Big Al's Sports Picks
Daily Angle

Trusted Since 1992

43-time handicapping champ Al McMordie welcomes you to Big Al's Sports Picks, your home for winning sports information. Get expert advice every day from 20 of the world's best handicappers.

Shop Picks Free Picks

Big Al's Top Sportsbooks

1

Review Visit Site

2

Review Visit Site

3

Review Visit Site

4

Review Visit Site

5

Review Visit Site

Terms and conditions apply to all bonus offers. Visit sportsbook for details.

Bet Smarter

Our mission is to make you a smarter (and better) gambler.

Free Picks

Play Confidently

Each pick comes with detailed analysis from champion handicappers.

Shop Picks

Honesty and Transparency

We publish our results, and our records are 100% accurate.

Shop Subscriptions

Buy 3 Get 1 Free.
It's Game Time!

Shop Picks Free Picks

Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NCAA Basketball, NHL and EPL Odds and Previews - 02/27/2021

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Feb 27, 2021

The Saturday sports card features action in NCAA basketball, the NBA, the NHL, and the English Premier League. The college basketball card tips off at noon ET. Texas Tech hosts Texas on ESPN. The Red Raiders are ranked 18th by the Associated Press, and the Longhorns are 14th in the latest AP poll. Texas Tech is a 3.5-point favorite. Michigan travels to Indiana on CBS with the third-ranked Wolverines an 8-point road favorite with the total set at 138.5. Georgetown visits DePaul on FS1 as a 2.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 142. Liberty plays at Bellarmine on ESPNU as a 3-point road favorite with a total of 129.5. Wisconsin plays at home against Illinois on ESPN at 2 PM ET. The Badgers rank 23rd by the AP, with the Fighting Illini ranking 5th. Wisconsin is a 4-point favorite with an over/under of 135.5. Arkansas is at home against LSU on ESPN2, with the 20th ranked Razorbacks a 5-point favorite with the total at 161. Arizona hosts Washington on CBS as a 13.5-point favorite with an over/under of 145.5. Davidson hosts VCU on ESPNU as a 3-point favorite with a total of 133. Rice is at Louisiana Tech on the CBS Sports Network in a rematch of their Friday game. UConn is at home against Marquette on Fox at 2:30 PM ET as a 7-point favorite with an over/under of 135. Oklahoma plays at home against Oklahoma State on ABC at 3 PM ET. The seventh-ranked Sooners are a 5-point favorite with a total of 139.West Virginia hosts Kansas State on ESPN2 at 4 PM ET with the tenth-ranked Mountaineers a 14.5-point favorite with an over/under of 139. Florida State travels to North Carolina on ESPN with the 11th-ranked Seminoles a 3-point road favorite with a total of 150.5. San Diego State hosts Boise State on the CBS Sports Network as a 6-point favorite with an over/under of 136.5. Oregon visits California on FS1 as a 9.5-point road favorite with a total of 133. Central Florida is at home against Temple on ESPNU as a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 136.5. Kentucky plays at home against Florida on CBS as a 2.5-point favorite as a 2.5-point favorite with the total set at 141.Creighton travels to Xavier on Fox at 5 PM ET. The 13th-ranked Bluejays are a 4.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 148.5. Duke is at home against Louisville on ESPN at 6 PM with the Blue Devils a 5.5-point favorite with the total at 142.5. TCU visits Iowa State on ESPNU in a pick ‘em matchup with an over/under of 140.5. Loyola-Chicago hosts Southern Illinois on ESPN2 with the 21st-ranked Ramblers playing the Salukis in a rematch of their Friday contest. Northern Iowa is at Illinois State on the CBS Sports Network in a rematch of their Friday encounter. Baylor plays at Kansas on ESPN at 8 PM ET. The Bears are ranked second in the nation, with the Jayhawks ranked 17th. Baylor is a 5-point road favorite with the total at 142. USC visits Utah on ESPN2 with the 19th-ranked Trojans a 5.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 137.5. North Carolina AT&T is at home against North Carolina Central on ESPNU as a 3.5-point favorite with the total of 138. Gonzaga hosts Loyola-Marymount on ESPN at 10 PM ET. The number one-ranked Bulldogs are a 25-point favorite with an over/under of 153. BYU plays at home against Saint Mary’s on ESPNU as an 8-point favorite with the total at 129.5. Colorado is at home against UCLA on ESPN2 as a 6-point favorite with an over/under of 136.5.Seven games are on the NBA docket. Dallas plays at Brooklyn on ABC at 8:30 PM ET. The Mavericks come off a 111-097 loss at Philadelphia as a 4.5-point underdog on Thursday. The Nets have won seven straight with their 129-92 victory against Orlando as an 8.5-point favorite on Thursday.The NHL has 14 games on the Saturday slate. Three games begin the schedule at 1 PM ET. The NHL card concludes at 10:30 PM ET with Saint Louis playing at San Jose State as a -160 money line road favorite with the total at 5.5. None of the NHL games are on national television. Matchweek 26 of the English Premier League begins on Saturday with four matches. Manchester City plays at home against West Ham United on the NBC Sports Network at 7:30 AM ET as a -1.75 goal line favorite with an over/under of 3. Brighton and Hove Albion visits West Brom Albion on the NBC Sports Network at 10 AM ET as a -0.5 goal line road favored with a total of 2.25. Leeds United hosts Aston Villa on NBC at 12:30 PM ET as a -0.25 goal line favorite with an over/under of 3. Wolverhampton plays at Newcastle United on the NBC Peacock app at 3 PM ET as a -0.25 goal line road favorite with the total set at 2.25.

Read more

Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAA Basketball, NHL and NBA Odds and Previews - 02/26/2021

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Feb 26, 2021

The Friday sports card features action in NCAA basketball, the NBA, and the NHL. The college basketball card tips off at noon ET with Canisius visiting Niagara as a 2-point road favorite with the total set at 137.5 (all odds from BetOnline).The nationally-televised college basketball card starts at 7 PM ET. Penn State hosts Purdue on FS1. The Nittany Lions, 8-12, snapped a four-game losing streak with an 86-83 victory at Nebraska as a 6.5-point favorite on Tuesday. The Boilermakers improved to 15-8 with a 75-58 win at Nebraska as a 7.5-point favorite on Saturday. Penn State is a 1-point favorite with an over/under of 140.Saint Louis plays at home against Richmond on ESPN2 at 7 PM ET. The Billikens fell to 11-5 on Tuesday with their 67-65 upset loss at VUC as a 3-point favorite. The Spiders raised their record to 13-5 on Tuesday with a 79-65 win against UMass as a 10-point favorite. Saint Louis is a 5-point favorite with a total of 144.5.Marshall is at home against North Texas on ESPNU at 7 PM ET. The Thundering Herd, 12-5, won their fifth in six games with a 96-85 win against Middle Tennessee as a 17-point favorite back on February 13th. The Mean Green, 12-6, have won seven of their last eight after winning at Southern Mississippi, 68-56, as a 9.5-point favorite on February 13th. Marshall is a 4-point favorite with an over/under of 142.5.Northern Iowa visits Illinois State on ESPNU at 9 PM ET. The Panthers fell to 7-15 with a 77-69 loss to Drake as a 4-point underdog on February 17th. The Redbirds improved to 7-15 with an 88-71 upset win at Bradley as a 2.5-point underdog last Thursday. Northern Iowa is a 3-point road favorite with the total at 142.Utah State hosts Nevada on FS1 at 9 PM ET. The Aggies dropped to 14-7 with an 81-77 loss at Boise State as a 2-point underdog last Friday. The Wolf Pack, 13-7, won their fourth in a row with a 73-62 upset win against Boise State as a 5-point underdog on February 7th. Utah State is a 7.5-point favorite with an over/under of 142.Georgia State plays at South Alabama on ESPN2 at 9 PM ET. The Panthers, 12-5, won their fourth in a row on Tuesday with their 85-71 win against Appalachian State as a 6.5-point favorite. The Jaguars, 16-8, won their eighth straight game with a 56-54 win at Appalachian State as a 3-point underdog on Saturday. Georgia State is a 2-point road favorite with a total of 143.5.UNLV is at home against Fresno State on the CBS Sports Network at 11 PM ET. The Rebels fell to 10-12 with a 67-64 upset loss at Fresno State as a 7-point favorite on Wednesday. The Bulldogs improved to 10-9 with the victory. UNLV is a 6-point favorite with an over/under of 130.5.UC-Santa Barbara travels to UC-Riverside on ESPN2 at 11 PM ET. The Gauchos improved to 15-3 with a 63-44 victory against UC-Bakersfield as an 8-point favorite on Saturday. The Highlanders fell to 10-6 with an 83-82 upset loss at Cal-San Diego as an 8-point favorite last Saturday. UC-Santa Barbara is a 3-point road favorite with the total at 131.5.Nine games are on the NBA docket. An ESPN doubleheader begins at 7:30 PM ET with Boston hosting Indiana. The Celtics have been upset in three straight games after losing at Atlanta, 127-112, as a 1-point favorite on Wednesday. The Pacers have lost two of three after their 111-109 upset loss to Golden State as a 2-point favorite. Boston is a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 219.5.The Los Angeles Lakers play at home against Portland in the nightcap on ESPN at 10 PM ET. The Lakers lost their fourth in a row on Wednesday in a 114-89 loss at Utah. The Trail Blazers have lost three in a row after a 111-106 loss at Denver as a 6-point underdog on Tuesday. Los Angeles is a 5.5-point favorite with the total at 222.Three games are on the NHL schedule. The card begins at 7 PM ET, with Boston visiting the New York Rangers. The slate concludes at 9 PM ET with Colorado visiting Arizona as a -169 money line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5.

Read more

The Best NCAA Basketball Prop Bet for 2021

by Wayne Root

Friday, Feb 26, 2021

THE PROP BETThere’s a great prop bet in Las Vegas that gives you action among every team in all of college basketball. It’s this:#1 Gonzaga and #2 Baylor (+110) vs. The Field (-120).   THE ZAGS and THE BEARS This side is the underdog, the top two teams all season. Both teams are far ahead of their closest competition in terms of talent, rankings and athleticism. Gonzaga and Baylor are a combined 40-0 and are the underdogs. That’s what makes this such a great bet.   THE FIELD Let’s not look at all 64 teams but some possibilities for the sweet 16. We already know two of the teams so follow here:  THE BIG TEN There are four teams from the Big Ten sitting high in the top 5 rankings: Michigan 16-1, Ohio St 18-5 and Illinois 16-6. These three teams have fought with each other and had to play Iowa, Wisconsin and at Minnesota. Michigan is hot and talented.   THE BIG 12 From the difficult Big 12 we have good competition all throughout the conference but especially with Oklahoma 14-6, West Virginia 16-6, Texas at 14-6 and a resurrected Kansas team 17-8. All have experience with coaching at this level. THE SEC Two very good teams are Alabama 18-5 and Arkansas 17-5 from the SEC which are both high scoring offensive machines.   THE ACC The ACC has Florida St 13-3 and Virginia at 15-5. Duke is left to begging for a bid. FSU will be dangerous. BIG EAST Let’s not forget the Big East with Villanova 15-3 and Creighton at 16-5. Villanova just hasn’t had to play great competition. SLEEPER’S Houston 18-3 could be our final Sweet 16 entrant. But for fun, let’s add Loyola-Chicago 19-4 and San Diego St 17-4 from the Mountain West. Houston has offense, Loyola-Chicago has their Nun from two years ago and SD St places great defense.   CONSIDER THIS: Here are some factors to consider: 1. Gonzaga and Baylor wouldn’t meet until the final four due to seeding.  2. The other 14 teams certainly can knock each other off and will. 3. Upsets in round one and two will definitely happen to a few teams from the field.  4. In reality, Gonzaga and Baylor might only have to squeeze by the Sweet 16 and the Elite Eight.   FINAL 4 FOR EXTRA PROFITS  Once we get to the Saturday portion of the Final Four, Gonzaga and Baylor could luck out and not meet. However, if so, then you’ll have a great bet on the Monday Championship Game as you’d get either team as a pick em because of this current wager and the opportunity to middle as their opponent would be getting 8 points or more.

Read more

Free newsletter

Get Free Picks, Big Game alerts, and Winning Info from our champion handicappers.

Sign up

Ready to Win?
It's Game Time!

Shop Picks Free Picks
Twitter

Links

Big Al's Sports Picks Info

All photographic images used for editorial content have been licensed from the Associated Press.

© 2021 Al McMordie's BigAl.com. All Rights Reserved.