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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, MLB and EPL Previews and Odds - 05/17/2022

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, May 17, 2022

The Tuesday sports card features NBA, NHL, MLB, and EPL action.The National Basketball Association begins the Eastern Conference finals with Game 1 of the best-of-seven game series between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat on ESPN at 8:30 PM ET. Miami has won six of their last eight games after beating Philadelphia on the road, 99-90, as a 2-point underdog in the sixth game of their series last Thursday. Boston has won three of their last four after beating Milwaukee in Game 7, 109-81, as a 5-point favorite on Sunday. Miami is a 1.5-point home favorite with the total set at 204 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). The conference semifinals in the National Hockey League begin with two games on TNT. Florida hosts Tampa Bay at 7:07 PM ET. The Panthers won three games in a row after a 4-3 win at Washington on Friday to close out that opening-round series in six games. The Lightning beat Toronto on the road, 2-1, in Game 7 of their first-round series on Sunday. Florida is a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 7. Colorado plays at home against St. Louis at 9:37 PM ET. The Avalanche come off a four-game sweep against Nashville after their 5-3 victory on the road on May 9th. The Blues have won three in a row after beating Minnesota, 5-1, on Thursday to win that series in six games. Colorado is a -215 money line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Tuesday card in Major League Baseball has 18 games on the schedule. The Chicago White Sox play at Kansas City in the opening game of their doubleheader at 2:10 PM ET. Two games throw out the first pitch at 3:10 PM ET. Arizona is at Los Angeles to play the Dodgers in the first game of their doubleheader. St. Louis travels to New York against the Mets. Two MLB games start at 6:10 PM ET. The Mets are at home against the Cardinals in the second game of their doubleheader. Cleveland is at home against Cincinnati as a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two more MLB games begin at 6:40 PM ET. Washington is at Miami. Tampa Bay hosts Detroit as a -280 money line favorite with a total of 7. San Diego visits Philadelphia at 6:45 PM ET. The New York Yankees play at Baltimore at 7:05 PM ET as a -240 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Toronto plays at home against Seattle at 7:07 PM ET as a -130 money line favorite with a total of 8. Two more MLB games begin at 7:10 PM ET. The Chicago White Sox are at Kansas City in the second game of their doubleheader. Houston is at Boston on TBS with both teams priced at -110 with an over/under of 9. Two MLB games start at 7:40 PM ET. Pittsburgh plays at Chicago against the Cubs. Atlanta visits Milwaukee. The Los Angeles Angels play at Texas at 8:05 PM ET as a -130 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. San Francisco travels to Colorado at 8:40 PM ET as a -160 money line road favorite with an over/under of 11.5. Minnesota plays at Oakland at 9:40 PM ET. Arizona travels to Los Angeles to play the Dodgers in the second game of their doubleheader at 10:10 PM  ET. Matchweek 37 in the English Premier League continues with one match on the USA Network at 2:45 PM ET. Liverpool plays at Southampton as a -1.5 goal line road favorite with a total of 3.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and EPL Previews and Odds - 05/16/2022

by Big Al Staff

Monday, May 16, 2022

The Monday sports card features MLB and EPL action.The Monday card in Major League Baseball has 13 games on the schedule. Two games throw out the first pitch at 6:40 PM ET. Miami hosts Washington with Sandy Alcantara pitching for the Marlins against the Nationals’ Aaron Sanchez. Miami is a -220 money line favorite with the total set at 7 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Tampa Bay plays at home versus Detroit, with Corey Kluber being the Rays’ starting pitcher against the Tigers’ Alex Faedo. The New York Yankees visit Baltimore at 7:05 PM ET. Luis Severino pitches for the Yankees against Kyle Bradish of the Orioles. New York is a -220 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Toronto is at home against Seattle at 7:07 PM ET. The Blue Jays pitch Yusei Kikuchi against the Mariners’ Chris Flexen. Toronto is a -165 money line favorite with a total of 8. Two MLB games start at 7:10 PM ET. The New York Mets are at home against St. Louis, with Trevor Williams pitching for the Mets against Miles Mikolas for the Cardinals. New York is a -120 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Boston hosts Houston with the Red Sox pitching Garrett Whitlock against the Astros’ Jake Odorizzi. Boston is a -125 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Two more MLB games begin at 7:40 PM ET. The Chicago Cubs are at home against Pittsburgh. The Cubs tap Wade Miley as their starting pitcher against a Pirates pitcher that has yet to be named. Milwaukee plays at home against Atlanta, with Wily Peralta pitching for the Brewers against Ian Anderson for the Braves. Milwaukee is a -135 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Los Angeles Angels travel to Texas at 8:05 PM ET. Noah Syndergaard pitches for the Angels against Jon Gray for the Rangers. Los Angeles is a -135 money line road favorite with a total of 8. Kansas City hosts the Chicago White Sox at 8:10 PM ET. The Royals pitch Brad Keller against a starting pitcher yet to be determined for the White Sox. San Francisco plays at Colorado at 8:40 PM ET. Alex Wood is the starting pitcher for the Giants against Antonio Senzatela for the Rockies. San Francisco is a -150 money line road favorite with an over/under of 11. Minnesota travels to Oakland at 9:40 PM ET. The Twins pitch Chris Archer against the A’s starting pitcher Zach Logue. Minnesota is a -135 money line road favorite with a total of 7.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers play at home against Arizona at 10:10 PM ET. Tony Gonsolin pitches for the Dodgers against Madison Bumgarner of the Diamondbacks. Los Angeles is a -235 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5.Matchweek 37 in the English Premier League continues with one match on the USA Network at 3 PM ET. Arsenal visits Newcastle United as a -0.5 goal line road favorite at Play MGM with a total of 2.5.

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NBA Conference Finals Preview

by Will Rogers

Monday, May 16, 2022

Conference Finals PreviewWe’re down to the NBA’s version of the “Final Four” as it’s Celtics vs Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals and Mavericks vs. Warriors in the Western Conference Finals.Here’s a preview on both upcoming series.  Celtics vs. Heat - The chalk walked in the East as these are the top two seeds. Boston was the only team to sweep a first round series (over Brooklyn) but was then taken to seven games by Milwaukee. Two of the Celtics’ three losses to the Bucks were by three points or less. Three of the four wins were by double digits. Boston should have won Game 5, so it’s fair to say they were the better team in that last series. Beating Brooklyn and Milwaukee is an impressive path to take here. Miami has beaten Atlanta and Philadelphia, needing five and six games to do so. The Heat have not lost at home in the playoffs and have the home court advantage for the ECF.Boston won two of three regular season meetings. The lone game at Miami was played in November and the Celts won 95-78. They are 3-0 ATS in their last three visits to South Beach and all three of those games stayed Under.The Celtics had the East’s top regular season scoring differential and top scoring defense. If they had home court advantage, they’d be the clear favorite in this series. But they do not. They are still -165 to win the series at Caesars. Miami is #2 in defensive efficiency in the playoffs (Milwaukee was #1) but Boston is #4. Offensively, both are middle of the pack in efficiency and pace.Kyle Lowry is still questionable for Game 1 (hamstring). He has missed six of the last eight games for the Heat and didn’t look good in the two he played. Boston enters the ECF relatively healthy. Jimmy Butler has been the clear standout for Miami. He is averaging 28.7 points and his shooting (52.5% overall, 36.4% from three) has been very good. In particular, Butler’s three-point shooting is way up compared to the regular season.The Celtics are 7-3-1 ATS in the postseason and 7-4 Under. Their games have averaged 210.3 points. The Heat are 7-4 ATS and the Under is 8-2-1. Their 11 playoff games have averaged 204.6 points. Expect low totals in this series. Game 1 opened at 206 and was quickly bet down. Miami is a 1.5-point favorite as of this writing.These are the two franchises with the most ECF appearances, going back to 2005. Miami will be trying to make its sixth NBA Finals in the last 12 years. Boston has lost its last four ECF, two of them to Miami.  Mavericks vs Warriors - After stampeding the Suns in Game 7, Dallas is your surprising Conference Finalist this year. They were the 4-seed and have beaten Utah and Phoenix, needing six and seven games. The Mavs are 8-5 SU in the playoffs, 9-4 ATS and 8-5 Under. Those 13 games have averaged 208.1 points.Golden State is the three seed and now has home court advantage in the WCF. Their playoff games have averaged 224.8 points, a clear outlier from the other three teams discussed today. The Warriors are 8-3 in the playoffs. They needed five games to get rid of the Nuggets and six to get rid of the Grizzlies, who lost Ja Morant along the way. The Warriors are 5-6 ATS and the Under is 7-4. Like Miami, the Warriors have yet to lose at home in the playoffs. They are 6-0 straight up, but just 4-2 ATS. So they are 1-4 ATS on the road. When Dallas is at home, be aware that they allow a league-low 101 points. Golden State allows the second fewest points at home. The Mavs held the Suns to 90 points in Game 7. A trend to be aware of is that the Mavs are 9-0 straight up, 8-0-1 ATS this season if they allowed 90 points or less the last game. Dallas won three of the four regular season matchups. The Over/Under was a 2-2 split. The one road win in the four games came from Dallas, who erased a 12-point halftime deficit on February 27th. Gary Payton II would have likely drawn the defensive assignment against Luka Doncic. But he’s probably out for the series. Doncic averaged 31.5 vs. the Warriors this year. It was the fourth most points scored in a single year against them since Steve Kerr’s first season here (2014-15).Golden State is -260 to win the series at Caesars. 

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The NBA Eastern Conference Finals

by AAA Sports

Monday, May 16, 2022

Remember the Boston Celtics from the first half of this NBA season? Well, you can forget them, because they don’t exist anymore. The .500 Celtics have been replaced with the playoff nightmare that has now taken down the dysfunctional Brooklyn Nets and the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks, and is now turning its hungry eyes southward toward Miami.The Celtics have only one day of rest before they deal with the Heat in Miami in Game 1 of what has become a fascinating Eastern Conference playoffs. That fact, plus the first two games being in South Florida, has hardly fazed oddsmakers who have already installed Boston as the favorite to escape the East and take on either Golden State or Dallas in the Finals. Bovada has the Celtics at -170 in the EC finals, and Miami at +150 – even though Miami is a consensus -2 favorite in Game 1.If the Celtics are tired from their seven-game grinder of a series against the Bucks, the momentum from their 28-point (109-81) Game 7 hammering of the Bucks should help compensate for weary bones. Plus, the Heat have only a day to figure out what to do about a Boston offense that suddenly is fat with production from unlikely sources. What kind of odds could you have gotten at the corner bar on Grant Williams outscoring Giannis Antetokounmpo in Game 7? Or bottom-of-the-rotation guard Payton Pritchard getting big minutes and hit killer 3 after killer 3?This past Sunday’s domination of the Bucks (Boston outscored Milwaukee by a combined total of 38 points in Games 6 and 7) certainly raised eyebrows in South Beach, and no doubt they will try something different to contain Boston superstar-in-the-making Jayson Tatum. Tatum was “held” to 23, 6 rebounds and 8 assists on Sunday as he willingly passed up shots (something he didn’t do early on this season), but Miami knows it will most likely get the Game 6 Tatum (46, 9 and 4). How Erik Spoelstra decides to defend Tatum will be a fascinating for NBA X’s and O’s geeks. Tatum saw a wide array of double-teams when these teams met in the Bubble EC finals a few years ago, but Tatum has since become a more willing facilitator.On the other end of the court, the Heat will have different issues in trying to penetrate Boston’s best-in-the-NBA defense, the one which has gotten the better of Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant over the last three weeks. No small feat. And consider that Boston’s defensive anchor, center Robert Williams, played sparingly in the Milwaukee series due to a leg injury, and he should be good to go against the Heat.Boston coach Ime Udoka gambled, successfully, that he wouldn’t need Robert Williams in Game 7.In the Bubble EC finals the Celtics were drawn and quartered as they tried to defend Bam Adebayo with Daniel Theis. This time around Theis will be a 10-minute-a-game sub and Al Horford is back to deal with Miami’s length at the position. Toss in Robert Williams, who was a non-factor in the 2020 playoffs vs. the Heat, and the Celtics are a different team in the paint. And this time around Boston’s defense doesn’t have to compensate for opposing guards blowing by Kemba Walker and getting to the rim.In addition to Boston being favored to win this series, the Celtics are listed at +210 to +240 to win the NBA title, depending on the book. That’s after opening the season at +5000. Miami is +440 to +500, after starting the season at +3500.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, MLB and EPL Previews and Odds - 05/15/2022

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, May 15, 2022

The Sunday sports card features NBA, NHL, MLB, and EPL action.The National Basketball Association concludes the conference semifinals with two playoff games. Boston hosts Milwaukee on ABC at 3:30 PM ET. The Celtics forced a seventh game of this series with a 108-95 upset victory on the road against the Bucks as a 1.5-point underdog on Friday. Boston is a 5-point favorite with the total set at 206.5. Phoenix plays at home against Dallas on TNT at 8 PM ET. The Mavericks made it a 3-3 series with their 113-86 upset win as a 2-point underdog at home in Game 6 on Friday. The Suns are a 6.5-point favorite with an over/under of 205.Two Game 7s are on the slate to conclude the first round of the National Hockey League playoffs. The New York Rangers are at home against Pittsburgh on TBS at 7:07 PM ET. They forced a Game 7 with their 5-3 victory on the road against the Penguins on Friday. New York is a -140 money line favorite with a total of 6.5. Calgary is at home against Dallas on ESPN2 at 9:37 PM ET. The Stars won Game 6 of this series to even things at 3-3 with a 4-2 victory on Friday. The Flames are a -190 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Sunday card in Major League Baseball has 15 games on the schedule. Atlanta hosts San Diego on Peacock at 11:35 AM ET as a -115 money line favorite with a total of 8. Two more MLB games start at 1:35 PM ET. Houston travels to Washington as a -195 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. Pittsburgh plays at home against Cincinnati as a -135 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Four MLB games throw out the first pitch at 1:40 PM ET. The New York Mets are at home against Seattle as a -135 money line favorite with an over/under of 7. Milwaukee visits Miami as a -165 money line road favorite with a total of 7. Detroit is at home against Baltimore as a -135 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Toronto plays at Tampa Bay as a -130 money line road favorite with a total of 7.5. Two MLB games start at 2:10 PM ET. The New York Yankees travel to Chicago to play the White Sox as a -120 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. Minnesota hosts Cleveland as a -140 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. Texas is at home against Boston at 2:35 PM ET as a -120 money line favorite at William Hill with an over/under of 8.5. Colorado plays at home against Kansas City at 3:10 PM ET as a -135 money line favorite with a total of 10.5. The Los Angeles Angels play at Oakland at 4:07 PM ET as a -125 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7. Two more MLB games begin at 4:10 PM ET. Arizona hosts the Chicago Cubs as a -125 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers are at home against Philadelphia as a -110 money line favorite at William Hill with an over/under of 8. Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN has San Francisco playing at St. Louis on ESPN at 7:08 PM ET. The Giants are a -150 money line road favorite with a total of 7.Matchweek 37 of the English Premier League starts with seven matches. Tottenham hosts Burnley at 7 AM ET on the USA Network as a -1.5 goal line favorite with an over/under of 3 (all soccer odds from Play MGM). Five matches begin at 9 AM ET. Aston Villa is at home against Crystal Palace on Peacock as a -0.5 goal line favorite with a total of 2.5. Brighton and Hove Albion visit Watford as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Manchester City is at West Ham United on the USA Network as a -1.5 goal line road favorite with a total of 3. Wolverhampton plays at home against Norwich City on Peacock as a -1 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Everton hosts Brentford on the USA Network at 11:30 AM ET as a -0.5 goal line favorite with a total of 2.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NHL and MLB Previews and Odds - 05/14/2022

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, May 14, 2022

The Saturday sports card features NHL and MLB action.Three Game 7s are on the slate in the first round of the National Hockey League playoffs. Carolina hosts Boston on ESPN at 4:37 PM ET. The Bruins forced a Game 7 with their 5-2 victory on Thursday. The Hurricanes are a -135 money line favorite, with the total set at 5.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Toronto plays at home against Tampa Bay on TNT at 7:07 PM ET. The Lightning evened this series at 3-3 with a 4-3 victory in overtime on Thursday. The Maple Leafs are a -125 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. Edmonton is at home against Los Angeles on ESPN at 10:07 PM ET. The Oilers beat the Kings on the road, 4-2, on the Thursday to avoid elimination and force this Game 7. Edmonton is a -210 money line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Saturday card in Major League Baseball has 16 games on its schedule. St. Louis hosts San Francisco at 2:15 PM ET. The Cardinals pitch Dakota Hudson against the Giants' Jakob Junis. St. Louis is a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Atlanta plays at home against San Diego on FS1 at 4:05 PM ET. Charlie Morton pitches for the Braves against Sean Manaea of the Padres. Atlanta is a -135 money line favorite with a total of 8. The Los Angeles Angels visit Oakland in the opening game of their double-header at 4:07 PM ET. The Angels pitch Jhonathon Diaz against the A's Paul Blackburn. Los Angeles is a -120 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Detroit is at home against Baltimore at 4:10 PM ET. Michael Pineda is the starting pitcher for the Tigers against Bruce Zimmermann of the Orioles. Detroit is a -120 money line favorite with a total of 7.5.Two games throw out the first pitch at 6:10 PM ET. Milwaukee plays at Miami. The Brewers pitch Eric Lauer against the Marlins' Trevor Rogers. Milwaukee is a -140 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7. Toronto travels to Tampa Bay with Hyun-Jin Ryu pitching for the Blue Jays against Ryan Yarbrough of the Rays. Cincinnati is at Pittsburgh at 6:35 PM ET. Louis Castillo goes for the Reds against Zach Thompson of the Pirates.Two MLB games start at 7:05 PM ET Boston plays at Texas at 7:05 PM ET with Rich Hill pitching for the Red Sox against Glenn Otto of the Rangers. Houston visits Washington with the Astros pitching Cristian Javier against the Nationals' Erick Fedde. Houston is a -165 money line road favorite with a total of 9. Three more MLB games begin at 7:10 PM ET. The New York Yankees play at Chicago against the White Sox ,with Jordan Montgomery pitching for the Yankees against Dallas Keuchel of the White Sox. New York is a -155 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The New York Mets are at home against Seattle, with the Mets pitching Chris Bassitt against the Mariners' George Kirby. New York is a -165 money line favorite with a total of 7. Cleveland plays at Minnesota with Shane Bieber pitching for the Guardians against Devin Smeltzer of the Twins.Two MLB games start at 8:10 PM ET. Colorado hosts Kansas City with the Rockies pitching German Marquez against the Royals' Daniel Lynch. Colorado is a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 10.5. Arizona plays at home against Chicago Cubs with Zac Gallen pitching for the Diamondbacks against Kyle Hendricks of the Cubs. Arizona is a -160 money line favorite with a total of 7.5.The Los Angeles Angels play at Oakland in the second game of their doubleheader at 9:40 PM ET. Michael Lorenzen pitches for the Angels against Adam Oller of the A's. Philadelphia is at Los Angeles to play the Dodgers at 10:10 PM ET. The Phillies pitch Ranger Suarez against the Dodgers' Julio Urias.

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NFL Draft Winners & Losers

by ASA, Inc.

Friday, May 13, 2022

Winners Jets: We won’t talk too much about the Jets because the general consensus is that they dominated the draft. Its easy to pick good players with so many choices in the 1st round but New York may have gotten the top CB, WR, DE, and RB with their first four selections. Jermaine Johnson dropped all the way to 26 and capped off one of the best 1st round drafts we have seen in years.  Chiefs: The loss of Tyreek Hill will hurt, and Kansas City was a prime candidate to take an early wide receiver. Unfortunately, the top six WRs went before their first pick. Like any well-run team, they simply capitalized on other talent available and got two elite players in Trent McDuffie (CB) and George Karlaftis (EDGE). Sky Moore (WR) in the 2nd round is a perfect fit for Andy Reid and may turn out to be just as productive as one of the top six WRs taken. Leo Channel (LB) in the 3rd is one of our favorite additions for the Chiefs as he runs 4.53, has a 40+ inch vertical, and stands 6’3 250lbs.  Packers: The Packers had an eerily similar draft to that of KC while having similar needs. With no WRs available, Green Bay loaded the defensive side of the ball and will have one of the best overall defenses in the league this year. Two of Georgia’s best players (Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt) from their historic National Championship team will boost a defense that finished 9th in yards allowed in 2021. Christian Watson (WR) is the wild card of the Packers draft. Standing 6’4, 208lbs, he can fly at 4.36 speed and made the FCS competition at NDSU look like JV players. Romeo Doubs (WR) in the 4th round will also help the back to back MVP feel comfortable without Davonte Adams.    Losers Jaguars: With lots of draft capital per usual, the Jags did not impress. It was probably a tall task to try and trade the first overall pick because of the plethora of options available this draft. Still, Devin Lloyd at the end of the 1st round did not feel like a win. With all of the offensive lineman and receiver talent still available at that spot, Jacksonville chose not to invest in Trevor Lawrence’s future. Instead, they would rather overpay average veterans Christian Kirk and Zay Jones.  Bears: What does Justin Fields have to do to get some help? Chicago invested a lot to move up for Fields last year. Many rookies struggle in year one, but to go into year two while fielding one of the worst receiving groups in the NFL is worrisome. They did add speedy (4.31) WR Velus Jones in the 3rd, however he is not a real rookie threat in that offense. Every team in the NFL seems to have put a premium on obtaining offensive weaponry, yet both the Jags and Bears failed to help out their young QBs who could see their growth stunted before given a true chance to succeed. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, MLB and EPL Previews and Odds - 05/13/2022

by Big Al Staff

Friday, May 13, 2022

The Friday sports card features NBA, NHL, MLB, and EPL action.The National Basketball Association continues the conference semifinals with two playoff games on ESPN. Milwaukee hosts Boston at 7:30 PM ET. The Bucks come off a 110-107 upset victory on the road against the Celtics as a 4.5- point underdog on Wednesday. They took a 3- 2 lead in this series with the win. Milwaukee is a 1.5-point favorite with the total set at 211 (all odds from DraftKings).Golden State plays at home against Memphis at 10 PM ET. The Grizzlies come off a 134-95 victory against the Warriors as a 4-point underdog on Wednesday.  Golden State still has a 3-2 lead in the series. The Warriors are an 8-point favorite with an over/under of 217.5.Three games are on the slate in the first round of the National Hockey League playoffs. The New York Rangers visit Pittsburgh on TNT at 7:00 PM ET. TheRangers took the fifth game of this series with their 5-3 victory on Wednesday. The Penguins still hold a 3-2 lead in this series. The Rangers are a -120 money line favorite with the total set at 6.Florida travels to Washington on TBS at 7:37 PM ET. The Panthers have a 3-2 lead in this series after a 5-3 victory on Wednesday. Florida is a -185  money line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5.Calgary visits Dallas on TNT at 9:37 PM ET. The Flames took a 3-2 lead in this series with a 3-1 victory against the Stars on Wednesday. Calgary is a -160 money line road favorite with a total of 5.5.The Friday card in Major League Baseball has 15 games on the schedule.  Pittsburgh plays at home against Cincinnati at 6:35 PM ET as a -120 moneyline favorite with an over/under of 8. Milwaukee travels to Miami at 6:40 PM ET as a -145 money line road favorite with a total of 6.5.Houston is on the road against Washington at 7:05 PM ET as a -155 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. Three more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:10 PM ET.  The New York Mets are at home against Seattle as a -225 money line favorite with a total of 7. Detroit hosts Baltimore as a -150 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Toronto visits Tampa Bay as a -120 money line road favorite with a total of 6.5. Atlanta plays at home against San Diego at 7:20 PM ET as a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5.Texas is at home against Boston at 8:05 PM ET as a -120 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Two more MLB games begin at 8:10 PM ET. The New YorkYankees travel to Chicago to play the White Sox as a -170 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. Minnesota is at home against Cleveland as a -165 money line favorite with a total of 8. San Francisco visits St. Louis at 8:15 PM ET as a -120 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Colorado hosts Kansas City at 8:40 PM ET as a -140 money line favorite with a total of 10.5.Two MLB games start at 9:40 PM ET. Arizona plays at home against the Chicago Cubs as a -125 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The LosAngeles Angels are at Oakland as a -145 money line road favorite with a total of 8. The Los Angeles Dodgers are at home against Philadelphia as a -225 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, MLB, and EPL Previews and Odds - 05/12/2022

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, May 12, 2022

The Thursday sports card features NBA, NHL, MLB, and EPL action.The National Basketball Association continues the conference semifinals with two playoff games on ESPN. Philadelphia hosts Miami at 7 PM ET. The Heat took a 3-2 lead in this series with a 120-85 victory against the 76ers as a 2.5-point favorite on Tuesday. Philadelphia is a 2-point favorite with the total set at 207 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Phoenix visits Dallas at 9:30 PM ET. The Suns have a 3-2 series lead after their 110-80 victory against the Mavericks as a 6.5-point favorite on Tuesday. Phoenix is a 2-point road favorite with an over/under of 212. Four games are on the slate in the first round of the National Hockey League playoffs. Boston plays at home against Carolina on TNT at 7:07 PM ET. The Hurricanes won Game 5, 5-1, to take a 3-2 series lead on Tuesday. The Bruins are a -130 money line favorite with a total of 6. Tampa Bay is at home against Toronto on TBS at 7:37 PM ET. The Maple Leafs have a 3-2 series lead after beating the Lightning, 4-3, on Tuesday. Tampa Bay is a -130 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. St. Louis hosts Minnesota on TNT at 9:37 PM ET. The Blues have a 3-2 series lead with their 5-2 victory against the Wild on Tuesday. St. Louis is a -110 money line favorite with a total of 6.5. Edmonton travels to Los Angeles on TBS at 10:07 PM ET. The Kings won Game 5, 5-4 in overtime, to take a 3-2 series lead. The Oilers are a -135 money line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5.The Thursday card in Major League Baseball has eight games on its schedule. The New York Mets play at Washington at 1:05 PM ET as a -155 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Oakland visits Detroit at 1:10 PM ET. Baltimore is at St. Louis at 1:15 PM ET. Houston travels to Minnesota at 3:10 PM ET as a -130 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Pittsburgh hosts Cincinnati at 6:35 PM ET as a -140 money line favorite with a total of 8. Texas plays at home against Kansas City at 8:05 PM ET as a -135 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Chicago White Sox are at home against the New York Yankees at 8:10 PM ET as a -145 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Los Angeles Dodgers host Philadelphia at 10:10 PM ET as a -150 money line favorite with a total of 8.Matchweek 38 in the English Premier League concludes with Tottenham playing at home against Arsenal on the USA Network at 2:45 PM ET. The Hotspurs are unbeaten in their last three matches after earning a 1-1 draw at Liverpool on Saturday. The Gunners are on a four-match winning streak after beating Leeds United, 1-0, on Sunday. Arsenal is in fourth place in the EPL table with 68 points, four points above the fifth-place Spurs. Tottenham is a -0.5 goal line favorite at Play MGM with an over/under of 2.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB, EPL, NHL and NBA Previews and Odds - 05/11/2022

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

The Wednesday sports card features NBA, NHL, MLB, and EPL action.The National Basketball Association continues the conference semifinals with two playoff games on TNT. Boston hosts Milwaukee at 7 PM ET. The Celtics evened this series at 2-2 with a 116-108 upset win against the Bucks as a 2-point underdog on Monday. Boston is a 5.5-point favorite with the total set at 214.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Golden State visits Memphis at 9:30 PM ET. The Warriors took a 3-1 series lead with a 101-98 victory against the Grizzlies as a 9.5-point favorite on Monday. Golden State is a 4-point road favorite with an over/under of 218.5. Three games are on the slate in the first round of the National Hockey League playoffs. The New York Rangers play at home against Pittsburgh on ESPN at 7:07 PM ET. The Penguins have a 3-1 lead in this series after their 7-2 victory against the Rangers on Monday. New York is a -135 money line favorite with a total of 6. Florida is at home against Washington on ESPN2 at 7:37 PM ET. The Panthers evened this series at 2-2 with their 3-2 victory against the Capitals on Monday. Florida is a -225 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.5.Calgary hosts Dallas on ESPN at 9:37 PM ET. The Flames made this a best-of-three series with a 4-1 victory on the road against the Stars in Game 4 on Monday. Calgary is a -220 money line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Wednesday card in Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. Three games throw out the first pitch at 12:35 PM ET. The Los Angeles Dodgers play at Pittsburgh. The New York Yankees are at home against Toronto as a -140 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Milwaukee visits Cincinnati as a -195 money line road favorite with a total of 9. The Chicago White Sox play at home against Cleveland at 2:10 PM ET as a -145 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two MLB games start at 3:40 PM ET. Arizona plays at home against Miami as a -120 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. Philadelphia is at Seattle. San Francisco hosts Colorado at 3:45 PM ET as a -210 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Chicago Cubs travel to San Diego at 4:10 PM ET. The New York Mets visit Washington at 7:05 PM ET as a -180 money line road favorite with a total of 8. The Los Angeles Angels are at home against Tampa Bay on FS1 as a -125 money line favorite with an over/under of 7. Detroit plays at home against Oakland at 7:10 PM ET as a -120 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. Atlanta hosts Boston at 7:20 PM ET as a -130 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Houston travels to Minnesota at 7:40 PM ET as a -125 money line road favorite with a total of 8. St. Louis is at home against Baltimore at 7:45 PM ET as a -210 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Kansas City plays at Texas at 8:05 PM ET.Matchweek 36 in the English Premier League continues with four matches. Chelsea visits Leeds United on Peacock at 2:30 PM ET as a -1 goal line road favorite at Play MGM with a total of 3. Two more EPL matches begin at 2:45 PM ET. Leicester City plays at home against Norwich City on Peacock as a -1 goal line favorite with an over/under of 3. Everton is at Watford on Peacock as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with a total of 2.5. Manchester City travels to Wolverhampton on the USA Network at 3:15 PM ET as a -1.5 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 3.

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State of the Bundesliga Entering the Final Weekend

by Power Sports

Tuesday, May 10, 2022

Entering the final weekend of the 2021/22 Bundesliga season, three Champions League spots have been clinched while the fourth is very much up for grabs as are the other European places. The relegation battle has also gotten quite interesting.Bayern Munich clinched their 10th consecutive Bundesliga title a few weeks ago. Borussia Dortmund (clinched 2nd) and Bayer Leverkusen (clinched 3rd) will join Bayern in next season’s Champions League. The fourth spot will go to either RB Leipzig (57 points) or Freiburg (55). Leipzig is a monster favorite (as high as -400 in some shops) this weekend at relegation-threatened Arminia Bielefeld. Freiburg, who will travel to face a Leverkusen side that has nothing to play for, will need to win AND have Leipzig lose to move into fourth. Leipzig would clinch fourth with a draw as they will finish with a better goal differential than Freiburg.Leipzig and Freiburg will also meet next weekend in the DFB Pokal Final. The winner of that competition is automatically assured a place in next year’s Europa League, but since both of this year’s finalists are already assured of European football next season, a second Europa League spot has opened up to the Bundesliga.Assuming Leipzig and Freiburg finish in fourth and fifth place in the German top flight, it won’t matter who wins the Pokal, aside from the actual hardware up for grabs. Leipzig, who was just eliminated from this year’s Europa League (semifinal loss to the Rangers last week), is already assured of no “worse” than being back in that competition for 2022/23. But of course their main goal right now is to finish fourth in the Bundesliga standings (thus earning a spot in the Champions League) and then win the Pokal.If Freiburg does not win this weekend, that opens the door for Union Berlin (54 points) to pass them. Union’s final opponent is Bochum, who has nothing to play for. The seventh Bundesliga team that has clinched European football next season is FC Koln (52 points). They are likely headed to the Europa Conference League unless they can pass Union into sixth, which would mean the Europa League. Koln faces relegation-threatened Stuttgart this weekend.  Note that if Freiburg loses to Leverkusen this weekend and is passed by BOTH Union Berlin and Koln, a slight possibility depending on how goal differential plays out, then there would be the possibility of three Bundesliga teams in the Europa League. That’s if Freiburg ends up seventh in the Bundesliga table and wins the Pokal. If that happens, then there would be no Bundesliga side in the Europa Conference League next season.The bottom two Bundesliga sides are automatically relegated. We already know one of them (Greuther Furth), who was assured of a last place finish long ago. Arminia Bielefeld currently sits second from the bottom (27 points) and can do no worse than the relegation playoff, which is where the third worst finisher ends up. Currently third from the bottom is Stuttgart (30 points). To avoid automatic relegation, Bielefeld must win this weekend (against Leipzig!), have Stuttgart lose (to Koln) AND somehow finish with a better goal differential. Bielefeld’s GD is currently -26 while Stuttgart’s is -19.Assuming that unlikely scenario does not play out, then the team that ends up in the relegation playoff will be either Stuttgart or Hertha Berlin (33 points). The latter blew an opportunity to clinch safety when it lost to Mainz last weekend. All Hertha would need this week is a draw vs. Dortmund (who will be saying goodbye to Erling Haaland) to avoid the relegation playoff. But if they lose and Stuttgart wins, then Stuttgart will finish with a better goal differential and move past.  The relegation playoff is between the third worst finisher in the Bundesliga (will be either Hertha/Stuttgart/Bielefeld) and the third place team in the 2, who is still to be determined. We already know current second division leader Schalke 04 is assured of promotion and will replace Greuther Furth in the top flight next season. The second automatic promotion is also up for grabs on the final weekend.But perhaps the biggest story this week in the Bundesliga is the impending departure of Dortmund star Erling Haaland to the Premier League (Manchester City). So much has been written about the state of the Bundesliga and how it’s almost becoming a “feeder” league for the EPL. It is likely that Bayern Munich may be saying goodbye to Robert Lewandowski. The league losing its two best players would be such a blow to German football fans next season.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, MLB and EPL Previews and Odds - 05/10/2022

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, May 10, 2022

The Tuesday sports card features NBA, NHL, MLB, and EPL action.The National Basketball Association continues the conference semifinals with two playoff games on TNT. Miami hosts Philadelphia at 7:30 PM ET. The 76ers evened this series at 2-2 with their 116-108 victory as a 2-point favorite on Sunday. The Heat are a 3-point favorite with the total set at 209.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise).Phoenix is at home against Dallas at 10 PM ET. The Mavericks evened this series at 2-2 with their 111-101 upset victory as a 3-point underdog on Sunday. The Suns are a 6-point favorite with an over/under of 213.Four games are on the slate in the first round of the National Hockey League playoffs. Carolina plays at home against Boston on ESPN at 7:07 PM ET. The Bruins evened this series at 2-2 with their 5-2 win against the Hurricanes on Sunday. Carolina is a -150 money line favorite with a total of 6. Toronto is at home against Tampa Bay on ESPN2 at 7:37 PM ET. The Lightning made this a 2-2 series with their 7-3 victory at home on Sunday. The Maple Leafs are a -130 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. Minnesota plays at home against St. Louis on ESPN at 9:37 PM ET. The Blues evened this series at 2-2 with their 5-2 victory on Sunday. The Wild are a -145 money line favorite with a total of 6.5. Edmonton hosts Los Angeles on ESPN2 at 10:07 PM ET. The Kings beat the Oilers, 4-0, on Sunday to pull even in this series at 2-2. Edmonton is a -225 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Tuesday card in Major League Baseball has 16 games on the schedule. Detroit is at home against Oakland in the first game of their afternoon doubleheader at 1:10 PM ET as a -115 money line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The A’s will bat last in the opener as the technical home team in a scheduling quirk to accommodate the late start to the season after the labor agreement. The Tigers will bat last as the home team in the nightcap at 4:10 PM ET. The Los Angeles Dodgers visit Pittsburgh at 6:35 PM ET as a -235 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. Milwaukee plays at Cincinnati at 6:40 PM ET as a -200 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Two more MLB games begin at 7:05 PM ET. Washington is at home against the New York Mets. The New York Yankees are at home against Toronto as a -160 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Atlanta hosts Boston at 7:20 PM ET as a -130 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. Houston visits Minnesota at 7:40 PM ET as a -135 money line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. Baltimore plays at St. Louis at 7:45 PM ET.Texas is at home against Kansas City at 8:05 PM ET as a -135 money line favorite with a total of 8. The Chicago White Sox are at home against Cleveland at 8:10 PM ET as a -190 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Tampa Bay travels to Los Angeles to play the Angels at 9:38 PM ET as a -120 money line road favorite with a total of 8. Three MLB games start at 9:40 PM ET. The Chicago Cubs play at San Diego. Miami travels to Arizona as a -140 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Philadelphia is at Seattle as a -120 money line road favorite with a total of 7. San Francisco hosts Colorado at 9:45 PM ET as a -195 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.Matchweek 36 in the English Premier League continues with one match on the USA Network at 3 PM ET. Liverpool plays at Aston Villa as a -1.5 goal line road favorite at DraftKings with a total of 2.5.

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