Expert Sports Picks and Analysis from Al McMordie

Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NFL, NHL, and EPL Previews and Odds - 10/24/2021

Sunday, Oct 24, 2021

The Sunday sports card features action in the NFL, NBA, NHL, and the EPL.Eleven games continue in Week 7 of the National Football League. Six games kick off at 1 PM ET. New England hosts the New York Jets as a 7-point favorite with the total set at 42.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Baltimore plays at home against Cincinnati as a 6.5-point favorite with an over/under of 45.5. Atlanta visits Miami as a 2-point road favorite with a total of 47.5. Kansas City travels to Tennessee as a 4.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 57.5. Green Bay plays at home against Washington as an 8.5-point favorite with a total of 47.5. Carolina travels to New York to play the Giants as a 3-point road favorite with an over/under of 42.5. Four games kickoff in the second-afternoon window. Two games start at 4:05 PM ET. The Los Angeles Rams are at home against Detroit as a 16-point favorite with a total of 50.5. Las Vegas is at home against Philadelphia as a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 49. Two more games begin at 4:25 PM ET. Tampa Bay hosts Chicago as a 13-point favorite with a total of 47. Arizona plays at home against Houston as an 18-point favorite with an over/under of 47.5. San Francisco is at home against Indianapolis for Sunday Night Football on NBC-TV at 8:20 PM ET. The 49ers are a 4-point favorite with a total of 43. Six games are on the docket in the National Basketball Association. Brooklyn plays at home against Charlotte at 4:10 PM ET as an 8.5-point favorite with an over/under of 231.5. Three games tip-off at 7:10 PM ET. New York is at home against Orlando as a 12-point favorite with a total of 214.5. Boston visits Houston as a 5-point road favorite with an over/under of 225.5. Philadelphia travels to Oklahoma City as an 8.5-point road favorite at BetRivers. Golden State plays at Sacramento at 9:10 PM ET as a 3.5-point road favorite with a total of 231. The Los Angeles Lakers are at home against Memphis at 9:40 PM ET as a 6.5-point favorite with an over/under of 221.Four games are on the National Hockey League slate. Boston is home against San Jose at 1:08 PM ET as a -180 money line favorite with a total of 6. Minnesota hosts Nashville at 6:08 PM ET as a -160 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Chicago plays at home against Detroit at 7:08 PM ET as a -150 money line favorite with a total of 6. Vegas is at home against the New York Islanders at 10:08 PM ET as a -135 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Matchweek 9 of the English Premier League concludes with three matches. Two matches start at 9 AM ET. Tottenham travels to West Ham United on the NBC Sports Network in a pick ‘em match with a total of 2.5. Leicester City visits Brentford on Peacock in a pick ‘em match with a total of 2.5. Liverpool plays at Manchester United on the NBC Sports Network at 11:30 AM ET in a pick ‘em match with an over/under of 3.

Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, MLB, NBA, NHL, CFL and EPL Previews and Odds - 10/23/2021

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Oct 23, 2021

The Saturday sports card features action in NCAAF, MLB, NBA, NHL, CFL, and the EPL.Week 8 in the college football season concludes with 44 games between FBS opponents. Thirteen games begin the NCAAF card from noon ET to 3 PM ET. Seven games kick off on national television at noon ET. Michigan hosts Northwestern on Fox as a 23.5-point favorite with the total set at 51 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Oklahoma travels to Kansas on ESPN as a 38.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 66.5. Cincinnati is at Navy on ESPN2 as a 28.5-point road favorite with a total of 48.5. Penn State is at home against Illinois on ABC as a 24-point favorite with an over/under of 45.5. Kansas State visits Texas Tech on FS1 as a 1-point road favorite with a total of 60.5. Wake Forest plays at Army on the CBS Sports Network as a 3-point road favorite with an over/under of 52.5. Central Michigan plays at home against Northern Illinois on ESPNU as a 5-point favorite with a total of 56.5. Sixteen more games between FBS opponents start between 3:30 PM ET and 4 PM ET. Seven games are on national television at 3:30 PM ET. Mississippi hosts LSU on CBS as a 7.5-point favorite with an over/under of 76. UCLA plays at home against Oregon on ABC as a 1-point favorite with a total of 60.5. Iowa State is at home against Oklahoma State on Fox as a 7-point favorite with an over/under of 47. Pittsburgh hosts Clemson on ESPN as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 47.5. Minnesota plays at home against Maryland on ESPN2 as a 4-point favorite with an over/under of 53.5. BYU visits Washington State on FS1 as a 4.5-point road favorite with a total of 56.5. Western Michigan travels to Toledo on the CBS Sports Network as a 1.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 55. Houston is at home against East Carolina on ESPNU at 4 PM ET as a 13.5-point favorite with a total of 57.Fifteen games conclude the NCAAF card from 7 PM to midnight ET. Three games are on national television at 7 PM ET. Alabama hosts Tennessee on ESPN as a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 68. Air Force plays at home against San Diego State on the CBS Sports Network as a 3-point favorite with a total of 38. Fresno State is at home against Nevada on FS2 as a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 65. The four remaining games on national television start at 7:30 PM ET. Ohio State visits Indiana on ABC as a 21-point road favorite with a total of 58.5. Notre Dame plays at home against USC on NBC as a 7-point favorite with an over/under of 59. North Carolina State travels to Miami (FL) on ESPN2 as a 3.5-point road favorite with a total of 52.5. TCU is at home against West Virginia on ESPNU as a 4.5-point favorite with an over/under of 56.5. The playoffs in Major League Baseball continue with Game 6 in the NLCS. Los Angeles plays at Atlanta on TBS with the first pitch at 5:08 PM ET. The Dodgers have scratched Max Scherzer as their starting pitcher with no replacement yet named. The Braves will pitch Ian Anderson. Los Angeles is a -170 money line road favorite with a total of 8.Eight games are on the National Basketball Association docket. Atlanta visits Cleveland at 6:10 PM ET as a 7-point road favorite. Miami plays at Indiana at 7:10 PM ET as a 4-point road favorite with an over/under of 223.5. Dallas travels Toronto at 7:40 PM ET as a 3.5-point road favorite with a total of 215. Two games top off at 8:10 PM ET. Chicago is at home against Detroit as a 9-point favorite with an over/under of 214.5. Minnesota plays at home against New Orleans as a 6.5-point favorite with a total of 228.Milwaukee visits San Antonio at 8:40 PM ET as a 7-point road favorite. Portland hosts Phoenix at 10:10 PM ET as a 2-point favorite with an over/under of 231.5. The Los Angeles Clippers are at home against Memphis at 10:40 PM ET as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 226.5. Thirteen games are on the National Hockey League slate. Two games drop the puck at 1:08 PM ET. The New York Rangers visit Ottawa as a -150 money line road favorite with an over/under of 6. Washington plays at home against Calgary as a -165 money line favorite with a total of 6.5. Minnesota is at home against Anaheim at 6 PM ET as a -270 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Seven games in the NHL begin at 7:08 PM ET. Winnipeg plays at home against Nashville as a -120 money line favorite with a total of 6. Montreal is at home against Detroit as a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Tampa Bay hosts Colorado as a -115 money line favorite with a total of 6. New Jersey is at home against Buffalo as a -160 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. Florida visits Philadelphia as a -135 money line road favorite with a total of 6.5. Toronto travels to Pittsburgh as a -130 money line road favorite with an over/under of 6. Carolina plays at Columbus as a -155 money line road favorite with a total of 5.5. St. Louis is at home against Los Angeles at 8:08 PM ET as a -170 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The New York Islanders visit Arizona at 9:08 PM ET as a -195 money line road favorite with a total of 5.5. Seattle plays at home against Vancouver at 10:08 PM ET as a -125 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. Week 12 in the Canadian Football League finishes with three games on ESPN+. Hamilton plays at home against Ottawa as a 14.5-point favorite with a total of 45. Winnipeg is at home against British Columbia at 7 PM ET as an 11-point favorite with an over/under of 42.5. Calgary hosts Saskatchewan at 9:45 PM ET as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 44.5. Matchweek 9 in the English Premier League continues with six matches. Chelsea plays at home against Norwich City on the NBC Sports Network at 7:30 AM ET as a -2 goal line favorite with an over/under of 3. Four matches start at 10 AM ET. Wolverhampton travels to Leeds United on the NBC Sports Network in a pick ‘em match with a total of 2.5. Southampton hosts Burnley on Peacock as a -0.5 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Crystal Palace is at home against Newcastle United on Peacock as a -0.5 goal line favorite with a total of 2.5. Everton plays at home against Watford as a -1 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Manchester City visits Brighton and Hove Albion on NBC at 12:30 PM ET as a -1 goal line road favorite with a total of 2.5.

Time To Get A Move On

by Tom Stryker

Friday, Oct 22, 2021

With the college football season at the halfway point or just past, there are a number of teams still stuck in limbo. Time becomes a commodity for these squads still trying to get over the hump. And, as we inch closer to November, the window for success starts to close and that means a number of programs need to make a move. When doing my research for the upcoming college card, I decided to take a look at those schools that found themselves in a must win situation. It was my opinion that teams playing their seventh game of the season fit that criteria if they owned a 3-3 SU record. At that specific stage, the last thing any program wants to do is drop to 3-4 SU with a loss especially when a victory pushes them to 4-3 SU and on a much better path. Thankfully, with the help of my college football database, the same one that was featured in the December 13th, 2010, issue of the ESPN Insider magazine, I’ve been able to isolate and profit from a number of early season technical sets that have performed very well. Here is a game seven system that has been money. Take a look: Since 1980, PLAY ON any game seven high-priced favorite of -12 or more provided they hold a 3-3 SU record provided their opponent carries a team won/loss percentage of .500 or less. 41-Year ATS Record = 73-44-3 ATS for 62.3 percent This Week’s Play = MISSISSIPPI STATE Off last Saturday’s embarrassing 49-9 home loss to the Crimson Tide, the Bulldogs find themselves with a 3-3 SU mark on the season and staring at home game against a ranked UK team on deck. Head coach Mike Leach’s kids don’t want to go into that battle against the Wildcats with a 3-4 SU record and they will do whatever it takes to beat up on a Commodores bunch that busts in with a 2-5 SU mark and off last week’s heart-breaking road loss to the Gamecocks. There are a couple of parameters than can be added to this general system that really makes it pop. If both teams enter this contest without confidence off straight up losses, this situation tightens up to a rewarding 29-12 ATS. As stated, Mississippi State takes the field off their 40-point home loss to Alabama and Vanderbilt arrives off its one-point road loss at South Carolina which means the Bulldogs fit this tightener perfectly. MSU is looking to get a move on. Good luck with the Bulldogs on Saturday.

Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, MLB, NBA, NHL, CFL and EPL Previews and Odds - 10/22/2021

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Oct 22, 2021

The Friday sports card features action in NCAAF, MLB, NBA, NHL, CFL, and the EPL.Week 8 in the college football season continues with four games. Middle Tennessee visits Connecticut on the CBS Sports Network at 6 PM ET. The Blue Raiders have lost four of their last five games after their 41-13 loss at Liberty as a 20-point underdog on October 9th. The Huskies ended their six-game losing streak by winning their first game of the season with a 21-16 upset win against Yale as a 3.5-point underdog last Saturday. Middle Tennessee is a 15.5-point road favorite, with the total set at 55.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Memphis travels to Central Florida on ESPN2 at 7 PM ET. The Tigers ended their three-game losing streak with a 35-17 victory against Navy as an 11-point favorite last Thursday. The Knights lost their third game in their last four after a 56-21 loss at Cincinnati as a 21.5-point underdog last Saturday. Memphis is a 2.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 63.5. Colorado State plays at Utah State on the CBS Sports Network at 9:30 PM ET. The Rams have won three of their last four games with their 36-7 win at New Mexico as a 12.5-point favorite on Saturday. The Aggies ended a two-game losing streak with their 28-24 win at UNLV as a 7.5-point favorite on Saturday. Colorado State is a 3-point road favorite with a total of 59.Washington is at Arizona on ESPN2 at 10:30 PM ET. The Huskies have lost two in a row after a 24-17 upset loss as a 1.5-point favorite against UCLA on Saturday. The Wildcats is winless in their first six games after getting shutout, 34-0, at Colorado last week. Washington is a 17.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 46.5.The playoffs in Major League Baseball continue with Game 6 in the ALCS, with Houston playing at home against Boston on FS1 with the first pitch at 8:08 PM ET. The Astros took a 3-2 lead in this series with their 9-1 win at Fenway Park on Wednesday. Luis Garcia pitches for Houston against Nathan Eovaldi for the Red Sox. Houston is a -120 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Ten games are on the National Basketball Association docket. Three games tip-off at 7:10 PM ET. Charlotte travels to Cleveland as a 2.5-point road favorite. New York visits Orlando as a 7-point road favorite with an over/under of 212. Washington hosts Indiana as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 228.5. Two games begin at 7:40 PM ET. Boston plays at home against Toronto as a 6.5-point favorite with an over/under of 219. Brooklyn is at Philadelphia on ESPN as a 1-point road favorite with a total of 230. Two more games start at 8:10 PM ET. Chicago hosts New Orleans as a 7-point favorite with an over/under of 223. Houston plays at home against Oklahoma City as a 2-point favorite with a total of 223. Denver is at home against San Antonio at 9:10 PM ET as a 7.5-point favorite with an over/under of 219. Two games conclude the card at 10:10 PM ET. Utah visits Sacramento as a 6-point road favorite with a total of 225. The Los Angeles Lakers play at home against Phoenix on ESPN as a 1-point favorite with an over/under of 222. Four games are on the National Hockey League slate. Toronto is at home against San Jose at 6:11 PM ET as a -235 money line favorite with a total of 6. Boston travels to Buffalo at 7:08 PM ET as a -195 money line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Dallas plays at home against the Los Angeles Kings at 8:38 PM ET as a -150 money line favorite with a total of 5.5. Vegas hosts Edmonton at 10:08 PM ET as a -135 money line favorite with a total of 6.Week 12 in the Canadian Football League begins with Montreal playing at home against Toronto on ESPN+ at 7:30 PM ET. The Alouettes have won three in a row with their 27-16 victory at Ottawa as a 4.5-point favorite on Saturday. The Argonauts have won three in a row with their 24-23 upset win at Hamilton as a 5-point underdog on October 11th. Montreal is a 1-point favorite with an over/under of 49.Matchweek 9 in the English Premier League begins on Friday with one match. Arsenal hosts Aston Villa on the NBC Sports Network at 3 PM ET as a 0.5-goal line favorite with a total of 2.5.

NFL Week 7: Top 10 Rankings

by Wayne Root

Thursday, Oct 21, 2021

As we enter into bye weeks: 1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 5-1 Tom Brady leads the league in passing, but he'll face a tougher challenge against the Bears' defense Sunday in Tampa. The Bucs have played well from the outset this season after often struggling last season before beginning their championship push in December. The biggest issue now is the depleted secondary, How important is newly signed CB Richard Sherman injury? 2. Arizona Cardinals, 6-0 Could this be there downfall moving forward? The Cards have NFL-high 24 coronavirus cases within organization entering Week 7. Last week; No head coach? No matter. The Cardinals still won Sunday in Cleveland minus Kliff Kingsbury. They remain the league’s only unbeaten team, and there’s no doubting at this point that they are for real. It's a long season -- remember, the Steelers started 11-0 last year -- but there's not much you can criticize the Cardinals for right now. RIGHT? 3. Los Angeles Rams, 5-1 Matthew Stafford was sharp and the Rams were dominant while beating the Giants. The Rams scored 28 points in the second quarter against the Giants. That will work. Former Rams quarterback, Jared Goff is returning home this week. Didn’t he have any WR’s? WR Cooper Kupp appears headed for a career year, leading the league in targets (68) – the only NFL player with at least 10 in every game – receptions (46) and TD grabs (7). 4. Baltimore Ravens, 5-1 Quite a statement by the Ravens, who demolished one of the hottest teams in the league; the Chargers.They overwhelmed the Chargers in Baltimore. Lamar Jackson wasn’t superhuman this time, but he didn’t need to be. Latavius Murray, Le’Veon Bell and Devonta Freeman provided rushing touchdowns on a turn-back-the-clock day for the team’s veteran backs. 5. Dallas Cowboys, 5-1 Could this be Jerry’s year? That game in New England was one the Cowboys used to lose. It wasn't pretty, but they found a way to win. Dallas leads the NFC with 14 takeaways – with at least two in 10 consecutive games for the first time since 1976-77. Coordinator Dan Quinn and Co. are getting it done. The Cowboys had a memorable victory and a three-game lead in the NFC East to savor entering a bye week that provides time for Prescott’s calf injury to heal. Yes! It will be Jerry’s year. 6. Green Bay Packers, 5-1 Aaron Rodgers taunted the fans in Chicago. He could have chosen his words more tactfully, but the “I still own you” sentiments were accurate, given his 22-5 career record against the Bears. Rodgers and the Packers have been fantastic since their opening loss to the Saints. The Packers still don't look like a true Super Bowl contender, but they could get stronger as the season goes along as key players return from injury. 7. Buffalo Bills, 4-2 The Bills looked practically unbeatable during their four-game winning streak. But the Titans showed that, while the Bills are very good, they certainly can be beaten. I didn't hate the decision by Sean McDermott to go for the win on fourth down instead of playing for overtime. The Titans just made a better play. Look how that loss affected Buffalo. The Bills are now projected as the conference's fourth playoff seed through six weeks. 8. Los Angeles Chargers, 4-2 That was a dud of a performance in the lopsided loss Sunday in Baltimore. Just when the Chargers had begun to seem trustworthy, they reverted to being the Chargers. It was a bit of a reality check for the Chargers in Baltimore, but this is a good team that will bounce back. However the opponents game plans are to rush. They're also now the league's worst team defending the run. 9. Kansas City Chiefs, 3-3 They’re not back to being the mighty Chiefs. Not yet. Patrick Mahomes might have thrown the worst interception of his career in Washington, but he also made some big plays to win. They’re still in the basement but least, are back to .500. Tennessee might send to where there are no chance for the playoffs. 10. Tennessee Titans, 4-2 It's probably time to stop sleeping on the Titans. They had a bad loss against the Jets, but still appear to be a very good team. Derrick Henry was terrific Monday night, and the Titans used a late fourth-down stop by their defense to hold off the Bills. But seriously, how did they ever lose to the Jets?———————-These teams want in!!11. New Orleans 12. Cincinnati 13. Cleveland 14. Carolina 15. Minnesota

Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, NCAAF, NHL, NBA and MLB Previews and Odds - 10/21/2021

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Oct 21, 2021

The Thursday sports card features action in the NFL, NCAAF, MLB, NBA, and NHL.The seventh week in the National Football League regular season kicks off with Cleveland hosting Denver on Fox and the NFL Network at 8:20 PM ET. The Browns have lost two in a row after their 37-14 upset loss to Arizona as a 3-point favorite on Sunday. The Broncos have lost three straight games with their 34-24 upset loss as a 5-point favorite at home to Las Vegas on Sunday. Cleveland is a 2.5-point favorite, with the total set at 41 (all odds from DraftKings).Week 8 in the college football season continues with four games. Three begin at 7:30 PM ET. SMU plays at home against Tulane on ESPN. The Mustangs come off a 31-24 victory at Navy as a 13.5-point favorite on October 9th. The Green Wave have lost four in a row after their 40-22 loss to Houston on October 7th. SMU is a 14-point favorite with an over/under of 70.5.Louisiana-Lafayette visits Arkansas State on ESPNU. The Ragin’ Cajuns have won five in a row with their 41-13 upset victory against Appalachian State last Tuesday. The Red Wolves have dropped five in a row after their 52-20 loss at home to Coastal Carolina as a 20-point underdog two Thursdays ago. Louisiana-Lafayette is an 18-point road favorite with a total of 69.6. Florida Atlantic travels to Charlotte on the CBS Sports Network in the first game of their doubleheader. The Owls have lost two of three after their 31-14 loss at UAB as a 3.5-point underdog on October 9th. The 49ers won their second game in their last three after their 45-33 victory at FIU as a 3.5-point favorite on October 8th. FAU is a 7-point road favorite with an over/under of 57.San Jose State plays at UNLV on the CBS Sports Network at 11 PM ET. The Spartans lost their second in a row after their 19-13 loss in overtime against San Diego State as a 9-point underdog last Friday. The Rebels are still winless after six games after their 28-24 loss to Utah State as a 7.5-point underdog on Saturday. San Jose State is a 4-point road favorite with a total of 45. The playoffs in Major League Baseball continue with Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. Los Angeles plays at home against Atlanta on TBS at 8:08 PM ET. The Braves took a 3-1 lead in this best-of-seven series with their 9-2 victory on Wednesday. Three games are on the docket in the National Basketball Association. Atlanta hosts Dallas on TNT at 7:40 PM ET. The Hawks are a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 225.5. Milwaukee visits Miami at 8:10 PM ET. The Bucks are a 2-point road favorite with a total of 224.5. Golden State is at home against the Los Angeles Clippers on TNT at 10 PM ET. The Warriors are a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 225.5. Ten games on the National Hockey League slate. Five games drop the puck at 7:08 PM ET. Carolina plays at Montreal as a -120 money line road favorite with a total of 5.5. San Jose visits Ottawa as a -140 money line road favorite with an over/under of 6. Florida is at home against Colorado as a -120 money line favorite with a total of 6.5. Washington travels to New Jersey as a -130 money line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The New York Islanders are at Columbus as a -130 money line road favorite with a total of 5.5. Calgary travels to Detroit at 7:30 PM ET as a -140 money line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Two games start at 8:08 PM ET. Nashville is at home against the New York Rangers as a -115 money line favorite with a total of 5.5. Winnipeg hosts Anaheim at 8:38 PM ET as a -200 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Chicago is at home against Vancouver at 8:30 PM ET as a -135 money line favorite with a total of 6.5. Edmonton visits Arizona at 10:08 PM ET as a -185 money line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5.

NFL Week 7 Breakdown

by Will Rogers

Wednesday, Oct 20, 2021

BEST GAMECincinnati at Baltimore (-6.5)Cincinnati 4-2 SU, 3-3 ATSBaltimore 5-1 SU, 3-3 ATSEarly showdown in the best division in the AFC;s North, and the Bengals figure to have their hands more than full against a Ravens team that has not lost in regulation this season, has five straight wins in its pocket, is coming off a dominating victory over the more-than-decent Chargers and will be playing at home. Hence the somewhat heavy line. Cincinnati has benefitted from a soft September/October schedule (only one game against a team with a winning record – Green Bay), but that comes to a screeching halt this coming weekend. Joe Burrow & Co. now go from as game against the worst team in the league (Detroit) to a road battle against possibly the best. They’ll more than have their hands full.WORST GAMECarolina at New York Giants (+2.5)Carolina 3-3 SU, 3-3 ATSNew York 1-5 SU, 2-4 ATSThree straight losses after three straight wins have taken the starch out of the Panthers, who should send a bottle of wine to the schedule-maker with the Giants next on the docket. But even a victory over the NYG won’t end questions about QB Sam Darnold, who has been mediocre at best and awful at worst during the skid – six interceptions and one fumble lost. Another dog game in East Rutherford, and the Panthers might be on the prowl for a replacement QB to save their season. Meanwhile, bettors have turned against the Giants big-time, and early money has been 4-1 heavy on Carolina. NY has just not been competitive since an early-October OT win over New Orleans, with back-to-back 24- and 27-point losses.BIGGEST SPREADHouston at Arizona (-17)Houston 1-5 SU, 2-4 ATSArizona 6-0 SU, 5-1 ATSTeams like Houston say that they lack consistency. What they really lack is talent. This big number (Arizona) says as much about the Texans as it does about the unbeaten Cardinals. Since Week 2 the Texans have lost by an average score of 30-8, and playing on the road against a loaded-for-bear team like Arizona is not likely to help things. The Cardinals have four blowout double-digit victories this season, and it will be a shock if this one doesn’t make it five. The only concern in the desert is the status of Kyler Murray’s throwing shoulder, but it was good enough to torch the Browns with four TD passes this past Sunday, and should be plenty good enough against the Texans. Early bettors like Zona to cover the heavy number.SMALLEST SPREADAtlanta at Miami (-1)Atlanta 2-3 SU, 2-3 ATSMiami 1-5 SU, 2-4 ATSThere’s no crime in losing to good teams, but now the Dolphins now are having trouble even with the truly bad ones, and a season that opened with such optimism is now circling the drain. Not even a decent effort from returning-from-injury QB Tua Tagovailoa could take the sting out of Miami’s field-goal loss to helpless and hopeless Jacksonville. The press in Miami, usually rather gentle, is now calling for (another) complete overall. The Falcons, meanwhile, are coming off a bye week where they nursed injuries and plotted for ways to emerge from the mushy middle and make a run at the playoffs. Pretty even game, pretty even early money. Everything points to a coin flip here.BIGGEST TOTALKansas City at Tennessee (56.5)Kansas City 3-3 SU, 2-4 ATS, 4-2 O/UTennessee 4-2 SU, 4-2 ATS, 4-2 O/UNo, thanks. YOU explain how the Titans can lose to the Jets, then two weeks later can come back and knock off perhaps the best team in the conference. Guess it starts with Derrick Henry, who can scorch any defense on any gameday. How much is left in Henry’s legs six days after carrying 20 times against the Bills is anyone’s guess, but know this: The Chiefs have one of the weakest run defenses in the NFL, so Henry will get his touches. Combine that with the knowledge that KC can be pretty much written in for at least 30 ppg, and even the high total of 56.5 looks attainable.LOWEST TOTALNew York Jets at New England (43)New York 1-4 SU, 1-4 ATS, 2-3 O/UNew England 2-4 SU, 2-4 ATS, 2-4 O/URaise your hand if you thought Gillette Stadium would be a House of Horrors for the Patriots this season. Yet the numbers tell the truth – NE is 0-4 at home. But still a 7-point fave over the bewitched, bothered and bewildered Jets. Over bettors might want to take a hard look here. There are signs that the Pats are easing up on the choke chain with QB Mac Jones, who was more than just a game manager in NE’s OT loss to Dallas. And with a struggling Pats defense, even an offensively-challenged Jets team might be able to move the ball. If history is any guide, however, it’s usually a taffy pull when the Jets journey to Foxboro.

Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NCAAF, MLB, NHL and UEFA Champions League Previews and Odds - 10/20/2021

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Oct 20, 2021

The Wednesday sports card features action in NCAAF, MLB, NBA, NHL, and UEFA Champions League.The eighth week in the college football season kicks off with Coastal Carolina visiting Appalachian State on ESPN2 at 7:30 PM ET. The Chanticleers come off a 52-20 win at Arkansas State as a 20-point favorite on October 7th. The Mountaineers got upset at Louisiana-Lafayette as a 4-point favorite last Tuesday. Coastal Carolina is a 5-point road favorite with the total set at 61.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise).The playoffs continue in Major League Baseball with two games. Boston plays at home against Houston on FS1 at 5:08 PM ET. The Astros evened this best-of-seven ALCS series at 2-2 yesterday with their 9-2 victory. Framber Valdez pitches for Houston against Chris Sale for the Red Sox. Boston is a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.The Los Angeles Dodgers are at home against Atlanta on TBS at 8:08 PM ET. The Dodgers won their first game in this best-of-seven NLCS series by winning Game 3, 6-5, at home yesterday. Los Angeles pitches Julio Urias against a Braves pitcher yet to be named. Los Angeles is a -220 money line favorite with a total of 8.5.Eleven games are on the National Basketball Association docket. Two games tip-off at 7:10 PM ET. Charlotte plays at home against Indiana as a 2-point favorite with an over/under of 223.5. Chicago travels to Detroit as a 5-point road favorite with a total of 219.5. Two more games begin at 7:40 PM ET. Toronto is at home against Washington as a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 219. New York hosts Boston on ESPN as a 2-point favorite with a total of 217. Three NBA games begin at 8:10 PM ET. Memphis hosts Cleveland as a 7.5-point favorite with an over/under of 216.5. Minnesota plays at home against Houston as a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 228. Philadelphia visits New Orleans as a 3.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 226.5. San Antonio is at home against Orlando at 8:40 PM ET as a 6-point favorite with a total of 213. Utah plays at home against Oklahoma City at 9:10 PM ET as a 12-point favorite with an over/under of 220.5. Portland hosts Sacramento at 10:10 PM ET as a 5-point favorite with a total of 232.5. Phoenix is at home against Denver on ESPN as a 6-point favorite with an over/under of 223.Two games are on the National Hockey League slate in a doubleheader on TNT. Boston visits Philadelphia at 7:38 PM ET as a -120 money line road favorite with a total of 5.5. Vegas is at home against St. Louis at 10:08 PM ET as a -135 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.Matchday 3 in the UEFA Champions League concludes on Wednesday with eight matches. Two games begin at 12:45 PM ET. Barcelona hosts Dynamo Kyiv as a 1.5 goal line favorite with a total of 3 (all soccer odds from Play MGM). Salzburg plays at home against Wolfsburg as a -0.5 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Six more matches start at 3 PM ET. Bayern Munich travels to Benfica as a -1.5 goal line road favorite with a total of 3. Villarreal visits the Young Boys as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Manchester United plays at home against Atalanta as a -0.5 goal line favorite with a total of 3. Sevilla is at Lille as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 2. Chelsea is at home against Malmo as a -2.5 goal line favorite with a total of 3.5. Juventus visits Zenit St. Petersburg as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5. All eight Champions League matches are available on Paramount+. The CBS Sports Network’s “The Golazo Show” is an NFL Red Zone-inspired show that presents live updated highlights of all eight games.

A Look At Europe's Big 4 Leagues

by Power Sports

Tuesday, Oct 19, 2021

With the four major European soccer leagues returning from an International break last weekend, I thought it would be a good time to check in on what’s been going on and what we might expect moving forward. New to betting European soccer? Don’t be scared. I’ve got you covered in the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A. English Premier League: Remember when somebody wrote that Brighton & Hove Albion would be the most improved side in all of Europe this season? That was pretty smart. But I’d still expect Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City & Manchester United to occupy the top four spots in the table at season’s end. Note that while Chelsea is currently in first place, they only have the eighth highest expected point total (xPts). So there could be some regression there. West Ham & Everton, who just played last weekend, should battle it out for fifth and the Europa League spot. Tottenham is the most overrated team right now. They are in the bottom half of the table in terms of xPts and goal differential. I’d fade them when the opportunity presents itself. Newly promoted Brentford has made a real solid showing and actually has the third highest number of xPts! Can they keep that up though? As far as the relegation battle goes, Norwich City looks like a lock. Newcastle United would be a solid bet to finish in the bottom three as would Watford. Spanish La Liga: This league is far more wide open than in years’ past. Right now, Real Sociedad is your surprise leader, but I’d be shocked if that continues. Going by goal differential, Real Madrid has been the class of La Liga as they’ve outscored opponents by 12 this season. Sevilla might also have a case to finish at the top of the table as they have a +8 goal differential and the highest number of xPts. What makes that impressive is they’ve played one fewer match than most other sides. Should we really discount Barcelona? Probably not. I also haven’t even mentioned the reigning champs Atletico Madrid. Sides like Real Betis and Osasuna look like they could contend for the Europa League. With most of the newly promoted sides doing better than expected in La Liga, the relegation battle will be interesting. Levante and Getafe are both still winless. Alaves also stinks. But Levante has been unlucky and I think they’ll move out of the drop zone. Granada, Cadiz and Elche finished with the three lowest xPts last season and are by no means considered safe in 2021/22. Granada in particular has been bad. They have the lowest number of xPts in any of the big four leagues this season. German Bundesliga: Once again, this league belongs to Bayern Munich. They just shredded Bayer Leverkusen 5-1 over the weekend. Bet on Die Roten running away with their 10th straight Bundesliga title. Dortmund (5-0 at home) is the other lock to finish in the Champions League places (top four), provided Erling Haaland remains healthy. Right now, Haaland is level with Bayern’s Robert Lewandowski with a league-high nine goals, despite playing in two fewer matches. Freiburg is the only undefeated side in the German Top Flight, but has drawn in four of their eight matches and I don’t expect them to remain in the top four. Leverkusen and Wolfsburg are two other sides that have overperformed xPts so far. As for who could move up, keep an eye on Gladbach, Union Berlin and especially RB Leipzig. The relegation battle will likely include the two newly promoted sides - Bochum and Greuther Furth - as well as Augsburg and Arminia Bielefeld. Bielefeld has the second lowest point xPts in any league I’ll be talking about today, ahead of only La Liga’s Granada. Italian Serie A: There is a clear dividing line here between the top seven and everyone else. The big story is Napoli, who has won all eight of its matches so far. They are the only side in any of the big four leagues without a loss or a draw. AC Milan and Inter have also been excellent and have the look of top four sides. That would leave Atalanta, Juventus, Roma and Lazio to battle it out for the other Champions League spot. Despite getting off to such a terrible start, Juve has already managed to climb up to 7th in the table. An interesting thing with Roma is that they have won all four home fixtures but have lost three of four away. Atalanta has scored less than usual. There is no more overrated side in Serie A than Fiorentina. Empoli is another team that you should see start falling down the table. Torino, who was due to improve from a tough 2020/21 season, may be the most underrated. Cagliari, currently 19th, should escape the drop zone. They have an xPts total that’s more indicative of a mid-table side. I’d say that Salernitana is the most likely team to be relegated. Spezia is the second most likely.

Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB, NBA, NHL and UEFA Champions League Previews and Odds - 10/19/2021

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Oct 19, 2021

The Tuesday sports card features action in MLB, NBA, NHL, and UEFA Champions League.The playoffs continue in Major League Baseball with two games. The Los Angeles Dodgers host Atlanta on TBS at 5:08 PM ET. The Dodgers fell behind, 2-0, in the best-of-seven National League Championship Series after their 5-4 loss on the road against the Braves on Sunday. Atlanta has won five games in a row. The Braves pitch Charlie Morton against Los Angeles’ Walker Buehler. The Dodgers are a -170 money line favorite with the total set at 7.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise).Boston plays at home against Houston on FS1 at 8:08 PM ET. The Red Sox took a 2-1 lead in the American League Championship Series with their 12-3 victory over the Astros on Monday. Nick Pivetta is the starting pitcher for Boston against Zack Greinke of the Astros. Boston is a -130 money line favorite with Play MGM listing an over/under of 10.The NBA regular season tips off with a TNT doubleheader. Milwaukee is at home against Brooklyn at 7:40 PM ET with the Bucks a 1-point favorite with a total of 236. The Los Angeles Lakers play at home at 10:10 PM ET as a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 227.Eleven games are on the NHL docket. Six games begin at 7 PM ET. Vancouver travels to Buffalo as a -145 money line road favorite with a total of 6. Montreal plays at home against San Jose as a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. Tampa Bay hosts Florida as a -130 money line favorite with a total of 6. New Jersey is at home against Seattle as a -135 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. Washington plays at home against Colorado as a -125 money line favorite with a total of 6. Detroit hosts Columbus at 7:30 PM ET as a -110 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Three games start at 8 PM ET. The New York Islanders travel to Chicago on ESPN as a -120 money win road favorite with an over/under of 6. Nashville plays at home against the Los Angeles Kings as a -140 money line favorite with a total of 5.5. Minnesota is at home against Winnipeg as a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Edmonton hosts Anaheim at 9 PM ET as a -285 money line favorite with a total of 5.5.Matchday 3 in the UEFA Champions League begins with eight matches on Tuesday. Two games start at 12:45 PM ET. Manchester City visits Club Brugge as a -1.5 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 3. Sporting CP travels to Besiktas as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with a total of 2.5. Six UEFA Champions League matches begin at 3 PM ET. Paris Saint-Germain plays at home against RB Leipzig as a -1 goal line favorite with an over/under of 3. AC Milan plays at Porto in a pick ‘em match with a total of 2.5. Liverpool travels to Atletico Madrid as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Ajax hosts Borussia Dortmund as a -0.5 goal line favorite with a total of 3. Inter Milan is at home against Sheriff as a -2 goal favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Real Madrid visits Shakhtar Donetsk as a -1 goal line road favorite with a total of 3. All eight Champions League matches are available on Paramount+. The CBS Sports Network’s “The Golazo Show” is an NFL Red Zone-inspired show that presents live updated highlights of all eight games.

Big Al's NFL, MLB, NHL, and EPL Previews and Odds - 10/18/2021

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Oct 18, 2021

The Monday sports card features action in the NFL, MLB, NHL, and EPL.Week 6 in the National Football League regular season concludes with Buffalo visiting Tennessee on ESPN at 8:15 PM ET. The Bills have won four in a row with their 38-20 upset victory at Kansas City as a 2.5-point underdog last Sunday night. The Titans have won three of four after their 37-19 upset win at Jacksonville as a 4-point favorite last week. This is a rematch of their encounter last season on October 13th which was won by Tennessee, 42-16, as a 3-point home favorite. Buffalo is a 6-point road favorite with the total set at 53 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise).The playoffs in Major League Baseball continue with Game 3 in the American League Championship Series. Boston hosts Houston on FS1 at 8:07 PM ET. The Red Sox evened this best of seven series at 1-1 with their 9-5 win on the road on Saturday. Boston pitches Eduardo Rodriguez against the Astros’ Jose Urquidy. The Red Sox are a -125 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.Four games are on the National Hockey League docket. Two games drop the puck at 7:08 PM ET. Toronto plays at home against the New York Rangers. The Maple Leafs have won two of their first three games with their 3-1 win against Ottawa on Saturday. The Rangers ended a two-game winning streak with their 3-1 win at Montreal on Saturday. Toronto is a -195 money line favorite with a total of 6. Philadelphia is at home against Seattle. The Flyers lost their opening game on Friday in a 5-4 loss at home to Vancouver in overtime. The Kraken has lost two of their first three games after a 2-1 defeat at Columbus on Saturday. Philadelphia is a -140 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. Calgary hosts Anaheim at 9:38 PM ET. The Flames lost their first game of the season, 5-2, at Edmonton on Saturday. The Ducks have split their opening two games after a 2-1 loss at home to Minnesota on Friday. Calgary is a -200 money line favorite with a total of 5.5. St. Louis visits Arizona at 10:08 PM ET. The Coyotes have lost their first two games of the season with their 2-1 loss at Buffalo on Saturday. The Blues won their opening game of the season with a 5-3 victory at Colorado on Saturday. St. Louis is a -170 money line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Matchweek 8 in the English Premier League concludes with one match. Arsenal plays at home against Crystal Palace on Peacock at 3 PM ET. The Gunners come off a 0-0 draw at Brighton and Hove Albion on October 2nd. They are tied in 10th place in the table with 10 points. The Eagles' last EPL match was on October 3rd when they earned a 2-2 draw against Leicester City. They are in 14th place with 7 points. Arsenal is a -1 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5.

NBA Futures Wager: Brooklyn Nets to Win the 2022 NBA Championship

by Al McMordie

Monday, Oct 18, 2021

The 2021-22 NBA season starts tomorrow. So, without further ado, it's time for my annual preseason prediction of the eventual NBA champion. Last season, I nailed both my NBA (Milwaukee Bucks @ 13-2 odds) and College Basketball (Baylor @ 12-1 odds) futures bets to carry on what has been an unparalleled successful run on futures predictions. That was the 2nd straight NCAA Basketball season I hit my preseason ticket, as I forecast Virginia (at 22-1 odds) in the 2018-19 preseason! Also in 2019, I hit another huge longshot on the Washington Nationals (at 18-1 odds), and followed that up in 2020 with the Los Angeles Dodgers (at 4-1 odds). Among my other recent winners were the Houston Astros in 2017 (at 10-1 odds), Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 (at 7-1 odds), San Antonio Spurs (2014, 14-1 odds; 1999, 11-2 odds), Golden State Warriors (2016, 5-1 odds; 2018, -160 odds), and Green Bay Packers (2011, 10-1 odds).For this season, I'm going to turn to the team which Milwaukee ousted by two inches (the distance Kevin Durant was inside the 3-point arc) in the NBA quarterfinals: the Brooklyn Nets. The current odds on Brooklyn are +260 (at BetOnline), and they've remained largely unchanged throughout the current Kyrie Irving turmoil. It's undeniable that the Nets are a better team with Irving at point guard. His ability to break down a defense through dribble penetration allows both Kevin Durant and James Harden to operate more freely on the offensive end. But it's also undeniable that the Nets will be hugely competitive without him (as they were last season in his absence). I firmly believe the situation will eventually resolve itself one way or the other. Either Irving will get vaccinated, which will allow him to fully participate with Brooklyn, or he will remain intransigent. In that instance, no matter what Irving says today about being traded (he says he would retire), I believe cooler heads would prevail and GM Sean Marks would work out a trade to bring back pieces to Brooklyn. So, I'm more than comfortable taking the Brooklyn Nets, as currently constituted, to win the NBA Championship at +260.Last season, even though an injury-riddled Brooklyn team lost the series to the eventual NBA champion Bucks, it outscored them in the 7-game playoff series by 2.86 ppg. And it also throttled Boston in the first round series by 11.2 ppg. I don't see anything -- not even Irving's principles -- getting in the way of Durant, Harden, and the rest of the Nets hoisting the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy in June. Take Brooklyn.Good luck, as always,Al McMordie

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