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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and EPL Previews and Odds - 05/28/2023

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, May 28, 2023

The Sunday sports card features action in MLB and EPL.The Sunday card in Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The Los Angeles Dodgers visit Tampa Bay to play the Rays on Peacock at 11:35 AM ET. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 1:35 PM ET. The New York Yankees host the San Diego Padres as a -145 money-line favorite, with the total set at 7.5 (all MLB odds from DraftKings). The Baltimore Orioles play at home against the Texas Rangers as a -140 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. Two MLB games start at 1:40 PM ET. The St. Louis Cardinals are in Cleveland to play the Guardians as a -140 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The Detroit Tigers are at home against the Chicago White Sox as a -155 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.Three MLB games begin at 2:10 PM ET. The Washington Nationals play in Kansas City against the Royals, with both teams priced at -110 with a total of 9. The Toronto Blue Jays visit Minnesota to play the Twins as a -115 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The San Francisco Giants are in Milwaukee to play the Brewers as a -130 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The Chicago Cubs host the Cincinnati Reds at 2:20 PM ET as a -155 money-line favorite. The New York Mets travel to Colorado to play the Rockies at 3:10 PM ET as a -145 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 12.5.Two MLB games start at 4:07 PM ET. The Houston Astros play in Oakland against the A’s as a -250 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The Los Angeles Angels are at home against the Miami Marlins as a -140 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two more MLB games begin at 4:10 PM ET. The Arizona Diamondbacks play at home against the Boston Red Sox as a -115 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The Seattle Mariners host the Pittsburgh Pirates as a -150 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN has the Atlanta Braves playing at home against the Philadelphia Phillies at 7:10 PM ET. The Braves are a -265 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5.The English Premier League completes its season with Matchweek 38’s ten matches starting at 11:30 AM ET. Arsenal plays at home against Wolverhampton as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3.5 (all soccer odds from BetMGM). Aston Villa hosts Brighton and Hove Albion as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 3. Manchester City plays at Brentford as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 3. Newcastle United visits Chelsea in a pick ‘em match with a total of 2.5. Crystal Palace plays at home against Nottingham Forest as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Everton is at home against Bournemouth on the USA Network as a -1 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. Tottenham travels to Leeds United on CNBC as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Leicester City hosts West Ham United as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. Manchester United plays at home against Fulham as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Liverpool is at Southampton as a -1.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 3.5.

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Lionel Messi: What’s Next?

by Amedeus Mastrangelo

Saturday, May 27, 2023

There has been a lot of speculation about what move is next for the Argentine footballer Lionel Messi as his contract with Paris Saint-Germain is set to expire this summer. Messi just won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with Argentina this past December and now after just 2 years of playing in France, will be on the move once again.  Where To?Taking a look at the oddsmakers, the books have quite a few possible clubs that Messi could sign with this summer if looking to wager on it but there are 3 clubs that really stand out as the 3 favorites. These 3 clubs that have the best chance of signing Messi are Barcelona from La Liga, Al Hilal Riyadh from the Saudi Pro League, and Inter Miami from the MLS. Inter Miami is listed at +600 and is the least likely to sign him of these 3 clubs, but there has been talks for years about Messi joining Miami in a move to the MLS and it simply has not happened yet as Messi feels like he can still play at a very competitive level. This leaves us with only 2 possibilities of where Messi could be headed in the summer and PSG is definitely not one of them as there is no reasonable scenario that would see Messi wearing a PSG kit once again come fall. The only 2 realistic options for Messi to go to this summer would be to either reunite with his former club Barcelona in La Liga, or to ink a deal with Al Hilal Riyadh in the Saudi Pro League, and there is a clear favorite here despite the oddsmakers having both Barcelona and Al Hilal Riyadh listed at -110.It all started back in December during the 2022 Qatar World Cup when Cristiano Ronaldo was dealing with issues at Manchester United which forced him to leave the club and as a result, he was offered a deal from Al Nassr to play in the Saudi Pro League which he took after Portugal was eliminated from the World Cup. Ronaldo was the 1st piece of the puzzle in a Saudi Pro League looking to expand and create more excitement by attracting some of the world’s biggest stars, and they have done nothing but gain steam since inking that deal with Ronaldo. Flash forward to a few weeks ago when a possible future with PSG was ruled out once and for all as PSG handed Messi a suspension for an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia to talk with the club Al Hilal Riyadh. It is very clear by now that Al Hilal Riyadh is the clear favorite to get the World Cup winning star this summer and the books tend to agree with their line movement that has been very telling. Back in January after Ronaldo signed with Al Nassr, the books still did not take this club seriously as Al Hilal Riyadh was listed as a +800 to land Messi in the summer. Then, just a few weeks ago before receiving his suspension, the odds had moved down to +300 for him to sign with the Saudi club. Now we are at the end of the European seasons after Messi was handed his suspension from PSG and the odds have Al Hilal Riyadh listed at -110 with Barcelona when Barcelona was -200 just a few weeks ago. Lionel Messi’s transfer to the Saudi Pro League has been doing nothing but gaining steam over the last few months and at this point in time, it pretty much feels inevitable that he is going to sign with Al Hilal Riyadh come fall.  The ComplicationsAt first glance, the possibility of Messi reuniting with Barcelona seems like the most reasonable avenue for him to go, but in reality, there are a lot of complications that are preventing this from happening, leading to Al Hilal Riyadh being the move that makes the most sense. Barcelona recently got themselves caught up in a lot of financial issues this year and after all of the signings they made last summer, but were already unable to register all of their players, they now find themselves over 200 million Euros above what their payroll should be for next season. Finding the money to pay off the outstanding balance will be no easy task though as they must pay that down just to get to their max payroll and will still have to sell players after that to be able to buy once again. All of their transactions are also going to be under a microscope after La Liga launched a corruption investigation on Barcelona’s finances this past year. Furthermore, Messi is at the backend of his career and as much as he still wants to play competitively in Champions League, he is also more focused on enjoying the game with his friends which is why he put in a request to Barcelona to sign his World Cup teammates, both Angel Di Maria and Leandro Paredes, which complicates things even more as Bracelona will barely have the money to sign Messi let alone 2 of his friends. Another issue that Messi is dealing with is the fact that he may get no say at all in where he goes as his father is his agent and his father is a man that is very driven by money. Al Hilal Riyadh has made such a lucrative offer that the financially unstable Barcelona will never be able to match and that might just be enough to tip his father in the direction of the Saudi Pro League.This also makes more sense as Al Hilal Riyadh has a lot more money to spend and would have no issues signing both Messi and di Maria, as well as also signing Messi’s good friend and former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets who is set to leave Barcelona this summer.  What It Means For The SportLet’s get something straight here, Messi will not be going to the Saudi Pro League to play with Ronaldo, he will be going to play against Ronaldo and revive their old La Liga rivalry there. For the Saudi Pro League, this could be a very exciting time for viewers as bigger stars come to the league and try to grow the league even more.As for the rest of the world, the change does not really have a massive impact on the big clubs in Europe. Both Messi and Ronaldo have had such great careers and as good as both players still are, neither player is going to have the massive impact on a team that they would have had a few years ago. Seeing the departure of Messi and Ronaldo from Europe could also be a positive as it sets the stage for younger stars to make their way through such as Mbappe, Haaland, and Rashford just to name a few.In conclusion, a move to the Saudi Pro League can only be good for the world of football and it is the move that by far makes the most sense for Messi so expect to see Lionel Messi in an Al Hilal Riyadh kit come this fall.

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Vegas Writer's Daily Recap - May 27, 2023

by Vegas Writer

Saturday, May 27, 2023

Limited action to recap for Friday, as there was baseball and WNBA.In the WNBA, the Washington Mystics barely snuck by the Chicago Sky, as the two battled to the end. The Mystics, who laid -5 1/2, won by just two points, 71-69. The final tally fell well below the posted 157.The Dallas Wings, meanwhile, had their hands full in Seattle, as the Storm kept things tight before falling 95-91. The Wings failed to cover the 4 1/2 points, and the final score soared past the 161 total.Two games on today's card, but I'm taking a pass.Six of the 13 underdogs won Friday on the MLB diamond, while there were a couple of pick'em games. The most notable underdog victory had to be the Pittsburgh Pirates (+140 DraftKings) in their 11-6 win over the Seattle Mariners. The Bucs registered their second double-digit output in seven games, and have quietly split their last eight games behind an offense that is hitting .286 and scoring an average of nearly six runs per game since May 17. They've also stroked 10 home runs in that span.A full slate of baseball and I have a top total from baseball. I'm still on an 89-77-4 run for $7,390 net profit since April 17. I'm also on a 23-19 run with ALL SPORTS TOTALS. Tonight I have my American League Total of the Month, the absolute best play I see on today's card.No NBA or NHL last night, but certainly are a pair of teams that are looking to get to the championship round next.The Miami Heat host the Boston Celtics tonight in Game 6 in the Eastern Conference Finals.I have Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, where I have NBA Side Winner # 30 of 47. Despite yesterday's showing, I'm still on an 89-77-4 run for $7,390 net profit since April 17, including a 43-26-2 NBA roll for $14,350 net profit. Let's cash in with NBA SIDE WINNER # 30 OF 47.And the Vegas Golden Knights host the Dallas Stars in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final.NHL Notes: Road teams are 44-37 in the postseason. Underdogs are 38-41 in the postseason, with a $100 wager on the pups turning a profit of roughly $1200. The Over is 41-39-1, but the Under has cashed 30 of the last 51 games. There have been 23 overtime games, and road teams are 15-8 in those games. NHL favorites higher than -150 are 14-33 on the puck line this postseason.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL and MLB Previews and Odds - 05/27/2023

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, May 27, 2023

The Saturday sports card features action in the NBA, NHL, and MLB.The National Basketball Association playoffs continue with the Boston Celtics visiting the Miami Heat on TNT at 8:30 PM ET in the sixth game of the Eastern Conference finals. The Celtics forced a sixth game in this series with their 110-97 victory at home as an 8.5-point favorite on Thursday. The Heat still hold a 3-2 series edge. Boston is a 2.5-point road favorite, with the total set at 210.5 (all odds from DraftKings). The National Hockey League playoffs continue with the Vegas Golden Knights playing at home against the Dallas Stars on ABC at 8:05 PM ET in the fifth game of the Western Conference finals. The Stars kept their season alive with a 3-2 win at home on Thursday. The Golden Knights have a 3-1 series lead. Vegas is a -145 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5.The Saturday card in Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The New York Yankees are at home against the San Diego Padres at 1:05 PM ET as a -145 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Detroit Tigers host the Chicago White Sox at 1:10 PM ET as a -115 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Toronto Blue Jays visit Minnesota to play the Twins at 2:10 PM ET, with both teams priced at -110 with a total of 8. The Baltimore Orioles play at home against the Texas Rangers at 4:05 PM ET as a -120 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Houston Astros are in Oakland to play the A’s at 4:07 PM ET.Five MLB games throw out the first pitch at 4:10 PM ET. The Washington Nationals travel to Kansas City to play the Royals, with both teams priced at -110 with a total of 9. The Seattle Mariners are at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates as a -205 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Milwaukee Brewers host the San Francisco Giants as a -115 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Tampa Bay Rays play at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers as a -115 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Atlanta Braves are at home against the Philadelphia Phillies on FS1 as a -135 money-line favorite with a total of 9. Three MLB games are on Fox’s regional coverage starting at 7:15 PM ET. The Chicago Cubs host the Cincinnati Reds as a -170 money-line favorite. The Boston Red Sox play in Arizona against the Diamondbacks as a -125 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. The St. Louis Cardinals are in Cleveland to play the Guardians as a -135 money-line road favorite with a total of 9.5. The New York Mets visit Colorado to play the Rockies at 9:10 PM ET as a -200 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 11. The Los Angeles Angels play at home against the Miami Marlins at 10:07 PM ET as a -200 money-line favorite with a total of 8.

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Vegas Writer's Daily Recap - May 26, 2023

by Vegas Writer

Friday, May 26, 2023

The Boston Celtics not only stayed alive Thursday night, but they covered the number with a blowout win over the Miami Heat.And even though Jimmy Butler came out and basically said it's okay because the Heat weren't themselves in the past two games, the same could be said about the Celtics, in that they weren't the same in Games 1 through 3.Derrick White scored 24 points behind six 3-pointers, as Boston dominated the Heat 110-97 to extend the Eastern Conference finals. Marcus Smart added 23 points and five steals, and Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each finished with 21 points as the Celtics trimmed Miami’s series lead to 3-2 and are now halfway to becoming the first team in history to overcome a 3-0 deficit and win a series. Teams that fell behind 3-0 are 0-150 all-time in series.Game 6 is scheduled for Saturday night.NHL Notes: Road teams are 44-37 in the postseason. Underdogs are 38-41 in the postseason, with a $100 wager on the pups turning a profit of roughly $1200. The Over is 41-39-1, but the Under has cashed 30 of the last 51 games. There have been 23 overtime games, and road teams are 15-8 in those games. NHL favorites higher than -150 are 14-33 on the puck line this postseason. It was a night of survival, apparently, as the Dallas Stars staved off elimination with a 3-2 overtime win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday.The Stars showed plenty of character after being humiliated in a Game 3 loss at home, when the Golden Knights won 4-0. Thursday was the first of a two-game suspension for Stars captain Jamie Benn.Game 5 is scheduled for Saturday night in Las Vegas. In the WNBA, the Phoenix Mercury won and covered at home with a 90-81 victory over the Minnesota Lynx, while the defending champion Las Vegas Aces won 94-85 in Los Angeles. But it was the Sparks covering the +15 1/2 points on their own court. The Aces and Sparks complete the home-and-home series on Saturday.I'm on an 89-72-4 run since April 17, with $13,440 net profit and tonight we put the money to work with a WNBA LINE MISTAKE WINNER off one of tonight's games, as I see the number is off by at least 5 points.Two of the seven underdogs won Wednesday on the MLB diamond, while there was one game a pick'em. The most notable underdog victory had to be the Detroit Tigers (+130 DraftKings) in their 7-2 win over the Chicago White Sox. The Tigers have now won two straight and six of 10 despite hitting a rather bleak .237. They are scoring 4.5 runs per game and are averaging 1.0 HR per contest.A full slate of baseball and I have a total of four releases. And I've isolated a Blank Check Winner for Friday. I'm giving you full permission to fill in the amount with this one, as I think we have crazy value staring us in the eye with this Blank Check Winner backed by four key stats that provide us with a 19-1 advantage with this particular matchup. MLB BLANK CHECK WINNER # 6 OF 9.

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NFL Win Totals

by ASA, Inc.

Friday, May 26, 2023

Now that most of the dust has settled from free agency and the NFL Draft, we can take a look into which teams may be over or undervalued to hit their win totals for 2023. Last season some of the best win total bets came from the Chiefs, Vikings, Eagles and 49ers. In such a competitive league, it is hard to maintain excellence from year to year which makes it difficult to predict emerging teams as well as top teams that will fall off. Philadelphia Eagles Over 10.5 wins (-130)The Eagles overperformed last season by almost everyone's expectations and could have easily won the Super Bowl if a couple plays had gone their way. With the best offensive line in football making Jalen Hurts look like an MVP candidate, 2023 will be a lot of the same for the Eagles. Philly has an average ranking strength of schedule with an easy start to the season. A reload on the defensive side of the ball from a stellar draft helps replace key pieces lost in free agency. Dominating the trenches is what the Eagles did last year, which will be the key piece to them raking up 11 or more wins.  Kansas City Chiefs Over 11.5 wins (-110)The AFC West was supposed to be loaded last season with talent that would dethrone Patrick Mahomes. Yet, the Chiefs stayed the course and won 14 games. In fact, they have won 12+ games every year since 2018. During those years, Kansas City always has a solid (not great) defense that hovers around rank 10-15 in points allowed per game. That, combined with the dynasty Mahomes and Reed have built on offense is a winning formula. Barring injury, we don't see a reason that the Chiefs won't reach 12 wins for the sixth straight year. Atlanta Falcons Over 7.5 wins (-115)Now that Tom Brady is out of the NFC South, the division has the worst QB talent in the NFL. Wide open for the taking, Atlanta made their run heavy offense even heavier by drafting Bijan Robinson. The Falcons have one of the easiest schedules in the league which makes for a very attainable task of getting 8 wins, just one more than last year. QB play should improve and with a clear identity, Atlanta is as likely as any to win the NFC South and secure a playoff berth. The Bucs made the playoffs last year while going 8-9, expect a similar record to be able to win this division again. Las Vegas Raiders Under 7.5 wins (-140) Oddsmakers are currently begging bettor’s to take the over on the Raiders, and this line may drop to 6.5 leading up to the season. Las Vegas made it to 6 wins in 2022 , managing to get even worse in many facets over the offseason. The ever injured Jimmy G provides instability at QB and Davante Adams has expressed his displeasure with management. Combo that with a bottom 10 defense and the second hardest SOS according to Sharp Football Analysis. The Raiders are in the running for the worst team in the NFL this coming season.     

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 05/26/2023

by Big Al Staff

Friday, May 26, 2023

The Friday sports card features action in MLB. Fifteen games are on the MLB schedule. The Chicago Cubs host the Cincinnati Reds at 2:20 PM ET. Justin Steele takes the mound for the Cubs to pitch against Hunter Greene for the Reds. Chicago is a -165 money-line favorite (all odds from DraftKings).Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 6:40 PM ET. The Tampa Bay Rays play at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers, with the Rays sending out Jalen Beeks to pitch against the Dodgers Noah Syndergaard. Tampa Bay is a -115 money-line favorite, with the total set at 9.5. The Chicago White Sox travel to Detroit to play the Tigers, with Lance Lynn taking the ball for the White Sox to battle against Joey Wentz for the Tigers. Chicago is a -145 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5.Two MLB games start at 7:05 PM ET. The Baltimore Orioles are at home against the Texas Rangers with the Orioles turning to Grayson Rodriguez to duel against Jon Gray for the Rangers. Baltimore is a -135 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The San Diego Padres play in New York against the Yankees on Apple TV+ with Joe Musgrove pitching for the Padres against Randy Vasquez for the Yankees. San Diego is a -125 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9. The Cleveland Guardians host the St. Louis Cardinals at 7:10 PM ET. The Guardians tap Shane Bieber to face the Cardinals' Matthew Liveratore. Cleveland is a -120 money-line favorite with a total of 8. The Atlanta Braves play at home against the Philadelphia Phillies at 7:20 PM ET. Jared Shuster pitches for the Braves against Taijuan Walker for the Phillies. Atlanta is a -145 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Three MLB games begin at 8:10 PM ET. The Kansas City Royals are at home against the Washington Nationals, with the Royals pitching Jordan Lyles against the Nationals' Patrick Corbin. Kansas City is a -125 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The Toronto Blue Jays visit Minnesota to play the Twins, with Kevin Gausman taking the ball for the Blue Jays to face Louie Varland for the Twins. Toronto is a -155 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Milwaukee Brewers are at home against the San Francisco Giants, with Freddy Peralta on the mound for the Brewers to go against Alex Wood for the Giants. Milwaukee is a -130 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The New York Mets play in Colorado against the Rockies at 8:40 PM ET. The Mets turn to Max Scherzer to duel against the Rockies’ Connor Seabold. New York is a -210 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 11. The Los Angeles Angels host the Miami Marlins at 9:38 PM ET. Reid Detmers takes the hill for the Angels to pitch against Jesus Luzardo for the Marlins. Los Angeles is a -140 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Two MLB games begin at 9:40 PM ET. The Boston Red Sox play in Arizona to play the Diamondbacks, with the Red Sox pitching Chris Sale against the Diamondbacks’ Brent Pfaadt. Boston is a -150 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Houston Astros are in Oakland to play the A’s, with Hunter Brown taking the mound for the Astros to battle against James Kaprielian for the A’s. Houston is a -250 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The Seattle Mariners play at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 10:10 PM ET. The Mariners tap George Kirby to pitch against the Pirates’ Mitch Keller. Seattle is a -150 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.

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Why Expansion Is Becoming A Problem In the MLS

by Amedeus Mastrangelo

Thursday, May 25, 2023

The MLS just announced a brand new expansion team in San Diego to debut in the year 2025 but the MLS is now reaching a point where expansion is becoming a big problem for a league that is not growing fast enough to sustain all of these changes. San Diego will be the 30th team coming into the MLS but there are still plenty of cities looking to win their bid for a team and it looks like San Diego will definitely not be the last expansion team to enter the MLS. The larger the league gets though, the bigger the issue becomes and these are just a few of the reasons why continuing to expand will not be good for producing a better product on the pitch. Scheduling ParityOne of the issues that will continue to grow in the MLS is the scheduling parity and equality of strength of schedule within the league. Most soccer leagues around the world are designed so every team has a very fair schedule that is not stronger or weaker than anyone else. This is usually done by having every team play each other twice, one home match and one away match for each, so that every team has the exact same schedule and this is achieved by ideally having a league with 20 teams or less. The MLS has now blown past that mark though and it has seriously affected the strength of schedule for some of these teams as there are not enough matches in the season for everyone to play each other twice. Furthermore, they have tried to cut down on travel for some of these teams by having teams play more matches against teams more geographically close to them, but doing this has hurt weaker teams who constantly have to see a dominant team in the region more than they should have to. Travel has become another big issue with the scheduling as North America is a very large continent from East to West with many different time zones that plays a part in the way matches are scheduled for certain teams, which again leads to an uneven strength of schedule. Also, by having a 30 team league, it causes a cluster in the scheduling for the times of the matches as the league wants each match to start at the same time locally for each city and usually all on the same day as well, but this hurts the growth of the league when it comes to neutral followers wanting to just catch a game but now need 15 screens to watch every team and have no action to follow the next day as a majority of the games tend to be on one day. CompetitivenessAnother issue that the MLS is now dealing with is the competitiveness of the league itself. Most leagues offer some kind of incentives to win matches and be dominant in the league with promotion and relegation but this is something that does not exist in the MLS and will lead to problems in competition if the league continues to expand. In most soccer leagues around the world, there are good teams and there are bad teams but you never get to really know the bad teams too well as they drop down to lower leagues if they cannot keep up with the level of play of being in Division 1. The MLS lacks this incentive though and like most North American sports they actually incentivize losing by having a draft. By having no relegation to a lower league, the MLS is now dealing with the same systemic losing that certain franchises go through when owners are unwilling to spend money and invest in the team. This leads to a bad product on the pitch and less interest from supporting groups which then causes a franchise to be on the verge of collapse when this league should be moving the other way. One of the great things about having relegation is the excitement it brings for the bad teams in the league as the final few matches become very important to staying in the league and cause teams to play better which leads to more exciting games. The MLS has the complete opposite though as bad teams tend to tank for draft picks making the last few matches of the season pretty much pointless for certain franchises. The absence of relegation has also led to a disinterest in their lower leagues and the MLS has pretty much rendered the USL useless as a league as there will never be any room for teams to move up unless they pay a massive expansion fee which is not always possible for smaller markets that still get plenty of fan support. Solution To The ProblemThe MLS can continue to expand to have as many teams as they would like but the reality is that they will never be taken seriously as a soccer league on the world stage if they do not make some serious changes to the entire structure of the league. Star players will continue to come to the MLS in the later stages of their career only as a safety league knowing they can never be relegated on their team and their job will always be safe. The MLS really needs to be stripped down from top to bottom and rebuilt entirely as a league but there is still another way to fix this before it is too late.The best solution to fix an expanding MLS would actually be to expand the league to 40 teams but split it up into 2 leagues of 20 teams and make them more East and West oriented to cut down on travel for a lot of these clubs. This would fix the scheduling issues leading to a schedule that is more fair for every team. This would also lead to a revitalized competitiveness for the Supporters Shield but also keep the North American style playoff format where the 2 leagues would only play each other for the MLS Cup.Finally, promotion and relegation must be added or there are always going to be tanking teams for draft picks as well as very good teams in the USL that play at an MLS level but will never have any avenue into the league making the entire USL itself as a league pointless. Promotion and relegation is the one thing that North America may never buy into but it is simply needed to fix the issues and until it is implemented in the league, there will always be franchises of systemic losing with no way out of it.

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Vegas Writer's Daily Recap - May 25, 2023

by Vegas Writer

Thursday, May 25, 2023

The Florida Panthers did it.It's been 27 years since they got to play for Lord Stanley's Cup. Next week, against either Vegas or Dallas, the Panthers will vie for the Cup.The Panthers got another clutch goal from their prize acquisition Matthew Tkachuk, who buried the puck with less than 5 seconds left in the game to lift Florida to a 4-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.The eighth-seeded Panthers completed the improbable sweep, thanks to Tkachuk, who had three game-winning goals against the Hurricanes.NHL Notes:Road teams are 44-36 in the postseason.Underdogs are 38-40 in the postseason, with a $100 wager on the pups turning a profit of roughly $1300.The Over is 41-38-1, but the Under has cashed 29 of the last 50 games.There have been 22 overtime games, and road teams are 15-7 in those games.NHL favorites higher than -150 are 14-33 on the puck line this postseason after Dallas' loss on Tuesday.With one hockey game on the board tonight, I'm ready to deliver the biggest release of the conference finals. The Stars were favored to win this series and will be playing for pride. The Knights are the No. 1 seed and hope to keep pace with Florida by completing the sweep. Check the long-time leaderboard: No. 1 in NET$ L60 Days. And, I'm on 91-81-2 the entire season for $13,430. I'm up $3,030 in the postseason. Tonight it's my NHL CONFERENCE FINAL GAME OF THE YEAR.Six of the 15 underdogs won Wednesday on the MLB diamond. The most notable underdog victory had to be the Cincinnati Reds (+135 DraftKings) in their 10-3 pasting of the St. Louis Cardinals. It was a shock considering the Reds have lost seven of 10 and have seen their pitching staff turn in a 5.56 ERA since May 14. The one thing to take from the Reds is the face they've gone over in four straight on the road, six of eight against N.L. Central teams and in 16 of 21 overall.Ten games on the card today, but I'm taking a pass.The NBA had the night off, and returns tonight for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals in Boston.I'm ready to deliver the goods from Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics look to stay alive after winning Game 4, while the Heat hope to join the Nuggets in the NBA Finals. Check the leaderboard: No. 2 in the NBA in NET$ L30 Days. I'm also on a 43-25-2 run the entire postseason for $15,450. Part of that run includes a 29-16 roll with NBA SIDES. Tonight we keep the run going with my NBA SIDE WINNER # 30 OF 46.

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MLB Season Money Leaders & Money Burners- Where From Here?

by Kyle Hunter

Thursday, May 25, 2023

The MLB season is a couple months old now. I wanted to take a look at a couple teams who have been great to bettors so far this season and a couple teams who have been burning up bettors money thus far. Are they sell high or buy low candidates? Why or why not?Season to Date Through May 24th Money Leaders ($100 per game bettor figures) Moneymakers Baltimore Orioles (+$1,197) The Baltimore Orioles top the charts having helped bettors make a mint so far this year. They are second in the highly competitive American League East. Baltimore sits only three games behind Tampa Bay even with the Rays amazing start to the season. Yennier Cano has been the best reliever in baseball so far this year. The Orioles are second in baseball in bullpen ERA at 2.98. They do also have the second best FIP. The bullpen looks legitimately very good. Baltimore is just 17th in the majors in batting average on balls in play offensively. I think this is a good team. They won’t be as easy to make money from as early this year, but I wouldn’t straight fade them either. Texas Rangers (+$801) Texas has made bettors a lot of money as well. Can they keep it up? There are some concerning signs in my opinion. Texas has the highest batting average on balls in play in the majors at .324. The offense isn’t as good as they have looked so far this year. Opponents also have the seventh lowest batting average on balls in play against Texas pitching. The Rangers have won a lot of close games so far this year. The schedule gets tougher for them in the coming weeks too. This is a team I’ll look to fade in some spots. Money Burners Oakland Athletics (-$2,393) I don’t have anything good to say about the Athletics. They are moving to a new city. Oakland has a negative home field advantage if anything at this point. There just isn’t any passion. Oakland also happens to have the least talented roster in the majors. They at least have a pulse against left handed pitching, but against righties this lineup is brutal. The Oakland bullpen is worst in the majors by nearly a full run in FIP. Yikes. I’m not backing this team. St. Louis Cardinals (-$912) A very different case than the Oakland A’s. The Cardinals were the favorites in the NL Central. St. Louis started the season terribly, but they have been playing much better of late. The good news for them is no one is running away with the NL Central by any means. Can bettors make money from them going forward? Cardinals pitching has allowed a batting average on balls in play of .325 which is second highest in the majors. That’s a sign of bad luck. The Cardinals are one of the most power filled lineups in the majors, and hitting dingers is always a good thing. I think this team is too talented to not at least make a run here. I’ll look for spots to back them and betting on them to win the NL Central at a nice plus money price isn’t a bad idea either.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, EPL and MLB Previews and Odds - 05/25/2023

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, May 25, 2023

The Thursday sports card features action in the NBA, NHL, MLB, and EPL.The National Basketball Association playoffs continue with the Boston Celtics hosting the Boston Celtics on TNT at 8:30 PM ET in the fifth game of the Eastern Conference finals. The Celtics kept their season alive with a 116-99 upset win on the road as a 1.5-point underdog on Tuesday. The Heat hold a 3-1 series lead. Boston is an 8.5-point favorite, with the total set at 215.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). The National Hockey League playoffs continue with the Dallas Stars playing at home against the Vegas Golden Knights on ESPN at 8:05 PM ET in the fourth game of the Western Conference finals. The Golden Knights took a 3-0 series lead with a 4-0 victory on Tuesday. The Stars are a -115 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5.The Thursday card in Major League Baseball has ten games on its schedule. The St. Louis Cardinals travel to Cincinnati to play the Reds at 12:35 PM ET. Miles Mikolas gets the start for the Cardinals to pitch against Luke Weaver for the Reds. St. Louis is a -165 money-line road favorite with a total of 10. The Tampa Bay Rays are at home against the Toronto Blue Jays at 1:10 PM ET. The Rays tap Zach Eflin to duel against the Blue Jays’ Alex Manor. Tampa Bay is a -140 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Miami Marlins play in Colorado against the Rockies at 3:10 PM ET. Braxton Garrett gets the ball for the Marlins to face off against Kyle Freeland for the Rockies. Miami is a -125 money-line road favorite with a total of 11. The San Diego Padres are in Washington to play the Nationals at 4:05 PM ET. The Padres turn to Blake Snell in their starting rotation to battle against the Nationals’ Jake Irvin. San Diego is a -180 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. The Chicago White Sox visit Detroit to play the Tigers at 6:40 PM ET. Lucas Giolito gets the assignment for the White Sox to go against Alex Faedo for the Tigers. Chicago is a -140 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. The New York Yankees host the Baltimore Orioles at 7:05 PM ET. The Yankees will pitch Clarke Schmidt against the Orioles’ Kyle Gibson. New York is a -125 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Philadelphia Phillies play in Atlanta against the Braves at 7:20 PM ET. Aaron Nola takes the hill for the Phillies to battle against Dylan Dodd for the Braves. Philadelphia is a -115 money-line favorite. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:40 PM ET. The Chicago Cubs play at home against the New York Mets as a -115 money-line favorite. The Cubs send out Kyle Hendricks to make his season debut after recovering from a strained right shoulder to face the Mets’ Carlos Carrasco. The San Francisco Giants are in Milwaukee to play the Brewers, with Scott Alexander pitching for the Giants against a pitcher yet to be named for the Brewers. The Seattle Mariners are at home against the Oakland A’s at 9:40 PM ET. The Mariners turn to Logan Gilbert to battle against the A’s J.P. Sears. Seattle is a -230 money-line favorite with a total of 8.Matchweek 37 in the English Premier League concludes with one match. Manchester United hosts Chelsea at 3 PM ET as a -1 goal-line favorite at BetMGM with an over/under of 2.5. 

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Vegas Writer's Daily Recap - May 24, 2023

by Vegas Writer

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

The Vegas Golden Knights are on the brink of making the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in six seasons - their first six in the NHL - after dominating Game 3 on Tuesday in a 4-0 win over the Dallas Stars.The Golden Knights took an early 3-0 lead in the first period, made it 4-0 in the second, and never looked back as goaltender Adin Hill looked sharp in registering his first playoff shutout.Game 4 is on Thursday in Dallas, where the Knights can complete the sweep.Tonight it's the Panthers looking to advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 27 years, as they're holding a 3-0 series lead against the Carolina Hurricanes and host Game 4 tonight.Carolina has won 37 of its last 45 against Eastern Conference foes, but has also failed to win five of seven against Atlantic Division teams. The Panthers, meanwhile, have won 10 of 11 and are on a 17-5 roll in games that follow a victory.NHL Notes: Road teams are 44-35 in the postseason. Underdogs are 38-39 in the postseason, with a $100 wager on the pups turning a profit of roughly $1400. The Over is 40-38-1, but the Under has cashed 29 of the last 49 games. There have been 22 overtime games, and road teams are 15-7 in those games. NHL favorites higher than -150 are 14-33 on the puck line this postseason after Dallas' loss on Tuesday. On the MLB diamond, nine of the 15 underdogs won Tuesday, as the sun continued to shine on the pups this week. The most notable underdog victory had to be the Los Angeles Dodgers (+175 Caesars) in their 8-1 win over the Atlanta Braves. The Dodgers continue to look good, as they've won 18 of 24 since April 28, and are scoring an average of exactly 6.0 runs per game. During the 24-game span, the Dodgers have smacked 36 home runs - more than one per game. Also in that span, the Dodgers' staff has a 3.77 ERA.Last night my big DOG SHOCKER was my huge dog was on the Dodgers getting there easily. I'm now on an 88-68-4 roll since April 17 with $16,740 net profit. And over the L30 Days, I'm 2nd on the Leaderboard in NET$. On tonight's light card, I've got three baseball winners, including TWO UNDERDOGS, and they're bundled in one package. Don't miss this 3-0 SWEEP from the late card, my MLB TRIPLE PLAY.In the NBA, Jayson Tatum had 33 points and 11 rebounds, Jaylen Brown chipped in with 17 points and the Boston Celtics staved off elimination in the Eastern Conference Finals by dominating the second half to beat the Miami Heat 116-99 in Game 4 on Tuesday night.Balance was the name of the game last night, as Derrick White scored 16 points, Grant Williams had 14, Al Horford added 12 and Marcus Smart scored 11 for the Celtics.Game 5 is scheduled for Thursday in Boston.

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