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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, NCAAB and EPL Previews and Odds - 02/18/2024

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Feb 18, 2024

The Sunday sports card features NBA, NHL, NCAAB, and EPL action. The National Basketball Association plays its All-Star Game at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, on TNT, TBS, and truTV at 8 p.m. ET. The West All-Stars are a 2.5-point favorite, with the total set at 364 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). The All-Star Game break lasts until Thursday, February 22nd.The National Hockey League has three games on its slate. The New York Rangers travel across town to play the New York Islanders on ABC at 3:07 p.m. ET. The Rangers are on a six-game winning streak after their 7-4 victory against Montreal on Friday. The Islanders have lost two games in a row after a 2-1 setback at home against Seattle on Tuesday. The Rangers are a -148 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5.Two NHL games drop the puck at 6:07 p.m. ET. The Colorado Avalanche host the Arizona Coyotes as a -265 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Pittsburgh Penguins play at home against the Los Angeles Kings as a -125 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.The college basketball schedule has 13 games on national television. Three NCAAB games on national television tip off at noon ET. Florida Atlantic plays at South Florida on ESPN as a 5.5-point road favorite with a total of 147.5. Charlotte is at home against Wichita State on ESPN2 as a 6.5-point favorite with an over/under of 136.5. Loyola-Chicago is at Rhode Island on the CBS Sports Network as a 4-point road favorite with a total of 147.5. Purdue visits Ohio State on CBS at 1 p.m. ET as an 8.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 145.5. Two NCAAB games on national television start at 2 p.m. ET. Bradley plays at Northern Iowa on ESPN2 as a 2-point road favorite with a total of 140.5. Furman hosts Chattanooga on the CBS Sports Network as a 2-point favorite with an over/under of 154.5. Indiana plays at home against Northwestern on FS1 at 3 p.m. ET as a 2-point favorite with a total of 138. SMU is at home against Memphis on ESPN at 4 p.m. ET as a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 155. St. John’s hosts Seton Hall on FS1 at 5 p.m. ET as a 6-point favorite with a total of 145.5. UCLA plays at home against Utah on FS1 at 7 p.m. ET as a 2-point favorite with an over/under of 135. Matchweek 25 in the English Premier League continues with two matches on the USA Network. Brighton and Hove Albion play at Sheffield United at 9:00 a.m. ET. The Seagulls lost for the second time in their last three games in a 2-1 loss at Tottenham in the EPL last Saturday. The Blades ended a six-game winless streak in the EPL with a 3-1 victory at Luton Town on Saturday. Brighton and Hove Albion are a -1 goal-line road favorite with a total of 3 (all soccer odds from BetMGM). Manchester United is at Luton Town at 11:30 a.m. ET. The Red Devils are on a three-game winning streak in the EPL after their 2-1 win at Aston Villa last Sunday. The Hatters come off their 3-1 loss at Sheffield United in their most recent EPL match. Manchester United is a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 3. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NHL, NCAAB, and EPL Previews and Odds - 02/17/2024

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Feb 17, 2024

The Saturday sports card features NHL, NCAAB, and EPL action. The National Basketball Association begins its All-Star Game break that lasts until Thursday, February 22nd. The National Hockey League has 13 games on its slate. The Boston Bruins host the Los Angeles Kings on ABC at 12:37 p.m. ET as a -155 money-line favorite, with the total set at 5.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Two more NHL games drop the puck at 3:07 p.m. ET. The Dallas Stars play at home against the Edmonton Oilers on ABC as a -115 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Ottawa Senators travel to Chicago to play the Blackhawks as a -185 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The Calgary Flames are at home against the Detroit Red Wings as a -125 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5.Three NHL games start at 5:07 p.m. ET. The Minnesota Wild host the Buffalo Sabres as a -148 money-line favorite with a total of 6. The St. Louis Blues play at home against the Nashville Predators as a -115 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6. The Florida Panthers play in Tampa Bay against the Lightning as a -130 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. Two more NHL games begin at 7:07 p.m. ET. The Washington Capitals are in Montreal to play the Canadiens as a -120 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6. The Toronto Maple Leafs are at home against the Anaheim Ducks as a -325 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5.The New Jersey Devils host the Philadelphia Flyers on ABC at 8:07 p.m. ET as a -148 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6. The Vancouver Canucks play at home against the Winnipeg Jets at 10:07 p.m. ET as a -130 money-line favorite with a total of 6. Two more games complete the NHL card at 10:37 p.m. ET. The Columbus Blue Jackets visit San Jose to play the Sharks at 10:37 p.m. ET as a -135 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Vegas Golden Knights are at home against the Carolina Hurricanes as a -125 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5.The college basketball schedule has 13 games on major national television. Two NCAAB games on major national television tip-off at noon ET. Alabama hosts Texas A&M on ESPN as an 8.5-point favorite with an over/under of 159.5. Virginia plays at home against Wake Forest on ESPN2 as a 3-point favorite with a total of 130.5. Creighton plays at Butler on Fox as a 2.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 151.5. Houston is at home against Texas on CBS at 1 p.m. ET as a 10-point favorite with a total of 130.5. Duke is at Florida State on ESPN at 2 p.m. ET as a 1.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 152. Connecticut hosts Marquette on Fox at 3 p.m. ET as a 6.5-point favorite with a total of 147.5. Kansas travels to Oklahoma on ESPN at 4 p.m. ET as a 2-point road favorite with an over/under of 142. Illinois plays at Maryland on Fox at 5:30 p.m. ET as a 2-point road favorite with a total of 139.5. Two NCAAB games on major national television start at 6 p.m. ET. Baylor is at West Virginia on ESPN2 as a 7.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 147. Auburn plays at home against Kentucky on ESPN as an 8.5-point favorite with a total of 164.5. Two more NCAAB games on major national television begin at 8 p.m. ET. Michigan State visits Michigan on Fox as a 6.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 144. Yale plays at Princeton on ESPN2. Colorado is at USC on ESPN at 10 p.m. ET as a 1.5-point road favorite with a total of 149.5. Matchweek 25 in the English Premier League begins with seven matches. Liverpool is at Brentford on the USA Network at 7:30 a.m. ET as a -1 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 3 (all soccer odds from BetMGM). Six more EPL matches start at 10 a.m. ET. Arsenal travels to Burnley on the USA Network as a -1.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 3. Aston Villa plays at Fulham in a pick ‘em match with an over/under of 3. Newcastle United is at home against Bournemouth as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 3. West Ham United is at Nottingham Forest in a pick ‘em match with an over/under of 2.5. Tottenham hosts Wolverhampton as a -1 goal-line favorite with a total of 3.5. Manchester City plays at home against Chelsea on NBC at 12:30 p.m. ET as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NHL and NCAAB Previews and Odds - 02/16/2024

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Feb 16, 2024

The Friday sports card features NHL and NCAAB action. The National Basketball Association begins its All-Star Game break that lasts until Thursday, February 22nd.  The National Hockey League has one game on its slate. The Carolina Hurricanes travel to Arizona to play the Coyotes at 9:07 p.m. ET as a -205 money-line road favorite, with the total set at 6 (all odds from DraftKings). The college basketball schedule has 15 games between Division I opponents. Cornell hosts Harvard at 6 p.m. ET as an 8.5-point favorite with an over/under of 156. Twelve NCAAB games tip off at 7 p.m. ET. Villanova plays at Georgetown on the CBS Sports Network. The Wildcats won for the second time in their last three games with their 80-54 victory against Seton Hall as a 7-point favorite on Sunday. The Hoyas are on a nine-game losing streak after their 94-72 loss at Creighton as a 19-point underdog on Tuesday. Villanova is a 10-point road favorite with a total of 139.5. Saint Peter’s plays at home against Siena as a 9.5-point favorite with an over/under of 124.5. Mount St. Mary’s is at Rider as a 1-point road favorite with a total of 146. Fairfield hosts Niagara as a 6-point favorite with an over/under of 146.5. Marist is at home against Canisius as a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 133. Iona plays at home against Manhattan on ESPNU. The Gaels were on a four-game winning streak before a 73-69 upset loss at Canisius as a 6-point favorite on Saturday. The Jaspers are on a four-game losing streak after a 68-63 upset loss at home against Siena as a 4.5-point favorite on Saturday. Iona is a 13-point favorite with an over/under of 146.Virginia Commonwealth visits Saint Louis on ESPN2. The Rams are on a three-game winning streak with eight victories in their last nine games after a 49-47 upset win at home against Dayton as a 2-point underdog last Friday. The Billikens lost for the seventh time in their last eight games after their 87-86 loss at St. Joseph’s as a 10-point underdog on Saturday. VCU is a 5-point road favorite with a total of 135.5. Columbia is at home against Dartmouth as a 9.5-point favorite with an over/under of 135.5. Yale plays at Pennsylvania as a 6.5-point road favorite with a total of 138. Princeton hosts Brown as a 12.5-point favorite with a total of 141.  Queens University plays at home against Jacksonville as a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under of 151. Kennesaw State is at home against North Florida as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 164. Toledo hosts Ohio on ESPNU at 9 p.m. ET. The Rockets lost for the second time in their last three games in a 109-104 loss at Appalachian State as a 6.5-point underdog on Saturday. The Bobcats were on a four-game winning streak before their 100-87 loss at Arkansas State as a 2.5-point favorite on Saturday. Toledo is a 6-point favorite with an over/under of 160. San Diego State plays at home against New Mexico on FS1 at 10 p.m. ET. The Aztecs won for the third time in their last four games with their 71-55 victory against Colorado State as a 6.5-point favorite on Tuesday. The Lobos won for the second time in their last three games with their 83-82 upset victory at Nevada as a 1.5-point underdog on Tuesday. San Diego State is a 6.5-point favorite with a total of 152.5.

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MLS Eastern Conference Futures (2024 Season)

by Amedeus Mastrangelo

Thursday, Feb 15, 2024

The MLS is BACK for 2024 with the start of the season kicking off between Inter Miami and Real Salt Lake City on Wednesday, February 21, and the rest of the league kicking off matchday 1 between the following Saturday and Sunday. Columbus Crew are the defending champions of the MLS Cup from last season, but there is still an entire regular season to be played this year before playoffs are anywhere near so it is time to see who has the best chance of taking home the number 1 seed in the Eastern Conference this season.  Eastern Conference League Winner Inter Miami CF +137: Inter Miami is coming into the 2024 season as the team with the best chance at winning the Eastern Conference this year, according to the oddsmakers. Inter Miami finished last season with 34 points from a 9-7-18 record which landed them in 14th place of the Eastern Conference and 27th place overall in the MLS. Despite the poor performance in the regular season, last year was huge for Inter Miami as a club since they acquired Lionel Messi midway through the season and he began transforming this team on the pitch. By the time Messi had gotten to the team, they were already one of the worst clubs in the MLS so they were unable to really make a push for the playoffs and do damage there, but they showed their talent as they did go on to win the Leagues Cup and even made a very deep run in the US Open Cup. Lionel Messi was not the only player they acquired though as the club went out to sign a few other players that Messi is familiar playing with, and now they have also added Luis Suarez to the team who has a very long history playing with Messi at an elite level in Europe. This Inter Miami team is only going to get stronger this season now that they have had a few months playing with Messi last season and now he will be with the team from the beginning of the season as well so they have the opportunity to dominate the league this year. Inter Miami is going to be the best team in the Eastern Conference this season and will also be one of the best teams in the MLS during the regular season so all the value is with them to win the Eastern Conference this season.  Columbus Crew +600: Columbus is coming into the 2024 season as the next team on the list with the best chance at winning the Eastern Conference this year, according to the oddsmakers. Columbus finished last season with 57 points from a 16-9-9 record which landed them in 3rd place of the Eastern Conference and 3rd place overall in the MLS. Columbus was not able to stay in the Eastern Conference race with Cincinnati running away with it for most of the season, but Columbus did their damage in the playoffs as they are the defending MLS Cup champions. One thing that helped Columbus a lot last season was that they had the strongest attack in the Eastern Conference, scoring 67 goals in their 34 matches of the regular season. They also made a lot of good moves in the summer transfer window by bringing in 2 center-backs to stabilize their defense and the addition of Diego Rossi to their attack was a good move as well. Columbus has lost some depth from last season, but overall, they are returning a lot of players from this starting lineup last year and they are going to be a dangerous team in the MLS once again. They are not the best choice to win the Eastern Conference this season but they do have some value as a potential dark horse if they can keep up with Miami in this Eastern Conference Title race and they have the best chance to beat out Miami. FC Cincinnati +700: Cincinnati is coming into the 2024 season as the next team on the list with the best chance at winning the Eastern Conference this year, according to the oddsmakers. Cincinnati finished last season with 69 points from a 20-9-5 record which landed them in 1st place of the Eastern Conference and 1st place overall in the MLS. Cincinnati was a well balanced team last season between their defense and attack, but that is not going to be the case this season. They were able to retain a lot of their attacking players but they did lose some key pieces in the midfield and on defense as well. They were a very active team in the winter transfer window as they brought in some replacements for those players lost, but they are still going to need some time at the beginning of the season to get into rhythm with their newly acquired players, especially since they lost key pieces in the starting XI. Yerson Mosquera was not only a key piece in this defense, but he was also one of the best defenders on Cincinnati last season so that is going to be a huge loss which could set them back in the Eastern Conference Title race. They also lost some key starters in the midfield and on the attack with Junior Moreno and Brandon Vasquez leaving the club so they are going to struggle in their transition trying to create scoring chances. Cincinnati has been building a very good team over the last few years now and they are still going to be a threat in the MLS this season, but they are definitely going to take a step back this year from their dominance last season and a slower start could affect their ability to stay in the Eastern Conference race. There is not a lot of value in Cincinnati to win the Eastern Conference this season at this price.  Philadelphia Union +800: Philadelphia is coming into the 2024 season as the next team on the list with the best chance at winning the Eastern Conference this year, according to the oddsmakers. Philadelphia finished last season with 55 points from a 15-10-9 record which landed them in 4th place of the Eastern Conference and 5th place overall in the MLS. They have been a very active team in the winter transfer window as they have added a lot of depth on defense and in their midfield, but they are also returning their entire starting XI from last season as well. Philadelphia has been a dominant team in the MLS over the last few years now and they even won the Eastern Conference back in 2022 as they were tied for the best record in the MLS with LA FC. Philadelphia still has a very good team with a lot of talent and they continue to add more depth which will be important, but they have not been the same dominant team they were 2 years ago and a lot of that has to do with their defense. They had the best defense in the MLS in the 2022 season, allowing just 26 goals in their 34 regular season matches, but that drastically changed last season as they allowed 41 goals in their 34 regular season matches, allowing 15 goals more than the previous year. The squad has not changed much at key positions since then either so a lot of that has just been aging and fatigue in the squad. Philadelphia is still going to have a very good team in the Eastern Conference this season but until they make some real changes at key positions that is going to improve performance in that area of the field, this team will be no different than they were last season as they continue to gradually decline. Philadelphia also has the playoff pedigree as well so winning the Eastern Conference is not as big of a deal to them if they fall behind more later in the season as long as they get into the playoffs. Philadelphia does not have a lot of value at this price to win the Eastern Conference with their current squad.  RecommendationThe MLS has been improving a lot and there are many teams this season that can be a threat to the MLS Cup with the playoff system used in the league. The regular season is a completely different animal though that highlights the consistency and the elite talent of certain teams that can keep up that kind of performance for an entire season. Any team can get hot for a few weeks once in the playoffs, but it takes a truly talented team from top to bottom to win the respective conferences in the MLS regular season. Columbus at +600 does have some value as a dark horse here considering that they are the MLS Cup defending champions and were so strong during the regular season last year as well, but this race for the Eastern Conference this season has had it’s fate sealed ever since Messi came into the league last year and with the way the team has transformed around him, the era of Inter Miami and Lionel Messi dominance in the MLS has arrived. Inter Miami at +137 to win the Eastern Conference regular season is the best option here.

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MLS Western Conference Futures (2024 Season)

by Amedeus Mastrangelo

Thursday, Feb 15, 2024

The MLS is BACK for 2024 with the start of the season kicking off between Inter Miami and Real Salt Lake City on Wednesday, February 21, and the rest of the league kicking off matchday 1 between the following Saturday and Sunday. Columbus Crew are the defending champions of the MLS Cup from last season, but there is still an entire regular season to be played this year before playoffs are anywhere near so it is time to see who has the best chance of taking home the number 1 seed in the Western Conference this season.  Western Conference League Winner Los Angeles FC +300: LA FC is coming into the 2024 season as the team with the best chance at winning the Western Conference this year, according to the oddsmakers. LA FC finished last season with 52 points from a 14-10-10 record which landed them in 3rd place of the Western Conference and 8th place overall in the MLS. LA FC has been a dominant team in the MLS over the last few years with multiple MLS Cups and they even made it back to the final last year, losing to Columbus. They have been on the decline though as seen last season in their regular season performance and now the big story for them this season is how they are going to replace their star forward Carlos Vela who left the club in the winter. The Carlos Vela departure signifies the end of a dominant era for LA FC in the MLS and this very well could be the end of what has been considered a dynasty club in the MLS the past few years. Vela is not the only player to have departed after last season as they also lost key pieces on defense and in the midfield as well. Kellyn Acosta has been a key piece in their midfield that is gone now and they also lost some key defenders in Diego Palacios who moved on to Corinthians in Brasil as well as losing Giorgio Chiellini who retired. They still have a lot of talent but this team is nothing like it used to be and this season is going to see a lot of those players that were bench depth last year now being thrusted into a starting role. This is also a team that has become bored in the MLS with their recent dominance as was evident in their performance last year after losing in the CONCACAF Champions League final. LA FC lost a lot of talent from last season and they may be a great team still, but this is going to be a big transitioning year for them with new players in the lineup and they are simply not the best team in the Western Conference this season. With all the ongoing changes in LA, there is no real value at this price for LA FC to win the Western Conference this season.  Seattle Sounders FC +500: Seattle is coming into the 2024 season as the next team on the list with the best chance at winning the Western Conference this year, according to the oddsmakers. Seattle finished last season with 53 points from a 14-11-9 record which landed them in 2nd place of the Western Conference and 7th place overall in the MLS. Seattle has had some up and down years in the MLS over the last decade but overall, they have been a very dominant club in the MLS in recent years. They had a great season last year and made yet another playoff run, eventually losing 1-0 to LA FC who went on to the finals and lost, but they also had the best defense in the league last year along with Nashville as Seattle only allowed 32 goals in their 34 regular season matches. Their attack was not as potent as some of the other strong teams in the MLS which did hold them back a bit, but they have injected some youth into their attack for this season while also retaining the starters they had last year. They are going to be a much deeper team on the attack this season and they were also able to bring back all of their key starters on defense and in the midfield. Their performance last year was just a stepping stone to this season as they had a down year in 2022 but have built the squad back much stronger over the last 2 years. They leaned on their great defense a lot last season to get results but that defense will continue to perform into this year as their attack improves around them as well which makes them the most dangerous team in the Western Conference coming into this season. Seattle has been a very decorated team in the MLS in recent years and they now have the defense as well as the youth in their squad to be a real threat this season. They also sense the blood in the water with LA FC on the decline and they will be pushing to take back the league with a dominant regular season campaign this year. There is a lot of value in Seattle at this price to win the Western Conference this season.  Houston Dynamo +650: Houston is coming into the 2024 season as the next team on the list with the best chance at winning the Western Conference this year, according to the oddsmakers. Houston finished last season with 51 points from a 14-9-11 record which landed them in 4th place of the Western Conference and 9th place overall in the MLS. Houston was able to have such a great regular season last year due to their home dominance as they had the best home record in the Western Conference, going 11-4-2 there while scoring 36 goals in their 17 matches and allowing just 11 goals. On the other hand, they were one of the worst away teams in the Western Conference as they were 3-5-9, scoring just 15 goals in those 17 matches while allowing 27 goals. Houston’s away form is going to be a big problem when it comes to winning the Western Conference as they are too inconsistent away from home to collect enough points to keep them in this race. They were not very active in the winter transfer window either despite losing a key piece in Corey Baird who was 2nd on the team in goals scored last season with 9. Houston does not have a very talented lineup either and they do not match up well against the better teams in the MLS. Their home dominance will likely continue this season and will be enough to get them a playoff spot, but they are too inconsistent away from home to be any threat towards winning the Western Conference this season. There is no real value in Houston at this price.  Los Angeles Galaxy +700: LA Galaxy is coming into the 2024 season as the next team on the list with the best chance at winning the Western Conference this year, according to the oddsmakers. LA Galaxy finished last season with 36 points from an 8-12-14 record which landed them in 13th place in the Western Conference and 26th place overall in the MLS. The Galaxy have been a struggling team in the MLS over the last few seasons after having so many years of dominance in the league. They were one of the worst teams in the MLS last season and they have not really done much to improve their team anymore for this season. They were an active team in the winter transfer window but did not acquire any players who are going to make an immediate impact in the squad. They are going to show some improvement this season and they have the potential to be a playoff team in one of the lower seeds, but this team still needs time to show great improvement and they are not going to come out of the gate strong enough to keep themselves in this Western Conference race. There is no value in LA Galaxy at this price to win the Western Conference this season.  St Louis City SC +1000: St Louis is coming into the 2024 season as the next team on the list with the best chance at winning the Western Conference this year, according to the oddsmakers. St Louis finished last season with 56 points from a 17-5-12 record which landed them in 1st place of the Western Conference and 4th place overall in the MLS. They had a very impressive season in the MLS last year considering how it was their 1st ever season in the MLS as an expansion team, but this is going to be a much tougher season for them. As an expansion team, St Louis does not have a very deep squad and they are going to have a much tougher time with extra matches now as they did qualify for CONCACAF Champions League. They deserve an honorable mention due to their performance in the league last season, but they will not be able to replicate that in their 2nd season, especially having an extra competition to play in now. There is no value in St Louis at this price to win the Western Conference this season.  RecommendationThe MLS has been improving a lot and there are many teams this season that can be a threat to the MLS Cup with the playoff system used in the league. The regular season is a completely different animal though that highlights the consistency and the elite talent of certain teams that can keep up that kind of performance for an entire season. Any team can get hot for a few weeks once in the playoffs, but it takes a truly talented team from top to bottom to win the respective conferences in the MLS regular season. The Eastern Conference looks like it is going to be the stronger conference this season, leaving the Western Conference wide open with the strength of competition in the West, but there is only 1 team on this list that looks like it is going to be a dominant team in the league this year. Seattle at +500 has the most value to win the Western Conference this season as they are coming off of a strong season already and they are only going to improve this year as the stronger teams in the West around them start to decline. 

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NHL Stadium Series: Inside the Numbers

by Vegas Writer

Thursday, Feb 15, 2024

A huge weekend in the NHL this weekend, with the Stadium Series taking place with two games.Some stats provided by the league, others scraped together by yours truly, as we delve inside the numbers leading into the two big games.2 – This will be the second outdoor game for both the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders. Both the Devils and Islanders lost their first outdoor matchups to the New York Rangers in the 2014 NHL Stadium Series (NYR 7, NJD 3; NYR 2, NYI 1).4 - The win streak the Flyers are on through Feb. 14, after notable wins over Florida, Winnipeg, Seattle and Arizona, outscoring those teams by a combined final of 14-7 - an impressive 2-to-1 ratio.5 - The win streak the Rangers are on through Feb. 14, including wins over playoff hopefuls Colorado, Tampa Bay and Calgary, while outscoring all five teams by a combined final of 18-7 - better than a 2-to-1 ratio.8 – Uniform number of Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson, who ranks second on the team in points (55) and third amongst all defensemen in the NHL scoring through games played on Feb. 14.9 - Number of losses by the Devils during a 6-7-2 skid since Jan. 6, and through Feb. 14.10 – Uniform number of Rangers forward Artemi Panarin, who leads the team in scoring with 68 points (31 goals, 37 assists) through games played on Feb. 14.11 – Uniform number of Flyers forward Travis Konecny, who ranks first on the team in scoring with 49 points (25 goals, 24 assists) through games played on Feb. 14.17 - The number of losses the Islanders have accrued during a disappointing 8-11-6 skid since Dec. 15. In that span, the Isles have been outscored, 87-68.63 – Uniform number of Devils forward Jesper Bratt, who leads the team in scoring with 56 points (20 goals, 36 assists) through games played on Feb. 14.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, and NCAAB Previews and Odds - 02/15/2024

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Feb 15, 2024

The Thursday sports card features NBA, NHL, and NCAAB action. The National Basketball Association has three games on its docket. The Milwaukee Bucks travel to Memphis to play the Grizzlies on TNT at 8:30 p.m. ET as an 11-point road favorite, with the total set at 225 (all odds from DraftKings). The Golden State Warriors play in Utah against the Jazz at 9:10 p.m. ET as a 1-point road favorite with an over/under of 237.5. The Minnesota Timberwolves are in Portland to face the Trail Blazers at 10:10 p.m. ET as an 8.5-point road favorite with a total of 216.5. The National Hockey League has 12 games on its slate. Seven NHL games drop the puck at 7:07 p.m. ET. The Boston Bruins host the Seattle Kraken as a -198 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Florida Panthers visit Buffalo to play the Sabres as a -155 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The New Jersey Devils play at home against the Los Angeles Kings as a -125 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The New York Rangers are at home against the Montreal Canadiens as a -265 money-line favorite with a total of 6. The Ottawa Senators host the Anaheim Ducks as a -192 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Tampa Bay Lightning play at home against the Colorado Avalanche as a -115 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Toronto Maple Leafs are home against the Philadelphia Flyers as a -166 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6. Two NHL games start at 8:07 p.m. ET. The Edmonton Oilers play in St. Louis against the Blues as a -192 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The Dallas Stars are in Nashville to play the Predators as a -130 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Pittsburgh Penguins travel to Chicago to play the Blackhawks at 8:37 p.m. ET as a -218 money-line road favorite with a total of 5.5. The Calgary Flames host the San Jose Sharks at 9:07 p.m. ET as a -375 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6. The Vancouver Canucks play at home against the Detroit Red Wings at 10:07 p.m. ET as a -185 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The college basketball schedule has eight games on national television. Two NCAAB games are on national television at 7 p.m. ET. Florida Atlantic is at home against Temple on ESPN2 as a 19.5-point favorite with an over/under of 147.5. Western Kentucky hosts UTEP on the CBS Sports Network as a 7-point favorite with a total of 152.5. Winthrop plays at Radford on ESPNU at 8 p.m. ET as a 1-point road favorite with a total of 140.5. Three nationally televised NCAAB games tip off at 9 p.m. ET. Washington plays at home against Stanford on ESPN2 as a 4-point favorite with an over/under of 159.5. Colorado is at UCLA on ESPN as a 1.5-point road favorite with a total of 137.5. Gonzaga visits UCLA on the CBS Sports Network as a 14-point road favorite with an over/under of 151. Two more games on national television conclude the NCAAB card at 11 p.m. ET. Saint Mary’s is at home against Pepperdine on the CBS Sports Network as a 19-point favorite with a total of 132. USC hosts Utah on FS1 as a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under of 132.

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NCAA Basketball System of the Week

by Al McMordie

Wednesday, Feb 14, 2024

The College Basketball season is in full swing right now.  And it will take center stage this week, as the NBA goes on hiatus with its All-Star Break.  A lot of bettors like to play on the top-level teams.  And there's certainly nothing wrong with that.  But I often like to mine the bottom-tier teams for gold.  And this week's featured NCAA system does just that.Here, we're going to take a look at one of the worst teams in College Basketball this season.  And that's DePaul.  The Blue Demons are 3-20 straight-up, and 8-15 ATS.  And they've been outscored by 15.60 ppg, while failing to cover the spread, on average, by 6.34 ppg.  Out of the universe of 360 Division 1 schools, KenPom.com ranks DePaul #299.Tonight, on Valentine's Day, the Blue Demons will host the #1 team in the country (and defending champions), Connecticut.  DePaul comes into this game on an 11-game losing streak, and have lost their last 3 games, ATS.  Those 3 losses were to Seton Hall (72-39), Xavier (93-68) and St. John's (85-57).  After losing 3 games, SU/ATS by large margins of 33, 25 and 28 points, very few bettors will have the stomach to go to the window to plunk down money on the Blue Demons.  But not me.  Indeed, I like DePaul tonight +24.5 points, as NCAA Basketball teams off 3 SU/ATS losses by more than 20 points have covered the spread 59.2% since 1990 (93-64-2 ATS).  One of this system's plays was last month on this same DePaul team.  It had lost its 3 prior games SU/ATS by 38, 25 and 26 points, yet got inside the 16-point spread that night vs. Butler in a 74-60 loss.  So, this system bodes well for DePaul tonight.  As does the fact that it is 38-15-2 ATS in conference games as an underdog of more than 5 points, if it scored less than 60 its last time out.  Take DePaul + the points.Join today for our Valentine's Day Special and get 9 Days Free.  I'm 268-210 this basketball season, and 1555-1262-34 (+ $168,380, based on $1,000 a play) the last 3+ years in Hoops.Good luck, as always,Al McMordie

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NCAA Basketball Championship Contenders

by ASA, Inc.

Wednesday, Feb 14, 2024

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDERS Did you know 15 of the last 16 College Basketball National Champions have finished 18th or better in offensive efficiency and 22nd or better in defensive efficiency per Ken Pomeroy’s ratings?  We call it the “KenPom line” and while this is obviously subject to change as teams finish out the regular season and move up and down in those ratings, we currently have 6 teams that fulfill those data points as of February 14th.  Let’s take a quick look at each...  Houston CougarsOverall record 21-3 SU & 11-12-1 ATSKen Pom Efficiency – Offense 14th / Defense 1stDraft Kings Current Odds to win National Championship +950 The Cougars have experience in moving on in the tourney as they’ve advanced to the Sweet 16 in each of the last four and pushed to the Final 4 in two of those seasons.  Their defense is elite ranking #1 in efficiency and eFG% allowed.  They also turn teams over at a rate of 25% which is 4th in the nation.  Their downfall could be their shooting where they rank outside the top 230 in eFG%.  The Cougs also struggle at the FT line making only 68% which could come back to bite them in a tight NCAA tourney game.    Purdue BoilermakersOverall record 22-2 SU & 15-8-1 ATSKen Pom Efficiency – Offense 2nd / Defense 14th Draft Kings Current Odds to win National Championship +650 The problem with trusting the Boilers is they’ve been in this spot before and have found a way to lose as favorites in the Big Dance.  Last year they entered the tourney as a 1 seed and were upset right out of the gate by Farleigh Dickinson.  The year prior they were a 3 seed and lost to St Peters and the year before that Purdue was upset in the 1st round by North Texas.  They have the most dominant big man in the game, Zach Edey, who is nearly unguardable in the paint.  They are a high level 3-point shooting team hitting 40% and are top 20 in both offensive and defensive rebounding.  Very complete team who has also played the most difficult schedule in the country to date per KenPom.  UConn HuskiesOverall record 22-2 SU & 14-10 ATSKen Pom Efficiency – Offense 3rd / Defense 17th  Draft Kings Current Odds to win National Championship +650 The defending National Champions are currently the favorites to win it all (along with Purdue) as of February 14th.  As of this writing the Huskies have won 12 straight games, which is the longest current active streak in college hoops.  They are equally balanced on both ends of the court ranking 7th nationally in eFG% offense and defense.  One downside?  They tend to foul quite a bit with Big East opponents gathering over 24% of their points from the charity stripe vs the Huskies.  That’s the highest rate in the conference and could be a problem in a close game if they are at a big deficit from the FT line.  Arizona WildcatsOverall record 19-5 SU & 16-8 ATSKen Pom Efficiency – Offense 4th / Defense 15th Draft Kings Current Odds to win National Championship +1200 The Wildcats have some very impressive wins proving they can beat pretty much anyone.  They won @ Duke, beat Wisconsin by 25 points, and topped Alabama by double digits.  The problem is, they’ve also shown they can lose to anyone with setbacks @ Stanford, @ Washington St, and @ Oregon St all as favorites of at least 9 points.  They also haven’t been great on the road with just a 4-3 SU record in Pac 12 play.  They are tough to guard with all 5 starers averaging at least 10 PPG and they are a top 15 offensive and defensive rebounding team.  If they run into a team that can shoot the 3 at a high level it could be a problem as Arizona ranks just 249th defending the arc.    Auburn TigersOverall record 19-5 SU & 15-7-2 ATSKen Pom Efficiency – Offense 16th / Defense 4th Draft Kings Current Odds to win National Championship +1800 The knock on the Tigers is they haven’t always played great vs high level teams.  They are just 2-4 SU in games vs Quad 1 opponents. They’ve played a fairly easy schedule (58th per KenPom) and faced only 6 Quad 1 opponents which is the lowest of any team on this list.  Every other team listed here has at least 4 Quad 1 wins and the average amongst this group, minus Auburn, is 7 Quad 1 wins.  Coinciding with that trend, the Tigers are 1-4 SU this season vs teams ranked in KenPom’s top 35.  They are an outstanding defensive team that limits scoring inside the arc ranking #1 in the nation allowing opponents to make only 42.5% of their 2 point shots.  Will their lack of success vs top rated teams be a problem in the Dance?      Tennessee VolunteersOverall record 17-6 SU & 10-12-1 ATSKen Pom Efficiency – Offense 15th / Defense 6th Draft Kings Current Odds to win National Championship +1100 Defense has never been a problem for the Vols but the knock on them recently was are they good enough offensively?  This year the answer is yes ranking 15th in efficiency after ranking 64th, 25th, 85th, and 96th over the previous 4 years in that metric.  They average 80 PPG this season and have an offensive player that is good enough to take over games in Dalton Knecht, who has scored at least 25 points in 7 of his last 9 games (as of Feb 14).  Tennessee is playing at a much faster tempo this season which is part of the reason their scoring is up nearly 10 PPG over last season.  Their defense remains one of the best in the nation as it has been in past years but they do send teams to the FT line a lot (39th most – opponents percentage of points from the stripe) which is something to watch in a tight NCAA tourney game.    

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, NCAAB, and UEFA Champions League Previews and Odds - 02/14/2024

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Feb 14, 2024

The Wednesday sports card features NBA, NHL, NCAAB, and UEFA Champions League action. The National Basketball Association has 13 games on its docket. Three NBA games tip off at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Atlanta Hawks travel to Charlotte to play the Hornets as a 7-point road favorite, with the total set at 238.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). The Orlando Magic host the New York Knicks as a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 214.5. The Philadelphia 76ers play at home against the Miami Heat as a 3-point favorite with a total of 223.5. Three NBA games start at 7:40 p.m. ET. The Boston Celtics are at home against the Brooklyn Nets as a 13-point favorite with an over/under of 226.5. The Cleveland Cavaliers host the Chicago Bulls on ESPN as a 9-point favorite with a total of 223.5. The Indiana Pacers play in Toronto against the Raptors as a 3.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 243.5. Two NBA games begin at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Houston Rockets are in Memphis to play the Grizzlies as a 4-point road favorite with an over/under of 218.5. The New Orleans Pelicans play at home against the Washington Wizards as a 12.5-point favorite with a total of 236. The Dallas Mavericks are at home against the San Antonio Spurs at 8:40 p.m. ET as an 11-point favorite with an over/under of 239. Three more NBA games tip off at 9:10 p.m. ET. The Denver Nuggets host the Sacramento Kings as a 6-point favorite with a total of 229.5. The Phoenix Suns play at home against the Detroit Pistons as a 13-point favorite with an over/under of 237.5. The Utah Jazz are at home against the Los Angeles Lakers as a 5-point favorite with a total of 236.5. The Golden State Warriors host the Los Angeles Clippers on ESPN at 10:10 p.m. ET as a 4-point favorite with an over/under of 232.The National Hockey League has three games on its slate. Two NHL games drop the puck at 7:07 p.m. ET. The Winnipeg Jets play at home against the San Jose Sharks as a -425 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Florida Panthers visit the Pittsburgh Penguins on TNT as a -125 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6. The Minnesota Wild play in Arizona against the Coyotes at 9:37 p.m. ET as a -122 money-line road favorite with a total of 6. The college basketball schedule has eight games on national television. Three NCAAB games on national television tip off at 7 p.m. ET. Clemson is at home against Miami (FL) on ESPN2 as a 7.5-point favorite with an over/under of 151. South Florida hosts Tulsa on ESPNU as an 8.5-point favorite with a total of 148.5. Seton Hall plays at home against Xavier on the CBS Sports Network as a 2-point favorite with an over/under of 145. Three more NCAAB games are on national television at 9 p.m. ET. Connecticut is at DePaul on the CBS Sports Network as a 24-point road favorite with a total of 141. Tennessee travels to Arkansas on ESPN2 as an 8.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 151. Samford is at home against Western Carolina on ESPNU as a 7-point favorite with a total of 156.5. Utah plays at Wyoming on FS1 at 10 p.m. ET as a 7-point road favorite with an over/under of 152. UNLV is at Fresno State on the CBS Sports Network at 11 p.m. ET as a 4.5-point road favorite with a total of 138.The knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League continues with two first-leg matches in the Round of 16 at 3 p.m ET. Bayern Munich visits RB Lazio as a -1 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5 (all soccer odds from BetMGM). Paris Saint-Germain hosts Real Sociedad on CBS as a -1 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, NCAAB and UEFA Champions League Previews and Odds - 02/13/2024

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Feb 13, 2024

The Tuesday sports card features NBA, NHL, NCAAB, and UEFA Champions League action. The National Basketball Association has six games on its docket. The Oklahoma City Thunder travel to Orlando to play the Magic on TNT at 7:30 p.m. ET as a 2.5-point favorite with the total set at 226 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). The Boston Celtics play in Brooklyn against the Nets at 7:40 p.m. ET as an 8.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 228.5. The Milwaukee Bucks host the Miami Heat at 8:10 p.m. ET as an 8-point favorite with a total of 227. The Phoenix Suns play at home against the Sacramento Kings on TNT at 10 p.m. ET as a 5-point favorite with an over/under of 245. The Minnesota Timberwolves are in Portland against the Trail Blazers at 10:10 p.m. ET as an 8.5-point road favorite with a total of 216. The Los Angeles Lakers are at home against the Detroit Pistons at 10:40 p.m. ET as an 11-point favorite with an over/under of 238. The National Hockey League has 11 games on its slate. Six NHL games drop the puck at 7:07 p.m. ET. The Boston Bruins host the Tampa Bay Lightning as a -166 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Los Angeles Kings visit the Buffalo Sabres as a -148 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6. The Montreal Canadiens play the Anaheim Ducks as a -142 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Ottawa Senators are at home against the Columbus Blue Jackets as a -192 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Toronto Maple Leafs host the St. Louis Blues as a -198 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Colorado Avalanche play in Washington against the Capitals as a -175 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The New York Islanders play at home against the Seattle Kraken at 7:37 p.m. ET as a -162 money-line favorite with a total of 6. Two more NHL games start at 8:07 p.m. ET. The Dallas Stars are at home against the Carolina Hurricanes as a -122 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Nashville Predators host the New Jersey Devils as a -148 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Vancouver Canucks are in Chicago to play the Blackhawks at 8:37 p.m. ET as a -298 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6. The Edmonton Oilers play at home against the Detroit Red Wings at 9:07 p.m. ET as a -218 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The college basketball schedule has 13 games on national television. Marquette travels to Butler on FS1 at 6:30 p.m. ET as a 4-point road favorite with an over/under of 153.5. Five more NCAAB games are on national television at 7 p.m. ET. North Carolina plays at Syracuse on ESPN as an 8.5-point road favorite with a total of 157.5. Cincinnati is at home against Iowa State on ESPN2 as a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under of 137. Illinois hosts Michigan on Peacock as a 16-point favorite with a total of 153.5. Providence plays at home against St. John’s on the CBS Sports Network as a 1-point favorite with an over/under of 145. Texas A&M visits Vanderbilt on ESPNU as a 9-point road favorite with a total of 136.5. Creighton is at home against Georgetown on FS1 at 8:30 p.m. ET as a 19-point favorite with an over/under of 149.5. Five more NCAAB games are on national television at 9 p.m. ET. Baylor hosts Oklahoma on ESPN2 as a 19-point favorite with a total of 143. Wisconsin plays at home against Ohio State on Peacock as a 9-point favorite with an over/under of 139. Kentucky is at home against Mississippi on ESPN as an 8-point favorite with a total of 162.5. Virginia Tech hosts Florida State on ESPNU as a 5-point favorite with an over/under of 152. San Diego State plays at home against Colorado State on the CBS Sports Network as a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 140. Nevada is at home against New Mexico on the CBS Sports Network at 11 p.m. ET as a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 154.5. The knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League begins with two first-leg matches in the Round of 16 at 3 PM ET. Real Madrid plays at RB Leipzig as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 3 (all soccer odds from BetMGM). Manchester City is at FC Copenhagen on CBS as a -1.5 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 3.

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Free World Series Futures Winner

by Will Rogers

Monday, Feb 12, 2024

The NFL season is in the rear view mirror but it's still a very busy time with basketball, hockey and soccer all going strong. Things will get even crazier, once the "Madness" hits next month. Then, before you can even catch your breath from the NCAA Tournament, baseball season begins. Though my primary focus remains on the sports currently being played, I also like to use the second half of February to catch up on my favorite sport. My last column included a 10-1 long-shot prop winner on the Chiefs and 49ers to go to Overtime. I close this edition with a 12-1 World Series Futures play. Spring Training Is A Week AwaySpring Training starts on February 22nd, the Dodgers taking on the Padres. Within the exhibition season, there are some interesting games. The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays will play pair of games at Estadio Quisqueya in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on March 9-10. The following week, on March 14-19, the inaugural edition of the "Spring Breakout" will take place. Sixteeen games will be played between teams comprised of each MLB organization's top 20-25 prospects. The regular season begins on March 28th. I can't wait to hear them say "Play Ball!" The Rich Get RicherShohei Ohtani dominated the offseason headlines. In case you somehow missed it, the 2-way superstar signed a record-breaking deal with the Dodgers. As if that wasn't enough, the Dodgers proceeded to sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto, among the most hyped players to ever come from Japan, to a 12-year $325,000,000 deal. Yamamoto has outstanding stuff, and won three straight "Sawamura awards" in Japan, the NPB's version of the Cy Young Award. It comes as no surprise that the Dodgers are favored to win the World Series. They top the current future odds from Draft Kings. World Series Future Odds Los Angeles Dodgers: +360 Atlanta Braves: +450 Houston Astros: +800 New York Yankees: +1000 Baltimore Orioles: +1200 Texas Rangers: +1400 Philadelphia Phillies: +1500 Minnesota Twins: +2000 Toronto Blue Jays: +2000 Seattle Mariners: +2000 Chicago Cubs: +2800 St. Louis Cardinals: +3500 Tampa Bay Rays: +3500 Arizona Diamondbacks: +3500 New York Mets: +4000 Cincinnati Reds: +4500 San Diego Padres: +5000 Boston Red Sox: +5000 San Francisco Giants: +5500 Detroit Tigers: +6000 Cleveland Guardians: +7000 Miami Marlins: +7000 Milwaukee Brewers: +10000 Kansas City Royals: +13000 Pittsburgh Pirates: +15000 Los Angeles Angels: +15000 Washington Nationals: +20000 Chicago White Sox: +25000 Colorado Rockies: +40000 Oakland Athletics: +40000 Free Play (Baltimore at +1200 to Win the World Series)The American League East is a tough place to play. The Yankees are always stacked. The Blue Jays are seemingly always on the door-step. The Rays have been strong in recent years. The Red Sox aren't that far removed from being World Series champions. However, this year's best team hails from Baltimore. The signing of Corbin Burnes didn't get the attention of some of the other deals but it may be just what the Orioles needed to put them over the top. Remember, this is a stacked team which won 101 games last year, more than anyone besides Atlanta. If they stay healthy, the Orioles could potentially be even better this year. I'm using the current Draft Kings odds of +1200, as that's what most people have access to. If you can, make sure shop around. Baltimore is currently +1327 at Pinnacle. 

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