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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, MLB, UCL and NHL Previews and Odds - 04/30/2025

The Wednesday sports card features NBA, NHL, MLB, and UCL action.The National Basketball Association continues its playoff season with two games on TNT. The Houston Rockets host the Golden State Warriors at 7:35 p.m. ET as a 4-point favorite, with the total set at 203.5 (all odds from DraftKings). The Los Angeles Lakers play at home against the Minnesota  Timberwolves at 10:05 p.m. ET as a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 209.The National Hockey League playoffs continue with three games on its slate. The Washington Capitals are home against the Montreal Canadiens on ESPN at 7:10 p.m. ET as a -192 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Tampa Bay Lightning host the Florida Panthers on ESPN2  at 7:40 p.m. ET as a -112 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Winnipeg Jets play at home against the St. Louis Blues on ESPN at 9:40 p.m. ET as a -175 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. Major League Baseball has 16 games on its schedule. The Cincinnati Reds are home against the St. Louis Cardinals in the opening game of their doubleheader at 12:40 p.m. ET as a -148 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Houston Astros play at home against the Detroit Tigers as a -120 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Two more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 3:10 p.m. ET. The Atlanta Braves travel to Colorado to take on the Rockies as a -250 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 10. The Los Angeles Dodgers are home against the Miami Marlins as a -298 money-line favorite with a total of 9.5.Two MLB games start at 4:10 p.m. ET. The Seattle Mariners host the Los Angeles Angels as a -148 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The San Diego Padres play at home against the San Francisco Giants as a -135 money-line favorite with a total of 7. The Minnesota Twins play in Cleveland against the Guardians at 6:10 p.m. ET as a -130 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The New York Yankees are in Baltimore to battle the Orioles at 6:35 p.m. ET a a -118 money-line road favorite with a total of 10.Two MLB games begin at 6:40 p.m. ET. The Chicago Cubs visit Pittsburgh to play the Pirates as a -175 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Reds are home against the Cardinals in the second game of their doubleheader as a -122 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The Philadelphia Phillies host the Washington Nationals at 6:45 p.m. ET as a -225 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Tampa Bay Rays play at home against the Kansas City Royals at 7:05 p.m. ET as a -185 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Boston Red Sox play in Toronto against the Blue Jays at 7:07 p.m. ET. The Arizona Diamondbacks are in New York to challenge the Mets at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Milwaukee Brewers visit Chicago to play the White Sox at 7:40 p.m. ET as a -162 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Texas Rangers are home against the Athletics at 8:05 p.m. ET as a -155 money-line favorite with a total of 8.The first leg of the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League concludes on CBS at 3 PM ET. Barcelona hosts Inter Milan as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5.

Brasileirão Série A Prop Futures (2025 Season)

The Brasileirão Série A season started back on March 28 and there have been 6 rounds played already. There are still 32 rounds left in the season so there are plenty of matches still to be played and a lot can change throughout that time. Botafogo is the defending champion from last season, but they did not gain a steady lead at the top of the table until Round 22 and there was plenty of fluctuation prior to that. There are plenty of different ways to bet on the 2025 Brasileirão season though, not just betting on a club to win it all, and there is lots of value to be found in some of the other markets. Now with the season getting into full swing, it is time to see what markets have value to be taken advantage of.  To Finish Top 4 Internacional +120: Internacional has some value at this price to finish in the top 4 this season. They finished in 5th place last season and have been in the top 5 of the league twice over the last 3 years, but they have made a lot of improvements to their team this year. They have had a great defense over the last few years, but now they have added some more quality to their attack and their midfield, along with some good depth as well. They have other competitions to worry about like Copa Libertadores, but they cannot rely on winning the competition to get back in next season so they still have to focus on the league and they have the quality to be near the top for most of the season. It is very likely that both Flamengo and Palmeiras will be 2 of the teams in the top 4, but Internacional can certainly hold their own against those clubs and can keep themselves in the top 4. Their defense will keep them in the tougher matches with a chance to come away with something positive, and their attack has improved a lot from previous years. There is some good value in Internacional to finish in the top 4 at this price.  Ceara +2500: Ceara has a lot of value at this price to finish in the top 4 this season. Ceara was a relegated team 3 seasons ago and they have spent the last 2 years in Serie B. They finally got promoted back to Serie A this season, but they have returned stronger than ever. They were in very good form in their regional league just prior to the season starting and they are not off to a bad start in the Brasileirão either. Their defense could use some improvements, but their attack has been very potent going back to their regional league and that is going to help them in the long run as they can score their way out of trouble. They also have the advantage of not being in any South American competitions so they have nothing but the league to focus on and they are going to push to finish as high as possible after spending the last 2 years in Serie B. They are obviously not an elite team in the league or they would not have put themselves in a position to be relegated, but crazier things have happened in the Brasileirao and it would not be shocking to see Ceara make a run. It is not unprecedented either as Gremio was a team that came up from Serie B in the 2023 season and they finished that season in 2nd place their 1st year back in Serie A, finishing just 2 points behind Palmeiras who won the league that year. Ceara is a big dark horse in the league this year and there is a lot of value in them at this price to sneak into the top 4 this season.  To Finish Top 6 Botafogo -138: Botafogo has some value at this price to finish in the top 6 this season. Botafogo has been a very dominant team in the league over the last 2 years and they are coming off of a very big season. They are the defending champions of the Brasileirão Title from last season, and they are also the Copa Libertadores champions from last year. They have not had a great start to the season and they were not in great form in their regional league either, but they are still a quality team with lots of depth and they are still within striking distance of the top 6. They will get better and round into form as the season goes on and they are not going to let the title go so easily after winning it last year. They have struggled to score goals to start the season, but their defense has been elite and that is something they have leaned on a lot over the last year. Their defense is elite in the league as they make it very difficult for opponents to score and that is going to have a big impact on their season later on. Botafogo is currently sitting in 8th place after 6 matches so they are right on the doorstep of the top 6, only 1 point out of a spot, and they are a much better team than the way they have started the season. There is a lot of value in Botafogo at this price to finish in the top 6 this season.  Fluminense +150: Fluminense has some value at this price to finish in the top 6 this season. Fluminense is coming off of a bad season in which they finished in 13th place and they have only finished in the top 6 once in the last 4 seasons. This is a good season for them to make a return to the top of the table though. They have been in very good form to start the season and were also in great form in their regional league just prior to the Brasileirão season starting, even going to the Final where they lost in a close battle with Flamengo. They have added some more quality and depth to their squad after their poor performance last season, and they have a very good defense to lean on this year. They are currently sitting in 5th place with a good start to the season as they are only 1 of 5 teams who have won 3 of their 6 matches this year. Their attack has struggled a bit as they are not scoring many goals, but their defense is going to make them a very tough team to beat. Fluminense is also going to benefit this season as there are fewer dominant clubs in the league this year and there are no “sure things” other than Flamengo and Palmeiras, so there will be more opportunities to get into the top 6 as the competition will not be as strong. There is some good value in Fluminense at this price to finish in the top 6 this season.  Ceara +1000: Ceara was already mentioned earlier as a possible club that could finish in the top 4 this season so for the same reasons, there is a lot of value in them at this price to finish in the top 6.  To Be Relegated Sport Recife -150: Sport Recife has some value at this price to be relegated this season. They are a newly promoted side that finished in 3rd place in Serie B last season so they are not the strongest out of the group that came up. They have not been back to Serie A since the 2021 season either, and they have been up and down throughout the years. They are currently sitting at the bottom of the table just 6 matches into the season as they have had an awful start to the year, and they are the only team in the league that does not have a win after 6 matches. They also have the 3rd worst goal differential so far, and they have the weakest attack with just 3 goals scored in their 6 matches. Sport Recife does not have the quality to compete with some of the mediocre clubs in Serie A and they have already put themselves in a hole that could keep them at the bottom of the table all year. There is some good value in Sport Recife at this price to be relegated to Serie B at the end of the season.  Mirassol -125: Mirassol has some value at this price to be relegated this season. Mirassol is a newly promoted side to Serie A this season and they finished in 2nd place in Serie B last year. They have been on the rise over the last few years as they were only in Serie B for the last 2 seasons, spending most of their time in Serie C, Serie D, and lower leagues. They have come up through the ranks very quickly, but this is their 1st ever season playing in the Brasileirão Série A and it is going to be a huge adjustment for them. They have played well to start the season as they are currently sitting in 14th place and out of the relegation zone, but a big reason for that has been because they have drawn 4 of their 6 matches so far. Those draws are only going to hurt them in the long run as they will need more wins to stay out of the relegation zone, and even being in 14th after 6 matches only has them 1 point out of the zone. They have actually been one of the better attacking teams to start the season with 11 goals in their 6 matches, but a lot of that has to do with their defense being so bad. They have also allowed 9 goals in their first 6 matches this season and they have not played any of the top contenders yet either. Mirassol does not have the quality to stay in Serie A this season so there is a lot of value in them at this price to be relegated at the end of the season.  To Finish Bottom Sport Recife +275: Sport Recife has already been mentioned earlier as a possible club to be relegated by the end of the season and they are also a possible club to finish at the very bottom of the table for all the same reasons. They have already put themselves in a big hole in the first 6 matches to start the season and their attack has struggled to create scoring chances. They have the worst squad in the Brasileirão this season and that squad is going to keep them at the bottom of the table all year. There is a lot of value in Sport Recife at this price to finish at the bottom of the league this season. 

Brasileirão Série A Futures (2025 Season)

The Brasileirão Série A season started back on March 28 and there have been 6 rounds played already. There are still 32 rounds left in the season so there are plenty of matches still to be played and a lot can change throughout that time. Botafogo is the defending champion from last season, but they were only lurking in the top 6 for the first 14 weeks of the season and did not take charge of the league until Round 22 when they finally took the lead and never gave it up. Now with the league starting to get back into full swing, it is time to see who has the best chance of winning the league title this year. To Win Outright Flamengo +150: Flamengo is the team with the best chance at winning the Brasileirão Série A Title this season according to the oddsmakers. Flamengo is a force in the league every season and they are usually one of the big favorites to win every competition they are in. They have had one of the better teams in the league for years and they certainly have the money to spend to keep this club competitive, but they have not won the league title since the 2020 season. They were extremely dominant in all of South America back then and they have continued to be a dominant team in the league despite not winning the title since 2020, still finishing in the top 5 every year since then. They are currently sitting at the top of the table after 6 weeks with a 4-2-0 record, and they also have a +13 goal differential with 15 goals scored and only 2 goals allowed in their 6 matches so far. They have been playing like the best team in the league to start the season, but they were also very good in their regional league before the season started. Flamengo has both the quality and the depth to be the dominant figure in this league this season. It has also been a few years since they won the title and it has been a few years since their dominant stretch in which they were winning Copa Libertadores as well. They have come close in recent years as well so they are going to be focused on winning the league this year and have the motivation to do so. There is not a team in the league that Flamengo cannot beat so as long as they stay focused, they have the quality to do it and it might just be their year to get it done. There is some value in Flamengo winning the league title at this price.  Palmeiras +175: Palmeiras is the team with the next best chance at winning the Brasileirão Série A Title this season according to the oddsmakers. Palmeiras is a force in the league every season, just like Flamengo, and they are just as decorated in South America if not more over the last few years. They have multiple Copa Libertadores Titles in the last 6 years and they have won the league title in 2 of the last 3 seasons, even finishing in 2nd place last season. They are a team that can never be counted out and they always have the quality as well as the depth to stay competitive in this league. They are currently sitting in 2nd place in the table with a 4-1-1 record, and they have a +5 goal differential with 7 goals scored and 2 goals allowed in their 6 matches so far. They have one of the better defenses in the league as they are a very difficult team to score on, but their attack has not been great. They have been struggling to score goals in these matches to start the season and that goes back to their regional league as well. They have been able to score plenty against much weaker clubs and can bury a bad team with goals, but they have struggled to score against the better defenses they have faced and that will lead to more draws throughout the season which will hurt them in the title race in the long run. Their defense is always going to keep them in their matches with a chance to win, but their attack is certainly lacking some quality and they may not have the horses to keep up with a team like Flamengo if they start to pull away at the top of the table. Palmeiras is an elite team in the Brasileirão and they are going to be near the top of the table all season, but there are better teams in the league this season and there is no real value in them winning the league title at this price.  Internacional +1000: Internacional is the team with the next best chance at winning the Brasileirão Série A Title this season according to the oddsmakers. Internacional is not an elite team in the Brasileirão and has not been consistently near the top throughout recent years, but they have revamped their team this year with a lot of quality and depth. They have been in the top 5 in 2 of the last 3 seasons and they are going to be a threat in the league this year as well. They are currently sitting in 6th place in the table with a 2-3-1 record, and they have a +4 goal differential with 8 goals scored and 4 goals allowed in their 6 matches so far. They have not had the best start to the season with 3 draws already, but they are still in the top 6 and have plenty of time to make moves as this was not a bad start to the season either. They have a very good defense like the elite teams in this league and that is going to carry them far. Their attack has not been the best to start the season, but they do have plenty of quality and depth in their attack. Internacional does have other competitions to worry about and they will likely be more focused on Copa Libertadores which is going to play a factor in the title race down the stretch, but they have the depth to play in multiple competitions and give themselves a chance. Internacional is certainly a dark horse in this league this season with the way they have revamped their squad and improved it, and there is some value in them winning the title at this price, but they are still not the best option. Botafogo +1400: Botafogo is the team with the next best chance at winning the Brasileirão Série A Title this season according to the oddsmakers. Botafogo is a club that has had some recent dominance in the Brasileirão. They were a struggling club for years and even ended up in Serie B just a few years ago, but that season changed everything for them as they got back to Serie A the next season and returned as a much stronger club. They have been very dominant in the league over the last 2 seasons and last year was when it all finally came together as they won the league title and the Copa Libertadores Title. They are currently sitting in 8th place in the table with a 2-2-2 record, and they have a +2 goal differential with 6 goals scored and 4 goals allowed in their 6 matches this season. They have a very good defense that keeps them in a lot of their matches, but their attack has been struggling a lot to score goals. This is a problem that goes back to their regional league as well, not scoring many goals throughout that season, and they did not perform well in that league either. Botafogo may be the defending champions from last season, but this season it is going to be much harder for them to win as they will have a much bigger target on their back. They could also be feeling the fatigue of winning both competitions last season, the league title and Copa Libertadores, so they will not have the same urgency as they did last season either. It has also been very rare in recent years for a club not named Flamengo or Palmeiras to repeat as league champions as well. Botafogo is a good club, but they do not have it in them to repeat the league title this season so there is not a lot of value in them at this price.  RecommendationThere is a very large gap between the top 2 teams and the rest of the league to win the title. There is good reason for this though as there have only been 2 teams not named Flamengo or Palmeiras who have won the league title in the last 7 seasons. Internacional is a tempting dark horse at +1000, but they will likely be more focused on winning Copa Libertadores this season and that could hurt them late in the season if they do make a deep run. Flamengo and Palmeiras are the 2 clubs that have dominated this league in recent years, but it has been a while since Flamengo lifted the title and that is surely going to be a focus for them this season. Flamengo is the best team in the league right now and they have the motivation to win, especially with their strong start to the season. Flamengo at +150 is the best option for a club to win the Brasileirão Série A Title this season. 

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