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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 07/14/2022

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Jul 14, 2022

The Thursday sports card features MLB action and CFL.Major League Baseball has 13 games on its schedule. The Miami Marlins host the Pittsburgh Pirates at 12:10 PM ET. Braxton Garrett takes the ball for the Marlins to pitch against Zach Thompson of the Pirates. Miami is a -155 money line favorite with the total set at 7.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). The San Diego Padres visit Colorado to play the Rockies at 3:10 PM ET. The Padres send Blake Snell to the mound to pitch against the Rockies’ Kyle Freeland. San Diego is a -135 money line road favorite with an over/under of 11.5. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:05 PM ET. Atlanta plays at Washington with Kyle Wright for the Braves battling against Anibal Sanchez, making his first start of the season after recovering from a neck injury for the Nationals. The Braves are a -215 money line road favorite with a total of 9.5. New York hosts Cincinnati with the Reds turning to Nestor Cortes in their starting rotation to duel against the Reds’ Luis Castillo. The Yankees are a -200 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Kansas City Royals visit the Toronto Blue Jays at 7:07 PM ET with Kevin Gausman on the mound for the Blue Jays against a starting pitcher yet to be named for the Royals. Two MLB games begin at 7:10 PM ET. Detroit travels to Cleveland with the Tigers pitching Eduardo Rodriguez against the Guardians Triston McKenzie. Boston plays at Tampa Bay with Kutter Crawford on the hill for the Red Sox pitching against Drew Rasmussen for the Rays. The Los Angeles Dodgers are at St. Louis against the Cardinals at 7:15 PM ET. The Dodgers turn to Tyler Anderson to pitch against the Cardinals’ Dakota Hudson. The Minnesota Twins host the Chicago White Sox at 7:40 PM ET. Sonny Gray pitches for the Twins against Johnny Cueto for the White Sox. Minnesota is a -155 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Two MLB games begin at 8:05 PM ET. Seattle travels to Texas with the Mariners tapping Marco Gonzales to go against the Rangers’ Martin Perez. New York plays at Chicago with Carlos Carrasco pitching for the Mets against Keegan Thompson of the Cubs. The Mets are a -150 money line road favorite at Caesars. The Houston Astros are at Los Angles to play the Angels at 8:07 PM ET. The Astros give the ball to Framber Valdez to pitch against the Angels’ Reid Detmers. Houston is a -165 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. The Milwaukee Brewers visit San Francisco to play the Giants at 9:45 PM ET. Corbin Burnes pitches for the Brewers against Carlos Rodon for the Giants. Milwaukee is a -115 money line road favorite with a total of 6. The sixth week of the Canadian Football League kicks off with one game. The Montreal Alouettes host the Edmonton Elks on ESPN2 at 7:30 PM ET. The Alouettes fell to 1-3 this season with their 41-20 loss at Saskatchewan as a 4.5-point underdog on July 2nd. The Elks lost for the fourth time in their first five games with a 49-6 loss at home to Calgary as a 5-point underdog last Thursday. Montreal is a 9-point favorite with an over/under of 49.

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2022 FIU Golden Panthers Preview

by Matt Fargo

Wednesday, Jul 13, 2022

Florida International Golden Panthers2021-22 Season Record 1-11 (0-8 C-USA East) - 3-9-0 ATS - 8-4-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 5Defense - 4OverviewDespite returning 19 starters last season, it was a miserable 2021 for the Golden Panthers as they went 1-11 including going winless in the conference. The lone victory came against Long Island in the season opener and while there were a few narrow defeats, most were not even close as they were outscored by an average of over 20 ppg. After five straight losing seasons, head coach Butch Davis put together a 22-14 regular season record over the next three years including three bowl games and then COVID hit and Florida International went 0-5 in 2020, carrying that into last season. Mike MacIntyre takes over after spending time at San Jose St. and Colorado and while success will not come overnight, it was quick rebuilds at those previous stops. He does not have much to work with and it could be another long season but the Golden Panthers could have the right guy in place. OffenseThe offense could not keep up last season despite 10 starters coming back as Florida International finished No. 91 in total offense and No. 115 in scoring offense. It brings back only five starters this season and is pretty much starting over. Coming into fall camp, Gunnar Holmberg looks to take over at quarterback after coming over from Duke where he completed 67 percent of his passes for 2,358 yards but had only seven touchdowns to go along with eight interceptions but he has a chance for success in a new up tempo offense. Leading receiver Tyrese Chambers and his 1,074 yards are back along with a slew of transfers for him to get the ball to if he can stay upright as the Golden Panthers allowed 41 sacks last season. The offensive line is a rebuild with two starters back and the running game needs a boost as well with the leading returning back having just 273 yards. DefenseWhile the offense was bad last season, the defense was even worse as the Golden Panthers were ranked No. 115 or worse in all four major defensive categories. There is very little experience on this side at all three levels and the defensive line is the strength heading into the season, if you can call it a strength. There was no pass rush to speak of as Florida International generated only 15 sacks, tied for No. 122 in the country which led opposing quarterbacks having their way downfield. That was the problem for the secondary as they allowed 262.8 ypg and have to replace both corners while the safeties have limited experience. The top four tacklers are gone which puts pressure on the linebackers that are young and inexperienced and the leader could be Donovan Manuel, a transfer from East Tennessee St. They had just eight takeaways and that needs to substantially increase. 2022 Season OutlookFor a team that has gone 1-17 over its last 18 games, not much can be expected and that is the case here for the Golden Panthers that are building for the future. Almost everything is brand new from top to bottom and MacIntyre has been here before and has succeeded so gradual progress is all that can be asked for at this point. Like last season, they open with a team from the FCS, a home game against Bryant but then it is three straight road games sandwiched around a bye although two of those are against teams in similar situations. A nonconference home game against Connecticut follows and there are two or three possible wins in those first five games. The remainder of the C-USA slate is not horrible but will be difficult to navigate. The O/U win total is 3 and that is right where it should be so it will take some upsets to surpass it and while unlikely, it is possible. 

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2022 Florida St. Seminoles Preview

by Matt Fargo

Wednesday, Jul 13, 2022

Florida St. Seminoles2021-22 Season Record 5-7 (4-4 ACC Atlantic) - 6-6-0 ATS - 4-8-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 9Defense - 9OverviewTimes have changed in the Sunshine State as the powerhouses consisting of Florida St., Miami, Fla. and Florida have taken a fall and the Seminoles might be at the top of that list based on recent play. They are coming off a 5-7 season after a 0-4 start and it is surprising that head coach Mike Norvell was not let go right then and there. It has been a bad run, the worst in nearly a half century as Florida St. has had four straight losing seasons for the first time since 1973-1976 and that 1976 season was their last sub-.500 one before this current run started. They have gone four straight years without bringing in a five-star recruit so the rosters are not what they used to be. There is some good news as the Seminoles did have an above average recruiting class, they bring back 18 starters and are No. 11 in the country in returning production. The pressure is on Norvell to win big. OffenseWhen you score 17 points in the second game of the season against Jacksonville St., you know the offense is in trouble. The Seminoles ended up ranked No. 85 in total offense and No. 73 in scoring offense and that was with 10 starters coming back. They are one shy of that this season so now there is no excuse. Quarterback Jordan Travis was decent but did not put up big numbers as expected as he threw for only 1,539 yards just 15 touchdowns but did rush for 530 yards so he can do it both ways but there needs to be more of a downfield threat. There is good experience at wide receiver but there was not a go to target as their leading receiver was Ontaria Wilson with 382 yards and he does return. The running game is stable despite losing their leading rusher and will be behind an offensive line that was inconsistent but is experienced and will be better in pass protection. DefenseThe defense had its best season during this four-year losing run as they allowed 377.8 ypg but that was still only No. 65 in the nation which shows how really bad it was before that. Like the offense, nine starters are back so there needs to be a substantial improvement and we are not talking glory days improvement but cracking the top 30 should not be an issue. One of the positives was that Florida St. had 33 sacks which was tied for No. 36 in the country but they have to replace 18 of those from the two defensive end positions. They should be ok as there was a solid rotation across the front four and three of the top four tacklers from last season are back, all from each level. The linebackers are in good shape led by Kalen DeLoach who tied for third in tackles. The passing defense was ranked No. 75 and needs to take advantage of the help from the pass rush if it comes through. 2022 Season OutlookNorvell was a terrific coach at Memphis where he went 38-16 in four seasons and finished ranked twice in the AP Top 25. His offenses were ranked No. 5, No. 40 and No. 14 in three of his four seasons and wants to get the Seminoles up to that level. Some thought that would transpire last season but it actually regressed from his first season despite more experience and it should come together in 2022. Florida St. opens with Duquesne before a neutral site game against LSU in New Orleans and then it is eight straight ACC games. The first five are against teams projected to have winning records but three of those are at home against Boston College, Wake forest and Clemson and they end the season at home against Louisiana and Florida. The O/U win total of 6.5 is very attainable if the projected pieces stay together and Florida St. avoids another 0-4 start to the season. 

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Copa Libertadores Futures

by Amedeus Mastrangelo

Wednesday, Jul 13, 2022

The Copa Libertadores quarter-finals are approaching, the first matches scheduled to start on August 2. With just a few weeks away it is time to discuss which of these teams have a real shot at going all the way and taking all the glory for themselves, and which of these teams are just frauds that do not belong despite the great journey they have been on. The round of 16 concluded with a lot of obvious choices making it through. There were a few surprises like Boca Juniors getting eliminated 6-5 in penalties after two scoreless draws with the Corinthians, and also the shocking exit of Argentina giant River Plate. The path is set all the way to the finals now and some teams have an easier road than others so it is time to take a look at who can go all the way and lift the trophy here. Copa Libertadores Outrights Flamengo +250 - Flamengo has been a giant in the Brasileiro Serie A for many years now. They have had plenty of success over the last few seasons, winning the league title 3 straight years (2018, 2019, 2020), and they have finished in the top 2 of the league the last 5 straight seasons, including last season where they finished 2nd place to Atletico Mineiro. They have had some success in this competition as well as they have appeared in 3 Copa Libertadores finals in their club history, winning in 2 of those 3 finals appearances. A lot of that success has also been recent, winning it back in 2019 with a 2-1 win over River Plate and they even went to the FIFA Club World Cup finals that year, losing to Liverpool 1-0 in a match that needed extra time to settle. Their last appearance in the Copa Libertadores finals was just last season as they lost 2-1 to Palmeiras, but they have consistently shown their dominance in this continent and even around the world over the last few years. They are getting the Corinthians in the quarter-finals who they have already suffered a 1-0 loss to very recently on an own goal but the Corinthians have not been scoring many goals recently either while Flamengo is playing in some of their best form all season. If Flamengo can make it through to the semi-finals, they will be facing the winner of Velez Sarsfield and Talleres Cordoba. Neither of those teams are really near being the strongest in their own Argentina league so Flamengo has a pretty nice road to the finals if they can through to the semis. Once in the finals, they could be facing either Palmeiras, Atletico Mineiro, Athletico Paranaense, or Estudiantes. That side of the tournament is a lot stronger than what Flamengo had to go through, with the 2 top contenders there being Atletico Mineiro and Palmeiras. Flamengo lost to Palmeiras in the finals last season but they have had a lot of success against them overall in recent head-to-head matches and they will surely be out for revenge here so it is very possible for Flamengo to take them down with the talent on that team. On the other hand, they have not had a lot of success against Atletico Mineiro recently if they end up making it through but Atletico MG has also been slipping in form recently, still playing great defense in their matches but their attack has not looked good and Flamengo is a scoring machine that could overpower them in a potential final. Flamengo is the favored team to win the tournament but for very good reason as they are one of the best teams on the continent and a bet on them to win the finals here would not be throwing money away. Palmeiras +300 - Palmeiras is another team that is a Brasilian giant and they have had plenty of success in their league and Copa Libertadores over the many years. They have a very long history of being dominant in South America, finishing in the top 3 of their league 5 of the last 6 seasons and they even won the league title back in 2016 and 2018. They are coming off of a 3rd place finish in the league last season but they did win Copa Libertadores for the 2nd year straight. They have made 6 finals appearances in their club history, winning 3 of those trophies, and they have won the Copa Libertadores the last 2 straight years now and looking to defend their title again here, trying to make it 3 straight years. They have one of the best teams in Brasil by far with their talent level and they blew their opponent away in the last round with an 8-0 win on aggregate. They will have a much tougher road to the finals on their side of the tournament, taking one one of the toughest teams left in the quarter-finals. They will have to go through Atletico Mineiro first, who won the Brasileiro Serie A title last season, but they have not been in their best form recently and if they do not get things figured out quickly then Palmeiras will be sure to dispose of them. These two teams have drawn many times in their last few head-to-head matches though and this could be a very close round between these two. If Palmeiras manages to get by Atletico Mineiro then they will be facing the winner of the Athletico Paranaense and Estudiantes match in the semi-finals. Both of those teams have been playing very well in their respective domestic leagues and they have both been very focused on their Copa Libertadores matches as well, playing extremely well in those matches and excelling at home especially. It will be tough to go on the road and face either of these teams but Palmeiras still has one of the best teams in South America and they should be able to dispose of either side after 2 legs against them. If they can get past the semis and go all the way to the finals then they will be left with facing either Flamengo, Corinthians, Velez Sarsfield, or Talleres Cordoba, and considering the strength of field here it will very likely be Flamengo in the finals. Palmeiras beat Flamengo in the finals last year and they could very well do it again here. If they end up facing a different team in the finals that is not Flamengo then they will likely win for sure but Flamengo is a team that could really challenge them after what happened last season. Palmeiras could very well go all the way here and win the whole competition, they have the talent and the team to do it as back-to-back defending champions, but the reality is that this is not a very good bet considering how low their odds are with the strength of the competition they would have to face in every round just to get to the finals.  Atletico Mineiro +400 - Atletico Mineiro is coming off of a great year where they won the Brasileiro Serie A title but their rise back to glory has been very recent as they have only finished in the top 3 of their league the last 2 season and were a struggling club for many seasons prior to those. They may be working their way back to the top of Brasil again but they have not had much success throughout the years in this Copa Libertadores competition, only making 1 finals appearance in club history and winning it that 1 time. They were kicked out of the semi-finals last year by Palmeiras and now have to go through that same Brasilian powerhouse in the quarter-finals here, with them being back-to-back Copa Libertadores champions as well. Atletico Mineiro has had a lot of success against Palmeiras in recent matches but that success has not translated over to Copa Libertadores, where Palmeiras focuses most of their efforts, and Atletico Mineiro has also been slipping in form recently as they struggled to get by a club from Ecuador that had not played any competitive matches in over a month before facing them. Atletico Mineiro is likely not going to get by Palmeiras in this round, they might do it but even if they do Athletico PR and Estudiantes could easily give them trouble with how good those teams are at home and the road seems like it is just too tough for Atletico MG to make it all the way to the finals where they would have to face another tough team, and they just have not shown that they are up for the challenge with their lethargic effort in the last round. Atletico Mineiro may be the reigning Brasilian champions but do not let that fool you, they are not a real contender in this competition this year. Corinthians +900 - Corinthians is a team that has been very mediocre in their league over the years. They have been qualifying for these tournaments by going through the process and focusing on their matches but they have not been making it easy on themselves year after year. Corinthians won the Brasileiro Serie A title back in 2015 and 2017 but every year since then has not been good for them as they have had no top 4 finishes in the league. They finished 5th last season having to play some extra matches and have still ended up here in the quarter-finals through great defensive performances but their defense is going to be their downfall here. They have not been scoring any goals in their recent matches and those are troubles that they cannot be dealing with this late in the tournament. Their form has been slipping in both their league and Copa Libertadores, and they just advanced to this round through two scoreless draws. They have a very good defense that can keep some clean sheets in their matches but their attack is also nowhere to be found and that is going to be a big problem for them with some of these Brasilian powerhouses left in the competition that have defenses just as good as the Corinthians do, but also have a strong attack to score goals and put them on top. They have to face Flamengo in the quarters who is one of those teams with a great defense but can score a lot of goals and has been doing so in their recent matches. Corinthians will not be able to get by them here but even if the manage to somehow, they would have to face the winner of Velez Sarsfield and Talleres Cordoba who are both not as strong as Flamengo, but they both play a similar defensive style that either could end up beating Corinthians in penalties if it really came down to defense. Then in the finals, they would have gone through the easiest route to get there putting themselves in a position where any of the 4 teams on the other side of the bracket could lay a beating on them as they all have great defenses but can score goals as well. The odds may look tempting here, but Corinthians is the weakest Brasilian team left in the field here. Even Athletico PR is a better team and has a better chance of winning than Corinthians but the road will just be too hard for both. Corinthians is not a real contender here and will likely be out after the next round.  RecommendationsAfter breaking down the 4 best teams left in the competition the only thing left is to say which bets are the best to make here. When looking for an outright winner, Flamengo at +250 is the best way to go here. They are the favored team to win the tournament but they also have the easiest road to get to the finals as they are the best team on their side of the bracket by far so the value is with them to make a deep run. They have also won it in the last 3 years and have been performing at elite levels as a club consistently for the last few years. They can match up against any team they face in the finals and winning the competition is a very real possibility for them this season. Another great bet to take with Flamengo is them to reach the finals at +100 as it has been discussed before about how their road to the finals is very easy and if they lose in this tournament it will most likely be there. One other team to consider when picking an outright winner in Palmeiras as they are the back-to-back defending champions here, beating Flamengo in the finals last season, and they have a good chance of beating any team that ends up in the finals from the other side as long as they can get there. Their more challenging matches will be their actual road to the finals as they will have to face some of the toughest teams left in the next 2 rounds but if they do make it through to the finals, you could be laughing with futures on both them and Flamengo who will likely be the 2 teams in the finals. Flamengo to win outright +250, Palmeiras to win outright +300, Flamengo to reach the finals +100.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 07/13/2022

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Jul 13, 2022

The Wednesday sports card features MLB action.Major League Baseball has 16 games on its schedule. The Washington Nationals host the Seattle Mariners in the opening game of their doubleheader at 12:05 PM ET. Josiah Gray takes the ball for the Nationals to pitch against Chris Flexen for the Mariners in the scheduled pitching matchup for yesterday’s game that got postponed due to thunderstorms. Washington is a -120 money line favorite with the total set at 9 (all odds from DraftKings). The Atlanta Braves play at home against the New York Mets at 12:20 PM ET. The Braves send out Charlie Morton to pitch against the Mets’ Chris Bassitt. Atlanta is a -150 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Minnesota Twins are at home against the Milwaukee Brewers at 1:10 PM ET. Joe Ryan goes on the mound for the Twins to duel against Aaron Ashby of the Brewers. Minnesota is a -130 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Kansas City Royals host the Detroit Tigers at 2:10 PM ET. The Royals turn to Brad Singer in their starting rotation to pitch against the Tigers’ Tarik Skubal. Kansas City is a -125 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Arizona Diamondbacks visit San Francisco to play the Giants at 3:45 PM ET. Zac Gallen takes the hill for the Diamondbacks against John Brebbia for the Giants. The Mariners play the Nationals in the second game of their doubleheader at 6:05 PM ET. Washington pitches Erick Fedde against a Seattle pitcher yet to be named. The Miami Marlins are at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 6:40 PM ET. Pablo Lopez takes the mound for the Marlins against J.T. Brubaker of the Pirates. Miami is a -175 money line favorite with a total of 7. The New York Yankees play at home against the Cincinnati Reds at 7:05 PM ET. The Yankees turn to Luis Severino in their starting rotation against the Reds’ Mike Minor. New York is a -315 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Philadelphia Phillies visit Toronto to play the Blue Jays at 7:07 PM ET. Zack Wheeler starts for the Phillies against Ross Stripling of the Blue Jays. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:10 PM ET. Chicago travels to Cleveland with the White Sox pitching Lucas Giolito against the Guardians’ Aaron Civale. The White Sox are a -115 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Tampa Bay hosts Boston with Shane McClanahan for the Rays against Josh Winckowski of the Red Sox. The Rays are a -170 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.The Los Angeles Dodgers play at St. Louis against the Cardinals at 7:45 PM ET. The Dodgers tap Tony Gonsolin as their starting pitcher to face the Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright. Los Angeles is a -150 money line road favorite with a total of 7.5. Two more MLB games start at 8:05 PM ET. Baltimore visits Chicago with Spencer Watkins pitching for the Orioles against Justin Steele of the Cubs. Texas is at home against Oakland, with the Rangers sending out Jon Gray to pitch against the A’s Paul Blackburn. The Rangers are a -190 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The San Diego Padres travel to Colorado to play the Rockies at 8:40 PM ET. The Padres turn to Joe Musgrove to pitch against the Rockies’ Chad Kuhl. San Diego is a -165 money line road favorite with a total of 10.5. The Los Angeles Angels host the Houston Astros at 9:38 PM ET. Shohei Ohtani takes his turn in the Angels’ starting rotation against Cristian Javier of the Angels. Los Angeles is a -125 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 07/12/2022

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Jul 12, 2022

The Tuesday sports card features MLB action.Major League Baseball has 16 games on its schedule. The Chicago White Sox visit Cleveland to play the Guardians in the opening game of their doubleheader at 1:10 PM ET. Davis Martin gets the start for the White Sox against Shane Bieber of the Guardians. The Pittsburgh Pirates play at Miami against the Marlins at 6:40 PM ET. The Pirates will use Chris Stratton as their opening to pitch against the Marlins' Daniel Castano. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:05 PM ET. Seattle travels to Washington with Chris Flexen pitching for the Mariners against Josiah Gray for the Nationals. Both teams are priced at -110 with a total of 9.5. New York hosts Cincinnati, with the Yankees giving the ball to Gerritt Cole to duel against the Reds’ Graham Ashcraft. The Yankees are a -295 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Philadelphia Phillies play at Toronto against the Blue Jays at 7:07 PM ET. Andrew Bellatti serves as the opener for the Phillies against a starting pitcher that has yet to be named for the Blue Jays. Two MLB games start at 7:10 PM ET. Boston travels to Tampa Bay with the Red Sox tapping Chris Sale to make his season debut after being on the injured list and pitch against the Rays’ Corey Kluber. The Red Sox are a -120 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. Konnor Pilkington takes the ball for the Guardians to pitch against Dylan Cease for the White Sox in the second game of their doubleheader. Cleveland is a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Atlanta Braves play at home against the New York Mets at 7:20 PM ET. The Braves turn to Spencer Strider in their starting rotation against  David Peterson for the Mets. Atlanta is a -165 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Minnesota Twins host the Milwaukee Brewers at 7:40 PM ET. Josh Winder takes the hill for the Twins against Jason Alexander for the Brewers. Minnesota is a -135 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Los Angeles Dodgers visit St. Louis to play the Cardinals on TBS at 7:45 PM ET. The Dodgers turn to Mitch White in their starting rotation to pitch against the Cardinals’ Matthew Liberatore. Los Angeles is a -145 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Two more MLB games begin at 8:05 PM ET. Texas is at home against Oakland, with Glenn Otto taking the mound for the Rangers against James Kaprielian for the A’s. Texas is a -170 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Chicago plays at home against Baltimore, with the Cubs pitching Adrian Sampson against the Orioles Jordan Lyles. The Cubs are a -120 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Kansas City Royals play at home against the Detroit Tigers at 8:10 PM ET. Kris Bubic takes the ball for the Royals against Beau Brieske for the Tigers. Kansas City is a -130 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The San Diego Padres are at Colorado to play the Rockies at 8:40 PM ET. The Padres turn to Mike Clevinger to pitch against the Rockies’ Austin Gomber. San Diego is a -135 money line road favorite with a total of 11. The Houston Astros visit Los Angeles to play the Angels at 9:38 PM ET. Luis Garcia pitches for the Astros against the Angels’ Noah Syndergaard. Houston is a -125 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The San Francisco Giants host the Arizona Diamondbacks at 9:45 PM ET, with Logan Webb pitching for the Giants against Dallas Keuchel for the Diamondbacks. San Francisco is a -210 money line favorite with a total of 8.

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WNBA Midseason Report Numbers

by Vegas Writer

Monday, Jul 11, 2022

If balance and defense win championships, the Seattle Storm should be atop everyone's list to win the WNBA title.Whether or not Sue Bird can ride off into the Pacific Northwest sunset with another ring in the final season of her illustrious career remains to be seen, but it wouldn't shock me.The Las Vegas Aces started out with guns blazing but fizzled down the stretch of the first half, and suddenly look like a defensive casualty that allows any offense to look good.They're the top two teams in the Western Conference, no bones about it, as one-half game separates the Storm from first-place Las Vegas.From the Eastern Conference, Sky's the limit for defending champion Chicago, which leads Connecticut by two games. But I wouldn't count the Sun out so easily with reigning MVP Jonquel Jones leading the charge.Then there are the wild cards from each conference.The West is suddenly clogged in the middle of the standings with Dallas, Los Angeles, and Phoenix all sitting on 10 wins, while last-place Minnesota was one of the better performing teams heading into the All-Star Break.From the East, it's Washington with the No. 1 scoring defense sitting in third place, while Atlanta could be dangerous if it gets back to the way it started the season. Since winning seven of their first 11, the Dream are 3-8. There's also hard-charging New York, which has won eight of 13 since a 1-7 start.Here is a quick glance at some ATS and O/U numbers heading into the start of the second half of the season:WESTERN CONFERENCE Las Vegas' fast start saw it win nine of its first 10 and cover eight of those games. Since then, the Aces are 6-6 SU and 2-10 ATS. They're on a 5-2-2 over run coming out of the Break.After Seattle's sluggish start to the campaign, splitting its first 10 on the hardwood and failing to cover 10 of its first 15, it has won 10 of 13 SU and six of eight at the window. Dallas opened the season by covering eight of its first 12 but is just 4-5-1 ATS since. The Wings stayed under in five of their last six. Phoenix is doing its best to keep things together and has been relying on its defense to stay close in games. Four of the Mercury's last six have stayed under. Los Angeles finished the first half competitive against some heavy competition, covering five of its last six games. Minnesota opened the season 3-13 but won five of its final seven before the Break. More importantly, the Lynx come into the second half of the season on an 8-1 ATS run. EASTERN CONFERENCE Chicago might be 16-6 on the year, and it might be proving it's not about to relinquish its title so easily, but don't be so quick to lay points with the Sky. They're 6-11 ATS as a favorite. Incidentally, the defending champs are 4-1 ATS as an underdog. Connecticut stumbled a bit to close the first half, losing four of six on the floor. The Suns also dropped five of their last six to the books. Connecticut stayed low in eight of its last 10. Washington has been the more consistent cover this season, having cashed out a WNBA best 15 of 24 games. The Mystics have also stayed under in 16 of their 24 outings. Atlanta won six of its first nine games but has lost nine of 13. The Dream tend to go over, with seven of their last 10 soaring past the number. New York opened the season 1-7 SU and 2-6 ATS; since then the Liberty have won eight of 14 while covering 10 of those contests. New York has covered eight of its last 11 as an underdog. Indiana is the worst team in the league, with a 5-19 SU mark. The Fever are 8-16 ATS on the year. When catching +7 or more, the Fever are 4-9 ATS.

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MLB: Top 5/Bottom 5 Pitchers (Profitability)

by Will Rogers

Monday, Jul 11, 2022

We’re almost at the All-Star Break, so what I wanted to do today is examine the five most profitable as well as the five least profitable pitchers to bet on during the first half of the 2022 MLB season. Most ProfitableMartin Perez (Texas) - 13-4 team start record (+10.6 units) To be clear, “team start record” is exactly what it says. It is the team’s record when that particular pitcher starts, regardless if the pitcher earned a decision or not. So the Rangers are 13-4 in Perez starts. Bet you didn’t expect to see him atop this list. Perez has a 2.72 ERA and 1.179 WHIP, so he has pitched well. Part of the reason why he tops the list is due to the fact he has a 6-1 team start record as an underdog. The Rangers have also won all eight of Perez’s starts on the road. Will this last? Last time out, he allowed a season-high six runs to Minnesota. It was Perez’s second straight start allowing multiple home runs. He did not have great numbers last season, although once again he was more effective on the road.  2. Joe Musgrove (San Diego) - 12-3 TSR (+8.5 units)  With the exception of a June 23rd start vs. the Phillies - where he allowed six runs - Musgrove has gone at least six innings and allowed three runs or less in every start this season. He has a 2.09 ERA and 0.929 WHIP, clearly a Cy Young worthy campaign. Like Perez, Musgrove has been great on the road where the Padres have won seven of the eight times he’s started. There was a start, May 28th vs. Pittsburgh, where the team lost as a big favorite with Musgrove on the hill. If not for that, he’d probably be #1 on this list. No reason to doubt that Musgrove won’t continue dominating in the second half, especially after he recently tossed seven shutout innings of one-hit ball against the Giants.3. Tony Gonsolin (LA Dodgers) - 13-3 TSR (+8.0 units)  Gonsolin has yet to drop a decision this year as he’s 11-0! The Dodgers are 8-0 when he starts at Chavez Ravine, but 2-2 on the road when he doesn’t factor into the decision. Three of the four games where Gonsolin did not receive a decision were in April. The team lost his May 22nd start vs. Philadelphia, but that’s the only blemish on the TSR since the start of May. It’s eight straight wins with Gonsolin on the mound for Dodger Blue and Gonsolin has yet to allow more than two earned runs in any start! It’s been a ridiculous season with a 1.62 ERA and 0.801 WHIP. Like Musgrove, there’s no reason to believe this won’t continue. Prior to July, Gonsolin hadn’t gone longer than six innings in a start, but he’s gone 14 ⅔ in two starts this month and allowed only three runs. 4. Jameson Taillon (NY Yankees) - 13-4 TSR (+8.0 units)  Like Gonsolin, because of the team he pitches for, Taillon is rarely going to be an underdog. But the Yankees have won all three times they’ve been a dog with Taillon starting. (Conversely, Gonsolin has yet to be priced as an underdog in ANY start). Taillon is the only pitcher in the top five with an ERA north of 3.00 (his is 4.01). While the WHIP is still solid (1.166), there is reason for concern here. After allowing six runs Sunday night to Boston, in just five innings, Taillon has a 6.81 ERA and 1.598 WHIP over his previous seven starts. There’s been zero quality starts in that stretch and I think it’s pretty lucky that the team has still managed to go 5-2. Taillon has allowed five or more runs in three of his last four starts. The Yankees are 0-2 when he pitches in the month of July with him serving up five home runs. One of the losses was to Pittsburgh. Recent form suggests Taillon is likely to drop off this list.5. Logan Gilbert (Seattle) - 13-5 TSR (+7.9 units)  The Mariners are now 29-13 since the start of last season when Gilbert is on the mound. His ERA was not all that impressive in 2021 (4.68). His WHIP has remained pretty consistent over the two year stretch, but the ERA is down almost two full points this year. Gilbert has only eight quality starts in 18 tries. He has a 7-2 TSR as an underdog though, which helps explain why he’s on this list. Five of his six starts in June came against division opponents. Three times in the last four starts, Gilbert has given up two home runs. He’s another one I can see falling off the list. Least Profitable Joan Adon (Washington) - 1-13 TSR (-12.3 units) Oh my. Adon has made just one start since June 17th and true to form it was not good as he allowed four runs in four innings and the Nationals lost. The one time the Nats won an Adon start was back in April. His numbers are exceptionally poor. Following his last start, manager Dave Martinez had this to say. "He's got great stuff. "We just have to continue to work with him on his command." Martinez also indicated that Adon's next scheduled turn in the rotation is to be determined. The only way Adon gets off this list is if he’s removed from the rotation permanently. 2. Frankie Montas (Oakland) - 3-14 TSR (-12.0 units)  Okay. This one is not fair. Montas has a 3.17 ERA and 1.066 WHIP, better numbers than Taillon, who is on the other list. The problem for Montas is that he receives - on average - some of the worst run support in all of baseball. He has 10 quality starts. But the A’s pathetic offense (last in many categories) has scored no more than three runs in 12 of his last 13 outings. Only three times in those 13 outings have they scored more than one run! Note Montas hasn’t pitched since July 3rd when he had to leave with tightness in the back of his throwing shoulder. He may not pitch again before the Break. Hopefully, he’s healthy in time for the start of the second half of the season. Because despite the A’s being a bad team, Montas should start to pick up some wins. 3. Dane Dunning (Texas) - 4-14 TSR (-10.3 units)  The last time that the Rangers won a game Dunning started was May 18th. His only win this year came April 30th. The team is 0-10 his last 10 starts, even though Dunning hasn’t received a decision in more than half of those. His team start record on the road is 0-9 with a 5.52 ERA and 1.686 WHIP. He just allowed four runs in what was his shortest start to date, on Sunday. The numbers at home are pretty decent. A major reason why Dunning is on this list is that he has an 0-8 TSR as a favorite. That’s unusual. If he can get some more favorable matchups at home, the results should improve. 4. Yusei Kikuchi (Toronto) - 5-11 TSR (-10.1 units)  The only three quality starts the Blue Jays have gotten from Kikuchi thus far all came at home. They are 1-7 when he starts on the road, thanks to a 5.93 ERA and 2.049 WHIP. What’s a real concern is that Kikuchi has gone four innings or less in five of the last six starts. He has a 2-6 TSR when favored. Toronto is a good team that can score, so Kikuchi really has no one to blame but himself. 5. Pat Corbin (Washington) - 4-14 TSR (-9.3 units)  With two of the least five profitable pitchers among their ranks, you can see why it’s been such a terrible season in D.C. The numbers are bad with Corbin, though obviously not as bad as Adon. Corbin will remain in the rotation barring injury and recently he has shown signs of a turnaround with two of his last three starts being quality. He even had 12 strikeouts vs. Pittsburgh. Seemingly like everyone else on this list, Corbin has been worse on the road. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 07/11/2022

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Jul 11, 2022

The Monday sports card features MLB action.Major League Baseball has 10 games on its schedule. The Kansas City Royals host the Detroit Tigers at 2:10 PM ET. Brad Keller gets the pitching assignment for the Royals to face Michael Pineda of the Tigers. Kansas City is a -145 money line favorite with the total set at 9.5 (all odds from DraftKings). The Miami Marlins are at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 6:40 PM ET. The Marlins turn to Trevor Rogers in their starting rotation to pitch against the Pirates’ Mitch Keller. Miami is a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5.Two MLB games begin at 7:10 PM ET. Chicago visits Cleveland with Lance Lynn pitching for the White Sox against the Guardians’ Cal Quantrill. The White Sox are a -120 money line road favorite with a total of 9. Boston plays at Tampa Bay with the Red Sox tapping Brayan Bello against a Rays’ starting pitcher that has yet to be determined. The Philadelphia Phillies travel to St. Louis to play the Cardinals at 7:15 PM ET. Aaron Nola pitches for the Phillies against Miles Mikolas of the Cardinals. Philadelphia is a -115 money line road favorite with a total of 7.5. The Atlanta Braves are at home against the New York Mets on FS1 at 7:20 PM ET. The Braves won their third straight game and sixth of their last seven with their 4-3 victory against Washington in 12 innings yesterday. The win improved their record to 52-35, leaving them only 1 1/2 games behind the Mets for first place in the NL East. Max Fried takes the ball for Atlanta after he pitched six scoreless innings at home against St. Louis on Wednesday. The left-hander has a 9-2 record this season with a 2.52 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. The Mets have lost two of three after their 2-0 loss at home in ten innings against Miami on Sunday. They hold to first place in the division with a 53-33 record. Max Scherzer gets his second start since returning from the injured list from his left oblique strain. He struck out 11 batters in six scoreless innings in his most recent start at Cincinnati on Tuesday. He has a 5-1 record to go along with a 2.26 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP. The Braves are a -120 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.The Texas Rangers host the Oakland A’s at 8:05 PM ET. Spencer Howard takes the hill for the Rangers against Adrian Martinez for the A’s. Texas is a -165 money line favorite with a total of 9. The Kansas City Royals are at home against the Detroit Tigers at 8:10 PM ET. The Royals tap Daniel Lynch to battle against the Tigers’ Alex Faedo. Kansas City is a -135 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. The San Diego Padres visit the Colorado Rockies at 8:40 PM ET. Sean Manaea takes the mound for the Padres to pitch against Jose Arena for the Rockies. San Diego is a -145 money line road favorite with a total of 11.5. The San Francisco Giants are at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks at 9:45 PM ET. The Giants turn to Alex Cobb to pitch against the Diamondbacks’ Merrill Kelly. San Francisco is a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 07/10/2022

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Jul 10, 2022

The Sunday sports card features MLB action.Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The Los Angeles Angels visit Baltimore to play the Orioles on Peacock at 12:05 PM ET. Jose Suarez takes the hill for the Angels against Austin Voth for the Orioles. Los Angeles is a -115 money line road favorite with the total set at 9 (all odds from DraftKings). The Atlanta Braves host the Washington Nationals at 1:35 PM ET. The Braves turn to Ian Anderson as their starting pitcher against the Natioanls’ Paolo Espino. Atlanta is a -210 money line favorite with an over/under of 10.Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 1:40 PM ET. New York plays at home against Miami, with Taijaun Walker pitching for the Mets against Sandy Alcantara of the Marlins. The Mets are a -120 money line favorite with a total of 7. Tampa Bay travels to Cincinnati with the Rays turning to Shane Baz in their starting rotation to face the Reds; Nick Lodolo. The Rays are a -145 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Three MLB games start at 2:10 PM ET. Milwaukee is at home against Pittsburgh, with Eric Lauer taking the ball for the Brewers to duel against Jose Quintana of the Pirates. The Brewers are a -170 money line favorite with a total of 8. Cleveland visits Kansas City with the Guardians sending out Zach Plesac to pitch against the Royals’ Zach Greinke. The Guardians are a -120 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Chicago plays at home against Detroit with Michael Kopech on the mound for the White Sox against Drew Hutchison of the Tigers. The White Sox are a -190 money line favorite with a total of 9. The St. Louis Cardinals host the Philadelphia Phillies at 2:15 PM ET. Andre Pallante takes the ball for the Cardinals to duel against Nick Nelson of the Phillies. St. Louis is a -120 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Texas Rangers play at home against the Minnesota Twins at 2:35 PM ET. The Rangers turn to Dane Dunning to face the Twins’ Dylan Bundy. Texas is a -115 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Houston Astros travel to Oakland to play the A’s at 4:07 PM ET. Jake Odorizzi pitches for the Astros against Cole Irvin of the A’s. Houston is a -180 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. Four more MLB games begin at 4:10 PM ET. Toronto is at Seattle with the Mariners turning to Logan Gilbert to face a Blue Jays’ starting pitcher yet to be named. San Diego host San Francisco with MacKenzie Gore taking the hill for the Padres against Alex Wood for the Giants. The Padres are a -120 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. Colorado visits Arizona with the Rockies pitching German Marquez against the Diamondbacks’ Tyler Gilbert. The Rockies are a -115 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Chicago plays at Los Angeles with Drew Smyly starting for the Cubs against Julio Urias of the Dodgers. Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN and ESPN2 has the New York Yankees playing at Boston against the Red Sox at 7:08 PM ET. The Yankees tap Jameson Taillon as their starting pitcher to battle against the Red Sox’s Nick Pivetta. New York is a -130 money line road favorite with a total of 9.

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2022 Florida Atlantic Owls Preview

by Matt Fargo

Saturday, Jul 09, 2022

Florida Atlantic Owls2021-22 Season Record 5-7 (3-5 C-USA East) - 4-7-1 ATS - 4-8-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 8Defense - 7OverviewAfter starting off 5-3 last season, a bowl berth was looking like a sure thing but Florida Atlantic could not close the deal as it lost its final four games, all by double-digits. Lane Kiffin had a successful run with the Owls as he won 11 games in two of his three seasons and after he headed to Mississippi, Willie Taggart took over in 2020 and has gone 10-11 including a 7-7 record in C-USA. The finish to last season was brutal as the offense could get nothing going as it scored 17 points or less in all four games and while Taggart is not yet on the hot seat, it will be warming up if it does not turn around this season. The Owls had the personnel in place as they had 10 starters back on each side of the ball and they are still in good shape with another veteran team coming back. The schedule sets up well for a quick start so they can put the disastrous November in the rear view mirror.OffenseThe running game fell apart at the end of last season as the Owls averaged 77 ypg on the ground over the last three games and that put a ton of pressure on quarterback N'Kosi Perry who could not make the plays when needed. He was solid overall last season as he threw for 2,771 yards with 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions and is poised to be even better in his second season in the system. He has a lot to work with because his two top receivers are back as LaJohntay Wester and Je'Quan Burton combined for 1,185 yards and seven touchdowns and the only issue is depth following those two. Perry will be working behind an offensive line that is experienced and deep with four starters returning which will help the protection after allowing 35 sacks last season, tied for 109th most in the nation. Johnny Ford returns at running back after averaging 6.3 ypc. DefenseThe defense comes back with a lot of experience as well with seven starters back but three of the top four tacklers are gone. The Owls were ranked No. 88 in total defense last season and like the offense, it collapsed toward the end of the season. The front seven is loaded with four starters and a couple transfers looking to improve in both areas, especially with the pass rush. Florida Atlantic had only 16 sacks last year which was tied for No. 118 in the country and it needs to get a bigger push into the backfield as it has the size and strength to do so. The defense allowed 846 rushing yards against Florida and Air Force and only 1,038 against everyone else. The linebacking corps returns two starters and a pair of SEC transfers makes this a deep rotation that will improve the numbers from last year. The secondary is young and could take some time to come together. 2022 Season OutlookThe move to C-USA has had its ups and downs as the Owls were 18-6 under Kiffin but have gone 18-28 in the other seven seasons and with the talent that has come through Boca Raton, this should be a lot better. The conference lost three teams to the Sun Belt so it is more wide open and the Owls have to take advantage with their talent and experience. They open the season with a conference home game against Charlotte before heading to Ohio and then back home for a game against SE Louisiana and there is no reason for them to not start 3-0. The remainder of the conference slate is not easy by any stretch but they do get the three toughest opponents at home against UCF, UAB and Western Kentucky and the only big road test is at North Texas. The O/U win total is 5.5 and the Owls should be able to surpass that as long as they do not have another epic collapse. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle - MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 07/09/2022

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Jul 09, 2022

The Saturday sports card features MLB and CFL action.Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The Chicago White Sox host the Detroit Tigers at 2:10 PM ET. Johnny Cueto takes the mound for the White Sox to pitch against the Tigers’ Garrett Hill. Chicago is a -170 money line favorite, with the total set at 8.5 (all odds from DraftKings). The St. Louis Cardinals are at home against the Philadelphia Phillies at 2:15 PM ET. The Cardinals turn to Dakota Hudson in their starting rotation to face the Phillies’ Kyle Gibson. St. Louis is a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 4:05 PM ET. Texas plays at home against Minnesota with Martin Perez pitching for the Rangers against Delvin Smeltzer of the Twins. The Rangers are a -120 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Los Angeles visits Baltimore with the Angels sending Patrick Sandoval to the mound to pitch against Dean Kremer of the Orioles. The Angels are a -125 money line road favorite with a total of 8. The Houston Astros play at Oakland against the A’s at 4:07 PM ET. Framber Valdez takes the ball for the Astros against Zach Logue for the A’s. Six MLB games start at 4:10 PM ET. Tampa Bay travels to Cincinnati with the Rays pitching Drew Rasmussen against the Reds’ Hunter Greene on FS1. The Rays are a -165 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Arizona hosts Colorado with Madison Bumgarner on the mound for the Diamondbacks against Kyle Freeland for the Rockies. The Diamondbacks are a -125 money line favorite with a total of 9. Cleveland plays at Kansas City with the Guardians turning to Triston McKenzie to duel against the Royals’ Jonathan Heasley. Cleveland is a -130 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Milwaukee plays at home against Pittsburgh, with Brandon Woodruff pitching for the Brewers against Zach Thompson of the Pirates. The Brewers are a -250 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. Atlanta is at home against Washington with Kyle Wright on the hill for the Braves pitching against Patrick Corbin of the Nationals. The Braves are a -245 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. New York plays at home against Miami with the Mets turning to Carlos Carrasco to pitching against the Marlins Braxton Garrett. The Mets are a -175 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Two MLB games begin at 7:15 PM in regional television coverage on Fox. New York visits Boston with Jordan Montgomery pitching for the Yankees against a starting pitcher yet to be named for the Red Sox. San Francisco plays at San Diego with the Giants tapping Carlos Rodon to pitch against the Padres Yu Darvish. The Giants are a -115 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.Two MLB games conclude the card at 10:10 PM ET. Toronto travels to Seattle with Alek Manoah on the mound for the Rays battling against Robbie Ray of the Mariners. The Blue Jays are a -125 money line road favorite with a total of 7. The Chicago Cubs play at Los Angeles against the Dodgers, with the Cubs pitching Marcus Stroman against the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw. Week 5 in the Canadian Football League concludes with the British Columbia Lions hosting the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on ESPN News at 4 PM ET. The Lions raised their record to 3-0 this season with their 34-31 win at Ottawa as a 1.5-point favorite on June 30th. The Blue Bombers won their fourth straight game to start the season after their 23-22 victory at Toronto as a 4-point road favorite on Monday. British Columbia is a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 50.

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