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

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Jun 27, 2022

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

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CFL: West Is The Best

by Ben Burns

Sunday, Jun 26, 2022

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

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

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Jun 26, 2022

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

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 06/25/2022

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Jun 25, 2022

The Saturday sports card features MLB and CFL action.Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The New York Yankees host the Houston Astros at 1:05 PM ET. Gerrit Cole pitches for the Yankees against Cristian Javier of the Astros. New York is a -165 money line favorite with the total set at 8.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). The Tampa Bay Rays are at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 1:10 PM ET. The Rays give the ball to Corey Kluber against the Pirates J.T. Brubaker. Tampa Bay is a -190 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Baltimore Orioles visit the Chicago White Sox at 2:10 PM ET. Spenser Watkins pitches for the Orioles against Lance Lynn for the White Sox. The Chicago Cubs play at St. Louis against the Cardinals at 2:15 PM ET. The Cubs give the ball to Adrian Sampson against the Cardinals Miles Mikolas. The Texas Rangers host the Washington Nationals on FS1 at 4:10 PM ET. The Rangers pitch Matt Bush against the Nationals Josiah Gray. Texas is a -108 money line favorite at BetRivers with an 8.5 total. Three games throw out the first pitch at 4:10 PM ET. Kansas City is at home against Oakland with Brad Keller pitching for the Royals against Jared Koenig of the A’s. Kansas City is a -165 money line favorite with a total of 9. New York plays at Miami with the Mets pitching Chris Bassitt against the Marlins' Trevor Rogers. New York is a -150 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Milwaukee hosts Toronto with Corbin Burnes pitching for the Brewers against Yusei Kikuchi of the Blue Jays. Milwaukee is a -155 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Cleveland Guardians are at home against the Boston Red Sox at 6:10 PM ET. The Guardians pitch Shane Bieber against the Red Sox’s Josh Winkhowski. Cleveland is a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Three games are on regional coverage on Fox at 7:15 PM ET. San Francisco is at home against Cincinnati with Logan Webb pitching for the Giants against Mike Minor of the Reds. San Francisco is a -230 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. Minnesota hosts Colorado with the Twins pitching Chris Archer against the Rockies Antonio Senzatela. Minnesota is a -190 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Atlanta Braves host the Los Angeles Dodgers with Max Fried pitching for the Braves against the Dodgers Mitch White. Atlanta is a -120 money line favorite at DraftKings with an over/under of 8.5. The Los Angeles Angels are at home against the Seattle Mariners on FS1 at 10:07 PM ET. The Angels turn to Patrick Sandoval in their starting rotation against the Mariners Logan Gilbert. Los Angeles is a -125 money line favorite with a total of 8. Two MLB games conclude the card at 10:10 PM ET. Arizona is at home against Detroit with Zach Davies pitching for the Diamondbacks against the Tigers' Alex Faedo. Arizona is a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. San Diego hosts Philadelphia, with the Padres turning to Blake Snell as their starting pitcher against the Phillies Zach Eflin. San Diego is a -115 money line favorite with a total of 7.5.Week 3 of the Canadian Football League concludes with two games. The Calgary Stampeders host the Edmonton Elks at 7 PM ET. The Stampeders come off a 33-30 upset victory at Hamilton in overtime as a 1.5-point underdog on Saturday. The Elks lost to Saskatchewan, 26-16, as a 7.5-point underdog last Saturday. Calgary is an 8-point favorite with an over/under of 49.5.The British Columbia Lions play at home against the Toronto Argonauts on ESPN2 at 10 PM ET. The Lions defeated Edmonton, 59-15, as a 4-point favorite back on June 11th. The Argonauts beat Montreal, 20-19, as a 3-point favorite last Saturday. British Columbia is a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 49.5. 

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UFC Fight Night Main Event Preview

by Ben Burns

Friday, Jun 24, 2022

The UFC continues to deliver exciting fights. Fans have been treated to a number of recent thrillers. The action returns to the APEX Center this weekend. Though the really big bouts are generally reserved for other arenas, this week's UFC main event is an intriguing matchup. It features a pair of lightweights both making their 5-round debuts. Both are hungry to make the most of this opportunity. Could it also result in another "thriller?" Let's take a closer look. The FavoriteArman Tsarukyan, a 25-year old Russian-Armenian, has won five straight fights. He's 18-2 for his professional career. While we haven't seen many kicks from him previously, Tsarukyan is calling his shot: “I have been doing this kick since two years or three years, but I never throw during a fight. This is gonna be the first time when I throw that kick. It’s gonna be surprising… More better than Chandler’s KO of Ferguson..."The UnderdogMateusz "Gamer" Gamrot is a 31-year old fighter who hails from Poland. Off three straight wins, he's got a 20-1 record. He's a former Polish flyweight and lightweight champion. With this being a 5-round fight, Gamrot noted: "...We have changed the game plan, we have to be more patient during the fight. It's a different game."The OddsAs of this writing, Tsarukyan is up to -269 at Pinnacle. The take back on Gamrot is +222.Tale Of The TapeAt 5-foot-10, Gamrot is considerably taller than the 5-foot-7 Tsarukyan. Yet, the shorter fighter has a 72 to 70 reach advantage. Both have similar striking stats. Gamrot lands 3.79 strikes per minute, an accuracy of 47%. Tsarukyan has a 48% striking accuracy while landing 3.78 strikes per minute.Bottom LineWhile I do expect Tsarukyan to get the victory, the price seems a little steep. I won't be betting the side. Hopefully "Gamer" lives up to his nickname and gives his younger opponent all that he can handle. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NHL, MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 06/24/2022

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Jun 24, 2022

The Friday sports card features NHL, MLB, and CFL action.The National Hockey League playoffs continue with Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals, with the Tampa Bay Lighting traveling to Colorado to play the Avalanche on ABC at 8:15 PM ET. The Avalanche took a 3-1 lead in this series with their 3-2 victory in overtime. Nazem Kadri had the game-winning goal just over 12 minutes in the first extra period. The Aves won for the eighth time in their last nine games. Colorado is a -180 money line favorite with the total set at 6 (all odds from DraftKings). Major League Baseball has 16 games on its schedule. The Miami Marlins host the New York Mets at 6:40 PM ET. Sandy Alcantara pitches for the Marlins against Taijuan Walker of the Mets. Miami is a -140 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The New York Yankees are at home against the Houston Astros at 7:05 PM ET. The Yankees give the ball to Luis Severino to face off against the Astros Justin Verlander. Houston is a -125 money line favorite with a total of 8. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:10 PM ET. Boston visits Cleveland with Nick Pivetta pitching for the Red Sox against Cal Quantrill of the Guardians. Boston is a -120 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Tampa Bay is at home against Pittsburgh, with the Rays pitching Jeffrey Springs against the Pirates Mitch Keller. Tampa Bay is a -210 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers travel to Atlanta to play the Braves at 7:20 PM ET. The Dodgers send out Julio Urias against the Braves Ian Anderson. Los Angeles is a -135 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. The Texas Rangers are at home against the Washington Nationals at 8:05 PM ET. Dane Dunning pitches for the Rangers against Paulo Espino of the Nationals. Texas is a -175 money line favorite with a total of 9. Four MLB games start at 8:10 PM ET. Kansas City hosts Oakland with the Royals turning to Zack Greinke in their starting rotation against the A’s Cole Irvin. Kansas City is a -135 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Minnesota plays at home against Colorado with Dylan Bundy pitching for the Twins against German Marquez of the Rockies. Minnesota is a -165 money line favorite with a total of 9.5. Toronto travels to Milwaukee with the Blue Jays pitching Alek Manoah against the Brewers Adrian Houser. Toronto is a -155 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Chicago is at home against Baltimore, with Michael Kopech pitching for the White Sox against Kyle Bradish of the Orioles. Chicago is a -170 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. The St. Louis Cardinals host the Chicago Cubs on Apple TV at 8:15 PM ET. The Cardinals turn to Andre Pallante in their starting rotation against the Cubs Kyle Hendricks. St. Louis is a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Los Angeles Angels play at home against the Seattle Mariners at 9:38 PM ET. Michael Lorenzen pitches for the Angels against Chris Flexen of the Mariners. Los Angeles is a -165 money line favorite with a total of 9. Two MLB games begin at 9:40 PM ET. Philadelphia visits San Diego with the Phillies pitching Aaron Nola against the Padres MacKenzie Gore. Philadelphia is a -135 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7. Arizona is at home against Detroit on Apple TV, with Merrill Kelly the starting pitcher for the Diamondbacks against Rony Garcia against the Tigers. Arizona is a -165 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. The San Francisco Giants host the Cincinnati Bengals at 10:15 PM ET. The Giants pitch Alex Cobb against the Reds Graham Ashcraft. San Francisco is a -195 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.Week 3 in the Canadian Football League continues with one game. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers play at home against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in a rematch of the 2021 Grey Cup on ESPN2 at 8:30 PM ET. The Blue Bombers won that game, 33-25, as a 2.5-point road favorite on December 12th. Winnipeg is 2-0 this season after winning at Ottawa, 19-12, as a 1-point road favorite on Friday. The Tiger-Cats are winless this year after getting upset at home to Calgary, 33-30 in overtime, as a 1.5-point favorite last Saturday. Winnipeg is a 4.5-point favorite with a total of 42.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 06/23/2022

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Jun 23, 2022

The Thursday sports card features MLB and CFL action.Major League Baseball has ten games on its schedule. The Miami Marlins host the Colorado Rockies at 12:10 PM ET. The Marlins won their third game in their last four in a 7-4 victory against the Rockies on Wednesday. They raised their record to 31-36 with the victory. Colorado has lost two in a row to fall to 30-39 with the setback. Braxton Garrett pitches for Miami against Kyle Freeland for the Rockies. Miami is a -140 money line favorite, with the total set at 8.5 (all odds from DraftKings). The Atlanta Braves host the San Francisco Giants at 12:20 PM ET. The Braves won for the third time in their last four games with their 4-3 victory against the Giants on Wednesday. They improved to 40-30 with the win. San Francisco fell to 38-29 with the loss. Atlanta pitches Kyle Wright against the Giants Alex Wood. The Braves are a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 12:35 PM ET. Los Angeles plays at Cincinnati after the Dodgers beat them, 8-4, on Wednesday. The Dodgers have a 42-25 record. The Reds fell to 23-45. Clayton Kershaw takes the ball for Los Angeles against Hunter Greene of the Reds. The Dodgers are a -230 money line road favorite with a total of 9. Chicago plays at Pittsburgh after the Cubs beat them yesterday, 14-5. The Cubs improved to 26-43 with the victory, while the Pirates dropped to 28-40 with the setback. Justin Steele pitches for Chicago against Jose Quintana for the Pirates. The Cubs are a -120 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Minnesota Twins host the Cleveland Guardians at 1:10 PM ET. The Twins ended a two-game losing streak with their 10-7 victory against the Guardians last night. They raised their record to 39-31 with the win. The Guardians record fell to 35-29 with the loss. Minnesota gives the ball to Delvin Smeltzer to pitch against Cleveland’s Zack Plesac. The Twins are a -135 money line favorite with a total of 9.5. The St. Louis Cardinals visit Milwaukee to play the Brewers at 2:10 PM ET. The Cardinals have a 41-31 record after their 5-4 victory against the Brewers on Wednesday. Milwaukee fell to 39-32 on the season. Dakota Hudson pitches for St. Louis against Jason Alexander for the Brewers. The Cardinals are a -115 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. The Seattle Mariners travel to Oakland to play the A’s at 3:37 PM ET. The Mariners shut out the A’s yesterday, 4-0, to improve their record to 31-39. Oakland’s record fell to 23-47. Seattle pitches Robbie Ray against the A’s Frankie Montas. The Mariners are a -135 money line road favorite with a total of 7. The New York Yankees play at home against the Houston Astros at 7:05 PM ET. The Yankees won their second game in their last three with a 5-4 victory at Tampa Bay on Wednesday. They raised their record to 51-18. The Astros won for the sixth time in their last seven games in a 5-3 win at New York against the Mets. Houston has a 43-25 record. New York turns to Jameson Taillon in their starting rotation against Houston’s Framber Valdez. The Yankees are a -125 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Chicago White Sox host the Baltimore Orioles at 8:10 PM ET. The White Sox were on a two-game winning streak before their 9-5 loss at home against Toronto yesterday. They have a 33-34 record. The Orioles won for the fourth time in their last six games with their 7-0 victory against Washington. Baltimore has a 31-39 record. Johnny Cueto pitches for Chicago against Dean Kremer for Baltimore. The White Sox are a -165 money line favorite with a total of 7. The San Diego Padres are at home against the Philadelphia Phillies at 9:40 PM ET. The Padres won their third straight game with a 10-4 victory against Arizona on Wednesday. They improved their record to 44-27. The Phillies lost their third game in a row in a 4-2 loss at Texas yesterday to drop their record to 36-34. San Diego pitches Joe Musgrove against Philadelphia’s Ranger Suarez. The Padres are a -145 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.Week 3 in the Canadian Football League kicks off with one game. The Montreal Alouettes are at home against the Saskatchewan Roughriders at 7:30 PM ET. The Alouettes lost their second straight game to start the season with a 20-19 loss at Toronto as a 3-point underdog last Thursday. The Roughriders improved to 2-0 this season with a 26-16 victory at Edmonton as a 7.5-point favorite on Saturday. Saskatchewan is a 3-point road favorite with a total of 46.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NHL and MLB Previews and Odds - 06/22/2022

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Jun 22, 2022

The Wednesday sports card features NHL and MLB action.The National Hockey League playoffs continue with Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals, with the Colorado Avalanche traveling to Tampa Bay to play the Lightning on ABC at 8:07 PM ET. The Lightning won their first game in this series with their 6-2 victory on Monday. The Avalanche hold a 2-1 series lead. Both teams are a -110 money line favorite with the total set at 6 (all odds from DraftKings). Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. Two games throw out the first pitch at 2:10 PM ET. Houston hosts New York with Luis Garcia pitching for the Astros against Carlos Carrasco of the Mets. Houston is a -135 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Toronto plays at Chicago  with the Blue Jays pitching Ross Stripling against the White Sox’s Lucas Giolito. Toronto is a -120 money line road favorite with a total of 9.The Philadelphia Phillies travel to Texas to play the Rangers at 4:05 PM ET. Zack Wheeler pitches for the Phillies against Jon Gray of the Rangers. Philadelphia is a -135 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Arizona Diamondbacks play at San Diego against the Padres at 4:10 PM ET. The Diamondbacks turn to Madison Bumgarner in their starting rotation against the Padres Mike Clevinger. Two MLB games start at 6:40 PM ET. Miami is at home against Colorado, with Pablo Lopez pitching for the Marlins against Chad Kuhl of the Rockies. Miami is a -195 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. Los Angeles visits Cincinnati with the Dodgers pitching Tyler Anderson against the Reds Luis Castillo. Los Angeles is a -175 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Two MLB games begin at 7:05 PM ET. Chicago plays at Pittsburgh with Keegan Thompson pitching for the Cubs against Jared Eickhoff of the Pirates. Baltimore hosts Washington with the Orioles pitching Tyler Wells against the Nationals Patrick Corbin. Baltimore is a -155 money line favorite with a total of 9.Two MLB games start at 7:10 PM ET. Boston is at home against Detroit, with Michael Wacha taking the ball for the Red Sox against Tarik Skubal for the Tigers. Boston is a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. New York travels to Tampa Bay with the Yankees pitching Jordan Montgomery against the Rays Shane Baz. New York is a -140 money line road favorite with a total of 7. The Atlanta Braves are at home against the San Francisco Giants at 7:20 PM ET. Charlie Morton pitches for the Braves against Carlos Rodon of the Giants. Atlanta is a -125 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Minnesota Twins play at home against the Cleveland Guardians at 7:40 PM ET. The Twins pitch Sonny Gray against the Guardians Triston McKenzie. Minnesota is a -150 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. The St. Louis Cardinals visit the Milwaukee Brewers at 8:10 PM ET. Adam Wainwright takes the ball for the Cardinals against Eric Lauer of the Brewers. Both teams are priced as a -110 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Seattle Mariners travel to Oakland to play the A’s at 9:40 PM ET. The Mariners send out George Kirby to face the A’s Paul Blackburn. Seattle is a -130 money line road favorite with a total of 7.5. The Los Angeles Angels host the Kansas City Royals at 9:49 PM ET. Shohei Ohtani pitches for the Angels against Daniel Lynch of the Royals. Los Angeles is a -225 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 06/21/2022

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Jun 21, 2022

The Tuesday sports card features MLB action.Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. Two games throw out the first pitch at 6:40 PM ET. Miami hosts Colorado with Daniel Castrano pitching for the Marlins against Ryan Feltner of the Rockies. Miami is a -125 money line favorite, with the total set at 8. Los Angeles visits Cincinnati with the Dodgers pitching Tony Gonsolin against the Reds Tyler Mahle. Los Angeles is a -190 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Two MLB games start at 7:05 PM ET. Washington plays at Baltimore with Erick Fedde pitching for the Nationals against a starting pitcher yet to be determined for the Orioles. Pittsburgh plays at home against Chicago, with the Pirates pitching Roansy Contreras against the Cubs Matt Swarmer. Pittsburgh is a -150 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Two MLB games begin at 7:10 PM ET. Boston is at home against Detroit with Rich Hill pitching for the Red Sox against the Tigers Beau Brisk. Boston is a -195 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. New York visits Tampa Bay with Nestor Cortes pitching for the Yankees against a starting pitcher yet to be named for the Rays. The San Francisco Giants travel to Atlanta to play the Braves on TBS at 7:20 PM ET. The Braves won their 16th game in their last 18 contests with a 2-1 victory against the Giants on Monday. Atlanta pitches Spencer Strider against the San Francisco’s Anthony DeSclafani. The Cleveland Guardians play at Minnesota against the Twins at 7:40 PM ET. Aaron Civale pitches for the Guardians against Joe Ryan of the Twins. The Texas Rangers host the Philadelphia Phillies at 8:05 PM ET. The Rangers pitch Martin Perez against the Phillies Kyle Gibson. Texas is a -120 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Three MLB games start at 8:10 PM ET. Toronto plays at Chicago with Kevin Gausman pitching for the Blue Jays against Dylan Cease for the White Sox. Toronto is a -130 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Toronto is a -130 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Milwaukee is at home against St. Louis on FS1 ,with the Brewers pitching Chi Chi Gonzalez against the Cardinals Jack Flaherty. The Brewers won their fourth straight game with a 2-0 victory against the Cardinals in the opening game of this series. Milwaukee is a -120 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Houston hosts New York with Jose Urquidy pitching for the Astros against the Mets Trevor Williams. Houston is a -135 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Los Angeles Angels are at home against the Kansas City Royals at 9:38 PM ET. The Angels pitch Reid Detmers against the Royals Jonathan Heasley. Los Angeles is a -175 money line favorite with a total of 9. Two MLB games conclude the Monday card. Arizona plays at San Diego with Zac Gallen pitching for the Diamondbacks against Sean Manaea of the Padres. Seattle travels to Oakland with the Mariners pitching Marco Gonzales against the A’s James Kaprielian. Seattle is a -150 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.

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2022 Auburn Tigers Preview

by Matt Fargo

Monday, Jun 20, 2022

Auburn Tigers2021-22 Season Record 6-7 (3-5 SEC West) - 6-7-0 ATS - 5-8-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 6Defense - 7OverviewAuburn is coming off its first overall losing season since 2012 and just its third since 2000 and second year head coach Bryan Harsin is already under pressure. The Tigers have gone to nine straight bowls games but the last four being the Birmingham, Citrus, Outback and Music City Bowls does not exactly inject a lot of enthusiasm in the fan base. Playing in the SEC makes it more of a challenge to get back to prominence and it will not be easy once again. The offense scored 122 points in its first two games but averaged only 22.4 ppg in its last 11 contests and in the offensively potent SEC West, this has to get better. The defense held its own and kept some of the games within reach but the unit was not good in clutch situations, finishing No. 58 in red zone defense, allowing 40 scores in 49 opponent attempts. Ending on a five-game losing streak only adds to the pressure. OffenseThe offense was average across the board last season finishing between No. 58 and No. 62 in yards, points, passing and rushing but should be better in all areas this season. In one of the bigger offseason transfers, quarterback Bo Nix left for Oregon but he was just average as a starter with 37 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in three seasons. Three transfers from big name schools will be vying for the starting job led by T.J. Finley who came over from LSU and was 70-128 for 827 yards, six touchdowns and one interception last season. He will be pushed by Zach Calzada from Texas A&M and Robby Ashford from Oregon. Whoever wins long-term job will be protected behind a veteran offensive line led by five-year senior starting center Nick Brahms. 1,000-yard rusher Tank Bigsby is back and while top receiver Kobe Hudson transferred, five experienced wideouts are back to fill in. DefenseThe defense has good experience coming back but it is pretty young with only three senior starters. The Tigers finished No. 34 in points allowed per game and No. 35 against the run but they were torched through the air. Only two starters are back in the secondary and they are led by junior safety Zion Puckett and junior transfer corner D.J James to build a more resistant unit. The rushing defense will be better if healthy as three starters are back along the defensive line buoyed by senior edge Derick Hall and fellow end Colby Wooden while getting immediate help from Oregon transfer Jayson Jones at nose tackle. The linebackers are experienced and deep with five juniors or seniors on the three-deep chart. The defense will have to lead, at least early on, until the offense finds its rhythm and one important factor is getting more takeaways than the 12 generated last season. 2022 Season OutlookLosing the final five games and some on and off field allegations nearly cost Harsin his job after one season so expect a buyout if there is not significant improvement. The schedule opens with five home games, three of which should result in easy wins against Mercer, San Jose St. and Missouri while the other two are against Penn St. and LSU which can go either way but a 5-0 start is not out of the question. Then the fun begins. Three of the next four games are on the road against Georgia, Mississippi and Mississippi St. with a home game against an improved Arkansas team sandwiched in. The final SEC home game is against Texas A&M and the Tigers close at Alabama after a home game against Western Kentucky. The 6.5 O/U win total is spot on and if Auburn does not get to that 5-0 start, it will take a few upsets to get to a winning record and a tenth straight bowl game. 

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2022 Army Black Knights Preview

by Matt Fargo

Monday, Jun 20, 2022

Army Black Knights2021-22 Season Record 9-4 (N/A) - 6-7-0 ATS - 5-8-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 6Defense - 8OverviewHead coach Jeff Monken took over in 2014 after Army had one winning record in its previous 16 seasons and following  two rebuilding years, the Black Knights have had winning seasons in five of the last six years including four bowl wins after having three in the history of the program before this. Army went 9-4 last season and it could have been better as the Black Knights lost focus in a loss at Ball St., lost by just six points to Wisconsin, fell in a shootout against Wake Forest and dropped its rivalry game against Navy by four points. Six of the nine wins were by double-digits and more of that can be expected against a fairly soft slate. Over the last three years, Army has improved in the final rankings, finishing No. 89 in 2019, No. 66 in 2020 and No. 43 in 2021 and the 2022 version is an all-around better team that should keep the program moving forward even more. OffenseThe Black Knights have been one of the most successful running teams over recent years and that is not going to change. They finished No. 2 in the country in rushing offense with 280.6 ypg on 4.8 ypc which was only No. 32 overall so they will look to improve that average. Army loses starting quarterback Christian Anderson, who was second on the team in rushing, but Tyhier Tyler takes over with plenty of experience and he led the team in rushing in 2020 with 502 yards. His backfield is fully intact led by slotback Tyrell Robinson and fullback Jakobi Buchanan. The offensive line brings back their left tackle and center but have to replace the other three positions which is not a big deal for a team that rotated in and out. The passing game is pretty much non-existent as it threw the ball only 110 times but averaged 20.6 yards per completion which was second highest in the nation. DefenseAfter finishing No. 2 in total defense in 2020, Army took a slight step back last season, allowing 320.8 ypg which was good for No. 15 in the country which is still outstanding. The Black Knights bring back eight starters on defense including both ends, three linebackers and three from the secondary. Defensive end Andre Carter is the anchor of the unit and is a legitimate top NFL draft pick and the linebackers bring back a ton of experience and hard hitting tacklers. The weakness is in the secondary as Army finished No. 72 in pass efficiency defense and will be vulnerable against strong passing attacks but those will be few and far between in 2022. The biggest issue the Black Knights have to shore up is the red zone defense as they allowed 29 scores, including 22 touchdowns in 31 opponent trips and that 94 percent clip was No. 125 in the nation after finishing No. 2 in 2020. 2022 Season OutlookOnce a punching back as an Independent, Army has turned the corner under Monken as he develops players the right way and any gaps moving forward are usually replaced with players with at least some experience. Getting notoriety as an Independent is tough if you are not named Notre Dame but Army is now a noteworthy challenger on most opposing schedules. The slate this season has the potential for a double-digit win season as it is loaded with games Army will be favored in. It faces two FCS teams, Villanova will be a challenge, two poor Independents in Connecticut and Massachusetts, and of course Air Force and Navy, both on a neutral field. Four of the remaining six games are against the Sun Belt with UTSA and Wake Forest mixed in. As long as the Black Knights take care of what they should, the O/U win total of 8 -115 should be surpassed once again. 

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Using Run Differential To Predict The National League

by Power Sports

Monday, Jun 20, 2022

Anyone who has followed my handicapping through the years is well aware that I’m a big believer in using a team’s scoring differential as a solid indicator of future outcomes. This goes for all sports.My rationale is pretty simple. Teams that outscore the opposition by the biggest margin tend to be the “best” teams while those outscored by the widest margin tend to be the “worst.”Looking at the National League, I think it’s quite easy to separate the contenders from the pretenders this year, using run differential.“There’s Always Next Year”Though we’re just a little over one-third of the way through the regular season, I feel quite confident in saying the following NL teams will NOT be making the playoffs this season: Arizona, Colorado, Chicago, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Washington. In terms of run differential, there already exists a substantial gap between these six and the other nine clubs in the Senior Circuit. In fact, five of the six teams on the list above already have a run differential of -57 or worse (as of 6/20).  The nine NL teams still to be mentioned all have positive YTD run differentials.One non-contender to “keep an eye on” is Pittsburgh. The Pirates have the second worst run differential in all of baseball, but are somehow still third in their own division (ahead of both the Cubs and Reds). I expect the Bucs to start losing games at an even higher rate than they already are. Since its disastrous 3-22 start to the 2022 season, the Reds have actually been a .500 team. Yet they join the Nationals and Cubs in the bottom five of net units earned. (That means we are talking about three of the five worst teams to bet on).  The Pirates, D’backs and Rockies have all been middle of the road when it comes to net units. The ContendersSo we have nine teams to consider when it comes to this year’s NL Playoff picture. Remember that there’s been an extra Wild Card added, so six will ultimately make it.The Dodgers and Mets should be considered playoff locks. I know that the Mets blew a large lead in the division last season and the NL East is pretty tough. Plus, a 5-0 record in extra inning games is due to regress. But I’m still more confident in this Mets team than I was last year’s.The Dodgers have the best run differential in the NL, by a lot (+114). They are actually 0-5 in extra inning games and only have a half game lead in the West. But you’re crazy if you don’t think this is the NL’s best team, moving forward.Someone will have to win the Central and that will obviously be either the Cardinals or Brewers, who coincidentally will play each other this week in Milwaukee. The two teams both come in with identical 38-30 records. But St. Louis has the much better run differential, +61 vs. +16. We’ve got a bevy of possible Wild Card contenders, besides whichever team doesn’t win the Central. San Diego and San Francisco both look strong out West. Coming into 2022, we knew the Giants couldn’t possibly be as profitable as they were last year (when they were a historically great +45.8 units). Therefore, I have less confidence in them making the playoffs than I do the Padres and not just because of SD’s superior run differential at the moment.The East is very interesting as both the Braves and Phillies got hot in June. But also keep an eye out for the Marlins, who ought to have a winning record. They’ve outscored their opponents by 19 runs, yet find themselves six games below .500. I cashed a winning ticket on Miami Sunday (as an underdog). You can point to a MLB-high 17 one-run losses as the reason the Marlins face the current dichotomy. Only one other team in the NL has more than 10 one-run losses right now and that’s the Cubs. Be back to focus on the American League next week. 

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