Follow us @bigal_com

Instagram Twitter

Articles

Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 07/24/2022

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Jul 24, 2022

The Sunday sports card features MLB and CFL action.Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The Philadelphia Phillies host the Chicago Cubs on Peacock at 12:05 PM ET. Bailey Falter takes the ball for the Phillies against Drew Smyly for the Cubs. Philadelphia is a -140 money line favorite, with the total set at 10. Four MLB games throw out the first pitch at 1:35 PM ET. Atlanta plays at home against Los Angeles, with the Braves pitching Ian Anderson against the Angels’ Reid Detmers. The Braves are a -205 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Miami visits Pittsburgh with Sandy Alcantara for the Marlins pitching against Mitch Keller for the Pirates. The Marlins are a -180 money line road favorite with a total of 7.5. New York plays at Baltimore with the Yankees turning to Nestor Cortes to duel against the Orioles’ Dean Kremer. The Yankees are a -180 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Toronto is at Boston with Ross Stripling pitching for the Blue Jays against Brayan Bello for the Red Sox. Toronto is a -150 money line road favorite with a total of 11. Two MLB games start at 1:40 PM ET. Minnesota visits Detroit with the Twins turning to Sonny Gray to pitch against the Tigers’ Rony Garcia. The Twins are a -175 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. St. Louis plays at Cincinnati with Miles Mikolas taking the ball for the Cardinals to duel against the Reds’ Tyler Mahle. The Cardinals are a -145 money line road favorite with a total of 10. Three games throw out the first pitch at 2:10 PM ET. Tampa Bay travels to Kansas City with the Rays tapping Jeffrey Springs to pitch against the Royals’ Kris Bubic. The Rays are a -145 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Chicago hosts Cleveland with the White Sox playing at home against Guardians with Dylan Cease taking the ball for White Sox against the Guardians’ Dylan Cease. Cleveland is a -130 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Two MLB games start at 4:07 PM ET. Texas travels to Oakland to play the Rangers with Martin Perez taking the ball for the Rangers to pitch against the A’s Paul Blackburn. Three more games begin at 4:10 PM ET. Arizona is at home against Washington with Corbin Martin pitching for the Diamondbacks against Erick Fedde for the Nationals. The Diamondbacks are a -120 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. Houston visits Seattle with Framber Valdez on the hill against the Mariners’ Robbie Ray. The Astros are a -125 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7. Los Angeles is a -210 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Clayton Kershaw gets the start for the Dodgers against Alex Cobb for the Giants. The Dodgers are a -210 money line favorite with a total of 8. Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN has the New York Mets throwing out the first pitch against the San Diego Padres at 7:08 PM ET. The Mets tap Carlos Carrasco to pitch against the Padres’ Joe Musgrove. San Diego is a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Week 7 in the Canadian Football League concludes with the Toronto Argonauts visiting the Saskatchewan Roughriders at 7 PM ET. The Argonauts ended a two-game losing streak with their 30-24 upset win at Saskatchewan as a 2.5-point underdog last Saturday. The Roughriders ended a two-game losing streak with their loss. Saskatchewan is a -1-point road favorite with a total of 45.

Read more

AFC West Breakdown

by ASA, Inc.

Saturday, Jul 23, 2022

For starters, oddsmakers have three AFC West teams inside the top 8 for the current 2023 Super Bowl odds. The Chiefs are 3rd at +1000, then in 6th the Chargers are at +1400, and the Broncos sit at +1600 with the 8th highest odds. The only division that even has two teams within the top 10 is the NFC West (Rams +1100, 49ers +1600). Whether by luck or design, the NFL just keeps winning, as all AFC West teams will have to play all NFC West teams resulting in multiple primetime showdowns vs Super Bowl contenders. The Rams, 49ers, and maybe Cardinals have a chance to compete for a playoff run, but the Seahawks will not. With Seattle struggling, it may give some free wins to the others in the division, but that is not a luxury the AFC West teams will have. Even though the Raiders are picked to finish last in the West, they have the highest odds to win their division out of any current last place team’s division odds (+650 to win AFC West). Las Vegas made some massive upgrades to their roster to try and compete, adding Davante Adams and Chandler Jones. We will see if Derek Carr can rekindle his Fresno State connection with Adams, but the combination of Crosby and Jones is the real key to containing the three superstar quarterbacks in the AFC West. We will have to wait and see, but this may turn out to be a historically great division. However, it will be difficult to accurately judge because of the crossover matchup of the NFC and AFC West. The Chiefs and Raiders both will play a gauntlet in 2022 and rank in the top three for most difficult strength of schedule. Additionally, the Chargers and Broncos both rank above average in SOS, yet Denver has seemingly the easiest schedule with games against HOU, NYJ, JAX, and CAR. Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Russell Wilson, and so many other great players make up an insane talent pool for the AFC West. This is the most talented division we have ever seen, and whoever walks away with a division title will truly have to earn it. Chargers vs Raiders week 1 picks up right where last season left off and is a deserving way to begin the NFL year. Chiefs  +175Chargers +220Broncos +260Raiders +650

Read more

2022 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Preview

by Matt Fargo

Saturday, Jul 23, 2022

Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns2021-22 Season Record 13-1 (8-0 Sun Belt West) - 7-7-0 ATS - 3-11-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 6Defense - 5OverviewLouisiana has chalked up three straight double-digit win seasons, the only three in the history of the program, but getting a fourth will be difficult. Last season was one for the ages as the Cajuns lost to Texas in their season opener and then ran off 13 consecutive wins and finished ranked No. 16 in the AP Poll. When your team goes 40-12 over a four-year span in a smaller conference, the head coach is bound to be gobbled up by a big boy program and that is what happened to Billy Napier as he took off for Florida to try and turn around a once proud program. Michael Desormeaux takes over as the new head coach after leading them as interim coach to a New Orleans Bowl victory over Marshall and this is his first full time head coaching job. Louisiana has a lot to replace as it loses 11 starters with the biggest losses coming on offense that was actually sporadic at times last season but did just enough. Another West Division title is likely though. OffenseFor a team that won 13 games, the offense was not great as the Cajuns finished No. 63 overall and No. 50 in scoring. They hung up big numbers on teams they were supposed to but also scored 24 or fewer points five times. Now the challenge will be to somehow come close to replicating those rankings. Quarterback Levi Lewis, who was outstanding as a full time three-year starter, will be sorely missed and now there will be a battle between Chandler Fields and Ben Wooldridge and seeing that both have different styles, both could see decent time on the field. The top three receivers are back so there is at least that to hang their hat on and give them some hope to help the quarterback along. Leading rusher Chris Smith, who ran for 855 yards is back so there should be good balance but whoever is blocking and pass protecting might take a while to figure out as Louisiana has to replace four starters along the offensive line. DefenseThis was the area that Louisiana dominated most of the season as it finished No. 36 in total defense and No. 11 in scoring defense. They allowed 468 ypg against Texas, Nicholls and Georgia Southern in three of the first four games but in the other 11 games, they yielded just 306.6 ypg. The Cajuns do have to replace six starters but the holdovers are loaded with playmaking ability. The defensive line will likely be the force as on the inside, Zi'Yon Hill had 58 tackles and 5.5 sacks while on the end, Andre Jones contributed 60 tackles and four sacks. At linebacker, Chauncey Manac is a massive loss after totaling 166 tackles, 33.5 tackles for loss and 19.5 sacks including 10.5 last season over his 46 career games as is leading tackler Lorenzo McCaskill so spots need to fill quickly. The secondary is in good shape as long as the pass rush continues to be disruptive because they have two starters back and some decent experience as well. 2022 Season OutlookWhile no one expects a repeat of last season with a team record 13 wins, it is not out of the realm of possibility. Players make the team but culture is a big part of it and this is a program that possesses that so hiring the coaches from the inside was a huge and smart move. The Cajuns will be the hunted all season long and they are better than every team on their schedule based on projected victories  so another big season can take shape as long as they stay relatively healthy. They open with three nonconference cupcakes and then SBC season gets underway with five games against teams projected for 5.5 wins or less. Troy is up next, their toughest conference opponent but that game is at home. The final two are easy and those are sandwiched around Florida St. on the road. The O/U win total is 8.5 and the Cajuns will be favored in every game expect against the Seminoles so we are saying yes to double-digits and comfortably. 

Read more

2022 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Preview

by Matt Fargo

Saturday, Jul 23, 2022

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs2021-22 Season Record 3-9 (2-6 C-USA West) - 4-7-1 ATS - 9-3-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 7Defense - 8OverviewWhen head coach Sonny Dykes left for the California job in 2013, Louisiana Tech hired Skip Holtz after stints at East Carolina and South Florida and he inherited a rebuilding project in the first season in C-USA and it in ended up 4-8 but then things turned around for the better. He put together seven straight winning seasons including six straight bowl wins but a 28-3 loss to Georgia Southern in the 2020 New Orleans Bowl followed by a 3-9 record last season did him in and the program now turns to Sonny Cumbie who took over for Matt Wells in the final five games at Texas Tech last season. Last year was a major disappointment as Louisiana Tech had 18 starters back but the offense was inconsistent and the defense was consistently bad. The Bulldogs return 15 starters but are still young and a lot of the veterans from last season have moved on as they come in with a ranking of No. 101 in returning production so there will be work to do. OffenseThe offense started great last season as it averaged 33.4 ppg through the first five games but then faltered down the stretch behind a defense that collapsed. The Bulldogs finished No. 78 in total offense and No. 70 in scoring offense and those rankings should be much better under Cumbie and his high octane, attacking offense but a quarterback has to emerge. The leading candidate heading into camp is Parker McNeil who played under Cumbie at Texas Tech so he knows the system which is a big plus. The two leading receivers are back as Smoke Harris and Tre Harris combined for 111 receptions and 1,318 yards with 10 touchdowns and eclipsing a total of 2,000 yards is in the cards. The running game lost its leading back and Greg Garner takes over after rushing for a mere 216 yards last season. The offensive line is what will make this system click and it should be just fine with three starters back and a lot of depth and experience. DefenseThere were three good games by the defense where it allowed 17, 19 and 23 points but the other nine games were a disaster, as they gave up 38.8 ppg and finished No. 113 in scoring defense and No. 107 in total defense. Eight starters are back and playing a new scheme will improve this unit that will be flying all over the field. The biggest issue was getting after the quarterback as not enough pressure was applied and that resulted in only 20 sacks which was No. 98 in the nation. The defensive line is big and strong with a pair of starters back in Keivie Rose and Mykol Clark who had only three sacks between them but will improve upon that. Leading tackler Tyler Grubbs was all over the place, making 97 stops at linebacker but two replacements need to be made around him. Safety BeeJay Williamson accounted for three of the nine interceptions and with a ton of experience in the secondary, more takeaways should be expected. 2022 Season OutlookThis is not a complete rebuild that most new coaches typically get following a firing and the Bulldogs have the capability to be a dangerous team and if nothing else, an interesting one to witness that will improve in time. Cumbie directed the Air Raid offenses at TCU and Texas Tech as offensive coordinator and if he can get the most out of the quarterback here, there should be plenty of points. From a scheduling standpoint, it is not very optimal as the Bulldogs will be on the road for seven of their 12 games including Missouri and Clemson in two of the first three games sandwiched around Stephen F. Austin where new defensive coordinator Scott Power came from. The conference schedule is not bad as they only face three teams projected for more than 5.5 wins. Their O/U win total is set at 4.5 and there is a stretch in the middle where five of six games are against teams with win totals of 5.5 or less so the over is doable. 

Read more

2022 Liberty Flames Preview

by Matt Fargo

Saturday, Jul 23, 2022

Liberty Flames2021-22 Season Record 8-5 (N/A) - 7-6-0 ATS - 5-7-1 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 7Defense - 4OverviewLiberty has been in a tough spot since joining the FBS ranks in 2018. The Flames have no conference affiliation as they have played as an Independent since the start which makes scheduling more difficult and on the more broad scope, they are not playing for a conference championship, just a lower-tiered bowl game. Liberty has accomplished the latter each of the last three seasons after not being eligible in the first year and at some point, trying to make new goals becomes more difficult. For instance, in 2020 the Flames went 9-1 with the only loss coming against NC State by one point and their reward was a trip to the Cure Bowl and they ended up No. 17 in the final AP Poll. This changes next season when they become a member of C-USA so it is one more year for head coach Hugh Freeze to motivate the troops for another who cares bowl game and while some top talent has been lost, another winning season is very attainable. OffenseThe offense was chugging along last season and it was off to a 7-2 start but then over the final three games, the Flames scored 14, 14 and 16 points and lost all three games with a turnover margin of -11. They were led by quarterback Malik Willis and finished No. 47 in total offense and No. 42 in scoring offense but Willis has moved on and the job likely goes to veteran Charlie Brewer who has solid experience at Baylor and Utah. He has a solid offensive core to work with as the two top receivers are back in Demario Douglas and C.J. Daniels who combined for 1,330 yards and 13 touchdowns. The running game never got going last season and while it finished No. 51 in rushing offense, it should have been a lot better as it relied on Willis too much. T.J. Green rushed for 477 yards and is ready for a breakout and he will be behind an offensive line that is filling holes with incoming transfers from some major schools. DefensePraise goes to the defense that has allowed just 319 ypg over the last two seasons and finished No. 12 last season overall while allowing only 21.7 ppg. It faltered down the stretch as well but were pinned back often because of the turnovers on offense and now Liberty has to replace seven starters and some big ones at that. They lost two of their top three tacklers and they are from the middle so the linebacking corps will be the weakness and they will turn to Aakil Washington who was second on the team with 4.5 sacks while adding some transfer talent. The defensive line was strong and will be just as good this season behind ends TreShaun Clark and Durrell Johnson and are beefed up in the middle with Auburn transfer Dre Butler. The best returning player on defense is safety Jason Scruggs who was second on the team with 61 tackles and will head a secondary that has two solid corners and should be much better in takeaways. 2022 Season OutlookThe Flames have one more go as an Independent before taking a step up into the conference world which will bring in more top recruits as they have been No. 89 or lower in those rankings the last three years. Freeze has built something good here and while that has been his present goal, he is aiming to get back into the Power Five mix but 2022 is the main focus right now. Liberty opens on the road at Southern Mississippi before a tough home game against UAB and then a tougher test at Wake Forest. After that, it looks like four straight wins barring any glitches against Akron, Old Dominion, Massachusetts and Gardner Webb. Three tests remain against BYU, Arkansas and Virginia Tech but the first and third of those are at home. The O/U win total is set at 6.5 and the first game could set the tone as they are a slight favorite so a win there should push them over but a loss means an upset or two down the road will be needed. 

Read more

2022 Haskell Stakes Preview

by Al McMordie

Saturday, Jul 23, 2022

With the three Triple Crown Races now in our rear-view mirror, the 3 year-old thoroughbred competition turns to the summer Derbys -- most notably the Travers, Haskell, and Pennsylvania Derby.  The Haskell is the first one on the slate this Saturday and it will once again be the spotlight race of the summer for New Jersey's Monmouth Park.  It's a bit disappointing that only eight runners are showing up for Saturday's nine furlong affair, but that could be due to the presence of a couple of big runners.  With that being said, as in most cases, there is an opportunity to make some money in the Haskell and so we present our contenders and pretenders for this weekend's big race. Contenders:  #7 - Jack Christopher.  If all you do every thoroughbred season is follow the Triple Crown races, then you likely have not heard of this Chad Brown-trained son of Munnings.  Jack Christopher was one of the hottest stars on the Triple Crown Trail at the end of last year, but had to skip the Breeders Cup in November and then wasn't ready for the Derby, Preakness or Belmont while recovering from his minor injury.  But that's not to say he didn't run on the same day as two of the Triple Crown races.  On Derby day, Jack Christopher made a successful return in the Pat Day Mile, winning easily despite a seven month layoff.  Then on Belmont Day, he was even more impressive in the Woody Stephens, crushing his competition by 10 lengths (he could've won by more).  This will be his first test around two turns and the nine furlongs of the Haskell represents the longest distance he's ever been asked to go, but there's nothing in his record to indicate that he can't do it.  Simply put -- despite not running in the Triple Crown races, Jack Christopher is the consensus choice right now as best 3YO in the country.  Due to the presence of the Baffert runner Taiba in here (see Pretenders section below), Jack Christopher is only the second choice in the field today at 3-2.  If for some reason he goes off at even money or higher, he would offer great value. #1 - Cyberknife.  With most people thinking this is a two-horse affair between Jack Christopher and Taiba, you might just get a very nice price on this Brad Cox-trained son of Gun Runner.  There are few trainers as hot as Cox right now and if you throw out his brutal trip in the Ky Derby, Cyberknife has done little wrong in his campaign.  He came back after the Derby defeat to take the Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs on June 12 and looks to be in the best form of his career.  That doesn't mean he can keep up with Jack Christopher, but with regular rider Florent Giroux aboard, Cyberknife makes an intriguing choice in the bottom of the exacta with Jack Christopher, or as a Place bet.  Pretenders:  #2 - Taiba. There's no denying that Bob Baffert owns this race.  The California trainer has won the Haskell a record nine times.  People east of the Mississippi haven't seen much of Baffert lately as he's been effectively banned from running in New York and Kentucky due to suspicions of using banned substances but New Jersey is welcoming him this weekend.  Having said that, you can bet that Baffert and his horses will be under the microscope so whatever questionable medications Baffert is using -- or was thinking of using on his horse today -- will be left behind in California.  The other reason to toss Taiba today is the fact that he hasn't been out since his 12th place finish in the Ky Derby and the horse only has three lifetime starts so it's hard to imagine he'll be in top form to compete with the likes of Jack Christopher and Cyberknife.  He will be overbet and offers no value today.  #6 - White Abarrio.  You have to admire Saffie Joseph's son of Race Day who seems like he could run a race on the moon if Joseph wanted to ship him there.  He's been to Florida, Kentucky, and Ohio in his last three races but the problem is that his speed figures -- especially in his last race when he finished second to Tawny Port in the Ohio Derby -- appear to be on the decline.  Unless he can dramatically improve that number today, he stands to be a distant fourth at best.  People will probably bet the popular runner and at anything close to his morning line of 5-1, White Abarrio is a horse you want to take a strong stand against -- even in the exotic wagers (i.e., exacta and trifecta)  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie

Read more

Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 07/23/2022

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Jul 23, 2022

The Saturday sports card features MLB action.Major League Baseball has 16 games on its schedule. The Chicago White Sox host the Cleveland Guardians in the first game of their doubleheader at 1:10 PM ET. Johnny Cueto takes the mound for the White Sox against Triston McKenzie for the Guardians. Chicago is a -110 money line favorite at Caesars with the total set at 9. Two more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 4:10 PM ET. Houston visits Seattle on FS1 with the Astros turning to Justin Verlander to pitch against the Mariners’ Logan Gilbert. The Astros are a -135 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7. Toronto plays at Boston with Alex Manoah pitching for the Blue Jays against Kutter Crawford for the Red Sox. The Blue Jays are a -145 money line road favorite with a total of 9.5. The Philadelphia Phillies host the Chicago Cubs at 6:05 PM ET. The Phillies tap Zack Wheeler to duel against the Cubs’ Marcus Stroman. Philadelphia is a -165 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Minnesota Twins travel to Detroit to play the Tigers at 6:10 PM ET. Joe Ryan takes the hill for the Twins to pitch against the Tigers’ Michael Pineda. Minnesota is a -170 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The St. Louis Cardinals play at Cincinnati against the Reds at 6:40 PM ET. The Cardinals’ Steven Matz gets the start against the Reds’ Mike Minor. St. Louis is a -155 money line road favorite with an over/under of 10.5. Two MLB games start at 7:05 PM ET. Miami visits Pittsburgh with Max Meyer taking the mound for the Marlins to face Jose Quintana of the Pirates. The Marlins are a -115 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. New York plays at Baltimore, with the Yankees turning to Gerrit Cole to battle against the Orioles’ Jordan Lyles. The Yankees are a -230 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Three more MLB games begin at 7:10 PM ET. New York hosts San Diego with Chris Bassitt pitching for the Mets against Blake Snell for the Padres. The Mets are a -145 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. Tampa Bay plays at Kansas City with the Rays tapping Luis Patino to start against the Royals’ Brady Singer. Milwaukee is at home against Colorado, with Brandon Woodruff taking the hill to pitch for the Brewers against Jose Urena for the Rockies. The Brewers are a -265 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Two MLB games start at 7:15 PM ET in regional coverage on Fox. Los Angeles plays at home against San Francisco, with Julio Urias pitching for the Dodgers against Alex Wood for the Giants. The Dodgers are a -175 money line favorite with a total of 8. The White Sox pitch Lance Lynn against the Guardians’ Konnor Pilkington in the second game of their doubleheader. The Atlanta Braves host the Los Angeles Angels at 7:20 PM ET. Kyle Wright takes the mound for the Braves to pitch against Patrick Sandoval for the Angels. Atlanta is a -185 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Arizona Diamondbacks play at home against the Washington Nationals at 8:10 PM ET. The Diamondbacks turn to Madison Bumgarner to duel against the Nationals’ Anibal Sanchez. Arizona is a -145 money line favorite with a total of 9. The Texas Rangers visit Oakland to play the A’s on FS1 at 9:07 PM ET. Taylor Hearn takes the hill for the Rangers to pitch against James Kaprielian for the A’s. Texas is a -125 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. 

Read more

2022 Kentucky Wildcats Preview

by Matt Fargo

Friday, Jul 22, 2022

Kentucky Wildcats2021-22 Season Record 10-3 (5-3 SEC East) - 8-4-1 ATS - 8-5-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 6Defense - 5OverviewKentucky football is relevant once again. After the Joker Phillips experiment failed after three losing seasons, Mark Stoops took over as head coach in 2013 and while he too started off with three losing seasons, he came in with a plan as he had nothing to work with from the start and it has paid off with five winning campaigns in the last six years, the lone exception being a 5-6 COVID season, and the Wildcats are currently on a six-season bowl run. They look to extend that to seven this season and while Kentucky returns only 11 starters, you do not have to look back too far as that was the number that came back last season and the Wildcats went 10-3 with one of those losses coming by three points. A lot of teams would struggle with that lack of starting experience but it is different here as numerous players have made spot starts and received important playing time. The linesmakers know this with the projected 7.5 wins for 2022. OffenseThe offense had its share of ups and downs last season but it was mostly the latter and the Wildcats finished No. 43 in total offense and No. 30 in scoring offense. They had a midseason funk but poured it on late, averaging 46.0 ppg in their final four regular season games. The offense has six starters back and most importantly, one of those is quarterback Will Levis who completed over 66 percent of his passes for 2,593 yards with 23 touchdowns, while also running for nine scores, and 12 interceptions and those picks do need to come down. Along with him, the other mainstay is running back Christopher Rodriguez, Jr. who ran for 1,378 yards and 10 touchdowns and he should be a horse again. After that, things get a little dicey but help is on the way. Levis loses his top two receivers but there is depth and experience along with some key transfers coming in. The offensive line has to replace three starters but should come together. DefenseThere have been some very good defenses over the last few years and last season was extremely solid, finishing No. 26 in total defense and No. 32 in scoring defense. The Wildcats allowed 17 points or less six times and they were gashed really only once, allowing 45 points in a loss by three points to rival Tennessee. Five starters are back, the same as last season, and the big ones are in the middle which is key. Linebacker Jacquez Jones led the team in tackles with 82 and will be paired up with J.J. Weaver who led Kentucky with 6.5 sacks while De'Andre Square and his 81 tackles rounds out the corps. The defensive line is somewhat inexperienced but it is massive and should be fine against the run where Kentucky finished No. 16 in the country last season. The secondary has good experience and has a solid cornerback in Carrington Valentine who finished with 61 tackles but the team needs more turnovers as they had just five interceptions. 2022 Season OutlookAlways known as a hoops school, Kentucky football always played second fiddle and while it will probably never pass the basketball program in popularity or success, there is definitely an upward trend. Stoops has had offers to move to bigger football schools but he has stayed put to watch this program grow into its own. As with every SEC Team, the schedule is difficult but very doable. They have three nonconference home wins in September sandwiched around a big game at Florida. They also have Mississippi and Tennessee on the road and the toughest opponent will be Georgia which is at home. The Wildcats miss Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas, LSU and Texas A&M out of the West Division and that is big. The O/U win total is 7.5 and looking at the schedule, a 6-3 start looks about right and the final three games are at home against Vanderbilt, Georgia and Louisville so it will take a couple upsets along the way to cash the over. 

Read more

2022 Kent St. Golden Flashes Preview

by Matt Fargo

Friday, Jul 22, 2022

Kent St. Golden Flashes2021-22 Season Record 7-7 (6-2 MAC East) - 7-7-0 ATS - 6-8-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 7Defense - 7OverviewAfter playing only four games in 2020, Kent St. came into 2021 loaded with 10 returning starters on each side of the ball and it did not disappoint. After a 1-3 nonconference start, the losses against Texas A&M, Iowa and Maryland, the Golden Flashes righted the ship, going 6-2 in the conference and went to the MAC Championship for the first time since 2012 and while it lost that game and its bowl game by way of blowouts, positives were put in place. Head coach Sean Lewis took over a program that was mired in a losing culture with five straight losing seasons, posting a dismal 14-45 record including 9-30 in the MAC and while his first team went 2-10 with the leftovers of Paul Haynes, he has not posted a losing season over the last three years and has two bowl trips. A significant amount of starters are back this season but a lot of experience has left as Kent St. is ranked only No. 117 in returning production so there is work to do. OffenseThe offense did not get a lot of publicity last season, because it plays in the MAC, but the Golden Flashes were potent by averaging 482.2 ypg which was No. 8 in the country while averaging 32.6 ppg, good for No. 36 overall. Quarterback Dustin Crum had a very good season but was not asked to do a lot with his arm as the rushing offense led the way, averaging 243.2 ypg which was fourth best in the nation. Crum has departed Collin Schlee will take over the reigns after limited action last year. In might take him a while to adjust but the good news is that the rushing attack will be as powerful with Marquez Cooper and Xavier Williams both coming back after combining for 2,017 yards and 14 touchdowns. The receiving corps is loaded led by Dante Cephas who had 1,240 yards and nine touchdowns with plenty of depth under him. The cause for concern is the offensive line that is going through a rehaul and will get lit up early. DefenseIt was fortunate the offense was as good as it was because the defense was awful, finishing No. 122 overall and No. 119 in points allowed. They were able to shut out an awful Akron team and allowed only 10 points to VMI of the FCS but gave up 37 or more points in nine of their other games. It is going to be a work in progress as six of the top seven tacklers are gone, leaving holes just about everywhere. The most experience is on the defensive line but it has to improve immensely after registering only 23 sacks and finishing No. 108 in tackles for loss. They were also bad on third down and the back seven has to up its game in that regard as well. Safety Dean Clark was the team leader in tackles with 116 and he returns and the hope is everyone else can feed off of him. The remainder of the secondary is adequate and coming close to the 16 interception will be a bonus. The linebackers will be raw and need to adjust on the fly. 2022 Season OutlookIt seems that every year, there is a team from the MAC that emerges to the top but has trouble staying there and that looks to be the case for Kent St. with a lot of new faces in the mix behind some solid returning playmakers. Lewis has succeeded with similar rosters so he can get the best out of this bunch but the loss of Crum at quarterback is huge as he knew the system in and out and was the proven leader of this team. The 1-3 start from last season will be duplicated this year as Kent St. has a sure win at home against Long Island but the other three nonconference games are at Washington, Oklahoma and Georgia so while the paychecks will be nice, the morale could take a hit. The MAC slate is manageable but includes three difficult road games although they miss Northern Illinois and Western Michigan out of the West. The O/U win total is 5 and a 0-6 start on the road is likely meaning taking care of business at home is a must. 

Read more

2022 Kansas St. Wildcats Preview

by Matt Fargo

Friday, Jul 22, 2022

Kansas St. Wildcats2021-22 Season Record 7-5 (4-5 Big 12) - 7-5-1 ATS - 6-7-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 7Defense - 7OverviewAfter an eight-game bowl streak came to an end in 2018 under the second stint for Bill Snyder as the Kansas St. head coach, he retired again and the Wildcats brought in Chris Klieman to take over the program and he has put together two 8-5 seasons to go along with the 4-6 COVID-shortened season. This team was consistently dominant throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s then things started going south until a pair of double-digit win seasons in 2011 and 2012 but it has leveled out to being good but not great. The offense has been stuck in neutral for years and they are hoping that changes this season while continuing to rely on a strong defense that has been the trademark for decades with a couple exceptions along the way. Kansas St. has not been final ranked since 2014 and has not won an outright Big 12 Championship since 2003 and it is hoping the fourth year in this system can get it back to the top. OffenseThe offense averaged 354.8 ypg which was just No. 101 in the country as both running and passing were inconsistent which resulted in some good efforts but also some very bad ones. The Wildcats averaged only 285.7 ypg over their final three regular season games and while they exploded against LSU, the Tigers were depleted on defense. There was very average play at quarterback and they brought in Adrian Martinez from Nebraska where he put up solid numbers but also brings that inconsistency tab along. He is a duel threat which should fit nicely here and he has the pieces around him to succeed. Leading rusher Deuce Vaughn is back following a spectacular season with 1,404 yards and 18 touchdowns but there needs to be an uptick at wide receiver as Vaughn led the team in catches and no receiver had more than 474 yards. The offensive line has only two starters back but has time to come together early on. DefenseKansas St. relied on its defense to keep things close last season as it finished No. 37 overall and No. 29 in scoring, giving up just 21.1 ppg and it was a huge turnaround from the 2020 season. Seven starters are also back on this unit and the linebackers will once again pave the way. Daniel Green led the team with 83 tackles and he returns to lead a veteran group that is also getting a game ready transfer from Nebraska. The Wildcats were strongest against the run as they allowed only 126.6 ypg on 3.7 ypc and that should not change with a stout defensive line that is buoyed by end Felix Anudike-Uzomah who caused plenty of havoc as he led the team in sacks with 11 while forcing six fumbles. The passing defense was ok last season and should improve as Julius Brents and Ekow Boye-Doe are back at the corner positions so safety help is needed and they have take it away more as the nine interceptions were bottom third in the nation. 2022 Season OutlookIt has been a consistent run for Kansas St. over the last nine seasons but it has not been able to take that leap near the top like many other Big 12 teams have. Klieman has done a good job of keeping the Wildcats relevant but more is expected following the legendary years of Snyder. The conference is wide open this season with Kansas St. sitting right in the middle at +1,500 and all it takes is a couple upsets to set the stage and it has a chance early. The Wildcats open with three straight home games against South Dakota, Missouri and Tulane so they should be 3-0 heading into their Big 12 opener at Oklahoma. That is one of five conference road games with West Virginia being the easiest so yes, there needs to be upsets to make it special. The O/U win total is 6.5 and there are five home games they will be favored in with the other two coming against Oklahoma St. and Texas which are late in the season and could mean a lot. 

Read more

NFL Season Win Totals Best Bet

by Sean Murphy

Friday, Jul 22, 2022

Detroit Lions OVER 6.5 wins (-115)The Lions are coming off another trying campaign, at least on paper, as they went 3-13-1 in head coach Dan Campbell's first year at the helm. Considering they started the 2021 season with eight consecutive losses, there's actually reason for optimism in the Motor City heading into 2022. I'll admit, I had my doubts as to whether Campbell's kneecap-biting philosophy would work, or whether the players would even buy into their hard-nosed head coach's vision. A funny thing happened after that 0-8 start as the positive momentum began to build with a tie against the Steelers and from there the Lions went on to win three of their final eight games with some tight losses in the mix. Football Outsiders ranked the Lions as having the league's third-highest injury impact last season, with Jeff Okudah, DeAndre Swift and T.J. Hockenson just a few of the key names that missed considerable time. Luck was certainly not on the Lions side in 2021.With an underrated defense that welcomes back a number of key parts that missed time last year, not to mention a sneaky-good offense led by the aforementioned Swift and one of 2021's breakout wide receivers in Amon-Ra St. Brown, the needle is certainly pointing up for the Lions on both sides of the football. Most left QB Jared Goff for dead after he was dealt from the Rams in the Matt Stafford deal last Summer. He appeared in 14 games with the Lions last season, completing better than 67% of his passes with 19 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. Working behind an even stronger, dare-I-say elite offensive line in 2022, I'm expecting Goff to build on last year's steady performance. Keep in mind, the Lions did work to upgrade their offense in the offeseason, adding veteran wide receiver D.J. Chark and using a high draft pick on Jameson Williams (who is expected to return from injury in October). The defense, which was by no means toothless last season, figures to improve with Jeff Okudah, Romeo Okwara, Ifeatu Melifonwu and others back healthy after missing considerable time last year. Detroit made a big splash with the number two overall draft pick, selecting one of the most dominant defenders in all of college football in Aidan Hutchinson.Scheduling works in Detroit's favor this season as well. Note that seven of the first eight opponents they faced last season were true playoff contenders. This year, they'll have the opportunity to get off to a solid start with two of their first four games coming at home against the likes of Washington and Seattle. They'll also close out the 2022 campaign with a very manageable stretch that includes the Jaguars, Vikings and Bears at home and the Jets, Panthers and Packers on the road, with that last game coming in Week 18, when the Pack could be resting their starters. We can currently grab the Lions win total OVER 6.5 but I would anticipate that number potentially bumping up to 7.0 by the end of the preseason. Keep in mind, the Lions will be featured on this year's edition of HBO Hard Knocks so the spotlight will be firmly planted on Dan Campbell's crew in August. 

Read more

Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 07/22/2022

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Jul 22, 2022

The Friday sports card features MLB and CFL action.Major League Baseball has 14 games on its schedule. The St. Louis Cardinals visit Cincinnati to play the Reds at 6:40 PM ET. Adam Wainwright takes the ball for the Cardinals against Graham Ashcraft of the Reds. St. Louis is a -145 money line road favorite with the total set at 10. Three more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:05 PM ET. Philadelphia is at home against Chicago on Apple TV, with the Phillies turning to Kyle Gibson in their starting rotation against the Cubs’ Justin Steele. The Phillies are a -130 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Miami plays at Pittsburgh with Braxton Garrett pitching for the Marlins against a starting pitcher yet to be determined for the Pirates. New York travels to Baltimore with the Yankees pitching Jameson Taillon against the Orioles’ Tyler Wells. The Yankees are a -155 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Two MLB games start at 7:10 PM ET. Toronto is at Boston with Kevin Gausman on the mound for the Blue Jays against Nathan Eovaldi of the Red Sox. New York hosts San Diego, with the Mets tapping Max Scherzer to pitch against the Padres’ You Darvish. The Mets are a -180 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Atlanta Braves host the Los Angeles Angels at 7:20 PM ET. Charlie Morton takes the ball for the Braves against Shohei Ohtani for the Angels. Atlanta is a -150 money line favorite with a total of 7. Three MLB games begin at 8:10 PM ET. Chicago plays at home against Cleveland on Apple TV, with the White Sox’s Lucas Giolito taking the hill against the Guardians’ Cal Quantrill. The White Sox are a -150 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Tampa Bay visits Kansas City with Drew Rasmussen of the Rays facing off against Brad Keller of the Royals. Milwaukee hosts Colorado, with the Brewers pitching Corbin Burnes against the Rockies’ Antonio Senzatela. The Brewers are a -265 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. Two MLB games start at 9:40 PM ET. Arizona is at home against Washington, with Zac Gallen taking the ball for the Diamondbacks against a starting pitcher yet to be named for the Nationals. Texas travels to Oakland with the Rangers sending Spencer Howard to face the A’s Cole Irvin. The Rangers are a -115 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7. Two MLB games conclude the card at 10:10 PM ET. Houston visits Seattle with Jose Urquidy taking the mound for the Astros against Marco Gonzales for the Mariners. The Astros are a -115 money line road favorite with a total of 8. Los Angeles is at home against San Francisco, with Tyler Anderson pitching for the Dodgers against Logan Webb for the Giants. The Dodgers are a -140 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.Week 7 in the Canadian Football League continues with the Edmonton Eskimos hosting the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on ESPN2 at 9 PM ET. The Eskimos won their second game in their last three games with their 32-31 upset victory as a 9-point underdog last Thursday. The Blue Bombers remain undefeated in their first six games this season after their 26-19 victory against Calgary as a 3-point favorite on Friday. Winnipeg is a 7.5-point road favorite with a total of 48.

Read more

Follow us @bigal_com

Instagram Twitter

Links

Big Al's Sports Picks Info

All photographic images used for editorial content have been licensed from the Associated Press.

© 2025 Al McMordie's BigAl.com. All Rights Reserved.