Sports Handicapper Scott Rickenbach's Picks & Predictions

Hidden Gem - Rickenbach NBA Game #519 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Atlanta Hawks @ 7:35 ET - I am calling this a hidden gem because the fact it is that on a Saturday when the NCAA Tournament is going in full force there is simply very little attention being paid to the NBA. That works in our favor here as this line should be much higher than an 8. This is a revenge game for Philadelphia as they suffered a home loss at the hands of the Hawks in January. While it is true that the 76ers are off a much needed revenge win over the Celtics, it is also true that they have had two full off days since that game and after facing the Hawks they face another team, Orlando, that also has a losing record on the season. The point is that even if the Sixers start off a bit sluggish in Atlanta their superior talent level is eventually going to lead to a double digit win. Keep in mind the Hawks also, it could be argued, are in a flat spot here. That is because they just rallied for an upset win over the Jazz on Thursday. Prior to that win the Hawks had lost 10 of their last 15 games. The 76ers enter this game having won 6 straight games. Atlanta is 5-11 ATS in games against teams from the Atlantic Division this season. Philly is a long-term 37-18 ATS (including 6-2 ATS this season) when playing with home loss revenge. Also, the Sixers are 11-3 ATS when off a divisional game this season. In other words, even though they are off that big win over the Celtics, don't be surprised when the 76'ers eventually roll to a road rout win at Atlanta on Saturday night. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Situational Shocker - Rickenbach NHL Game #65 Saturday 8* Buffalo Sabres Money Line (+) @ Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - The Canadiens are a 2 to 1 favorite here on the money line but, in my mind, it is not justifiable. Montreal is in a very tricky scheduling spot here as they are off back to back wins against two other teams in the playoff race and the Canadiens have a huge game on deck with another playoff-caliber team Carolina. That makes this a potential "pitfall game" for the Habs and, keep in mind, they had lost 11 of their last 17 games prior to those back to back wins. The fact is that Montreal has a knack for folding under late season playoff pressure and the Sabres come into this game as a division rival that would love to have a hand in keeping the Canadiens out of the post-season. Keep in mind, Buffalo is already a perfect 3-0 against the Habs this season and it is no fluke as the Sabres have outshot them by an average margin of 7 shots per game. While Buffalo will be playing loose and relaxed, the Canadiens are squeezing the sticks a little too tight as they feel the pressure. This is particularly true in hockey-crazed Montreal where the Habs essentially play under a microscope. The Sabres have shown the ability to surprise teams as their 4 most recent wins have come against the Blues, Capitals, Penguins, and Islanders. They were a dog in all 4 of those games and, though wins have been infrequent for Buffalo of late, this is the type of "step up" game in which the Sabres have excelled. Though some will argue that Montreal has revenge here, the fact is that the Canadiens have lost 80 of their last 131 (-$33,400!) when they're playing with revenge. 8* BUFFALO

Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Game #60 Saturday Free Pick Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs New York Islanders @ 1:05 ET - The Islanders are off back to back shutout losses and scoring goals continues to be a problem. New York has averaged only 1.4 goals per game in their last 7 games. In 6 of those 7 games the Islanders have been held to 2 or less goals. The Flyers are a modest 8-5 their last 13 games but Philadelphia has scored an average of 3.6 goals per game during this 13 game stretch. Philly has scored at least 3 goals in 10 of their last 13 games. The Islanders are playing this game with home loss revenge but that is a situation that has seen them lose 11 of 19 this season. The Flyers have won the last two games against the Islanders by a combined score of 9 to 3 and are playing with desperation as they fight to remain alive in the playoff race. Look for them to get a key home ice win as they are off rare back to back home losses and previously had won 11 of their last 15 as a host. Free Pick PHILADELPHIA

PA Insider - Rickenbach CBB Game #837 Saturday 10* Top Play Villanova Wildcats (+) vs Purdue Boilermakers @ 9 ET - Everyone is gunning for the national champions of course and it does make sense that the higher seed in this match-up would be the favorite. However, the result for us simply means exceptional line value. The defending champion Wildcats have been an underdog 5 times this season. The result has been a perfect 5-0 ATS mark in those games with 3 outright upsets. As for Purdue, they are a long-term 6-11 ATS in neutral court games where they are favored in a range of 3.5 to 6 points. Also, the most recent seasons in that role have seen the Boilermakers go 0-3 and two of the three losses were outright upsets which is what I am expecting here. Though Nova lost some key players from last season's team, they certainly are not without veteran leadership. Also, the Wildcats Jay Wright is absolutely one of the top coaches in the nation. This is a tough team to beat let alone beat by a couple buckets. Over the past 5 weeks Villanova hasn't been covering many of their games and this has resulted in diminished perception in the marketplace when it comes to the Wildcats. That leads to value in a spot like this because the Cats still have won 6 of their last 7 games SU and seem to be getting hot again at the perfect time. Purdue has not been shooting the ball well of late and they had lost 2 of 3 prior to knocking off an Old Dominion team that simply had a horrific shooting performance in their match-up Thursday. Also, the Boilers are on an 0-4 ATS run the last 4 times they've been a favorite of 6.5 points or less. Their struggles in that role continue here and I expect the upset but am happy to grab the generous points being offered. 10* VILLANOVA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #840 Saturday 8* Florida State Seminoles (-) vs Murray State Racers @ 6:10 ET - The Racers are getting some love from the betting public after their big win over Marquette Thursday. However, the Golden Eagles don't have near the defensive capability that the Seminoles do. Look for Florida State's size and length to cause some issues for Murray State in this one. This line opened up as high as a 6 and has dropped to a 4.5 and there is great value here with laying a small number on FSU. The Seminoles have seen 25 of their 28 wins come by a margin of at least 5 points. In other words, if you expect the Noles to win this game, you can also can expect a high-percentage chance at covering the rather small number in this one. As for the Racers, they only have 4 SU losses on the season but all 4 came by at least a margin of 5 points. As you would expect given the different conferences these schools call home, Florida State has played a much tougher schedule than has Murray State. Also, the Racers are 2-7 ATS in a neutral court game with a posted total between 145 and 149.5 points. The Seminoles, unlike the Golden Eagles, do have the defenders needed to slow down Murray State's Ja Morant. That is a big key as to why this one will play out much differently for the Racers than their match-up with Marquette did. 8* FLORIDA STATE

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #844 Saturday 8* Kentucky Wildcats (-) vs Wofford Terriers @ 2:40 ET - The Terriers have won 22 straight games and are on a 13-1 ATS run. The betting public is well aware of that and is known for falling in love with the upstart underdog teams in the Big Dance. This has led to tremendously strong line value here on Kentucky. Yes it is the Wildcats first Big Dance for the young starters but their talent level is much greater than that of Wofford. Think about who the Terriers have played throughout this season and then think about all the quality teams that the Wildcats have gone toe to toe with throughout this season. Getting the Cats at a -5 here is an absolute bargain. Wofford actually only led Seton Hall by 1 point with under 5 minutes to go in their win over the Pirates. Certainly the Terriers deserve credit for their huge win and the fact that they close the game on a 17-2 run. However, the point is that this kind of late game run isn't happening here. This is not Seton Hall, this is a basketball program that is annually one of the best in the country. I can foresee Wofford hanging around in this one for awhile but eventually the talent of Kentucky takes over in this one. In non-conference action this season the Terriers did face some tougher teams. However, other than an upset win over South Carolina, note that Wofford lost to Mississippi State, North Carolina, Kansas, and Oklahoma. All 4 of those losses came by double digits. There is no reason to expect anything different here despite the betting markets current love affair with Wofford. 8* KENTUCKY

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #841 Saturday 8* Maryland Terrapins (+) vs LSU Tigers @ 12:10 ET - Both teams are off non-covering wins in the first round. For the Terrapins that makes them 1-4 ATS their last 5 games. On the season, when Maryland has entered a game having failed to cover the spread in 4 of their 5 prior games, they've covered their next game every single time. This will be the fourth such occurrence this season and I expect their record in this situation to improve to 4-0 ATS. As for the Tigers, they are now an ugly 5-9 ATS in neutral court games since the start of the 2016-17 season. Going further back, and specific to neutral court games where their line has ranged from a pick'em to a -3, LSU is a poor 6-10 ATS. In terms of a statistical analysis here, the Terrapins are the much better defensively and they also shoot the 3-ball better. I am expecting an upset but happy to grab the points being offered. 8* MARYLAND