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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, MLB, Euro 2020 and Copa America Previews and Odds - 06/14/2021

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Jun 14, 2021

The Monday sports card features games in the NBA, NHL, MLB, Euro 2020, and the Copa America.Two games are on the NBA playoff docket. Philadelphia visits Atlanta on TNT at 7:35 PM ET. The 76ers took a 2-1 lead in this series with their 127-111 victory at Atlanta as a 1.5-point road favorite on Friday. The Hawks have lost the last two games of this series after taking Game 1, 127-111. Philadelphia is a 3-point road favorite with the total of 225.5. The Los Angeles Clippers host Utah on TNT at 10:05 PM ET. The Clippers come off a 132-106 victory at home against the Jazz as a 4.5-point home favorite on Saturday. Utah had won six straight games before that loss. Los Angeles is a 4.5-point favorite with an over/under of 223.5. Vegas hosts Montreal in the opening game of their semifinals series on the NBC Sports Network at 9:08 PM ET. The Golden Knights won four games in a row to defeat Colorado in six games in the West Division final. The Canadiens have won seven in a row after their four-game sweep of Winnipeg in the North Division finals. Vegas is a -267 money line favorite with a total of 5.5.Thirteen games are on the MLB slate. Washington visits Pittsburgh at 7:05 PM ET as a -118 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Boston plays at home against Toronto at 7:10 PM ET as a -119 money line favorite with a total of 10. Baltimore visits Cleveland. The New York Mets play at home against the Chicago Cubs as a -107 money line favorite with a total of 9. The Chicago White Sox play at home against Tampa Bay at 8:10 PM ET as a -105 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Milwaukee hosts Cincinnati as a -143 money line favorite with a total of 9. Kansas City is a -131 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. St. Louis is at home against Miami at 8:15 PM ET as a -155 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. San Diego plays at Colorado at 8:40 PM ET as a -151 money line road favorite with an over/under of 11.5. Oakland hosts the Los Angeles Angels at 9:40 PM ET as a -154 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Arizona travels to San Francisco at 9:45 PM ET. Minnesota plays at Seattle at 10:10 PM ET as a -123 money line road favorite of 8. The Los Angeles Dodgers are at home against the Phillies as a -171 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.Three games take place in the Euro 2020 on ESPN. The Czech Republic plays Scotland in a pick ‘em matchup at 9 AM ET. Poland is a -0.5 goal lime favorite against Slovakia with the total at 2. Spain plays Sweden as a -1.25 goal line favorite as a 1.25 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.25. The Copa America begins the second day of their tournament with two matches. Argentina plays in Rio De Janeiro against Chile as a -0.75 goal line favorite with a total of 2.25. Paraguay plays against Bolivia as a -1.25 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.25. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NHL, NBA, WNBA, Euro 2020 and MLB Previews and Odds - 06/13/2021

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Jun 13, 2021

The Sunday sports card features games in the NBA, NHL, MLB, WNBA, and Euro 2020.Two games are on the NBA playoff docket. Brooklyn plays at Milwaukee on ABC at 3:05 PM ET in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series. The Bucks won their first game in this series with their 86-83 victory against the Nets as a 3.5-point favorite on Thursday. The Nets had their four-game winning streak end with the loss. Brooklyn is a 2-point road favorite, with the total set at 228 (all odds from BetOnline). Phoenix visits Denver on TNT at 8:05 PM ET in Game 4 of their Western Conference semifinals series. The Suns took a 3-0 series lead with their 116-102 upset victory on the road as a 2-point underdog on Friday. The Nuggets have lost four of their last six games. Phoenix is a 3.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 222.The semifinals of the NHL playoffs begin with Tampa Bay hosting the New York Islanders on NBC at 3:08 PM ET. The Lightning advanced to the final four by defeating Carolina in five games with their 2-0 victory on the road last Tuesday. The Islanders have won three in a row after defeating Boston in six games with their 6-2 victory at home last Wednesday. Tampa Bay is a -188 money line favorite with a total of 5.5.Fifteen games are on the MLB slate. Philadelphia plays at home against the New York Yankees at 1:05 PM ET as a -124 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. San Francisco visits Washington. San Diego is at New York against the Mets at 1:10 PM ET as a -122 money line road favorite with a total of 8. Cleveland plays at home against Seattle as a -229 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Toronto travels to Boston as a -120 money line road favorite with a total of 10. Miami is at home against Atlanta as a -128 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Cincinnati hosts Colorado as a -150 money line favorite with a total of 9.5. The Chicago White Sox visits Detroit. Baltimore plays at Tampa Bay. Milwaukee is at home against Pittsburgh at 2:10 PM ET as a -200 money line favorite with a total of 9. Houston visits Minnesota as a -140 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Oakland hosts Kansas City at 4:07 PM ET as a -181 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Los Angeles Angels play at Arizona at 4:10 PM ET as a -126 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers are at home against Texas as a -250 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. The Chicago Cubs play at home agent St. Louis on ESPN at 7:08 PM ET. The Cubs are a -135 money line favorite. Three games are on the Euro 2020 schedule. Croatia plays England at Wembley Stadium in London on ESPN at 9 AM ET. England is a -0.75 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.25. North Macedonia faces Austria at the National Arena in Bucharest, Romania, on ESPN at noon ET. Austria is a -0.75 goal line favorite with a total of 2.25. Ukraine plays the Netherlands at Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam on ESPN at 3 PM ET. The Dutch are a -1 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.25.Four games take place in the WNBA. Seattle visits Connecticut at 2 PM ET. Washington plays at Atlanta at 3:30 PM ET. Dallas travels to Las Vegas at 6 PM ET. New York is at Phoenix at 6 PM ET.

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Euro 2020 Group D Preview: England, Croatia, Czech Republic, Scotland

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Jun 12, 2021

Euro 2020 Group D Preview: England, Croatia, Czech Republic, Scotland.Group D of the Euro 2020 features two teams that battled in the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup and two other teams quite familiar with group host England. England is the favorite to win the group with a roster that is an embarrassment of riches. The Three Lions reached the knockout stage in the 2016 Euro before advancing to the semifinals of the World Cup two years later where they lost to Croatia. Tottenham forward Harry Kane will lead the attack with Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, Manchester City’s Phil Foden, Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish, and Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho all viable options for manager Gareth Southgate to join him up top. Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson and Chelsea’s Mason Mount are locked in the midfield. Man United’s Harry Maguire and Man City’s John Stones form the foundation of the backline at center back. FIFA ranks England as 4th in the world. The ELO ratings place them 7th. DraftKings lists the Three Lions to win the tournament at +650.Croatia lost to France in the 2018 World Cup finals after defeating England in the semifinals. That accomplishment peaked a golden generation as midfielder Ivan Rakitic, forward Mario Mandzukic, and keeper Daniel Subasic have since retired from international play. The Chequered Ones were wobbly in their Euro qualifying matches before eventually getting the job done. They did not perform well in their UEFA Nations League matches, but they were in a stacked group that included France, Portugal, and Sweden.An aging roster still has elite talent at the top of their games. 35-year-old Luka Modric continues to star in the Real Madrid midfield. 32-year-old midfielder Ivan Perisic played a vital role in Inter Milan’s winning Serie A this year. He was teammates with Marcelo Brozovic, who will play in a stacked midfield. Chelsea’s Mateo Kovacic adds additional flair to the middle of the field for the Croatians. FIFA ranks Croatia 14th in the world. The ELO ratings place them 18th. DraftKings lists the Chequered Ones at +4000 to win this event. The Czech Republic has a rich history at Euros with a second-place finish in 1998, a semifinals result in 2004, and a quarterfinals appearance in 2012. The National Side did not advance out of the group stage in the 2016 Euro before failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. The Czechs qualified for this tournament by finishing in second place to England in their group. They defeated the Three Lions, 2-1, on their home soil. A 1-1 draw with Belgium in a World Cup qualifying match on March 27th inspired confidence in this team.West Ham United teammates Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal are leaders in the starting XI in the midfield and backline. Bayer Leverkusen forward Patrick Schick will anchor the attack up top.The Czech Republic ranks 40th in the world by FIFA. They place 31st in the ELO rating system. DraftKings list them at +12500 to win the tournament. Scotland will be playing in their first major international tournament since the 1998 World Cup. While the Tartan Army finished in third place in their Euro qualifying group, they advanced to this tournament with playoff victories against Israel and Serbia that both went to penalty kicks to resolve the match. The Scots can draw on a 2-2 draw at the Netherlands in a tune-up friendly on June 2nd for optimism. Despite inexperience in recent international competitions, Scotland has a deep roster filled with players from the English Premier League. Manager Steve Clarke will move Arsenal’s left back Kiernan Tierney to a center back spot to accommodate Liverpool’s Andy Robertson, one of the best attacking left backs in the world. Newcastle United’s Ryan Fraser and Aston Villa’s John McGinn form the foundation in the midfield. Southampton’s Che Adams leads the attack upfront. FIFA ranks the Tartan Army as 44th in the world. The ELO ratings place them 42nd. DraftKings prices them at +20000 to win the tournament.

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Euro 2020 Group C Preview: Austria, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Ukraine

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Jun 12, 2021

Euro 2020 Group C Preview: Austria, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Ukraine.Group C of the Euro 2020 is considered by many observers to be the weakest of the six groups in this tournament. None of the four teams competed in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Yet it may be premature to write off any of these sides, with all four being able to point to recent positive developments. The Netherlands was one of Europe’s heavyweights last decade with an appearance in the 2010 World Cup final followed by a semifinals finish in the 2014 World Cup. After failing to qualify for the Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup, manager Ronald Koeman got tasked to overhaul the roster from its golden generation with younger talent. The Flying Dutchmen reached the finals of the inaugural UEFA Nations League, where they lost to Portugal two years ago. The Oranje finished second in their Euro qualifying group to Germany, against whom they split their two matches. Koeman’s good work elevated him to take over as the manager at Barcelona last year. Frank de Boer got hired as his replacement. He will be missing some key players this summer. Liverpool’s Virgil Van Dijk, perhaps the best defender in the world, remains out with the torn ACL injury that kept him on the sidelines for most of the English Premier League campaign. Manchester United midfielder Danny Van de Been was kept off the final roster due to his groin injury. First-string keeper Jasper Cillessen is out after a positive COVID test. The Dutch still have intriguing younger talent that will have a chance to shine this summer. Frankie de Jong plays the midfield for Barcelona. Matthis de Ligt is a defender for Juventus. Memphis Depay scored 21 goals for Lyon in Ligue 1.The Netherlands are ranked 16th in the world by FIFA. The ELO ratings place them 9th. DraftKings lists the Flying Dutchmen at +1500 odds to win the tournament.Ukraine has played in the two most recent Euros but has lost five of their six matches and failed to advance out of its group. The Blue and Yellows went unbeaten in their Euro qualifying matches to finish in first place ahead of Portugal. They are also unbeaten in their World Cup qualifying matches. Manager Andrew Shevchenko’s group is led by Rusian Malinovskiy, who will be on set pieces and penalty kicks. The Atalanta attacking midfielder led Serie A with 12 assists last season. Manchester City midfielder Oleksandr Zinchenko will be a familiar name for many. A majority of the roster consists of players from the Ukrainian Premier League. FIFA ranks Ukraine 24th in the world. The ELO ratings place them 20th. DraftKings lists the Blue and Yellows with +10000 odds to win the tournament. Austria will be striving for its first victory at a Euro or major international competition since 1990. Das Team managed a draw in their three group stage matches at the 2016 Euro. Manager Frank Foda oversaw a second-place finish to Poland in the Euro qualifying matches. The roster consists of some compelling talent from the Bundesliga. David Alba has played a role in the Bayern Munich backline for years, although he recently signed with Real Madrid. Alba has moved to left wing when playing for his national team in the past. Center midfielders Marcel Sabitzer and Konrad Laimer feature at RB Leipzig. Forward Sasa Kalajdzic scored 16 goals in 33 games for VfB Stuttgart last season. Austria is ranked 23rd in the world by FIFA. They are 34th in the ELO ratings. DraftKings lists them at +10000 to win the tournament. North Macedonia makes its debut in a major international tournament after only being a nation since 1990. The Lynxes did not advance from the Euro qualifiers after a third-place finish which included two losses to second place Austria. They beat Kosovo and Georgia in a qualifying playoff to reach this competition. A 2-1 victory at Germany in a World Cup qualifying match on March 31st should put their opponents on notice.37-year-old Goran Pandev leads the attack up top. The Genoa forward returned from international to participate this summer and add to the 117 caps he has for his national team. Egzijan Alioski plays left back for Leeds United. Eljif Elmas is an attacking midfielder from Napoli. North Macedonia's FIFA ranking of 62nd is the lowest in the tournament. The ELO ratings place them 59th in the world. DraftKings lists the Lynxes at +50000 odds to win the event.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, WNBA, Euro 2020 and MLB Previews and Odds - 06/12/2021

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Jun 12, 2021

The Saturday sports card features games in the NBA, MLB, WNBA, and Euro 2020.One game is on the NBA playoff docket. The Los Angeles Clippers host Utah on ABC at 8:35 PM ET. The Jazz took a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals series with their 117-111 victory at home against the Clippers as a 2.5-point favorite on Thursday. Utah has won six games in a row. Los Angeles has lost three of their last five games. Los Angeles is a 4.5-point favorite, with the total set at 223.5 (all odds from BetOnline). Fifteen games are on the MLB slate. San Francisco plays at Washington at 2:05 PM ET in the first game of their seven-inning doubleheader. Kevin Gausman pitches for the Giants against the Nationals’ Erick Fedde. The New York Yankees play at Philadelphia at 4:05 PM ET as a -124 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. James Taillon takes the mound for the Yankees against the Phillies’ Vincent Velasquez. Oakland hosts Kansas City at 4:07 PM ET as a -148 money line favorite with a total of 9. James Kaprielian pitches for the A’s against the Royals’ Jackson Kowar. Nine games start at 4:10 PM ET. Seattle visits Cleveland with Yusei Kikuchi taking the hill for the Mariners against the Indians’ Triston McKenzie. Milwaukee plays at home against Pittsburgh as a -275 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Brewers send out Corbin Burnes against the Pirates’ Chad Kohl. The Los Angeles Angels travel to Arizona. The Angels’ Alex Cobb pitches against the Diamondbacks’ Caleb Smith. Tampa Bay is at home against Baltimore as a -215 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. Rich Hill takes the hill for the Rays against the Orioles’ Jorge Lopez. Boston hosts Toronto as a -120 money line favorite with an over/under of 10. Nick Pivetta takes the mound for the Red Sox against the Blue Jays’ Steven Matz. Atlanta visits Miami with Max Fried pitching for the Braves against a Marlins pitcher to be determined. Cincinnati hosts Colorado as a -125 money line favorite with a total of 9. Wade Miley starts for the Reds against the Rockies’ German Marquez. San Diego plays in New York against the Mets as a -122 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7. Joe Musgrove pitches for the Padres against the Mets’ Marcus Stroman. The Chicago White Sox is at Detroit as a -167 money line road favorite with a total of 9. Dylan Cease pitches for the White Sox against Jose Arena of the Tigers.Fox has three regional games for its national broadcast at 7:15 PM ET. The Chicago Cubs host St. Louis as a -158 money line favorite. Kyle Hendricks pitches for the Cubs against the Cardinals John Gant. Houston visits Minnesota as a -111 money line road favorite with a total of 9. The Astros send out Luis Garcia to face the Twins’ Jose Berrios. San Francisco plays at Washington in the second game of their seven-inning doubleheader, with both starting pitchers yet to be decided. The MLB card concludes at 10:10 PM ET with the Los Angeles Dodgers playing at home against Texas as a -290 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Dodgers send out Trevor Bauer to face the Rangers’ Kolby Allard. Two games are on the WNBA schedule. Chicago visits Indiana at 1 PM ET. Los Angeles travels to Minnesota at 8 PM ET. Three games take place in the Euro 2020. Switzerland plays Wales in Baku, Azerbaijan on ESPN at 9 AM ET in the second Group A opening round match. The Swiss are a -0.5 goal line favorite with a total of 1.75. Finland plays Denmark on ESPN at noon ET at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, Denmark in the first Group B match. The Danes are a -1.25 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.25. Belgium plays Russia at St. Petersburg Stadium in Russia on ABC at 3 PM ET in the second opening match in Group B. The Red Devils are a -0.75 goal line favorite with a total of 2.25.

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Euro 2020 Group B Preview: Belgium, Denmark, Finland and Russia

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Jun 12, 2021

Euro 2020 Group B Preview: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, and Russia.Group B of the Euro 2020 includes one of the top three favorites to win the tournament, two teams with expectations to advance to the knockout stage, and one debutante to a major international event.Belgium aspires to acquire the first silverware amidst their current golden generation. The Red Devils' rise began in 2014 when they reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup. A 3-1 upset in the quarterfinals to Wales in the 2016 Euro was a disappointment. They responded by advancing to the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup, where they lost to the eventual winners, France. Belgium was perfect in their ten Euro qualifying matches while leading all teams with 40 goals. The three goals they surrendered in those qualifying matches tied for the fewest conceded.Romelu Lukaku leads the attack with seven goals in the Euro qualifiers. The Inter Milan striker had 24 goals in his domestic campaign last season. He is joined up top by Real Madrid’s Eden Hazard after a season marred by several injuries. Kevin De Bruyne patrols the midfield, but the Manchester City star will not initially be ready to play due to the head injury he suffered in the Champions League final. Manager Roberto Martinez has one of the best goalkeepers in the world in Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois. The Red Devils are the number one ranked team in the world by FIFA. The ELO ratings place them second. DraftKings lists Belgium at +750 odds to win the tournament. Denmark returns to the Euro after failing to qualify for the 2016 tournament. The Danes responded to that setback by reaching the knockout stage of the 2018 World Cup. The Red and Whites came out of nowhere to surprise the continent by winning the 1992 Euro tournament. They finished in second place in their Euro qualifying matches to Switzerland by going unbeaten in their eight games with four victories. Christian Ericksen is the primary goal-scorer. The attacking midfielder has 36 goals and 24 assists in just over 100 international caps. He scored only four times in his 34 games with Inter Milan this season. The Danes have a familiar name in goal with Leicester City’s Kaspar Schmeichel between the posts. Denmark is ranked 10th in the world by FIFA. The ELO rating places them 9th. DraftKings place them at +2500 to win the tournament. The Red and Whites will play all three of their group stage matches on home soil.Russia will play two of their three matches at home in the Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg. Home field advantage helped the Bears reach the quarterfinals of the 2018 World Cup as the host nation. They shocked Spain in the first knockout stage with a victory via penalty kicks. Russia has yet to advance beyond the group state at a Euro. They finished in second place in the Euro qualifiers with two losses to Belgium being their only defeats. Their 33 goals were the fourth most of all 55 competing teams. All but four members of the roster come from the Russian Premier League. Artem Dzyuba leads the attack. The 6’5 striker led all players in the Euro qualifiers in big chances and shots inside the box. Midfielder Aleksandr Golovin scored five goals in 21 games for Monaco this season. Russia is ranked 38th in the world by FIFA. The ELO ratings place them 35th in the world. DraftKings lists the Bears at +10000 to win the event. Finland will be playing in their first major international tournament in the history of the national team. They qualified for this event by finishing in section place to Italy in their group. The Eagle owls surprised France with a 2-0 upset victory in a November friendly. However, the team is winless in their last six matches with four losses.The talisman for Finland is Teemu Pukki. The Norwich City striker scored 10 of the team’s 16 goals in the qualifying matches. The Eagle owls have one of the best keepers in the Bundesliga in Lukas Hradecky, who helped Bayer Leverkusen give up the fewest goals in the league outside the top-four. FIFA ranks Norway as the 54th team in the world. The ELO ratings place them 40th. DraftKings lists the Eagle owls at +50000 odds to win the tournament.

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Revisiting April NHL Stanley Cup Futures Bets

by Sean Murphy

Friday, Jun 11, 2021

Back in mid-April, I posted an article recommending one Stanley Cup futures bet from each NHL division. Now with three of the four division titles wrapped up and just one semi-final spot left to be decided, let's take a look back and see how those bets are shaping up.April's breakdowns in italics.North DivisionWinnipeg Jets 18-1While I honestly don't believe this is the year that a Canadian team hoists the cup for the first time since 1993, I will anoint the Jets as the Great White North's best hope (and best value). While the Leafs certainly possess the most talented roster, they're not settled in goal and have inexplicably proven inconsistent offensively. The Jets have an elite goaltender in Connor Hellebuyck and a roster that has remained virtually intact for a number of years. The window of opportunity is starting to close when it comes to their core of Mark Schiefele, Blake Wheeler, Nik Ehlers, etc. We've seen Winnipeg go on a deep playoff run as recently as 2018 when they reached the Western Conference Final before bowing out at the hands of a red hot Golden Knights squad. There's no team in the North Division that should intimidate the Jets and they'll be afforded a chance to fine-tune their game heading in with a playoff spot all but locked up. Well, at least they upset the Oilers in an improbable first round sweep. Things didn't go well from the outset of the Jets second round series against Montreal as an ill-advised hit by Mark Scheifele late in Game 1 loomed large after he was suspended for the rest of the series. The window of opportunity may be closing on this era of Jets hockey. You have to wonder whether Paul Maurice's days are numbered behind the bench although management seems to indicate otherwise. At 18-1 I would still make this bet again as the North Division was wide open, as the Canadiens can attest.East Division New York Islanders 13-1Despite sitting in second place in the East Division, the Islanders actually have shorter odds to win the cup than the first-place Capitals. Rightfully so, in my opinion. The Isles have played with purpose this season and have a roster built for playoff hockey with plenty of front-line talent but also enough grit to withstand a grueling seven-game series. Head coach Barry Trotz is just a couple of seasons removed from guiding the aforementioned Caps to a Stanley Cup title. He was brought to Long Island with the sole purpose of returning the Isles to glory as well. In this topsy-turvy 2021 season, why not pick a hard-luck franchise like the Isles to hoist Lord Stanley's mug. I'm more than happy to hold this ticket even as the Islanders face a tall task in the form of a revenge date with the defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning in the semi-final round. New York didn't prove to be much more than a speedbump on Tampa's way to the title last year. I do think the Isles have caught lightning in a bottle (no pun intended) offensively in these playoffs and could give the Bolts a more legitimate run this year. We know all about their defensive prowess under the guidance of head coach Barry Trotz but if they can keep an attacking mindset like they did against the Bruins they could prove to be a tough out.Central Division Carolina Hurricanes 12-1I picked the Hurricanes to go on a deep playoff run in last Summer's bubble-hockey postseason tournament and that prediction looked pretty good for a series. Unfortunately Carolina was overmatched in the second round against Boston. The 'Canes made the necessary offseason moves to chart their course back to Stanley Cup contention this year and while they're fresh off ugly back-to-back losses to the lowly Red Wings as I'm writing this, I've seen enough positives to warrant them a true championship contender. Carolina has gotten healthier lately with Petr Mrazek returning to an already solid stable of goaltenders and Vincent Trocheck providing some additional scoring depth up front. Trocheck is one of those key offseason additions I mentioned and he hasn't disappointed here in 2021, chipping in with 34 points in 32 games. The Tampa Bay Lightning will prove to be a tough obstacle but as we saw two years ago when the Bolts were swept by the eight-seeded Blue Jackets in the opening round, anything can happen in the NHL Playoffs.Another year, another bitter playoff disappointment for the Canes. At 12-1 they were certainly worth a shot, rolling the dice that the Lightning might get upset in the opening round. There's no real shame in losing to the defending Stanley Cup champs although the disappearing act pulled by the Canes offense on home ice was something to behold. Carolina is likely still a piece of two away from becoming a true championship contender, perhaps between the pipes where the duo of Mrazek and Ndeljkovic disappointed. West Division Vegas Golden Knights 8-1While the Avalanche are favorites to come out of the West Division for a reason, I'm willing to take a shot with the Golden Knights at what I consider to be a reasonable return. Vegas has proven it can go toe-to-toe with Colorado. In fact, I feel the Golden Knights even have a slight edge in terms of depth - certainly between the pipes, where the Avs are a Philip Grubauer injury away from newly-acquired journeyman Devan Dubnyk shouldering the load. Colorado has more elite talent at the top of its payroll with Nate MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen up front and phenom Cale Makar patrolling the blue line. But the Knights have proven they can win games in a variety of different ways and recently welcomed back stud offseason acquisition Alex Pietrangelo from injury. I do believe this Knights team is better than the one that reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2018 and see value backing them at the current price point. The Knights are currently one win away from securing a mouth-watering semi-final matchup against the upstart Canadiens. Whoever wins the Knights-Avalanche series will be heavy favorites against the Habs. If it's the Knights, that potential 8-1 return would look awfully good. After a slow start to the postseason, Vegas has rounded into form at both ends of the rink against the juggernaut Avs and in my opinion could go toe-to-toe with any of the other three remaining teams.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, WNBA, MLB and Euro 2020 Previews and Odds - 06/11/2021

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Jun 11, 2021

The Friday sports card features games in the NBA, MLB, WNBA, and Euro 2020.Two games are on the NBA playoff docket. Philadelphia plays at Atlanta in the first game of an ESPN doubleheader at 7:30 PM ET in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series. The 76ers evened this series at 1-1 with their 118-102 win at home as a 6.5-point favorite on Tuesday. The Hawks had their four-game winning streak end with the loss. Philadelphia is a 1-point road favorite, with the total set at 224.5 (all odds from BetOnline).Denver plays at home against Phoenix in the second game on ESPN at 10 PM ET in the third game of their Western Conference semifinals series. The Suns took a 2-0 lead in the series with their 123-98 victory as a 5.5-point favorite at home on Wednesday. Phoenix has won five games in a row. The Nuggets have lost three of their last five games after being up 2-1 in their series with Portland before clinching in six games. Denver is a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under of 223.Fourteen games are on the MLB slate. St. Louis visits the Chicago Cubs at 2:20 PM ET. The Cardinals sent out Johan Oveido to face a Cubs’ pitcher yet to be named official. San Francisco visits Washington at 7:05 PM ET after their game on Thursday was rained out. The matchup between the Giants’ Anthony DeSclafani and the Nationals’ Max Scherzer gets moved to this game. Tampa Bay hosts Baltimore at 7:10 PM ET as a -162 money line favorite with a total of 8. The Rays’ send out Ryan Yarbrough to face the Orioles’ Keegan Akin. The Chicago White Sox visit Detroit as a -171 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. The White Sox’s Lucas Giolito goes against the Tigers’ Tarik Skubal. Atlanta travels to Miami as a -127 money line road favorite with a total of 7.5. The New York Mets are at home against San Diego as a -168 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Cleveland plays at home against Seattle as a -160 money line favorite with the total of 8.5. The Indians send out Aaron Civale to face the Mariners’ Justin Dunn. Colorado visits Cincinnati with the Rockies’ Kyle Freeland battling the Reds’ Tyler Mahle. Toronto is at Boston with Ross Stripling pitching for the Blue Jays against the Red Sox’s Garrett Richards. Milwaukee hosts Pittsburgh at 8:10 PM ET as a -280 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Brewers’ Brandon Woodruff starts against the Pirates’ Chase De Jong. Houston visits Minnesota with the Astros’ Jose Urquidy pitching against Matt Shoemaker. The Los Angeles Angels travel to Arizona at 9:40 PM ET as a -131 money line road favorite with a total of 9. The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani battles the Diamondbacks’ Merrill Kelly. Oakland hosts Kansas City as a -145 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The A’s send out Cole Irvin to face the Royals’ Brady Singer. The Los Angeles Dodgers play at home against Texas at 10:10 PM ET as a -325 money line favorite with a total of 8. Clayton Kershaw pitches against Mike Foltynewicz. Two games are on the WNBA schedule. Seattle visits Atlanta on the CBS Sports Network at 8 PM ET. Dallas visits Phoenix at 10 PM ET. The Euro 2020 tournament begins on Friday after its postponement from last summer. The event kicks off with Italy playing Turkey as a -1 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.25 with the match being played at the Stadio Olympico in Rome. ESPN/ABC will be broadcasting the entire tournament. ESPN has this broadcast at 3 PM ET.

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Euro 2020 Group A Preview: Italy, Switzerland, Turkey and Wales

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Jun 11, 2021

Euro 2020 Group A Preview: Italy, Switzerland, Turkey, and Wales.Group of the Euro 2020 features one heavyweight and three upstarts that all have the belief they can be the second team that can reach the knockout stage of this tournament. Italy comes in as the favorites. The Azzuri are a storied national team that made four appearances in a World Cup or Euro finals from 1994 through 201. The Italians won the World Cup in 2006. Yet the program took a change in direction after their streak of 12 straight World Cup and Euro qualifications was snapped when they failed to qualify for the 2016 World Cup in Russia. Roberto Mancini took over as manager, and the team has not lost since September 10th, 2018. The Blues continue to be a defensive powerhouse under Mancini. They allowed only four goals in their ten Euro qualifying matches. They enter this competition with seven straight clean sheets across all competitions after a 4-0 win against the Czech Republic in a friendly last Friday. Italy won all ten of their Euro qualifying matches, scoring 37 goals along the way. The defense features the Juventus center back pairing of Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini. The Azzuri have one of the best keepers in the world in Gianluigi Donnarumma, who minds the net for AC Milan. Marco Verratti from Paris-Saint Germain and Jorginho from Chelsea man a stacked midfield. Ciro Immobile from Lazio and Federico Cheese from Juventus are two of the names to watch up top.Italy is ranked 8th in the world by FIFA and 6th by the ELO ratings. DraftKings lists the Blues at +800 to win the tournament.Turkey has not qualified for the last four World Cups, but they did play in the 2016 Euro, where they failed to advance out of the group stage. The Crescent Stars will be one of the most challenging teams to handicap with their low-floor and high-ceiling potential. They conceded the fewest goals of all the teams in the Euro qualifiers, with eight clean sheets helping the cause. Yet they finished last in the group stage of the UEFA Nations League that included comparable Russia, Hungary, and Serbia sides. Turkey can still point to a 3-3 draws with powerhouses Germany and Croatia along with a 3-0 victory over Norway in a World Cup qualifying match on March 27th as signs of what they can accomplish in this event. The Crescent Stars will be without forward Cenk Tosan, who is out with an injury. The Everton star led the team in goals in the Euro qualifying matches. Gunes, the Turkey manager, does have an intriguing trio of players who helped Lille take the Ligue 1 title in the French top flight. Bural Yilmaz will be on penalties and joined by Yusuf Yakzki up top. Zeki Celik will creep forward up the pitch at right back. Caglar Soyuncu from Leicester City will be parked in the middle at center back. Hakan Calhanoglu takes his talents from AC Milan to patrol the midfield.Turkey is ranked 29th in the world by FIFA. The ELO ratings place them 17th. DraftKings gives them +6000 odds to win the tournament. Switzerland has been a solid and consistent national team in its recent past. This event will be the Rossocrociati’s fifth Euro. Their best result at this event was when they reached the round of 16 in 2016. The Swiss national team made the semifinals of the inaugural UEFA Nations League two years ago. They finished in first place in their group at the Euro qualifying matches with five wins and two draws in their eight contests. Xherdan Shaqiri leads the team from the midfield. The “Alpine Messi” who plays for Liverpool has 23 international goals and 24 assists. Breel Embolo from Borussia Dortmund plays up top. Ricardo Rodriguez from Torino and Fabian Schar from Newcastle United are two of the players to watch on their backline. FIFA ranks Switzerland 13th in the world. The ELO ratings place them 15th. DraftKings lists the Swiss at +5000 to win the event. Wales was the surprise of the 2016 Euro with a semifinals finish. After winning their group that included England, Russia, and Slovakia, the Dragons defeated Northern Ireland in the round of 16 before pulling off a monumental upset against Belgium in the quarterfinals. The Welch did not qualify for the 2018 World Cup, and they finished in second place to Croatia in their Euro qualifying group for this tournament. Wales did go unbeaten in the UEFA Nations League matches, which got them promoted to League A of that competition. Gareth Bale and Aaron Murray were in the primes of their career for that 2016 Euro performance. Bale was starring at Real Madrid at the time, and Murray played a vital role in the Arsenal midfield. Bale was on loan to Tottenham last season, with him primarily coming off the bench to offer scoring help. Murray now places for Juventus. The Dragons have English Premier League mainstays in forward Harry Wilson, midfielder Ben Davies, and goalie Wayne Hennessey to provide help.Wales is ranked 17th in the world by FIFA. The ELO ratings place them 17th. DraftKings lists the Dragons at +20000 to win the tournament.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, WNBA, NHL and MLB Previews and Odds - 06/10/2021

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Jun 10, 2021

The Thursday sports card features games in the NBA, NHL, MLB, and the WNBA.Two games are on the NBA playoff docket. Milwaukee hosts Brooklyn on ESPN at 7:30 PM ET in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series. The Nets took a 2-0 lead in this series with their 125-86 upset victory as a 1.5-point underdog on Monday. Brooklyn has won four straight games and 11 of their last 12. The Bucks had swept the Miami Heat in the opening round of the playoffs before losing these first two games. Milwaukee is a 3.5-point favorite, with the total set at 234 (all odds from BetOnline).Utah plays at home against the Los Angeles Clippers in the second game of the ESPN doubleheader at 10 PM ET in the second game of their Western Conference semifinals series. The Jazz won the opener of this series with a 112-109 victory as a 3-point favorite on Tuesday. They have won five games in a row. The Clippers had their two-game winning streak from their seven-game series snapped with the loss. Utah is a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 221.One game is on the NHL playoff schedule. Vegas returns home with a 3-2 lead in the West Division finals after their 3-2 win in overtime in Colorado on Tuesday. The Avalanche had won 11 straight games before dropping the last three games to the Golden Knights. Vegas is a -135 money line favorite with the total at 5.5 for Game 6. The puck drops at 9:08 PM ET on the NBC Sports Network. Ten games are on the MLB slate. Milwaukee plays at Cincinnati at 12:35 PM ET as a -120 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Brewers send out Wily Peralta to face Luis Castillo. The Los Angeles Dodgers visit Pittsburgh as a -220 money line road favorite with a total of 9. The Dodgers’ Julio Urias starts against the Pirates’ Mitch Keller. Philadelphia hosts Atlanta at 1:05 PM ET as a -129 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Zack Wheeler takes the ball for the Phillies against the Braves Ian Anderson. Seattle is at Detroit at 1:10 PM ET. Justus Sheffield starts for the Mariners against the Tigers’ Tyler Alexander. San Francisco plays at Washington at 7:05 PM ET. Anthony DeSclafani starts for the Giants against the Nationals’ Max Scherzer. Boston hosts Houston at 7:10 PM ET, with both teams priced at -110 with a total of 9. Miami is at home against Colorado as a -195 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Marlins’ Trevor Rogers pitches against the Rockies’ Chi Chi Gonzalez. Toronto visits Chicago to play the White Sox at 8:10 PM ET as a -112 money line road favorite. Hyun-Jin Ryu starts for the Blue Jays against Dallas Keuchel. The New York Yankees play at Minnesota. Michael King pitches for the Yankees against the Twins’ J.A. Happ. Oakland hosts Kansas City at 9:40 PM ET as a -151 money line favorite. The A’s send out Frankie Montas to face the Royals’ Mike Minor.One game is on the WNBA schedule. Los Angeles plays at Washington at 7 PM ET. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, MLB and WNBA Previews and Odds - 06/09/2021

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Jun 09, 2021

The Wednesday sports card features games in the NBA, NHL, MLB, and the WNBA.One game is on the NBA playoff docket. Phoenix hosts Denver on TNT at 9:35 PM ET in Game Two of their Western Conference semifinals series. The Suns won the opening game by a 122-105 score as a 6-point favorite on Monday. Phoenix has won four games in a row. The Nuggets had won their two previous games to close out their first-round series with Portland. Denver has still won four of their last six games. Phoenix is a 6-point favorite with the total set at 222 (all odds from BetOnline).The NHL plays continue with one game. Boston visits New York to face the Islanders on the NBC Sports Network at 7:38 PM ET. The Islanders took a 3-2 lead in this season with their 5-4 victory in Boston on Monday. The Bruins have lost three of the last four games of this series after winning Game 1, 5-2. Boston is a -130 money line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5.Fifteen games are on the MLB slate. Texas plays at home against San Francisco at 2:05 PM ET as a -108 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Arizona visits Oakland at 3:37 PM ET. San Diego hosts the Chicago Cubs at 4:10 PM ET as a -193 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Los Angeles Dodgers travels to Pittsburgh at 7:05 PM ET as a -162 money line road favorite with a total of 9. Philadelphia is at home against Atlanta as a -123 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. The New York Mets visit Baltimore as a -132 money line road favorite with a total of 9. Milwaukee plays at Cincinnati at 7:10 PM ET as a -113 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Detroit hosts Seattle as a -120 money line favorite with the total at 8.5. Tampa Bay plays at home against Washington as a -146 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Boston is at home against Houston as a -128 money line favorite with a total of 9.5. Colorado travels to Miami.The New York Yankees play at Minnesota at 8:10 PM ET as a -171 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Chicago White Sox hosts Toronto as a -147 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. St. Louis is at home against Cleveland at 8:15 PM ET as a -121 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Los Angeles Angels play at home against Kansas City on ESPN at 9:38 PM ET. The Angels have won four of their last five games with their 8-1 in the second game of this series. The Royals have lost four in a row. Kansas City sends out Brad Keller to face Griffin Canning. Los Angeles is a -128 money line favorite with a total of 9.Two games are on the WNBA slate. Seattle visits Atlanta at 7 PM ET. Indiana travels to Chicago at 10 PM ET. Both games are on the CBS Sports Network.

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NHL Hockey: Boston Bruins vs. New York Islanders Game 6 Preview, Odds and Prediction - 06/09/2021

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Jun 09, 2021

NHL Wednesday NBC Sports Network Preview: Boston Bruins at the New York Islanders.The New York Islanders look to close out the East Division finals tonight at home at their Nassau Coliseum on the NBC Sports Network at 7:38 PM ET.New York took a 3-2 lead in this series with their 5-4 victory in Boston on Monday. The Bruins opened the scoring 1:25 minutes into the first period with David Pastrnak’s goal. Matthew Barzal evened the score with a power-play goal with 1:11 left in the period. The Islanders’ top-line center has scored in three straight games in this series. Kyle Palmieri gave New York a 2-1 lead with his power-play goal at 4:49 in the second period. Brad Marchand evened the score with his goal at 7:27. Josh Bailey gave the Isles the lead once again with his goal at 14:30. Jordan Eberle made it a 4-2 score with his power-play goal at 16:36. Brock Nelson extended the lead to 5-2 in the opening two minutes of the third period. Pastrnak scored his second power-play goal at 3:48 of the third period to pull the Bruins to within two goals. David Krejci made it a one-goal game with his score at 14:43, but the Bruins could not score again to force overtime.The Islanders scored three power-play goals in their four opportunities in the game. Those three goals matched the three power-play goals they had scored in the first four games in this series on 11 chances. New York has now scored six power-play goals in their 15 opportunities in this series. They scored three power-play goals from 16 chances in their opening round six-game series with Pittsburgh. The Islanders improved to a 29.0% power-play success rate with nine goals in 31 opportunities with the man advantage in the postseason.Anthony Beavillier co-leads the Islanders with 11 points coming from four goals and seven assists points in the playoffs. Jean-Gabriel Pageau has three goals and eight assists for 11 points. Palmieri leads the team with six goals in the postseason. Semyon Varlamov made 40 saves in the win on Monday. He has a 3-1 record in this series with a .936 save percentage, with 146 saves in the 156 shots he has faced. Varlamov is 3-3 in the playoffs, with a 2.72 goals-against-average and a .925 save percentage. He replaced Ilya Sorokin, who started in New York’s 5-2 Game 1 loss in Boston. The rookie has a 4-1 record in the postseason with a 2.32 goals-against-average and a .934 save percentage after making four starts in the opening round against the Penguins. Head coach Bruce Cassidy pulled his goaltender, Tuukka Rask, after the second period with him allowing four goals in the 16 shots he faced. Rookie Jeremy Swayman came on to stop two of the three shots he faced in the final period. Cassidy later commented that the decision was a maintenance issue with Rask not at 100%. Cassidy has not confirmed who will be in goal tonight for the Bruins. Rask is 6-3 in the playoffs, with a 2.20 goals-against-average and a .925 save percentage. Swayman made his first appearance in the postseason after posting a 7-3-0 record in ten regular-season starts. He had a 1.50 goals-against-average and a .945 save percentage in those ten games. David Pastrnak leads Boston with seven goals and 14 points in the playoffs. Brad Marchand has added six goals and four assists. Charlie McAvoy tops the team with ten assists in the postseason. Game 7 is set for Friday night if the Bruins win tonight’s game. BetAnySports lists Boston as a -132 money line road favorite with the total set at 5.Computer prediction:  Boston Bruins 3 New York Islanders 1

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