Scott Rickenbach

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #15 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Wild vs Colorado Avalanche @ 8:05 ET - The Avs are off a rare shutout win. Prior to that, the Avalanche had allowed 3 or more goals in 4 of their previous 5 games. Also, Colorado is 9-3 to the over (including 3-1 this season) when off a game in which they shut out their opponent. The Avs are also 7-2 to the over in Tuesday games this season and 6-3 to the over this season when they are off 3 or more consecutive home games. Now the Avalanche are at Minnesota tonight. There have only been two unders in the last 6 meetings between these teams. Also, those 6 games have all totaled at least 5 goals and the average has been 7 goals per game. Tonight's total is a 5.5 and the Wild are 10-6 to the over in their last 16 games against teams with a losing record. The Avalanche are 5 for 17 on the power play in their last 5 road games. The Wild are 4 for 10 on the power play in their last 3 home games. Minnesota has allowed an average of 4 goals per game in their last 5 games. I see no reason that each team won't get to 3 goals in this one given all of the above factors. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota

PA Insider - Rickenbach NHL Game #8 Tuesday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - It isn't always a thing of beauty but the fact is the Flyers continue to find a way to stay alive in the race for a post-season spot. One of the teams also alive is the Canadiens but this is clearly a case of two hockey clubs going different directions. The Habs play in high-pressure hockey-crazed Montreal and the extra intensity of a late-season push for the playoffs certainly is getting to them. The Canadiens have lost 11 of their last 17 games. Also, Montreal has lost 8 of their last 11 road games! The Flyers have won 20 of their last 29 games and Philly has been particularly tough on home ice. Also, the Canadiens have lost 21 of 35 road games with a posted total of 6 or more goals. The Flyers have won 13 of 22 this season when off a divisional game and, though off a big game with the Penguins, they've gone 2-0 L2 in their game immediately following the Penguins. More of the same expected here. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Game #4 Tuesday Free Pick Carolina Hurricanes Money Line (-) vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The Penguins are off back to back losses and have lost 15 of their last 29 games! Also, Pittsburgh has lost 9 of its last 15 road games. That said, the moderate price here with a streaking Hurricanes team seems well worth it! Carolina has won 23 of its last 33 games and it is evident the Canes have been the much hotter team since the calendar turned the page to 2019. The Hurricanes will take advantage of a Penguins team dealing with quite a few injury issues including Evgeni Malkin whom is out indefinitely. Free Pick CAROLINA 

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #551 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - The 76ers have Boston on deck and also will be resting Joel Embiid tonight. As a result, many will be looking the way of the Hornets in this one tonight. However, Charlotte is 0-9 SU in their last 9 games against the Sixers. Also, the Hornets play in the weakest division in the NBA. Even though Charlotte fell short at Miami Saturday, they are still 10-5 against Southeast Division opponents. That means that the Hornets are a horrible 21-33 against the rest of the league! They now host a Sixers team that is 45-25 on the season! Also, Philly is 8-1 SU its last 9 versus teams with a losing record. The Hornets are 3-10 SU their last 13 versus teams with a winning record. Charlotte is also a long-term 14-36 ATS (16-34 SU) against Atlantic Division opponents. The Hornets enter this game on a 4-10 SU run and 3-11 ATS run. Also, even though Philly has the Celtics on deck, they are well aware of the fact that they are in a huge battle with the Indiana and Boston in terms of the 3,4,5 seeding in the Eastern Conference. Dropping to 5th means no home court edge in the opening series. In other words, with just a dozen regular season games left, every W counts. Look for the 76ers to get this W against an out-classed Charlotte team as the Sixers make it 10 in a row over the Hornets. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #672 Tuesday 10* Top Play Temple Owls (+) vs Belmont Bruins @ 9:10 ET - The Bruins have the better record and the betting markets strongly favor them in this match-up. Of course you know what that usually means! The fact is that the first number that popped up off-shore on this game had the line at very nearly a pick'em. Now it has been driven all the way up to a -3.5 on Belmont! This is offering tremendous underdog line value to a Temple team that has a long-time veteran coach (Fran Dunphy) and that has played a much tougher schedule this season than the Bruins. Yes Belmont has a very high-scoring offense but keep in mind the competition that they faced. Also, the Owls are 16-6 ATS their last 22 games against teams that average 77 points or more per game! The Bruins are 3-6 ATS their last 9 tournament games. Specific to the NCAA Tourney Belmont is a long-term 0-7 SU (2-5 ATS). The Bruins are a long-term 1-3 ATS when they are a neutral court favorite in a range of 3.5 to 6 points. Temple is on a 7-3 ATS run in games with a posted total in the 150s. Additionally, the Owls went 4-0 SU in games with a posted total in the 150s this season. They will call this one an upset when it goes into the books but truly the earliest of the first numbers posted on this game (right around a pick'em) had it right! Grab the extra value of the points but we should not need them. 10* TEMPLE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #669 Tuesday 8* Fairleigh Dickinson Knights vs Prairie View A & M Panthers @ 6:40 ET - The Panthers have 11 games in a row. Over that same stretch the Knights are 9-2 SU. The odds makers must have made an egregious error here since they made Fairleigh Dickinson the favorite, right? Of course long-time followers know how I feel about that and, the fact is, it is with good reason that Prairie View A & M is the underdog in this match-up. Though the Panthers are solid in the backcourt their weakness is in the frontcourt. Look for the Knights to hold an edge on the glass in this one. Also, the Panthers went 2-7 ATS this season in non-conference games while the Knights went 6-3 ATS in their non-conference games this season. The Panthers are 2-8 ATS (including 1-5 ATS this season) when off a game in which they allowed 80 or more points. The Knights are an incredible 13-2 ATS (including 6-0 ATS in recent seasons) in games played in the month of March. 8* FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON