Expert Sports Picks and Analysis from Al McMordie

Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL and NCAAB Previews and Odds - 02/29/2024

Thursday, Feb 29, 2024

The Thursday sports card features NBA, NHL, and NCAAB action.The National Basketball Association has eight games on its docket. Two NBA games tip off at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Milwaukee Bucks travel to Charlotte to play the Hornets as an 11.5-point road favorite, with the total set at 217.5 (all odds from DraftKings). The Orlando Magic host the Utah Jazz as a 6-point favorite with an over/under of 222. Two more NBA games start at 7:40 p.m. ET. The Brooklyn Nets play at home against the Atlanta Hawks as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 224.5. The Golden State Warriors are in New York to play the Knicks on TNT as a 4-point road favorite with an over/under of 224.5. The Oklahoma City Thunder play in San Antonio against the Spurs at 8:40 p.m. ET as a 10.5-point road favorite with a total of 237. The Phoenix Suns are at home against the Houston Rockets at 9:10 p.m. ET as an 8.5-point favorite with an over/under of 233. The Denver Nuggets host the Miami Heat on TNT at 10:10 p.m. ET as a 4.5-point favorite with a total of 214.5. The Los Angeles Lakers play at home against the Washington Wizards at 10:40 p.m. ET as a 9.5-point favorite with an over/under of 241. The National Hockey League has 12 games on its slate. Six games in the NHL drop the puck at 7:07 p.m. ET. The Boston Bruins are at home against the Vegas Golden Knights as a -155 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Carolina Hurricanes visit the Columbus Blue Jackets as a -245 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Detroit Red Wings host the New York Islanders as a -118 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6. The Florida Panthers play at home against the Montreal Canadiens as a -325 money-line favorite with a total of 6. The Tampa Bay Lightning are at home against the Buffalo Sabres as a -162 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Arizona Coyotes as a -250 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. Two NHL games start at 8:07 p.m. ET. The Dallas Stars play at home against the Winnipeg Jets as a -135 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6. The Nashville Predators are at home against the Minnesota Wild as a -115 money-line favorite with a total of 6. The Colorado Avalanche play in Chicago against the Blackhawks on ESPN as a -298 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6. Two NHL games begin at 10:07 p.m. ET. The Seattle Kraken are at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins as a -115 money-line favorite with a total of 6. The Vancouver Canucks host the Los Angeles Kings as a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6. The Anaheim Ducks are in San Jose to play the Sharks at 10:37 p.m. ET as a -125 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.The college basketball schedule has 10 games on national television. Ohio State plays at home against Nebraska on FS1 as a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 144.5. Three more NCAAB games are on national television at 7 p.m. ET. Memphis travels to East Carolina on ESPN2 as a 4-point road favorite with a total of 145.5. Gardner-Webb is at home against Longwood on ESPNU as a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 150. Elon University hosts William & Mary on the CBS Sports Network as a 3-point favorite with a total of 143. Rutgers plays at home against Michigan on FS1 at 8:30 p.m. ET as a 7-point favorite with an over/under of 137.5. Two more NCAAB games tip off at 9 p.m. ET. Arkansas-Little Rock is at home against Tennessee State on ESPNU as an 8-point favorite with a total of 146.5. Liberty hosts New Mexico State on the CBS Sports Network as a 13-point favorite with an over/under of 136. Washington plays at home against UCLA on FS1 at 10:30 p.m. ET as a 3-point favorite with a total of 138.5. Two more nationally televised NCAAB games start at 11 p.m. ET. Saint Mary’s plays at Pepperdine on the CBS Sports Network as a 15.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 137. Gonzaga is at San Francisco on ESPN2 as a 3.5-point road favorite with a total of 154.

Smaller Conference Teams- Who Could Be Cinderella?

by Kyle Hunter

Wednesday, Feb 28, 2024

March is almost here, and the NCAA Tournament is just around the corner. Maybe you are on the lookout for futures value. Or maybe you just want to take a closer look at smaller conference teams before the conference tournaments and NCAA Tournament arrive. I thought it would be good to take a look at five smaller conference teams I believe have a chance to be Cinderella. I’ll also take a look at why they have the chance to pull some upsets.Note that I’m going to leave the obvious teams like St. Mary’s and Florida Atlantic out of this discussion. Princeton Tigers- The Princeton Tigers went to the Sweet 16 last year. I don’t think we should rule out the chance that they could go to the Sweet 16 again this season. Xaivian Lee is a superstar who leads the team. Princeton is second in the nation in turnover percentage on offense. They take great care of the basketball. The Tigers are also top 35 in the country in both defensive rebounding percentage and defending without fouling. They are great at forcing the opponent to play at their pace. McNeese State Cowboys- It isn’t very often that you’ll see a Southland Conference team on this type of a list, but McNeese state deserves the love. They went on the road and beat a solid VCU team to start this season. They also won by 11 at Michigan. I know Michigan isn’t very good, but a double digit win at a Big Ten school is still impressive. The Cowboys are 35th in effective field goal percentage offense. They are 53rd in effective field goal percentage defense. This kind of balance can lead to success in March. Appalachian State Mountaineers- Dustin Kerns is a really good basketball coach. He has this Mountaineers team playing excellent basketball. Appalachian State won a home game against Auburn earlier this year. They also went to James Madison and won. They beat the Dukes at home as well. James Madison will make a lot of lists for teams capable of pulling upsets (they could), but most will overlook Appalachian State. The Mountaineers are 8th in effective field goal percentage defense. I would rather trust an elite defense than a team full of long range shooters in March. Indiana State Sycamores- The secret might be out about Indiana State more than the three teams ahead of them, but I had to give them some love here. Josh Schertz is one of the best coaches in the country that most people haven’t heard of. The Sycamores play ultra fast, and they are all about looks at the rim or from 3 point range (no mid range jumpers). They are better on offense than defense, but the Syacamores are top 20 in the nation in defensive rebounding percentage and defending without fouling. Samford Bulldogs- Bucky McMillan’s style of play is so much fun to watch. If you haven’t had a chance to watch this team play, do yourself a favor and watch them when you get a chance. Samford is 11th in the nation in tempo. Their full court pressure has them at 13th in the country in forced turnover percentage. They have one of the deepest benches in the country. They are great at forcing the opponent to push the pace even if they don’t want to. They wouldn’t be a fun matchup for a highly ranked seed. I think several Mountain West teams have chances to make a run in the NCAA Tournament as well. However, those teams aren’t under the radar to hardcore college hoops fans, and I wanted to dive deeper for potential value here.

Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL and NCAAB Previews and Odds - 02/28/2024

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Feb 28, 2024

The Wednesday sports card features NBA, NHL, and NCAAB action.The National Basketball Association has six games on its docket. Two NBA games tip off at 7:40 p.m. ET. The Dallas Mavericks travel to Toronto to play the Raptors as a 3-point road favorite, with the total set at 240.5. The Indiana Pacers host the New Orleans Pelicans on ESPN. The Pacers' three-game winning streak ended in a 130-122 upset loss as a 5.5-point favorite on Monday. The Pelicans won for the fifth time in their last seven games with their 115-92 victory at New York as a 6.5-point road favorite yesterday. Indiana is a 5.5-point favorite, with over/under at 238.5. Two NBA games start at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Minnesota Timberwolves play at home against the Memphis Grizzlies as a 12.5-point favorite with a total of 212.5. The Cleveland Cavaliers play in Chicago to play the Bulls as a 4.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 217.5. The Denver Nuggets are at home against the Sacramento Kings at 9:10 p.m. ET as an 8-point favorite with a total of 228.5. The Los Angeles Clippers are the technical home team when they play against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Cryto.com Arena they share on ESPN at 10:10 p.m. ET. The Clippers lost for the second time in their last three games after a 123-107 upset loss to Sacramento as a 5-point favorite on Sunday. The Lakers lost for the second time in their last three games after a 123-113 loss at Phoenix as a 3.5-point underdog on Sunday. The Clippers are a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 235. The National Hockey League has two games on its slate. The New York Rangers host the Columbus Blue Jackets at 7:07 p.m. ET as a -250 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Edmonton Oilers play at home against the St. Louis Blues on TNT at 8:37 p.m. ET as a -265 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The college basketball schedule has ten games on national television. Virginia Commonwealth is at home against Rhode Island on the CBS Sports Network at 6:30 p.m. ET as a 12.5-point favorite with a total of 142.5. Four more nationally televised NCAAB games tip off at 7 p.m. ET. Tennessee hosts Auburn on ESPN2 as a 6.5-point favorite with an over/under of 151.5. Marquette plays at home against Providence on FS1 as a 10.5-point favorite with a total of 150. Xavier is at home against DePaul on FS2 as a 19.5-point favorite with an over/under of 155.5. Western Carolina hosts Furman on ESPNU as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 150. Butler plays at home against St. John’s on the CBS Sports Network at 8:30 p.m. ET as a 1-point favorite with an over/under of 153. Three more NCAAB games on national television begin at 9 p.m. ET. Creighton is at home against Seton Hall on FS1 as an 8.5-point favorite with a total of 144.5. Alabama is at Mississippi on ESPN2 as a 5.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 166. Boston College hosts Virginia on ESPNU as a 1-point favorite with a total of 126.5. Oregon plays at home against Oregon State on FS1 at 11 p.m. ET as a 12-point favorite with an over/under of 137.5.

NCAA Tournament Futures Consideration: San Diego State

by Nelly's Sports

Tuesday, Feb 27, 2024

Selection Sunday is less than three weeks away and now is the time to weigh your options on futures positions, looking for teams that could improve their seeding and raise their price in the coming weeks. Making repeat trips to the Final Four is difficult but San Diego State is not being priced like a team that was the national runner-up last season, even with a similar profile through a difficult conference. San Diego State +7500 The profile for the Aztecs this season is shaping up somewhat similarly to last season. San Diego State shook off a rather miserable recent history for the Mountain West and made it to the national championship game last season as #5 seed. There were close calls along the way, but the Mountain West looks even stronger this season. San Diego State is currently third in the Mountain West standings at 10-5 but they will be favored to win out and move past Boise State for a top two finish. The Aztecs have wins over three Pac-12 teams plus the best two teams in the WCC in Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga on its non-conference resume as this year’s team could get a better seed than last season, with many projecting San Diego State as a #4 seed right now. Brian Dutcher’s team again has some of the very best defensive numbers in the nation and is in the top two of a deep Mountain West in just about every statistical category on defense. The offense has had marginal turnover and 3-point shooting rates but that was true of last season’s team as well. Three starters are back from last season’s team plus the addition of USC transfer Reese Walters. Jaedon LaDee was a reserve on last season’s team, but he has emerged as one of the nation’s top players this season as the talent is there for the Aztecs to make another serious run. Last year’s run did feature some good fortune including two one-point wins while getting to play Florida Atlantic in the Final Four, but most Final Four teams are going to survive a few close calls in March. That experience should be beneficial this season with a veteran group that is attractively priced despite that pedigree and the potential to be in a strong seeding position. If San Diego State wins out and again wins the Mountain West tournament, rising to a #3 seed is still possible. A top 10 non-conference schedule and a top 20 overall schedule will keep San Diego State in at least a #4 seed position unless they suffer a notably bad loss down the stretch. As usual there aren’t a great deal of west coast teams in line for strong seeds in the NCAA Tournament outside of Arizona. Washington State will likely get shipped to a different region to avoid a potential Sweet 16 Pac-12 pairing while Saint Mary’s is a wounded team that would be attractive as a potential pod-mate in a potential 4/5 draw. Opening games in Spokane or Salt Lake City seem likely for San Diego State and if they reach the second weekend the West games are in Los Angeles for a very favorable location if the Aztecs are given a West region position. The Final Four is also in Phoenix should San Diego State again make a big run.

NCAA Tournament Futures Consideration: Kansas

by Nelly's Sports

Tuesday, Feb 27, 2024

March Madness is just around the corner and now is the time to lock in a few futures positions, looking for teams that could see their seeding improve or that are capable of winning multiple games in the NCAA Tournament. Kansas is a team that may be underpriced due to recent inconsistency but could still land a very attractive path in the Big Dance. Kansas Jayhawks +3500 Depending on where you look there are at least a dozen teams with lower odds of winning it all than Kansas even though many well established bracketologists have Kansas projected as a #2 seed. Kansas is only 9-5 in Big XII play but that is good enough for third place in the ultra-difficult conference, and only two teams in the Big XII have top five offensive and defensive numbers: Houston and Kansas. The Jayhawks still must play BYU, Baylor, and Houston in addition to a rivalry game with Kansas State as winning out is unlikely, but Kansas won’t slide far on Selection Sunday as they have an impressive collection of non-conference wins, defeating Kentucky, Tennessee, and Connecticut. They also have wins over Houston and Baylor already in Big XII play and every win in the final two weeks of the regular season and in the Big XII tournament will be a quality result. Kansas is rated as a top 10 defense nationally and while the current offensive efficiency ranking is in the 30s, that figure could improve as the season completes. Kansas has not lost a home game this season and four of five conference losses have come by six or fewer points. Kansas has good shooting numbers at every level as the top effective field goal rate in the Big XII while also taking good care of the ball. Kansas isn’t a strong outside shooting team, but they also take the fewest 3-point shots in the Big XII. Johnny Furphy and Dejuan Harris are both 41 percent 3-point shooters as there are solid options for the team from beyond the arc despite the marginal team numbers. Hunter Dickinson is a difficult matchup even if his career ascension has stalled from his very promising early years at Michigan. Kansas is also going to get Kevin McCullar back to full strength at some point after he has missed a few recent games as the lineup could be in great form by the tournament. Bill Self has had a few early tournament flameouts in his career, but he does have two Championships and 10 trips to at least the Elite 8 in his career. His two championship teams were better offensively than this year’s team, but this year’s team has the potential to be one of his highest rated defensive teams in the last decade. Teams like Tennessee, Duke, Alabama, and North Carolina are going to get more attention but won’t likely be seeded above Kansas and there are numerous favorable options for locations for Kansas in the Round of 64 and Round of 32 games including Omaha, Indianapolis, and Memphis. Kansas would be well supported if they landed in the South or Midwest regions and advanced to games in Dallas or Detroit as a favorable March path could line up for the Jayhawks. This year’s team has provided some inconsistency, but the high-ceiling wins have been very impressive, and this will be one of the most experienced and tallest teams in the NCAA Tournament field and looks like a worthy risk at this price when a #2 seed with a favorable travel path is still realistic. Kansas also still has great ammunition in its schedule as making a great late season run including a second or even third win over Houston could push the Jayhawks to the #1-seed line given that they will have one of the best strengths of schedule ratings in the nation.

2024 March Madness Sleeper Teams to Consider, Part 2

by Wayne Root

Tuesday, Feb 27, 2024

What’s Ahead in March? Very few would have expected to see first-time Final Four participants Florida Atlantic, Miami (FL), and San Diego State and UConn in Houston last year. Will we see any surprise teams in Glendale, Arizona, the site of the 2024 men’s Final Four? No #1 seeds reached the Elite Eight last season, and the highest-seeded team to reach the Final Four was UConn, the #4 seed in the West Regional. As for this article for 2024 March Madness, here’s some longshots to look to make some noise. Just like we saw in that historic round one. The biggest single result saw Purdue, the #1 seed in the East Regional, fall in the first round to #16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson, just the second #16 seed in men’s March Madness history to boot a top seed in the first round. Will there be more? It will probably take another article or two to complete this list. Let’s remember that this is to win a game or two. Will one get to the Final Four? It’s quite possible that one from my list will. Next article will be the next tier up on sleepers that actually have a chance to make the Final Four. You’ll have to come back in a week to find out. Here’s a small sample size to take notice for this year. From a betting odds perspective, all teams listed here have March Madness winner odds of +7500 or longer. Let’s continue and pick up from my previous article of under the radar sleeper teams that have a shot to make the round of eight. 1. Mississippi State Last season, the Bulldogs made the First Four despite severe offensive issues, especially from the perimeter. Those issues still remain to some degree and led to a shocking home loss to Southern University earlier this season. They also are a factor in why the Bulldogs have struggled mightily on the road.The Bulldogs are a paltry 2-6 on the road. But MSU also owns wins over Tennessee and Auburn, and they defeated Washington State and Northwestern in non-conference play, and they still rank as one of the top defensive teams in college basketball even after some less than stellar showings in SEC play.Mississippi State hasn’t won a game in the Big Dance since 2008, but at their best, they are a team with serious second week potential. Big man Tolu Smith is having a fine senior season after missing the first 12 games due to injury, and after being the nation’s worst three-point shooting team last season, improvement in that area has come in the form of fantastic freshman guard Josh Hubbard. 2. Nebraska Like New Mexico, Nebraska has not been to the NCAA Tournament since 2014. But they are in position to end that drought this season, and a team that owns wins over Michigan State, Purdue, Northwestern, and Wisconsin will be a tough out in the tournament. The Huskers have three players averaging at least 11.4 PPG and 5.8 RPG, and they have several outside threats, led by leading scorer Keisei Tominaga, who is also known as the “Japanese Steph Curry.” A lot of patience has been needed in Fred Hoiberg’s tenure, but that patience might about to pay off. However one’s patience might be wearing thin based on Nebraska’s home/road dichotomy. They are 17-1 at home and 2-7 when away. The most you can count on them depending on seeding is a first round upset. That might be your best bet. 3. Washington State The Cougars haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2008, the season before Klay Thompson’s three-season stint in Pullman began.But happy times are here again for Washington State. They weren’t on the March Madness radar in early January but are now in a strong position thanks to nine wins in ten games heading into a home matchup with Stanford. This team is loaded. They absolutely stole three great players from the players portal. And this is after the Cougars lost their top four scorers from last year. Idaho transfer Isaac Jones has been a standout, but the big story is guard Myles Rice. Rice came to Pullman in 2021, redshirted in his first season, then had to medically redshirt last season due to Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Hows this for the Cinderella story the media is always wanting? After beating cancer, Rice received his medical clearance and made his collegiate debut this season. Entering a home matchup with Stanford, Rice is averaging 16.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 3.7 APG, and 1.7 SPG. When he faced the Cardinal in Palo Alto, he had 35 points and eight assists in the Cougars’ 89-75 win. This is definitely a team that can represent the PAC 12 in the Round of Eight. Four Cougars average 10.4 PPG or better, but Washington State also ranks in the top 30 in adjusted defensive efficiency. In addition, they are one of the few teams that have a positive road record at 6-4. With the success they are having on both ends of the floor, this is a team to watch. Be sure to check back after the pairings are set for more tournament sleepers.

The NBA's Home Stretch

by AAA Sports

Tuesday, Feb 27, 2024

ARE WE HEADED FOR A LAKERS-WARRIORS ELIMINATION GAME?Two teams who view themselves as championship contenders appear looks like they’ll have to slum it this season in the Play-In Tournament. Worse yet, they might be the 9-10 teams in the Western Conference, which would be the equivalent of a Taylor Swift concert in the local high school gym. There are a couple of dozen games left in the regular season, and as of this writing, the Lakers and Warriors are four games behind the No. 8 Mavericks. Just when they would need to start thinking about getting Steph Curry and LeBron James rest for the playoffs, they’ll have to play them big minutes to avoid falling out of the playoffs completely. Both teams are now at about +4000 to win the title, but even those odds seem generous considering the mountain they would have to climb just to make it to the playoffs proper.WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE TOP OF THE WEST?Down the stretch they come, and everything points to a photo finish among the top four teams. Neither Minnesota nor Oklahoma City are showing any signs of slowing down, but Denver and the Clippers each have far more experience. Oddsmakers still like the defending-champ Nuggets to come out of the West (+190), with the Thunder (+800) getting little respect for a team that has both an MVP candidate in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a Rookie of the Year possible in Chet Holmgren, plus young legs up and down the rotation. The Clippers were the best team in the league just prior to the All-Star Game, but have faded just a bit.SPEAKING OF MVPs, WHO’S IN THE MIX?With injured Joel Embiid out of the running, it’s time to round up the usual suspects. MVP talk now begins and ends with Nikola Jokic, who is now a solid if not prohibitive favorite at -160. In any game the Nuggets play, everything offensively and defensively seems to revolve around Jokic. He is the man, and it’s hard to envision Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, or Giannis Antetokounmpo doing anything about it in the last month of the season.CAN THE CELTICS FINALLY GET IT DONE?They have the most talented starting five in the league, by a large margin, and they’re on pace to win 65 games. They’ll have a home-court advantage in every series they play. Oddsmakers like their chances to win it all (+250). They have two all-NBA players in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Yet they carry the weight of the Finals loss to Golden State two years ago and the embarrassment of losing to the Play-In Heat last year. They are a 3-point-shooting team with a coach (Joe Mazzulla) who says weird things, loves analytics, and thinks 40-plus 3s is not enough from behind the line. So there are doubts that will persist until they hang championship banner 18.IF BOSTON FALTERS, WHO COMES OUT OF THE EAST?Who knows? Everyone else in the East has issues. Boston may take too many 3s, but the Cavaliers worry that they’re taking too few. What should be a great backcourt (Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland) struggle at times when they are on the court together. Milwaukee has had problems defensively all season after emptying the cupboard for Damien Lillard. The Knicks are plenty deep – but only when injured starters O.J. Anunoby, Julius Randle and Donovan Mitchell get back, and no one knows when that will be. And then there’s Miami, which plays 82 games only to comply with NBA rules and then turns it on in the postseason.

College Basketball Late Season Totals Trends

by Kyle Hunter

Tuesday, Feb 27, 2024

We are definitely in the late regular season period now in college basketball. In this period, you have to handicap a little bit differently. Some teams will be shutting it down at least for the regular season. Other teams are playing for a conference title.In this article, I’ll be giving a couple systems to show how totals typically trend in the late season in college hoops. It will give you an overall idea of how to view totals betting in the last three or four games of the regular season for each teamBad Teams Late Season OversTeams with a winning percentage of 50% or lower on the season who are matched up against each other with the following filters-Game 21 of the season or later for the team -Both teams have cashed the over on 45% or fewer of their games so far this season-The posted total is 143 points or lowerIn these games the over is 277-209 dating back to 2005. That is 57% wins for the over. The ROI here is an excellent 10%. This angle shows that late season games between two teams who have little to play for certainly lean toward the over. That is especially the case when it is two teams who have played lower scoring games earlier in the season. The results get worse if you include teams who have trended over and games that have higher totals. Good Teams Late Season Low UndersOverall strong teams playing against each other late in the regular season tends to mean there is a lot more on the line. Let’s take a look at an example of a system that has been profitable on unders late in the year. Teams with a winning percentage of 60% or higher matched up against each other with the following filters-Game 23 of the season or later-A total of 136.5 or lowerThe under is 508-434 (53.9% unders) with an ROI of 4%. This angle hasn’t been as strong as the over angle with bad teams, but it does still show a lean toward lower scoring games with good teams late. If you include all games it is about 52.5% to the under, but if you filter out by the lower totals it bumps up to about 54%. This is interesting to me, and I believe it shows that the games with elite defenses can be real rock fights very late in the regular season. Keep both of these totals trends in mind as you handicap the rest of the regular season in college hoops.

Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, and NCAAB Previews and Odds - 02/27/2024

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Feb 27, 2024

The Tuesday sports card features NBA, NHL, and NCAAB action.The National Basketball Association has 11 games on its docket. Three NBA games tip off at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Cleveland Cavaliers host the Dallas Stars as a 4-point favorite with the total set at 233 (all odds from DraftKings). The Orlando Magic play at home against the Brooklyn Nets as an 8.5-point favorite with an over/under of 215.5. The Golden State Warriors travel to Washington to play the Wizards as a 10.5-point road favorite with a total of 242. The Boston Celtics are at home against the Philadelphia 76ers on TNT at 7:30 p.m. ET as a 12-point favorite with an over/under of 227.5. Two more NBA games start at 7:40 p.m. ET. The Atlanta Hawks host the Utah Jazz as a 3-point favorite with a total of 237.5. The New Orleans Pelicans play in New York against the Knicks as a 2.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 219.5. Three NBA games begin at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Minnesota Timberwolves play at home against the San Antonio Spurs as a 13.5-point favorite with a total of 224.5. The Chicago Bulls are at home against the Detroit Pistons as an 11.5-point favorite with an over/under of 226.5. The Milwaukee Bucks host the Charlotte Hornets as a 15-point favorite with a total of 225.5. The Oklahoma City Thunder play at home against the Houston Rockets on TNT at 10 p.m. ET as a 10.5-point favorite with an over/under of 234.5. The Miami Heat are in Portland to play the Trail Blazers at 10:10 p.m. ET as a 6.5-point road favorite with a total of 214.5.The National Hockey League has 12 games on its slate. Five NHL games drop the puck at 7:07 p.m. ET. The Detroit Red Wings are at home against the Washington Capitals as a -186 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Florida Panthers host the Buffalo Sabres as a -230 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Arizona Coyotes visit Montreal to play the Canadiens as a -115 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6. The Tampa Bay Lightning play in Philadelphia against the Flyers as a -122 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The Toronto Maple Leafs play at home against the Vegas Golden Knights as a -170 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. Three NHL games start at 8:07 p.m. ET. The Carolina Hurricanes are in Minnesota to play the Wild as a -155 money-line road favorite with a total of 6. The Nashville Predators are at home against the Ottawa Senators as a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Winnipeg Jets host the St. Louis Blues as a -192 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Calgary Flames play at home against the Los Angeles Kings at 9:07 p.m. ET as a -112 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6. The Colorado Avalanche are at home against the Dallas Stars at 9:37 p.m. ET as a -155 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Vancouver Canucks host the Pittsburgh Penguins at 10:07 p.m. ET as a -155 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The New Jersey Devils travel to San Jose to play the Sharks at 10:37 p.m. ET as a -250 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5.The college basketball schedule has 11 games on national television. Villanova plays at home against Georgetown on FS1 at 6:30 p.m. ET as a 15.5-pint favorite with an over/under of 140. Five NCAAB games are on national television at 7 p.m. ET. Houston is at home against Cincinnati on ESPN2 as a 13.5-point favorite with a total of 132.5. Mississippi State hosts Kentucky on ESPN as a 4-point favorite with an over/under of 156. Dayton plays at home against Davidson on the CBS Sports Network as a 10-point favorite with a total of 132.5. Syracuse is at home against Virginia Tech on ESPNU as a 1-point favorite with an over/under of 154.5. Wisconsin plays at Indiana on Peacock as a 4.5-point road favorite with a total of 141.5. Three nationally televised NCAAB games tip off at 9 p.m. ET. Florida State hosts North Carolina State on ESPN2 as a 2-point favorite with an over/under of 150.5. Texas Tech plays at home against Texas on ESPN as a 4.5-point favorite with a total of 145. UNLV is at Wyoming on the CBS Sports Network as a 5-point road favorite with an over/under of 143.5. Colorado State is at home against Nevada on FS1 at 10:30 p.m. ET as a 7-point favorite with a total of 138. San Diego State hosts San Jose State on the CBS Sports Network at 11 p.m. ET as a 22-point favorite with an over/under of 138.

2024 March Madness Sleeper Teams to Consider, Part 1

by Wayne Root

Monday, Feb 26, 2024

What’s Ahead in March?In today’s article, it understandable that 80% of the country doesn’t really get a true handle on West Coast college basketball. The games finished between 1-2:00 am. The updates get buried in games you’re looking to bet. Not games that ended in your sleep. I’ll cover some sleeper teams. The three today are from smaller conferences and don’t get much attention from the press. I can assure you the west coast basketball is alive, fast paced and full of three’s. Let’s remember the Final Four of 2023. It consisted of a No. 4 seed, two No. 5 seeds and a No. 9 seed and it is none too early to start trying to figure out which Sleepers to watch out for in the 2024 men's NCAA tournament.Obviously, matchups are everything when it comes to the NCAA tournament, and we have no clue what sort of draw any of these teams will get—if they make the tournament at all. But teams are ranked in ascending order of how confident we are in saying they will win at least one game, regardless of the hand they are dealt by the selection committee.1. St Mary’s I've been promoting the Gaels as a sleeper team on a darn-near annual basis for the past decade, but they haven't made it to the Sweet 16 since 2010. They’re 23-6 and 14-0 in conference play. The Gaels are a strong team. The defense is great. The rebounding is superb. Their snail-like tempo is impossible to speed up. And they've been almost unbeatable for the past two months, winning 15 of their past 16 games.2. New MexicoWhat we didn't know three months ago was that Donovan Dent would become one of the biggest breakout stars in the country, nearly tripling his scoring average while becoming UNM's primary ball-handler. Or that forward JT Toppin would emerge as arguably one of the 10 best freshmen in the nation. Or that fellow freshman Tru Washington would be so valuable as a sixth man, particularly with his ball-hawking skills on defense. There's no question they have the goods to make a deep run. We already knew about Jaelen House and Jamal Mashburn Jr. from last season, when they averaged a combined 36 points per game. We also knew about Nelly Junior Joseph, the big man who transferred from Rick Pitino at Iona to Richard Pitino at New Mexico. That trio alone made the Lobos an intriguing preseason candidate to reach the dance. New Mexico is just loaded with dudes who can ball. You've been warned. Look out for the Lobos.3. Grand Canyon Grand Canyon was the pick to become this year's Cinderella team.And at the time, we had no clue how good Tyon Grant-Foster would be. The former JUCO transfer has been GCU's brightest star, averaging 19.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and better than one assist, steal and block per game. More predictably, returnees Ray Harrison and Gabe McGlothan have also been excellent, combining for close to 30 points and 11 rebounds per game after leading the 'Lopes to a No. 14 seed in last year's dance. The 'Lopes are no joke, undeniably better than they already had been in recent years. If GCU gets a seed in the Nos. 11-13 range, though, it could knock off any team currently in the mix for the Nos. 3-6 seed lines.Be sure to check back for more sleeper teams that will have success and be under the radar.

Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, NCAAB and EPL Previews and Odds - 02/26/2024

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Feb 26, 2024

The Monday sports card features NBA, NHL, NCAAB, and EPL action.The National Basketball Association has four games on its docket. The Indiana Pacers host the Toronto Raptors at 7:10 p.m. ET as a 6-point favorite, with the total set at 245.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). The New York Knicks play at home against the Detroit Pistons as an 11-point favorite with an over/under of 223.5. The Brooklyn Nets travel to Memphis to play the Grizzlies at 8:10 p.m. ET as a 1.5-point road favorite with a total of 214.5. The Sacramento Kings are home against the Miami Heat at 10:10 p.m. ET as a 7.5-point favorite with an over/under of 226.5. The National Hockey League has four games on its slate. The Ottawa Senators play in Washington against the Capitals at 7:07 p.m. ET as a -118 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The Dallas Stars host the New York Islanders at 8:07 p.m. ET as a -175 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6. The Edmonton Oilers play at home against the Los Angeles Kings at 9:37 p.m. ET as a -155 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Boston Bruins are in Seattle to play the Kraken at 10:07 p.m. ET as a -135 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The college basketball schedule has five games on national television. Delaware is at home against Drexel on the CBS Sports Network at 6:30 p.m. ET as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 138.Two NCAAB games on national television tip off at 7 p.m. ET. North Carolina hosts Miami (FL) on ESPN. The Tar Heels won their second straight game in a 54-44 victory at Virginia as a 2.5-point favorite on Saturday. The Hurricanes lost their sixth straight game in an 80-76 upset loss at home against Virginia Tech as a 9-point favorite on Saturday. North Carolina is a 14.5-point favorite with an over/under of 154.5. Kansas State plays at home against West Virginia on ESPN2. The Wildcats ended a three-game losing streak with an 84-74 victory against BYU as a 1.5-point favorite on Saturday. The Mountaineers lost for the fifth time in their last six games in a 71-64 loss at Iowa State as an 18-point underdog. Kansas State is a 9.5-point favorite with a total of 143. UNC-Wilmington visits Campbell on the CBS Sports Network at 8:30 p.m. ET as an 8.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 143.5.TCU is at home against Baylor on ESPN at 9 p.m. ET. The Horned Frogs are on a three-game winning streak after their 75-57 victory against Cincinnati as a 5.5-point favorite on Saturday. The Bears are on a two-game losing streak after their 82-76 setback against Houston as a 2.5-point underdog on Saturday. TCU is a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 148.Matchweek 26 in the English Premier League concludes with one match. Brentford plays at West Ham United on the USA Network at 3 p.m. ET in a pick ‘em match at BetMGM with an over/under of 2.5.

NBA System of the Week

by Al McMordie

Monday, Feb 26, 2024

The NBA held its All-Star festivities last weekend, and the 30 teams returned from their extended break last Thursday. I generally prefer to sit on the sidelines as a bettor in the first game after the All-Star Break since I like to give the teams an opportunity to shake off whatever rust might have developed in their week of rest. But after that I'm ready to go. And the All-Star Break can often provide us with some nice betting angles. I'm going to use one of them here, as our NBA System of the Week.One of the things I like to do is play on teams that get off to bad starts after the All-Star Break. After a week of rest, all the teams are generally refreshed and energized. And they don't want to get off on an extended losing streak. I like playing on NBA teams in the 3rd game after the All-Star Break when they're off back-to-back SU/ATS losses, and especially if our team is not favored by 4+ points. Over the last 34 seasons, this angle has gone 63-41-1 ATS (60.5%). This season, we have two plays. On Monday, February 26, the Brooklyn Nets are a play at Memphis. And on Tuesday, February 27, the Portland Trail Blazers will be a play at home vs. Miami. And, though there's nothing wrong with a 63-41 record, we can improve our numbers substantially by focusing on the teams that also lost their last game going into the All-Star Break, SU/ATS. Those teams riding 3-game (or worse) SU/ATS losing streaks have trotted out to a 28-11 ATS record in their third game after the All-Star Break. And Both Brooklyn and Portland fall into that 28-11 ATS tightener.Good luck, as always,Al McMordie

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