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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and EPL Previews and Odds - 08/15/2022

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Aug 15, 2022

The Monday sports card features MLB and EPL action.Major League Baseball has 14 games on its schedule. The Cleveland Guardians host the Detroit Tigers in the first game of their doubleheader at 3:10 PM. Aaron Civil gets the ball for the Guardians to pitch against Drew Hutchison for the Tigers. Cleveland is a -205 money line favorite with the total set at 8.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). The second game throws out the first pitch at 6:10 PM ET, with Detroit sending out Rony Garcia to go against a starting pitcher yet to be named for the Guardians. Two MLB games start at 6:40 PM ET. Philadelphia visits Cincinnati with the Phillies tapping the newly acquired Noah Syndergaard to make the start against the Reds’ Mike Minor. The Phillies are a -175 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. San Diego plays at Miami with Joe Musgrove taking the mound for the Padres to duel against Sandy Alcantara for the Marlins. The Padres are a -135 money line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The MLB games begin at 7:05 PM ET. Chicago travels to Washington with the Cubs turning to Marcus Stroman to face the Nationals’ Josiah Gray. The Cubs are a -140 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Tampa Bay is at New York with Gerrit Cole pitching for the Yankees against a starting pitcher yet to be determined for the Rays. The Toronto Blue Jays host the Baltimore Orioles at 7:07 PM ET. Yusei Kikuchi takes the hill for the Blue Jays to battle against Kyle Bradish for the Orioles. Toronto is a -165 money line favorite with a total of 9. The Atlanta Braves are at home against the New York Mets at 7:20 PM ET. The Braves tap Spencer Strider to take the mound to pitch against the Mets’ Carlos Carrasco. Atlanta is a -150 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Minnesota Twins play at home against the Kansas City Royals at 7:40 PM ET. Joe Ryan gets the start for the Twins to duel against Kris Bubic for the Royals. Minnesota is a -190 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Texas Rangers are at home against the Oakland A’s at 8:05 PM ET. The Rangers tap Glenn Otto to pitch against the A’s James Kaprielian. Texas is a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Two MLB games begin at 8:10 PM ET. Houston visits Chicago with Jose Urquidy taking the mound for the Astros to battle the White Sox’s Johnny Cueto. Los Angeles plays at Milwaukee, with the Dodgers turning to Julio Urias to pitch against the Brewers’ Freddy Peralta. The Dodgers are a -155 money line road favorite with a total of 8. The Los Angeles Angels host the Seattle Mariners at 9:38 PM ET. Shohei Ohtani gets his next start for the Angels pitching against Luis Castillo for the Reds. Los Angeles is a -150 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Arizona Diamondbacks play at San Francisco against the Giants at 9:45 PM ET. Neither starting pitcher has been announced as of this writing. Week 2 in the English Premier League concludes with one match on the USA Network at 3 PM ET. Liverpool is at home against Crystal Palace as a -2 goal line favorite at BetMGM with a total of 3.

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Big Al's NFL, MLB and EPL Previews and Odds - 08/14/2022

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Aug 14, 2022

The Sunday sports card features NFLX, MLB, and EPL action.The first full week of the NFL preseason concludes with one game. The Las Vegas Raiders host the Minnesota Vikings on the NFL Network at 4:25 PM ET. The Raiders are a 4-point favorite, with the total set at 36.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The San Diego Padres visit the Washington Nationals on Peacock at 12:05 PM ET. Blake Snell takes the ball for the Padres pitching against Paolo Espino for the Nationals. San Diego is a -115 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. The Toronto Blue Jays host the Cleveland Guardians at 1:37 PM ET. The Blue Jays tap Kevin Gausman to take the mound against the Guardians’ Shane Bieber. Toronto is a -140 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. Four MLB games throw out the first pitch at 1:40 PM ET. New York hosts Philadelphia with Chris Bassitt pitching for the Mets against Zack Wheeler for the Phillies. The Mets are a -135 money line favorite with an over/under of 7. Tampa Bay is at home against Baltimore with the Rays tapping Drew Rasmussen to battle against the Orioles’ Jordan Lyles. The Rays are a -165 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. Atlanta plays at Miami with Bryce Elder pitching for the Braves against Braxton Garrett for the Marlins. Chicago travels to Cincinnati with the Cubs turning to Keegan Thompson to pitch against the Reds’ Justin Dunn. The Cubs are a -145 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Three MLB games start at 2:10 PM ET. Los Angeles plays at Kansas City with Tyler Anderson taking the mound for the Dodgers against Brady Singer for the Royals. The Dodgers are a -240 money line road favorite with a total of 9. Houston hosts Oakland with the Astros’ turning to Cristian Javier to duel against the A’s Cole Irvin. The Astros are a -255 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Chicago is at home against Detroit, with Lance Lynn taking the hill for the White Sox against Tyler Alexander for the Tigers. The White Sox is a -200 money line favorite with a total of 8. The St. Louis Cardinals play at home against the Milwaukee Brewers at 2:15 PM ET. The Cardinals tap Miles Mikolas in their starting rotation to go against the Brewers' Aaron Ashby. St. Louis is a -150 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Seattle Mariners travel to Texas to play the Rangers at 2:35 PM ET. Logan Gilbert takes the mound for the Mariners to duel against Martin Perez for the Rangers. Seattle is a -120 money line road favorite with a total of 7.5. The Colorado Rockies host the Arizona Diamondbacks at 3:10 PM ET. The Rockies send Ryan Feltner to pitch against the Diamondbacks’ Tommy Henry. Colorado is a -125 money line favorite with an over/under of 12.5. The San Francisco Giants are at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 4:05 PM ET. Alex Wood takes the mound for the Giants to pitch against Zach Thompson for the Pirates. San Francisco is a -230 money line favorite with a total of 8. The Minnesota Twins visit Los Angeles to play the Angels at 4:07 PM ET. The Twins turn to Chris Archer to battle against the Angels’ Tucker Davidson. Minnesota is a -140 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN has the New York Yankees playing in Boston against the Red Sox. Jameson Taillon takes the ball for the Yankees against Michael Wacha for the Red Sox. Matchweek 2 in the English Premier League continues with two matches on the USA Network. West Ham United travels to Nottingham Forest at 9 AM ET as a -0.5 goal line road favorite at BetMGM with a total of 2.5. Chelsea hosts Tottenham at 11:30 AM ET as a -0.5 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. 

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Who Wins this Year's Heisman Trophy?

by ASA, Inc.

Saturday, Aug 13, 2022

Heisman Trophy Picks - 3 picks from us (one favorite, one mid range, and one long shot)Favorite- Bryce Young (+350) Alabama Young is the feature player on the most notable program in the Nation. No matter how many first round players that Alabama produces, the Tide reload each and every year. With plenty of surrounding talent, Young should only excel in his second year as a starter. Currently, it is a two man race between C.J Stroud (+200) and Young, and with better odds, it seems like a no brainer to lean in favor of the Alabama quarterback. Mid Range- D.J. Uiagalelei (+3500) ClemsonClemson and Ohio State have been the only non-SEC teams to compete for National Championships in the past seven years. In order to win the Heisman, Uiagalelei will need to return the Tigers to a CFP berth. A former five-star recruit, D.J. has the talent to carry Clemson back to the promised land, and Dabo Swinney is too good of a coach to have another year struggling in the ACC. Long Shot- KJ Jefferson (+7000) Arkansas Watching Jefferson in 2021, he had flashes of Cam Newton in his game. The ability to carve teams up with his legs is electric, but he also showed great decision making throwing for 21 TDs and only 4 INTs. This combo will give him the star power to burst onto the Hiesman watch with a couple big wins in a loaded SEC. The Arkansas QB had 326 yards and 3 TDs in a close loss to Alabama last year, showing the potential he has.  

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La Liga Futures

by Amedeus Mastrangelo

Saturday, Aug 13, 2022

The La Liga season has started and it is time to discuss possible futures in this league and see who has the best chance to win this title. A lot of these teams have been making big moves to get back in contention and the title race is not very clear cut here, despite Real Madrid being the defending title champions and the Champions League champions from last season. There are a few teams that have made big moves to challenge Real Madrid for that title this season and it is time to see who really has the best chance. To Win Outright Real Madrid +120: Real Madrid is coming off of a very successful season, not only winning the La Liga title but also winning the Champions League title as well. They won the league handedly last season, leading the 2nd place team by 13 points, but they have also won the league title 2 times in the last 3 seasons, and they have finished in the top 3 of the league for well over the past decade. Their team did not change much over the transfer window and why would they make any big changes when they are league champions and champions of Europe. Their biggest losses of the summer were left-back Marcelo who has been aging, right winger Garreth Bale who rarely played for the club over the last few years, and attacking midfield Isco who left on a free transfer to Sevilla. Isco was probably their biggest loss as he actually contributed to the team in providing depth for the midfield but this is still a very deep team with tons of talent and they did add centre-back Antonio Rudiger as well to add to this already stacked defense. Real Madrid has shown with their consistency in the league that they are always a threat to win the title and it is not often you will see them at this plus money price considering they are the best team in Europe right now.  Barcelona +125: Barcelona is coming into this season off of 3 straight seasons where they have not won the title. They have been a very successful team in La Liga for a while now though, finishing in the top 3 every year over the last decade with 5 titles in that span. They have not won a title since Messi left the team a few years ago but they have made some big moves in this transfer window and are clearly making a big push for the title this season after 3 straight seasons where they have not won it. They did lose some good players in the transfer window, losing centre-forward Luuk de Jong and right winger Adama Traore at the end of their loans as they were bought out, and they also lost left winger Philippe Coutinho to Aston Villa. Their defense also lost some players such as centre-back Clement Lenglet who is out on loan and right-back Dani Alves who left on a free transfer. They made a great effort to replace these losses though and did so with even higher quality players. Their 3 big signings this summer were right winger Raphinha from Leeds, centre-back Jules Kounde from Sevilla, and centre-forward Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich. They also picked up central midfield Franck Kessie from AC Milan and centre-back Andreas Christensen from Chelsea on free transfers. This team is much improved from last season, they already had a lot of depth in their midfield but added to it even more while also strengthening both their defense and attack with upgrades at most positions. They have always been a good team even in their down years but they are making that big push with these signings and they are truly a real contender this season.  Atletico Madrid +600: Atletico Madrid is a team that has been very successful in La Liga for many years as they have finished in the top 3 every year over the last decade, winning 2 titles in that span. They usually finish in 3rd place though behind Barcelona and Real Madrid, and they did not make many good moves to help their team get better for this season. Their transfer window was looking good as there were rumors of swapping Griezman for Ronaldo but Man Utd has shut down those hopes and that leaves Atletico Madrid in a funny place. They ended up losing centre-forward Luis Suarez in a free transfer to Nacional and the loss of central midfield Daniel Wass was not that great for them either. They did pick up defensive midfield Axel Witsel but he is not getting any younger as he nears the end of his career, and they also got centre-forward Alvaro Morata back from loan but there are even rumors of him leaving for Man Utd still. Other than that, their biggest signings of the summer were right-back Nahuel Molina from Udinese and left winger Samuel Lino from Gil Vicente, and those do not even do much to help boost their squad much here. What was shaping up to be a great summer for them has turned into one giant dud and with Barcelona signing all the players they can, also competing in the same league as the Champions League champions, there is just too much competition in this league for Atletico to be a real contender this season. RecommendationsEvery other team in this league is priced at more than +2000 to win the league title and for good reason as these three are the only 3 teams that really have a chance to win, and no other team other than these 3 has won the title in well over a decade as well. Atletico Madrid is certainly not much of a contender this season with the moves they have been making and that leaves us with just the 2 giants in Barcelona and Real Madrid. Real Madrid does look tempting as they are both the defending La Liga and Champions League title champions, but they could be in for a down year here after so much success last season, and they did not make many moves to change their squad either. Barcelona knows the team they have to beat and they went out this transfer window to upgrade every position to give themselves the best chance at winning the title and beating out Real Madrid. Barcelona is going to have a very good team this season and after 3 straight seasons of not winning the La Liga title, they will be hungry for one here and will do whatever it takes to make it happen. The only play here is Barcelona to win the title this season at +125.

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Why Bettors Should Take Advantage of Betting First-Half NFL Lines

by Oskeim Sports

Saturday, Aug 13, 2022

NFL bettors looking for new ways to slay the betting dragon should look at the advantages offered by betting first-half NFL lines. Instead of betting the entire game, the second half is eliminated. There are advantages to betting just the first half and a few strategies bettors can use to exploit these advantages.It starts with a clear understanding of exactly what you are doing.The First Half NFL MarketFirst-half NFL bets are offered prior to a game starting and include the more common bet types – moneyline, point spread, and totals. When you wager on a first-half line, only the first half of the game matters. All bets are scored based on the halftime score.These bets are popular among bettors who are able to recognize certain first-half trends. These trends offer bettors an edge. Bettors can find first-half lines at most sportsbooks.What is the “Dead Heat Rule?”There is the possibility that an NFL game can be tied at halftime. That creates a great question for bettors. What happens when you bet the first half and the score is tied? Most sportsbooks use something called the Dead Heat rule.With the tie not offered as a betting choice, sportsbooks offer half of the original odds to the bettor. It works like this.The bettor places a $100 bet on a moneyline underdog of +220 to win the first half. If the underdog was to win the first half, the bettor would receive a payout of $220. If the score is tied at the half, according to the Dead Heat rule the bettor would receive $110 instead.Some sportsbooks will create a three-way market for the first half. Bettors can choose the tie as an option and the Dead Heat rule would not apply.First Half Bet TypesAs mentioned, bettors can find similar bets in the first half that are similar to those for a full game. The first half point spread bet is effectively the same as betting the full game point spread. The difference is that just the first half counts.It’s the same for first-half totals. The NFL's first-half totals market mirrors the full-game totals market, but only the first-half scoring counts. Bettors are faced with determining which half will have more scoring.First Half Betting StrategiesWhen betting the NFL first half, one strategy is to look for heavy favorites that are playoff-caliber teams. Teams that lay a bunch of points do so for a reason. The favorite often jumps out to a big lead so they can rest their starters in the second half.The heavy favorite covering the first half spread is more likely than covering the game spread. The junk time at the end of the game is too unpredictable.Bettors can also look for favorites that tend to start games slowly. There are a number of reasons why a team may do that. One of the biggest reasons is the NFL schedule. The league’s schedule is a tough one. Games are physical and players need time to recover.Oftentimes in an NFL season, a team will play a game with limited rest. Teams can play a late afternoon game on a Sunday and then play on a Thursday night. Add in that the team may have had to travel and you may have a situation where you would consider betting the Under.

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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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