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2022 Pittsburgh Panthers Preview

by Matt Fargo

Saturday, Aug 06, 2022

Pittsburgh Panthers2021-22 Season Record 11-3 (7-1 ACC Coastal) - 10-4-0 ATS - 8-6-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 9Defense - 7OverviewLast year was supposed to be a special season for Pittsburgh and in some regards in was as the Panthers had their most wins since 1981, recorded their most victories ever in the ACC and won the ACC Championship. But with Heisman hopeful Kenny Pickett at quarterback, it was supposed to something really special as it was oh so close to being that as losses against Western Michigan and Miami Fla., both as big favorites, were by a combined seven points and Pittsburgh never got ranked higher than No. 13 in the AP Poll which was where it finished. Head coach Pat Narduzzi is in his eighth season and has compiled a 53-37 record with only one losing season so he is building something long term here with a highly anticipated 2022 season and while it should come in ranked in the preseason for the first time since 2010, but it will not, and that will provide some added motivation. OffenseThe offense did what it had to do with Pickett leading the way as the Panthers finished No. 5 in total offense, including No. 6 in passing, and No. 3 in scoring offense. Their worst offensive game was against Michigan St. in the Peach Bowl where Pickett elected to sit out and as far as the quarterback situation goes, Pittsburgh should be just fine. Kedon Slovis transferred in from USC and he has game as he was the Pac 12 Freshman of the Year in 2019 and was First Team All Pac 12 in 2020 and while he struggled last season, a new surrounding will help. The Panthers lost top receiver Jordan Addison but they will be fine with Jared Wayne who had 658 yards and Akron transfer Konata Mumpfield who had 751 yards on an awful team. The offensive line brings back all five starters so pass protection will be outstanding and the top three running backs which combined for 1,749 all return. DefenseBecause the offense was so prolific, the defense did not get the praise it deserved as the Panthers were No. 39 overall and No. 43 in points allowed. The disparity between the passing and rushing defense is skewed based on teams needing to pass more in playing catch up. The defensive front was a wall that allowed 100 rushing yards or fewer nine times and was all over the opposing backfield as it finished with 54 sacks which was No. 3 in the country and most of those sacks are back. This unit level will be the strength once again. The linebacking corps suffered the most with two starters lost but returning is SirVocea Dennis who led the team with 87 tackles but there could be some growing pains around him. The secondary is loaded with safeties Brandon Hill and Erick Hallett combining for 151 tackles to go along with senior corners Marquis Williams and A.J. Woods who had 61 tackles combined. 2022 Season OutlookSome will expect a drop off from last season and it is hard not to predict that coming off 11 wins but this team is absolutely stacked all over the place. The returning production is greater than last season and Slovis is not a downgrade from Pickett based on what he has already accomplished which is something Pickett never achieved. The only thing standing in the way is the schedule. Early on, there should be little trouble as five of the first six games are at home with Tennessee being a possible roadblock and the one road game is at Western Michigan in a revenge game. Then it gets tough. Four ACC road games feature teams all projected to win 6.5 or more games but the overall good news is that there is no Clemson or Wake Forest on the slate. The O/U win total is set at 8.5 and foreseeing a 7-0 home record and a win against the Broncos, all it takes is one win in those four ACC road games.  

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Who Wins This Year's NFL MVP?

by ASA, Inc.

Saturday, Aug 06, 2022

NFL Regular Season MVP Picks We made 3 wagers on this year's NFL MVP - 1 favorite, 1 mid range odds wager, and 1 longshotFavorite- Justin Herbert (+1000)We are in a special time this NFL season with so much talent at the quarterback position from both veterans and rising stars. Herbert is one of the young stars of this league, and at 24 he has been phenomenal in his first two seasons with the Chargers. With the pair of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams finally healthy, he threw for over 5k yards and 38 TDs last season. With one of the best WR duos in the league, a year three leap for Herbert will put him in elite company since he has already had flashes of true greatness similar to the level of Allen (+700) and Mahomes (+800). At 6’6 236, Los Angeles’ next great QB could even utilize his legs more to take the Chargers offense to new heights. Mid Range- Derek Carr (+2800)Reunited with his college roommate, Carr has every opportunity to improve his stats to the point of MVP consideration. The Raiders have had their ups and downs during Carr’s time at QB but overall he has been a good NFL player in his first eight seasons, mixing in 3 pro bowl selections. Adams, Renfrow, and Waller are all matchup nightmares for defenses, bringing an explosive passing game to Los Vegas for 2022. Carr will have possibly the best weapons in the NFL, giving him the chance to reach his true potential. Long Shot- Kirk Cousins (+5000)When taking a deeper dive into the stats, Cousins is the most underrated QB in the league over the past four seasons since arriving in Minnesota. In those four years he has averaged 31 TDs, 9 INTs, and a passer rating of 103.8. Last season Kirk and Aaron Rodgers were the only QBs to have 30+ TDs while having less than 10 INTs as well. Cousins had 7 picks to Rodgers 4, proving that he can take care of the ball at an elite level. The Vikings will have more of a pass heavy approach that is expected to allow Kirk to cook this season. 

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2022 Penn St. Nittany Lions Preview

by Matt Fargo

Saturday, Aug 06, 2022

Penn St. Nittany Lions2021-22 Season Record 7-6 (4-5 Big Ten East) - 7-6-0 ATS - 3-10-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 7Defense - 4OverviewPenn St. got off to a 5-0 start last season and after opening the season as preseason No. 19 in the AP Poll, it jumped up to No. 4 and then the wheels fell off. The Nittany Lions went 2-6 the rest of the way, with the wins coming against Maryland and Rutgers, including closing with a dud against Arkansas in the Outback Bowl. To their credit, four of those losses came by a combined 12 points and head coach James Franklin signed a massive contract extension in late November showing he is fully vested in turning things around after going 14-13 over their last 27 games going back to the end of the 2019 season. It is never an easy fix, especially in this conference with so many dangerous teams this upcoming season but Penn St. brings in the No. 6 recruiting class in the country so with just 11 starters back, young players will have to step up and it might take a year to get the groove back. OffensePenn St. typically revolves its offense around a strong rushing attack but last season that was non-existent as it was No. 118 in rushing offense, averaging only 106.4 ypg on 3.2 ypc and that will be the focal point to improve this season. Keyvone Lee was the leading rusher with just 495 yards but he averaged 4.8 ypc so he can bust out for a big season if the offensive line comes together and that is a big if. Only two starters are back and they will be mixing in some transfers and young players but there is depth yet it might take time to come together in finding the right rotation. Quarterback Sean Clifford is back after throwing for 3,107 yards with 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions and those solid numbers should get better as he knows this system in and out. Filling the void of receiver Jahan Dotson will be Parker Washington and KeAndre Lambert-Smith who combined for 1,341 yards. DefenseThe defense held its own which kept the Nittany Lions in the games they lost as they finished No. 35 in total defense and No. 7 in scoring defense, yielding just 16.8 ppg but there is plenty of work to be done to replicate that. The Nittany Lions were solid against both the run and the pass and the main area of concern will be up front. Their sack leader is gone and the pass rush was not great to begin with as they had only 27 sacks and their 2.1 sack per game average was tied for No. 74 in the country. They are going to rely on a pair of prized freshmen to get their feet wet early and help disrupt the backfield. The linebacking corps loses their top two tacklers that combined for 148 stops but Curtis Jacobs steps in after 61 tackles last season with depth around him. The secondary is the strength with potential All Big Ten starters at corner and safety with Joey Porter and Ji'Ayir Brown respectively. 2022 Season OutlookAfter going 42-11 from 2016-2019, it will be interesting how Penn St. handles a little bit of adversity even though it is projected to have a very good season and will likely be ranked in the preseason top 25. This is partly due to reputation and a great bunch of recruits that will see a lot of time. The schedule has its good and bad but it is in their favor for the most part as the Nittany Lions have seven home games and no back-to-back road games. Two of the first three games are on the road at Purdue and Auburn, two very early tests. They get Central Michigan and Northwestern at home and then travel to Michigan. The remainder of the Big Ten slate is encouraging with the three toughest games against Minnesota, Ohio St. and Michigan St. all at home. The O/U win total is set at 8.5 and that does seen aggressive as even though the schedule in on their side, it is littered with dangerous games. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB, CFL and EPL Previews and Odds - 08/06/2022

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Aug 06, 2022

The Saturday sports card features MLB, CFL, and EPL action.Major League Baseball has 17 games on its schedule.The Atlanta Braves visit New York to play the Mets in the opening game of their doubleheader at 1:10 PM ET. The Chicago Cubs are at home against the Miami Marlins on FS1 at 2:20 PM ET. The Cubs are a -115 money line favorite with the total set at 8 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). The Los Angeles Angels play at Seattle against the Mariners in the first game of their doubleheader at 4:10 PM ET. The Baltimore Orioles are at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 5:05 PM ET as a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Philadelphia Phillies host the Washington Nationals at 6:05 PM ET as a -250 money line favorite with a total of 9. Two more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 6:10 PM ET. Tampa Bay travels to Detroit with the Rays a -260 money line favorite against the Tigers with an over/under of 7.5. Houston plays at Cleveland with the Astros a -155 money line road favorite against the Guardians with a total of 8.5. Chicago is at Texas at 7:05 PM ET with the White Sox -115 money line road favorites against the Rangers with an over/under of 8. San Francisco is at Oakland at 7:07 PM ET with the Giants -205 money line road favorites against the A’s with a total of 7.5. Three more MLB games start at 7:10 PM ET. The Braves play against the Mets in the second game of their doubleheader. Boston visits Kansas City with the the Red Sox-135 money line road favorites against the Royals with an over/under of 9. The Minnesota Twins are at home against the Toronto Blue Jays. Two more MLB games begin at 7:15 PM ET for Fox regional coverage. Milwaukee hosts Cincinnati with the Brewers a -180 money line favorite against the Reds with a total of 7.5. St. Louis is at home against New York, with the Cardinals and Yankees priced as a -110 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Arizona is at home against Colorado at 8:10 PM ET, with the Diamondbacks a -170 money line favorite against the Rockies with a total of 8. Los Angeles hosts San Diego at 9:10 PM ET, with the Dodgers priced as a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Los Angeles Angels are at Seattle against the Mariners in the second game of their doubleheader at 10:10 PM ET.Week 9 in the Canadian Football League concludes with a doubleheader on ESPN2. The Toronto Argonauts are at Hamilton against the Tiger-Cats at 7 PM ET. The Argonauts had their two-game winning streak end with a 23-13 upset loss to Ottawa as a 4-point favorite last Sunday. The Tiger-Cats won their second game in three with a 24-17 victory against Montreal as a 3-point favorite back on July 28th. Toronto is a 2-point favorite with an over/under of 45.5. The British Columbia Lions host the Edmonton Eskimos in the nightcap on ESPN2 at 10 PM ET. The Lions are on a two-game winning streak after beating Saskatchewan on the road, 32-17, in a pick ‘em contest last Friday. The Eskimos lost for the second time in three games after a 24-10 loss to Winnipeg as a 7.5-point underdog on July 22nd. British Columbia is a 10.5-point favorite with a total of 51.5. Week 1 in the English Premier League continues with six matches. Liverpool travels to Fulham on Peacock at 7:30 AM ET. They are a -1.5 goal road favorite (all soccer odds at BetMGM) with an over/under of 3. Four more matches start at 10 AM ET on Peacock. Aston Villa plays at Bournemouth as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with a total of 2.5. Leeds United is at home against Wolverhampton in a pick ‘em match with an over/under of 2.5. Newcastle United hosts Nottingham Forest as a -1 goal line favorite with a total of 2.5. Tottenham hosts Southampton as a -1.5 goal line favorite with an over/under of 3. Chelsea visits Everton on the USA Network at 12:30 PM ET as a -1 goal line road favorite with a total of 2.5. 

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2022 Oregon St. Beavers Preview

by Matt Fargo

Friday, Aug 05, 2022

Oregon St. Beavers2021-22 Season Record 7-6 (5-4 Pac 12 North) - 7-6-0 ATS - 6-7-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 6Defense - 8OverviewOregon St. had a great run from 1999 to 2013 as in those 15 seasons, it had a winning record 11 times which included a 7-4 record in bowl games with a Fiesta Bowl win and a final ranking of No. 4 in that 1999 season. Head coaches Dennis Erickson and Mike Riley both kept the program in great shape but then it fell off, bad. Gary Andersen went 7-23 in two and a half years, Cory Hall went 0-6 as the interim coach and then Jonathan Smith came on board in 2018 and promptly went 2-10. It has been a slow ascent since then however with a 5-7 record the next season followed by a who cares COVID year and then the Beavers went 7-6 last season and the first bowl game in eight years. Smith has this team going in the right direction and this season, it has 14 starters back and a returning production ranking of No. 39 so expectations are somewhat high for the first time in a while. OffenseThe offense has remained very steady over the last few years as the Beavers have been above average and last year they finished No. 40 in total offense and No. 35 in scoring offense. There were a couple bad efforts but for the most part, they were consistent thanks to a strong running game and solid play at quarterback. Chance Nolan did not put up big numbers but he did what was asked as he completed over 64 percent of his passes for 2,677 yards with 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He should improve this season especially behind a strong offensive line that has three starters back after finishing No. 8 in the country in sacks allowed. Three of the top five targets are gone including leading receiver Trevon Bradford but there is good experience and depth. Replacing running back B.J. Baylor, who rushed for 1,337 yards, will be a challenge but there are options to work with.  DefenseIt was not a great season for the defense as the Beavers finished No. 75 overall and No. 64 in scoring but they will take it. The 388.0 ypg allowed was a 55 ypg improvement from the previous two seasons and a whopping 149 ypg better from 2018. The pieces are in place for an even better season as eight starters are back with playmakers on two levels. The defensive line is the early concern as there is experience up front but no one that has proven to be dominating. They had only 20 sacks last season which was tied for No. 109 and they desperately need to find a pass rush. Oregon St. lost its leading tackler in linebacker Avery Roberts but Omar Speights was second on the team with 87 tackles and will handle the inside with transfers on the outside. The secondary is in great shape with two solid corners along with Kitan Oladapo and Alton Julian as the safeties after combining for 103 tackles. 2022 Season OutlookThere is definitely a buzz in Corvallis this season and there should be. A 7-6 record is nothing special but steps were taken and Oregon St. just needs to figure out how to win on the road. Sure, there was a signature win at USC last season but it lost its other five roadies and is just 5-32 on the highway over the last seven seasons. Improving that will be a challenge but there are winnable games and only four conference road games. The Beavers open at home with big test against Boise St. and then travel to Fresno St. before closing nonconference play against FCS power Montana St. The winnable Pac 12 road games are at Arizona St. and Stanford with Washington a possibility. The home portion includes USC and Oregon so another undefeated home slate is unlikely.  The O/U win total is set at 6.5 and it is gettable but it will take an upset or two and it has won five of its last eight outright as dogs.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB, CFL and EPL Previews and Odds - 08/05/2022

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Aug 05, 2022

The Friday sports card features MLB, CFL, and EPL action.Major League Baseball has 14 games on its schedule. The Miami Marlins visit Chicago to play the Cubs at 2:20 PM ET. Justin Steele takes the ball for the Cubs to pitch against a starting pitcher yet to be named for the Marlins. Two more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:05 PM ET. Baltimore hosts Pittsburgh with the Orioles pitching Dean Kremer against the Pirates Mitch Keller. The Orioles are a -155 money line favorite, with the total set at 8.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Philadelphia plays at home against Washington in the opening game of the doubleheader on Apple TV. Kyle Gibson gets the start for the Phillies to pitch against Josiah Gray for the Nationals. The Phillies are a -205 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Three MLB games start at 7:10 PM  ET. New York is at home against Atlanta, with the Mets tapping Taijuan Walker to battle against the Braves’ Ian Anderson. The Mets are a -135 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Houston travels to Cleveland with Framber Valdez taking the mound for the Astros against the Guardians Hunter Gaddis, who was called up from the minors to make his Major League debut. Tampa Bay plays at Detroit, with the Rays turning to Corey Kluber to duel against the Tigers’ Bryan Garcia. The Rays are a -200 money line road favorite at BetMGM with an over/under of 8.5. The Chicago White Sox is at Texas to play the Rangers at 8:05 PM ET. Dylan Cease takes the hill for the White Sox to pitch against Glenn Otto for the Rangers. Chicago is a -175 money line road favorite with a total of 8.Three MLB games begin at 8:10 PM ET. Boston visits Kansas City with the Red Sox pitching Josh Winckowski against the Royals’ Zack Greinke. Both teams are priced at -110 with an over/under of 9. Toronto plays at Minnesota, with Jose Berrios getting the start for the Blue Jays against Tyler Mahle, making his first start for the Twins after being acquired from Cincinnati. The Blue Jays are a -125 money line favorite at BetMGM with a total of 8.5. Milwaukee hosts Cincinnati in the nightcap on Apple TV, with Eric Lauer taking the mound for the Brewers to pitch against Robert Dugger for the Reds. Milwaukee is a -225 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. The New York Yankees travel to St. Louis to play the Cardinals at 8:15 PM ET. The Yankees turn to Nestor Cortes in their starting rotation to pitch against Dakota Hudson for the Cardinals. New York is a -145 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The Arizona Diamondbacks host the Colorado Rockies at 9:40 PM ET. Madison Bumgarner takes the mound for the Diamondbacks to pitch against German Marquez for the Rockies. Arizona is a -130 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two more games conclude the MLB card at 10:10 PM ET. Los Angeles plays at home against San Diego, with the Dodgers turning to Tony Gonsolin to pitch against the Padres’ Sean Manaea. The Dodgers are a -155 m money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Seattle is at home against Los Angeles, with Robbie Ray taking the ball for the Mariners to pitch against Patrick Sandoval for the Angels. The Mariners are a -195 money line favorite with an over/under of 7. Week 9 in the Canadian Football League continues with the Calgary Stampeders playing at Ottawa against the Redblacks at 7:30 PM ET. The Stampeders are on a two-game losing streak after getting upset at home to Winnipeg, 35-28, as a 2.5-point favorite on Saturday. The Redblacks ended a six-game losing streak to begin the year by upsetting Toronto on the road, 23-13, as a 4-point underdog on Sunday. Calgary is a 4.5-point road favorite with a total of 50.The English Premier League season begins with Arsenal playing at Crystal Palace on the USA Network at 3 PM ET. The Gunners are a -0.5 goal line road favorite at BetMGM with an over/under of 2.5. 

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2022 Oregon Ducks Preview

by Matt Fargo

Thursday, Aug 04, 2022

Oregon Ducks2021-22 Season Record 10-4 (7-2 Pac 12 North) - 5-9-0 ATS - 7-7-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 8Defense - 7OverviewOregon has been really good for a really long time but is still after that elusive National Championship. Mike Bellotti took over the program in 1995 and put together 13 winning seasons in his 14 years as head coach and got them to as high as No. 2 at the end of the 2001 season. Chip Kelly took over and went 46-7 in his four seasons including a loss in the BCS Championship in 2010 and he gave way to Mark Helfrich who did not miss a beat in his first two years, including another championship loss but he was gone two years later. The Ducks have taken a small step back since then and after Mario Cristobal left for Miami this season, Dan Lanning takes over after three strong years as the Georgia defensive coordinator and inherits a great situation with 15 returning starters in what looks to be another Pac 12 up for grabs. It is theirs to lose with Utah as top to bottom, the Ducks are the best of the bunch. OffenseThe offense has kind of been stuck in neutral over the last few years and last season, the Ducks were No. 54 in total offense and No. 45 in scoring offense. They had a great running game but were unable to get the ball downfield on a consistent basis as Anthony Brown threw for 2,989 yards with 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions, certainly good but not outstanding. He has moved on and in comes Bo Nix from Auburn, one of the big transfers in the offseason to get a spark going in the offense. He had his moments with the Tigers but was inconsistent at times and a change should do him good. The top receiver from last season is gone but solid transfers will surround him and his running ability helps. The offensive line is the best in the conference and will give him great protection as well as establishing new top running back Byron Cardwell who ran for just 417 yards but at a 6.8 ypc clip. DefenseThis is where it can become really exciting for Oregon as its defenses never stole the show but this one has the potential to do so. The Ducks were No. 56 in total defense and No. 60 in scoring defense and with Lanning taking over, this is the unit that will have a huge upside. Add in defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi who spent a lot of time at Alabama and coming off three years in the NFL and we might have something special in store. His strength is with linebackers and he has them here as Noah Sewell has accumulated 162 tackles the last two seasons and will be joined by Justin Flowe who has massive potential after playing just one game last season. The defensive line has to replace Kayvon Thibodeaux but it is experienced and both big and quick to cause disruptions. The secondary is the weakness of the defense as they are young and inexperienced inside so safety help has to emerge. 2022 Season OutlookOregon has been ranked in the preseason in 13 of the last 14 years with six of those claiming a top ten spot and they will be on the cusp of that this season. It was another top 15 recruiting class, the fifth in a row and for a program that has so many advantages outside the football field, Oregon can flourish for a long time and Lanning can direct that with his new-school viewpoints. While the Pac 12 as a whole is going through future changes, Oregon has been and will be as steady as they come. The test starts right away with Georgia in Atlanta and Lanning against his former employer. The other roadblocks are all at home with BYU and UCLA and then they face Utah at home in the second to last game of the season which should be a preview of the Pac 12 Championship. The O/U win total is set at 8.5 and if the Ducks take care of business at home, it should be another double-digit win season. 

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2022 Old Dominion Monarchs Preview

by Matt Fargo

Thursday, Aug 04, 2022

Old Dominion Monarchs2021-22 Season Record 6-7 (5-3 C-USA East) - 9-4-0 ATS - 5-8-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 10Defense - 7OverviewAfter going 1-11 in 2019, the lone win coming against Norfolk St. of the FCS by three points, Old Dominion scrapped the entire 2020 season because of the COVID pandemic and not much was expected with just 10 starters returning last season. The Monarchs started 1-6, another FCS victim, but they ran off five straight wins to become bowl eligible and while they did not put up much of a fight against Tulsa in the Myrtle Beach Bowl, it was a huge confidence boost for the program. Since entering the FBS, Old Dominion has gone 37-49, all in C-USA and now it makes the jump to the Sun Belt Conference for another fresh start. That 1-11 season cost head coach Bobby Wilder his job and Ricky Rahne took over and finally got to coach a game last season. There is experience in place with 17 starters back and a returning production ranking of No. 30 so the momentum can continue. OffenseThe offense was not great as it was extremely young but it did just enough down the stretch to win a bunch of games when needed. The Monarchs were No. 80 in total offense and No. 68 in scoring offense and that experience and momentum down the stretch should have them ready to make a leap. Quarterback time was split between Hayden Wolff and D.J. Mack, Jr. with Wolff being the main guy and better passer and Mack adding the running option to the offense. That stretch run solidified Wolff as the starter this season and he has two great weapons in wide receiver Ali Jennings III who had 1,066 yards and tight end Zack Kuntz who had 692 yards, both scoring five touchdowns. The running game is potent with Blake Watson after rushing for 1,112 yards and eight scores. They will be protected by an offensive line with four starters back that looks to cut down on sacks. DefenseThe defense was also pretty average but it too came together down the stretch as they allowed 22.2 ppg during that five-game winning streak and overall, the Monarchs finished No. 61 in total defense and No. 80 in scoring defense. There is not a lot of star power but experience pays off and there is a decent amount of that. The defensive line was stout against the run as it finished No. 26 in rushing defense and three starters are back including both inside guys. Losing the No. 1 tackler is never a good thing for a young team as linebacker Jordan Young had 93 stops and signed on with Tampa Bay but all is not lost as Ryan Henry and Jason Henderson are both back after combining for 153 tackles last season. The secondary was lit up pretty bad but again, a year of experience will prove vital as cornerback Tre Hawkins III led the team with 56 solo tackles and the safeties are solid. 2022 Season OutlookExpectations are not high for Old Dominion nor should they be as a 2-17 two and a half year stumble was bailed out by a 5-1 run to close last season and while that push is big, it can only go so far. This is still a young team with learning to do and starting over in a new conference can be a challenge. Rahne did a great job during that 2020 offseason as he brought in talent where it was needed to build a foundation for the present and future. However, the schedule does not set up well for the former as they open with Virginia Tech at home then travel to East Carolina and Virginia. They host their first SBC game against Arkansas St. before Liberty. The three toughest conference games against Coastal Carolina, Georgia St. and Appalachian St. are all on the road. The O/U Win total is set at 4.5 and that is going to be a challenge to get to with such a brutal schedule in the way. 

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2022 Oklahoma St. Cowboys Preview

by Matt Fargo

Thursday, Aug 04, 2022

Oklahoma St. Cowboys2021-22 Season Record 12-2 (8-1 Big 12) - 10-3-1 ATS - 5-8-1 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 7Defense - 4OverviewOklahoma St. is coming off its best season since 2011 when it went 12-1 and finished No. 3 in the AP Poll as the Cowboys were 12-2 in 2021, the two losses by a combined eight points, and closed the season No. 7 in the rankings. It could have been a really special season as those two defeats could have gone the other way with chances late in both, but the Cowboys have to move on in what should be another solid season but there is work to do. Head coach Mike Gundy has been as consistent as they come as in his 17 years at Oklahoma St., he has put together 16 consecutive winning seasons after a 4-7 first year and has led the Cowboys to an 11-5 bowl record. They got the job done last year with just 13 returning starters and have only 11 coming back this season and the returning production ranking is a rough No. 118 but a cupcake nonconference schedule can get them out fast. OffenseThe offense has regressed in a big way since finishing No. 14 in the country in total offense in 2018 as the Cowboys have ranked No. 17, No. 40 and No. 66 the last three seasons. They scored fewer than 30 points eight times and the hope is quarterback Spencer Sanders can finally come into his own. He was named First Team Big 12 last season despite completing 62 percent of his passes and throwing 12 interceptions and he needs to be more consistent. The receiving corps is loaded despite losing Tay Martin who hauled in 80 passes for 1,046 yards and 10 touchdowns as seven players return that had at least 100 yards receiving including four with over 200. The Cowboys will also have to move on without leading rusher Jaylen Warren who will be replaced by Dominic Richardson who had just 373 yards. The offensive line will be fine with three starters back that was excellent in pass protection. DefenseThe offense did not have to be great because the defense was as Oklahoma St. finished No. 3 overall and No. 8 in points allowed but there is a ton of turnover heading into 2022. The Cowboys led the nation in sacks with 57 as they got to the opposing quarterback over four times per game but all is not lost as the defensive front will be the strength of the unit. Defensive end Collin Oliver is back after leading the team with 10.5 sacks and he will be joined by Brock Martin and Tyler Lacy who combined for 12.5 sacks. After that, it starts to get a little dicey. Linebacker and leading tackler Malcolm Rodriguez was drafted by the Lions and while there is some depth, someone has to step up in the middle. Another big loss is safety Tanner McCalister but Jason Taylor II can step in as the leader of the secondary that can have success again as long as the Cowboys can sustain that pass rush. 2022 Season OutlookThe defense carried the Cowboys last season and despite two great efforts against Iowa St. and Baylor in losing efforts where they allowed 22.5 ppg and 308.0 ypg, the offense could not pick up the slack as it managed only 37 points total. This season it will be up to the offense to carry the load at least early on until defensive coordinator Derek Mason gets his system and players in place. In what may be considered a down year in the conference, Oklahoma St. has the pieces to make a run. A 3-0 start helps as the Big 12 opener is a big one at Baylor and that could be a make or break game. The remainder of the schedule favors the Cowboys as the majority of the tough games are at home with the exception of a road game at Oklahoma in late November. The O/U win total is set at 8.5 and that seems just about right as an early look sees eight likely wins with the three big ones being the difference. 

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2022 Oklahoma Sooners Preview

by Matt Fargo

Thursday, Aug 04, 2022

Oklahoma Sooners2021-22 Season Record 11-2 (7-2 Big 12) - 6-6-1 ATS - 8-5-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 5Defense - 5OverviewIf there was a season for former head coach Lincoln Riley to jump ship, this is probably the one. It was a very good recruiting year but a lot of unknowns were probably factored into the decision such as returning production into 2022 was low with a ranking of No. 71, just 10 starters were returning and a future move to the SEC. Riley sustained what Bob Stoops put together at the turn of the century and that was a winning culture as he went 55-10 in five seasons, finished ranked in the top ten each year and extended the bowl run to 23 consecutive seasons. Brent Venables has finally gotten his chance after spending the last 10 years as the Clemson defensive coordinator including the last four as assistant head coach and he is walking into a very good, but not ideal situation as there is work to be done as the Sooners will be ranked outside the top ten for the first time since 2015. OffenseThe Sooners were pretty well balanced on offense last season but it has been a regression in each of the last four years and it bottomed out last season with 442.1 ypg which is still very good but that was No. 31 in the nation, well below previous seasons. Both Caleb Williams and Spencer Rattler transferred out leaving a big hole at quarterback that will be taken over by Dillon Gabriel who comes over from Central Florida. He will be learning a whole new system under a brand new staff but has Marvin Mims who had 705 yards last season and Theo Wease who had 530 yards in 2020 at his disposal. Leading rusher Kennedy Brooks ran for 1,253 yards and 13 touchdowns but he has departed and his backup Eric Gray will take over as lead back. The offensive success will have a lot to do with the offensive line that underachieved last season and is basically being retooled throughout. DefenseThe defense regressed slightly from 2020 and the Sooners finished No. 70 in total defense and No. 57 in scoring defense but that should change this season. How much change will depend on a slew of transfers that are coming in to work with just five returning starters. Venables certainly knows defense as does new defensive coordinator Ted Roof but this is his sixth different school in six years and was a defensive assistant under Venables last season. Jalen Redmond and Reggie Grimes bring experience up front as they combined for 5.5 sacks last season but the pass rush needs to make more plays. The linebacking corps took a big hit with leading tackler Brian Asamoah off to the Vikings and sack leader Nik Bonitto off to the Broncos and this unit will be a work in progress. The secondary will also feature plenty of new faces with safety Key Lawrence being the lone notable holdover. 2022 Season OutlookIt will be a different look for the Sooners this season but the offense will continue to push the ball under new offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby who led prolific offenses at UCF and Mississippi. The defense could be the deciding factor overall. The Big 12 is wide open this season with the Sooners a slight favorite, closely followed by Texas, Oklahoma St. and Baylor and the schedule is in their favor. Home games against UTEP and Kent St. open the season and then they have a tricky game at formal rival Nebraska before conference play kicks off. There are always hurdles in conference road games but there are no killers on the schedule, Iowa St. being the toughest, and the Sooners get Oklahoma St. and Baylor at home and Texas on a neutral field at the Cotton Bowl. The O/U win total is set at 9.5 which is high for so much turnover at all areas but a tame schedule makes up for that. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFLX, MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 08/04/2022

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Aug 04, 2022

The Thursday sports card features NFLX, MLB, and CFL action.The 2022 NFL preseason kicks off with the Hall of Fame Game at Canton, Ohio. The Las Vegas Raiders play against the Jacksonville Jaguars on NBC at 8 PM ET. The Raiders are a 2.5-point favorite with the total set at 30 (all odds from DraftKings). Major League Baseball has 13 games on its schedule. The Milwaukee Brewers visit Pittsburgh to play the Pirates at 12:35 PM ET. Brandon Woodruff takes the ball for the Brewers to pitch against the Pirates Zach Thompson. Milwaukee is a -245 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. The Chicago Cubs play at St. Louis against the Cardinals in the first game of their doubleheader after their Wednesday night game got postponed by rain. The Cubs tap Marcus Stroman as their starting pitcher to go against the Cardinals Miles Mikolas. The Los Angeles Dodgers travel to San Francisco to play the Giants at 3:45 PM ET. Clayton Kershaw takes the mound for the Dodgers to duel against Jakob Junis for the Giants. Los Angeles is a -200 money line road favorite with a total of 8. The Los Angeles Angels host the Oakland A’s at 4:07 PM ET. The Angels tap Janson Junk in their starting rotation to pitch against the A’s Paul Blackburn. Los Angeles is a -120 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The San Diego Padres are at home against the Colorado Rockies at 4:10 PM ET. Joe Musgrove takes the hill for the Padres to battle against Kyle Freeland for the Rockies. San Diego is a -295 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. The Philadelphia Phillies play at home against the Washington Nationals at 7:05 PM ET. The Phillies pitch the newly acquired Noah Syndergaard against the Nationals’ Paolo Espino. Philadelphia is a -240 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Three more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:10 PM ET. Houston plays at Cleveland with Justin Verlander pitching for the Astros against Zach Plesac for the Guardians. The Astros are a -195 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. New York hosts Atlanta with the Mets tapping Carlos Carrasco to face the Braves Kyle Wright. The Mets are a -120 money line favorite with a total of 8. Tampa Bay visits Detroit on FS1 with Jeffrey Springs pitching for the Rays against Drew Hutchison for the Tigers. The Rays are a -175 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. The Toronto Blue Jays travel to Minnesota to play the Twins at 7:40 PM ET. The Blue Jays turn to Alek Manoah to pitch against the Twins’ Sonny Gray. Toronto is a -125 money line road favorite with a total of 8. The Cardinals pitch Jose Quintana against a starting pitcher yet to be determined for the Cubs in the second game of their doubleheader at 7:45 PM ET. St. Louis is a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Chicago White Sox play at Texas against the Rangers at 8:05 PM ET. Johnny Cueto takes the mound for the White Sox to pitch against Cole Ragans for the Rangers. Chicago is a -130 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Boston is at Kansas City at 8:10 PM ET. The Red Sox send Nick Pivetta to the hill to pitch against the Royals’ Kris Bubic. Boston is a -125 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9.Week 9 in the Canadian Football League begins with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers playing at Montreal against the Alouettes at 7:30 PM ET. The Blue Bombers continued their unbeaten start to the season by improving their record to 8-0, with their 35-28 upset victory at Calgary as a 2.5-point underdog on Saturday. The Alouettes lost for the third time in four games with a 24-17 loss at Hamilton as a 3-point underdog last Thursday. Winnipeg is a 5.5-point road favorite with a total of 47.5. 

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2022 Ohio St. Buckeyes Preview

by Matt Fargo

Wednesday, Aug 03, 2022

Ohio St. Buckeyes2021-22 Season Record 11-2 (8-1 Big Ten East) - 6-6-1 ATS - 8-5-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 6Defense - 8OverviewYou know your program is in damn good shape when your returning starters over the last four seasons are 11, 13, 9 and 11 and you still lose only five games. How good can Ohio St. be this season with 14 players coming back including their quarterback? Not counting the COVID season, the Buckeyes have had double-digit win seasons in 15 of the last 16 campaigns, sorry Luke Fickell, yet they have just the one National Championship in 2014 and they have been the bridesmaid two other times. The accolades can go on forever but that gets boring. Head coach Ryan Day has not missed a beat since Urban Meyer departed as he has compiled a 34-4 record in three and a quarter seasons and this is his best team yet. Finishing in the top six every year in his time here is impressive yet that has been commonplace for eight straight seasons but now it is time to take home the big one. OffenseThe Buckeyes could not be stopped last season as they were held to fewer than 500 total yards only four times and finished No. 1 in the country in both total offense and scoring offense and despite just six starters back, they will be just as good. Quarterback C.J. Stroud threw for 4,435 yards with 44 touchdowns and just six interceptions and still did not win the Heisman but anything close to that and he will likely get the "sympathy" vote this season. He has the best receiver in college football to throw to in Jaxon Smith-Njigba who hauled in 95 passes for 1,606 yards and had the greatest Rose Bowl ever. If that is not enough, running back Treveyon Henderson returns after rushing for 1,248 yards and 15 touchdowns at a 6.8 ypc clip. The offensive line has future NFL players all around so let us pencil in Ohio St. to have the top ranked offense in the nation once again. DefenseFinishing No. 52 in total defense would be a disaster for most teams striving for a National Championship but the Buckeyes were so good on offense, the defense got penalized for it. They were stout against the run and while the passing defense was ranked No. 98, it was for good reason as the opposition had no choice but to pass. To put it in a little better perspective, they were No. 50 in passing efficiency defense, being a bend but do not break unit. And they are loaded once again with eight starters back consisting of plenty of NFL talent. The big loss up front is defensive tackle Haskell Garrett who led the team in sacks but there is no drop off and this unit is deep. Both linebackers return as Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers combined for 111 tackles. The secondary is anchored by safety Ronnie Hickman who led the team with 98 tackles and both starting corners also return. 2022 Season OutlookIt is hard to fault a team that has been so consistently impressive but come on Ohio St., go play a nonconference game on the road which it has not done since 2015. Top to bottom on both sides, this is probably the most talented team in the country and there is just one goal and that is to bring home a National Championship. Well, there are actually two goals, the other being to rough up Michigan at home in the season finale. First things first, at least the Buckeyes scheduled a power team at home as they open with Notre Dame, the first of five straight home games that includes a tough one against Wisconsin. The two difficult road games are at Michigan St. and Penn St. with a home game against Iowa in-between so that is a tough stretch. The O/U win total is set at 10.5 but at 2-1 odds and it is over or nothing here and while a freak upset could happen, it just does not seen likely. 

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