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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 08/24/2022

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Aug 24, 2022

The Wednesday sports card features MLB action.Major League Baseball has 14 games on its schedule. The Atlanta Braves travel to Pittsburgh to play the Pirates at 12:35 PM ET. Kyle Wright takes the mound for the Braves to pitch against the Pirates’ Mitch Keller. Atlanta is a -240 money line road favorite with the total set at 8 (all odds from DraftKings). The San Francisco Giants play at Detroit against the Tigers at 1:10 PM ET. The Giants turn to Logan Webb in their starting rotation to pitch against the Tigers’ Matt Manning. San Francisco is a -165 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Texas Rangers visit Colorado to play the Rockies at 3:10 PM ET. Martin Perez takes the mound for the Rangers to battle against Jose Urena for the Rockies. Texas is a -135 money line road favorite with a total of 11. The Miami Marlins play at Oakland against the A’s at 3:37 PM ET. The Marlins tap Jesus Luzardo to pitch against the A’s Cole Irvin. Miami is a -120 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7. Two more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 4:10 PM ET. San Diego hosts Cleveland with Blake Snell taking the ball for the Padres to duel against Cal Quantrill for the Guardians. The Padres are a -165 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. Seattle is at home against Washington, with the Mariners tapping George Kirby to duel against the Nationals’ Anibal Sanchez. The Mariners are a -295 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Two MLB games start at 7:05 PM ET. Chicago travels to Baltimore on FS1 with Lucas Giolito pitching for the White Sox against Spenser Watkins for the Orioles. The White Sox are a -120 money line road favorite with a total of 8. Philadelphia plays at home against Cincinnati with the Phillies turning to Cristopher Sanchez to pitch against the Reds’ Nick Lodolo. The Phillies are a -245 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two more MLB games begin at 7:10 PM ET. Toronto visits Boston with Jose Berrios on the hill for the Blue Jays against Brayan Bello for the Red Sox. Tampa Bay plays at home against Los Angeles, with Shane McClanahan taking the ball for the Rays against Mike Mayers for the Angels. The Rays are a -265 money line favorite with a total of 7. The St. Louis Cardinals play at Chicago against the Cubs at 8:05 PM ET. The Cardinals tap Miles Mikolas to take the mound to pitch against the Cubs’ Luke Farrell, who got called up from Triple-A to pitch in this game. Two more MLB games start at 8:10 PM ET. Arizona plays at Kansas City with Zac Gallen pitching for the Diamondbacks against Brady Singer for the Royals. The Diamondbacks are a -135 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Houston hosts Minnesota with the Astros tapping Framber Valdez to start against the Twins’ Dylan Bundy. The Astros are a -230 money line favorite with a total of 8. Milwaukee is in Los Angeles against the Dodgers at 9 PM ET. Adrian Houser takes the hill for the Brewers to pitch against the Dodgers’ Andrew Heaney. 

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2022 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Preview

by Matt Fargo

Tuesday, Aug 23, 2022

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers2021-22 Season Record 9-5 (7-1 C-USA East) - 10-4-0 ATS - 10-4-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 4Defense - 7OverviewWith the exception of first year head coach David Elson, who went 0-12 in one season, and two years with Mike Sanford where he went 9-16, every other coach has had success at Western Kentucky. From Willie Taggart to Jeff Brohm to current head coach Tyson Helton, all have scored at least two winning records and Helton is coming off his most impressive year because of what did not happen. The Hilltoppers opened the season 1-4 and instead of quitting, they ran off seven straight wins, all by blowouts, and even though they lost to UTSA in the C-USA Championship, they rolled Appalachian St. in the Boca Roton Bowl and that momentum could be needed heading into this season. Western Kentucky has only 11 starters back with a returning production ranking of No. 88 and a second straight poor recruiting class came in so it could be a bit of an uphill battle this season. OffenseThe biggest offensive turnaround in the country took place at Western Kentucky as after averaging 291.7 ypg in 2020, which was No. 121 in the country, it boosted that to 528.4 ypg last season which was second in the nation behind Ohio St. The passing offense was the best in the country behind quarterback Bailey Zappe who threw for an unheard of 5,967 yards and 62 touchdowns but he is now a New England Patriot and it was supposed be West Virginia transfer Jarret Doege to take over the offense but he already left the team and it will be Austin Reed to run the show after winning the Division II National Championship at West Florida. The top two targets who put up massive numbers are gone, the running game lost its top rusher and will be a running game by committee and the offensive line has just two starters back. It will not be like last season but time will tell. DefenseThe defense was not very good but it did not have to be and that will have to change this season. The Hilltoppers finished No. 98 in total defense and No. 90 in scoring defense and have seven starters back so the unit should be better if it has to carry the offense early on. Obviously, the passing defense was the weakness because it got thrown on so much and it will be better off for it this season. Two starters are back in the secondary led by safety A.J. Brathwaite, Jr. who had 64 tackles and they will be counting on a pair of transfers to fill the holes. The linebackers will help out as Jaden Hunter led the team with 67 tackles and Will Ignont who contributed 52 tackles are both back and each can create pressure on the quarterback after combining for six sacks. The defensive front is the big question after not getting tested against the run much but there is decent depth. 2022 Season OutlookWhile last season was great, it could have been a lot better as three of those first four losses were by a combined 11 points, winning the yardage battle in two of those, and the other loss was against Michigan St. Western Kentucky is the third favorite to win C-USA, slightly behind UTSA and UAB with a lot of that based on last season but this is a tough team to trust with so many missing parts. They open at home against Austin Peay and then have a tough roadtrip at Hawaii and Indiana but do get a bye in-between then are back home for games against Florida International and Troy. Five of the last eight games are on the road including UTSA, Auburn and Florida Atlantic. They catch UAB and North Texas at home. The O/U win total is set at 8.5 partly because of last year and partly because of a 13-game schedule and it just seems too high especially with seven road games. 

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2022 West Virginia Mountaineers Preview

by Matt Fargo

Tuesday, Aug 23, 2022

West Virginia Mountaineers2021-22 Season Record 6-7 (4-5 Big 12) - 6-7-0 ATS - 5-8-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 7Defense - 5OverviewLife in the Big 12 has not been as rewarding as it was in the Big East for West Virginia. The Mountaineers finished ranked in the AP Poll in six of the final seven years in their former conference including a No. 5 and No. 6 but have only done so twice in the current league with a high being No. 18. Overall, they are 68-56 which is very good considering the competition they face on a yearly basis but have had a winning conference record only four times. Head coach Neal Brown is in his fourth season and he has posted a losing record overall so this is a pivotal season where West Virginia needs to make some noise or his days could be numbered. There is not much coming back from back-to-back bowl seasons with just 12 starters returning and the Mountaineers have a No. 111 returning production ranking. But he brought in his best recruiting class and veteran help is on the way. OffenseWest Virginia has seen the offense dip in the three seasons since the days of Dana Holgorsen and last year it finished No. 76 in total offense and No. 78 in scoring offense. That will not get it done in the Big 12 and the Mountaineers struggled with consistency, scoring 29 or more points five times and scoring 20 or fewer points six times. Quarterback Jarret Doege was accurate, completing 65.8 percent of his passes for over 3,000 yards but his 11 interceptions were a problem. Now they get transfer J.T. Daniels from Georgia and USC prior to that and he will fit into a new system led by new offensive coordinator Graham Harrell who is an offensive guru. Two of the top receivers are back that combined for over 1,000 yards and they will easily surpass that. The veteran offensive line has four starters back and that should improve the running game as long as someone steps up. DefenseThe defense has to replace six starters and they received some solid depth from the transfer portal with seven players coming in to solidify the back seven. The Mountaineers were No. 41 in total defense and No. 50 in scoring defense and they allowed fewer than 400 yards 10 times and if they can get production like that again, they will be just fine with the revamped offense. The defensive line will be the strength as it is a veteran group that did a great job at stopping the run and causing disruption. Dante Stills is back on the inside after 37 tackles and seven sacks while Tajik Alston and Jared Bartlett combined for 67 tackles and 8.5 sacks from the end positions. Leading tackler Josh Chandler-Semedo has to be replaced at linebacker while safeties Sean Mahone and Alonzo Addae, who combined for 155 tackles, are gone as well and this is where those transfers have to step up. 2022 Season OutlookDaniels is an upgrade at quarterback and unfortunately, he lost his job at the first two stops because of injuries so if he can stay healthy, the offense should hum along. That they need as they are playing a tough schedule that is backloaded with six games over their last seven against teams that won at least seven games last season. They open on the road with a tough game at rival Pittsburgh and then back home to face Towson and Kansas before two more difficult road tests at Virginia Tech and Texas. The Mountaineers do get Baylor and Oklahoma at home but have to travel to Texas Tech, Iowa St. and Oklahoma St. and they are likely going to be underdogs in all six road contests. The O/U win total is set at 5.5 and this looks like a pass either way with such a tough slate and numerous changes on both sides of the ball. Bowl eligibility is likely a must for Brown and it will be tough. 

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2022 Washington St. Cougars Preview

by Matt Fargo

Tuesday, Aug 23, 2022

Washington St. Cougars2021-22 Season Record 7-6 (6-3 Pac 12 North) - 8-5-0 ATS - 5-8-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 4Defense - 6OverviewFormer head coach Mike Price turned Washington St. into a winner in the early 2000s with a pair of No. 10 finishes in the AP Poll and then Bill Doba came in and led the Cougars to a No. 9 ranking in 2003 but then it went downhill quickly. Mike Leach came on board and after starting with three losing seasons, the winning resumed with five straight bowl appearances highlighted by an 11-2 record in 2018 that resulted in a No. 10 final ranking. Nick Rolovich made it 11 games only before being fired after failing to comply with the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for state employees. Interim coach Jake Dickert closed the season 3-3 which included a bowl bid and he was hired full time. The situation is not great as after returning 18 starters in 2021, only 10 are back this season to go along with a No. 119 returning production ranking as transfers will be playing a major role for success. OffenseThe Air Raid offense from Leach was absent the last two seasons but that is about to change. The Cougars finished No. 73 in total offense and No. 69 in scoring offense as the passing game was slightly above average but was unable to outscore opponents when needed as three losses came by a combined nine points. Dickert hired Incarnate Word head coach Eric Morris as his offensive coordinator and fireworks should ensue after possessing one of the best offenses at the FCS level. Joining him from Incarnate Word is quarterback Cameron Ward who threw for over 4,600 yards and 47 touchdowns last season with one of his favorite targets being Robert Ferrel who is also transferring over. Only two starters are back on the offensive line but the up tempo attack should lead to fewer sacks and they will have to open holes for a depleted running game that loses it leading rusher. DefenseAfter a slow start to the season, the defense came up big as it allowed 400 or more yards only three times over the last 10 games while holding opponents to 24 points or fewer eight times. Overall, the Cougars were No. 68 in total defense and No. 48 in scoring defense and they have solid production coming back. They were tied for No. 5 in the country with 29 takeaways and that is something they cannot count on again especially with a few of the playmakers having departed. The strength is up front with defensive ends Ron Stone, Jr. and Brennan Jackson combining for 107 tackles and 9.5 sacks last season to go along with a veteran middle. The linebacking corps loses two key starters including its leading tackler and this is where the transfers are going to play a big role. The secondary loses both starting safeties and will be headed by nickel back Armani Marsh coming off a 70-tackle season. 2022 Season OutlookThings are about to get exciting again in Pullman, at least that is the hope, but it should work just fine with Ward playing for his former coach in the same system with very little tweaks. Dickert was the defensive coordinator here for two years so the only thing that changes on that side is new personnel. The schedule sets up pretty well for Washington St. as it has seven home games for a second straight season with four of those coming in the first five games. They open with Idaho and then travel to Wisconsin before three more at home that includes Oregon. Three of the four conference road games are doable with a game at USC being the toughest. Additionally, they get Utah and Washington at home. The O/U win total is set at 5.5 and there are six wins on paper with two swing games to go along with the four games against elite opposition so the Cougars could be in position to go bowling again. 

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2022 Washington Huskies Preview

by Matt Fargo

Tuesday, Aug 23, 2022

Washington Huskies2021-22 Season Record 4-8 (3-6 Pac 12 North) - 3-9-0 ATS - 3-9-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 8Defense - 5OverviewAfter going 0-12 in 2008, which was its fifth straight losing season, Washington cut ties with head coach Tyrone Willingham and brought in Steve Sarkisian who turned the program around, finishing with four consecutive winning seasons before leaving for USC. The Huskies brought in Chris Petersen who made a name for himself at Boise St. and he brought that winning culture to the program where he had six winning seasons, including three with double-digit victories, before he stepped down in 2019. Jimmy Lake lasted 13 games before he was fired for misconduct and now it is Kalen DeBoer running the show after a 9-3 record at Fresno St. last season. The situation in Washington last year was toxic which let to a 4-8 record but DeBoer comes into a good situation with 13 starters back, plus a shiny quarterback transfer, and a returning production ranking of No. 35. OffenseDespite returning 10 starters on offense, Washington regressed by 79 ypg from 2020 and finished No. 114 in total offense and No. 107 in scoring offense. To their credit, there was simply no cohesion with the coaching moves and the offense derailed in the latter half of the season. DeBoer knows offense as he led the Bulldogs to a No. 14 ranking last season and he brought in Indiana transfer Michael Penix, who he coached in 2019, to lead the offense. He had potential but could not stay on the field as he never played more than six games in a season so it will be up to the offensive line with four returning starters to keep him upright. Two of the top three receivers are back and either Jalen McMillan or Rome Odunze has to emerge as the No. 1 guy. The Huskies lost their leading rusher but brought in a solid transfer from Virginia as Wayne Taulapapa enters the backfield. DefenseAs is the trademark of the Washington program, the defense was solid last season keeping a majority of the games close as five of the eight losses were by just one possession. The Huskies finished No. 25 in total defense and No. 39 in scoring defense but they have to replace six starters. The one big negative from last season was that Washington could not stop the run as it finished No. 109 in rushing defense but it is now bigger in the middle of the defensive line that will work inside potential star end Zion Tupola-Fetui who is back healthy after missing 10 games last season with an injury. The linebacking corps will rely on a pair of transfers to fill some big shoes but Carson Bruener returns after finishing second on the team with 70 tackles. The secondary takes the biggest hit as both corners have to be replaced but the safeties are in decent shape with three veterans in the mix. 2022 Season OutlookAfter playing only four games in 2020, expectations were high last season as Washington came into the season ranked but a season opening loss to Montana followed by a blowout loss to Michigan set the tone for the season with the four victories coming against teams that finished a combined 11-37. While expectations are not nearly as high, there is potential for a fantastic season with the right personnel in place and a schedule heavily in their favor. Washington opens the season with four straight home games with three likely wins and Michigan St. which would be a statement win. Three of the last five games are on the road with only UCLA and Oregon being the bad ones and the Huskies miss USC and Utah altogether. The O/U win total is set at 7.5 and they should be able to surpass this number with a favorable home slate of seven games and three winnable road games. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 08/23/2022

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Aug 23, 2022

The Tuesday sports card features MLB action.Major League Baseball has 16 games on its schedule. The St. Louis Cardinals travel to Chicago to play the Cubs in the first game of their doubleheader at 2:20 PM ET. Adam Wainwright gets the ball for the Cardinals to pitch against Javier Assad for the Cubs. Four MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:05 PM ET. Philadelphia plays at home against Cincinnati, with the Phillies tapping Ranger Suarez against the Reds’ Nick Lodolo. The Phillies are a -210 money line favorite with an over/under of 8 (all odds from DraftKings). Atlanta plays at Pittsburgh with Max Fried taking the mound for the Braves against J.T. Brubaker for the Pirates. The Braves are a -265 money line road favorite with the total set at 8. Chicago visits Baltimore with the White Sox turning to Dylan Cease in their starting rotation to pitch against the Orioles’ Austin Voth. The New York Yankees are at home against the New York Mets, with Frankie Montas pitching for the Yankees against Taijuan Walker for the Mets. The Yankees are a -120 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Three MLB games start at 7:10 PM ET. San Francisco plays at Detroit with the Giants tapping Carlos Rodon to pitch against the Tigers’ Drew Hutchison. The Giants are a -215 money line road favorite with a total of 7.5. Tampa Bay hosts Los Angeles with Corey Kluber pitching for the Rays against Jose Suarez for the Angels. The Rays are a -175 money line favorite with an over/under of 7. Toronto is at Boston with the Blue Jays pitching Ross Stripling against the Red Sox’s Josh Winckowski. The Blue Jays are a -135 money line road favorite with a total of 10. Two MLB games begin at 8:05 PM ET. Arizona visits Kansas City with Zach Davies taking the hill for the Diamondbacks against Jonathan Heasley for the Royals. Arizona is a -125 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. The Cardinals send out Jake Woodford to pitch against Adrian Sampson for the Cubs in the second game of their doubleheader. The Colorado Rockies play at home against the Texas Rangers at 8:40 PM ET. German Marquez takes the mound for the Rockies to pitch against Dane Dunning for the Rangers. Colorado is a -120 money line favorite with a total of 11. Two MLB games start at 9:40 PM ET. San Diego hosts Cleveland with the Padres tapping Mike Clevinger against the Guardians Aaron Civil. The Padres are a -145 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Miami plays at Oakland with Pablo Lopez pitching for the Marlins against Zach Logue for the A’s. The Marlins are a -140 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7. The games conclude the MLB card at 10:10 PM ET. Los Angeles hosts Milwaukee with the Dodgers turning to Tony Gonsolin to pitch against the Brewers' Corbin Burnes. The Dodgers are a -145 money line favorite with a total of 7. Seattle plays at home against Washington with Robbie Ray pitching for the Mariners against Erick Fedde for the Nationals. The Mariners are a -260 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. 

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2022 Wake Forest Demon Deacons Preview

by Matt Fargo

Monday, Aug 22, 2022

Wake Forest Demon Deacons2021-22 Season Record 11-3 (7-2 ACC Atlantic) - 7-7-0 ATS - 6-8-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 7Defense - 7OverviewIt has been an unprecedented, sustained run for Wake Forest as it has ended the regular season with a .500 or better record for six straight seasons that has resulted in six straight bowl games. Head coach Dave Clawson took over in 2014 after a run of five straight losing seasons and after a pair of 3-9 campaigns in his first two years, he ran off four straight winning seasons. That streak came to an end with a 4-5 COVID shortened 2020 season because of a bowl loss but the Demon Deacons bounced back in a big way by going 11-3 last season and this program is on a roll. They have 14 starters back with a returning production ranking of No. 46 so the success is expected to continue and it has come into the season with a ranking of No. 22 in the AP Poll. A lot of the success will depend on the health of quarterback Sam Hartman and when/if he can return to the lineup. OffenseThe offense was outstanding behind Hartman as Wake Forest finished No. 12 in total offense and No. 5 in scoring offense as he passed for 39 touchdowns and 4,228 yards last season, both school records. On August 10th, the team announced that Hartman will be out for a substantial amount of time with a non-football issue and no other further details have emerged except that it could be mental health related. This is a massive blow to the offense but his wellbeing is of the utmost importance at this point. Taking over will be redshirt freshman Mitch Griffis who has seen limited action but has had a lot of time to work with the first string offense. The receiving corps is loaded despite losing second leading receiver Jaquarii Roberson as the next three guys that combined for 22 touchdowns are all back. The offensive line is in great shape while the returning backs can get it done. DefenseThe absence of Hartman will put some added pressure on the defense that was not good last season, evidenced by losing to North Carolina despite the offense putting up 55 points. The Demon Deacons finished No. 99 in total defense and No. 94 in scoring defense and were horrible against the run. Some key pieces from last season are gone and that includes leading tackler Luke Masterson, who had 85 stops from the linebacker position. Ryan Smenda, Jr. who had 83 tackles is back though to lead the unit and help shore up the running defense. The defensive line is also to blame and work needs to be done here as well. They have a great end in Rondell Bothroyd who had 63 tackles and seven sacks and this group has to get to the quarterback to help the secondary that lost a lot. Safety Nick Anderson is the best holdover after 44 tackles and one interception last season. 2022 Season OutlookThe expectations that were sky high coming into camp have quelled some with the Hartman news and while the offense likely is not going to be putting up massive numbers again, they should be just fine with so much talent surrounding Griffis. The good news is that the early portion of the schedule is easy which will give the offense a chance to come together. Wake Forest opens at home against VMI and then travels to Vanderbilt before returning home to face Liberty. Then the ACC kicks in by hosting Clemson and then heading to Florida St. the following week. Following a pair of winnable home games, they are on the road against at Louisville and NC State with a home game against North Carolina the final roadblock down the line. The O/U win total was 8.5 but has fallen to 6.5 and they should still be capable of going over that but if the offense stalls, that over could be in trouble. 

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2022 Virginia Tech Hokies Preview

by Matt Fargo

Monday, Aug 22, 2022

Virginia Tech Hokies2021-22 Season Record 6-7 (4-4 ACC Coastal) - 5-8-0 ATS - 5-8-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 4Defense - 7OverviewVirginia Tech entered the ACC in 2004 and promptly put together eight consecutive double-digit winning seasons and while things slipped some over the next few years, it was still another run of six consecutive winning seasons, four in the last four years with head coach Frank Beamer and two under his replacement Justin Fuente. It started to level out after that as the Hokies went 24-23 starting in 2018 before Fuente was let go late last season and Virginia Tech has been ranked in the final AP Poll only twice in the last ten seasons, No. 16 in 2016 and No. 24 in 2017. Brent Pry has been brought in to turn this whole thing around and he brings in a great track record after serving as the defensive coordinator at Penn St. since 2016. The strength will be that defense with seven starters returning and a returning production ranking of No. 24 but the offense needs some work. OffenseThe offense slipped last season as the Hokies finished No. 89 overall and No. 92 in scoring as they managed to eclipse 400 total yards only four times while being held to fewer than 300 yards four times as well. The quarterback situation was inconsistent as Braxton Burmeister played decent but was limited due to poor offensive coaching and he entered the transfer portal prior to their bowl game and he is off to San Diego St. Pry brought in Grant Wells from Marshall and has been named the starter after throwing for 3,535 yards and 16 touchdowns last season. There is not much around him to work with as the Hokies top two receivers are gone, leaving Kaleb Smith and Nick Gallo as the top two returnees with limited action. Three starters that made it to the NFL have to be replaced along the offensive line and leading rusher Raheem Blackshear is also gone so it is a work in progress. DefenseThe defense played well for the majority of the first 10 games last season as it allowed 17 points or fewer six times but it unraveled late as the Hokies allowed 38.7 ppg over the final three games which slightly skewed the overall numbers. They finished No. 72 in total defense and No. 42 in scoring defense and this unit will be called upon to carry the team until the offense comes around. Starting linebackers Dax Hollifield and Alan Tisdale are back after combining for 176 tackles and seven sacks and will be joined by Keonta Jenkins to form a great middle level. The defensive line will start four players all with experience but nothing spectacular as the group combined for 5.5 sacks last season and overall was poor against the run. The secondary will be solid led by safeties Nasir Peoples and Chamarri Conner who combined for 173 tackles but help is needed on the corners. 2022 Season OutlookReplacing a legend like Beamer was not going to be easy and while Fuente started off great with a 19-8 record, he maintained no consistency with his staff and they were countlessly going in different directions. Pry should bring that consistency to the program after his years at Penn St. and while the situation is not great, it is not a complete rebuild. The schedule sets up well early on for the offense to gel as Virginia Tech opens at Old Dominion before three straight home games against Boston College, Wofford and West Virginia. The remainder of the ACC schedule is not great especially with road games at North Carolina, Pittsburgh and NC State but there is no Clemson, Wake Forest, Florida St. or Louisville to deal with. The O/U win total is set at 6.5 and foreseeing a 4-0 start and then a tough stretch before Duke and Georgia Tech, the final two games against Liberty and Virginia will be big. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB, NFL and EPL Previews and Odds - 08/22/2022

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Aug 22, 2022

The Monday sports card features NFLX, MLB, and EPL action.The second week in the NFLX preseason concludes with one game. The Atlanta Falcons travel to the Meadowlands to play the New York Jets on ESPN at 8 PM ET. The Falcons upset the Lions in Detroit, 27-23, in their first preseason game as a 2.5-point underdog two Fridays ago. The Jets upset the Eagles in Philadelphia, 24-21, as a 1-point underdog on August 12th. Atlanta is a 2.5-point road favorite with the total set at 38 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise).Major League Baseball has nine games on its schedule. The Chicago White Sox play at Kansas City against the Royals at 2:10 PM ET. Michael Kopech takes the mound for the White Sox to pitch against Daniel Lynch for the Royals. Chicago is a -145 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Three MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:05 PM ET. The New York Mets play across town against the New York Yankees, with the Mets turning to Max Scherzer in their starting rotation to throw against the Yankees’ Domingo German. The Mets are a -165 money line road favorite with a total of 7. Philadelphia hosts Cincinnati with Noah Syndergaard pitching for the Phillies against Luis Cessa for the Reds. The Phillies are a -230 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Atlanta plays at Pittsburgh with the Braves tapping Jake Odorizzi to duel against the Pirates’ Roansy Contreras. The Braves are a -180 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Two MLB games start at 7:10 PM ET. Minnesota is at home against Texas, with Sonny Gray taking the hill for the Twins against Cole Ragans for the Rangers. The Twins are a -205 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Tampa Bay hosts Los Angeles, with the Rays pitching Jeffrey Springs against the Angels’ Tucker Davidson. The Rays are a -190 money line favorite with a total of 7. The St. Louis Cardinals visit Chicago to play the Cubs at 8:05 PM ET. Jordan Montgomery takes the mound for the Cardinals against Drew Smyly for the Cubs. St. Louis is a -165 money line road favorite. The Miami Marlins play in Oakland against the A’s at 9:40 PM ET. The Marlins turn to Edward Cabrera to pitch against the A’s Adam Oller. Miami is a -145 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7. The Los Angeles Dodgers are at home against the Milwaukee Brewers to conclude the MLB card at 10:10 PM ET. Julio Urias takes the ball for the Dodgers to battle against Eric Lauer for the Brewers. Los Angeles is a -225 money line favorite with a total of 8.Matchweek 3 in the English Premier League concludes with one match. Liverpool travels to Manchester United on Peacock at 3 PM ET. The Reds have settled with draws in their first two matches against Fulham and Crystal Palace. The Red Devils are winless in their first two matches after losing to Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford. Liverpool is a -1 goal line road favorite at BetMGM with an over/under of  3.

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2022 Virginia Cavaliers Preview

by Matt Fargo

Sunday, Aug 21, 2022

Virginia Cavaliers2021-22 Season Record 6-6 (4-4 ACC Coastal) - 7-5-0 ATS - 4-8-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 4Defense - 6OverviewVirginia has been stuck in neutral forever and forever goes back to 1890. The Cavaliers have never had a final ranking higher than No. 13 and have not closed a season ranked at all since 2004 while appearing in only five bowl games since then. Former head coaches George Welsh and Al Groh had their moments but could never push them to elite status in the ACC and since then, Mike London and Bronco Mendenhall produced only three winning campaigns between the two in 12 seasons. Mendenhall stepped down after last season and Tony Elliott takes over after spending the last seven seasons as the Clemson offensive coordinator so there is buzz in Charlottesville even after the Tigers offensive woes last season. There is a lot to be done and despite only 10 starters back and a returning production ranking of No. 123, Virginia is projected for a winning record facing a pretty favorable schedule. OffenseVirginia wasted one of the better offensive seasons it has had in a very long time as it finished No. 3 in total offense and No. 22 in scoring offense but lost three games where they scored at least 38 points as the defense could not keep up. Quarterback Brennan Armstrong was tremendous as he threw for 4,449 yards with 31 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while completing over 65 percent of his passes but he will be in a precarious situation this season. He gets his three top receivers back and will have the second leading receiver from 2020 back after missing last season. The problem is that the offensive line has to replace every starter as four of those transferred out and after allowing 40 sacks last season, this is a problem. The running game did not do much last season for good reason but the Cavaliers could use some more balance as the leading returning rusher is Armstrong. DefenseThe defense posted two shutouts last season and it was still horrible as Virginia finished No. 121 in total defense and No. 103 in scoring defense and even an average unit can do wonders for the team as a whole. Only six staters are back and experience is lacking all around as the Cavaliers come into the season with a defensive returning production ranking of No. 125. They do possess a solid linebacking corps with Nick Jackson returning after leading the team with 117 tackles and picking up 2.5 sacks while Hunter Stewart also returns in the 4-2-5 scheme. The secondary brings back some experience as well led by safeties Coen King and Antonio Clary who combined for 82 tackles but the unit as a whole has to take the ball away after having only eight interceptions. The defensive line is the weak link as they need to create more pressure and not allow 5.8 ypc like last season. 2022 Season OutlookElliott brings in a winning attitude from Clemson but it will take more than just that to form a team that can compete in a very competitive conference. And it largely comes down to the defense that needs to make plays. There are six teams ahead of Virginia to win the conference and the Cavaliers do not have to play four of those so the schedule is in their favor. Virginia opens with Richmond and then goes to Illinois before coming back home against Old Dominion prior to ACC play. It starts with two road games at Syracuse and Duke, both of which are winnable and then five of the next six games are at home with a bye week thrown in there as well before closing at rival Virginia Tech. the O/U win total is set at 7 and if the offense continues to hum along, a 5-0 start is not out of the question even with three of those one the road. The back-half sets up well even though against tough opposition. 

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2022 Vanderbilt Commodores Preview

by Matt Fargo

Sunday, Aug 21, 2022

Vanderbilt Commodores2021-22 Season Record 2-10 (0-8 SEC East) - 6-6-0 ATS - 5-7-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 7Defense - 7OverviewVanderbilt has gone 5-28 the last three years and it is in the midst of its worst three-season run since 2002-2004 when it went 6-29. The Commodores had a decent stretch prior to this, going to bowl games six times in the previous 11 seasons which is saying a lot considering they went to just three bowl games in the first 104 years of existence. Former head coach James Franklin was responsible for two of the three seasons where it finished ranked in the AP Poll and he parlayed that into a successful gig at Penn St. while Derek Mason could not get anything going in just under seven seasons, now current head coach Clark Lea has to regroup his team after a 2-10 season in his debut. There is good experience coming back with seven starters returning on each side of the ball and the incoming recruiting class is the third best in program history so the future could be somewhat bright. OffenseThe offense could get nothing going last season as the Commodores managed 30 points only once while scoring 17 points or fewer in half of their games. They finished No. 119 in total offense and No. 128 in scoring offense with all facets of the unit not doing anything right. Quarterback play was a mess as Mike Wright and Ken Seals split time with neither being effective and it is Wright that has been named the starter after throwing for 1,042 yards with eight touchdowns and six interceptions while completing only 53 percent of his passes. The good news is that the offensive line is pretty good and allowed 28 sacks last season with three starters coming back and adding key transfer help. The receivers lost two of the top three guys with Will Sheppard coming back after 577 yards and four touchdowns. Leading rusher Rocko Griffin also returns but needs to improve his 3.6 ypc average. DefenseThe defense was slightly better in the overall rankings but it was still awful in most areas. The Commodores were No. 118 in total defense and No. 120 in scoring defense and they did show some good things that can be carried over into this season. The linebackers are solid with Anfernee Orji and Ethan Barr leading way as the top two tacklers last season with 177 combined stops and they add Clemson transfer Kane Patterson so there is a lot of potential here. The defensive front was part of the problem with stopping the run, allowing 5.6 ypc yet they should be able to shore that up with all three starters returning but they only played a combined 25 games. Vanderbilt finished No. 114 in passing efficiency defense as it allowed the fifth most passing touchdowns and has two starters back led by safety Maxwell Worship who was third in tackles with 52 and a pair of interceptions. 2022 Season OutlookAn opening loss to East Tennessee St. of the FCS set the tone for the season last year even though Vanderbilt did get to 2-3 before bottoming out with seven straight losses. While there are some positives heading into the season, getting out of the basement will be next to impossible by playing a schedule where every team won at least six games last season. The Commodores open vacation style in Hawaii before facing Elon and Wake Forest at home and then go to Northern Illinois to close out the nonconference schedule where a 2-2 record would be a positive. Then it gets nasty in the SEC with the start being at Alabama, at home against Mississippi and at Georgia. It gets better after that but with all five against bowl teams from last season. The O/U win total is set at 2.5 and it could sneak out going above that with an upset as they will be underdogs in every conference game.  

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2022 UTSA Roadrunners Preview

by Matt Fargo

Sunday, Aug 21, 2022

UTSA Roadrunners2021-22 Season Record 12-2 (7-1 C-USA West) - 9-5-0 ATS - 8-6-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 8Defense - 6OverviewA decade of UTSA football is in the books and it ended in spectacular fashion as the Roadrunners easily smashed the program win total with a 12-2 record and won their first C-USA Championship. Previous head coaches Larry Coker had two winning seasons while Frank Wilson had one and neither could keep the consistent winning going in their four years apiece. Current head coach Jeff Traylor enters his third season after posting winning records in each of his first two for a combined 19-7 mark and his days at UTSA may be numbered, in a good way. The Roadrunners were consistent on both sides of the ball last season as they jumped out to an 11-0 start before getting dominated at North Texas in the regular season finale. Only 13 starters return but they have a returning production ranking of No. 22 to go along with one of the best recruiting classes in the history of the program. OffenseUTSA has increased its offensive production each of the last four seasons and by a lot. It improved the yardage by nearly 200 ypg from 2018, nearly 100 ypg from 2019 and 24 ypg from 2020 as it finished No. 26 in total offense and No. 12 in scoring offense, averaging 445.0 ypg and 37.8 ppg respectively. The majority of the offense is back with eight returning starters led by quarterback Frank Harris who threw for 3,177 yards with 27 touchdowns and just six interceptions while completing nearly two-thirds of his throws. This will be his third season as the starter in this system under Traylor and it could be his best one yet. He gets his top three receivers back as well as his tight end so the passing game is set. They lost running back Sincere McCormick and his 1,479 yards to the NFL but there is depth that will be running behind a great offensive line that has four starters back. DefenseWhile the offense has dramatically improved over the last four years, the defense has as well just not quite to the same extent. Overall, UTSA was No. 48 in total defense and No. 44 in scoring defense but it was inconsistent, holding four opponents to fewer than 200 total yards but allowing an average of 496.8 ypg over the last four games as they wore down at the end. Unlike the offense, many holes need to be filled on this side but the retuning group is talented. The linebacking corps will be the strength as Jamal Ligon, Trevor Harmanson and Dadrian Taylor combined for 166 tackles, 4.5 sacks and three interceptions and will again be an integral part in stopping the run. The defensive line has two veterans back including Trumaine Bell II who was second on the team with five sacks. The secondary is solid with safety Rashad Wisdom heading the group after leading the team with 87 tackles. 2022 Season OutlookThis is the final season for UTSA in C-USA as next season it heads to the AAC to help the conference ease the pain of losing Cincinnati, Houston and UCF to the Big 12 so getting out of here with two consecutive C-USA Championships is the goal and they have the personnel to do so. The Roadrunners also have a favorable conference schedule and they come in as the slight favorite to win the conference. They open the season with a big home game against Houston before a pair of tough road games at Army and at Texas before concluding the nonconference slate at home against Texas Southern. As for the C-USA slate, they get North Texas and Western Kentucky at home and go on the road at UAB while missing Florida Atlantic. The O/U win total is set at 8.5 and that seems a tad high with those three tough road games not to mention Houston and Western Kentucky at home. A likely pass. 

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