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2022 Memphis Tigers Preview

by Matt Fargo

Monday, Jul 25, 2022

Memphis Tigers2021-22 Season Record 6-6 (3-5 American) - 4-8-0 ATS - 5-7-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 7Defense - 6OverviewMemphis became part of the American Athletic Conference in 2013 and finished with a 3-9 record and that still stands as the only losing record in the nine seasons there. Justin Fuente turned things around after that as he went 19-6 in a little under two seasons before going to Virginia Tech and Mike Norvell kept it rolling for four seasons before heading to Florida St. Current head coach Ryan Silverfield is in his third season as the helm and after an 8-3 inaugural season, the Tigers took a slight step backwards last season with a 6-6 record. The difference was close games as in 2020, they lost only one game by one possession while in 2021, they dropped three games by a field goal or less so if the breaks went their way, it could have been a 9-3 season. 13 starters are back which is three less than last season but some key players are part of the returnees and will look to avoid another losing AAC season, their first since 2013. OffenseThe offense took a small dip from 2020 but it was not significant as Memphis finished No. 34 overall and No. 52 in scoring, a 26 ypg and one ppg difference from the prior season respectively. The passing game led the way as the Tigers were No. 17 in the country behind one of the best freshman quarterbacks in the country in Seth Henigan as he threw for 3,322 yards with 25 touchdowns and just eight interceptions and missed one game which resulted in a 17-point loss to UCF. His top two pass catchers are gone which are big losses but there was a lot of depth that returns this year so the passing game will be just fine. It is the running game that needs more production as Memphis was only No. 90 in the nation in rushing offense. It was led by another freshman as Brandon Thomas ran for 669 yards and eight scores and he will get better. The offensive line returns its center and both tackles, three key positions for this offense. DefenseMemphis played solid defense in a few games but for the most part it was pretty bad which was an insignificant improvement from a season ago. The Tigers were No. 96 in total offense and No. 92 in scoring defense and that simply puts too much pressure on the offense. Nearly half of the starters have to be replaced including linebacker J.J. Russell who led the team with 123 tackles and seemed to be around on every play. Xavier Cullens was fourth in tackles and he will be the star of this unit and will get help from some transfers. The defense generated 25 sacks and that has to improve as sacks leader Jaylon Allen had a respectable five sacks from the middle of the defensive line but the team needs more push from the outside. The Tigers were No. 101 in passing defense but should be a lot better with the experience as they are led by safety Quindell Johnson who was second on the team with 104 tackles. 2022 Season OutlookA .500 season is nothing to be upset about but Memphis missed out on a bowl game as the Hawaii Bowl was postponed due to COVID issues with the Warriors so the Tigers made the trip for naught which was disappointing for the seniors and ended a seven-game bowl run but that comes with an asterisk. Silverfield has not seen a huge drop off from previous teams but he could still use a big season to keep folks happy and keep the recruits coming in. He hopefully shored up the defense with a new defensive coordinator. The Tigers open with a pair of road games at Mississippi St. and Navy and a 1-1 result would be respectable. Memphis then has four straight home games and it should take the first three with fourth coming against Houston. Cincinnati is off the schedule and they get UCF at home. The O/U win total is set at 7.5 which is a tricky number but seven home games help the cause if they are to surpass that. 

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2022 Massachusetts Minutemen Preview

by Matt Fargo

Monday, Jul 25, 2022

Massachusetts Minutemen2021-22 Season Record 1-11 (N/A) - 4-8-0 ATS - 7-5-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 9Defense - 8OverviewSince bringing football back to Amherst in 2012, Massachusetts has never compiled a winning record and in those 10 seasons, it has won two or fewer games in half of those. The Minutemen started off in the MAC and after only four years, the ties were cut and they became an Independent where it has not been any better. Yes, there were a pair of 4-8 seasons in 2017 and 2018 but they have gone 2-26 over the last three seasons and are one of the worst programs going. Enter head coach Don Brown who is back to roam the sidelines a second time after success here as a Division II team to see if he can instill any life into a listless culture. Massachusetts was ranked No. 122 in total offense, No. 126 in scoring offense, No. 125 in total defense and No. 130 in scoring defense so it has nowhere to go but up and it should improve in all categories as it brings back 17 starters and is ranked No. 4 in the country in returning production. OffenseThe offense got better, tongue in cheek, from 2020 where is scored a total of 12 points in four games but it was still not good. There were signs of potential as the Minutemen scored 27 or more points four times but also failed to crack the touchdown mark four times as well. The good news is that the offense consistently improved over the latter half of the season and it can build on that this season with nine returning starters including quarterback Brady Olson who took most of the snaps of the five that did last season. He was not good but the experience helps and he has a solid receiving corps to throw to. The pass protection was not horrible as the offensive line surrendered only 26 sacks but the offense was not on the field that much. Still, it is a capable line that will open holes for the running game that features Ellis Merriweather, easily the offensive MVP, after rushing for 1,138 yards and five touchdowns last year. DefenseThe defense had one good game against an equally horrible Connecticut team and in the nine other games against FBS teams, allowed an unfathomable 535.9 ypg and when FCS teams Rhode Island and Maine can hang 35 points on the defense, things are bad. Like the offense, experience is all over the place which can be good or bad and in this case, it will be better and probably by a decent amount as Brown oversaw some solid defenses in his time away. The defensive line is big and with a few transfers coming into the rotation, the pass rush should get a lot better after finishing No. 128 in sacks with 11. The top two returning tacklers are back as linebackers Gerrell Johnson and Da'Shon Rice combined for 156 tackles so this will be the strength of the defense. The big area that has to improve is the secondary as they finished second to last in passing efficiency defense, allowing 24 touchdowns with just two interceptions. 2022 Season OutlookBrown compiled a 43-19 record at Massachusetts from 2004-2008 and while that was at the lower level, it is a building block. If you are a defensive coordinator at Michigan for five years from 2016-2020, you are doing something right and while this is not going to be any sort of total turnaround, things will be looking up. As an Independent, the schedule is pretty similar to past seasons as far as strength with a share of games where it should be competitive. Opening the season with four road games in their first five is not ideal but two at Temple and at Tulane provide hope along with a home game against Stony Brook. Three other games against New Mexico St., Connecticut and Arkansas St., who combined for five wins last season, are late in the season where chemistry should already be together. The O/U win total is 2.5 and the over is certainly attainable if the aforementioned areas do in fact improve. 

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2022 Maryland Terrapins Preview

by Matt Fargo

Monday, Jul 25, 2022

Maryland Terrapins2021-22 Season Record 6-6 (3-6 Big Ten East) - 5-8-0 ATS - 8-5-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 9Defense - 7OverviewSince leaving the ACC and joining the Big Ten in 2014, Maryland has yet to have a winning conference record as it has gone 19-47 including a 3-6 mark last season. Playing in the brutal East Division with the likes of Ohio St., Michigan, Michigan St. and Penn St. since its arrival has not helped matters as the Terrapins have gone 4-25 against the big four with nearly every one of those losses being blowouts. Thanks to a 3-0 nonconference record last season, Maryland went bowling for the first time since 2016 where it defeated Virginia Tech 54-10 and can carry that momentum into this season where expectations are high for the first time in a while. The Terrapins bring back 16 starters, they have a returning production ranking of No. 40 in the country and their recruiting classes over the last three years have been exceptional. Head coach Mike Locksley could be building something good here in his fourth season. OffenseAfter years with a flailing offense, Maryland stepped it up last season as it finished No. 33 in total offense and had one of the best passing games in the nation, coming it at No. 14 thanks to the breakout of quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa. He threw for 3,860 yards with a 69 percent completion rate while throwing 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. A year of great experience and success should make him even better this season and cutting down the turnovers will help. The receiving corps is loaded with Rakim Jarrett and Dontay Demus, Jr., who combined for 1,336 yards and eight touchdowns and they brought in another deep threat through the transfer portal. The one thing lacking was a running game as the Terrapins were No. 94 in the nation and lost their leading rusher but there will be improvements. The offensive line brings back all five starters and with defenses keying on the passing game, the ground game can excel. DefenseThis is where Maryland has struggled for years, especially against those big four teams, although there has been improvement in each of the last two seasons. The Terrapins were No. 93 in total defense and No. 105 in scoring defense as they could not stop teams on third down, allowing opponents to convert over 40 percent of the time, and were near the bottom in the country with only 12 takeaways. Look for both areas to improve this season despite some key losses. The defensive front was strong in the middle and will be again but the linebackers will have to step up. Ruben Hyppolite II was the fourth leading tackler last season and will lead a young group that needs to attack the ball and there were just seven forced fumbles last year. The secondary possesses two strong cornerbacks led by Jakorian Bennett and like the linebackers, help will needed in the middle as the safety spots will be young and thin early on. 2022 Season OutlookLocksley was a disaster at New Mexico where he compiled a 2-26 record and then had a 1-5 stint here as an interim coach in 2015 but after three years at Alabama, the final one as offensive coordinator, he got a second chance in College Park. It did not start great but things are taking a turn for the good and this is a very important year with so much returning production. The nonconference schedule is very gettable again this year as the Terrapins have home games against Buffalo and SMU sandwiched around a road game at Charlotte so a 3-0 start is a must and then it begins. They open Big Ten play at Michigan and at home against Michigan St. and those two games will be an indicator of how the rest will go. Back-to-back road games at Wisconsin and Penn St. and a home game against Ohio St. is a brutal late stretch. The O/U win total is 6 so taking care of business against the teams they should beat is essential for a winning record. 

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2022 CFL: Week 7 recap

by Sean Murphy

Monday, Jul 25, 2022

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have separated themselves from the rest of the pack through seven weeks of CFL action, posting a flawless 7-0 record. The East Division continues to lag but can at least boast one team with an above-.500 record in the Toronto Argonauts. Here's a quick recap of what went down over the last four days north of the border.Alouettes 40, RedBlacks 33Montreal handed Ottawa its sixth consecutive loss to open the season, torching an overmatched RedBlacks defense on Thursday night. Ottawa thought it had solved its quarterback conundrum by signing Jeremiah Masoli in the offseason but he got off to an underwhelming start before suffering a leg injury. His incumbent, Caleb Evans wasn't necessarily the problem on Thursday as he threw for 297 yards. Nor was RB William Powell, who rumbled for 79 yards on 17 carries. The big issue is the RedBlacks defense, which just can't seem to get off the field and has been prone to giving up the big play, as we saw on Thursday night. With a cluster of injuries on that side of the football, they'll need to figure things out before heading to Toronto to face a steadily-improving Argos squad this coming Sunday. Montreal gets a date with the Tiger-Cats in Hamilton on Thursday.Lions 17, Tiger-Cats 13The bye week served the Lions well as they rebounded from a lopsided 43-22 loss to the Blue Bombers with a low-scoring victory over the Ti-Cats on Thursday night. It was a stark contrast to what we had seen from B.C. earlier in the season when shootouts were the norm. RB James Butler continues to pace the Lions offense while QB Nathan Rourke has been turnover-prone, tossing exactly two interceptions in three consecutive games. The Ti-Cats are still searching for answers with a 1-5 record. Hamilton's offense simply hasn't clicked with QB Dane Evans at the helm. Of course, he hasn't gotten a lot of help from his backfield with the likes of Don Jackson and Sean Thomas-Erlington struggling to make any headway running the football. The Ti-Cats will host the Als on Thursday with just one game separating the two teams in the East Division standings while B.C. travels to face a Roughriders squad that will be eager to respond following consecutive losses against Toronto.Blue Bombers 24, Elks 10This game went almost exactly as expected with the Blue Bombers wearing out the lowly Elks on both sides of the football in a comfortable victory. Winnipeg remains undefeated on the season thanks in large part to a fierce defense that has held all seven opponents to 22 points or fewer. The Bombers offense hasn't had to be great and that's a good thing as QB Zach Collaros completed just 7-of-16 passes for 188 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in Friday's victory. RB Brady Oliveira has been terrific taking over the starting job following Andrew Harris' departure. The Elks continue to have a tough time staying competitive on a weekly basis. QB Taylor Cornelius was thrown into the fire against the Bombers, attempting 42 passes and leading the team in rushing, gaining 59 yards on 15 carries. That's obviously not a winning recipe given Cornelius' limited CFL resume. Winnipeg will travel to Calgary for a rematch with the Stampeders on Saturday while Edmonton mercifully heads into its bye week.Argonauts 31, Roughriders 21It wasn't easy, but the Argos stayed hot, dispatching of the undermanned Riders in Regina on Sunday. That game was moved back a day due to Saskatchewan's multiple Covid-related absences. The Riders still weren't close to full strength on Sunday, forced to go with QB Jake Dolegala in what was his first CFL start. Dolegala actually turned in an admirable performance, particularly in the first half as the Riders took a lead into halftime. Things came unraveled in the second half as Andrew Harris and the Argos offense imposed their will, scoring 17 unanswered fourth quarter points to secure the double-digit victory. The Argos will have a good opportunity to earn a third straight victory as they host the lowly RedBlacks on Thursday while the Riders look to pick up the pieces and snap their two-game skid at home against the Lions on Friday.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 07/25/2022

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Jul 25, 2022

The Monday sports card features MLB action.Major League Baseball has 12 games on its schedule. The Cincinnati Reds host the Miami Marlins at 6:40 PM ET. Nick Lodolo takes the ball for the Reds to pitch against Trevor Rogers for the Marlins. Cincinnati is a -125 money line favorit,e with the total set at 9. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:05 PM ET (all odds from DraftKings). Atlanta visits Philadelphia with the Braves pitching Max Fried against the Phillies’ Ranger Suarez. The Braves are a -165 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. Tampa Bay plays at Baltimore with Corey Kluber pitching for the Rays against Austin Voth for the Orioles. The Rays are a -130 money line road favorite with a total of 9.Two MLB games start at 7:10 PM ET. San Diego travels to Detroit with the Padres turning to Sean Manaea in their starting rotation to face the Tigers’ Drew Hutchison. The Padres are a -155 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. Cleveland is at Boston with Zach Plesac taking the mound for the Guardians to battle against Nick Pivetta for the Red Sox. Both teams are priced at -110 with a total of 9.5. The Chicago Cubs play at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 8:05 PM ET. The Cubs tap Adrian Sampson to pitch against the Pirates’ J.T. Brubaker. Chicago is a -145 money line favorite. Two MLB games begin at 8:10 PM ET. Milwaukee hosts Colorado on ESPN+. The Brewers won for the third straight time with their 10-9 victory in the third game of this series on Sunday. The Brewers improved their record to 53-43 with the win. The Rockies are on a four-game losing streak which has lowered their record to 43-53. Aaron Ashby pitches for Milwaukee and goes against Kyle Freeland for the Rockies. Milwaukee is a -190 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Los Angeles visits Kansas City with the Angels turning to Noah Syndergaard to pitch against the Royals’ Zack Greinke. Both teams are priced at -110 with a total of 8. Two more MLB games start at 9:40 PM ET. San Francisco travels to Arizona with Jake Junis pitching for the Giants against Tyler Gilbert for the Diamondbacks. The Giants are a -130 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Houston plays at Oakland with the Astros pitching Jake Odorizzi against the A’s Adam Oller. The Astros are a -210 money line road favorite with a total of 8. Two games begin at 10:10 PM ET to conclude the MLB card. Seattle plays at home against Texas with Chris Flexen pitching for the Mariners against Glenn Otto for the Rangers. The Mariners are a -140 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Los Angeles hosts Washington, with the Dodgers tapping Tony Gonsolin to pitch against the Nationals’ Paolo Espino. The Dodgers are a -260 money line favorite with a total of 8.5.

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2022 Marshall Thundering Herd Preview

by Matt Fargo

Sunday, Jul 24, 2022

Marshall Thundering Herd2021-22 Season Record 7-6 (5-3 C-USA East) - 6-7-0 ATS - 7-6-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 5Defense - 6OverviewConference USA is no power league but it is adequate and Marshall had great success there with nine winning records over the last 11 seasons that included nine bowl games and six wins. Instead of trying to move into a stronger conference, or even a lateral move, the Thundering Herd are headed to the Sun Belt Conference this season, arguably the worst or second worst conference in the country but if there was a year to do it, this is the one. Old Dominion and Southern Mississippi along with former FCS powerhouse James Madison also join the SBC so it will definitely be stronger this season but is it still a questionable shift. Head coach Charles Huff is in his second season with Marshall and his first one resulted in a winning record that could have been better as four of the six losses were by one possession and it outgained nine of 13 opponents but only 11 starters are back along with a No. 103 returning production ranking. OffenseThe offense was solid under Huff as they brought nine starters back including quarterback Grant Wells and while he aired it out often, he did throw 12 picks and overall, the Thundering Herd finished No. 10 in total offense and No. 26 in scoring offense. Wells is off to Virginia Tech and Marshall will likely turn to Henry Colombi who is a transfer from Texas Tech where was a decent option in limited action but threw 10 interceptions compared to 15 touchdowns and that needs to get better. He will have the leading receiver from last season at his disposal as Corey Gammage caught 78 passes for 869 yards but just two touchdowns. The offensive line was fantastic but have to replace some key pieces and some early season chemistry is a must. Despite finishing No. 71 in rushing offense, Rasheen Ali had an incredible season as he rushed for 1,401 yards with 23 touchdowns and his production can take pressure off Colombi at least early on. DefenseThe defense was not nearly as good as Marshall finished No. 73 in total defense but it kept teams out of the end zone as it allowed only 22.8 ppg which was No. 40 in the nation thanks to a killer pass efficiency unit. The Thundering Herd finished with 40 sacks which was tied for No. 15 in the country and they will have to replace a lot of those but the defensive line will be serviceable again with a pair of big transfers coming in. Koby Cumberlander was second on the team with 4.5 sacks and will once again be the top man in the middle. The linebacking corps is solidified with all three starters returning and they were sensational with 10 sacks between them and a total of 260 tackles so they know how to attack the ball. The secondary benefitted from that pass rush as they finished No. 26 in passing defense and No. 12 in passing efficiency defense and two key players have to be replaced at the safety position so it could be a small slip. 2022 Season OutlookWhile the early thought is that a move to SBC is questionable, the fact that three other teams also moved over shows that this conference is moving up and there have been some very solid programs in the past. Huff was successful in the final season in C-USA with a loaded team and as mentioned, if there was a season to move, this was probably the ideal one with a lesser roster and a schedule that is on their side. The Thundering Herd open at home against Norfolk St. and then head to Notre Dame for the first of three straight road games. A game against a much improved Bowling Green team and then their first Sun Belt game at Troy concludes the trek. Another FCS game at home against Gardner Webb concludes the nonconference slate. They play four of the top SBC teams coming up but all of those are at home, a huge bonus. The O/U win total is set at 6 and they can go over if they take care of business at home in the SBC. 

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2022 LSU Tigers Preview

by Matt Fargo

Sunday, Jul 24, 2022

LSU Tigers2021-22 Season Record 6-7 (3-5 SEC West) - 5-7-1 ATS - 6-7-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 6Defense - 5OverviewIt does not take long for the natives to become restless but that is life in the SEC. Ed Orgeron took over for Les Miles midway through the 2006 season and went 6-2 only to improve to 9-4 in 2017 to 10-3 in 2018 and then ultimately, going 15-0 with a National Championship in 2019. With hardly anyone returning in 2020, the Tigers fell to 5-5 and then not even with last season over, Orgeron was given the heave-ho and LSU had its first losing season since 1999 although he was not responsible for it as a bowl loss completed it which he was not even there for. LSU made a big hire in Brian Kelly who left a Notre Dame program that went 54-9 over his last five seasons in what was a great situation to one that is more murky. He inherits a team that has only half of its starters returning and one that still plays in the toughest conference in college football. He won big in his three previous stops but now comes his biggest challenge yet. OffenseThe LSU offense was below average as a whole last season as the Tigers were No. 87 overall and No. 77 in scoring. They had a very strong passing attack but possessed one of the worst rushing offenses in the country as they averaged a mere 109.8 ypg on 3.3 ypc, their second straight year of a dismal run game. Quarterback Max Johnson was great last season as he accounted for 27 touchdown passes and just six interceptions but he transferred to Texas A&M leaving a big hole at the position. There are solid options however with Garrett Nussmeier and Myles Brennan both having experience here and transfer Jayden Daniels who has big potential. Kayshon Boutte led the team in receiving with 509 yards despite playing less than half the season and is a legit NFL prospect. The running game needs more punch and John Emery, Jr. will be that guy to do so but will be working behind a revamped offensive line. DefenseThe bread and butter of the team for years took a massive tumble in 2020 but regrouped last season, improving by 114 ypg and eight ppg. Still, LSU was below average as it finished No. 64 in total defense and No. 59 in scoring defense but pieces are in place for another improvement. The strength of the defense last season was stopping the run as the Tigers allowed 139.2 ypg on 4.0 ypc along with a solid pass rush that finished with 38 sacks, tied for No. 23 in the nation and those will be the strengths again behind a stout defensive line. The front three is loaded as the starting trio has accumulated 18.5 sacks over the last two seasons and this group could be one of the best in the conference. The linebackers are far less experienced but defensive coordinator Matt House is a former NFL linebacker coach in the NFL so he will have them ready. Transfers will dominate the secondary with the lone holdover being safety Jay Ward. 2022 Season OutlookKelly won at Central Michigan, he won at Cincinnati and he won at Notre Dame but the question brought up the most was if he is the right hire for this program. He has no southern roots and while his first recruiting class was solid, it was the worst for LSU in four years. There will always be talent in Baton Rouge but he has never competed against strong teams like this on a consistent basis and only time will tell. LSU is ranked No. 82 in returning production so his inaugural season is a question mark, especially with this schedule. They open against Florida St. and then have three straight home games to ease into the difficult SEC slate. The four road games are all difficult against projected winning teams and the home side is no cakewalk also against four teams projected with 6.5 or more wins. The O/U total is set at 7 which is certainly attainable but it will take a lot of overachieving and some big road upsets to get to eight victories. 

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2022 Louisville Cardinals Preview

by Matt Fargo

Sunday, Jul 24, 2022

Louisville Cardinals2021-22 Season Record 6-7 (4-4 ACC Atlantic) - 6-7-0 ATS - 5-8-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 8Defense - 7OverviewLouisville has never been considered a football powerhouse but it has had its moments with five double-digit win seasons since the turn of the century but none since 2013 and only one in back-to-back years. 18 winning seasons compared to just six losing ones over the last 24 years is a very consistent run but there has been no continuity to stay at a high level for a prolonged period. The Cardinals have played in four different conferences and have made coaching changes five times over this stretch and that is difficult to get a flow going and after two straight losing seasons, head coach Scott Satterfield needs to turn it around. He has led them to two bowl games in his three years but in a not so elite ACC, this team should be more dominant. That season could be here and the decade long run of single win campaigns could be broken with 15 starters back and one of the most experienced teams in the conference and in the country. OffenseLouisville had the same scenario last season with eight starters back on offense and the Cardinals produced as they finished No. 21 in total offense and No. 39 in scoring offense and are loaded once again. Quarterback Malik Cunningham is in his third season as the full time starter and over the last two years, he has completed 63 percent of his passes for 5,351 yards with 38 touchdowns and 18 interceptions while rushing for over 1,600 yards. This could be his best one yet coming up if he can cut down those picks and gel with the new receiving core that includes a pair of incoming transfers along with Braden Smith who played only four games last season. Four starters on the offensive line are back that allowed only 20 sacks last season and helped produce the No. 20 rushing offense in the land. Cunningham was the leading rusher but Jalen Mitchell returns after rushing for 722 yards with quality depth behind him. DefenseThis is the area that Louisville needs to improve as it brings back seven starters for a second straight season after finishing No. 84 in total defense and No. 76 in scoring defense. One area that has vastly improved is the rushing defense that has gotten better in each of the last four seasons and has cut down the total yards by 120 ypg since 2018. Still, the 4.4 ypc allowed last season which was outside the top 50 needs to get better and should behind a strong front seven that includes two disruptive playmakers on each level and two players who missed a lot of time last season after great 2020 campaigns. Louisville finished with 33 sacks which was No. 45 in the country and is led by linebacker Yassir Abdullah who had 10 of those sacks to go along with 60 tackles. The passing defense was not good despite the solid pass rush but it should improve led by safety Kenderick Duncan who had 76 tackles and a slew of excellent corners. 2022 Season OutlookThis is not a make or break season for Satterfield but this is probably his best team since arriving at Louisville and playing in the loaded ACC Atlantic including Clemson, NC State and Wake Forest, all of which are projected for 8.5 or more wins, will be a challenge. Louisville is ranked No. 14 in the country in returning production so there is no reason for a breakout year and to be able to compete with the big boys. The schedule is an odd one with ACC and nonconference games spread around throughout as the Cardinals open the season with a conference game at Syracuse followed by a tough matchup at UCF. They then host Florida St. and USF before a pair of winnable road games at Boston College and Virginia. While Clemson is on the road, NC State and Wake Forest are at home. The O/U win total is 6.5 which seems low but the backend of the schedule is loaded with six teams that won at least nine games last season.  

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

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Jul 24, 2022

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

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AFC West Breakdown

by ASA, Inc.

Saturday, Jul 23, 2022

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

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2022 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Preview

by Matt Fargo

Saturday, Jul 23, 2022

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

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2022 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Preview

by Matt Fargo

Saturday, Jul 23, 2022

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

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