Expert Sports Picks and Analysis from Al McMordie

Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and WNBA Previews and Odds - 08/26/2021

Thursday, Aug 26, 2021

The Thursday sports card features action in MLB and the WNBA. The scheduled game between the Edmonton Elks and the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League got canceled after a COVID outbreak with Edmonton.Eleven games are on the MLB docket. Three games take place in the afternoon. The Los Angeles Angels play at Baltimore at 1:05 PM ET in the third game of their three-game series. Jaime Barria pitches for the Angels against Keegan Akin of the Orioles. Los Angeles is a -140 money line road favorite with the total set at 11. Cincinnati plays at Milwaukee at 2:10 PM ET in the final game of their three-game series. The Reds pitch Sonny Gray against the Brewers’ Brett Anderson. Both teams are a -110 money line favorites with an over/under of 9. Toronto hosts the Chicago White Sox at 3:07 PM ET in Game 4 of their four-game series. Hyun Jin Ryu pitches for the Blue Jays against Carlos Rodon of the White Sox. Both teams are -110 money line favorites with a total of 8.5.Two MLB games begin at 7:05 PM ET. St. Louis travels to Pittsburgh for the opening game of their four-game series. The Cardinals pitch Miles Mikolas against the Pirates’ Mitch Keller. St. Louis is a -150 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Philadelphia hosts Arizona in the first game of their four-game series. Zack Eflin pitches for the Phillies against Zac Gallen of the Diamondbacks. Philadelphia is a -160 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Four MLB games start at 7:10 PM ET. San Francisco plays at New York against the Mets in the concluding contest of their three-game series. The Giants pitch Alex Wood against the Mets’ Carlos Carrasco. San Francisco is a -125 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Boston hosts Minnesota in the final game of their three-game series. Chris Sale pitches for the Red Sox against the Twins’ John Gant. Boston is a -310 money line favorite with a total of 10. Miami is at home against Washington in Game 3 of their three-game series. The Marlins pitch Elieser Hernandez against the Nationals’ Patrick Corbin. Miami is a -120 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Cleveland plays at home against Texas in the third game of their three-game series. Sam Hentges pitches for the Indians against Dane Dunning of the Rangers. Cleveland is a -180 money line favorite with a total of 9.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers conclude their three-game series at San Diego at 9:10 PM ET. The Dodgers pitch Max Scherzer against the Padres’ Yu Darvish. Los Angeles is a -150 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. The New York Yankees play at Oakland at 9:40 PM ET in Game 1 of their four-game series. Jameson Taillon pitches for the Yankees against James Kaprielian of the A’s. New York is a -115 money line road favorite with a total of 9. Seattle hosts Kansas City at 10:10 PM ET in the opening game of their four-game series. The Mariners pitch Yusei Kikuchi against the Royals’ Brad Keller. Seattle is a -170 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Three games are on the WNBA slate at 7 PM ET. Las Vegas travels to Atlanta. Los Angeles plays at Connecticut. Dallas visits Washington.

Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and WNBA Previews and Odds - 08/25/2021

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Aug 25, 2021

The Wednesday sports card features action in MLB and the WNBA.Fourteen games are on the MLB docket. Three games take place in the afternoon. St. Louis hosts Detroit at 1:15 PM ET in the second game of their two-game series. Jon Lester pitches for the Cardinals against Tarik Skubal of the Tigers. St. Louis is a -150 money line favorite with the total set at 9 (all odds from DraftKings). Houston plays at home against Kansas City at 2:10 PM ET in the final game of their three-game series. The Astros pitch Lance McCullers against the Royals’ Mike Minor. Houston is a -235 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Colorado plays in Chicago against the Cubs at 2:20 PM ET in the first game of their seven-inning doubleheader after their postponed game on Tuesday. German Marquez pitches for the Rockies against the Cubs’ Zach Davies.The second game of the Colorado/Chicago doubleheader is scheduled for 6:30 PM ET. The Rockies pitch Austin Gomber against the Cubs’ Justin Steele. Three games start at 7:05 PM ET. Philadelphia hosts Tampa Bay in the second game of their two-game series. The Phillies pitch Zack Wheeler against the Rays’ Ryan Yarbrough. Philadelphia is a -130 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Los Angeles Angels are at Baltimore in Game 2 of their three-game series. Shohei Ohtani pitches for the Angels against an Orioles’ starting pitcher that has yet to be named. Los Angeles is a -180 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Arizona concludes their three-game series at Pittsburgh. The Diamondbacks pitch Tyler Gilbert against the Pirates’ Mitch Keller. Arizona is a -115 money line road favorite with a total of 9. Toronto plays at home against the Chicago White Sox at 7:07 PM ET. Robbie Ray pitches for the Blue Jays against Lucas Giolito of the White Sox. Toronto is a -125 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Four games begin at 7:10 PM ET. Boston is at home against Minnesota in the second game of their three-game series. The Red Sox pitch Nick Pivetta against the Twins’ Bailey Ober. Boston is a -180 money line favorite with a total of 10.5. Cleveland hosts Texas in Game 2 of their three-game series. Zack Plesac pitches for the Indians against Jake Latz of the Rangers. San Francisco is at New York against the Mets in the second game of their three-game series. The Giants pitch Johnny Cueto against New York’s Taijuan Walker. Both teams are a -110 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Washington plays at Miami in Game 2 of their three-game series. Josiah Gray pitches for the Nationals against Edward Cabrera of the Marlins. Both teams are -110 money line favorites with a total of 8. Milwaukee is at home against Cincinnati at 8:10 PM ET in the second game of their three-game series. The Brewers pitch Brandon Woodruff against the Reds’ Luis Castillo. Milwaukee is a -180 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers play at San Diego on ESPN at 10:10 PM ET in Game 2 of their three-game series. Walker Buehler pitches for Los Angeles against Blake Snell of the Padres. The Dodgers are a -140 money line road favorite with a total of 7.5.One game is on the WNBA slate. Phoenix travels to New York at 7 PM ET.

NFL Players to Avoid on Your NFL MVP Tickets

by ASA, Inc.

Tuesday, Aug 24, 2021

It is inevitable that a few studs get hurt each year in the preseason, or early on in the regular season, and go on to miss a significant portion of the year. Tom Brady in 2008, Jordy Nelson in 2015, or even Christian McCaffrey last season are prime examples of the injuries mishaps that can occur early in a NFL season. Accurately predicting these injuries is very difficult, but the best way to try is to look at a player’s usage and volume. Here are three players to watch in 2021 and avoid betting to win the MVP, including 2 longer shot RB's. Ezekiel Elliott +15000The former Ohio State Buckeye has been a workhorse since he entered the league in 2016. He has been in the top 2 in rushing attempts 3 of his 5 years and has accumulated over 1400 carries in total. Not many players at the running back position have had stretches of volume quite like that. With an average of 283 carries a year it may be time for the Cowboys to put Zeke on the carries diet. Reports on Elliott have been good out of camp, but his slimmer stature does not mix well with another 280+ carry season that he might see. Recent names like Adrian Peterson, Jamal Charles, and LeSean McCoy come to mind and are a reminder of how quickly running backs can be discarded for the next.Derrick Henry +5000 Henry's usage has been ridiculous the last 2 seasons. He has carried the ball almost 800 times. Last season he had 378 carries (827 total touches) which was almost 70 more carries than the next highest RB. That's the equivalent of almost 3.5 more "games" of carries if he averages 20 carries per game. His 378 carries was the 19th most in a season in the history of the NFL and the most since 2014. Each of the 18 RB's who had more than 378 carries in a season saw their production drop the following season and most fairly significantly. Stay away from Henry as an MVP longshot. Lamar Jackson +1800The 2019 MVP has taken the league by storm in recent years and taken the Ravens to new heights. His crazy athleticism and immense rushing volume have helped this. Jackson broke Bill Shepard’s single season rushing attempt record (143 attempts) that had stood since 1935. Lamar did this in his rookie year (147 attempts) while only starting 7 games. He has continued the past 2 seasons with 176 and 159 rushing attempts. Quarterbacks are not meant to see that much usage on the ground and even a massive human like Cam Newton has been battered over the years. Lamar will likely see 140 rushing attempts again and that should give Ravens fans anxiety each time he leaves the pocket.

The Most Improved Side In All Of Europe Will Be ...

by Power Sports

Tuesday, Aug 24, 2021

Already off to a 2-0 start in the English Premier League, Brighton & Hove Albion is a team to watch out for during the 2021/22 campaign. Do I expect the Seagulls to contend for a top four spot and the Champions League next season? No I don't. But they should easily eclipse the oddsmakers’ projection of 46.5 points. Having taken the full six (points) after two matches, they are well on their way to going Over that number. Consider that Brighton finished with 41 points last year and that was with some incredibly poor luck.Though they ended up in 16th place, Brighton was a shocking fifth in expected goal difference (+16.2) last season. The only four clubs to finish above them in that metric were the actual top four in the table (standings): Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea. For those that may be unfamiliar, expected goals (or xG for short) measures the probability that a shot will result in a goal based on the characteristics of that shot and the events leading up to it. Brighton had the fourth best shot differential in the Premier League last season (+129), however they were somehow outscored 46-40. Their actual goal differential was still better than four teams who finished directly above them. Even though the actual goal differential was not as good as it “should have been,” Brighton clearly should have had a mid-table finish. Crystal Palace (14th place) had a -25 goal differential while Southampton (15th) had a -21 GD. Both Newcastle (12th) and Wolverhampton (13th) were -16. It can easily be argued that Brighton played better football than any of those four teams last season. It just didn’t show in the standings. Per xG, the Seagulls “should” have scored 12 more goals while also conceding 10 fewer than they actually did. Now some of this has to do with the fact Brighton was typically down and looking for equalizers at the end of the match. But there can be no denying that this was the most snakebitten side in the entire Premier League last year. Brighton were the “kings of the draw” last season, a distinction you really don’t want. They had 14 draws in 2020/21. Only four other teams had at least 10. Turn some of those draws into wins and all of a sudden you’re moving right up the table. On the flip side, only nine teams suffered fewer losses. Again, a top four finish for Brighton is too lofty to project for even the biggest believer in analytics. They may not even end up qualifying for the Europa League. But this is definitely a lock to be the most improved EPL side and just maybe the most improved side in all of Europe.

Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and WNBA Previews and Odds - 08/24/2021

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Aug 24, 2021

The Tuesday sports card features action in MLB and the WNBA.Fifteen games are on the MLB docket. One game takes place in the afternoon. Oakland hosts Seattle in the second game of their two-game series at 3:37 PM ET. The A’s pitch Cole Irvin against the Mariners Chris Flexen. Oakland is a -150 money line favorite, with the total set at 8.5. Three games begin at 7:05 PM ET. Tampa Bay visits Philadelphia in the opening game of their two-game series. Drew Rasmussen pitches for the Rays against Ranger Suarez of the Phillies. Tampa Bay is a -125 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Arizona plays at Pittsburgh in the second game of their three-game series. The Diamondbacks pitch Madison Bumgarner against J.T. Brubaker. Arizona is a -120 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The Los Angeles Angels travel to Baltimore for Game 1 of their three-game series with the Orioles. Dylan Bundy pitches for the Angels against Spenser Watkins for Baltimore. Los Angeles is a -140 money line road favorite with an over/under of 10.5. Toronto is at home against the Chicago White Sox at 7:07 PM ET in the second game of their four-game series. The Blue Jays pitch Jose Berrios against the White Sox’s Dylan Cease. Toronto is a -125 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Four games start at 7:10 PM ET. The New York Mets play at home against San Francisco in the opening game of their three-game series. Tylor Megill pitches for the Mets against Sam Long for the Giants. New York is a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Cleveland hosts Texas in Game 1 of their three-game series. The Indians pitch Eli Morgan against the Rangers Taylor Hearn. Cleveland is a -165 money line favorite with a total of 9. Boston is at home against Minnesota in the opening game of their three-game series. Tanner Houck pitches for the Red Sox against Griffin Jax for the Twins. Boston is a -240 money line favorite with an over/under of 10. Washington travels to Miami for the opener of their three-game series. The Nationals pitch Erick Fedde against the Marlins Jesus Luzardo. Washington is a -115 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Atlanta plays at home against the New York Yankees in Game 2 of their two-game series. Charlie Morton pitches for the Braves against Andrew Heaney of the Yankees. Atlanta is a -150 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. St. Louis is at home against Detroit at 7:45 PM ET in the first game of their two-game series. The Cardinals pitch Jack Flaherty against the Tigers’ Casey Mize. St. Louis is a -195 money line favorite with a total of 8. Colorado plays at Chicago against the Cubs at 8:05 PM ET in the second game of their three-game series. German Marquez pitches for the Rockies against Justin Steele of the Cubs. Colorado is a -145 money line road favorite. Two games start at 8:10 PM ET. Milwaukee hosts Cincinnati in the opener of their three-game series. The Brewers pitch Corbin Burnes against the Reds’ Tyler Mahle. Milwaukee is a -190 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Houston is at home against Kansas City in Game 2 of their three-game series. Luis Garcia pitches for the Astros against Brady Singer of the Royals. Houston is a -240 money line favorite with a total of 9. The Los Angeles Dodgers visit San Diego on ESPN at 10:10 PM ET in the opening game of their three-game series. The Dodgers pitch Julio Urias against a starting pitcher yet to be determined by the Padres. Los Angeles is a -130 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.Four games are on the WNBA slate at 7 PM ET. Seattle plays at Minnesota. Chicago travels to Atlanta. Las Vegas travels to Connecticut. Los Angeles is at Washington.

2021 NFL: AFC East Division Preview

by Sean Murphy

Tuesday, Aug 24, 2021

Is the winner of the AFC East already a foregone conclusion? Most certainly feel that way with the Buffalo Bills installed as significant favorites. Here's a quick look at what to expect from this top-heavy division in 2021.Odds to win (courtesy BetOnline)Buffalo Bills -180New England Patriots +280Miami Dolphins +360New York Jets +2410Buffalo BillsJosh Allen is back to lead one of the AFC's top contenders this season and there's little reason to expect much of a drop-off in production on either side of the football. The Bills are obviously loaded with talent but if there's a weakness it's in the backfield, where they've done little to improve a ground game that finished in the bottom-half of the league in rush yards in 2020 and features the likes of Devin Singletary, Zack Moss and Matt Breida. Buffalo does face a tough schedule out of the gate with three of its first five games coming against playoff teams from a year ago. Key matchups include a home date against the Steelers in Week 1 and a trip to Tampa to face Tom Brady and the Buccaneers on December 12th. The Bills will be featured in four primetime matchups this season with the possibility of more to be added as a result of TV schedule flexes. New England PatriotsCam Newton has been forced into Covid protocols at the time of writing, perhaps giving rookie Mac Jones a puncher's chance at stealing the starting job in Week 1. Jones has impressed in preseason play, as has the Patriots defense, which should be improved heading into 2021. If New England can get more consistency out of the quarterback position there's reason to believe it can give the Bills a challenge atop the AFC East. That's a big 'if' of course, especially with a subpar supporting cast at the skill positions on offense. Still, it's tough to count out a Bill Bellichick-coached team - especially coming off a down year. Miami DolphinsIt's Tua-Time in Miami as the second-year man will have the starting quarterback job all to himself with veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick out of the picture. The additions of wide receivers Will Fuller and Jaylen Waddle should pay immediate dividends for the Fins offense which was relatively punchless a year ago. Of course, injuries are always a concern when it comes to Fuller but all indications are that he will at least be healthy to start the season. Miami will face the consensus eighth-easiest strength of schedule. It won't take long for the Fins to see where they stand in the AFC East as they open the season with a trip to New England followed by a home game against Buffalo. New York JetsZach Wilson has arguably been the league's most impressive rookie quarterback during the preseason. He's likely to encounter plenty of growing pains once the curtain drops on the regular season, however, as he operates behind what is projected to be one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL and makes do with a receiving corps that lists Corey Davis atop the depth chart. They do have an opportunity to get off to a positive start with three straight games against non-playoff teams from a year ago to open the season. New York will venture across the pond to London for a date with the Falcons on October 10th.

MLB Baseball: Cincinnati Reds vs Milwaukee Brewers Prediction, Odds and Preview - 08/24/2021

by Al McMordie

Monday, Aug 23, 2021

MLB Baseball: Cincinnati Reds vs Milwaukee Brewers Prediction, Odds and Preview - 08/24/2021 Game Time: 8:10 pm ET, Tuesday, August 24, 2021Venue: American Family Field, Milwaukee, WIWhere to Watch: Bally Sports Wisconsin; Bally Sports Ohio Opening MLB Odds at USA Sportsbooks DraftKings: Moneyline odds: Brewers -175, Reds +155; Over/Under: 9 runsBetMGM: Moneyline odds: Brewers -170, Reds +150; Over/Under: 9 runsPointsBet: Moneyline odds: Brewers -175, Reds +155; Over/Under: 9 runs Season Record Brewers: 76-49, 1st NL CentralReds: 69-57, 2nd NL CentralWill Rogers is 8-3 his last 11 releases, and is featuring his College Football Game of the Month in Saturday NCAA action. It's available right now at the Shop Picks page, where you can find all of the Best Bets from our champion sports handicappers. Cincinnati Reds vs Milwaukee Brewers Preview and Analysis Recent FormBrewers: 7-3 last 10Reds: 7-3 last 10With just six weeks left in the Major League Baseball regular season, there's not much time left for Cincinnati to make up its 7.5-game deficit to the first-place Milwaukee Brewers. So, this 3-game series is critical for the Reds' hope of winning the National League Central division. Both of these division rivals enter Tuesday's game on win streaks. Milwaukee won the last two games of its series vs. Washington, and has won each of its last four series overall (10-3 last 13 games). Meanwhile, the Reds just completed a 4-game sweep of the cellar-dwelling Miami Marlins, with a 3-1 victory on Sunday. For the Brewers, former NL MVP Christian Yelich is starting to finally come alive. He led Milwaukee to a 9-6 comeback win on Saturday, as he launched two home runs, including a grand slam in the bottom of the eighth inning. Then, on Sunday, he went 2-for-5 with an RBI to raise his batting average to .247. The Reds' Tyler Naquin continued his hot hitting on Sunday with two solo homers in Cincy's 3-1 win, and Naquin's hit streak has reached 12 games. But more importantly, with San Diego's 7-4 loss on Sunday to Philadelphia, the Reds are now 1 game up on the Padres for the second NL wild card. In this series opener, the Brewers will hand the ball to RHP Corbin Burnes (a leading Cy Young Award candidate), while the Reds will start lefty Tyler Mahle. Burnes last saw game action a full week ago, when he took a no-hitter into the 6th inning against the St. Louis Cardinals last Tuesday. Milwaukee won that game, 2-0, and Burnes allowed just 2 hits and 2 walks in 6 innings, and raised his record to 8-4, while lowering his ERA to 2.13. In Mahle's last start -- a 7-1 home loss to the Chicago Cubs last Wednesday -- the Reds mustered just six hits, while Mahle surrendered five runs and eight hits in five innings. Still, Mahle has had a nice season, with a 10-4 record, and a 3.78 ERA, in 25 starts.One of the big keys to this matchup will be the fact that Burnes has had six days off between starts. And Burnes' teams are 13-6 in his career (+5 games on the moneyline) when he's worked with an extra day or two of rest. Additionally, in his last start vs. Cincinnati -- on July 18 at Great American Ball Park -- Burnes threw 8 1/3 scoreless innings in an 8-0 blanking of the Reds. He had 12 strikeouts while allowing just 5 hits and 1 walk, but came up two outs short in his bid for his first complete game (but the Brewers’ bullpen finished off the job). Offensive Analysis The Cincinnati Reds have a strong offense, and rank 2nd in the National League (and 4th in Major League Baseball) in runs scored, with 637. They also rank 4th in the Majors in both home runs (176) and RBI (613), and 5th in both batting avg. (.252) and slugging pct. (.435). In contrast, Milwaukee’s offensive lineup is middle-of-the pack, as it is 11th in the Majors in both runs scored (584) and home runs (156), but is near the bottom (#26) in batting average, as it's hitting just .234. And its roster ranks 18th in slugging pct. (.401). Defensive Analysis The Brewers' strength is its pitching rotation, as it is #3 in MLB with a 3.37 ERA, #2 in batting avg. against (.217), and #5 in WHIP (1.19). Milwaukee's also allowed just 120 homers this season, which is tied for 2nd in baseball. Cincinnati's pitching staff ranks 18th in ERA (4.40), 16th in batting avg. against (.242), and 22nd in WHIP (1.37). It also has given up 160 home runs, which ranks 22nd in MLB. Reds vs Brewers Prediction With Milwaukee a dominant 274-145 its last 419 as a home favorite of -150 (or more), we'll take the Brewers behind Burnes on Tuesday. Milwaukee 6 Cincinnati 2. Don't miss our champion handicappers' Free MLB Picks and Premium Selections every day here at Bigal.com. Just click on Shop Picks for our Best Bets, or click on Shop Subscriptions to join for a week or a month. And if you enjoyed this Brewers/Reds preview, be sure to bookmark Bigal.com for our daily Game Previews and Predictions. MLB Betting Trends Milwaukee Brewers are 48-26 (+12.1 games on the moneyline) off a winMilwaukee Brewers are 274-145 (+24.2 games on the moneyline) as a home favorite of -150 (or more)Cincinnati Reds are 53-44 (+18.1 games on the moneyline) vs. NL starters with a WHIP of 1.25 (or better)Cincinnati Reds are 20-15 (+11.9 games on the moneyline) on the road vs. winning teams Key Injuries Milwaukee Brewers: Tyrone Taylor (CF), 10-day IL (oblique); Freddy Peralta (P), 10-day IL (shoulder)Cincinnati Reds: Jesse Winker (LF), 10-day IL (ribs)Players to Watch Milwaukee Brewers: Christian Yelich broke out of a power slump when he homered twice on Saturday in Milwaukee's 9-6 win over Washington. It was the first time Yelich circled the bases in 69 plate appearances, and it was also his first multi-homer game since August 17, 2019. The former NL MVP had 6 RBI, and added a stolen base in his best offensive game of the season. He followed up Saturday's breakthrough performance with a 2-for-5 game on Sunday, so he is definitely Milwaukee's player to watch.Cincinnati Reds: Vladimir Gutierrez continued his torrid pitching run with a 7-inning, 1-run outing vs. Miami, on Sunday. He struck out 8 Marlins, and has allowed just 8 earned runs over his last six games, covering 38 2/3 IP (1.86 ERA). He's struck out 36, and walked just 10 in this span.Notable Quotes Cincinnati Reds catcher, Tyler Stephenson: "If we can go up there and sweep them, it's going to make things real interesting."Milwaukee Brewers pitcher, Adrian Houser on Yelich: "It's a really good sight to see. Hopefully, it keeps trending up and we get some 2018, 2019 Yellie here down the stretch." Starting Lineups Milwaukee BrewersK. Wong, 2BW. Adames, SSC. Yelich, LFA. Garcia, RFE. Escobar, 1BL. Urias, 3BL. Cain, CFM. Pina, CC. Burnes, PCincinnati RedsT. Naquin, LFT. Stephenson, CN. Castellanos, RFJ. Votto, 1BK. Farmer, SSM. Moustakas, 3BJ. Barrero, 2BS. Akiyama, CFT. Mahle, P Statistical Leaders Milwaukee BrewersBatting Average: Willy Adames (.293)Hits: Avisail Garcia (105)Home Runs: Avisail Garcia (24)RBI: Avisail Garcia (73)Stolen Bases: Kolten Wong (9)Wins: Brent Suter (12)Saves: Josh Hader (26)ERA: Corbin Burnes (2.13)Cincinnati RedsBatting Average: Nick Castellanos (.319)Hits: Jesse Winker (129)Home Runs: Joey Votto (28)RBI: Joey Votto (81)Stolen Bases: Jonathan India (8)Wins: Tyler Mahle (10)Saves: Heath Hembree (8)ERA: Wade Miley (2.88)Managers:Milwaukee Brewers: Craig Counsell (7th season)Cincinnati Reds: David Bell (3rd season) Weather ForecastMostly cloudy, warm and humid with a chance of rain and thunderstorms. Wind SSE 5 mph, with gusts up to 10 mph.

Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, MLB and EPL Previews and Odds - 08/23/2021

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Aug 23, 2021

The Monday sports card features action in the NFL preseason, MLB, and the EPL. The second week of the NFL preseason concludes with the New Orleans Saints hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars on ESPN at 8 PM ET. The Saints come off a 17-14 loss at Baltimore as a 2.5-point underdog in their first preseason game on August 14th. Jacksonville got upset at home against Cleveland, 23-13, as a 1.5-point favorite last Saturday. New Orleans is a 4-point favorite, with the total set at 39.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Seven games are on the MLB slate. Boston plays at home against Texas at 1:10 PM ET to make up for their rainout on Sunday. Nathan Eovaldi pitches for the Red Sox against Kolby Allard of the Rangers. Boston is a -350 money line favorite with an over/under of 10. Pittsburgh plays at home against Arizona at 7:05 PM ET. The Pirates ended their two-game winning streak with a 3-0 loss at St. Louis on Sunday. The Diamondbacks had lost two in a row before their 8-4 victory at Colorado yesterday. Pittsburgh pitches Will Crowe against Arizona’s Humberto Mejia. The Pirates are a -115 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Chicago White Sox plays at Toronto at 7:07 PM ET. The White Sox have lost three of four after a 9-0 loss at Tampa Bay yesterday. The Blue Jays have lost four of five after a 5-3 loss in 11 innings against Detroit on Sunday. Lance Lynn pitches for Chicago against Alek Manoah for Toronto. The White Sox are a -115 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Atlanta is at home against the New York Yankees at 7:20 PM ET. The Braves have won nine in a row with their 3-1 win at Baltimore yesterday. The Yankees have won nine in a row before their game with the Minnesota Twins was postponed on Sunday. Atlanta pitches Huascar Ynoa against New York’s Jordan Montgomery. The Braves are a -130 money line favorite with a total of 9. The Chicago Cubs host Colorado at 8:05 PM ET. The Cubs have lost three in a row and 15 of their last 16 after a 9-1 loss to Kansas City yesterday. The Rockies had won six in a row before their loss to the Diamondbacks yesterday. Kyle Hendricks pitches for Chicago against Antonio Senzatela of the Rockies. The Cubs are a -130 money line favorite. Houston is at home against Kansas City at 8:10 PM ET. The Astros have lost five of their last eight games after a 6-3 loss to Seattle yesterday. The Royals have six of seven after their win on the road against the Cubs yesterday. Houston pitches Zack Greinke against Kansas City’s Daniel Lynch. The Astros are a -235 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Oakland plays at home against Seattle at 9:40 PM ET. The A’s have lost six of their last eight after a 2-1 loss to San Francisco yesterday. The Mariners have won four of six with their win on the road against the Mariners on Sunday. Seattle pitches Paul Blackburn against the Mariners' Marco Gonzales. The Mariners are a -125 money line favorite with a total of 8.5.The second week of the English Premier League concludes with Leicester City visiting West Ham United on the NBC Sports Network at 3 PM ET. The Foxes defeated Wolverhampton, 1-0, last Saturday. The Hammers won on the road at Newcastle United, 4-2, on Sunday. This game is a pick ‘em with an over/under of 2.75.

Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB, WNBA, EPL and NFL Previews and Odds - 08/22/2021

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Aug 22, 2021

The Sunday sports card features action in the NFL preseason, MLB, WNBA, and the EPL. The second week of the NFL preseason continues with two games on the NFL Network. The Cleveland Browns host the New York Giants at 1 PM ET. The Browns upset Jacksonville on the road, 23-13, as a 1.5-point underdog last Saturday. The Giants lost in the Meadowlands to the New York Jets, 12-7, as a 2-point underdog last Saturday. Cleveland is a 4.5-point favorite with the total set at 35 (all odds from DraftKings). The San Francisco 49ers visit the Los Angeles Chargers at 7:30 PM ET. The 49ers were upset at home against Kansas City as a 2.5-point favorite last Saturday. The Chargers beat the Los Angeles Rams, 13-6, at SoFi Stadium as a 3.5-point favorite last Saturday. San Francisco is a 5.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 34. Fourteen games are on the MLB docket. The final game of the Twins/Yankees series has already been postponed because of Hurricane Henri. The card begins at 1:05 PM ET with Atlanta playing at Baltimore as a -155 money line road favorite with a total of 10. Toronto plays at home against Detroit at 1:07 PM ET as a -235 money line favorite with an over/under of 10. Three games begin at 1:10 PM ET. Boston hosts Texas as a -305 money line favorite with a total of 9.5. Tampa Bay plays at home against the Chicago White Sox on TBS as a -125 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Cincinnati is at home against Miami as a -140 money line favorite with a total of 9. Two games start at 2:10 PM ET. Houston plays at home against Seattle as a -180 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Milwaukee hosts Washington as a -220 money line favorite with a total of 9. St. Louis is at home against Pittsburgh at 2:15 PM ET as a -210 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Kansas City plays in Chicago against the Cubs at 2:20 PM ET with both teams -110 money line favorites. Colorado plays at home at 3:10 PM ET as a -180 money line favorite with an over/under of 11.5. San Diego hosts Philadelphia at 3:40 PM ET as a -180 money line favorite with a total of 11.5. San Francisco is at Oakland at 4:07 PM ET, with both teams priced as a -110 money line favorite with the total at 8. The Los Angeles Dodgers are at home against the New York Mets as a -200 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Cleveland plays at home against the Los Angeles Angeles on ESPN and ESPN2 at 7:10 PM ET. Two games are on the WNBA slate. Los Angeles plays at New York at 2 PM ET. Seattle visits Washington on ESPN at 3 PM ET. Week 2 in the English Premier League continues with three matches. Manchester United plays at Southampton on Peacock at 9 AM ET as a -1 goal line favorite with a total of 2.75. Tottenham travels to Wolverhampton on the NBC Sports Network at 9 AM ET as a -0.25 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.75. Chelsea visits Arsenal on the NBC Sports Network at 11:30 AM ET.

Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, CFL, WNBA and EPL Previews and Odds - 08/21/2021

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Aug 21, 2021

The Saturday sports card features action in the NFL preseason, MLB, CFL, WNBA, and the EPL. The second week of the NFL preseason continues with ten games. Chicago hosts Buffalo on the NFL Network at 1 PM ET. The Bears are a 4.5-point favorite, with the total set at 38 (all odds from DraftKings). The New York Jets visit Green Bay on the NFL Network at 4:25 PM ET. The Jets are 2.5-point road favorites with an over/under of 31. Two games begin at 7 PM ET. Baltimore travels to Carolina as a 3.5-point road favorite with a total of 35.5. Miami plays at home against Atlanta as a 5-point favorite with an over/under of 36. Two games start at 7:30 PM ET. Pittsburgh hosts Detroit on the NFL Network as a 6-point favorite with a total of 36.5. Tampa Bay is at home against Tennessee as a 1-point favorite with an over/under of 35.5. Two games begin at 8 PM ET. Minnesota plays at home against Indianapolis as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 37. Dallas hosts Houston as a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 36.5. Two games conclude the NFL preseason card at 10 PM ET. Denver visits Seattle as a 5-point road favorite with a total of 37.5. Las Vegas travels to Los Angeles to play the Rams on the NFL Network as a 6.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 35.Fifteen games are on the MLB docket. Nine games take place in the afternoon. The New York Yankees are at home against Minnesota on FS1 at 1:05 PM ET. The Yankees are a -225 money line favorite with a total of 9. Tampa Bay hosts the Chicago White Sox at 1:10 PM ET as a -130 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Chicago Cubs are at home against Kansas City at 2:20 PM ET as a -115 money line favorite. Toronto is at home against Detroit at 3:07 PM ET as a -265 money line favored with a total of 9.5. Two games begin at 4:05 PM ET. The Los Angeles Dodgers are at home against the New York Mets on FS1 as a -280 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Milwaukee hosts Washington as a -220 money line favorite with a total of 9. San Francisco is at Oakland at 4:07 PM ET as a -125 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two games start at 4:10 PM ET. Cleveland plays at home against the Los Angeles Angels as a -135 money line favorite with a total of 9. Houston is at home against Seattle as a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Miami plays at Cincinnati at 6:40 PM ET. Atlanta visits Baltimore at 7:05 PM ET as a -210 money line road favorite with a total of 10.5. Boston hosts Texas at 7:10 PM ET as a -335 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. St. Louis is at home against Pittsburgh at 7:15 PM ET as a -195 money line favorite with a total of 9. Colorado plays at home against Arizona at 8:10 PM ET as a -160 money line favorite with an over/under of 11.5. San Diego hosts Philadelphia at 8:40 PM ET as a -180 money line favorite with a total of 8. The third week in the Canadian Football League concludes with two games. Winnipeg travels to Toronto on ESPN2 at 4 PM ET. The Blue Bombers are a 3-point road favorite with an over/under of 46. Saskatchewan plays at home on ESPN+ at 7 PM ET. The Roughriders are a 10.5-point favorite with a total of 46.5. Two games are on the WNBA slate. Phoenix visits Atlanta on ESPN2 at noon. Minnesota plays at Chicago at 8 PM ET. The second week of the English Premier League season kicks off with six matches. Liverpool hosts Burnley at 7:30 PM ET on Peacock as a -2 goal line favorite with an over/under of 3. Four games start at 10 AM ET. Aston Villa plays at home against Newcastle United on the NBC Sports Network as a -0.5 goal line favorite with a total of 2.75. Brentford visits Crystal Palace in a pick ‘em match with an over/under of 2.25. Leeds United is at home against Everton as a -0.25 goal line favorite with a total of 2.75. Manchester City hosts Norwich City on the USA Network as a -2.5 goal line favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Brighton and Hove Albion plays at home against Watford on NBC at 12:30 PM ET as a -0.75 goal line favorite with a total of 2.25.

Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB, CFL, WNBA and NFL Previews and Odds - 08/20/2021

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Aug 20, 2021

The Friday sports card features action in the NFL preseason, MLB, the CFL, and the WNBA. The second full week of the NFL preseason continues with two games. Kansas City visits Arizona on ESPN at 8 PM ET. The Chiefs upset the 49ers in San Francisco, 19-16, as a 2.5-point underdog last Saturday. The Cardinals beat Dallas, 19-16, as a 1.5-point favorite on Friday. Kansas City is a 3-point road favorite with the total set at 41 (all odds from DraftKings). Washington plays at home against Cincinnati on the NFL Network at 8 PM ET. The Football Team lost at New England, 22-13, as a 2-point underdog last Thursday. Washington is a 5-point favorite with an over/under of 35. Fifteen games are on the MLB slate. Kansas City visits the Chicago Cubs at 2:20 PM ET. The Royals are a -115 money line road favorite. Two games start at 7:05 PM ET. The New York Yankees host Minnesota as a -225 money line favorite with a total of 10.5. Atlanta visits Baltimore as a -250 money line road favorite with an over/under of 10. Toronto plays at home against Detroit at 7:07 PM ET. The Blue Jays are a -260 money line favorite with a total of 9. Four games begin at 7:10 PM ET. Boston is at home against Texas as a -335 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Cincinnati hosts Miami as a -195 money line favorite with a total of 9. Cleveland plays at home against the Los Angeles Angels as a -120 money line favorite with an over/under of 10. The Chicago White Sox travel to Tampa Bay as a -120 money line road favorite with a total of 9. Two games start at 8:10 PM ET. Houston plays at home against Seattle as a -195 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Milwaukee hosts Washington as a -210 money line favorite with a total of 9.5. St. Louis is at home against Pittsburgh at 8:15 PM ET. The Cardinals are a -195 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Colorado plays at home against Arizona at 8:40 PM ET. The Rockies are a -180 money line favorite with a total of 11.5. San Francisco travels to Oakland at 9:40 PM ET. The Giants are a -120 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two games conclude the card at 10:10 PM ET. The Los Angeles Dodgers are at home against the New York Mets as a -255 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. San Diego hosts Philadelphia as a -195 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.Week 3 of the Canadian Football League continues with Montreal playing at Calgary on ESPN+ at 9:30 PM ET. The Alouettes upset Edmonton on the road, 30-13, as a 5-point underdog on Saturday. The Stampeders got beat at home against British Columbia as a 7-point favorite last Thursday. Montreal is a 6-point road favorite with a total of 45. Two games are on the WNBA schedule. Seattle plays at New York at 7 PM ET. Indiana travels to Dallas on the CBS Sports Network at 8 PM ET.

Premier League 2021 Season Week 1 Recap

by Scott Rickenbach

Thursday, Aug 19, 2021

English Premier League 2021 Season Week 1 Recap Quick Hitters Not a single draw in Week 1 of the season. This was very surprising to me as, out of 10 matches, not a single one ended with a splitting of the spoils. I personally prefer waging on totals and on teams to win rather than betting on the draw. However, for those of you that do like to make that wager you could be in luck this week. I would say the due factor is something to consider as it pertains to seeing some draws in Week 2 of the season! Arsenal’s loss to Brentford in Week 1 was definitely a shocker. Yet, is it not Arsenal that just seems to be one of the hardest clubs in the league to get a handle on recently. They sometimes rise up and play great against top competition and then other times they turn in a disappointing performance against a club they are supposed to beat. Brentford is solid for sure but still they just came up to the Premier League and then Arsenal not only did not win, they did not earn a share of the spoils and, in fact, lost the match by a 2-goal margin and allowed Brentford to deliver the clean sheet as Arsenal was shut out. Chelsea dominated Crystal Palace 3-0 in Week 1 and one must be careful to evaluate Chelsea only on full season results in the table for last season. The fact is Chelsea was a different club once they made the managerial change and this is going to be a big season for them in my opinion. Quite a few goals scored in Week 1 as there were 34 total in the 10 matches. An average of nearly 3.5 goals per match is well ahead of say a typical 2.5 average. However, the key was some great performances from Manchester United, West Ham, the aforementioned Chelsea, and Liverpool to name a few. When strong clubs are matched up against each other, the goal-scoring can quickly drop depending on the strategies employed by the involved managers. That said, the goal-scoring mentioned above could drop some in Week 2 and take a look at the Manchester City – Tottenham match-up as a good example of what could transpire in bigger matches this week. The Spurs got the 1-0 upset win. In summary, it is important to pay attention to what happens in Week 1 of a season but equally, if not more, important to not over-react to it. Keep this in mind as we head into Week 2 and beyond and as you are evaluating the clubs and the patterns as the season progresses.

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