Scott Rickenbach Free Sports Picks & Handicapper Review

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #77 Monday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (-) @ Dallas Stars @ 8:05 ET - Both hockey clubs coming off extended breaks as they had the All Star break off plus a few days off prior to that. This situation sets up very well for the revenge-minded Bolts. Tampa Bay lost at home in overtime against Dallas last month despite a 48-20 edge in shots on goal. It was truly a "bad beat" loss for Andrei Vasilevskiy and the Lightning but they responded immediately and have never looked back! Tampa Bay entered the All Star break having won 12 of 14 games and Vasilevskiy has won 10 straight starts since the loss to the Stars. As for Dallas, they lost 3 of 4 games prior to the break and that included an embarrassing 7-0 loss at Minnesota. The Lightning are off an embarrassing game too but they were on the right end of it as it was a 7-1 win at Winnipeg! Tampa is a perfect 5-0 this season when playing with 3 or more days of rest between games. Keep in mind the Bolts did win both meetings with Dallas last season and those victories came by a combined score of 8 to 0. The Stars enter this game having scored an average of 1.5 goals per game in regulation time their last 6 games. The Lightning have scored an average of 4 goals per game in regulation time their 14 games. These two teams have been trending opposite directions and the revenge angle as well as the fair price (since TB is on the road) has me elevating this play to my highest level - a top play rating. 10* TAMPA BAY

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

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