Rickenbach NBA Game #504 Saturday 8* Indiana Pacers (-) vs Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - The Magic, though off of a home loss as a favorite, have been playing much better overall. However, Orlando is in the wrong place at the wrong time here. Indiana is at home and angry after a loss to Cleveland last night. The Pacers are 9-1 SU and ATS in their last 10 games versus the Magic and Indiana's last 6 wins have come by an average margin of 12.8 points per game with not a single victory by less than 8 points. With that said, I'll gladly lay the half-dozen points here. The Magic are on a 6-22 SU run and 8-20 ATS run in Saturday games. Orlando is also 0-4 SU and 1-3 ATS when off of an upset loss as a favorite. The Pacers are 13-7 ATS as a favorite this season and 12-6 ATS when facing a team that allows 106 points or more per game. 8* INDIANA

Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #815 Friday 10* OVER the total in San Antonio Spurs vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 8:35 ET - The last two meetings between these teams averaged 216 points and I expect another free-flowing affair here. The Spurs have scored 100 points or more in 12 of their last 17 games. The Sixers have scored 100 points or more in 11 of their last 12 games. This total has dropped from an early opener of 205.5 all the way down to a 200 and with odds truly favoring each team getting to the century mark here I like my chances with the over. The 76ers were off yesterday and also are off tomorrow. That helps insure plenty of minutes from key personnel. Also, the Spurs without Kawhi Leonard means a key defender is not on the floor. Looking at the last 3 match-ups between these teams you're talking, of course, about 6 halves of basketball. 5 of the 6 halves have totaled over 100 points! Again, just another proving point here about the value of the over in this one based on the low total. This one should easily get past 200 and, in the process, the over goes to 6-1 this season when Philadelphia faces a team from the Southwest Division. 10* OVER the total in San Antonio

Rickenbach NBA Game #814 Friday 8* Chicago Bulls (-) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 8:05 ET - The Lakers have won 3 straight games but all of those victories came in Los Angeles. Now LA is back on the road where they've lost 5 of their last 6. All 5 of those defeats came by at least 6 points and I like the hungry home team here to get the win and cover. Chicago is coming off of a disappointing road effort at Philly and should bounce right back here after back to back losses at New Orleans and Philadelphia to wrap up a 3-game road trip. That road trip began with a double digit win for the Bulls at Atlanta and that brought Chicago to 4-1 SU in their last 5 games. Also, prior to the loss to the Sixers, Chicago had covered 6 straight games. The Bulls are happy to be back home and have covered 10 of their last 13 games at the United Center. When off of a loss by 10 points or more, the Bulls are on an 8-3 ATS run. Also, Chicago is 5-2 ATS as a favorite this season. The Bulls are 7-2 ATS in Friday games this season. The Lakers are 9-22 SU (and 11-20 ATS) when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games at home. Los Angeles may be making improvements but don't lose sight of the fact that the Lakers are on a 20-83 SU run in road games including losing 15 of 21 this season. 8* CHICAGO

Rickenbach NBA Game #801 Friday 8* Atlanta Hawks (+) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - The Hornets recently lost a heartbreaker at home by a single point to the Heat. They have a shot at revenge tomorrow at Miami and, as a result, may not be giving the 14-33 Hawks their full attention. Atlanta will certainly be fully focused here as they lost by 18 points at Charlotte earliest this season and also are entering this game off of a home loss to Toronto. Prior to falling short versus the Raptors, the Hawks had won 4 of their last 6 SU and 5 of their last 7 ATS. Atlanta is 14-8 ATS when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games at home. The Hornets enter this game having failed to cover 3 straight games and they are 17-26 ATS when they enter a game off of an upset loss as a favorite. Charlotte also is only 4-9 SU in Friday games this season and the Hawks plus the big points are the way to go here. 8* ATLANTA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Thursday 8* OVER the total in Miami Heat vs Sacramento Kings @ 7:35 ET - The Kings are off of a rare SU win and that is noteworthy as the over is a perfect 3-0 the last 3 times they were off of a SU win. The over is a also a perfect 5-0 the last 5 times these teams have met. So we have double perfect angles here combining for an 8-0 run and I am happy to test that here. The Heat are off of a SU loss and will take advantage of facing a lesser foe. Sacramento has been trending under recently in road games but off of that rare SU win and playing with a little extra confidence in the offensive end, the Kings should put up good numbers again tonight. Sacramento has averaged 104 points per game their last 4 games. More of the same here. 8* OVER the total in Miami

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Wednesday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls (+) @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:05 ET - The Bulls full season record does not look good but they have gone 15-9 SU the past month and a half. Also, Chicago enters this game having gone 20-5 ATS their last 25 games. The Bulls are off of a loss but have gone 8-3 ATS this season when off of a game where they scored 115 points or more. Chicago also has fared very well versus the 76ers in recent years and that includes a 4-0 SU mark in their last 4 visits to Philadelphia. Though the Sixers have also been playing well, they are without JJ Redick and TJ McConnell for this one plus Jerryd Bayless is listed as questionable. The short-handed rotation also has a big road trip on deck featuring 4 games in 6 days. The Sixers take on a Bulls team missing just one player, Kris Dunn, for this one. Chicago has covered 6 straight games and catch Philly off of an upset loss. While that may seem like a good spot to back the 76ers, Philadelphia is actually an ugly 1-8 ATS (2-7 SU) this season when off of an upset loss as a favorite. The Bulls are an incredible 11-2 ATS in their last 13 road games and get the job done again here. 10* CHICAGO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA 8* Sacramento Kings (+) @ Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - Orlando is off of a huge upset win at Boston Sunday. Now they host a poor Kings team which makes this the perfect spot to expect a letdown. It is hard to imagine the Magic being very hyped up for this game and their win over the Celtics was only the 3rd time in their last 34 games that they have won a game by more than 6 points. In other words, the odds of a big win and cover for Orlando are quite slim here. I know the Kings have underachieved and may seem like a tough team to back but, keep in mind, the Magic are 2-6 ATS when off of an upset win as an underdog. Also, the big key is Orlando is 2-12 ATS when facing a team with a losing record this season. As you can see, the Magic are already known for underestimating opponents with poor records. That said, off of an exciting win and with another Eastern Conference opponent (the Pacers) on deck, Orlando looks right past Sacramento tonight. The Kings are 15-10 ATS (and a surprising 14-11 SU) in Tuesday games the past 2+ seasons combined. They may not get the outright win here but they at least get the cover in this perfect spot for an upset! 8* SACRAMENTO

Top Play Total - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Monday 10* OVER the total in Charlotte Hornets vs Sacramento Kings @ 7:05 ET - The Hornets are 3-0 to the over in their last 3 games. Charlotte has averaged 118.7 points per game in these 3 games while allowing 107.3 points during this stretch. The struggling Kings enter this game on a 7-game losing streak. Sacramento has allowed 110.6 points per game in these 7 losses but the Kings have scored 105 points or more in 3 of their last 5 games. Though Sacramento is averaging only 97.7 points per game on the season, the Hornets are 4-0 to the over this season in games against teams averaging 98 points or less per game. The Kings are a long-term 76-53 to the over in games against Southeast Division opponents. Overall, 4 of the last 5 meetings between these teams have gone over the total. Also, the over is 9-4 the last 13 times these teams have met in Charlotte. The Hornets are coming off of a loss and will push the pace here as they seek the blowout win. Couple that with their recent hot shooting stretch and you can expect this one to easily eclipse the number. 10* OVER the total in Charlotte

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #802 Sunday 8* Boston Celtics (-) vs Orlando Magic @ 1:05 ET - The Celtics are playing their final home game before embarking on a 4-game West Coast road trip. Boston is off of rare back to back home losses as they just didn't seem to recover after the trip across the pond to London where they defeated the division rival Sixers. Boston now hosts an Orlando team that was down huge at Cleveland Thursday but then rallied late in the 1-point loss. That is offering some line value here because, simply put, the Magic are not a very good team. The Celtics, off of an upset loss as a favorite, will respond big here against Orlando. 4 of the last 5 times they've faced the Magic they've won by 15 points or more including a pair of blowout wins by 30 points. At home, Boston is an incredible 35-12 ATS versus Orlando! The Magic are only 11-19 ATS when playing with revenge this season. Overall, the Magic are 2-6 ATS in divisional games. The Celtics are 6-2 ATS this season when off of an upset loss as a favorite. Boston is also 37-22 ATS long-term against Southeast Division opponents. The Celtics roll here and cover the big number as they need a home win here as this will be their last time playing as a host until the final day of January. 8* BOSTON

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Saturday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls (+) @ Atlanta Hawks @ 5:05 ET - When something looks too easy it usually is anything but that. This is a prime example of that as Atlanta opened up at a pick'em at home and is now a 2-point favorite as people jump on board to fade a Chicago team that is just 6-16 SU on the road. The key to the value here is the Bulls have been red hot but yet are off of a SU loss. Chicago fell short against the defending champion Warriors Wednesday but the Bulls did the cover. It is now a perfect 4-0 ATS run for Chicago. Speaking of perfect runs, the Bulls are also 9-0 ATS this season in games against Southeast Division opponents. The Hawks are an ugly 1-7 SU against Southeast Division foes. While the Bulls are hungry off of a loss, Atlanta is off of back to back wins and feeling a little too good about themselves. This is the type of game where upsets happen and lets not forget that the Hawks had lost 5 of 6 before notching those back to back victories. The Bulls have had some recent success versus the Hawks as a host but they've fallen short in recent visits to Atlanta so there is plenty of motivation for Chicago here. The Hawks are an ugly 2-6 SU when off of an upset win as an underdog. The double perfect edges for the Bulls, noted above, combine for a 13-0 ATS mark. 10* CHICAGO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Cleveland Cavaliers vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 3:35 ET - Cleveland finally hung on for a win Thursday versus Orlando. Though the victory only came by a single point, it at least gets the Cavs pointed back in the right direction. However, their defense continues to be sub-par and they now take on a Thunder team that has won 3 straight games and is playing with a ton of confidence. Also, you know Russell Westbrook and company are going to be up for this game against LeBron James and company in Cleveland! OKC wants this and I expect a very up-tempo game to result. The Cavaliers are 13-5 to the over in home games with a posted total of 220 points or more. Also, when Cleveland enters a game on an under streak of 3 or more games, the over has gone 11-6. Don't let the big number on this game fool you. The odds makes have it right. Westbrook and James (among others) put on quite a show here in an attempt to outdo each other! 8* OVER the total in Cleveland

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Game #803 Friday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (-) @ Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 - The Heat are seeking revenge here for an embarrassing home loss to the Nets just 3 weeks ago. Miami was blown out by 24 in that ugly defeat versus Brooklyn and payback is on order here. Prior to that loss the Heat were 7-1 SU and ATS in their last 8 meetings with the Nets so they've certainly had their number. Also, Miami is 15-5 SU their last 20 games while Brooklyn has lost 14 of their last 19 games so you can clearly see this is a case of two teams going opposite directions. Also, the Nets have been held under 42.5% from the field in 6 of their last 7 games while the Heat have shot at least 46% from the field in 7 of their last 9 games. Miami is on an incredible 30-13 ATS run when playing with home loss revenge. Also, the Heat are 15-3 SU when facing a team with a losing record. That is a key here as this line is very small so there is a high percentage chance that any SU win is also an ATS win in this one! The Nets are 25-40 ATS when they enter a game on a SU losing streak of 3 or more games. Brooklyn is also on an ugly 23-86 SU run in games against teams with a winning record. 10* MIAMI

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Cavaliers vs Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - The Magic come into this game off of an outright win as a home dog to the Timberwolves Tuesday. Orlando has gone 5-2 to the over this season when off of a upset win as an underdog. Also, the Magic are 6-2 to the over in games with a posted total of 220 points or more. The past 3 seasons combined, Orlando is 8-3 to the over in road games with a posted total of 220 points or more. The Cavaliers have been slumping but most of the losing has been coming on the road. Yes, they did lose their most recent home game but that was to the World Champion Warriors Monday and the Cavs had previously won 13 straight home games. Even with that loss, in their last 6 home games Cleveland has averaged 117.2 points per game! They'll be ready for a blowout home win here and are catching the Magic at the right time off of their upset win of Minnesota. However, I wouldn't be surprised to see Orlando lose this one by about 10 points (right at the line) which is why the big value is with the over. That's because the angry Cavaliers won't take their foot off of the gas in this one. Cleveland did lose at home to the Magic earlier this season. While the Cavs did get some revenge with a win at Orlando earlier this month, they still want to make a statement here at home. The result should be an easy over. The Cavaliers are 13-4 to the over in home games with a posted total of 220 points or more. The Cavs are also 30-12 to the over when they allowed 115 points or more in their prior game and also 10-2 to the over when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 games or more. 10* OVER the total in Cleveland

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #709 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Milwaukee Bucks vs Miami Heat @ 8:05 ET - This is a revenge game for the Bucks as they had a horrible shooting night and were held to just 79 points in a loss at Miami Sunday. After that fluke performance, look for Milwaukee to put up a ton of points Wednesday at home. The problem for the Bucks though is that they certainly aren't known for their defensive prowess and they'll have their hands full trying to stop the Heat tonight. Miami is hungry to bounce back off of a loss Monday at Chicago which snapped their 7-game winning streak. The Heat have been shooting the ball very well and have averaged 106.3 points per game in their last 8 games. Milwaukee has averaged 109.2 points per game in their last 13 home games. The Bucks are 5-2 to the over this season when off of an upset win as an underdog and they are also 16-8 to the over this season when playing with revenge. Miami enters this game on a 6-2 run to the over. 10* OVER the total in Milwaukee

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Wednesday 8* Washington Wizards (+) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - I like catching the Wizards beginning a 5-game road trip and focusing on this as a chance to bounce back after a loss on Monday. I like fading the Hornets as they "let up" here knowing that this is the beginning of a 5-game homestand. Charlotte could get caught feeling a little too good about themselves after their big win Monday. The Hornets are 3-8 SU this season when off of a win by a double digit margin. Charlotte has lost 3 of 4 this season when off of an upset win as an underdog. The Wizards are 11-3 ATS as an underdog this season but one of those losses was a 5-point defeat at Charlotte in their only match-up with the Hornets so far this season. Time for payback here. 8* WASHINGTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Orlando Magic vs Minnesota Timberwolves @ 7:05 ET - Orlando has allowed 53.5% shooting from the field in their last 4 games. On the season the Magic allow 111 points per game. The over is a perfect 3-0 in the last 3 meetings between these teams and the Timberwolves come into this game averaging 117 points per game in their last 5 games. Minnesota has shot 51% from the field in their last 5 games. This is simply the perfect situation for an offensive eruption for the T-wolves considering their hot shooting and Orlando's poor efforts on the defensive end. The real key to the value here is that the Magic also have shot 50% or better in 2 of their last 3 home games and also shot 50.5% from the field in their high-scoring loss at Minnesota earlier this season. I look for more of the same in the rematch here in Florida. The Timberwolves are 7-2 to the over this season when off of a divisional game and Minnesota's defense certainly is unlikely to be at it's best for this non-conference match-up after the big win over Portland. Minny offense has no trouble here but watch the Magic score right along with them in what figures to be an absolute shootout! 10* OVER the total in Orlando

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #711 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago Bulls vs Miami Heat @ 3:35 ET - Miami put a lot of effort on the defensive end in yesterday's game as they held the Bucks to just 79 points in that home victory. Now the Heat are on the road in a back to back and feeling quite content about their defensive performance yesterday. As a result, don't be surprised when today's game turns into a shootout. The Bulls have been playing much better basketball, particularly on the offensive end, and as a direct result of that Chicago is on a 16-4 (80%) run to the over in their last 20 games. The over is a perfect 5-0 in the Bulls last 5 home games. Also note that the Heat were 5-1 to the over prior to yesterday's low-scoring result with the Bucks. The Bulls are 15-6 to the over this season in games against teams with a winning record. 10* OVER the total in Chicago

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #705 Monday 8* Milwaukee Bucks (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 2:05 ET - The Bucks had their worst shooting performance in 5 years yesterday at Miami. After that game ended up an ugly loss, Milwaukee will respond in a big way today. Though the Wizards were off yesterday they are coming off of a crazy overtime win versus Brooklyn Saturday where they blew a 20+ point lead. The fact Washington hung on for the win in overtime while the Bucks are fired up off of a rare game where they were held under 80 points means my money is on Milwaukee is in this one! The Wizards are on an 0-5 ATS run. Washington is also an ugly 8-21 ATS as a favorite this season. 8* MILWAUKEE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Monday 8* OVER the total in Detroit Pistons vs Charlotte Hornets @ 12:35 ET - The Hornets are off of a 10-point loss versus Oklahoma City Saturday. Charlotte is 7-3 to the over this season when off of a loss by double digits. Also, the Hornets are 6-3 to the over against Central Division opponents this season. The Pistons are off of a tight 2-point loss at Chicago but now are back home where they have won 5 in a row and are playing with a lot of confidence. The last 24 times these teams have met in Detroit the over has gone 19-5. Also, the Pistons are on a 22-11 run to the over in January games. 8* OVER the total in Detroit

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #803 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Knicks vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 3:35 ET - The Knicks have gone over the total in 4 of their last 5 games as they continue to score quite well but can't get stops on defense. The Pelicans have gone over the total in 15 of their last 21 games. New Orleans is averaging 111 points per game on the season but also allowing 111 points per game. Of course this is why there is a big total posted on this game even though the last 5 meetings between these teams have all stayed under the total. I look for this one to be different as the Pelicans are allowing 93 field goal attempts per game their last 4 games. The Knicks have had some recent overtime games so one always has to factor that in when evaluating a team's performance. However, the fact is that New York has allowed at least 45% from the field in 5 of their last 8 games and the Knicks have shot 49.4% from the field in their last 5 games. The over is 15-9 this season when the Pelicans are playing with revenge and New Orleans is 10-5 to the over this season when they are off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. 10* OVER the total in New York

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #801 Sunday 8* Milwaukee Bucks (+) @ Miami Heat @ 1:05 ET - The Bucks are fired up off of a double digit home loss to Golden State. The Heat are coming off of a 3-day break but had won 6 straight games prior to the time off. When a team is as hot as Miami was, time off is actually not helpful. Look for the break to cost the Heat their momentum and they are back home where they are just 5-13 ATS this season. Also, Miami is just 2-6 ATS against Central Division opponents, 3-7 ATS off of an upset win as an underdog, and 1-5 ATS in Sunday games. Milwaukee is 12-4 ATS when they enter a game off of 3 or more consecutive unders. Also, the Bucks are 6-2 SU this season when off of a double digit loss. After losing to the defending champs at home by 14 points they resume their hot shooting here and get back on track on the road. 8* MILWAUKEE

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Game #508 Saturday 8* Washington Wizards (-) vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:05 ET - The Nets rallied for a big upset win at Atlanta last night. Brooklyn wanted that game badly as there is some history there for coach Kenny Atkinson. Now the Nets go into the opposite situation. They are now the hunted instead of the hunter as the Wizards have revenge on their minds here. Washington has not only lost two straight to Brooklyn, the Wizards were thoroughly embarrassed in a 35 point loss in their most recent meeting which was just a few days before Christmas. The Wizards certainly have payback on their minds here and Washington has won their last two home meetings with the Nets by an average margin of 22 points per game! Brooklyn, prior to their upset win over the Hawks yesterday, had shot a combined 36.5% from the field in their 3 prior games! That said, I expect the hot-shooting Wizards to win this one in a rout tonight! Washington has averaged 116.8 points per game in their last 8 home games. The Nets had been held to 98 points or less in 4 of their last 5 games prior to last night's upset win. The Wizards are a long-term 26-13 (67%) ATS versus the Nets. Brooklyn is on a 13-25 ATS run in January games even though they've had some success so far this month. The Nets run into a brick wall tonight! 8* WASHINGTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Dallas Mavericks vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 2:05 ET - The Lakers are off of back to back unders but they faced the low-scoring Kings and then a Spurs team that certainly knows how to play some defense. Also, those games were at home. Now Los Angeles is back on the road where the over has gone 5-1 in their last 6 games. Also, the Lakers are being hosted by a Mavericks team that has scored 114 points or more in 6 of their last 7 games! The over is 5-2 in those 7 games and Dallas has shot 47% or better in 10 of their last 12 games including 50% or better in 8 of those games! The over is 5-2 this season in Lakers games against teams from the Southwest Division. More of the same here. 8* OVER the total in Dallas

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #808 Friday 8* UNDER the total in Atlanta Hawks vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - Two bad teams meet up here and this could be very ugly. The Hawks are off of a RARE game where they shot the ball well as they got an upset win at Denver Wednesday. Prior to that game, Atlanta had gone 7 straight games without shooting better than 44.9% from the field. 6 of the Hawks last 8 games have stayed under the total and Atlanta has allowed just 42.2% from the field in their last two games and both of those were on the road. At home the Hawks have allowed just 42.8% from the field in their last two games and they should have no trouble keeping the Nets in check here. Brooklyn has been struggling mightily on the offensive end and a road game is unlikely to help the shooters suddenly get hot. The Nets have been held to just 36.5% from the field in their last 3 games! The under has cashed in 17 of their last 23 games! Also, Brooklyn has stayed under the total in 8 of their 10 games versus Southeast Division teams this season! The Hawks are playing with home loss revenge here but have stayed under in 26 of 40 when in that situation. Also, Atlanta is off of that upset win at Denver and they've stayed under in 5 of 6 this season when off of an outright win as an underdog this season. When facing a team that allows an average of 106 points or more per game, the Hawks have stayed under the total in 40 of 62 games. More of the same here. 8* UNDER the total in Atlanta

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #801 Wednesday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (-) @ Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - The Cavs have been "left for dead" due their current slump and they got thoroughly embarrassed last night at Toronto. Of course the Cavaliers certainly could have been looking ahead to this rematch with Indiana. Yes it was Cleveland that knocked the Pacers out of the post-season last year but now it is the Cavs seeking revenge as they've lost both games to the division rival Pacers so far this season. I like the fact that Cleveland opened up as a 4 point favorite here but that the line has now come down so low that the Cavaliers are as low as a 1.5 point fave which actually makes the money line a very solid value here if you have access to it. The one good thing about the fact that Cleveland has been blown out in their last two games is that LeBron James (among others) has received extra rest as a result. That said, the Cavs have fresh legs tonight even though this is the 2nd game of a back to back. Look for revenge-minded Cleveland to finally put together a strong effort on defense plus attack the boards. Also, the Cavs are expected to rest Isaiah Thomas tonight but he struggled badly last night and his absence could actually help more than hurt at Indiana! As for the Pacers, they haven't exactly been on fire either as they've lost 6 of their last 8 games. Additionally, Indiana has lost SU 16 of the 24 times they've been a dog this season while the Cavaliers have won 12 of 17 SU when they are playing with revenge. 10* CLEVELAND

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #902 Thursday 8* Philadelphia 76ers (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 3:05 ET (Game played in London) - This is a neutral site game even though the Sixers are listed as the home team. That said, why are the 33-10 Celtics listed as such a small favorite against a Philadelphia team that is improved but still only playing .500 ball on the season? Precisely! As you know, when something looks too good to be true it usually is and, in this case, the Celtics are priced this way with good reason! The 76ers are the play here! Though Boston has won 6 straight games Philly has won 4 straight games and 5 of their last 6. The Sixers blew out Detroit by 36 points in their most recent game. Philadelphia is 6-1 ATS this season when off of a win by a double digit margin. Also, the 76ers are 22-9 ATS in January games the past 2+ seasons. The Celtics are 17-23 ATS in divisional games the past 2+ seasons and I expect Boston to drop to 0-3 ATS this season when off of a game where they allowed 85 points or less. Off of a tight 2-point win at Brooklyn, look for the Celtics to fall short here as the Sixers have been shooting the ball much better than Boston has in recent games. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #711 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Milwaukee Bucks vs Orlando Magic @ 8:05 ET - I am not expecting to see much defense in this one! The Bucks are off of an ugly loss at division rival Indiana and they have a big game on deck against the World Champion Warriors. In other words, it is hard to blame Milwaukee for overlooking a 12-29 Orlando team. That said, very little defense here! The Bucks are 11-2 to the over this season in their games against teams with a losing record. Also, Milwaukee is 38-18 to the over long-term when they are entering a game off of a loss by a double digit margin. As for the Magic, their game at Dallas last night barely stayed under the total. Orlando did allow 114 points in that game and they've now allowed 120.3 points per game their last 3 games. The Bucks have allowed 114.6 points per game in their last 5 games. The over is 4-1 the last 5 times the Magic have had a back to back. In fact, on the season, in the 2nd game of a back to back Orlando is averaging 107.7 points per game. With the line on this game right around a 10 there is no reason to expect anything less than a 118-108 type game here which easily gets it over. I am expecting about 230 in this one. Both teams are allowing 38.6% three pointers this season and both teams shoot the 3-ball rather well (35.4%) also! 10* OVER the total in Milwaukee

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Wednesday 8* Miami Heat (+) @ Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - On the surface this seems like a bad spot for the Heat. However, upon closer inspection it is the Pacers in a "sandwich" spot in terms of their schedule while Miami is going to be highly motivated here. Even though this is a back to back spot for the Heat they are still charged up after their win in Toronto last night where the Raptors seemed more interested in picking fights than playing basketball. Ultimately Miami prevailed and now they are looking to avenge one of their worst home losses of the season. The Pacers took it to the Heat (thanks to red hot shooting) in Miami in November when they won by 25 points. Keep in mind this type of result is certainly the exception rather than the norm as the Heat had won 3 of the 4 prior meetings and the lone loss came by just 4 points. The Pacers "sandwich" spot is because this is a non-divisional game sandwiched between two big divisional games. First off Indiana beat Milwaukee (a team right above them in the division) Monday. Secondly, the Pacers have a home date with Cleveland (defending Eastern Conference champs and currently in 1st place in the division) on deck for Friday. The Pacers are 4-7 ATS this season when off of a win by double digits. The Heat are a long-term 29-13 ATS when playing a game with home loss revenge and, again, that home loss was ugly! Payback here. 8* MIAMI

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Tuesday 8* Miami Heat (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:35 ET - Not only is this a back to back spot for the Raptors, not only did last night's win come in OT on the road at Brooklyn, Toronto also saw Kyle Lowry get hurt and exit the game very late. Early indications are back spasms but, even if the plays tonight, he won't be 100%. The Raptors are vulnerable here in the 2nd game of a back to back and, though Toronto has been hot, Miami has been very hot too and are definitely the more rested team here. The Heat have won 4 straight games and 11 of their last 15. This will be only the 4th game in the last 10 days for Miami. For Toronto, this is their 5th game in 9 days. The Raptors have held the upper hand in this series in recent meetings and that is particularly true in games played in Toronto. With that said, look for the Heat to take advantage of the situation here and get some revenge! The Raptors are just 1-2 in their last 3 back to backs and the lone win came by only 5 points. Strong shooting performances by Miami has helped lead the way to 4 straight overs. That holds significance here as the Heat have gone 9-3 SU when they enter a game on an over streak of 3 games or more. Toronto is 10-18 ATS (including 1-3 ATS this season) in Tuesday games. More of the same here. 8* MIAMI

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Indiana Pacers vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:05 ET - The Bucks are 17-3-2 to the over in their last 22 games. You read that right...85% over their last 22 games. Milwaukee has shot 47% or better from the field in 10 straight games. Indiana averages 107 points per game on the season and the Bucks are averaging 106 points per game on the season. Both teams allow just as much as they put up. The Pacers are off of a blowout win over Chicago and the over is a perfect 3-0 the last 3 times that Indiana has held a team under 100 points. The Bucks are off of an upset win as an underdog and Milwaukee is 5-1 to the over this season when off an outright win as a dog. Also, the over is 12-5 this season in Bucks road games! These teams met last week in Milwaukee and the teams combined for 223 points despite Victor Oladipo being out. Now the Pacers leading scorer is back and I expect a high-scoring back and forth shootout here. 3 of the last 4 times the Pacers have hosted the Bucks the game has gone over the total. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Indiana

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #807 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Portland Trail Blazers vs San Antonio Spurs @ 9:05 ET - The Spurs will be without Kawhi Leonard here and while many people look at his point production, make no mistake about it, his absence certainly impacts the defense of San Antonio. The last time these teams met it was also in Portland and the Spurs got out of town with a tight 2-point win but the Trail Blazers had 96 field goal attempts in the game but had an off shooting night. They'll bounce back here and I expect a huge game from Portland but look for San Antonio to score right along with them. The Spurs have scored at least 100 points in 6 of their last 7 games. In fact, in those 6 games San Antonio averaged 107.5 points per game. The Blazers have scored 110 points or more in 3 straight games. The Spurs are 21-12 to the over the last 33 times they've been an underdog. Before the most recent game between these teams stayed under the total (again Blazers shot poorly that night), 5 of the last 7 meetings between these teams had gone over the total. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Portland

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #801 Sunday 8* Utah Jazz (+) @ Miami Heat @ 3:35 ET - The Jazz were held to just 74 points in their home loss to Miami two months ago. Shockingly, they had a 49-37 lead at halftime in that game! Scoring just 25 points at home in the entire second half of a game is something a team does not forget and payback is on order here! The 74 points that Utah scored against the Heat remains their season low and, after this game, the Jazz won't see Miami again until next season. In other words, Sunday "it is on!" and I expect a huge game from the road dog in this one. The road team has covered 4 of the last 5 meetings between these teams. Also, Miami is just 5-12 ATS at home this season plus the Heat are only 1-4 ATS in Sunday games this season. The Jazz are off of a loss at Denver but are 27-15 SU the past 3 seasons when off of a divisional game. 8* UTAH

Annihilation Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #513 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Timberwolves vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 9:05 ET - The Timberwolves are off a low-scoring loss at Boston and have now stay under the total in 5 straight games. However, 4 of those 5 games were on the road and before that most recent under at home the Timberwolves had gone over the total in 4 of their last 5 home games. In fact, Minnesota is averaging 114.5 points per game in their last 6 home games. They're hosting a high-scoring, sharp-shooting New Orleans team whose average game this season totals 222 points! It is no wonder that 8 of the last 9 meetings between these teams has resulted in an over and I expect another one here! The over is 15-7 this season when the Pelicans are playing with revenge. Also, the over is 13-6 in New Orleans games against teams with a winning record and the over is 11-4 this season when the Pelicans are an underdog. The Wolves are happy to be back home but the Pelicans scored 122 points in their last visit and are seeking revenge. This one has the makings of a shootout! 10* OVER the total in Minnesota

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #801 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Miami Heat vs New York Knicks @ 8:05 ET - The series between these two teams has a history that has certainly trended under in recent seasons. However, the situation here as well as the way these two teams have been playing of late, certainly lends itself to a solid over in this one. The Knicks have averaged 105 points per game in their last 3 road games. However, the New York defense has allowed 108 points per game in their last 9 road games. Miami has averaged 114 points per game in their last 2 games and they are filled with confidence after shooting 51% from the field in each of those two games. Like the Knicks however, the Heat have left a lot to be desired on the defensive end of late. Not only is Miami allowing an average of 109 points per game their last 3 games, the Heat have given up 101 points or more in 6 of their last 8 games. On the season, both teams shoot quite well (particularly from 3 point land) but they both allow solid shooting (also particularly from beyond the arc). The over is 8-3 in New York's last 11 road games and they've allowed 103 points or more in 10 of those 11 games! The over is 4-2 the last 6 times the Heat have hosted an Eastern Conference opponent. 10* OVER the total in Miami

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #805 Friday 8* Minnesota Timberwolves (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 7:05 ET - Perfect set up here with the Timberwolves off of a tight one point loss at Brooklyn on Wednesday while the Celtics are off of a huge double digit revenge win over the Cavaliers the very same night. Boston can't help but be a little flat here after that key victory while Minnesota comes into this one very hungry. Also, Minny is playing this game with double revenge as they lost both match-ups to the Celtics last season. Additionally, Minnesota has not lost back to back games since prior to Thanksgiving. This team has done a great job of bouncing back off of a loss and I expect them to do it again here. 11-3 SU is the Timberwolves record when off of a loss this season and here we are getting them plus a few points so I'll gladly take it. Boston is 8-13 ATS when they enter a game having played each of their prior games at home and this is definitely a spot in which they are likely to be complacent after the huge win over LeBron James and company. 8* MINNESOTA

TNT Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Houston Rockets vs Golden State Warriors @ 8:05 ET - The fact that the Rockets are without top scorer James Harden could actually help this game get over the total. How is that? Well the fact is that Harden does drive to the basket, force contact, and shoot free throws. The difference with him being out is that the Rockets are going to be jacking up even more threes. Houston is known for hitting threes at a high percentage (particularly at home) and now the Warriors are in town with Stephen Curry shooting lights out in his first two games since coming back from injury. The point is that the Warriors and Rockets are very likely to get into a very high-scoring shootout in this one. Since Curry returned for Golden State, their two games have averaged 258 points! For the Rockets, they poured in 116 points last night and the game only stayed under the total due to the ineptitude of the Magic offense as well as the fact that Houston was then able to coast to victory and rest up for tonight's big game. The over is 6-2 this season when the Warriors are off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. The over is 30-18 the past 2+ seasons in Rockets games against Pacific Division opponents. 10* OVER the total in Houston

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #707 Wednesday 8* OVER the total in Brooklyn Nets vs Minnesota Timberwolves @ 7:35 ET - The Nets are off of a tight low-scoring win over Orlando Monday but don't be fooled by the low scoring in that game. The Magic had 96 shots in that game but simply shot poorly that night. The point is that the pace was there for an over but it just did not come to fruition. Also, prior to that game, Brooklyn had at least 90 field goal attempts in 4 of their last 5 games. The Nets had averaged 110.7 points per game in their 6 games prior to scoring just 98 versus the Magic. Brooklyn now host a Timberwolves team that has scored at least 106 points in 10 of their last 11 games. Minnesota is off a big win versus the Lakers that barely stayed under the total (and truly had no business resulting in an under as the scoring died late). The over is 14-7 in the Timberwolves games against Atlantic Division opponents. The over is 19-7 in the Nets games against Northwest Division opponents. Each team has Boston on deck too so they've got a bigger game on deck and there certainly won't much defensive intensity in this one. This is especially true with both of these teams off of wins too. 8* OVER the total in Brooklyn

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #706 Wednesday 8* Orlando Magic (+) vs Houston Rockets @ 7:05 ET - The Rockets already were struggling and now things went from bad to worse with James Harden's hamstring injury. Houston had lost 5 straight games before their non-covering multiple overtime win over the Lakers on Sunday. That ATS loss dropped the Rockets to 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games. The Magic are off of a tough non-cover at Brooklyn Monday as they were as high as a 2-point dog but blew a late lead and lost the game by 3. Orlando actually had 14 more field goal attempts than the Nets in that game but poor shooting did them in. Look for them to bounce back here. The last 4 times that Orlando has been held under 41% from the field, only once have they lost their next game by more than 7 points. Look for the Magic to stay tight with the wounded Rockets tonight as it certainly helps that Orlando is at home for this one too. Also, Houston has a huge home game with Golden State on deck for tomorrow night! The Magic are a surprising 3-1 ATS and SU against Southwest Division opponents this season and certainly could catch the Rockets looking ahead here. Also, Houston is an ugly 6-12 ATS when off of a game where they scored 130 points or more. 8* ORLANDO

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Wizards vs New York Knicks @ 7:05 ET - The Knicks are off of a home loss last night that got ugly in the 4th quarter as nobody could hit shots. Both the Spurs and Knicks played at the type of pace last night that should result in an over but, instead, the game fell short of the number due to poor shooting and a late collapse from the scorers of both teams. I'll get my payback tonight as I come right back with a Knicks over knowing that New York is 5-1 to the over this season in the 2nd game of a back to back. Also, the Wizards are 22-13 to the over the past 2+ seasons when they enter a game with 2 days of rest between games. Washington is on a 4-1 run their last 5 games and averaging 115 points per game during this hot stretch. For the Knicks, last night's game was just the 4th time in 13 games that New York didn't score more than 100 points in a game. They'll bounce back tonight in a typical "run and gun" affair involving these two teams as 5 of the last 7 meetings have gone over the total. The last 4 meetings between these teams have averaged 220 points a game and I expect to see at least that tonight! 10* OVER the total in Washington

Contrarian Crusher NBA Game #503 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total New York Knicks vs San Antonio Spurs @ 7:35 ET - The Spurs are off of a horrific shooting performance at Detroit where they netted only 79 points. Now they face the same Knicks team they just lit up for 119 points on Thursday. New York comes into this game off of a win and the Knicks have averaged 106 points in their last two games. That said, they'll be willing to "run and gun" at home in this one and the Spurs will oblige as they are looking for a "breakout game" on offense after the horrible result in Saturday's loss to the Pistons. The Spurs are 4-1 to the over this season when off of an upset loss as a favorite. Long-term San Antonio is 140-98 to the over when off of a loss by a double digit margin. The Spurs also are 19-9 to the over in January games the past two seasons. The Knicks are 9-5 to the over in non-conference games and also 6-3 to the over when off of an upset win as an underdog. Both of those stats are current records this season and I expect another over to be added to those trends tonight. With the downward line move early on this one, I am going contrarian and going over the total here. 10* OVER the total in New York

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Monday 8* Orlando Magic (+) @ Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - Both these teams are hungry as they are coming off losses. However, the big difference is that the Nets played yesterday while the Magic have been off since Saturday. That is certainly significant as Brooklyn is just 1-6 SU this season when in the 2nd game of a back to back and their record in this situation the past 3 seasons combined is 4-32 SU! Definitely not a good spot to lay the points with the Nets! Look for the rested Magic to get the W here as they also seek revenge for losses in each of their last two visits to Brooklyn. Look for the Nets to drop to 6-30 SU when off of a divisional game. 8* ORLANDO

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #703 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Raptors vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:35 ET - Milwaukee has trended over this season but they enter this game off of back to back unders. That certainly holds some significance here as the Bucks have only had 3 straight unders one time this entire season and we are nearing the halfway point of the season. The Bucks allow 107 points per game on 47.5% from the field and 40.7% from three point land when on the road this season. Toronto averages 114.4 points per game on 48.2% from the field in their home games this season. The Raptors are off of an under versus Atlanta Friday as they took 105 shots but had a rather poor shooting night. The Bucks win at Oklahoma City Friday was the first time since November 20th that Milwaukee did not reach the century mark in points scored. Also, the Raptors have scored 107 points or more in 12 of their last 16 games. This is a playoff revenge game for the Bucks after losing to the Raptors last April. However, Toronto will control the tempo here at home and they're going to run and gun. Look for the Raptors over to improve to 4-1 this season in games against Central Division opponents. The Bucks are 4-1 to the over this season when off of an upset win as an underdog. Also, Milwaukee is 11-5 to the over in road games this season. More of the same here! 10* OVER the total in Toronto

Non-Conf Game of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Game #815 Sunday 10* Top Play Phoenix Suns (+) vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 8:05 ET - Phoenix has been a different team since guard Devin Booker has returned. Overall, the Suns have won 5 of their last 7 games and they now host a 76ers team that is off of a big road win at Denver last night but that had previously lost 10 of its last 12 games. With Joel Embiid slated to play tonight for the Sixers and with this being a revenge game for Philly, the line has been skewed toward the 76ers here. However, the Suns as a solid home dog here is a great value. Phoenix has covered 10 of its last 14 games and they are playing just their 2nd game in 5 nights. The Suns will have very fresh legs here. The 76ers are on a 4-13 ATS run and are playing their 5th straight road game. Not only is this spot a back to back for Philadelphia, they also are playing their 3rd game in 4 nights. Philly is playing this game with home loss revenge but they are 15-55 SU in this situation the past 2+ seasons. Also, the Sixers are 0-4 SU and ATS this season when playing the 2nd night of a back to back. The past 2+ seasons the 76ers long-term record in this situation (2nd of B2B) is 6-35 SU! The Suns are 5-2 ATS when off of a divisional game and also 5-2 ATS this season versus Atlantic Division opponents. 10* PHOENIX

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Orlando Magic vs Miami Heat @ 7:05 ET - The Magic are off of a rare win and a rare game where their opponent was held under 90 points. Prior to holding the Pistons to 89 points on a poor shooting night for Detroit, Orlando had given up 114.8 points per game in their 5 prior games! The Heat come into this game off of a rare horrific shooting night as they shot just 33.7% from the field in scoring only 87 points at home versus Brooklyn last night. The point is that the pace with with each of these teams played at in their most recent games supported an over but rare bad shooting resulted in an under. That is resulting in solid line value here. The Heat are allowing 102 points per game on the season and the Magic are allowing 110 points per game on the season. Miami has stayed under the total in 3 straight games now but they are 20-14 to the over when they enter a game on an under streak of 3 or more games. Orlando is 5-1 to the over this season when off of a win by a double digit margin. Also, the Magic are 5-2 to the over in their divisional games this season. This total was as high as a 208 and has dropped to a 204 as of gameday morning. I am happy to grab the extra value here! 10* OVER the total in Orlando

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #807 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Oklahoma City Thunder vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 8:05 ET - The Bucks finally stayed under the total in a come from behind win versus the Timberwolves that certainly fell under the category of "ugly game" as it was played at a slower pace than you would typically see. The teams averaged just 73 field goal attempts between them. That under snapped a 9-game over streak for Milwaukee but the Bucks are still 14-2-1 to the over their last 17 games. Also, this is a back to back spot for Milwaukee and they've gone 5-1 to the over in back to back situations this season. This is a revenge game for the Bucks and they are 13-4 to the over when playing with revenge this season. With tired legs from a strong effort versus Minnesota last night, Milwaukee's defense will likely be lax tonight. That is bad news against a Thunder offense that has caught fire. Oklahoma City has shot 51.9% or better in 4 of its last 5 games. The Thunder are averaging 113.2 points per game their last 5 games and the Bucks have scored 100 points or more in 17 straight games! Milwaukee is averaging 108.5 points per game during this 17-game stretch. You can plainly see why I am expecting about 220 points in this one! 10* OVER the total in Oklahoma City

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in San Antonio Spurs vs New York Knicks @ 8:35 ET - The Knicks are in a back to back spot and even though their game last night was ugly, the over is 5-1 this season when New York is in the 2nd game of a back to back. Also, the Knicks are 8-4 to the over in non-conference games and each of their last 2 visits to San Antonio have resulted in an over. The Spurs have been heating up on offense and have shot 48.8% or better from the field in 5 of their last 7 games. Their game versus Brooklyn Tuesday barely stayed under the total and prior to that 5 of San Antonio's last 7 home games had resulted in an over. We're getting value here because the Knicks have been staying under the total but truly the pace of their games has been conducive to an over. That said, with the way the Spurs are shooting and New York's willingness to run and be aggressive, this should fly over the total. 10* OVER the total in San Antonio

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #713 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets @ 8:05 ET - The Nuggets are off of a big win over Utah last night where they held the Jazz to only 83 points. That makes it 3 straight unders in Denver's games but they haven't recorded more than 3 in a row since October. I see the streak of unders quickly coming to an end tonight as the Timberwolves have been red hot. Minnesota has won 4 straight games and offensive production has led the way. Minny has had 4 straight overs and the over is 10-3 in their last 13 games. The Timberwolves have been shooting the ball very well and the over is 5-1 in their divisional games this season. Also, Minnesota is a long-term 23-11 to the over when they enter a game on a streak of 3 or more consecutive overs. For Denver, the over is 9-5 this season and an incredible 41-13 the last 3 seasons combined when they face a team that is averaging 106 points or more per game. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #704 Wednesday 8* Indiana Pacers (-) vs Dallas Mavericks @ 7:05 ET - Nice set up here as the Pacers got blasted by 24 at Detroit last night while the Mavericks got a home dog upset win over the Raptors last night. Last night's results plus the fact that the Pacers lost at Dallas in their most recent meeting last December means that Indiana will prove to the be the hungrier team here. The Mavs had lost 9 of 11 prior to last night's win. The Pacers had won 7 of 10 prior to last night's loss. The Mavericks are 3-9 ATS this season in games against teams that score an average of 106 points or more per game. The Pacers are 11-2 SU and 9-4 ATS in games where they are the favorite. Lay it! 8* INDIANA

Divisional Dominator Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 10* Utah Jazz (+) @ Denver Nuggets @ 9:05 ET - Of course this is a revenge spot for the Nuggets as they lost at Utah by 29 in late November. However, is Denver really thinking that much about that here? The fact is that the Nuggets are off of a win over the NBA Champion Warriors in their final game before the NBA break. Also, Denver has another revenge game (at Minnesota) for tomorrow night and the Nuggets most recent home loss was to the Timberwolves just last week. You can truly see why Denver may not be fully focused here and they are going to have their hands full with a Utah team coming off of home loss to Oklahoma City. The Jazz are fired up as they've endured a tough stretch recently that has seen them lose 8 of their last 10 games. The best thing that could have happened for Utah was a break in the action and I look for the Jazz to come out renewed and refreshed after the Christmas break. As for the Nuggets, they are 1-9 ATS this season when off of a win by a double digit margin and that was a huge road win at Golden State on Saturday. Also, Denver is 12-30 SU long-term when off of an upset win as an underdog! As for the Jazz, they are a long-term 27-13 SU when off of a divisional game and, the fact they lost that divisional match-up at home against the Thunder means extra hunger for the road dog in this one. 10* UTAH

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Tuesday 8* Indiana Pacers (+) @ Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - The Pistons are off of a win but previously they had lost 8 of their last 11 games. Detroit has failed to cover 8 of its last 12 games. The Pacers have been the much stronger team of late as they've won 7 of their last 10 games. Also, one of those 3 defeats was a home loss to the Pistons less than 2 weeks ago. Indiana will be ready to get revenge here against a division rival. The Pacers were on an 8-2 SU and ATS run in this series prior to that loss. In other words, Indiana has had Detroit's number in recent seasons and I look for that dominance to resume here. The Pistons have been held to 43.2% or less from the field in 8 of their last 10 games. The Pacers have shot 45.8% or better from the field in 10 of their last 15 games. Indiana is 9-4 ATS when playing with revenge this season including 4-1 ATS when playing with home loss revenge. Detroit is 6-10 SU this season in games against teams with a winning record. 8* INDIANA

Daytime Dominator Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #704 Monday 10* Golden State Warriors (-) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 3:05 ET - The Warriors are without Stephen Curry of course. However, the line has gone from as high as -7.5 to as low as -4.5 as of gameday morning and the betting markets are treating this as if the odds makers weren't aware that Curry was out when they set the line. The fact is that this is great line value on Golden State at home and laying a small number. The Warriors just had their 11 game winning streak snapped on Saturday and likely were caught looking ahead to this game. The fact is that Golden State has been playing better defense than Cleveland. The Warriors are allowing an average of just 98 points per game their last 8 games. The Cavaliers are allowing an average of 109 points per game their last 6 games. Opponents are shooting 49% from the field in the Cavs last 5 games. The Warriors are allowing just 41% from the field their last 8 games. Defense is a big deal in games like this. Yes the Cavs want revenge from last year's finals but Golden State will be up for this game on Christmas Day, particularly after being held to just 81 points on Saturday on their home floor! Cleveland is just 3-11 ATS after scoring 115 points or more in their prior game. The Warriors are 30-5 SU (including 6-0 SU this season) when off of an upset loss as a favorite. GS was embarrassed on Saturday and they'll respond BIG here. 10* GOLDEN STATE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Monday 8* Philadelphia 76'ers (+) @ New York Knicks @ 12:05 ET - Horrible stretch for the Sixers has seen them lose 11 of 14. Also, Philadelphia is on an ugly 2-12 ATS run. That said, why did they open up such a small dog for this early Christmas match-up at New York? Exactly! Don't be fooled here as this has the makings of an upset. The Knicks are 15-5 SU and ATS in home games this season and yet they opened up as a 1 point favorite here even though the Sixers have endured their roughest stretch of the season! It doesn't make sense does it? Precisely! This is another example of when it pays to be a contrarian. The last 4 meetings between these teams have been decided by a total of just 6 points. In other words, even at only 3 points, this is a fantastic underdog value. The Sixers are ticked off and ready to respond here after their worst defeat in awhile. Most of the 76ers losses had been tight but they got blown out at Toronto on Saturday and they'll make up for it here. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #505 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Indiana Pacers vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:05 ET - The Nets burned me yesterday as, though they scored 119 points, they only allowed 84 due to strangely poor shooting from the Wizards. Brooklyn allowed Washington to have 93 shots from the field but the Wizards shot a very poor 36.6% from the field. That won't happen again here and I expect the Pacers to put up a ton of points in this one but don't be surprised if the Nets hot shooting continues too. Brooklyn is "feeling it" after last night's blowout win and certainly will "leave it all on the floor" tonight as they don't play again until Tuesday after Christmas. The Pacers have shot 50.6% from the field in their last 3 games and averaged 108.3 points per game. The over is a perfect 3-0 the last 3 times these teams have met in Indiana. The over is 33-20 long-term when the Nets face a team that is allowing 106 points or more per game. The Pacers average game this season is 215 points and the Nets average game is 217.5 points. Consider that plus the situational factors here and this one is a value at the 215 range it is in now because the other factors (teams off big wins, not playing again until Tuesday) help point toward a very loosely played affair here with plenty of points. 8* OVER the total in Indiana

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #805 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Brooklyn Nets vs Washington Wizards @ 7:35 ET - The Nets burned me Wednesday with a very poor 4th quarter against the Kings. The game was on the pace for the over all the way through the first 3 quarters but then it was a dreadful final stanza that did me in. I'll get some payback here because the Wizards are off of a high-scoring win versus New Orleans Tuesday and that sets this one up perfectly for an over. The Wizards have a divisional home game on deck and may not bring the best of their defensive intensity here given the situation. The first game between Washington and Brooklyn this season stayed under the total but the over was 6-1 in the 7 prior meetings. Both these teams have been trending under of late but that has resulted in excellent line value with this total Friday. The well-rested Wizards should put up plenty of points hare and are 22-12 to the over when they enter a game on rest of 2 days or more. The Nets are averaging 110 points per game at home this season. The Wizards scored only 98 points in their most recent road game (coincidentally also at Brooklyn) but they had scored 106 points or more in 5 of their 7 prior road games. Washington, playing with revenge, comes up strong here! Keep in mind, the Wizards 4 prior games against the Nets saw them average 119.8 points per game. That type of production resumes in this rematch! 10* OVER the total in Brooklyn

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Cavaliers vs Chicago Bulls @ 7:05 ET - Two of the hottest teams in the league match-up here and, yes, one of them is actually the Bulls! With their win last night versus Orlando, Chicago has won 7 straight games. Ever since Nikola Mirotic has come back, the Bulls offense has enjoyed a huge resurgence and this has helped lead the way to 7 straight wins! Chicago is averaging 111.1 points per game during this 7-0 run. Cleveland also comes in red hot as the Cavaliers had won 18 of 19 before their 3 point loss at Milwaukee Tuesday. Amazingly, the Cavs have not been held under 100 points since October! Cleveland has averaged 113 points per game in their 25 games since November 1st. The over is 5-2 this season when the Cavaliers are off of an upset loss as a favorite. Also, the Cavs are 5-1 to the over this season (and 27-11 to the over long-term) when off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. Cleveland is also 12-5 to the over this season in their games against teams with a losing record. Last but not least the Cavaliers are 30-14 to the over the past 2+ seasons when they face a team that is allowing an average of 106 points or more per game. 10* OVER the total in Cleveland

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #703 Wednesday 8* OVER the total in Brooklyn Nets vs Sacramento Kings @ 7:35 ET - The Kings are off of a big upset win at Philadelphia last night that easily stayed under the total. Sacramento is allowing 109 points per game this season when in the 2nd game of a back to back. The Nets are allowing 111 points per game on the season and, after making some progress, they certainly have regressed in recent games with interior defense being of particular concern. As a result, Brooklyn has allowed 113.3 points per game in their last 3 games. Given the above factors, and with the Kings off of that upset win last night, I would not be surprised at all to see both teams have issues on defense throughout this game. That means we should see a game where each team ends up close the aforementioned 110 mark in points in this one. The over is 42-29 when the Nets are off of a loss by double digits. 3 of the last 4 meetings between these games, including both in New York, have gone over the total. More of the same here. 8* OVER the total in Brooklyn

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Tuesday 8* Sacramento Kings (+) @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:05 ET - Tough scheduling spot for the Sixers. Yes, Joel Embiid rested last night (he didn't even make the trip to Chicago) but the rest of his 76ers teammates gave all they could in a loss to the Bulls. Now off of back to back tight losses (lost in crazy multi-OT game to OKC Friday), Philadelphia is in a tough spot here. The Kings are playing for just the 2nd time since Thursday while the Sixers are playing for the 2nd time in 2 nights! Sacramento, like Philly, is off of back to back losses but the Kings are the more rested team and they haven't lost 3 straight in over a month. The Sixers have lost 6 of their last 7 and they are on a 2-9 ATS run! By the way, Philadelphia has not won a game by more than 6 points in over 3 weeks! I'll gladly grab the generous points being offered here. The Kings are 14-7 ATS in Tuesday games and, even though the Sixers are in bounce back mode, they are 0-6 ATS this season when off of an upset loss as a favorite. 8* SACRAMENTO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #704 Monday 8* Indiana Pacers (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 7:05 ET - The Pacers are in a back to back spot here but one could argue they have quite a few edges here, including scheduling. Even though it is a back to back for Indiana they are at home playing with revenge and they catch the Celtics playing their 6th game in 9 days. Also, Boston is off of a win but has not won back to back games the past two weeks. The Pacers have revenge from a 10 point loss to the Celtics in late November where Indiana blew a 13 point 3rd quarter lead. The key to the rematch is that the Pacers will have Victor Oladipo and they did not have him in the first meeting. Indiana is 8-4 SU and ATS when playing with revenge this season and 3-1 SU and ATS when playing with home loss revenge. Boston is off of a win and cover at Memphis but they have definitely cooled off since their red hot start to the season. Prior to the win over the Grizzlies, the Celtics had failed to cover 5 of their last 6 games. The Pacers have won and covered 11 of their last 16 games and they continue their hot run here! 8* INDIANA 

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #805 Sunday 8* OVER the total in Brooklyn Nets vs Indiana Pacers @ 6:05 ET - The pacing of recent games involving the Nets has been conducive to an over and yet they've been trending under. The same holds true for the Pacers. The result here is solid line value on the over. Indiana is averaging 90 field goal attempts per game and allowing 90.4 FGA/game their last 7 games. The Nets are allowing 92.9 field goal attempts per game their last 7 games. Keep in mind the Lakers (at 89.4 FGA/game) lead the NBA in pace. In other words, you can see from the numbers above that both these teams are trending toward good pacing for overs and yet their games have been falling under. That has resulted in solid line value here and I'll take it. Yes this total is a rather big one but it is certainly justified and the over is 31-19 when Brooklyn is facing a team that allows 106 points or more per game. Also, the Nets are 42-28 to the over when off of a loss by 10 points or more plus they are 8-4 to the over in home games this season. Indiana is 8-5 to the over in road games this season. 8* OVER the total in Brooklyn

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #807 Sunday 8* Cleveland Cavaliers (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 6:05 ET - Everyone is taking Washington here as the line has made a big move. I understand this is a back to back for Cleveland but here is no denying that LeBron James and company are in the zone right now! The Cavaliers win versus the Jazz last night makes them 17-1 their last 18 games and I am happy to take them as a dog here after they opened up as the favorite. The Cavs are 4-1 SU and 5-0 ATS as an underdog this season! The Wizards are only 5-12 ATS as a favorite and I find it hard to trust a team that is only 6-5 SU against teams with a winning record this season. By comparison, the Cavaliers are 7-3 both SU and ATS against teams with a winning record on the season. Washington is only 4-9 ATS in home games this season and they are getting too much respect here. The Wizards are off of back to back wins but faced the struggling Grizzlies and Clippers. Prior to those two wins Washington had lost 8 of 13. Also, the Wizards are on a 6-9 ATS run and now taking on the hottest team in the league. 8* CLEVELAND

Top Play Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #508 Saturday 10* Miami Heat (-) vs Los Angeles Clippers @ 8:05 ET - The Heat and Clippers are both in a back to back spot here but Miami certainly has the advantage of being at home while the Clips are playing their 3rd straight road game and have a big Western Conference match-up with the Spurs at San Antonio on deck. The Clippers have covered 4 straight games but they've done it with some smoke and mirrors as they were held under 38.9% from the field for the 2nd time in 3 games yesterday. As for the Heat, they have shot 50.5% from the field in their last 5 games. The Clippers have a number of injury issues while the Heat have certainly had to grow use to playing without Hassan Whiteside so that adjustment has already taken place as he has missed a lot of time this season. The Heat have played the tougher schedule on the season which makes their superior record even that much better than the Clippers losing record. By the way, Miami is 9-0 SU (and 7-2 ATS) in games against teams with a losing record this season. Also, the Heat are on a 21-13 ATS run when playing the 2nd game of a back to back. Los Angeles is 0-4 SU (and 1-3 ATS) this season when playing the 2nd night of a back to back. The Clips are 3-11 SU as an underdog this season and that holds plenty of significance here as the Heat have failed to get the cover just ONCE (and that was by HALF A POINT) when they get a SU win. In other words, when the Heat have won, odds are strong they also cover. More of the same here. 10* MIAMI

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Game #809 Friday 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia 76ers vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 7:05 ET - The Thunder are off of a big win over the Pacers. They wanted that game badly for Paul George in his return to Indiana. That said, Oklahoma City really turned up the heat on defense in that game as they held the Pacers to just 95 points. Now the Thunder will put forth the typical lackluster effort in the defensive end that follows a game like that. As for Philadelphia, they are happy to run and gun as their average score per game this season is a total of 217.5 points. Also, the 76ers are off of a big upset win at Minnesota. That holds significance here as the Sixers are 3-1 to the over this season when they are off of an outright win as an underdog. Also, when playing with 2 days of rest between games Philly is 3-1 to the over this season. The 76ers are also 9-5 to the over this season when off of a non-conference game. Look for the over to improve to 5-2 this season in OKC's Friday games. Oklahoma City's game at Indiana stayed under the total but, prior to that, the Thunder were on a 4-1 run to the over in true road games. That pattern resumes here! 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Timberwolves vs Sacramento Kings @ 8:05 ET - The Kings have allowed an average of "only" 101 points per game their last 3 games but opponents have averaged 89 field goal attempts in those 3 contests. The point is that the proper pace for high-scoring games has certainly been there but the results simply haven't followed as 2 of the 3 games stayed under the total. Now Sacramento faces a Minnesota team that won't hesitate to "run and gun" here. The Timberwolves have gone 8-4 to the over in their last 12 games as they've averaged 107 points per game during this stretch. The over is 3-1 in the last 4 meetings between these teams including a perfect 2-0 in games played in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves are 44-25 to the over when off of a non-conference game. Also, in this particular case the Wolves were upset by the Sixers! That holds significance here as Minnesota is 5-1 to the over this season (and on a long-term 24-8 run to the over long-term) when they enter a game off of an upset loss as a favorite. In other words, look for the Timberwolves to be very aggressive in the offensive end Thursday! 10* OVER the total in Minnesota

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Game #709 Wednesday 10* Top Play Portland Trail Blazers (+) @ Miami Heat @ 7:35 ET - The Trail Blazers are hungry as they have lost 5 straight games. Portland has played better in their last 2 games and covered both of those. In fact, the Blazers are now 16-8 ATS when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. Miami is off of back to back SU wins but they are 0-4 ATS when they enter a game on a winning streak of 2 or more games this season. Also, the Heat are also 0-3 ATS this season when they enter a game on an ATS winning streak of 2 games or more. Miami has not fared well at home this season as they've covered just 2 of 11 games as a host this season! The Heat were a small dog at Memphis Monday and they got the outright win. Miami is 1-4 ATS this season when off of an upset win as an underdog. The Heat have covered only 3 of 10 as a favorite this season. Miami also has a divisional game on deck at Charlotte and could look right past this non-conference match-up. Portland will absolutely not look past the Heat here as the Blazers are hungry to end their longest losing streak of the season. The road team is 24-15 ATS long-term in the meetings between these teams and the hungry road dog gets the cash again here! 10* PORTLAND

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #705 Wednesday 8* Oklahoma City Thunder (+) @ Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - The Thunder have failed to cover 9 games in a row and are 3-10 SU away from home this season while Indiana is 10-4 SU at home. That said, how is that the odds makers opened this one up at Oklahoma City -1? Exactly! Don't be fooled ladies and gentlemen. The odds makers know what they are doing and yet the betting markets are already helping us with the line move now having the Pacers as the favorite by 1.5 points. Of course this is the return of Paul George to Indiana and you know Russell Westbrook and all of his Thunder teammates are going to do everything they can to help the return to be a victorious one! Even though OKC defeated Indiana in late October in the first meeting between these teams, George only played 19 minutes due to foul trouble and ended up fouling out in just 19 minutes of action. Even with that, the Thunder still won that game by 18 points and they are hungry again tonight for another big win due to having lost 7 of their last 12 games overall. The Pacers are off of a big win and that holds significance here as they are 2-5 ATS when off of a win by a double digit margin this season. Indiana is also on an 8-16 ATS run against Northwest Division opponents. OKC is off of an ugly loss and they are 20-11 SU and 19-12 ATS when off of a loss by double digits. Also, the Thunder are 3-0 SU this season (30-13 SU long-term) when off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. Look for the Thunder to improve to 5-1 SU against Central Division foes on the season. 8* OKLAHOMA CITY

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Tuesday 8* Denver Nuggets (+) @ Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - The Pistons have lost 6 straight games. Detroit is also an ugly 4-9 SU this season when facing teams with a winning record. We're getting line value here with the Nuggets because they haven't performed well on the road overall. I am glad to grab the big points being offered with a Denver team that is 8-4 SU in non-conference games this season. The Nuggets are also 5-1 SU this season after allowing 115 points or more and 7-1 SU this season when off of a loss by a double digit margin. Denver will be fired up after Sunday's loss at Indiana and the Nuggets have been shooting the ball much better than the Pistons. Detroit has been held under 44.4% from the field in 6 straight games and under 41.5% in four straight games! 8* DENVER

ESPN Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #505 Tuesday 10* Los Angeles Lakers (+) @ New York Knicks @ 7:05 ET - The Lakers are off of back to back wins plus playing for just the 3rd time in 9 days! Fresh legs and confidence are both on the side of Los Angeles in this one. They've had 2 full off days since winning by double digits at Charlotte Saturday. As for the Knicks, they barely hung on for a tight win Sunday versus Atlanta and they now will be playing for the 3rd time in just 4 days! Certainly New York's situation is much different than the favorable scheduling situation of LA here. Also, the Knicks have a divisional game against city rival Brooklyn on deck! NY is 1-4 ATS this month. Also, the Knicks are on a 26-44 SU run against Western Conference teams and also 13-33 SU run against teams that average 106 points or more per game. The Lakers are 42-29 ATS against Eastern Conference foes in recent seasons. Also, this season, Los Angeles is 3-0 ATS when off of a win by a double digit margin and LA is also 4-1 ATS when they enter a game on an under streak of 3 games or more. 10* LOS ANGELES LAKERS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #703 Monday 8* Miami Heat (+) @ Memphis Grizzlies @ 8:05 ET - Even though the Heat are off of a game at Mexico City Saturday, this will be just the 3rd game in the past 8 days for Miami. They do have fresh legs. As for Memphis, they will be playing their 3rd game in just 4 days and things have not been going well for the Grizzlies. Memphis has lost 3 straight games and 14 of their last 15 games! The Heat are a small dog here and that is certainly noteworthy as they are a PERFECT 7-0 SU this season in games against teams with a losing record. Memphis is 1-7 SU and ATS in their games against teams with a losing record this season. 8* MIAMI

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #707 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Oklahoma City Thunder vs Charlotte Hornets @ 8:05 ET - The Thunder are off of a couple poor shooting efforts but both those games were away from Oklahoma City. With OKC back home tonight and averaging 104 points per game in their last 8 games on their home floor, the Thunder offense gets back on track in this one. Additionally, their opponent tonight certainly has no hesitation in terms of being happy to push the pace. The Hornets games this season have averaged about 211.5 points and I look for another fast-paced shootout here. Charlotte has averaged 108 points per game in their last 4 road games. The Thunder have trended under this season but I love this situation in terms of them returning home off of a rather low-scoring road win and now facing a team that trends over. The Hornets are 4-1 to the over this season when off of a loss by 10 points or more in their prior game. Also, Charlotte is 7-2 to the over when off of a non-conference game. 10* OVER the total in Oklahoma City

Situational Slam - Rickenbach NBA Game #512 Sunday 10* Top Play New York Knicks (-) vs Atlanta Hawks @ 7:35 ET - Both teams are in a back to back but the Knicks will prove to the be hungrier team. The Hawks are off of a home win (albeit against an Orlando team that doesn't travel well) while New York is off of a tight 2-point road loss at Chicago and will be ready to respond here. The Knicks also have additional motivation as they lost at Atlanta earlier this season. Also, New York lost each of the final 3 meetings versus the Hawks last season by an average margin of only 2.7 points per defeat. Time for payback here and Atlanta is 0-5 SU in the 2nd game of back to backs this season. Also, the Hawks are 0-4 SU this season when off of a game where they scored 115 points or more. The Knicks are 6-1 SU (and ATS!) as a favorite this season. Also, New York is 11-5 SU and 12-4 ATS in their home games this season. The Knicks are hungry after the way yesterday's game ended and we'll see the response here. 10* NEW YORK KNICKS

Dominator Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 10* Houston Rockets (-) @ Portland Trail Blazers @ 10:05 ET - The Rockets lost by 10 in their last visit to Portland so it is time for a little payback here. The Blazers are hurt (literally) by the ankle injury to Jusuf Nurkic here as he is likely to miss this game and he is tied for the team lead in rebounds, leads the team in blocked shots, and is also their 3rd leading scorer. Portland has lost 3 straight games and the average margin of defeat has been 11 points even though all 3 games were at home. That said, I don't see them shutting down a Rockets team that has won 14 of 15 games! What has been most impressive about this win streak for Houston is that only 1 of those 14 wins has come by less than 11 points. The Rockets aren't just winning, they are dominating teams! That is why this has been an 11-4 ATS run for Houston and I don't see them slowing down here. They remember what happened in their last visit to Portland. The Trail Blazers also have the defending champion Warriors on deck! Though the Blazers are off of an upset loss as a favorite that doesn't mean they'll bounce back here. In fact, Portland has just 1 cover in 7 games when playing in that situation. The Rockets are a stellar 9-3 ATS on the road this season. 10* HOUSTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 8* Los Angeles Clippers (+) vs Washington Wizards @ 3:35 ET - The Los Angeles Clippers have been struggling as they've been beaten by the injury bug (Patrick Beverley and Blake Griffin). However, they have a couple of key edges here against the Wizards. The Clips have the home court edge and they also catch Washington playing an early game after enjoying the Friday "night life" of LA. Even though the Wizards have won 2 of 3 on this road trip, those victories came against the slumping Blazers and a bad Suns team. With the Clippers playing just the 2nd time in 6 days and the Wizards playing for the 4th time in 6 days (each game in a different city), this is a big scheduling edge for LA. Of course we get line value here with the Clips as a home dog due to their recent struggles as well as the corresponding injury situation. The Clippers are 19-4 SU against Southeast Division opponents. The Wizards are 5-8 ATS as a favorite this season. 8* LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

Earliest Cash Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Friday 10* Indiana Pacers (+) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:05 ET - The Pacers just played a Bulls team that has the longest losing streak in the NBA. Clearly Indiana was looking ahead to this match-up with the team that has the longest winning streak in the NBA. After barely getting by the Bulls (and with Myles Turner listed as questionable due to his knee) we are getting a nice home dog spot here on the Pacers. Indiana is 8-4 SU at home this season and 65-34 SU at home the past 3 seasons combined. Keep in mind, the Cavs (even with their current hot streak) have been money burners at the betting window as a fave. Cleveland is 4-15 ATS as a favorite this season! Also, the Cavaliers are on an ugly 16-28 ATS run versus division opponents. The Pacers are a fantastic 27-13 ATS their last 40 versus divisional foes. Indiana has failed to get the cash only ONCE in their last SIX games versus the Cavs. There is a reason the odds makers but such a low number on the favorite here even though they've won 13 in a row. Don't be fooled by it. Upset time here. 10* INDIANA

TNT Explosion Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76'ers (-) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 8:05 ET - The Lakers have lost 5 straight and 10 of their last 13. Also, 7 of those 10 losses have come by 8 or more points. When the Lakers lose (often) they generally lose big and the Sixers are in a good spot to take the Lakers behind the woodshed and lay the lumber on Los Angeles! Philadelphia is angry off of a home loss to Phoenix where they were lethargic from the opening tip onward. The 76'ers are 3-1 SU and ATS when off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more this season. Also, the past 3 seasons combined, Philly is 14-5 ATS in games with a posted total of 220 points or more and also 50-21 ATS in non-conference games including a fantastic 19-7 ATS in games against Pacific Division opponents. The Lakers are 2-8 SU and 3-7 ATS in road games this season. The Sixers, off of a loss and with a road trip on deck that will take them away from Philly for a week, are going to make the most of this home game. The 76ers have had two full off days since the loss to the Suns so anger and frustration has built up and is ready to be unleashed on the slumping Lakers. Lay it! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Top Play Dominator - Rickenbach NBA 10* San Antonio Spurs (-) vs Miami Heat @ 8:35 ET - The Spurs are always up for the Heat. Of course the back to back battles in 2013 and 2014 and the fact these non-conference foes only meet twice a season helps make these match-ups special. The Spurs are at home and getting healthier. The Heat are on the road and continuing to struggle without Hassan Whiteside. Miami has lost 3 of 4 SU and ATS while allowing opponents to hit a ridiculous 53.3% from the field. The Spurs have failed to cover their last 3 home games but the margin those 3 games failed to cover by was a COMBINED 2.5 points and San Antonio had started the season 8-2 ATS in home games! In other words, a big home win for the Spurs would not surprise in the least in terms of this match-up. Each of Miami's last 7 losses have come by at least 9 points and the average margin of those 7 defeats was 18.3 points. I sense another blowout here as the Heat also could be distracted by their Mexico City trip on deck as they face Brooklyn there on Saturday. The Spurs are a long-term 24-9 ATS in December games and 90-52 ATS in games against teams from the Southeast Division. Look for Miami to drop to 4-8 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record. 10* SAN ANTONIO

Rickenbach Wednesday NBA 8* UNDER the total in Milwaukee Bucks vs Detroit Pistons @ 8:05 ET - 8 of the Pistons last 9 road games have stayed under the total. This is a divisional game so defensive intensity tends to be up for games like this. Both meetings this season have stayed under the total and with the upward movement on this total early today we're now getting even more line value with the under. Even though the Bucks most recent home game went over the total, that was just the 2nd over in Milwaukee's last 8 home games and I expect a strong effort here on the defensive end here as they look to duplicate last month's effort in Detroit where the Bucks held the Pistons to just 35% from the field. The Pistons are wrapping up a lengthy road trip and that is significant here as Detroit is 15-8 to the under when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. The Pistons are 8-3 to the under in road games this season. More of the same expected here. 8* UNDER the total in Milwaukee

Rickenbach Wednesday NBA 8* Atlanta Hawks @ Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - Sure the Hawks have had their share of struggles this season but anytime I can get significant points like this and go against a team (Magic) that has lost 11 of 13 straight-up, I am in! Only ONE time in their last 13 games has Orlando won a game by more than 5 points. As for the Hawks, they are 8-2 ATS the last 10 times they have allowed more than 105 points in a game and they're angry again here as they are off of an ugly 110-90 loss to Brooklyn. The Magic were held by the Hornets to just 94 points in a 10 point loss on Monday. Orlando is on a 2-7 ATS run when they are off of a game where they were held to 105 points or less! Also, this is the 3rd game in 4 nights for the Magic while the Hawks are playing for just the third time this month. Atlanta does have revenge from a 19 point loss at Orlando in their most recent match-up. While it is true that the Hawks have not played well this season, the Magic aren't great either and are known for playing down to the level of their competition. Orlando is 18-31 ATS against teams allowing 106 points or more per game. Also, the Magic are 2-5 ATS (and SU!) this season against teams with a losing record. 8* ATLANTA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 8* OVER the total in Toronto Raptors vs Phoenix Suns @ 7:35 ET - The Suns are off of an upset win at Philadelphia last night but the 76'ers simply had an awful shooting night. Philly only made 7 of 30 three pointers and that was the difference in the game. That also is what helped the game stay under the total and I don't expect a repeat here. The Suns are scoring a ton of points but, as usual, their defense leaves a lot to be desired and the well-rested Raptors can take advantage. Toronto has been off since a big win Friday versus Indiana. That game went over the total and the Raptors are a solid 6-3 to the over in home games as they are averaging an incredible 115 points per game at home this season. The Suns give up 115 points per game so you can see why this match-up is indeed set up well for a ton of points. The Raptors have shot 51.7% from the field in their last 4 games. Also, the over is 9-3 in Suns non-conference games this season and Phoenix is 34-16 to the over the past 3 seasons combined when they are facing a team that allows 106 points or more per game. The past 3 seasons combined Toronto is 23-15 to the over when off of a game where they scored 115 points or more and 65-42 to the over in home games. I see every reason to expect another one here as the Suns are on a 3-0 run to the over when they are playing the 2nd game of a back to back and that 2nd game is on the road. 8* OVER the total in Toronto

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Monday 8* OVER the total in San Antonio Spurs vs Detroit Pistons @ 8:35 - Nothing like a 14-14 fourth quarter performance to ruin your play when you're on an over! Suffice to say the Spurs are fired up after losing by just 3 points last night thanks in part to a 14-point 4th quarter. Also, I am fired up too as I had the over in their game at Oklahoma City and I was done in by a dreadful fourth quarter from both teams. I'll look to get retribution right away by coming back with the Spurs over here as I do expect LaMarcus Aldridge and Tony Parker to be back in the lineup after they were each rested in the front-end of this back-to-back situation. The Spurs are off of back to back unders and so too are the Pistons. However, Detroit is averaging 110.8 points per game their last 4 games and San Antonio was averaging 105 points per game in their 4-game winning streak that preceded last night's ugly performance. The Spurs are a perfect 3-0 to the over this season when playing an Eastern Conference foe in the 2nd game of a back-to-back situation. Look for another one here as they'll push the pace at home off of a loss and the Pistons are scoring 105 points per game this season but Detroit also allows an average of 103 points per game. 8* OVER the total in San Antonio

NBA TV Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 8* OVER the total in Oklahoma City Thunder vs San Antonio Spurs @ 7:05 ET - The over is 3-1 this season in Oklahoma City's games against teams from the Southwest Division. The over is 19-10 when San Antonio is an underdog. Also, the over is 13-7 in the Spurs last 20 Sunday games. Also, the last 8 times the Spurs were off of a game where they held their opponent under 100 points and the game stayed under the total, the over is 6-2 in their next game! The Thunder have allowed their last 4 opponents to hit a combined 51.4% from the field! The Spurs have won 11 of 14 games and averaged 108.2 points per game in those 11 wins. The Thunder have scored 101 points or more in 7 of their last 10 games. 8* OVER the total in Oklahoma City

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 8* Detroit Pistons (+) @ Philadelphia 76'ers @ 7:35 ET - The Sixers are off of a loss and they catch the Pistons playing the 2nd night of a back to back. That said, on the surface, this looks like a great spot to back Philly. However, digging deeper shows there is actually great value with Detroit in this match-up. The Pistons are fired up after what happened last night. They were up by 6 points at the half at Washington but then began the 2nd half like they already had the game won. No energy, little effort, and Detroit got outscored by 20 points in the 3rd quarter. Of course that was the difference in the game and the Pistons now come into this game angry and ticked off. Remember they also already had extra motivation for this game because the 76ers beat them in Detroit early this season in a late October match-up. Now the Pistons get a shot at revenge and, keep in mind, the Pistons have won each of their last 3 visits to Philly. In fact the road team has won 3 of the last 4 meetings between these teams and the average margin in the last 4 games has been 19 points. With that said, don't be surprised if this one turns into a road rout! Before last night's loss, the Pistons had won 12 of 16 since the home loss to the Sixers earlier this season. Detroit is 7-2 ATS as an underdog this season. Philadelphia is just 7-23 SU (and has covered just 33%) in their last 30 December games. 8* DETROIT

Earliest Cash Top Play - Rickenbach NBA 10* OVER the total in Orlando Magic vs Golden State Warriors @ 7:05 ET - This total opened up at a 230 and so, of course, under players got very excited with seeing such a big total and have pounded this thing down early. With it down to a 227 as of the time of this posting, I am rolling with the over in this one. This is a non-conference game and both teams are coming off of wins. As a result, there is very little incentive for either team to play much defense in this one. The Magic are off of a 13 point upset win where they shot "lights out" but they did allow 96 field goal attempts for the Thunder. In other words the pace was certainly there for a high-scoring game and they're not going to slow down the Warriors whom have both Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry listed as probable for tonight's game. Orlando has gone over the total in 5 straight games and Golden State has gone over the total in 5 of its last 7. The Warriors are 6-2 to the over in their games against teams with a losing record this season plus 6-2 to the over in road games with a posted total of 220 points or more. The Magic are 11-6 to the over in games with a posted total of 220 points or more the past 3 seasons combined. 10* OVER the total in Orlando

Earliest Cash Top Play - Rickenbach NBA 10* Atlanta Hawks (+) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:35 ET - The Cavaliers are a popular choice here because they have revenge from a tight home loss versus the Hawks earlier this season. However, Atlanta is always up for facing LeBron James and Company because they got swept out of the playoffs by the Cavs in the 2015 Eastern Conference finals and then again were swept in the 2016 Eastern Conference semifinals. Of course when it is playoff time and every game is critical things are different. However, in a regular season situation lets not forget all the distractions for road teams in Atlanta. Yes, this is a city known for its nightlife catering to visiting players! In other words it is much different from a road game in say, Salt Lake City Utah! The point is that maybe it should come as no surprise that the Hawks have played the Cavs tough including here at home. The last two meetings here saw Atlanta win one outright and lose the other one by just 5 points. Also, the Hawks have won each of their last 3 visits to Cleveland so there is something about facing Atlanta that seems to bring down the Cavs level of play a notch or two in regular season action! I know this Hawks team is a bad team this season but, off of a total beatdown at home against the Raptors, they will respond here. Atlanta had previously won 2 of its last 4 home games and the home game prior to that was a loss by just 3 points to the Celtics! After losing by 34 points to Toronto, the angry Hawks are going to hang around in this one and they are expected to have forward Luke Babbitt back for this one. The Cavaliers are on a winning streak of 9 games but they have gone just 3-12 ATS as a favorite this season and Cleveland is also only 2-7 ATS this season against teams with a losing record. This is the Hawks finale of a 4-game homestand and they are 11-6 (SU and ATS) when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games at home. 10* ATLANTA

Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 8* Miami Heat (-) @ New York Knicks @ 7:35 ET - The Heat got beaten so badly in the first half in Cleveland last night that their starters were able to get quite a bit of rest. That said, this is a good spot to back an angry Miami team as they're fired up off of that loss and the 5 starters averaged only 24 minutes of playing time against the Cavaliers. The Knicks have lost 3 straight games. The Heat had won 3 straight games before losing to the Cavs. The road team has won 6 of the last 7 meetings between these teams SU and ATS. Even though New York looks better this season they have still gone just 3-5 against teams with a winning record. The past 3 seasons combined the Knicks are an ugly 27-65 against teams with a winning record. 8* MIAMI

Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 8* Oklahoma City Thunder (-) @ Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - After the huge highly coveted win for Russell Westbrook's Thunder over Kevin Durant's Warriors last week, Oklahoma City fell flat versus Detroit and lost outright as an 8.5 point favorite. That wasn't a huge surprise. What was a huge surprise is that OKC followed it up by shooting just 36.2% at Dallas and losing to the Mavericks as a 6 point favorite. Now, after that ugly performance made it back to back losses for the Thunder, you can expect a huge response tonight! The road team covered both meetings between these teams last year and Oklahoma City has covered each of their last two trips to Orlando. I look for the road dominance to continue here. The Magic come into this game having lost 9 straight games. The average margin of defeat has been 15 points and none of those 9 losses came by less than 5 points. That makes this small road chalk the way to go in this one! Orlando is 18-27 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. The Thunder are 19-10 ATS when off of a loss by a double digit margin. 8* OKLAHOMA CITY 

Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Pistons vs Phoenix Suns @ 7:05 ET - The Suns finally held a team under 100 points yesterday but that's because it was the miserable Bulls. That win in Chicago marked just the 5th time this season that the Suns have managed to hold their opponent under 110 points. After the first 4 times, Phoenix allowed at least 113 points in their next game with all 4 games going over the total as the Suns allowed an average of 124 points in those 4 prior occurrences. I look for a similar result here as Detroit comes into this one off of a strong performance on offense as they scored 118 points at Boston. The Pistons shouldn't have any trouble scoring at least that tonight against the Suns and its a non-conference match-up which generally means less attention on defense. Detroit has, in fact, allowed at least 51% shooting from the field in 3 of their last 4 games so Phoenix is likely to be "trading buckets" with the Pistons for quite awhile in this one. Even with yesterday's under, the Suns are still 7-2 to the over this season in non-conference games. Also, the Pistons most recent home game was against the division rival Cavs and stayed under the total but, prior to that, they were on a 4-0 run to the over in home games! 10* OVER the total in Detroit

NBA TV Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 8* Miami Heat (+) @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:05 ET - A lot of line value here as the Cavaliers are in a back to back spot. Even though Cleveland has won 8 straight games, their schedule has been quite friendly of late. Now the Cavs are in what is their 4th back to back spot so far this season. In the first 3 they have not only lost all 3, they were favored by an average margin of 10 points and yet they lost each game outright by an average margin of 15 points! That means the Cavs are 0-3 ATS in this spot this season with an average cover for the opposition by a 25 point margin! As you can see, the Heat not only have a great shot at the cover here but also an outright victory by a sizable margin. Cleveland is off of a huge win at Philly last night but the 76ers did outrebound them and had 10 more shots from the field in the game. Philadelphia just simply couldn't hit their shots last night while the Cavaliers rolled. Cleveland is 0-9 ATS at home this season and 2-12 ATS as a favorite. Eventually some of these numbers will certainly start to reverse but this isn't the time for any changes to begin. It is a back to back spot with travel involved for the Cavs and this is the same situation they have struggled in all 3 times this season. Miami comes into this game off of a day of rest yesterday and they've won 3 straight games heading into this match-up. Also, the Heat have won each of their last 3 meetings with Cleveland as well. Miami is 16-9 ATS when on a winning streak of 3 games or more and the Heat get the job done again here. 8* MIAMI

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Monday 8* Brooklyn Nets (+) @ Houston Rockets @ 8:05 ET - Just too many points here. The Rockets, of course, are the better team and are at home but the Nets are quietly playing extremely competitive basketball. Brooklyn won at Memphis last season and, despite playing a number of quality teams like Portland (twice), Cleveland, Golden State, and Denver, the Nets are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games. Also, Brooklyn has only lost 1 game this entire season by more than 13 points and that was exactly a month ago to the day in October and now the Nets are getting 17 here. It's just too much. The Rockets don't have any incentive to run up the score here. If anything, Brooklyn is the more motivated team as they lost at home by 25 to Houston when they most recently met (back in January). Note that the Nets had covered each of the prior 3 meetings. Also, yesterday was just the 2nd time in 5 games that Brooklyn didn't shoot over 50% from the field. The Nets held the Grizzlies to just 88 points and they are 5-1 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 90 points or less. Also, Brooklyn is a perfect 7-0 ATS this season in games against teams that score 106 points or more per game. The Nets also are 7-1 ATS in games against teams with a winning record. The Rockets are just 1-4 ATS against Atlantic Division teams this season (again, the motivation just isn't there against a non-Western Conference foe). Also, Houston is just 17-31 ATS as a home fave of 12.5 to 18 points. 8* BROOKLYN

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 8* Brooklyn Nets (+) @ Memphis Grizzlies @ 6:05 ET - Considering Brooklyn is only 2-7 on the road it looks almost "too easy" to take Memphis at home laying a rather small number here. However, you know looks can be deceiving and that is what my contrarian crusher plays are all about! In this case, upon closer inspection, you'll see why the Nets are actually a great play here! Not only has Memphis lost 7 straight games (SU and ATS!), the Grizzlies are 4-11 in their last 15 games with only 2 wins by more than 5 points! In other words, Memphis would have to do something they've only done TWICE in their last 15 games to beat us here. I like my chances with a Nets team that has covered 7 of its last 9 games while truly playing competitive basketball versus the likes of the Cavaliers, Warriors, Celtics, Nuggets, and Blazers. Brooklyn enters this game off of a high-scoring loss versus Portland. That is significant here as the Nets are 5-0 ATS this season when off of a game where they scored 115 points or more. The Grizzlies have trouble matching up with teams like Brooklyn that are consistently involved in high-scoring games. Sure the Nets defensive numbers will impress no one but check this out: Memphis has gone 0-6 ATS this season when facing a team that allows 106 or more points per game! That means we have an 11-0 ATS combined spot here that favors the road dog. 8* BROOKLYN

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 8* New Orleans Pelicans (+) @ Golden State Warriors @ 8:35 ET - With the Warriors off of a 49-point home win over the Bulls last night this one is a no-brainer, right? Actually it is anything but because Kevin Durant (ankle) is listed as doubtful for tonight's game and the Pelicans big men will take advantage. New Orleans is on the road again but with their blowout win at Phoenix last night they were able to rest guys. The Pelicans are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 road games and New Orleans is also 5-0 ATS against Pacific Division opponents this season. The Warriors are 3-8 ATS off of a game where they scored 115 points or more. The Warriors won all 4 meetings last season and the first meeting this season with New Orleans but the Pelicans have only lost 1 of those games by more than 10 points. Couple that with the fact that Durant is hurting and you have the makings of a much closer game than many are expecting here. 8* NEW ORLEANS

NBA TV Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Friday 8* OVER the total in Golden State Warriors vs Chicago Bulls @ 10:35 ET - Golden State is angry coming off of that loss at Oklahoma City Wednesday night. Now they are back home for the first time in a week and a half and will look to take out their frustration on a lesser foe. While I do expect the Warriors to put up a ton of points tonight, I do not expect their defense to be in lockdown mode. Keep in mind, they have a much tougher game on deck with New Orleans tomorrow plus they did put in a lot of effort versus the Thunder Wednesday. In other words, this Friday game is likely to be an offensive showcase for the Warriors. The Bulls are off of back to back poor shooting performances but I expect them to get plenty of open looks in this one as the game goes on. The fact is that the Warriors are likely to get up about 20 points and then invariably complacency on defense sets in. That means the Bulls may finally break out of their scoring slump. The last 3 times the Bulls were held to 90 points or less they are a perfect 3-0 to the over. The last 7 times the Warriors have been held to 117 points or less they are a solid 5-2 to the over. Also, off of an upset loss as a favorite, the Warriors are 4-0 to the over this season. Combining the two perfect trends above we have a double perfect spot of 7-0 favoring the over in this one. I'll take it. 8* OVER the total in Golden State

Situational Slam - Rickenbach NBA Friday 10* Phoenix Suns (+) vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 9:05 ET - The Suns may not be a very good basketball team but they are catching the Pelicans at the perfect time for an upset. Combining that with the fact that Phoenix is at home and also catching a half-dozen points and you have a great value spot for a home dog. New Orleans is in a horrible scheduling spot as they are off of their huge upset win over San Antonio and the Pelicans now have Golden State on deck. That said, it is certainly a difficult spot for New Orleans to be too concerned with Phoenix. As for the Suns, they are hungry off of a home loss to the Bucks and this the final home game for Phoenix until December 7th so they want to make the most of it! The Pelicans game against the Warriors is tomorrow at Golden State so the situation truly couldn't be much worse after they also dominated the Spurs Wednesday. New Orleans is 5-10 ATS (and 4-11 SU) when off of a game where they allowed 90 points or less. The last 4 games between these teams have been decided by an average margin of just 2.25 points per game. Tremendous home dog value here. 10* PHOENIX

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play OVER the total in Atlanta Hawks vs Los Angeles Clippers @ 7:35 ET - The Clippers are off of an ugly turnover-filled game against the Knicks. The Hawks are off of a typical grinding game against the Spurs. However, now these two struggling teams face off and they are both in a situation they view as a winnable game. Keep in mind, Los Angeles has lost 9 straight while Atlanta has the worst record in the NBA. With that said, a winnable game is a big deal and I look for these two to push the pace in this one as each goes hard for that much needed victory. The Clippers are 3-0 to the over when off of an upset loss as a favorite. The Hawks have played a road-heavy schedule and that is significant to the value here as they are 5-1 to the over in home games this season. This total has been on a downward move since it was posted and you know what that means. Even more value here. 10* OVER the total in Atlanta

NBA TV Smash - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 8* OVER the total in Los Angeles Lakers vs Chicago Bulls @ 10:35 ET - The Lakers have gone over the total in 3 straight games. Those 3 games have averaged about 228 points per game and I expect a similar result here. The Bulls just have not been playing defense. Chicago has allowed 50% or more from the field in 5 of their last 6 games. As a result the over is 4-2 in the Bulls last 6 games and I am expecting another one here. Chicago has shot about 46.5% the last two games and confidence is up on the offensive end. Also, the Bulls though are fired up about not putting away the Suns when they had a chance in Phoenix Sunday so they'll keep their foot on the gas this time in terms of production on offense. The Lakers are averaging 116.3 points per game their last 3 games so I look for Los Angeles to score right along with them in this one. The game should be played at a good pace as it is a non-conference match-up that should feature plenty of run and gun. 3 of the last 4 meetings (including both here in LA) have gone over the total. The over is 15-9 when the Lakers are off of a game where they scored 115 points or more. Look for the over to improve to 6-3 in Chicago's road games this season as both teams employ plenty of "run and gun" in this one. 8* OVER the total in Los Angeles Lakers

Earliest Cash Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Monday 10* OVER the total in Philadelphia 76'ers vs Utah Jazz @ 7:05 ET - The Jazz scored 125 points in their blowout win at Orlando Saturday. Utah is 7-3 to the over when they are off of a game where they scored 115 points or more. The over is 8-3 in the last 11 games for the Jazz and they've really picked up the pace on this road trip. Overall, the over is 4-0 in Utah's last 4 games away from home. The 76'ers are off of a home loss to Golden State. The Philly defense was crushed for 124 points and the over is now 8-2 in Philadelphia's last 10 games. As a favorite this season the over is 4-1 in Sixers game and, when off of a non-conference game, the over is 7-1 in Philadelphia's games. The Sixers are averaging 112.5 points per game their last 11 games. The Jazz are averaging 110.8 points per game their last 4 road games. When these teams met in Utah the game barely stayed under the total even though the Jazz shot only 30% from the field. In fact, Utah attempted 99 shots in that game! They'll get some payback here, at least in terms of better offensive production. However, the upstart 76'ers will be scoring big right along with them. The result should be a shootout. 10* OVER the total in Philadelphia

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 8* Chicago Bulls (+) @ Phoenix Suns @ 8:05 ET - The Bulls are 3-10 this season and the Suns are 6-11 and yet Phoenix is only favored by 3 at home? Looks "funny" doesn't it? Long-time followers know how I feel about "strange" lines and the fact is that the Suns being favored only by the home court edge should tell you something since Phoenix has twice as many wins as Chicago so far this season! The moral of the story is don't fall for the trap! I am looking for the Bulls to get the outright upset here but happy to grab the points. Chicago has failed to cover only twice in seven road games this season and they also have momentum off of a win. The Suns are on a 15-27 ATS run as a favorite and also are just 10-25 SU when off of an upset win as an underdog. After winning as a sizable dog versus the Lakers at Los Angeles Friday, Phoenix will fall flat in this one! 8* CHICAGO

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 8* Dallas Mavericks (+) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 9:05 ET - The Mavs were up big on the Timberwolves at the half yesterday but then blew the game and ended up losing big. The key though is that Dallas was able to get a lot of rest in the 2nd half of the game because Minnesota pulled away. That means that, even with this being a back to back spot for the Mavericks, it is not a bad spot to back the hungry home dog. Milwaukee comes in hot on a 4-game winning streak but they could look right past this non-conference foe that sports an ugly record. Also, the Bucks are just 1-3 in their last 4 road games. With this being the Bucks only road game in a span of nearly a dozen days, this match-up has "trap game" written all over it. 8* DALLAS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Friday NBA 10* Top Play OVER the total in Indiana Pacers vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - The Pacers are off of a big win at Memphis but their defense continues to be an issue. Indiana has allowed their opponents to hit at least 50% from the field in 6 of their last 8 games. Also, one of those 2 "better" games on defense the Pacers still allowed 47.8% from the field. Indiana has allowed 107 points or more in 7 of their last 8 games. The Pistons are off of a low-scoring loss at Milwaukee and will be fired up here. That defeat ended a stretch of 5 straight wins for Detroit and the Pistons allowed 110 points per game in those 5 games. Overall, Detroit has won 8 of its last 10 games and they've averaged 110.3 points per game in those 8 victories. The over is 4-1 in the Pistons last 5 games and 5-3 in the Pacers last 8 games. The over is 4-2 this season in Detroit's games against teams with a losing record. Look for the over to improve to 6-3 in Pacers games this month as the Pistons were held to 35.3% from the field versus the Bucks Wednesday and Detroit is 3-0 to the over this season when off of a game where they held under 43% from the field. 10* OVER the total in Indiana

TV Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 10* OVER the total in Phoenix Suns vs Houston Rockets @ 10:35 ET - Both teams play fast. Their pace is among the fastest in the league. The Rockets are off of a home loss to Toronto and that means they won't take their foot off of the gas in this game against out-classed Phoenix. Houston has gone over the total in 6 of their last meetings versus the Suns and Phoenix comes into this one well-rested. The Suns have been off since Monday and Phoenix is an incredible 18-3 to the over when they are playing with 2 days of rest between games. Also, when playing against a team that averages 106 points or more per game, the Suns are on a 32-14 run to the over. Both these teams have been weak defending the 3-ball as the Rockets are allowing 38.8% and the Suns are allowing 38.2% this season. Neither team is interested in slowing this game down and that should lead to an absolute shootout in this one with plenty of "run and gun". 10* OVER the total in Phoenix 

Top Play Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 10* Memphis Grizzlies (-) vs Indiana Pacers @ 8:05 ET - This line keeps dropping and I'll gladly step in. Memphis is all the way down to a 4 point favorite as of early game day morning. The only edge that the Pacers truly have is on the offensive end but the problem with that angle here is that they been held to average of only 99 points per game their last 3 games as they've shot under 45% in 2 of their last 3 games. The fact is that the Grizzlies have the far superior defense and also, of course, have the home court edge. The home team is actually a fantastic long-term 26-14 (65%) ATS in the last 40 meetings between these teams. Also the Pacers have allowed 47.8% or better from the field in 6 of their last 7 games including 5 straight games of at least 50%. Conversely, the Grizzlies are allowing just 43.1% shooting on the season! Also, Memphis has been better on the offensive end of late as well. The Grizzlies have shot over 47.5% from the field in 5 of their last 6 games and the one game they didn't reach that mark they shot a solid 46% from the field. The Grizzlies are 56-37 SU run in home games and the Pacers are on a 36-59 SU run in road games. With this line all the way down to a -4 I like my odds of not only the home win but also the cover. Additionally, Indiana is 0-3 SU and ATS this season when off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. 10* MEMPHIS