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Big Al's Daily Angle: NHL, NBA and NCAAB Previews and Odds - 02/23/2023

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Feb 23, 2023

The Thursday sports card features action in the NBA, NHL, and NCAAB. The National Basketball Association returns from its All-Star Game break with nine games on its docket. Three NBA games tip off at 7:10 PM ET. The Cleveland Cavaliers host the Denver Nuggets as a 2.5-point favorite, with the total set at 223 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). The Boston Celtics visit Indiana to play the Pacers as an 8-point road favorite with an over/under of 233. The Orlando Magic plays at home against the Detroit Pistons as a 6.5-point favorite with a total of 226.5. Two NBA games start at 7:40 PM ET. The Philadelphia 76ers are at home against Memphis Grizzlies on TNT as a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 229.5. The Toronto Raptors host the New Orleans Pelicans as a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 225.5. The Dallas Mavericks play at home against the San Antonio Spurs at 8:40 PM ET as a 13.5-point favorite with an over/under of 234.5. The Utah Jazz are at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder at 9:10 PM ET as a 2-point favorite with a total of 238.5. Two more games complete the NBA card at 10:10 PM ET. The Los Angeles Lakers host the Golden State Warriors on TNT as a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 238. The Sacramento Kings play at home against the Portland Trail Blazers as a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 239.5. The National Hockey League has ten games on its slate. Six NHL games drop the puck at 7:07 PM ET. The Washington Capitals are at home against the Anaheim Ducks as a -255 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6. The Tampa Bay Lightning host the Buffalo Sabres as a -225 money line favorite with a total of 7. The Edmonton Oilers travel to Pittsburgh to play the Penguins as a -115 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 7. The New Jersey Devils play at home against the Los Angeles Kings as a -140 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Minnesota Wild are in Columbus to play the Bluejackets as a -180 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6. The New York Rangers play at Detroit against the Red Wings as a -165 money-line road favorite with a total of 6. The St. Louis Blues are at home against the Vancouver Canucks at 8:07 PM ET as a -120 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7. The Vegas Golden Knights host the Calgary Flames on ESPN at 9:07 PM ET as a -150 money line favorite with a total of 6. The Boston Bruins visit Seattle to play the Kraken at 10:07 PM ET as a -175 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6. The Nashville Predators play at San Jose against the Sharks at 10:37 PM ET as a -140 money line road favorite with a total of 6. The college basketball schedule has 11 games on national television. Ohio State plays at home against Penn State on FS1 at 6:30 PM ET as a 2-point favorite with an over/under of 142.5. Three more NCAA-B games on national television begin at 7 PM ET. Memphis is at Wichita State on ESPN2 as a 3-point road favorite with a total of 146.5. Gardner-Webb hosts Longwood on ESPNU as a 2-point favorite at Caesars with an over/under of 129. Charleston plays at home against Towson on the CBS Sports Network as an 8-point favorite with a total of 150. Rutgers is at home against Michigan on FS1 at 8:30 PM ET as a 6-point favorite with an over/under of 133.5. Three more NCAAB games on national television tip-off at 9 PM ET. Western Kentucky hosts Louisiana Tech on the CBS Sports Network as a 4.5-point favorite with a total of 144. Colorado plays at home against USC on ESPN2 as a 2-point favorite with an over/under of 141. UT-Martin is at home against Tennessee State on ESPNU as a 4-point favorite with a total of 158.5. Three NCAAB games on national television start at 11 PM ET. UCLA travels to Utah on FS1 as a 7-point road favorite with an over/under of 131.5. Gonzaga hosts San Diego on ESPN2 as a 23-point favorite with a total of 164.5. San Francisco plays at home against Portland on the CBS Sports Network as an 8-point favorite with an over/under of 153.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NHL, NCAAB and UEFA Champions League Preivews and Odds - 2/22/2023

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Feb 22, 2023

The Wednesday sports card features action in the NHL, NCAAB, and UEFA Champions League. The National Basketball Association continues its All-Star Game break.The National Hockey League has three games on its slate. The New York Islanders host the Winnipeg Jets at 7:07 PM ET as a -120 money line favorite, with the total set at 5.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Two more NHL games drop the puck at 9:37 PM ET. The Calgary Flames travel to Arizona to play the Coyotes as a -195 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5.The Dallas Stars play at home against the Chicago Blackhawks on TNT. The Stars lost their fourth-straight game on Saturday in a 4-1 upset setback against Columbus. The Blackhawks are on a two-game winning streak after a 5-3 victory against Toronto on Sunday. Dallas is a -435 money line favorite with a total of 6. The college basketball schedule has 12 games on national television. Jacksonville plays at home against Bellarmine on ESPNU as a 5-point favorite at Caesars with an over/under of 122.5. UConn plays at home against Providence on FS1 at 6:30 PM ET as a 7.5-point favorite with a total of 142.5. Four NCAAB games on national television tip-off at 7 PM ET. Cincinnati is at home against Temple on ESPN2 as a 7.5-point favorite with an over/under of 140.5. Central Florida hosts South Florida on ESPNU as a 9-point favorite with a total of 140.5. Dayton plays at UMass on the CBS Sports Network as an 8-point road favorite with an over/under total of 137.5. Kentucky visits Florida on ESPN at 7 PM ET. The Wildcats won their second-straight game with a 66-54 upset victory against Tennessee as a 1.5-point underdog on Saturday. The Gators lost for the fourth time in their last five games in an 84-65 loss at Arkansas as a 9-point undedog on Saturday. Kentucky is a 3-point road favorite with a total of 139.5. DePaul is at home against Butler on FS1 at 8:30 PM ET as a 2-point favorite with an over/under of 138.5. Four NCAAB games on national television start at 9 PM ET. Houston hosts Tulane on ESPNU as a 15-point favorite with a total of 143.5. Alabama plays at South Carolina on ESPN2 as a 17.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 148. St. John’s travels to Georgetown on the CBS Sports Network as a 2.5-point road favorite with a total of 156.5. North Carolina is at Notre Dame on ESPN at 9 PM ET. The Tar Heels lost for the fifth time in their last six games with a 72-69 setback at North Carolina State as a 2-point underdog on Sunday. The Fighting Irish are on a five-game losing streak after a 57-55 loss at Virginia as a 12.5-point underdog on Saturday. North Carolina is a 6.5-point road favortie with a total of 148. Boise State plays at home against New Mexico on FS1 at 10:30 PM ET as a 6-point favorite with a total of 145.5.The knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League continues with the final two first-leg matches in the Round of 16 at 3 PM ET. Manchester City visits RB Leipzig on CBS at 3 PM ET as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 3 (all soccer odds from BetMGM). Inter Milan is at home against FC Porto as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. 

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College Basketball Totals Overall Season Numbers Examined

by Kyle Hunter

Tuesday, Feb 21, 2023

We are just over a week away from the calendar flipping over to March. The smaller conferences begin their conference tournaments next week. The larger conferences have a couple weeks until their conference tournaments get underway. Being a guy who focuses a lot on college basketball totals, I wanted to take a look at the overall season numbers on totals. I’ll also break down the recent totals trends. Season to Date: 2,440 Overs (51.9%) 2,263 Unders (48.1%)Last 30 Days: 759 Overs (55.4%) 611 Unders (44.6%)Last 7 Days: 189 Overs (55.9%) 149 Unders (44.1%) In an average season there have usually been more unders than overs. That hasn’t been the case this season. It was running fairly even until a little over a month ago, when the trend started pushing heavily toward the over cashing. In the last month, there have been 94 games go into overtime, and 89 of those 94 games went over the total. It isn’t surprising that the vast majority of overtime games get over the posted total. The fact that there were 94 games that went into overtime is a little higher than expected.Favorites have covered at a 51.5% clip in the last month. It’s no surprise to see favorites doing well at the same time overs are cashing. Those two bets are more often than not at least somewhat correlated. What should we make of the fact that overs have been cashing at such a high clip recently? There has been a bit of a tempo boost in the country overall. On this same date last year the national average for possessions in a game was 67.3 possessions. Today, it sits at 68.0 possessions. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but it does lead to a bit of a bump in scoring. The bigger reason for totals going over has been an increase in offensive efficiency. Last year, the league average on this date was 1.030 points per possession on offense. What about this year? That number sits at 1.050 points per possession. Offensive rebound percentages have gone from 28.0% on average last year to 29.1% so far this season. Second chance points are crucial and they are too often overlooked by many bettors. Should you just blindly be betting overs from now through the end of the season? I wouldn’t recommend it. The oddsmakers know this information very well, and they know many bettors want to bet on overs instead of unders. There are adjustments going on in the marketplace. I’ve been around long enough to see these types of things swing back and forth. The under will likely show value at some point between now and the end of the season on the whole.

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NBA Futures - Pick to Win the 2023 NBA Title

by ASA, Inc.

Tuesday, Feb 21, 2023

ASA’s NBA Futures – NBA Champions – Phoenix Suns +450 The Celtics are the favorites to win it all in 22-23 at +280 at most Books. Boston is deep, defends and can score with any team in the league. The Celtics balance is illustrated by their 3rd overall offensive efficiency rating at 1.180-points per possession and their 5th ranked defensive efficiency ranking at 1.118PPP allowed. If you’ve paid attention to previous NBA articles written by us, you know the team that wins it all in the NBA consistently ranks top 11 at the end of the season in both offensive and defensive efficiency. While we like this Celtics roster and chances to come out of the East there is one team we like in the Western Conference. The move by the Phoenix Suns at the trade deadline to bring in Kevin Durant was huge and will be the difference maker in getting this team over the hump. The Suns are currently 16th in OEFF at 1.142PPP but they haven’t had Devin Booker for 27 total games, and now add Durant. Devin Booker is averaging 26.6PPG, 4.5RPG and 5.5APG for the season. KD has played in 39 games this season and has produced 29.7PPG, 6.7RPG and 5.3APG. We expect this team to revert back to the offensive efficiency numbers it produced a year ago of 1.149PPP which was 4th best in the league. Defensively, the Suns have remained in the upper echelon of the NBA in efficiency ratings allowing just 1.128PPP which is 9th in the league. The team to beat in the West right now is the Denver Nuggets who sit with a 41-18 SU record. Denver has played an easier schedule to date than the Suns and face a tougher schedule than Phoenix to finish the season. We feel the other team that could threaten in the Western Conference is the Memphis Grizzlies, but they’ve struggled offensively this season (18th OEFF), and we don’t see dramatic improvement moving forward. The experts that expect the Warriors, Clippers or even Lakers to come out of the West are sadly mistaken as age and injuries have taken their toll on those franchises. Not only is Phoenix going to excel offensively down the stretch with the additions of both Booker and KD, but they’ll be also much better defensively with both players on the floor. The Suns have all the right pieces in place with veteran leadership, a Big that can score and defend, savvy guard play and two guys that can literally take over games at any moment and time. Another  sneaky element the Suns added was instant offense off the bench with vet Terrance Ross who was signed after being bought out by the Magic. This Suns team has everything in place to come out of the West and beat the Celtics, Bucks or Sixers that represent the Eastern Conference in the Finals.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NHL, NCAAB and UEFA Champions League Previews and Odds - 02/21/2023

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Feb 21, 2023

The Tuesday sports card features action in the NHL, NCAAB, and UEFA Champions League. The National Basketball Association continues its All-Star Game break.The National Hockey League has nine games on its slate. Four games drop the puck at 7:07 PM ET. The Tampa Bay Lightning host the Anaheim Ducks as a -500 money line favorite with the total set at 6.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). The Washington Capitals play at home against the Detroit Red Wings as a -155 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6. The New Jersey Devils are at home against the Montreal Canadiens as a -350 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Carolina Hurricanes host the St. Louis Blues as a -330 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Toronto Maple Leafs visit Buffalo to play the Sabres at 7:37 PM ET as a -165 money line road favorite with a total of 6.5. Two more NHL games start at 8:07 PM ET. The Minnesota Wild play at home against the Los Angeles Kings as a -130 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6. The Nashville Predators are at home against the Vancouver Canucks as a -170 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Vegas Golden Knights travel to Chicago to play the Blackhawks at 8:37 PM ET as a -2890 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Edmonton Oilers host the Philadelphia Flyers at 9:07 PM ET as a -300 money line favorite with a total of 7.The college basketball schedule has 10 games on national television. Xavier plays at home against Villanova on FS1 at 6:30 PM ET as a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 147.5. Four more NCAAB games on national television tip off at 7 PM ET. Baylor plays at Kansas State on ESPN2 as a 2-point road favorite with a total of 145.5. Texas A&M is at home against Tennessee on ESPN as a 1-point favorite with an over/under of 128.5. Virginia Tech hosts Miami (FL) on ESPNU as a 2-point favorite with a total of 153.5. Missouri State plays at home against Murray State on the CBS Sports Network as a 5-point favorite with an over/under of 136. Creighton is at home against Marquette on FS1 at 8:30 PM ET as a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 148.5. Three more NCAAB games on national television begin at 9 PM ET. Michigan State hosts Indiana on ESPN as a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 135.5. Oklahoma plays at home against Texas Tech on ESPN2 as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 137.5. Utah State is at Wyoming on the CBS Sports Network as a 4.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 144. San Diego State hosts Colorado State on the CBS Sports Network at 11 PM ET as an 11.5-point favorite with a total of 136.The knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League continues with two first-leg matches in the Round of 16 at 3 PM ET. Real Madrid travels to Liverpool on CBS in a pick ‘em matchup with an over/under of 3 (all soccer odds from BetMGM). Napoli visits Eintracht Frankfurt as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 2.5.

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Understanding How Load Management Impacts NBA Betting

by Oskeim Sports

Tuesday, Feb 21, 2023

If you watched the NBA in the 1980s and into the ‘90s, you might remember “Showtime” in Los Angeles or the Boston Celtics’ “Big Three” frontcourt with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish. The Lakers and Celtics alone had some of the more memorable battles in NBA history during this time. What’s interesting about those times in the NBA is something you don’t see very much anymore.On any given night in L.A. for example, fans would show up to the arena and Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Byron Scott, and Michael Cooper would take the floor. In all 82 games of the season, the same starting five – barring injuries – would take the floor.In the 1987-88 season, just one year prior to his eventual retirement, Abdul-Jabbar played in 80 of 82 regular season games. Five times in his 20-year career, he played every game in a season. Players don’t do that today. In today’s NBA, load management is a big deal. Teams want to get the most out of their players. To do so, periodic rest is best. This rest impacts NBA betting.Resting PlayersTeams will often have players skip an entire game. Sometimes, players will sit the entire fourth quarter of a game that is out of reach. Other times, teams will limit the number of minutes a player is on the floor in a game. These are all forms of load management and they can all have an impact on NBA betting.Why Rest PlayersResting athletes toward the end of a season is a typical occurrence in sports. Teams that have already qualified for the playoffs, for example, have the luxury of choosing when to rest players. At the other end of the spectrum, there are teams that have been eliminated from the postseason. They can do the same and rest players in preparation for the following season. Those teams can also give some of their younger players more playing time.Certain players also require some time off. It has been typical for NBA teams to rest star players in the event they play games on back-to-back nights. LeBron James and Joel Embiid are two good examples. Both players usually do not play on back-to-back nights. The same is often true of players coming back from a serious injury.  Understanding load management needs to be part of any NBA-winning basketball strategy.NBA Betting & Rest TodayThe modern idea of load management may have taken its form back in 2012. Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich rested his Big Three of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobli. The Spurs were most likely going to be the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. The NBA fined San Antonio for sitting the players, but the Spurs did eventually make it to the conference finals. The move paved the way for the league to change its rules regarding resting players.While the fans may feel slighted when a star player is rested, the biggest impact of the NBA’s load management is on the sports bettor. NBA betting becomes that much more difficult when players, particularly key players, sit out. A large portion of these load management decisions are made just before a game.NBA betting strategies have to be adjusted because of the potential of a key player sitting out. NBA betting often turns into a crap shoot. Putting together an NBA parlay is even worse. Unless all the games on your ticket start at the same time, you are taking an even bigger risk than just the parlay. Keep in mind that NBA teams don’t have to announce who’s out until roughly 30 minutes before tip-off.With the amount of information available today, NBA bettors can usually figure out if a player is going to sit out or not. If there is even the slightest question about resting a player on a given night, that might be your cue to lay off placing a wager on that game.

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NBA Shootaround: February 23rd-26th

by Sean Murphy

Monday, Feb 20, 2023

The NBA resumes regular season action on Thursday following an extended six-day All-Star break. Here's a look at several playoff-hungry teams that are staring down a busy weekend as they begin the stretch run. Sacramento Kings (32-25, third in Western Conference)The Kings dragged their heels prior to the break, dropping two of their last three games including a particularly tough defeat in Phoenix as the Suns pulled within 1.5 games of Sacramento atop the Pacific Division. Now the Kings begin a tricky stretch that will see them play three games in four nights, in three different cities beginning Thursday at home against the Blazers. Sacramento is near the top of my second half fade list as regression is to be expected given it currently leads the league in points per game and offensive rating and stood pat at the trade deadline (save for a minor deal to acquire Kessler Edwards). Golden State Warriors (29-29, ninth in Western Conference)Like the Kings, the Warriors will also tip off the stretch run with a three-in-four situation, starting with a trip to Los Angeles to face the Lakers before hosting a pair of winnable games against the Rockets and Timberwolves on Friday and Sunday, respectively. Golden State limped into the break on the heels of three losses in four games. Note that Friday's game against Houston will mark the beginning of a five-game homestand where the Warriors will look to gain some ground in the Western Conference standings, where they currently sit in ninth place but just a single game back of the sixth-place Mavericks (teams in spots seven through 10 will take part in the play-in tournament).Denver Nuggets (41-18, first in Western Conference)Keeping with the Western Conference theme, the first-place Nuggets will play three games in four nights from Thursday to Sunday and it's a difficult stretch that will take them all over the map. It starts with a trip to Cleveland to face the Cavaliers on Thursday before heading to Memphis on Saturday and back home for a matchup with the Clippers on Sunday. Given their tendency to employ strict 'load management' with their stars over the course of the season, it will be critical to keep an eye on the nightly injury reports. Heading into the break, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon were both dealing with nagging injuries. Newly-acquired Reggie Jackson is likely to make his debut when Denver returns to the court on Thursday. Cleveland Cavaliers (38-23, fourth in Eastern Conference)The Cavs have perhaps the most manageable three-in-four situation of the teams I've mentioned. They'll return to game action on Thursday when they host the Nuggets before making the trek to Atlanta on Friday. Following an off day on Saturday they're back home for a game against the Raptors on Sunday. While the Cavs have gone 13-17 on the road this season, they're an impressive 25-6 at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland will want to make the most of this weekend's proceedings before beginning a stretch that will see it play five of its next seven games on the road. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NHL and NCAAB Previews and Odds - 02/20/2023

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Feb 20, 2023

The Monday sports card features action in the NHL and NCAAB. The National Basketball Association continues its All-Star Game break.The National Hockey League has six games on its slate. Two NHL games drop the puck at 1:07 PM ET. The Florida Panthers host the Anaheim Ducks. The Panthers lost for the second time in their last three games with a 7-3 loss in New York to the Islanders on Saturday. The Ducks lost their fourth straight game with a 6-3 loss to the Los Anglees Kings on Friday. Florida is a -410 money line favorite, with the total set at 7 (all odds from DraftKings). The Boston Bruins play at home against the Ottawa Senators. The Bruins won their third game in a row with their 6-2 vicorty against the New York Islanders on Saturday. The Senators won for the third time in their last four games with a 7-2 victory agianst St. Louis on Sunday. Boston is a -295 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Seattle Kraken visit San Jose to play the Sharks at 4:07 PM ET. The Kraken won their second-straight game with a 4-2 victory against Detroit on Saturday. The Sharks lost their third straight game in a 4-2 loss to Buffalo on Saturday. Seattle is a -150 money line road favorite with a total of 6.5. Two NHL games start at 4:07 PM ET. The Calgary Flames are at home against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flames ended a two-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory against the New York Rangers on Saturday. The Flyers are on a four-game losing streak with a 6-2 loss at Vancouver on Saturday. Calgary is a -230 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. Two NHL games begin at 7:07 PM ET. The Pittsburgh Penguins host the New York Islanders. The Penguins lost their second-straight game with a 5-2 loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday. The Islanders lost for the fourth time in their last five games in a 6-2 loss at Boston on Saturday. Pittsburgh is a -135 money line favorite with a total of 6. The New York Rangers play at home agianst the Winnipeg Jets. The Rangers' were on a seven-game winning streak before a 3-2 loss at Calgary on Saturday. The Jets were on a three-game winning streak before a 3-1 loss at Columbus on Thursday. New York is a -170 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. The college basketball schedule has four games on national television. Two NCAAB games on national television tip off at 7 PM ET. West Virginia hosts Oklahoma State on ESPN2. The Mountaineers lost their second-straight game in a 78-72 upset loss to Texas Tech as a 6-point favorite on Saturday. The Cowboys are on a two-game losing streak after a 100-75 loss at TCU as a 6.5-point underdog on Saturday. West Virginia is a 5-point favorite, with the total set at 143. Duke plays at home against Louisville on ESPN. The Blue Devils won for the fifth time in their last seven games with a 77-55 victory at Syracuse as a 1-point favorite on Saturday. The Cardinals ended a four-game losing with an 83-73 upset victory against Clemson as an 11-point underdog on Saturday. Duke is an 18.5-point favorite with an over/under of 137.5. Two NCAAB games on national television start at 9 PM ET. TCU is at home against Kansas on ESPN. The Horned Frogs ended a four-game losing streak with a 100-75 victory against Oklahoma State as a 6.5-point favorite on Saturday. The Jayhawks won for the sixth time in their last seven games with an 87-71 victory against Baylor as a 5-point favorite on Saturday. TCU is a 2-point favorite with a total of 149.5. Alabama A&M hosts Florida A&M on ESPNU. The Bulldogs are on a three-game winning streak after their 90-56 victory against Bethune Cookman as a 5.5-point favorite on Saturday. The Rattlers ended a three-game losing streak with a 60-54 upset win against Alabama State as a 6.5-point underdog on Saturday. Alabama A&M is a 9-point favorite with an over/under of 127.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NHL, NCAAB and EPL Previews and Odds - 01/19/2023

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Feb 19, 2023

The Sunday sports card features action in the NHL, NCAAB, and EPL. The National Basketball Association continues its All-Star Game break.The National Hockey League has six games on its slate. Two NHL games drop the puck at 2:07 PM ET. The Minnesota Wild host the Nashville Predators as a -205 money line favorite with the total set at 6 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). The Ottawa Senators play at home against the St. Louis Blues as a -155 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Colorado Avalanche are at home against the Edmonton Oilers at 3:07 PM ET as a -125 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Toronto Maple Leafs visit the Chicago Blackhawks at 6:07 PM ET as a -295 money line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The New Jersey Devils host the Winnipeg Jets at 7:07 PM ET as a -130 money line favorite with a total of 6. The Arizona Coyotes play at home against the Columbus Bluejackets at 8:07 PM ET as a -135 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The college basketball schedule has 13 games on national television. Central Florida is at home against Cincinnati on ESPNU at noon ET as a 4-point favorite with a total of 137.5. Two more NCAAB games on national television tip-off at 1 PM ET. Purdue hosts Ohio State on CBS as a 12.5-point favorite with an over/under of 139. North Carolina State plays at home against North Carolina on ESPN as a 2-point favorite with an over/under of 152. Three more NCAAB games start at 2 PM ET. Temple is at home against Tulsa on ESPNU as a 14.5-point favorite with a total of 143. Bradley visits Southern Illinois on ESPN2 as a 2-point road favorite with an over/under of 127. St. Bonaventure hosts George Washington on the USA Network as a 5-point favorite with a total of 143.5. Two NCAAB games on national television begin at 3 PM ET. Houston plays at home against Memphis on ESPN as a 13.5-point favorite with an over/under of 141. Butler is at home against Georgetown on FS1 as a 5-point favorite with a total of 138.5. Drake hosts Belmont on the CBS Sports Network at 4 PM ET as a 6.5-point favorite with an over/under of 145. Maryland plays at Nebraska on FS1 at 5 PM ET as a 5.5-point road favorite with a total of 134. Furman is at home against East Tennessee State on ESPNU at 6 PM ET as a 14.5-point favorite with an over/under of 144.5. Washington State plays at home against Oregon on FS1 at 7 PM ET as a 1-point favorite with a total of 134.5. Boise State hosts UNLV on FS1 at 9 PM ET as a 7-point favorite with an over/under of 140.Matchweek 24 in the English Premier League concludes with two matches on the USA Network. Manchester United plays at home against Leicester City at 9 AM ET as a -1 goal-line favorite with a total of 3. Tottenham is at home against West Ham United at 11:30 AM ET as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5.

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The Surprise College Basketball Conference as of February 2023

by Wayne Root

Saturday, Feb 18, 2023

We all know about the Big 12 conference with Kansas and Texas in the top 10. Kansas St, Iowa St and TCU can knock off their share of teams rounding out the Big 12 teams that are ranked in the top 25. This is your Number One ranked conference.  The second rated conference is the SEC. Alabama is the number one team in the nation this week. I say this week because teams continue to knock each other off playing any given solid home game against others within their conference. Tennessee is also in the top 15.  The third ranked conference is the Big 10. Purdue and Indiana leads this conference, however, they have proved they can also lose. They’ve lost 12 games between them. Northwestern, Maryland and Iowa are the other notable teams. But not that strong.  Let’s skip the fourth highest rated conference for a second. And go to the 5th, 6th and 7th. These are perennial highly ranked teams. Meanwhile, who is #4? The fifth highest ranked conference is the Big East. They mesmerized the basketball world for so many years. They have Marquette, Providence, Xavier, Creighton, UConn and The Hall. But yet the Big 10 rated just ahead of them. They may have their rating scrambled with these two conferences. It will play out in March.  The sixth ranked conference is the ACC. Duke and North Carolina lost momentum when the transfer portals opened for other teams to get players. Virginia leads the ACC pack. Miami and NC State are also in the top 25. Duke and North Carolina have 13 loses between them. Why Pittsburgh at 12-3 and Clemson coming in at 11-4 are not ranked is baffling.  The seventh ranked college basketball conference is the PAC 12. With games starting at 11:00 est it’s not hard to figure out why there’s a west coast bias. For those that can’t watch games played between 11:00 pm est and 1:30 am est, not much has changed. UCLA is ranked # 4 in the nation. I predict them to be one of two teamed to be playing Monday, April 3rd. Arizona competes with them at 12-4 and USC has some talent.  Now back to the mystery fourth ranked college basketball conference that is the Mountain West. UNLV is in seventh place at 16-10. San Diego St at 21-5 is on top. Boise is in second at 20-6 along with 20-6 Nevada. Utah St is 20-7 as is New Mexico. Even the Air Force team that doesn’t like tall pilots has 14 wins. And a team that almost never wins games at any sport has a 16-11 record as in San Jose St. Did you know they’re the “Spartans”?  As we get closer to the March Madness tournament, today’s lesson to learn is that the changing of the guard is here. You’ll see Duke and North Carolina over-rated while the Mountain West teams under-valued. The Big 10 might get 7-8 teams in and the public will lay the over-priced lines. The Big 12 is solid so the oddsmakers will play it straight making their lines.  Also worth mentioning is the West Coast Conference (WCC) with St Mary’s and Gonzaga the top two teams with Santa Clara at 20-8 in third.  Lastly are two other teams in the top 25. Are they there because they are good or there because they beat up on the “sisters of the poor” teams within their own conference? Houston Cougars are a good team coming in ranked # 3 in the top 25. Florida-Atlantic is 24-3 and needs to be looked into to see how good they are.  We’re a month away from The Madness. We’ll continue to monitor everything and then some. Stay tuned as more articles will get you prepared for the biggest three week party this Country has. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NHL, NCAAB and EPL Previews and Odds - 02/18/2023

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Feb 18, 2023

The Saturday sports card features action in the NHL, NCAAB, and EPL. The National Basketball Association continues its All-Star Game break.The National Hockey League has 13 games on its slate. Two NHL games drop the puck at 2:07 PM ET. The Colorado Avalanche visit St. Louis to play the Blues as a -165 money line road favorite with the total set at 6 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). The Florida Panthers play at Nashville against the Predators as a -130 money line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Boston Bruins host the New York Islanders at 5:07 PM ET as a -240 money line favorite with a total of 6. The New Jersey Devils are in Pittsburgh to play the Penguins at 5:37 PM ET as a -115 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Dallas Stars host the Columbus Bluejackets at 6:07 PM ET as a -265 money line favorite with a total of 6. The Toronto Maple Leafs play at home against the Montreal Canadiens at 7:07 PM ET as a -425 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Carolina Hurricanes play the Washington Capitals in the NHL Stadium Series at the Carter Finley Stadium in Raleigh, North Carolina on ABC at 8:07 PM ET. The Hurricanes are a -190 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. Two NHL games start at 10:07 PM ET. The Vancouver Canucks host the Philadelphia Flyers as a -120 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Calgary Flames play at home against the New York Rangers as a -140 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. Four games conclude the NHL card at 10:37 PM ET. The Los Angeles Kings are at home against the Arizona Coyotes as a -230 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Buffalo Sabres travel to San Jose to play the Sharks as a -125 money-line road favorite with a total of 7. The Seattle Kraken host the Detroit Red Wings as a -170 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Tampa Bay Lightning are on the road against the Vegas Golden Knights as a -125 money line favorite with a total of 6.5. The college basketball schedule has 14 games on major national television. Three NCAAB games on major national television tip off a noon ET. Virginia plays at home against Notre Dame on ESPN2 as a 12.5-point favorite with an over/under of 130. Indiana is at home against Illinois on ESPN as a 6-point favorite with a total of 143. UConn hosts Seton Hall on Fox as a 10-point favorite with an over/under of 134.5. Tennessee plays at Kentucky on CBS at 1 PM ET as a 2-point road favorite with a total of 135.5.  Kansas State is at home against Iowa State on ESPN as a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 134.5. Arkansas plays at home against Florida on ESPN2 as a 9-point favorite with a total of 139. Two more NCAAB games begin at 4 PM ET. Kansas hosts Baylor on ESPN as a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 148.5. Grambling plays Southern on a neutral court at the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah on ESPN2 as a 2.5-point favorite at Caesars with a total of 137.5. Villanova travels to Providence on Fox at 4:30 PM ET as a 4-point road favorite with an over/under of 138. Two NCAAB games on major national television tip-off at 6 PM ET. Duke plays at Syracuse on ESPN as a 1.5-point road favorite with a total of 140.5. Missouri is at home against Texas A&M on ESPN2 as a 2-point favorite with an over/under of 152.5. Two more NCAAB games start on national television at 8 PM ET. Arizona hosts Colorado on ESPN2 as a 13-point favorite with a total of 148.5. Michigan plays at home against Michigan State on Fox as a 2-point favorite with an over/under of 134.5. Saint Mary’s is at home against BYU on ESPN2 at 10 PM ET as a 10-point favorite with a total of 131. Matchweek 24 in the English Premier League begins with eight matches. Arsenal visits Aston Villa on the USA Network at 7:30 AM ET as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5 (all soccer odds from BetMGM). Seven EPL matches start at 10 AM ET. Brentford hosts Crystal Palace as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. Fulham plays at Brighton and Hove Albion as a -1 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Chelsea is at home against Southampton as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. Leeds United plays at Everton on the USA Network in a pick ‘em matchup with an over/under of 2.5. Manchester City travels to Nottingham Forest as a -1.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 3. Wolverhampton plays at home against Bournemouth as a -1 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Liverpool is at Newcastle United on NBC at 12:30 PM ET in a pick ‘em match with a total of 2.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NHL and NCAAB Previews and Odds - 02/17/2023

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Feb 17, 2023

The Friday sports card features action in the NHL and NCAAB. The National Basketball Association begins its All-Star Game break.The National Hockey League has five games on its slate. Two NHL games drop the puck at 7:07 PM ET. The Ottawa Senators host the Chicago Blackhawks as a -245 money line favorite, with the total set at 6.5 (all odds from DraftKings). The New York Islanders play at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins as a -115 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6. The Dallas Stars travel to Minnesota to play the Wild at 8:07 PM ET with both teams priced at -110 with a total of 5.5. Two more games complete the NHL card at 9:07 PM ET. The Edmonton Oilers are at home against the New York Rangers as a -120 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Los Angeles Kings visit Anaheim to play the Ducks on ESPN. The Kings won for the second straight time with a 5-2 victory against Buffalo on Monday. The Ducks have lost three games in a row after their 7-3 loss to Buffalo on Wednesday. Los Angeles is a -230 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The college basketball schedule has eight games on national television. Kent State hosts Eastern Michigan on the CBS Sports Network at 6 PM ET as a 17-point favorite with an over/under of 147. Three more NCAAB games on national television tip-off at 7 PM ET. Yale plays at Penn on ESPN News as a 2.5-point road favorite with a total of 144. Dayton is at Loyola-Chicago on ESPN2. The Flyers won for the fourth time in their last five games in a 70-56 victory against St. Louis as a 5-point favorite last Friday. The Ramblers ended a two-game losing streak with a 64-62 upset win at UMass as a 4.5-point underdog on Tuesday. Dayton is a 7.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 131. Cleveland State plays at home against Wright State on ESPNU. The Vikings won their fifth game in their last seven with an 81-78 upset victory against Youngstown State as a 2.5-point underdog on Sunday. The Raiders won for the fifth time in their last six games with an 83-65 victory against Northern Kentucky as a 2.5-point favorite last Friday. Cleveland State is a 2-point favorite with a total of 147.5. Siena is at home against Quinnipiac on ESPNU at 9 PM ET. The Saints won their second straight time with a 73-65 victory against Marist as a 10-point favorite on Sunday. The Bobcats are on a three-game losing streak after their 85-63 upset loss at Canisius as a 5-point favorite on Sunday. Siena is a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 140.Wyoming hosts the Air Force on FS1 at 10 PM ET as a 4.5-point favorite with a total of 133.5. San Jose State plays at home against New Mexico on the CBS Sports Network at 10:30 PM ET as a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under of 145. Grand Canyon is at home against Abilene Christian on ESPNU at 11 PM ET. The Anteaters are on a two-game losing streak after a 77-76 upset loss to UTRGV as a 12-point favorite on Wednesday. The Wildcats’ three-game winning streak ended with a 77-62 loss to Sam Houston State as a 1.5-point underdog on Saturday. Grand Canyon is a 6-point favorite with a total of 143. 

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