Expert Sports Picks and Analysis from Al McMordie

Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 06/30/2022

Thursday, Jun 30, 2022

The Thursday sports card features MLB and CFL action.Major League Baseball has eight games on its schedule. The Cleveland Guardians host the Minnesota Twins at 1:10 PM ET. The Guardians had been on a five-game losing streak, but they won two of their last three games after a 7-6 victory in ten innings over the Twins yesterday. They raised their record to 38-34 with the win. Minnesota has lost two of its last three games to drop to 43-35. Shane Bieber takes the ball for Cleveland against Chris Archer for the Twins. The Guardians are a -150 money line favorite with the total set at 8.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). The Philadelphia Phillies play at home against the Atlanta Braves at 6:05 PM ET. The Phillies have lost two in a row after their 4-1 loss at home to the Braves yesterday. Their record dropped to 39-37 with the setback. Atlanta has won five of seven games to improve to 44-32 on the season. Philadelphia turns to Aaron Nola in their starting rotation against the Braves Ian Anderson. The Phillies are a -150 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The New York Yankees travel to Houston to play the Astros at 6:10 PM ET. The Yankees are on a four-game winning streak after beating Oakland yesterday, 5-3. They are in first place in the AL East with a 56-20 record. The Astros won for the fourth time in their last five games with a 2-0 victory in New York against the Mets on Wednesday. They have a 47-27 record. Luis Severino takes the mound for the Yankees against Luis Garcia of the Astros. New York is a -125 money line road favorite with a total of 8. The Milwaukee Brewers visit Pittsburgh to play the Pirates at 7:05 PM ET. The Brewers are on a four-game winning streak after their 5-3 victory in Tampa Bay against the Rays yesterday. They have a 44-33 record. The Pirates ended a five-game losing streak with their 8-7 victory at Washington on Wednesday. Milwaukee gives the ball to Adrian Houser to pitch against Pittsburgh’s J.T. Brubaker. The Brewers are a -130 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. The Tampa Bay Rays play at Toronto against the Blue Jays at 7:07 PM ET. The Rays lost two in a row after their 5-3 loss to Milwaukee yesterday. They have a 40-34 record. The Blue Jays’ two-game winning streak ended with a 6-4 loss at home to Boston on Wednesday. Toronto’s record fell to 42-33 with the setback. Yusei Kikuchi pitches for the Blue Jays against a starting pitcher yet to be named. The Chicago Cubs are at home against the Cincinnati Reds at 8:05 PM ET. The Cubs won for the second time in their last three games with a 7-2 victory at home against the Reds yesterday. The win improved their record to 29-46. Cincinnati fell to 26-48 with the loss. Chicago turns to Kyle Hendricks to duel the Reds Graham Ashcraft. The Cubs are a -125 money line favorite. Two MLB games conclude the card at 10:10 PM ET. The Los Angeles Dodgers host the San Diego Padres on FS1. The Dodgers ended a two-game losing streak with a 7-3 victory at Colorado yesterday. They lead the NL West with a 46-26 record. The Padres ended a three-game losing streak with their 4-0 shutout win at Arizona on Wednesday. They are 2 1/2 games behind Los Angeles in the division with a 46-31 record with five more games played. Mitch White pitches for the Dodgers against Joe Musgrove for San Diego. Los Angeles is a -125 money line favorite with a total of 8. The Seattle Mariners play at home against the Oakland A’s. The Mariners won for the seventh time in their last nine games with their 9-3 victory against Baltimore yesterday. They improved to 36-41 with the victory. The A’s lost their third straight game with their loss on the road to the Yankees on Wednesday. They fell to 25-52. The Mariners have Logan Gilbert take the mound against Oakland’s Adrian Martinez. Seattle is a -225 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The fourth week of the Canadian Football League kicks off with one game. The British Columbia Lions travel to Ottawa to play the Redblacks on ESPN2 at 7:30 PM ET. The Lions improved to 2-0 this season with their 44-3 victory at home against Toronto as a 4-point favorite on Saturday. The Redblacks have lost their first two games to begin the season after playing on June 17th in a 19-12 loss at home to Winnipeg as a 1-point underdog. British Columbia is a 2.5-point road favorite with a total of 47.5.

2022 Bowling Green Falcons Preview

by Matt Fargo

Wednesday, Jun 29, 2022

Bowling Green Falcons2021-22 Season Record 4-8 (2-6 MAC East) - 8-4-0 ATS - 5-7-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 10Defense - 9OverviewAfter a 10-4 record in 2015, it has been six straight losing seasons for Bowling Green which has snapped a string of four straight bowl games. Head coach Scott Loeffler has compiled a 7-22 record in his three seasons with the Falcons and this season is likely the last stand if there is not a major turnaround. Last season, Bowling Green was one of the most inexperienced teams in the country as it played numerous underclassmen so it can be excused but this season, the Falcons have the most experienced team in the nation as far as returning production so there are no more excuses. Playing in the MAC can be a rollercoaster for most teams and they can go through those ups and downs as recruiting can be a crapshoot and whether Bowling Green can return to the top for just one season or go on another multiple season run is undetermined. Nonetheless, it has to start now. OffenseBowling Green was awful on offense last season as it finished No. 118 overall, No. 108 in scoring, No. 119 in rushing and No. 83 in passing. That was with four returning starters and now the Falcons have 10 coming back so there should be massive improvements all around. Quarterback Matt McDonald was decent with 2,555 passing yards but threw only 12 touchdowns and tossed seven interceptions but with the experience around him, the redshirt senior transfer can flourish. His two top targets are back and there is plenty of depth with four players behind them that has at least 100 yards receiving. The two top running backs return as well after averaging over a combined five ypc but they need more opportunities and that means getting better on third down where the Falcons were No. 109 in that category. Four offensive linemen are back which sets a good foundation. DefenseBowling Green was good in one aspect in the defense last season but it is skewed. The passing defense was first in the MAC and No. 9 in the nation but that is misleading as the Falcons were down big so often that teams did not have to pass and gashed them on the ground where the Falcons finished No. 109 in the country. The secondary loses both cornerbacks, which are the only two players that have to be replaced, so there could be a downfall back there if teams pass more this season. The front seven is loaded with playmakers that all have starting experience and it all starts with disruption in the backfield. Obviously, that means getting better against the run and applying pressure on the quarterback which can generate more tackles for loss leading to third and long situations. Bowling Green was No. 92 in third down defense and that will get better. 2022 Season OutlookThis team is mixed with 11 seniors and 11 juniors and under as the projected starters, so Bowling Green in great shape this season and going forward. Of course, this is the key season to get the once dominant Falcons back on the map. Every level on both sides brings back plenty of experience and the fourth year in this same system brings more continuity. A quick start to the season is unlikely as the Falcons open at UCLA and then play at Mississippi St. three weeks later with home games against Eastern Kentucky and Marshall in-between so a 2-2 start is likely although they did defeat Minnesota on the road last season so anything can happen. A big revenge game against Akron opens MAC play and then Bowling Green plays four of its next five games at home, three against top teams in the East Division. The O/U win total is 3.5 and this one should easily go over.

Countdown to NFL 2022-Part 1

by Larry Ness

Wednesday, Jun 29, 2022

It's that time of year again. The 2022 football annuals are starting to appear and it's NEVER too early to talk about the NFL. Let me reminisce for just a minute. We are coming off the NFL's first-ever 17-game season in 2021, one which delivered arguably "the greatest weekend in NFL playoff history" in the Divisional Round. The NFL changed its playoff structure in 2020, meaning SIX games (instead of four), with the lone byes going to only the No. 1 seeds in each conference. Road teams had won 10 of 14 wild card games heading into this year's Super Wildcard Weekend (over the previous three seasons) but the home teams dominated this time around, going 5-1 SU and ATS. The Cowboys were the lone home team to lose (to San Francisco), in a postseason matchup between two franchises that each own five Super Bowl titles. The average margin of victory checked in at 17.2 points per game.However, after that largely forgettable wild-card round, all four Divisional Round games ended in walk-off fashion for the first time in NFL history, Road teams won and covered the first three games, before KC salvaged some home team pride with a 42-36 OT win over Buffalo, in what many (most?) are calling the most exciting game in NFL playoff history. Both No. 1 seeds lost in the Divisional Round for the first time since 2010, when the top-seeded Patriots lost to the Jets and the top-seeded Falcons lost to the Packers. The AFC's No. 1 seed (Tennessee Titans) were upset by the Bengals 19-16 when Cincy converted a FG as time expired. The NFC's top-seed (Green Bay Packers) were upset 13-10 by the 46ers, who also kicked a FG on the final play of that game. The Rams blew a 27-3 lead in the fourth quarter to the Tampa Bay Bucs, before winning 30-27 on yet another walk-off FG. The weekend the concluded with Kansas City's "Instant Classic" win over Buffalo.On Championship Sunday, KC scored on its first THREE possessions to lead 21-3 but didn't score again until the Chiefs sent the game into OT with a FG on the final play of regulation. However, the Bengals kicked the game-winning FG in OT, denying KC a THIRD straight Super Bowl appearance. over in the NFC, the 49ers took a six-game series winning streak against the Rams into the championship game, but the Rams overcame a 17-7 fourth-quarter deficit to win 20-17. The game winning FG did NOT come on the final play, rather it came with 1:46 remaining (a real 'yawner!). In the Super Bowl, The Rams beat the Bengals 23-20, when Matthew Stafford drove the team on a 79-yard, 15-play scoring drive that ended with a one-yard TD pass to Cooper Kupp (the drive took 4:48 and the eventual game-winner came with 1:25 remaining).The win gave Stafford his first ever championship, after 12 LONG years in Detroit (his 13th season was indeed a 'lucky 13th!'). Kupp was the game's MVP, after a record-setting regular season in which he pulled off the WR 'triple crown' by leading the NFL in receptions (145), TDs (16) and receiving yards (1,947). with the Rams (16-5) earning their first NFL title since the 1999 season — and their first representing Los Angeles since 1951. They did so in their home, the $5 billion SoFi Stadium, making the Rams the second consecutive host to win the championship after Tampa Bay became the first a year ago.The regular season kicks off on September 8th, when the defending champion Rams host the Bills. The Bills are tied with the Vikings, having each appeared FOUR times in the Super Bowl without a victory to their name. The Vikings' most recent appearance came in 1977, although they have appeared in the conference championship game SIX times since. As for Buffalo, the Bills' four Super Bowl appearances all came in consecutive years from 1991-94 and Buffalo has only appeared in ONE conference championship game since (in 2020). I'm just getting started with my countdown to the 2022 NFL season series and will be back Thursday with some more "Random Thoughts." Follow my Ness Notes right here, exclusively at BigAl.com. Good luck...Larry

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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