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2022 San Diego St. Aztecs Preview

by Matt Fargo

Monday, Aug 08, 2022

San Diego St. Aztecs2021-22 Season Record 12-2 (7-1 MWC West) - 7-6-1 ATS - 7-7-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 5Defense - 7OverviewWhen it entered the MWC in 1999, San Diego St. was coming off a bowl appearance in its last season in the WAC and things did not go well as the Aztecs went 11 straight seasons without a winning record under the eyes of Ted Tollner, Tom Craft and Chuck Long for 10 of those and then Brady Hoke came onto the scene. He had a 4-8 record in his first season but then went 9-4 before bolting to Michigan. That led to the start of 10 straight bowl games before 2020 when COVID messed it up in his first season back but he got things back on track with a 12-2 mark last season to make the Aztecs a conference power once again. They finished No. 25 in the country, just the third time they finished ranked in the 53 seasons of the program so expectations are high but San Diego St. has a test in front of it this season with just 12 starters back and a returning production ranking of No. 115. OffenseThe offense did just enough to back up a strong defense as it won six games by one possession where it averaged just 23.3 ppg in those victories. The bad news is that only five starters are back but the way that the Aztecs play, it will not be as big of a deal as it could be with a lot of other teams. The passing game was not good with a pair of signal callers taking snaps so there was no rhythm. Taking over at quarterback will be Braxton Burmeister who transferred in from Virginia Tech where he was ok, was not asked to do a lot and took care of the football which are all San Diego St. traits for the position. Top receiver Jesse Matthews returns after 672 yards and nine touchdowns last season and transfers came in to help. The loss of running back Greg Bell is huge but there was depth so they will be fine running behind an offensive line that might take some time to come together. DefenseThe defense took a small step backwards but it was not significant as the rushing defense was as stout as ever. Overall, the Aztecs were No. 14 in total defense including No. 2 against the run, and No. 17 in scoring defense and there should be no regression this season. The defensive line will be strong again even though Cameron Thomas, who led the team with 10.5 sacks, is now with the Arizona Cardinals, as Jonah Tavia is a great edge rusher who had 8.5 sacks and will lead the front and also returning on the other side is Keshawn Banks who had five sacks. Middle linebacker Caden McDonald is the captain of the defense and had 49 tackles along with 3.5 sacks while Michael Shawcroft is on one end after 55 tackles last season. The secondary is led by safety Patrick McMorris who had a team high 90 tackles and while the corners are very young, there is plenty of depth on the outside. 2022 Season OutlookThe Aztecs recorded the most victories in program history last season but they did catch a bad break in the MWC Championship game as a slew of players were missing because of COVID so they were relegated to the Frisco Bowl instead of having the opportunity to play in a bigger bowl game. Still, it was a great second season for Hoke and the goals are unlimited this season if the offense can muster a little more production. San Diego St. opens the season with home games against Arizona and Idaho St. before it travels to Utah in what should be a great matchup. Nonconference play concludes with a home game against Toledo before it opens MWC action at Boise St. which could be an early preview of the MWC Championship. A game at Fresno St. will play a big part as well. The O/U Win total is set at 7.5 which is attainable with what looks like eight wins on paper and four swing games that could go either way. 

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Thinking “Out of the Box” to Make MAXIMUM MONEY Betting the NFL

by Wayne Root

Monday, Aug 08, 2022

I bring up this subject starting with an example going back to the Peyton Manning led Super Bowl Championship. I thought that if the Broncos won, it most likely would have nothing to do with Manning. He was old, worn down and could barely throw 15 yards accurately. Additionally, there was no profit outside of betting a normal wager on Denver. So after considerable analysis, I determined that if Denver were to win, it would come down to defense. So I bet Von Miller to win the MVP award at 16-1. BINGO! HUGE PAYDAY.  Today I have a similar thought process. Whether you believe in betting NFL futures or not is a personal choice. But this still shows THE THINKING of a 37 year professional handicapper that’s still out-smarting the Vegas oddsmakers each year. Whether it’s my top weekly play or my “must win” prime time games, the brain and thinking keeps churning.  Let’s move our future bet discussion to the Las Vegas Raiders. I think Josh McDaniels will be in a position to win the NFL Coach of the Year at 16/1odds. Throw $200 to win $3200.  This is one of the few wagers that “close” to winning the Super Bowl pays off…(16/1). Here’s his competition and reasons this is a quality wager.  Tampa Bay is expected to win and if they do, Tom Brady gets most of that credit; not the coach.  Kansas City is the top draw in terms of winning it all so a team that actually does, the coach is not a lock for the title.  Note: Many teams that have to fight every week as underdogs( like the Raiders) end up with their coach accumulating the votes.  Buffalo’s coach is probably the Raiders biggest threat having not won in years. But the 16/1 reward overcomes the risk.  Green Bay and Dallas winning probably would not produce a Coach of the Year candidate.  The LA Rams are the defending Super Bowl Champions. If, and that’s a huge “if”, the Rams repeat as World Champions, that would be a huge accomplishment, and clearly open the door for Coach of the Year honors. It doesn’t hurt that the Rams also play in the very difficult NFC West.  The Las Vegas Raiders have a strong fan base at home…AND on the road. They’re able to beat Kansas City, LA Chargers and Denver Broncos. I’ll wager that at least one of those teams are defeated on the road this year opening up the season series sweep. Josh McDaniels should have enough “Belichick” experience in him to have a formidable season. At 16/1and NOT having to win the Super Bowl is worth a look and comes with that potential BIG PAYDAY.

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

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Aug 08, 2022

The Monday sports card features MLB action.Major League Baseball has seven games on its schedule. The Toronto Blue Jays visit Baltimore to play the Orioles at 7:05 PM ET. The Blue Jays won for the fifth time in their last eight games with their 3-2 victory at Minnesota on Sunday. That win improved their record to 60-48. The Orioles had their five-game winning streak end yesterday with their 8-1 loss to Pittsburgh. Their record fell to 56-52 with the loss. Yusei Kikuchi takes the ball for Toronto to pitch against Jordan Lyles for the Orioles. The Blue Jays is a -150 money line road favorite with the total set at 9.5 (all odds from DraftKings).The New York Mets host the Cincinnati Reds at 7:10 PM ET. The Mets are on a three-game winning streak after their 5-2 win at home against Atlanta yesterday. They have won 12 of 14 games to improve their record to 70-39. The Reds won for the sixth time in their last eight games with their 4-2 victory at Milwaukee on Sunday. They raised their record to 44-63 with the win. New York turns to Chris Bassitt in their starting rotation to pitch against Cincinnati’s Justin Dunn. The Mets are a -275 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Chicago Cubs play at home against the Washington Nationals at 8:05 PM ET. The Cubs lost for the sixth time in their last eight games with their 3-0 loss to Miami on Sunday. They have a 43-64 record. The Nationals are on a five-game losing streak after their 13-1 loss at Philadelphia yesterday. Their record dropped to 36-74 with the defeat. Keegan Thompson takes the mound for Chicago to battle against Anibal Sanchez for Washington. The Cubs are a -180 money line favorite. Three MLB games throw out the first pitch at 9:40 PM ET. The Oakland A’s are at home against the Los Angeles Angels. The A’s lost for the fifth time in their last seven games with their 6-4 loss to San Francisco on Sunday. Their record fell to 41-68. The Angels lost their fourth game in their last six with a 6-3 loss at Seattle yesterday. They have a 46-63 record. Oakland gives the ball to Cole Irvin to pitch against Los Angeles’ Jose Suarez. The A’s are a -125 money line favorite with a total of 7.The Arizona Diamondbacks host the Pittsburgh Pirates at 9:40 PM ET. The Diamondbacks won for the second time in their last three games with their 6-4 victory against the Rockies yesterday. They have a 48-59 record. The Pirates won for the fourth time in their last six games with their win against the Orioles on Sunday. They have improved their record to 44-64. Zac Gallen gets the start for Arizona to duel against Tyler Beede for Pittsburgh. The Diamondbacks are a -225 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The San Diego Padres play at home against the San Francisco Giants at 9:40 PM ET. The Padres lost their fourth straight game in a 4-0 setback in Los Angeles against the Dodgers on Sunday night. Their record has dropped to 61-50. The Giants won for the second straight day with their victory on the road in Oakland yesterday. They raised their record to 53-55. San Diego turns to Blake Snell in their starting rotation to pitch against San Francisco’s Alex Wood. The Padres are a -165 money line favorite with a total of 8. The New York Yankees travel to Seattle to play the Mariners at 10:10 PM ET. The Yankees lost their fifth game in a row yesterday with their 12-9 loss at St. Louis. Their record has fallen to a 70-39 mark. The Mariners won for the fourth time in their last six games with their victory against the Angels on Sunday. They have a 59-51 record. Jameson Taillon takes the mound for New York to pitch against Logan Gilbert for Seattle. The Yankees are a -120 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5.

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2022 Rutgers Scarlet Knights Preview

by Matt Fargo

Sunday, Aug 07, 2022

Rutgers Scarlet Knights2021-22 Season Record 5-8 (2-7 Big Ten East) - 6-7-0 ATS - 5-8-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 6Defense - 6OverviewIt might take some time to jog the memory but Rutgers used to be a pretty good football team back in the latter days of the Big East Conference. Seven bowl games in eight years from 2005-2012 and then another bowl game in its one year in the AAC and then another the following year in its first season in the Big Ten. And it has now come to a crashing halt. The Scarlet Knights have generated seven straight losing seasons including the last two under head coach Greg Schiano who is on his second tour in Piscataway but they were able to play in a bowl game last season as they were a substitute for Texas A&M in the Gator Bowl. It provided some extra practice time as it gears up for another brutal Big Ten schedule where it has been a punching bag with no more than three conference wins since joining in 2014. With just 12 starters back after having 21 last season, it will take a big effort to make any sort of move. OffenseThe offense has been one of the worst over the last few seasons and last year was no exception as the Scarlet Knights were No. 118 in total offense and No. 113 in scoring offense and there really is no end in sight. The running game has been consistent but not in a good way as they have averaged between 134 and 138 ypg over the last three seasons and when your leading returning rusher is the quarterback, you know there are issues. Isaih Pacheco led the team with 647 yards but he is gone and the main guy will be Kyle Monangai but he has to be better than his 3.8 ypc to make an impact. Quarterback Noah Vedral was not a threat with his 297 yards on 3.0 ypc and he needs to step up his passing game after a mere 1,854 yards with seven touchdowns and seven interceptions. His top two receivers are gone and will be working behind an offensive line that has only two starters back. DefenseDefensively, the Scarlet Knights improved by 54 ypg from 2020 but it was hardly good enough to carry the anemic offense as it finished No. 79 in total defense and No. 52 in scoring defense. After allowing only 34 points in the first three games of the season, the Big Ten opposing offenses were just too much and the schedule sets up similar this season. Six starters are back with a poor returning production ranking of No. 90 so it is an uphill battle on this side of the ball as well. Rutgers plays five in the secondary and this is its strength coming into the season with four seniors leading the way including safeties Avery Young and Christian Izien that combined for 151 tackles. The defensive line needs more of a pass rush to help the secondary even more but it is young and needs a strong start. Both linebackers are gone and will be replaced by Deion Jennings and Tyreem Powell who had only 20 tackles last season. 2022 Season OutlookPlaying in the Big Ten East Division is a bad draw for Rutgers having to play Ohio St., Michigan, Michigan St. and Penn St. every year where it has gone 2-32 against them since joining the conference. We can likely chalk up four more losses again this season so it is going to take a huge effort to get close to bowl eligibility but Schiano has pulled off good things in the past yet it is hard to foresee it. Rutgers started 3-0 last season it could repeat that with games against Boston College and Temple on the road surrounded by a home game against Wagner. Then comes the conference schedule where not only the Scarlet Knights have those brutal four games but also have Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota and Maryland, all projected for at least six wins. The O/U win total is set at four and with a home game against Indiana, it should get there. Anything more will be a very tough ask. 

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2022 Rice Owls Preview

by Matt Fargo

Sunday, Aug 07, 2022

Rice Owls2021-22 Season Record 4-8 (3-5 C-USA West) - 3-9-0 ATS - 9-3-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 8Defense - 7OverviewRice has not had a winning season since 2014 which was its third straight under head coach David Bailiff and it was also the first time in program history that it went to three straight bowl games. Unfortunately, he could not keep the momentum rolling as he went 9-27 over the next three seasons before he was replaced by Mike Bloomgren who was the offensive coordinator at Stanford for five seasons. It has not been a good start as he is 11-31 in four years and while last year was the best of the bunch with a 4-8 record, it was a bad 4-8 with the three FBS wins coming by six points or less and six of the losses coming by double-digits. The seat is officially hot for Bloomgren who has seen increased production by the offense in each of the last three years but the defense took a nosedive last season and pieces are here to improve and a bowl game is imperative for job security. OffenseEven though the offense had its best season since 2018, it was still not good as the Owls were No. 96 in total offense and No. 106 in scoring offense and it did not help having to play Arkansas, Houston and Texas in their first three games where they managed a total of 24 points. The good news is that the second half of the season was a lot better as they averaged 27 ppg over their final six games and can carry that positive momentum into this season. The quarterback situation was a mess as four different players had at least 20 passing attempts and they finished with a 16:15 TD:INT ratio. The likely starter is Wiley Green who has seen limited action but has been in the system for five years. Leading rusher Ali Broussard returns but the leading receiver is gone and transfers will be key there. The offensive line has three starters back and needs to be better in run blocking. DefenseThe defense was lit up on too many occasions and ended up finishing No. 108 overall and No. 121 in points allowed and this was with 10 returning starters so visions were high. Instead they allowed 93 more ypg than the previous season and things were so bad that those starters were yanked numerous times which means a lot of younger players got some valuable time which will help out this year. The defensive line lost its best player but this will still be the strength of the defense that will be led on one end by Ikenna Enechukwu who had 49 tackles and tied for sacks leader with 4.5. On the other side is Trey Schuman who has 39 tackles and three sacks. The linebacking corps took the big hit with the two main guys transferring out but the four projected starters have great experience. Safety Gabe Taylor will anchor the secondary after leading the team with 44 solo tackles but the corners are young.  2022 Season OutlookRice is the Duke further out west as it is one of the best learning institutions in the country which makes it tough to get to recruits as evidenced by their No. 119 recruiting class in 2022. The future is now with 11 projected starters being sophomores which means a successful season this year can springboard the Owls for the next couple years into something really good. But they cannot look ahead and the start is not easy with two nonconference games at USC and Houston sandwiched around a pair of home games against McNeese St. and Louisiana-Lafayette. The C-USA schedule is not horrible as three of the tougher games are at home against UAB, UTEP and UTSA with the other big test on the road at Western Kentucky. The O/U win total is set at 3.5 and that is a very gettable number if it can produce a .500 record at home because there are stealable wins on the road. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and EPL Previews and Odds - 08/07/2022

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Aug 07, 2022

The Sunday sports card features MLB and EPL action.Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The first pitch for the Sunday card takes place on Peacock at 12:05 PM ET, with the Houston Astros visiting Cleveland to play the Guardians. Cristian Javier takes the ball for the Astros to pitch against Triston McKenzie for the Guardians. Houston is a -145 money line road favorite with the total set at 8 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Two MLB games start at 1:35 PM ET. Baltimore plays at home against Pittsburgh, with the Orioles turning to Spencer Watkins in their starting rotation to duel against the Pirates’ Bryse Wilson. The Orioles are a -170 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Philadelphia hosts Washington, with Aaron Nola taking the mound for the Phillies to pitch against Cory Abbott for the Nationals. The Phillies are a -300 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Tampa Bay Rays travel to Detroit to play the Tigers at 1:40 PM ET. The Rays tap Drew Rasmussen as their starting pitcher to battle against the Tigers’ Matt Manning. The Rays are a -175 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. Three more MLB games begin at 2:10 PM ET. Boston plays at Kansas City with Kutter Crawford pitching for the Red Sox against Brad Keller for the Royals. The Red Sox are a -140 money line road favorite with a total of 9.5. Toronto visits Minnesota with the Blue Jays turning to Kevin Gausman to pitch against the Twins' Chris Archer. The Blue Jays are a -155 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Milwaukee hosts Cincinnati with Corbin Burnes taking the hill for the Brewers against Graham Ashcraft for the Reds. The Brewers are a -265 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. The New York Yankees play at St. Louis against the Cardinals at 2:15 PM ET. The Yankees send out the recently acquired Frankie Montas to pitch against the Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright. New York is a -135 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. The Chicago Cubs are at home against the Miami Marlins at 2:20 PM ET. Adrian Sampson takes the mound for the Cubs to pitch against the Marlins’ Jesus Luzardo. Chicago is a -115 money line favorite. The Chicago White Sox travels to Texas to play the Rangers at 2:35 PM ET. The White Sox tap Lucas Giolito to pitch against the Rangers’ Spencer Howard. Chicago is a -155 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The San Francisco Giants play at Oakland against the A’s at 4:07 PM ET. Logan Webb takes the hill for the Giants to pitch against Adrian Martinez for the A’s. Three more MLB games start at 4:10 PM ET. Seattle is at home against Los Angele,s with the Mariners sending out Marco Gonzales to pitch against the Angels’ Tucker Davidson. The Mariners are a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. New York hosts Atlanta with Jacob DeGrom taking the hill for the Mets against Spencer Strider for the Braves. The Mets are a -140 money line favorite with a total of 7. Arizona plays at home against Colorado, with the Diamondbacks pitching Zach Davies against the Rockies’ Jose Urena. The Diamondbacks are a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN has the Los Angeles Dodgers hosting the San Diego Padres at 7:08 PM ET. Tyler Anderson takes the ball for the Dodgers to duel against You Darvish for the Padres. Los Angeles is a -135 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Matchweek 1 in the English Premier League concludes with three matches on Peacock. Two matches begin at 9 AM ET. Leicester City plays at home against Brentford as a -0.5 goal line favorite at PlayMGM with an over/under of 2.5. Manchester United is at home against Brighton and Hove Albion as a -1 goal line favorite with a total of 2.5. Manchester City travels to West Ham United at 11:30 AM ET as a -1.5 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 3.

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2022 Purdue Boilermakers Preview

by Matt Fargo

Saturday, Aug 06, 2022

Purdue Boilermakers2021-22 Season Record 9-4 (6-3 Big Ten West) - 8-5-0 ATS - 5-8-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 7Defense - 8OverviewFormer head coach Joe Tiller got Purdue back on the map for the first time in about two decades, albeit a small map, as he took the Boilermakers to bowl games in 10 of his 12 seasons. He never got them to make a big leap in the Big Ten however as his cap was nine wins three times and after he left, the Danny Hope and Darrell Hazell experiments never took and Jeff Brohm took over in 2017 and led them to two straight bowl games. 2019 was a blip with just 12 starters back resulting in a 3-9 record and 2020 was COVID laced at 2-4 but last season was the breakthrough Purdue fans have been waiting for as it finished 9-4 that included quality wins over Iowa, Michigan St. and Tennessee and the four losses against teams with nine or more wins. 15 starters are back along with a No. 37 ranked recruiting class means Purdue could be here to stay now and for the foreseeable future. OffenseThe running game was offensive once again as it averaged 84.2 ypg which was No. 127 in the country, the third straight season the Boilermakers have averaged fewer than 85 ypg on the ground. Sure, attempts have been low but the ypc average testifies that it has been bad and needs to improve to get the offense really rolling as any semblance of balance helps. King Doerue is back after leading the team with 533 yards on 4.0 ypc and any more pop would be helpful. Quarterback Aiden O'Connell was outstanding in his first year as the full time starter as he threw for 3,712 yards with 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing over 72 percent of his passes. The bad news is he lost his top three targets but a veteran quarterback can make it work with younger wideouts and he does have an experienced tight end. The offensive line has to simply open more holes and should improve. DefenseThe Purdue defense has typically been a sieve but it has improved in each of the last four seasons yardage-wise and last year was No. 48 in total defense and No. 34 in scoring defense and it was actually better than that as those rankings are inflated because of the bowl game. The Boilermakers were solid in both areas and with eight starters back, they should once again improve. The defensive line has three of those starters back but the one loss is a big one in end George Karlaftis who tied for the team lead in sacks with five but his counterpart Kydran Jenkins who also had five sacks is back. The linebackers also took a hit with leading tackler Jaylan Alexander on the Chicago Bears roster but Kieren Douglas comes back after having 67 tackles and is ready to lead the unit. Cory Trice, who played just two games, is back after injury and solidifies the corners while Cam Allen is a potential star at safety. 2022 Season OutlookBrohm did not have the career as expected when he was the quarterback at Louisville but had a solid senior season and played in the NFL and has led quarterbacks throughout his coaching carrier prior to here so he knows how to get the best out of O'Connell with the receiver limitations. He flourished at Western Kentucky with a 30-10 record and has things going the right way here. The schedule is a tough one to decipher as there is a lot of good but some not so good. The Boilermakers open against Penn St. at home and this could be a real statement game. The nonconference schedule is tame but the rest of the Big Ten slate consists of five road games and just three at home. But no Ohio St., Michigan or Michigan St. anywhere to be found. The O/U win total is set at 7.5 and this one looks good for the over with Wisconsin and Iowa being swing games back-to-back but with a bye in-between.  

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2022 Pittsburgh Panthers Preview

by Matt Fargo

Saturday, Aug 06, 2022

Pittsburgh Panthers2021-22 Season Record 11-3 (7-1 ACC Coastal) - 10-4-0 ATS - 8-6-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 9Defense - 7OverviewLast year was supposed to be a special season for Pittsburgh and in some regards in was as the Panthers had their most wins since 1981, recorded their most victories ever in the ACC and won the ACC Championship. But with Heisman hopeful Kenny Pickett at quarterback, it was supposed to something really special as it was oh so close to being that as losses against Western Michigan and Miami Fla., both as big favorites, were by a combined seven points and Pittsburgh never got ranked higher than No. 13 in the AP Poll which was where it finished. Head coach Pat Narduzzi is in his eighth season and has compiled a 53-37 record with only one losing season so he is building something long term here with a highly anticipated 2022 season and while it should come in ranked in the preseason for the first time since 2010, but it will not, and that will provide some added motivation. OffenseThe offense did what it had to do with Pickett leading the way as the Panthers finished No. 5 in total offense, including No. 6 in passing, and No. 3 in scoring offense. Their worst offensive game was against Michigan St. in the Peach Bowl where Pickett elected to sit out and as far as the quarterback situation goes, Pittsburgh should be just fine. Kedon Slovis transferred in from USC and he has game as he was the Pac 12 Freshman of the Year in 2019 and was First Team All Pac 12 in 2020 and while he struggled last season, a new surrounding will help. The Panthers lost top receiver Jordan Addison but they will be fine with Jared Wayne who had 658 yards and Akron transfer Konata Mumpfield who had 751 yards on an awful team. The offensive line brings back all five starters so pass protection will be outstanding and the top three running backs which combined for 1,749 all return. DefenseBecause the offense was so prolific, the defense did not get the praise it deserved as the Panthers were No. 39 overall and No. 43 in points allowed. The disparity between the passing and rushing defense is skewed based on teams needing to pass more in playing catch up. The defensive front was a wall that allowed 100 rushing yards or fewer nine times and was all over the opposing backfield as it finished with 54 sacks which was No. 3 in the country and most of those sacks are back. This unit level will be the strength once again. The linebacking corps suffered the most with two starters lost but returning is SirVocea Dennis who led the team with 87 tackles but there could be some growing pains around him. The secondary is loaded with safeties Brandon Hill and Erick Hallett combining for 151 tackles to go along with senior corners Marquis Williams and A.J. Woods who had 61 tackles combined. 2022 Season OutlookSome will expect a drop off from last season and it is hard not to predict that coming off 11 wins but this team is absolutely stacked all over the place. The returning production is greater than last season and Slovis is not a downgrade from Pickett based on what he has already accomplished which is something Pickett never achieved. The only thing standing in the way is the schedule. Early on, there should be little trouble as five of the first six games are at home with Tennessee being a possible roadblock and the one road game is at Western Michigan in a revenge game. Then it gets tough. Four ACC road games feature teams all projected to win 6.5 or more games but the overall good news is that there is no Clemson or Wake Forest on the slate. The O/U win total is set at 8.5 and foreseeing a 7-0 home record and a win against the Broncos, all it takes is one win in those four ACC road games.  

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Who Wins This Year's NFL MVP?

by ASA, Inc.

Saturday, Aug 06, 2022

NFL Regular Season MVP Picks We made 3 wagers on this year's NFL MVP - 1 favorite, 1 mid range odds wager, and 1 longshotFavorite- Justin Herbert (+1000)We are in a special time this NFL season with so much talent at the quarterback position from both veterans and rising stars. Herbert is one of the young stars of this league, and at 24 he has been phenomenal in his first two seasons with the Chargers. With the pair of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams finally healthy, he threw for over 5k yards and 38 TDs last season. With one of the best WR duos in the league, a year three leap for Herbert will put him in elite company since he has already had flashes of true greatness similar to the level of Allen (+700) and Mahomes (+800). At 6’6 236, Los Angeles’ next great QB could even utilize his legs more to take the Chargers offense to new heights. Mid Range- Derek Carr (+2800)Reunited with his college roommate, Carr has every opportunity to improve his stats to the point of MVP consideration. The Raiders have had their ups and downs during Carr’s time at QB but overall he has been a good NFL player in his first eight seasons, mixing in 3 pro bowl selections. Adams, Renfrow, and Waller are all matchup nightmares for defenses, bringing an explosive passing game to Los Vegas for 2022. Carr will have possibly the best weapons in the NFL, giving him the chance to reach his true potential. Long Shot- Kirk Cousins (+5000)When taking a deeper dive into the stats, Cousins is the most underrated QB in the league over the past four seasons since arriving in Minnesota. In those four years he has averaged 31 TDs, 9 INTs, and a passer rating of 103.8. Last season Kirk and Aaron Rodgers were the only QBs to have 30+ TDs while having less than 10 INTs as well. Cousins had 7 picks to Rodgers 4, proving that he can take care of the ball at an elite level. The Vikings will have more of a pass heavy approach that is expected to allow Kirk to cook this season. 

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2022 Penn St. Nittany Lions Preview

by Matt Fargo

Saturday, Aug 06, 2022

Penn St. Nittany Lions2021-22 Season Record 7-6 (4-5 Big Ten East) - 7-6-0 ATS - 3-10-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 7Defense - 4OverviewPenn St. got off to a 5-0 start last season and after opening the season as preseason No. 19 in the AP Poll, it jumped up to No. 4 and then the wheels fell off. The Nittany Lions went 2-6 the rest of the way, with the wins coming against Maryland and Rutgers, including closing with a dud against Arkansas in the Outback Bowl. To their credit, four of those losses came by a combined 12 points and head coach James Franklin signed a massive contract extension in late November showing he is fully vested in turning things around after going 14-13 over their last 27 games going back to the end of the 2019 season. It is never an easy fix, especially in this conference with so many dangerous teams this upcoming season but Penn St. brings in the No. 6 recruiting class in the country so with just 11 starters back, young players will have to step up and it might take a year to get the groove back. OffensePenn St. typically revolves its offense around a strong rushing attack but last season that was non-existent as it was No. 118 in rushing offense, averaging only 106.4 ypg on 3.2 ypc and that will be the focal point to improve this season. Keyvone Lee was the leading rusher with just 495 yards but he averaged 4.8 ypc so he can bust out for a big season if the offensive line comes together and that is a big if. Only two starters are back and they will be mixing in some transfers and young players but there is depth yet it might take time to come together in finding the right rotation. Quarterback Sean Clifford is back after throwing for 3,107 yards with 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions and those solid numbers should get better as he knows this system in and out. Filling the void of receiver Jahan Dotson will be Parker Washington and KeAndre Lambert-Smith who combined for 1,341 yards. DefenseThe defense held its own which kept the Nittany Lions in the games they lost as they finished No. 35 in total defense and No. 7 in scoring defense, yielding just 16.8 ppg but there is plenty of work to be done to replicate that. The Nittany Lions were solid against both the run and the pass and the main area of concern will be up front. Their sack leader is gone and the pass rush was not great to begin with as they had only 27 sacks and their 2.1 sack per game average was tied for No. 74 in the country. They are going to rely on a pair of prized freshmen to get their feet wet early and help disrupt the backfield. The linebacking corps loses their top two tacklers that combined for 148 stops but Curtis Jacobs steps in after 61 tackles last season with depth around him. The secondary is the strength with potential All Big Ten starters at corner and safety with Joey Porter and Ji'Ayir Brown respectively. 2022 Season OutlookAfter going 42-11 from 2016-2019, it will be interesting how Penn St. handles a little bit of adversity even though it is projected to have a very good season and will likely be ranked in the preseason top 25. This is partly due to reputation and a great bunch of recruits that will see a lot of time. The schedule has its good and bad but it is in their favor for the most part as the Nittany Lions have seven home games and no back-to-back road games. Two of the first three games are on the road at Purdue and Auburn, two very early tests. They get Central Michigan and Northwestern at home and then travel to Michigan. The remainder of the Big Ten slate is encouraging with the three toughest games against Minnesota, Ohio St. and Michigan St. all at home. The O/U win total is set at 8.5 and that does seen aggressive as even though the schedule in on their side, it is littered with dangerous games. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB, CFL and EPL Previews and Odds - 08/06/2022

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Aug 06, 2022

The Saturday sports card features MLB, CFL, and EPL action.Major League Baseball has 17 games on its schedule.The Atlanta Braves visit New York to play the Mets in the opening game of their doubleheader at 1:10 PM ET. The Chicago Cubs are at home against the Miami Marlins on FS1 at 2:20 PM ET. The Cubs are a -115 money line favorite with the total set at 8 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). The Los Angeles Angels play at Seattle against the Mariners in the first game of their doubleheader at 4:10 PM ET. The Baltimore Orioles are at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 5:05 PM ET as a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Philadelphia Phillies host the Washington Nationals at 6:05 PM ET as a -250 money line favorite with a total of 9. Two more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 6:10 PM ET. Tampa Bay travels to Detroit with the Rays a -260 money line favorite against the Tigers with an over/under of 7.5. Houston plays at Cleveland with the Astros a -155 money line road favorite against the Guardians with a total of 8.5. Chicago is at Texas at 7:05 PM ET with the White Sox -115 money line road favorites against the Rangers with an over/under of 8. San Francisco is at Oakland at 7:07 PM ET with the Giants -205 money line road favorites against the A’s with a total of 7.5. Three more MLB games start at 7:10 PM ET. The Braves play against the Mets in the second game of their doubleheader. Boston visits Kansas City with the the Red Sox-135 money line road favorites against the Royals with an over/under of 9. The Minnesota Twins are at home against the Toronto Blue Jays. Two more MLB games begin at 7:15 PM ET for Fox regional coverage. Milwaukee hosts Cincinnati with the Brewers a -180 money line favorite against the Reds with a total of 7.5. St. Louis is at home against New York, with the Cardinals and Yankees priced as a -110 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Arizona is at home against Colorado at 8:10 PM ET, with the Diamondbacks a -170 money line favorite against the Rockies with a total of 8. Los Angeles hosts San Diego at 9:10 PM ET, with the Dodgers priced as a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Los Angeles Angels are at Seattle against the Mariners in the second game of their doubleheader at 10:10 PM ET.Week 9 in the Canadian Football League concludes with a doubleheader on ESPN2. The Toronto Argonauts are at Hamilton against the Tiger-Cats at 7 PM ET. The Argonauts had their two-game winning streak end with a 23-13 upset loss to Ottawa as a 4-point favorite last Sunday. The Tiger-Cats won their second game in three with a 24-17 victory against Montreal as a 3-point favorite back on July 28th. Toronto is a 2-point favorite with an over/under of 45.5. The British Columbia Lions host the Edmonton Eskimos in the nightcap on ESPN2 at 10 PM ET. The Lions are on a two-game winning streak after beating Saskatchewan on the road, 32-17, in a pick ‘em contest last Friday. The Eskimos lost for the second time in three games after a 24-10 loss to Winnipeg as a 7.5-point underdog on July 22nd. British Columbia is a 10.5-point favorite with a total of 51.5. Week 1 in the English Premier League continues with six matches. Liverpool travels to Fulham on Peacock at 7:30 AM ET. They are a -1.5 goal road favorite (all soccer odds at BetMGM) with an over/under of 3. Four more matches start at 10 AM ET on Peacock. Aston Villa plays at Bournemouth as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with a total of 2.5. Leeds United is at home against Wolverhampton in a pick ‘em match with an over/under of 2.5. Newcastle United hosts Nottingham Forest as a -1 goal line favorite with a total of 2.5. Tottenham hosts Southampton as a -1.5 goal line favorite with an over/under of 3. Chelsea visits Everton on the USA Network at 12:30 PM ET as a -1 goal line road favorite with a total of 2.5. 

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2022 Oregon St. Beavers Preview

by Matt Fargo

Friday, Aug 05, 2022

Oregon St. Beavers2021-22 Season Record 7-6 (5-4 Pac 12 North) - 7-6-0 ATS - 6-7-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 6Defense - 8OverviewOregon St. had a great run from 1999 to 2013 as in those 15 seasons, it had a winning record 11 times which included a 7-4 record in bowl games with a Fiesta Bowl win and a final ranking of No. 4 in that 1999 season. Head coaches Dennis Erickson and Mike Riley both kept the program in great shape but then it fell off, bad. Gary Andersen went 7-23 in two and a half years, Cory Hall went 0-6 as the interim coach and then Jonathan Smith came on board in 2018 and promptly went 2-10. It has been a slow ascent since then however with a 5-7 record the next season followed by a who cares COVID year and then the Beavers went 7-6 last season and the first bowl game in eight years. Smith has this team going in the right direction and this season, it has 14 starters back and a returning production ranking of No. 39 so expectations are somewhat high for the first time in a while. OffenseThe offense has remained very steady over the last few years as the Beavers have been above average and last year they finished No. 40 in total offense and No. 35 in scoring offense. There were a couple bad efforts but for the most part, they were consistent thanks to a strong running game and solid play at quarterback. Chance Nolan did not put up big numbers but he did what was asked as he completed over 64 percent of his passes for 2,677 yards with 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He should improve this season especially behind a strong offensive line that has three starters back after finishing No. 8 in the country in sacks allowed. Three of the top five targets are gone including leading receiver Trevon Bradford but there is good experience and depth. Replacing running back B.J. Baylor, who rushed for 1,337 yards, will be a challenge but there are options to work with.  DefenseIt was not a great season for the defense as the Beavers finished No. 75 overall and No. 64 in scoring but they will take it. The 388.0 ypg allowed was a 55 ypg improvement from the previous two seasons and a whopping 149 ypg better from 2018. The pieces are in place for an even better season as eight starters are back with playmakers on two levels. The defensive line is the early concern as there is experience up front but no one that has proven to be dominating. They had only 20 sacks last season which was tied for No. 109 and they desperately need to find a pass rush. Oregon St. lost its leading tackler in linebacker Avery Roberts but Omar Speights was second on the team with 87 tackles and will handle the inside with transfers on the outside. The secondary is in great shape with two solid corners along with Kitan Oladapo and Alton Julian as the safeties after combining for 103 tackles. 2022 Season OutlookThere is definitely a buzz in Corvallis this season and there should be. A 7-6 record is nothing special but steps were taken and Oregon St. just needs to figure out how to win on the road. Sure, there was a signature win at USC last season but it lost its other five roadies and is just 5-32 on the highway over the last seven seasons. Improving that will be a challenge but there are winnable games and only four conference road games. The Beavers open at home with big test against Boise St. and then travel to Fresno St. before closing nonconference play against FCS power Montana St. The winnable Pac 12 road games are at Arizona St. and Stanford with Washington a possibility. The home portion includes USC and Oregon so another undefeated home slate is unlikely.  The O/U win total is set at 6.5 and it is gettable but it will take an upset or two and it has won five of its last eight outright as dogs.

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