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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 07/11/2022

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Jul 11, 2022

The Monday sports card features MLB action.Major League Baseball has 10 games on its schedule. The Kansas City Royals host the Detroit Tigers at 2:10 PM ET. Brad Keller gets the pitching assignment for the Royals to face Michael Pineda of the Tigers. Kansas City is a -145 money line favorite with the total set at 9.5 (all odds from DraftKings). The Miami Marlins are at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 6:40 PM ET. The Marlins turn to Trevor Rogers in their starting rotation to pitch against the Pirates’ Mitch Keller. Miami is a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5.Two MLB games begin at 7:10 PM ET. Chicago visits Cleveland with Lance Lynn pitching for the White Sox against the Guardians’ Cal Quantrill. The White Sox are a -120 money line road favorite with a total of 9. Boston plays at Tampa Bay with the Red Sox tapping Brayan Bello against a Rays’ starting pitcher that has yet to be determined. The Philadelphia Phillies travel to St. Louis to play the Cardinals at 7:15 PM ET. Aaron Nola pitches for the Phillies against Miles Mikolas of the Cardinals. Philadelphia is a -115 money line road favorite with a total of 7.5. The Atlanta Braves are at home against the New York Mets on FS1 at 7:20 PM ET. The Braves won their third straight game and sixth of their last seven with their 4-3 victory against Washington in 12 innings yesterday. The win improved their record to 52-35, leaving them only 1 1/2 games behind the Mets for first place in the NL East. Max Fried takes the ball for Atlanta after he pitched six scoreless innings at home against St. Louis on Wednesday. The left-hander has a 9-2 record this season with a 2.52 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. The Mets have lost two of three after their 2-0 loss at home in ten innings against Miami on Sunday. They hold to first place in the division with a 53-33 record. Max Scherzer gets his second start since returning from the injured list from his left oblique strain. He struck out 11 batters in six scoreless innings in his most recent start at Cincinnati on Tuesday. He has a 5-1 record to go along with a 2.26 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP. The Braves are a -120 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.The Texas Rangers host the Oakland A’s at 8:05 PM ET. Spencer Howard takes the hill for the Rangers against Adrian Martinez for the A’s. Texas is a -165 money line favorite with a total of 9. The Kansas City Royals are at home against the Detroit Tigers at 8:10 PM ET. The Royals tap Daniel Lynch to battle against the Tigers’ Alex Faedo. Kansas City is a -135 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. The San Diego Padres visit the Colorado Rockies at 8:40 PM ET. Sean Manaea takes the mound for the Padres to pitch against Jose Arena for the Rockies. San Diego is a -145 money line road favorite with a total of 11.5. The San Francisco Giants are at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks at 9:45 PM ET. The Giants turn to Alex Cobb to pitch against the Diamondbacks’ Merrill Kelly. San Francisco is a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 07/10/2022

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Jul 10, 2022

The Sunday sports card features MLB action.Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The Los Angeles Angels visit Baltimore to play the Orioles on Peacock at 12:05 PM ET. Jose Suarez takes the hill for the Angels against Austin Voth for the Orioles. Los Angeles is a -115 money line road favorite with the total set at 9 (all odds from DraftKings). The Atlanta Braves host the Washington Nationals at 1:35 PM ET. The Braves turn to Ian Anderson as their starting pitcher against the Natioanls’ Paolo Espino. Atlanta is a -210 money line favorite with an over/under of 10.Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 1:40 PM ET. New York plays at home against Miami, with Taijaun Walker pitching for the Mets against Sandy Alcantara of the Marlins. The Mets are a -120 money line favorite with a total of 7. Tampa Bay travels to Cincinnati with the Rays turning to Shane Baz in their starting rotation to face the Reds; Nick Lodolo. The Rays are a -145 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Three MLB games start at 2:10 PM ET. Milwaukee is at home against Pittsburgh, with Eric Lauer taking the ball for the Brewers to duel against Jose Quintana of the Pirates. The Brewers are a -170 money line favorite with a total of 8. Cleveland visits Kansas City with the Guardians sending out Zach Plesac to pitch against the Royals’ Zach Greinke. The Guardians are a -120 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Chicago plays at home against Detroit with Michael Kopech on the mound for the White Sox against Drew Hutchison of the Tigers. The White Sox are a -190 money line favorite with a total of 9. The St. Louis Cardinals host the Philadelphia Phillies at 2:15 PM ET. Andre Pallante takes the ball for the Cardinals to duel against Nick Nelson of the Phillies. St. Louis is a -120 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Texas Rangers play at home against the Minnesota Twins at 2:35 PM ET. The Rangers turn to Dane Dunning to face the Twins’ Dylan Bundy. Texas is a -115 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Houston Astros travel to Oakland to play the A’s at 4:07 PM ET. Jake Odorizzi pitches for the Astros against Cole Irvin of the A’s. Houston is a -180 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. Four more MLB games begin at 4:10 PM ET. Toronto is at Seattle with the Mariners turning to Logan Gilbert to face a Blue Jays’ starting pitcher yet to be named. San Diego host San Francisco with MacKenzie Gore taking the hill for the Padres against Alex Wood for the Giants. The Padres are a -120 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. Colorado visits Arizona with the Rockies pitching German Marquez against the Diamondbacks’ Tyler Gilbert. The Rockies are a -115 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Chicago plays at Los Angeles with Drew Smyly starting for the Cubs against Julio Urias of the Dodgers. Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN and ESPN2 has the New York Yankees playing at Boston against the Red Sox at 7:08 PM ET. The Yankees tap Jameson Taillon as their starting pitcher to battle against the Red Sox’s Nick Pivetta. New York is a -130 money line road favorite with a total of 9.

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2022 Florida Atlantic Owls Preview

by Matt Fargo

Saturday, Jul 09, 2022

Florida Atlantic Owls2021-22 Season Record 5-7 (3-5 C-USA East) - 4-7-1 ATS - 4-8-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 8Defense - 7OverviewAfter starting off 5-3 last season, a bowl berth was looking like a sure thing but Florida Atlantic could not close the deal as it lost its final four games, all by double-digits. Lane Kiffin had a successful run with the Owls as he won 11 games in two of his three seasons and after he headed to Mississippi, Willie Taggart took over in 2020 and has gone 10-11 including a 7-7 record in C-USA. The finish to last season was brutal as the offense could get nothing going as it scored 17 points or less in all four games and while Taggart is not yet on the hot seat, it will be warming up if it does not turn around this season. The Owls had the personnel in place as they had 10 starters back on each side of the ball and they are still in good shape with another veteran team coming back. The schedule sets up well for a quick start so they can put the disastrous November in the rear view mirror.OffenseThe running game fell apart at the end of last season as the Owls averaged 77 ypg on the ground over the last three games and that put a ton of pressure on quarterback N'Kosi Perry who could not make the plays when needed. He was solid overall last season as he threw for 2,771 yards with 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions and is poised to be even better in his second season in the system. He has a lot to work with because his two top receivers are back as LaJohntay Wester and Je'Quan Burton combined for 1,185 yards and seven touchdowns and the only issue is depth following those two. Perry will be working behind an offensive line that is experienced and deep with four starters returning which will help the protection after allowing 35 sacks last season, tied for 109th most in the nation. Johnny Ford returns at running back after averaging 6.3 ypc. DefenseThe defense comes back with a lot of experience as well with seven starters back but three of the top four tacklers are gone. The Owls were ranked No. 88 in total defense last season and like the offense, it collapsed toward the end of the season. The front seven is loaded with four starters and a couple transfers looking to improve in both areas, especially with the pass rush. Florida Atlantic had only 16 sacks last year which was tied for No. 118 in the country and it needs to get a bigger push into the backfield as it has the size and strength to do so. The defense allowed 846 rushing yards against Florida and Air Force and only 1,038 against everyone else. The linebacking corps returns two starters and a pair of SEC transfers makes this a deep rotation that will improve the numbers from last year. The secondary is young and could take some time to come together. 2022 Season OutlookThe move to C-USA has had its ups and downs as the Owls were 18-6 under Kiffin but have gone 18-28 in the other seven seasons and with the talent that has come through Boca Raton, this should be a lot better. The conference lost three teams to the Sun Belt so it is more wide open and the Owls have to take advantage with their talent and experience. They open the season with a conference home game against Charlotte before heading to Ohio and then back home for a game against SE Louisiana and there is no reason for them to not start 3-0. The remainder of the conference slate is not easy by any stretch but they do get the three toughest opponents at home against UCF, UAB and Western Kentucky and the only big road test is at North Texas. The O/U win total is 5.5 and the Owls should be able to surpass that as long as they do not have another epic collapse. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle - MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 07/09/2022

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Jul 09, 2022

The Saturday sports card features MLB and CFL action.Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The Chicago White Sox host the Detroit Tigers at 2:10 PM ET. Johnny Cueto takes the mound for the White Sox to pitch against the Tigers’ Garrett Hill. Chicago is a -170 money line favorite, with the total set at 8.5 (all odds from DraftKings). The St. Louis Cardinals are at home against the Philadelphia Phillies at 2:15 PM ET. The Cardinals turn to Dakota Hudson in their starting rotation to face the Phillies’ Kyle Gibson. St. Louis is a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 4:05 PM ET. Texas plays at home against Minnesota with Martin Perez pitching for the Rangers against Delvin Smeltzer of the Twins. The Rangers are a -120 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Los Angeles visits Baltimore with the Angels sending Patrick Sandoval to the mound to pitch against Dean Kremer of the Orioles. The Angels are a -125 money line road favorite with a total of 8. The Houston Astros play at Oakland against the A’s at 4:07 PM ET. Framber Valdez takes the ball for the Astros against Zach Logue for the A’s. Six MLB games start at 4:10 PM ET. Tampa Bay travels to Cincinnati with the Rays pitching Drew Rasmussen against the Reds’ Hunter Greene on FS1. The Rays are a -165 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Arizona hosts Colorado with Madison Bumgarner on the mound for the Diamondbacks against Kyle Freeland for the Rockies. The Diamondbacks are a -125 money line favorite with a total of 9. Cleveland plays at Kansas City with the Guardians turning to Triston McKenzie to duel against the Royals’ Jonathan Heasley. Cleveland is a -130 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Milwaukee plays at home against Pittsburgh, with Brandon Woodruff pitching for the Brewers against Zach Thompson of the Pirates. The Brewers are a -250 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. Atlanta is at home against Washington with Kyle Wright on the hill for the Braves pitching against Patrick Corbin of the Nationals. The Braves are a -245 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. New York plays at home against Miami with the Mets turning to Carlos Carrasco to pitching against the Marlins Braxton Garrett. The Mets are a -175 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Two MLB games begin at 7:15 PM in regional television coverage on Fox. New York visits Boston with Jordan Montgomery pitching for the Yankees against a starting pitcher yet to be named for the Red Sox. San Francisco plays at San Diego with the Giants tapping Carlos Rodon to pitch against the Padres Yu Darvish. The Giants are a -115 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.Two MLB games conclude the card at 10:10 PM ET. Toronto travels to Seattle with Alek Manoah on the mound for the Rays battling against Robbie Ray of the Mariners. The Blue Jays are a -125 money line road favorite with a total of 7. The Chicago Cubs play at Los Angeles against the Dodgers, with the Cubs pitching Marcus Stroman against the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw. Week 5 in the Canadian Football League concludes with the British Columbia Lions hosting the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on ESPN News at 4 PM ET. The Lions raised their record to 3-0 this season with their 34-31 win at Ottawa as a 1.5-point favorite on June 30th. The Blue Bombers won their fourth straight game to start the season after their 23-22 victory at Toronto as a 4-point road favorite on Monday. British Columbia is a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 50.

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2022 Florida Gators Preview

by Matt Fargo

Friday, Jul 08, 2022

Florida Gators2021-22 Season Record 6-7 (2-6 SEC East) - 3-10-0 ATS - 6-7-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 6Defense - 7OverviewIt has been a nightmare in Florida since the days of Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer roaming the sidelines as the Gators have been unable to find the right fit as head coach. It was another losing season for Florida and the word another was never in the vocabulary as it is now three losing years over the nine seasons. 2021 was especially bad as the Gators won two SEC games, the fewest since 1986 when they had a six-game schedule and went 2-4. Bill Napier takes over the helm after three unsuccessful coaching runs in Gainesville and he brings in a winning culture that he formed in Louisiana. He brought in some pieces with him and while it could take some time, the hope is that the Gators brass finally hit the home run. They have just 13 starters back but some key pieces from Louisiana came over and Florida had the No. 17 ranked recruiting class for the upcoming season. OffenseFlorida was very good on offense as it finished No. 16 in total offense but could not generate enough points and was inconsistent when it could not be. The Gators managed to score 35 or more points six times, but just once over its last six games, against FCS Samford, and that led to the overall demise. Napier brings in a high powered scheme and he turns to Anthony Richardson to lead the offense. He was average in mop up duty last season behind Emory Jones but his abilities should make him flourish in this system. Florida lost its leading receiver in the transfer portal but has Justin Shorter to move into the top spot with plenty of depth after that. The running game has to be rehauled as the top three rushers are gone but this is another position where depth in massive. The offense will lean on a line that showed impressive progress in the spring and will be sound. DefenseThe defense improved from 2020 but was still not every good compared to previous years. The Gators finished No. 73 in scoring defense and to say they gave up late in the season would be fact as exemplified by the 52 points allowed to Samford. The defensive line was awful against the rush and mediocre getting to the quarterback but three veterans are back in what looks to be a good situation for improvement in those areas. The linebackers can pick up any slack even though they lost their best player to transfer as Florida gets back its 2020 leading tackler Ventrell Miller who missed almost all of last season and two of the top four leading tacklers are back. The passing defense was good as it finished No. 36 in yards allowed but a lot of that was due to teams running so much. The Gators had only nine interceptions which was tied for No. 80 and that has to vastly improve. 2022 Season OutlookTwo SEC wins will not cut it again and we can pretty much guarantee that is going to improve as previous head coach Dan Mullin lost his team and Napier is changing the culture for the good, at least that is the plan. If spring camp showed anything, the players are buying in. It is a very interesting schedule for the Gators in 2022 and one that could greatly benefit a team going through changes. Six of the first seven games are home as Florida opens with a brutal test against Utah and then hosts Kentucky in a revenge game before a cakewalk against USF. The Gators travel for the first time to Tennessee before three more at home, most notably LSU in another revenger. The back half is difficult with road games at Texas A&M and Florida St. and the annual neutral game against Geogia. The O/U win total is 7 and this should be a clear over thanks to the early favorable slate. 

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2022 Eastern Michigan Eagles Preview

by Matt Fargo

Friday, Jul 08, 2022

Eastern Michigan Eagles2021-22 Season Record 7-6 (4-4 MAC West) - 5-8-0 ATS - 6-7-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 8Defense - 6OverviewBecause of the pandemic, many players took advantage of the extra year granted and a lot of teams were blessed with an abundance of returning starters in 2021, including Eastern Michigan. The Eagles brought back 10 starters on each side of the ball and used that to record a 7-5 season and make it to the Lending Tree Bowl but were promptly blown out by Liberty 56-20. Yet it was another step in the right direction for Eastern Michigan that went 28 years without going to a bowl but has gone to the postseason four of the last five campaigns, discounting the 2-4 COVID season. Head coach Chris Creighton is in his ninth season with the program and he is the second highest tenured coach in the history of the school. They have another experienced group coming back with 14 returning starters and have a viable shot and making another bowl game to keep the run going.   OffenseThe offense slipped somewhat in 2021 but not by much as the Eagles dropped by 10 ypg and three ppg from the 2010 six-game season despite almost everyone back. Eight players return on the unit this season but they have to replace quarterback Ben Bryant who threw for 2,921 yards, 14 touchdowns and six interceptions and led Eastern Michigan to the No. 33 passing offense in the country. The situation going into 2022 probably will not be decided until fall camp as three quarterbacks will by vying for the starting job. There are plenty of targets to get the ball to as most every receiver of note is back led by Hassan Beydoun and Dylan Drummond who combined for 1,585 yards and 10 scores. A running back has to emerge as the leading rusher is gone and the No. 112 rushing offense last season should get better behind an offensive line that has four starters returning. DefenseThe stop unit is what held the Eagles back as they allowed 34 or more points in six games including four of their last five. The defense did improve from the previous season and Eastern Michigan is hoping for another year of improvement. The Eagles finished No. 104 in total defense and No. 82 in scoring defense and while only six starters are back, they are all big time players. The defensive line will be the strength with the most experience back and they have to do a better job of stopping the run as they were gashed for 200 or more yards eight times. Jose Ramirez did the best job to disrupt the opponent backfield but he cannot do it alone after finishing No. 127 in the nation with just 45 tackles for loss with Ramirez accounting for more than 25 percent of those. The secondary is the weak link coming in with only two players with starting experience so a pass rush in crucial. 2022 Season OutlookAfter a 3-21 start, Creighton has put together a 34-36 record over his last six years and no other coach has had a sustained run of even more than three years since 1988-1990 by Jim Harkema. Some say he is on the hot seat because he is 0-4 in bowl games but that is a nonsensical reason for a team that hardly ever even got there. If a quarterback can be found to run the show, the ascent should continue. The schedule sets up pretty well for the Eagles as they open against Eastern Kentucky to get ready for back-to-back road games against Louisiana and Arizona St., both likely losses but an upset is not out of the question. They are back home against Buffalo and Massachusetts so a 3-2 start is to be expected and the MAC slate is favorable with the three big games all at home. The O/U win total of 6.5 will come down to the final two road games against Akron and Kent St.  

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2022 East Carolina Pirates Preview

by Matt Fargo

Friday, Jul 08, 2022

East Carolina Pirates2021-22 Season Record 7-5 (5-3 AAC) - 7-4-1 ATS - 4-8-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 7Defense - 8OverviewEast Carolina had a solid run under Skip Holtz and Ruffin McNeill from 2006 to 2014 with winning records in seven of those nine seasons and securing a bowl bid eight times. It was then a rough stretch for six straight years where the Pirates averaged 3.5 wins with the program stuck in neutral. Current head coach Mike Houston was involved in the last two of those campaigns but things got right last season as East Carolina went 7-5, securing just its second winning record in the AAC since joining the conference in 2014. The Pirates were invited to the Military Bowl to face Boston College but it was cancelled due to COVID and while they returned 10 starters on each side of the ball last year, all is not lost in 2022 as they bring back 15 starters and a returning production ranking of No. 44. This could be, and should be, the time East Carolina turns the corner now and going forward. OffenseThe Pirates finished No. 39 in the country in total offense and No. 56 in scoring offense, nearly reaching 30 ppg. The Pirates have seven starters back on offense including quarterback Holton Ahlers who had a decent season where he completed 61.8 percent of his passes for 3,126 yards, 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions but he needs to make better decisions and become a more efficient passer. He loses his top receiver but three players are back that accumulated at least 400 yards receiving so there should not be a falloff whatsoever. The running game was solid with Keaton Mitchell leading the way with 1,132 yards and nine touchdowns and backup Rahjai Harris racking up 579 yards and four scores. The offensive line brings back three players with starting experience and while they opened holes for the backs, they have to protect Ahlers as they allowed 37 sacks. DefenseThe defense had some really good games and some real clunkers as the Pirates allowed 20 points or less four times but gave up 31 or more points five times to finish No. 67 overall in scoring defense. They bring back a solid nucleus with eight returning starters and have a chance to take a big step forward. East Carolina is strong at the linebacker position with all three starters back but they need to develop a bigger pass rush as they were No. 69 in the nation in sacks but bring back a slew of players who got into the backfield on multiple occasions. The defensive line is versatile and with the exception of a few bad games, they did a good job at stopping the run, allowing 143 or fewer rushing yards in half of their games. The backfield was extremely young last season but most everyone with playing experience is back with the exception of safety Jaquan McMillian who led the team with five picks. 2022 Season OutlookThe Pirates were clutch last season with a slew of close victories, four by four points or less, but that is tough to maintain on a consistent basis. Making it to a bowl game was huge for the program and not being able to play in it will fuel the fire this season to get another shot at the postseason and the pieces are in place to do so. East Carolina opens the season with four straight home games and while the first is a doozy against NC State, it follows that up with contests against Old Dominion, Campbell and Navy with the former and latter having projected wins of 4.5. Three of the four most difficult AAC games are at home with the exception of a game at Cincinnati following a nonconference game at BYU. The O/U win total is set at 6.5 and we see five likely wins on the slate so if they can upset a couple big guns at home, the Pirates may actually play a bowl game this year. 

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2022 Duke Blue Devils Preview

by Matt Fargo

Friday, Jul 08, 2022

Duke Blue Devils2021-22 Season Record 3-9 (0-8 ACC Coastal) - 4-8-0 ATS - 6-6-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 6Defense - 5OverviewDavid Cutcliffe put together the greatest stretch in Duke football history as the Blue Devils won six games or more in six of seven seasons between 2012 and 2018. The last two seasons have seen a significant drop off as Duke has gone 5-18 including a 1-17 record in the ACC and have actually had a losing record in the conference in six straight years. Cutcliffe is gone and Duke hired Mike Elko as its 19th head coach to get the program turned around and it will start with defense which he is known for at former stops at Texas A&M and Notre Dame. The Blue Devils closed last season with eight straight losses with the defense allowing a whopping 46.6 ppg and no team can succeed with that. Only 11 starters are back in 2022 and they have one of the worst returning production rankings in the country so it could take some time for any sort of significant improvement in Durham. OffenseDespite the poor recent results, the Duke offense has increased its production over the last three seasons but scoring went down and that can normally be attributed to not making the plays on third down but the Blue Devils were efficient, ranking No. 45 in that category. The problem was turnovers as they gave it away 21 times which was tied for No. 100 in the country. The offense this season is basically starting over with new players at the key positions but they can build around an experienced offensive line that returns four starters. Duke will turn to Riley Leonard at quarterback and while he saw limited action, he had a standout game against Louisville, going 13-13 showing his accuracy. He loses his top receiver but the next three are back that combined for 1,207 yards. Running back Jordan Moore averaged 5.0 ypc in a backup role and will take over the top spot. DefenseThis is where things really need to improve. The defense was one of the worst in the country last season and one of the worst in program history as Duke was ranked No. 130 in total defense and No. 129 in scoring defense. The defensive line was a mess as there was no pass rush, finishing with only 21 sacks and they could not stop the run, allowing well over 200 ypg. This is a veteran line that needs to get significantly better in both areas. The strength will be in the middle as the linebacking corps brings back a pair of playmaking tacklers that can get to the ball and if the front four can improve, they can help out a pass defense that was atrocious. Duke was No. 123 in passing efficiency defense and the good news is that there is a complete rehaul as a fresh start in a new system can only make it better. The Blue Devils had only 14 takeaways last season and five of those came in one game. 2022 Season OutlookThere were never any real glory years for Duke football as it went to only two bowl games from 1961-2011 but a run of six in seven years showed some promise until the recent fall. Elko has his work cut out and looks to build a good foundation for the future. It has a favorable early schedule but the Blue Devils do not have a bye week until the final week in October which could go either way. They open with a home game against Temple and travel to an equally bad Northwestern team before facing North Carolina A&T at home before travelling to Kansas to close out the nonconference slate. A 4-0 start is unlikely but more that doable. In the ACC, four of the five toughest games are at home and they miss Clemson and NC State from the Atlantic. The O/U win total is set at 3 and that is a very gettable number which could be attained by October so an over will not take much after that. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 07/08/2022

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Jul 08, 2022

The Friday sports card features MLB and CFL action.Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The Tampa Bay Rays visit Cincinnati to play the Reds at 6:40 PM ET. Shane McClanahan takes the ball for the Rays to pitch against Luis Castillo of the Reds. Tampa Bay is a -155 money line road favorite with the total set at 8 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). The Los Angeles Angels play at Baltimore to play the Orioles at 7:05 PM ET. The Angels turn to Reid Detmers as their starting pitcher against the Orioles’ Tyler Wells. Both teams are priced as a -110 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:10 PM ET. New York is at home against Miami ,with Chris Bassitt pitching for the Mets against Pablo Lopez on the hill for the Marlins. The Mets are a -165 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. New York plays at Boston with the Yankees pitching Nestor Cortes against the Res Sox’s Connor Seabold. The Yankees are a -155 money line road favorite at Caesar’s with an over/under of 9.5. The Atlanta Braves are at home against the Washington Nationals at 7:20 PM ET. Charlie Morton takes the mound for the Braves to duel against Erick Fedde of the Nationals. Atlanta is a -280 money line favorite with a total of 9. The Minnesota Twins visit Texas to play the Rangers at 8:05 PM ET. The Twins turn to Sonny Gray in their starting rotation to pitch against the Rangers’ Jon Gray. Minnesota is a -115 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. Three MLB games throw out the first pitch at 8:10 PM ET. Chicago is at home against Detroit with Lucas Giolito pitching for the White Sox against Tarik Skubal of the Tigers. The White Sox are a -165 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. Milwaukee hosts Pittsburgh, with the Brewers turning to Aaron Ashby on the mound to pitch against the Pirates’ J.T. Brubaker. The Brewers are a -215 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Kansas City plays at home against Cleveland with Brady Singer pitching for the Royals against Aaron Civale of the Guardians. The Royals are a -115 money line favorite with a total of 9. The St. Louis Cardinals host the Philadelphia Phillies at 8:15 PM ET. Adam Wainwright takes the mound for the Cardinals against Zack Wheeler of the Phillies. St. Louis is a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Three more MLB games begin at 9:40 PM ET. Arizona is at home against Colorado, with the Diamondbacks pitching Zac Gallen against the Rockies’ Chad Kohl. The Diamondbacks are a -165 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Houston travels to Oakland with Jose Urquidy pitching for the Astros against Paul Blackburn of the A’s. The San Francisco Giants visit San Diego to play the Padres. Blake Snell pitches for the Padres against a starting pitcher yet to be named for the Giants. Two MLB games conclude the card at 10:10 PM ET. Toronto plays at Seattle with the Blue Jays pitching Ross Stripling against the Mariners’ George Kirby. Los Angeles is at home against Chicago, with Tyler Anderson pitching for the Dodgers against the Cubs’ Keegan Thompson. The Dodgers are a -225 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Week 5 of the Canadian Football League continues with the Saskatchewan Roughriders hosting the Ottawa Redblacks on ESPN News at 9:30 PM ET. The Roughriders won for the third time in their first four games with their 41-20 win against Montreal as a 4.5-point favorite on Saturday. The Redblacks are winless in three games this year after their 34-31 loss to British Columbia as a 1.5-point underdog on Thursday. Saskatchewan is a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 44.5.

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2022 Connecticut Huskies Preview

by Matt Fargo

Thursday, Jul 07, 2022

Connecticut Huskies2021-22 Season Record 1-11 (N/A) - 6-6-0 ATS - 6-5-1 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 8Defense - 8OverviewIt was another rough season for Connecticut and head coach Randy Edsall had seen enough, announcing his retirement after two games effective at the end of the season but he was not given that as he was let go immediately. The Huskies finished 1-11, the only win coming against Yale of the FCS and they have gone 4-32 over the last four years including 2020 where they did not even take a snap. Only one win over this span was over an FBS team, Massachusetts, which is just as bad. They have won more than three games only once since 2013 which resulted in a 6-7 season and the last winning record came in the days of the Big East. Jim Mora, Jr. takes over as head coach and he is in a decent situation for improvement as he has a lot coming back but as is the case sometimes, more can be less and it is difficult to get rid of poison left in a program but maybe Mora, Jr. has a cure. OffenseEight starters are back on an offense that was close to the worst in every major category including No. 128 in total offense and No. 129 in scoring offense. It will not get any worse but how much improvement there is comes down to the quarterback play. How bad was it? Six players took a snap last season and only one of those is back but the Huskies will rely on Penn St. transfer Ta'Quan Roberson to take over as the starter and he has a ton of potential as a duel-threat. He has a plethora of receivers to target as three of the top four are back and they also should have a healthy Cameron Ross back after missing 10 games last season after an outstanding 2019. Their leading rusher is back as well as Nate Carter rushed for 578 yards on a solid 4.6 ypc. The weakness is the offensive line with only two starters back and there will be issues if this unit cannot at least be somewhat competent.  DefenseDefensively, Connecticut was nearly as bad as the offense ranking No. 106 or worse in overall, scoring, rushing and passing defenses and those problems were similar to the other side where having a year of not hitting the field was devastating. Eight starters are back on the stop unit and a lot of young players received plenty of time last season so there is experience and finally with a year under their belt, better things should come about. The Huskies did lose their best pass rusher and only 7.5 sacks return so the defensive line is already behind the eight-ball and is the clear weakness. The secondary has a pair of upperclassmen corners and while the safeties are only sophomores, all four started last season. The strength last year were the linebackers and that will be the case again as the two top tacklers are back and Connecticut gets an SEC transfer to man the outside. 2022 Season OutlookThings have to turn around sometime or football might not be around much longer in Storrs at the top level. Clearly, Edsall was past his prime and his second stint derailed the program with possible long lasting effects. Mora, Jr. has experience at the highest of levels so his presence alone is big and should get the most out of this team. The schedule is frontloaded for failure as the Huskies travel to Utah St. in their opener but do get Central Connecticut St. at home a week later and then Syracuse before going to Michigan and NC State in back-to-back weeks. Another loss at home against Fresno St. likely ends the first half at 1-5 and while there are a couple winnable games down the stretch, it will not be easy. The O/U win total is 2.5 which seems about right but trying to figure out that third winner, let alone the second, will make over bettors sweat it out. 

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2022 Colorado Buffaloes Preview

by Matt Fargo

Thursday, Jul 07, 2022

Colorado Buffaloes2021-22 Season Record 4-8 (3-6 Pac 12 South) - 6-6-0 ATS - 5-7-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 7Defense - 5OverviewThere was a time when Colorado was a national force in college football back when it was part of the Big 12 and a move to the Pac 12 would have thought the Buffaloes could bring those days back. Instead, it has been nine losing seasons in 10 years not counting the 4-2 COVID-shortened campaign including a 4-8 record last season. They have gone through five coaches and in the second year of Karl Dorrell in 2011, expectations were high in Boulder as 17 starters were back but a 1-4 start derailed any of that and when they lost, they lost big with seven of the eight losses coming by at least 22 points. Dorrell is now on the clock and tried to buy some time by revamping his coaching staff but it will take a big effort to likely keep his job. The early schedule is not in their favor and with just 12 starters back and a poor recruiting class, it could be another tough season. OffenseThe offense was one of the worst in the country last season as Colorado averaged 257.4 ypg and 18.8 ppg, No. 129 and No. 121 respectively and that was with an offense with nine starters back following a breakout the previous season. The Buffaloes do bring seven starters back this season so they should see an improvement and it will come down to quarterback Brendon Lewis, that is if he even wins the job. He was unable to get the ball downfield as he averaged a paltry 5.0 ypa and threw for just 1,540 yards with 10 touchdowns and J.T. Shrout could take over coming back from injury. The running game was better, but not much, as Colorado averaged only 126.2 ypg on the ground with the leading rusher gone. The two top receivers transferred out which they cannot be blamed for, and a young group takes over. The offensive line is also a work in progress and could struggle early. DefenseDefensively, Colorado was not much better. It was ranked 91st or worse in total defense, passing defense and rushing defense and while allowing 17 points or less four times, the other eight games resulted in giving up an average of 35.8 ppg. With only five starters back, there is work to be done and that starts in the secondary. The passing defense was bad and three starters transferred out so this is a raw back end that needs to grown up in a hurry in the pass-happy Pac 12. The defensive line is big and athletic but needs to get a bigger push in not only stopping the run but getting to the quarterback as the Buffaloes had only 14 sacks, tied for No. 126 in the country. Linebacker Carson Wells and his 5.5 sacks have moved on so this group has to come up big and the whole defense needs to take the ball away more after forcing only 14 turnovers last season including just four fumbles. 2022 Season OutlookThere are some good parts in place for Colorado but not enough to contend in the South unless the quarterback situation has a miraculous turnaround. The Buffaloes are in the bottom half of the country in returning production so many newcomers will be asked to step up. The schedule sets up for a 0-4 start as they will be underdogs in all four games as they open at home against TCU as a nine-point underdog and then travel to Air Force and Minnesota to close out nonconference play. UCLA comes to visit in the Pac 12 opener and then it finally gets a quick break with games against Arizona and California before closing the season with six games against teams projected for winning seasons. The Buffaloes win total is set at 3.5 which seems about right based on the strength of this slate and it will take some upsets in the second half of the season to surpass that total. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 07/07/2022

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Jul 07, 2022

The Thursday sports card features MLB and CFL action.Major League Baseball has 13 games on its schedule. Two games throw out the first pitch at 2:10 PM ET. Houston hosts Kansas City with Justin Verlander taking the ball for the Astros against Kris Bubic of the Royals. The Astros are a -350 money line favorite with the total set at 8.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Cincinnati is at home against Pittsburgh, with the Reds pitching Mike Minor against the Pirates’ Roansy Contreras. The Reds are a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Philadelphia Phillies are at home against the Washington Nationals at 4:05 PM ET. Bailey Falter pitches for the Phillies against Joan Adon of the Nationals. Philadelphia is a -180 money line favorite with a total of 10. The Baltimore Orioles play at home against the Los Angeles Angels at 7:05 PM ET. The Orioles turn to Jordan Lyles in their starting rotation against the Angels’ Chase Silseth of the Angels. Baltimore is a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Three more MLB games start at 7:10 PM ET. New York travels to Boston with Gerrit Cole pitching for the Yankees against Josh Winckowski of the Red Sox. The Yankees are a -165 money line road favorite with a total of 9. New York is at home against Miami with the Mets pitching Trevor Williams against the Marlins Daniel Castrano. The Mets are a -170 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Pittsburgh visits Cincinnati with Bryse Wilson pitching for the Pirates against a starting pitcher yet to be named for the Reds. The Atlanta Braves host the St. Louis Cardinals at 7:20 PM ET. The Braves turn to Spencer Strider in their starting rotation against Matthew Liberatore of the Cardinals. Atlanta is a -210 money line favorite with a total of 9. The Chicago White Sox play at home against the Detroit Tigers at 8:10 PM ET. Dylan Cease takes the ball for the White Sox against Beau Brisk for the Tigers. Chicago is a -240 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two MLB games start at 9:40 PM ET. Colorado plays at Arizona with the Rockies turning to Austin Gomber in their rotation against Dallas Keuchel of the Diamondbacks. The Rockies are a -145 money line road favorite at BetRivers with a total of 9.5. San Diego is at home against San Francisco, with Joe Musgrove pitching for the Padres against Logan Webb for the Giants. The Padres are a -130 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. Two MLB games conclude the card at 10:10 PM ET. Los Angeles is at home against Chicago, with the Dodgers pitching Tony Gonsolin against Mark Leiter, Jr. of the Cubs. The Dodgers are a -275 money line favorite with a total of 8. Seattle hosts Toronto with Marco Gonzales pitching for the Mariners against a starting pitcher yet to be determined for the Blue Jays. 

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