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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, NCAAF and MLB Previews and Odds - 09/14/2023

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Sep 14, 2023

The Thursday sports card features NFL, NCAAF, and MLB action.Week 2 of the NFL regular season kicks off with the Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Minnesota Vikings on Amazon Prime at 8:15 PM ET. The Eagles won their opening game of the season with a 25-10 victory at New England as a 3.5-point favorite on Sunday. The Vikings got upset, 20-17, at home against Tampa Bay as a 4-point underdog on Sunday. Philadelphia is a 6.5-point favorite, with the total set at 49 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise).The third week in NCAAF college football begins with one game on national television between FBS opponents. Memphis plays at home against Navy on ESPN at 7:30 PM ET. The Tigers improved their record to 2-0 with a 37-3 victory at Arkansas State as a 21-point favorite last Saturday. The Midshipmen evened their record at 1-1 with a 24-0 win against Wagner on Saturday. Memphis is a 14-point favorite with an over/under of 46.5. Major League Baseball has ten games on its schedule. The Pittsburgh Pirates are at home against the Washington Nationals at 12:35 PM ET. Mitch Keller takes the mound for the Pirates to pitch against Josiah Gray for the Nationals. Pittsburgh is a -166 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Detroit Tigers host the Cincinnati Reds at 1:10 PM ET. The Tigers turn to Reese Olson to battle against the Reds’ Derek Law. Detroit is a -110 money-line favorite at BetMGM with an over/under of 9. The Boston Red Sox play at home against the New York Yankees in the opening game of their doubleheader at 1:35 PM ET. Tanner Houck gets the ball for the Red Sox to face Michael King for the Yankees. Boston is a -120 money-line favorite at BetMGM with a total of 9.5. The Miami Marlins travel to Milwaukee to play the Brewers at 2:10 PM ET. The Marlins tap Eury Perez to go against the Brewers’ Adrian Houser. Miami is a -115 money-line road favorite at BetMGM with an over/under of 8.5. The New York Mets are at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks at 4:10 PM ET. Kodai Senga gets the start for the Mets to duel against Merrill Kelly for the Diamondbacks. New York is a -120 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. The Toronto Blue Jays host the Texas Rangers at 7:07 PM ET. The Blue Jays turn to Kevin Gausman to face the Rangers’ Nathan Eovaldi. Toronto is a -155 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. Two more MLB games throw out the first pitch in Fox regional coverage at 7:15 PM ET. Baltimore plays at home against Tampa Bay, with Kyle Bradish getting the ball for the Orioles to pitch against Aaron Civale for the Rays. The Orioles are a -142 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Boston is at home against New York, with the Red Sox yet to name their starting pitcher who will be facing the Yankees’ Clarke Schmidt. The Reds are a -120 money line favorite at BetMGM with an over/under of 9.5. The Minnesota Twins visit Chicago to play the White Sox at 7:40 PM ET. Kenta Maeda goes to the mound for the Twins to go against Jose Urena for the White Sox. Minnesota is a -190 money-line road favorite at BetMGM with a total of 9.5. The San Francisco Giants play in Colorado against the Rockies at 8:40 PM ET. The Giants turn to Logan Webb to pitch against the Rockies Chase Anderson. San Francisco is a -258 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 10.5. 

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College Football Observations from Week 2

by Vegas Writer

Wednesday, Sep 13, 2023

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have opened the season 3-0 both SU and ATS.But until they face a real opponent, the verdict remains out on whether or not they're worth entering the College Football Playoff (CFP) conversation.The Irish rank 20th in the nation in averaging 485.7 yards per game, and seventh in the country in allowing 223 ypg. But that's after dominating wins over Navy (by 39), Tennessee State (53) and North Carolina State (21).It's the last game that stands out. Was it a three-touchdown winner? Yes. But after blowouts of Navy and Tennessee State, that defense wilted a bit.This week it's another patsy in Mid-American Conference foe Central Michigan, but next week when the Irish welcome Ohio State to South Bend, that's when I'll be ready to consider the Irish as a national contender.After back-to-back road games at Duke and Louisville, and they welcome Caleb Williams and the USC Trojans to town, that's when I'll know more. Once they visit Clemson in November, the answers we will have.Here are more College Football Observations after Week 2:PRIMETIME BUFFS - It led my observations last week, and I'm not jumping off the money train with Colorado. After scoring six touchdowns in its season opener and four more against Nebraska, the Buffaloes have the 14th-best offense with 509.5 yards per game and the 27th-highest scoring offense with 40.5 points per contest.As opposed to Notre Dame, here we're talking about a bonafide national power - for now - after the Buffs knocked off the reigning national runner-up TCU Horned Frogs, and the Big 10 Cornhuskers.Quarterback Shedeur Sanders is leading a passing offense that ranks second in the nation with 453 yards passing per game.The Buffaloes were double-digit dogs to TCU in Week 0, they laid a field goal to the Huskers in Week 1, and now they're more than 3-TD favorites in laying 23 to in-state rival Colorado State. The Buffaloes are now 2-0 ATS the last two times they were a favorite: a 34-0 win over Arizona laying -6 in 2021, and last week vs. Nebraska.PAC 12 POWER - Talk about going out with a bang, the current make-up of the Pac-12 Conference has been quite impressive the last three weeks. Pac-12 members are now 20-3 in non-conference games, and we're not talking about a plethora of cupcake foes, either. How about teams like Baylor, Florida, Nebraska, TCU, Texas Tech and Wisconsin? At least three current members of the conference - all outgoing by the way - have CFP aspirations.USC, Washington and Oregon must be talked about when discussing the playoff, for now. And to be quite honest, why not throw in the aforementioned Buffaloes at this point, considering the way this team performs on both sides of the ball? And let's not forget about two-time defending PAC-12 champ Utah, which is 2-0 without starting quarterback Cam Rising.Now the important part, are the Pac-12 teams making us money? Well, to go along with an overall mark of 21-4 SU, teams from the Pac-12 are 18-5-2 ATS. As for the totals, are 10-15 with the under coming in more times than not.Every team is in action this week, except USC. And of the 11 teams in action, only one has been installed as an underdog, Arizona State (+3) at home against Fresno State.HOPSCOTCH - If you didn't read my College FB observations, I'll let you in on this weekly note, as I tag it after the old playground game of hopscotch. You remember, drawing a hopscotch court on the playground, right? Big pieces of chalk to create the court, and you had to make your way through the lined course without stepping on a line.Sort of feels the same way when maneuvering your way through college football's hopscotch course of favorites - ahem, chalk - without stepping out of bounds with any of the lines.Small-chalk teams got the money for bettors last week, as teams laying between 1 and 3 1/2 points went 7-3. But when the range climbed to 4 and 7 1/2 favorites were 5-8.Every week I'll update you with regular board games (no FCS or added), broken down into different point-spread ranges. There were a few pushes this week and a pk'em game to consider, but through Week 2, favorites are 49-45 with the following breakdown:1-3 1/2 ............ 10-64-7 1/2 ............ 9-128-10 1/2 ........... 4-411-14 1/2 ........... 7-615-19 1/2 ......... 4-420 and up ... 15-13

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 09/13/2023

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Sep 13, 2023

The Wednesday sports card features MLB action.Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The Tampa Bay Rays travel to Minnesota to play the Twins at 1:10 PM ET. Taj Bradley takes the ball for the Rays to face Dallas Keuchel for the Twins. Tampa Bay is a -130 money-line road favor with the total set at 9. The Chicago Cubs play at Colorado against the Rockies at 3:10 PM ET. The Cubs tap Jameson Taillon to pitch against the Rockies’ Ty Blach. Chicago is a -170 money-line favorite with an over/under of 11.5. The San Francisco Giants host the Cleveland Guardians at 3:45 PM ET. Kyle Harrison takes the ball for the Giants to battle against Logan Allen for the Guardians. San Francisco is a -130 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Los Angeles Angels are in Seattle to play the Mariners at 4:10 PM ET. The Mariners turn to Luis Castillo to go against an Angels’ starting pitcher yet to be determined. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 6:35 PM ET. Baltimore plays at home against St. Louis, with Kyle Gibson taking the ball for the Orioles to duel against Drew Rom for the Cardinals. The Orioles are a -162 money-line favorite with an over/under of 10.5. Washington plays at Pittsburgh. with the Nationals sending out Jackson Rutledge to face the Pirates' Colin Selby. Two more MLB games start at 6:40 PM ET. Atlanta visits Philadelphia, with Spencer Strider getting the ball for the Braves to pitch against Cristopher Sanchez for the Phillies. The Braves are a -185 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Detroit is at home against Cincinnati, with the Tigers tapping Eduardo Rodriguez to face the Reds Connor Phillips. The Tigers are a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Toronto Blue Jays host the Texas Rangers at 7:07 PM ET. Yusei Kikuchi gets the start for the Blue Jays to battle against Jordan Montgomery for the Rangers. Toronto is a -125 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Three more MLB games begin at 7:10 PM ET. Arizona plays in New York against the Mets, with the Diamondbacks sending out Zac Gallen to pitch against the Mets’ Joey Lucchesi. The Diamondbacks are a -142 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Houston is at home against Oakland, with Hunter Brown taking the ball for the Astros to face Paul Blackburn for the A’s. The Astros are a -278 money-line favorite with a total of 9. Boston plays at home against New York, with the Red Sox turning to Tanner Houck to duel against the Yankees’ Clarke Schmidt. The Red Sox are a -130 money-line favorite with an over/under of 10. Two MLB games start at 7:40 PM ET. Kansas City is in Chicago, with Steven Cruz getting the start for the Royals to pitch against Mike Clevinger for the White Sox. Milwaukee hosts Miami, with the Brewers turning to Tylor Megill to go against the Marlins’ Braxton Garrett. The Brewers are a -112 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers play at home against the San Diego Padres at 10:10 PM ET. Ryan Pepiot takes the ball for the Dodgers to pitch against Blake Snell for the Padres. Los Angeles is a -130 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. 

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VW's Weekly Recap: Strong Start to Football, WNBA Playoffs Set to Begin

by Vegas Writer

Tuesday, Sep 12, 2023

Earlier this year I started a daily recap, but I felt it lacked in substance on some days, while providing solid insight on others.I abandoned it and wanted to perfect it in time for the football season, and vowed to bring you something weekly, every Tuesday in a different manner.So beginning today, every Tuesday I'll recap my week of picks, possibly review some minor tidbits that stood out in sports not played on a gridiron, and give you a little insight on the forthcoming week.The reason I'll avoid football on this recap? Because Wednesday you're getting my College Football observations and Thursday you're getting my NFL power rankings.So let's get started, by looking back.Since last Tuesday, I'm on a 12-6-1 roll in every sport, including an 8-3 run in college and pro football. And part of those eight winners was my Conference USA Game of the Month winner on Liberty on Saturday, and on Sunday, my NFC South Game of the Month winner on the Falcons and AFC North Dog of the Month winner on the Browns.The College Football run has been quite impressive since Week 0, as I've nailed six of my last seven releases on the campus gridiron. The lone loss? I fell well short with my College Football Total of the Week on SMU-Oklahoma over this past Saturday.Breaking down favorites and dogs, I've hit two of the three underdogs I've released and seven of the 11 favorites I've offered.Sitting at 4-2 in the NFL, I'm a perfect 3-0 with underdogs - all three winning outright. I gave you the Lions over Kansas City on opening night, the Browns over Cincinnati on Sunday, and the Jets over Buffalo on Monday.As for MLB action, a 3-3-1 week lost a little bit of money, but I did cash my two Games of the Year since last Tuesday, hitting the Yankees Run Line with my A.L. Game of the Year on Tuesday and my N.L. Dog of the Year on the Marlins (+130) on Wednesday.Only one paid release in the WNBA this past week, as I nailed my Eastern Conference Game of the Month on the Sky over Indiana last Tuesday.Looking ahead, we begin with the postseason getting underway Wednesday.The WNBA Playoffs are upon us, with last year's Finals participants tipping things off on opening night. Connecticut is laying -9 1/2 to Minnesota in what will be an intriguing 3 vs. 6 matchup, and defending champion Las Vegas is laying -16 to Chicago in the 1 vs. 8 matchup.Connecticut may have beaten the Lynx in three of the four meetings this season, but Minnesota has been one of the most competitive teams down the stretch. Since opening the season 0-6, the Lynx are 19-15. Connecticut rolls into the postseason having split its final 12 games. It's also on a blase-blase 5-4 run at home - including a home split with these same Lynx. Big numbers against Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve are always dangerous.On Friday, in the other quarterfinal games, second-seeded New York is laying -9 to No. 7 seed Washington and in another very intriguing series, fourth-seeded Dallas is laying 6 1/2 to the No. 5 seed Atlanta.The Dream have the potential of upsetting Dallas in the opening round, led by former Wing Allisha Gray. She left the Wings in the offseason and has been a key component in Atlanta's lineup since arriving. Gray has scored in double digits in 35 of the 38 games she's played. And if there is one opponent she is hoping to find her game it's Dallas, which is 3-0 against the Dream this season. Gray and the Dream will be out for revenge, so beware of the big numbers in this series.On the MLB diamond, I'm going to have my eyes set on the A.L. East, specifically this weekend when the second-place Tampa Bay Rays visit the first-place Baltimore Orioles in a critical four-game series that could see a change at the top spot.From the National League, an East-division showdown between the Braves and Marlins in Miami piques my interest. Nobody is going to catch Atlanta, that's a given. But the Marlins are chasing an N.L. Wild-Card berth, as they enter the week 1 1/2 game off the pace. As of Tuesday, the Marlins are the hottest team in the division having won seven of 10. Problem for them is they've lost nine of their 10 meetings with Atlanta this season. This late in the season, though, every postseason contender can be dangerous.Let's get ready for a big week of action, as the football runs continue, and this overall success rolls into Tuesday night's MLB Game of the Month.

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Around The Horn

by AAA Sports

Tuesday, Sep 12, 2023

Are the Jacksonville Jaguars ready to take the Big Step and join the heavy hitters in the AFC?We should find out this coming Sunday when the 1-0 Jags host the defending Super Bowl-champion Chiefs in northern Florida.J-Ville was hardly dominant and actually had to rally late to defeat the Colts in the opener, but here we are just one game into the season and the Jaguars are the only undefeated team in the weak AFC South.Now come the Chiefs, who have to be spitting bullets after looking ordinary in losing to the Lions. There is talk that Travis Kelce could return against the Jaguars, but that’s far from a sure thing. If it’s a shootout, advantage Jacksonville with an offense that includes emerging star Trevor Lawrence, plus Travis Etienne and Calvin Ridley.Bookmakers aren’t yet convinced. Jacksonville is a 3.5-point dog, with the O/U number at a healthy 51 (the highest number in Week 2).FIBA WORLD CUPThe United States was a prohibitive 3/5 favorite to win the FIBA World Cup before eventual champion Germany rained on the Americans’ parade, proving that while Warriors-style small ball can win you an NBA title, on the international stage it doesn’t hurt to have a few bigs in the lineup. Setting lines on international competition in any sport can’t be easy, given teams’ limited prep time and lack of cohesion. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of team the US assembles for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, but after the FIBA performance, there will likely be tremendous pressure on coach Steve Kerr to make major changes.ON THE POLITICAL FRONTDemocrats who are considered tossing themselves off the Empire State Building after reading polls that show President Biden neck and neck with former President Trump can take heart with some historical data. In the last two elections, Trump has failed to garner even 47 percent of the popular vote (46 percent and change each time). If Trump is the nominee again in 2024 and history repeats, it will likely result in another loss. Only once in the last eight presidential elections (George W. Bush got 50.7 in his 2004 victory over John Kerry) has the Republican candidate got as much as 47 percent of the popular vote. A recent Real Clear Politics aggregate total (Betfair, Bovada, BWin, Neds, PointsBet, PredictIt, and Sporting Bet) shows Biden with a 6-point composite edge over Trump, with the widest margin (11 points) coming from PredictIt.PRIME TIME IN THE ROCKIESSanders Mania is in full swing in Boulder now that his Colorado Buffaloes have followed up their stunning victory over TCU with a dominant take-down of Nebraska. Assuming CU takes care of business at home against Colorado State this coming Saturday (Buffaloes are 21-point favorites), they can turn the college football season completely on its head the next two Saturdays when they face ranked teams – No. 13 Oregon and (at) No. 6 USC. Colorado’s odds of winning the national championship have surged from +10000 (after Week 1) to +8000. QB Shedeur Sanders is now in the thick of the Heisman Trophy race at +2000. FINALLY . . . CHEW ON THISThere is no more sure bet than Joey Chestnut winning the July 4 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. Chestnut went off at -4000 this year, and had little difficulty in grabbing yet another Mustard Belt – downing 62 dogs in 10 minutes. But before you blindingly bet on Chestnut, be aware that his digestive prowess does not appear to include other food on the competitive eating scene. Earlier this month Chestnut finished a distant second to an Australian competitor in the US Chicken Wing Eating Championship in (where else?) Buffalo. The Aussie downed 276 wings in 12 minutes to Chestnut’s 240. It marked the fifth straight year that Chestnut has not won the event. Chestnut did, however, retain his No. 1 Major League Eating world ranking heading into the Pork Roll Eating Championships in Trenton, N.J. later this month.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 09/12/2023

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Sep 12, 2023

The Tuesday sports card features MLB action.Major League Baseball has 17 games on its schedule. The Boston Red Sox host the New York Yankees in the opening game of their doubleheader at 1:35 PM ET. Nick Pivetta takes the ball for the Red Sox to pitch against the Yankees’ Randy Vasquez. Boston is a -148 money-line favorite, with the total set at 10. The Chicago White Sox play at home against the Kansas City Royals in the first game of their doubleheader at 4:40 PM ET. The White Sox turn to Dylan Cease to face the Royals’ Brady Singer. Chicago is a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 6:35 PM ET. Pittsburgh is at home against Washington, with Bailey Falter going to the mound for the Pirates to face Joan Adon for the Nationals. The Pirates are a -142 money-line favorite with a total of 9. Baltimore hosts St. Louis with the Orioles’ tapping John Means to pitch against the Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright. The Orioles are a -192 money-line favorite with an over/under of 10.5. Two MLB games start at 6:40 PM ET. Cincinnati travels to Detroit with Brandon Williamson taking the ball to pitch for the Reds against the Tigers’ Joey Wentz. Atlanta plays at Philadelphia, with the Braves turning to Max Fried to go against the Phillies’ Zack Wheeler. The Braves are a -125 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The Toronto Blue Jays play at home against the Texas Rangers at 7:07 PM ET. Hyun Jin Ryu goes to the mound for the Blue Jays to face Max Scherzer for the Rangers. Toronto is a -112 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Three MLB games begin at 7:40 PM ET. Minnesota is at home against Tampa Bay, with the Twins turning to Joe Ryan to pitch against the Rays’ Zack Littell. The Twins are a -130 money-line favorite with a total of 8. Miami is in Milwaukee, with J.T. Chargois taking the mound for the Marlins to face the Brewers' Freddy Peralta. Chicago hosts Kansas City in the second game of their doubleheader, with the White Sox sending out Touki Toussaint to go against the Royals’ Jordan Lyles. The White Sox are a -142 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Houston Astros play at home against the Oakland A’s at 8:10 PM ET. Justin Verlander gets the ball for the Astros to duel against J.P. Sears for the A’s. Houston is a -305 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Chicago Cubs are at Colorado to play the Rockies at 8:40 PM ET. The Cubs turn to Javier Assad to face the Rockies’ Chris Flexen. Chicago is a  -185 money-line road favorite with a total of 11.5. The Seattle Mariners are at home against the Los Angeles Angels at 9:40 PM ET. Bryan Woo gets the ball for the Mariners to face Patrick Sandoval for the Angels. Seattle is a -218 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Two games conclude the MLB card at 9:45 PM ET. San Francisco plays at home against Cleveland Guardians, with the Giants giving the ball to Sean Manaea to battle against the Guardians’ Cal Quantrill. The Giants are a -142 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Los Angeles hosts San Diego, with the Dodgers tapping Lance Lynn to face the Padres’ Michael Wacha. The Dodgers are a -162 money-line favorite with a total of 9.5.  

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL and MLB Previews and Odds - 09/11/2023

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Sep 11, 2023

The Monday sports card features NFL and MLB action.Week 1 in the NFL concludes with one game. The Buffalo Bills play in New York against the New York Jets on ABC, ESPN, and the ESPN2 Manning Cast at 8:15 PM ET. The Bills come off a 14-4 season that ended in their 27-10 loss at home against the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC divisional round of the playoffs. The Jets missed the playoffs with a 7-10 record. Buffalo is a 2-point road favorite with a total of 45 (all odds from DraftKings).Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The Atlanta Braves travel to Philadelphia to play the Phillies at 1:05 PM ET in the opening game of their doubleheader. The Braves turn to Charlie Morton to pitch against the Phillies’ Taijuan Walker. Atlanta is a -165 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 10. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 6:35 PM ET. Pittsburgh hosts Washington with a starting pitcher yet to be determined for the Pirates set to pitch against Patrick Corbin for the Nationals. The Pirates are a -135 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Baltimore plays at home against St. Louis with the Orioles tapping Dean Kremer to go against the Cardinals’ Dakota Hudson. The Orioles are a -170 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Phillies face the Braves at 6:40 PM ET in the second game of their doubleheader with Michael Lorenzen taking the ball for Philadelphia to face a starting pitcher yet to be named for Atlanta. The Toronto Blue Jays are at home against the Texas Rangers at 7:07 PM ET. The Blue Jays turn to Chris Bassitt to face the Rangers 'Dane Dunning. Toronto is a -135 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Two MLB games start at 7:10 PM ET. New York hosts Arizona with Jose Quintana taking the mound for the Mets to battle against Zach Davies for the Diamondbacks. The Mets are a -130 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. Boston plays at home against New York with the Red Sox sending out Kutter Crawford to face the Yankees’ Clarke Schmidt. The Red Sox are a -130 money-line favorite with a total of 9.5. Three MLB games begin at 7:40 PM ET. The Chicago White Sox are at home against the Kansas City Royals with neither starting pitcher yet to be named. Tampa Bay travels to Minnesota with Tyler Glasnow on the mound for the Rays to duel against Sonny Gray for the Twins. The Rays are a -118 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Milwaukee hosts Miami with Brandon Woodward pitching for the Brewers against Jesus Luzardo for the Marlins. The Brewers are a -142 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. The Houston Astros play at home against the Oakland A’s at 8:10 PM ET. The Astros tap Framber Valdez to duel against the A’s Mason Miller. Houston is a -298 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Chicago Cubs are in Colorado to play the Rockies at 8:40 PM ET. Jordan Wicks takes the hill for the Cubs to pitch against Kyle Freeland for the Rockies. The Cubs are a -180 money-line road favorite with a total of 11.5. The Seattle Mariners are at home against the Los Angeles Angels at 9:40 PM ET. The Mariners turn to Logan Gilbert to go against the Angels’ Reid Detmers. Seattle is a -225 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The San Francisco Giants host the Cleveland Guardians at 9:45 PM ET. Alex Cobb gets the ball for the Giants to face Gavin Williams for the Guardians. San Francisco is a -148 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers play at home against the San Diego Padres at 10:10 PM ET. The Dodgers turn to Gavin Stone to pitch against the Padres’ Pedro Avila. Los Angeles is a -170 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and NFL Previews and Odds - 09/10/2023

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Sep 10, 2023

The Sunday sports card features NFL and MLB action.Week 1 in the NFL continues with 14 games. Eight NFL games kick off at 1 PM ET. The Atlanta Falcons host the Carolina Panthers as a 3.5-point favorite, with the total set at 39.5 (all odds from DraftKings). The Baltimore Ravens play at home against the Houston Texans as a 9.5-point favorite with an over/under of 43.5. The Cincinnati Bengals travel to Cleveland to play the Browns as a 2-point road favorite with a total of 47.5. The Jacksonville Jaguars are in Indianapolis to play the Colts at 1 PM ET as a 4.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 46. The Minnesota Vikings play at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 46. The New Orleans Saints are at home against the Tennessee Titans as a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 42. The San Francisco 49ers visit Pittsburgh to play the Steelers as a 2-point road favorite with a total of 41.5. The Washington Commanders host the Arizona Cardinals as a 7-point favorite with an over/under of 38.Five NFL games start at 4:25 PM ET. The Chicago Bears play at home against the Green Bay Packers as a 1-point favorite with a total of 41.5. The Denver Broncos are at home against the Las Vegas Raiders as a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 43.5. The Los Angeles Chargers host the Miami Dolphins as a 3-point favorite with a total of 51. The Philadelphia Eagles play in New England against the Patriots as a 3.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 44.5. The Seattle Seahawks are at home against the Los Angeles Rams as a 5-point favorite with a total of 46. Sunday Night Football features the Dallas Cowboys traveling to New York to play the Giants on NBC at 8:20 PM ET. The Cowboys are a 3-point road favorite with an over/under of 45.Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The Philadelphia Phillies host the Miami Marlins at 1:05 PM ET. Two more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 1:10 PM ET. The Tampa Bay Rays play at home against the Seattle Mariners as a -135 money-line favor with a total of 7. The Detroit Tigers are at home against the Chicago White Sox as a -130 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. Four MLB games start at 1:35 PM ET. The Pittsburgh Pirates are in Atlanta to play the Braves. The Washington Nationals host the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Boston Red Sox host the Baltimore Orioles as a -115 money-line favorite with a total of 10. The New York Yankees play at home against the Milwaukee Brewers as a -130 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Toronto Blue Jays are at home against the Kansas City Royals at 1:37 PM ET as a -185 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Cincinnati Reds host the St. Louis Cardinals at 1:40 PM ET as a -115 money-line favorite with an over/under of 10. Two MLB games begin at 2:10 PM ET. The Houston Astros play at home against the Sam Diego Padres. The Minnesota Twins are at home against the New York Mets as a -198 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The Chicago Cubs host the Arizona Diamondbacks at 2:20 PM ET as a -135 money-line favorite. The Texas Rangers play at home against the Oakland A’s as a -245 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Cleveland Guardians visit Los Angeles to play the Angels at 4:07 PM ET as a -185 money-line road favor with a total of 9.Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN has the Colorado Rockies playing in San Francisco against the Giants.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 09/09/2023

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Sep 09, 2023

The Saturday sports card features NCAAF, MLB, and CFL action. Week 1 in NCAAF college football concludes with 19 games on national television between FBS opponents. Seven nationally televised NCAAF games kick off at noon ET. Colorado hosts Nebraska on Fox as a 3-point favorite, with the total set at 58.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Virginia Tech plays at home against Purdue on ESPN2 as a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 49.5. Utah travels to Baylor on ESPN as a 7-point road favorite with a total of 46. Notre Dame is at North Carolina State on ABC as a 7.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 49. James Madison plays at Virginia on ESPNU as a 6.5-point road favorite with a total of 40.5. Kansas State is at home against Troy on FS1 as a 15.5-point favorite with an over/under of 49. Three NCAAF games on national television start at 3:30 PM ET. Texas A&M visits Miami (FL) on ABC as a 3-point road favorite with a total of 51. Iowa plays at Iowa State on Fox as a 4-point road favorite with an over/under of 36.5. Michigan hosts UNLV on CBS as a 37-point favorite with a total of 57.5. Marshall is at East Carolina on ESPNU at 4 PM ET as a 3-point road favorite with an over/under of 43.5. Pittsburgh plays at home against Cincinnati on The CW at 6:30 PM ET as a 6.5-point favorite with a total of 45. Three nationally televised NCAAF games begin at 7 PM ET. Houston travels to Rice on the NFL Network as an 8-point road favorite with an over/under of 52.5. Central Florida plays at Boise State on FS1 as a 3.5-point road favorite with a total of 58.5. Oregon is at Texas Tech on Fox at 7 PM ET as a 6.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 69. Three more NCAAF games on national television start at 7:30 PM ET. Maryland is at home against Charlotte on NBC as a 24.5-point favorite with a total of 50. Wisconsin plays at Washington State on ABC as a 6-point road favorite with an over/under of 58.5. UCLA is at San Diego State on CBS as a 13.5-point road favorite with a total of 48.5. Air Force travels to Sam Houston State on the CBS Sports Network at 8 PM ET as a 13.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 37. Three more games on national television conclude the NCAAF card. Auburn plays at California on ESPN as a 6-point road favorite with a total of 55.5. USC hosts Stanford on Fox as a 29.5-point favorite with an over/under of 69.5. Oklahoma State is at Arizona State on FS1 as a 3-point road favorite, with a total of 53.5.Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The New York Yankees plays at home against the Milwaukee Brewers at 2:05 PM ET as a -148 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Minnesota Twins are at home against the New York Mets at 2:10 PM ET as a -148 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Chicago Cubs host the Arizona Diamondbacks at 2:20 PM ET as a -142 money-line favorite. The Toronto Blue Jays play at home against the Kansas City Royals at 3:07 PM ET. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 4:05 PM ET. The Tampa Bay Rays are at home against the Seattle Mariners on FS1 as a -122 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers travel to Washington to play the Nationals as a -205 money-line road favorite with a total of 9.5. The Boston Red Sox host the Baltimore Orioles at 4:10 PM ET as a -162 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. The Philadelphia Phillies play at home against the Miami Marlins at 6:05 PM ET as a -185 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The Chicago White Sox are in Detroit against the Tigers at 6:10 PM ET. The St. Louis Cardinals play in Cincinnati against the Reds at 6:40 PM ET as a -135 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 10.5.  The Texas Rangers are at home against the Oakland A’s at 7:05 PM ET. The Houston Astros host the San Diego Padres at 7:10 PM ET as a -130 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The Atlanta Braves play at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 7:20 PM ET as a -278 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. The San Francisco Giants are at home against the Colorado Rockies at 9:05 PM ET as a -225 money-line favorite with a total of 8. The Cleveland Guardians are in Los Angeles against the Angels at 9:07 PM ET as a -120 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Week 14 in the Canadian Football League concludes with three games. The Toronto Argonauts host the Montreal Alouettes at 1 PM ET as a 10-point favorite with a total of 52.5. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers play at home against the Saskatchewan Roughriders at 4 PM ET as an 8.5-point favorite with an over/under of 48. The Edmonton Elks are at home against the Calgary Stampeders at 7 PM ET as a 2-point favorite with a total of 48.5.

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NFL Season-Opening Division Dilemma

by Tom Stryker

Friday, Sep 08, 2023

Getting out of the gate in the NFL is never easy.  Teams in the league and their corresponding talent levels change on an annual basis and it takes a few games to see if this year’s squad can get after it or not. Season openers can be really tricky, too.  Several NFL teams don’t show very much in the preseason and tend to flip the switch when the contests count for real.  Since everyone is highly motivated in their first regular season battle, you’ll find that division wars carry additional meaning.  Old rivalries never die, and teams locked into division matchups in openers can provide us with some really nice investment opportunities. With the help of my NFL 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 incredible technical situations.  My “NFL Season Opening Division Dilemma” system is one that has made my clients and I a great deal of money over the years.  It kind of goes against the grain.  The result I expected was the opposite of what really transpired.  Take a peek at this beauty: Since 1981, PLAY AGAINST any season opening home favorite priced competitively at -5 or less provided they were a losing team a year ago (won/loss percentage less than .500) if their opponent owned a team won/loss percentage less than .560 last season.  42 Year ATS Record = 44-25-1 ATS for 63.8 percent  This Week’s PLAY ON Teams  = CAROLINA, TENNESSEE, GREEN BAY, and LAS VEGAS  Surprisingly, this short, hungry home favorite that was a stone-cold loser a season ago just isn’t ready to lay a small number into an opposing team that is starved for respect as well.  There is one special tightener that can be added to this technical situation that really makes it pop.  If our “play against” side is matched up against a division foe, this game one angle crashes to a horrible 4-16 ATS.  The Falcons, Bears, and Broncos are locked into this negative wagering parameter. Good luck with the Panthers, Packers, and Raiders on Opening Day!

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Betting Notes on NFL and College Football

by Wayne Root

Friday, Sep 08, 2023

It’s time for FOOTBALL 2023.  Let’s get ready to WIN!! If you’re a serious college/NFL bettor or sports investor, it’s important to use all the tools at your disposal – including the right sports betting software and systems to help you optimize your bets. You need tools like real-time line moves, public betting percentages, bet signals and breaking injury alerts and that’s what Wayne Root is here to assist. Wayne’s proprietary software provides live NFL odds including sports point spreads, totals/moneylines, market bet signals, historical odds, betting trends & percentages, line moves, line predictions, value ratings and more. I mention this because one needs to understand that there’s a huge difference between studying and guessing. The NFL and college football is the most heavily bet sport that we cover, and betting against the public is a strong strategy to use. The more bettors that we have access or the more amateur or “square” bettors we have, we can use that to our advantage and get that information to you within our selections. Most weeks on Wednesdays, Wayne provides members a unique “insider” perspective on the weekend’s biggest early matchups with an advance play. Hopefully, our clients bet before the lines reset on game day. Read the vital news and information that shapes the sports betting industry from us weekly. Wayne has earned the respect of leading online sportsbooks and sports fans in his efforts to break down the barriers to winning in the sports betting marketplace. This is Wayne Root’s 38th year in handicapping the Vegas lines. Every week we analyze the sports betting marketplace to pinpoint which games the public are chasing and which the sharps are pounding.The goal of our weekly betting write ups are to highlight games that offer true line value. Often if a line looks too good to be true, there is a reason. You’ll occasionally need the worst teams on the board to come through. We typically buy on bad news and sell on good. We takes teams the public refuses to bet. After 38 years of observation, we know that the oddsmakers are not your friends and will jack up the point spread on public teams.  Last year, our College best bets won at an incredible rate. We identify them as a MAXX BET PINNACLE. They finished at 11-1, 92%. Remember that our plays are independently monitored. Again,  by taking teams that the public refuses to touch, we make a bundle year in and year out. The college football season starts August 26th.  Good luck and great wagers.  Wayne Allyn Root 

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Hedging NFL Futures and In-Game Bets.

by Wayne Root

Friday, Sep 08, 2023

The purpose of hedging NFL futures is to set up a two way middle for the playoffs.  Let’s say you bet Kansas City to win the Super Bowl. The possibility of them reaching the playoffs and having home field advantage is not an uncommon prediction. The Chiefs are + 550 right now to go all the way. In their first game of the playoffs we do not have to lay points. That a huge advantage for us; obviously.  Let’s say their first opponent is Miami Dolphins. The line could be Chiefs -7.5. Here’s our game situation. We have the Chiefs at Even for $550 and then we bet the Dolphins at +7.5 for $550.  Our goal is the middle the bets and win both. If the final score is: Chiefs 27-Miami 20, (or anything in between), we win the Miami money for $550 and our Chiefs bet moves on and we do the same thing in our second playoff game having the Chiefs.  Hedging bets is something that is talked about more than it is understood. It’s also a concept that can be very profitable because it can easily be used in ways that correctly  impacts your bottom line.  As far as NFL futures, I’m recommending a few bets that as division winners, should have home field advantage(s). It’s not impossible to imagine these teams in the playoffs and having home field.  Chiefs +550 Bills +800 Philadelphia +600 San Francisco +800 We should be able to hit middles with these as they most likely will have home field advantage of which we have all four team at pick ‘em. Additionally, as you begin to understand the concept then you also can see that you could do the same thing by betting on a game and hedging the bet with in-game betting. The opportunity to make a guaranteed profit happens surprisingly often, and even if that doesn’t work out quite right you can often limit the size of your loss by hedging. So, with hedging we can limit our losses and often guarantee a profit. Sounds perfect, doesn’t it? Well, since it seems to good to be true there are obviously some downsides to hedging.  The first is that you often have to act fairly quick to be sure to get the right price. Hedging can be a bit confusing to think about when you are first doing it, so it is easy to make a mistake when you are working fast. And you must work your bets in a fast quick time element on game days.  Hedging and in-game betting is very popular but especially for Super Bowl futures. 

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