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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAB, NBA and NHL Previews and Odds - 01/19/2022

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Jan 19, 2022

The Wednesday sports card features NBA, NHL, and CBB action.Eleven games are on the docket in the National Basketball Association. Three games tip-off the card at 7:10 PM ET. Charlotte hosts Detroit as a 9.5-point favorite (all odds from DraftKings). Philadelphia visits Orlando as a -7.5 point road favorite. Washington is at home against Houston as a 6.5-point favorite. Three more games begin at 7:40 PM ET. Boston plays at home against San Antonio as an 8.5-point favorite. Brooklyn travels to Indiana as a 6.5-point road favorite. Golden State is at Dallas as in the opening game of an ESPN doubleheader at 7:40 PM ET. The Warriors won their fifth game in their last six with a 115-108 victory against Miami as a 10.5-point favorite on Monday. They improved their record to 29-7. The Mavericks won their fourth game in their last five with their 103-89 victory against Denver as a 3-point favorite on Monday. Golden State is a 5-point road favorite.Two more NBA games start at 8:10 PM ET. Milwaukee plays at home against Toronto as a 9-point favorite. Minnesota hosts Oklahoma City as an 8-point favorite. Three games conclude the card at 10:10 PM ET. Portland is at home against Miami as a 1-point favorite. Atlanta visits Sacramento in a pick ‘em contest. Utah travels to Denver at 10:10 PM ET in the second game of the doubleheader on ESPN. The Jazz won their seventh game in their last eight with their 115-104 win at New Orleans as a 10-point favorite on Monday. The Nuggets had their three-game winning streak end with their 103-89 loss at Dallas on Monday. The National Hockey League has two games on its slate. Toronto plays at home against Edmonton at 7:08 as a -210 money line favorite with the total set at 6.5. Pittsburgh hosts St. Louis at 7:38 PM ET as a -130 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. The New York Islanders/Vancouver game got postponed due to a COVID outbreak.Nine games are on national television in college basketball. St. John’s is at home on FS1 at 6:30 PM ET as a 5-point favorite with a total of 152.5. Four games tip-off at 7 PM ET. Florida plays at home against Alabama on ESPN2 as a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under of 149. Louisville is at home against Pittsburgh on ESPNU as a 12.5-point favorite with a total of 127.5. Dayton hosts VCU on the CBS Sports Network as a 2-point favorite with an over/under of 125. UNC-Greensboro is at home against Furman on ESPN News as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 128.5. Villanova plays at home against Creighton on FS1 at 8:30 PM ET as a 10.5-point favorite with a total of 133. Three more games begin at 9 PM ET. Iowa State hosts Texas Tech on ESPNU as a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 127. North Carolina is at Notre Dame on ESPN2 as a 2.5-point road favorite with a total of 147. Missouri State visits Bradley on the CBS Sports Network as a 1-point road favorite with an over/under of 138.

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NFL Super Bowl LVI Futures Update 

by Oskeim Sports

Tuesday, Jan 18, 2022

   With the Rams' victory over the Cardinals on Monday night, the NFL’s Divisional Round of the playoffs is all set. Six teams have been eliminated and eight remain to battle for the Super Bowl LVI title. One team remains the overall favorite on the betting board. Is there a team in the field that could sneak in and pull off the upset? Here’s an update of the Super Bowl LVI futures market.   Packers Remain Favorite Green Bay opened the season at +900 to win this season’s Super Bowl. They were the favorite entering the playoffs at +350 and remain atop the list heading into the divisional round. QB Aaron Rodgers is having another MVP-worthy season guiding Green Bay to six wins in their final eight games.  The Packers will have the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage all the way to the NFC championship game. Home field advantage matters as at least one top seed has made it all the way to the Super Bowl in seven of the past eight seasons.    Top Contenders The Buffalo Bills are on the board at +500 and for good reason. Buffalo completely manhandled the New England Patriots in their wild-card game last week. The Bills scored touchdowns on their first seven drives of the game. That was a first in NFL playoff history.  The Bills' defense contained the Patriots and rookie QB Mac Jones and didn’t allow a touchdown until the second half with Buffalo in command. The Bills defense is the best in the NFL and QB Josh Allen threw five touchdowns in the 47-17 win over the Patriots.  Buffalo will have its hands full with Kansas City in this week’s divisional playoff game. The two teams met last year in the AFC championship. They also played earlier this season at Arrowhead Stadium, site of this week’s game. Buffalo won 38-20 back when the Chiefs were struggling.  Kansas City turned its season around and won 10 of its last 11 games. Since Week 8, the Chiefs' defense has been one of the best in the league. Patrick Mahomes threw five touchdown passes in roughly 12 minutes in the Chiefs win over Pittsburgh in last week’s wild-card game. That’s why the Chiefs are listed at +400 ahead of Buffalo.    The Surprise With Green Bay, Kansas City, Buffalo, and defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay (+500) all at the top of the board, one team is getting overlooked. The Tennessee Titans are the No. 1 seed in the AFC. They are generating absolutely zero buzz, but they should be.  The Titans are listed at +900 behind even San Francisco (+850) which upset Dallas last week to advance. Tennessee gets All-Pro RB Derrick Henry back in the lineup after he missed a good portion of the regular season with a foot injury. Henry was leading the NFL in rushing – which he did in the previous two seasons – at the time of his injury.  Tennessee was still able to finish fifth in the NFL in rushing averaging 141.1 yards per game. The Titans also had the second-best run defense allowing just 84.6 yards per game on the ground. They finished sixth in scoring defense holding teams to 20.8 points per game.   The Titans went 7-2 at home this year and will have home-field advantage throughout the postseason. Tennessee opened the season given +2500 odds to win this year’s Super Bowl. 

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NFL Divisional Round: Current Line Movement

by Sean Murphy

Tuesday, Jan 18, 2022

The NFL's Divisional Round matchups are set with a mouth-watering four-game slate on tap this weekend. Here's a look at where to anticipate line movement in each contest.Bengals vs. Titans - Saturday 4:30 pm etThe Titans opened as rather standard three-point home favorites but we've seen the majority of books move off that number to -3.5. The total opened at 47 and has held steady at that number. The money is likely to continue to flow in support of the Titans as the Bengals defensive injury picture clarifies over the course of the week. Cincinnati lost Trey Hendrickson, Mike Daniels and Larry Ogunjobi to injuries in last Saturday's win over the Raiders. Only Ogunjobi has been ruled out for Saturday's game, so far anyway. I'm not convinced that confirmation of Hendrickson or Daniels' playing status will shift the line here, in fact I'm quite confident saying that it won't. I don't anticipate much more movement in the pointspread or total here barring any unforeseen circumstances over the course of the week.49ers at Packers - Saturday 8:15 pm et This line is on the move, shifting from the opener of Packers -4.5 (at a handful of books) all the way to -6. We'll likely see the number bounce between -5.5 and -6 all week long leading up to kickoff. The moneyline might be more interesting to watch. The Niners opened as a +200 underdog at most books with that number climbing to +216 to +218 before dropping back down to +210 as of Tuesday morning. If you like the Niners straight-up I believe you might want to lock in sooner rather than later as I would anticipate some underdog money flowing in on the moneyline leading up to Saturday's kickoff. Keep in mind, the Niners have been a somewhat popular Super Bowl sleeper pick ever since they rallied from a 17-0 deficit to defeat the Rams and clinch their playoff spot in Week 18. The total has held firm at 47.5 and I'm anticipating it bumping up to 48 before long as bettors look to support these two explosive offenses. Rams vs. Buccaneers - Sunday 3 pm etThe Bucs opened as low as -1.5 favorites but have since shifted all the way to -3 at the majority of books. There are injury concerns on the Bucs offensive line with Tristan Wirfs and Ryan Jensen questionable to play on Sunday. If you like the Rams I would suggest grabbing the +3 now as I anticipate this spread settling at -2.5 by the end of the week. The total has been on the move as well, going from the opener of 47.5 up as high as 48.5 at some books. Don't count on that number going much higher as we hear all week about the ferocious Rams pass rush potentially eating up the Bucs banged-up offensive line, not to mention all of the key contributors Tampa is missing at the skill positions. Expect the total to settle around 48 points.Bills vs. Chiefs - Sunday 6:30 pm etThe betting marketplace seems to be treating this game as the definition of a toss-up with the Chiefs bouncing around at -2/-2.5. The Bills will undoubtedly be a popular moneyline bet on Sunday as bettors look to get a plus-money return rather than grab less than a field goal on the pointspread. We've seen Buffalo go from around +120 down to +115 on the moneyline so far. No surprise if that number settles closer to +110. This game features the highest posted total of the playoffs to date, currently sitting at 55 points, up from the opener. Given the way the last two matchups between these two AFC rivals have played out with the winner easily eclipsing the 30-point mark, I wouldn't be shocked if this total climbs as high as 56.5 points before likely settling back at 55.5. If you like the 'over', you probably won't want to wait until Sunday to lock in your wager, when more 'over' money will undoubtedly roll in. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, EPL and NCAAB Previews and Odds - 01/18/2022

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Jan 18, 2022

The Tuesday sports card features NBA, NHL, NCAAB, and EPL action.Two games are on the docket in the National Basketball Association. Minnesota visits New York at 7:40 PM ET as a 1-point road favorite at BetRivers. Golden State plays at home against Detroit at 10:10 PM ET as a 14.5-point favorite at BetRivers.The National Hockey League has eight games on its slate. The puck drops for four games at 7:08 PM ET. Boston hosts Carolina as a -130 money line favorite with the total set at 5.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Ottawa is at home against Buffalo as a -140 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. The New York Islanders visit Philadelphia as a -125 money line road favorite with a total of 5.5. Washington plays at home against Winnipeg as a -135 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. Nashville is at home against Vancouver at 8:08 PM ET as a -180 money line favorite with a total of 5.5. Dallas hosts Montreal as a -265 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Florida travels to Calgary at 9:08 PM ET as a -125 money line road favorite with a total of 6.5. Tampa Bay plays at Los Angeles at 10:38 PM ET as a -170 money line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Three games got postponed because of COVID: Detroit/Philadelphia; Columbus/New York Islanders; Chicago/Edmonton.Ten games are on national television in college basketball. Baylor is at West Virginia on ESPN2 at 5 PM ET. Five games begin at 7 PM ET. Kansas travels to Oklahoma on ESPN as a 3.5-point road favorite with a total of 144. Connecticut plays at home against Butler on FS1 as a 13-point favorite with an over/under of 126.5. VCU hosts Davidson on the CBS Sports Network as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 131.5. Mississippi is at home against Missouri on ESPNU as a 9.5-point favorite with an over/under of 133.5. Michigan plays at home against Maryland on ESPN2 as a 6-point favorite with a total of 137.Three more NCAAB games start at 9 PM ET. Duke travels to Florida State on ESPN as a 4.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 145. Texas Tech plays at home against Iowa State on ESPNU as an 8-point favorite with a total of 126.5. Boise State is at home against the Air Force on the CBS Sports Network as an 18-point favorite with an over/under of 120. Fresno State hosts Utah State on the CBS Sports Network at 11 PM ET as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 131.5. Matchweek 22 in the English Premier League continues with Chelsea visiting Brighton and Hove Albion on the USA Network at 3 PM ET. The Blues had their three-game winning streak across all competitions in a 1-0 loss at Manchester City on Saturday in the English Premier League. The Seagulls had won their last two matches across all competitions before their 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace on Friday in the EPL. Chelsea is a -0.5 goal line road favorite with a total of 2.5. The Watford/Burnley match got postponed because of COVID.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NFL, NCAAB, and NHL Previews and Odds - 01/17/2022

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Jan 17, 2022

The Monday Martin Luther King holiday sports card features NFL, NBA, NHL, and NCAAB action.The NFL Super Wild Card Weekend concludes with the Los Angeles Rams hosting the Arizona Cardinals on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 at 8:15 PM ET. The Rams are a 3.5-point favorite, with the total set at 49.Twelve games are on the docket in the National Basketball Association. Boston plays at home against New Orleans at 12:40 PM ET as a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 216.5. New York is at home against Charlotte at 1:10 PM ET as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 217. Philadelphia visits Washington at 2:10 PM ET as a 2.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 214. Cleveland hosts Brooklyn at 3:10 PM ET as a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 220. Two NBA tip-off at 3:40 PM ET. Memphis plays at home against Chicago in the opening game of a doubleheader on TNT as a 6-point favorite with a total of 224.5. The Los Angeles Clippers are at home against Indiana as a 1-point favorite with an over/under of 210. Milwaukee travels to Atlanta for the second game on TNT at 6:10 PM ET as a 3.5-point road favorite with a total of 231. Portland is at Orlando at 7:10 PM ET as a 1-point road favorite with an over/under of 215. Miami hosts Toronto at 7:40 PM ET as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 209. Two more NBA games begin at 8:40 PM ET. Dallas is at home against Oklahoma City as a 10-point favorite with an over/under of 207.5. Phoenix visits San Antonio as a 4.5-point road favorite with a total of 224.5. Utah plays at Los Angeles against the Lakers at 10:40 PM ET as a 4-point road favorite with an over/under of 231.5. The National Hockey League has nine games on its slate. Detroit travels to Buffalo at 1:08 PM ET as a -130 money line road favorite with a total of 5.5. Colorado is home against Minnesota at 3:08 PM ET as a -215 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. Two more NHL games drop the puck at 4:08 PM ET. Montreal plays at Arizona, with both teams priced at -110 and a total of 5.5. Los Angeles visits San Jose as a -115 money line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Chicago is at Seattle at 5:08 PM ET with both teams priced at -110 and a total of 5.5. The New York Islanders host Philadelphia at 7:38 PM ET as a -175 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. St. Louis is at home against Nashville at 8:08 PM ET as a -130 money line favorite with a total of 5.5. Vegas plays at home against Pittsburgh at 10:08 PM ET as a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. The New Jersey/Toronto game got postponed because of a COVID outbreak. Six games are on national television in college basketball. Illinois hosts Purdue on Fox at noon ET as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 149. George Mason visits George Washington on the CBS Sports Network at 2 PM ET as a 6-point road favorite with an over/under of 134.5. Notre Dame plays at Howard on Fox at 2:30 PM ET. Saint Joseph’s is at home against LaSalle on the CBS Sports Network at 4 PM ET as a 7-point favorite with a total of 146. Northeastern plays at home against Delaware on the CBS Sports Network at 7 PM ET as a 1-point favorite with an over/under of 140. UNLV travels to San Jose State on the CBS Sports Network at 9 PM ET as a 6.5-point road favorite with a total of 141. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAAB and EPL Previews and Odds - 01/16/2022

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Jan 16, 2022

The Sunday sports card features NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAAB, and English Premier League action.The NFL Super Wild Card Weekend continues with three games. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Philadelphia Eagles on Fox at 1 PM ET. The Buccaneers are on a three-game winning streak after they defeated Carolina, 41-17, as a 10.5-point favorite on Sunday. They improved their record to 13-4. The Eagles had their four-game winning streak end with their 51-26 loss to Dallas as a 6.5-point underdog last Saturday. Their record fell to 9-8. Tampa Bay is a 7.5-point favorite, with the total set at 46.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise).The Dallas Cowboys play at home against the San Francisco 49ers on CBS at 4:30 PM ET. The Cowboys won their fourth game in their last five with their 25-point victory against Philadelphia last week. They improved their record to 12-5 with the win. The 49ers won their second straight game with their 27-24 upset win in Los Angeles against the Rams in overtime as a 3.5-point underdog on Sunday. San Francisco made the playoffs with a 10-7 record. Dallas is a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 50.5. The Kansas City Chiefs are at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers on NBC at 8:15 PM ET. The Chiefs won their ninth game in their last ten with their 28-24 win at Denver as an 11-point favorite on Saturday. They raised their record to 12-5. The Steelers won their second straight game with their 16-13 upset victory at Baltimore as a 3-point underdog on Sunday. They take a 9-7-1 record into the postseason. Kansas City is a 12.5-point favorite with a total of 46.Four games are on the docket in the National Basketball Association. Phoenix visits Detroit at 1:10 PM ET as a 12-point road favorite with an over/under of 214. Sacramento hosts Houston at 6:10 PM ET as a 6-point favorite. Two games conclude the NBA card at 8:10 PM ET. Minnesota is at home against Golden State as a 4-point favorite. Utah plays at Denver as a 3.5-point road favorite. The National Hockey League has one game on its slate. Washington plays at home against Vancouver at 2:08 PM ET as a -175 money line favorite with a total of 6. The Edmonton/Winnipeg game got postponed because of COVID.Four games are on national television in college basketball. Villanova plays at home against Butler on FS1 at noon ET as a 15-point favorite with an over/under of 123.5. Wichita State is at home against Cincinnati on ESPN at 1 PM ET as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 133.5. St. John’s hosts Georgetown on Fox at 4:30 PM ET as a 10.5-point favorite with an over/under of 160.5. Loyola-Maryland travels to Lehigh on the CBS Sports Network at 6 PM ET. Matchweek 22 in the English Premier League continues with two matches at 9 AM ET. Liverpool plays at home against Brentford on the USA Network as a -1.5 goal line favorite at PlayMGM with a total of 3. West Ham United is at home against Leeds United on Peacock as a -1 goal line favorite with an over/under of 3. The Arsenal/Tottenham match got postponed because of COVID.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAAB and EPL Previews and Odds - 01/15/2022

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Jan 15, 2022

The Saturday sports card features NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAAB, and English Premier League action.The NFL Super Wild Card Weekend kicks off with two games. Cincinnati hosts Las Vegas on NBC at 4:35 PM ET as a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 48 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Buffalo plays at home against New England on CBS as a 4.5-point favorite with an over/under of 44.Ten games are on the docket in the National Basketball Association. Milwaukee is at home against Toronto at 6:40 PM ET as a 7.5-point favorite at BetRivers with a total of 221.5. Washington hosts Portland at 7:10 PM ET as a 7.5-point favorite at BetRivers. Two more games start at 7:40 PM ET. Atlanta plays at home against New York as a 3-point favorite at BetRivers with an over/under of 213.5. Brooklyn is at home against Atlanta as a 7-point favorite at BetRivers with a total of 228. Two NBA games begin at 8:10 PM ET. Miami hosts Philadelphia as a 2-point favorite with an over/under of 207.5. Cleveland visits Oklahoma City as a 5-point road favorite with a total of 209.5. Two more NBA games tip-off at 8:40 PM ET. Boston plays at home against Chicago as a 2.5-point favorite at BetRivers with an over/under of 220. San Antonio is at home against the Los Angeles Clippers as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 218. Denver hosts the Los Angeles Lakers at 9:10 PM ET as a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 224.5. Dallas plays at home against Orlando at 9:40 PM ET as a 10.5-point favorite with a total of 208.The National Hockey League has 13 games on its slate. The puck drops at 1:08 PM ET for two games. Boston is at home against Nashville as a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Carolina plays at home against Vancouver as a -205 money line favorite with a total of 5.5. Washington travels to New York to play the Islanders at 2:08 PM ET as a -135 money line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Florida hosts Columbus at 6:08 PM ET as a -280 money line favorite with a total of 6. Four more NHL games start at 7:08 PM ET. Detroit plays at home against Buffalo as a -175 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The New York Rangers are at Philadelphia as a -150 money line road favorite with a total of 5.5. Toronto travels to St. Louis as a -155 money line road favorite with an over/under of 6. Tampa Bay is at home against Dallas as a -200 money line favorite with a total of 6.Chicago plays at home against Anaheim at 8:38 PM ET as a -130 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. Colorado visits Arizona at 9:08 PM ET as a -360 money line road favorite with a total of 6.5. Two more NHL games begin at 10:08 PM ET. Los Angeles plays at Seattle as a -125 money line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Edmonton is at home against Ottawa as a -215 money line favorite with a total of 6.5. Pittsburgh plays at San Jose at 10:38 PM ET as a -160 money line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Three games originally scheduled for Saturday got postponed: New Jersey/Montreal; Ottawa/Winnipeg; Vegas/Calgary.Twenty-five games are on national television in college basketball. Three games tip-off at noon ET. Xavier hosts Creighton on Fox as a 9.5-point favorite with a total of 141. Texas Tech travels to Kansas State on ESPN2 as a 3.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 128. Seton Hall plays at Marquette on FS1 as a 1.5-point road favorite with a total of 151.5. Dayton is at Duquesne on the USA Network at 12:30 PM ET as a 3.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 135.5. Kentucky plays at home against Tennessee on ESPN at 1 PM ET as a 4.5-point favorite with a total of 141.5. Three NCAAB games on national television at 2 PM ET. Duke hosts North Carolina State on ABC as a 14-point favorite with an over/under of 150.5. Kansas is at home against West Virginia on CBS as an 11.5-point favorite with a total of 143.5. LSU plays at home against Arkansas on ESPN2 as a 7-point favorite with an over/under of 146. St. Louis hosts Fordham on the USA Network at 2:30 PM ET as a 13-point favorite with a total of 139.5. Two more NCAAB games begin at 3 PM ET. Chattanooga is at home against Furman on the CBS Sports Network as a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 140.5. Syracuse plays at home against Florida State on ESPN as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 149.5. Oklahoma travels to TCU on ESPN2 at 4 PM ET as a 1.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 136. Rhode Island plays at Massachusetts on the USA Network at 4:30 PM ET as a 3-point road favorite with a total of 147.5. Three more NCAAB games tip-off at 5 PM ET. Baylor hosts Oklahoma State on ESPN as a 13.5-point favorite with an over/under of 142.5. Missouri State is at Valparaiso on ESPNU as a 4-point road favorite with a total of 138.5. Nevada plays at Air Force on the CBS Sports Network as a 9.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 135.5. Boise State visits New Mexico on FS1 at 5:30 PM ET as a 9-point road favorite with a total of 145.5. Vanderbilt is at Georgia on ESPN2 as a 5-point road favorite with an over/under of 146. Two NCAAB games start at 7 PM ET. Central Florida plays at South Florida on ESPNU as a 9-point road favorite with a total of 127.5. Loyola-Chicago visits Indiana State on the CBS Sports Network as a 9-pint road favorite with an over/under of 144. Houston is at Tulsa on ESPN2 at 8 PM ET as an 11-point road favorite with a total of 136. Grand Canyon plays at home against Tarleton State on ESPNU at 9 PM ET as a 9-point favorite with an over/under of 124.5. Arizona State hosts Colorado State on ESPN2 at 10 PM ET as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 132.5. Two more NCAAB games conclude the card at 11 PM ET. USC plays at home against Oregon on FS1 as a 6.5-point favorite with an over/under of 141.5. San Francisco is at home against BYU on the CBS Sports Network as a 4.5-point favorite with a total of 142.Matchweek 22 in the English Premier League continues with five matches. Manchester City plays at home against Chelsea on Peacock at 7:30 AM ET as a -1 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Three more EPL matches begin at 10 AM ET. Newcastle United is at home against Watford on the USA Network as a -0.5 goal line favorite with a total of 2.5. Everton travels to Norwich City on Peacock as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Wolverhampton hosts Southampton on Peacock as a -0.5 goal line favorite with a total of 2. Manchester United visits Aston Villa on NBC at 12:30 PM ET in a pick ‘em matchup with an over/under of 2.5. The Leicester City/Burnley match got postponed because of COVID.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, NCAAB and EPL Previews and Odds - 01/14/2022

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Jan 14, 2022

The Friday sports card features NBA, NHL, NCAAB, and English Premier League action.Nine games are on the docket in the National Basketball Association. The card tips off with Philadelphia playing at home against Boston at 7:10 PM ET as a 3-point favorite with the total set at 212 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Three more games start at 7:10 PM ET. Charlotte is at home against Orlando as a 10.5-point favorite with BetRivers posting an over/under of 225. Toronto travels to Detroit as a 7-point road favorite with BetRivers opening their total for this game at 214.5. Phoenix plays at Indiana as a 5.5-point road favorite at BetRivers.The Friday doubleheader on ESPN starts with Chicago hosting Golden State at 7:40 PM ET. The Bulls lost their second game in their last three with a 138-112 upset loss to Brooklyn as a 1.5-point favorite on Wednesday. Their record fell to 27-12 on the season. The Warriors lost their fourth game in their last five in a 118-99 loss at Milwaukee as a 1-point underdog on Thursday. Golden State’s record dropped to 30-11 with the loss. Chicago is a 3-point favorite with the total at BetRivers at 222. Miami is at home against Atlanta at 8:10 PM ET as a 3-point favorite with BetRivers’ posting the over/under at 221. Cleveland travels to San Antonio at 8:40 PM ET as a 2.5-point road favorite with a total of 223.5. Two games conclude the NBA card at 10:10 PM ET. Sacramento plays at home against Houston as a 5-point favorite with an over/under of 238.5. The nightcap on ESPN has Memphis hosting Dallas at 10:10 PM ET.  The Grizzlies are on an 11-game winning streak after their 116-108 victory against Minnesota as a 3-point favorite on Thursday. They improved their record to 30-14 with that win. The Mavericks had their six-game winning streak end after a 108-85 loss in New York as a 2.5-point favorite on Wednesday. Their record fell to 22-19 with the setback. Memphis is a 3-point favorite with an over/under at BetRivers of 218.The National Hockey League has three games on its slate. Florida is at home against Dallas at 7:08 PM ET as a -185 money line favorite with a total of 6.5. Minnesota plays at home against Anaheim at 8:08 PM ET as a -165 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Colorado hosts Arizona at 9:08 PM ET as a -500 money line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Vegas/Edmonton got postponed because of a COVID outbreak. Eight games are on national television in college basketball. Buffalo travels to Ball State on the CBS Sports Network at 6 PM ET as a 6.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 162. Purdue plays at home against Nebraska on FS1 at 6:30 PM ET as a 20-point favorite with a total of 156. Iona hosts Manhattan on ESPNU at 7 PM ET as a 15-point favorite with an over/under of 147. St. Bonaventure is at home against VCU on ESPN2 at 7:30 PM ET as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 130.5. Kent State plays at home against Akron on the CBS Sports Network at 8 PM ET as a 1-point favorite with an over/under of 135. Two more NCAA-B games tip-off at 9 PM ET. Illinois hosts Michigan on FS1 as a 9.5-point favorite with a total of 145. Richmond is at home against Davidson on ESPNU as a 1-point favorite with an over/under of 143. UNLV hosts Fresno State on FS1 at 11 PM ET as a 1-point favorite with a total of 127.Matchweek 22 in the English Premier League begins with one match at 3:30 PM ET. Brighton and Hove Albion host Crystal Palace on the USA Network as a -0.5 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, and NCAAB Previews and Odds - 01/13/2022

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Jan 13, 2022

The Thursday sports card features NBA, NHL, and NCAAB action.Five games are on the docket in the National Basketball Association. The TNT Thursday doubleheader tips off at 7:40 PM ET with the Milwaukee Bucks playing at home against the Golden State Warriors. The Bucks lost their fourth game in their last five with their 103-99 upset loss at Charlotte as a 2.5-point favorite on Monday. Their record dropped to 26-17 with the loss to the Hornets. The Warriors lost their third game in their last four with their 116-108 upset loss at Memphis as a 2-point favorite on Tuesday. Golden State has a 30-10 record. Milwaukee is a 2-point favorite (all odds from DraftKings). Two more NBA games begin at 8:10 PM ET. Memphis is at home against Minnesota as a 5-point favorite. New Orleans hosts Los Angeles against the Clippers as a 3-point favorite. Brooklyn plays at home against Oklahoma City at 8:40 PM ET as a 10-point favorite. The nightcap on TNT has the Denver Nuggets at home against the Portland Trail Blazers at 10:10 PM ET. The Nuggets’ two-game winning streak ended with an 87-85 upset loss in Los Angeles against the Clippers as a 3-point favorite on Tuesday. Their record dropped to 20-19 with the loss. The Trail Blazers are on a two-game winning streak after their 114-108 upset victory against Brooklyn as a 9-point underdog on Monday. Portland improved their record to 16-24. Denver is a 9.5-point favorite. The National Hockey League has 11 games on its slate. The puck drops for three games at 7:08 PM ET. Tampa Bay plays at home against Vancouver as a -250 money line favorite with the total set at 6. Carolina is at home against Columbus as a -230 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. The Boston Bruins host the Philadelphia Flyers on ESPN at 7:08 PM ET. The Bruins won their fifth game in their last six with their 7-3 victory at Washington on Monday. Their record improved to 19-11-2 with the win. The Flyers are on a five-game losing streak with their 3-2 loss to San Jose on Saturday. Philadelphia’s record fell to 13-15-7 with the loss. Boston is a -250 money line favorite with a total of 6.Two more NHL games start at 7:38 PM ET. The New York Islanders are at home against New Jersey as a -200 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Winnipeg visits Detroit as a -140 money line road favorite with a total of 5.5. Two games begin at 8:08 PM ET. St. Louis is at home against Seattle as a -230 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. Nashville plays at home against Buffalo as a -300 money line favorite with a total of 6. Chicago hosts Montreal at 8:38 PM ET as a -175 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Calgary plays at home against Ottawa at 9:38 PM ET as a -240 money line favorite with a total of 6. Two NHL games conclude the card at 10:38 PM ET. Pittsburgh travels to Los Angeles as a -140 money line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The New York Rangers play at San Jose as a -125 money line road favorite with a total of 5.5. Fifteen games are on national television in college basketball. Two games tip-off at 5 PM ET. Seton Hall travels to DePaul on FS1 as a 5-point road favorite with an over/under of 144.5. Washington State is at home against Stanford on ESPNU as a 6.5-point favorite with a total of 136.5. Four games are on national television at 7 PM ET. Wisconsin hosts Ohio State on ESPN2 as a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 139. Georgetown plays at home against Butler on FS1 as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 137.5. Louisiana Tech is at home against Southern Mississippi on the CBS Sports Network as an 18.5-point favorite with an over/under of 137.5. UNC-Asheville travels to Winthrop on ESPNU.Four more NCAA-B games are on national television at 9 PM ET. SIU-Edwardsville is at Eastern Illinois on ESPNU as a 6-point road favorite with a total of 131.5. Western Kentucky plays at home against Rice on the CBS Sports Network as an 8.5-point favorite with an over/under of 153.5. South Alabama hosts Georgia State on ESPN2 as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 146. Iowa is at home against Indiana on FS1 as a 4-point favorite with an over/under of 150. UCLA plays home against Oregon on ESPN at 9:30 PM ET as a 10.5-point favorite with a total of 142.Four NCAA-B conclude the card at 11 PM ET. Gonzaga hosts BYU on ESPN as a 14.5-point favorite with an over/under of 153. USC is at home against Oregon State on ESPNU as a 15.5-point favorite with a total of 141. Arizona plays at home against Colorado on FS1 as a 16-point favorite with an over/under of 150. San Francisco hosts Loyola-Marymount on the CBS Sports Network as a 9.5-point favorite with a total of 136.5.

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Two Teams You Should Bet On To Win The Super Bowl

by ASA, Inc.

Wednesday, Jan 12, 2022

NFC - San Francisco +2500 We really like the value here with the Niners.  This line might be a bit higher than it should be based on QB Garoppolo’s injury to his hand.  However, he looked OK last week throwing for 316 yards and 9.9 yards per attempt in their win @ LA Rams.  San Fran has a yards per play differential of +0.9 which is the 2nd best of any playoff team behind Buffalo.  On top of that, since week 9 they lead the NFL in net YPP.  They are one of just 2 teams in the NFL that rank in the top 7 in both offensive DVOA and defensive DVOA per Football Outsiders (the other is Dallas).  The Niners were 5-3 SU vs playoff teams this year and faced 3 division winners and were very close to sweeping the board losing to the Packers and Titans both on last second FG’s and beating the Rams twice by a combined 24 points.  The Niners outgained their opponent both YPG and YPP in 3 of those 4 match ups vs division champs.  San Francisco is the lowest of the underdogs this weekend getting 3 at Dallas and if they can get by the Cowboys they’ll head to Green Bay.  If that happens we actually think they match up pretty good with the Packers because they have a power running game and Green Bay’s weakness on defense is vs the run (28th DVOA vs the run at Football Outsiders).  Let’s also not forget this team with Garoppolo at QB has experienced success in the playoffs making it to the Super Bowl just a few years ago.   We view 25/1 as very good value on San Francisco. AFC - Tennessee +850 We like the spot here because we’re getting a team that only needs to win 2 home games to get to the Super Bowl at almost 10/1 odds.  We understand why they might be priced as they are with neither their point differential nor YPP differential ranking anywhere near the top of the playoff board.  They’ve also won most of their close games (lucky?) which some view as a negative entering the playoffs.  But the fact is this team beat the 2 teams most consider to be the best in the AFC this year topping both the Bills and the Chiefs.  The Titans can run the ball, 5th in the NFL at 141 YPG, which we like at playoff time when potential bad weather comes into play AND it looks like RB Henry will be back for the post-season.  Not only has Henry been out for an extended period of time, but the 2 top WR’s for Tennessee, Jones and Brown, only played together in 7 games this year due to various injuries.  In those 7 games the Titans were 6-1 SU and 5-2 ATS.  Both are healthy and have an extra week to rest up and get ready for the playoffs.  This is sort of a “middle of the pack” defense when it comes to overall seasonal numbers but they are better than that.  The Tennessee stop unit played very well down the stretch allowing 17 points or less in 6 of their last 8 games not allowing more than 25 in any of those games.  They are also the #1 defense in the NFL in explosive plays allowed so they very rarely give up big plays.  We like Vrabel as a head coach and his teams always seem to be well prepared.  Good value on a team that only needs to win twice at home (as we mentioned above) and they are in the Super Bowl.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, NCAAB and EPL Previews and Odds - 01/12/2022

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Jan 12, 2022

The Wednesday sports card features NBA, NHL, NCAAB, and EPL action.Nine games are on the docket in the National Basketball Association. Three games tip-off the card at 7:10 PM ET. Boston plays at Indiana as a 3-point road favorite (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Philadelphia is at home against Charlotte as a 5.5-point favorite. Washington hosts Orlando as an 8-point favorite. Atlanta is at home against Miami at 7:40 PM ET as a 4.5-point favorite.The opening game of the doubleheader on ESPN has Dallas visiting New York at 7:40 PM ET. The Mavericks are on a six-game winning streak after beating Chicago at home, 113-99, as a 1-point favorite on Sunday. They improved their record to 22-18. The Knicks won their third game in their last four with a 111-96 victory against San Antonio as a 6-point favorite on Monday. New York has a 20-21 record. Dallas is a 1.5-point road favorite. San Antonio plays at home against Houston at 8:40 PM ET as a 5.5-point favorite. Utah hosts Cleveland at 9:10 PM ET as a 6.5-point favorite. The Los Angeles Lakers are at Sacramento at 10:10 PM ET as a 2.5-point road favorite. The nightcap on ESPN has Brooklyn traveling to Chicago at 10:10 PM ET. The Nets lost their fifth game in their last seven in a 114-108 upset loss at Portland as a 9-point underdog on Monday. Their record has dropped to 25-14 on the season. The Bulls had their nine-game winning streak end in a 113-99 loss at Dallas as a 1-point underdog on Sunday. Chicago has a 26-11 record. Brooklyn is a 1-point road favorite. The National Hockey League has three games on its slate. Boston plays at home against Montreal at 7:08 PM ET in the first game of the doubleheader on TNT. The Bruins won their fifth game in their last six with a 7-3 victory at Washington on Monday. They improved their record to 19-11-2. The Canadiens are on a three-game losing streak after a 5-2 loss at Florida in their last game on January 1st. Boston is a -320 money line favorite with the total set at 5.5. Dallas is at home against Seattle at 8:38 PM ET as a -200 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. The second game on TNT has Toronto visiting Arizona at 10:08 PM ET. The Maple Leafs won their fifth game in their last six with a 4-3 win in a shoot-out at Vegas on Tuesday. They improved their record to 22-8-3. The Coyotes lost their third game in their last four with a 4-2 loss to Nashville on Saturday. Arizona’s record fell to 7-23-3. Toronto is a -320 money line road favorite with a total of 6.Eight games are on national television in college basketball. Villanova visits Xavier on FS1 at 6:30 PM ET. Two televised games tip-off at 7 PM ET. Florida plays at home against LSU on ESPN2 as a 1-point favorite with an over/under of 137. Tulsa hosts Temple on ESPNU as a 3-point favorite with a total of 133. Colorado State is at home against Utah State on the CBS Sports Network at 8 PM ET as a 4.5-point favorite with an over/under of 147.5. UConn is at home against St. John’s on FS1 at 8:30 PM ET. Two more televised games begin at 9 PM ET. Virginia plays at home against Virginia Tech on ESPN2 as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 118.5. Kansas State hosts TCU at ESPNU as a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 133. Boise State travels to Nevada on FS1 at 10:30 PM ET as a 1.5-point road favorite with a total of 139.5.Matchweek 21 in the English Premier League concludes with West Ham United hosting Norwich City on Peacock at 2:45 PM ET. The Hammers are a -1.5 goal line favorite at PlayMGM with an over/under of 3.

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NFL Playoffs: Key Metrics

by Power Sports

Tuesday, Jan 11, 2022

Here are some metrics that I consider when examining the NFL playoff field. It's not an "end all, be all," but this article should provide some perspective on the 14 teams still playing professional football. Point Differential Buffalo +194 Dallas +172 New England +159 Tampa Bay +158 Kansas City +116 LA Rams +88 Cincinnati +84 Arizona +83 Green Bay +79 Tennessee +65 San Francisco +62 Philadelphia +59 Pittsburgh -55 Las Vegas -65 Commentary: The top 12 teams in point differential all made the playoffs. But what obviously sticks out here is the two bottom teams. Not only have the Steelers and Raiders allowed more points than they’ve scored this year, the differential is rather significant. They ranked 22nd and 23rd, respectively, when it came to regular season point differential! Also of note is that the two top seeds (Green Bay & Tennessee) are both “middle of the pack” in point differential.  Yards Per Play Differential Buffalo +1.0 San Francisco +0.9 Tampa Bay +0.8 LA Rams +0.7 New England +0.6 Philadelphia +0.6 Dallas +0.5 Las Vegas +0.5 Green Bay +0.4 Cincinnati +0.4 Arizona +0.1 Kansas City 0.0 Tennessee -0.2  Pittsburgh -0.8 Commentary: This metric, which obviously measures the number of yards a team gains vs. what it allows, on a per play basis, tends to have predictive value for who will win the Super Bowl. That’s good news for Buffalo, who is also the #1 team in point differential, and maybe even San Francisco. Again, the top seeds in each conference don’t fare too well here. Kansas City is a surprise down at #12.  Pittsburgh again appears to be very lucky to have made the playoffs. Records in One-Score Games Tampa Bay 6-0 Pittsburgh 8-2-1  Las Vegas 7-2 (4-0 in OT games!) Tennessee 6-2  Dallas 5-2  Green Bay 6-3 LA Rams 4-2 Kansas City 5-3 San Francisco 5-5 New England 3-3 Cincinnati 4-5 Arizona 3-4 Philadelphia 2-4 Buffalo 0-5  Commentary: I define “one-score games” as those decided by eight points or less. Reigning Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay was exceptionally lucky in this regard during 2021-22. That kind of luck seems unsustainable, so a close loss in the playoffs would not surprise me. You can now see how Pittsburgh and Las Vegas made the playoffs, despite both having subpar point differentials. The Raiders’ overtime record is particularly egregious. Playing four overtime games in one season is uncommon, winning them ALL is downright ridiculous! Again, note those two top seeds, who definitely seem to be a bit lucky to have Wild Card Weekend off. Not lucky was Buffalo, which is how they ended up 11-6 despite having the top point differential in the league. Might the Bills be “due” to win a close game (or two) over the next several weeks?  ATS records  Dallas 13-4 (8-1 on the road) Green Bay 12-5 (7-1 at home) Buffalo 10-6-1 Arizona 10-7 (8-1 on the road) Cincinnati 10-7 Tennessee 10-7 New England 10-7 San Francisco 9-8 Tampa Bay 9-8 Philadelphia 8-8-1 Pittsburgh 8-9 Kansas City 8-9 LA Rams 8-9 Las Vegas 8-9 Commentary: Not really much to discern here. Obviously, the Cowboys and Packers have been the best teams to bet on this season. Green Bay is obviously very happy to have home field advantage in the NFC as not only did they go 7-1 ATS, but they are a perfect 8-0 straight up at Lambeau. Maybe Arizona is happy to be a non-division winner as it’s unlikely they’ll have any home games the rest of the way.  Records vs. Fellow Playoff Teams Green Bay 5-1 Tampa Bay 4-1 Arizona 5-2  Kansas City 6-3 Cincinnati 4-2 Tennessee 4-3  San Francisco 4-4 Las Vegas 3-3 Dallas 3-4 New England 2-3 Buffalo 2-4 LA Rams 2-5 Pittsburgh 2-5  Philadelphia 0-6 Commentary: Here, the Packers fare quite well and justify their top seed status. The one loss came to Kansas City when Aaron Rodgers was out. However, four of GB’s five wins over fellow playoff teams did come by one score. Three of those were by three points or less. It’s a similar story down in Tampa where all four wins over fellow playoff teams were close. With nine games against other playoff entrants, Kansas City certainly seems like the most "battle-tested" playoff team of the bunch. Philadelphia's record raises question marks about their future prospects. 

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