Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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02-22-20 | Richmond -120 v. St Bonaventure | Top | 71-75 | Loss | -120 | 10 h 45 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #735 Saturday 10* Top Play Richmond Spiders (-) @ St Bonaventure Bonnies @ 6:30 ET - Great situation here for value. The Spiders are on the road so that keeps this line manageable. In fact, grabbing the money line (in the 120 range as of 9 AM ET) is a solid value here for those with access to it. Richmond has revenge on its mind here as St Bonaventure has held the upper hand in recent meetings between these teams. I like the fact the Bonnies have a respectable record but have struggled when stepping up in class in conference action and that is the case here. St Bonaventure just got hammered by Davidson and also got rolled by Dayton and Virginia Commonwealth and lost to Rhode Island this season. Dayton, Rhode Island, and Richmond are the top 3 teams in the conference standings so I am expecting the Bonnies to again struggle here. The Spiders won at Rhode Island this season and also have a recent win over VCU. Richmond enters this game on a 5-game winning streak and also has revenge on their minds here. The Spiders have lost each of their last 3 meetings with the Bonnies. One was at home, one was on the road, and one was a neutral site Atlantic Ten conference tourney loss. Payback time here. The Spiders have allowed just 52.6 points per game their last 5 games! St Bonaventure has allowed 80 points or more in 5 of their past 9 games! 10* RICHMOND |
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02-22-20 | North Carolina v. Louisville OVER 145 | Top | 55-72 | Loss | -109 | 8 h 39 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #719 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Louisville Cardinals vs North Carolina Tar Heels @ 4 ET - I used the over in Louisville's first revenge match-up this week as I knew they wouldn't take their foot off the gas with a chance to blowout Syracuse. Indeed it played out that way as the Cardinals won 90-66. Now, with a chance to get payback against the Tar Heels, I look for Louisville to again pile up the points. North Carolina has been a nemesis for Louisville in recent seasons and that includes knocking them out of the ACC Tourney last March. Now the Cards get a chance at revenge while the Heels are having a down season. They won't pass up this opportunity and, just like the game against the Orange, they won't take their foot off the gas. The Cardinals are averaging 78 points per game at home. The Cards have averaged 84 points per game in their last 4 home games. The Tar Heels are not a very good team defensively this season but are capable of putting up solid point totals in the right situation and this is one of those. Louisville is going for the home rout here and will be willing to play a fast pace with plenty of running up and down the court and quick points in transition. The over is 8-3 in the Cardinals last 11 games. There have been only 4 unders in North Carolina's last 13 games. 10* OVER the total in Louisville |
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02-21-20 | Suns v. Raptors OVER 228 | Top | 101-118 | Loss | -109 | 10 h 31 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #517 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Raptors vs Phoenix Suns @ 7:35 ET - The Suns are getting healthier as a number of players expected to return tonight in the first game for Phoenix since the All Star break. The Raptors are fired up after a loss right before the All Star break ended their 15-game winning streak. In that defeat, Toronto was held to just 91 points. Keep in mind, in their prior 15 games the Raptors scored an average of 121.2 points per game. The Suns enter this game having averaged 111.2 points per game their last 10 road games. There were just 3 unders for Toronto during their 15 game winning streak. I look for the Raptors to get right on back with a win here out of the break and, as per usual throughout their recent winning streak, the game goes over the total. The Suns are rejuvenated with better health and love to run and gun. The Raptors will happily oblige a fast-paced game here as well. 10* OVER the total in Toronto |
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02-21-20 | Cavs +6 v. Wizards | Top | 113-108 | Win | 100 | 10 h 43 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #513 Friday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - Wizards coach Scott Brooks commented on the solid guard play of the Cavaliers. Keep in mind this is a team that also has Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson in the front court plus the recently acquired Andre Drummond. Love missed the Cavs most recent game but is expected back tonight and this team is looking much better than their record. Look for the coaching change that took place during the All Star break to pay immediate dividends for Cleveland. I know Washington has been winning some games and is still alive in the playoff race but there is renewed enthusiasm with the Cavaliers. The Cavs got a dominating win over Atlanta just before the All Star break and I would not be surprised to see another big win here. That said, I am certainly happy to grab the half dozen points being offered. The Wizards have been playing a little better of late but they are still a tough team to trust as their defense often leaves a lot to be desired! The road team has won and covered both meetings between these teams this season and I look for that trend to continue here. 10* CLEVELAND |
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02-21-20 | Green Bay v. Detroit OVER 165 | Top | 84-67 | Loss | -109 | 12 h 29 m | Show |
Horizon League Total of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #853 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Mercy Titans vs Wisconsin Green Bay Phoenix @ 7 ET - I know this is a very big total posted on this game but both these teams are poor defensively and the Phoenix love to run and gun. As for the Titans, they'll be bringing a strong effort right from the opening tip in this one as they were done in by a very poor first half in their most recent game here and then scored 39 in the 2nd half. Detroit can put up big points in the right situations and this is one of them. Green Bay is off a big win at rival Milwaukee. That game totaled 184 points as the Phoenix continue to rely on offense to win games and they continue to be weak on the defense end. They gave up 90 points to the Panthers in that win and no, there was no overtime! History in this series also suggests a wild game is on tap. There has been just 1 under in the last 8 meetings between these teams. Also, the average points scored in the last 10 meetings between these teams is 180.7 per game. UWGB is allowing opponents to hit 47% from the field in road games this season and 38% from three point land away from home. On the season the Titans are allowing 77.5 points per game and the Phoenix are scoring an average of 81.4 points per game. Given the situation here, as well as the series history and the recent trending for each of these teams, we should see an absolute shootout. Before a low-scoring OT loss in their most recent game, Detroit Mercy had scored an average of 75.4 points per game their 8 preceding games. Now take that level of scoring and match it up with the run and gun Phoenix and you have the makings of a game where each team is likely to get well into the 80s. Green Bay has scored more than 90 points in each of its last 3 victories and here they are taking on a 6-21 Titans team certainly not known as a defensive stalwart. 10* OVER the total in Detroit |
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02-20-20 | Bucks v. Pistons OVER 223.5 | Top | 126-106 | Win | 100 | 12 h 15 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #501 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Pistons vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:05 ET - The Pistons are in a state of flux but don't expect any mercy from the Bucks in this one. Milwaukee has dominated Detroit including last season's sweep in the first round of the playoffs. The Bucks welcome back Giannis Antetokounmpo after he missed the last two games before the All Star break. Also, Milwaukee did lose their final game before the break so there will be no let up in this game no matter the score. The Bucks want to put a beating on their next opponent after a rare loss. That said, the Pistons are the victim by default. I do like the fact that Detroit scored 108 points in regulation time in their final game before the All Star break. The Pistons have also averaged 108 points per game this season. However, the Bucks are 13 point favorites here with good reason and a road rout is likely. I don't trust laying the huge points here with Milwaukee as double digit road favorites as double digit road favorites in the NBA aren't a big favorite of mine! But I do trust the Bucks not to take their foot off the gas and this could turn into a very wild high-scoring game as a result. These teams tend to get a little testy with each other and that means plenty of free throws too. The last meeting here in Detroit was quite a rough and tumble affair and that one totaled 230 points. This one should get into that range as well. Look for the over to improve to a perfect 5-0 in the last 5 meetings between these teams in the Motor City. The over is 7-3 in the Pistons last 10 home games. 10* OVER the total in Detroit |
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02-20-20 | Ohio State +3 v. Iowa | Top | 76-85 | Loss | -115 | 10 h 43 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #623 Thursday 10* Top Play Ohio State Buckeyes (+) @ Iowa Hawkeyes @ 7 ET - The Hawkeyes have been great at home and are laying a small number here. However, don't let that fool you. There is a reason this game is priced that way. Iowa is likely to again be without CJ Fredrick. The guard is one of their top players but is dealing with a bad ankle sprain. If he does play he won't be 100%. Also, the Hawkeyes are off a road win but they've haven't won back to back games since a 5-game winning streak wrapped up 3 weeks ago. The Buckeyes come into this game rolling as they have won 5 of 6 games. However, their last road game was an ugly loss at Wisconsin. Not only does Ohio State want to make up for that here, they also haven't forgotten their last visit to Iowa. In that game the Hawkeyes blasted them by double digits in a game the Buckeyes led at halftime. It is payback time here. When Iowa is off a tight win (margin of 6 or less points) they have gone 0-8 ATS. Ohio State is 6-0 SU and ATS this season when they enter a game off 2 or more consecutive home wins. The Buckeyes are also 6-0 SU and ATS this season when off a game in which they allowed 55 points or less. 10* OHIO STATE |
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02-20-20 | Connecticut v. Temple OVER 134 | Top | 89-93 | Win | 100 | 9 h 2 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #627 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Temple Owls vs Connecticut Huskies @ 7 ET - The Owls are ready to hit the floor running tonight. They are off a home loss to Villanova Sunday in which they were really shut down in the 2nd half and managed a total of only 56 points for the game. The Huskies defense took a major blow with the loss of 6'9 shot-blocker Akok Akok in the very first minute of the game against Memphis Sunday. Connecticut managed to win without him as they defeated the Tigers but, long-term, that is going to be a major blow for the Huskies in terms of defense around the rim. Look for Temple to immediately take advantage. Also, even though the over is only 3-2 in the last 5 meetings between these teams, note that all 5 of those games totaled 138 points or more. I really like the great value here with today's posted total being held in the mid-130s. The Owls loss to the Wildcats stayed under the total but they entered that game on a 3-game over streak. The Huskies win over Memphis stayed under the total but they entered that game having gone 5-1 to the over in their 6 prior games. The Owls had averaged 79.3 points per game in regulation time of their 3 home games prior to the loss to Nova. UConn has averaged 70 points per game in its last 3 road games. 10* OVER the total in Temple |
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02-19-20 | Syracuse v. Louisville OVER 140 | Top | 66-90 | Win | 100 | 13 h 32 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #785 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Louisville Cardinals vs Syracuse Orange @ 7 ET - This total, as of very early game day morning, has dropped quite far from its opener and I won't hesitate to step in on the added value. The Orange have had just 1 under in their past 8 games. The Cardinals have seen 7 of their past 10 games result in an over. Syracuse consistently allows 70 points per game and has allowed 82.3 points per game in its last 4 games. Louisville has revenge on their mind here as they lost last season at Syracuse by 20 points. The Cardinals had been red hot all season long but now enter this game off back to back road losses. At home, angry, playing with revenge...Louisville will NOT take their foot off the gas in this game. That said, Syracuse certainly is a vulnerable defense that is capable of giving up a ton of points. At the same time though, the Orange have also scored an average of 76 points per game their past 9 games. The Cardinals have scored 80 points or more in each of their last 3 home games. Look for this one to fly over the total because, given the situation (as noted above), there will be no let up from the Cards and they'll be running hard and scoring big all night long. 10* OVER the total in Louisville |
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02-19-20 | Butler v. Seton Hall -5 | Top | 72-74 | Loss | -105 | 13 h 30 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #782 Wednesday 10* Top Play Seton Hall Pirates (-) vs Butler Bulldogs @ 6:30 ET - We're getting some line value here because Bulldogs point guard Aaron Thompson has been upgraded to probable and that has moved the line a little toward Butler. He is not a big scorer but he leads them team in assists and, as such, is attracting some attention here. Thompson had missed the Georgetown game which was the Bulldogs 6th loss in their past 10 games. However, even though he is coming back, Thompson was on the floor when Butler lost as a host versus Seton Hall earlier this season. Additionally, the last 3 road games Thompson has played in, the Bulldogs have gone 0-3 and lost all 3 by double digits. With Seton Hall still at the top of the Big East but off back to back losses, the Pirates are hell bent on a huge game at home for this one. Seton Hall is not only off B2B losses overall but also has lost each of its past two home games after starting the season 10-1 SU at home. That is why I am backing the Pirates for a huge bounce back effort here and they should cover the short number as well. Nearly all their wins have come by a margin of at least a half dozen points this season. 10* SETON HALL |
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02-18-20 | Illinois v. Penn State -6 | Top | 62-56 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 9 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #606 Tuesday 10* Top Play Penn State Nittany Lions (-) vs Illinois Illini @ 6:30 ET - Penn State has been red hot. The Nittany Lions enter this game having won 8 in a row both SU and ATS! The Illini enter this game having lost 4 in a row SU and they covered just 1 of those 4 losses. Also, Illinois has lost 6 straight games to Penn State SU and also is on an 0-7 ATS run in games against the Nittany Lions. As you can see, there are streaks galore that support a play on PSU in this one but there is also more. The leading scorer for the Illini is Ayo Dosunmu and he is listed as questionable for this game. If he plays I don't expect him to be 100% physically or mentally for that matter. He took a very nasty fall at the end of the Illinois loss to Michigan State. Though the MRI ended up showing no structural damage the fact is that it was very ugly and is not an injury you just bounce right back from. Dosunmu missed the next game, 15 point loss at Rutgers, and could miss this game as well. Again, even if he does play I do not expect him to be playing at his normal high level and he had some rough shooting performances in recent games too. Right now the Nittany Lions are roaring and I don't see them getting knocked off at home here. Penn State has Indiana on deck but that is not a big deal as they already beat them by 15 during this 8-game winning streak. In other words, there is no lookahead here, the Nittany Lions are at home, and the Illini are both slumping (0-4 SU L4) and hurting (leading scorer questionable). All signs point to a home blowout here so I have no hesitation in laying the half dozen points here. 10* PENN STATE |
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02-17-20 | North Carolina v. Notre Dame OVER 147 | Top | 76-77 | Win | 100 | 10 h 19 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #863 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs North Carolina Tar Heels @ 7 ET - The Tar Heels have had just 4 unders in their last 15 games. North Carolina takes to the road after an intense defensive effort Saturday went for naught when Virginia drained a 3-pointer to hand the Heels a last-second loss. That is the type of game that means the Tar Heels defense won't be traveling with them here per se. It is simply very difficult to come up with strong defensive efforts in back to back games and I look for this match-up with Notre Dame to turn into a run and gun affair. Keep in mind, North Carolina had allowed 79 points per game in their two prior games (not including OT versus Duke). As for the Irish, they have allowed 77 points per game in their last 4 home games. The over went a perfect 4-0 in those games as the Fighting Irish also scored an average of 83 points per game in those home games. Notre Dame is coming off a home game versus Duke in which they allowed 94 points. The Irish offensive production has been bottled up in recent games but that had a lot to do with whom they were facing. That all changes here against a Tar Heels team having a rough season. This game played very loose with plenty of points considering what these teams are coming off of. The first game between these teams this season continued the trend of unders in recent meetings between these foes. However, the pace was there for an over and the situation with both these teams is much different late in the season than it was early in the season. North Carolina becoming cemented in the bottom of the ACC standings and the Irish turn to their normally potent offense at home to carry them in this one. The result will be an absolute shootout. 10* OVER the total in Notre Dame |
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02-17-20 | Xavier -1.5 v. St. John's | Top | 77-74 | Win | 100 | 11 h 31 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #861 Monday 10* Top Play Xavier Musketeers (-) @ St John's Red Storm @ 6:30 ET - The Musketeers enter this game on a perfect 4-0 ATS run. Xavier is also a perfect 10-0 SU in the last 10 meetings between these teams. The Red Storm are 0-3 SU when off a win. Keep in mind St John's had lost 9 of their last 11 games before their rare win over Providence Wednesday. The Musketeers had won 3 in a row before their loss at Butler Wednesday. The Red Storm are also now without 2nd leading scorer Mustapha Heron. You can see that we have triple perfect support in terms of trending for this play. With the Musketeers off a loss and St John's off a rare win, I am looking for the streak to reach 11 in a row in this series! 10* XAVIER |
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02-16-20 | San Diego State v. Boise State OVER 140 | Top | 72-55 | Loss | -115 | 7 h 59 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #847 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boise State Broncos vs San Diego State Aztecs @ 4 ET - The Broncos would love to knock off the 25-0 Aztecs here. We could see a bit of a letdown from San Diego State in terms of defensive intensity too. That's because they just locked up the MWC title. Yes, they have already clinched with 4 games to go in the season. As for the Broncos, they know they're unlikely to top the Aztecs in a low-scoring grinder. They need to play fast and move the ball well to create easy scoring opportunities like they did in the second half of their win over Air Force earlier this week. Boise State is averaging 83.7 points per game at home this season. San Diego State is averaging 76.5 points per game on the road this season. The over is 5-1 in the Aztecs last 6 games. The over is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings between these teams. When these teams meet at San Diego State, the Broncos have struggled to score well at time. But in their last 4 neutral site meetings or games played at Boise State, the Broncos have averaged 79.3 points per game. Of course the Aztecs are favored here for a reason (going 25-0 is no accident!) but you can see why San Diego State is projected to have to score plenty here to topple Boise State. The Broncos are a very tough home team (12-1 this season) and score very well as a host. The result is plenty of points in this one Sunday. 10* OVER the total in Boise State |
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02-16-20 | Villanova -6.5 v. Temple | Top | 76-56 | Win | 100 | 5 h 1 m | Show |
PA Insider - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #821 Sunday 10* Top Play Villanova Wildcats (-) @ Temple Owls @ 1 ET - This is a big game as part of the Big 5 in Philly each year. The Wildcats usually win the Big 5 Title in Philly and they are 3-0 this season in Big 5 action while the Owls are 2-1. That means Temple can earn a share of the title with the upset win here. However, Villanova is going to prove to be too much here. Yes the Wildcats had endured a recent losing streak but they faced very stiff competition and their most recent 1-point win was a game in which Nova led by 18 points in the 2nd half. As for the Owls, they have started winning again but have faced weak competition too. They are off a win versus Tulane, the worst team in the AAC, and Temple actually was trailing by 13 points near the midway point of the 2nd half of that game. The point is that the Owls were well on their way to losing outright to a very bad team before they rallied while the Cats are off a game in which they were on their way to a blowout win over a quality opponent before barely hanging on. Those results give us line value here with a rather short number on Villanova. Temple is off back to back wins but had lost 8 of 10 prior to that. Also, 2 of their 3 most recent wins have come against East Carolina and the Green Wave. Those teams are a combined 6-18 in AAC action this season. The Wildcats have battled it out with 3 straight Top 25 teams and now are going to take advantage of a step down in level of competition here. Keep in mind that even though this game is at Temple, both these teams are Philly teams. In other words, it is not much of a "road game" at all. The Wildcats roll. 10* VILLANOVA |
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02-15-20 | Maryland v. Michigan State -6.5 | Top | 67-60 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 38 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #730 Saturday 10* Top Play Michigan State Spartans (-) vs Maryland Terrapins @ 6 ET - The Terrapins are ranked in the top 10 in the country right now while the Spartans have fallen out of the top 25. Maryland has won 7 straight games while Michigan State had lost 3 straight games prior to notching a tight 1-point win at Illinois Tuesday. That said, why did Michigan State open up in the range of a 7-point favorite for this one? Precisely! Don't be fooled as the Spartans are set to roll to a double digit win on their home floor here. Their most recent game as a host was a rare home loss as a surging Penn State team went into East Lansing and got the upset win. Prior to that, the Spartans were 10-1 SU at home this season. Also, their point differential is 23 points at home as Michigan State's games as a host have had an average score of 83 to 60. Even though Maryland has been hot, this is still a Terrapins team that is just 3-4 SU on the road this season. The Terps have a point differential of only 2.5 points on the road this season as they have averaged 68.9 points but allowed 66.4 points in road games this season. The Spartans are known for dominating the paint in match-ups with Maryland. The Terrapins do have 6'10 Jalen Smith but are really lacking in talented big men when it comes to depth. Look for Michigan State to, as per usual, wear down the Terps as this one goes on. The Spartans have dominated home meetings with Maryland and, overall, have won the last 3 match-ups by an average margin of 16.7 points per game. That is the range I expect this one to finish in as well. The Spartans are use to being at the top of the Big Ten but right now the Terrapins occupy that spot. Undoubtedly the home team has something to say about that here. 10* MICHIGAN STATE |
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02-15-20 | Ole Miss v. Kentucky OVER 136.5 | Top | 62-67 | Loss | -109 | 8 h 17 m | Show |
SEC Total of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #645 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Kentucky Wildcats vs Ole Miss Rebels @ 2:00 ET - Ole Miss is rolling with momentum right now. The Rebels are off a third straight win as they just knocked off rival Mississippi State Tuesday. The Rebels have averaged 78.3 points per game their last 3 games. The over is 6-3 in the last 9 meetings between these teams including a perfect 3-0 L3. Many of those overs have absolutely crushed the posted totals and I feel this one will too. The average score of the last 10 meetings between these teams is Kentucky 85, Ole Miss 71. The Wildcats also enter this game on a 3-game winning streak and they have averaged 78.3 points per game in those 3 victories. On the season the Wildcats are averaging 77.4 points per game at home. I know that the Rebels have some ugly full season numbers in terms of scoring on the road but the way they have been playing of late and the fact Kentucky has a big game on deck at LSU (also 9-2 in SEC like the Cats are) has me expecting Ole Miss to score very well in this game. The problem for the Rebels will be, like it is for most teams playing Kentucky, they won't be able to slow down the Wildcats here. UK is off a win versus Vanderbilt Tuesday which totaled 142 points. That would have gone over given today's number but though it resulted in an under in that game, the over was on a 10-3 run in Wildcats games heading into that match-up with the Commodores. 10* OVER the total in Kentucky |
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02-14-20 | Davidson +4 v. St Bonaventure | Top | 93-64 | Win | 100 | 10 h 16 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #865 Friday 10* Top Play Davidson Wildcats (+) @ St Bonaventure Bonnies @ 7 ET - There is a reason this line is set lower than many would expect. St Bonaventure is 17-8 this season and 9-3 in conference games. Davidson is only a game above .500 on the season overall and in conference games. Also, the Wildcats are on the road here. So the Bonnies should be favored by much more than just the typical 3 or 4 points that is considered the home court edge, right? Long-time followers know how I feel about supposed "flawed lines" or "bad numbers". The fact is the line is set this way with good reason. For one thing Davidson has been a bit of a nemesis of St Bonaventure's in recent years. The Bonnies confidence tends to be "shot" when they are facing the Wildcats. Also, a big key here as it relates to the overall records of these teams and the fact that St Bonaventure enters this game on a 5-game winning streak, the Wildcats have played a much tougher schedule this season. Also all of the Bonnies A-10 wins (except one upset win by a 3-point margin over Duquesne) have come against teams at the bottom of the standings. All those teams have a record of 4-7 or worse in A-10 action. The non-conference schedule is where Davidson has faced a much tougher schedule. Also, in A-10 action the Wildcats lost at VCU by 11 points while the Bonnies lost by 28 points. Davidson's only other two losses in the past 5 weeks each came by 6 or less points. The Wildcats are a tough team to pull away from and the Bonnies haven't even been able to beat the Cats in recent meetings let alone pull away for any kind of margin. Give me the points. 10* DAVIDSON |
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02-13-20 | Thunder +2.5 v. Pelicans | Top | 123-118 | Win | 100 | 14 h 4 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #525 Thursday 10* Top Play Oklahoma City Thunder (+) @ New Orleans Pelicans @ 8:05 ET - The Thunder are off back to back home losses. That is a situation that has seen them go 6-2 SU in recent seasons. This season Oklahoma City is 8-3 SU when off a home loss so the loss to the Spurs (after falling just a point short against the Celtics) was a rarity in and of itself. The Thunder simply had a bad night offensively (except for Chris Paul) against San Antonio. I look for Oklahoma City to respond in a huge way tonight. They are an incredible 20-5 ATS in road games this season. The Thunder are a fantastic 24-5 SU this season in games against teams with a losing record. I know that New Orleans has been playing a bit better of late but Brandon Ingram is still questionable with an ankle injury and, even if he plays, won't be 100% here. The Pelicans have survived without him recently but that will be tougher tonight if he is out or limited as Oklahoma City comes in angry off back to back losses and is already 3-0 this season against New Orleans. The Pelicans are off a high-scoring win but are 1-4 SU this season when off a game in which they scored 130 points or more. The Thunder are the better team defensively and New Orleans is 10-20 SU after a game in which they allowed 115 points or more. Also, even though they are playing with revenge, the Pelicans are 11-24 SU this season when playing with revenge. 10* OKLAHOMA CITY |
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02-13-20 | Wichita State -3 v. UCF | Top | 75-58 | Win | 100 | 12 h 12 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #623 Thursday 10* Top Play Wichita State Shockers (-) @ UCF Knights @ 7 ET - Perfect set up here. The Knights are off a win versus Tulsa. That is was an impressive victory for UCF. Keep in mind the only other 3 wins they have in AAC action came against the 3 worst teams in the conference: South Florida, East Carolina, Tulane. Also, prior to rare back to back wins for the Knights, they were barely a .500 team on the season. Now we can fade them with an angry Shockers team that, not too long ago, was 15-1 on the season! Wichita State is fired up after an extremely embarrassing 76-43 loss at Houston. Yes, the Shockers have lost 3 straight games now but they played 3 of the top teams in the conference: Tulsa, Cincinnati, Houston. Those 3 teams have a combined record of 26-8 in AAC action. Now, taking on a team which they are 4-0 against and a team that is only 4-7 in AAC action this season, Wichita State will take advantage. Perfect set up here as the Shockers are off their worst game in AAC action on the season while the Knights are off their best game in conference action on the season. The result here will be a road rout in this ideal scenario. 10* WICHITA STATE |
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02-13-20 | Memphis v. Cincinnati OVER 137 | Top | 86-92 | Win | 100 | 11 h 1 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #625 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cincinnati Bearcats vs Memphis Tigers @ 7 ET - When these teams met on January 16th, the very first total that popped up on the game was a 140. The game held close to that range despite the market activity that day. The end result though was a game that totaled only 109 points. Now, 4 weeks later, nearly the identical total has been posted on this game as it opened up at a 139. So clearly the odds makers don't know what they're doing, right? Of course I am being sarcastic here but the point is there is very good reason the odds makers opened this total up in nearly the identical spot despite the fact the first meeting between these teams stayed under the total by a margin of 30+ points! For one thing, despite the last game here staying under the total, the over is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings between these teams in Cincinnati. That is some historical perspective. However, the key reason this total is where it is relates to the way these two teams have been playing recently. The Bearcats, since being held to 49 points at Memphis 4 weeks ago, have scored an average of 74.5 points per game their last 6 games and that does NOT include teh OT points in the loss at Connecticut Sunday. As for the Tigers, they have scored 70 points more in 4 of their last 5 games and have averaged 74 points per game their last 3 games. Both teams enter this match-up off back to back overs. Memphis is 3-1 to the over this season in games in which they are an underdog. Also, the Tigers are 6-1 to the over when they are off an upset loss as a favorite. The Bearcats are 6-1 to the over when off a loss in AAC action. 10* OVER the total in Cincinnati |
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02-12-20 | Wizards +2.5 v. Knicks | Top | 114-96 | Win | 100 | 12 h 59 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #505 Wednesday 10* Top Play Washington Wizards (+) @ New York Knicks @ 7:35 ET - I know the Wizards are in a back to back spot but, in typical contrarian fashion, that is the team I am backing here. The fact is Washington has been building up momentum with wins in 4 of its last 6 games. They are still very much alive in the playoff race for the #8 spot in the east. Also, they are 2-0 SU the last two times they have played the 2nd night of a back to back. The Knicks are off a double OT loss Sunday so they come into this one as the more rested team. Also, New York had won 4 straight games before that loss. However, the problem with the Knicks is they are mired in turmoil right now about their head coach. That is doing nothing to help the confidence of the team or how they will play for their current coach. Additionally, an illness bug is going around the New York locker-room right now. Also, even though this is a back to back for Washington, these teams have the long All-Star break on deck after this game. In other words, the Wizards aren't going to play any less harder just because this is a back to back. Also, Washington has been using plenty of bench minutes and essentially running with a 10 man rotation. The Wizards had 10 players who all played at least 16 minutes last night. That certainly helps the fatigue factor as well as none of the starters saw truly heavy minutes. I am going to ride the hot team with the more stable coaching situation as they continue to close the gap on the #8 seed in the playoff race and I am happy to have the points here as the Knicks recent wins have all been tight. The Wizards have won 10 of their last 11 visits to New York and that strong trend continues here. 10* WASHINGTON |
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02-12-20 | Hawks v. Cavs OVER 232.5 | Top | 105-127 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 38 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #503 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Cavaliers vs Atlanta Hawks @ 7:05 ET - The Cavaliers attempted 95 shots in Monday's home loss to the Clippers but had a horrific shooting night. Certainly the pace was there for much more than the 92 points they had to show for it on the offensive end. Look for Cleveland to bounce back strong here. as they now face the Hawks instead of the Clips. Both the Cavs and Hawks have made some personnel changes but that really won't have much of an impact on these teams and the way they play until after the All Star break. There just isn't enough time now to make big changes. That being said, I look for this game to have a very fast tempo with plenty of points. Note that the over is 11-0 with 1 push in the last 12 meetings between these teams. Also, the over is 8-0 in the last 8 meeting between these teams at Cleveland. The Hawks enter this game on a 12-3 run to the over their last 15 games. Prior to the Cavs loss to the Clippers staying under the total, the Cavaliers were on an 10-1-1 run to the over in their prior 12 home games. That over trending at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse resumes here. These are two of the worst teams in the NBA and that is particularly true on the defensive end. With the pace they have each been playing with coupled with a lack of success on the defensive end, we should see plenty of points in what is the final game before the All-Star break for these teams. They'll go all out and push the pace hard throughout. It has been the "m.o." of both these teams for a long time now. 10* OVER the total in Cleveland |
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02-12-20 | Xavier +6 v. Butler | Top | 61-66 | Win | 100 | 8 h 24 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #781 Wednesday 10* Top Play Xavier Musketeers (+) @ Butler Bulldogs @ 6:30 ET - With each win, confidence grows. That makes for a dangerous dog here. The Musketeers have won 3 straight games and here they are catching about a half dozen points in a revenge game against a struggling Butler team. The Bulldogs have won only 3 of their past 8 games and, by the way, all 3 wins came by 5 or less points. That means if you played against Butler with +5.5 (today's dominant line) in each of their past 8 games, you have gone 8-0 ATS. Look for the Musketeers to continue that trend here as they get revenge for losing by 5 points in their most recent meeting (March) with the Bulldogs. Prior to that tight defeat, Xavier had won 4 straight meetings with Butler. Both teams have impressive defensive numbers on the season but the Bulldogs, not including OT points in the Marquette game, have allowed 73.1 points per game their past 8 games. The Musketeers have allowed an average of only 59.7 points their last 3 games and have held 5 of their last 6 opponents, not including OT points in the Marquette game, to 62 points or less! I like the value with the surging underdog looking to avenge a March loss in this one. I'll gladly grab the generous points as Butler is "pressing" a bit right now and starting to wilt under the pressure. Give me the unranked team in this one as they play well as a tenacious underdog! 10* XAVIER |
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02-12-20 | Creighton v. Seton Hall UNDER 146.5 | Top | 87-82 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 57 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #784 Wednesday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Seton Hall Pirates vs Creighton Bluejays @ 6:30 ET - The Bluejays have remained under the total in 7 of 9 road games this season. The Pirates have remained under the total in 8 of 12 home games this season. Creighton is off a very high-scoring home win versus St John's on Saturday but the Bluejays simply shot "lights out" in that game and that is unlikely to be repeated here. Creighton has not shot the ball well on the road this season. This is normal year in and year out with the Bluejays. They light it up at home but struggle to consistently score on the road. They don't shoot the 3-ball as well on the road and note that the Pirates, 10-1 in Big East action this season, have held opponents to just 27% from beyond the arc in home games this season! Seton Hall has allowed just 62.2 points per game at home this season. In the Pirates last 4 home games they have averaged scoring just 67 points per game. In other words, they've been winning at home with defense and certainly they are not interested in getting into a fast-paced transition game with the Bluejays. Seton Hall is well aware of how Creighton successfully used their transition game at home on Saturday. The Pirates will be methodical here and rely on their strong defense to frustrate the Bluejays. The last time these teams met here in Newark the game totaled only 121 points. I am not saying this one will be quite that low but I am saying it should only reach into the 130s at most given all of the above! 10* UNDER the total in Seton Hall |
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02-11-20 | Clippers v. 76ers +1.5 | Top | 103-110 | Win | 100 | 10 h 12 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #580 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) vs Los Angeles Clippers @ 7:05 ET - Public enemy #1 in Philly is Kawhi Leonard. He hit the unreal shot as a member of the Raptors that knocked the 76ers out of the playoffs in clutch fashion in Toronto last year. Of course the Sixers haven't forgotten this and that gives this game some extra intrigue for sure. This is a fantastic situation in which to back Philadelphia. First off, we don't have to lay any points even though the 76ers are 24-2 at home this season while the Clippers are 15-11 on the road. Also, Los Angeles is playing its 3rd road game in 4 nights plus they have a game at Boston on deck for Thursday. I know the Clippers blew out Cleveland Sunday and so they were able to rest starters but they also are still without Patrick Beverley and he has been ruled out for this game. They haven't needed him against truly bad teams the last two games but they sure would have liked to have him tonight for facing a Sixers team that is 24-2 as a host this season. For Philly, this is actually their final game until after the All Star break. The Sixers don't play again until the 20th so they definitely are going to go hard for the full 48 minutes tonight and they want their revenge against Kawhi even if that now comes with him in a different uniform this season. Payback time here. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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02-11-20 | Bulls v. Wizards OVER 229.5 | Top | 114-126 | Win | 100 | 10 h 36 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #577 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Wizards vs Chicago Bulls @ 7:05 ET - The Wizards are coming off an embarrassing 4th quarter performance at home against the Grizzlies on Sunday. That collapse in the final stanza allowed Memphis to pull away late as it resulted in Washington only scoring 99 points in a game they should have scored 120. Look for the Wizards to make up for it here. This should be a wild high-scoring game played at a frenetic pace as Washington was on a 7-1 run to the over in their 8 games preceding the low-scoring loss to Memphis. As for Chicago, they enter this game on a perfect 7-0 run to the over their last 7 games. The Bulls have allowed 126.3 points per game their last 4 games. The Wizards are allowing 120.4 points per game on the season! 10* OVER the total in Washington |
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02-11-20 | St Bonaventure v. St. Joe's +8.5 | Top | 74-56 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 14 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #608 Tuesday 10* Top Play St Joseph's Hawks (+) vs St Bonaventure Bonnies @ 7 ET - I know the Hawks have had a tough season but this is a spot where this Philly team has a great shot at a big upset win at home. In comparison with St Bonaventure, St Joseph's has played the much tougher schedule this season. Also, the key here is the situation. The Bonnies blasted the Hawks in both games last season and that included an embarrassing home loss here in Philadelphia. St Joseph's will be ready to go here. As for St Bonaventure, they are off a tight upset win at Duquesne that ended an 0-3 ATS run in road games for the Bonnies. On deck is a home game with Davidson. That may not seem like a big deal BUT it is the Wildcats that swept St Bonaventure last season PLUS also eliminated them from the Atlantic 10 Tournament the prior season. Keep in mind that was the season the Bonnies made it to the NCAA Tournament and had a very strong team. Having now lost 3 straight games to Davidson, they can't help but be thinking a little bit about their upcoming home date with the Wildcats. For the Hawks, it is all about this game and getting some revenge and having a huge game on their home floor. I fully expect, given the situation, that we're going to see St Joseph's play one of their best games of the season tonight at home. If the Hawks do fall short on the scoreboard here, look for the defeat to come by a margin of just a bucket or two in a fierce end-game battle. This line has moved from as low as a 6 to as high as an 8.5 and I am grabbing the big dog value here. 10* ST JOSEPH'S |
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02-11-20 | Penn State v. Purdue OVER 135 | Top | 88-76 | Win | 100 | 8 h 29 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #601 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Purdue Boilermakers vs Penn State Nittany Lions @ 6:30 ET - The Nittany Lions are red hot and have won 6 straight games SU and ATS. The Boilermakers also are heating up again with 3 straight wins including a win at rival Indiana on Saturday. Purdue has been on fire from beyond the arc as they have hit 27 of 54 three pointers in their past two games and averaged scoring 89 points per game in the process. I don't foresee them slowing down at home either. Of course that is why the Boilers are a 5 point home favorite over a red hot Penn State team that has climbed all the way to #13 in the rankings. The Nittany Lions are in for a barrage of 3 pointers here and remember they allowed 55 points in the 2nd half of what ended up being a nail-biter win over Minnesota Saturday. That said, I expect Purdue to score plenty here but Penn State to battle back as they could also get a boost with the return of Myreon Jones for this one. Either way, the high-scoring trending in this series continues. Their last 4 meetings all have gone over the total and the one before that 4-0 run to the over totaled 144 points and so of course that would make it 5 straight overs if had a total like Tuesday's (135) game does. The over is 5-1 in the Boilermakers last 6 home games and I look for that trending to continue here as both teams stay hot with their shooting and will battle for the full 40 minutes in this one. A game likely to end up being a back and forth affair trading big buckets down the stretch. 10* OVER the total in Purdue |
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02-10-20 | Kings v. Bucks OVER 227 | Top | 111-123 | Win | 100 | 13 h 54 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #567 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Milwaukee Bucks vs Sacramento Kings @ 8:05 ET - Non-conference match-ups tend to lack defensive intensity and this particular one has an incredible run of overs as a result. Keep in mind, non-conference foes meet only twice a year so it is tough to build up a lot of animosity toward one another. Games can tend to be a little more free-flowing with plenty of offense. This one has been nothing short of amazing in that regard as the over is a perfect 14-0 in the last 14 meetings between these teams. Considering that factor as well as the fact that the Kings are 4-0 to the over the last 4 times they have been a dog of 6 or more points, you can see why I like the over here. Overall Sacramento has shown sharp trending to the over the past 5 weeks. The Bucks are 3-0 to the over their last 3 home games against Western Conference opponents. Milwaukee averages 121.5 points per game at home this season. Sacramento has averaged 115.7 points per game their past 7 games. Look for this to fly over the total and it supported by combined trending of 21-0 to the over as noted above. 10* OVER the total in Milwaukee |
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02-10-20 | Nets +7 v. Pacers | Top | 106-105 | Win | 100 | 13 h 35 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #559 Monday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets (+) @ Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - The Nets play this game with double revenge as they lost each of the first two meetings this season even though those were in Brooklyn. Actually that continues a strong road team trend in this series as the traveler is now 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings between these teams. The Nets lost the most recent meeting by 29 points and will be seeking payback here. They are catching the Pacers at the right time for an upset. Indiana has lost 5 straight games. Brooklyn is off a hard-fought 1-point loss at Toronto and will again show no quit here. That means the Nets should be in this one all the way. Brooklyn had gone 4-1 SU in their 5 games preceding the 1-point loss to the Raptors. Also, the cover in that game brings the Nets to 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games. Look for them to improve on that mark here as Indiana's struggles continue. 10* BROOKLYN |
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02-10-20 | Florida State v. Duke UNDER 148.5 | Top | 65-70 | Win | 100 | 11 h 18 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #866 Monday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Duke Blue Devils vs Florida State Seminoles @ 7 ET - I used this same angle (short rest) to successfully cash with the Noles UNDER last Monday and I expect it to be successful again here. Both Duke and FSU are off high-scoring wins on Saturday and now playing on short rest. The Blue Devils situation is made even tougher as their victory came in dramatic fashion and included overtime. Florida State wants to utilize their defense to try and stay close to Duke throughout this game and then swoop in late for the upset win on the road. Keep in mind the Seminoles allowed only 59 points to North Carolina last Monday. In fact that was the 3rd straight game in which the Noles allowed 63 points or less. As for Duke, they had allowed 67 points or less in 3 of 4 games prior to the wild win over the rival Tar Heels. With both teams on short rest I expect to see a bit more of a half-court battle in this one and the result should be this one falling well short of the big total posted on this match-up. We're getting line value after the wild wins these teams just had on Saturday plus because these teams have been trending to the over for many weeks. This one is all about the situation and, specifically, the situational value that has been created. 10* UNDER the total in Duke |
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02-09-20 | Jazz v. Rockets OVER 232 | Top | 114-113 | Loss | -105 | 12 h 20 m | Show |
NBA TV Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #553 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Houston Rockets vs Utah Jazz @ 7:05 ET - Off an ugly loss at Phoenix by a count of 127-91, the Rockets will respond here at home. Look for the over to improve to 8-4 the last dozen times that Houston was off a loss by a margin of 15 or more points in a game in which they were a favorite. Indeed that was embarrassing and the Rockets will explode with plenty of offense here at home. Yes, Utah has revenge against Houston from last year's playoff exit as well as this year's home loss to the Rockets. However, the fact is that the Jazz struggle to slow down the Rockets. Not only that, Utah has been getting involved in higher-scoring games now for many weeks. This is not the old plodding, defensive-minded Jazz we were use to seeing. Utah is off a high-scoring win over Portland. That went over the total at home. How about recent road games? The over is 7-1 in the last 8 road games involving the Jazz. Given the situation, look for that trend to continue here! 10* OVER the total in Houston |
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02-09-20 | Grizzlies v. Wizards +2 | Top | 106-99 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 45 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #552 Sunday 10* Top Play Washington Wizards (+) vs Memphis Grizzlies @ 6:05 ET - This is a contrarian play as many are looking to play Memphis off their loss at Philly and fade Washington off their last second win over the Mavericks. However, the Wizards have now won 7 of their last 9 home games, are getting stronger bench play, and with wins in 3 of their last 4 games overall they are truly starting to believe. The Grizzlies are a talented but very young team and they struggle to win on the road. In fact Memphis does have a losing record on the road this season. The Grizzlies are 2-5 ATS this season when they enter a game having covered 6 or 7 of their past 8 games. In other words, Memphis has been hot at the betting window but has cooled down when in this situation this season. As for the Wizards, I am looking for them to win for the 8th time in their past 10 home games as they continue to get strong shooting off the bench and Bradley Beal continues his torrid stretch. The bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff race is still very much alive for the Wizards and they have proven over the past week that they aren't done battling! 10* WASHINGTON |
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02-09-20 | Ohio State +1.5 v. Wisconsin | Top | 57-70 | Loss | -105 | 5 h 13 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #839 Sunday 10* Top Play Ohio State Buckeyes (+) @ Wisconsin Badgers @ 1 ET - This is a double revenge game for the Buckeyes. Not only did the Badgers beat them at Columbus earlier this season, they also beat them there last season too! Ohio State is hell bent on revenge here and the situation is perfect for them to do just that. Wisconsin, after Kobe King left the program, has been going through some significant internal struggles. They managed to rally the troops during this tough time over the past week and a half and that led to an upset win over Michigan State. However, there is only so far that emotion can take you and that was evident when the Badgers then got blasted by 18 points at Minnesota this week. This is a Wisconsin team that has lost 3 of its past 4 games SU and also has covered just 1 of its past 7 games at the betting window. As for the Buckeyes, they have righted the ship with 3 straight wins (and covers) and now catch the Badgers at the perfect time to exact revenge. Look for the road team to stay hot here and get a convincing win as the current situation here is a case of two teams heading in opposite directions. 10* OHIO STATE |
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02-09-20 | Cincinnati v. Connecticut OVER 133.5 | Top | 71-72 | Win | 100 | 3 h 30 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #831 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Connecticut Huskies vs Cincinnati Bearcats @ Noon ET - The first time these teams met Cincinnati won 67-51 despite making just 13 of 24 free throws. The teams combined to hit just 6 of 28 three pointers and, Connecticut shot a horrific 32% from the field overall. None of these stats are likely to be repeated in this one and I am expecting this game to get into the 140s. UConn tends to score much better at home and the Bearcats also have shown that, many times, they tend to leave their high intensity defense at home when they are traveling. Cincinnati, not including OT points of course, has allowed 74.4 points per game in its last 7 games away from home. The Bearcats have scored an average of 70.4 points per game in those 7 contests played away from home. Cincy has averaged 84.5 points per game in its last two road games. The Huskies, again not including any OT points of course, have scored an average of 72 points per game in their last 6 home games. This will be a fierce battle in this game but look for more scoring than many are expecting as the first match-up this season had a total impacted by unusually low shooting percentages. 10* OVER the total in Connecticut |
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02-08-20 | Nets v. Raptors OVER 222.5 | Top | 118-119 | Win | 100 | 15 h 49 m | Show |
Divisional Blowout - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #535 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Raptors vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - The Raptors are red hot. With their win at Indiana last night, Toronto has won 13 straight games. This is a tough spot for them however as they are now in a back to back and Brooklyn comes into this game with plenty of confidence as they have won 4 of 5 games. When teams are confident they tend to shoot the ball well and, of course, the Nets also like to run and gun. The Nets will look to take advantage of the Raptors in a back to back spot as Brooklyn has had two days of rest heading into this game. That means we should see a good pace to this game and I feel the total is too low when you consider how hot each of these teams are. The Raptors have scored an average of 120.2 points per game during their 13-game winning streak. The Nets have scored an average of 122.6 points per game in their last 5 games. None of these games for either team were OT games either. In other words, just great pace and solid shooting and I look for more of the same here on Saturday. 10* OVER the total in Toronto |
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02-08-20 | Bucks v. Magic +9.5 | Top | 112-95 | Loss | -105 | 13 h 46 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #528 Saturday 10* Top Play Orlando Magic (+) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 5:05 ET - The Bucks are 1-6 ATS this season when they enter a game on an ATS run of 3 or more consecutive wins. Milwaukee is 2-6 ATS this season when they enter a game off 3 straight SU wins by a double digit margin. In other words "the buck" stops here! The Magic have been struggling lately but they view this 4-game homestand as a chance to get back on track. Orlando is coming off a 3-game road trip that was punctuated by a 2-point loss to the Knicks and that has the Magic fired up to get back on track here. When on an ATS losing streak of 2 or more games Orlando is 8-4 ATS this season. Also, the Magic are 5-2 SU and ATS this season when off 2 or more consecutive road losses. Motivation matters in a game like this and Orlando may not win this game outright but they'll battle all the way through and keep it within single digits. The big win the Bucks just had over the 76ers was a revenge win from a Christmas Day loss at Philadelphia. This game is a true flat spot for Milwaukee. 10* ORLANDO |
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02-08-20 | St. Joe's v. La Salle OVER 147.5 | Top | 66-83 | Win | 100 | 9 h 53 m | Show |
TV Total Smash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #707 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in La Salle Explorers vs St Joseph's Hawks @ 5 ET - A battle in Philly and this rivalry will bring plenty of showmanship from the players. Both teams are enduring rough seasons but facing each other as part of the Big 5 in Philadelphia is going to turn this into a run and gun wide-open affair. The Hawks can't stop anyone. They are allowing 84 points per game on the road this season and this game is at La Salle. The Explorers have allowed 72.4 points per game in regulation time during their current 7-game losing streak. One could easily expect a game (based on the 8 point line) ranging anywhere from 81-73 to 84-76 given the above numbers. The fact is that neither team is very polished or disciplined at all when it comes to defense but each team has a combination of guys that can drive the paint or knock down open jumpers. The most recent match-up between these teams resulted in an under but the 3 prior meetings all went over the total and averaged 153 points per game. The over is 7-2 in La Salle's last 9 games and 3-0 in St Joseph's last 3 games. This total opened up at 151.5 points and has already dropped 4 points from there. The Explorers won't take their foot off the gas after losing to the Hawks in March in their most recent meetings. They want to take advantage of St Joseph's in a down season as they've won just 4 games. That means plenty of points here as the Hawks defense continues to be non-existent. 10* OVER the total in La Salle |
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02-08-20 | Purdue +3 v. Indiana | Top | 74-62 | Win | 100 | 7 h 37 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #641 Saturday 10* Top Play Purdue Boilermakers (+) @ Indiana Hoosiers @ 2 ET - We saw this last year with Indiana and it seems like deja vu. Last season, after getting off to a strong start the first couple months, the Hoosiers had losing streaks of 7 games and 5 games after the new year. Their current losing streak entering this game is "only" 3 games but, once again, Indiana's mental toughness is being questioned. Exasperating the situation here for the Hoosiers is the fact that they are facing a bitter rival that continues to have their number. The Boilermakers have won each of the last 5 meetings between these teams. Also, Purdue enters this game rolling with confidence while Indiana is again having those same feelings of self-doubt which inflicted them during last season's swoon. While the Hoosiers are on a 3-game losing streak and have lost 6 of 10, the Boilers have won 3 of 4. Yes the road win came against conference-worst Northwestern but notching a road win was a key for Purdue. As for their two home wins during this 4-game stretch, those came by a combined margin of 55 points against the Badgers and the ranked Hawkeyes. While the Boilermakers have scored an average of 74.5 points their last 4 games, Indiana has been held to an average of 54 points in its last two games. Granted those two games were on the road but also note that their most recent home win saw Joey Brunk lead the team in scoring and rebounds. He is questionable for this game and dealing with an illness. In a rivalry game I am happy to grab the points with the team that has dominated this series, is well-coached, and has the confidence level to get the job done against a team whose confidence is waning with each successive loss. 10* PURDUE |
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02-07-20 | Pistons v. Thunder OVER 216 | Top | 101-108 | Loss | -105 | 10 h 43 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #517 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Oklahoma City Thunder vs Detroit Pistons @ 8:05 ET - This total dropped big this morning when it was announced that the Pistons would be without a few players. News flash folks...none of the guys on the injury report played in Detroit's game versus Phoenix on Wednesday and the Pistons scored 116 points in that win. Certainly Detroit is a bad team and they have issues but they can score some points and, at the same time, their defense so often leaves a lot to be desired! That said, Oklahoma City is a huge double digit favorite here with good reason and the Thunder should pile up the points but don't be surprised when Pistons players like Drumond, Jackson, Wood, and Galloway have big scoring games again tonight just like they did against the Suns. The Thunder enter this game red hot as they have won 8 of their last 9 games. Oklahoma City has averaged 118 points per game in those 8 victories. I am looking for a 120-105 type game here and that crushes this total by nearly a double digit margin. Grab the value. The over is 14-5 in Detroit's last 19 games. Before their non-covering win versus Cleveland Wednesday stayed under the total, the Thunder had seen the over go 5-1 in their last 6 games versus Eastern Conference opponents. That over trending resumes here. 10* OVER the total in Oklahoma City |
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02-07-20 | Grizzlies v. 76ers -5.5 | Top | 107-119 | Win | 100 | 10 h 31 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #514 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Memphis Grizzlies @ 7:05 ET - Since the Grizzlies have been playing well that is keeping this line lower than it should be. Yes, the 76ers are on a 4-game losing streak but all 4 losses came on the road. This is still a Philly team that is 22-2 SU at home this season. They have had a wake up call with the recent results on the road and will be ready to respond huge at home. Having made some trade moves here within the past 24 hours it is also a wake up call for the entire team. They will not stand pat. It is time to get the wheels in motion and play hungry and focused and for the full 48. The fresh blood in house will help insure that happens starting tonight whether the new guys are on the floor or not. Heads are rolling in Philly and now they play like a team possessed tonight. They are at home and off 4 straight road losses and laying less than a half dozen points. This is the perfect spot to back a hungry and angry team as they take on a Grizzlies team off an outright upset win at Dallas in their most recent game. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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02-07-20 | Kent State v. Northern Illinois OVER 132 | Top | 54-57 | Loss | -109 | 11 h 12 m | Show |
Early TV Total - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #875 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Northern Illinois Huskies vs Kent State Golden Flashes @ 7 ET - The Golden Flashes jumped out to a 17-5 lead versus Ball State Tuesday. They then proceeded to have their worst shooting stretch of the season and ended up with only 54 points on their home floor in an embarrassing loss. You can bet (literally) that Kent State will respond here. The Golden Flashes have revenge from a 76-69 home loss to the Huskies a few weeks ago. Also, Kent State has a bye week on deck as, after this game, they won't play again until the 15th. In other words, there is every reason to expect the Golden Flashes to go all out for the full 40 minutes. They want to do a better job in the rebounding department (Northern Illinois dominated in first meeting) and use those boards to break out quickly in transition for easier scoring options. It is all conducive to an over because the Huskies aren't going to be push-overs at home either. Northern Illinois enters this game having won 5 straight games. The Huskies are averaging 69.4 points per game at home this season. The Golden Flashes are averaging 72.5 points per game on the road this season. I know the Huskies have had some strong defensive performances of late but their not stopping the Golden Flashes in this situation and Kent State isn't going to shoot 1 of 20 from three point land again like they did against the Cardinals Tuesday. Take advantage of the low total here as these teams should again get into the mid-140s in this one. 10* OVER the total in Northern Illinois |
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02-07-20 | Harvard v. Yale -5 | Top | 78-77 | Loss | -103 | 10 h 50 m | Show |
Early Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #852 Friday 10* Top Play Yale Bulldogs (-) vs Harvard Crimson @ 5 ET - We are getting line value here because of the revenge angle here. The revenge is actually with Harvard in this game. They finished tied with Yale for the regular season Ivy League title but then the Crimson lost to the Bulldogs in the conference tournament. So we should play Harvard to get revenge here, right? Not so fast my friends. The Crimson lost Seth Towns before the season even got going and they are currently still without their biggest star Bryce Aiken. Harvard enters this game off B2B SU losses and on an 0-5 ATS run. I know they do have two Ivy League wins but those each came by 5 or less points and that was against a bad Dartmouth team. Conversely, Yale has not just been winning, the Bulldogs have been crushing teams. Yale enters this game on a 6-game winning streak and all 6 victories came by more than 10 points. The Bulldogs have shot 43% three pointers at home and 51% from the field overall at home. Yale is allowing opponents to hit only 35% from the field when they are the host and that includes the Bulldogs defending the arc very well as they have held the opposition to 29% from 3-point land. Yes there is revenge here but the home team is currently the better team and the healthier team and the short number on this game is absolutely a bargain. 10* YALE |
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02-06-20 | 76ers +9 v. Bucks | Top | 101-112 | Loss | -105 | 13 h 55 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #505 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 8:05 ET - The Bucks do have revenge here from a loss on Christmas Day at Philadelphia. However, the 76ers come into this game fired up as they are off 3 straight losses on this 4-game road trip. The ugliest loss just happened on Monday when they allowed 137 points at Miami. That is the kind of defeat that grabs a teams attention and the Sixers will be fighting mad by the time they take the court for this one. I know Milwaukee is a great team and wants revenge here but they are over-priced in this spot and I am going to challenge the Bucks to win this game by double digits. Philly has won 2 of the 3 last meetings and that includes winning at Milwaukee too and the lone loss in that 3 game stretch for the 76ers came by just 6 points. The Bucks are off back to back wins and covers (including one at home) but prior to that had been on a 2-5 ATS run in home games. The Sixers are 5-1 SU and ATS when they enter a game on an ATS losing streak of 4 or more games. The Bucks are 1-3 ATS this season when revenging a loss by a double-digit margin. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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02-06-20 | Cincinnati v. Wichita State UNDER 134 | Top | 80-79 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 51 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #628 Thursday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Wichita State Shockers vs Cincinnati Bearcats @ 7 ET - This one should be an ugly low-scoring grinder and yet the total has made an upward move in early market activity. That is adding to the value here with this one. The Bearcats are off a big home win over the Cougars. For the 6th time in 7 games Cincinnati held an opponent to 62 points or less. In those 6 games the Bearcats have allowed an average of only 53.3 points per game. The Shockers are off a loss at Tulsa but they were very solid defensively. It was the 4th time in 5 games Wichita State held an opponent to 65 points or less. In those 4 games the Shockers allowed only 56.8 points per game. Each of the last 4 meetings between these teams have totaled 134 points or less. The average points scored in these 4 match-ups is 126.8 and yet this total is in the mid-130s. I like the value with the under here as the Shockers are hell-bent on revenge after losing each of their last 4 meetings with the Bearcats. At home and playing with a ton of emotion, Wichita State will bring a very intense effort on defense. Of course Cincinnati is known for their solid play on defense as well and that should turn this key AAC meeting with the Shockers into a low-scoring grinder. 10* UNDER the total in Wichita State |
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02-06-20 | James Madison v. Drexel -6 | Top | 67-78 | Win | 100 | 10 h 13 m | Show |
Dominator Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #624 Thursday 10* Top Play Drexel Dragons (-) vs James Madison Dukes @ 7 ET - Great set up here. The Dragons are off a disappointing stretch of 3 straight losses on the road. Now Drexel is back home in Philadelphia where they are a fantastic 9-2 this season. The Dukes are off a rare win. James Madison is now 2-9 in conference games this season after beating UNC-Wilmington again. That's right, the only two wins that James Madison has this season in Colonial action have come against the Seahawks and that's not saying much since UNC-Wilmington is the worst team in the conference this season. Prior to the Dukes win over the Seahawks, James Madison had lost 7 straight games and 9 of its last 10. The Dukes last 4 road losses all have come by 8 or more points. We only have to lay a half dozen points here with Drexel. Note that the Dragons last two home wins each game by more than a 20 point margin. At home off 3 straight road losses, Drexel won't take their foot off the gas in this one against James Madison. The Dukes, off a rare win, are ripe for the picking here too in terms of a being in a flat spot and being on the road where they have struggled. James Madison is 8-22 ATS (including 1-7 ATS this season) when off a win. Also, when off a game in which they scored 80 or more points, the Dukes are 4-14 ATS. The Dragons are 4-1 ATS when they are on an ATS losing streak of 3 or more games plus they are 5-1 ATS this season when off a game in which they allowed 80 or more points. 10* DREXEL |
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02-05-20 | Hawks v. Wolves OVER 236.5 | Top | 127-120 | Win | 100 | 12 h 11 m | Show |
Ugly Beauty - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #579 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Timberwolves vs Atlanta Hawks @ 8:05 ET - Sometimes the ugliest games produce the prettiest results when it comes to sports wagering. That is what I expect here with an easy over. The Timberwolves are favored by a half dozen points in this game despite having lost a dozen straight games. How can that be? Well is the road-adverse Hawks that are in town and I expect Minnesota to put the hammer down early in this one against Atlanta. However, the Hawks (especially with Trae Young in the mix - probable here) can score plenty of points! The Wolves will be happy to run and gun and look to run Atlanta right out of the arena. Both teams are woeful defensively and we should see an absolute track meet here in Minneapolis tonight. The over is a perfect 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these teams. The Hawks are 9-2 to the over in their past 11 games. The Wolves have allowed 126 points per game in their past 3 home games. Atlanta has allowed 131 points per game in its last 3 road games! This game should get well into the 240s and might even hit the 250s as it is simply the style these two teams play. The Timberwolves are desperate for a win and will push the tempo all night long in this one to impose their will at home. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota |
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02-05-20 | Pacers +6.5 v. Raptors | Top | 118-119 | Win | 100 | 12 h 17 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #575 Wednesday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:35 ET - The Raptors have won 11 straight games so they are the popular choice here. In typical contrarian fashion, I am grabbing the Pacers plus the points. Indiana is off back to back losses and that is a situation that has seen them go 4-1 SU and ATS this season. Also, the Pacers most recent loss was an outright upset as a home favorite. That is a situation that has seen Indiana go 12-6 SU (13-5 ATS). Also, this is a real rarity as the Pacers are off back to back home losses. That is a situation that has seen Indiana go a perfect 3-0 SU and ATS. The Raptors have been red hot and enter this game off B2B wins by double digit margins. However, they are 0-3 ATS this season when off consecutive victories by 10 or more points. Also, Toronto is 3-6 ATS when they are a home favorite of 6 or less points this season. Look for this one to go down to the wire and I look for the fired up Pacers to get the outright upset but will gladly grab the points as added insurance. 10* INDIANA |
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02-05-20 | Pittsburgh v. Notre Dame OVER 138.5 | Top | 72-80 | Win | 100 | 8 h 27 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #785 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Pittsburgh Panthers @ 6:30 ET - The Fighting Irish are going to dictate the tempo of this game on their home floor and that means plenty of points. The over is 5-0 in Notre Dame's last 5 games. The Irish have scored 78 points or more in each of their last 5 games. Also, Notre Dame has allowed 72 points or more in 6 of their past 7 games. In other words, the Panthers will "get theirs" in this game too. Pittsburgh is off a tight low-scoring win at home against Miami. However, prior to that game the Panthers had allowed 73.3 points per game their 3 prior games. The over is 5-1 this season when Pittsburgh is off a game in which they allowed 25 or less points in the first half. Watch what Notre Dame does to them in the first half of this game after that very unusual performance versus Miami for the Panthers. The over is 6-3 this season in Fighting Irish games with a posted total in the 130s. 10* OVER the total in Notre Dame |
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02-05-20 | Loyola-Chicago -120 v. Indiana State | Top | 39-68 | Loss | -120 | 7 h 20 m | Show |
MVC Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #781 Wednesday 10* Top Play Loyola-Chicago Ramblers (-) @ Indiana State Sycamores @ 6 ET - The Ramblers opened up as the favorite even though Indiana State is 9-0 at home this season. What does that tell you? Exactly! Don't be fooled here! Indeed, the road team is the play here. Loyola-Chicago is the better team. I know they lost their last two road games but that was against the two teams (Southern Illinois and Northern Iowa) that are the other two top teams (along with the Ramblers) in the conference. In Missouri Valley action, Loyola-Chicago has a history of performing well against the Sycamores (4 straight wins) and that includes winning each of their last two trips to Terre Haute as they continue to shoot well at the Hulman Center. I look for that to continue here. The Ramblers has won the last 3 games between these teams by an average margin of 21 points per game. Indiana State certainly wants to get off the schneid against Loyola-Chicago but the fact is the Ramblers are the better team and play with a ton of confidence in this venue. Also, they are anxious to get another road win after losing their past two road games against the other top tier teams in the MVC. Indiana State is a respectable team but they are not Northern Iowa and the Ramblers last two road losses came by just 5 points each. Tonight, against the Sycamores, they get over the hump and get a key MVC road win. The Ramblers, looking at FG %, have been better on both ends of the floor in comparison with the Sycamores this season and they are known for shooting well in match-ups at Indiana State. 10* LOYOLA-CHICAGO |
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02-04-20 | Bucks v. Pelicans +7 | Top | 120-108 | Loss | -115 | 11 h 25 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #564 Tuesday 10* Top Play New Orleans Pelicans (+) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:35 ET - The Bucks are the best team in the NBA but there is a time and place for upsets of the top teams and this is one of those spots. Milwaukee has a revenge game against the 76ers on deck. The Bucks lost at Philadelphia on Christmas Day by a dozen points and it is a home date for Milwaukee hosting the Sixers that is up next on the docket. That said, traveling to New Orleans for a non-conference match-up that is a single road game in the midst of a home-heavy portion of the schedule is not a good situation for bringing out the best in the Bucks. Look for the Pelicans to take advantage. Keep in mind, the Bucks most recent game away from home was against a Hornets team that has now lost 17 of 20 games and yet Charlotte actually led Milwaukee much of the first 3 quarters of that game. The Bucks pulled away in the 4th but there will be no pulling away in this one at New Orleans. The Pelicans are coming off a tough loss at Houston but had won 14 of 21 games heading into that match-up with the Rockets. Also, New Orleans enters this game having gone 6-4 in their last 10 home games with the 4 losses coming by an average margin of 4 points per game. The biggest margin of defeat was 7 points and 3 of the 4 defeats came by 4 or less points. If the Pelicans do fall short of the outright upset here, look for this to be another tight loss by 4 or less points. In other words, great value with the home dog in this one. 10* NEW ORLEANS |
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02-04-20 | Ball State v. Kent State OVER 134.5 | Top | 62-54 | Loss | -109 | 9 h 27 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #605 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Kent State Golden Flashes vs Ball State Cardinals @ 7 ET - The Golden Flashes are off a hard-fought emotional 1-point win over the biggest rivals, Akron, in their most recent game. Don't be surprised if Kent State is lacking in defensive intensity after a win like that over the rival Zips. That said, I expect Ball State to score better than the normally would in this game. We've seen this total be on a bit of an uptick early this morning. That is despite the fact that Cardinals games are on an under streak of 6 straight games. Rest assured, when a team is trending under but their total is then moving toward the over, it is usually with good reason! That said, I do like the over here given this situation as I am sure the Golden Flashes are going to "get theirs" at home but I look for the Cardinals to take advantage of some lax Kent State defense and this one should turn into a bit of a run and gun track meet. The Golden Flashes were on an 8-4 run to the over prior to their game against the Zips staying under the total. Look for the trending toward the over to quickly resume in this one given the situation. The over is a perfect 6-0 in the last 6 meetings between these teams! 10* OVER the total in Kent State |
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02-04-20 | Ohio State +2.5 v. Michigan | Top | 61-58 | Win | 100 | 9 h 55 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #623 Tuesday 10* Top Play Ohio State Buckeyes (+) @ Michigan Wolverines @ 7 ET - Finally on March 1st Ohio State will host Michigan but, as for this match-up, it is the 3rd straight time these teams are meeting in Ann Arbor. The last two have not gone well at all for the Buckeyes as they have been blasted by a double digit margin in each meeting. That said, I am looking for big-time payback for Ohio State in this one. Both teams are off back to back wins but the Wolverines have their biggest rival, Michigan State, on deck. Michigan got blasted by 18 points by the Spartans in their first meeting so they're already looking forward to the rematch. As for the Buckeyes, they are off back to back wins and both were key. They finally got back on track with a road win (at Northwestern) and then beat a respectable Big Ten foe, Indiana, in their most recent game. Look for Ohio State to bring momentum from those games right into this game and deliver the road upset. The Buckeyes are the better team defensively and also shoot the 3-ball better than Michigan. Look for some solid D to lead the way to a road win here. It is payback time. 10* OHIO STATE |
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02-03-20 | 76ers +3.5 v. Heat | Top | 106-137 | Loss | -115 | 12 h 53 m | Show |
NBA TV Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #553 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Miami Heat @ 7:35 ET - The 76ers enter this game off back to back losses. Philly is also playing this game with double revenge. Philadelphia lost at home to the Heat by 4 points in mid-December and then the Sixers lost by a single point at Miami in late December. While the 76ers are fired up to get back in the win column and avenge those losses, note that the Heat are only 4-3 SU in their last 7 games and the wins came against teams with a losing record. Every time Miami has faced a tougher opponent of late they have lost. The 76ers are off a loss at Boston to begin February but they do have recent wins (January) over the Celtics as well as Oklahoma City and the Lakers. They will again step up here to get revenge and to get back to their winning ways as they are healthy again now. Other than the continued absence of Josh Richardson, it is again "all hands on deck" for the Sixers. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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02-03-20 | Warriors v. Wizards OVER 235 | Top | 125-117 | Win | 100 | 11 h 46 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #545 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Wizards vs Golden State Warriors @ 7:05 ET - The Wizards are off a rare low-scoring win. The over was on a 5-0 run in Washington's games prior to the tight win over Brooklyn. Now the Wizards host a Warriors team that also is off a win and which also has been getting involved in plenty of high-scoring games of late. Golden State games are on a 5-1 run to the over and the Warriors have averaged 116 points per game in their past 4 road games. Golden State has allowed an average of 122.2 points per game in their past 6 games. The Wizards have allowed 124.5 points per game in their past 10 games. That is why, despite the big total posted on this game, it will prove to not be big enough. A match-up of two bad teams, but both off wins, means a drop-off in defensive intensity here. The over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings between these teams and that trend continues here. 10* OVER the total in Washington |
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02-03-20 | Lafayette +1 v. Bucknell | Top | 65-62 | Win | 100 | 10 h 9 m | Show |
Patriot League Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #501 Monday 10* Top Play Lafayette Leopards (+) @ Bucknell Bison @ 7 ET - Revenge game for the Leopards. They blew a big half-time lead and lost by double digits to the Bison in Easton last month. Since that defeat, Lafayette has responded very well. As for Bucknell, it has been a downhill slide since then. The Bison have gone 3-5 SU since then and the only 3 victories were against the 3 worst teams in the Patriot League. Bucknell beat Holy Cross, Loyola (MD), and Lehigh. Those teams are each just 2-8 in conference games this season! Now the Bison host a revenge-minded Leopards team that is 14-7 on the season and has won 6 of 8 games since losing to Bucknell. Note that Lafayette is off a win over an American team that was 6-3 in conference action and, prior to that game, the Leopards knocked off the top team in the Patriot for a season sweep. Yes, Lafayette won at Colgate and that completed a 2-0 season series sweep over a Raiders team that is 8-0 against the rest of the Patriot League this season. The Leopards have been a pleasant surprise this season and red-hot Justin Jaworski and company get revenge here on the road in Lewisburg Monday. 10* LAFAYETTE |
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02-03-20 | North Carolina v. Florida State UNDER 143.5 | Top | 59-65 | Win | 100 | 9 h 20 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #862 Monday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Florida State Seminoles vs North Carolina Tar Heels @ 7 ET - The Tar Heels last 6 games featured an OT game and a double-OT game. That has skewed the perception of their totals higher than it should be. Note that UNC has allowed 73 points or less in regulation time of 7 straight games. The average points allowed by North Carolina in this 7-game stretch was 68 points. The Seminoles are favored by about 10 points here. No matter how you look at it...if the Heels allow their average of 68 or their 7-game regulation high of 73...if the odds makers are right about the spread here you're looking at a game ranging from 68-58 (126 points) to 73-63 (136 points) and we've got a total in the mid-140s here! I'll gladly take the under here because Florida State has a history of struggles against the Tar Heels and will most definitely take advantage of facing them in a down year. The Noles can turn up the heat on defense. FSU has allowed just 62 points per game in their past two games. Also, in 2 of their last 3 home games Florida State has allowed 58 points or less. Look for a lower-scoring game than many are expecting as, even though the Heels welcomed back Cole Anthony recently they now have senior Brandon Robinson dealing with an ankle injury. The season of frustration continues for North Carolina as the Seminoles turn up the heat on defense in this one. 10* UNDER the total in Florida State |
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02-02-20 | Nuggets v. Pistons OVER 215.5 | Top | 123-128 | Win | 100 | 5 h 25 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #535 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Pistons vs Denver Nuggets @ 12:35 ET - This is a bad scheduling spot for the Nuggets. The result should be plenty of points. I don't expect a lot of defensive intensity from Denver here. They are off a huge win (at Milwaukee) Friday. The Bucks are the #1 team in the NBA this season. On deck for the Nuggets are divisional battles versus Portland and at Utah. In other words, this is an ideal "flat spot" for Denver. Normally that would mean to fade the Nuggets but there is no way I can fade them with a team playing as poorly as Detroit. The Pistons enter this game on an 0-5 SU/ATS run. What I do expect here is plenty of offense. Detroit is off a rare low-scoring home game. Prior to the ugly home loss to Toronto, Pistons games were on a 14-4 run to the over. Detroit had averaged 114.1 points per game their 9 previous games. The Nuggets enter this game having scored an average of 115 points per game their past 10 road games. This total opened up at a 218 and has dropped to 215 as of early game day morning. In typical contrarian fashion I am fading the line move but, as always, it is not without reason. Per the analysis above, a bit of a sub-par defensive game expected from Denver here but they can (and will) come roaring back on the offensive end against a bad Pistons team. That helps send this one flying over the total. 10* OVER the total in Detroit |
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02-02-20 | Miami-FL v. Pittsburgh OVER 136.5 | Top | 57-62 | Loss | -109 | 4 h 56 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #831 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Pittsburgh Panthers vs Miami Hurricanes @ Noon ET - Big mistake right? The odds makers kept this total (138) in the same range as the first meeting this season even though that game totaled just 124 points. The odds makers don't know what they're doing, right? Long-time followers know how I feel about that philosophy! That said, I am happy to fade the early line move on this one as it already came down to a 136.5 as of early game day morning. The fact is that the Panthers had a horrific shooting effort at Miami in their meeting last month. Note that Pittsburgh took 64 shots from the field so certainly the proper pace was there for an over. Of course I expect the Panthers to shoot much better from the field here. Note that Miami is allowing 78 points per game on the road this season. Also, prior to a strong effort on defense in their most recent game, the Canes had allowed an average of 86.5 points per game their 4 prior games. Their most recent game stayed under the total but that was preceded by 3 straight overs. As for the Panthers, the over is on a 6-3 run. The Panthers have scored an average of 73.2 points per game in their past 6 home games. Miami has scored 71 points or more in 3 of their last 4 games. The Hurricanes can score well here against the Panthers but, they've proven time and time again this season that they are not a very good team defensively and this has proven particularly true on the road. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Pittsburgh |
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02-01-20 | Nets v. Wizards OVER 239 | Top | 107-113 | Loss | -109 | 12 h 5 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #521 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Wizards vs Brooklyn Nets @ 8:05 ET - Neither team known for its defense. Bradley Beal currently red hot for the Wizards. The Nets Kyrie Irving is off a game in which he scored 54 points last night. Also, in his most recent road game, Irving tallied 45 points. Even though this is a back to back for Brooklyn, they were able to rest guys thanks to winning by a blowout margin. Irving only had to play 32 minutes and no other Net played more than 30 minutes. That sets this one up well for Brooklyn to still have plenty left in the tank! That spells trouble for a Wizards team that has allowed an average of 137 points per game in its last 3 games. But Washington certainly scores well at home and the Nets have allowed 117 points per game their last 9 games. This total may seem "big" at 239 but folks you have to look at the numbers and Beal is "feeling it" right now for the Wizards and the Nets are coming off a huge win last night and are certainly "feeling it" too with their shots right now. Brooklyn has now scored more than 120 points in 3 of its last 4 games. More of the same expected here. The over is 7-2 in the Nets last 9 games. The over is 5-0 in the Wizards last 5 games. Those trends continue in DC on Saturday. 10* OVER the total in Washington |
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02-01-20 | Heat -1.5 v. Magic | Top | 102-89 | Win | 100 | 12 h 49 m | Show |
Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #517 Saturday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (-) @ Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - The Heat should have Kendrick Nunn back for this one. That is a key as he is the 2nd leading scorer on the team plus also averages 3.5 assists per game. A rookie, Tyler Herro, had been starting in his place the last 3 games. The Heat only went 1-2 in those games. The lone win was against the Magic and it came by a big margin. This one likely to be tighter because it is in Orlando, but I still expect the Heat to prevail by very close to double digits in this one. That said, lay the small number. The Magic have lost 6 of their past 7 games including 3 straight games at home. The Heat lost at Orlando by 20 points early last month. It is payback time here and, keep in mind, the road team had won 3 straight meetings in this series prior to that January 3rd home win for the Magic. Jimmy Butler and a healthy Nunn will help lead the way to a road rout here. 10* MIAMI |
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02-01-20 | New Mexico v. Fresno State OVER 144 | Top | 77-82 | Win | 100 | 7 h 60 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #717 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Fresno State Bulldogs vs New Mexico Lobos @ 5 ET - The Lobos get involved in high-scoring games no matter whom they're playing. The Bulldogs are coming off a momentum boosting road win at Air Force in which they shot the ball very well. That certainly can continue here at home as Fresno State has knocked down 37.3% of their three pointers this season when at home. Also, New Mexico is simply a very poor team defensively. By the way, in terms of the Lobos production on offense, I am aware they are missing a couple guys right now but those guys have been out for the last few games and it was not a huge impact. Yes, New Mexico did not score well against San Diego State but the Aztecs are 22-0 this season for a reason. Prior to that, the Lobos scored an average of 80 points in two games without JaQuan Lyle and Vance Jackson. That continued a season-long trend as New Mexico is averaging 79 points per game this season. The Lobos simply don't play defense though and they are allowing an average of 97 points per game in their last 4 road games! As for the Bulldogs, they are looking to atone for a very ugly performance offensively in their most recent home game. They have struggled in recent home games against Boise State and San Diego State. Look for them to bounce back at home against the run and gun Lobos and this should turn into a wild high-scoring game. The over is 9-2 in New Mexico's last 11 games. The over is 3-0 in Fresno State's last 3 games. The Bulldogs have allowed an average of 80.3 points per game their last 3 games. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Fresno State |
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02-01-20 | UNLV +6.5 v. Colorado State | Top | 77-95 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 36 m | Show |
Afternoon Rout - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #687 Saturday 10* Top Play UNLV Running Rebels (+) @ Colorado State Rams @ 4 ET - The Rebels are off back to back losses but they faced two very tough tests as they travel to Reno to face Nevada and then were at home against San Diego State. UNLV got the cover against the Aztecs but San Diego State is now 22-0 SU on the season. In other words, no real shame in that performance. Also, Nevada is now 9-2 SU at home this season and that defeat for the Rebels was expected. Now I am not saying that Colorado State is an easy place to play but UNLV has had more success here than in Reno in recent seasons. I also like the fact that the Rebels are even deeper now since an original starting guard, Elijah Mitrou-Long, is now back from injury. He actually lost his starting job to Marvin Coleman by virtue of being out. However, he has handled it like a true professional and now the Rebels are an even stronger team as a result. This line opened up at -5 and has moved to a -6.5 and I love the value in going against the move here with a very hungry (and rested and healthy) UNLV team off back to back losses. Note that the Rams are off a non-covering 1 point win versus Nevada. That was a hard-fought win and was also a revenge game for Colorado State. Watch them now fall short here against an angry Rebels team. I expect the outright upset but will certainly be grabbing the generous points for added insurance. 10* UNLV |
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01-31-20 | Bulls v. Nets OVER 219.5 | Top | 118-133 | Win | 100 | 11 h 4 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #503 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Brooklyn Nets vs Chicago Bulls @ 7:35 ET - The over is 6-2 in the Nets last 8 games. Brooklyn is averaging 110 points per game this season but also allows 112 points per game. Speaking of sub-par defense, the Bulls are allowing 110 points and 47.3% from the field in their road games this season. The over is on a 3-0 run in Chicago's games. Granted the Bulls most recent game did involve overtime. However, prior to that one Chicago had allowed an average of 110 points per game over their past 7 games away from home. The key to the over here is that the Nets are happy to play at a fast pace at home and the Bulls have been scoring well when facing teams with a losing record. There has been only one exception for Chicago in recent weeks when facing a team with a losing record and that is when they had a horrific shooting effort at home against the Kings. Other than that, in their last 5 games against teams with a losing record, the Bulls have averaged 115.6 points per game! You can see why I am expecting both teams to eclipse the 110 mark in this one and that will send this one flying over the total. The over is a perfect 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these teams. Look for that trend to continue here. 10* OVER the total in Brooklyn |
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01-31-20 | Raptors v. Pistons +5 | Top | 105-92 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 8 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #502 Friday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (+) vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:05 ET - The Raptors have won 9 straight games but they are a banged up team right now and playing the 2nd night of a back to back. Toronto did win the 2nd game of their very first back to back this season but, since then, the Raptors are only 3-3 in the 2nd game of a back to back. Not only that, 2 of those 3 wins came by 2 or less points! That is why I see value here at home with a hungry and rested Pistons team catching about 5 points as of early this morning. Detroit has lost both meetings with Toronto this season and also enters this game on an 0-4 SU and ATS run. To say the least, the Pistons are due for a big game and I expect them to get it here in an ideal situation. Note that last night's non-covering win for the Raptors dropped them to 1-3 ATS in their last 4 road games. They are over-priced here and Toronto will struggle just to win, let alone cover, this game. Grab the points with the home dog. 10* DETROIT |
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01-31-20 | Akron v. Kent State -1.5 | Top | 67-68 | Loss | -105 | 8 h 0 m | Show |
Early Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #854 Friday 10* Kent State Golden Flashes (-) vs Akron Zips @ 6:30 ET - The Zips have over-achieved early this season and that has led to line value here in this spot with the Golden Flashes at home. Kent State is 13-1 at home their last 14 games and came into this season projected to finish near the top of the MAC East while Akron was projected to finish near the bottom of the MAC East. The cream eventually rises to the top and we're starting to see some signs that the Zips defense, so strong last season, is a much different animal this season. Akron had a strong game defensively at Miami-Ohio but has allowed an average of 87 points in their other 3 recent games! As for the Golden Flashes, they have allowed 70 points or less in 3 of their past 4 games. Also, their most recent home game was a loss and they'll be looking to make up for that here. Kent State had won their first 9 home games this season. This is just the 2nd home game for the Golden Flashes in a span of 3 weeks. Also, the home team has won 4 straight in this series. Look for that streak for the host to reach 5-0 by the time this one goes final this evening! 10* KENT STATE |
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01-31-20 | Harvard v. Pennsylvania OVER 142.5 | Top | 72-75 | Win | 100 | 8 h 30 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #851 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Pennsylvania Quakers vs Harvard Crimson @ 5 ET - This total opened up at a 146 and has dropped to a 142.5 in early market activity. Of course the market activity is telling the odds makers they don't know what they're doing. Long-time followers know how I feel about that. I am grabbing the value on the other side of this move and expecting plenty of points here. Yes, the Quakers are finally off a win (versus Temple) in their most recent game but the fact they allowed only 59 points in that victory was definitely an aberration. Penn actually allowed 75 shots from the field for the Owls! Also, in the Quakers prior two home games they had allowed an average of 82.5 points per game. Penn will struggle to stop Harvard here. The last two meetings between these teams stayed under the total but, prior to this, it had been 5 straight overs in this series. Also, each of the last 3 meetings between these teams in Philly have gone over the total. Look for this one to as well. The Quakers have struggled with their 3-point shot this season but normally do shoot it better at home and note that the Crimson have allowed 38% shooting from beyond the arc in road games this season. Also, before scoring just 66 points versus Temple, Penn had averaged 77.8 points per game in their 5 prior games. The Crimson enter this game having averaged 74 points per game in the 7 games since their star guard Bryce Aiken got injured. Look for both teams to get well past the 70 mark here and that sends this one flying over the total. 10* OVER the total in Pennsylvania |
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01-30-20 | 76ers -7.5 v. Hawks | Top | 117-127 | Loss | -109 | 12 h 9 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #573 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Atlanta Hawks @ 7:35 ET - At first glance this would look like a great spot to back the home dog Hawks since the 76ers have a huge game on deck at Boston. However, Atlanta is ravaged by injuries right now and Philadelphia is simply the must healthier team right now and, of course, the much stronger team. Yes it is true that the Sixers might rest Al Horford here but fellow big man Joel Embiid is back and likely to be even stronger in this game than he was in his first game back after the time off due to injury. Also, even though the 76ers are embarking on a big road trip with big games on deck at Boston, Miami, and Milwaukee, none of the games are back to back. Philly, including Embiid, will be going all out here and the injury-riddled Hawks roster won't be able to stop them. Keep in mind Atlanta has allowed 120 points or more in 6 of its last 7 games. The 76ers have allowed an average of only 100.3 points per game their last 10 games. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-30-20 | Minnesota +5.5 v. Illinois | Top | 51-59 | Loss | -115 | 11 h 46 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #627 Thursday 10* Top Play Minnesota Golden Gophers (+) @ Illinois Illini @ 7:30 ET - Nice set up here with the Illini off a big win at Michigan and the Golden Gophers off an ugly loss versus Michigan State. Minnesota, after the home loss to the Spartans, should respond in a big way here. The Gophers are 6-0 SU the last 6 times they've entered a game off a loss this season. Should Minnesota fall short of the outright upset here, note that Illinois is on a 6 game winning streak but 4 of the last 5 Illini victories have come by a margin of 4 or less points! In fact, not including a blowout win over an outclassed North Carolina AT & T team, Illinois has seen only 2 of its past 8 games result in a win for the Illini by a margin of more than 4 points. Minnesota got thrashed here at Illinois by 27 points last season so revenge is on order in this one. The Golden Gophers are 3-1 SU (and 4-0 ATS!) when they enter a game having scored 65 points or less in each of their 3 prior games. Illinois is off back to back covers and that is a situation that has seen them go 0-10 ATS! Look for that perfect trend to continue as, once again, the third time is NOT the charm for the Illini. The Golden Gophers, for the 7th time, respond with a win when they are coming off a loss. 10* MINNESOTA |
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01-30-20 | Hornets v. Wizards OVER 227.5 | Top | 107-121 | Win | 100 | 11 h 11 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #571 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Wizards vs Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - The Hornets tend to play lower-scoring games and the Wizards tend to play higher-scoring games. Something has to give here. I feel strongly that Washington, at home and off back to back losses, is going to dictate the pace here. That will mean plenty of points in this one. Note that Charlotte was happy to be coming off a win but certainly not happy about being held under 100 points. They do have fresh legs because of their recent road trip to Paris, France to take on the Bucks. Though that resulted in a lot of travel for the Hornets it also has resulted in plenty of rest. Charlotte's offensive production is likely to enjoy a huge uptick here as they have averaged 118.2 points per game in their last 6 games against Washington! The Wizards, in regulation time of their last 4 games, have scored an average of 126.5 points per game. The over is 4-0 in Washington's last 4 games. The Hornets are well rested and no that they can afford to be in a higher-paced game here and get plenty of good looks against a Wizards team that is one of the worst in the league defensively. The result is plenty of points in this one. 10* OVER the total in Washington |
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01-30-20 | College of Charleston v. James Madison OVER 151.5 | Top | 87-68 | Win | 100 | 9 h 7 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #617 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in James Madison Dukes vs College of Charleston Cougars @ 6:30 ET - Two slumping teams and James Madison is bad overall and the College of Charleston is on an 0-5 ATS run. That means plenty of points here as the Dukes have allowed 78 points or more in 7 of their past 9 games. James Madison simply doesn't focus much on the defensive end (and allowed 85 points to Cougars in first meeting) but one thing the Dukes do better at home is score plenty. James Madison is averaging 80.6 points per game at home this season. The Dukes can't stop anybody but they do score well as a host and that should lead to a very high-scoring battle here. Don't be surprised if the Cougars again eclipse the 80 point mark here but, with James Madison at home for this rematch, the Dukes should be hanging around all the way in this one. As a result, I am expecting the 160 range here and yet this total is down closer to the 150 range. I'll grab the value here as the over is 6-3 in Dukes home games and also 6-3 in Charleston conference games this season. 10* OVER the total in James Madison |
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01-29-20 | Grizzlies v. Knicks OVER 224 | Top | 127-106 | Win | 100 | 13 h 48 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #561 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Knicks vs Memphis Grizzlies @ 7:35 ET - Both teams are off games yesterday in which they allowed less than 100 points. Memphis held Denver to just 96 points in a big win over the Nuggets and so I am fully expecting a more lax defensive effort here after that big home win. As for the Knicks, though it was surprising they allowed just 97 at Charlotte last night it was also surprising that they scored just 92 points. Look for a huge bounce back on the offensive end now that they are back home for tonight's game. New York averaged 111 points per game in their past two home games. The Knicks also are allowing 112 points per game this season and the Grizzlies are allowing 116 points per game on the season. After last night's unusual results, look for normalcy to return tonight. Memphis has allowed 112 points or more in each of its last 6 road games. The over is 7-3 in the Grizzlies last 10 non-conference games. The over is 4-2 in the last 6 road games for Memphis. More of the same expected here after last night's unusual results for each team. 10* OVER the total in New York |
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01-29-20 | St. Joe's v. Massachusetts OVER 151.5 | Top | 76-91 | Win | 100 | 11 h 12 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #803 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Massachusetts Minutemen vs St Joseph's Hawks @ 7 ET - Two bad teams thanks in large part to horrific defense. These teams focus on scoring points and are generally very lax on the defensive end. I know UMass is off a game in which they allowed only 64 points but that is certainly the exception rather than the norm for them. The Minutemen had allowed an average of 78 points in 7 games leading up to that one. The Hawks are allowing 83.5 points per game on the road this season. St Joseph's has struggled defending the 3-point shot this season and Massachusetts is known for success from beyond the arc, particularly at home. Two of the last 3 meetings between these teams, including the most recent one here, have totaled 158 points or more. This total opened up at 154 and dropped to a 151.5 in early market action. The Hawks have averaged scoring 80 points per game in their last 3 road games. UMass is averaging 76.5 points per game at home this season where they are also knocking down 39% of their three pointers this season. The over is 7-1 in St Joseph's road games this season. The over is 4-1 when the Minutemen are off an outright upset win as an underdog. Look for these trends to continue in a high-scoring game here. 10* OVER the total in Massachusetts |
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01-29-20 | Temple +6 v. Connecticut | Top | 63-78 | Loss | -108 | 9 h 26 m | Show |
Early Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #793 Wednesday 10* Top Play Temple Owls (+) @ Connecticut Huskies @ 7 ET - Kobe Bryant was a Philadelphia native. Of course the world was rocked by his untimely passing this weekend and you may ask yourself what that has to do with this play though. Plenty! Aaron McKie, the Owls coach, is also a Philly native. Of course Temple is based in Philadelphia. I know emotions and energy and passion can only take you so far on the basketball court but this is absolutely a "rally the troops" game for the Owls. This game is being played at Connecticut but you can bet that the Owls are bringing plenty of energy and passion and emotion from Philly for this game. McKie has had a great message for the team since the passing of Bryant on Sunday. Though the Owls have struggled recently, I am going to take advantage of them getting a half dozen points here against a Huskies team that has also been struggling. It is hard to justify UConn being a 6-point favorite when they have lost 6 of their past 7 games. Also, the Owls have won 3 of the last 4 meetings between these teams and the lone loss came by a margin of 6 points while the average margin of the 3 victories was 17 points. I am aware of De'Vondre Perry and Josh Pierre-Louis both being questionable on the injury report. But I really don't expect Pierre-Louis to miss this game and Perry is off a horrific shooting performance. In fact the entire team shot poorly at Penn in their most recent game and that is why they lost despite taking 20+ more shots from the field than the Quakers. After that very strange and unexpected result, the Owls bounce back here and play a solid 40 for Kobe in this one! 10* TEMPLE |
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01-28-20 | Pelicans v. Cavs +8 | Top | 125-111 | Loss | -105 | 12 h 47 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #546 Tuesday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 7:35 ET - The Cavaliers snapped their losing streak with a big win at Detroit last night. Even though that make this a back to back spot for Cleveland, note that only 1 player logged more than 26 minutes in last night's victory over the Pistons. That player was Collin Sexton and he has played extremely well this season in back to back spots so I have no concern that he logged 38 minutes yesterday. The earliest number on this game had the Pelicans as a 4.5 point favorite but the line is now up to an 8 and this is simply too many points to be giving home dog Cleveland. Yes, I know they have had some ugly losses during their losing streak but coming off a big road win last night will have the confidence of the Cavs trending the right direction. Look for the Cavaliers to go very hard here in a quest for their first home win since prior to Christmas! The Pelicans took both match-ups last season so Cleveland is seeking payback here. The Pelicans are off a big win versus Boston and have a Western Conference foe (Memphis) on deck. Will New Orleans be able to maintain full focus against a 13-34 Cavaliers team? I say absolutely not and this game goes down to the wire. Give me the points! 10* CLEVELAND |
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01-28-20 | Villanova v. St. John's +3.5 | Top | 79-59 | Loss | -115 | 10 h 52 m | Show |
Big East Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #602 Tuesday 10* Top Play St John's Red Storm (+) vs Villanova Wildcats @ 6:30 ET - The Wildcats have been red hot but the Red Storm are known for giving Villanova plenty of trouble. St John's is a perfect 4-0 ATS in their last 4 meetings with the Cats. The Red Storm are 10-3 SU this season and all 3 home losses came by 3 or less points. Getting a big win over a solid Blue Demons team at DePaul Saturday gives the Red Storm a boost of momentum here. They have been ultra competitive but just haven't quite got over the hump in some of their tight games. They could very easily be 13-0 at home and I like the fact that both Figueroa and Heron are coming off huge games Saturday and are now back home where they should be knocking down plenty of shot. Also, the Wildcats Jermaine Samuels is listed as questionable for this game and he is a key contributor for Villanova and won't be 100 percent here if he even plays. The Wildcats defense gets a lot of praise and it is deserved but they do allow 44.2% from the field in road games and the Red Storm allow 39.2% from the field in home games. I look for an upset here. This is the perfect spot with Nova playing a 2nd straight tough road game (they were at Providence Saturday) and I am grabbing the points here. Villanova has now covered B2B games but they are 0-3 ATS in that situation this season. The Red Storm are 7-2 ATS the last 9 times they have been a home underdog. 10* ST JOHN'S |
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01-27-20 | Cavs v. Pistons OVER 220 | Top | 115-100 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 19 m | Show |
Central Division Total of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #527 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Pistons vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:05 ET - Both teams enter off losses by a double digit margin in Saturday's action. The Pistons game did go to OT but Detroit already was on a hot run in terms of "overs" prior to that game. The over is now 14-4 in the Pistons last 18 games. I like looking for overs when two struggling teams are matched up. Neither team has been too focused on the defensive end. Note that Cleveland's games are on a 10-3 run to the over! When these teams are matched up the over is now a perfect 6-0 in their last 6 meetings. Pistons home games are on an 8-1 run to the over. The Cavaliers over is 8-3 when they enter a game on a losing streak of 7 or more games. The over is 12-4 this season when Cleveland enters a game off a home loss. The over is 11-1 this season in Detroit's home games with a posted total of 220 points or more. The Pistons have averaged 116 points per game their last 7 games. They should get even more than that here (against a struggling team) and this game should get into the 230 range and yet is currently in the 220 range as of early Monday morning. 10* OVER the total in Detroit |
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01-27-20 | North Carolina +5.5 v. NC State | Top | 75-65 | Win | 100 | 10 h 5 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #865 Monday 10* Top Play North Carolina Tar Heels (+) @ North Carolina State Wolfpack @ 7 ET - The Tar Heels are having a down season but that has led to great line value in a spot like this. Of course this is a rivalry game with NC State and it is a rivalry which North Carolina has dominated for many years. Now i am not saying that the Wolfpack won't find a way to get the win here but I am saying that UNC has a great shot at the outright upset and, if the Heels do fall short, I look for it to be just by a bucket or two. The Tar Heels enter this game off back to back covers. That included a 2-point loss in overtime at Virginia Tech. Two of North Carolina's last three losses have been by 3 or less points. The Wolfpack are 4-3 SU in their last 7 games but two of those four wins came by 5 or less points and only 1 of the 4 victories was by more than 6 points. A big key for the Tar Heels in their series dominance against NC State has been dominating the boards. Winning the rebounding battle has been a key to long-term success for North Carolina and they are again dominating the boards this season. Look for that to again be a key against a Wolfpack team that has a couple of rotation players (both forwards) that are listed as questionable for this game. The fact that Bates and Andree are both banged up for NC State certainly won't help them in the battle of the boards in this one. That said, I like having the underdog here in a game that means more to them this season than it has in past seasons. Because the Tar Heels are having a rare sub-par season (key early season injuries really hurt them) they have extra motivation here as a sizable dog against a team they have dominated for many seasons. Give me the generous points here! 10* NORTH CAROLINA |
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01-26-20 | Raptors v. Spurs +3 | Top | 110-106 | Loss | -103 | 9 h 21 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #514 Sunday 10* Top Play San Antonio Spurs (+) vs Toronto Raptors @ 4:05 ET - The Spurs are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 meetings with the Raptors. Here San Antonio is at home and coming off a home loss. Nice set up for them. Yes Toronto has been hot but they've played a lot of weak teams lately too. As for the Spurs, they had won 6 of 9 games prior to their home loss to Phoenix. The 6 wins included victories over the Celtics and Bucks and Heat as well as these Raptors. As for Toronto nearly all their recent wins have come against teams with very poor records. That means this situation is flying "under the radar" a bit and I look for the Spurs to take their run to 8-0 ATS in games against Toronto. The Raptors are 4-9 ATS this season in games with a posted total of 220 or more. The Spurs are 14-5 ATS (and SU!) as a home underdog of 6 or less points. I do expect yet another outright upset in that role for SA here but will grab the points as added insurance. 10* SAN ANTONIO |
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01-26-20 | Xavier v. Creighton OVER 142 | Top | 66-77 | Win | 100 | 8 h 12 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #843 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Creighton Bluejays vs Xavier Musketeers @ 4 ET - The Musketeers are off a win over Georgetown but what was surprising was how low-scoring the game was. Don't look for a repeat here and, yes, I know the history of unders between these teams. The last 7 meetings between these teams have stayed under the total but look for this one to snap the trend. Creighton has gone over the total in each of their past 3 games. Each of the 3 games totaled more than 150 points and I expect this one too as well. The Bluejays have shot 48.3% from the field at home this season including 39.6% from three point land. Creighton is averaging 82 points per game at home this season and is a 5-point favorite in this one. So if the Bluejays hit their average here and the spread is in the right range you're looking at an 82-77 type game which blows this total away. The Musketeers, prior to holding the Hoyas to 57 points had allowed an average of 82 points per game their 3 previous games. Look for a lot of points here. 10* OVER the total in Creighton |
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01-26-20 | Michigan State -3 v. Minnesota | Top | 70-52 | Win | 100 | 8 h 51 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #839 Sunday 10* Top Play Michigan State Spartans (-) @ Minnesota Golden Gophers @ 3 ET - The Spartans are off a loss at Indiana but were previously 14-4 this season. They have now lost back to back road games and, though they have a few injury concerns, this is still an ultra-talented high-quality basketball team. They are catching the Golden Gophers at the perfect time to get back on track. Minnesota is off a big win versus Ohio State. That was an upset win on the road for the Golden Gophers and now I look for the Spartans to catch Minny a little flat after that one. Not only is Michigan State 4-0 SU and ATS in their last 4 meetings with Minnesota, they have won each of those games by a margin of 16 points or more! The line opened up at a 4.5 and fell too as low as a 2.5 and, in typical contrarian fashion, I am fading the line move and grabbing the value on the other side of the move. Looking at shooting percentages on the season, the Spartans are the better shooting team and defensive team in comparison with the Golden Gophers. Look for Sparty to bring a very strong effort here off their loss. Grab them off the loss here. 10* MICHIGAN STATE |
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01-25-20 | Dayton v. Richmond OVER 144 | Top | 87-79 | Win | 100 | 10 h 12 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #721 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Richmond Spiders vs Dayton Flyers @ 6 ET - The Spiders lost leading scorer Blake Francis to injury recently. However, the over is 2-1 in the 3 games since he has gone out and Richmond has scored an average of 81 points per game in those 3 games. On the season the Spiders are averaging 80.4 points per game when at home. On Saturday they're hosting a red hot Flyers team. Dayton enters this game having won 8 straight games and they are a scoring machine. The Flyers have averaged 83 points per game on the season and are very consistent in terms of scoring. In their 8 game winning streak Dayton has scored at least 77 points in all 8 victories. This game being played at Richmond certainly is likely to continue the trend. The over is 6-1 in the last 7 meetings between these teams here and the most recent meeting saw the teams combine for 168 points. We're getting some line value here because of Francis being out. Richmond has plenty of scorers other than Francis as they have shown in recent games. At the same time, Dayton likes to play fast and is more concerned with piling up points than playing lockdown defense. That said, the Spiders should score plenty here on their home floor but the Flyers also should remain red hot. Dayton enters this game on a perfect streak of 4-0 to the over their last 4 games. 10* OVER the total in Richmond |
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01-25-20 | Mavs +4 v. Jazz | Top | 107-112 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 35 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #501 Saturday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks (+) @ Utah Jazz @ 5:05 ET - The Mavericks have Kristaps Porzingis back as he will be playing his 3rd game since returning from injury. That is a key "value add" for Dallas and, while Utah has certainly been very hot there is a key to note about the schedule these two teams have faced over the last 6 weeks. Note that the Jazz have played only 3 games against teams that currently have a winning record during this 6 week stretch. As for the Mavs, over the same period of time, they have played 10 teams that currently have a winning record! The point is that a significant reason that Utah has been so hot is their schedule! I like the fact too that this line has gone from a -2.5 to a -4 for the Jazz. The markets are loving the red hot Jazz at home and I am not surprised. But Dallas lost their last visit here by 16 points and it is now payback time here. The Mavericks are an incredible 15-5 SU and 16-4 ATS this season in their road games. Grab the underdog as the fact they have Kristaps Porzingis is being underestimated by the betting markets in this one. I'll gladly the points with the road dog in this one as they have a great shot at the outright upset. 10* DALLAS |
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01-25-20 | Villanova v. Providence +2.5 | Top | 64-60 | Loss | -110 | 6 h 59 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #616 Saturday 10* Top Play Providence Friars (+) vs Villanova Wildcats @ 1 ET - Villanova has been hot but this will be just the third true road game they have played since a "road game" at St Joseph's December 7th and that was in Philly of course. That being said, the Wildcats haven't faced a lot of truly tough road tests that past two months and they are in for one here. The Cats are facing the revenge-minded Friars in this one. Providence has lost 4 straight games to Villanova and this includes getting knocked out of the Big East tournament each of the past two seasons. The Friars are highly motivated here to say the least. Also, Providence is entering this game off B2B losses but both came on the road. The Friars are happy to be back on their home floor where they have won 8 of 10 games this season. The Wildcats are 5-3 on the road this season and their only 2 recent games away from Philly saw them split as they lost at Marquette and then barely snuck by Creighton. Villanova is allowing 71.7 points per game on the road this season while Providence is allowing an average of only 60.5 points per game at home this season. The Wildcats allow 46% shooting from the field on the road while the Friars allow just 39% shooting from the field at home this season. Home court and big-time revenge will play a role in this one and I look for the home team to prevail big here. 10* PROVIDENCE |
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01-24-20 | Rockets v. Wolves OVER 233.5 | Top | 131-124 | Win | 100 | 12 h 48 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #573 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Timberwolves vs Houston Rockets @ 8:05 ET - A big total but definitely justified. The Rockets are off a big win versus the Nuggets and have a rematch at Denver on deck too. After holding the Nuggets to 105 points don't be surprised if Houston suffers a bit of a letdown on defense in this one. The Rockets certainly aren't known for defense in the first place! The same holds true for Minnesota. The Wolves have allowed 114.6 points per game this season and the Rockets have allowed 114 points per game this season. Minnesota has allowed an average of 127 points per game in its last 3 games against Houston. The Rockets most recent visit here stayed under the total but that was preceded by a 5-1 run to the over in meetings between these teams in Minneapolis. These teams have jacked up an average of 87 three pointers per game in their last 3 meetings and, of course, that lends itself well to plenty of points. The Timberwolves are fired up as they have lost 7 straight games and also have not been shooting well of late. Even with that, the over is still 7-3 in Minnesota's last 10 games and I am expecting a bounce back here in a game in which the Rockets will absolutely be willing to run and gun throughout this one. The over is 5-2 this season when Houston enters a game having lost 2 of their 3 prior games. The over is 23-12 when the Wolves are a home dog. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota |
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01-24-20 | Kent State +4.5 v. Buffalo | Top | 70-66 | Win | 100 | 10 h 52 m | Show |
Early Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #851 Friday 10* Top Play Kent State Golden Flashes (+) @ Buffalo Bulls @ 6:30 ET - The very first line that opened on this game had the Bulls, at home, as the slimmest of favorites. Now the line is all the way up to a solid 4 across the board as of early game day morning. Long-time followers know how I feel about a move like this. I like what I am seeing with the Golden Flashes here. Yes they have lost 3 straight games but this is a solid Kent State team that returned 4 starters this season while last season's MAC East champions returned just 2 starters. Yes Buffalo comes into this one as the hotter team with 4 straight wins while the Flashes have lost 3 straight. However, you don't think the odds makers were aware of this when they set the line? This is the PERFECT spot for Kent State to bounce back. The Golden Flashes also have lost 4 straight games to the Bulls including a blowout loss by 23 points in their visit here last season. The season prior to that was when Buffalo knocked Kent State out of the MAC Tournament with a 17 point blowout win. Suffice to say the Golden Flashes have had this game circled on their calendars. The Bulls had a great season last year but Kent State truly has closed the gap this season. The fact is, despite recent results, there is no gap now. I am taking the Golden Flashes plus the points but I am expecting the outright upset in a huge revenge game. Kent State is 3-0 ATS when they enter a game on a 3-game losing streak. The Golden Flashes are 3-0 ATS this season as a road dog of 6 or less points and they won all 3 of those games SU! The Bulls are 2-5 ATS when they are off an ATS win this season. 10* KENT STATE |
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01-24-20 | Bucks v. Hornets +14 | Top | 116-103 | Win | 100 | 8 h 50 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #562 Friday 10* Top Play Charlotte Hornets (+) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 3:05 ET (game play in Paris) - Sometimes strange results happen. That was evident in the first meeting between these teams this season. On the final day of November, these teams met in Milwaukee. The Hornets had 5 more shot attempts from the field than the Bucks and yet lost the game by a margin of 41 points! That is helping to offer line value here as now this game is being played on a neutral floor and yet the the line is in the 14 range just like the first meeting at Milwaukee. The fact this game is in Paris makes it practically a "Super Bowl" game for Charlotte. In an otherwise disappointing season, the Hornets know this is an opportunity to win a huge game on "the big stage" in the first ever regular season game played in France. The Hornets are still alive in the Eastern Conference playoff race but odds are not good with the way their season has been going. This includes a current 7-game losing streak for Charlotte while Milwaukee enters this game having won 7 straight. Also, the Bucks have their sights set on an NBA Championship. I foresee them winning this game of course but only by single digits as the Hornets aren't going to go down without a helluva fight. Ugly losses for Charlotte in their two most recent games and also in that first meeting at Milwaukee. Before failing to cover their most recent road game, the Hornets were on a 4-1 ATS run in road games. The Bucks are on a 2-5 ATS run in games in which they are a double digit favorite. Milwaukee is 1-4 ATS this season when off a home win against a divisional foe. The Hornets are 3-0 ATS this season when off a loss against a divisional foe. 10* CHARLOTTE |
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01-23-20 | Wizards v. Cavs OVER 232 | Top | 124-112 | Win | 100 | 12 h 14 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #555 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Cavaliers vs Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - The Wizards are off an OT loss at Miami last night. However, when you look at minutes played, Washington actually spread the workload quite well. You don't see excessively heavy minutes for anyone really and, in essence, that makes this a normal back to back situation. The over is 22-12 (including 4-1 this season) when the Wizards are playing the 2nd game of a back to back. As for the Cavaliers, they are off an embarrassing home loss on Monday in which they had a horrific shooting night and scored just 86 points. Note that the over is 10-4 this season when Cleveland is off a home loss. Also, prior to that under, the Cavaliers had been 8-2 to the over so far this month. The Cavs are fired up after their embarrassing performance against an equally bad Knicks team. Their game plan tonight, coming in rested and with the Wizards in the 2nd night of a back to back, is to try and run Washington right out of the arena. Of course the Wizards do like to play fast so the result is a game with a ton of points that will look like a track meet with guys running up and down the floor and trying to get quick open shots in transition. Yesterday's Washington game had a total of 229 and that flew over the total (in regulation too) and plus the Wizards entered that game having gone 8-2 to the over this season in road games with a posted total of 230 or more. Tonight's Cavaliers game falls into that category and I look for another high-scoring match-up. Washington plays this game with revenge from a home loss to the Cavs and the over is 8-4 this season when playing with same season revenge. 10* OVER the total in Cleveland |
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01-23-20 | Minnesota v. Ohio State -8 | Top | 62-59 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 39 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #604 Thursday 10* Top Play Ohio State Buckeyes (-) vs Minnesota Golden Gophers @ 6:30 ET - Situations mean a lot in the outcome of games. The last time the Buckeyes faced the Golden Gophers it was at Minnesota and Ohio State was off a huge home blowout win over Penn State. The Buckeyes ended up getting blown out by the Gophers by double digits. This situation, which of course also now includes a revenge angle for Ohio State, is entirely different. This time the Buckeyes are off a double digit loss at Penn State and are now back home looking to bounce back strong. Ohio State is 10-1 SU in home games this season and allowing just 56.4 points per game there. I know they have struggled overall in recent weeks but look for home cooking to get them back on track in this game. It helps that they're facing a Minnesota team which is just 1-6 SU in road games this season and has allowed 70.9 points per game in those match-ups. Prior to the blowout loss at Minnesota last month, the Buckeyes won the prior two meetings each by 18 or more points! The Golden Gophers were held below 40% from the field in each of those meetings and Minnesota is not going to shoot a ridiculous 54.4% from the field again like they did in last month's meeting. The Buckeyes defense, known for being tough at home, will be in full-on lock-down mode here. 10* OHIO STATE |
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01-23-20 | Delaware v. Hofstra OVER 146 | Top | 73-71 | Loss | -109 | 10 h 58 m | Show |
CAA Total of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #601 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Hofstra Pride vs Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens @ 6:30 ET - The Fightin' Blue Hens shoot the ball very well including on the road. The Pride are not a good team defensively. Delaware's games are on an 8-2 run to the over in their past 10. Hofstra has averaged scoring 87 points per game in its last 3 meetings with the Fightin' Blue Hens. Additionally, the Pride have scored an average of 90.5 points per game in their last two home games against Delaware. Hofstra enters this game having averaged 76.5 points per game in its last 4 games and 3 of those were on the road. At home this season the Pride are averaging 81.9 points per game. Delaware is making 47.3% of its shots from the field on the road and even is hitting 36% of three pointers on the road as well. The Pride are hitting 45.6% of their shots from the field at home and they like to play with pace and will dictate an uptempo game here on their home floor. The Fightin' Blue Hens have allowed an average of 79 points per game in their past 3 games. The Pride have allowed 81.5 points per game in their last two home games. Hofstra's shooting is red hot their last 4 games. Delaware has also been shooting the ball well (as their shot has traveled well this season) in road games including knocking down 57.4% of its shots at Villanova last month. Last 5 road games the Fighting Blue Hens hitting nearly 50% from the field. When Delaware is off an ATS loss they've gone 24-11 to the over including 6-1 this season. When the Pride are off a loss they've gone 14-6 to the over including 3-1 this season. 10* OVER the total in Hofstra |
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01-22-20 | 76ers +6.5 v. Raptors | Top | 95-107 | Loss | -104 | 11 h 14 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #539 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76'ers (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7 ET - Both teams come into this one on 4-game winning streaks but each have played weak teams so call that a draw. That said, even without Joel Embiid, the Sixers offer great value as a sizable dog in this spot. They were knocked out of the post-season by the Raptors in May. They got some revenge with an early December home win over the Raptors but they did lose their earlier match-up this season at Toronto. The 76ers have a recent history of struggling in games played at Toronto. As a result, look for a highly motivated and intense road dog taking the court at Scotiabank Arena tonight. The Raptors are just 2-4 SU in their last 6 games against teams with a winning record. The Sixers are 10-5 ATS (11-4 SU) this season when off a game in which they scored 115 points or more. Toronto is as high as a 6.5 point favorite in spots this morning but many books have them at -6. I would not be surprised if the line stays there or falls even lower. The Raptors are 3-6 ATS this season when they are a home favorite of 6 points or less. That said, Toronto is in for an all-out war here and I am grabbing the value with the underdog. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-22-20 | Kings v. Pistons OVER 222 | Top | 106-127 | Win | 100 | 11 h 41 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #531 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Pistons vs Sacramento Kings @ 7:05 ET - The Pistons total burned me Monday at Washington when the teams had a great first half but then both teams struggled to score in the second half. With Detroit back at home for this one, I expect to get immediate payback here as they host the Kings. Note that the Pistons are 5-1 to the over in their last 6 home games. Overall Detroit was on an 11-3 run to the over before their ugly low-scoring loss to the Wizards Monday. As for Sacramento, they enter this game having recorded overs in 5 straight games overall. Also, in Kings road games, the over is on a 5-1 run. Both these teams struggle defensively but have also been scoring well of late. It is the perfect recipe for a non-conference match-up with very little defensive intensity to fly over the total. 10* OVER the total in Detroit |
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01-22-20 | Penn State +5 v. Michigan | Top | 72-63 | Win | 100 | 9 h 7 m | Show |
Early Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #787 Wednesday 10* Top Play Penn State Nittany Lions (+) @ Michigan Wolverines @ 7 ET - Yes the Nittany Lions are off a huge win over Ohio State. However, they certainly aren't going to overlook a game at Michigan either. Also, this is Penn State's final game until a week from today so they want to enter this break in the schedule by maintaining momentum after the big win over the Buckeyes. I am happy to challenge Michigan to cover this spread as they are likely to struggle just in terms of getting a SU win here. I say that because the Wolverines have struggled in games with lines in the single digits. Michigan is on a 3-5 SU streak and 2 of those wins were "gimme games" against Presbyterian and UMass-Lowell as the Wolverines were favored by 20+ in each of those contests. As for the other 6 games during this 8-game stretch, Michigan went 1-5 SU and the lone win against a quality opponent was one in which the Wolverines were a bit fortunate in beating Purdue by 6 points as that was a DOUBLE OT game. Michigan's 2nd leading scorer, Isaiah Livers, has been out and has been downgraded to doubtful for tonight's game. That is certainly hurting the Wolverines. Also, Penn State is seeking revenge from losing by a double digit margin in their last visit to Ann Arbor. The Nittany Lions are holding opponents to a 39.5% shooting percentage this season. In Michigan's last 5 games, they have allowed opponents to hit 47.6% from the field and that including the blowout win over UMass-Lowell. That said, note that the Wolverines have allowed 51% shooting or higher from the field in 3 of their last 4 games! 10* PENN STATE |
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01-22-20 | Georgetown v. Xavier OVER 148 | Top | 57-66 | Loss | -109 | 9 h 28 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #781 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Xavier Musketeers vs Georgetown Hoyas @ 6:30 ET - These teams are known for playing high-scoring games and the set-up here is perfect for another one. Not only is the over 7-1 in the last 8 meetings between these teams, the lone under did total 153 points. That means that, at the current total (148) posted on this game, the over would be on a perfect 8-0 run in this series! The reason the set-up is ideal too is because the Musketeers are at home and have lost 3 straight games. In the past two they scored just 65 points in each game and they enter this game after a week off. Xavier can't wait to get on the floor and run and gun against a Hoyas team that certainly is not known for its defense! One thing that Georgetown can do, however, is score very well as they are averaging 79 points per game on the season. The Hoyas have scored 80 points or more in 3 of their last 4 games. However, Georgetown also has allowed 80 points or more in 3 straight games. I would not be surprised to see this game get into the 160s and we only need 150s to be a winner. Recent trending toward the under over the last few weeks overall has led to a lower total here than we would have otherwise seen and I won't hesitate in taking advantage of it. 10* OVER the total in Xavier |
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01-21-20 | Butler +4.5 v. Villanova | Top | 61-76 | Loss | -101 | 12 h 6 m | Show |
PA Insider - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #601 Tuesday 10* Top Play Butler Bulldogs (+) @ Villanova Wildcats @ 7 ET - The earliest line on this game was Villanova -2.5 and, of course, it jumped up to a 4.5 as of early game day morning. Of course the move makes sense because the Wildcats have won 4 straight meetings between these teams and the Bulldogs enter this game off back to back SU losses even though they were a favorite in each game. You know how I feel about spots like these. I am happy to fade the move here as this Nova team is not as strong as those in recent seasons and yet Butler is very strong this season but coming in undervalued here because they are off those B2B losses. Of course Villanova flashes a perfect home record so the masses jumped all over them laying the short number here. The Bulldogs, prior to their loss at DePaul, were 6-1 SU on the road this season. Also, that was the first time this season that Butler suffered an ATS or SU loss when coming off an ATS loss. That said, look for the Bulldogs to respond here and improve to 5-1 SU and ATS this season when they enter a game off an ATS loss. Villanova drops to 2-7 ATS when they enter a game off a home win. Look for the outright upset here but I am grabbing the points as added insurance. 10* BUTLER |
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01-21-20 | Florida v. LSU OVER 143 | Top | 82-84 | Win | 100 | 11 h 49 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #611 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in LSU Tigers vs Florida Gators @ 7 ET - This total has dropped from an early opener of 146.5 to a 143 and there a few reasons for that. One is that the Tigers are without guard Charles Manning, Jr. However, they already won their first game without him and he is a solid player but certainly his absence is not a huge one for the team. Another reason for the downward move on this total is because Florida has allowed an average of just 51 points per game in their last two games. However, those games were at home and now the Gators are on the road and they allowed 91 points in their most recent game away from home. Florida has allowed an average of 78 points per game in its last 3 true road games. As for the other end of the floor, the Gators have averaged scoring 83.7 points per game in their last 6 games. LSU has averaged 80 points per game this season and I am looking for plenty of points here. The over is 4-1 in the Tigers last 5 games and the over is also 4-1 in the Gators last 5 games played away from home. The last 3 meetings between these teams have all gone over the total. Look for this one to fly over the total as well and we'll take advantage of the downward line move here. 10* OVER the total in LSU |
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01-20-20 | NC State +5 v. Virginia | Top | 53-51 | Win | 100 | 13 h 37 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #873 Monday 10* Top Play NC State Wolfpack (+) @ Virginia Cavaliers @ 7 ET - The Cavaliers knocked the Wolfpack out of the ACC Tourney with a dominating 20 point win in March. Virginia outscored NC State by 21 points from 3-point land and that was the difference in the game as the Wolfpack had a horrible shooting night. This season's NC State is the best Wolfpack team in terms of depth and experience that we have seen in quite some time. That said, I also like the fact that they are knocking down 33% of their threes this season while Virginia has been held to 26.7% from beyond the arc. Of course I respect the Cavs defense but this year's team is a few notches down from recent Cavaliers teams and the Wolfpack are highly motivated here. They view this game as a "measuring stick" game and want to prove they can measure up against a Virginia team that has been a bit of a nemesis for them in recent seasons. I fully expect NC State to do just that! The Cavaliers are off a tight win at Georgia Tech but had previously lost 3 straight games. Also, the Cavs had failed to cover 6 of 7 prior to getting the ATS win against the Yellow Jackets. The Wolfpack are off a non-covering win versus Clemson and are a perfect 5-0 SU and ATS this season when entering a game having failed to cover 2 of their last 3 games. Virginia is 0-9 ATS this season when they enter game having allowed 60 points or less in each of their last two games. Double perfect situation here for the road dog. Grab the points. 10* NC STATE |
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01-20-20 | 76ers v. Nets +2.5 | Top | 117-111 | Loss | -109 | 9 h 17 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #506 Monday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets (+) vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 3:05 ET - The Nets have extra motivation against the 76ers and are getting much healthier. They recently welcomed back Kyrie Irving plus Caris LeVert. Additionally, Joe Harris and Garrett Temple - both missed Saturday's blowout loss versus Bucks - are expected back here. So, while the Sixers are still without big man Joel Embiid, Brooklyn is getting healthy again and they are motivated not only by last season's playoff series loss to Philly, the Nets also seek revenge for a loss at Philadelphia last week punctuated by a bad fourth quarter. Brooklyn knows they let one slip away and they want to make up for that here with a huge effort here at home where they blasted the 76ers by a 20 point margin earlier this season. The Sixers are off a tight road win at the Knicks and that was Philadelphia's 5th consecutive ATS loss on the road. Though Philly won the game straight up at New York, they entered that game with a 7-14 SU record on the road this season. Up next for the 76ers is a big game at Toronto - the city where their season ended last year on that playoff series-clinching shot (the infamous one) by Kawhi Leonard. That said, this is a very bad spot for the Sixers and a good one for a Nets team that is home off an ugly loss and getting key rotation players back on the floor. 10* BROOKLYN |
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01-20-20 | Pistons v. Wizards OVER 232.5 | Top | 100-106 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 47 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #501 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Wizards vs Detroit Pistons @ 2:05 ET - The over is on an 11-3 run in Pistons games. Detroit scored 136 points at Atlanta on Saturday. The Wizards allowed 140 points at Toronto on Friday. Now two teams that are both content to play at a fast pace and that focus very little on the defensive end are matched up in what should be a track meet. The over is 3-1 in the last 4 meetings between these teams. Washington averages 116 points per game at home this season but the Wizards also are allowing 120 points per game. That is why, though this total is a big one, I have no hesitation in grabbing the over in this match-up! The line is right around a pick'em in this game and in a match-up where the Wizards have a chance to win it generally means to expect a ton of points because this team simply does not play defense! In games with a posted total of 230 or more points, the over is 13-6 in Wizards games this season. Washington is playing this game with road loss revenge and that is a situation that has seen the over go 11-3 this season. Detroit is 4-1 to the over this season when off a game in which they scored 120 points or more. Indeed, expect a track meet style of play in this one. 10* OVER the total in Washington |