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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, MLB, CFL and EPL Previews and Odds - 08/13/2022

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Aug 13, 2022

The Saturday sports card features NFLX, MLB, CFL, and EPL action.The first full week of the NFL preseason continues with eight games. Two exhibition games kick off at 1 PM ET. The Kansas City Chiefs visit the Chicago Bears on the NFL Network in a pick ‘em matchup with the total set at 38 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). The Washington Commanders host the Carolina Panthers, with the Commanders a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 37. The Indianapolis Colts travel to Buffalo to play the Bills on the NFL Network at 4 PM ET. The Colts are a 1.5-point road favorite with a total of 38. The Pittsburgh Steelers play at home against the Seattle Seahawks on the NFL Network at 7 PM ET. The Steelers are a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 36.5. The Miami Dolphins are at Tampa Bay to play the Buccaneers at 7:30 PM ET. The Dolphins are a 1-point road favorite with a total of 32.5. The New Orleans Saints travel to Houston to play the Texans at 8 PM ET. The Saints are a 1-point road favorite with an over/under of 35. The Denver Broncos host the Dallas Cowboys on the NFL Network at 9 PM ET. The Broncos are a 4-point favorite with a total of 33.5. The Los Angeles Chargers are the technical home team at SoFi Stadium against the Los Angeles Rams at 10 PM ET. The Chargers are a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 32. Major League Baseball has 16 games on its schedule. The Atlanta Braves visits Miami to play the Marlins in the opening game of their doubleheader at 1:10 PM ET. The Braves are a -118 money line road favorite at Caesars with a total of 7. The Toronto Blue Jays are at home against the Cleveland Guardians at 3:07 PM ET. The Blue Jays are a -125 money line favorite at Caesars with an over/under of 8. The Tampa Bay Rays host the Baltimore Orioles at 4:10 PM ET. The Rays are a -180 money line favorite with a total of 7. The Cincinnati Reds are at home against the Chicago Cubs at 6:40 PM ET. The Reds are a -120 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. The San Diego Padres play at Washington against the Nationals at 7:05 PM ET. The Padres are a -280 money line road favorite with a total of 9.Five MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:10 PM ET. The Los Angeles Dodgers travel to play the Kansas City Royals as a -240 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. The Braves play the Marlins in the second game of their doubleheader. The Oakland A’s play at Houston against the Astros. Chicago hosts the Detroit Tigers with the White Sox a -210 money line favorite with a total of 8. New York plays at home against Philadelphia with the Mets a -190 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. Three MLB games start at 7:15 PM ET. Milwaukee travels to St. Louis to play the Cardinals with the Brewers a -135 money line road favorite with a total of 7. Two MLB games are featured on Fox’s regional coverage. New York plays at Boston against the Red Sox with the Yankees a -145 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Texas plays at home against the Seattle Mariners, with the Rangers a -115 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Arizona Diamondbacks visit Colorado to play the Rockies at 8:10 PM ET. The Diamondbacks are a -145 money line road favorite with an over/under of 11.5. The Pittsburgh Pirates travel to San Francisco to play the Giants at 9:05 PM ET. Minnesota visits Los Angeles to play the Angels with the Twins a -115 money line road favorite with a total of 8.Week 10 in the Canadian Football League concludes with two games. British Columbia plays at Calgary against the Stampeders at 7 PM ET with the Lions a 2.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 53.5. Saskatchewan travels to Edmonton to play the Elks with the Roughriders a 6-point road favorite with a total of 48.5. Matchweek 2 in the English Premier League begins with seven matches. Aston Villa hosts Everton on the USA Network at 7:30 AM ET as a -0.5 goal line favorite with over/under of 2.5 (all EPL odds from BetMGM unless indicated otherwise). Six matches start at 10 AM ET. Arsenal hosts Leicester City as a -1 goal line favorite with a total of 2.5. Newcastle United plays at Brighton and Hove Albion in a pick ‘em match with an over/under of 2.5. Manchester City hosts Bournemouth on the USA Network as a -3.5 goal line favorite at DraftKings with an over/under of 3.5. Southampton is at home against Leeds United as a -0.5 goal line favorite with a total of 2.5. Fulham visits Wolverhampton in a pick ‘em match with an over/under of 2.5. Manchester United travels to Brentford on NBC at 12:30 PM ET as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with a total of 2.5. 

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2022 Tennessee Volunteers Preview

by Matt Fargo

Friday, Aug 12, 2022

Tennessee Volunteers2021-22 Season Record 7-6 (4-4 SEC East) - 5-8-0 ATS - 10-3-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 8Defense - 7OverviewIt has been a coaching carousel in Knoxville since head coach Phillip Fulmer was let go back in 2008, the year after Tennessee had its last double-digit winning season. Those were commonplace for the Volunteers as Fulmer was involved in a stretch of 16 straight bowl games but have been sporadic of late with just five appearances over the last 11 years. Josh Heupel took over last season for Jeremy Pruit who was fired for recruiting violations and got them back into the postseason following a 3-7 season in 2020. Tennessee did not exactly light the SEC on fire but blew out the teams they were supposed to and losing to Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi is nothing to get down about but the Volunteers have been waiting a long time to get back in that mix. It might not be this season but Heupel did an outstanding job at Central Florida and he could be just the right guy here. OffenseAfter plodding along for a few years, the Tennessee offense got rolling last season as it finished No. 16 overall and No. 9 in scoring. The Volunteers did have troubles against the big boys but that was expected and they were still able to increase their output by 140 ypg and 17 ppg from the previous season. Give credit to quarterback Hendon Hooker, who was not even the starter and the beginning of the season, as he ran an efficient offense, throwing for 2,945 yards with 31 touchdowns and just three interceptions while completing close to 70 percent of his passes. His favorite targets are back led by Cedric Tillman who had over 1,000 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns. The running game will be fine with leading rusher Jabari Small returning after rushing for 792 yards. The offensive line opened holes but needs to pass protect better as they allowed 44 sacks, No. 123 in the nation. DefenseThe defense was not very good last season, putting up roughly the same numbers from 2020 as it had just five starters returning and struggled in both areas but should improve in year two of the system. They finished No. 85 in total defense and No. 79 in scoring defense and while they did have some really solid efforts, they were bludgeoned in others and a happy medium would be just fine. Tennessee plays a scheme with two linebackers and both are outstanding as Jeremy Banks and Aaron Beasley combined for 212 tackles and seven sacks with plenty of depth behind them. The defensive line is huge and the rushing defense was better than the passing defense and should continue to get better. Despite the Volunteers applying excellent pressure, the secondary struggled but has two good safeties in Trevon Flowers and Jaylen McCollough that combined for 131 tackles and five picks. 2022 Season OutlookThere is a buzz again in Tennessee even though it was just one season that resulted in a one game over .500 record but it just felt different. Offense makes people excited and this offense did that and will likely create more enthusiasm. Hooker is ranked No. 3 in the SEC among quarterbacks and the sky is the limit but getting through the conference schedule will be a challenge. The nonconference schedule features three cupcakes at home with Ball St., Akron and UT-Martin with a road game at Pittsburgh also included. As for the SEC, the bad news is road games at LSU, Georgia and South Carolina but they do get Florida and Alabama at home although that really does not constitute as good news. Vanderbilt, Missouri and Kentucky are also mixed in. The O/U win total is set at 7.5 and with the looks of seven wins on paper, it is going to take a couple upsets to get to the over. 

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2022 NFC South Division Preview

by Scott Rickenbach

Friday, Aug 12, 2022

NFC South Division Win Total / Preview for 2022 NFLAtlanta Falcons – Current odds are 5 with heavy juice on the under. Hard to peg this team. This article is not necessarily about projecting win totals but more so just a quick preview of each team. That said, the Falcons do look to be the worst team in the division and the fact their win total is actually quite likely to end up in the 4 to 5 range makes this one a tough call. Falcons seem to be in a rebuild mode with the QB situation as now they turn things over to Marcus Mariota and his back-up is rookie Desmond Ridder. Atlanta not known for strong offensive lines and Mariota has been injury prone. That coupled with a bad defense and it is going to be a rough season for Falcons fans as wins will be few and far between. Carolina Panthers – Current odds are 6.5 flat. The scoring defense of the Panthers last season looks not so hot but the yardage allowed actually placed them as one of the top defenses in the league. It was the offense that was a problem for Carolina last season. Will this continue to be the case this season and this team would be a good one to look at for unders on a regular basis? Getting running back McCaffrey back will help the offense but the QB position is still a question mark even with Baker Mayfield entering the picture. If he is a pleasant surprise than yes things could change but that is a big “if” because he is not exactly walking into a great situation with the offense around him and working with a new playbook on offense and not exactly a ton of WR talent. Carolina started last year 3-0 then went 2-12 the rest of the way. New Orleans Saints – Current odds are 8 with heavy juice on the over. I like the Saints as good enough to threaten the Bucs for the top spot in the division. Jameis Winston needs to stay healthy but people forget he had 14 TDs and only 3 INTs before he got hurt last season. Also, WR Michael Thomas is back and has looked strong in camp already. New Orleans is very strong defensively and former defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is now the head coach and I expect continued success on that side of the ball. The Saints did beat the Buccaneers in both meetings last season and this team, if Winston stays healthy, can have a huge year. If Winston gets hurt and back-up QB Andy Dalton pulls some magic from the past that would also lead to a big season. Remember Dalton was solid with a 14-8 TD-INT ratio in Dallas two years ago before playing on a bad Bears team last season. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Current odds are 11.5 with some juice on the under. I am leaning toward under here on Bucs and over on the Saints above as you can see. The Buccaneers lost head coach Arians and long-time Brady target Gronkowski to retirement. So even though Brady is back things look a little different in Tampa Bay heading into this season. Also some changes to the offensive line in front of Brady but the defense does still look solid again. I know new head coach Todd Bowles has been the defensive coordinator in TB the last 3 seasons so he has that going for him. But his last 3 seasons as a head coach, of course with lesser talent on the Jets, he compiled a 14-34 record! Again, much better team to work with here and a solid defense but some of the changes on the offense and the fact Tom Brady is now 45…I really believe this is the year we start to see a significant regression in Tampa. 

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2022 Temple Owls Preview

by Matt Fargo

Friday, Aug 12, 2022

Temple Owls2021-22 Season Record 3-9 (1-7 American) - 2-10-0 ATS - 7-5-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 7Defense - 6OverviewWell that did not go as planned. Former head coaches Matt Rhule and Geoff Collins put Temple back on the map with a combined 41-23 record from 2014-2018 and Rod Carey, who turned Northern Illinois into a force in the MAC, was brought in to keep it going and he did for one season with an 8-5 record in 2019 but the wheels fell off quickly as the Owls went 4-15 the last two seasons. After a 3-2 start last season, Temple closed with seven straight losses, all by 20 or more points and the writing was on the wall before the season ended as the team quit on Carey. Stan Drayton takes over after a five-year stint at Texas where he was associate head coach but has never been a coordinator let alone a head coach yet has worked under some great ones from winning programs. It is not a complete rebuild but this is more about turning around the culture that went south fast.  OffenseSince Collins left the program, the offense has regressed each season, bottoming out last year averaging just 286.9 ypg and 16.3 ppg which were No. 125 and No. 127 in the country respectively. The Owls were awful in both the running and passing games and there is no where to go but up. Quarterback D'Wan Mathis showed promise last season but was unable to stay on the field as he missed two games early as well as the final three games so keeping him healthy is goal number one. That will be the priority of the offensive line that has three starters back and needs to improve its pass protection after allowing 29 sacks last season and the rotation is strengthened with incoming transfers. Two of the top three receivers are back and more plays need to be made downfield which can be accomplished by establishing a running game led by Edward Haydee who had just 321 yards. DefenseThe defense has been gashed over the last two seasons, allowing close to 38 ppg and an inability to stop the run where they gave up nearly 5.0 ypc. Last season, the Owls were No. 82 in total defense but that is skewed as opposing offenses just killed the clock by running the ball which gave the defense a misleading ranking of No. 5 against the pass as it simply was not thrown on very often. Fixing the defensive line is the main concern and it will not be an easy repair as the rotation is young and lacking experience so it will be up to the linebackers to help cause disruption in the backfield after registering just 17 sacks.  Jordan Magee and Kobe Wilson combined for 104 tackles last season but had just one sack between them. The secondary lost safety Amir Tyler who was the leading tackler but Alex Odom and his 65 tackles is back along with a group of corners that was never really tested. 2022 Season OutlookIt was shocking to see a team move to 3-2 on the season with an upset over Memphis to completely imploding on both sides of the ball, getting outscored 42.7-8.4 over the final seven games. Enter Drayton who has his hands full in getting his team back in the moment and not dwelling on the end of last season. Helping out is a very favorable early schedule that can get the confidence brewing. Temple travels to Duke for the season opener and then hosts Lafayette, Rutgers and Massachusetts to close September. The conference schedule is tough with three difficult road games at revenge minded Memphis, Central Florida and Houston and getting Tulsa, Cincinnati and East Carolina at home is no walk in the park either. The O/U win total is 2.5 and while Temple will likely be staying home during bowl season, the nonconference schedule is good enough to snatch three victories. 

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2022 TCU Horned Frogs Preview

by Matt Fargo

Friday, Aug 12, 2022

TCU Horned Frogs2021-22 Season Record 5-7 (3-6 Big 12) - 2-9-1 ATS - 7-5-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 10Defense - 7OverviewTCU has won everywhere it has been and former head coach Gary Patterson was the architect of it all. He was hired in 2001 after Dennis Franchione turned the program into a winner in his three years and Patterson never looked back as his Horned Frogs went 32-16 in four years in C-USA and then dominated the MWC for seven years with a 77-13 record. Going to the Big 12 was a massive move but the transition was smooth with three 11-win seasons in the first six years but starting in 2018, a 21-22 record forced a mutual split midway through last season as the once proud defense completely fell off and the offense was stuck in neutral. Sonny Dykes comes over from SMU and has landed in a great situation with 17 returning starters and a returning production ranking of No. 7. There is no rebuild here which usually comes after a coach leaving and TCU is ready to flourish again. OffenseThis is where things will get exciting as Dykes is known for his high-powered offenses and while TCU finished No. 36 in total offense last season, it needed an upgrade and that it will get. The passing game has faltered over the last few years and last season Max Duggan was ok, throwing for 2,048 yards with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions but lacked the big downfield ability. That will change in the new system but there is still familiarity so it will not be a complete do over with the offense as his top four receivers are back that accounted for 11 touchdowns and nearly 2,000 yards. The offensive line has a lot of size and experience and helped the Horned Frogs finish No. 27 in rushing offense with 197.0 ypg and while leading rusher Zach Evans has departed, the cupboard is far from empty with Kendre Miller and Emari Demarcado combining for 1,069 yards and 11 touchdowns. DefenseThis is where the problem lies as TCU was awful on defense and that word has never been associated with this unit as the Horned Frogs were No. 119 in total defense and No. 118 in scoring defense. They allowed 100 more ypg and 11 more ppg than the previous season so there is work to be done. Dykes brought in defensive coordinator Joe Gillespie who turned the Tulsa defense completely around in his three years and he will improve this unit right away. The main concern is up front as TCU had just 15 sacks last season which was tied for No. 122 in the nation and a new scheme should make a difference with a lot needing to be replaced. The linebackers will be the strength in the 3-3-5 alignment led by Dee Winters and Jamoi Hodge who combined for 132 tackles. The secondary needs help as it has to replace a pair of starters but should be ok as long as the front six generates a pass rush.  2022 Season OutlookReplacing a future hall of fame coach is never easy, especially one that was around here for 21 years but Dykes and his staff should make the transition a smooth one. They have excellent Texas ties and already brought in a great recruiting class so the goal is to be noteworthy again starting right now. The Horned Frogs open at Colorado and then host Tarleton St. before Dykes returns to SMU for their final nonconference game. He will get his Big 12 feet wet right away with a game against Oklahoma, one of five on the schedule that also includes Oklahoma St. and Iowa St. The road portion of the slate starts relatively easy with games at Kansas and West Virginia but back-to-back games at Texas and Baylor in late November will be challenging. The O/U win total is set at 6.5 and the over is gettable but will likely come down to the final three games of the season against Texas, Baylor and Iowa St. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 08/12/2022

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Aug 12, 2022

The Friday sports card features NFLX, MLB, and CFL action.The first full week of the NFL preseason continues with five games. The Detroit Lions play in Atlanta against the Falcons on the NFL Network at 6 PM ET. This game is a pick ‘em matchup with the total set at 35 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). The Cleveland Browns play at Jacksonville against the Jaguars at 7 PM ET. The Browns are a 1-point road favorite with an over/under of 37.5. Two NFL preseason games kick off at 7:30 PM ET. The Philadelphia Eagles host the New York Jets, with the Eagles a 1-point favorite with a total of 38.5. The Cincinnati Bengals are at home against the Arizona Cardinals with the Bengals a 2-point favorite with an over/under of 31. The San Francisco 49ers play at home against the Green Bay Packers on the NFL Network at 8:30 PM ET. The 49ers are a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 33. Major League Baseball has 14 games on its schedule. The Atlanta Braves travel to Miami to play the Marlins at 6:40 PM ET. Jake Odorizzi takes the mound for the Braves to pitch against Pablo Lopez for the Marlins. Atlanta is a -155 money line road favorite at BetMGM with an over/under of 7.5. The San Diego Padres play at Washington against the Nationals on Apple TV+ at 7:05 PM ET. The Padres send out Mike Clevinger to battle against the Nationals’ Cory Abbott. San Diego is a -240 money line road favorite with a total of 9. The Toronto Blue Jays are at home against the Cleveland Guardians a 7:07 PM ET. Jose Berrios takes the mound for the Blue Jays to pitch against Cal Quantrill for the Guardians. Toronto is a -165 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Four MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:10 PM ET. New York plays at home against Philadelphia on Apple TV+ with the Mets’ turning to Max Scherzer to pitch against the Phillies’ Ranger Suarez. The Mets are a -195 money line favorite with a total of 7. Chicago hosts Detroit with Michael Kopech taking the ball for the White Sox against Daniel Norris for the Tigers. The White Sox are a -225 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. New York travels to Boston with the Yankees tapping Domingo German to pitch against the Red Sox's Nathan Eovaldi. The Yankees are a -130 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Tampa Bay is at home against Baltimore with Corey Kluber pitching for the Rays against Austin Voth for the Orioles. The Rays are a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Seattle Mariners are at Texas against the Rangers at 8:05 PM ET. The Mariners turn to George Kirby in their starting rotation to duel against the Rangers’ relievers, with Josh Sborz set to be their opener. Two more MLB games start at 8:10 PM ET. Houston hosts Oakland with Luis Garcia taking the mound for the Astros to pitch against Adam Oller for the A’s. The Astros are a -320 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Los Angeles visits Kansas City with the Dodgers tapping Tony Gonsolin to pitch against the Royals’ Daniel Lynch. The Dodgers are a -210 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. The St. Louis Cardinals play at home against the Milwaukee Brewers at 8:15 PM ET. Jordan Montgomery gets the start for the Cardinals to pitch against Eric Lauer for the Brewers. St. Louis is a -155 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. The Colorado Rockies host the Arizona Diamondbacks at 8:40 PM ET. The Rockies turn to Antonio Senzatela to battle against the Diamondbacks’ Zach Davies. Colorado is a -125 money line favorite with an over/under of 12.5.The Minnesota Twins visit the Los Angeles Angels at 9:38 PM ET. Tyler Mahle makes the start for the Twins facing Pablo Sandoval for the Angels. Minnesota is a -125 money line road favorite with a total of 8. The San Francisco Giants play at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 10:15 PM ET. The Giants tap Carlos Rodon to pitch against the Pirates’ Bryse Wilson. San Francisco is a -265 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Week 10 in the Canadian Football League continues with the Toronto Argonauts playing at Hamilton against the Tiger-Cats at 7:30 PM ET. The Argonauts won their third game in their last four with a 34-20 victory at home against the Tiger-Cats as a 1-point favorite on Saturday. Hamilton lost for the second time in their previous three games. Toronto is a 1.5-point road favorite with a total of 46.

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2022 Syracuse Orange Preview

by Matt Fargo

Thursday, Aug 11, 2022

Syracuse Orange2021-22 Season Record 5-7 (2-6 ACC Atlantic) - 8-4-0 ATS - 5-7-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 9Defense - 8OverviewAs part of the early years of the Big East Conference, Syracuse was a mainstay throughout the season being ranked in the AP Poll, numerous times in the top ten with its highest finish being No. 6 in 1992. After the 2001 season, things started falling apart under head coaches Paul Pasqualoni and Greg Robinson and they had to vacate 11 wins from 2004-2006. Since then, it has been a lot of averageness with 16 of the last 20 seasons resulting in .500 or worse records. Current head coach Dino Babers was a hot commodity coming out of Bowling Green and after a pair of 4-8 seasons, he got the Orange back to winning with a 10-3 record in 2018 but it has now been three straight losing seasons and Babers is clearly on the hot seat. Last season, they opened 5-4 with three losses by three points and then lost their last three games to miss a bowl. Now is the time with a loaded roster. OffenseBabers knows his offense and he got it rolling in that 2018 season but Syracuse has been unable to sustain it and it finished No. 94 in total offense and No. 91 in scoring offense but those rankings should go up this season if things go as planned. Quarterback Garrett Shrader is a duel threat that will be the opening game starter after starting the last nine games last season but there is competition behind him. He threw for just 1,444 yards with nine touchdowns and four interceptions but he was not expected to make many plays with his arm as he rushed for 781 yards and 14 touchdowns, second most in the ACC. Coupled with running back Sean Tucker who rushed for 1,496 yards and 12 touchdowns, the Orange had the No. 18 ranked rushing offense in the nation. An improved offensive line will bolster that again and while young, the receiving corps has plenty of options. DefenseSyracuse quietly had a great defense last season as it finished No. 24 overall and second in the ACC but gave up too many points when it did not need to as it was No. 68 in scoring. The Orange are loaded once again but there are some holes to fill yet there is a lot of experience with a returning production ranking of No. 17. The linebacking corps will be one of the best in the conference once again as Mikel Johnson, who was the leading tackler, Stefon Thompson and Marlowe Wax accounted for 248 tackles and 14.5 sacks and this unit can take them as far as they want to go. They sit behind a defensive line that is very young all the way through with just one upperclassman in the nine-player, three-deep chart but they should come together. The secondary is built around a pair of solid corners in Garrett Williams and Darian Chestnut with safety getting help from transfers. 2022 Season OutlookIt has been a poor run of late but Babers was given one more chance as his team was one of the youngest in the country last season and if all goes right, or at least some of it does, this could be a future player in the ACC. More balance is needed on offense and if Shrader can execute, it could be a surprisingly big season for Syracuse. It will all come down to a good start with the first half of the schedule in their favor although it will not be easy. Five of the first six games are at home with the lone road game at a bad Connecticut team. Included are three ACC games against Louisville, Virginia and NC State as well as Purdue, none of which are easy. The second half is brutal with games at Clemson, Pittsburgh and Wake Forest and home games against Notre Dame and Florida St. The O/U Win total is set at 5 and this one is tricky as if the Orange can hold serve at home, the over is there.  

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2022 NFC North Division Preview

by Scott Rickenbach

Thursday, Aug 11, 2022

NFC North Division Win Total / Preview for 2022 NFLNorth:Chicago Bears – Current odds are 6 flat. Hard to peg this team. This article is not necessarily about projecting win totals but more so just a quick preview of each team. That said, Bears have had some key turnover that makes them difficult to project. Losing a star LB like Mack and solid WR like Robinson will impact a team that already seemed to be sliding some. In terms of their win total this is one that seems a little low when you consider their favorable schedule but QB such an important position and Fields likely to go through more growing pains this season. Detroit Lions – Current odds are 6.5 flat. They will have a better record than last season I am sure as they at least did manage to play .500 ball over their final 6 games. However, I would be hard pressed to say they get to 7 wins so would have to lean under here. I do like some of their off-season moves and they were heavy on defense in the draft but it will take time for those guys to develop and Detroit was one of the worst teams in the league on defense last season. If offense clicks with some of the receiving talent added in off-season activity plus the draft, this could be an “over” team in terms of O/U’s on a weekly basis but how fast they “mesh” will be the key. The defense will likely be a struggle once again. Green Bay Packers – Current odds are 11 flat. When your QB is Aaron Rodgers that is huge. He has lost some key WR talent but if newly acquired Sammy Watkins stays healthy and the WR talent added in the draft pays off, this GB passing attack will still be ultra-dangerous. Statistically this team was one of the best in the league on both sides of the ball and I do like their defense. They are still the top team in the NFC North but I would say 11 wins seems pegged just right. Minnesota Vikings – Current odds are 9 flat. As for their win total, 9 seems about right. But this looks like another team I will be keeping an eye on to possibly be an “over” team in terms of O/U’s on a weekly basis. Their new coach is an offensive-minded guy and the Vikings offense was already the strong suit of this team in comparison with the defense. Now Minnesota lost some veteran pieces from last year’s defense and they already rated quite low on that side of the ball. When you consider all those factors plus the fact the new additions to the D side are mostly through the draft and will take time to develop, this Vikings team could be involved in a lot of shootouts this season it seems.

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2022 Stanford Cardinal Preview

by Matt Fargo

Thursday, Aug 11, 2022

Stanford Cardinal2021-22 Season Record 3-9 (2-7 Pac 12 North) - 3-9-0 ATS - 6-6-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 10Defense - 7OverviewJim Harbaugh turned around a program stuck in neutral as he came onto the scene in 2007 and after enduring a pair of losing seasons, Stanford became elite as he closed with a 20-6 record in his final two seasons that included an Orange Bowl win in 2010 and a final ranking of No. 4 in the country. Current head coach David Shaw took over a great situation and to his credit, he did not just ride the coattails of Harbaugh as he sustained the success for eight straight seasons that included five double-digit winning campaigns, three additional top ten finishes and a pair of Rose Bowl victories. The production fell of in 2019 as the Cardinal had just nine starters back and they have not recovered with an 11-19 record over the last three seasons and the seat might be getting a little warm for Shaw. He brings back the third most experienced team in the country and he will need it. OffenseOffensively, Stanford started strong but completely imploded late, averaging a mere 11.8 ppg over its last five games and on the season, finished No. 121 in total offense and No. 114 in scoring offense. The once potent running game has been nonexistent during this recent skid culminated last season as the Cardinal averaged just 87.3 ypg on 3.2 ypc, No. 126 in the nation. It does not look encouraging to improve this year as Nathaniel Peat and Austin Jones, who combined for 782 yards on 4.2 ypc last season, both transferred out so somebody will have to step up behind an offensive line that was terrible last season but now has a ton of experience. One bright spot of the offense early on was quarterback Tanner McKie who threw for 2,327 yards with 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions and he should be better behind that improved line and all of his top targets returning. DefenseThe defense has taken a big step backwards over the last few years as they have regressed every season since 2018. Last season, Stanford finished No. 114 in total defense and No. 106 in scoring defense as this side of the ball also imploded down the stretch. While the offense was unable to run the ball, the defense was unable to stop opposing offenses from gashing them on the ground as Stanford allowed 237.6 ypg on 5.9 ypc. Seven starters are back and there is experience all over the field so there is no reason there should not be a significant improvement. The linebackers are the strength, led by Levani Damuni and Ricky Miezan who combined for 154 tackles and of course a lot of those were on running backs getting through the defensive line that needs to shore up and provide a push. The secondary was not tested much because it did not have to be and is an experienced group. 2022 Season OutlookStatistically, Stanford was one of the worst power five teams in the country last season as it completely folded down the stretch with seven straight losses following an encouraging 3-2 start that included wins over USC and Oregon. What happened after that is anyone's guess and that type of finish is the last thing a team wants heading into a make or break season. Also unwanted is a schedule that is brutal. Stanford opens the season with a home game against Colgate and then faces revenge-minded USC the following week to open conference play. That is one of only four Pac 12 home games with the other three coming against Oregon St., Arizona St. and Washington St., all winnable but that means the road portion is tough at Oregon, UCLA and Utah. Add in Notre Dame and BYU and it is not ideal. The O/U win total is set at 4.5 and this one looks to be a clear pass. 

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2022 Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles Preview

by Matt Fargo

Thursday, Aug 11, 2022

Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles2021-22 Season Record 3-9 (2-6 C-USA West) - 4-8-0 ATS - 4-8-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 9Defense - 7OverviewBack in the day, Southern Mississippi used to be a prominent team in C-USA as from 1996-2011, it had a winning record in all 16 seasons and went to 14 bowl games under head coaches Jeff Bower and Larry Fedora. When Fedora left for North Carolina, Ellis Johnson was hired in 2012 and was let go nearly as quick following a 0-12 season. It took three years for Todd Monken to turn things back around and it started a string of five straight winning seasons under he and Jay Hopson so things were back on track until Hopson left after one game in 2020 which left the program in shambles and last season, they stumbled to a 3-9 record under first year head coach Will Hall. Now it is a brand new start in the Sun Belt Conference and Southern Mississippi brings back 16 starters and has the No. 7 ranked returning production in the country to try and make noise in its first year in the conference. OffenseThe Golden Eagles brought back eight starters on offense last season but could do nothing right as it finished No. 127 in total offense and No. 122 in scoring offense, down 105 ypg and 7 ppg from the previous season. The quarterback situation was a mess as not one of five players could grasp the offense and part of that problem was also with the offensive line as they allowed 8.8 tackles per loss per game which was most in the country that led to turnovers and too many long yardage situations. The starting job is again up for grabs but the line will be stronger with good experience at the very least providing some comfort. The running game will once again feature Frank Gore, Jr. who ran for 801 yards with five touchdowns and he should go well beyond that number. Whoever wins the quarterback job will have a lot of options to throw to as nearly everyone is back. DefenseThe defense did their part last season, to an extent, as it finished No. 42 in total defense and No. 80 in scoring defense although those rankings are a bit skewed. Because the offense had 31 turnovers, the most in the nation, that led to the defense being pinned leading to scores on short fields which upped the points allowed and falsely reduced the length of scoring drives. Nonetheless, the defense is very experienced and loaded with talent at all three levels. Safety and leading tackler Malik Shorts heads the secondary that is a bit of an unknown considering teams did not have to throw very much at them so this could be the make or break unit. One thing is for sure, the 23 sacks from last season, tied for No. 87, needs to increase and that would only help the secondary. The linebacking corps led by Hayes Maples is loaded with everyone back and depth at all three positions. 2022 Season OutlookThis is a very important season for Southern Mississippi football as it leaves C-USA after 26 seasons to join a revamped Sun Belt Conference in what is basically a lateral move that could go either way. There is experience all over the place but talent is still a question as getting a read from last season is difficult. Add to that, the recruiting class ranked No. 123 last season so the future is now as a drop off down the line looks inevitable. The nonconference schedule is tough from the start, hosting a very good Liberty team before going to Miami Fla. but then comes a pair of likely wins. It is a mixed bag of conference games as the home portion is more difficult which is ideal and the only real road test is at Coastal Carolina. The O/U win total is set at 4 and the Golden Eagles should surpass this but by how much is an uneducated guess based on how they adapt to the new surroundings. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, MLB, and CFL Previews and Odds - 08/11/2022

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Aug 11, 2022

The Thursday sports card features NFLX, MLB, and CFL action.The first full week of the NFL preseason kicks off with two games. The New York Giants visit New England to play the Patriots on the NFL Network at 7 PM ET. The Giants are a 3-point road favorite, with the total set at 33.5 (all odds from DraftKings). The Baltimore Ravens host the Tennessee Titans at 7:30 PM ET. The Ravens are a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 31.5. Major League Baseball has eight games on its schedule. The Miami Marlins travel to Philadelphia to play the Phillies at 1:05 PM ET. Kyle Gibson takes the ball for the Phillies to pitch against Edward Cabrera for the Marlins. Philadelphia is a -165 money line road favorite with a total of 8. The Cleveland Guardians play at Detroit against the Tigers at 1:10 PM ET. The Guardians tap Zach Plesac to battle against the Tigers’ Garrett Hill. Cleveland is a -165 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 2:10 PM ET. Houston hosts Texas at 2:10 PM ET, with Framber Valdez taking the hill for the Astros to pitch against Cole Ragans for the Astros. The Astros are a -305 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Chicago is at Kansas City with the White Sox tapping Dylan Cease to duel against the Royals’ Zack Greinke. The White Sox are a -190 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. The St. Louis Cardinals travel to Colorado to play the Rockies at 3:10 PM ET. Dakota Hudson takes the mound for the Cardinals to duel against German Marquez for the Rockies. St. Louis is a -120 money line road favorite with a total of 12. The Arizona Diamondbacks are at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 3:40 PM ET. The Diamondbacks tap Merrill Kelly to pitch against the Pirates’ J.T. Brubaker. Arizona is a -190 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Boston Red Sox host the Baltimore Orioles at 7:10 PM ET. Josh Winckowski takes the ball for the Red Sox to pitch against Dean Kremer for the Orioles, whose scheduled start against Toronto on Wednesday got postponed because of rain. Boston is a -135 money line favorite with a total of 10. The Cincinnati Reds play the Chicago Cubs on Fox in the Field of Dreams Game in Dyersville, Iowa. The Reds tap Nick Lodolo to pitch against the Cubs’ Drew Smyly. Cincinnati is a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.Week 10 in the Canadian Football League begins with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers playing at home against the Montreal Alouettes at 8:30 PM ET. The Blue Bombers won their ninth straight game to start the season after their 35-20 victory on the road against the Alouettes as a 5.5-point favorite last Thursday. Montreal has lost four of its last five games. Winnipeg is an 11-point favorite, with a total of 48.5 in this rematch this week.

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2022 South Florida Bulls Preview

by Matt Fargo

Wednesday, Aug 10, 2022

South Florida Bulls2021-22 Season Record 2-10 (1-7 American) - 7-5-0 ATS - 6-6-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 10Defense - 9OverviewSouth Florida entered the scene in 2000 under the direction of head coach Jim Leavitt and it was immediate success with four straight winning seasons before a hiccup in 2004 and then it was five more years of .500 or better and five bowl games. Skip Holtz took over in 2010 and lasted only three years as the Bulls regressed each season and then Willie Taggart inherited a mess only to turn it around in three years and in 2016, the Bulls finished the season ranked in the top 20 for the first timer ever. Charlie Strong could not keep it going and was there for just three years and now it is Jeff Scott that has to make a move. He has gone 3-18 in his first two seasons and entering 2022, there are no excuses as 19 starters are back from a 2-10 team with the only FBS win coming against Temple. Will experience pay off and turn the Bulls around or is the roster just that bad? We are about to find out. OffenseThere was no consistency on offense as the Bulls got on little runs only to bottom out. They scored 31 and 34 points and then put up 14 points. They scored 42 and 28 points and then back-to-back games of 14 and 13 points. Almost everyone is back from the offense that finished No. 102 in total offense and No. 99 in scoring offense and help is on the way at the most important position. Former Baylor quarterback Gerry Bohanon will step into the starting role for Timmy McClain who could not get the offense rolling. Bohanon threw for 2,200 yards with 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions while also rushing for 323 yards and nine touchdowns so he could be the sparkplug they need. The top three receivers are back as are the top two running backs so Bohanon has options and a lot of the success will come down to the offensive line that has all five starters back and is deep. DefenseThere were positive signs for the offense at times but there were very few encouraging moments for the defense that allowed fewer than 29 points only twice against FBS opposition. Overall, the Bulls were No. 124 in total defense and No. 117 in scoring defense and there is plenty of experience back to improve in all areas. They were lit up on the ground and through the air and getting into the offensive backfield will help cure that. The secondary was put on an island most of the time and they finished No. 118 in passing efficiency defense and while a lot of that was bad coverage, they had no pass rush help as South Florida was dead last in the country with nine sacks. Be disruptive is the goal and there are pieces in place to do so. The linebackers are the strength as Antonio Grier and Dwayne Boyles both return after combining for 159 tackles, four sacks, four interceptions and four forced fumbles. 2022 Season OutlookGive the program credit as they do not shy away from scheduling tough nonconference games as opposed to some teams wanting to pad their records and stats. They lost to NC State, Florida and BYU by a combined 122-47 and they have a similar setup this year which can toughen them up early or send them spiraling before conference play begins and this is where the coaching needs to emerge as they cannot lose the team a third into the season like last year as there was no recovery. This season, it is Louisville, Florida and BYU and while all are likely losses, being more competitive is just as important. The conference schedule is not much easier as the home portion features three teams projected for 6 or more wins and they have to travel to Cincinnati and Houston. The O/U win total is 4.5 and it looks like a no play with all of the experience negated with a brutal schedule. 

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