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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NCAAF, MLB, NHL and UEFA Champions League Previews and Odds - 10/20/2021

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Oct 20, 2021

The Wednesday sports card features action in NCAAF, MLB, NBA, NHL, and UEFA Champions League.The eighth week in the college football season kicks off with Coastal Carolina visiting Appalachian State on ESPN2 at 7:30 PM ET. The Chanticleers come off a 52-20 win at Arkansas State as a 20-point favorite on October 7th. The Mountaineers got upset at Louisiana-Lafayette as a 4-point favorite last Tuesday. Coastal Carolina is a 5-point road favorite with the total set at 61.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise).The playoffs continue in Major League Baseball with two games. Boston plays at home against Houston on FS1 at 5:08 PM ET. The Astros evened this best-of-seven ALCS series at 2-2 yesterday with their 9-2 victory. Framber Valdez pitches for Houston against Chris Sale for the Red Sox. Boston is a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.The Los Angeles Dodgers are at home against Atlanta on TBS at 8:08 PM ET. The Dodgers won their first game in this best-of-seven NLCS series by winning Game 3, 6-5, at home yesterday. Los Angeles pitches Julio Urias against a Braves pitcher yet to be named. Los Angeles is a -220 money line favorite with a total of 8.5.Eleven games are on the National Basketball Association docket. Two games tip-off at 7:10 PM ET. Charlotte plays at home against Indiana as a 2-point favorite with an over/under of 223.5. Chicago travels to Detroit as a 5-point road favorite with a total of 219.5. Two more games begin at 7:40 PM ET. Toronto is at home against Washington as a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 219. New York hosts Boston on ESPN as a 2-point favorite with a total of 217. Three NBA games begin at 8:10 PM ET. Memphis hosts Cleveland as a 7.5-point favorite with an over/under of 216.5. Minnesota plays at home against Houston as a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 228. Philadelphia visits New Orleans as a 3.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 226.5. San Antonio is at home against Orlando at 8:40 PM ET as a 6-point favorite with a total of 213. Utah plays at home against Oklahoma City at 9:10 PM ET as a 12-point favorite with an over/under of 220.5. Portland hosts Sacramento at 10:10 PM ET as a 5-point favorite with a total of 232.5. Phoenix is at home against Denver on ESPN as a 6-point favorite with an over/under of 223.Two games are on the National Hockey League slate in a doubleheader on TNT. Boston visits Philadelphia at 7:38 PM ET as a -120 money line road favorite with a total of 5.5. Vegas is at home against St. Louis at 10:08 PM ET as a -135 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.Matchday 3 in the UEFA Champions League concludes on Wednesday with eight matches. Two games begin at 12:45 PM ET. Barcelona hosts Dynamo Kyiv as a 1.5 goal line favorite with a total of 3 (all soccer odds from Play MGM). Salzburg plays at home against Wolfsburg as a -0.5 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Six more matches start at 3 PM ET. Bayern Munich travels to Benfica as a -1.5 goal line road favorite with a total of 3. Villarreal visits the Young Boys as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Manchester United plays at home against Atalanta as a -0.5 goal line favorite with a total of 3. Sevilla is at Lille as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 2. Chelsea is at home against Malmo as a -2.5 goal line favorite with a total of 3.5. Juventus visits Zenit St. Petersburg as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5. 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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A Look At Europe's Big 4 Leagues

by Power Sports

Tuesday, Oct 19, 2021

With the four major European soccer leagues returning from an International break last weekend, I thought it would be a good time to check in on what’s been going on and what we might expect moving forward. New to betting European soccer? Don’t be scared. I’ve got you covered in the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A.  English Premier League: Remember when somebody wrote that Brighton & Hove Albion would be the most improved side in all of Europe this season? That was pretty smart. But I’d still expect Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City & Manchester United to occupy the top four spots in the table at season’s end. Note that while Chelsea is currently in first place, they only have the eighth highest expected point total (xPts). So there could be some regression there. West Ham & Everton, who just played last weekend, should battle it out for fifth and the Europa League spot. Tottenham is the most overrated team right now. They are in the bottom half of the table in terms of xPts and goal differential. I’d fade them when the opportunity presents itself. Newly promoted Brentford has made a real solid showing and actually has the third highest number of xPts! Can they keep that up though? As far as the relegation battle goes, Norwich City looks like a lock. Newcastle United would be a solid bet to finish in the bottom three as would Watford.  Spanish La Liga: This league is far more wide open than in years’ past. Right now, Real Sociedad is your surprise leader, but I’d be shocked if that continues. Going by goal differential, Real Madrid has been the class of La Liga as they’ve outscored opponents by 12 this season. Sevilla might also have a case to finish at the top of the table as they have a +8 goal differential and the highest number of xPts. What makes that impressive is they’ve played one fewer match than most other sides. Should we really discount Barcelona? Probably not. I also haven’t even mentioned the reigning champs Atletico Madrid. Sides like Real Betis and Osasuna look like they could contend for the Europa League. With most of the newly promoted sides doing better than expected in La Liga, the relegation battle will be interesting. Levante and Getafe are both still winless. Alaves also stinks. But Levante has been unlucky and I think they’ll move out of the drop zone. Granada, Cadiz and Elche finished with the three lowest xPts last season and are by no means considered safe in 2021/22. Granada in particular has been bad. They have the lowest number of xPts in any of the big four leagues this season.  German Bundesliga: Once again, this league belongs to Bayern Munich. They just shredded Bayer Leverkusen 5-1 over the weekend. Bet on Die Roten running away with their 10th straight Bundesliga title. Dortmund (5-0 at home) is the other lock to finish in the Champions League places (top four), provided Erling Haaland remains healthy. Right now, Haaland is level with Bayern’s Robert Lewandowski with a league-high nine goals, despite playing in two fewer matches. Freiburg is the only undefeated side in the German Top Flight, but has drawn in four of their eight matches and I don’t expect them to remain in the top four. Leverkusen and Wolfsburg are two other sides that have overperformed xPts so far. As for who could move up, keep an eye on Gladbach, Union Berlin and especially RB Leipzig. The relegation battle will likely include the two newly promoted sides - Bochum and Greuther Furth - as well as Augsburg and Arminia Bielefeld. Bielefeld has the second lowest point xPts in any league I’ll be talking about today, ahead of only La Liga’s Granada.  Italian Serie A:  There is a clear dividing line here between the top seven and everyone else. The big story is Napoli, who has won all eight of its matches so far. They are the only side in any of the big four leagues without a loss or a draw. AC Milan and Inter have also been excellent and have the look of top four sides. That would leave Atalanta, Juventus, Roma and Lazio to battle it out for the other Champions League spot. Despite getting off to such a terrible start, Juve has already managed to climb up to 7th in the table. An interesting thing with Roma is that they have won all four home fixtures but have lost three of four away. Atalanta has scored less than usual. There is no more overrated side in Serie A than Fiorentina. Empoli is another team that you should see start falling down the table. Torino, who was due to improve from a tough 2020/21 season, may be the most underrated. Cagliari, currently 19th, should escape the drop zone. They have an xPts total that’s more indicative of a mid-table side. I’d say that Salernitana is the most likely team to be relegated. Spezia is the second most likely.  

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB, NBA, NHL and UEFA Champions League Previews and Odds - 10/19/2021

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Oct 19, 2021

The Tuesday sports card features action in MLB, NBA, NHL, and UEFA Champions League.The playoffs continue in Major League Baseball with two games. The Los Angeles Dodgers host Atlanta on TBS at 5:08 PM ET. The Dodgers fell behind, 2-0, in the best-of-seven National League Championship Series after their 5-4 loss on the road against the Braves on Sunday. Atlanta has won five games in a row. The Braves pitch Charlie Morton against Los Angeles’ Walker Buehler. The Dodgers are a -170 money line favorite with the total set at 7.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise).Boston plays at home against Houston on FS1 at 8:08 PM ET. The Red Sox took a 2-1 lead in the American League Championship Series with their 12-3 victory over the Astros on Monday. Nick Pivetta is the starting pitcher for Boston against Zack Greinke of the Astros. Boston is a -130 money line favorite with Play MGM listing an over/under of 10.The NBA regular season tips off with a TNT doubleheader. Milwaukee is at home against Brooklyn at 7:40 PM ET with the Bucks a 1-point favorite with a total of 236. The Los Angeles Lakers play at home at 10:10 PM ET as a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 227.Eleven games are on the NHL docket. Six games begin at 7 PM ET. Vancouver travels to Buffalo as a -145 money line road favorite with a total of 6. Montreal plays at home against San Jose as a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. Tampa Bay hosts Florida as a -130 money line favorite with a total of 6. New Jersey is at home against Seattle as a -135 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. Washington plays at home against Colorado as a -125 money line favorite with a total of 6. Detroit hosts Columbus at 7:30 PM ET as a -110 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Three games start at 8 PM ET. The New York Islanders travel to Chicago on ESPN as a -120 money win road favorite with an over/under of 6. Nashville plays at home against the Los Angeles Kings as a -140 money line favorite with a total of 5.5. Minnesota is at home against Winnipeg as a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Edmonton hosts Anaheim at 9 PM ET as a -285 money line favorite with a total of 5.5.Matchday 3 in the UEFA Champions League begins with eight matches on Tuesday. Two games start at 12:45 PM ET. Manchester City visits Club Brugge as a -1.5 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 3. Sporting CP travels to Besiktas as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with a total of 2.5. Six UEFA Champions League matches begin at 3 PM ET. Paris Saint-Germain plays at home against RB Leipzig as a -1 goal line favorite with an over/under of 3. AC Milan plays at Porto in a pick ‘em match with a total of 2.5. Liverpool travels to Atletico Madrid as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Ajax hosts Borussia Dortmund as a -0.5 goal line favorite with a total of 3. Inter Milan is at home against Sheriff as a -2 goal favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Real Madrid visits Shakhtar Donetsk as a -1 goal line road 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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Big Al's NFL, MLB, NHL, and EPL Previews and Odds - 10/18/2021

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Oct 18, 2021

The Monday sports card features action in the NFL, MLB, NHL, and EPL.Week 6 in the National Football League regular season concludes with Buffalo visiting Tennessee on ESPN at 8:15 PM ET. The Bills have won four in a row with their 38-20 upset victory at Kansas City as a 2.5-point underdog last Sunday night. The Titans have won three of four after their 37-19 upset win at Jacksonville as a 4-point favorite last week. This is a rematch of their encounter last season on October 13th which was won by Tennessee, 42-16, as a 3-point home favorite. Buffalo is a 6-point road favorite with the total set at 53 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise).The playoffs in Major League Baseball continue with Game 3 in the American League Championship Series. Boston hosts Houston on FS1 at 8:07 PM ET. The Red Sox evened this best of seven series at 1-1 with their 9-5 win on the road on Saturday. Boston pitches Eduardo Rodriguez against the Astros’ Jose Urquidy. The Red Sox are a -125 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.Four games are on the National Hockey League docket. Two games drop the puck at 7:08 PM ET. Toronto plays at home against the New York Rangers. The Maple Leafs have won two of their first three games with their 3-1 win against Ottawa on Saturday. The Rangers ended a two-game winning streak with their 3-1 win at Montreal on Saturday. Toronto is a -195 money line favorite with a total of 6. Philadelphia is at home against Seattle. The Flyers lost their opening game on Friday in a 5-4 loss at home to Vancouver in overtime. The Kraken has lost two of their first three games after a 2-1 defeat at Columbus on Saturday. Philadelphia is a -140 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. Calgary hosts Anaheim at 9:38 PM ET. The Flames lost their first game of the season, 5-2, at Edmonton on Saturday. The Ducks have split their opening two games after a 2-1 loss at home to Minnesota on Friday. Calgary is a -200 money line favorite with a total of 5.5. St. Louis visits Arizona at 10:08 PM ET. The Coyotes have lost their first two games of the season with their 2-1 loss at Buffalo on Saturday. The Blues won their opening game of the season with a 5-3 victory at Colorado on Saturday. St. Louis is a -170 money line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Matchweek 8 in the English Premier League concludes with one match. Arsenal plays at home against Crystal Palace on Peacock at 3 PM ET. The Gunners come off a 0-0 draw at Brighton and Hove Albion on October 2nd. They are tied in 10th place in the table with 10 points. The Eagles' last EPL match was on October 3rd when they earned a 2-2 draw against Leicester City. They are in 14th place with 7 points. Arsenal is a -1 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. 

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NBA Futures Wager: Brooklyn Nets to Win the 2022 NBA Championship

by Al McMordie

Monday, Oct 18, 2021

The 2021-22 NBA season starts tomorrow.  So, without further ado, it's time for my annual preseason prediction of the eventual NBA champion.  Last season, I nailed both my NBA (Milwaukee Bucks @ 13-2 odds) and College Basketball (Baylor @ 12-1 odds) futures bets to carry on what has been an unparalleled successful run on futures predictions.  That was the 2nd straight NCAA Basketball season I hit my preseason ticket, as I forecast Virginia (at 22-1 odds) in the 2018-19 preseason!  Also in 2019, I hit another huge longshot on the Washington Nationals (at 18-1 odds), and followed that up in 2020 with the Los Angeles Dodgers (at 4-1 odds).  Among my other recent winners were the Houston Astros in 2017 (at 10-1 odds), Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 (at 7-1 odds), San Antonio Spurs (2014, 14-1 odds; 1999, 11-2 odds), Golden State Warriors (2016, 5-1 odds; 2018, -160 odds), and Green Bay Packers (2011, 10-1 odds).For this season, I'm going to turn to the team which Milwaukee ousted by two inches (the distance Kevin Durant was inside the 3-point arc) in the NBA quarterfinals:  the Brooklyn Nets.  The current odds on Brooklyn are +260 (at BetOnline), and they've remained largely unchanged throughout the current Kyrie Irving turmoil.  It's undeniable that the Nets are a better team with Irving at point guard.  His ability to break down a defense through dribble penetration allows both Kevin Durant and James Harden to operate more freely on the offensive end.  But it's also undeniable that the Nets will be hugely competitive without him (as they were last season in his absence).  I firmly believe the situation will eventually resolve itself one way or the other.  Either Irving will get vaccinated, which will allow him to fully participate with Brooklyn, or he will remain intransigent.  In that instance, no matter what Irving says today about being traded (he says he would retire), I believe cooler heads would prevail and GM Sean Marks would work out a trade to bring back pieces to Brooklyn.  So, I'm more than comfortable taking the Brooklyn Nets, as currently constituted, to win the NBA Championship at +260.Last season, even though an injury-riddled Brooklyn team lost the series to the eventual NBA champion Bucks, it outscored them in the 7-game playoff series by 2.86 ppg.  And it also throttled Boston in the first round series by 11.2 ppg.  I don't see anything -- not even Irving's principles -- getting in the way of Durant, Harden, and the rest of the Nets hoisting the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy in June.  Take Brooklyn.Good luck, as always,Al McMordie

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, MLB, NHL, WNBA and EPL Previews and Odds - 10/17/2021

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Oct 17, 2021

The Sunday sports card features action in the NFL, MLB, NHL, WNBA, and EPL.Week 6 in the National Football League regular season continues with 12 games. Miami plays Jacksonville on CBS at 9:30 AM ET at Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium in London. The Dolphins are a 3-point favorite as the technical road team, with the total set at 47 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Seven games kick off at 1 PM ET. Minnesota visits Carolina as a 2.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 45. Green Bay travels to Chicago to play the Bears as a 5.5-point road favorite with a total of 44. Indianapolis plays at home against Houston as a 10-point favorite with an over/under of 43. The Los Angeles Rams are at New York to play the Giants as a 9-point road favorite with a total of 48.5. Kansas City is at Washington as a 6.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 54. Cincinnati visits Detroit as a 3.5-point road favorite with a total of 46.5. Baltimore hosts the Los Angeles Chargers as a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 51. Three games begin in the second-afternoon window of games. Cleveland plays at home against Arizona at 4:05 PM ET as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 48.5. Two games kickoff at 4:25 PM ET. Dallas visits New England as a 3.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 50. Denver is at home against Las Vegas as a 4-point favorite with a total of 43.5. The Sunday Night Football game on NBC has Pittsburgh hosting Seattle at 8:20 PM ET. The Steelers are a 5-point favorite with an over/under of 42.5. The playoffs in Major League Baseball continue with Game 2 in the National League Championship Series. Atlanta took a 1-0 lead in this best-of-seven series with a 3-2 victory against Los Angeles on Saturday. Ian Anderson is the starting pitcher for the Braves. Max Scherzer is the planned starter for the Dodgers after manager Dave Roberts decided to give him an extra day of rest from his expected start on Saturday after he pitched the 9th inning to get the save in Game 5 of the NLDS against the San Francisco Giants on Thursday. One game takes place in the National Hockey League. Dallas visits Ottawa with a puck drop at 5:11 PM ET as a -160 money line road favorite and a total of 5.5. The finals of the WNBA continue with Game 4 of the best-of-five series between the Phoenix Mercury and the Chicago Sky. Chicago took a 2-1 lead in the series with their 86-50 victory at home as a 3-point favorite. The Sky are a 4-point favorite to win the WNBA championship this afternoon with an over/under of 164.5. Matchweek 8 in the English Premier League continues with two matches. West Ham United visits Everton on the NBC Sports Network at 9 AM ET in a pick ‘em match with the total set at 2.5 (all soccer odds from Play MGM). Tottenham visits Newcastle United on the NBC Sports Network at 11:30 AM ET as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB, NCAAF, NHL, CFL and EPL Previews and Odds - 10/16/2021

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Oct 16, 2021

The Saturday sports card features action in NCAAF, MLB, NHL, CFL, and EPL.Week 7 in the college football season concludes with 44 games between FBS opponents. Fourteen games begin in the noon ET to 3 PM ET window. Seven games are on national television at noon ET. Texas hosts Oklahoma State on Fox as a 3.5-point favorite with the total set at 60.5. Cincinnati plays at home against Central Florida on ABC as a 21.5-point favorite with an over/under of 56.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Arkansas is at home against Auburn on CBS as a 4.5-point favorite with a total of 53.5. Florida visits LSU on ESPN as an 11.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 59.5. Nebraska travels to Minnesota on ESPN2 as a 4.5-point road favorite with a total of 48.5. Tulsa travels to South Florida on ESPNU as an 8.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 55.5. Michigan State plays at Indiana on FS1 as a 4.5-point favorite with a total of 48. Fifteen games between FBS opponents start from 3:30 PM ET to 6 PM ET. Seven games are on national television at 3:30 PM ET. Georgia hosts Kentucky on CBS as a 21.5-point favorite with an over/under of 44.5. Iowa plays at home against Purdue on ABC as an 11.5-point favorite with a total of 43. Baylor is at home against BYU on ESPN as a 5-point favorite with an over/under of 51. Pittsburgh visits Virginia Tech on ESPN2 as a 5-point road favorite with a total of 56. Western Michigan hosts Kent State on ESPNU as a 7-point favorite with a total of 67.5. Fresno State travels to Wyoming on FS2 as a 3.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 53.5. Toledo plays at Central Michigan on the CBS Sports Network as a 5-point road favorite with a total of 52.5. Fifteen games between FBS opponents conclude the college football card from 7 PM ET to 10:30 PM ET. Two games begin on national television at 7 PM ET. Alabama travels to Mississippi State on ESPN as a 17-point road favorite with an over/under of 58.5. Utah State visits UNLV on the CBS Sports Network as a 7-point road favorite with an over/under of 62.5. Three games are on national television at 7:30 PM ET. Oklahoma hosts TCU on ABC as a 13.5-point favorite with a total of 64. Iowa State plays at Kansas State on ESPN2 as a 7-point road favorite with an over/under of 51. Stanford is at Washington State on ESPNU as a 1-point road favorite with a total of 52.5. Washington plays at home against UCLA on Fox at 8:30 PM ET as a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under of 55. Boise State plays at home against Air Force on FS1 as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 52. Utah hosts Arizona State on ESPN at 10 PM ET as a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under of 51.5. Nevada plays at home against Hawaii on the CBS Sports Network at 10:30 PM ET as a 14-point favorite with a total of 60.5. The MLB playoffs continue with two games in the League Championship Series. Houston hosts Boston on Fox and FS1 at 4:20 PM ET. The Astros won the opening game of this series on Friday with their 5-4 victory against the Red Sox. Houston pitches Luis Garcia against Boston’s Nathan Eovaldi. The Astros are a -140 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers play at Atlanta on TBS at 8:07 PM ET. Max Scherzer pitches for the Dodgers against Max Fried of the Braves. Los Angeles is a -135 money line favorite with a total of 8. Fourteen games are on the NHL docket. Buffalo hosts Arizona at 1 PM ET as a -120 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Florida plays at home against the New York Islanders at 6 PM ET as a -135 money line favorite with a total of 5.5. Seven NHL games start at 7 PM ET. Pittsburgh plays at home against Chicago as a -175 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. Tampa Bay visits Washington as a -130 money line road favorite with a total of 6.5. Columbus is at home against Seattle as a -110 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. Boston hosts Dallas as a -110 money line favorite with a total of 6. Toronto is at home against Ottawa as a -260 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. Montreal plays at home against the New York Rangers as a -110 money line favorite with a total of 6. Vancouver travels to Detroit as a -125 money line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Carolina plays at Nashville at 8 PM ET as a -115 money line road favorite with a total of 6. Colorado hosts St. Louis at 9 PM ET as a -170 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Two games start at 10 PM ET. Edmonton plays at home against Calgary as a -145 money line favorite with a total of 6.5. Winnipeg visits San Jose as a -135 money line road favorite with an over/under of 6. Minnesota visits the Los Angeles Kings at 10:30 PM ET as a -125 money line road favorite with a total of 5.5. Two games conclude Week 11 in the Canadian Football League on ESPN+. Montreal travels to Ottawa at 4 PM ET as a 5.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 46.5. British Columbia plays at home against Calgary at 7 PM ET as a 3-point favorite with a total of 44.Matchweek 8 of the English Premier League begins with seven matches. Liverpool visits Watford on Peacock at 7 AM ET as a 1.5-goal line road favorite with an over/under of 3. Five games begin at 10 AM ET. Aston Villa hosts Wolverhampton on the NBC Sports Network as a -0.5 goal line favorite with a total of 2.5. Manchester United travels to Leicester City on the USA Network as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Manchester City hosts Burnley on Peacock as a -2.5 goal line favorite with a total of 3.5. Brighton and Hove Albion plays at Norwich City on Peacock as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Leeds United visits Southampton on Peacock in a pick ‘em matchup with a total of 3. Chelsea travels to Brentford on NBC at 12:30 PM ET as a -1 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5. 

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NBA Win Totals - Some Solid Value

by ASA, Inc.

Friday, Oct 15, 2021

If you are a sports fan, this is the absolute best time of year. For the next few weeks there will probably be too much to watch and no shortage of bets to hit on. The sweet spot where football season is in full swing, playoff baseball is on almost every night, the NHL just kicked off, and the NBA starts on Tuesday. Some of the best NBA season long bets we like look at the win totals of 3 teams that hold good value. Timberwolves over 34.5 winsMinnesota won 23 games last year in a shortened season of only 72 games. They were also gutted by injuries with their 4 leading scorers each missing an average of 22 games. A core of Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards, and Malik Beasley is quite solid compared to the bottom teams in the West. All 4 of those players averaged over 19ppg last year and if they can simply stay healthy, over 34.5 seems easily reachable. Suns Under 51.5The Suns are coming off a magical run last season but we expect a bit of a Finals hangover. It is widely talked about how taxing a deep run to the Finals can be, adding an extra 3 months to the season that other teams use to rest. Phoenix still has a great mix of young talent (Booker, Ayton, Bridges, Johnson) along with veteran presence. Unfortunately, Chris Paul has had injury trouble before, and he is not getting any younger. The Jazz, Nuggets, Lakers, Warriors, Clippers will all have had longer off seasons and make up a loaded Western Conference. Rockets Under 27.5 This roster is terrible and they are in the middle of a full rebuild. Houston may even ship more assets mid-season in order to acquire picks moving forward. The Christian Wood led Rockets went 17-55 last year. Jalen Green will be the future here but will have plenty of growing pains in what will surely be an inefficient rookie season. Ranking 27th in both offensive and defensive efficiency a year ago, the 2021-2022 season will not be a fun once for Rockets fans.  Watch for all the NBA action daily from ASA here and good luck this season.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, MLB, NHL, WNBA and CFL Previews and Odds - 10/15/2021

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Oct 15, 2021

The Friday sports card features action in NCAAF, MLB, NHL, WNBA, and the CFL.Week 7 in the college football season continues with four games. Clemson visits Syracuse on ESPN at 7 PM ET. The Tigers come off a 19-13 win against Boston College as a 14.5-point favorite on October 2nd. The Orange lost in overtime at home to Wake Forest, 40-37, as a 5.5-point favorite on Saturday. Clemson is a 13.5-point road favorite with a total set at 45 (all odds from DraftKings). Marshall travels to North Texas on the CBS Sports Network at 7 PM ET. The Thundering Herd ended a three-game losing streak with a 20-13 win in overtime against Old Dominion as a 21.5-point favorite on Saturday. The Mean Green lost their fourth straight game with a 48-35 loss at Missouri as an 18.5-point underdog on Saturday. Marshall is an 11-point road favorite with an over/under of 66.5.Oregon hosts California on ESPN at 10:30 PM ET. The Ducks come off a 31-24 upset loss in overtime at Stanford as an 8.5-point favorite on October 2nd. The Golden Bears have lost two in a row after their 21-6 loss at Washington State as a 7.5-point favorite on October 2nd. Oregon is a 13.5-point favorite with a total of 54.San Diego State plays at San Jose State on the CBS Sports Network at 10:30 PM ET. The Aztecs won their fifth straight game to start the season with their 31-7 win against New Mexico as a 19.5-point favorite on Saturday. The Spartans have lost two of three with their 32-14 loss at Colorado State as a 3.5-point underdog on Saturday. San Diego State is a 9.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 45. The first game in the American League Championship Series begins at 8:07 PM ET, with Houston hosting Boston at 8:07 PM ET. The Astros have won five of their last six games after defeating the Chicago White Sox in four games with a 10-1 victory on the road on Tuesday. The Red Sox have won seven of their last eight games with their 6-5 victory against Tampa Bay to end their series in four games on Monday. Framber Valdez pitches for Houston against Chris Sale for Boston. The Astros are a -140 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Three games are on the NHL docket. New Jersey hosts Chicago at 7 PM ET as a -125 money line favorite with 6. Phoenix plays at home against Vancouver at 7 PM ET as a -160 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. Minnesota plays at Anaheim at 10 PM ET as a -155 money line road favorite with a total of 5.5.Chicago plays at home against Phoenix on ESPN at 9 PM ET in the third game of the WNBA finals. The Mercury evened the series at 1-1 with their 91-86 victory as a 4.5-point favorite on Wednesday. The Sky are a 3-point home favorite with an over/under of 167.Week 11 in the Canadian Football League begins with Winnipeg traveling to Edmonton. The Blue Bombers won their sixth straight game after their 30-3 victory against Edmonton as a 9.5-point favorite last Friday. The Elks have lost in a row after a 30-3 loss at Winnipeg as a 9.5-point underdog on Friday. Winnipeg is a 12-point road favorite with a total of 43.

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Four 2021-22 NBA Win Total Projections

by Nelly's Sports

Thursday, Oct 14, 2021

The NBA season will officially start on Tuesday night and for the first time in two years the league will have an 82-game schedule as traditional win total assessments are back in order. Here are a handful of win total selections worthy of consideration ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season.  Toronto Raptors OVER 35.5 Toronto failed to make the playoffs last season going just 27-45 but the Raptors had a -0.4 average scoring differential, a figure that was better than three teams that did reach the play-in games. After going 53-19 in 2019-20 with one of the best home courts edges in the league, Toronto was only 16-20 at home last season but remember all those games were played in Florida, not in Toronto. The Raptors have clearance to play north of the border this season and stricter protocols and penalties in Canada could lead to some opponents being shorthanded when visiting.  While Kyle Lowry being traded this summer signals a rebuild, Nick Nurse is still regarded as one of the best coaches in the league in terms of adjustments and personnel management and the roster looks strong enough to compete in an Eastern Conference that has a few great teams but looks wide open after that. Pascal Siakam will miss several weeks to start the season, but Toronto played through multiple different rosters last season. OG Anunoby had a breakthrough season while midseason acquisition Gary Trent proved to be a nice fit. Malachi Flynn had a nice rookie season while Goran Dragic adds stability to an excellent backcourt alongside Fred VanVleet as this looks like a .500 caliber team that can climb back into the playoff race.  Chicago Bulls OVER 42.5 Not unlike Toronto, Chicago had a 31-41 record last season despite a -0.9 average scoring differential as this was a competitive team that likely deserved a slightly stronger record. The opportunity to move up in the Eastern Conference is there with Washington and Charlotte much worse scoring teams than the Bulls last season while the Knicks, Hawks, and Heat have metrics that suggest a regression is ahead this season after being solid playoff teams in the top six last year.  Not too much stock should be put on the NBA preseason, but the Bulls have been one of the more impressive teams this October. The pairing of Lonzo Ball and Zach LaVine in the backcourt has a lot of potential while having Nikola Vucevic for the entire season should pay dividends. Patrick Williams had a solid rookie season and acquiring DeMar DeRozan does add some experience to this team even if his impact may be overstated. The Bulls were a winning team from mid-April to the end of the season last year despite falling short of the play-in field. Billy Donovan’s only losing season as an NBA head coach was last year as his track record does deserve some respect as well.  Portland Trailblazers UNDER 44.5 The Western Conference is stacked with quality teams and the expectations from most expect that the Warriors and Lakers are going to jump back to being top tier contenders this season. Those wins will have to be taken from someone else in the West as a few of the teams that were in the middle of the playoff pack last season seem likely to tumble in the standings in 2021-22. Portland is a prime candidate for a slide after going 42-30 last season but with just a +1.8 average scoring differential. Portland was only 32-28 before a 10-2 run to close the regular season last year, passing up the Lakers for the #6 spot in the West and this team does not project to be much better than a .500 squad over 82 games.  Portland had a minimal home court edge last season at just 20-16 and this is a team with a first-time head coach in Chauncey Billups after Terry Stotts was let go despite eight straight playoff appearances and a trip to the conference finals in the last full season. It isn’t clear what Billups will offer in that role but the preseason returns for Portland have been poor so far. To what extent the rumblings about Damian Lillard seeking a trade in the offseason are true remain unknown but this does seem like a situation with more volatility than most. The Blazers are opening the season with a lengthy injury report right now and eight of the first 14 will be road games as a slow start in the transition seems likely.  Dallas Mavericks UNDER 48.5 With a matching 42-30 record to Portland last season and an average scoring differential of just +2.2 Dallas was a clear step below the top four in the Western Conference last season. Add improvement to the Lakers and Warriors this season and Dallas could lose some ground after being the only top six playoff team in the West last season that didn’t have a winning record in the Western Conference. Luka Doncic is a serious MVP threat that will post big numbers, but the roster does not look much different than last season with Reggie Bullock and Frank Ntilikina the only notable additions.  Josh Richardson and JJ Redick are notable departures from last season and Richardson was the team’s fifth leading scorer last season. While Dallas has plenty of quality outside shooters on the roster, the team looks thin up front and Kristaps Porzingas and Maxi Kleber both battled injuries much of last season. Dwight Powell is moving into a starting role despite mostly being a reserve in his career. A bigger issue may be the coaching change with Rick Carlisle owning a tremendous track record as the head coach of the Mavericks. Jason Kidd is a below .500 NBA coach in 373 games with two teams and his personal baggage will add extra pressure to question the hire if things don’t start smoothly. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB, NFL, NCAAF and NHL Previews and Odds - 10/14/2021

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Oct 14, 2021

The Thursday sports card features action in the NFL, NCAAF, MLB, and the NHL.The sixth week of the NFL regular season kicks off with Tampa Bay visiting Philadelphia on Fox and the NFL Network at 8:20 PM ET. The Buccaneers improved their record to 4-1 with a 45-17 victory against Miami as an 11-point favorite last Sunday. The Eagles ended a three-game losing streak with a 21-18 upset win at Carolina as a 2.5-point underdog on Sunday. Philadelphia raised their record to 2-3. Tampa Bay is a 6.5-point road favorite with the total set at 52.5 (all odds from DraftKings).The seventh week in college football continues with two games. Memphis hosts Navy on ESPN at 7:30 PM ET. The Tigers dropped their third game in a row with a 35-29 loss at Tulsa as a 3-point underdog on Saturday. They are 3-3 on the season. The Midshipmen fell to 1-4 with a 31-24 loss to SMU as a 13.5-point underdog on Saturday. Memphis is a 10.5-point favorite with an over/under of 56. South Alabama plays at home against Georgia Southern on ESPNU at 7:30 PM ET. The Jaguars fell to 3-2 this season with their 33-31 upset loss in overtime at Texas State as a 4-point favorite last Saturday. The Eagles have lost four of five games after a 27-24 loss at Troy as a 5.5-point underdog on Saturday. Georgia Southern fired head coach Chad Lunsford before that game. They are 2-4 on the season. South Alabama is a 3-point favorite with a total of 50. The Divisional Series of the MLB playoffs conclude with Los Angeles Dodgers playing in San Francisco against the Giants on TBS at 9:07 PM ET. The Dodgers forced the final game of this best-of-five series with a 7-2 win at home on Tuesday. Los Angeles pitches Julio Urias against San Francisco’s Logan Webb. The Dodgers are a -110 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7. The winner hosts the Atlanta Braves in the first game of the National League Championship Series on Saturday. Nine games are on the National Hockey League docket. Six games drop the puck at 7 PM ET. Montreal visits Buffalo as a -140 money line road favorite with a total of 6. Toronto travels to Ottawa as a -175 money line road favorite with an over/under of 6. Florida plays at home against Pittsburgh as a -190 money line favorite with a total of 6. The New York Rangers are at home against Dallas as a -120 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. Carolina hosts the New York Islanders as a -125 money line favorite with a total of 5.5. Columbus is at home against Arizona as a -135 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Tampa Bay travels to Detroit at 7:30 PM ET as a -250 money line road favorite with a total of 6. Nashville plays at home against Seattle at 8 PM ET as a -125 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Vegas visits Los Angeles to play the Kings at 9:30 PM ET as a -155 money line road favorite with a total of 5.5. 

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NFL Week 6 Breakdown

by Will Rogers

Wednesday, Oct 13, 2021

BEST GAME – Los Angeles Chargers at Baltimore (-3)Los Angeles 4-1 SU, 4-1 ATSBaltimore 4-1 SU, 2-3 ATSIt might be time to start taking the Chargers seriously, and maybe get QB Justin Herbert involved in the MVP conversation. Going up against a more-than-decent Browns defense, Herbert merely tossed five touchdown passes and threw for 398 yards. He has zero turnovers in the last three games, and if he can make it four in a row in this battle of division leaders, the LAC will be knee deep in AFC East title talk. But the Ravens never make things easy for anyone in Baltimore, and figure to try to run the ball down the throats of a Charger defense that is ranked dead last against the run this season.WORST GAME – Miami at Jacksonville (+3.5)Miami 1-4 SU, 2-3 ATSJacksonville 0-5 SU, 1-4 ATSOK, if you were the coach of the winless Jags and were full steam ahead toward being the worst team in pro football for the second straight season, you’d want to pound a few and let loose in a bar, too. But the ice is cracking under the feet of Urban Meyer, and if any coach ever needed a win more than Meyer does this week, you name him. The only interesting thing about this game, other than that it will be played in London, is the possible return of Fins QB Tua Tagovailoa. London pub-goers will be ready with their cell phone cameras in case Meyer drops in to check out the local birds on Saturday night.BIGGEST SPREAD – Los Angeles Rams at New York Giants (+10.5)Los Angeles 4-1 SU, 3-2 ATSNew York 1-4 SU, 2-3 ATSThe Giants were hoping that QB Daniel Jones would take a big step in this, his third season. Instead, he was unable to walk without stumbling on Sunday after suffering a concession in a blowout loss to the Cowboys. Now the NYG will probably be without him in Week 6 as they limp through what is looking like yet another lost season. BTW, RB Saquon Barkley and WR Kenny Golladay were also knocked out of the Dallas game. Assuming that the Giants don’t put up much of a fight and use this week to get their key players semi-healthy, the Rams should still be able to cover double-digits as they try to keep pace with undefeated Arizona in the NFC West.SMALLEST SPREAD – Minnesota at Carolina (-1.5)Minnesota 2-3 SU, 2-3 ATSCarolina 3-2 SU, 3-2 ATSGreg Joseph’s field goal as time expired on Sunday saved Minnesota’s victory over winless Detroit, and might have also saved his coach’s job. That it came down to the wire, at home no less, is an indictment of the Vikings, who were roasted for conservative play-calling against the Lions. The Panthers, meanwhile, have their own problems – especially on the offensive line – and are in a fade pattern with two straight losses after a 3-0 start. Oddsmakers opened with this one a PK as both teams will spend this week trying to sort out their myriad issues.LARGEST TOTAL – Kansas City at Washington (55.5)Kansas City 2-3 SU, 1-4 ATSWashington 2-3 SU, 1-4 ATSThe WFT is giving up a ton of points this season – more than 31 a game. The Chiefs respond by saying “Hold my beer,” checking in with a D that has given up more than 33 per. It should all add up to an offensive show in Landover, with offenses dominating against laissez-faire defenders. Both the Chiefs and WFT have been lousy cover teams so far this season, and Washington is a 6-point home dog in this one.SMALLEST TOTAL – Seattle at Pittsburgh (42.5)Seattle 2-3 SU, 2-3 ATSPittsburgh 2-3 SU, 2-3 ATSWith Russell Wilson down for 4 to 8 weeks with an injured throwing hand, the Seattle offense has now been turned over to Gene Smith (he of butt fumble fame). Smith’s job now is to keep the Seahawks afloat until Wilson can return (the time frame is 4 to 8 weeks) for what is believed to be his final season in the Pacific Northwest. Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh talk of Ben Roethlisberger walking away mid-season was doused by the Steelers’ win over Denver. Five of 14 games in Week 6, BTW, have totals 50 points or higher. This game opened at Pittsburgh -3.5 before being bet up to 4.5.

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