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Big Al's Daily Angle: NHL and MLB Previews and Odds - 06/01/2022

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Jun 01, 2022

The Wednesday sports card features NHL and MLB action.The National Hockey League playoffs continue with Game 1 of the best-of-seven series in the Eastern Conference finals between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the New York Rangers on ESPN at 8:07 PM ET. The Lightning are on a six-game winning streak after sweeping Florida in four games with a 2-0 victory at home to end that series on May 23rd. The Rangers have won four of five after beating Carolina on the road in Game 7 of that series on Monday. Tampa Bay is a -135 money line road favorite with the total set at 5.5. The Wednesday schedule in Major League Baseball has 16 games on its schedule. Two games throw out the first pitch at 1:10 PM ET. Cleveland hosts Kansas City with the Guardians pitching Konnor Pilkington against the Royals Brad Keller. Cleveland is a -145 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The New York Mets play at home against Washington with Carlos Carrasco pitching for the Mets against Evan Lee of the Nationals. New York is a -255 money line favorite with a total of 9. San Diego visits St. Louis at 1:15 PM ET. The Padres pitch Yu Darvish against the Cardinals Dakota Hudson. San Diego is a -125 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.Miami plays at Colorado at 3:10 PM ET in the opening game of their doubleheader. Antonio Senzatela pitches for the Rockies against a starting pitcher yet to be determined for the Marlins. Houston travels to Oakland at 3:37 PM ET. The Astros pitch Justin Verlander against the A’s Cole Irvin. Houston is a -225 money line road favorite with a total of 7. Atlanta plays at Arizona at 3:40 PM ET. Kyle Wright pitches for the Braves against Madison Bumgarner of the Diamondbacks. Atlanta is a -155 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Philadelphia hosts San Francisco at 6:05 PM ET. The Phillies pitch Aaron Nola against the Giants Carlos Rodon. Philadelphia is a -120 money line favorite with a total of 8. The Marlins are on the road against the Rockies in the second game of their doubleheader at 6:10 PM ET. Two more MLB games start at 7:05 PM ET. The New York Yankees are at home against the Los Angeles Angels on FS1 with Nelson Cortes pitching for the Yankees against Reid Detmers of the Angels. New York is a -165 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Seattle visits Baltimore with the Mariners pitching Robbie Ray against the Orioles Kyle Bradish. Seattle is a -150 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Toronto is at home against the Chicago White Sox at 7:07 PM ET. Hyun Jin Ryu pitches for the Blue Jays against Michael Kopech of the White Sox. Toronto is a -135 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two MLB games begin at 7:10 PM ET. Minnesota travels to Detroit with Bailey Ober pitching for the Twins against Tarik Skubal of the Tigers. Minnesota is a -125 money line road favorite with a total of 7.5. Boston hosts Cincinnati with Garrett Whitlock pitching for the Red Sox against Hunter Greene of the Reds. Boston is a -210 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Two MLB games start at 8:05 PM ET. Milwaukee plays at Chicago against the Cubs with Jason Alexander pitching for the Brewers against Kyle Hendricks of the Cubs. Tampa Bay is at Texas with Jeffrey Springs pitching for the Rays against Jon Gray for the Rangers. Tampa Bay is a -125 money line road favorite with a total of 7.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers are at home against Pittsburgh at 8:10 PM ET. The Dodgers pitch Mitch White against the Pirates Jose Quintana. Los Angeles is a -235 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.

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Previewing the Edmonton Oilers/Colorado Avalanche Playoff Series

by Team Del Genio

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

It is rare for the oddsmakers to install the over/under number at 7, and it is even rarer for the oddsmakers to move past 6.5 to 7s in the conference finals in the NHL playoffs. Yet this is where the oddsmakers are between these two high-powered scoring teams that both averaged 4.3 goals per game in the first two rounds of the playoffs. After the Avalanche took the opening game of this series on Tuesday by an 8-6 score, this series seems destined to have the over/unders installed at 7 or even, daresay, 7.5 the rest of the way. The Edmonton Oilers reached the Western Conference finals with a 5-4 victory in overtime at Calgary on Thursday to end that series in five games. The Oilers scored five times for the third time in four games with that win. They have scored at least four goals in eight of their twelve playoffs games, and they have scored at least five goals in half of those twelve games in the postseason. Edmonton is led by the best player in the NHL in Conner McDavid who has scored seven times in the playoffs and assisted on another 19 goals in the first two rounds of the playoffs. He is joined by Leon Draisaitl who has generated 26 points in the first two rounds of the playoffs as well. Evander Kane has thrived playing on the top line with that pair. He had 12 goals in the first two rounds with a remarkable 23.5% shooting percentage in the postseason. Zach Hyman added another eight goals in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Yet the Oilers were giving up 3.1 goals per game even before Colorado scored eight times against them in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. Mike Smith has put up good numbers with a .927 save percentage after the first two rounds yet he has committed several miscues that have cost his team goals. The Flames scored at least three goals in four of the five games against them. Edmonton began the playoffs with a seven-game series with the Los Angeles Kings. The Oilers shut out the Kings, 2-0, in Game 7 to win the series and advance to face Calgary. Edmonton had an 8-4 record after the first two rounds of the playoffs with 52 goals and 37 goals allowed in those twelve games.Colorado moved past St. Louis with a 3-2 victory on the road on Friday to end that series in six games. There three previous games with the Blues had at least seven combined goals scored, with two of those games having nine combined goals scored. The Avalanche had scored 10 power-play goals in the playoffs with a 34.5% conversion rate after the first two rounds of the playoffs. Colorado has scored at least five goals in five of their ten playoff games, and they have scored six or more goals three times. Nathan MacKinnon leads the way with eight goals and five assists in their ten games. Mikko Rantanen has 11 points yet has only scored once despite scoring 36 goals in the regular season. Yet Colorado had allowed 3.2 goals per game in their last five games against St. Louis with goalie Darcy Kuemper posting a .857 save percentage in his last three games. The season-ending injury to defenseman Samuel Girard in the fourth game of the series with the Blues makes the challenge to stop their opponents even stiffer.The Avalanche began the playoffs with a four-game sweep of the Nashville Predators. Colorado scored 43 times in their ten games in the first two rounds of the playoffs while giving up 27 goals. The oddsmakers have installed them as a money line favorite of -160 or higher in all ten of their playoff games. The results of Game 1 suggest the oddsmakers will keep posting an over/under of 7 in this series. Yet bettors should be aware that of the three goals scored in the third period, one was a late empty netter by the Avalanche. There may be unders coming on the horizon, especially when combined scores of six will pay off under tickets. The Oilers appear capable of staying competitive in this series as well in this showdown between McDavid and MacKinnon after almost forcing overtime after trailing 7-4 after two periods.Good luck - TDG.

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Will Home Runs and Scoring Stay Down All Summer?

by Team Del Genio

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

Home runs are down and so is scoring after the first quarter of the Major League Baseball season. Is this a trend that we will continue to observe all summer, or are these initial numbers an aberration?There are a few things that are different this MLB season. The baseballs appear to once again be changed. Yet the biggest complaints appear to be coming from pitchers who are finding more of the baseballs with indented laces that make the ball harder to grip. That would seem to benefit the hitters. All 30 stadiums have installed humidors this season, up from the ten stadiums that had humidors last year. Humidors are climate-controlled chambers where the baseballs are stored to prevent them from drying out. A dryer baseball has more bounce off the bat, so baseballs that have been stored at average humidity helps the pitchers.The wild card this season was the abbreviated three-week spring training that became necessary to play a complete 162-game season after the start of the season was delayed by the labor lockout. The shorter preparation time would appear to negatively impact pitchers’ usual development and progress in getting to their full velocity. Yet perhaps the hitters were hurt by fewer at-bats in the spring?The hitting numbers are clearly down. Teams are averaging 4.18 runs per game (through May 22nd, courtesy of Todd Zola from ESPN for all the seasonal data in this article). That is a six-year low, with the scoring average peaking in 2019 during that span with a 4.63 runs per game average. There are 0.97 home runs per game, another six-year low after peaking in 2019 with 1.33 home runs per game on average. The league-wide batting average of .236 is a six-year low as well after 2016 and 2017 had league-wide batting averages of .251. The humidors seem to be having their intended effect. The average flyball distance this season is 314.4 feet, down from 318.6 feet last year. The six-year high took place in 2019 when the average fly ball traveled 323.5 feet. The average exit velocity for fly balls is 92.1 miles per hour this season after the previous three years had average exit velocities of 92.3 mph, 92.3 mph, and 92.5 mph last year. Yet there is evidence that these lower-scoring trends are turning around. When comparing the April 7th opening day to April 30th data to the May 1st through May 22nd numbers, the hitting numbers are up. Home runs are up 15.6% this month, the largest increase from April in the last six years. Batting averages are up 4.2% this month, the second-biggest jump in May in the last six seasons behind last year’s 5.4% improvement in May. Runs are up 7.3% this month, the second-highest increase behind last year’s 10.3% rise in scoring in May.These numbers are important for us when considering over/unders in baseball. VSiN reports that the Under is 362-321-38 through May 30th this season. While that 53% percentage to the under is consistent with the lower hitting numbers this season, it is interesting to note that the under was hitting at a 60% clip a month ago. As the May hitting numbers improved, more overs were coming in. Given these recent improvements in hitting numbers, bettors should beware of playing unders exclusively because of the negative impact of the league-wide humidors. Perhaps the hitters were farther behind than the pitchers after all after the three-week spring training, yet the batters have finally caught up.Good luck - TDG.

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NHL Playoff Over/Under Trends After Rounds One and Two

by Hollywood Sports

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

Once again, I want to return to assessing totals trends in the Stanley Cup playoffs. One of the data items I track is Over/Under results for each NHL game. I have found that there are certain games in a playoff series that are more likely to go Over the Total and other games in a series that is likely to finish Under the Total. Following these trends helps to inform my decisions regarding when to invest in a Total — and when to avoid investing in a Total I was leaning towards. These are not rules; it would be foolish to just zombie auto-bet the Over just because Game Threes in a playoff series have tended to be higher-scoring affairs. Data mining empirical trends like that — and then relying on them — is a good way to lose a bankroll. Instead, this data provides just another piece of evidence to consider when evaluating the case to play an Over, an Under, or to pass on the Totals situation. Game Ones had four Overs and four Unders in Round One of the Stanley Cup playoffs. In the second round, there was one Over and were three Unders in Game One. That leaves the running total for the 2022 NHL playoffs with five Overs and seven Unders. Last postseason, Game Ones had seven Overs and eight Unders. The grand total for Game Ones in the last two playoff seasons is now 12 Overs and 15 Unders.  Game Twos had four Overs and four Unders in the first round this postseason. There was then one Over and three Unders in the second round. That leaves the running totals for the 2022 postseason at five Overs and Seven Unders. In last year’s playoffs, there were four Overs and 11 Unders in Game Two. The grand total for Game Twos in the last two years in the postseason is nine Overs and 18 Unders. Game Threes had six Overs and two unders in Round One of the playoffs this year. In Round Two, there was one Over and three Unders in Game Threes. The running numbers in the 2022 playoffs for Game Threes at seven Overs and five Unders. The Over was 9-5-1 in last year’s 15 Game Threes. The grand total for Game Threes in the last two postseasons is 16 Overs, 10 Unders, and one push.Game Fours had five Overs and three Unders in Round one of this year’s playoffs. In Round Two, there were two Overs and two Unders this postseason. There have been seven Overs and five Unders in Game Four in these playoffs. Last year, the Over was 6-7-2 in Game Fours. For the last two playoffs, there have now been 13 Overs, 12 Unders, and one push. Game Fives had five Overs, one Under, and one push in the opening round of the playoffs this season. In Round Two, there were two Overs and one Under. Games Fives have seen seven Overs, two Unders, and one push in 2022. Last year, the Over was 4-9-1 in the 14 Game Fives that were played. Overall, there have been 11 Overs, 11 Unders, and one push in the last two playoffs for Game Fives. Game Sixes had five Overs and two Unders in Round One this postseason. In Round Two, there was one Over and one Under. So far this postseason, there have been six Overs and three Unders in Game Sixes. Last year, the Over was 4-3-2 in Game Sixes. In the last two playoffs, there have been 10 Overs, six Unders, and two pushes. Game Sevens had one Over, three Unders, and one push in the playoffs this season. The lone Game Seven in the second round went Over the Total. For 2022, there have been two Game Seven Overs, three Game Seven Unders, and one push. There was one Game Seven Over last postseason and two Game Seven Unders. Over the last two playoffs, there have been three Overs in Game Seven, five Game Seven Unders, and one push.This data over a couple of surprises. The Game Two and Game Three numbers continue to be of note. The sample sizes are small, so there is not much to conclude from just the first round. But this information continues to fine-tune the data I have been collecting. And trends may change over time. Perhaps this data would offer more value if the closing number is separated from the game number in the series, although that will make the sample sizes even smaller. By the semifinals of the NHL playoffs last year, both series were seeing consistent totals of 5s. A year later, there have been 44 playoff games in the first two rounds where the oddsmakers had the total set at 6.5. In Round One, there were 17 Overs and 13 Unders in the 30 games with the total at 6.5. In Round Two, there were seven Overs and seven Unders in the 14 games with the total at 6.5. That leaves the Over with a 24-20 mark in the 44 playoff games this year with a total of 6.5.I will keep looking at these trends in the second round of the playoffs. Assessing this data is just another tool in the toolbox.Best of luck — Frank.

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May National League Overachievers

by Nelly's Sports

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

May National League Overachievers With two months of the Major League Baseball season underway there is sufficient pitching data to draw some early conclusions and offer some predictive analysis for the duration of the season. The marketplace has adjusted to the current season numbers more than history and reputation at this point even though most starters have made only eight-to-ten starts. There will be opportunities to fade some of these National League Overachievers in the coming weeks at favorable prices.   Miles Mikolas – St. Louis Cardinals: Among qualified NL starters Miles Mikolas has the third worst CSW% at just 25.8 percent. Mikolas did not pitch in 2020 and made only nine starts last season and his revival as a solid starter for the Cardinals has been a nice story. He had had some great fortune in the early going however, allowing only five home runs in more than 60 innings, well below his career HR/9 rate. Mikolas isn’t a great strikeout threat with a K/9 below 7.0 and he has had good fortune with a .263 BABIP and an 80 percent strand rate through 10 starts in 2022.  Zac Gallen – Arizona Diamondbacks: After three seasons of inconsistency, many are seeing this as the breakthrough season for Gallen, a third-round draft pick in 2016. Gallen is 4-0 in decisions with a 2.32 ERA for a terrific start as Arizona’s de facto ace. He has his lowest K/9 of his career so far and has gone from a 1.41 HR/9 last season to a 0.54 HR/9 rate so far through nine starts. His BABIP of .237 is also way below his career average as a lot has gone right in the first two months for Gallen. Gallen had three scoreless outings in his first five starts which will water down his numbers all season. Over his past three starts he has allowed nine runs while walking seven and his numbers are likely to worsen as the season goes on.  Carlos Carrasco – New York Mets: The 35-year-old Carrasco has been through a lot in his career and has been a great story so far in 2022 after it appeared his career might be over with disastrous results for the Mets last season. He has reversed last season’s 1-5 record at 5-1 already through nine starts this season but he has HR/9 that is a fourth of his rate last season and less than half of his career average. Carrasco is on pace to have his worst K/9 since 2013 and his success has come almost exclusively at Citi Field this season as his road ERA is 5.06. Carrasco has faced only two games this season vs. winning teams as the schedule will stiffen in the weeks ahead.  Walker Buehler – Los Angeles Dodgers: Considered one of the best pitchers in baseball Buehler will command significant pricing pitching for the Dodgers. He had a charmed 2021 season going 16-4 with a 2.47 ERA, next to a 3.57 xFIP and this season he is getting results that look truer to his averages. Buehler has just a 7.5 K/9 this season through 10 starts and his CSW% is just 26.3 percent, by far the worst of his career. In in past four starts heading into June Buehler has allowed 28 hits and 14 runs for a 5.32 ERA while his K/9 keeps dropping. Buehler remains a good starter on a great team, but it will be difficult to justify his upcoming valuations. 

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May American League Overachievers

by Nelly's Sports

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

May American League OverachieversWith two months of the Major League Baseball season underway there is sufficient pitching data to draw some early conclusions and offer some predictive analysis for the duration of the season. The marketplace has adjusted to the current season numbers more than history and reputation at this point even though most starters have made only eight-to-ten starts. There will be opportunities to fade some of these American League Overachievers in the coming weeks at favorable prices.   Cal Quantrill – Cleveland Guardians: Cleveland has not received the caliber of starting pitching it expected so far through two months but Quantrill has done his part with a 3.42 ERA through eight starts. He has a 4.96 xFIP however for a huge gap between his ERA and most of his ERA estimators. His 5.3 K/9 is among the worst of any AL starter and he has had great luck with a low BABIP of .255 and a HR/9 of just 0.57. Quantrill beat some of his metrics last season in a nice 2021 campaign but he is doing so by a more severe margin this season and it is not likely to be sustained.   Justin Verlander – Houston Astros: The Astros again appear to be a serious AL contender and Verlander is 6-2 in nine starts even after pitching minimally the past two seasons. Verlander is not close to his previous numbers in his K/9 and CSW% figures however as he should not be valued like a perennial Cy Young contender of the past. Verlander has a .213 BABIP and an over 95 percent strand rate as even for a pitcher with his experience and past success, those are outrageous numbers that won’t hold up over time.  Logan Gilbert – Seattle Mariners: A 2018 1st round draft pick, Gilbert has always had great potential. He put together a strong rookie season in 2021, mostly skipping over AAA entirely. This season he looks like Seattle’s top starter on the surface. He had had some big breaks in the early season numbers compared to last season’s line however and it seems unlikely he’ll go through the 2022 season having halved his 2021 ERA of 4.68, currently with a 2.29 ERA through 10 starts. His K/9, BB/9, and CSW% are all worse this season compared with last season despite having more success in his conventional numbers so far.  Jameson Taillon – New York Yankees: From 2016 and 2021 Taillon was the epitome of a slightly above league-average starter, going 37-30 with a 3.82 ERA. His 8.2 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 are also right in line with that assessment as well. In the great two-month start for the Yankees, Taillon has a 5-1 record and a 2.49 ERA, even while his K/9 has fallen to just 6.9 while his CSW% is 25.8 percent, among the worst of any regular AL starter. Taillon has faced Baltimore in a third of his starts this season to help the cause and he has stranded over 83 percent of his base runners. Taillon didn’t suddenly develop into an elite starter as he remains a rather average option and should be considered a fade option given New York’s elevated pricing as the AL leader.   

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NHL and MLB Previews and Odds - 05/31/2022

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

The Tuesday sports card features NHL and MLB action.The National Hockey League playoffs continue with Game 1 of the best-of-seven series in the Western Conference finals between the Edmonton Oilers and the Colorado Avalanche on TNT at 8:07 PM ET. Colorado has won three of their last four games with their 3-1 victory against St. Louis on Friday that ended that series in six games. The Oilers have won four in a row after their 5-4 victory against Calgary on the road on Thursday. Colorado is a -185 money line favorite, with the total set at 7.The Tuesday card in Major League Baseball has 16 games on the schedule. Minnesota travels to Detroit in the opening game of their doubleheader at 1:10 PM ET. Delvin Smeltzer pitches for the Twins against a starting pitcher yet to be named for the Tigers. Minnesota is a -140 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Cleveland hosts Kansas City at 6:10 PM ET. The Guardians pitch Cal Quantrill against the Royals' Daniel Lynch. Cleveland is a -140 money line favorite with a total of 9.5. Philadelphia plays at home against San Francisco at 6:45 PM ET. Ranger Suarez pitches for the Phillies against Jakob Junis of the Giants. Philadelphia is a -130 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:05 PM ET. The New York Yankees are at home against the Los Angeles Angeles with Jordan Montgomery pitching for the Yankees against Noah Syndergaard of the Angels. New York is a -135 money line favorite with a total of 9. Seattle visits Baltimore with George Kirby pitching against a starting pitcher yet to be named. Toronto plays at home against the Chicago White Sox at 7:07 PM ET. The Blue Jays pitch Kevin Gausman against the White Sox’s Lucas Giolito. Toronto is a -180 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Three MLB games start at 7:10 PM ET. The second game of the doubleheader between the Twins and the Tigers has Joey Wentz pitching for Detroit against a starting pitcher yet to be determined. Cincinnati plays at Boston with Luis Castillo pitching for the Reds against the Red Sox’s Michael Wacha. The New York Mets host Washington with Trevor Williams pitching for the Mets against Patrick Corbin of the Nationals. New York is a -180 money line favorite with a total of 9. St. Louis plays at home against San Diego at 7:45 PM ET. The Cardinals pitch Adam Wainwright against the Padres Blake Snell. St. Louis is a -130 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two more MLB games start at 8:05 PM ET. Texas is at home against Tampa Bay, with Martin Perez pitching for the Rangers against Ryan Yarbrough of the Rays. The Chicago Cubs are at home against Milwaukee with Justin Steele pitching for the Cubs against Eric Lauer of the Brewers. Colorado hosts Miami at 8:40 PM ET with German Marquez pitching for the Rockies against a starting pitcher yet to be determined for the Marlins. Two MLB games begin at 9:40 PM ET. Atlanta visits Arizona with the Braves pitching Charlie Morton against the Diamondbacks' Humberto Castellanos. Atlanta is a -160 money line road favorite with a total of 9. Houston plays at Oakland with Cristian Javier pitching for the Astros against Frankie Montas of the A’s. Houston is a -130 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7. Pittsburgh travels to Los Angeles to play the Dodgers at 10:10 PM ET, with the Dodgers pitching Julio Urias against a starting pitcher yet to be determined for the Pirates.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NHL and MLB Previews and Odds - 05/30/2022

by Big Al Staff

Monday, May 30, 2022

The Monday Memorial Day sports card features NHL and MLB action.The National Hockey League playoffs continue with Game 7 of the best-of-seven series in the Eastern Conference semifinals between the New York Rangers and the Carolina Hurricanes and on ESPN at 8:07 PM ET. The Rangers evened this series at 3-3 with their 5-2 victory at home against the Hurricanes on Saturday. New York got two goals from Flip Chytil and two assists from Adam Fox. Igor Shestkerkin stopped 37 of the 39 shots he faced in the victory. Antti Raanta got pulled in the second period after giving up three goals on the 13 shots. Carolina hosts Game 7 back at the PNC Arena in Raleigh. They are a -145 money line favorite with the total set at 5.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise).The Monday card in Major League Baseball has 13 games on its schedule. Milwaukee plays at Chicago against the Cubs in the opening game of their doubleheader at 1:05 PM ET. Minnesota visits Detroit at 1:10 PM ET. Dylan Bundy pitches for the Twins against Beau Brieske for the Tigers. Minnesota is a -165 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. San Diego is at St. Louis at 2:15 PM ET. The Padres pitch Nick Martinez against the Cardinals Packy Naughton. San Francisco travels to Philadelphia at 4:05 PM ET. Logan Webb pitches for the Giants against a starting pitcher yet to be named for the Phillies. Houstons plays at Oakland at 4:07 PM ET. The Astros pitch Framber Valdez against the A’s Paul Blackburn. Miami is at Colorado at 4:10 PM ET. Pablo Lopez goes for the Marlins against Ryan Feltner of the Rockies. Miami is a -145 money line road favorite with a total of 10. Cleveland hosts Kansas City at 6:10 PM ET. The Guardians pitch Zach Plesac against the Royals Jonathan Heasley. Cleveland is a -165 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Two more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:10 PM ET. The New York Mets are at home against Washington, with David Peterson pitching for the Mets against Erick Fedde of the Nationals. New York is a -185 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Boston hosts Baltimore, with the Red Sox tapping Rich Hill to start against the Orioles Tyler Wells. Boston is a -165 money line favorite with an over/under of 10. The Brewers play the Cubs at Wrigley Field at 7:40 PM ET in the second game of their doubleheader. Tampa Bay visits Texas at 8:05 PM ET. Drew Rasmussen pitches for the Rays against Glenn Otto of the Rangers. Atlanta plays at Arizona at 8:10 PM ET. The Braves send out Spencer Strider as their starting pitcher against the Diamondbacks Zac Gallen. Atlanta is a -120 money line road favorite with a total of 8. The Los Angeles Dodgers host Pittsburgh at 10:10 PM ET. Walker Buehler pitches for the Dodgers against Zach Thompson of the Pirates. Los Angeles is a -320 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA and MLB Previews and Odds - 05/29/22

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, May 29, 2022

The Sunday sports card features NBA and MLB action.The National Basketball Association concludes the Eastern Conference finals with Game 7 of the best-of-seven game series between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat on ESPN at 8:30 PM ET. Miami forced this Game 7 with their 111-103 upset victory on the road against the Celtics on Friday. Boston is a 2.5-point road favorite, with the total set at 196.The Sunday card in Major League Baseball has 15 games on the schedule. San Francisco visits Cincinnati on Peacock at 11:35 AM ET. Alex Cobb pitches for the Giants against Tyler Mahle of the Reds. San Francisco is a -145 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Three more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 1:35 PM ET. Boston hosts Baltimore with the Red Sox pitching Nick Pivetta against the Orioles Bruce Zimmermann. Boston is a -190 money line favored with a total of 10. Washington plays at home against Colorado, with Josiah Gray pitching for the Nationals against Kyle Freeland of the Rockies. Washington is a -120 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Atlanta is at home against Miami, with the Braves pitching Max Fried against the Marlins Elieser Hernandez. Atlanta is a -225 money line favorite with a total of 8.Two MLB games start at 1:40 PM ET. Tampa Bay hosts the New York Yankees, with Shane McClanahan pitching for the Rays against Luis Severino for the Yankees. Tampa Bay is a -140 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. Cleveland visits Detroit with the Guardians pitching Triston McKenzie against the Tigers' Elvin Rodriguez. Cleveland is a -160 money line road favorite with a total of 7.5. Two MLB games begin at 2:10 PM ET. Minnesota plays at home against Kansas City with Sonny Gray pitching for the Twins against Zack Greinke for the Royals. Minnesota is a -190 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Chicago White Sox are at home against the Chicago Cubs with the White Sox pitching Dylan Cease against the Cubs Marcus Stroman. The White Sox are a -165 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. Milwaukee travels to St. Louis at 2:15 PM ET. Corbin Burnes pitches for the Brewers against Miles Mikolas of the Cardinals. Milwaukee is a -135 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7. Two MLB games start at 4:07 PM ET. Texas is at Oakland with the Rangers pitching Dane Dunning against the A’s James Kaprielian. Texas is a -120 money line road favorite with a total of 7.5. The Los Angeles Angels host Toronto with Patrick Sandoval pitching for the Angels against Jose Berrios of the Blue Jays. Los Angeles is a -125 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Three MLB games begin at 4:10 PM ET. The Los Angeles Dodgers travel to Arizona with Tyler Anderson pitching for the Dodgers against Zach Davies of the Diamondbacks. Los Angeles is a -210 money line road favorite with a total of 9.5. San Diego plays at home against Pittsburgh, with the Padres pitching Mackenzie Gore against the Pirates Roansy Contreras. Houston is at Seattle with Luis Garcia pitching for the Astros against Marco Gonzales of the Mariners. Houston is a -150 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN2 has the New York Mets playing at home against Philadelphia at 7:08 PM ET. The Mets send Chris Bassitt to the mound against the Phillies Zack Wheeler. New York is a -115 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NHL, MLB and UEFA Champions League Previews and Odds - 05/28/2022

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, May 28, 2022

The Saturday sports card features NHL, MLB, and UEFA Champions League action.The National Hockey League playoffs continue with Game 6 of the best-of-seven series in the Eastern Conference between the Carolina Hurricanes and the New York Rangers on ESPN at 8:07 PM ET. The Hurricanes took a 3-2 lead in this series with a 3-1 victory at home on Thursday. The Rangers return home to host this sixth game at Madison Square Garden. Both teams are priced at -110 with the total set at 5.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise).The Saturday card in Major League Baseball has 17 games on its schedule. Washington plays at home against Colorado in the opening game of their doubleheader at 12:05 PM ET. Aaron Sanchez pitches for the Nationals against Austin Gomber of the Rockies. Washington is a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Boston is at home against Baltimore in the first game of their doubleheader at 12:10 PM ET. The Red Sox send out Nathan Eovaldi to pitch against Jordan Lyles of the Orioles. Boston is a -210 money line favorite with a total of 9.5. Minnesota hosts Kansas City at 2:10 PM ET. Chris Archer pitches for the Twins against Brad Singer of the Royals. Minnesota is a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Milwaukee visits St. Louis at 2:15 PM ET. The Brewers pitch Adrian Houser against the Cardinals’ Matthew Liberatore. Milwaukee is a -110 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Oakland plays at home against Texas at 4:07 PM ET. Zach Logue pitches for the A’s against Taylor Hearn of the Rangers. Oakland is a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Four MLB games throw out the first pitch at 4:10 PM ET. San Francisco travels to Cincinnati with the Giants pitching Alex Wood against the Reds’ Vladimir Gutierrez. San Francisco is a -180 money line road favorite with a total of 10. Cleveland plays at Detroit on FS1 with Shane Bieber pitching for the Guardians against Alex Faedo of the Tigers. Cleveland is a -155 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7. Atlanta hosts Miami with the Braves tapping Tucker Davidson as their starting pitcher against Sandy Alcantara for the Marlins. Atlanta is a -120 money line favorite with a total of 9. The New York Yankees visit Tampa Bay with Gerrit Cole pitching for the Yankees against Corey Kluber of the Rays. New York is a -145 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7. The Nationals play at home against the Rockies in the second game of their doubleheader at 6:05 PM ET. Washington pitches Joan Adon against Colorado’s Chad Kuhl. Washington is a -125 money line favorite with a total of 9.5. The Red Sox are at home against the Orioles in the second game of their doubleheader at 6:10 PM ET. Josh Winckowski pitches for Boston against Eayi Reyes for Baltimore. The Red Sox are a -160 money line favorite with an over/under of 10.5. Three MLB games start at 7:15 PM ET with regional coverage on Fox. The Los Angeles Dodgers visit Arizona with the Dodgers pitching Tony Gonsolin against the Diamondbacks Merrill Kelly. Los Angeles is a -180 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The New York Mets host Philadelphia with Taijuan Walker pitching for the Mets against Zach Wheeler of the Phillies. New York is a -130 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Chicago White Sox are at home against the Chicago Cubs with the White Sox pitching Johnny Cueto against the Cubs’ Keegan Thompson. The White Sox are a -140 money line favorite with a total of 8. Toronto travels to Los Angeles to play the Angels at 10:07 PM ET. Yusei Kikuchi pitches for the Blue Jays against Michael Lorenzen for the Angels. Both teams are priced at -110 with an over/under of 8.5. Two more games conclude the MLB card at 10:10 PM ET. San Diego plays at home against Pittsburgh with the Padres pitching Joe Musgrove against the Pirates’ J.T. Brubaker. San Diego is a -250 money line favorite with a total of 7. Houston visits Seattle with Jose Urquidy pitching for the Astros against Logan Gilbert for the Mariners. Houston is a -130 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The UEFA Champions League final takes place on CBS at 3 PM ET. Liverpool is a -0.5 goal line favorite at PlayMGM against Real Madrid with a total of 2.5. The match takes place on a neutral field at the State de France in Saint-Denis, France.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB, NBA and NHL Previews and Odds - 05/27/2022

by Big Al Staff

Friday, May 27, 2022

The Friday sports card features NBA, NHL, and MLB action.The National Basketball Association continues the Eastern Conference finals with Game 6 of the best-of-seven game series between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics on ESPN at 8:30 PM ET. The Celtics took a 3-2 lead in this series with a 90-83 victory on the road as a 3-point favorite on Wednesday. Boston returns home as an 8.5-point favorite with the total set at 201 (all odds from DraftKings). The National Hockey League playoffs continue with Game 6 of the best-of-seven series in the Western Conference between the Colorado Avalanche and the St. Louis Blues on TNT at 8:07 PM ET. The Blues pulled within 3-2 in this series with a 5-4 victory on the road against the Avalanche on Wednesday. Colorado is a -175 money line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Friday card in Major League Baseball has 14 games on its schedule. San Francisco visits Cincinnati at 6:40 PM ET. Carlos Rodon pitches for the Giants against a starting pitcher yet to be determined for the Reds. Washington hosts Colorado at 7:05 PM ET. The Nationals pitch Aaron Sanchez against the Rockies Austin Gomber. Washington is a -120 money line favorite with a total of 9. Four MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:10 PM ET. Baltimore travels to Boston with Kyle Bradish of the Orioles pitching against Garrett Whitlock of the Red Sox. Cleveland plays at Detroit with Shane Bieber of the Guardians facing Alex Faedo of the Tigers. Cleveland is a -160 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7. The New York Mets are at home against Philadelphia, with the Mets pitching Carlos Carrasco against the Phillies’ Zach Eflin. New York is a -145 money line favorite. Tampa Bay plays at home against the New York Yankees with Jeffrey Springs on the mound for the Rays against Jameson Taillon of the Yankees. Tampa Bay is a -120 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. Miami visits Atlanta at 7:20 PM ET with Trevor Rogers pitching for the Marlins against Ian Anderson of the Braves. Minnesota hosts Kansas City at 8:10 PM ET. The Twins pitches Bailey Ober against the Royals Brad Keller. Minnesota is a -180 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Milwaukee travels to St. Louis at 8:15 PM ET. Brandon Woodruff pitches for the Brewers against Daniel Hudson of the Cardinals. Toronto plays at Los Angeles against the Angels at 9:38 PM ET. The Blue Jays pitch Alek Manoah against the Angels Chase Silseth. Toronto is a -115 money line road favorite with a total of 8. Four MLB games conclude the card at 9:40 PM ET. Texas visits Oakland with Jon Gray of the Rangers battling against Cole Irvin of the A’s. Texas is a -140 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7. The Los Angeles Dodgers play at Arizona with the Diamondbacks pitching Madison Bumgarner against a starting pitcher yet to be named for the Dodgers. San Diego hosts Pittsburgh, with Sean Manaea of the Padres dueling against Jose Quintana of the Pirates. San Diego is a -200 money line favorite with a total of 7. Houston travels to Seattle with the Astros pitching Justin Verlander against the Mariners Chris Flexen. Houston is a -200 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL and MLB Previews and Odds - 05/26/2022

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, May 26, 2022

The Thursday sports card features NBA, NHL, and MLB action.The National Basketball Association continues the Western Conference finals with Game 6 of the best-of-seven game series between the Dallas Mavericks and the Golden State Warriors on TNT at 9 PM ET. The Mavericks won their first game of this series with a 119-109 victory against the Warriors as a 1.5-point favorite at home on Tuesday. Golden State holds a 3-1 lead in the series. The Warriors are a 7-point favorite with the total set at 215.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). The conference semifinals in the National Hockey League playoffs continue with two games on ESPN. Carolina hosts the New York Rangers at 7:07 PM ET. The Rangers evened this series at 2-2 with a 4-1 victory at home on Tuesday. Carolina returns home as a -160 money line favorite with an over/under of 5. Calgary plays at home against Edmonton at 9:37 PM ET. The Oilers have won three straight games to take a 3-1 lead in this series with a 5-3 victory at home on Tuesday. The Flames are a -150 money line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Thursday card in Major League Baseball has 11 games on the schedule. The Chicago Cubs visit Cincinnati at 12:35 PM ET. Justin Steele pitches for the Cubs against Hunter Greene of the Reds. Chicago is a -120 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The New York Yankees play at Tampa Bay at 6:40 PM ET. The Yankees pitch Nestor Cortes against the Rays Ryan Yarbrough. New York is a -130 money line favorite at William Hill with a total of 7.5. Washington is at home against Colorado at 7:05 PM ET. Patrick Corbin pitches for the Nationals against German Marquez of the Rockies. Washington is a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Detroit hosts Cleveland at 7:10 PM ET. The Tigers pitch Tarik Skull against the Gladiators Konnor Pilkington. Detroit is a -143 money line favorite at William Hill with a total of 7.5. Atlanta plays at home against Philadelphia at 7:20 PM ET. Kyle Wright pitches for the Braves against Aaron Nola of the Phillies. Atlanta is a -120 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Minnesota is at home against Kansas City at 7:40 PM ET. Devin Smeltzer pitches for the Twins against Daniel Lynch of the Royals. Minnesota is a -180 money line favorite with a total of 8. St. Louis hosts Milwaukee at 7:45 PM ET. The Cardinals send out Adam Wainwright against the Brewers Eric Lauer. St. Louis is a -120 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Boston travels to Chicago to play the White Sox at 8:10 PM ET. Michael Wacha pitches for the Red Sox against Dallas Keuchel for Chicago. Boston is a -115 money line road favorite with a total of 9. The Los Angeles Angeles are at home against Toronto at 9:38 PM ET. Shohei Ohtani pitches for the Angels against Hyun Jin Ryu of the Blue Jays. Los Angeles is a -150 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.Two MLB games conclude the card at 9:40 PM ET. The Los Angeles Dodgers visit Arizona with Mitch White pitching for the Dodgers against Humberto Castellanos of the Diamondbacks. Los Angeles is a -190 money line road favorite with a total of 9. Oakland hosts Texas with the A’s pitching Frankie Montas against the Rangers’ Martin Perez. Oakland is a -125 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.

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