Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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11-29-19 | Iowa -5 v. Nebraska | Top | 27-24 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 13 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #327 Friday 10* Top Play Iowa Hawkeyes (-) @ Nebraska Cornhuskers @ 2:30 ET - The Hawkeyes have held their last two opponents to season lows in total points. Iowa is known for their defense and they are allowing only 115 yards on the ground per game this season. However, they are not completely inept on offense either. They didn't have the points to show it for last week against Illinois but note that QB Stanley had over 300 passing yards in that game. The Hawkeyes won't make the same mistake they made against the Huskers last season. It ended up being a 3-point win for Iowa because they allowed the Cornhuskers to rally from 15 points down to tie the game with only a few minutes left before Iowa then kicked the game-winning field goal. Nebraska is off a huge win but it came against a horrible Maryland team. Lets not forget the Huskers are on a 2-9 ATS run and also have covered just ONCE the last EIGHT times they have been a home dog. Facing the Cornhuskers at Nebraska is not what it once was in terms of being difficult on a visitor. By the way, the Hawkeyes are 18-3 ATS their last 21 games as a road favorite. Look for the visitor to improve to 6-1 ATS in the last 7 meetings between these teams. In terms of SU winner, Iowa has won 5 of the last 6 meetings. Nebraska has not beaten a good team all season. They have 5 wins and 4 came against teams with a combined record of 10-34. The other win came against a 6-5 Illinois team that is vastly over-rated and extremely fortunate to have 6 wins. Now facing an 8-3 Iowa team whose 3 losses came by a total of 14 points (against Penn State, Michigan, and Wisconsin), the Huskers will prove to be out-classed here. Nebraska has 5 losses including 3 by a total of 84 points (!) to Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Minnesota. The Golden Gophers team that beat the Cornhuskers by 27 points is the same Minnesota team that Iowa beat a few weeks ago. Big difference right now in the level of these programs right now, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. 10* IOWA |
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11-28-19 | Devils v. Canadiens OVER 6 | Top | 6-4 | Win | 100 | 13 h 34 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #33 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Montreal Canadiens vs New Jersey Devils @ 7:35 ET - The Canadiens are off an 8-1 home loss to the Bruins. They have had a dozen games this season in which they have allowed 4 or more goals and when off a game like that they have had just 4 unders in 12 games. That ugly loss to Boston marked the 5th over in the last 6 games for Montreal and all 5 of those games totaled at least 7 goals. Look for this one to as well. The Devils visit Montreal on Thanksgiving Thursday and they won the earlier match-up here this season and it went over the total. New Jersey has scored an average of 3.5 goals per game in their last 4 games against the Habs. The Devils enter this game off a tight loss and have won just once in their last 4 games. They scored 5 goals in that victory and have allowed an average of 4 goals per game in the 3 losses. I feel we've got great value with this total at only 6 goals but note that the total is moving to 6.5 in quite a few shops as of early game day morning. Both teams have struggled on the penalty kill this season and dealt with bouts of inconsistent play between the pipes. In fact Devils goalie Cory Schneider is now in the minors. The Canadiens have allowed an average of 5 goals per game during their 5-game losing streak. Both teams come into this one hungry for a win but also struggling to keep the puck out of their own net. That means we can expect plenty of goals in this one. 10* OVER the total in Montreal |
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11-28-19 | Ole Miss v. Mississippi State OVER 57.5 | Top | 20-21 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 19 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #311 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Mississippi State Bulldogs vs Ole Miss Rebels @ 7:30 ET - The Rebels had a bye last week and the Bulldogs had what was nearly like a bye as they faced an out-classed Abilene Christian team. Mississippi State scored 45 points in that game and will use that as a momentum booster heading into this big rivalry game. The Bulldogs were held to just 7 points the week before but that was against Alabama. Prior to hat game Mississippi State averaged 42 points per game in match-ups with Arkansas and Texas A & M. The point is that the Bulldogs can (and will) score big here but I also look for them to struggle to stop this potent Rebels offense. The Mississippi State defense has allowed 37 points per game in the Bulldogs last 4 games against FBS foes. Ole Miss comes into this game having averaged 39 points their past two games. The Rebels pace on offense ranks them in the top 20 in the nation. The total on this game was in the 60 range but has now dropped to 57.5 and I like the value with the over in this one. The Rebels are seeking revenge after getting blasted 35 to 3 last season. The two prior seasons the meetings between these rivals averaged 67 points. Ole Miss, when the total is between 56.5 and 63, has seen the over go 7-1 the last 8! The over is 3-1 this season in Bulldogs games when they are off a SU win. 10* OVER the total in Mississippi State |
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11-28-19 | Bills +7 v. Cowboys | Top | 26-15 | Win | 100 | 8 h 1 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #307 Thursday 10* Top Play Buffalo Bills (+) @ Dallas Cowboys @ 4:30 ET - The Bills are 8-3 this season and their defense has been great. All the pressure is on the Cowboys in this one. Keep in mind the Patriots, as usual, have a stranglehold on the top of the AFC East division but the Bills are in great shape in terms of a Wild Card spot because every other Wild Card contender has 5 losses already. As for the Cowboys, the only way to make the playoffs (most likely) is by winning the division and Dallas has the Eagles just one game in back of them even though Philadelphia is dealing with a ton of injuries and seemingly trying to hand the division to Dallas. The Cowboys simply haven't taken advantage of the situation and coach Jason Garrett is on the hot seat. Again, all the pressure here is on Dallas to perform at home and I love the Bills here as a big underdog after their dominating effort on defense versus Denver. Buffalo has just 3 losses this season and 2 of those came by 6 or less points. The Cowboys have lost 5 of their past 8 games. Dallas certainly is familiar with playing on Thanksgiving Day but that hasn't helped their results at the betting window. The Cowboys are on a 1-7 ATS run in Thanksgiving games and the only cover was a fortunate one as they beat the Redskins by 8 last year as a 7.5 point favorite. They won't be so fortunate here. Dallas has failed to cover 2 of last 3 at home and the Bills are undefeated ATS in their 5 road games this season at 4-0-1 ATS. The Cowboys are 6-11 ATS against teams with a winning record including 1-3 ATS (0-4 SU!) this season! 10* BUFFALO |
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11-28-19 | Maryland v. Temple +10 | Top | 76-69 | Win | 100 | 5 h 35 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #762 Thursday 10* Top Play Temple Owls (+) vs Maryland Terrapins @ 11 AM ET - Both teams are undefeated early this season and certainly the #5 ranked Terrapins are the better overall team. Of course that is why they're a large favorite in this neutral site game played in Florida as part of the Orlando Invitational on this Thanksgiving weekend. Don't be surprised if the Owls give Maryland all they can handle here however. Temple is off a big upset win at USC in which the Owls won by 9 as a 9 point underdog. They are responding well under head coach Aaron McKie. The Philly native was an assistant coach under Fran Dunphy and has this team playing very well early this season. The key is defense and work ethic - on the boards and elsewhere. Even when the Owls are at a size disadvantage (like they were against the Trojans) they are scrappy and work hard to get rebounds and loose balls. Temple is one of the top teams in the nation early this season in steals per game and they are going to challenge Maryland here. Yes the Terps have won all their games by double digits early this season but this will be their toughest test yet. Maryland is on a 2-5 ATS run the last 7 times they have been a neutral court favorite. The Owls got a boost in confidence with their win at Southern Cal last weekend and they are 8-4 ATS when off a road win and also 5-2 ATS when a neutral court underdog of 9.5 to 12 points. 10* TEMPLE |
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11-27-19 | Wolves v. Spurs OVER 229 | Top | 113-101 | Loss | -109 | 11 h 56 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #545 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in San Antonio Spurs vs Minnesota Timberwolves @ 8:35 ET - The over is a perfect 6-0 in the last 6 meetings between these teams. Also, each of the last 4 meetings in San Antonio have gone over the total. Minnesota has scored 120 points or more in 6 of its 8 road games this season! The Spurs are off a home game in which they were held to 104 points by the Lakers but consider that Los Angeles has been one of the best teams in the league this season and has already frustrated the Spurs twice this season at San Antonio. Against the rest of the NBA, the Spurs home games have seen them average 117 points per game. San Antonio is a small favorite in this game and there is reason to believe that each team will be in the 120 range in this one based on the above as well as their history of getting involved in shootouts. The Timberwolves have knocked down 14 or more threes in 3 of their last 4 games while the Spurs have knocked down 10 or more threes in 3 of their last 4 games. They hit 10 of 25 against the Lakers and had knocked down 12 in 2 of their 3 prior games - all on the road. With the Spurs at home and shooting better and the high-flying Wolves in town, this game should feature a ton of points. as the over goes to 7-0 the last 7 times these two teams have squared off. 10* OVER the total in San Antonio |
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11-27-19 | Wichita State +1 v. West Virginia | Top | 63-75 | Loss | -108 | 10 h 5 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #751 Wednesday 10* Top Play Wichita State Shockers (+) vs West Virginia Mountaineers @ 8:30 PM ET in Championship Game of Riviera Division in the Cancun Challenge in Mexico - Both teams undefeated on the season but while the Shockers coasted to victory in their win over South Carolina yesterday, the Mountaineers were absolutely pushed to the limit in their win over Northern Iowa yesterday. In fact, West Virginia was actually down 15 points in the second half of that game before they went on a major rally! With under a minute and a half to go the Mountaineers were still down but they ended the game on a 7-0 run to get the win. Wichita State forced 19 turnovers in their win yesterday and completely disrupted the Gamecocks all game long. They will look for similar results here against the Mountaineers. In this tough back to back situation, the Shockers are certainly the more rested team physically based on the way their blowout win played out against South Carolina. While the Shockers have failed to cover just 4 times in their last 13 games, West Virginia has 4 ATS losses in its past 6 games. Situational value here and coach Greg Marshall's team is on a mission in this tourney and they proved that with the way the manhandled the Gamecocks yesterday. This Shockers team currently firing on all cylinders on both ends of the floor. 10* WICHITA STATE |
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11-27-19 | Flames -123 v. Sabres | Top | 3-2 | Win | 100 | 7 h 3 m | Show |
Early Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #17 Wednesday 10* Top Play Calgary Flames Money Line (-) @ Buffalo Sabres @ 7:05 ET - The Flames will be without head coach Bill Peters for this game as he is under investigation for an incident that occurred about a decade ago in the American Hockey League. Calgary has been struggling but actually played a solid game in earning a point in an OT loss at Pittsburgh Monday. Keep in mind, even with the news about Peters the Flames have been a popular choice among smart bettors today. The reason for that is the anticipiation that Calgary will respond well on the ice to assistant coach Geoff Ward whom will take over head coaching duties behind the bench tonight. I fully expect this to be a positive situation for the Flames as well as they rally around this situation. Certainly Calgary is facing the right team to rally against. The Flames are facing a Sabres team that has lost 10 of its past 12 games. There is a reason a Calgary team that has won just 5 of 16 road games this season is favored over a Buffalo team that has a 6-3-2 record on home ice this season. In other words, jump on the Flames in this one just like the sharp bettors are. The Flames have won 3 of 4 this season after playing 3 consecutive road games. The Sabres have lost 45 of 63 when off a divisional game. 10* CALGARY |
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11-26-19 | Clippers v. Mavs +2.5 | Top | 114-99 | Loss | -108 | 10 h 6 m | Show |
NBA TV Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #524 Tuesday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks (+) vs Los Angeles Clippers @ 8:35 ET - Much is made of "load management" when it comes to the star players and their minutes these days. Of course that has been a big key with Kawhi Leonard for quite some time now too. I firmly believe it is no coincidence that the Clippers are 0-3 SU this season when they are playing the front end of a back to back. That is the case here for Los Angeles. After facing Dallas tonight, the Clippers are at Memphis tomorrow. The Clips are 0-3 this season with the losses coming by an average margin of 9.3 points when they are playing the front end of a back to back. As for the Mavericks, they are in a very nice scheduling situation here as they have two off days after this game and then they begin a road trip. With two off days on deck the Mavs will go all out here. Dallas is 2-1 SU this season in games prior to a two day break in the schedule. I like the fact that the Mavericks have won 5 straight games both SU and ATS and have averaged 130 points per game during this winning streak. The Clippers have also won 5 straight games but have averaged 114 points per game in the last 4 games of that streak. With the home court edge and the situational edge and the fact that the Mavericks have been so hot with their shooting, I am grabbing the home dog in this match-up. The home teams has won and covered each of the last 4 meetings. More of the same here. 10* DALLAS |
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11-26-19 | Wild +120 v. Devils | Top | 3-2 | Win | 120 | 8 h 50 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #1 Tuesday 10* Top Play Minnesota Wild Money Line (+) @ New Jersey Devils @ 7:05 ET - Ironically it was the Devils with a goalie issue in their most recent game and now that is the case for the Wild. For New Jersey, they were in the 2nd game of a back to back and had recently released Cory Schneider so Louis Dominique got his first start of the season. As is usually the case when a team knows it really needs to play strong in front of its goalie, the Devils allowed just 19 shots in that game and won 5-1. Now it is Minnesota that is playing the 2nd night of a back to back and with goalie Devan Dubnyk out and Alex Stalock having played last night, Kaapo Kahkonen will be making his NHL debut. He has been playing great in the American Hockey League and look for the Wild, hungry off back to back OT losses, to play a very strong game in front of him and limit shots on goal. Minnesota is desperate for a win here and has two off days after this game so they will go all out in this one. New Jersey is having a tough season and had been outscored 9-2 in their two prior games before getting that big win over a bad Red Wings team. Now the Devils face a much tougher challenge here and the Wild had won 5 of 8 before back to back OT losses. Minnesota will bounce back big here. Home ice has NOT mattered in this series as the road team has won each of the last 5 meetings. I look for that trend to continue here. 10* MINNESOTA |
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11-26-19 | Ohio v. Akron +28 | Top | 52-3 | Loss | -103 | 9 h 13 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #302 Tuesday 10* Top Play Akron Zips (+) vs Ohio University Bobcats @ 6 ET - The Zips showed last week at Miami (Ohio) that they weren't going to just lay down to end the season. It has been a miserable season for Akron and they entered that game 0-10 SU and ATS. However, as a massive underdog of 4 TDs the Zips hung tough with the RedHawks throughout that game and lost by just 3 points. Keep in mind that was on the road too and Miami has had a strong season. That is why I love taking Akron this week as a 4 TD underdog at home. Yes Ohio University needs to win this game for bowl eligibility but the Zips would love to spoil that for the Bobcats and avoid an 0-12 season in the process. While I don't see that happening, I do expect them to hang around in this game all the way through. Ohio U is off a dominating win at Bowling Green but they entered that game just 2-8 ATS this season. As bad as the Zips season has been they have had only one loss by more than 29 points in their past 10 games. Again, Akron would love to spoil the Bobcats bowl hopes and, while I don't see that happening here, I do expect them to hang within a couple scores throughout this game. The Zips are actually 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings between these teams and the last time they hosted Ohio U they won outright as a double digit dog! Last week's big Bobcats win was the first time this season they had won a game by a margin of more than 21 points. Also, Ohio U's first 4 wins this season came by an average margin of 10.5 points. This game will be much closer than many are expecting. 10* AKRON |
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11-26-19 | Wichita State v. South Carolina OVER 131.5 | Top | 70-47 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 19 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #663 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in South Carolina Gamecocks vs Wichita State Shockers @ 6 ET in Cancun, MX - The odds makers have no idea what they are doing to they set this total at 136 when it opened. Of course I say that in jest as we all know the odds makers are pretty sharp and now that this total has been crushed down to the 131 range as of game day morning it is time to step in on the over. Yes both these teams have some pretty impressive numbers on defense this season but lets not forget that the Shockers are averaging 76.4 points per game and the Gamecocks are averaging 75.4 points per game. I feel we've got good value here after the move on this total. Also, South Carolina has allowed an average of 70 points per game their last 3 games and all 3 of those have resulted in an over. The Gamecocks have scored at least 70 points in 4 of their 5 games this season and Wichita State has scored at least 68 points in all 5 of their games this season. Both teams have a lot of confidence in the offensive end too because that is a direct product of winning games and scoring plenty of points. The Shockers have averaged 82 points per game their last 3 games. The over is 6-2 when Wichita State enters a game on a winning streak of 5 or more games. The over is 16-6 when the Gamecocks play in a game with a posted total in the 130s. 10* OVER the total in South Carolina (game played in Cancun, MX) |
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11-25-19 | Ravens v. Rams +4 | Top | 45-6 | Loss | -110 | 16 h 32 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NFL Monday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Rams (+) vs Baltimore Ravens @ 8:15 ET - The odds makers were completely unaware that the Ravens have been playing better than the Rams this season so they set the odds at a pick'em in this one. I am kidding of course but you can see where I am going with this one. This game opened up with Baltimore as a picks and now the line is up to as high as a -4 as of very early game day morning even though this match-up is at Los Angeles. In typical contrarian fashion I am going against the move here as I back LA in this one. The Rams strength on offense is the pass game and the Ravens weakness on defense is against the pass. Baltimore's strength on offense is the run game while the Rams strength on defense is against the run. Per the above and the fact I am getting more than a field goal with a quality home team, I like the dog in this one! The Rams have allowed just 11 points per game in their last 4 games while the Ravens have allowed 21 points per game in their last 4 road games. The Rams defense is not getting enough respect here and don't be surprised if their passing attack does some solid damage here on offense in this one. 10* LOS ANGELES |
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11-25-19 | 76ers +1 v. Raptors | Top | 96-101 | Loss | -115 | 14 h 18 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #507 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:35 ET - The Raptors are 6-0 at home this season. Toronto also has amazingly won 13 straight regular season home games over Philadelphia as well. That said this this line must be a huge mistake, right? Long-time followers know how I feel about "mistakes" by the odds makers. The point is don't be fooled by this line. The Sixers come in rolling off a huge win over a solid Miami team. That was the type of blowout home win that can spring a team to success in their very next game even if on the road. Of course this is a massive revenge game from last year's playoff loss for the 76ers against the Raptors when Kawhi Leonard hit that amazing game-ending shot to send Philly home for the summer. The fact is Leonard is now in LA with the Clippers, Serge Ibaka has been out and if he returns tonight would be less than 100 percent and rusty, and Kyle Lowry is still out for Toronto with an injury. Even though the Raptors have had a good start to this season this is still a team that is currently a shell of its former self. As for the Sixers, in terms of key players all hands are on deck and healthy. Only Furkan Korkmaz is questionable but Jason Richardson is back so that negates the impact of the Korkmaz injury. This is a payback game for the 76ers which has been circled in blood once the schedule came out. Look for a road rout in this one as you'll see probably the most determined effort so far this season from a hungry Sixers team here. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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11-24-19 | Hurricanes v. Red Wings OVER 6 | Top | 2-0 | Loss | -115 | 9 h 41 m | Show |
Beast of the East - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #61 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Red Wings vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - Look for the Red Wings to score much better on home ice after being held to just 1 goal yesterday. Detroit entered that game having scored at least 3 goals in 6 of 7 games. The Red Wings problems continue in their own zone too as they have allowed 14 goals in their last 3 games and they are allowing 4 goals per game on the season! That said, and considering the fact this is a back to back for both teams involved and that it involves the high powered Hurricanes, I love the value with this total posted at 6 goals. There is some 6.5 out there too so grab ahold of the value with an even 6 goals with this total but certainly I am looking for 7 or more. Carolina is off a 4-2 win yesterday which was their fifth win in six games. The Canes have scored an average of 4.7 goals per game during this hot streak! More of the same expected here and look for the game to fly over the total as a result. Each of Carolina's last 6 games have totaled 6 or more goals and that streak is on tap to continue here. 10* OVER the total in Detroit |
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11-24-19 | Hamilton v. Winnipeg +4 | Top | 12-33 | Win | 100 | 9 h 32 m | Show |
Grey Cup Dominator - Rickenbach CFL Rotation #896 Sunday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Blue Bombers (+) vs Hamilton Tiger-Cats @ 6 ET - Give Hamilton credit for being here and certainly they are a great team but I don't see Winnipeg being denied. The Tiger-Cats had the best regular season and record and then, after a bye the first week of the playoffs, they faced an Edmonton team that was truly only a mediocre team this season. But how about these Blue Bombers and what they have faced. They didn't get a first round bye they went on the road and beat a great Calgary team in the first week of the playoffs. Then last week, courtesy of some great late game defense including goal line stands, they went on the road again and beat another great team in Saskatchewan. The point is that the Blue Bombers defense is rising to the occasion at the right time and they truly seem like a team of destiny at this point. They are on a roll and playing every week and winning every week and even on the road in tough venues. I feel Hamilton, as strong as they are, may struggle here in playing their first non-home game since October! Look for the road warrior Blue Bombers to deliver the shocking upset here but of course I am grabbing the points and loving the line move here. A line that opened up with Hamilton as the slightest of favorites now has the Ti-Cats as a 4-point fave here. Fade the move, this Blue Bombers teams is special this year and has allowed just 13.5 points per game in this post-season. If Hamilton does prevail I certainly expect it to be by 3 or less points so I love the underdog value here and I expect the outright upset. Grab the points. 10* WINNIPEG |
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11-24-19 | Kings +3.5 v. Wizards | Top | 113-106 | Win | 100 | 7 h 13 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #569 Sunday 10* Top Play Sacramento Kings (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 6:05 ET - I am going to fade the line move here. Wizards opened up only favored by a bucket here but now are closer to two buckets and the fact is Washington had absolutely no business covering their game against Charlotte Friday night. That one handed me a 1/2 point ATS loss and I certainly haven't forgotten about it. The Wizards truly looked like they weren't even going to win the game let alone cover it. When a team wins a game like that it has no business winning it tends to mask issues. The fact is that Washington is a bad team defensively but they don't even realize they need to fix it because they get a fortunate win like that over the Hornets. Now here come the Kings whom, though dealing with injuries, are very scrappy and play much better defense. Prior to allowing 116 points in back to back games Sacramento had allowed less than 102 points in 5 of 7 games. Of course this was a key part of the reason the Kings had won 6 of 8 games prior to their ugly loss at Brooklyn Friday. They'll make up for that defeat here and I am expecting an outright win for a Kings team that will prove to be the much hungrier team in this match-up. They have tough games coming up at Boston and Philly and the Kings are smart enough to know this is the game they need to get. I expect them to do just that but am grabbing the points as added insurance. 10* SACRAMENTO |
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11-24-19 | Villanova -117 v. Baylor | Top | 78-87 | Loss | -117 | 6 h 40 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #711 Sunday 10* Top Play Villanova Wildcats (-) vs Baylor Bears @ 5 ET - A lot of line value here. The Wildcats were as high as a -3 favorite earlier but now are dropping to nearly a pick'em range in this game. Keep in mind this is a team that entered the season in the top ten. So what happened then? They lost by 25 points to Ohio State, a ranked team. So now they face another ranked team, Baylor, and many expect another ugly game. I expect the opposite. The young (and VERY talented) Wildcats are well-coached and will take the lessons from the brutal loss to the Buckeyes and put it to good use here. Note that the Bears have played an easier schedule than Villanova early this season and, in their toughest test they lost to Washington as a 6 point favorite. Note that the Wildcats had 62 shots from the field against Ohio State's 50 in that ugly loss. So what happened? The Cats had a rare awful shooting performance while the Buckeyes hit a ridiculous 60% from the field including 64% from three point land. Sometimes crazy results happen and this was certainly one of those instances! We now get to take advantage because coming into the season I had Villanova well within the top ten and I had Baylor unranked. Now we get line value because of the ugly early season loss which actually pays dividends here. Other than the Buckeyes loss the Wildcats have shot great from the field and they'll pull away from Baylor as a result as this game gone on. 10* VILLANOVA |
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11-24-19 | Jaguars +3.5 v. Titans | Top | 20-42 | Loss | -109 | 7 h 16 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #267 Sunday 10* Top Play Jacksonville Jaguars (+) @ Tennessee Titans @ 4:05 ET - Jacksonville got blown out by 20 points last week but Nick Foles returned at QB and will be even sharper in his second game back. Tennessee is off a bye week but the Titans got a miracle comeback win over the Chiefs prior to the bye. This is the type of a situation where a team often struggles and Tennessee also has failed to cover 5 of its last 6 divisional games. The Jags come in fired up off an ugly loss and Jacksonville did have a bye the prior week so they are in pretty good shape here from a health standpoint. Tennessee is playing with revenge here from a loss at Jacksonville earlier this season when Minshew was at QB. However, this Titans defeat simply continued their recurring pattern of struggling in divisional games. Also, there is a reason Tennessee opened up as only 2.5 point favorites when lines first came out on this game. They since rose to as high as a 4 and I love fading the moves in situations just like this one. By the way, the Titans are 1-9 ATS in games 9 through 12 of a season when they are off a home game. Watch that big win over the Chiefs leave Tennessee a bit flat in this one and Foles and the Jaguars are coming off hungry after getting blasted at Indianapolis. Remember that is now back to back ugly defeats for Jacksonville (also lost in London two weeks ago) and the Jaguars are 7-2 ATS in games 9 through 12 of a season when they are off a loss that came by a double digit margin both SU and ATS. 10* JACKSONVILLE |
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11-24-19 | Bucs v. Falcons OVER 51 | Top | 35-22 | Win | 100 | 5 h 60 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #263 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Atlanta Falcons vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ 1 ET - The Falcons are off B2B divisional wins at New Orleans and Carolina and they have another match-up with the first-place Saints in just a few days on Thanksgiving Day. Now, of course I realize this match-up is also a divisional game but the fact is that New Orleans is leading the division and I would not be surprised to see the Falcons defense have a bit of a letdown after their two preceding big road wins and plus having a huge game on deck. Also, just how good was the Atlanta defense last week? Yes they forced 4 turnovers but they entered that game having forced only 4 turnovers on the season. I am not yet fully sold on this Falcons defense and they did allow nearly 300 passing yards last week. Bucs QB Jameis Winston is off an ugly game and he is known for bouncing back after big INT games. He threw four in last week's loss and I expect him to respond here. The Buccaneers and Falcons are known for getting into shootouts. Last season each match-up totaled over 60 points and that makes it 5 of the last 6 meetings having totaled at least 54 points. More of the same here. The strength of each of these teams on offense is the passing game and both teams weakness on defense is against the pass. That said, and considering that Tampa Bay has allowed at least 27 points in 8 straight games, you can see why I like the over so much in this one. Also, this total dropped to as low as 51 after opening up as high as 54.5 when lines first game out. The Buccaneers have allowed 35 points per game their last 8 games and are about a 4 point dog here. A 35-31 Falcons win here sounds about right. This should fly over by double digits. 10* OVER the total in Atlanta |
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11-23-19 | Heat +4 v. 76ers | Top | 86-113 | Loss | -104 | 9 h 5 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #553 Saturday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:35 ET - Both teams were in action last night and Philly does have the advantage of being at home for this one. However, this is a horrible spot for the 76ers because you know they can't help but look ahead. On deck for the Sixers is a huge game Monday which is their first crack at Toronto since the infamous Game 7 knockout blow on the last second shot from Kawhi Leonard sent the Raptors to the Eastern Conference finals and sent the 76ers home for the summer. That huge game is Monday at Toronto and the last team you want to be overlooking right now is Miami but that is the situation here and I fully expect the Heat to take advantage. Though Philly has won 3 straight, this was preceded by a 2-5 stretch for the Sixers. Miami has definitely been the hotter team as they have won 5 straight games and are 11-3 on the season. The Heat shoot better overall and particularly much better from three point land. They also defend much better and that includes from three point land as well. They are the better team at this point in the season and yet we get a handful of points because the Sixers are at home. That is the perceived edge for the 76ers here but again it is a bad situational spot for them and they aren't even the better team in this match-up at this point in the season. Additionally, back to backs always seem to put a strain on Philadelphia because of Joel Embiid's conditioning issues. 10* MIAMI |
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11-23-19 | Maple Leafs -107 v. Avalanche | Top | 5-3 | Win | 100 | 7 h 21 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL Rotation #37 Saturday 10* Top Play Toronto Maple Leafs Money Line (-) @ Colorado Avalanche @ 7:05 ET - So why is a team that has won 4 of 11 on the road priced at pick'em against a team that has won 6 of 9 at home this season? Exactly! Don't be fooled by the line here. The road team is the play in this one. The Maple Leafs began the post-Mike Babcock era with a huge 3-1 win against the stingy Coyotes at Arizona. That was an impressive win and this is a team that is looking to go on a tear after their head coach became the first casualty of this NHL season. The Leafs are using this as a spark and motivation and, the only trouble is, after this game Toronto has 3 full days off. The Maple Leafs don't play again until Wednesday. They are well aware of this and this is a team that is hungry and wants to build a streak now. The last thing they want here is a loss and then to sit around for 3 days lamenting that defeat. So look for the Leafs to take advantage of a short-handed Colorado team here and make it two straight. The Avalanche are a very good hockey club but they are certainly not the same team when they are missing not only one but two of their best players. Yes, the Avs still have one of the best in the game with Nathan MacKinnon on the ice but the current absence of Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen are big losses for this Avalanche team. The Maple Leafs played without their captain John Tavares earlier this season but he is back and this is a hungry team that is also loaded with firepower. I don't see them being denied here and it is also apparent that other sharp bettors in the markets are seeing what I am as well. That is why this line is a pick'em. Again the Avs are not the same team right now without those key players and the Maple Leafs are a talented bunch that are going to be a team to keep an eye on for quite awhile now. 10* TORONTO |
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11-23-19 | Yale +16 v. Penn State | Top | 56-58 | Win | 100 | 6 h 57 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #609 Saturday 10* Top Play Yale Bulldogs (+) @ Penn State Nittany Lions @ 4 ET - The Bulldogs lost 4 starters coming into this season but they are already exceeding early season expectations. That's because Yale has a strong foundation with its program and guys who were coming off the bench last season are now taking over key roles and they are performing extremely well. The Bulldogs are 3-2 this season and the two losses came at San Francisco and at Oklahoma State. They lost by just 5 as a 4.5 dog to SF and they lost by just 7 as a 13 point dog to OSU. The Bulldogs can hang tough here with Penn State. The Nittany Lions are simply getting a little too much love here from the betting markets. This line opened up at a 14.5 and has risen to a 16 as of this morning. Penn State, of course, is a Big Ten team but they're certainly not the upper echelon of the conference and the Bulldogs are a top team in the Ivy. Now I am not staying Yale wins this game, of course not. I am just saying I believe they will keep this loss in single digit territory just like they did against a tough Cowboys team on the road. The Nittany Lions only tough test so far this season was at Georgetown but the Hoyas are very bad on the defensive end. The Bulldogs will prove to be a stiffer challenge and the rest of the Lions early season schedule has been very light. Grab the big points here. 10* YALE |
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11-23-19 | North Texas -6.5 v. Rice | Top | 14-20 | Loss | -109 | 6 h 27 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #185 Saturday 10* Top Play North Texas Mean Green (-) @ Rice Owls @ 3:30 ET - First off QB Mason Fine is probable for this game and of course that was an important aspect of this play. With Fine at the controls the Mean Green offense is tough to stop and I don't foresee the Owls being able to keep up in this one. North Texas is angry here as they have had time to work up plenty of energy for this one. The Mean Green got demolished 52-17 by Louisiana Tech before their bye week. Keep in mind, prior to this North Texas had averaged 37 points per game in their 6 prior games. Look for their offense to bounce back huge here and keep in mind they are facing a 1-win Rice team. In similar match-ups with struggling teams in CUSA, the Mean Green annihilated UTSA 45-3 and UTEP 52-26. I know the Owls have been more competitive this season but, again, they just don't match up well here because they don't have the offense to keep up. Rice is off a shocking upset win at Middle Tennessee but the Owls were outgained in that game and won thanks to turnovers. Rice still didn't get to the 400 yard mark on offense and they allowed more than 450 yards but won the game and the point is that the Owls 377 yards was a season high. So Rice had their best game on offense and yet still were fortunate to win. They won't be so fortunate here. North Texas has defeated the Owls in each of their last 3 meetings and all wins came by 7 or more points with an average victory margin of 15.7 points! The Mean Green are 8-2 ATS when they are playing with rest and facing a team with a losing record. When Rice is off a road game (in this case was massive upset too since they were a double digit dog) they have gone 4-12 ATS! 10* NORTH TEXAS |
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11-23-19 | Boston College v. Notre Dame OVER 63.5 | Top | 7-40 | Loss | -112 | 6 h 9 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #161 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Boston College Eagles @ 2:30 ET - It wasn't that long ago that Boston College was a defensive-minded grind it out type of team. A lot has changed with the Eagles this season however and that is why the over is 8-2 in their games and I am expecting another one here. BC, based on yardage stats this season, ranks nearly in the top ten in offense but also in the bottom five in defense! Keep in mind this is out of 130 teams in FBS! Notre Dame is averaging 36 points per game this season and should shred the Eagles defense here. However, even though the Fighting Irish certainly have a respectable defense, the Boston College offense has been great this season and I look for the Eagles to score much better than many are expecting here. The Irish are a 3 TD favorite in this one but BC is going to trade a few touchdowns with ND before the Fighting Irish eventually pull away. The result will be plenty of points! In the last 3 seasons combined, when the Eagles are off a tight loss of 7 points or less to a conference foe, the over is a perfect 5-0. They lost by 7 to Florida State two weeks ago and then enjoyed a bye week last week to get ready for this one. The Irish are off back to back blowout wins and have scored an average of 45 points per game in those two victories. The Fighting Irish also scored 49 points when these teams most recently met two years ago. If they get that here, which would not surprise me in the least, plus win the game by a 3 TD margin as per the odds makers, you're talking about a 49-28 type game! By the way, chilly weather in South Bend as you would expect but light winds and no precipitation. 10* OVER the total in Notre Dame |
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11-22-19 | Colorado State v. Wyoming OVER 50.5 | Top | 7-17 | Loss | -109 | 13 h 20 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #113 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Wyoming Cowboys vs Colorado State Rams @ 9:30 ET - Wyoming plays at a slow place and of course it will be cold in Laramie tonight. However, contrary to what you might expect, an over is in the offing here. The reason is that the Rams defense is a huge weakness. Certainly Colorado State should put up some points here but their not going to be able to stop the Cowboys offense. Look for Wyoming QB Vander Waal to bounce back after he threw 3 interceptions in last week's loss. Colorado State is allowing 33 points per game this season and they've allowed nearly 40 points per game in their 5 games played away from home this season! The Rams have played 10 games on the season and only one finished with less than a total of 51 points. The Cowboys are averaging 33 points per game at home this season and are 5-0 there. So Colorado State scores a fair amount here but their defense continues to let them down just like it did in the 2nd half of the loss versus Air Force last week when they gave up 28 points in the 2nd half! By the way, though it will be cold in Laramie this evening, the winds will be rather light and no precipitation expected. 10* OVER the total in Wyoming |
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11-22-19 | Hornets +6.5 v. Wizards | Top | 118-125 | Loss | -109 | 9 h 4 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #529 Friday 10* Top Play Charlotte Hornets (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - The Wizards are what one could call a false favorite. What I mean by that is this: Washington is such a poor team that it is really hard to justify them being favored over anyone. Now certainly Charlotte has had its own share of struggles this season but they still have the better record in this match-up and the Hornets are catching the Wizards off an upset win over the Spurs. Washington is just 8-21 SU when coming off an outright upset win! The Wizards were 2 point dog against San Antonio but got the win and yet they were just 1-3 SU at home this season entering that game. The Hornets are very hungry here as they are off back to back losses both SU and ATS. On the season Charlotte has not had a 3-game ATS losing streak and I don't expect that to change here. In this divisional match-up the Hornets are going to battle hard and they are also 2-0 ATS this season when they enter a game off consecutive games in which they were held to 101 points or less. Their offensive production will see a big uptick here as the Wizards certainly are not known for defense. Charlotte has allowed 106 points or less in 3 of their last 4 games. Washington has allowed 121 points or more in 7 of its last 10 games. 10* CHARLOTTE |
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11-22-19 | North Texas v. Rhode Island OVER 126 | Top | 47-60 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 44 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #831 Friday OVER the total in Rhode Island Rams vs North Texas Mean Green @ 4:30 ET in Jamaica Classic Arena in Montego Bay - This total is simply too low. It has been overadjusted downward due to some unusual results for the Mean Green early this season. Keep in mind, both North Texas and Rhode Island averaged about 70 points per game last season. Not much has changed with either program as they head into this season. Now of course this is a neutral site game and that can effect shooting percentages but this is simply an over-adjustment in my opinion. The Rams have scored 70 points or more in 3 of their 4 games this season and they have allowed at least 65 points in all 4 games. North Texas is the team that has had some strange results but that has had a lot to do with the teams they were matched up with. In this one the Mean Green are matched up with a Rams team that is not known for defense nor is it known for playing a plodding style. In other words, we should see a good pace with this game. Even with some grinder games early this season the Mean Green have allowed an average of 60 points per game their last 4 games but they are facing a much different style of play in this one and the results will be reflected on the scoreboard. North Texas will also enjoy a breakout game on offense as they take advantage of more open court in this game (based on the way the Rams play). So we should see some quick transition points in this game and the Mean Green have erupted for 79 or more points twice already this season. North Texas put up 80 in their most recent game and faced a weak foe but still it is a confidence booster for offensive production. Speaking of confidence, the Rams have now averaged 81.5 points per game in their last two games, both victories! Winning leads to confidence which leads to strong play in the offensive end with shots falling! 10* OVER the total Rhode Island (game played in Jamaica) |
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11-21-19 | Colts v. Texans OVER 45.5 | Top | 17-20 | Loss | -109 | 12 h 54 m | Show |
Thursday Thrasher - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #109 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Houston Texans vs Indianapolis Colts @ 8:20 ET - Injuries to the offense always tend to grab more attention for the public in comparison with injuries to the defense. That said, both these teams are quite banged up on the defensive side of the ball and I am looking for plenty of points in this one. The Texans have stayed under the total in 3 straight games but this is very surprising and it is a trend that will reverse because their offense ranks right around #7 this season but their defense ranks around #26 out of 32 teams. Houston lost at Indianapolis earlier this season and also got knocked out of the playoffs by Colts last season. The over is 30-17 when the Texans are playing with road loss revenge. The over is 38-21 when Indianapolis is off a home stretch of two straight games. They off a big home win versus Jacksonville and the Colts have scored 24 points or more in 5 of their last 8 games. Their game earlier this season versus Houston saw the teams combine for over 600 passing yards! The Texans are off a beatdown at Baltimore and have allowed 24 points or more in 5 of their last 6 games. The Colts should get at least 24 here and so will the Texans as they bounce back in my opinion. That said, I am forecasting this game to get into the fifties. 10* OVER the total in Houston |
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11-21-19 | Blazers v. Bucks UNDER 231.5 | Top | 129-137 | Loss | -112 | 10 h 13 m | Show |
TNT Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #524 Thursday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Milwaukee Bucks vs Portland Trail Blazers @ 8:05 ET - The Blazers are so banged up right now that they are going to struggle to score well here. However, they got blasted and gave up 143 points in their last visit to Milwaukee. They have been reminded of that heading into this contest. I feel very strongly that the Trail Blazers are going to play some tough D in this one! The Bucks are off an easier than the final score looks 135-127 win last night at Atlanta. That means this is the 2nd night of a back to back plus travel is involved. Milwaukee absolutely should win this game handily but I don't see them wanting to turn this into a track meet given the situation. This is the Bucks 5th game in 8 nights. This is the Blazers 4th game in 6 nights. Given all of the above factors, this total is shaded too high in the 230 range! When the Trail Blazers enter a game having allowed 110 points or more in 4 straight games, the UNDER is PERFECT with 5 straight wins when in this situation. When the Bucks are off a game in which they scored 122 points or more this season, the UNDER has cashed in 4 of the last 5 times in this situation. 10* UNDER the total in Milwaukee |
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11-21-19 | Flames +125 v. Blues | Top | 0-5 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 39 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #13 Thursday 10* Top Play Calgary Flames Money Line (+) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - You know where the sharp money is on this game. The Blues opened up at nearly a -160 favorite and yet are down to nearly a -130 price in morning market trading on game day. That is sharp money folks because the Flames are on a 0-4-1 streak and the Blues are on an 8-1-2 run. Why are people backing Calgary here? For one thing the Blues just put together a very strong game and battled hard for the full sixty to knock off the team that was the #1 team in the regular season last year. After that big win over Tampa Bay, St Louis might end up a little flat in this game. As for Calgary, they are off a tight 3-2 home loss and they are fired up. They are hungry and viewing this road trip as a chance to get back on track. What better way to prove they are ready to make positive headway than by knocking off the defending Stanley Cup champs. In my opinion, the set-up is perfect for them to do just that. 10* CALGARY |
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11-21-19 | NC State +2 v. Georgia Tech | Top | 26-28 | Push | 0 | 11 h 49 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #111 Thursday 10* Top Play NC State Wolfpack (+) @ Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ 8 ET - The Wolfpack have struggled recently but their defense looks healthier now than it has in recent games and also it was their secondary that was injury riddled. That means they match-up better with a run-heavy team like Georgia Tech than they would against teams that like to air it out. That being said, I like this match-up for NC State. Yes both teams have had tough seasons but the Wolfpack actually outgained Louisville last week and were simply done in by a 3-0 turnover deficit. As for Georgia Tech, they got smashed by Virginia Tech last week by a count of 45-0. The Yellow Jackets are getting outgained by nearly 165 yards per game in ACC action! The Wolfpack, on the other hand, actually have a positive yardage margin in ACC games this season! The road team has won 5 straight in this series and the Wolfpack need a win here to keep their bowl hopes alive. For the Yellow Jackets, their season is over and they certainly played like it last week too! More of the same expected here. 10* NC STATE |
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11-21-19 | Duquesne v. Indiana State +7 | Top | 74-71 | Win | 100 | 8 h 39 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #788 Thursday 10* Top Play Indiana State Sycamores (+) vs Duquesne Dukes @ 6:30 ET - Everyone is on the Dukes here so you know where my money is going to go. In typical contrarian fashion I am fading the move and going with the Sycamores here. It stands to reason that everyone is loving laying the number here with a 3-0 Duquesne team against an 0-3 Indiana State team. However, lets not forget that the Sycamores have played a tougher schedule this season. Their most recent game was against a respectable MAC program, Ball State, and the Sycamores two prior games were against Dayton and Louisville! The Dukes have been battling it out with the likes of Princeton, Lamar, and Lipscomb. I feel that the markets aren't properly evaluating that aspect of this match-up and I am looking for Indiana State to view this tourney in the Bahamas as a new beginning. They'll immediately put that 0-3 start in the rear view mirror with full focus on this tournament. Keep in mind the Sycamores were a dog in all 3 of their games to begin this season while Duquesne was a favorite in all three of theirs. Also, both teams returned 4 starters this season. Look for this game to be a battle all the way to the final horn which means we've got great value with the generous points being offered here. 10* INDIANA STATE |
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11-20-19 | Senators v. Canadiens OVER 6.5 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 55 m | Show |
Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #65 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Montreal Canadiens vs Ottawa Senators @ 7:35 ET - Both teams are in the 2nd game of a back to back and both teams used their preferred goalies last night and yet each game totaled 7 goals. That said, I look for another high scoring one here as both teams will struggle to keep the puck out of their own net. Craig Anderson gets the start for the Senators here and even though he is the official starter for Ottawa he has been clearly outplayed by Anders Nilsson whom was in goal last night. Anderson is 1-5 with a poor .871 save percentage on the road this season. Keith Kincaid is expected to get the start for the Canadiens here. The Montreal netminder has horrible numbers but when a guy has seen little action it is important to look deeper into that and make sure a few bad starts aren't skewing the stats. In the case of Kincaid, that most certainly is NOT the case as he has allowed 4 or more goals in all 4 of his starts this season! With Ottawa continuing to win some games and, as a result, playing with more confidence of late, the Sens should fare very well against the struggling Kincaid. However, even though Montreal is dealing with some injuries, the Habs also are likely to enjoy plenty of success against Anderson and the Senators here as they bounce right back from a 5-2 loss yesterday. Keep in mind the Canadiens have scored 5 goals in each of their last 3 meetings with the Senators and the over is also a perfect 4-0 in the last 4 games between these division rivals. 10* OVER the total in Montreal |
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11-20-19 | Toledo v. Buffalo -8 | Top | 30-49 | Win | 100 | 11 h 30 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #106 Wednesday 10* Top Play Buffalo Bulls (-) vs Toledo Rockets @ 7:30 ET - Both teams off disappointing losses but Toledo now has to go on the road after battling all the way back from a 28-7 deficit at home against Northern Illinois only to lose on a late field goal. Though mathematically alive in the MAC West race, the Rockets know the reality is that the loss to the Huskies essentially squashed those dreams. This is a very young team too and they have struggled often when facing adversity. I expect that to be the case again here. As for the Bulls, they are off a crazy loss to Kent State where everything improbable actually happened in the Golden Flashes late comeback from a 27-6 deficit. Now with a well-coached Buffalo team at home off a loss and having the much better defense in this match-up in this one, I am look for the Bulls to win in a rout. Buffalo ranks 9th in the nation on defense while Toledo ranks 116th! Also, the Rockets are on an 0-5 ATS run overall. Toledo is also 0-4 ATS on the road this season. Buffalo opened the season with a non-covering win over an FCS school but, at home, in FBS action, the Bulls have been red hot ever since as they are a perfect 3-0 ATS as a host against FBS schools this season. As you can see, triple perfect ATS support for backing the home team in this one. Lay the points with the host as they dominate this one with their strong pass-rushing ability on defense and their dynamic ground game on offense. The Bulls dictate the tempo in this one and control the clock in this game and win by double digits. 10* BUFFALO |
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11-20-19 | Knicks v. 76ers OVER 213.5 | Top | 104-109 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 17 m | Show |
PA Insider - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #501 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Philadelphia 76ers vs New York Knicks @ 7:05 ET - The opening line on this game had Philly -13 with a total of 213. Assuming the odds makers are correct in their assessment that means the forecast here is Philadelphia 113, New York 100. Giving consideration to that, I love the over in this match-up. The reason is because I feel there is adequate support to believe the Knicks will do better than 100 points here and, at the same time, the Sixers are ready for an offensive explosion at home. Philadelphia has had a tough road-heavy schedule to begin this season so they are excited about this opportunity to finally play again at home and improve on their perfect 4-0 mark. First, about the Knicks, they have scored 102 points or more in 6 of their 7 road games this season! In those 6 games New York has averaged 105.3 points per game. The 76ers had averaged 112.7 points per game at home in their first 3 games before a rare dud in their 4th one. But they are also finally healthy again with all hands on deck for this one plus Tobias Harris is heating up. That means plenty of scoring options with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons in addition to two guys each averaging 15 points per game in Al Horford and Josh Richardson. Both the Knicks and Sixers enter this game having had yesterday off and also having tomorrow off as well. There will be no hesitation to run and gun here and I expect plenty of points. The 76ers were on a 6-2 run to the over before their most recent game stayed under the total. Look for the Knicks to get to 105 here which will put Philly at about 120 in this one. 10* OVER the total in Philadelphia |
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11-20-19 | Georgia Tech +4.5 v. Georgia | Top | 78-82 | Win | 100 | 9 h 25 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #695 Wednesday 10* Top Play Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+) @ Georgia Bulldogs @ 7 ET - The very first line on this one was a 3.5 and it is not surprising to see it go to 4.5 as Georgia has the home court edge here and defeated the Yellow Jackets by an average margin of 16 points per game the past two seasons. However, note that Georgia Tech simply shot awful in both of those games as they had 10 more shots from the field in each game and yet they lost the game by a double digit margin each time. This season will be different. I love the fact that both teams come in undefeated but the Bulldogs have played a very weak schedule whereas the Yellow Jackets already showed how their scoring punch and experience and veteran players are going to help lead the way this season. They rallied from a 15 point first half deficit and went on to win in OT as a 5-point dog at NC State to open the season. Then in their easy game they won with defense as they held Elon to just 41 points. Georgia has been a little spoiled as they have opened the season with 3 straight easy opponents and so the Bulldogs, unlike the Yellow Jackets, haven't had to work for many defensive stops. The Bulldogs are allowing an average of 75 points per game this season while the Jackets are holding foes to just 30% from the field in their first two games this season. I expect Georgia to be a much stronger team as the season goes on but early on they will struggle against tougher competition because they returned just 1 starter and are still adjusting to watch coach Tom Crean wants them to do. On the flip side, Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner has an established group that returned 4 starters from last season's team. In an early season match-up, the edge goes to the Yellow Jackets in this one no matter the venue! 10* GEORGIA TECH |
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11-19-19 | Warriors v. Grizzlies OVER 222 | Top | 114-95 | Loss | -104 | 12 h 36 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #577 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Memphis Grizzlies vs Golden State Warriors @ 8:05 ET - I am aware of the Warriors injuries but lets not forget that Golden State is allowing 119 points per game this season and the Grizzlies are allowing 118.8 points per game this season. Neither one of these teams do a good job defending. The Warriors have allowed 48% shooting this season including 39% from beyond the arc! Memphis had one good defensive effort in their last 6 games (against defensive-minded Utah) but allowed 46.7% or more from the field in their other 5 games. In those five games the Grizzlies 122.6 points per game! The Warriors come into this one having stayed under the total in 3 straight games but this was preceded by a 5-0 run to the over. Golden State is off a low-scoring loss at New Orleans but the over is 4-1 this season when the Warriors are off a road loss. Both teams view this game as a winnable game and I see the Grizzlies young guns pushing the pace in this one and we see a back and forth high-scoring game in this one as a result. 10* OVER the total in Memphis |
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11-19-19 | Eastern Michigan v. Northern Illinois -4 | Top | 45-17 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 24 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #104 Tuesday 10* Top Play Northern Illinois Huskies (-) vs Eastern Michigan Eagles @ 7:30 ET - The Huskies are off a 31-28 win at Toledo but Northern Illinois actually led that game huge before the Rockets rallied late. It was a tight win but the point is that had the Huskies been at home for that one I would have expected the blowout to go on for the full sixty minutes. Now here they are getting a rare home game as they have had a very home-heavy schedule thus far. Northern Illinois finishes the season with a pair of home games and I expect them to make the most of it. Eastern Michigan is off a huge win but it came against an Akron team that is the worst team out of all 130 teams in FBS! The Zips are simply dreadful this season. Prior to that win the Eagles had lost 4 of 5 games with the average margin of defeat being 16 points. These teams each struggle on offense but the Huskies are the better defense and have home field here and have won 11 straight games in this series. I look for the streak to reach a dozen games and I expect the victory margin to be double digits just as the Huskies two prior home wins were this season. 10* NORTHERN ILLINOIS |
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11-19-19 | Wild v. Sabres OVER 5.5 | Top | 4-1 | Loss | -113 | 9 h 42 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #40 Tuesday 10* OVER the total in Buffalo Sabres vs Minnesota Wild @ 7:05 ET - I am aware of the injuries that the Sabres have but so too are the odds makers. You think they are throwing these numbers out there without knowing what is going on? The fact is they opened up this total at a 6 with good reason and yet it has now dropped to a 5.5 which is great value the way I see it. For one thing, a lot of the Buffalo forwards that are out are lower line guys. Yes, this is testing the depth of the Sabres but they still have plenty of top tier guys that can produce in the offensive zone and certainly this includes Jack Eichel who scored 5 goals over the weekend! However, he had the lone goal in Sunday's loss on the road and that means a determined and focused effort from Buffalo here on Tuesday now that they are back home. Watch them "rally the troops" because some of their teammates are currently out and you are going to see a huge effort here from the Sabres. However, Buffalo has been struggling to stop the opposition of late and the Wild have been potting plenty of goals so that is why I am expecting Minnesota to match the Sabres goal for goal in this one. The Wild have scored at least 3 goals in 6 of their last 7 games. Also, Minnesota's most recent low-scoring road loss was preceded by the Wild scoring 4 or more goals in 3 straight road games! The Sabres most recent game was a 4-1 loss that stayed under the total but their 3 prior games total an average of 7.7 goals per game. This one gets to 7 or 8 in my opinion as well and, if I am wrong, I am thinking 6 at a minimum and that still gets us into the win column here thanks to the market move. 10* OVER the total in Buffalo |
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11-19-19 | College of Charleston v. Marshall OVER 148 | Top | 76-66 | Loss | -109 | 10 h 51 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #635 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Marshall Thundering Herd vs College of Charleston Cougars @ 7 ET - I had the over when Marshall played Notre Dame on Friday. The teams combined for 141 shots from the field but the game stayed under the total. Sometimes stupid things happen. In other words, the pace was absolutely there for an over but the Fighting Irish made only 24 of 76 shots! Even with that horrific shooting effort from ND, the Thundering Herd have allowed an average of 85 points per game their past two games. At home for this one, I expect Marshall to have a much better performance on the offensive end but look for the Herd to continue giving up a lot of points. The College of Charleston comes from the Colonial Athletic Association and that conference has led the nation in offensive efficiency the past two seasons! The Cougars are one of the top teams in the CAA and the only reason their numbers on offense are down a bit early this season is because of their most recent game as they faced a tough match-up with Oklahoma State. Prior to this one, Charleston had averaged 79 points per game in their first two match-ups this season. The Cougars have allowed 76.5 points per game their past two games. The over is 10-3 when Charleston is on the road with a line ranging from a pick'em to a six point favorite. The over is 6-3 when Marshall enters a game having played each of past two games as an underdog. Look for the Thundering Herd to tear it up on the offensive end after back to back tougher match-ups. This one will be a run and gun affair with the Herd shooting better courtesy of playing at home. 10* OVER the total in Marshall |
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11-18-19 | Chiefs v. Chargers +5.5 | Top | 24-17 | Loss | -115 | 12 h 59 m | Show |
Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #476 Monday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Chargers (+) vs Kansas City Chiefs @ 8:15 ET - This is a neutral site game as it is being played at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Mexico. Considering the fact it is a neutral site and that Chiefs Andy Reid continues to be the worst late game manager in NFL history, I am happy to back the Chargers here. Kansas City lost at Tennessee last week partially because they have defensive breakdowns in critical moments but also because if Reid was smarter about play-calling to close out games the Titans would not have even had the ball to have a chance to win the game. Reid has had issues with this since his days in Philadelphia and that is part of the reason the Eagles finally won a Super Bowl AFTER he was shown the door! The point I am making here though is that it is hard to lay points with him unless it is a game that is destined to be an absolute blowout and I certainly don't see that being the case here. Everyone is on Kansas City here and, in typical contrarian fashion, I am on the other side. Chargers QB Rivers is off a rare poor game and he'll be ready to bounce back here. At the same time, this is a Chiefs defense that gave up over 200 yards on the ground last week and that means LA can do some damage here on the ground which will further open up things for Rivers to attack downfield through the air. Under head coach Anthony Lynn, the Chargers are 9-2 ATS when facing a team off an outright upset loss. That system is in play here as the Chiefs lost outright as a 6 point favorite over the Titans last week. We are getting close to the stretch run of the season and note the following stat when Kansas City is playing in games 9 through 12 of a season. When KC has a winning record and is favored over a team that is coming off an away game, the Chiefs have gone 1-8 ATS! Not only where the Chargers at Oakland last week, their game was on Thursday (while KC played on Sunday at Tennessee) so LA does have a rest edge for this game also. 10* LOS ANGELES CHARGERS |
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11-18-19 | Cavs +2.5 v. Knicks | Top | 105-123 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 31 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #557 Monday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) @ New York Knicks @ 7:05 ET - Yes the Cavaliers are in a back to back spot here but they got their doors blown off by the 76ers yesterday. When you're down 31 points in the 3rd quarter of a game you start resting guys the rest of the way and, of course, that is what Cleveland did yesterday. That means no one played more than 28 minutes in yesterday's loss and also the Cavs did have two days off prior to yesterday's game. In other words, they will be ready to go here and, keep in mind, they actually took more shots from the field than the 76ers did yesterday and also had more shots from the free throw line. So what happened? It was simply one of those nights (and we had Philly right here in this spot yesterday) because the 76ers were ultra hungry and everything was falling for them. For the Cavs, they couldn't get shots to fall and so it was a blowout loss. But, keep in mind, Cleveland had been playing a little better and they will respond here tonight after that ugly loss. I love grabbing the points and going against bad teams and this the case here with the Knicks. Not only is New York 3-10 on the season, they are off a very disheartening loss to the Hornets in their most recent game as New Orleans hit the game-winning three with just a couple seconds left. New York had really let that game get away from them and I fully expect a similar result tonight. 10* CLEVELAND |
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11-18-19 | Ducks +1.5 v. Capitals | Top | 2-5 | Loss | -126 | 8 h 13 m | Show |
Puck Line Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #35 Monday 10* Top Play Anaheim Ducks Puck Line +1.5 goals @ Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - The Capitals are off to a fantastic start this season but this is the perfect spot to fade them. Not only are the Caps off a big road win at Boston in the shootout Saturday, they are now back home where they have surprisingly played worse than on the road this season. Washington has won just 5 of their 10 home games this season. Also, the Capitals have seen 5 of their last 8 wins come by just a single goal. That said, I really like the value being offered here with the Ducks at +1.5 goals. If you had played against the Caps with a line of +1.5 in each of Washington's last 11 games you would have won 8 bets and lost just 3. Anaheim enters this game with some momentum after knocking off the 2019 Stanley Cup champs in St Louis. Now they look to do the same with the 2018 Stanley Cup champs in Washington. In 21 games this season the Ducks have only lost a game by a multiple goal margin 6 times. That means if you had Anaheim at +1.5 goals all season long you've won 71% of the time. I like the value here with only a -130 price range on the Ducks here given the strong odds of a loss coming by only 1 goal. Anaheim has a great shot at the upset here and I like the added insurance of the +1.5 goals given all of the above factors. In the past two weeks Washington has only 1 win by more than a single goal. 10* ANAHEIM +1.5 goals Puck Line |
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11-18-19 | SMU v. Evansville OVER 139 | Top | 59-57 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 40 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #609 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Evansville Purple Aces vs SMU Mustangs @ 7 ET - The Purple Aces want to play fast this season and are disruptive on the defensive end of the floor too. They proved that in their monumental upset of #1 Kentucky and Evansville scored 67 points at Rupp Arena in that one which is certainly not easy to do! That said, the Purple Aces can absolutely control the tempo here at home against SMU and that will mean plenty of points here. The Mustangs have big scorers in their playing rotation and will have no problems matching Evansville here in a run and gun game. SMU has averaged 77 points per game this season and the Purple Aces have scored an average of 84 points per game this season in their other two games this season. Both teams are 3-0 on the season and playing with a ton of confidence. Both of these teams are expected to make a move up in their respective conferences this season. That said, I look for this to be a back and forth battle that flies over the total as each of these teams is "feeling it" right now in terms of execution on offense. The Purple Aces are making 50% of their shots from the field at home this season and Southern Methodist is knocking down 47% from the field this season. Look for easy buckets at hot shooting throughout this one with a lot of quick transition buckets as these teams fly up and down the court. 10* OVER the total in Evansville |
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11-17-19 | Sabres v. Blackhawks OVER 6.5 | Top | 1-4 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 27 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #33 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago Blackhawks vs Buffalo Sabres @ 7:05 ET - Perfect spot for an over as both teams were in action yesterday. Back to backs have a tendency to put stress on the defense and netminding. Also, the Blackhawks come into this game red hot as they won 7-2 yesterday and have now scored 5 or more goals in 4 of their past 5 games. The Sabres got a big boost with the much needed 4-2 win at home yesterday. Buffalo will have to score plenty to keep in this game and I look for another big game from Jack Eichel here. Certainly he is feeling it after scoring 4 goals in yesterday's win! The problem for Buffalo Sunday will be trying to keep the puck out of their own net. Not only did have they allowed 6 or more goals in 2 of their last 3 road games, their two games prior to yesterday's win saw them allow a total of ten goals even though both of those were at home. The Blackhawks also have scored 5 goals in each of their last 3 home games. One could argue that this total should be a 7 so I am happy to grab the 6.5 in this one and look for an absolute barn burner. 10* OVER the total in Chicago |
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11-17-19 | Winnipeg v. Saskatchewan UNDER 45 | Top | 20-13 | Win | 100 | 8 h 44 m | Show |
Playoff Total of the Year - Rickenbach CFL Rotation #894 Sunday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Saskatchewan Roughriders vs Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ 4:30 ET - I know this is a low total but don't let that scare you away. The Blue Bombers are off a fantastic defensive effort last week in their playoff upset win. The Roughriders are known for their tough defense, particularly when at home. Also, Winnipeg has been employing a two-headed QB system primarily because one of the two is more of a running QB and the Bombers are emphasizing the run more and more. The Riders are known for being very tough to beat when a team has to face them at Regina and their QB is currently dealing with an injury. They will also emphasize the ground game here more than you would typically see in a CFL game. Saskatchewan wants to control the tempo here and grind it out with long drives and this game will be a ball-control type playoff game with a lot less than scoring than you typically expect in a CFL game. All 3 meetings between these teams this season stayed under the total and I am looking for another one here. When Winnipeg enters a game on a winning streak of 2 or more games the under has cashed in 4 of 6 times. The Roughriders have stayed under in 30 of 45 November games long-term including 5 straight unders cashing in recent seasons as they enter this match-up. Look for that streak to reach 6 in a row here! 10* UNDER the total in Saskatchewan |
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11-17-19 | Patriots v. Eagles +4 | Top | 17-10 | Loss | -115 | 118 h 33 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #470 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Eagles (-) vs New England Patriots @ 4:25 ET - Both teams enter this week off a bye week last week. First off I am going to talk about the always good but always over-hyped Patriots. While it is true that New England blew out Pittsburgh in Week 1 of this season lets talk about what has happened since then. The Patriots have played 8 games since then and 6 of them were wins by 14 points or more. The other two were games the Pats lost ATS. More on the latter in the moment but lets first talk about all those "tough" teams that New England faced in those 6 big wins. Here is their current record of each of the teams they faced week by week: 2-7, 2-7, 1-8, 2-8, 1-8, 3-6. Noticing a pattern here? The Pats took care of business a lot but they faced trash a lot! So how about those other two games? The Patriots barely got by the Bills and did NOT cover and then two weeks ago New England got absolutely dominated by the Ravens. Notice this pattern? When Mr Brady and Mr Belichick have to step up and face a formidable opponent things suddenly change. The Eagles beat a MUCH tougher Patriots team to win the Super Bowl in Feb of 2018 and so this Pats team is much more susceptible to what the Eagles bring to the table here and this game is NOT at a neutral site. The Philadelphia schedule has been much tougher than the Patriots schedule has been. The Eagles have faced 5 tough teams in their last 6 games and 4 of those teams have a combined record of 26-12 on the season! The Eagles run defense ranks among the best in the NFL and the Patriots, despite facing a mostly cupcake schedule, rank in the bottom 3rd of the NFL for running the ball. That said, when a team struggles to run the ball their offense of course becomes more predictable and you know The Linc is going to be rocking for this game and I expect the Philly defense to bring a huge game here. This is just the 2nd home game the Eagles have had in the past 6 weeks! Look for the Patriots to drop to 0-3 ATS on the season when they are on the road and facing a team with a winning record. The Eagles are 3-1 SU at home this season and many will be looking for the Pats to bounce back here after that ugly loss at Baltimore two weeks ago. However, Philadelphia is off B2B wins and has moved back into a first-place tie in the NFC East so they are "feeling it" again and check out the following stat. The Eagles are 8-0 ATS when off a SU win and facing a non-divisional foe with a winning percentage of .667 or greater that is off a SU/ATS loss. That PERFECT system fits here. Also, under head coach Doug Pederson, the Eagles are 10-3 ATS when they enter a game with a winning record on the season and they are an underdog against a non-divisional foe. Also, under Pederson, the Eagles are 9-3 ATS when they enter a game off B2B SU/ATS wins. In games 9 through 12 of a season, Philly is 10-2 ATS when off a SU/ATS win and facing a team that is off an outright upset loss as a favorite. New England, in regular season games, is now on an 0-5 ATS streak when they are on the road and facing a team that has a .500 record or better. The Eagles should win this outright but I am happy to grab the points as added insurance here. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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11-17-19 | 76ers -6.5 v. Cavs | Top | 114-95 | Win | 100 | 5 h 28 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #545 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 3:05 ET - The 76ers are healthy and they are angry after a 2nd straight loss, this one in OT, on Friday. The Cavaliers are struggling this season and are not healthy as Larry Nance exited their most recent game on Thursday in the 4th quarter. He could be limited here on Sunday, if he even plays. Philadelphia is desperate to get back on track as they have lost 5 of their last 7 games after beginning the season a perfect 5-0. The Sixers do not play again until Wednesday when they begin a 3-game homestand. In other words, the last thing Philly wants is to go into that homestand on a 3-game losing streak. They are going hard here and with two off days coming up they also won't hold back here and I see them winning this game by a double digit margin. The Cavaliers average margin of defeat this season is 10 points per game and I am expecting this defeat to come by at least a dozen. This one is all about the situational value and if the Cavs do get down big they will likely "pack it in" late in the game too and save it for a game at New York against the Knicks tomorrow night. Much better situation here and health factor for the road team in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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11-17-19 | Marquette v. Wisconsin OVER 128 | Top | 61-77 | Win | 100 | 3 h 54 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #833 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Wisconsin Badgers vs Marquette Golden Eagles @ 1 ET - Marquette has given the Badgers D some trouble in recent seasons. That is why the over is a perfect 3-0 in the last 3 meetings between these teams. Also, Wisconsin has averaged 75 points per game in the last 3 meetings and plus they are out for revenge after losing each of the last two meetings including one here in Madison. The Badgers have payback on their minds here but they have allowed 40% from three point land this season and the Golden Eagles come into this one knocking down 44% of their shots from beyond the arc. Also, while the Eagles give the Badgers trouble outside the arc on one of the floor look for Wisconsin to give Marquette trouble in the paint on the other end of the floor. The result will be a lot more points than many are expecting here and with the line dropping from 131 to 128 I am grabbing the over in what also should be a close game which means we're seeing plenty of late game opportunity for points with this one with trips to the free throw line while quickly firing up threes on the other end of the floor. The Eagles are 10-3 to the over when off B2B games in which they allowed 55 points or less. The Badgers are 8-3 to the over when off a home blowout win by a margin of 20 or more points. 10* OVER the total in Wisconsin |
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11-16-19 | Hornets v. Knicks OVER 212 | Top | 103-102 | Loss | -106 | 10 h 50 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #533 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Knicks vs Charlotte Hornets @ 7:35 ET - A helluva lot of defensive intensity in the 4th quarter led to New York getting the win Thursday over former Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis and Dallas as the Mavericks were in town. That game was practically like "winning it all" for the Knicks as they wanted that game against their former star and also got the win at Dallas earlier this season too. What that will lead to here is a very flat effort on the defensive end and that means the Hornets, in a back to back, will score plenty. I like taking the over (when the situation is right) in a back to back spot because it is tough to play solid defense back to back nights and Charlotte is off a hard-fought home win last night. Note that this total opened up at a 215.5 and then dropped a couple buckets from there and, in typical contrarian fashion, I am on the other side of the move and grabbing the over in this one. The over is 3-1 this season when Charlotte is a road underdog. The Hornets are allowing 113 points per game this season. New York is allowing 110 points per game this season. The Knicks have trended under this season but this is the right situation, off winning a huge home game that was practically like a championship game, for that trend to be reversed. 10* OVER the total in New York |
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11-16-19 | Islanders v. Flyers +101 | Top | 4-3 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 33 m | Show |
Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #20 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) vs New York Islanders @ 7:05 ET - Perhaps looking ahead to this divisional revenge opportunity, the Flyers were a bit lackluster in last night's 2-1 loss at Ottawa. Yet, even with an "off night", Philadelphia still outshot the Senators in the disappointing defeat. Look for Philly to respond in a big way. I am well aware of the fact that the Islanders have been playing very well but they also have benefited from a home-heavy schedule and that is about to change. Also, they enter this game with a home and home set up next against the Penguins plus the Islanders are talking about how hot the Capitals have been and how they're still up there at the top of the division. The point is that the Isles are thinking more about their great record and getting ready for a B2B battle with the Pens and battling it out with the Caps early this season for the divisional top spot. The Islanders are overlooking the Flyers here and that will prove to be a mistake. The Flyers were 5-0-2 their 7 games (no regulation losses) prior to last night's loss. Also, Philly will have Brian Elliott in goal here and he has just 1 regulation loss in 15 career decisions against the Isles. Additionally, the Flyers have just 1 regulation loss in their 9 games as a host this season and they have been performing better in OT and SO situations should either of those arise tonight. The fact is that the Isles have played just 5 road games so far this season and they are a great team but they are a little overvalued here by the betting markets. The Flyers opened up as a -120 fave but the betting markets have flipped the fave here and I am happy to grab the hungry revenge-minded home dog in this one given all of the above. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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11-16-19 | LSU v. Ole Miss +22 | Top | 58-37 | Win | 100 | 11 h 47 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #402 Saturday 10* Top Play Ole Miss Rebels (+) vs LSU Tigers @ 7 ET - LSU is simply over-valued here and it is a great spot to fade them after their huge win at Alabama last week. Keep in mind, the Tigers were on the road at Vandy this season and were favored by 24 points in this game. In other words, this line today is basically saying that Ole Miss is just as bad of a team as 2-7 Vanderbilt and that couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, the Rebels beat the Commodores 31-7 earlier this season. I am confident that, especially because they are at home and especially because they catch LSU off such a huge win, Ole Miss is absolutely going to hang around in this game for all 4 quarters. Keep in mind, the Rebels ugliest loss this season was by 28 points and that was at Alabama. One could argue that means LSU should win this game by a similar margin of course. However, note that the Rebels other 5 losses have come by an average margin of defeat of just 7.4 points. The loss to Alabama was the only time a game "got away" from Ole Miss. Since they are at home for this one, and catching LSU in a flat spot, look for this one to play out much differently than the one against the Crimson Tide did. The Tigers have failed to cover 10 of the last 12 times they were off an outright upset win on the road and that is the case here after LSU's win at Alabama as a dog last week. After starting the season 2-1, Mississippi has since gone 2-5. However, they are a viewing today's game as a huge opportunity to make some headlines for sure and note the following: Rebels, when entering a game after having lost 5 or 6 out of their last 7 games, have gone 3-1 ATS and SU. Now of course an upset would be a reach here but I do expect the Rebels to lose this game by only 1 or two scores. They're highly motivated and hang tough in this one all the way. 10* OLE MISS |
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11-16-19 | Louisiana Tech v. Creighton -8 | Top | 72-82 | Win | 100 | 8 h 52 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #796 Saturday 10* Top Play Creighton Bluejays (-) vs Louisiana Tech Bulldogs @ 6 ET - The Bluejays are at home off a loss at Michigan and that was a game that Creighton led at halftime. Louisiana Tech comes from the much weaker conference in this match-up, Conference USA, and the Bulldogs are 2-0 but have not been tested at all. This is going to be a huge test to say the least and it is not easy to play at Creighton where the Bluejays generally show an opponent what is like to be on the wrong end of a game where it is "raining threes". That said, and with this line dropping from an 11 down to an 8, I am backing Creighton big in this one. While the Bluejays play in the tough Big East, Louisiana Tech plays in the CUSA where teams like UTSA are considering among the top teams. There is a talent gap between these programs and the situation is perfect with the Bluejays at home off a loss in a game they let get away from them and the Bulldogs off back to back easy wins but having played light competition. Louisiana Tech gets a significant "reality check" here and the Bluejays answer the "wake up call" after their disappointing loss at Michigan. The home team by double digits here. 10* CREIGHTON |
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11-16-19 | Memphis v. Houston OVER 70 | Top | 45-27 | Win | 100 | 8 h 52 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #383 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Houston Cougars vs Memphis Tigers @ 3:30 ET - Memphis has gone over the total in 7 of 9 games this season and the Tigers are certainly not showing any signs of slowing down. Memphis has scored an average of 48 points per game in their last 3 games. The Tigers D has allowed 44.5 points per game their past two games. Going further back and looking at road games only, Memphis has allowed an average of 35 points per game in its past 3 games away from home. Houston's defense has had its two best performances this season against over-matched teams. When the Cougars faced UConn and Prairie View they allowed just 17 points in each of those games. Take those two weak match-ups out of the equation and Houston has allowed an average of 37 points per game this season. The point is that these teams should each get to the 35 range if they had an "average" game today but there is plenty of reason to think it will not be an "average" game. The Tigers offense has been on absolute fire and the Cougars offense also has come on stronger their past two games as they were big double digit dogs in each game and yet still scored an average of 30 points per game. Memphis ranks in the top ten in the nation for offensive efficiency while the Houston defense ranks in the bottom ten in the nation for defensive efficiency. You can see why I am expecting the Tigers to score plenty in this one as it is a horrible match-up for the Houston D. However, don't be surprised if the Cougars (known for playing better at home) also match Memphis score for score for much of this game and that is why I am expecting this one to get into the 80 range in terms of points scored. 10* OVER the total in Houston |
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11-15-19 | Spurs +3.5 v. Magic | Top | 109-111 | Win | 100 | 10 h 22 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #515 Friday 10* Top Play San Antonio Spurs (+) @ Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - The Magic are off a 15 point Wednesday versus Philadelphia while the Spurs are off a 15 point loss the same night at Minnesota. However, Orlando actually trailed going to the 4th quarter of that game. How much will the Magic have left in the tank after that huge effort? As for San Antonio, they are outscored by 24 points from three point land. In other words, inside the arc the Spurs WON the game by NINE points. After shooting just 3 of 17 from the arc Wednesday and getting beat by the three-ball, SA comes into this game extra hungry as they want to put an end to a 3-game losing streak. That said, any points we are offered here is simply added value as I really do expect the Spurs to win outright and this line has moved from a 1 to a 3.5 as of early game day morning. Excellent value with the road dog here. I'll grab the points as the Spurs struggles are likely to end here and the Magic (just 4-7 on the season) are getting a little too much respect here after beating a Sixers team that is having some growing pains right now. In other words, that victory over the 76ers is not as impressive as it would seem on the surface. 10* SAN ANTONIO |
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11-15-19 | Louisiana Tech +6.5 v. Marshall | Top | 10-31 | Loss | -102 | 11 h 56 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #315 Friday 10* Top Play Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (+) @ Marshall Thundering Herd @ 7 ET - Lets talk about injuries and suspensions first because that is a key reason that this line has been driven from -2 to a -6.5 as of early game day morning. First off the Bulldogs are without a safety (James Jackson) but the Thundering Herd are without one (Brandon Drayton) too. As for the WR spot, yes I know that Adrian Hardy is Louisiana Tech's "big name" guy and he is suspended for this game but when you look at the Bulldogs statistically, they have a group of wide receivers all in the same range of total yards as Hardy PLUS with a lot more touchdowns too. Hardy is not as big of a loss as people think and, keep in mind, Marshall lost their starting slot wide receiver, Artie Henry, early in the season. So the big glaring one, and main driver of this line, is the suspension of QB J'Mar Smith for La Tech. I am here to tell you that the Bulldogs have capable back-ups and the right guy, even if it is more than one QB that sees action here, will be who gets the majority of playing time here and they are NOT going up against some elite defense either. Louisiana Tech has been fantastic this season and a lot of it has to do with their system on offense. In other words, others can step in and have better functionality with the offense than you would think. The Bulldogs are having a great season that side of the ball and their defense is roughly equal with that of the Thundering Herd. That said, I have no hesitation in going contrarian here and backing the big dog and fading the masses! The Bulldogs are averaging a dozen points more per game than Marshall this season. I am aware that La Tech has faced a weak schedule this season but the Thundering Herd haven't exactly faced a powerhouse docket this season either. Also, the Bulldogs have covered 15 of last 20 as a road dog while the Thundering Herd have covered just 5 of their last 21 when favored in a Conference USA clash. 10* LOUISIANA TECH |
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11-15-19 | Marshall v. Notre Dame OVER 148 | Top | 64-74 | Loss | -109 | 10 h 33 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #687 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Marshall Thundering Herd @ 7 ET - Notre Dame had a tough season opening game as they faced North Carolina. But since then the Fighting Irish have exploded for an average of 85.5 points per game their past two games. The Irish are likely to continue their high-scoring ways here as they take on a Marshall team that just got torched for 96 points by Toledo. The thing I like about that game as the Thundering Herd were down big at halftime but that didn't keep them from pushing the tempo and scoring throughout the 2nd half. We could see a similar result tonight as a big favorite, Notre Dame, gets a sizable lead on the Herd by half-time and then the game plays out very "loose" in the 2nd half too with plenty of scoring from both teams. Marshall has a solid back-court tandem and they each scored 20 in their loss to the Rockets. The Thundering Herd wants to prove that, even though they lost some key contributors from last season's team, that they can still run with the big boys. Well, as the ugly loss to Toledo proved, they may run up and down the floor all they want but they're still going to give up a ton of points in the process and I expect a similar result in this one like we saw in the Rockets game. When off a game in which they were a home underdog, the Thundering Herd are 3-0 to the over. When off a home blowout loss by a margin of 20 or more, Marshall is 7-1 to the over! While the Herd are off an ugly loss, the Irish are off an easy win. That is noteworthy in this spot because the over is 13-6 when the Fighting Irish are off a game which they led by 20 or more points at the half. 10* OVER the total in Notre Dame |
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11-14-19 | Steelers v. Browns OVER 41 | Top | 7-21 | Loss | -109 | 13 h 47 m | Show |
Thursday Thrasher - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #309 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers @ 8:20 ET - The Browns allowed just 16 points in last week's tight win over Buffalo. However, Cleveland entered that game having allowed 24 points or more in 5 straight games. The Steelers allowed just 12 points in their big win versus the Rams last week but they have allowed an average of 25 points per game in their 3 road games this season. Certainly they have a respectable defense but it will be tested more over the stretch run of the season as this begins a stretch of 5 road games out of their final 7 games of the season. Pittsburgh has been fortunate to have a home-heavy schedule thus far this season. Cleveland's last 5 divisional games have seen 4 of the 5 go over the total. Also, in terms of meetings between the Browns and Steelers, 4 of the last 5 have gone over the total. Pittsburgh has allowed an average of 317 passing yards per game in road games this season! Cleveland allowed 32 points per game at home this season before holding the Bills in check but Buffalo did have success through the air against them and that is not a big surprise as the Browns are allowing 254 passing yards per game at home this season. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Cleveland |
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11-14-19 | Jets +145 v. Panthers | Top | 4-3 | Win | 145 | 9 h 51 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #51 Thursday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) @ Florida Panthers @ 7:05 ET - Situations don't get much better than this. The Jets are off an embarrassing 4-0 home shutout loss. Prior to that Winnipeg had won 4 of its last 5 games and the only loss had come in a shootout. The Panthers are off a huge 5-4 shootout victory at Boston! Not only is that a key win over a division rival, Florida rallied from a 4-0 deficit to win it! How improbable was that? It was the first time ever in franchise history that the Panthers had come back from a deficit of more than 3 goals to win a game! The fact it came against a division leader and last year's Eastern Conference champs make it even that much more improbable. In other words, this is now the perfect "flat spot" in which to fade Florida. Keep in mind, that win over the Bruins was the 3rd time in 4 games that the Panthers have allowed at least 4 goals. The Panthers have lost 3 of their past 5 home games and have allowed at least 4 goals in 3 of their past 5 games as a host. Conversely the Jets have actually been solid on the road this season and Connor Hellebuyck is having a strong season between the pipes. This money line is offering phenomenal line value given the situation. I respect the Panthers and coach Joel Quenneville but this is a very tough spot for Florida and I expect a tremendous game from the road dog Jets here! 10* WINNIPEG |
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11-14-19 | Buffalo v. Kent State +6 | Top | 27-30 | Win | 100 | 10 h 18 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #312 Thursday 10* Top Play Kent State Golden Flashes (+) vs Buffalo Bulls @ 7 ET - The markets are all over Buffalo here but, in typical contrarian fashion, I am grabbing Kent State. Yes the Bulls have won 3 straight games and the Golden Flashes have lost 3 straight games. However, Kent State just was on the road at Toledo a little over a week ago and they took the Rockets to the wire and they were a 7 point dog in that game. There is not a huge difference between Toledo and Buffalo in terms of their level of play within the MAC and the Golden Flashes lost by just two points to the Rockets. Yet now, after this line opened up at a 3, it has been driven all the way up to a 6 even though Kent State is at home for this one and playing with revenge from an embarrassing loss to the Bulls last season. Also, this is just the 2nd home game for the Golden Flashes since late September. They're going to want to make the most of this! That said, Kent State is going to fight all the way to the final gun in this one. The Golden Flashes last 3 losses have come by an average margin of just 5 points per game. They have been "right there" in each game and this time I see them getting over the hump and getting the win. Kent State is a much more competitive team than they've been in the past and yet the still carry that "negative perception" with the marketplace from years of ugliness. They will fight tooth and nail in this game and an outright upset would not surprise but I am grabbing the points as added insurance. Note that Bulls are off a big road win that preceded their bye week and they also had a big road win against a dreadful Akron team. However, prior to that they started the season 0-3 on the road with all 3 losses by a double digit margin. The Golden Flashes are in this one all the way. 10* KENT STATE |
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11-14-19 | Penn State +1 v. Georgetown | Top | 81-66 | Win | 100 | 9 h 14 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #655 Thursday 10* Top Play Penn State Nittany Lions (+) @ Goergetown Hoyas @ 6:30 ET - Both teams have played weak foes early this season so the main basis of this play is that each team came into this season with 4 returning starters and an already established identity. That team identity for each has continued early this season and the biggest key for me is that the Hoyas simply don't play very well in their own end. It was an issue last season too with too many points allowed per game. That is why, though many may look at this and think it is easy to grab the home team just to win the game, the fact is the line is set this way for a reason. Penn State is the better team and that negates the Georgetown homecourt edge. I also like the fact that turnovers tend to plague the Hoyas and this is particularly true in late game situations. They are the sloppier team here and I'll take Chambers' Nitanny Lions over Ewing's Hoyas in this one. The better coached, more well-structured team gets the big road win in an early season match-up when things have a tendency to still be a little "helter skelter" for teams and an experienced structured team is the one that finds the way to win a game like this. 10* PENN STATE |
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11-14-19 | Heat v. Cavs +4.5 | Top | 108-97 | Loss | -101 | 8 h 21 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #502 Thursday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) vs Miami Heat @ 6:05 ET - The Cavaliers are off a tough 1-point loss at Philadelphia but a win there would have been their third in a row. Cleveland is playing very competitive basketball right now and very hungry and I like the Cavs here at home to get the upset win. We'll grab the points as added insurance but the Heat could struggle here. They continue to be banged up and missing guys or guys trying to play through injuries. Give credit to Miami as they are off to a solid start this season but they are still just 3-3 on the road and the Cavaliers are 2-2 at home. In other words this is a great home dog spot considering the way the Cavs are playing right now and the fact they are off a 1-point loss that will add to the hunger factor here. Also, Miami may overlook them as the Heat got the 4-0 season sweep of Cleveland last season. But overlooking them will prove to be detrimental as all of Miami's injuries catch up with them here. 10* CLEVELAND |
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11-13-19 | Northern Illinois +2.5 v. Toledo | Top | 31-28 | Win | 100 | 13 h 41 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #307 Wednesday 10* Top Play Northern Illinois Huskies (+) @ Toledo Rockets @ 8 ET - As long-time followers know, I tend to be a contrarian when it comes to handicapping games. That said, why in the world would a 6-3 Toledo be such a small favorite at home against a 3-6 Northern Illinois team? Exactly! Give me the underdog Huskies here while most of the world will likely be jumping on the Rockets! Now, I am never a contrarian without some reasoning of course and Northern Illinois does need to win out to be bowl eligible. They still have that going for them and, in the process, they'd love to hurt Toledo's chances of winning the MAC West. From a statistical standpoint the Rockets certainly have the better defense but note that defense tends to win football games this time of year and the Huskies have the much better defense. Based on yardage allowed Toledo ranks #117 out 130 teams while Northern Illinois ranks a much stronger 51st on defense. The Huskies have won 7 of the last 9 meetings between these teams and I expect another victory here on the road and will grab the couple points being offered. We might start to see some +3 on this one but I am happy enough already at the +2.5 that is prevalent right now. 10* NORTHERN ILLINOIS |
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11-13-19 | Grizzlies v. Hornets OVER 218.5 | Top | 119-117 | Win | 100 | 10 h 20 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #579 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Charlotte Hornets vs Memphis Grizzlies @ 7:05 ET - Perfect situation here. The Hornets are at home and hungry off a loss but can't play defense. The Grizzlies are on the road off a huge upset win and that sets this one up well to see very little defense. I had Memphis as a double digit dog when they upset the Spurs on Monday and now I want to make note of the fact that the Grizzlies are 6-2 to the over when off an outright upset win over a division rival. Charlotte has allowed an average of 114 points per game their past 4 games and that is not a huge surprise given the fact that the Hornets have allowed opponents to shoot 53% or better in 3 of those 4 games! As for the Grizzlies, they are allowing an incredible 119 points per game on the season! Charlotte enters this game having lost 3 straight games. The over is 13-7 when the Hornets enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more consecutive games. More of the same expected here as, given the situation, this one should fly over the total with the defensive inefficiencies I am expecting in this one. 10* OVER the total in Charlotte |
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11-13-19 | LSU v. VCU -2.5 | Top | 82-84 | Loss | -106 | 8 h 14 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #602 Wednesday 10* Top Play Virginia Commonwealth Rams (-) vs LSU Tigers @ 6 ET - Tigers head coach Will Wade and Rams coach Mike Rhoades were both assistant coaches for Virginia Commonwealth when they made that huge tournament run earlier in this decade. The difference now is that Wade spurned VCU in search of greener pastures while Rhoades stayed put and has proclaimed himself a VCU guy all the way. To say the Rams want this game badly is the understatement of the year. That is why, though LSU had a great season last year and are currently ranked and are an underdog in this match-up, I am going contrarian and grabbing the other side here as I expect the Rams to roll at home. For one thing the motivation factor is huge here and there are VCU players still on the roster that were recruited by Wade during his time here. In addition to motivation. Note that the Rams return 4 starters while LSU returns just two starters this season. Also, the Rams are known for defense and creating turnovers and the Tigers only game this season thus far saw them turn the ball over too much and they were quite unimpressive in their non-covering win over Bowling Green. Another edge for Virginia Commonwealth here is that they have played two games already. Though they have covered neither they did notch the win in each and I feel that, particularly in the win over North Texas this past week, VCU was already looking ahead to this game. This is a monster game for them and they will prove that on the floor by winning this game by double digits. 10* VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH (VCU) |
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11-12-19 | Thunder +3.5 v. Pacers | Top | 85-111 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 41 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #563 Tuesday 10* Top Play Oklahoma City Thunder (+) @ Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - The Pacers have been without Victor Oladipo since the season started. Indiana also has seen Myles Turner and Jeremy Lamb also miss significant time with injuries (and both listed as questionable for this contest). So, how have the Pacers (winners of 6 of their last 7) done it? It has had a lot to do with an easy schedule! That is the key to why I like the Thunder in this match-up. Don't let the short line fool you. It looks so easy, of course, to take Indiana laying about 3 points at home, doesn't it? After all, Oklahoma City is 0-3 on the road this season and the Pacers are 4-1 at home on the season. Must be some kind of major "mistake" by the odds makers here, right? Long-time followers know how I feel about supposed "mistakes" by those making the lines. The fact is that OKC has played a tougher schedule this season and they enter this game hungry off a 2 point home loss to a strong Bucks team on Saturday. In other words, don't be surprised when the Thunder come out strong here and get the outright upset win. I am grabbing the points for added "insurance" in this one. This is a contrarian play and that is a big part of my handicapping repertoire and lets look to cash again here! 10* OKLAHOMA CITY |
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11-12-19 | Panthers v. Bruins OVER 6.5 | Top | 5-4 | Win | 101 | 9 h 8 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #19 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Bruins vs Florida Panthers @ 7:05 ET - The Bruins have some injury issues but this is still a team loaded with offensive firepower and they showed that again when they rallied to earn a point against the Flyers by sending the game to OT on Saturday. Also, one of the newest injuries is a key defenseman as Torey Krug is out for this game. That will impact Boston in their defensive zone and the Panthers will take advantage. Florida comes into this one flying high after a 6-5 shootout win over the Rangers at New York. The Panthers have trended toward higher-scoring games all season long as 11 of their 17 games have totaled at least 7 goals. A lot of this has to do with the struggles of goalie Sergei Bobrovsky as he has a poor 3.39 GAA on the season. Speaking of struggles between the pipes, Tuukka Rask is suddenly struggling for the Bruins now too as he has allowed 8 goals in his last two games. That holds significance here as he faces a confident Panthers bunch that will put the pressure on him early and often and take advantage of the Bruins missing some players. But the Bruins should answer the Panthers goal for goal as Boston has yet to lose a game in regulation on home ice this season. Also, Florida is expected to be down a defenseman here as MacKenzie Weegar got hurt in the most recent game. These potent offenses take advantage of missing D-men and also shaky recent goaltending from these two netminders. 10* OVER the total in Boston |
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11-12-19 | Western Michigan +2 v. Ohio | Top | 37-34 | Win | 100 | 11 h 58 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #303 Tuesday 10* Top Play Western Michigan Broncos (+) @ Ohio University Bobcats @ 6:30 ET - With Ohio U having home field it is is not a huge surprise that the betting markets have flipped the favorite on this one. Western Michigan opened up as the favorite in this one and now they are the dog. I love fading this type of a line move and especially when I have a strong situation favoring our side that many might be overlooking. The Bobcats didn't just beat the Broncos last season...they blasted them. Ohio U won that game 59-14 despite having a yardage edge of only 150 yards. What happened was a turnover-filled first half for Western Michigan that led to a 45-0 deficit. Now it is payback time here and, keep in mind, that ugly loss featured the Broncos as the host. That said, they would love nothing more than to return the favor tonight by rolling the Bobcats at Athens, OH with the ESPN2 cameras rolling for this Tuesday night match-up. Statistically the Broncos are the better team on both sides of the ball and, though 0-4 SU and ATS on the season in road games, do you think the odds makers were unaware of that when they made them the favorite here! Don't be fooled by the line move here, the road team gets it done as the Bobcats drop to 2-8 ATS on the season with another loss here. 10* WESTERN MICHIGAN |
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11-12-19 | Creighton +5 v. Michigan | Top | 69-79 | Loss | -108 | 9 h 16 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #751 Tuesday 10* Top Play Creighton Bluejays @ Michigan Wolverines @ 6:30 ET - Of course the Wolverines have the home court edge here and they also have a size edge. However, in my mind those are the only edges they have here and it won't be enough for Michigan. I am expecting Creighton to pull of the upset in this one but am grabbing the points for "insurance". The Wolverines are going through a transition in more ways than one this season. They lost a fantastic head coach in John Beilein and now have Juwan Howard at the helm and he brought in two new assistants as well. Additionally, Howard's team lost a ton of talent and big scorers from last seasons team. While they do have a size edge here they did not take good care of the ball in their non-covering win over Appalachian State to open the season last week. A great way to beat size is to create turnovers and then a run and gun team like Creighton can kill you from outside with its sharp-shooters in transition. The Bluejays are already dialed in from downtown as they have made 12 of 25 three pointers in their season-opening win last week. Keep in mind that 3-point shooting also results in longer caroms off the rim when they do miss and that further negates the inside edge that Michigan has in this match-up. I like Creighton a lot here with their strong experience edge and system edge as Bluejays head coach Greg McDermott has been the head coach here for this entire decade. 10* CREIGHTON |
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11-11-19 | Seahawks +6.5 v. 49ers | Top | 27-24 | Win | 100 | 12 h 16 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #273 Monday 10* Top Play Seattle Seahawks (+) @ San Francisco 49ers @ 8:15 ET - The Seahawks SU record in primetime games under Pete Carroll is an incredible 27-5 with one tie. They have also won 80% of their Monday night games with Carroll as they've been victorious in eight of ten. Of course it looks enticing to back the undefeated 49ers and lay less than a TD but in typical contrarian fashion I am grabbing the points here. I feel Seattle has a great shot at the upset here and that means great value in this one. Though the Seahawks kicker has been less than stellar this season, note that the San Francisco kicking situation could be even worse off here as they have injury concerns. In a game projected to be a rather tight back and forth divisional battle, don't be surprised if the kicking game plays a role here and Seattle actually holds the edge here based on the Robbie Gould injury situation as he has been downgraded to doubtful for this one. Keep in mind, other than the Niners huge win over the Panthers two weeks ago, their other 3 games since mid-October have seen them score an average of just 19 points per game. San Francisco is 6-13 ATS as a home favorite while the Seahawks enter this game having covered 5 in a row as a divisional road dog! In fact, Seattle enters this game with a perfect 4-0 SU record on the road this season too! The Seahawks are scoring an average of 28.5 points per game away from home this season. Seattle's D had a poor game last week but clearly they were looking ahead to this game. Also, the Seahawks strength on D is their rushing defense and the Niners strength on offense is the ground game so this one sets up well for the Seattle D to have a bounce back game in a key divisional showdown. The Seahawks can move within a half game of the division lead by winning this game and they have a bye on deck so they're definitely going the full sixty in this game. Great underdog value in this one. 10* SEATTLE |
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11-11-19 | Grizzlies +11 v. Spurs | Top | 113-109 | Win | 100 | 11 h 44 m | Show |
Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #553 Monday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies (+) @ San Antonio Spurs @ 7:35 ET - Both teams off ugly losses but part of the reason that the Grizzlies got blasted was that they were in the 2nd night of a back to back. Memphis made the decision NOT to play their leading scorer Ja Morant AND also Brandon Clarke (back) did not play. Though Clarke's back has been an ongoing issue I really believe his absence was more of a maintenance thing than anything else and so I expect him back tonight even though he is listed as questionable. Of course Morant will for sure be back in action tonight. This Spurs team is nothing like the San Antonio teams of the past and for them to be favored by double digits here is a little aggressive in my opinion. They just haven't been consistent on the defensive end and LaMarcus Aldridge is coming off a horrible game. Again, both teams off ugly losses but the Spurs had just as many three pointers as Boston in San Antonio's Saturday loss. As for Memphis, they saw red hot Dallas have 6 more threes than them (18 points) in the 16 point loss. This is a stat I like to look at as sometimes hot 3 point shooting does teams in. Grizzlies won the rest of the game by 2 points even being down 2 players. The Spurs lost their game by 20 points inside the arc. Something to think about for sure and I don't see Memphis losing this game by anything more than single digits. I look for a hard-fought game with plenty of intensity from the Grizzlies as well. 10* MEMPHIS |
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11-11-19 | Coyotes +165 v. Capitals | Top | 4-3 | Win | 165 | 9 h 32 m | Show |
NHL Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #15 Monday 10* Top Play Arizona Coyotes Money Line (+) @ Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - The NHL is no exception. On any given night in any of the big 4 professional sports leagues, any team can rise up for the win because these are professionals and they play with a lot of pride. In this case you have an Arizona team that is a scrappy hard-nosed team that is entering this game off 3 straight losses. They are taking on a Capitals team that is the hottest team in the NHL this season. Washington is on home ice here too and yet they opened up as low as a -165 favorite in this one. The odds makers are sharp folks. They know what they are doing. Of course that looked easy to take the Caps and the line got driven up nearly -200 on Washington. It has since settled back down as some sharp money is now coming in on the underdog Coyotes in this one. Why? Hungry teams when games in a situation like this and this one is set up perfect for an upset. Arizona comes in very hungry and viewing this game as a chance to knock off the 2018 Stanley Cup champs on their own ice. The Capitals come into this game rather complacent as they are off a huge win versus the Golden Knights Saturday in a game that was a rematch of those 2018 Stanley Cup finals. Also, Washington has a big divisional game on deck against the upstart Flyers. That said, this is looks like a flat spot for the Caps while the fact is the Yotes are going to bring their A game here. Twice they had a 2-goal lead in their home loss to Minnesota and yet they let the game slip away. They are fired up here and are very dangerous dog as, Saturday notwithstanding, they are generally very tough to come back on once they get the lead on you and I look for the Coyotes to get an early jump in this one. 10* ARIZONA |
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11-11-19 | Drake +14 v. Cincinnati | Top | 59-81 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 23 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #731 Monday 10* Top Play Drake Bulldogs (+) @ Cincinnati Bearcats @ 7 ET - Even though the Bulldogs will be without Tremell Murhpy this season, this is still a solid Missouri Valley team that is capable of hanging around withing single digits of the Bearcats in this one. Yes, Drake faced an out-classed foe in their season opener but the fact they knocked down 17 of 29 three pointers is a good sign that the Bulldogs shooters are dialed in. Cincinnati is off an opening loss to Ohio State so they faced much tougher competition and that had a little something to do with their 4 of 21 shooting performance from 3-point land. However, the Bearcats struggles with the outside shot could loom large here because you know the Bulldogs are likely to bring an intense effort here with a rare shot at knocking off a "top tier" team. Drake wants to make the most of this opportunity while the Bearcats are simply looking at this game as a "win and move on to bigger things" type of game. Look for the scrappy Bulldogs to keep this one much closer than many are expecting. The Bulldogs are 15-3 ATS off a game in which they were a home favorite. Cincinnati is 1-5 ATS when off a road loss. 10* DRAKE |
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11-10-19 | Flyers +1.5 v. Bruins | Top | 3-2 | Win | 100 | 8 h 2 m | Show |
Puck Line Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #11 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Puck Line +1.5 goals -125 @ Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - The Bruins are banged up and struggling. Yes the Flyers are in a back to back spot right now but they're riding the momentum of another win last night and they have a pair of off days on deck after this one. Plus Philadelphia used Brian Elliott between the pipes last night and that means #1 goalie Carter Hart gets the start here. The Bruins #1 goalie Tuukka Rask is struggling so Boston will likely go with their #2 netminder Jaroslav Halak. So by taking the Flyers at +1.5 goals we also get added value here should this game be decided by a single goal. A one-goal game would not surprise here considering that 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games have been tied at the end of regulation! Certainly the Bruins have a potent offense and are looking to bounce back but the best way to stifle a strong offense is a goalie that is capable of putting up a stone wall when he is "on" and Carter Hart is in another one of his "on" cycles for the Flyers. He has won his last 3 starts and is ready to go here. Again, the Bruins a little dinged up and though their most recent win was by a 2-goal margin over Pittsburgh they actually trailed that game 4-3 in the 3rd and it was a crazy finish that resulted in it ending 6-4. Plus, since that time, Boston has lost two straight games. The Flyers have a great shot at the upset here and if they do fall short don't be surprised if it is by just a single goal and that puts us into the win column here. Note that in the last 7 meetings between these teams the road team has had ONE loss that came by more than single goal. 10* PHILADELPHIA +1.5 goals |
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11-10-19 | Hornets v. 76ers -13.5 | Top | 106-114 | Loss | -105 | 8 h 2 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #538 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Charlotte Hornets @ 6:05 ET - The 76ers are off 3 straight losses but all were on the road and this included time without Joel Embiid too. Yes, Ben Simmons is out now but they were without him at Denver on Friday and still led that game by 21 points in the 4th quarter and yet lost. So what happens now? The fired up Sixers are back at home and hosting a Hornets team that they are fully capable of also building a 21-point lead against. The difference is that Charlotte is not Denver and plus this game is at Philly. Look for the 76ers to build that huge lead and then never take the foot off their gas here. Adding to the value is that the Hornets are in a back to back here as they were home against New Orleans last night. It was yet another loss too last night for a bad Charlotte team and the 76ers are in need of taking a team behind the woodshed for a beating. The Hornets should provide the perfect punching bag. This is just the 3rd home game of the season for the Sixers. They won the first two games by an average margin of 18 points per game. I look for this one to be decided by close to 20 points as well. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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11-10-19 | Winnipeg +6 v. Calgary | Top | 35-14 | Win | 100 | 7 h 8 m | Show |
Playoff Game of the Year - Rickenbach CFL Rotation #823 Sunday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Blue Bombers (+) @ Calgary Stampeders @ 4:30 ET - Revenge for the Blue Bombers after last year's Western Division Final propelled the Stamps to the Grey Cup. I like the fact that Winnipeg is the better team on both side of the ball when it comes to the ground game. The Blue Bombers have a very strong rushing attack and also are adept at stopping the run. I know the Stampeders are a great passing team but Winnipeg can move the ball down the field through the air in a hurry too. Also, the Stamps have some injury issues at wide receiver. The Blue Bombers also got a boost with the return of Zach Collaros at QB in the final week of the regular season. Note that he has a personal 3-game winning streak when facing Calgary. Also, Winnipeg still has a "running QB" option too since they also have Chris Streveler and he saw plenty of action this season during the time Collaros was out. I love having the points here too because after about 3 to 6 inches of snow fell last night and this morning the forecast here is temperatures to remain right around 12 degrees fahrenheit or -11 celsius during this game. It is going to be another all-out war between these all-too familiar foes and note that 14 of Calgary's 18 games this season (including 7 in a row entering the playoffs) have been decided by 7 or less points! The Blue Bombers went 6-1 ATS this season as an underdog. The Stampeders went 2-11 ATS this season as a favorite. 10* WINNIPEG |
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11-10-19 | Rams v. Steelers +4.5 | Top | 12-17 | Win | 100 | 8 h 27 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #270 Sunday 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Steelers (+) vs Los Angeles Rams @ 4:25 ET - Great spot for a home dog here. So far the teams that have played in London this season, entering this week, have gone 0-4 ATS. Yes, even though those teams get a bye week after the trip to London it still seems to take a lot out of them. Not only have they gone 0-4 ATS they have also gone 0-4 SU with the average margin of defeat being 18 points! Now I am not saying that the Steelers are going to steamroll the Rams just because of those numbers but what I am saying is that Pittsburgh is going to be a very tough home dog in this spot and I expect the Rams to be less than 100% here just like the Bears, Raiders, Buccaneers and Panthers were after their bye week that followed their London trips. The Steelers have plenty of momentum here as they have won 3 straight games and 4 of their last 5. In fact, since a season opening loss to the Patriots, Pittsburgh has not been blown out in any of their games. After the embarrassing loss at New England, the Steelers have gone 4-3 and the 3 losses have come by an average of 3 points with no margin of defeat more than 4 points. You can see why I am liking the points here! Also, Los Angeles enters this game off back to back blowout wins but those victories came against Atlanta and Cincinnati. Those two teams have a combined ONE win between them this season. That is note worthy here because, prior to that, the Rams had lost 3 straight games (2 of the games against tougher competition) and Pittsburgh is certainly no slouch. The Steelers have covered 14 of last 18 as a home dog and 5 of last 6 in non-conference games. 10* PITTSBURGH |
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11-10-19 | Panthers v. Packers OVER 47.5 | Top | 16-24 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 57 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #263 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Green Bay Packers vs Carolina Panthers @ 4:25 ET - The Packers are off a disappointing road loss at Los Angeles against the Chargers. However, Green Bay is now back at home and has a bye week on deck. To say the Packers are going to go "all out" here doesn't even fully describe just how strong of a performance I am expecting from the GB offense in this one. That coupled with the fact that their defense ranks among the worst in the NFL is why I am backing the over big in this one. The over is 12-2 the last 14 times the Packers have hosted an NFC South team. Also, Carolina allowed only 20 points at home last week but they were fortunate as the Panthers gave up 431 yards in that game but benefited from 3 turnovers. Carolina gave up over 300 yards passing that game and their run defense is among the worst in the NFL. For that matter, so too is the Packers. So if both defenses have to respect the run here that, in turn, opens up great opportunities in the passing game. The Panthers offense has been resurgent under QB Kyle Allen since he took for Cam Newton. Of course Aaron Rodgers has been huge again for the Packers this season. Of course is it mid-November and it is Wisconsin so the weather is going to be cold this afternoon but it will not be brutal. Also, no precipitation expected and winds in the 10 to 15 mph range means weather should not have an impact on this game. Another strong O/U stat in addition to the 12-2 mentioned above is that Carolina is 13-1 to the over when they are on the road and facing a team with a winning percentage of .651 or greater. Combined edge of 25-3 here in terms of systems favoring the over and I will take it as I expect both teams to struggle to get stops in this one. 10* OVER the total in Green Bay |
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11-10-19 | Delaware +3 v. Texas-San Antonio | Top | 91-79 | Win | 100 | 5 h 1 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #719 Sunday 10* Top Play Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens (+) vs UTSA Roadrunners @ 3:30 ET @ Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, FL - The Roadrunners were a very streaky team last season. They have lost their first 3 games this season, including back to back games here in the Sunshine Slam and I don't see them turning it around here playing a 3rd game in 3 days. Granted, Delaware is in the same situation in terms of 3 games in 3 days but they are 3-0 on the season and really "feeling it" right now. Conversely, UTSA came into this season knowing their backcourt of Jackson and Wallace were going to be the key. Both have logged heavy minutes in each game the past two days and neither guy is shooting well this season. Both are struggling from beyond the arc too. The trademark of this Fightin' Blue Hens team is defense so, the point is, it is highly unlikely that Jackson and/or Wallace get going to day. Look for the Blue Hens to stay hot here while the Roadrunners continue to struggle as they just can't get their shots to fall right now. Grab the defensive-minded dog here against a Runners team that is very offensively-challenged when Jackson and Wallace are out of sorts and that is certainly the case right now. 10* DELAWARE |
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11-09-19 | Pelicans v. Hornets OVER 231 | Top | 115-110 | Loss | -105 | 10 h 46 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #525 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Charlotte Hornets vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 7:05 ET - Both these teams are coming off unders so immediately I was looking at potential for playing the over here as teams tend to bounce back off low-scoring losses. The Pelicans were held to just 104 points at home against the Raptors last night. The Hornets were held to an embarrassing 87 points at home versus Boston on Thursday. Now you have a situation where two bad teams are matched up and both of them are coming into this one looking to explode on offense after being bottled up by superior defenses in their most recent game. In terms of additional situational support here, the Hornets have yet to have consecutive unders this season. The Pelicans also have yet to have back to back unders this season and, in fact, the over was 6-1 in their 7 games that preceded last night's low-scoring defeat. New Orleans is allowing 126.5 points per game in road games and the Hornets are allowing 118.5 points per game in home games this season. Don't be surprised if this one indeed gets into the 240s. 10* OVER the total in Charlotte |
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11-09-19 | Flyers +145 v. Maple Leafs | Top | 3-2 | Win | 145 | 9 h 5 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher – Rickenbach NHL Rotation #61 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7 ET – This is a contrarian play because about 2/3 of the tickets are coming in on the Maple Leafs but I am betting the Flyers. Why? First lets talk about where the sharp money is going in this one. Even though the Leafs are getting most of the bets the bigger money is coming in on Philadelphia. We know this because the money line on Toronto has been dropping all morning. This is a revenge game for the Flyers too because they lost at home against the Maple Leafs last Saturday. That was a tight defeat in an 11-round shootout so Philly is hungry for revenge here. Both teams enter this game off wins Thursday night but the Leafs allowed a lot of shots on goal in their win over Vegas while Philadelphia dominated shots on goal in their win over Montreal. If not for Canadiens goalie Carey Price having a huge game the Flyers would have won the game easily rather than having to win it in OT. In any event, Philadelphia continued their season long trend of outshooting foes by a wide margin and I expect that to continue here. The Flyers are very hard on the puck and the hard work and strong skating is paying off as they also have outscored opponents 23-13 in the 3rd period. They wear them down as games go on and I expect that to be the case again here and am grabbing the big dog value with the road team in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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11-09-19 | Illinois v. Michigan State -14 | Top | 37-34 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 16 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #136 Saturday 10* Top Play Michigan State Spartans (-) vs Illinois Illini @ 3:30 ET - This is a game I had my eyes on since two weeks ago when the Spartans got hammered by 3 touchdowns at home against Penn State. Keep in mind, that is the only game that Michigan State has played since October 12th. Now, 4 weeks later, they are finally playing again as they have had two bye weeks in the past three weeks. This is exactly what the Spartans have needed as they most certainly have fresh legs here and they are ready to take out the frustration of three straight losses on what will prove to be an out-classed foe. Note that the Spartans lost to a "Murderers Row" of opponents as their last 3 games have come against Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Penn State. Now they face an Illinois team that is coming into this game over-valued. Lovie Smith is a weakness at head coach and they don't have the talent level (not even close) to match up with the big boys in the Big Ten. Yes, I know the Illini managed that miracle upset over the Badgers a few weeks back but upsets can and do happen. What matters most is the long-term results and the situational spots. That said, I expect the Spartans to destroy Illinois here and give them a dose of reality. The Illini come into this game with a 5-4 record but their other 4 wins have come against teams with a combined record of 7-29. Keep in mind the Spartans last 3 losses have come against teams with a combined record of 22-2 and the Badgers are probably the best 2-loss team in the nation by the way. That said, the rout is on here. With this line coming back to 14, after having risen above that, it is "go time" for me with a big play on the home team in this one! 10* MICHIGAN STATE |
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11-09-19 | Massachusetts -3.5 v. Fairfield | Top | 62-60 | Loss | -108 | 4 h 3 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #601 Saturday 10* Top Play Massachusetts Minutemen (-) @ Fairfield Stags @ 1 ET - Fairfield is in a rebuilding mode and will often struggle to score points this season. That factor certainly played a role in their season opening loss to Bucknell and I expect it to also be a factor here. Massachusetts is still in a rebuild mode too but it began last season and their talent level and scoring ability will simply prove to be too much for the Stags in this one. UMass opened their season with win over UMass-Lowell and, though that was expected, the Minutemen were impressive nonetheless as they won by double digits as a 7 point favorite in that one. I was impressed with the Minutemen piling up both steals and blocks in their game against UMass-Lowell so it wasn't all about the offense. That being said Massachusetts did shoot the ball quite well and they now take on a Fairfield team that struggled with its shooting in their opening game. More of the same here in a game in which, in my opinion, the Stags just don't have the talent level to keep up with the Minutemen. 10* MASSACHUSETTS |
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11-09-19 | Texas Tech v. West Virginia OVER 58.5 | Top | 38-17 | Loss | -103 | 5 h 19 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #123 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in West Virginia Mountaineers vs Texas Red Raiders @ Noon ET - From a statistical standpoint comparing yardage stats to points stats, the Red Raiders offense is even better than their points scored would lead you to believe and their defense is even worse than their points allowed would lead you to believe. On offense Texas Tech ranks in the top 20 for yardage gained and on defense they rank in the bottom 15 for yardage allowed. This leads to value in a spot like this because over the last few games of the season stats like this start to come back to where they should be and I expect a ton of points in this game as a result. The weather is good and the line move is on our side because this one came down from above 60 to settle into the 58.5 range as of early gameday morning. West Virginia is also poor on the defensive side of the ball and they'll struggle to stop the Red Raiders here but what I like about the Mountaineers in this spot in terms of their offense is they are back at home and coming off a tough performance last week because they were on the road and facing a tough Baylor defense. The Bears defense is worlds better than the Texas Tech defense and that will end up being reflected in a huge way in terms of how this game plays out. 10* OVER the total in West Virginia |
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11-08-19 | Cavs v. Wizards UNDER 232.5 | Top | 113-100 | Win | 100 | 9 h 53 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #504 Friday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Washington Wizards vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:05 ET - These teams each come in struggling and are off to 2-5 starts this season. That means each is viewing this game as an important game and a winnable game which means you're going to see some defensive intensity in this one. In fact, the Wizards come into this game talking about needing to get some stops and, lets face it, the Cavaliers are not exactly an offensive powerhouse. As for Cleveland, they want the same thing, they are a young team with guys trying to prove themselves and so they're willing to give strong effort on defense. With that said, lets also give credit to the odds makers as they are pretty damn sharp. That being said, I love the fact that this total opened as low as 226.5 and then shot up to as high as 232.5 and I am happy to grab the value on the other side of the move and play the under. The fact is that the Wizards had a 3 game stretch of some crazy games but their first two games this season and their most recent two games heading into this one have averaged a total of only 208 points per game. That is two dozen points below the number that is posted on this game as of mid-morning Friday. As for the Cavaliers, they have scored an average of just 97 points per game in their 3 road games. Keep in mind, young teams tend to struggle to score on the road. The Wizards are only favored by 4.5 here too. So that means a low-scoring home team win is quite likely and even if the game gets "a little crazy" at times I still would see it struggling to get over this big of a number. A lot of value here in my opinion as I forecast this game to stay below 220 so we've got a lot of cushion here. Cleveland games have stayed under in 17 of 29 when they are a road dog of less than 6.5 points. Wizards games against teams with a losing record (3 this season) have all stayed under the total. 10* UNDER the total in Washington |
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11-08-19 | Central Florida v. Tulsa OVER 69 | Top | 31-34 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 22 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #113 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Tulsa Golden Hurricane vs UCF Knights @ 7 ET - Both these teams like to play fast as they each rank in the top 11 for pace on offense this season. Also, the Knights offense ranks 6th in the nation for efficiency on offense as they pick up big yardage consistently. While the UCF defense also ranks solid for efficiency they have not been as strong on the road on this season and the Golden Hurricane offense at home should score plenty in this one. Yes it is a big total but the weather is going to be ideal for an over this evening in Tulsa. Autumn temperatures, light winds, clear skies combine to allow both teams to be able to have huge days on offense. The UCF offense is averaging 46 points per game this season. If they just hit their average here and the odds makers are right about the Knights being a 17 point favorite, then that would put this game at 46-29 and into the mid-70s. Also, Tulsa's offense may surprise tonight. Their yardage stats are better than their scoreboard stats this season on offense so we're getting a little extra value as a result. The Golden Hurricane scored 41 points in their most recent home game but their defense has allowed 40 points or more in 3 of its last 4 home games. The Knights defense started the season great in their first two games but have allowed 27 points per game game in their last 7 games. In other words, don't be surprised if Tulsa gets close to 30 here and UCF is close to 50 and I am looking for this one to get near or even above 80 in an absolute track meet up and down the field! The Golden Hurricane are 4-1 to the over in their past 5 games. The Knights are 6-1 to the over in their past 7 games. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Tulsa |
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11-08-19 | Oakland v. Delaware +4 | Top | 53-56 | Win | 100 | 7 h 19 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #794 Friday 10* Top Play Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens (+) vs Oakland (MI) Golden Grizzlies @ 5 ET @ Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, FL - Both teams are off easy wins in their season openers as they faced outclassed opponents. Now things toughen up here in the 2nd game of the season for each. This is a neutral site game down in Florida and I like having the points on my side in this one. Yes I am aware of the injury situation for Delaware at the guard spot but their backcourt was a strong point heading into a season and they have enough talent and experience there even if Nate Darling and Ryan Allen are each unable to go in this one. The Golden Grizzlies weakness coming into this season is they lost a lot of talent from last season's team including their starting backcourt. Oakland (MI) is on their way down in the Horizon League at least in terms of falling a few notches while Delaware is on their way up and could finish among the top teams in the Colonial Athletic Association this season. They are preaching defensive intensity on one end of the floor and taking care of the ball on the other end of the floor and the players are a cohesive group that has "bought in" to the system heading into the season. The scrappy Fightin' Blue Hens have a great shot at the win here which means of course I like having a couple buckets on my side of the bet as well. Delaware, when on a neutral floor with their line ranging from a pick'em to a +5.5 has gone 9-4 ATS. Also, when off a game in which they scored 95 points or more, the Fightin' Blue Hens went a perfect 3-0 ATS the past two seasons. They enter this game with plenty of confidence and make for a scrappy underdog. The Golden Grizzlies are 1-3 SU in their last 4 neutral court games and have struggled in the role of favorite in recent seasons. The past two years Oakland is 13-24 ATS as a favorite. More of the same here. 10* DELAWARE |
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11-08-19 | Lightning v. Sabres OVER 6.5 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -110 | 6 h 45 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #49 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Buffalo Sabres vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 2:05 ET @ Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden - The change of scenery is exactly what the Sabres needed. Losers of 3 straight and scoring just 3 goals combined in those defeats, Buffalo needs a spark. The Sabres will get that spark in Sweden as no less than 6 players on the Buffalo roster are Sweden natives. However, there is a reason the Lightning are a pricey favorite in this one. I don't see the Sabres slowing down the powerful Bolts. Tampa Bay is also looking for a breakout game here after a 2-3-1 stretch and Victor Hedman (the lone native of Sweden on the Lightning roster) has been upgraded to probable for this game. The Sabres are considered the home team in the 1st game of this global series showdown. Buffalo is 20-13 to the over in home games with a posted total of 6 or more goals. Also, the Sabres are 9-4 to the over when entering a game with 3 or more days of rest. The Lightning are 6-3 to the over this season in a road game with a posted total of 6 or more goals. Also, Tampa Bay is 24-10 to the over when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. Tampa has allowed an average of 5 goals per game so far on this road trip. On offense though they remain one of the most dangerous teams in the league as they have lethal scorers on their roster. The lamp gets lit early and often in this one as a result. 10* OVER the total in Buffalo (game played in Sweden) |
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11-07-19 | Thunder v. Spurs -4.5 | Top | 112-121 | Win | 100 | 12 h 59 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #574 Thursday 10* Top Play San Antonio Spurs (-) vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 8:35 ET - I see this is as a great value spot for backing the Spurs. From a situational standpoint it doesn't get much better than this and plus the line value is there. The Thunder enter this match-up having won 2 straight but they are 0-2 on the road this season. San Antonio enters this game having lost 2 straight but they are 3-1 at home this season. Based on this line dropping to a 4.5 after opening as a high as a 5.5 globally, the markets are basically saying these teams are very nearly equal and the only edge that SA has is home court. But hold that thought for a second as you carry on to the next point. Coming into this season Oklahoma City was projected by bookmakers to lose about 50 games and have a 32-50 season based on their win total projection by odds makers. The Spurs on the other hand were projected to finish about 10 games above .500 as they were projected to finish 46-36. In the span of just a couple weeks NOT that much has changed to justify this line. San Antonio is going to come out very hungry at home and I see them winning this game by close to double digits. Note that the Spurs are 20-12 ATS when they enter a game off 2 or more consecutive losses. Also, as a home fave of 6 or less points SA is 26-13 ATS! Lay it with the home team in this one as the host has covered 5 straight in this series and all signs point to that trend continuing here! 10* SAN ANTONIO |
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11-07-19 | Chargers -1 v. Raiders | Top | 24-26 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 14 m | Show |
Thursday Thrasher - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #107 Thursday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Chargers (-) @ Oakland Raiders @ 8:20 ET - The Chargers have won 4 straight meetings with the Raiders and the last 3 wins have come by an average margin of victory of 16.7 points. The strength of the Los Angeles offense is the passing game and the weakness of the Raiders defense is defending the pass. This is not a good match-up for Oakland as a result and they continue to be banged up along the offensive line too. The Chargers are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 road games and they were at home last week against Green Bay so this is not a bad trouble situation for LA considering they are just heading up the coast in California for this one. The Raiders have the worst pass defense in this league and their passing attack on offense ranks just "middle of the pack" on the season. The Raiders are the better team on the ground but in the pass-happy NFL, it is often the aerial attack that keys victories. The Chargers pass defense ranks 5th in the league and their pass offense ranks 6th in the league. The Raiders are just 2-8 SU in their last 10 divisional games and this line is right around a pick'em. In other words, the SU winner is likely the ATS winner as well! Oakland is off a big win (and cover) versus Detroit last week and that is noteworthy here in this AFC West match-up. In a divisional game the Raiders are 0-12 ATS when they are off a SU/ATS win and facing an opponent that is off a non-divisional game. That system fits here as the Chargers hosted Green Bay last week. Also, in games 9 through 12 of a season, Oakland is 1-8 ATS when off a SU win and facing an opponent that is off an ATS cover by double digits. LA absolutely rolled the Packers last week! Look for the Chargers to improve to 5-0 ATS in their last 5 Thursday games. 10* LOS ANGELES CHARGERS |
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11-07-19 | Temple v. South Florida OVER 49 | Top | 17-7 | Loss | -107 | 12 h 11 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #111 Thursday OVER the total in South Florida Bulls vs Temple Owls @ 8 ET - This total has dropped from the mid-50s range down into the upper 40s and I am grabbing the great value we're getting in this spot. South Florida started the season slow but they have since turned it around. They have had only one ugly performance on the scoreboard (at Navy) in their last 6 games. In the other 5 games the Bulls have scored an average of 39.2 points per game! In their 3 home games since getting shutout at home by the dominating defense of Wisconsin, USF has averaged 34.3 points per game. Temple's defense is really down this season and this has been particularly true as the season has gone as they seem to be getting worn down. The Owls have allowed 45.3 points per game their last 3 games! They have not traveled well this season as Temple's D has allowed an average of 33.3 points per game in their 3 road games. I see this game easily getting into the 50s and likely into the 60s. I know USF is one of the slower paced offenses in the nation but Temple really pushes the pace as their 77 play average per game on offense ranks them 7th in the nation! The Owls will push the tempo here but the Bulls offense is likely in for a huge day of big plays against a Temple D that has proven susceptible to the big play time and time again. So even if USF plays their typical slower pace, there will still be plenty of points and this total has been pushed far too low in my opinion. Arguably it should have been moving the other way from its opener! Note that the Bulls defense is nothing special and has allowed an average of about 30 points per game its last 5 games. 10* OVER the total in South Florida |
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11-07-19 | Canadiens v. Flyers -111 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 10 h 34 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #28 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - Both teams are off divisional wins but the Canadiens victory was a true rivalry win. The Habs and Bruins are both Original Six teams and they have a rivalry that dates back many decades. Also, Boston was in the Stanley Cup Finals last season and Montreal getting the win on Tuesday was a huge victory for the Canadiens. The key to the value here in my opinion is that the Habs were sloppy in that game and yet got away with it and a lot of that had to do with the Bruins being off a hard-fought crazy win over the Penguins the night before. Montreal is catching the Flyers in a much different situation here and plus the Canadiens are on the road for this one. Not only have the Habs lost half their road games this season, Philadelphia is a solid 5-1-1 on home ice this season! The Canadiens are a quality team no doubt but this is a classic flat spot (perfect to fade them) as they are off a hard-fought late-game win over their fiercest rivals. As for the Flyers, this is the finale of a 3-game homestand and they want to make the most of it. For the Canadiens, this is their only road game between the 2nd and 15th of this month as they go back home for a pair of games after this one. I could easily see Montreal having trouble getting going in this one and the Flyers will take advantage. The Canadiens have lost 37 of 60 when off a division game and have also lost 34 of 57 after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game. Look for the Flyers to improve to 5-1 on the season when in a home game where the total is posted at 6 or more goals. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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11-06-19 | Blues v. Oilers OVER 5.5 | Top | 5-2 | Win | 100 | 11 h 23 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #25 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Edmonton Oilers vs St Louis Blues @ 8:35 ET - The odds maker had to set this total low because they know how the markets will perceive this game. The Blues tend to get involved in low-scoring games and the Oilers have been trending under of late. However, the situation here strongly favors the over and that is where the sharp money will end up on this game. First off, since it is a back to back and Blues star goalie Jordan Binnington was in between the pipes last night in Vancouver, we are likely to see Jake Allen get the start here. Allen has struggled in all 3 starts this season and has an .855 save percentage and a 3.72 GAA. These are bad numbers folks. If Binnington does start (which I doubt), back to back situations are tough on goalies. How are they on skaters? They can be tough but they are certainly not as tough when the team had back to back off days before the back to back. St Louis, prior to last night's game, hadn't played since Saturday. Also, it is a short flight from Vancouver to Edmonton. That said, the Blues skaters will be ready to go. As for the Oilers, they are off a low-scoring loss to Arizona that stayed under the total but the Coyotes always play low-scoring games. The fact is low-scoring games have been a rarity for Edmonton at home this season. Their recent stretch of unders included mostly road games. Prior to their 3-2 home loss to Arizona, the Oilers home games this season had averaged 7 goals per game in regulation. Tonight we have a total of 5.5 on this one and, again, I understand the low number but you know Edmonton is going to "bring it" tonight as they face not only the Stanley Cup Champs but a Blues team that is also the other division leader out west. The Oilers are currently leading the Pacific division and St Louis is tops in the West. Look for plenty of offense in this one because the Blues have big bodies to grind out goals by the net and I also don't see the Oilers being denied on home ice in terms of goal-scoring particularly if Allen is in goal for the Blues. But, again, if Binnington starts it is the 2nd of a B2B for him and that would not be good as he faced a ton of shots last night against the Canucks. 10* OVER the total in Edmonton |
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11-06-19 | Kings v. Raptors OVER 217.5 | Top | 120-124 | Win | 100 | 12 h 41 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #557 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Raptors vs Sacramento Kings @ 7:35 ET - The Kings are off a blowout win but it came against a bad Knicks team. It is a confidence-booster nonetheless because that followed an upset win for Sacramento over Utah. In fact the Kings have now played well on the offensive end in 3 straight games as they have shot 48% from the field in their last 3 contests. That is why I am projecting a high scoring game here because the Raptors are off a loss and rested here. Toronto won't take their foot off the gas in this one. Not including OT points of course, the Raptors are averaging 115 points per game at home this season where they are 3-0. Hungry for a bounce back win after losing at Milwaukee on Saturday, Toronto brings a huge effort in this one. Each team has another non-conference match-up on deck so the full focus is on this game and I like the way the Kings have been playing. The point is Sacramento will be able to hang around in this game better than they normally would and that means, with the Raptors scoring plenty in a spot like this, we're looking at a very high-scoring game. The over is 13-6 the past two seasons when Sacramento entered a game on a winning streak of 2 or more games. The over went 6-1 the past two seasons when Toronto was off a game they had trailed by 15 or more points at the half. The over also went a solid 8-4 the past two seasons when the Raptors were playing with 3 or more days of rest between games. 10* OVER the total in Toronto |
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11-06-19 | Wake Forest +2.5 v. Boston College | Top | 70-77 | Loss | -115 | 9 h 24 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #695 Wednesday 10* Top Play Wake Forest Demon Deacons (+) @ Boston College Eagles @ 6 ET - I know the Demon Deacons are off back to back 11-20 seasons and also return just 1 starter this season. However, there is a different feel in Wake Forest this season. This teams has a certain camaraderie and has jelled well in the off-season as they lead into this season opener. Also, this is as much a play against Boston College as it is a play on the Demon Deacons. The Eagles got bad news in September when they found out Wynston Tabbs would be out for the season with injury. Why is this so important? With Tabbs in the lineup last season Boston College went 10-5 and without him they went 4-12! This is a major loss for a team that I have projected to possibly finish dead last in the tough 15-team ACC. While the Eagles are sliding the wrong direction, I would not be surprised to see the Demon Deacons move into the top 10 in the ACC. Despite returning only one starter, Wake Forest does have depth and experience in the backcourt and guard play is critical to early season success. After winning 4 straight meetings, the Demon Deacons have lost back to back meetings with the Eagles and this is the perfect spot for payback at Boston College! Grab the points with the road dog as BC loses for the 7th time in their last 8 ACC games. 10* WAKE FOREST |
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11-05-19 | Celtics v. Cavs OVER 213.5 | Top | 119-113 | Win | 100 | 11 h 38 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #541 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics @ 7:05 ET - Contrarian here as Boston is known for defense. I don't see the Celtics D being too "amped up" about this game though as they face a downtrodden Cavaliers team that is much different than the Cleveland team they were facing in the LeBron James seasons here. That said, what I like about the over here is that I expect this game to play with a good pace. The Cavs are not a very good basketball team but they have gone 2-1 at home and they have averaged 112.7 points per game here. The Celtics are a good team and they enter this game on a 4 game winning streak in which Boston has averaged 112.5 points per game. If both teams simply hit their "average" performances this game should land double digits higher than the posted total. The fact is the Cavaliers are going to bring a strong effort after starting the season 2-0 at home but then getting blasted by 20 points in their most recent game. They will come out looking to push themselves to a much better performance and they will have to score plenty to hang around in this game. That's because the Celtics enter this game with fresh legs as they have not played since Friday. When they have played a game with no rest or with more than the usual 1 day of rest between games (so an atypical rest situation) they have scored 118 and 116, respectively. I am looking for another big game here as the over improves to 4-1 in the last 5 meetings between these teams. The over is 24-16 when Boston is off a divisional game and note that the last 36 times that the Celtics have been a road favorite of 6 points or less, only 13 of the 36 games have stayed under the total. After getting blasted in their last game you might expect some defense here but the over is 12-6 when the Cavs are off a game in which they allowed 130 points or more. Another high-scoring one here. 10* OVER the total in Cleveland |
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11-05-19 | Hurricanes v. Flyers +102 | Top | 1-4 | Win | 102 | 10 h 0 m | Show |
Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #2 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - The Hurricanes got off to a fast start out of the gates this season as they won 5 straight. However, the Canes have since lost 5 of 9 games and they are over-valued in this spot in my opinion. Keep in mind, the 4 wins Carolina has in their past 9 games have included 3 against struggling teams (Chi, LA, Det) whom have a combined 13 wins in 43 games this season! The Hurricanes have won just half their road games and have lost 3 of their 5 divisional games this season. You can see why I am liking the home dog Flyers in this one. They are off a tough shootout loss to the Maple Leafs on Saturday but this is a Philly team that entered that game having won 4 of 6 games overall. Also, the Flyers are 4-1-1 in home games this season. Coming off a loss and available at a value price here, Philly is offering super value in this spot. I rate this teams about equal in my power ratings and that means that getting the home team and not having to lay juice is a strong value. Look for Carolina to drop to 0-3 this season when they enter a game after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game. As for the Flyers, they have one of the best shots on goal differentials in the league. Look for Philly to improve to 3-1 this season in home games with a posted total of 6 goals or more. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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11-05-19 | Kent State v. Toledo OVER 61.5 | Top | 33-35 | Win | 100 | 12 h 36 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #101 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toledo Rockets vs Kent State Golden Flashes @ 7 ET - This game has what I would term "hidden value" in my opinion when it comes to the total. First off, by November standards, we will have pretty decent weather in Toledo, OH this evening. Clear skies, chilly but not brutal temperatures, and winds tailing off to around 10 mph since this is an evening game. The value I like here is that, even though Kent State's offensive numbers are not good this season, they will be taking advantage of a bad Toledo defense. For certain, the Rockets respectable offense can do plenty of damage against a bad Golden Flashes defense too. Now, about that value. There are 130 FBS teams in football and though Kent State ranks close to #90 in points allowed, they are closer to #120 in yardage allowed. As for the Rockets, they are right around #70 on offense and defense when it comes to points. But looking at yardage, the Toledo offense actually ranks closer to #30 and their defense ranks closer to #120! Now you see the value as the points in Rockets games haven't been commensurate with the yardage stats in Rockets games...and it hasn't even been that close honestly. That is why this game has a total closer to 60 than 70 even though this game has a great chance of finishing in the 70s for points! The Rockets have allowed an average of 32 points per game in their 7 games against FBS schools this season and, again, that average should be even higher when you consider their yardage allowed. Kent State has had one strong defensive performance in their 7 games against FBS foes this season. In the other 6 games, the Golden Flashes have allowed 37 points per game. 10* OVER the total in Toledo |
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11-05-19 | Louisville v. Miami-FL +6.5 | Top | 87-74 | Loss | -115 | 8 h 24 m | Show |
Ranked Rout - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #604 Tuesday 10* Top Play Miami Hurricanes (+) vs Louisville Cardinals @ 6:30 ET - Last year's game was tied at 50 about 6 minutes into the 2nd half and that game was at Louisville. The Cardinals then pulled away and won big but there are a couple of key factors that bear mentioning about this. One is that the Hurricanes were short-handed last season due to the David Hernandez ordeal that came out the night before the season started. Another key factor here is that the Cardinals Malik Williams led Louisville that night in rebounds (11) and was second in points (19) and he is out for tonight's game with a foot injury. Thirdly, this game is at Miami and the Cards (ranked #5 in the polls) certainly have a target on their backs right now. Yes the Hurricanes are without Keith Stone but he didn't play in last season's game and the Canes, in a much tougher situation than they are now, put up quite a fight for the majority of that game. Louisville is very talented and is set for a very strong season but the loss of Williams is a significant one. The Canes have much more depth in the frontcourt this season than they did last year and they can make up for Stone's absence here. Also, I really like the Hurricanes backcourt as point guard Chris Lykes is a 5'7 dynamo and Dejan Vasiljevic is a strong shooting guard that tied for the team lead with 19 points in last year's meeting with the Cards. The Italy trip this Miami team made heading into this season also helped the team jell and they come into the new season in a much different frame of mind than last season. Are they at Louisville's level when the Cardinals are 100%? Of course not. But can they win this game at home when the Cards are without Williams? You better believe it and, though they may fall short I would expect it to be by only a bucket or two. The value is with the home dog in this one. Louisville drops to 8-13 ATS as a road favorite when in a range of 6.5 to 9 points. The Cardinals enter this game on an overall 3-6 ATS run. The Hurricanes are 12-2 SU in their last 14 November games and are ready for a fast start this season. 10* MIAMI |