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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, MLB and EPL Previews and Odds - 10/09/2022

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Oct 09, 2022

The Sunday sports card features action in the NFL, MLB, and the EPL.The fourth week in the National Football League continues with 14 games. One game kicks off the card at 9:30 AM ET. The Green Bay Packers play the New York Giants at Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium in London on the NFL Network. The Packers are an 8-point favorite, with the total set at 41.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Nine NFL games start at 1 PM ET. The Los Angeles Chargers travel to Cleveland to play the Browns as a 2-point road favorite with an over/under of 47. The New England Patriots play at home against the Detroit Lions as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 45.5. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are at home against the Atlanta Falcons as a 10-point favorite with an over/under of 46. The New Orleans Saints host the Seattle Seahawks as a 5-point favorite with a total of 45. The Jacksonville Jaguars play at home against the Houston Texans as a 7-point favorite with an over/under of 43.5. The Buffalo Bills are at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers as a 14-point favorite with a total of 45.5. The Miami Dolphins travel to New York to play the Jets as a 3.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 45.5. The Tennessee Titans play at Washington against the Commanders as a 1.5-point road favorite with a total of 43. The Minnesota Vikings host the Chicago Bears as a 7.5-point favorite with an over/under of 44. One NFL game begins at 4:05 PM ET. The San Francisco 49ers visit the Carolina Panthers as a 6.5-point road favorite with a total of 39.5. Two more NFL games start at 4:25 PM ET. The Los Angeles Rams play at home against the Dallas Cowboys as a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 41.5. The Philadelphia Eagles are at Arizona to play the Cardinals as a 5-point road favorite with a total of 48.5. Sunday Night Football on NBC has the Baltimore Ravens playing at home against the Cincinnati Bengals at 8:20 PM ET. The Ravens are a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 47.5.The postseason in Major League Baseball continues with the lone climactic third game in the best-of-three wildcard series. The New York Mets host the San Diego Padres on ESPN at 7:37 PM ET. The Mets evened this series at 1-1 with their 7-3 victory against the Padres on Saturday. Chris Bassitt takes the mound for New York to pitch against Joe Musgrove for San Diego. The winner advances to the National League Divisional Series to play in Los Angeles against the Dodgers on Tuesday. The Mets are a -135 money line favorite with a total of 6.5.Matchweek 10 in the English Premier League continues with four matches. Two games start at 9 AM ET. Crystal Palace plays at home against Leeds United on the USA Network as a -0.5 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.5 (all soccer odds from BetMGM). West Ham United is at home against Fulham on CNBC as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. Liverpool visits Arsenal on the USA USA Network at 11:30 AM ET in a pick ‘em match with an over/under of 3. Manchester United plays at Everton on the USA Network at 2 PM ET as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with a total of 2.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, MLB, NHL, CFL and EPL Previews and Odds - 10/08/2022

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Oct 08, 2022

The Saturday sports card features action in NCAAF, MLB, NHL, CFL, and the EPL.Week 6 in the regular season of the college football season concludes with 52 games between FBS opponents. Six NCAAF games kick off on national television at noon ET. Tennessee visits LSU on ESPN as a 3-point road favorite with the total set at 64.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Western Michigan plays at home against Eastern Michigan on the CBS Sports Network as a 6-point favorite with an over/under of 55.5. Florida is at home against Missouri on ESPNU as a 10.5-point favorite with a total of 54. Texas plays Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas as an 8.5-point favorite with an over/under of 65. Michigan travels to Indiana on Fox as a 22.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 59. TCU plays at Kansas on FS1 as a 7-point road favorite with a total of 68.5. Five NCAAF games on national television start at 3:30 PM ET. Tulane hosts East Carolina on ESPNU as a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 55.5. Oklahoma State is at home against Texas Tech on FS1 as a 9-point favorite with a total of 67.5. Georgia plays at home against Auburn on CBS as a 28.5-point favorite with an over/under of 49.5. Tulsa travels to Navy on the CBS Sports Network as a 6-point road favorite with a total of 46.5. Utah plays at UCLA on Fox as a 3.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 64. Two more NCAAF nationally-televised games begin at 4 PM ET. Miami (FL) is at home against North Carolina on ESPN2 as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 66. Ohio State visits Michigan State on ABC as a 27-point road favorite with an over/under of 65. Three NCAAF games on national television start at 7 PM ET. Air Force plays at Utah State on FS1 as a 10.5-point road favorite with a total of 54.5. Wyoming is at New Mexico on the CBS Sports Network as a 3.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 37. James Madison plays at Arkansas State on the NFL Network as an 11.5-point road favorite with a total of 55. Four more nationally-televised NCAAF games begin at 7:30 PM ET. USC hosts Washington State on Fox as a 12-point favorite with an over/under of 65. Clemson travels to Boston College on ABC as a 20.5-point road favorite with a total of 48.5. Kansas State is at Iowa State on ESPNU as a 1-point road favorite with an over/under of 45. Notre Dame plays BYU at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas as a 4-point favorite with an over/under of 51.5. Alabama is at home against Texas A&M on CBS as a 24-point favorite with a total of 48. Boise State hosts Fresno State on FS1 as a 7.5-point favorite with an over/under of 45.5. San Diego State plays at home against Hawai’i on the CBS Sports Network as a 23.5-point favorite with a total of 48.5. Oregon State is at Stanford on ESPN at 11 PM ET as a 5-point road favorite with an over/under of 56. The postseason in Major League Baseball continues with the second games in the four best-of-three wildcard series. The Cleveland Guardians host the Tampa Bay Rays on ESPN2 at 12:07 PM ET after winning Game 1 on Friday, 2-1. Triston McKenzie takes the ball for the Guardians to pitch against Tyler Glasnow for the Rays. Cleveland is a -115 money line favorite with a total of 6. The Toronto Blue Jays are at home against the Seattle Mariners on ESPN at 4:07 PM ET after losing Game 1 yesterday, 4-0. The Blue Jays turn to Kevin Gaussian to battle against the Mariners’ Robbie Ray. Toronto is a -150 money line favorite with an over/under of 7. The New York Mets play at home against the San Diego Padres on ESPN at 7:37 PM ET after losing Game 1 on Friday by a 7-1 score. Jacob DeGrom is expected to be the starting pitcher for the Mets against Blake Snell for the Padres. New York is a -180 money line favorite with a total of 6. The Philadelphia Phillies are at St. Louis on ESPN2 at 8:37 PM ET after taking the opening game of this series yesterday, 6-3. The Phillies tap Aaron Nola to duel against the Cardinals’ Miles Mikolas. Philadelphia is a -115 money line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Nashville Predators play the San Jose Sharks in Prague at 2 PM ET in a rematch of their game that opened the regular season in the National Hockey League in the Czech Republic yesterday. Nashville is a -180 money line favorite with a total of 6.Week 18 in the Canadian Football League continues with two games. The Toronto Argonauts host the British Columbia Lions at 4 PM ET as a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under of 48.5. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers play at home against the Edmonton Eskimos at 7 PM ET as a 13-point favorite with a total of 50.5. Matchweek 10 in the English Premier League begins with five matches. Four games start at 10 AM ET. Leicester City travels to Bournemouth as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Chelsea is at home against Wolverhampton as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. Manchester City hosts Southampton as a -2.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Newcastle United plays at home against Brentford on the USA Network. Brighton and Hove Albion play at home against Tottenham on NBC at 12:30 PM ET in a pick ‘em match with a total of 2.5.

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NFL Surprises Provide Intriguing Matchups for Week 5

by Vegas Writer

Friday, Oct 07, 2022

We've hit the quarter pole of the NFL season, per se, with everyone outside of the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos four games into their campaign.The Colts (2-2-1) beat the Broncos (2-3) 12-9 on Thursday in arguably the most boring and unimpressive game of the season.And everyone had the lone undefeated team the Philadelphia Eagles (4-0), right?The vaunted AFC West, we all knew it would be a combined 8-8 through four weeks, right along with the NFC West, correct?How about the New York Giants? We all knew they'd be 3-1, easy.The surprises have been plentiful, for sure, and a bigger picture is being painted with some crucial matchups in store for Week 5.As mentioned, the week officially started in Denver, blah. A better matchup kicks off Sunday in London, where the Giants face the Green Bay Packers, who are also 3-1. The Packers and Giants’ combined winning percentage of .750 (6-2) is the highest by two teams entering an international game in Week 4 or later all-time.Amazingly, we're talking about a Giants team (19.0) that is scoring more per game, albeit by fractions, than the Packers (18.8). Green Bay has the edge on defense, allowing 17.3 points per contest, while the Giants give up half a point more, at 17.8.But it's the Red Zone percentage I'm most intrigued by, as the Giants rank No. 2 after allowing just five touchdowns to opponents who made 14 trips inside the 20-yard line (35.7%).The Packers are laying -8 to the Giants, who have covered seven of their last 10 October-played games.The Las Vegas Raiders earned their first win of the season and can move out of the AFC West cellar with a win in Kansas City on Monday night. Easy, yeah? They'll need to slow reigning AFC Offensive Player of the Week Patrick Mahomes, who leads the NFL with 32 games with at least 300 passing yards since taking over as the Chiefs' full-time starter in 2018. Mahomes threw for 249 yards and three touchdowns in Kansas City’s win last week.Kansas City is -7 against the Raiders, who have failed to cover five of their last six in Kansas City.There's no arguing everyone knew the Buffalo Bills (3-1) would be in first place in the AFC East, although there may be some dispute with those who saw them being 4-0. This week they host the downtrodden Pittsburgh Steelers (1-3), as the Kenny Pickett era begins in Steeltown.Pickett may be ready in coach Mike Tomlin's eyes, but he'll have a tall task in matching the talents of Buffalo QB Josh Allen, who ranks second in the NFL with 12 combined passing and rushing touchdowns (10 passing, two rushing) this season and has 146 combined passing and rushing touchdowns since entering the NFL in 2018, fourth-most among all players over that span.The Bills are -14 at home against Pittsburgh, which has covered in Week 5 the last four seasons.In a huge road game in the NFC, the Eagles put their undefeated mark on the line in Glendale, where they'll visit the Arizona Cardinals (2-2).The Cards are 2-2 and Kyler Murray has shown better play the past few weeks. He just recorded his 10th career game with at least two touchdown passes and one rushing touchdown, the second-most such games by a quarterback since he entered the NFL in 2019. Since the 2020 season, Murray leads all quarterbacks with 18 rushing touchdowns, while Philly quarterback Jalen Hurts is tied for second with 17.The Eagles, who have covered seven of their last 10 in Week 5, are -5 in Arizona.Also from the NFC, there's a showdown in Inglewood brewing, as the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams (2-2) host the Dallas Cowboys (3-1).The Cowboys, who have allowed the fourth-fewest yards (537) to wide receivers, have their hands full against L.A.'s Cooper Kupp, who leads the NFL with 42 receptions this season. Kupp, who registered a career-high 14 receptions in Week 4, has recorded at least 10 receptions in three of his first four games this season and has 11 career games with 10-or-more receptions since entering the NFL in 2017.The Rams are laying -5 to Dallas on Sunday, and it's the home team that boasts a 7-2 ATS streak the last nine meetings.I'm on a 7-3 run in the NFL, including my NFC East Game of the Year on the Cowboys last Sunday, and my Thursday Night AFC Total of the Year on the Colts-Broncos under.I'll have my fourth straight NFL Total Winner going Sunday and another Division Game of the Year.

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

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Oct 07, 2022

The Friday sports card features action in NCAAF, MLB, and the CFL.Week 6 in the regular season of the college football season continues with four games. Nebraska travels to Rutgers on FS1 at 7 PM ET. The Cornhuskers improved to 2-3 on the season after their 35-21 win against Indiana as a 6.5-point favorite last Saturday. The Scarlet Knights lost for the second straight game with their 49-10 loss at Ohio State as a 39-point underdog on Saturday. They fell to 3-2 with the loss. Nebraska is a 3-point road favorite, with the total set at 50.5. Memphis hosts Houston on ESPN2 at 7:30 PM ET. The Tigers are on a four-game winning streak after losing their opening game of the season. They come off a 24-3 victory against Temple as an 18.5-point favorite on Saturday. The Cougars have lost three of their last four games after a 27-24 upset loss at home in overtime to Tulane as a 5-point favorite last Friday. They are 2-3 on the season. Memphis is a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 57.5. Two games kick off at 10:30 PM ET. Nevada plays at home against Colorado State on FS1. The Wolf Pack are on a three-game losing streak after a 48-20 loss at Air Force as a 24-point underdog two weeks ago. They have a 2-3 record on the season. The Rams are winless in their first four games after a 41-10 upset loss to Sacramento State as a 4.5-point favorite on September 24th. Nevada is a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 44.5. San Jose State is at home against UNLV on the CBS Sports Network at 10:30 PM ET. The Spartans are on a two-game winning streak after a 33-16 win at Wyoming as a 2.5-point favorite last Saturday. They have a 3-1 record this year. The Rebels are on a three-game winning streak after a 31-20 victory against New Mexico as a 14-point favorite last Friday. They have a 4-1 record. San Jose State is a 6.5-point favorite with an over/under of 52. The postseason in Major League Baseball begins with the opening games in the four best-of-three wildcard series. The Cleveland Guardians host the Tampa Bay Rays on ESPN at 12:07 PM ET. Shane Bieber takes the ball for the Guardians to pitch against Shane McClanahan for the Rays. Cleveland is a -120 money line favorite with a total of 6.The St. Louis Cardinals play at home against the Philadelphia Phillies on ABC at 2:07 PM ET. The Cardinals tap Jose Quintana to pitch against the Phillies’ Zack Wheeler. St. Louis is a -110 money line favorite with an over/under of 7. The Toronto Blue Jays are at home against the Seattle Mariners on ESPN at 4:07 PM ET. Alek Manoah takes the hill for the Blue Jays to battle against Luis Castillo for the Mariners. Toronto is a -130 money line favorite with a total of 7. The New York Mets host the San Diego Padres on ESPN at 8:07 PM ET. The Mets turn to Max Scherzer to pitch against the Padres’ Yu Darvish. New York is a -150 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. Week 18 of the Canadian Football League kicks off with one game. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are at home against the Saskatchewan Roughriders as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 46.5.

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NFL Scoring and Over/Under Trends After Week 4

by Team Del Genio

Thursday, Oct 06, 2022

Scoring had been up last week going into Monday Night Football, with the first fifteen games of Week 4 averaging 50.3 combined points. After three weeks of the regular season, games were averaging only 42.1 combined points per game, the lowest mark since 2010. We expected scoring to rise with offensive players getting more in synch after not taking many snaps in the preseason. The Week 4 numbers included high-scoring games that had 93 combined points between Seattle and Detroit and 72 combined points between Kansas City and Tampa Bay last night. Yet seven of the fifteen games still finished under the number so far in Week 4 before the Los Angeles Rams played at the San Francisco 49ers Monday night. Five of the games did not see more than 42 combined points scored. For the season, the under has a 37-25-1 record. For prime-time games, the under has cashed in nine of the twelve games. Of course, the Sunday Night Football scoring fest between the Chiefs and Buccaneers demonstrated that it would be foolish to simply take the under became the game happens to be played at night in front of a nationally-televised audience. On the other hand, perhaps that game follows a different script if Rachaad White does not fumble the opening kick-off to give the ball to Patrick Mahomes deep in Tampa Bay territory. When Kansas City had a 7-0 lead in the first minute of the game, the Buccaneers played the entire game from behind and abandoned their rushing attack. So, each game needs to be treated differently. We passed on the over/under bet for Sunday Night Football, preferring the side plays with the Chiefs. We did endorse the under for Monday Night Football with that NFC West showdown involving two teams that like to run the football and who have played seven of their previous nine games played in San Francisco under the number. We were rewarded with a comfortable under with the 49ers' 24-9 victory. Jimmy Garoppolo was efficient if not explosive by completing 16 of 27 passes for 239 yards while leading San Francisco to 327 total yards of offense. Yet they only scored 17 offensive points with their final touchdown being from a 52-yard interception return for a touchdown. The struggles on offense for the reigning Super Bowl champions continued as they gained only 257 yards behind a banged-up offensive line. Matthew Stafford completed 32 of 48 passes for 254 yards, yet lost 54 yards from getting sacked seven times. Stafford has been sacked fourteen times in the last two games. He has gone 87 straight pass attempts without a touchdown pass. In his last eight games including the playoffs last year, he has thrown sixteen interceptions. Lingering elbow and shoulder injuries may be impacting his performance.Week 5 begins Thursday night with the under having a 38-25-1 record. For prime-time games, the under has cashed in ten of the thirteen games. Yet that was not enough for us to endorse the Indianapolis/Denver under for the opening Thursday night contest for the week. The oddsmakers installed the over/under in the 43-point range and the market bet that number down all week with both teams missing their starting running backs, Jonathan Taylor for the Colts and Javonte Williams for the Broncos. While we were willing to be the under with the low number on Monday, injuries on a pair of defensive units not as good as the Rams and 49ers played a large role in passing (and instead taking the side play). As we continue to preach, these long-term under trends are interesting to observe but not nearly enough to expect to continue on their own.Good luck - TDG.

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NHL Hockey Futures Bet: Toronto Maple Leafs to Win the 2023 Stanley Cup

by Al McMordie

Thursday, Oct 06, 2022

The Predators and Sharks will kick off the NHL season (in Prague) this week, so it's time to unveil my pick to win this year's NHL Stanley Cup.  It will be a familiar selection since my futures pick is the same team I went with last year:  the Toronto Maple Leafs (at 10-1 odds (FanDuel)).  The Leafs have the best pure goal scorer in the NHL (which probably means in the World).  Connor McDavid might still be the best overall player in the game, but nobody can put the puck in the net as frequently and in as many different ways as Toronto's superstar Center, Auston Matthews.  The 25-year-old finished last season as the only 60-goal scorer in the league, and he did it in just 73 games.  Nobody would be surprised if Matthews led the league again this season and improved on the 60-goal bar.  But what about the rest of the team?  The Leafs need to take a serious step forward this season.  For six straight years, the Leafs have made the playoffs.  And for six straight seasons, they've gone packing after the first round.  Another season like that, and they need to seriously consider blowing it up (with the exception of Matthews).  One area where the Leafs have already blown it up is in goal.  Both of last season's net-minders -- Jack Campbell and Petr Mrazek -- are out, and that's not necessarily a bad thing when you consider who they brought in.  Toronto got aggressive in the off-season and went after two potentially #1 goalies in Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov.  While Murray is the more experienced (but still only 28), it's the 25-year-old Russian who is potentially the long-term number one in net -- and don't be surprised if Samsonov is a Vezina Trophy winner one day.   The Leafs also addressed a defense that faltered badly at times last season, bringing in veterans Mark Giordano (trade from Seattle) and Jordie Benn (signed as a free agent).  Those two may not be the entire answer this team needs, but they're certainly a start.  Head Coach Sheldon Keefe will be back after a 54-win season -- by far his best result as an NHL skipper.  If Keefe can get this team to gel and play together like they're capable of -- beyond the regular season -- then they just might be hoisting the Cup at the end.  Take the Toronto Maple Leafs at 10-1 odds to win the Stanley Cup.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

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NHL Metropolitan Division Preview 2022-23

by Scott Rickenbach

Thursday, Oct 06, 2022

Metropolitan Division 2022-23 Point Total PredictionsCarolina Hurricanes – 116 points last year. Predicting them to land around the 100 mark this season. This team is so strong on the blue line. They can D up! But the Hurricanes have some question marks this season as they lost quite a bit of scoring with guys that departed. I know they added Brent Burns and Max Pacioretty but the latter is out at least 4 months most likely recovering from surgery. Also, Paul Stastny is a big add but again Niederrieter, Trocheck and DeAngelo all are with other teams now. Hurricanes still we be one of the strongest clubs in the league but how the new pieces mix in will be a key. Columbus Blue Jackets – 81 points last year. Predicting a range of mid to upper 80s this season. What a top line they have now since Johnny Gaudreau landed here and Patrick Laine decided to remain with Columbus. The Blue Jackets, however, have quite a ways to go as they defense is not what it was a few seasons ago and is very young. Also, will they have enough scoring depth behind that top line?New Jersey Devils – 63 points last year. Predicting a range of mid to upper 80s this season. This team should be much improved because I liked what I saw from this team as the season went on. The late season Devils were much better than the early season Devils and they’ll carry momentum here and be an improved team this season. The added some solid pieces heading into the new season and now can take the next step after a sluggish start last season doomed them. This team can contend for a playoff spot. They have a solid young core and then added guys like Ondrej Palat and Erik Haula among others! This team going to be tough to play against. New York Islanders – 84 points last year. Predicting a range of upper 80s to low 90s this season. Not too sure about this team. Barry Trotz was fired and yet the Islanders were so much better after the rough start to the season when they opened up with a 13-game road trip and then got hammered by a covid outbreak. Lane Lambert now an NHL coach for the first time. The talent is there for this team to still be a title contender and I know a lot of systems will stay the same since Lambert was an assistant under Trotz but this is his first time as head coach. Roster is much the same and the Isles will contend for a playoff spot but I don’t think it will be easy for this team that is still a bit offensively challenged. New York Rangers – 110 points last year. Predicting them to land around the 100 mark this season. Igor Shesterkin in goal is a key for these Rangers. He is phenomenal. They also have a core group of young talent and have built this team really well. To get to next level though those young guys are going to have to have their best seasons yet. Very strong team but lost some solid guys from last season’s team that made the post-season run. Really like the additions of Trocheck and Halak as well.  Philadelphia Flyers – 61 points last year. Predicting a range of mid to upper 70s this season. Definitely like the hiring of fiery head coach John Tortorella because if any team needed a real kick in the pants from the bench boss it was this Philly bunch. Torts will demand this most from this club and we will see improvement as a result. A big key was that Sean Couterier will not need surgery after all and he is such a strong player and will be huge for the top line when he is back out there again in a few weeks most likely. However, it is likely “do or die” time for GM Chuck Fletcher and the Flyers have a decent amount of talent but question marks on defense and that exposes their goaltending too much. Carter Hart needs a more dominant, consistent season between the pipes as well. Pittsburgh Penguins – 103 points last year. Predicting a range of mid to upper 90s this season. The core group is still there for the Penguins to try to make one more push. Malkin, Crosby, Rust, Letang all long-time Penguins trying to help make a run at it. The additions of defensemen Ty Smith and Jeff Petry should pay dividends too. If Tristan Jarry is strong enough in goal the Pens should make playoffs and could even make a run but the competition seems to be getting in tougher in this division and of course the other Eastern Division is stacked with Bruins and Lightning and Maple Leafs and Panthers. So the Penguins are one of those 8 battling to get in but the Metropolitan is getting better while Pittsburgh staying a bit stagnant. Washington Capitals – 100 points last year. Predicting a range of low to mid 90s this season. Yes the Capitals still have the Amazing 8 in Alexander Ovechkin. Additionally what a huge move to get goalie Darcy Kuemper after he won the cup with the Avalanche. Some of the other Capitals additions are solid too and this Washington team is going to, like Pittsburgh, be in the mix for one of those playoff spots. However, like some other teams, the Caps are dealing with a couple of injury issues entering the season and guys like Tom Wilson and Nicklas Backstrom being out for awhile to start the season is absolutely not ideal of course. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL and UEFA Europa League Previews and Odds - 10/06/2022

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Oct 06, 2022

The Thursday sports card features action in the NFL and the UEFA Europa League.Week 5 in the National Football League kicks off with the Denver Broncos hosting the Indianapolis Colts on Amazon Prime at 8:15 PM ET. The Broncos lost in Las Vegas to the Raiders, 32-23, as a 2.5-point underdog last Sunday. The loss dropped their record to 2-2 with wins against Houston and San Francisco after their opening week loss at Seattle. Denver's injury list includes running back Javonte Williams placed on the injured list from the knee injury he suffered last week.The Colts got upset last week, 24-17, at home against Tennessee as a 4.5-point favorite on Sunday. Indianapolis has a 1-2-1 record with a loss at Jacksonville and an upset win at home against Kansas City, following up their opening week tie at Houston. The Colts' injury list includes running back Jonathan Taylor out with an ankle injury and linebacker Shaquille Leonard out with a nose and back injury. The Broncos are a 3.5-point favorite, with the total set at 42 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise).  Matchday 3 in the UEFA Europa League has 16 games on the docket. Eight matches start at 12:45 PM ET. Lazio travels to SK Sturm Graz as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5 (all soccer odds from BetMGM). Real Sociedad plays at Sheriff Tiraspol as a -1 goal line road favorite with a total of 2.5. Manchester United is at Omonoia Nicosia as a -1.5 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 3. PSV visits Zurich as a -1 goal line road favorite with a total of 3. Pfc Ludogorets Razgrad plays at HJK Helsinki as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5. FC Union Berlin is at Malmo Ff as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with a total of 2.5. Craven Zvezda hosts Ferencvaros as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. As Monaco plays at home against Trabzonsporat as a -1 goal line favorite with a total of 3. Eight more matches conclude the Europa League card at 3 PM ET. Feyenoord Rotterdam visits FC Midtjylland as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 3. Arsenal plays at home against FK Bodo/Glimt as a -2 goal line favorite with a total of 3.5. Stade Rennes is at home against Dynamo Kyiv as a -1 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Fenerbahce hosts AEK Larnaca as a -1.5 goal line favorite with a total of 2.5. As Roma plays at home against Real Betis as a -0.5 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Sporting Braga is at home against Union Saint Gilloise as a -0.5 goal line favorite with a total of 2.5. Olympiacos hosts Qarabao Fk as a -0.5 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. SC Freiburg plays at home against Nantes as a -1 goal line favorite with a total of 2.5. All 16 Europa League matches are available on Paramount+. The CBS Sports Network’s “The Golazo Show” is an NFL Red Zone-inspired show that presents live updated highlights of all 16 games.

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NHL Atlantic Division Preview 2022-23

by Scott Rickenbach

Thursday, Oct 06, 2022

Atlantic Division 2022-23 Point Total PredictionsBoston Bruins – 107 points last year. Predicting a range of mid to upper 90s this season. Just such a consistent franchise for many seasons now. This team is built so well. Very strong top line many consider the best in the game and now the roster even stronger since David Krejci is back after going back to Czech Republic and missing last NHL season. With Patrice Bergeron also back for another season at age 37 this talented core group is trying to make one more run. There are question marks however as it is now a new coach in Jim Montgomery instead of Bruce Cassidy. Also, Bruins enter the season short-handed due to some guys still out after off-season surgeries. Boston could have some early season struggles but this team will be tough if everything comes together as the season goes along. Buffalo Sabres – 75 points last year. Predicting a range of mid to uppers 70s this season. This team is quite young and talented but did not make any big off-season moves. They will continue to languish at a level below the top teams like Boston, Tampa Bay, Toronto and Florida. The Sabres are exciting and developing young talent but still this team looks poised to be very similar to last season’s and that is just enough to be competitive but not next level. Detroit Red Wings – 74 points last year. Predicting a range of low to mid 80s this season. The youth rebuild has helped. The Red Wings are starting to make some positive steps after being patient with the youth rebuild. That continues this season and Detroit is getting close to being a playoff contender. Is unlikely they are there just yet but one has to like the additions of Copp and Perron and Husso. The team will continue to improve even more and should top last year’s improved point total. Have to like the hiring of a head coach (Lalonde) who was an assistant at Tampa Bay considering how strong the Lightning have been in recent season. Florida Panthers – 122 points last year. Predicting them to land right around the 100 mark this season. The Panthers surprised with how strong of a season they had last year but their goalie situation is a concern as Sergei Bobrovsky can run hot and cold and that continues from season to season. This team has to drop down some this season in my opinion after overachieving again last season. There was so much roster turnover too now and I know they brought in Matthew Tkachuk but they lost Jonathan Huberdeau in the process. Also, quite a few changes personnel-wise and how will new head coach Paul Maurice fit in with a roster that had so many off-season changes?Montreal Canadiens – 55 points last year. Predicting a range of low to mid 70s this season. This is still a bad team but they should be better than last season as they did respond well to interim coach Martin St Louis and that is why he is no longer just an interim! Also, like the fact that Kent Hughes is now the GM rather than Marc Bergevin. But this team is still rebuilding with a lot of youth and has uncertainty at the goalie position. When your team captain (Nick Suzuki) is only 23 years old that says a lot about the youth of this hockey club. More growing pains this season but they will be better than last season at least. Ottawa Senators – 73 points last year. Predicting a range of low to mid 80s this season. If you like seeing goals you might want to tune into Sens games this season. They have a lot of talent offensively with young guys plus then added Claude Giroux and Alex DeBrincat in the off-season. Also, definitely like the Senators getting goalie Cam Talbot. However, this team still has a lot of youth and is weak on the blue line. Outside of the uber-talented Thomas Chabot there is just not a lot there. But Ottawa trying at least!Tampa Bay Lightning – 110 points last year. Predicting them to land right around the 100 mark this season. Lost some good players so could drop a little but it is the systems in place here that make this team so strong each and every season in recent years. This season the losses of Ondrej Palat and Ryan McDonagh will be tough to overcome. Also, similar to Boston, the Bolts have a few guys that will be out for a period of time to start the season as they are recovering from off-season surgeries. Still one of the top teams in the NHL but this time they lost a little too much from the roster and the loss of assistant coach Lalonde (now head coach in Detroit) could hurt team a little too. Toronto Maple Leafs – 115 points last year. Predicting them to land right around the 110 mark this season. The core group is intact and they now have a goalie tandem of Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov but will one of them step up? Getting strong goalie work will be key because the Maple Leafs certainly have the talent up front to score plenty of goals on a regular basis. Also, Toronto got good news that John Tavares should only miss a couple weeks of time to start the season. He is already back and resuming skating. But this team has not won a playoff series in nearly 20 years and many are getting restless in Toronto to say the least. When a team plays with a lot of pressure it can be tough on them and they also have to see if Murray can stay healthy and if Samsonov can be more consistent. They must get better goaltending. Absolutely this is their division to lose this season. They should be the top team! Key word…should! 

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NHL Pacific Division Preview 2022-23

by Scott Rickenbach

Wednesday, Oct 05, 2022

Pacific Division 2022-23 Point Total PredictionsAnaheim Ducks – 76 points last year. Predicting a range of low 80s to mid 80s this season. This team is starting to build talent quite nicely and the addition of John Klingberg from Dallas is huge. Overall the Ducks appear to be a team on the rise without a doubt but the key will be key what kind of goalie play they get. John Gibson has not exactly been spectacular in recent seasons and his back-up Anthony Stolarz still quite inexperienced and inconsistent.   Calgary Flames – 111 points last year. Predicting them to land right around the 100 mark this season. Team chemistry will have to jell quickly but the fact is the Flames did a good job at least in terms of replacing Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau. Now they have Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazeem Kadri on board. They also added MacKenzie Weegar who is a solid contributor. Will Jacob Markstrom bounce back in goal and be strong this season with consistency? That and team chemistry early in season is why this team’s point total will drop some this season in my opinion. Edmonton Oilers – 104 points last year. Predicting a range of around the century mark this season. The Oilers are so strong with their top line but do they have the depth to take them to the next level. Adding Mattias Janmark further bolsters this club but the goaltending, as usual, is a question mark. Jack Campbell was not exactly dominant last season and Stuart Skinner is the other part of the tandem and is still young and needing more experience. Will the defense be strong enough in front of those goalies too? Again this season if you like high-scoring games tune into Edmonton.  Los Angeles Kings – 99 points last year. Predicting a range of mid to upper 90s this season. This team built up with youth and is has passed the growing pain stage. Now with the addition of Kevin Fiala this team has bolstered talent up front. Still the Kings don’t have a lot of scoring depth and relied heavily on Anze Kopitar. Goalies Jonathan Quick and Cal Petersen will have to be very good because the Kings just don’t score a ton but this a solid club that is definitely trending the right direction. San Jose Sharks – 77 points last year. Predicting a range of low to mid 70s this season. Sharks lost veteran Brent Burns and the team is going through a bit of a rebuild. Though it is not a full rebuild so there is a chance there could be a spark with all the newcomers added the existing core that remains. But it also is tough to trust the goal-tending in San Jose. James Reimer and Kaapo Kahkonen will be the guys between the pipes for San Jose. This team will have to battle to stay out of the basement of this division this season. Seattle Kraken – 60 points last year. Predicting a range of low to mid 70s this season. Andre Burakovsky, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Justin Schultz…those are type of guys that can help this team a lot and are new faces on the club this season. However, this team allows too many shots and too many goals and whether it is new acquired Martin Jones or Phillipe Grubauer between the pipes, the defense tends to struggle in front of them. The additions should help this club and they will be better than last season but that is not saying a lot. Will battle San Jose to see who can avoid the basement in this division. Dave Hakstol has not performed well as an NHL coach and that is another strike against the Kraken. Vancouver Canucks – 92 points last year. Predicting a range of low to mid 90s this season. The Canucks were a different team once Bruce Boudreau took over for Travis Green. The results speak for themselves. Now they get to have a training camp with him and start the season with him and this will be interesting season in Vancouver as a result. If Thatcher Demko continues his year over year improvement in goal that we have seen this team will be tough to play against for sure. Just don’t know if this team has the depth overall and also the scoring depth to be able to improve much on last season’s final point total. This could be another building year for Vancouver but this is a quality roster that is building the right way.   Vegas Golden Knights – 94 points last year. Predicting a range of upper 80s to low 90s this season. Really like the hiring of Bruce Cassidy as head coach. But this team has lost a lot of talent from the top rosters it once had. They are still a solid club but also have bitten by the injury bug already heading into this season. With Robin Lehner not playing this season and of course Marc-Andre Fleury having moved on long ago from Vegas, the Golden Knights goalie situation is a big concern too. Were it not for Cassidy at coach this team would slip even further but odds are he works a little magic here and the Golden Knights maintain a competitive team but they still could fall short of the playoffs when you look at how tough the West looks this season. 

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NHL Central Division Preview 2022-23

by Scott Rickenbach

Wednesday, Oct 05, 2022

Central Division 2022-23 Point Total PredictionsArizona Coyotes – 57 points last year. Predicting a range of upper 50s to low 60s this season. This looks like a another rough year. They are clearly in rebuild mode and have major question marks in goal. They are not that talented compared to other teams and if you can’t outskate other teams and also struggle to keep the puck out of your own net…well…let’s just say it is going to be another long season for Arizona. Chicago Blackhawks – 68 points last year. Predicting a range of low to mid 60s this season. This team is gearing toward rebuild mode. You can tell by the way they handled the off-season. Probably only a matter of time until Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are out the door in Chicago. They appear to be tanking a bit as they gear up for a rebuild.  Colorado Avalanche – 119 points last year. Predicting them to land in the 105 to 110 range this season. Such a strong team but the goaltending going through a revamp as Darcy Kuemper is gone and Alexandar Georgiev is now in. Very strong team with scary good scoring talent but is tough to repeat as champs. Again should be one of the best teams in the league but will they get strong enough goalie play from Georgiev? Dallas Stars – 98 points last year. Predicting a range of low to mid 90s this season. Pete DeBoer is the new head coach here and has a history of success when he first takes over a club. Similar to what we saw with the Flyers Alaign Vigneault but then he faded in future seasons. Will the Stars be able to score enough? John Klingberg was a key contributor of offense from the blueline but he is gone now. Jason Robertson contract situation puts a damper on the Stars situation entering the season too. This team could be sluggish out of the gates. Minnesota Wild – 113 points last year. Predicting a range of mid to upper 90s this season. The Wild are pushing hard to win now but not sure about putting so much reliance on Marc-Andre Fleury. The back-up is now Filip Gustafsson (not much NHL experience) because Cam Talbot is gone. Elsewhere on the ice the loss of star Kevin Fiala will hurt. Much of the core group still intact but this team takes a step back this season because of those personnel losses. Nashville Predators –97 points last year. Predicting a range of mid to upper 90s this season. This team looks solid. They have a strong blueline and by adding  Ryan McDonagh it got stronger. The goalie situation is solid with Juuse Saros and they also now have added Kevin Lankinen there plus they have Conor Ingram on the roster. Teams strong in goal and on the blueline are tough to beat when the games matter the most but can the Predators get enough scoring. One thing that should help there is bringing Nino Niederreiter on board! But still this team just not ultra-talented up front and that separates them from the elite. St. Louis Blues – 109 points last year. Predicting a range of mid to upper 90s this season. Still a solid team long-known for being physical and playing stingy defense but I do think the losses of David Perron and Ville Husso will hurt. Yes they brought in goalie Thomas Greiss but he is no Husso so Jordan Binnington will have to be on his game in goal for the Blues to go far. But Perron was a leader and key contributor for this club and his absence will be felt. Winnipeg Jets – 89 points last year. Predicting a range of upper 80s to low 90s this season. Connor Hellebuyck at goalie makes the Jets tough when he is on because this team certainly has plenty of firepower up front with their top lines. Winnipeg could be a much stronger club this season on defense simply because new head coach Rick Bowness will accept nothing less. I still like the core group here but will they respond well to Bowness. That is going to be the key. The Jets could be really improved this season and when you have Hellebuyck at goalie you can also steal games. This team could really surprise if Bowness can help build good chemistry here with this group. The pieces are there…not to be elite…but to at least be solid. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, MLB, and UEFA Champions League Previews and Odds - 10/05/22

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Oct 05, 2022

The Wednesday sports card features action in NCAAF, MLB, and the UEFA Champions League.Week 6 in the regular season of the college football season kicks off with one game. Central Florida hosts Southern Methodist on ESPN2 at 7 PM ET after this game got postponed last week because of Hurricane Ian. The Knights are on a two-game winning streak after a 27-10 victory against Georgia Tech as a 21-point favorite on September 24th. The Mustangs lost their second-straight game in a 42-34 loss to TCU as a 2.5-point underdog on September 24th. Central Florida is a 3-point favorite with the total set at 63 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Major League Baseball concludes its regular season with 16 games in the afternoon. The Baltimore Orioles play at home against the Toronto Blue Jays at 12:35 PM ET. The Los Angeles Angels visit Oakland against the A’s at 4 PM ET as a -250 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7. Three more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 4:05 PM ET. The Blue Jays play the Orioles in the second game of their doubleheader. The New York Yankees play at Texas against the Rangers as a -140 money line road favorite with a total of 7.5. The St. Louis Cardinals travel to Pittsburgh to play the Pirates.Ten MLB games start at 4:10 PM ET. The Tampa Bay Rays are at Boston to play the Red Sox. The Chicago Cubs visit Cincinnati to play the Reds as a -115 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. The Kansas City Royals play at Cleveland against the Guardians. The Washington Nationals travel to New York to play the Mets. The Atlanta Braves play at Miami against the Marlins. The Houston Astros host the Philadelphia Phillies as a -180 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. The Chicago White Sox are at home against the Minnesota Twins as a -140 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Milwaukee Brewers play at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks as a -175 money line favorite with a total of 7. The Detroit Tigers travel to Seattle to play the Mariners. The San Francisco Giants are at San Diego to play the Padres. The Colorado Rockies play at Los Angeles against the Dodgers at 4:20 PM ET.Matchday 3 in the UEFA Champions League concludes with eight group stage matches. Two matches start at 12:45 PM ET. Salzburg hosts Dinamo Zagreb as a -1 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.5 (all soccer odds from BetMGM). RB Leipzig is at home against Celtic as a -1 goal line favorite with a total of 3. Six matches conclude the UCL card at 3 PM ET. Real Madrid plays at home against Shakhtar Donetsk as a -2 goal line favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Chelsea hosts AC Milan as a -0.5 goal line favorite with a total of 2.5. Manchester City is at home against FC Copenhagen as a -3 goal line favorite with an over/under of 4. Borussia Dortmund visits Sevilla in a pick ‘em match with a total of 2.5. Paris Saint-Germain plays at Benfica as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 3. Juventus plays at home against Maccabi Haifa as a -1.5 goal line favorite with a total of 3. All eight Champions League matches are available on Paramount+. The CBS Sports Network’s “The Golazo Show” is an NFL Red Zone-inspired show that presents live updated highlights of all eight games.

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