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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, MLB and EPL Previews and Odds - 09/25/2021

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Sep 25, 2021

The Saturday sports card features action in NCAAF, MLB, and the EPL.The fourth week of the college football season concludes with 55 games between FBS opponents. Sixteen of these games kick off the card in the noon-2:30 PM ET opening window. Eight games are on national television at noon. Notre Dame plays Wisconsin on a neutral field at Soldier Field in Chicago on Fox. The Badgers are a 6.5-point favorite with the total set at 45 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Texas hosts Texas Tech on ABC as a 9.5-point favorite with an over/under of 62. Boise State visits Utah State on CBS as a 9-point road favorite with a total of 70. LSU travels to Mississippi State as a 2.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 55.5. Missouri plays at Boston College on ESPN2 as a 1.5-point road favorite with a total of 58. TCU is at home against SMU on FS1 as a 9.5-point favorite with a total of 66. Army plays at home against Miami (OH) on the CBS Sports Network as a 7.5-point favorite with an over/under of 48. Minnesota hosts Bowling Green as a 31-point favorite with a total of 51. Sixteen games start from 3:30 PM ET to 6 PM ET. Eight games are on national television at 3:30 PM ET. Michigan hosts Rutgers on ABC as a 20.5-point favorite at William Hill with an over/under of 50. Texas A&M plays Arkansas at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on CBS as a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 47. Clemson visits North Carolina State on ESPN as a 10.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 48. Louisville travels to Florida State on ESPN2 as a 1.5-point road favorite with a total of 61.5. Iowa State plays at Baylor on Fox as a 7-point road favorite with an over/under of 45.5. Iowa plays at home against Colorado State on FS1 as a 23.5-point favorite with a total of 44.5. Vanderbilt is at Connecticut on the CBS Sports Network as a 30-point road favorite with an over/under of 53. Memphis hosts UTSA on ESPNU as a 3-point favorite with a total of 66.5. Fifteen games begin in the 7 PM ET to 8 PM ET window. Four games kickoff on national television at 7 PM ET. Florida plays at home against Tennessee on ESPN as a 20-point favorite with an over/under of 65.5. Kentucky visits South Carolina on ESPN2 as a 4.5-point road favorite with a total of 49.5. Houston is at home against Navy on ESPNU as a 19-point favorite with an over/under of 47.5. Michigan State hosts Nebraska on FS1 as a 4-point favorite with a total of 53.5. Oklahoma is at home against West Virginia on ABC at 7:30 PM ET as a 17-point favorite with an over/under of 56.5. Two games are on national television at 8 PM ET. Air Force plays at home against FAU on FS2 as a 4-point favorite with a total of 54. Indiana travels to Western Kentucky on the CBS Sports Network as a 9-point road favorite with an over/under of 63.5. Six games conclude the college football card starting at 9 PM ET. BYU plays at home against South Florida on ESPN2 at 10:15 PM ET as a 23-point favorite with a total of 54. USC hosts Oregon State on FS1 at 10:30 PM ET as an 11-point favorite with an over/under of 61.5. Oregon plays at home against Arizona on ESPN at 10:30 PM ET as a 29.5-point favorite with a total of 58.5. Arizona State is at home against Colorado on ESPNU at 10:30 PM ET as a 14-point favorite with an over/under of 45. Fifteen games are on the MLB docket. Six games start in the afternoon. St. Louis is at Chicago to play the Cubs at 2:20 PM ET as a -165 money line road favorite. Philadelphia hosts Pittsburgh at 4:05 PM ET as a -275 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Houston plays at Oakland at 4:07 PM ET as a -125 money line road favorite. Boston is at home against the New York Yankees at 4:10 PM ET as a -120 money line favorite with a total of 10. Two games begin at 6:10 PM ET. Tampa Bay plays at home against Miami as a -210 money line favorite with an over/under of 7. Detroit hosts Kansas City as a -135 money line favorite with a total of 9.Baltimore plays at home against Texas at 7:05 PM ET as a -145 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Three games begin at 7:10 PM ET. Milwaukee hosts the New York Mets as a -260 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. Toronto is at Minnesota as a -195 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Cincinnati is at home against Washington as a -150 money line favorite with a total of 9.5. Fox features two games for its regional coverage for their national broadcast at 7:15 PM ET. San Diego hosts Atlanta as a -140 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Chicago White Sox are on the road at Cleveland as a -190 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Two games start at 8:10 PM ET. San Francisco plays at Colorado as a -145 money line road favorite with an over/under of 11.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers are at Arizona as a -240 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The MLB card concludes at 9:07 PM ET with Seattle playing in Los Angeles as a -155 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Matchweek 6 of the English Premier League begins with seven matches. Two games begin at 7:30 AM ET. Manchester City visits Chelsea in a showdown on the NBC Sports Network with both teams a pick ‘em with a total of 2.5. Manchester United hosts Aston Villa as a -1.25 goal line favorite with an over/under of 3. Four games start at 10 AM ET. Everton plays at home against Norwich City as a -0.75 goal line favorite with a total of 2.5. West Ham United travels to Leeds United as a -0.25 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 3. Leicester City hosts Burnley on the NBC Sports Network as a -1 goal line favorite with a total of 2.75. Watford plays at home against Newcastle United as a -0.25 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Liverpool visits Brentford on the NBS Sports Network at 12:30 PM ET as a -1 goal line road favorite with a total of 2.5. 

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NFL's Early Season Division Tank Job

by Tom Stryker

Friday, Sep 24, 2021

With our System of the Week checking in off a tough loss on the War Eagle in college football last Saturday, we’ll flip over to the NFL on Sunday armed with a September situation that has been money in the bank over the years. As stated before, with the help of my pro football database, the same one that was featured in the December 13th, 2010, issue of the ESPN Insider magazine, I’ve been able to isolate and profit from a number of early season technical sets that have performed very well. This particular situation was discovered when I was researching how well teams did in their first NFL division game.  There’s not much to it.  But it certainly packs a nice financial punch.  Take a look at what I like to call the NFL’s Early Season Division Tank Job. Since 1980, PLAY AGAINST any game three division favorite or underdog of +6.5 or less provided they check in off a straight up road loss and opened the regular season with back-to-back non-division games.  41-Year ATS Record = 33-8 ATS for 80.4 percent  This Week’s Play’s = LA CHARGERS & PITTSBURGH  Off a pair of non-division battles and a straight up road loss, the knee-jerk reaction would likely be to play on this specific team thinking they would be motivated to bounce back especially if they are lined up against a division opponent.  In reality, the exact opposite happens.   Kansas City enters its game against Los Angeles off a non-division home win over Cleveland and a non-division road loss at Baltimore.  Meanwhile, Cincinnati checks into its battle against Pittsburgh off a non-division home win over Minnesota and a non-division road loss at Chicago.  The means the Chiefs and Bengals fit this negative wagering situation perfectly. There is one tighener that can be added to the general system that really makes it pop.  As long as out “play against” side did not lose to the Las Vegas pointspread by double-digits in their last game – so a line differential of -9 or less – this situation drops to a jaw-dropping 2-24 ATS!  Both Kansas City and Cincinnati apply. Good luck with the Bolts and Men of Steel on Sunday! 

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NFL Week 3 System: Schedule Surprises

by Al McMordie

Friday, Sep 24, 2021

The NFL schedule maker generally gives each of the teams one home game and one road game to start the season.  But, every so often, a team will start out with multiple road games, or multiple home games.We are currently in Week 3 of the 2021 NFL schedule, and there are four teams playing their first game at home:Denver Broncos (home) vs. New York JetsMinnesota Vikings (home) vs. Seattle SeahawksSan Francisco 49ers (home) vs. Green Bay PackersDallas Cowboys (home) vs. Philadelphia EaglesAnd there are three teams playing their first game on the road:Indianapolis Colts (road) vs. Tennessee TitansWashington Football Team (road) vs. Buffalo BillsTampa Bay Buccaneers (road) vs. Los Angeles RamsThe knee-jerk reaction by many gamblers is to play on these home teams playing a "later" home opener, as they assume they'll be psyched to finally be at home.  And gamblers also tend to go against the road teams playing a later "road" opener, as they assume they'll not be ready for a hostile environment after opening with multiple home games.But do the data bear out these assumptions?Not surprisingly, they absolutely do not.First, let's look at how home teams do at Game 3 forward in their home opener.  Since 1980, our home teams are a dreadful 54-82-4 (39.7%), including 7-18 ATS vs. opponents playing their first road game, and 26-51-2 ATS vs. non-division opponents.  That's some serious pain inflicted by these teams in front of their home faithful.  This upcoming week, each of Denver, MInnesota and San Francisco fall into our negative 26-51-2 ATS subset, as they're matched up against non-division foes.Now, let's flip it around, and review how our road teams have fared in their first road game, at Game 3 forward.  Since 1980, our virgin roadies are 76-60-4 ATS (55.8%), including 58-34 ATS as underdogs of +11 or less points, and 34-20-2 ATS vs. division rivals.  Indianapolis and Washington fall into our 58-34 ATS subset, as they've been installed as underdogs vs. their respective opponents.  And the Colts additionally fall into the 34-20-2 ATS subset, as they're playing a division opponent.Good luck, as always...Al McMordie

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 09/24/2021

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Sep 24, 2021

The Friday sports card features action in NCAAF, MLB, and the CFL.The fourth week of the college football season continues with four games between FBS opponents. Charlotte hosts Middle Tennessee on the CBS Sports Network at 6:30 PM ET. The 49ers dropped to 2-1 this season with their 20-9 loss at Georgia State as a 4.5-point underdog on Saturday. The Blue Raiders lost their second contest in three games this year with their 27-13 loss at UTSA as an 11.5-point underdog last Saturday. Charlotte is a 3-point favorite, with the total set at 56 (all odds from DraftKings). Virginia plays at home against Wake Forest on ESPN2 at 7 PM ET. The Cavaliers fell to 2-1 on the season after a 59-39 loss at North Carolina as a 7.5-point underdog on Saturday. The Demon Deacons improved to 3-0 with their 35-14 victory against Florida State as a 4.5-point favorite on Saturday. Virginia is a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 68.5. Liberty visits Syracuse at 8 PM ET. The Flames improved to 3-0 with a 45-17 win against Old Dominion as a 26.5-point favorite on Saturday. The Orange improved to 2-1 with a 62-24 victory against Albany as a 21.5-point favorite last week. Liberty is a 6.5-point road favorite with a total of 54. Fresno State is at home against UNLV on the CBS Sports Network at 10 PM ET. The Bulldogs upset UCLA, 40-37, as an 11-point underdog last Saturday. The Rebels lost at home to Iowa State, 48-3, as a 32-point underdog last week. Fresno State is a 30-point favorite with an over/under of 59.5. Sixteen games are on the MLB docket. St. Louis visits Chicago to play the Cubs at 2:20 PM ET on ESPN in the opener of their seven-inning doubleheader. The Cardinals are a -160 money line road favorite. Two games start at 7:05 PM ET. Texas plays at Baltimore in a game where both teams are -110 money line favorites with a total of 9.5. Philadelphia plays at home against Pittsburgh as a -220 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Five MLB games begin at 7:10 PM ET. The Chicago White Sox visit Cleveland as a -145 money line road favorite with a total of 7. Cincinnati plays at home against Washington as a -180 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Detroit hosts Kansas City as a -115 money line favorite with a total of 9. Tampa Bay is at home against Miami as a -305 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The New York Yankees travel to Boston on ESPN as a -120 money line road favorite with a total of 9. St. Louis plays at Chicago against the Cubs at 8:05 PM ET in the second game of their doubleheader. The Cardinals are a -180 money line road favorite. Three games start at 8:10 PM ET. Toronto visits Minnesota as a -160 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Milwaukee hosts the New York Mets as a -150 money line favorite with a total of 8. San Francisco travels to Colorado as a -195 money line road favorite with an over/under of 11.5. Seattle plays at Los Angeles against the Angels at 9:38 PM ET as a -120 money line road favorite with a total of 8. Two games start at 9:40 PM ET. Oakland is at home against Houston as a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Los Angeles Dodgers play at Arizona as a -225 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. San Diego is at home against Atlanta at 10:10 PM ET as a -125 money line favorite with a total of 8.Two games conclude Week 8 in the Canadian Football League. Toronto hosts Montreal on ESPN+ at 7:30 PM ET. The Argonauts have lost two of three after their 30-16 loss at Saskatchewan as a 4.5-point underdog last Friday. The Alouettes have lost three of their last four games after their 27-18 upset loss against British Columbia as a 3-point favorite on Saturday. Toronto is a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 48.5. Saskatchewan visits British Columbia on ESPN2 at 10:30 PM ET. The Roughriders ended their two-game losing streak with their victory against the Argonauts last week. The Lions have won three in a row with their victory against Montreal. Saskatchewan is a 1-point road favorite with a total of 47.

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The Best of the 0-3 NCAA Teams

by Nelly's Sports

Thursday, Sep 23, 2021

The Best of the 0-3 NCAA Teams  Ahead of the final weekend of September there are nine winless teams in college football. Some of those squads are going to be tough to back in any circumstance this season even with elevated underdog spreads. There are three 0-3 squads that look worthy of consideration in upcoming weeks however and the poor starts in the win column may lead to attractive pricing in the conference season.  TULSA  (17-19 loss to UC-Davis, 23-28 loss at Oklahoma State, 20-41 loss at Ohio State)  Tulsa went 6-0 in American play in the regular season last season before falling by three points vs. Cincinnati in the AAC championship game. The other two losses in a 6-3 season came on the road at Oklahoma State and in bowl action vs. Mississippi State in close games. A similar path of success in conference play is possible again this season for the Golden Hurricane.  The past two weeks Tulsa has not looked out of place on the road against high-quality major conference teams. Two weeks ago, Tulsa lost 28-23 at Oklahoma State in a game they led 14-7 through three quarters and 17-14 later in the final quarter. Tulsa had more yardage in the game and missed on several opportunities as they reached Oklahoma State territory in each of the first four drives of the game without scoring.  Last week Tulsa lost by 21 in Columbus, but it was a seven-point game in the fourth quarter until Ohio State scored twice in the final four minutes. Tulsa put up 501 yards of offense on the road against the Buckeyes while producing several big plays in the passing game.  Tulsa’s overall profile will be downgraded from the two-point loss to UC-Davis at home in the opening week, but Tulsa had 448 yards in that game but lost the turnover battle 3-0. Davis is an FCS team but one of the top-rated FCS teams, and a team that would be favored over about half of the power five teams according to recent power ratings.  Close losses have been common in now the seventh season under Philip Montgomery, as the former Houston and Baylor offensive coordinator has been given more time than most coaches these days even with his record now at 31-43. Tulsa should pick up its first win this week vs. Arkansas State but 1-4 seems like a possibility with a difficult AAC opener against Houston.  From there Tulsa could find some momentum with a winnable home game vs. Memphis and two favorable opportunities to close out October. The team may still be underrated in the final month when they could see underdog spreads with road games in November at Cincinnati, at Tulane, and at SMU. A winning season may be a long shot with the tough start, but Tulsa should be considered a much stronger team than its record.  FLORIDA STATE (38-41 loss vs. Notre Dame, 17-20 loss vs. Jacksonville State, 14-35 loss at Wake Forest) The Seminoles have been an easy team to ridicule and Jay Norvell may have a tough time surviving a 3-9 start to his career in Tallahassee. The valuation of Florida State may be at rock bottom in the coming weeks however and this is a group that could surprise in the ACC season with a few upsets or competitive results as a significant underdog. Last season Florida State won only three times but one of those wins was against an undefeated North Carolina team that had climbed to #5 in the polls.  There was a great build-up for the opening game vs. Notre Dame and Florida State competed well, staging a great comeback bid before losing in overtime against a highly regarded team that remains undefeated and was in the CFP last season. Florida State’s loss to Jacksonville State was inexcusable but it was on a short week following the Sunday night primetime opener and the Seminoles did enough to win that game with a 17-7 lead with five minutes to go before the miracle finish.  The 21-point loss to Wake Forest in the ACC opener can be pinned on six turnovers as Florida State did move the ball effectively in the passing game. The quarterback situation is a concern as Jordan Travis played most of the Notre Dame game, but McKenzie Milton provided a spark in the comeback. Milton has been given the lead role the past two games even though Travis has performed better and adds depth to the playbook with his rushing ability.  Florida State will face several suspect defenses in the next few weeks as the offense has the potential to keep pace in contests with Louisville, Syracuse, and North Carolina. The final five games are all difficult and Florida State will likely take a losing record into games with Clemson, NC State, Miami, Boston College, and Florida to close the season. The points may be alluring for a Seminoles team that has the potential to be the team that competed well in the opener on the national stage, yet this will be a team that may get minimal marketplace support with all the negative headlines.  RICE (17-38 loss at Arkansas, 7-44 loss vs. Houston, 0-58 loss at Texas)  The numbers are terrible for Rice, but the Owls have faced one of the most difficult schedules in the nation facing three high-quality teams. Rice finished just 2-3 last season in five Conference USA games, but they delivered a stunning 20-0 shutout at Marshall and played within five points against UAB in two impressive December performances. Coming into the season the defense graded very well relative to its conference peers and the offense appeared to have the potential for improvement with a few playmakers added to the roster, notably Nebraska transfer Luke McCaffrey.  Rice should find the win column this week hosting an FCS squad Texas Southern but could remain an underrated group in difficult future conference road games vs. UTSA, UAB, and Charlotte in the coming weeks. The home schedule for Rice is quite favorable this season as the Owls have the potential to turn into a winning team by season’s end even with the terrible start through a path in which most teams in the nation would have also gone 0-3 through.  The opener vs. Arkansas was also one of the more misleading scores of the season so far as Rice had a 17-7 lead in the third quarter in Fayetteville and was tied 17-17 in the fourth quarter. Arkansas added two late scores to push the final margin to 21 points, but Rice held a formidable Razorbacks offense to just 373 yards and the Owls stayed in the game despite being -2 in turnovers. The blowout losses the past two weeks came in tough situations with the opposing team entering the game off a humiliating loss in each instance. Houston had blown a 14-point lead with a four-interception game in a loss to Texas Tech in the opening week and was very sharp against Rice in a critical game. Texas meanwhile played Rice after being embarrassed in a 40-21 defeat against Arkansas the previous week as Rice saw the best from both of those teams.  At -116 in scoring so far this season the statistics are not going to look favorable for Rice in the coming weeks but the opportunities on the schedule will improve dramatically. Most may still look at Rice as a similar team to the squad that posted a combined 8-34 record from 2017 to 2020 but Mike Bloomgren’s turnaround plan is still on schedule now in his fourth season with the program. This is a team that should compete well and produce several wins in the Conference USA season yet may rarely be favored.  Considering the other winless teams Connecticut, Ohio, UNLV, and Arizona will be difficult to support as they appear to be a long way off and are battling through recent coaching changes, though the prices may hit a tipping point in some matchups. Massachusetts has been scoring the past two weeks since a quarterback change and may have some potential for underdog covers as the Minutemen may provide some opportunities against the spread even if S/U wins are not going to be common on the horizon. Navy has looked horrible in two games, but Ken Niumatalolo’s solid past track record may leave the Midshipmen with some potential for support later this season. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, NCAAF, MLB and WNBA Previews and Odds - 09/23/2021

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Sep 23, 2021

The Thursday sports card features action in the NFL, NCAAF, MLB, and the WNBA.Week 3 of the NFL regular kicks off with Carolina visiting Houston on the NFL Network at 8:20 PM ET. The Panthers improved to 2-0 with their 26-7 upset victory against New Orleans as a 3-point home underdog on Sunday. The Texans dropped to 1-1 after a 31-21 loss at Cleveland as a 13.5-point underdog last week. Carolina is an 8-point road favorite with the total set at 43 (all odds from DraftKings). The fourth week of the college football season begins with Appalachian State hosting Marshall on ESPN at 7:30 PM ET. The Mountaineers improved their record to 2-1 with a 44-18 victory against Elon University as a 35.5-point favorite on Saturday. The Thundering Herd got upset last week, 42-38, at home against East Carolina as an 11.5-point favorite. Appalachian State is a 7-point favorite with an over/under of 59.5.Twelve games are on the MLB docket. Six games begin in the afternoon. The Chicago White Sox play at Cleveland at 1:10 PM ET in the first game of their seven-inning doubleheader after their game on Wednesday got postponed because of rain. The White Sox pitch Reynaldo Lopez against the Indians’ Aaron Civale. Milwaukee plays at home against St. Louis at 2:10 in the fourth game of their four-game series. Adrian Houser pitches for the Brewers against Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals. Milwaukee is a -120 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Los Angeles Dodgers play at Colorado at 3:10 PM ET in the final game of their three-game series. The Dodgers pitch Max Scherzer against the Rockies’ Kyle Freeland. Los Angeles is a -255 money line road favorite with a total of 10.5. Oakland hosts Seattle at 3:37 PM ET in Game 4 of their four-game series. Chris Bassitt pitches for the A’s against Yusei Kikuchi of the Mariners. Oakland is a -150 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Atlanta plays at Arizona at 3:40 PM ET in the fourth game of their four-game series. The Braves pitch Charlie Morton against the Diamondbacks’ Madison Bumgarner. Atlanta is a -190 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. San Diego is at home against San Francisco at 4:10 PM ET in the final game of their three-game series. Yu Darvish for the Padres pitches against Logan Webb for the Giants. San Diego is a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.The White Sox play the Indians in the second game of their doubleheader at 6:10 PM ET. Zach Plesac pitches for Cleveland against a starting pitcher yet to be determined for Chicago. The White Sox are a -130 money line road favorite with a total of 6.5. Cincinnati plays at home against Washington at 6:40 PM ET in the final game of their three-game series. The Reds pitch Luis Castillo against the Nationals’ Patrick Corbin. Cincinnati is a -195 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Two games start at 7:05 PM ET. Philadelphia hosts Pittsburgh in the opener of their four-game weekend series. Aaron Nola pitches for the Phillies against Connor Overton of the Pirates. Philadelphia is a -250 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Baltimore plays at home against Texas in Game 1 of their four-game series. Zac Lowther pitches for the Orioles against the Rangers’ Glenn Otto. Baltimore is a -135 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Toronto travels to Minnesota at 7:40 PM ET in the first game of their four-game series. The Blue Jays pitch Steven Matz against the Twins’ Michael Pineda. Toronto is a -150 money line road favorite with a total of 9.5. Houston plays at Los Angeles against the Angels at 9:38 PM ET in the fourth game of their four-game series. Lance McCullers pitches for the Astros against Alex Cobb of the Angels. Houston is a -180 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5.The WNBA playoffs begin with two single-elimination games on ESPN2. Dallas plays at Chicago at 8 PM ET. New York travels to Phoenix at 10 PM ET. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 09/22/2021

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Sep 22, 2021

The Wednesday sports card features action in MLB and the CFL.Fifteen games are on the MLB docket. Three games take place in the afternoon. Pittsburgh plays at Cincinnati at 12:35 PM ET in the final game of their three-game series. Connor Overton pitches for the Pirates against Luis Castillo of the Reds. The Chicago White Sox are at Detroit at 1:10 PM ET in the third game of their three-game series. The White Sox pitch Reynaldo Lopez against the Tigers’ Casey Mize. Chicago is a -170 money line road favorite with the total set at 9 (all odds from DraftKings). Tampa Bay hosts Toronto at 3:10 PM ET in Game 3 of their three-game series. Luis Patino pitches for the Rays against a starting pitcher yet to be determined for the Blue Jays. Tampa Bay is a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.Kansas City plays at Cleveland at 6:10 PM ET in the fourth game of their four-game series. The Royals pitch Carlos Hernandez against the Indians’ Logan Allen. Both teams are -110 money line favorites with a total of 9. Miami plays at home against Washington at 6:40 PM ET in the final game of their three-game series. Elieser Hernandez pitches for the Marling against Josiah Gray of the Nationals. Miami is a -130 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Two games begin at 7:05 PM ET. The New York Yankees host Texas in the third game of their three-game series. The Yankees pitch Corey Kluber against the Rangers’ Taylor Hearn. New York is a -290 money line favorite with a total of 9. Philadelphia plays at home against Baltimore in Game 3 of their three-game series. Zach Wheeler pitches for the Phillies against Keegan Akin of the Orioles. Philadelphia is a -320 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The New York Mets are at Boston on ESPN at 7:10 PM ET in the second game of their two-game series. The Mets pitch Taijuan Walker against the Red Sox’s Chris Sale. Two games start at 7:40 PM ET. Milwaukee is at home against St. Louis in the third game of their four-game series. Brett Anderson pitches for the Brewers against Miles Mikolas of the Cardinals. Milwaukee is a -120 money line favorite. Minnesota plays at Chicago against the Cubs in the final game of their two-game series. The Twins pitch Joe Ryan against the Cubs’ Kyle Hendricks. Minnesota is a -115 money line road favorite. The Los Angeles Dodgers are at Colorado at 8:40 PM ET in the second game of their three-game series. Walker Buehler pitches for the Dodgers against German Marquez of the Rockies. Los Angeles is a -220 money line road favorite with a total of 11. Houston plays at Los Angeles against the Angels at 9:38 PM ET in the third game of their four-game series. The Astros pitch Luis Garcia against the Angels’ Janson Junk. Houston is a -200 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Two games start at 9:40 PM ET. Atlanta is at Arizona in Game 3 of their four-game series. Ian Anderson pitches for the Braves against the Diamondbacks’ Merrill Kelly. Atlanta is a -195 money line road favorite with a total of 9.5. Oakland plays at home against Seattle in the third game of their four-game series. The A’s pitch Cole Irvin against the Mariners’ Chris Flexen. Oakland is a -145 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. San Francisco plays at San Diego on ESPN at 10:10 PM ET in the second game of their three-game series. Scott Kazmir pitches for the Giants against Vince Velasquez of the Padres. Week 8 of the Canadian Football League kicks off with Hamilton visiting Ottawa on ESPN+ at 7:30 PM ET. The Tiger-Cats improved their record to 3-3 after a 23-17 win against Calgary as a 2-point favorite last Friday. The Redblacks fell to 1-4 on the season after a 45-13 loss at British Columbia as an 8.5-point underdog on September 11th. 

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NFL Week 3 Break Down

by Will Rogers

Tuesday, Sep 21, 2021

BEST GAME – Tampa Bay at Los Angeles Rams (-2)Just two weeks into the season, and this is the only game on the board between undefeated teams. Will Tom Brady lose even a smidgeon of the laser-type focus in this game with a trip to New England on the docket in Week 4? Don’t bet on it. TB12 would dearly love to toss a 3-0 record in Belichick’s puss when he plays might well be his final game ever in Gillette, in Week 4. As for the Rams, they’re lovin’ life again with new QB Matthew Stafford, and look like they’ll be in the mix in the unexpectedly tough NFC West. This game opened at -2 and so far has shown no signs of moving either way.WORST GAME – Atlanta at New York Giants (-3)The Falcons were able to hang with the Buccaneers until things went haywire in the late going, and you wonder how long Matt Ryan will be able to stay upright, engaged and competitive. Atlanta has not come close to either a win or a cover this season, and only the Giants’ own early-season ineptitude is keeping this line at a field goal. The Giants have been able to move the ball on offense, but the inability to finish off drives has led to a slew of field goals. This line has bounced around from 1.5 to 3.5, so you might be able to hold off and then hit this one when the number goes your way.LARGEST SPREAD – New York Jets at Denver (-11)The Broncos might be the worst possible opponent right now for shaken Jets rookie QB Zach Wilson, who threw four picks in his first home game and heard a few boos in this past Sunday’s loss to the Patriots. Oddsmakers don’t much like Wilson’s chances of picking himself off the mat; hence the heavy line. Denver has benefitted from a pillow-soft schedule (wins and covers against the Giants and Jaguars), and have their third straight kitten this coming Sunday. They’ll need to make hay while the sun shines, though, as they don’t have another easy game until they catch the Lions in mid-December. The line has already dropped from 11.5 and may fall another half-point when New York bettors check in.SMALLEST SPREAD – Seattle at Minnesota (+1)Seattle would no doubt be favored in this one were it not for its complete fourth-quarter/OT collapse and loss to the Titans in a game that was in the bank and drawing interest before Tennessee turned things around. The Seahawks now have to put that one in the rear view mirror and deal with a decent Vikings (0-2) team that has lost two games by a total of four points. The loser of this one might be ready of therapy. Most of the early money is backing Seattle.LARGEST TOTAL – Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City (55)The Chiefs playing at home? Against the Chargers? Len Dawson and Abner Haynes against John Hadl and Lance Alworth? This one has a 1960s AFL feel to it already. Fifty-five could be an appetizing number for Over bettors, even though both LA games this season have gone under. For the record, the highest O/U total in NFL history is believed to be 64 – a 2018 game in Mexico City between the 9-1 Rams and the 9-1 Chiefs. That number could be challenged this season.LOWEST TOTAL – New York Jets at Denver (41.5)Back to Mile High for this one, where fans can look for the Jets to reel in Wilson after letting him throw the ball all over the field early on against the Patriots – and paying a price for doing so. Denver’s game plan is simple – score in the low 20s and let its opponent figure out a way to get more than field goals against one of the best defenses in the league.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 09/21/2021

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Sep 21, 2021

The Tuesday sports card features 15 games in MLB.The Chicago White Sox plays at Detroit at 1:10 PM ET. Dallas Keuchel pitches for the White Sox against Tyler Alexander of the Tigers. Chicago is a -165 money line road favorite with the total set at 9.5. Cleveland hosts Kansas City at 6:10 PM ET. The Indians pitch Cal Quantrill against the Royals’ Daniel Lynch. Cleveland is a -140 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Two games start at 6:40 PM ET. Miami plays at home against Washington in the second game of their three-game series. Trevor Rogers pitches for the Marlins against the Nationals’ Josh Rogers. Miami is a -135 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. Cincinnati is at home against Pittsburgh in Game 2 of their three-game series. The Reds pitch Tyler Mahle against the Pirates’ Mitch Keller. Cincinnati is a -195 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Two games begin at 7:05 PM ET. The New York Yankees play at home against Texas in the second game of their series. Jordan Montgomery pitches for the Yankees against Dane Dunning of the Rangers. New York is a -275 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Philadelphia hosts Baltimore in Game 2 of their series. The Orioles pitch Chris Ellis against a starting pitcher yet to be determined. Philadelphia is a -200 money line favorite with an over/under of 10. Two games start at 7:10 PM ET. Tampa Bay hosts Toronto on ESPN in the second game of their series. Drew Rasmussen pitches for the Rays against Alex Manoah of the Blue Jays. Tampa Bay is a -120 money line favorite with a total of 8. Boston plays at home against the New York Mets in the opener of their series. Eduardo Rodriguez pitches for the Red Sox against Marcus Stroman of the Mets. Boston is a -150 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Two games begin at 7:40 PM ET. Milwaukee is at home against St. Louis in the second game of their four-game series. Brandon Woodruff pitches for the Brewers against Jake Woodford of the Cardinals. Milwaukee is a -210 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. The Chicago Cubs play at home against Minnesota in the opening game of their series. The Cubs pitch Alec Mills against the Twins’ Griffin Jax. Chicago is a -115 money line favorite. The Los Angeles Dodgers play at Colorado at 8:40 PM ET in the opener of their three-game series. Julio Urias pitches for the Dodgers against Antonio Senzatela of the Rockies. Los Angeles is a -210 money line road favorite with an over/under of 11. Houston visits Los Angeles to play the Angels at 9:38 PM ET in Game 2 of their series. The Astros pitch Jose Urquidy against the Angels’ Packy Naughton. Houston is a -180 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Two games start at 9:40 PM ET. Atlanta plays at Arizona in the second game of their series. Luke Weaver pitches for the Diamondbacks against a starting pitcher yet to be named for the Braves. Atlanta is a -160 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Oakland hosts Seattle in Game 2 of their series. The A’s pitch Paul Blackburn against the Mariners Marco Gonzales. Oakland is a -135 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. San Diego is at home against San Francisco on FS1 at 10:10 PM ET in the first game of their NL West series. Joe Musgrove of the Padres pitches against Kevin Gausman of the Giants. San Diego is a -125 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. 

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NFL Stock Rising and Falling: Week 3

by Sean Murphy

Monday, Sep 20, 2021

The NFL season is off and running following two entertaining weeks of action. Here’s a quick look at two teams on the rise and two on their way down in our first 2021 installment of 'NFL Stock Rising and Falling'. Stock risingDallas CowboysSo the Cowboys didn't get off to the start they had hoped for, suffering a close loss at the hands of the defending champion Bucs in Tampa back in Week 1. Undeterred, they bounced back with a gutsy road win over the Chargers on Sunday. That was a truly impressive victory when you consider Dallas was playing a second straight road game to open the season, not to mention traveling across the country to do so. Now the Cowboys have a path to 4-1 ahead of them with three consecutive home games on deck and you have to figure they'll be favored in all three as they host the Eagles, Panthers and Giants. They do have consecutive road games (with a bye week in between) in New England and Minnesota coming up in Weeks 6-8 but the schedule doesn't really get all that tough until a trip to Kansas City in Week 11. I may be getting ahead of myself but I do like what I've seen from the Cowboys so far and while their defense will almost certainly trip them up at points, I believe the offense can more than make up for it. For now, Dallas is a team to watch.Los Angeles RamsThe Rams 2-0 start isn't unexpected but there's no denying they've looked awfully strong on both sides of the football in wins over the Bears and Colts. Could QB Matt Stafford be the piece they were missing? It certainly looks that way as head coach Sean McVay finally has the engine needed to really get the offense humming. On the other side, Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey may be the two best defensive players in all of football right now. Donald has been a one-man wrecking crew through two games while Ramsey has played a role all over the field, and sealed Sunday's game with a key late fourth quarter interception that spoiled the Colts comeback chances. Now things get interesting as the Rams host Tom Brady and the red hot Buccaneers in Week 3 before opening division play with a home game against the Cardinals in Week 4. Stock fallingAtlanta FalconsThe 2021 season could get away from the Falcons in a hurry if they can't pick up a win against the hapless Giants in New Jersey on Sunday. Off to an 0-2 start and looking like a mess on both sides of the football, it's been a disastrous start for Arthur Smith's tenure in Atlanta. While a trip to Tampa was never going to be easy, the Falcons simply weren't competitive in a 23-point rout. Without any semblance of a running game, teams are simply going to drop back in coverage and erase the likes of Calvin Ridley and Kyle Pitts. Ridley did catch a touchdown pass against the Bucs but has just 114 receiving yards through two games. Most alarming is the fact that through two games, Atlanta's longest pass completion has gone for just 24 yards. If the Falcons can't figure out a way to stretch the field on offense, they're just not going to have much success as their defense is not capable of winning games all on its own. Minnesota VikingsThe Vikings desperately needed a strong bounce-back performance after a brutal overtime loss in Cincinnati in Week 1. While they did play better, they ultimately fell just short, missing a last-second field goal that would have given them their first win of the season in Arizona. With injuries piling up on the defensive side of the football, Minnesota might have to score 30+ every week to have a shot at winning, especially when you consider its upcoming schedule. The Vikes will host Seattle this week before the Browns come to town in Week 4. After a bye in Week 7 the schedule gets downright nightmarish with consecutive games against the Cowboys, Ravens, Chargers, Packers and 49ers, with three of those five contests on the road. Consider Sunday's showdown with the Seahawks a must-win game. 

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Ness Notes: MLB 2021: 2-Week Sprint to the Finish

by Larry Ness

Monday, Sep 20, 2021

The San Francisco Giants won THREE World Series titles in a five-year span from 2010 through 2014 (2010, 2012 and 2014) but entering the current season, the Giants hadn't played in the postseason since 2016. Meanwhile, their hated rivals (LA Dodgers) began the current season having captured EIGHT consecutive NL West titles, capping that run with the team's first World Series win in 2020 since 1988. The Dodgers finished 40 games ahead of the Giants in 2017, 18.5 ahead in 2018, 29 games ahead in 2019 and even in last year's pandemic-shortened season of 2020 (60 games), the Dodgers were 14 games better than the Giants. What a difference ONE year can make!As we wake on the morning of September 20, the Giants are 97-73 and the owners of MLB's best record. The Giants were the first team to clinch a playoff spot last Monday, while the 96-74 Dodgers clinched their ninth straight postseason appearance the very next day. As one can see, the Dodgers are just ONE game behind the Giants and with each team having 12 games remaining, LA is surely capable of capturing a NINTH straight NL West title. However, let me point out that the Giants currently own a rare 'daily double' in 2021. That is, they own MLB's best overall record, as well as its best moneyline record. The Giants check in at plus-$3,217 (at $100/game), $352 more than MLB's second-best moneyline team, the Seattle Mariners. Just so you know, while the Dodgers are just ONE game behind the Giants in the standings, they have actually lost money on the season at minus-$288. Don't tell me that the moneyline (or the pointspread in BKB and FB) are NOT the "great equalizers!" That said, don't ignore that LA owns MLB's top run-differential mark at plus-274 runs!I referred to the Giants daily double above as being rare and let me point out that in the previous 15 MLB seasons (2006-2020) the ONLY other team to finish a season No. 1 atop the MLB standings as well as being that season's leading moneyline team has been the 2008 Angels. That team went 100-62 and was plus-$2,671 against the moneyline. Unfortunately for Angels fans (are there really any?), that year's team lost 3-1 in the ALDS to the Boston Red Sox. Before moving on to the rest of the league, one might ask just how good is San Francisco's current moneyline mark? Going back over that same 15-year span, the Giants mark of +$3,217 ranks second-best to only that of the 2012 Baltimore Orioles, Yes, the same Baltimore franchise that currently owns a 47-102 record in 2021 and is minus-$2,525 against the moneyline, went 93-69 in 2012 and finished with a moneyline record of plus-$3,649 (that's the best figure of any team since 2006). The Giants went 29-31 in 2020 but are not the only 29-31 team from 2020 that's made some real 'noise' in 2021. Both the Milwaukee Brewers and Houston Astros were 29-31 last season (incredibly, both made the expanded 2020 playoff field) but here in 2021, The 91-58 Brewers lead the NL Central by 11.5 games and joined the Giants and Dodgers by clinching a playoff berth on Saturday. As for the 88-61 Astros, they lead the A's by SIX games in the AL West and their run-differential mark of plus-201 runs is second to only that of the Dodgers. Many will likely remember that despite its 29-231 record in 2020, Houston was not eliminated in last year's postseason until Game 7 of the ALCS.I noted earlier, what a difference a year makes! Let me expand on that statement, here. If the season had ended yesterday (instead of Oct 3), only two 2020 division winners would have repeated in 2021. The Tampa Rays won the AL East last season at 40-20 (.667) and the 92-58 (.613) Rays are currently 6.5 games clear of the second-place Red Sox. The other 2020 division winner that currently sits atop of its division through Sep 19 is the 77-70 (.524) Atlanta Braves. The Braves won their third straight NL East title in 2020 (35-24, .593) but only lead the 76-73 Phillies by TWO games (note: Philadelphia has missed the postseason in each of the last NINE seasons). As previously noted, the Dodgers have won EIGHT straight NL West titles and are just ONE game back of the Giants, so they could surely be 2021's third "repeat" division winner. The same can't be said of 2020's three other division winners. The Minnesota Twins won the AL Central with a 36-24 record in 2020 but are an awful 65-85 in 2021, 20.5 games back of the 85-64 White Sox, who are poised to win their first division title since 2008 (Chicago owns an 1.5-game lead on the 2nd-place Indians). The Oakland A's won the AL West with a 36-24 record in 2020 but enter the final two weeks of the current season SIX games back of Houston. The A's are still in the hunt for one of two AL wild card spots but so are FOUR other teams. The A's are currently TWO games out of the No. 2 wild card spot. Over in the NL Central, the Cubs won the division in 2020 at 34-26 but like the Twins, have followed with an 'UGLY' season (67-83, 24.5 games back of division-leading Milwaukee.There are basically two division titles "up for grabs" in 2021's final two weeks, the NL East (Atl/Phi) and the NL West West (SF/LA). The real interest with be the battle for TWO wild card spots in the AL between 86-65 Boston, 84-65 Toronto, 83-67 New York, 82-67 Oakland and 80-29 Seattle (note: The Mariners haven't made the postseason since they won 116 games back in the 2001 season!). Either the Giants or the Dodgers are 'locked into' the No. 1 wild card spot in the NL, leaving ONE spot available for either 79-69 St Louis, 77-73 Cincinnati or Philadelphia and San Diego (both are 76-73).See you in October.Good luck...Larry

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and NFL Previews and Odds - 09/20/2021

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Sep 20, 2021

The Monday sports card features action in the NFL and MLB.Week 2 concludes in the NFL with Green Bay hosting Detroit on ESPN and ESPN2 (the Manning’s simulcast) at 8:15 PM ET. The Packers come off a 38-3 upset loss at New Orleans as a 4-point underdog last week. The Lions rallied to make the final score respectable in a 41-33 home defeat against San Francisco as a 9.5-point underdog last Sunday. Green Bay is a 12-point favorite, with the total set at 49 (all odds from DraftKings). Twelve games are on the MLB docket. Cleveland hosts Kansas City at 4:10 PM ET in the opener of their seven-inning doubleheader. Triston McKenzie pitches for the Indians against Brady Singer of the Royals. Cleveland is a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 7. Three games start at 6:40 PM ET. The Chicago White Sox visit Detroit in the opener of their three-game series. The White Sox pitch Carlos Rodon against the Tigers’ Matt Manning. Chicago is a -240 money line road favorite with a total of 9. Washington visits Miami in the opener of their three-game series. Erick Fedde pitches for the Nationals against Jesus Luzardo of the Marlins. Both teams are priced at -110 with an over/under of 8.5. Two MLB games begin at 7:05 PM ET. The New York Yankees are at home against Texas in Game 1 of their three-game series. Nelson Cortes, Jr. pitches for the Yankees against A.J. Alex of the Rangers. New York is a -290 money line favorite with a total of 9.5. Philadelphia hosts Baltimore in the opener of their three-game series. The Phillies pitch Ranger Suarez against the Orioles’ John Means. Philadelphia is a -210 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Two games start at 7:10 PM ET. Toronto plays at Tampa Bay in the first game of their three-game series. Robbie Ray pitches for the Blue Jays against Shane bay of the Rays. Toronto is a -140 money line road favorite with a total of 8. Cleveland hosts Kansas City in the second game of their seven-inning doubleheader. Milwaukee hosts St. Louis at 7:40 PM ET in the first game of their four-game series. The Brewers pitch Freddy Peralta against the Cardinals’ Jake Woodford. Milwaukee is a -225 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Houston visits Los Angeles to play the Angels at 9:38 PM ET. Framber Valdez pitches for the Astros against Jaime Barria of the Angels. Houston is a -225 money line road favorite with a total of 9. Two games conclude the card at 9:40 PM ET. Oakland plays at home against Seattle in Game 1 of their four-game series. The A’s pitch Sean Manaea against the Mariners’ Tyler Anderson. Oakland is a -160 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Atlanta visits Arizona in Game 1 of their four-game series. Huascar Ynoa of the Braves pitches against Humberto Mejia of the Diamondbacks. Atlanta is a -145 money line road favorite with a total of 9.5.

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