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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 08/22/2023

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Aug 22, 2023

The Tuesday sports card features MLB action.Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. Three MLB games throw out the first pitch at 6:40 PM ET. Chicago plays at Detroit, with Drew Smyly taking the ball for the Cubs to pitch against Reese Olson for the Tigers. The Cubs are a -120 money-line road favorite, with the total set at 9 (all odds from DraftKings). Philadelphia hosts San Francisco, with the Phillies tapping Taijuan Walker to face the Giants’ Kyle Harrison. The Phillies are a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. Tampa Bay plays at home against Colorado, with Zack Littell taking the hill for the Rays to battle against Ty Blach for the Rockies. The Rays are a -270 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Three MLB games start at 7:05 PM ET. Baltimore is at home against Toronto is at home against Baltimore with the Orioles tapping Grayson Rodriguez to duel against the Blue Jays’ Yusei Kikuchi. The Orioles are a -115 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. New York hosts Washington with Carlos Rodon on the hill for the Yankees against Josiah Gray for the Nationals. The Yankees are a -185 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Pittsburgh plays at home against St. Louis, with the Pirates turning to Johan Oviedo to pitch against the Cardinals Adam Wainwright. The Pirates are a -135 money-line favorite with an over/under of 10. The Los Angeles Dodgers visit Cleveland to play the Dodgers at 7:10 PM ET. Noah Syndergaard takes the ball for the Dodgers to face Bobby Miller for the Dodgers. Los Angeles is a -218 money-line road favorite with a total of 9. The Atlanta Braves are at home against the New York Mets at 7:20 PM ET. The Braves turn to Bryce Elder to take the mound to pitch against the Mets’ Tylor Megill. Atlanta is a -230 money-line favorite with an over/under of 10.5. Three MLB games begin at 8:10 PM ET. Houston hosts Boston, with the Astros turning to Justin Verlander to battle against the Red Sox’s Tanner Houck. The Astros are a -148 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Seattle plays at Chicago with Bryan Woo taking the ball for the Mariners to go against Mike Clevinger for the White Sox. The Mariners are a -148 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Minnesota plays in Milwaukee, with the Twins sending out Bailey Ober to face the Brewers’ Wade Miley. Both teams are priced as a -110 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Los Angeles Angels are at home against the Cincinnati Reds at 9:38 PM ET. Lucas Giolito takes the hill for the Angeles to pitch against Graham Ashcraft for the Reds. Los Angeles is a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. Three more games conclude the MLB card at 9:40 PM ET. Kansas City travels to Oakland with the Royals tapping Angel Zerpa taking the ball to pitch against a starting pitcher yet to be named for the A’s. Arizona hosts Texas, with Zac Gallen taking the mound for the Diamondbacks to face Jon Gray for the Rangers. The Diamondbacks are a -125 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. San Diego plays at home against Miami, with the Padres turning to Blake Snell to face the Marlins' Jesus Luzardo. The Padres are a -180 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. 

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College Football: Five New Defensive Coordinators To Watch

by Kyle Hunter

Monday, Aug 21, 2023

College football is about to kickoff this coming weekend. Week 0 doesn’t necessarily feature the biggest matchups ever, but for college football to be back is a reason to celebrate! I hit 70% in college football last year. I hit 66% in college football two seasons ago. The preparation for this year has been going on a lot in the last couple months. One of the things I think bettors should pay more attention to is new coordinators on both offense and defense. These guys can completely change the way a team plays. Let’s take a look at five new defensive coordinator hires that I think you should pay close attention to as the new season gets underway. Lance Guidry (Miami Hurricanes) Guidry was at Marshall last year and the Thundering Herd were dominant all season long. Marshall finished top ten in the nation in 12 different defensive categories. Guidry’s defenses are known for their aggressiveness. Miami was continually picked on last year on defense despite having loads of highly talented players at each level. The Hurricanes were 103rd in yards per play allowed. Guidry will help them improve. The question is how much will they improve in year one.  Jay Hill (BYU) Jay Hill was the head coach at Weber State the last few years. He now takes the defensive coordinator position at BYU. The BYU Cougars moved to the Big 12 this year, and this is a massive step up in class for both Hill and the entire BYU program. The BYU secondary was particularly bad last year. BYU finished 112th in Total QBR allowed last year. They were 115th in passing play success rate allowed. I’m skeptical that BYU will be able to slow down the Big 12 passing attacks. Charles Kelly (Colorado) Coach Prime is in at Colorado and it will be a lot of fun to see how the season goes in Boulder. He did a great job getting top notch offensive and defensive coordinators. Charles Kelly left Alabama to lead the defense in Colorado. I don’t think it will be easy for this team to just flip the switch immediately, but there should be significant improvements. The secondary has some high end talent in McClain and Hunter. Can Kelly help the run defense? Colorado allowed 6.06 yards per carry last season. Troy Reffett (New Mexico) Why would I put New Mexico on here? There are two major reasons. First, I love under the radar college football, because I believe there is more value there. Second, Reffett has big shoes to fill in this spot. I know the Lobos have been really bad the last couple years, but it wasn’t because of the defense. Rocky Long has been the defensive coordinator here, but he very surprisingly left to become DC at Syracuse. Long is one the best defensive minds in the country. New Mexico’s defense was consistently put in terrible positions by turnovers and poor special teams play. Until I see otherwise, I will assume Reffett is a downgrade. Greg Gasparato (Troy) Troy is coming off a magical season where they went 12-2 and 11-3 ATS. The Trojans lost DC Shiel Wood to Tulane. They hired Greg Gasparato. He was with Louisville and helped the linebackers a year ago. Louisville had a whopping 50 sacks, and the Trojans are hoping Gasparato’s work with the front seven could help them stay ultra aggressive on defense. Troy is talking about playing faster this year, so that could hurt the overall defensive numbers. I would look closely at the efficiency based numbers rather than the raw numbers. 

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Time for NFL "Prisoner of the Moment" Win Total Takes

by Vegas Writer

Monday, Aug 21, 2023

With the NFL preseason two weeks in, and the regular season only two weeks away, time for some "Prisoner of the Moment" insight on win totals.You know what I'm talking about, with teams you may have been on the fence about, but now after only two games, you've jumped from the top rope and are ready to make an investment.Happens to the best of us, as we get excited over players who may or may not make the final 53-man cut.Here are my "Prisoner of the Moment" takes through Week 2 (lines courtesy DraftKings):RAIDERS (Over 6 1/2 wins, +110) - Of course I'm going to start in my own backyard, where the Silver and Black is 2-0 after impressive preseason wins over last year's NFC semifinalist San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams, two years removed from their Super Bowl title. Before we talk about a fluid offense that leads the league with 34.0 points per game, how good has projected QB3 Aidan O'Connell looked? O'Connell ranks No. 1 in the preseason with his 125.2 passer rating, having completed 26 of 36 attempts for 304 passing yards and three TDs. Brian Hoyer was brought in to backup Jimmy Grapppolo, but O'Connell continues to make his case as a poised rookie. Both Hoyer and Grappolo made their preseason debuts in Saturday's 34-17 win over the Rams. The Raiders have shown defensive tenacity in both wins, putting the ball back in the offensive unit's hands with efficient play.PRISONER OF THE MOMENT TAKE: Drink the Las Vegas Kool-Aid, as we're seeing improvement with preparation and execution, and should see at least 7 wins.JAGUARS (Over 9 1/2 wins, -140) - Jacksonville hasn't been favored to win the AFC South in quite some time, but it's looking more and more like their division to win with how well they've played this preseason. After winning their first two games, with Trevor Lawrence playing a couple of series (5 of 6 for 36 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT), it's been the rushing game that has shown some life. And while we don't know who will be in the running backs room come Week 1, what we do know is the offensive line has been exceptional. The Jags are averaging a league fifth-best 145.0 yards rushing per game, contributing to the league's No. 2 offense, which averages 406.5 yards per game overall. But this goes beyond the Jaguars, as one has to take in consideration the divisional opponents - Indianapolis, Tennessee and Houston. I can see Jacksonville going 5-1 or 4-2 against those three this season. Other wins should come at home Atlanta, San Francisco and Carolina, and on the road at Pittsburgh and Cleveland. We we would need a couple of wins from the other six games to get to 10.PRISONER OF THE MOMENT TAKE: The Jaguars went from three wins in 2021 to nine wins and a playoff berth under then-first-year coach Doug Pederson in 2022. This year a division title is at their finger tips, along with 10+ wins.VIKINGS (Under 8', -110) - There is a reason the Over/Under win total for Minnesota is a pick'em. Everyone became enamored by the Vikings last season, with nobody taking in consideration the rather weak schedule they played. Per Sharp Football Analysis dot com, the Vikings have the eighth-toughest schedule. Their projected tally for SKOL lands on 8.6 - basically right on the posted total. And keep in mind, of the 11 teams that actually had the hardest 2022 schedules, only three went over their 2022 win total (Bengals, Steelers and Jets). Even further, the Vikings have one of the five worst edges with prep and rest, gauging rest days vs. their opponents. For instance, the Vikings open the season at home against the Buccaneers, then has a game four days later at defending NFC champion Philadelphia. They have a short week in October, too, after playing at home vs. Frisco on a Monday, and then visiting rival-Green Bay the following Sunday. The second leg of short weeks on the road are never easy when you consider teams needing a mandatory off day, and a travel day.PRISONER OF THE MOMENT TAKE: The Vikings are going to take their lumps more than most think, and will find themselves struggling a lot more than they did last season, and will win no more than 8 games.PANTHERS (Under 7', -115) - I'm not convinced by any means that Carolina will be an improved team this season, and could be in the basement of the NFC South when it's all said and done. We've seen them shut out by the Jets in Week 1 of the preseason, and then fall short of a comeback in a 21-19 loss to the Giants in Week 2. Is Bryce Young the answer? Not this year, in my eyes. We haven't seen much of him in the preseason, but it's the rest of the roster that has me concerned for the rookie. Pass protection will be an ongoing issue. The Panthers have to figure out a way to become a solid wall across the frontline, even though Young showed poise against the Giants' random blitzing schemes. If there are any leaks, both Young and the rushing game will struggle for efficiency. On defense, the question is how this team has improved in the Red Zone. Last season it allowed league-tying ninth-highest 32 RZ TDs. The Panthers' stop unit also needs to improve on third down, having allowed a league 10th-highest 41.1% conversion rate.PRISONER OF THE MOMENT TAKE: The Panthers will have a frustrating season, especially in a division where I think every team has improved - except them. I don't think Carolina gets more than 7 wins.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, MLB and EPL Previews and Odds - 08/21/2023

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Aug 21, 2023

The Monday sports card features NFLX, MLB, and EPL action.Week 2 of the NFL preseason concludes with one game. The Baltimore Ravens travel to Washington to play the Commanders on ESPN at 8 PM ET. The Ravens beat Philadelphia, 20-19, as a 5.5-point favorite in their opening preseason game last Saturday. The Commanders pulled off a 17-15 upset victory at Cleveland as a 3-point underdog in the first preseason game on Friday of last week. Baltimore is a 1.5-point road favorite, with the total set at 8 PM ET (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise).Major League Baseball has ten games on its schedule. Two games throw out the first pitch at 6:40 PM ET. Chicago plays at Detroit, with the Cubs tapping Javier Assad to pitch against the Tigers’ Alex Faedo. The Cubs are a -130 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Philadelphia hosts San Francisco, with Aaron Nola taking the mound for the Phillies to face Scott Alexander, who is opening the game for the Giants. The Phillies are a -162 money-line favored with a total of 8.5. The St. Louis Cardinals are in Pittsburgh to play the Pirates at 7:05 PM ET. The Cardinals called up Drew Rom from Triple-A to make his Major League debut against a Pirates starting pitcher that has yet to be named. The Atlanta Braves play at home against the New York Mets at 7:20 PM ET. Allan Winans takes the mound for the Braves to battle against David Peterson for the Mets. Atlanta is a -198 money-line favorite with an over/under of 10. Two MLB games start at 8:10 PM ET. Houston is at home against Boston, with the Astros tapping Cristian Javier to duel against the Red Sox’s James Paxton. The Astros are a -122 money-line favorite with a total of 9. Seattle travels to Chicago on FS1, with Luis Castillo taking the hill for the Mariners to face the White Sox’s Touki Toussaint. The Mariners are a -175 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Los Angeles Angels host the Cincinnati Reds at 9:38 PM ET. Lucas Giolito takes the mound for the Angels to battle against Graham Ashcraft for the Reds. Los Angeles is a -130 money-line favorite with a total of 9. Three games begin at 9:40 PM ET to conclude the MLB card. Oakland plays at home against Kansas City, with the A’s turning to Paul Blackburn to pitch against the Royals’ Tucker Davidson. The A’s are a -130 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Texas plays at Arizona with the Rangers’ Jordan Montgomery pitching against the Diamondbacks’ Slade Cecconi. The Rangers are a -130 money-line road favorite with a total of 9. San Diego is at home against Miami, with Michael Wacha getting the ball for the Padres to face a starting pitcher yet to be determined for the Marlins. Matchweek 2 in the English Premier League with one match. Arsenal visits Crystal Palace at 3 PM ET. The Gunners opened their season with a 2-1 victory at home against Nottingham Forest last Saturday. The Eagles won their first game of the new season in a 1-0 win at Sheffield United on Saturday. Arsenal is a -1 goal-line road favorite at BetMGM with an over/under of 2.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, MLB, CFL and EPL Previews and Odds - 08/20/2023

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Aug 20, 2023

The Sunday sports card features NFLX, MLB, CFL, and EPL action.Week 3 of the NFL preseason continues with one game. The New Orleans Saints travel to Los Angeles to play the Chargers on the NFL Network at 7:05 PM ET. The Saints come off a 26-24 victory against Kansas City as a 1-point favorite last Sunday. The Chargers upset the Los Angeles Rams, 34-17, as a 3-point underdog last Saturday. New Orleans is a 3.5-point road favorite, with the total set at 37.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Major League Baseball has 12 games on its schedule. The Houston Astros host the Seattle Mariners on Peacock at 1:05 PM ET. Hunter Brown takes the ball for the Astros to pitch against Emerson Hancock for the Mariners. Houston is a -185 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. Two more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 1:35 PM ET. New York plays at home against Boston, with the Yankees tapping Clarke Schmidt to face the Red Sox’s Josh Winckowski. The Yankees are a -120 money-line favorite with a total of 9. Atlanta is at home against San Francisco, with Max Fried taking the mound for the Braves to battle Jakob Junis for the Giants. The Braves are a -250 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. Two MLB games start at 1:40 PM ET. Cleveland hosts Detroit, with the Guardians sending out Logan Allen to face the Tigers Eduardo Rodriguez. The Guardians are a -112 money-line favorite with a total of 8. Toronto plays at Cincinnati, with Hyun Jin Ryu taking the hill for the Blue Jays to duel against Hunter Greene for the Reds. The Blue Jays are a -112 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. The Minnesota Twins play at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 2:10 PM ET. The Twins tap Dallas Keuchel to pitch against the Pirates' Osvaldo Bido. Minnesota is a -148 money-line favorite with a total of 9.5. The St. Louis Cardinals are at home against the New York Mets at 2:15 PM ET. Dakota Hudson gets the ball for the Cardinals to face Carlos Carrasco for the Mets. St. Louis is a -148 money-line favorite with an over/under of 10.5. The Chicago Cubs host the Kansas City Royals at 2:20 PM ET. The Cubs send out Kyle Hendricks to go against the Royals’ Jordan Lyles. Chicago is a -205 money-line favorite with a total of 9.5. The Texas Rangers play at home against the Milwaukee Brewers at 2:35 PM ET. Max Scherzer gets the start for the Rangers against Adrian Houser for the Brewers. Texas is a -205 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Chicago White Sox visit Colorado to play the Rockies at 3:10 PM ET.  The White Sox tap Dylan Cease to face the Rockies’ Christopher Flexen. Chicago is a -148 money-line road favorite with a total of 12. The Baltimore Orioles play in Oakland against the A’s at 4:07 PM ET.  Kyle Bradish takes the hill for the Orioles to pitch against J.P. Sears for the A’s. Baltimore is a -192 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN features the Philadelphia Phillies playing the Washington Nationals at 7:10 PM ET in the Little League Classic being played at Historic Bowman Field in Williamsport, Connecticut. The Phillies tap Zack Wheeler to take the ball as the technical road team to battle against the Nationals’ Trevor Williams. Philadelphia is a -218 money-line road favorite with a total of 9. Week 11 in the Canadian Football League concludes with one game. The British Columbia Lions travel to Saskatchewan to play the Roughriders on the CBS Sports Network at 7 PM ET. The Lions won for the fourth time in their last five games with a 37-9 victory against Calgary as a 6.5-point favorite last Saturday. The Roughriders lost for the fourth time in their last five games in a 41-12 loss at Montreal as a 5-point underdog last Friday. British Columbia is a 10-point road favorite with an over/under of 45. Matchweek 2 in the English Premier League continues with two matches on the USA Network. Aston Villa is at home against Everton at 9 AM ET as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. Chelsea visits West Ham United at 11:30 AM ET as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, MLB, CFL, EPL and Women's World Cup Previews and Odds - 08/19/2023

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Aug 19, 2023

The Saturday sports card features NFLX, MLB, CFL, EPL, and Women’s World Cup action.Week 3 of the NFL preseason continues with 11 games. The Jacksonville Jaguars travel to Detroit to play the Lions on the NFL Network at 1 PM ET as a 4-point road favorite, with the total set at 39.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). The Houston Texans host the Miami Dolphins on the NFL Network at 4 PM ET as a 2-point favorite with an over/under of 39.5. The Buffalo Bills play in Pittsburgh against the Steelers at 6:30 PM ET as a 1-point road favorite with a total of 42. The Indianapolis Colts are at home against the Chicago Bears on the NFL Network at 7 PM ET as a 4-point favorite with an over/under of 37.5. The New York Jets play at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 7:30 PM ET as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 37. Three NFLX preseason games kick off at 8 PM ET. The Tennessee Titans are in Minnesota to play the Vikings as a 2.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 37. The Kansas City Chiefs visit Arizona to play the Cardinals as a 7.5-point road favorite with a total of 41. The Green Bay Packers host the New England Patriots as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 36.5. The Denver Broncos play in San Francisco against the 49ers as a 4-point road favorite with an over/under of 39.5. The Las Vegas Raiders are in Los Angeles to play the Rams at 9 PM ET as a 3.5-point road favorite with a total of 39.5. The Seattle Seahawks play at home against the Dallas Cowboys on the NFL Network as a 7-point favorite with an over/under of 40.5. Major League Baseball has 18 games on its schedule, with three doubleheaders scheduled in Southern California to avoid Sunday games that may get impacted by Hurricane Hilary. The New York Yankees are at home against the Boston Red Sox on FS1 at 1:05 PM ET as a -170 money line favorite with a total of 8. The Chicago Cubs host the Kansas City Royals at 2:20 PM ET as a -185 money-line favorite. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 3:10 PM ET. The Miami Marlins play in Los Angeles against the Dodgers in the opening game of their doubleheader. The Arizona Diamondbacks are in San Diego to play the Padres in the first game of their doubleheader. The Tampa Bay Rays travel to Los Angeles to play the Angels at 4 PM ET in the opener of their rescheduled doubleheader. Two more MLB games start at 4:05 PM ET. The Philadelphia Phillies play in Washington against the Nationals as a -162 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. The Texas Rangers are at home against the Milwaukee Brewers on FS1 as a -142 money-line favorite with a total of 8. The Toronto Blue Jays visit Cincinnati to play the Reds at 6:40 PM ET as a -148 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 10. Three more MLB games start at 7:10 PM ET. The Cleveland Guardians play at home against the Detroit Tigers as a -162 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. The Houston Astros host the Seattle Mariners as a -148 money-line favored with an over/under of 8. The Minnesota Twins are at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates as a -175 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The New York Mets play in St. Louis against the Cardinals at 7:15 PM ET, with both teams priced at -110 with an over/under of 8.5. The Atlanta Braves are at home against the San Francisco Giants at 7:20 PM ET as a -120 money-line favorite with a total of 9.5. The Padres play at home against the Diamondbacks in the second game of their doubleheader at 8:40 PM ET as a -135 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. Two MLB games start at 9:07 PM ET. The Baltimore Orioles are in Oakland to play the A’s as a -175 money-line road favor with a total of 8.5. The Rays play on the road against the Angels in the second game of their doubleheader as a -120 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Dodgers host the Marlins in the nightcap of their doubleheader at 9:10 PM ET as a -192 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Week 11 in the Canadian Football League continues with one game. The Montreal Alouettes play in Ottawa against the Redblacks on the CBS Sports Network at 7 PM ET as a 1.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 47. Matchweek 2 in the English Premier League continues with five matches. Three matches begin at 10 AM ET. Brentford is at Fulham in a pick ‘em match with a total of 2.5 (all soccer odds from BetMGM). Liverpool plays at home against Bournemouth on the USA Network as a -2 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Brighton and Hove Albion visit Wolverhampton as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 2.5. Manchester United plays at Tottenham on NBC at 12:30 PM ET in a pick ‘em match with an over/under of 3. Manchester City is at home against Newcastle United at 3 PM ET as a -1 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. The Women’s World Cup in New Zealand and Australia concludes with the first-place title match on Fox and Peacock Sunday morning. Spain plays England at 6 AM ET in a pick ‘em match with an over/under of 2.

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NFL Preseason Totals System of the Week

by Al McMordie

Friday, Aug 18, 2023

It's the second week of the NFL Preseason and, as always, some teams are looking to make amends for poor showings in Week 1, while others are looking to build on their momentum after a great game.One of the things I like to do in the Preseason is look for certain teams to bounce back off bad offensive games.  And, with respect to Over/Unders, I really like playing games where BOTH teams have struggled offensively.  Not surprisingly, my mindset is to look for a counter-intuitive result, and for such games to go OVER the total.I've run the numbers through my trusty database, and use the following Preseason angle:Play on the OVER in NFL Preseason games where one team averages less than 10 points on offense, while its opponent averages less than 19.  Since 1996, these Preseason games have clocked in at a 58.8 percent rate.This week, there are 2 Preseason plays:  Carolina/NY Giants Over 38 and San Francisco/Denver Over 40.  And there's one tightener we can use to improve our win percentage further.  When the Over/Under line is less than 40, then our angle zooms to 45-25 OVER (64.2%).Good luck, as always,Al McMordie

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, MLB, CFL, EPL and Women's World Cup Previews and Odds - 08/18/2023

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Aug 18, 2023

The Friday sports card features NFLX, MLB, CFL, EPL, and Women’s World Cup action.Week 2 of the NFL preseason continues with two games. The New York Giants host the Carolina Panthers on the NFL Network at 7 PM ET as a 3-point favorite, with the total set at 39. The Atlanta Falcons play at home against the Cincinnati Bengals at 7:30 PM ET as a 6.5-point favorite with an over/under of 38.5. Major League Baseball has 16 games on its schedule. The Chicago Cubs host the Kansas City Royals at 2:20 PM ET as a -180 money-line favorite. The Detroit Tigers play in Cleveland against the Guardians at 4:10 PM ET in the opening game of their doubleheader. The Toronto Blue Jays are in Cincinnati on Apple TV+ at 6:40 PM ET as a -162 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 10.5. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:05 PM ET. The Boston Red Sox visit New York to play the Yankees on Apple TV+. The Philadelphia Phillies play at Washington against the Nationals as a -205 money-line road favorite with a total of 9. The Guardians play at home against the Tigers at 7:10 PM ET in the second game of their doubleheader as a -162 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Atlanta Braves are at home against the San Francisco Giants at 7:20 PM ET as a -225 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Texas Rangers host the Milwaukee Brewers at 8:05 PM ET as a -120 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. Two more MLB games start at 8:10 PM ET. The Houston Astros play at home against the Seattle Mariners as a -148 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Minnesota Twins are home against the Pittsburgh Pirates as a -225 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The St. Louis Cardinals host the New York Mets at 8:15 PM ET. The Chicago White Sox play in Colorado against the Rockies at 8:40 PM ET, with both teams priced as a -110 money-line favorite with a total of 12. The Tampa Bay Rays are in Los Angeles to play the Angels at 9:38 PM ET as a -112 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Two more MLB games begin at 9:40 PM ET. The Baltimore Orioles travel to Oakland to play the A’s as a -180 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The San Diego Padres host the Arizona Diamondbacks as a -170 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Los Angeles Dodgers play at home against the Miami Marlins at 10:10 PM ET as a -148 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5.Week 11 in the Canadian Football League continues with one game. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers visit Calgary to play the Stampeders at 9 PM ET as a 4-point road favorite with an over/under of 47.Matchweek 2 of the 2023-23 English Premier League season begins with one match on the USA Network at 3 PM ET. Manchester City travels to Burnley as a -1.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 3 (all soccer odds from BetMGM). Nottingham Forest is at home against Sheffield United as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5.The Women’s World Cup in New Zealand and Australia continues with the third-place match on Fox and Peacock Saturday morning. Sweden plays Australia at 4 AM ET in a pick ‘em match with an over/under of 2.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 08/17/2023

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Aug 17, 2023

The Thursday sports card features NFLX, MLB, and CFL action.Week 2 of the NFL preseason kicks off with one game. The Philadelphia Eagles host the Cleveland Browns on the NFL Network at 7:30 PM ET. The Eagles come off a 20-19 loss at Baltimore as a 5.5-point underdog on Saturday. The Browns fell to 1-1 in the preseason after a 17-15 upset loss to Washington as a 3-point favorite on Friday. Philadelphia is a 3.5-point favorite, with the total set at 38 (all odds from DraftKings).Major League Baseball has six games on its schedule. The Seattle Mariners travel to Kansas City to play the Royals at 2:10 PM ET. The Mariners have won two games in a row after their 6-5 victory in this series on Wednesday. Seattle sends out George Kirby to take the mound against the Royals' Angel Zerpa. The Boston Red Sox travel to Washington to play the Nationals at 4:05 PM ET. The Red Sox were on a two-game winning streak before their 6-2 loss to the Nationals yesterday. Chris Sale takes the ball for Boston to battle against Patrick Corbin for Washington. The Red Sox are a -185 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch in Fox regional coverage at 7:15 PM ET. Detroit plays at Cleveland, with the Tigers tapping Tarik Skubal to pitch against the Guardians Xzavion Curry. The Tigers ended a two-game losing streak with an 8-7 win at Minnesota on Wednesday. The Guardians had won two in a row before their 7-2 loss at Cincinnati yesterday. Detroit is a -122 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. New York is in St. Louis, with Jose Quintana getting the start for the Mets against Adam Wainwright for the Cardinals. The Mets won for the third time in their last four games with an 8-3 victory against Pittsburgh yesterday. The Cardinals were on a three-game winning streak before an 8-0 loss against Oakland on Wednesday. New York is a -118 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Arizona Diamondbacks visit San Diego to play the Padres at 9:40 PM ET. The Diamondbacks won for the fourth time in their last five games after a 9-7 victory at Colorado yesterday. The Padres are on a two-game winning streak after their 5-2 victory against Baltimore on Wednesday. Arizona turns to Zac Gallen in their starting rotation to pitch against the Padres' Rich Hill. Arizona is a -115 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5.The Los Angeles Dodgers play at home against the Milwaukee Brewers at 10:10 PM ET. The Dodgers are on a ten-game winning streak after their 7-1 victory against the Brewers on Wednesday. Milwaukee has lost two games in a row. Lance Lynn gets the ball for Los Angeles to pitch against Corbin Burnes for the Brewers. The Dodgers are a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5.Week 11 in the Canadian Football League begins with one game. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats play at home against the Edmonton Elks on the CBS Sports Network at 7:30 PM ET. The Tiger-Cats lost for the second time in their last three games with a 27-24 loss at home to Montreal as a 3-point underdog on August 5th. Their record dropped to 3-5 with the setback. The Elks remained winless in their nine games this season after a 38-29 loss against Winnipeg as a 13-point underdog last Thursday. Hamilton is a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 45.5.

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Early Season Football Betting

by Wayne Root

Wednesday, Aug 16, 2023

One of the most frustrating things about the early football season in both college and the pros is when a team fails to meet expectations in their first game. But how is one to know exactly of those expectations? Did you hear them from Sports Center? Are you an alumni? What are your qualifications? Even coaches aren’t for sure about a team until they’ve watch them in action.  We spend a lot of time over the spring and summer deciding what to expect from a team, so when they don’t look anything like we thought we have to go back to the drawing board. It’s frustrating when a team we thought was good tanks, but it’s just as frustrating when a team we had written off looks like natural born killers. When you are forced to reconsider a team after their opener.  Is there an end game? Absolutely! That’s when it’s more important to know what the projected point spread was and look for adjustments in latter games. That’s when you pick up the slack and the added value offered. It’s more important to know the projected lines rather than the player personnel.  Put away your excitement until after the game is played. There’s no reason to get all hyped upon the future. It comes anyway. Just be ready for it. Quite often we get excited about the chances of a team because of changes they have made. Maybe they have changed defensive schemes, or they have installed a new offense. While those changes often pay real dividends in the long term they might not be smooth in the short term.  The first game of the regular season is the first chance that the starters have had to implement their new systems at full game speed for a whole game. Chances are good that there will be issues. That doesn’t mean that the team is doomed to disappoint all year. It just means that they will have to build up to their full potential. It’s important, then, to make sure that your expectations are based on what a team is now, not what they have the potential to be in a few weeks. We have exactly the same questions as the Joe’s have. However, we take our emotions out of the equation and investigate.  There are four factors when running your checklist. (Actually more but let’s start here). 1. Maybe the issue wasn’t that the team didn’t meet expectations, but that you set bad expectations. Rethink your initial analysis.  2. Did you get sucked in by hype, or fooled by negative but inaccurate reporting in the media? The suits on the four letter network might know how to read scripts but do they know what makes a Vegas Number? 3. Did you give a player(s) too much or too little credit? Maybe your teams credit was perfect but the Oddsmakers made the line -10.5 instead of -6. That’s more likely your misread.  4. Did you forget to account for a change in coaching staff, or did you give a change too much significance? One must have patience when there are new coaching staffs and even more patient with new player transfers.  This is where the Pros shine over the Joes. There are all sorts of ways to miss the boat on a team, and it happens to everyone. The successful bettors are the ones who can recognize when they have done it and quickly make adjustments. The season is not won or lost in Week 1 or week 2 for the team and especially the bettors. Don’t get wiped out with your bankroll by making poor decisions and stubbornness. It doesn’t work like that.

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Football is Just Weeks Away: This is Your Checklist

by Wayne Root

Wednesday, Aug 16, 2023

Nobody needs to read a detailed boring book to figure out what is written here. This is not Medical School or prep work for you Law Review. But if you don't bet correctly, you may have to go back to Grad School to become a doctor or lawyer to "pay the man." I am going to make a MUST READ CHECKLIST for YOU to review. Something short and to the point. There is nothing hidden here. Just a few paragraphs for you to review your betting habits. Let's see if you"re a PRO or a JOE.  1) There's a HUGE difference in "sports betting" and "sports investing". Many players guess and throw a $100 bill into the wind; hoping. Few look at the over-all picture and see that investing on football picks is a process that goes week to week. Like many songs, they become a "one hit wonder". I’ve seen customers win over and over, then move on and never get another “hit”.  2) Money Management. Now that the $100 bill is on your home town, or favorite team, it will lose more often than win. Now is NOT the time to continue to guess and chase to get even. But most do. Do you?? Probably as it's an ego thing for many. I know that Confucius didn’t handicap sports but he would have said this: ‘To Guess is Cheap.  To Guess Wrong is Very Expensive’.  3) Sports Bettors definition centers on "Pros vs Joes".  The "Joe" is a recreational average unsophisticated person that basically guesses at picking a winner. They bet hunches, their favorite team, picks thru media manipulation and the famous "system" play. He typically becomes a professional handicapper around his third Budweiser. The "Pro" is data driven. He wants to study point spreads and current line changes. He analyzes why the lines change. He uses team data, statistics, win-loss percentages, player injuries and he "follows the money". He takes the guesswork out of the equations. More importantly, if he’s running bad, he’ll let a Vegas Handicapping Professional pinch hit for him.   4) The View from the Oddsmakers. What they see.  They already know what you watched on TV the prior week and will adjust their point spreads accordingly so they already have you. They know what the sports radio and TV hosts are discussing. They move the lines based on those games and ESPN sportscenter.. We used to call it the "Sports Illustrated" effect. The Las Vegas Oddsmakers know the public will bet favorites and will over value those lines. They also know the players will most likely stay away from betting underdogs.  5) The Professional Sports Handicapper He knows this is NOT a luck-based business. He knows that sports investing is a profitable business of which he takes serious. He understands that math is an ingredient in his analysis of the betting number. He will never have you on a progressive betting system chasing. His biggest strength is "money management." He will shop and have you shop for the best numbers.  6) What a great Sports Service will Not do.  A. Our service will Not tell you a game is a lock!!! B. We will Not double up to catch up. C. We will Not bet parlays. D. We will Not hit 75% winners or tell you we do. We might have a run winning 70% but that is Not a "forever percentage." 7) Professional Handicapper vs TV Football pregame panel. A. The TV hosts can name the players on the team. They know all the coaches. They know how to talk about schemes and passing routes. They know absolutely zero about sports gambling...or winning...or the negative impact they have on the viewers. They rarely have sources to follow the money.  B. The Professional Football Handicapper knows about the "Vegas Line". He knows the average person won't beat the vig, and tracks polls of gamblers, parlay tickets, counter bets at sportsbooks. He is concerned if an injury will impact the betting line or if it is used by the media for manipulation purposes. The pro is in it to win!! His entire life is his investment in his craft. The TV guys have a salary, sharp suits and plenty of bling.  MY COMMITMENT TO YOU AND ALL MY CUSTOMERS HONESTY—INTEGRITY DEDICATED and DEVOTED

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 08/16/2023

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Aug 16, 2023

The Wednesday sports card features MLB action.Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. Two MLB games start at 1:10 PM ET. New York hosts Pittsburgh, with Tylor Megill taking the ball for the Mets to pitch against Johan Oviedo for the Pirates. The Mets are a -125 money-line favorite, with the total set at 9. Minnesota plays at home against Detroit, with the Twins tapping Kenta Maeda to pitch against the Tigers' Reese Olson. The Twins are a -125 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Arizona Diamondbacks travel to Colorado to play the Rockies at 3:10 PM ET. Slade Cecconi gets the start for the Diamondbacks to face Austin Gomber for the Rockies. Arizona is a -130 money-line road favor with a total of 12.5. The Tampa Bay Rays play in San Francisco against the Giants at 3:45 PM ET. The Rays turn to Aaron Civale to go against a Giants starting pitcher yet to be named. Two MLB games start at 6:40 PM ET. Houston plays at Miami with Justin Verlander taking the mound for the Astros to battle against Jesus Luzardo for the Marlins. The Astros are a -125 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8. Cincinnati is at home against Cleveland, with the Reds turning to Andrew Abbott to pitch against the Guardians’ Noah Syndergaard. The Reds are a -112 money-line favorite with a total of 9.5. The St. Louis Cardinals host the Oakland A’s at 6:45 PM ET. Matthew Liberatore takes the hill for the Cardinals to battle against Paul Blackburn for the A’s. St. Louis is a -180 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. The Boston Red Sox is at Washington to play the Nationals at 7:05 PM ET. The Red Sox turn to James Paxton to pitch against the Nationals’ MacKenzie Gore. Boston is a -170 money-line road favorite with a total of 9. The Toronto Blue Jays play at home against the Philadelphia Phillies at 7:07 PM ET. Kevin Gausman gets the start for the Blue Jays to battle against Aaron Nola for the Phillies. Toronto is a -155 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The New York Yankees visit Atlanta to play the Braves at 7:20 PM ET. The Braves turn to Charlie Morton to face a Yankees pitcher yet to be named. Two MLB games begin at 8:05 PM ET. Texas are at home against Los Angeles, with Jon Gray getting the start for the Rangers to go against Reid Detmers for the Angels. The Rangers are a -180 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The Chicago White Sox play across town against Chicago Cubs, with the White Sox tapping Mike Clevinger to take the hill against a Cubs starting pitcher yet to be determined. The Seattle Mariners are in Kansas City to play the Royals at 8:10 PM ET. Luis Castillo gets the ball for the Mariners to battle against James McArthur for the Royals. The San Diego Padres host the Baltimore Orioles at 8:40 PM ET. The Padres turn to Blake Snell to duel against the Orioles’ Dean Kremer. San Diego is a -162 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Los Angeles Dodgers play at home against the Milwaukee Brewers at 10:10 PM ET. Clayton Kershaw gets the start for the Dodgers to face Wade Miley for the Brewers. Los Angeles is a -230 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5.

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