best of this hungry underdog tonight! 10* DENVER

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #705 Sunday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (+) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 7:30 ET - The Lakers shot 53% from the field, 42.3% from beyond the arc, had 37 free throw attempts...and still only won Game 1 by a dozen points. If I am Los Angeles that is cause for concern. Don't be surprised when the Nuggets get an upset win here in Game 2 but if they do fall short it will be by much less than a dozen points because I don't expect any of those ridiculous stats to be repeated for the Lakers in Game 2. Give me the generous points here in this one as the Nuggets are 3-1 SU the last 4 times they have been off a SU loss and they respond big in this one. Everyone watched the Lakers blast Denver in Game 1 but this line has not moved from the Friday number for a reason. The sharps are on the Nuggets in this one while the public will continue its love affair with the Lakers here. I expect this to cash easily as we grab an angry, hungry, and determined underdog in this one. 10* DENVER

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #703 Saturday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (-) vs Miami Heat @ 8:30 ET - The Celtics have blown huge leads (each were double digit margins) to lose each of the first two games in this series. Certainly credit is owed to Jimmy Butler and the Heat but the Celtics have the best coach, Brad Stevens, in the NBA. Also, Boston's players are fired up and were angry after the game two loss. In that game, after blowing yet another double digit lead, the Celtics battled back to go up by 5 points with about 3 minutes to go in the game. Boston still ended up on the wrong end of the final score and now it is payback time. The only time the Celtics were off back to back losses in this post-season they then blasted the Raptors by 22 points in the next game. Including regular season occurrences too, Boston is 7-2 SU this season when they enter a game off 2 or more consecutive losses. With this line having dropped down from a 3 to a 2.5 there is even more value with taking the Celtics to bounce back large in this game. Look for them to do just that. 10* BOSTON

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #733 Friday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (+) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 9 ET - The Lakers have won 8 of 9 games and all 8 wins have come by 8 or more points. So what did the books use as an opener for this game? 6.5 which of course is already attracting Lakers money. That opening line tells me the book makers (arguably the "sharpest people in the room") like the Nuggets here. Going against the public bettors in typical contrarian fashion here I am with the book makers and on the other side of the public. I am grabbing the Nuggets - currently a +7 as of early Friday morning. Keep in mind the Lakers did lose Game 1 of each of their series OUTRIGHT and I am not saying that will happen here but that is certainly a good sign that Denver could surprise the Lakers a bit in this first game. There could be some rust for Los Angeles too since they have not played since Saturday - a span of nearly a full week. A little rest is good but too much rest is certainly not. As for the Nuggets, they have won 3 straight and 7 of 10 games. Also, in those 10 games only 2 were defeats by more than 6 points. Additionally, Denver has a good cycle of consistently playing without any long layoffs. That is because the Nuggets have seen each of their first two series go 7 games. Everyone continues to doubt Denver but they just beat the Clippers. Yes, the LA team led by Kawhi Leonard who knows a thing or two about winning NBA championships. In other words, give the Nuggets some credit and don't be surprised when they are in this game to the final buzzer. 10* DENVER

Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #731 Tuesday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 6:40 ET - The Celtics are off a 5-point win to close out Toronto but that was preceded by losing 3 of 4 to the Raptors. Also, Boston's win that preceded the tough 1-3 stretch came by just 3 points. The point is that the Celtics have only 1 blowout win in their last 6 games and I like having the value of the couple points here with the rested Heat in this one. I know one could argue that Miami has had too much rest and could be rusty here but I just don't see Jimmy Butler and company staying rusty for more than a few minutes into this game - if even that! The Heat are 8-1 in the playoffs and the lone loss came in overtime! Miami won the one game between these teams in the bubble (August 4th victory) and I look for them to get the upset win in Game One of the Eastern Conference finals as well. Grab the points with the Heat on Tuesday. 10* MIAMI

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #723 Saturday 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (+) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 8 ET - The Rockets lost Game 4 by 10 points and that was with Harden making just 2 of 11 shots from the field! That said, and in a "win or go home" situation for Houston in Game 5, I am looking for an underdog bounce back in this game. After getting the upset win in Game 1, the Rockets have lost 3 straight games but none by more than 10 points. I realize the smallest margin of defeat in this series has been 8 points but if Houston falls short in this one look for it to be by a bucket or two. When the Rockets have entered a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games this season they went 4-2 SU and one of the two losses came by just 5 points which means, at today's number, Houston would be 5-1 ATS in this role. After a disappointing effort in Game 4, look for the Rockets to respond here. Keep in mind, prior to that one, they had won Game 1, led Game 2 going to 4th quarter, and were tied in Game 3 going to 4th quarter. I don't see the Lakers being able to pull away again here against a fired up and determined underdog playing for their playoff lives. 10* HOUSTON

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #718 Friday 10* Top Play Toronto Raptors (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 9 ET - The Raptors have won 3 of the last 4 games but the public doesn't want to hear that. Undoubtedly Toronto is certainly no longer an attractive team to the betting masses as Kawhi Leonard jettisoned to LA to join the Clippers after winning it all with the Raptors. Now the Celtics are the popular choice in the east and have some of the bigger stars that the betting masses tend to fall in love with when the reality is something different. Grit, hard work, determination, momentum...those are some of the key factors that lead to wins in games like this. That said, when Boston was up 2-0 in this series and felt like they could take their foot off the gas they ultimately paid for it by losing 3 of the next 4 games in this series. That has not only, of course, given the Raptors life it has also given them confidence. I expect them to close out a great comeback with yet another win tonight but if they do fall short it will be by the slimmest of margins in my opinion. That said, there is value in having the points on your side in this one. Grab the underdog as the Raptors proved again in Game 6, there is no quit in this team. I really like what I am seeing from this group and expect it continue with a Game 7 win. So, as per usual, I am going contrary to the popular choice, give me the points. 10* TORONTO

Game of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #709 Wednesday 10* Top Play Toronto Raptors (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 6:30 ET - Brad Wanamaker scored 15 points off the bench for the Celtics on Monday. The rest of the Boston bench scored a TOTAL of 3 points! To put that in proper perspective, the Raptors bench scored 44 points in Monday's loss. Yes, the Celtics starers vastly outplayed Toronto's starters in Game 5 but I don't see that happening again here in Game 6. You know the Raptors, whom had won 2 straight before Monday's ugly loss, will respond big. I also certainly don't expect the Celtics to shoot 49.4% from the floor while the Raptors shoot just 38.8% from the floor like we saw in Game 5. Nor do I expect the Celtics to go to the line 27 times while the Raptors get just 13 free throw attempts. Boston is a popular choice in this one but the line move is giving us even more value with the Raptors now getting as much as 3.5 points as of early game day morning. I'll take it! I am expecting a Game 7 to result in this series and if the Raptors do fall short here look for it to be by just a bucket. Grab the points! 10* TORONTO

Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #702 Monday 10* Top Play Toronto Raptors (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 6:30 ET - Sometimes a series can turn on one shot and that is what you're seeing here in this one. When the Raptors got the last second 3 to win Game 3, they took that momentum right into Game 4 and now have won back to back games. Keep in mind, Toronto won 7 of 8 regular season games in the bubble, had won 4 straight regular season games prior to the pandemic-forced shutdown and now have won 6 of 8 playoff games. In other words, this is a Raptors team that has won 17 of its last 20 games. Certainly Boston is a very good team and also has the best coach in the NBA. However, some self-doubt is creeping in as they are not knocking down shots like they had been and the Raptors are the much more confident team right now. That said, I am happy to fade the line move here and grab the couple points now being offered with Toronto. Keep in mind the Raptors also led Game 2 by 8 points heading into the 4th quarter. It is a tight series and I like having the momentum and the points on my side! 10* TORONTO

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #745 Friday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks (-) vs Miami Heat @ 6:30 ET - Now we play the Bucks. After losing Game 1 everyone jumped on Milwaukee in Game 2. I had the Heat as you know. Why? Because I am a contrarian capper by nature and I saw the world jumping on the Bucks so, of course, I was on the other side. Now you have a case where there are finally non-believers about this Milwaukee team and we're seeing a lot more attention on Miami. So what do I do? Pound the Bucks here! After coming so close to a win in Game 2 but ultimately falling just short, Milwaukee puts it all together here and gets a resounding win by a double digit margin. You can almost feel it before it happens and there will just be a special focus from the Bucks (a very talented team of course) in this one after the way the game on Wednesday was decided late in such frustrating fashion for Milwaukee. Now it is payback time. The last 3 times the Bucks entered a game on a losing streak of 2 or more games they are a perfect 3-0 SU and the average margin of those 3 wins was 11.3 points per game with none of the victories coming by less than 7 points. That certainly works for our purposes here! 10* MILWAUKEE

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #729 Wednesday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 6:30 ET - Everyone will be on the Bucks to bounce back here in Game 2. In typical contrarian fashion, I'll be on Miami! The Heat played (and swept) a tough team in round one of the post-season when they knocked off the Pacers. Milwaukee got a "cake walk" match-up with facing the lowly Magic and yet they struggled to pull away from Orlando often in those games. Yes, the Bucks did win 4 straight from the Magic after dropping the opener but I am just talking about the fact that there were long stretches where Milwaukee just looked a bit "out of sorts" in that series. The bad news for Bucks fans is now they are facing a Heat team that is much stronger than the Orlando team they faced in round one. Miami is scrappy and that helped lead the way to a lot of Bucks turnovers in Game 1 and the Heat were active on the offensive glass. Jimmy Butler is a very driven player and is helping lead his teammates to victory. Until (unless?) Giannis Antetokounmpo does the same for the Bucks there is some concern in Milwaukee for sure. Also, the Bucks Eric Bledsoe is dealing with a strained hamstring too and will not be 100 percent even if he plays tonight. As I mentioned in the intro here, the world will be lining up on the Bucks off a loss but there is a reason the odds makers opened up Game 2 with a line of Milwaukee -4. As fully expected, the betting markets feel the odds makers made a mistake and have run this line to a -5 and I would not be surprised to see it go higher as the day goes on but I want to get this play out to all customers early. 10* MIAMI

Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #719 Monday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 6:30 ET - The Heat are well-rested after sweeping the Pacers in the first round. The Bucks did win 4 straight over the Magic after the losing the first game but went stretches where they truly didn't play that well against an Orlando team that they really should have dominated. Keep in mind, Miami faced a much tougher team in the first round than did Milwaukee. The Heat took on an Indiana team that finished 17 games over .500 while the Bucks took on an Orlando team that finished 7 games under .500 in the regular season. Also, Milwaukee seems more distracted by the incidents taking place in Kenosha, WI which makes sense, of course, because that city is practically a suburb of Milwaukee. The Heat didn't have that distraction come up until after they had already finished off the Magic in round one and I like what I am hearing and seeing with the Miami players heading into this first game of the round two series. Combining the factors above with the fact we get a handful of points here and I have no hesitation in grabbing the dog in this one. 10* MIAMI

Game of the Month - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #713 Sunday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (+) vs Utah Jazz @ 8:30 ET - The Nuggets won Game 5 and this followed a Game 4 loss that came by a margin of just 2 points. Denver also could get Gary Harris back for this game. He has worked his way back to be being closer and closer to a return. Now, after some extra time off because of the postponement of games, Harris might actually be ready to see some action here. The return of a starter, though he would likely come off the bench in this one, would be a boost to the Nuggets for sure. Either way, I like Denver in this one as they most certainly have proven they are not going down without a fight in this one. Remember Games 2 and 3 were blowout losses for the Nuggets but they have responded since then for sure. A Game 7 in a first round playoff series would be good for the NBA wouldn't it? Looks like they just might get it with this series. Keep in mind the Nuggets were a 4.5 point favorite in Game 1 of this series which they won in overtime. Now they are a 2.5 point dog in Game 6 of this series. I feel the line value here is clearly with Denver in this spot. The Nuggets, as noted above, got their tails kicked in with the ugly losses in Games 2 and 3 but they have since responded and the hungry dog bites the hardest as they say. Great line value with the underdog in this one especially when you factor in the potential return of Harris. Either way, for me, this is a great situation for backing the dog that is still down 3-2 in this series and welcomed the extra rest. 10* DENVER

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #703 Saturday 10* Oklahoma City Thunder (+) vs Houston Rockets @ 6:30 ET - Now, thanks to the extra time off afforded by the boycotts and resulting postponement of NBA games, Russell Westbrook is expected back for the Rockets for this one. However, he could be on a minutes limitation and also will Houston be able to seamlessly adjust with him back on the floor? Keep in mind, we're still seeing a struggling James Harden from 3-point land as Luguentz Dort continues his strong defensive play on the perimeter for the Thunder. After falling into an 0-2 hole, Oklahoma City changed things up in a bit and went to a smaller lineup at times and it has certainly worked as this series is now tied up at 2 games apiece. Chris Paul and Dennis Schroder, a pair of point guards, have picked up their level of play and the small ball approach has paid dividends for OKC. I am expecting more of the same here in Game 5 and am happy to grab the handful of points being offered. We're getting even more value here now because the markets have reacted to the Westbrook news and have pushed the Houston spread higher. The Rockets continue to jack up a lot of threes and I fully understand that is part of their normal game but with Harden making just 11 of 39 the last three games (thanks in part to Dort covering him in these games) Houston is just a bit "off" right now. Will they be able to easily adjust to Westbrook being back on the floor? I am not so sure about that! This (Rockets being just a bit "off" in recent games) has opened the door for the Thunder to take advantage and they will do so again here. Grab the points! 10* OKLAHOMA CITY

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #714 Tuesday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (+) vs Utah Jazz @ 6:30 ET - The Nuggets had a miracle cover in Game 4 when Murray hit a "meaningless" 3-pointer in the final seconds to get in the backdoor for the cash for Denver backers. From that standpoint, it would seem that Utah would be the play here. After all, the Jazz had no business not winning ATS in Game 4. However, a closer look shows something very different. The Nuggets had 100 shots from the field and shot 49% while the Jazz had just 73 shots from the field and yet Denver did not win that game outright! Are you kidding me? So what happened is that the Jazz hit a ridiculous 14 of 29 three pointers. Also, Utah had 36 free throw attempts compared to just 13 for the Nuggets. These unusually statistical disparities are highly unlikely to repeated here in Game 5 and I am riding with the highly motivated underdog here in Game 5. Not only did Denver come up just short in Game 4, the Nuggets are also highly motivated as this a win or go home game. The Jazz have a 3-1 series lead. Look for that to be a 3-2 lead for Utah after tonight's game goes into the books. 10* DENVER

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #744 Sunday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks (+) vs Los Angeles Clippers @ 3:30 ET - The Mavericks announced that Luka Doncic's MRI showed "nothing alarming" and that he would be a game-time decision. That is another way of saying everything is fine but we just don't to announce it yet so everyone can wonder whether Doncic will play or not. Of course his ankle was hurting him bad after he got hurt and then it stiffens up on you and you can't move well out there on the floor once that happens. But now after receiving treatment ever since, Doncic will be ready to go here I am sure. We have strong big dog value here with the Mavericks in my opinion. The two losses they have had in this series each came by 8 points and that includes Friday's loss which featured a team-record 45 point 2nd quarter from the Clippers. Note that the Mavs beat the Clips by double digits in Game 2. Now, down 2-1 in this series and facing a key Game 4, Dallas is going to battle tooth and nail throughout this contest with Kawhi Leonard and company. That said, if the Mavericks do fall short look for it to be by a margin of only a bucket or two. Grab the big points! 10* DALLAS

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #736 Saturday 10* Top Play Oklahoma City Thunder (+) vs Houston Rockets @ 6 ET - The Thunder got a boost defensively in Game 2 as Dort returned to the lineup. He is the best perimeter defender Oklahoma City has and he was a big part of the reason the Rockets Harden was held to 5 of 16 from the field. Though the Thunder still ultimately lost the game their confidence is up after leading the game going to the 4th quarter. The Thunder had too many turnovers compared to Houston and that cost OKC the game. Oklahoma City is a perfect 5-0 SU the last 5 times they have entered Game 3 of a playoff series down 2 games to none. This is a contrarian play as the line has moved toward the Rockets and I love the Thunder in this spot as they finally put it all together on both ends of the floor after playing much better defense in Game 2. Look for Game 3 to be a complete game for the underdog. 10* OKLAHOMA CITY

Contrarian Crusher – Scott “The Bulldog” Rickenbach NBA Rotation #716 Thursday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks (-) vs Orlando Magic @ 6 ET – It was the first game in a week for Giannis Antetokounmpo on Tuesday (he missed the final game of the regular season after the head butt incident) and, overall, the Bucks looked like the same team that casually went through bubble play as there was no real need to push hard. Now, the push needs to come after they got embarrassed by the Magic and lost by a double-digit margin as a double-digit favorite. While many will look to again grab the big dog here (how can they again be favored by so much after Game 1 played out like it did?) I am on the other side of this game in typical contrarian fashion. Remember last season the Magic beat the Raptors in a Game 1 upset and then proceeded to lose the next 4 and get ousted from the playoffs. I am not saying the same thing happens in this one but I just know the Bucks got their “wake up call” and will be ready to respond in a big way here on Thursday. Look for Milwaukee to be much better on the defensive end and I also do not expect Middleton and Lopez to again combine for 6 for 21 from the field. Off the bench Connaughton and DiVincenzo combined for 2 for 10 from the field. Again, unlikely to be repeated! Giannis Antetokounmpo and his Bucks teammates bring their “A game” to this one and the Magic aren’t going to again hit nearly 50% from the field, 40% from 3-point land, nor 95% from the free throw line. Everything clicked for Orlando in Game 1 but the Bucks give them a dose of reality here and that is why I am more than willing to play the big number for a top play in this one. 10* MILWAUKEE

TNT Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #705 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 6:30 ET - This line makes no sense really except that sentiment is very anti-Sixers right now. The fact is this line is very close to the same it was for Game 1 even though the 76ers led Game 1 outright by 6 points early in the 4th quarter. Additionally, Gordon Hayward (played 34 minutes in Game 1) is now out for the rest of the series with a Grade 3 ankle strain. He'll be replaced by Marcus Smart but that further weakens a Celtics bench that the Sixers Alec Burks outscored all by himself as he had 18 points and the Boston bench had just 8 points in the opener. As much as I don't 100% trust Joel Embiid I do expect him to finish this game much better than he finished the Game 1 match-up as he couldn't get the big buckets when he needed to. The Sixers are desperate to even this series up and the situation is perfect for them to do just that after falling just short in Monday's game and now Hayward being out. The Celtics are short-handed and Philly is hungry and did win 3 of the 4 regular season match-ups between these teams. I'll gladly grab the points here. 10* PHILADELPHIA

TNT Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #772 Tuesday 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (+) vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 6:30 ET - The big story for Game 1 of this series is the Rockets Russell Westbrook not playing. The story that is not getting as much press but is a key factor here is Luguentz Dort not playing. The Thunder guard is earning a reputation as a lockdown defender and did a fantastic job stifling James Harden when these teams met in January. However, he is not going to play in this game and a massive game from Harden can be expected. The Rockets version of small ball is not easy to play against and Oklahoma City head coach Billy Donovan spoke about the length and physicality that Houston plays with even though they are not a big team. Yes the Rockets enter the post-season off 3 straight losses but how motivated were they for those games? Houston did beat the Lakers and the Bucks earlier in bubble action. Also, the Rockets just wrapped up a 72-game season and only twice did they have a 4-game losing streak. I don't see this streak reaching that 4-game mark as you can see Houston having a 4-game losing streak is rare. We are getting some extra value here because the market move is toward OKC in early trading action. In typical contrarian fashion, I am grabbing the value on the other side as Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni (2x NBA Coach of the Year winner) wins the Xs and Os battle in this one. 10* HOUSTON

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #755 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 6:30 ET - The 76ers won 3 of the 4 meetings in the regular season but lost the most recent game after winning the first 3. Philly is also seeking revenge for their 2018 playoff ouster at the hands of the Celtics. That series turned when Boston rallied from a 22 point deficit to win Game 2 and then took Game 3 in an overtime win. Now the Sixers have Al Horford going against his former team and seek payback beginning Monday evening. There is a lot of anti-Sixer sentiment since Ben Simmons was lost to injury but the 76ers have shown signs of playing better since he went out. They raise their game to another level here and possibly shock the Celtics in game one. Look for a tight game here late and if the Sixers fall short I expect it only be by a bucket or two. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #723 Saturday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies (+) vs Portland Trail Blazers @ 2:30 ET - Portland was the much hotter team in the bubble but they certainly haven't looked that impressive recently in terms of blowing teams out. Yes, the Trail Blazers are on a 3-game winning streak but the 3 wins came by a combined total of 7 points! The Blazers barely got by a Brooklyn team that was playing for nothing on Thursday night! Now Portland comes into this game favored by a half-dozen points and I understand that from the standpoint that the Grizzlies have underachieved under the bubble. However, lets not forget that Memphis is the better team on the defensive end and, though just 2-2 in their last 4 games, this a must win game or their season is over. Perhaps the Grizzlies ultimately fall short by a bucket or two but, again, I am happy to take the better defensive team in a game that could turn into more of a "grinder" than most are expecting based on the high total posted on this game. Look for the dog to stay within this number and possibly even spring the upset! Give me the points! 10* MEMPHIS

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #764 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) vs Toronto Raptors @ 6:35 ET - The Raptors are locked into the #2 seed for the post-season and already know they'll be facing the Nets to open up the playoffs. The 76ers are dealing with injury issues and certainly can't afford to lose any more key players. That said, this game is a battle of back-ups. Keep in mind yesterday the 76ers played back-ups against a very hungry Suns team that was highly motivated and undefeated under the bubble. Phoenix finally pulled away in the 4th quarter but the Sixers were down by just 3 points with under 8 minutes to go in that game. Keep in mind, that was a game the Suns had to have while the 76ers were just playing back-ups for the most part. Now today's game is a game of back-ups and Toronto is not motivated. That said, I love the underdog value being offered to Philly in this one. Don't be surprised if they get an upset win but certainly they should manage at least the cover against the Raptors in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #731 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) vs Portland Trail Blazers @ 6:35 ET - As I suspected the 76ers, whom have won 3 straight games SU but had not been covering, finally got their first cover in their most recent game. They played an Orlando team desperate for wins and it did not matter. With Al Horford back in the starting lineup because of Ben Simmons likely being out for the year, the Sixers played loose and relaxed and got the win. Look for a similar result here. Portland is desperate for wins and will be a popular choice here but a lot of pressure is on them to win and they are in a back to back spot. They totally blew their game against the Clippers and LA didn't even play Kawhi Leonard as he was rested. That was inexcusable on the part of the Blazers and now they are in a back to back spot and facing a rested 76ers team that has nothing to lose and is playing winning basketball and I look for them to make it 4 straight SU wins but will gladly grab the points being offered. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #748 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 8 ET - This one is all about the value. Yes, the Sixers lost to the Pacers Saturday but Philly led that game by 10 points with under 9 minutes to go. Now Philadelphia catches the Spurs in the 2nd night of a back to back. Also, the 76ers dominated the glass and outrebounded Indiana by about 20 boards in the defeat but were done in by a late collapse and by being outscored by 15 points from 3-point land. Here is what is most interesting about this spot and is why there is so much value here. The 76ers are favored by nearly the identical spread in this game that they were favored by in the game against the Pacers. Anybody looked at the standings lately? Yes the Spurs are off back to back wins but their record is not even close to the Pacers. Also, San Antonio beat two teams (Kings and Grizzlies) that each have losing records and they barely won each game. Give them credit of course but the point is that they are very over-valued here especially with this being a back to back spot. Look for an angry Sixers team to take out their frustration on a short-handed San Antonio team that will grow weary as this game goes on. Keep in mind the Spurs do not have Aldridge plus Belinelli and Forbes have been banged up. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #732 Sunday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies (-) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 4:05 ET - Memphis is off a tough OT loss to Portland Friday and it was a game that the Grizzlies allowed to get away from them late in regulation. They'll make up for that here. Even though Memphis fell short to the Trail Blazers they did a great job of getting to the free throw line. They simply were outdone from three point land. The difference in 3-point shooting means so much in the NBA game and the Spurs hot hand from beyond the arc certainly played a role in their win over the Kings on Friday. From a situational perspective, this one sets up well with the Grizzlies off a tight loss but against a stronger team (in my opinion) than the Spurs faced. Also, San Antonio pulled away late in that game so don't be fooled by the final score. Again, the 3-point shooting was also a factor and, in other words, I like the "overall game" of the Grizzlies better than the Spurs and barring another unusual 3-point disparity look for Memphis to win this one by double digits. While I respect San Antonio's veteran coach Popovich, Grizzlies young head coach Jenkins has impressed this season and was a Bucks assistant last season (and what season it was!) plus started his career in the San Antonio organization. Jenkins and his Grizzlies have taken 2 of 3 from the Spurs this season and get another one here to solidify their edge over the Spurs in the standings as Memphis looks to pull away from the field battling for the #8 spot out west. Grizzlies respond off loss. 10* MEMPHIS

Game of the Week Eastern Conference - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #723 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Indiana Pacers @ 7 ET - All you hear people talking about with the Sixers entering this NBA restart is how bad their road record was this season. Well guess what folks? This is NOT a road game. Not even close. There is NO TRAVEL between games. You are in a bubble and once you are there you stay there. No catching a flight between games, no changing from one hotel to another, no raucous fans for the opposition. This is a neutral site game with NO TRAVEL involved and there will be no travel throughout the remainder of the NBA season including playoffs. That said, lets now analyze this match-up for the teams involved. What I am hearing is Joel Embiid's calf strain is very minor and I feel they simply gave the big man some extra rest before this NBA restart got underway. The fact is that he has been looking to be in the best shape of his young NBA career as the time off during the sports shutdown really helped him. Another key here in comparing these Sixers to the team we saw pre-shutdown is that Ben Simmons is now back and healthy. That is huge for this team. For the Pacers the news is not so good. Domantas Sabonis, an All-Star, is out for this game. Myles Turner and Victor Oladipo both should play here for Indiana but neither is 100%. So while this line may look a little "off" to many, I absolutely not only see the logic with the line but embrace it. Look for the Sixers to make a HUGE statement in this opening game as they are sick of hearing about not winning away from Philly and they are the healthier and more talented team in this match-up and that will show today. 10* PHILADELPHIA

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #712 Friday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks (-) vs Boston Celtics @ 6:30 ET - The Bucks have two objectives here in the "regular season" portion of the NBA restart. #1 is to stay healthy and #2 is to lock up the top seed in the East. They are close to meeting that 2nd objective but they can't do it without risking the 1st one. In other words, I don't foresee the Bucks holding back until they've locked in that #1 seed and they are fired up and ready to go here. They were not happy with their performance in the scrimmage against the Pelicans earlier this week as they lost big. Yes it was only a scrimmage but they're also letting it serve as a "wake up call" and you'll see them play much better basketball here in this one now that it is time for games that count. The Celtics can't catch the Bucks for the top spot but the Raptors can. Even as unlikely as it is that Toronto would catch the Bucks for the top spot, until they've nailed it down, Milwaukee will give top effort. That is bad news for an outclassed Boston team. Yes the Celtics are well-coached and are a quality team but they are certainly not at the same level as the Bucks. What I also like about Milwaukee here is that they lost their final 3 games before the unexpected and sudden NBA shutdown. The Bucks have had plenty of time to think about their 3-game losing streak and how they will need to prove again that they can win again away from Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. With all of the above factored into this one, I feel we have great line value with a determined Bucks team laying a short number and, though this is my only NBA play Friday, it has easily earned top play status! 10* MILWAUKEE

Game of the  Month - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #701 Thursday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz (+) vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 6:30 ET - I am wasting no time in coming out with a big play to open up the NBA restart in Orlando but it comes with plenty of good reason. This line opened up in Vegas with the Jazz originally as a 1.5 point favorite but the line flipped and New Orleans is now up to a -2.5 choice as of Tuesday morning. Zion Williamson is back inside the NBA bubble in Orlando and is expected to be able to practice Wednesday. However, he has been away from the team for some time now and how effective (and how long) will he even be able to play in Thursday's opener. This is a very short turnaround for him. I am well aware of the fact of how important this game is for the Pelicans. However, this early line move is telling me people are overlooking the fact that the Jazz have 41 wins on the season and are the #4 seed currently in the West but have 3 teams with 40 wins hot on their tails. Do you really think Utah wants to possibly drop to the #7 seed which would lead to a match-up against a #2 seed to open up the playoffs in a couple weeks from now? That would likely mean a date with Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers. The Jazz absolutely do not want that to happen. In other words they are more motivated here than many realize and they're also hungry to let their play on the court do the talking to put an end to all chatter about the Donovan Mitchell - Rudy Gobert highly publicized "internal conflict" back in the spring at the time the entire pandemic and NBA shutdown started. The Pelicans won 10 of 19 games that Zion played in but there are a lot of question marks about him leading into this game. Additionally, the Jazz (even though without Bojan Bogdanovic) have a quality team. Bogdanovic averaged just 16 points and shot just 40% from the field over the last 10 games. Utah will be just fine without him here and this is a Jazz team that is 18 games over .500 for a reason! They lost their final game before the shutdown but that was preceded by a 5-game winning streak and the Jazz get right back to their winning ways immediately here to get the restart off to a strong start. 10* UTAH

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #550 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - The Pistons have been more competitive of late but they are still losing and, in this case, are in the wrong place at the wrong time. This one has blowout written all over it. Detroit is visiting Philly and the Sixers are at home off a loss and playing their one and only game in a span of a week. Between the 7th and the 14th this is the 76ers only game and they have had a chance to get healthier with the time off. Joel Embiid might be back for this one and Josh Richardson has been upgraded to probable. If both Embiid and Richardson play then Philadelphia will be fully healthy expect for Ben Simmons. That said, they won't show any mercy on a Pistons team they routinely dominate. The Sixers are 28-2 SU at home this season and they are 9-1 both SU and ATS in their last 10 games against the Pistons. In other words, the odds favor that any 76ers SU win is also likely to translate to an ATS cover! Detroit is an ugly 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games against an Eastern Conference foe. In February there were 3 occurrences in which the Sixers were at home off a loss. They went a perfect 3-0 SU and ATS in that situation and do it again in their first such situation in the month of March. Blowout time. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #530 Tuesday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 7:05 ET - I am aware that the Pacers have some injury issues but the Celtics haven't exactly been 100% healthy either. Even guys that are playing are being limited somewhat. That said, I am going contrarian here (as usual) and fading this big move toward Boston. The line opened up around a pick'em but now the Celtics are all the way up to a 3-point favorite. Keep in mind, even as they have dealt with injury issues, the Pacers have been hot and have won 8 of their past 10 games. Boston, on the other hand, has lost 4 of its last 5 games. Also, after tonight's game, Indiana has only one game between now and the 18th. They can go all out here considering the situation and the Pacers still remember getting knocked out of the playoffs by the Celtics in April. Yes, Indiana already got some measure of revenge with beating Boston here in Indiana 3 months ago but, suffice to say, seeing the Celtics come to town brings out a little extra intensity from the Pacers. This is the team that ended their season last year. This is a key battle in the Eastern Conference playoff position standings and I am riding with the under-valued home underdog in this one. 10* INDIANA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #506 Sunday 10* Top Play Minnesota Timberwolves (+) vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 3:35 ET - Of course many are backing the Pelicans here as they have revenge against the Timberwolves from the recent upset loss in New Orleans. That is why this line has risen from a 5.5 to a 7 as of early Sunday morning. In typical contrarian fashion, I am on the other side of the move. Minnesota is playing without pressure and looking to play the role of spoiler. The Wolves know they aren't going to the playoffs but if they can help further diminish an opponents chances they'll gladly do it. It is the Pelicans feeling all the pressure here and they had lost 3 straight games prior to beating the Heat on Friday. That said, I like the value here with the big home dog as Minnesota is hungry to redeem themselves following an embarrassing loss by 14 points against Orlando on Friday. That game followed back to back wins for the Timberwolves and they had been playing more competitive too with wins in 2 of their last 3 road games. So with this game at home and off a loss where they didn't show up at all on the defensive end, the Wolves come up with a much better effort in hopes of continuing to further spoil the New Orleans fading playoff hopes. If Minny does fall short here I expect it to be by only a bucket or two. In other words, great line value here for the home dog. 10* MINNESOTA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #566 Saturday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (+) vs Utah Jazz @ 7:05 ET - This one is all about the situational value. The Jazz are off hard-fought win at Boston last night where they held the Celtics to just 94 points. Utah is 8-9 SU in their last 17 games and 5 of those 8 wins have been by 8 or less points. In fact 4 of them were by 5 or less points. Ton of value with scrappy Detroit as a home dog. The Pistons, unlike the Jazz, are rested here as they have been off since Wednesday. 6 of Detroit's last 9 losses have been by 7 or less points. With the rest edge and the situational edge, the home dog value here with the Pistons is far too much to pass up. They also have a 3-game road trip on deck so they want to make the most of this opportunity on their home floor. 10* DETROIT

TNT Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #537 Thursday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Clippers (+) @ Houston Rockets @ 8:05 ET - The Clippers have won 5 straight games. They had one "slip up" in the streak where they allowed 130 points to a wounded Sixers team. Other than that, the Clips allowed an average of only 96.5 points per game in the other 4 victories. The Rockets truly can only dream of defensive efforts like that. Houston has allowed 120.5 points per game in their last 17 games and that does not include the OT points allowed in their recent win at Boston. The Rockets will face a bound and determined Clippers team here as Houston has taken 2 of the 3 meetings this season including the most recent one at Los Angeles. It is payback time here. The road team has covered 4 of the last 5 meetings and that trend continues here as the Clips take their winning streak to 6 games with a big effort on both ends of the floor in this one. 10* LA CLIPPERS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #518 Wednesday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 7:05 ET - The Cavaliers are off 3 consecutive losses but come into this game rested and expected to be much healthier for this game than they were against the Jazz on Monday. While Cleveland is rested and getting healthier, the Celtics are banged up and in a tough back to back situation. Boston blew a huge 4th quarter lead at home against Brooklyn last night and then lost in OT. That is a very deflating loss and Kemba Walker did play last night but won't make this trip to Cleveland. Also, the Celtics Marcus Smart might be facing a suspension after getting into it with the officials! Boston is expected to be without Jayson Tatum tonight too plus both Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward seemed to be less than 100% as they were dealing with nagging injuries as last night's game got away from the Celtics. With the Cavs getting healthier and having won 4 of 5 before dropping 3 in a row, this is the perfect spot for them to get back on track on their home floor. 10* CLEVELAND

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #582 Monday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) vs Utah Jazz @ 7:05 ET - The Cavaliers are off consecutive losses but it was a back to back situation. Cleveland was competitive in both games and continues to play much better overall. The back to back losses were preceded by winning 4 of 5 games including defeating both the Heat and the 76ers. Since they added Andre Drummond, the Cavs are a different team. Now, after a day off following the consecutive defeats plus the fact they are on their home floor, the Cavaliers will give the Jazz all they can handle in this one. The line opened up at a 7.5 but has risen to an 8.5 and this is giving us great line value with the home dog. The Jazz are off a win but that was preceded by 4 straight losses. Also, all those games were at home where Utah is known for being a stronger team. In other words, now that the Jazz are taking to the road the recent slump is likely to continue. I am not saying Utah loses this game outright (although there is a decent chance of that) but I am saying that Cleveland is going to keep this game much closer than many are expecting. The markets haven't adjusted properly yet to the fact that the Cavaliers are playing better basketball of late and I am going to fade a large road favorite here that has lost 4 of its last 5 games. 10* CLEVELAND

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #569 Sunday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (+) @ Sacramento Kings @ 6:05 ET - The Pistons will build off Friday's win at Phoenix. While it is true that Detroit is only 3-8 SU their last 11 games, 4 of their last 7 losses have come by 7 or less points. The Kings are over-valued here. Sacramento is 4-3 SU in their last 7 games but 2 of the 4 wins came by 4 or less points. Only 1 of those 4 wins came by a double digit margin and I look for the Pistons to be in this one all the way. The Kings just got back home from a 4-game road trip that wrapped up in Memphis on Friday. The first game back home after a lengthy road trip is often the toughest and the odds makers opened this game up at a 6.5 for a reason. In typical contrarian fashion, I am grabbing the line value here on the other side of the line move. The Kings are 2-6 ATS (and 1-7 SU) when off a road win by 3 or less points. After sneaking by the Grizzlies by 3 points on the road Friday, Sacramento falls flat here. 10* DETROIT

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #528 Friday 10* Top Play Orlando Magic (-) vs Minnesota Timberwolves @ 7:05 ET - This line opened up at a -9 but has dropped to a -7.5 as of early Friday morning. Just because the Timberwolves are off a big upset win at Miami Tuesday does not mean they are deserving of this type of respect. The Wolves entered that game having lost 18 of 19 games! That included Minnesota having lost 5 straight games prior to beating the Heat and 4 of those 5 losses came by a double digit margin. Orlando is hanging onto the #8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race and the Magic have been rejuvenated by winning 4 of their past 5 games. Orlando is 10-1 SU in their last 11 home games versus the T-wolves. Also, the Magic have covered 7 of the last 10 meetings. We're getting some extra value here because of Minnesota being off a rare win. This one has home blowout written all over it as I look for the home team to D up strong in this one and defense is something the Wolves certainly don't play much of. That will be the difference in this game. 10* ORLANDO

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #520 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs New York Knicks @ 7:05 ET - I am well aware of the injury situation for the Sixers. I faded them last night with Cleveland partially because Ben Simmons was out but also because the Cavaliers have been hot since they made some roster moves. The 76ers then proceeded to lose Joel Embiid to injury in that game. So they are really hurting now but they are also back home where they are 27-2 this season. Also, instead of facing a surging Cavs team they are facing a slumping New York team. The Knicks have lost 5 straight games and, just like Philly, New York is in the 2nd night of a back to back here. The Knicks last 6 losses have come by an average margin of 11.5 points per game and I am projecting a double digit loss here for New York. The 76ers last 7 wins have all come by 7 or more points and this line has plummeted to as low as a -6 as of early this morning after opening up at -8 this morning after the injury news was ALREADY out about Embiid. I feel we're getting solid value with a Sixers team that is angry off a loss and will have other players step up at home in this one to make up for the injury absences. Philly has 2 days off after this game and then will be on a West Coast road trip. The 76ers aren't going to be denied tonight at home given this situation. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #502 Tuesday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:05 ET - The Cavaliers made some recent roster moves and it is already paying dividends. Though they are building for the future, there is a renewed enthusiasm in Cleveland and it is translating to much better play on the floor. The Cavs have won 3 of their last 4 games both SU and ATS. The Cavaliers have struggled against the 76ers this season and the most recent loss is one a team doesn't forget. Despite having 6 more shot attempts from the field, Cleveland lost by 47 points in their most recent game against the Sixers! That was in Philadelphia and now the 76ers come to Cleveland and they'll be without Ben Simmons. That is a big loss for them and this is a Philly team that is an ugly 9-20 SU and ATS in road games this season. The Cavaliers have won their last two home games and that including defeating a solid Miami team Monday. Don't be surprised if the Cavs come up with another home dog upset here but I am grabbing the points for added insurance. 10* CLEVELAND

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #577 Tuesday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks (-) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:35 ET - This line has gone from a -3 down to as low as a pick'em. I am well aware of the fact that the Bucks are in a back to back spot and their win at Washington last night came in overtime! However, no one on Milwaukee played more than 33 minutes except Middleton. That said, the Bucks are in better shape from a rest standpoint than would normally be the case in a situation like this. Also, Milwaukee is a perfect 7-0 SU this season when playing the second game of a back to back. Additionally, the Bucks are 16-0 SU this season in road games with a posted total of 230 or more. The biggest key of all for this game, in my opinion, is that this is where Milwaukee's season ended last year in May. The Bucks were ousted from the playoffs in Toronto last season. Though they got some measure of revenge with a win at home earlier this season, they still want to get revenge on the very floor where their season ended last year. In other words, a road rout likely in this one. Adding to the odds that one will occur is the fact that the Raptors are a little banged up right now. Gasol and Powell are out and McCaw is questionable for tonight's game. 10* MILWAUKEE

Early Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #566 Monday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets (-) vs Orlando Magic @ 7:35 ET - This is a case of two teams trending opposite directions and I expect it to continue here. Brooklyn has won 8 of its past 12 games while the Magic have lost 11 of their past 15 games. Also, the Nets have revenge from a loss at Orlando in their only prior meeting this season. That one took place last month and Brooklyn had 21 more attempts from beyond the arc in that game but shot a horrible 21% from 3-point land. That was the difference in the game as the Nets lost by a double digit margin. Much has changed since then and the Nets are playing with a lot more confidence of late. Brooklyn is a perfect 5-0 SU and ATS in its last 5 home games. Orlando is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 road games. Overall, the Magic are on a 3-12 ATS run their last 15 games. Lay the small number with the surging Nets in this one as Orlando's free-fall continues. 10* BROOKLYN

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #553 Sunday 10* Top Play Washington Wizards (+) @ Chicago Bulls @ 7:05 ET - I know the Wizards road record is ugly this season but, overall, Washington had been playing better ball before their home loss to Cleveland Friday. Keep in mind, that was a rejuvenated and strengthened Cavaliers team which the Wizards faced on Friday. Now look for the Wizards, whom had won 5 of 7 games prior to losing to the Cavs, to now take advantage of a struggling and hurting Chicago team. The Bulls lost at home to Phoenix last night. They are dealing with a lot of injury issues and now in a back to back spot plus overall Chicago was already struggling badly. The Bulls have now lost 8 straight games. Chicago has won 4 of the last 5 meetings between these teams so the Wizards, also still alive in the playoff race, have plenty of motivation here. Washington has lost their last two visits here. Now it is payback time. Look for the Wizards send the Bulls to their 9th straight loss. 10* WASHINGTON

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #533 Saturday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets (-) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - The Hornets have won 3 straight games but they faced 3 poor teams. Charlotte's 3-game win streak has featured wins over Detroit, Minnesota, and Chicago. Prior to this run over poor teams, the Hornets had lost 5 straight games (SU and ATS). Now Charlotte is hosting a Nets team seeking revenge for a loss in Brooklyn when these teams most recently met. Brooklyn is currently seeded 7th in the East and is hell-bent on making the playoffs this season. They are off a loss by 8 points at Philadelphia Thursday but that game actually went to OT and the Nets played very well against the 76ers. They now know Kyrie Irving is out for the season and can focus on getting the job done with the players on hand. Look for Brooklyn to resume the winning here at Charlotte. The Nets had won 6 of 8 games prior to the loss to the Sixers. Unlike the Hornets, Brooklyn's most recent wins included tougher teams like Toronto and Indiana. Grab the value here with the Nets, courtesy of being on the road, installed as a very short favorite here. 10* BROOKLYN

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #513 Friday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - Wizards coach Scott Brooks commented on the solid guard play of the Cavaliers. Keep in mind this is a team that also has Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson in the front court plus the recently acquired Andre Drummond. Love missed the Cavs most recent game but is expected back tonight and this team is looking much better than their record. Look for the coaching change that took place during the All Star break to pay immediate dividends for Cleveland. I know Washington has been winning some games and is still alive in the playoff race but there is renewed enthusiasm with the Cavaliers. The Cavs got a dominating win over Atlanta just before the All Star break and I would not be surprised to see another big win here. That said, I am certainly happy to grab the half dozen points being offered. The Wizards have been playing a little better of late but they are still a tough team to trust as their defense often leaves a lot to be desired! The road team has won and covered both meetings between these teams this season and I look for that trend to continue here. 10* CLEVELAND

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #525 Thursday 10* Top Play Oklahoma City Thunder (+) @ New Orleans Pelicans @ 8:05 ET - The Thunder are off back to back home losses. That is a situation that has seen them go 6-2 SU in recent seasons. This season Oklahoma City is 8-3 SU when off a home loss so the loss to the Spurs (after falling just a point short against the Celtics) was a rarity in and of itself. The Thunder simply had a bad night offensively (except for Chris Paul) against San Antonio. I look for Oklahoma City to respond in a huge way tonight. They are an incredible 20-5 ATS in road games this season. The Thunder are a fantastic 24-5 SU this season in games against teams with a losing record. I know that New Orleans has been playing a bit better of late but Brandon Ingram is still questionable with an ankle injury and, even if he plays, won't be 100% here. The Pelicans have survived without him recently but that will be tougher tonight if he is out or limited as Oklahoma City comes in angry off back to back losses and is already 3-0 this season against New Orleans. The Pelicans are off a high-scoring win but are 1-4 SU this season when off a game in which they scored 130 points or more. The Thunder are the better team defensively and New Orleans is 10-20 SU after a game in which they allowed 115 points or more. Also, even though they are playing with revenge, the Pelicans are 11-24 SU this season when playing with revenge. 10* OKLAHOMA CITY

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #505 Wednesday 10* Top Play Washington Wizards (+) @ New York Knicks @ 7:35 ET - I know the Wizards are in a back to back spot but, in typical contrarian fashion, that is the team I am backing here. The fact is Washington has been building up momentum with wins in 4 of its last 6 games. They are still very much alive in the playoff race for the #8 spot in the east. Also, they are 2-0 SU the last two times they have played the 2nd night of a back to back. The Knicks are off a double OT loss Sunday so they come into this one as the more rested team. Also, New York had won 4 straight games before that loss. However, the problem with the Knicks is they are mired in turmoil right now about their head coach. That is doing nothing to help the confidence of the team or how they will play for their current coach. Additionally, an illness bug is going around the New York locker-room right now. Also, even though this is a back to back for Washington, these teams have the long All-Star break on deck after this game. In other words, the Wizards aren't going to play any less harder just because this is a back to back. Also, Washington has been using plenty of bench minutes and essentially running with a 10 man rotation. The Wizards had 10 players who all played at least 16 minutes last night. That certainly helps the fatigue factor as well as none of the starters saw truly heavy minutes. I am going to ride the hot team with the more stable coaching situation as they continue to close the gap on the #8 seed in the playoff race and I am happy to have the points here as the Knicks recent wins have all been tight. The Wizards have won 10 of their last 11 visits to New York and  that strong trend continues here. 10* WASHINGTON