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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 06/29/2022

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Jun 29, 2022

The Wednesday sports card features MLB action.Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The Milwaukee Brewers travel to Tampa Bay to play the Rays at 12:10 PM ET. Eric Lauer takes the ball for the Brewers against Jalen Beeks of the Rays. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 1:05 PM ET. New York hosts Oakland with the Yankees pitching Jameson Taillon against the A’s Cole Irvin. New York is a -275 money line favorite with the total set at 8.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Washington plays Pittsburgh with Paolo Espino pitching for the Nationals against Mitch Keller of the Pirates. Washington is a -130 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Houston Astros visit New York to play the Mets at 1:10 PM ET. The Astros turn to Justin Verlander in their starting rotation against the Mets Taijuan Walker. Houston is a -125 money line road favorite with a total of 9. The Texas Rangers play at Kansas City against the Royals at 2:10 PM ET. Dane Dunning gets the ball for the Rangers against Zack Greinke of the Royals. Texas is a -125 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. The San Diego Padres are at Arizona against the Diamondbacks on FS1 at 3:40 PM ET. The Padres pitch Mike Clevinger against the Diamondbacks' Madison Bumgarner. San Diego is a -140 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The San Francisco Giants host the Detroit Tigers at 3:45 PM ET. Alex Wood takes the mound for the Giants against Rony Garcia of the Tigers. San Francisco is a -200 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Seattle Mariners are at home against the Baltimore Orioles at 4:10 PM ET. The Mariners turn to Chris Flexen to pitch against the Orioles Austin Voth. Seattle is a -145 money line favorite with a total of 8.The Atlanta Braves travel to Philadelphia to play the Phillies at 7:05 PM ET. Kyle Wright gets the start for the Braves against Ranger Suarez of the Phillies. Atlanta is a -140 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Toronto Blue Jays are at home against Boston Red Sox at 7:07 PM ET. The Blue Jays turn to Alek Manoah to pitch against the Red Sox’s Nick Pivetta. Toronto is a -165 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Cleveland Guardians host the Minnesota Twins at 7:10 PM ET. Cal Quantrill takes the hill for the Guardians against Dylan Bundy for the Twins. Cleveland is a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Miami Marlins play at St. Louis against the Cardinals at 7:45 PM ET. The Marlins have Sandy Alcantara taking the hill to pitch against the Cardinals Andre Pallante. Miami is a -130 money line road favorite with a total of 7.5. The Chicago Cubs are at home against the Cincinnati Reds at 8:05 PM ET. Justin Steele pitches for the Cubs against Hunter Greene of the Reds. Chicago is a -135 money line favorite. The Los Angeles Dodgers visit Colorado to play the Rockies at 8:40 PM ET. Julio Urias pitches for the Dodgers against German Marquez of the Rockies. Los Angeles is a -190 money line road favorite with an over/under of 11. The MLB card concludes at 9:38 PM ET with the Los Angeles Angeles Angels playing at home against the Chicago White Sox. The Angels give the ball to Shohei Ohtani against the White Sox’s Michael Kopech. Los Angeles is a -180 money line favorite with a total of 7.5.

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Using Run Differential To Predict The American League

by Power Sports

Tuesday, Jun 28, 2022

So last week we tackled the National League, using run differential as our guide for how the rest of the Major League Baseball season may go. This week, it’s time for a look at the American League.Unlike the Senior Circuit, where run differential shows a pretty clear dividing line between the top nine and bottom six, there’s a bit of a “grey area” in the AL. But we can start at the bottom and rule four teams out as possible playoff participants: Oakland, Detroit, Kansas City and Baltimore.Now given that run differential is once again the basis of this article, it may seem unfair to be ruling the Orioles (-18) out. But the AL East remains loaded and it would be a shock to just about everyone if the O’s didn’t finish last.The A’s (-112), Royals (-99) and Tigers (-97) are absolutely non-contenders by just about any measure, certainly run differential among them. The A’s and Tigers are also the two worst offensive teams in all of baseball heading into July, by a lot. The A’s and Royals have been the two worst teams to bet on this season as well.The team with the fourth worst run differential in the American League is the White Sox, which is a real surprise. The White Sox were expected to win the AL Central this year. Run differential (-52) says that’s unlikely to happen. The White Sox currently have a record of 34-38, but based on that run differential, they “should” have a record of 30-42. Only one team in baseball has exceeded its “Pythagorean Win Expectation” by a greater margin - the division rival Tigers.I suppose it’s okay to remain somewhat bullish on the White Sox relative to their run differential, but the opposite is true with Seattle (-8). The Mariners were near the top of my regression list heading into 2022 as last year they won 90 games despite a -51 run differential. Even if the M’s run differential continues to suggest they’ll remain competitive, I do not think they’ll make the playoffs. Truthfully, I don’t think there will be a second AL West team to make the playoffs. The Rangers (35-37) and Angels (36-40) are both underperforming relative to their respective run differentials, +9 and +8, but it’s hard for me to see either winning more than 85 games this year.So that leaves us with seven teams fighting for the six playoff spots. The Yankees and Astros would appear to be the two teams most likely to gain first round byes. The Yankees have been on a record-setting pace in the first half of the season and are my #1 ranked team in the power ratings. No surprise there. Entering Wednesday, the Pinstripes have outscored their opponents by 149 runs. The Dodgers (+128) are the only other team with a run differential north of +70.Houston has the AL’s second best run differential at +62. Based on that number, I think it’s smooth sailing to another division pennant.Right now, I’m thinking all three Wild Cards may go to the AL East. Behind the Yankees, you’ve got the Red Sox, Blue Jays and Rays and those teams have the third, fifth and sixth best run differentials in the AL right now. Boston had a great June and has the profile of a second-place finisher as of now. But one problem for the Red Sox (+60 run differential) is they have a pretty horrible 7-16 WL record vs. division foes. Toronto (+29) has the most one-run wins (18) in baseball. Tampa Bay (+19) with the second place finisher in the Central for the last Wild CardSpeaking of the Central, you’ve got two teams right now with positive run differentials: Minnesota (+47) and Cleveland (+11). Both have 34 losses on the year, but the Twins have six more wins and that’s a tough gap for the Guardians to make up. Run differential says they won’t do it, but it’s worth noting Cleveland had the better RD of the two teams about a week ago. 

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2022 Boston College Eagles Preview

by Matt Fargo

Tuesday, Jun 28, 2022

Boston College Eagles2021-22 Season Record 6-6 (2-6 ACC Atlantic) - 6-6-0 ATS - 3-9-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 6Defense - 8OverviewBoston College has been very consistent over the last decade but it has been consistently mediocre. The Eagles have won six or seven games in eight of the last nine seasons, the other being a 3-9 campaign in 2015, so they have been competitive but have been unable to get over the hump. Boston College went to four straight bowl games, although one was cancelled midgame in 2018 due to weather but it has gone two straight years without going to the postseason. Head coach Jeff Hafley has gone 12-11 in his two seasons and this could be the one he gets the Eagles to the postseason. They have been the epitome of the entire ACC, average, and for that to change, they need to get their running game back to its normal standards after a pair of below than typical seasons and they will rely on a strong defense to be even more relevant in the tough ACC Atlantic Division. OffenseThe offense was bad last season as Boston College was ranked No. 104 in overall and No. 93 in points scored which was disappointing as it returned nine starters and a lot of that was based on the injuries to quarterback Phil Jurkovec who played in only six games. He is back and if his spring performance is any indication, he is ready to turn the offense around. He gets three of the top four receivers back including Zay Flowers who can be special and if Jurkovec can stay healthy, the passing game can flourish. Running back Pat Garwo surpassed 1,000 yards last season and will look to become just the 18th 2,000-yard rusher in school history but it will have to be accomplished with basically a brand new offensive line. The Eagles have to replace four starters, all which went to the NFL, and that is not a good sign based on what has taken place in the running game recently. DefenseThis is where the Eagles will dominate, or at least should, and it will come down to the defensive line to get pressure to the quarterback and improve against the run after finishing No. 92 last season, allowing 170.8 ypg. The Eagles had only 20 sacks last season and to put that into perspective, the top sack team in 2021 had 57, so this aspect has to improve which will give the passing defense even more opportunities to shine. Boston College finished No. 3 in the country in passing defense, allowing just 173.5 ypg and if it can increase the 10 interceptions from a year ago, they can lead the ACC once again. The secondary is loaded, led by safely Jaiden Woodbey, as they have four seniors who have a ton of experience and the linebacking corps provides a strong back seven. Staying healthy is key with a lack of depth as the nine backups are either freshmen or sophomores. 2022 Season OutlookIt is pretty simple what needs to come together for Boston College to surpass seven wins for the first time since 2009. The line of scrimmage has to improve on both sides and they have to avoid injuries and while the latter is unpredictable, that is the case for all teams with little depth. Boston College started 4-0 last season but it was a very easy non-conference schedule where they were favored in all four games and that will not be the case this year. The Eagles open with a home game against Rutgers and then two of the next three games are in the ACC and on the road at Florida St. and Virginia Tech, both of which have the same win totals as the Eagles but the road is never easy. The other two ACC road games are rough and they also have Notre Dame in South Bend but should claim a victory at Connecticut. 6.5 wins is the O/U total and the over will take two road upsets. 

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2022 Boise St. Broncos Preview

by Matt Fargo

Tuesday, Jun 28, 2022

Boise St. Broncos2021-22 Season Record 7-5 (5-3 MWC Mountain) - 7-5-0 ATS - 3-9-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 8Defense - 9OverviewSaying last season was a disappointment for Boise St. would be an understatement. The Broncos five losses were the most since 2013 and tied for third most in the history of the program while the seven victories were the fewest since 1998, not counting the reduced schedule in 2020 because of COVID. It was the first season for head coach Andy Avalos and while he is not on the hot seat quite yet, a team that returned 17 starters in 2021 definitely underachieved even though both offense and defense improved from the 5-2 2020 season. Boise St. again returns 17 starters, one fewer on offense and one more on defense from the previous campaign so expectations are high once again. The Broncos did not go bowling last season which was due to COVID but they will be back in the postseason barring something inexplicable as they are the favorites to win the MWC. OffenseThe offense starts with quarterback Hank Bachmeier who is in his third season as the full time starter and he has been above average but not spectacular and this is the year for a breakout. That obviously not only helps the passing attack but opens up the running game which averaged only 124.2 ypg, which was No. 110 in the country, on a dismal 3.3 ypc. Leading rusher George Holani gained only 569 yards and scored just one touchdown but he did so on a solid 4.8 ypc so he needs more opportunities and a better performance from the offensive line that had a really down year. Bachmeier will need to find a new go to receiver as Khalil Shakir and his 1,117 receiving yards has moved on to the NFL and in total, of the eight players that had at least 100 receiving yards, only three are back with the leading returner being Stefan Cobbs and his 421 yards so there is work to be done. DefenseThe defensive numbers were close to identical to those in 2020 and neither were great. The Broncos finished No. 45 in total defense which is respectable but they need to get better and with nine starters back, that should happen. The strength is in the secondary where all four starters are back and the 13 interceptions was tied for No. 33 in the nation and while that is an arbitrary number to predict going forward, the back four should be even better. The front seven is formidable but Boise St. did lose linebacker Riley Whimpey who was second on the team in tackles yet almost everyone else is back with 10 of the top 12 tacklers returning. The rushing defense was below average as they allowed 157.5 ypg which was No. 75 so that needs to improve as does getting to the quarterback as Boise St. registered 29 sacks which was outside the top 50 in the country. 2022 Season OutlookFor a program that has one of the best winning percentages over the past two decades, another season similar to 2021 will not go over well. The pressure is on Avalos even though last year he can be given a mulligan in his first season as a head coach at this level and this will be his sixth season within the program with a year at Oregon as defensive coordinator mixed in. The Broncos were good at some intangibles last season including red zone offense and defense, penalty differential and turnover margin and if both units perform up to their capabilities, those should remain stable. The schedule is in their favor which helps as three of the four toughest conference games are at home and the only non-conference test is also at home. The O/U win total is 9.5 which seems high but with so much coming back, a 10-win season is a likely outcome if they can avoid any bad hiccups. 

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2022 NBA Draft Winners and Losers

by ASA, Inc.

Tuesday, Jun 28, 2022

Winners  Spurs: With three first round picks, San Antonio took three freshman who all ooze talent and will benefit from some of the best coaching in the NBA. Jeremy Sochan (6’9) has the versatility that is so vital in todays game, being able to guard multiple positions while still having the offensive ability to fill up the stat sheet. Malaki Branham (6’5) at pick 20 also brings a consistent scoring option. He shined down the stretch for Ohio State, averaging 20.2 points over his last 10 conference games in a loaded Big 10 conference. The Spurs finished out their first round with Blake Wesley (6’4) at pick 25. The Notre Dame guard was 2nd team All-ACC and helped the Irish get into the NCAA tournament and win 2 games. Rockets: Jabari Smith (6’10) fell to pick number 3 and the Rockets were more than happy to capitalize. The Auburn forward could easily turn out as the best player in this draft and have Orlando and Oklahoma City regretting their decisions. Houston also added Tari Eason (6’8) with the 17th overall pick adding more much needed length and defensive prowess. These two draft picks paired with the shooting guard duo of Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. is a sturdy base for the Rockets to improve quickly.    Losers Thunder: It seems like everyone has their take on Chet Holmgren, and whether he will have success in the best league in the world. Big men do not have the impact on the game that they once did, and Holmgren does not yet posses the strength to justify a number 2 overall selection. He has time to develop a bigger frame similar to the way Giannis did, but Holmgren’s skillset is much different. The Gonzaga big man will struggle to score on the inside in the NBA and we do not see him developing into an Embiid or Jokic. Oklahoma City took Ousmane Dieng with their second first round selection at 11 overall. Dieng played for the New Zealand Breakers and only averaged 8.9 ppg on 39% shooting. The Thunder then immediately reached for Jalen Williams from Santa Clara right after at the 12 spot. All three players have promise but the value of these three players as top 12 picks feels like it could have been better used.  Knicks: By trading away Kemba Walker, the number 11 pick, and multiple second round picks, it does open up plenty of cap space for future free agent. The only bad new is that New York did basically nothing to improve their current roster with so much talent available on draft night. Free agents have not flocked to the Knicks in the past and may not be enticed again this year. Jalen Brunson is a key target for them, and if that falls through, New York will remain in the depths in the East. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 06/28/2022

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Jun 28, 2022

The Tuesday sports card features MLB action.Major League Baseball has 16 games on its schedule. The Minnesota Twins visit Cleveland to play the Guardians in the opening game of their doubleheader at 1:10 PM ET. Devin Smeltzer takes the ball for the Twins to face off against Zack Plesac of the Guardians. Three MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:05 PM ET. New York hosts Oakland with the Yankees giving a spot start to J.P. Sears against the A’s Frankie Montas. The Yankees are a -190 money line favorite with the total set at 7.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Philadelphia is at home against Atlanta with Zack Wheeler pitching for the Phillies against Charlie Morton for the Braves. The Phillies are a -125 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Washington is at home against Pittsburgh with the Nationals turning to Patrick Corbin in their starting rotation against the Pirates Jose Quintana. Washington is a -125 money line favorite with a total of 9. The Toronto Blue Jays play at home against the Boston Red Sox at 7:07 PM ET. Ross Stripling takes the hill for the Blue Jays against Michael Wacha of the Red Sox. Toronto is a -135 money line favorite with an over/under of 10.Three MLB games start at 7:10 PM ET. The Guardians pitch Konnor Pilkington against Josh Winder of the Twins in the second game of their doubleheader. Tampa Bay hosts Milwaukee on TBS with the Rays pitching Shane Baz versus the Brewers Brandon Woodruff. The Rays are a -120 money line favorite with a total of 7. Houston travels to New York with Framber Valdez pitching for the Astros against Carlos Carrasco for the Mets. The Astros are a -120 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.The St. Louis Cardinals are at home against the Miami Marlins at 7:45 PM ET. The Cardinals pitch Dakota Hudson against the Marlins Braxton Garrett. St. Louis is a -150 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Cincinnati Reds visit Chicago to play the Cubs at 8:05 PM ET. Luis Castillo takes the mound for the Reds against Keegan Thompson of the Cubs. Both teams are priced at -110. The Texas Rangers play at Kansas City against the Royals at 8:10 PM ET. The Rangers turn to Jon Gray to pitch against the Royals' Jonathan Heasley. Texas is a -150 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. The Los Angeles Dodgers travel to Colorado to play the Rockies at 8:40 PM ET. Clayton Kershaw pitches for the Dodgers against Kyle Freeland of the Rockies. Los Angeles is a -210 money line favorite with a total of 11.5. The Chicago White Sox play in Los Angeles against the Angels at 9:38 PM ET. The White Sox pitch Johnny Cueto against a starting pitcher yet to be determined for the Angels. The San Diego Padres are at Arizona against the Diamondbacks at 9:40 PM ET. Sean Manaea pitches for the Padres against Zac Gallen of the Diamondbacks. San Diego is a -120 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The San Francisco Giants host the Detroit Tigers at 9:40 PM ET. The Giants pitch Carlos Rodon against the Tigers Tarik Skubal. San Francisco is a -200 money line favorite with a total of 7. The Seattle Mariners are at home against the Baltimore Orioles at 10:10 PM ET. Robbie Ray pitches for the Mariners against Dean Kremer of the Orioles. Seattle is a -180 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5.

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2022 Baylor Bears Preview

by Matt Fargo

Monday, Jun 27, 2022

Baylor Bears2021-22 Season Record 12-2 (7-2 Big 12) - 10-4-0 ATS - 6-8-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 6Defense - 6OverviewIt has been a roller coaster of late for Baylor as after seven straight winning seasons, including four years of double-digit victories, the Bears have won 1, 7, 11, 2 and 12 games the last five seasons. The 12 wins last season were the most in program history which included a Big 12 Championship and a Sugar Bowl win over Mississippi. Additionally, their No. 5 finish in the final AP Poll was the highest ever. They had 17 starters back last season including 10 on defense that showed huge improvements but it will be a challenge to replicate that in 2022. In their favor however is that the Big 12 is in kind of a down year with the typical big guns going through some issues and head coach Dave Aranda showed what he can do in what was a loaded conference in 2021. 12 wins again are a stretch, and even double-digit victories will be too much to ask but Baylor is still a tough out. OffenseThe Baylor offense improved immensely from the previous season, averaging 111 more ypg while putting up nine more ppg, and it was perfectly balanced by averaging over 200 yards in both rushing and passing. The problem is that the top playmakers are all gone and while the Bears are not starting from scratch, they will need players to step up. Quarterback Blake Shapen has already won the starting job after playing well in a reserve role last season, completing 72 percent of his passes and throwing five touchdowns and no interceptions. Unfortunately, he lost three receivers that combined for 1,862 yards but Gavin Holmes is back after missing last season with an injury. Leading rusher Abram Smith and backup Trestan Ebner and their 2,192 yards are also gone but there is some experience coming back that will be running behind a great offensive line that should excel again. DefenseThere are a lot of holes to fill on the defense which finished No. 7 in the country in takeaways with 28. This included 19 interceptions, which was fourth most in the nation, but three starters in the secondary have to be replaced so we should see a regression with the turnovers gained. The pass happy Big 12 opponents could have even better success as Baylor allowed 227.5 ypg through the air last season which was No. 65 overall. It will be up to the front seven to cause havoc and that is something they are very capable of led by nose tackle Siaki Ika and edge rusher Gabe Hall to anchor the defensive line. Add in linebacker Dillon Doyle, who was second on the team in tackles with 89, and there is plenty to work around to keep the unit relevant and keep the defensive rushing averages strong again. Of the 41 sacks last season, players with 26 of those are back. 2022 Season OutlookExpectations are high in Waco after the magical season a year ago and while things will be good, we should not expect great. Baylor opens the season with games against cupcakes Albany and Texas St. sandwiched around a tough game at BYU so a 2-1 non-conference record is likely. Then it gets tough as the conference schedule is not in their favor as five of the nine games are on the road and none are going to be cakewalks. The five games are against teams that were a combined 23-9 at home including games at Oklahoma and Texas late in the season which is not good timing as those two could have their acts together come November. One of the four home games is against a tough Oklahoma St. team. The O/U win total is at 7.5 so linesmakers are not seeing anything close to replicate last season and unless there is a big road upset, the under is looking like the play. 

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2022 Ball St. Cardinals Preview

by Matt Fargo

Monday, Jun 27, 2022

Ball St. Cardinals2021-22 Season Record 6-7 (4-4 MAC West) - 4-8-1 ATS - 4-9-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 6Defense - 5OverviewAfter six straight losing seasons, Ball St. has made it to two straight bowl games and while it finished 6-7 last season, it does have something to build on. The Cardinals finished No. 23 in the final AP Poll in 2020 which was the first time in program history that they have finished in the final top 25 poll, albeit being a COVID-shortened season. That likely saved the job of head coach Mike Neu who compiled a 15-33 record in his first four seasons and the hope is to keep moving forward. The issue this season is experience as Ball St. had 10 starters back on both sides of the ball last season and it has only 11 in total back this year but this might not be as bad as it seems. The Cardinals were outgained in 12 of 13 games last season as they were hit hard by injuries so the resiliency they showed by even making it to a bowl game was a positive. Now they have to develop a young group to make it three straight. OffenseThe offense dropped off last season as the Cardinals averaged just 338.3 ypg and 24.1 ppg, No. 110 and No. 94 in the country respectively, as they scored 20 points or fewer in seven of their games. The offensive line was hit hard by those injuries and it shows how much the front five matters and now they do have some experience with all of the players getting time last year. John Paddock takes over at quarterback and while he does not have much game experience, he is a four-year senior that knows the system well. With a revamped offensive line and the two top running backs from last year in Carson Steele and Will Jones behind him, he can ease into the starting role. Two of the top three receivers are back so the parts are definitely in place all around to improve the unit as a whole but getting back to its 2020 offensive yardage average of 448 ypg could be a bit of a stretch. DefenseThe defense has been consistent over the last three seasons, allowing between 420 and 430 ypg, but those averages are not good ranking in the bottom third in the nation while playing in a weak conference like the MAC. The Cardinals graduated seven of their top eight tacklers so that is a big hit but a change in personnel could be good. Ball St. was solid against the run as it allowed 3.9 ypc but did give up 211 or more rushing yards in six of 13 games and this is a very undersized defensive line that could have issues plugging holes. The linebackers are in decent shape on the second level and will have to help out the secondary that finished No. 86 in passing efficiency defense. Ball St. averaged only 4.2 tackles for loss which was No. 121 in the country so it needs a bigger push but it will look to build on its 19 takeaways from last season which was a respectable No. 45. 2022 Season OutlookThis season can go either way as the overall production was lacking last year but making it to a bowl game gave the Cardinals extra practice time which helps a young team going forward. Ball St. opens the season at Tennessee as over a four-touchdown underdog but that is the only difficult non-conference game as it has Murray St. and Connecticut at home and a game at Georgia Southern which could be an early swing game. After Tennessee, the Cardinals open the MAC slate with a home game against a solid Western Michigan team and overall, three of the first four conference games are at home which means they close the season with three of four on the road, all three against winning teams from last season. 5.5 is the O/U win total and at first glance, six winnable games are on the schedule but it will likely take a couple of upsets along the way to go bowling again. 

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2022 CFL: Week 3 recap

by Sean Murphy

Monday, Jun 27, 2022

The West Division continued its early dominance over the East, winning three of four matchups in Week 3. Here's a look around the league as we glance ahead to Week 4 action which kicks off with the Lions vs. RedBlacks on Thursday.Montreal 37, Saskatchewan 13The Riders seemingly got caught looking past the undermanned Alouettes, who were without their three top offensive weapons in QB Vernon Adams Jr., RB William Stanback and WR Jake Weineke. Montreal took advantage of a sloppy performance from the Saskatchewan offense as Rider quarterbacks combined to complete just 19-of-37 passes with three interceptions. Despite starting the season with two losses in its first three games, Montreal is tied with Toronto atop the East Division standings. Saskatchewan sits third in the West and will get a quick opportunity for revenge, hosting the Alouettes this coming Saturday. Blue Bombers 26, Tiger-Cats 12We missed with the 'over' in this game as Hamilton moved the football but struggled to find the end zone, settling for four field goals in a lopsided defeat. Having dropped three consecutive games, the Tiger-Cats need to find some semblance of offensive balance as they've bombed away for 51 and 42 pass attempts in their last two contests. The two-time defending Grey Cup champion Blue Bombers are now 3-0 on the campaign and will have an extra few days of preparation before travelling to Toronto to face the Argonauts on Monday, July 4th. RB Brady Oliveira has done a nice job picking up the slack in the backfield following Andrew Harris' departure, rushing for 104 yards and a touchdown on 29 attempts, while adding three catches for 27 yards over the last two games.Stampeders 30, Elks 23Most expected the Stampeders to trample the lowly Elks in this year's first instalment of the 'Battle of Alberta'. It didn't play out that way, however, as the Stamps were unable to pull away until a touchdown inside the final three minutes of the fourth quarter (Calgary actually trailed the game from 5:17 into the first quarter until 0:38 remaining in the third quarter). Calgary QB Bo Levi Mitchell has rounded back into form following an injury-plagued 2021 season, racking up 634 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception over the last two games. Elks QB Nick Arbuckle has managed to throw for just two touchdowns while tossing six interceptions through three games. These two teams will meet again in Edmonton on July 7th.Lions 44, Argos 3The fact that B.C. is off to a 2-0 start isn't a major surprise given it has had the benefit of playing its first two games at home. Few could have envisioned the re-tooled Lions offense scoring 103 points through its first two contests, however. B.C. QB Nathan Rourke turned in a performance for the ages against a good Argos defense, completing 39-of-45 passes for 436 yards and four touchdowns. It was a demoralizing effort for Toronto given it did have the services of RB Andrew Harris after his status was in doubt due to injury leading up to the game. B.C. will head out-of-division for the first time this season in Week 3 as it travels to face winless Ottawa on Thursday.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 06/27/2022

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Jun 27, 2022

The Monday sports card features MLB action.Major League Baseball has nine games on its schedule. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:05 PM ET. The Washington Nationals host the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Nationals won for the fourth time in their last five games with their 6-4 victory at Texas against the Rangers yesterday. The win improved their record to 27-48 on the season. The Pirates lost for the third straight time in a 4-2 loss in Tampa Bay to the Rays on Sunday. They have a 29-43 record. Erick Fedde takes the mound for Washington against a starting pitcher yet to be named for Pittsburgh. The New York Yankees play at home against the Oakland A’s. The Yankees ended a two-game losing streak with their 6-3 victory in ten innings at home against Houston yesterday. The Bronx Bombers raised their record to 53-20 with the win. The A’s are on a two-game winning streak after beating Kansas City on the road on Sunday, 5-3, to improve to 25-49 on the year. New York turns to Jordan Montgomery in their starting rotation to battle against the A’s Paul Blackburn. The Yankees are a -275 money line favorite with the total set at 8.5 (all odds from DraftKings). The Boston Red Sox travel to Toronto to play the Blue Jays at 7:07 PM ET. The Red Sox are on a seven-game winning streak after an 8-3 victory in Cleveland yesterday. They begin the week with a 42-31 record. The Blue Jays lost for the fourth time in their last six games after a 10-3 loss in Milwaukee on Sunday. Their record dropped to 40-32 with the setback. Connor Seabold is set to make his debut this season pitching for Boston against Kevin Gausman for Toronto. The Minnesota Twins visit Cleveland to play the Guardians at 7:10 PM ET. The Twins won for the third time in their last four games yesterday with their 6-3 victory at home against Colorado. They take a 41-33 record into this series. The Guardians are on a four-game losing streak after their loss to the Red Sox on Sunday. Minnesota has Sonny Gray taking the mound against Triston McKenzie for Cleveland. The Twins are a -120 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The St. Louis Cardinals play at home against the Miami Marlins at 7:45 PM ET. The Cardinals lost their third game in their last four in a 6-5 loss at home to the Chicago Cubs in 10 innings yesterday. Their record fell to 41-34 with the setback. The Marlins ended a two-game losing streak with a 3-2 win at home against the New York Mets on Sunday. They improved their record to 33-38. Adam Wainwright takes the hill for the Cardinals against Pablo Lopez for Miami. St. Louis is a -140 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. The Texas Rangers hit the road to play the Royals in Kansas City at 8:10 PM ET. The Rangers lost their second game in their last three games after their loss to Washington yesterday. Their record fell to 34-37 with the defeat. The Royals lost for the third time in their last four games in their 5-3 loss against Oakland on Sunday. They have a 26-45 record. Texas turns to Martin Perez as their starting pitcher against the A’s Kris Bubic. The Rangers are a -125 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers travel to Colorado to play the Rockies at 8:40 PM ET. The Dodgers beat Atlanta on the road last night, 5-3, in ten innings to raise their record to 45-26. The Rockies lost for the fifth time in their last six games with their 6-3 loss at Minnesota on Sunday. Their record dropped to 31-42 with the setback. Tyler Anderson takes the ball for Los Angeles as he faces Chad Kuhl pitching for Colorado. The Dodgers are a -190 money line road favorite with a total of 11.5. The Los Angeles Angels are at home against the Chicago White Sox at 9:38 PM ET. The Angels beat Seattle, 2-1, yesterday to improve their record to 35-40. The White Sox ended a four-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory at home against Baltimore on Sunday. Los Angeles pitches Noah Syndergaard against Chicago’s Lucas Giolito. The Angels are a -130 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Monday card concludes at 10:10 PM ET with the Seattle Mariners hosting the Baltimore Orioles. The Mariners' loss against the Angels yesterday dropped their record to 34-40. The Orioles’ four-game winning streak ended with their loss on the road to the White Sox on Sunday. George Kirby takes the hill for Seattle against Tyler Wells for Baltimore. The Mariners are a -150 money line favorite with a total of 7.5.

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CFL: West Is The Best

by Ben Burns

Sunday, Jun 26, 2022

As we head towards Canada Day, the majority of the teams have played three games. That's provided us with some insight into which ones are likely to contend this season and which ones aren't. Let's quickly get caught up to speed.West Is The BestIt's still early but so far teams from the Western Conference have been much better than teams from the East. Four of the five teams out West have winning records. Three of them are undefeated. Overall, the Western Conference teams have a combined 10-4 record. Throw out 0-3 Edmonton and they'd be 10-1. On the other hand, none of the four Eastern teams have a winning record. They're a combined 2-8, thus far. Three-Peat?The Winnipeg Blue Bombers won the Grey Cup in 2019. In 2020, there was no season. In 2021, the Bombers repeated as champions. Off a blowout of Hamilton, the team which they faced in last year's final, the Bombers are off to 3-0 start. Winnipeg fans are starting to talk dynasty.Grey Cup HangoverHamilton was so close to winning it all last year. However, since falling short in last season's big game, the Ti-Cats are 0-3 to start the new campaign. There's a long way to go but clearly this wasn't the start they were hoping for. A Canada Day home game vs. 0-3 Edmonton should be just what the doctor needed. Surprise TeamThe BC Lions have only played two games. They've sure looked good in winning them both though. They beat Edmonton 59-15 in their opener and followed it up by blowing out Toronto 44-3 last time out. Fans in Vancouver are starving for a winner. This week's game vs. Ottawa, which comes on a short week, should tell us a lot. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NHL and MLB Previews and Odds - 06/26/2022

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Jun 26, 2022

The Sunday sports card features NHL and MLB action.The National Hockey League playoffs continue with Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals, with the Colorado Avalanche traveling to Tampa Bay to play the Lightning on ABC at 8:15 PM ET. Tampa Bay forced a sixth game in this series with a 3-2 victory on the road in Colorado on Friday. The Avalanche still hold a 3-2 series lead. Colorado is a -115 money line road favorite with the total set at 6 (all odds from DraftKings).Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The New York Mets visit Miami to play the Marlins on Peacock at 12:05 PM ET. David Peterson takes the ball for the Mets against Daniel Castrano of the Marlins. New York is a -145 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The New York Yankees are at home against the Houston Astros at 1:35 PM ET. The Yankees turn to Nestor Cortes in their starting rotation to pitch against the Astros Jose Urquidy. New York is a -165 money line favorite with a total of 9. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 1:40 PM ET. Tampa Bay hosts Pittsburgh with Shane McClanahan pitching for the Rays against Roansy Contreras of the Pirates. Tampa Bay is a -215 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. Boston travels to Cleveland with the Red Sox using Rich Hill as their starting pitcher against the Guardians Aaron Civale. Boston is a -115 money line road favorite with a total of 9.5.Four MLB games start at 2:10 PM ET. Minnesota plays at home against Colorado, with Joe Ryan taking the ball for the Twins against Ryan Feltner of the Rockies. Minnesota is a -210 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Toronto visits Milwaukee with the Blue Jays pitching Jose Berrios against the Brewers Chi Chi Gonzalez. Toronto is a -150 money line road favorite with a total of 9.5. Kansas City hosts Oakland with Brady Singer next in the Royals starting rotation against James Kaprielian of the A’s. Kansas City is a -165 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Chicago is at home against Baltimore, with the White Sox pitching Dylan Cease against the Orioles Jordan Lyles. Chicago is a -205 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. The St. Louis Cardinals are at home against the Chicago Cubs at 2:15 PM ET. Jack Flaherty takes the mound for the Cardinals against Alec Mills of the Cubs. St. Louis is a -175 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Texas Rangers host the Washington Nationals at 2:35 PM ET. The Rangers turns to Glenn Otto in their starting rotation against the Nationals Jackson Tetreault. Texas is a -155 money line favorite with a total of 9.5. The San Francisco Giants play at home against the Cincinnati Reds at 4:05 PM ET. Anthony DeSclafani is on the hill for the Giants against Tyler Mahle of the Reds. San Francisco is a -150 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Seattle Mariners travel to Los Angeles to play the Angels at 4:07 PM ET. The Mariners pitch Marco Gonzales against the Angels Jose Suarez. Two MLB games begin at 4:10 PM ET. San Diego hosts Philadelphia with Yu Darvish taking the mound for the Padres against Kyle Gibson of the Phillies. San Diego is a -155 money line favorite with a total of 8. Detroit plays at Arizona with the Tigers turning to Beau Brieske against the Diamondbacks Dallas Keuchel. Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN and ESPN2 has the Los Angeles Dodgers playing in Atlanta against the Braves at 7:08 PM ET. The Dodgers pitch Tony Gonsolin against the Braves Spencer Strider. Los Angeles is a -120 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. 

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