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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 08/30/2021

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Aug 30, 2021

The Monday sports card features 11 games in MLB.One game takes place in the afternoon. Minnesota visits Detroit at 2:10 PM ET. The Twins had their two-game winning streak end with a 6-2 loss to Milwaukee on Sunday. The Tigers have lost three of their last four in a 2-1 loss to Toronto yesterday. Minnesota pitches Bailey Ober against Detroit’s Casey Mize. The Twins are a -125 money line road favorite with the total set at 9 (all odds from DraftKings).Cincinnati hosts St. Louis at 6:40 PM ET. The Reds have lost four of six after their 2-1 loss at Miami on Sunday. The Cardinals had won two in a row before yesterday’s loss. Luis Castillo pitches for Cincinnati against Jon Lester for St. Louis. The Reds are a -190 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Philadelphia visits Washington at 7:05 PM ET. The Phillies have won three in a row after their 7-4 win at Arizona yesterday. The Nationals have lost four of five after their 9-1 loss in New York against the Mets. Philadelphia pitches Zack Wheeler against Washington’s Josiah Gray. The Phillies are a -190 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Toronto hosts Baltimore at 7:07 PM ET. The Blue Jays have won two in a row after their 2-1 win at Detroit yesterday. The Orioles have lost 22 of their 25 games after their 12-8 loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday. Robbie Ray pitches for Toronto against Chris Ellis for Baltimore. The Blue Jays are a -310 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Tampa Bay plays at home against Boston on ESPN at 7:10 PM ET. The Rays have won seven in a row after a 12-8 win at Baltimore yesterday. The Red Sox’s three-game winning streak ended with a 7-5 defeat at Cleveland on Sunday. Tampa Bay pitches Luis Patino against the Red Sox’s Nick Pivetta. Tampa Bay is a -135 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Colorado visits Texas at 8:05 PM ET. The Rockies have won three of four after their 5-0 win at Los Angeles against the Dodgers yesterday. The Rangers ended their four-game losing streak with their 13-2 win against Houston. Colorado pitches German Marquez against Los Angeles’ A.J. Alexy. The Rockies are a -150 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5.The New York Yankees travel to Los Angeles to play the Angels at 9:38 PM ET. The Yankees had won 13 in a row but are now on a two-game losing streak after their 3-1 loss at Oakland last night. The Angels ended their three-game losing streak with a 10-2 victory against San Diego yesterday. Corey Kluber is on the mound for New York against a starting pitcher yet to be determined for Los Angeles. The Yankees are a -145 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. San Diego visits Arizona at 9:40 PM ET. The Padres have lost six of seven after their after a 10-2 loss in Los Angeles against the Angels yesterday. The Diamondbacks have lost three in a row after a 7-4 loss at Philadelphia on Sunday. San Diego pitches Chris Paddack against Arizona’s Tyler Gilbert. The Padres are a -170 money line road favorite with a total of 9. Milwaukee visits San Francisco at 9:45 PM ET. The Brewers ended their three-game losing streak with a 6-2 victory at Minnesota yesterday. The Giants have lost two of three after a 9-0 loss at Atlanta on Sunday. Corbin Burnes is pitching for Milwaukee against Johnny Cueto for San Francisco. The Brewers are a -145 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Two games conclude the card at 10:10 PM ET. Houston travels to Seattle. The Astros had their four-game winning streak end with their 13-2 loss to Texas yesterday. The Mariners ended their three-game losing streak with a 4-3 win against Kansas City on Sunday. The Astros pitch Luis Garcia against the Mariners Chris Flexen. Houston is a -160 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers host Atlanta on ESPN after losing their second game in their last three in a 5-0 loss to Colorado. The Braves have won two of three after a 9-0 win against San Francisco on Sunday. Julio Urias pitches for the Dodgers against Atlanta’s Drew Smyly. Los Angeles is a -200 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: EPL, CFL, WNBA, MLB and NFL Previews and Odds - 08/29/2021

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Aug 29, 2021

The Sunday sports card features action in the NFL preseason, MLB, CFL, WNBA, and EPL.Five games conclude the NFL preseason. Jacksonville travels to Dallas on the NFL Network at 1 PM ET. The Jaguars are a 3.5-point road favorite with the total set at 36.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Cincinnati hosts Miami on CBS at 4 PM ET. The Bengals are a 2-point favorite with an over/under of 36.5. San Francisco plays at home against Las Vegas on the NFL Network at 4 PM ET as a 5-point favorite with a total of 35.5. New England visits the Meadowlands to play the New York Giants on the NFL Network at 6 PM ET. The Patriots are a 3.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 35.5. Cleveland plays at Atlanta on NBC at 8 PM ET. The Browns are a 5.5-point road favorite with a total of 36. Fourteen games are on the MLB docket. Three games start at 1:05 PM ET. Philadelphia plays at home against Arizona as a -190 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Tampa Bay is at Baltimore as a -240 money line road favorite with a total of 10.5. St. Louis plays at Pittsburgh as a -170 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5.Four games begin at 1:10 PM ET. Cincinnati concludes their series at Miami as a -180 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Toronto plays at Detroit as a -170 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Boston is at Cleveland as a -160 money line road favorite with a total of 9.5. The New York Mets are at home against Washington as a -180 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Atlanta plays at home against San Francisco on TBS at 1:20 PM ET. The Braves are a -120 money line favorite with a total of 9. Two games start at 2:10 PM ET. Milwaukee is at Minnesota as a -160 money line road favorite with an over/under of 10. The Chicago White Sox are at home against the Chicago Cubs as a -220 money line favorite with a total of 9. Houston plays at Texas at 2:35 PM ET as a -225 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two games begin at 4:10 PM ET. The Los Angeles Dodgers are at home against Colorado as a -240 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Seattle plays at home against Kansas City as a -170 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The New York Yankees conclude their series in Oakland on ESPN at 7:08 PM ET. The Yankees are a -150 money line road favorite with a total of 9.Week 3 of the Canadian Football League concludes with Winnipeg hosting Calgary on ESPN2 at 7 PM ET. The Bluebombers are a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 44. One game is on the WNBA slate. Chicago travels to Seattle at 6 PM ET.The third week of the English Premier League finishes up with three matches. Leeds United visits Burnley on the NBC Sports Network at 9 AM ET as a -0.25 goal line road favorite with a total of 2.75. Tottenham hosts Watford on Peacock at 9 AM ET as a -1.25 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Manchester United travels to Wolverhampton on the NBC Sports Network at 11 AM ET as a -0.75 goal line road favorite with a total of 2.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, NFL, MLB, CFL, WNBA and EPL Previews and Odds - 08/28/2021

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Aug 28, 2021

The Saturday sports card features action in NCAAF, NFL preseason, MLB, CFL, WNBA, and EPL.Four games between FBS opponents kick off the 2021-22 college football season. Nebraska visits Illinois on Fox at noon ET. The Cornhuskers are a 7-point road favorite with the total set at 53 (all odds from DraftKings except when indicated otherwise). Fresno State hosts Connecticut on the CBS Sports Network at 2 PM ET. The Bulldogs are 27.5-point favorites with an over/under of 63.5. UCLA plays at home against Hawaii on ESPN at 3:30 PM ET. The Bruins are a 17-point favorite with a total of 67.5. UTEP travels to New Mexico State at 9:30 PM ET as a 10-point road favorite with an over/under of 58.5.Six games continue the third full week of the NFL preseason. The Arizona/New Orleans game got canceled due to Hurricane Ida. Buffalo is at home against Green Bay on the NFL Network at 1 PM ET. The Bills are a 9.5-point favorite with a total of 36.5. Baltimore plays at Washington at 6 PM ET as a 3.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 32.5. Chicago travels to Tennessee on the NFL Network at 7 PM ET. The Bears are a 3-point road favorite with a total of 35.5. Tampa Bay plays at Houston at 8 PM ET as a 4.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 36.5. Denver hosts the Los Angeles Rams at 9:05 PM ET as an 8.5-point favorite with a total of 33.5. Seattle plays at home on the NFL Network at 10 PM ET. The Seahawks are a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 35. Fifteen games are on the MLB docket. Three games start in the afternoon. Boston plays at Cleveland on FS1 at 4:05 PM ET as a -150 money line road favorite with a total of 9. The New York Yankees are in Oakland to play the A’s at 4:07 PM ET as a -115 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Seattle is at home against Kansas City at 4:10 PM ET as a -155 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Philadelphia hosts Arizona at 6:05 PM ET as a -210 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Two games begin at 6:10 PM ET. Toronto is at Detroit as a -183 money line road favorite at 5Dimes with a total of 9.5. Cincinnati plays at Miami as a -115 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Three games start at 7:05 PM ET. Houston is at Texas as a -250 money line road favorite with a total of 9. Tampa Bay plays at Baltimore as a -190 money line road favorite at 5Dimes with an over/under of 9.5. St. Louis continues their series at Pittsburgh as a -180 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Three games start at 7:10 PM ET. The Chicago White Sox play at home against the Chicago Cubs as a -300 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The New York Mets are at home against Washington as a -220 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Milwaukee is at Minnesota as a -150 money line road favorite with an over/under of 10. Atlanta hosts San Francisco at 7:20 PM ET as a -115 money line favorite with a total of 9. San Diego plays in Los Angeles against the Angels on FS1 at 9:07 PM ET. The Padres are a -135 money line road favorite with an over/under of 10. The Los Angeles Dodgers host Colorado at 9:10 PM ET as a -265 money line favorite with a total of 9.The fourth week in the Canadian Football League continues with one game. British Columbia visits Ottawa on ESPN+ at 7 PM ET. The Lions are a 4.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 43.5.Three games are on the WNBA slate. Las Vegas travels to Indiana at 1 PM ET. Los Angeles plays at Connecticut at 7 PM ET. Dallas visits Washington at 7 PM ET. The third week in the English Premier League begins with seven matches. Manchester City hosts Arsenal on Peacock at 7:30 AM ET as a -1.75 goal line favorite with a total of 3. Five games start at 10 AM ET. Aston Villa plays at home against Brentford on CNBC as a -0.5 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Brighton and Hove Albion are at home against Everton on the NBC Sports Network as a -0.25 goal line favorite with a total of 2.25. Southampton travels to Newcastle United on Peacock in a pick ‘em matchup with an over/under of 2.5. Leicester City visits Norwich City as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with a total of 2.75. West Ham United is at home against Crystal Palace as a -1 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Chelsea visits Liverpool on NBC at 12:30 PM ET in a pick ‘em match up with a total of 2.5. 

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Should the College Football Playoff Expand?

by Oskeim Sports

Friday, Aug 27, 2021

As the 2021 college football season is set to get underway on the final weekend in August, one question continues to be on the mind of fans, players, coaches, and anyone with a connection to the sport. Should the College Football Playoff expand?  A better question may be how many teams should a newly expanded playoff include? Or even better, how exactly should the CFP expand? These are all great questions, but it appears the one thing that appears to be a certainty is that the CFP committee is going to expand. So, should they? For Expansion The biggest reason for expanding the current CFP model comes down to one thing – money. There are millions of dollars to be made by increasing the number of teams, and therefore the number of games, in the playoff. The revenue generated eventually feeds back to the conferences and, ultimately, every FBS program. That’s a good thing. With the money issue out of the way, there are other reasons for CFP expansion. One is more conference representation. The CFP is only seven years old. That equates to 28 bids to play for a national title. Only 11 teams have been involved thus far and of those 11 Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, and Oklahoma own 20 of those 28 bids. An expansion of the playoff to say eight teams would likely mean that each Power 5 conference champion would earn a spot. Two more teams, not conference champions, but worthy of a shot would be selected by the CFP committee and the final team would be the best of the Group of 5. Using 2020 as an example, Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Oregon would have represented the Power 5 conferences. The highest-ranked Group of 5 team was Cincinnati, which was definitely deserving of an opportunity to play for a national title after going 9-0. The committee would then have had to choose from among a handful of teams – Notre Dame, Iowa State, Texas A&M, and a few others – for the other two spots. Any expansion of the CFP would also mean home playoff games. The current four-team format puts the national semifinals as part of the six major bowl games. That means they are played at neutral sites. Any expansion would change the current schedule and likely mean that first-round games would be played at the home of the higher-seeded team.  In a sports culture that loves playoffs, home playoff games would feed the college football frenzy. If the NFL, NBA, and other college sports have playoffs, why not college football? It’s what sports fans are used to and it allows for more competition. Fans could eventually tire of watching Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, and Oklahoma playing each other every year for a national title. Against Expansion One of the biggest arguments against any expansion of college football’s playoff system is the number of games played and the length of the season. Teams that play for championships typically play 14 and 15 games in a season. They play in conference championship games before playing in the CFP. A season begins with training camp in early August. Some teams will play into January. That’s a long time for amateur athletes.  Expanding the playoff may also make mediocrity acceptable. Expanding to just eight teams will put teams with at least two losses into the CFP. Expanding to 16 teams could mean a four-loss entrant into a playoff to win a national championship. Is a two-, three-, or four-loss team deserving of a bid to play for the national championship?  In reality, in any given season there are only two or three teams that are capable of winning a national championship. Right now, it just so happens that those two to three teams are usually Alabama, Clemson, and Ohio State or Oklahoma. And guess what? Oklahoma’s record in the CFP is 0-4. In fact, No. 4 seeds are just 2-5 overall and the five losses have been by a margin of 20 points.  Expanding the playoff field would only decrease the importance of the regular season too. With three or four losses being acceptable to make the playoff, games like Alabama-Miami or Georgia-Clemson in the regular season don’t really mean as much. One of the things that make college football so great is the importance of each individual game. Playoff expansion kills that. A four-team playoff may not be perfect. A six-, eight-, or even sixteen-team version will not be perfect either.  

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Ness Notes: CFB 2021: Play Away!

by Larry Ness

Friday, Aug 27, 2021

The coaches' preseason poll (established in 1950) came out back on August 10 and to no one's surprise, defending champion Alabama garnered 63 of the 65 first-place votes. FYI...Alabama has been ranked No. 3 or higher in each of the last 12 coaches' preseason polls. Clemson checked in at No. 2 but No. 3 Oklahoma was the school which grabbed the remaining two 1st-place votes. Rounding out the top-10 were No. 4 Ohio St, No. 5 Georgia, No. 6 Texas A&M, No. 7 Notre Dame, No. 8 Iowa St, No. 9 North Carolina and No. 10 Cincinnati, The AP poll (established in 1936) released its preseason poll on August 16 (AP began its preseason rankings in 1950). Naturally, Alabama was No. 1 but unlike in the coaches' poll, 16 of the 63 AP voters chose someone other than 'Bama as its top choice. Alabama got 47 1st-place votes, followed by No. 2 Oklahoma's six, No. 3 Clemson's six, No. 4 Ohio State's one and No. 5 Georgia's three.I choose to refer to the AP rankings during the regular season until the CFP rankings take over. Here's some interesting tidbits worth mentioning with the season kicking off on Saturday. It marks Alabama's EIGHTH preseason No. 1 ranking, tying Ohio St but both schools trail Oklahoma's 10 preseason No. 1 rankings. Just 11 schools in AP history have opened No. 1 and ended No. 1, the most recent being Alabama in 2017. Only TWO schools have gone through a season as the AP's No. 1 team wire-to-wire, Florida State in 1999 (rest in peace Bobby Bowdon) and USC in 2004 (Pete "I know nothing about violations" Carroll). More on Alabama. The Crimson Tide have now been ranked in 214 consecutive weekly AP polls, a streak that began back in 2008. During the 2020 season, Alabama moved past Florida (209 weeks from 1990-2002) and Florida St (211 weeks from 1989-2001), into second-place all-time. This seems hard to believe but Nebraska now, but Nebraska was ranked in 348 consecutive weekly AP polls from 1981-2002. Don't worry Husker fans, Scott Frost is ready to make a run at the record.Some more random thoughts regarding the AP preseason top-25. Texas A&M was the "last team out" in the final CFP rankings of 2020 and opens No. 6 in the AP poll, the school's highest since ranking No. 3 in the 1995 preseason poll. Iowa St opens ranked 7th, the school's highest-ever AP ranking. Cincinnati (AAC) opens at No. 8, the highest preseason ranking for a non-Power 5 school since Boise St (MWC) earned a No. 5 ranking in 2011. Notre Dame lovers will not like that the Fighting Irish check in at No. 9, one spot BELOW the Fighting Bearcats!  Rounding out the top-10 is North Carolina, which has its highest preseason ranking since being No. 7 back in 1997. Ironically, Mack Brown was the school's head coach back in 1997, as well. Talk about "Back to the Future!"The 2021 season kicks off Saturday with a 'whimper,' featuring a modest seven-game card with nary a ranked team involved.  However, the first week of September features a busy card with all top-25 teams in action. The schedule includes five games between ranked opponents, highlighted by No. 5 Georgia taking on No. 3 Clemson in Charlotte (early line has Clemson favored by three points) and No. 1 Alabama taking on No. 14 Miami-Fl in Atlanta (early line has Alabama favored by 18.5 points).The bowl schedule calls for 43 games, including the two CFP semifinal contests and the CFP national championship game. We enter the season hoping that things go smoothly. There were 118 games postponed or canceled last year due to COVID-19. As we get set to open the 2021 season, every Power-5 conference has announced that schools that are unable to play due to COVID-19 this fall will have to forfeit the game and receive a loss. Let me take a quick peek back at the top-10 in the final CFP of the 2020 season (Dec 20). No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Clemson, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 Notre Dame, No. 5 Texas A&M, No. 6 Oklahoma, No. 7 Florida, No. 8 Cincinnati, No. 9 Georgia and No. 10 Iowa State.Alabama, Georgia and Iowa St were the only schools in this group that didn't cause a postponement or cancellation, while Ohio State, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Oklahoma Cincinnati would have each been saddled with a loss under this year's policy. Florida would have taken the biggest hit, as the Gators would have forfeited two games (ending with FIVE losses instead of three). Other than Alabama remaining No. 1, the College Football Playoff standings could have looked much different last Dec 20th under this season's rules. Fingers crossed.Good luck...Larry 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, CFL, MLB and WNBA Previews and Odds - 08/27/2021

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Aug 27, 2021

The Friday sports card features action in the NFL preseason, MLB, CFL, and the WNBA. The third and final week of the NFL preseason kicks off with four games. Indianapolis visits Detroit at 7 PM ET. The Colts won their second game in the preseason with their 12-10 upset win at Minnesota as a 2-point underdog on Saturday. The Lions lost their second preseason game in a 26-20 loss at Pittsburgh as a 7-point underdog last Saturday. Indianapolis is a 2-point road favorite, with the total set at 33.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Carolina hosts Pittsburgh at 7:30 PM ET. The Panthers remained winless in the preseason with their 20-3 loss at home to Baltimore as a 3.5-point underdog on Saturday. The Steelers are 3-0 in the preseason after their win against the Lions. Carolina is a 4-point favorite with an over/under of 34.5. The New York Jets play at home against Philadelphia at 7:30 PM ET. The Jets won their second straight preseason game in a 23-14 win at Green Bay as a 2.5-point road favorite last Saturday. The Eagles are winless in the preseason after a 35-0 upset loss at home against New England as a 1-point favorite on August 19th. New York is a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 34.Kansas City is at home against Minnesota on the NFL Network at 8 PM ET. The Chiefs won their second straight preseason game with a 17-10 win at Arizona as a 3.5-point favorite last Friday. The Vikings have lost their first two preseason games in a 12-10 upset loss to Indianapolis as a 2-point favorite on Saturday. Kansas City is a 4-point favorite with an over/under of 38.5. Fifteen games are on the MLB docket. Three games start at 7:05 PM ET. Philadelphia hosts Arizona as a -235 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. St. Louis plays at Pittsburgh as a -155 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Tampa Bay is at Baltimore as a -235 money line road favorite with a total of 10.5. Four games begin at 7:10 PM ET. Boston plays at Cleveland as a -180 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. The New York Mets are at home against Washington as a -220 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Cincinnati is at Miami as a -150 money line road favorite with a total of 8. Toronto visits Detroit as a -180 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Atlanta is at home against San Francisco at 7:20 PM ET as a -125 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Houston travels to Texas at 8:05 PM ET as a -220 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two games start at 8:10 PM ET. Milwaukee visits Minnesota as a -135 money line road favorite with a total of 9.5. The Chicago White Sox are at home against the Chicago Cubs as a -225 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. San Diego visits Los Angeles to play the Angels at 9:38 PM ET as a -160 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The New York Yankees continue their series at Oakland at 9:40 PM ET as a -150 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Two games begin at 10:10 PM ET. Seattle is at home against Kansas City as a -170 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Los Angeles Dodgers are at home against Colorado as a -240 money line favorite with a total of 9.The third week in the Canadian Football League begins at 7:30 PM ET, with Hamilton visiting Montreal on ESPN News. The Tiger-Cats have lost their first two games after a 30-8 loss at Saskatchewan as a 1.5-point underdog on August 14th. The Alouettes are 1-1 on the season after getting upset at Calgary, 28-22, as a 5-point favorite last Friday. Hamilton is a 2.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 46.5. Two games are on the WNBA slate. Phoenix travels to New York on the CBS Sports Network at 8 PM ET. Chicago visits Seattle at 10 PM ET.

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2021 NFL: AFC North Division Preview

by Sean Murphy

Friday, Aug 27, 2021

In the second installment of our series of NFL division previews, we take a look at the AFC North, which promises to be one of the most competitive divisions in football. Here's a quick look at what to expect from each division.Odds to win (courtesy of BetOnline)Baltimore Ravens +110Cleveland Browns +140Pittsburgh Steelers +370Cincinnati Bengals +2300Baltimore RavensThe hope heading into 2021 is that Baltimore can get more from its passing game with the additions of wide receivers Sammy Watkins and rookie Rashod Bateman. I'm not holding my breath. We can expect to see the Ravens continue to focus on moving the football with their dynamic ground attack with running back J.K. Dobbins primed for a big season after running for just shy of 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns a year ago. Lamar Jackson has been a monster in the regular season and there's little reason to expect anything different this year. Defensively, the Ravens lost Matt Judon and Yannick Ngakoue to free agency. The cupboard is by no means bare, however, and the addition of veteran Justin Houston should help keep the pass rush on track. The Ravens open the season with back-to-back primetime games.Cleveland BrownsBrowns doubters are suddenly few and far between following last year's playoff run. The roster remains relatively unchanged from last season and that's obviously not a bad thing. It does remain to be seen whether the Browns offense can reach the heights it did a year ago with Odell Beckham Jr. still dealing with a knee injury and Jarvis Landry not getting any younger. Nick Chubb will once again be asked to shoulder much of the load - a role he has proved more than capable of handling. Note that Cleveland will open the season by playing three of its first four games on the road, including a return visit to Kansas City in Week 1 - the scene of its playoff demise last January. Pittsburgh SteelersI'm fairly high on the Black and Gold entering the new season, which could serve as the 'last ride' so to speak for the combo of head coach Mike Tomlin and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers are brimming with talent on both sides of the football with the addition of potential Rookie of the Year candidate Najee Harris in the backfield serving as the showpiece. While the defense is set, the offense will need Big Ben to be the quarterback he was early last season rather than the one that regressed heavily down the stretch. Most have the Steelers ranked as having the most difficult schedule in the NFL this season. That schedule includes five primetime games. It all gets started with a difficult test right out of the gate as Pittsburgh heads to Buffalo to face the Bills. Cincinnati BengalsThe Bengals boast a lot of potential with Joe Burrow returning from last November's devastating season-ending injury but they're still likely a couple of years away from possibly contending for the division crown. The offense should be fine once Burrow gets re-acclimated as he has a host of weapons to work with, including highly-touted draft pick Ja'Marr Chase. All indications are that Burrow got stronger as camp went on and he'll be working behind an improved offensive line compared to a year ago. Defensively, the Bengals have plenty of holes. In fact, the Bengals may possess one of the worst defenses in football which should lead to plenty of shootouts. Cincinnati's Thursday night game against the Jaguars marks its only primetime game of the season. A three-game homestand from Week 12-14 will feature matchups with potential playoff teams - the Steelers, Chargers and 49ers.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and WNBA Previews and Odds - 08/26/2021

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Aug 26, 2021

The Thursday sports card features action in MLB and the WNBA. The scheduled game between the Edmonton Elks and the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League got canceled after a COVID outbreak with Edmonton.Eleven games are on the MLB docket. Three games take place in the afternoon. The Los Angeles Angels play at Baltimore at 1:05 PM ET in the third game of their three-game series. Jaime Barria pitches for the Angels against Keegan Akin of the Orioles. Los Angeles is a -140 money line road favorite with the total set at 11. Cincinnati plays at Milwaukee at 2:10 PM ET in the final game of their three-game series. The Reds pitch Sonny Gray against the Brewers’ Brett Anderson. Both teams are a -110 money line favorites with an over/under of 9. Toronto hosts the Chicago White Sox at 3:07 PM ET in Game 4 of their four-game series. Hyun Jin Ryu pitches for the Blue Jays against Carlos Rodon of the White Sox. Both teams are -110 money line favorites with a total of 8.5.Two MLB games begin at 7:05 PM ET. St. Louis travels to Pittsburgh for the opening game of their four-game series. The Cardinals pitch Miles Mikolas against the Pirates’ Mitch Keller. St. Louis is a -150 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Philadelphia hosts Arizona in the first game of their four-game series. Zack Eflin pitches for the Phillies against Zac Gallen of the Diamondbacks. Philadelphia is a -160 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Four MLB games start at 7:10 PM ET. San Francisco plays at New York against the Mets in the concluding contest of their three-game series. The Giants pitch Alex Wood against the Mets’ Carlos Carrasco. San Francisco is a -125 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Boston hosts Minnesota in the final game of their three-game series. Chris Sale pitches for the Red Sox against the Twins’ John Gant. Boston is a -310 money line favorite with a total of 10. Miami is at home against Washington in Game 3 of their three-game series. The Marlins pitch Elieser Hernandez against the Nationals’ Patrick Corbin. Miami is a -120 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Cleveland plays at home against Texas in the third game of their three-game series. Sam Hentges pitches for the Indians against Dane Dunning of the Rangers. Cleveland is a -180 money line favorite with a total of 9.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers conclude their three-game series at San Diego at 9:10 PM ET. The Dodgers pitch Max Scherzer against the Padres’ Yu Darvish. Los Angeles is a -150 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. The New York Yankees play at Oakland at 9:40 PM ET in Game 1 of their four-game series. Jameson Taillon pitches for the Yankees against James Kaprielian of the A’s. New York is a -115 money line road favorite with a total of 9. Seattle hosts Kansas City at 10:10 PM ET in the opening game of their four-game series. The Mariners pitch Yusei Kikuchi against the Royals’ Brad Keller. Seattle is a -170 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Three games are on the WNBA slate at 7 PM ET. Las Vegas travels to Atlanta. Los Angeles plays at Connecticut. Dallas visits Washington. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and WNBA Previews and Odds - 08/25/2021

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Aug 25, 2021

The Wednesday sports card features action in MLB and the WNBA.Fourteen games are on the MLB docket. Three games take place in the afternoon. St. Louis hosts Detroit at 1:15 PM ET in the second game of their two-game series. Jon Lester pitches for the Cardinals against Tarik Skubal of the Tigers. St. Louis is a -150 money line favorite with the total set at 9 (all odds from DraftKings). Houston plays at home against Kansas City at 2:10 PM ET in the final game of their three-game series. The Astros pitch Lance McCullers against the Royals’ Mike Minor. Houston is a -235 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Colorado plays in Chicago against the Cubs at 2:20 PM ET in the first game of their seven-inning doubleheader after their postponed game on Tuesday. German Marquez pitches for the Rockies against the Cubs’ Zach Davies.The second game of the Colorado/Chicago doubleheader is scheduled for 6:30 PM ET. The Rockies pitch Austin Gomber against the Cubs’ Justin Steele. Three games start at 7:05 PM ET. Philadelphia hosts Tampa Bay in the second game of their two-game series. The Phillies pitch Zack Wheeler against the Rays’ Ryan Yarbrough. Philadelphia is a -130 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Los Angeles Angels are at Baltimore in Game 2 of their three-game series. Shohei Ohtani pitches for the Angels against an Orioles’ starting pitcher that has yet to be named. Los Angeles is a -180 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Arizona concludes their three-game series at Pittsburgh. The Diamondbacks pitch Tyler Gilbert against the Pirates’ Mitch Keller. Arizona is a -115 money line road favorite with a total of 9. Toronto plays at home against the Chicago White Sox at 7:07 PM ET. Robbie Ray pitches for the Blue Jays against Lucas Giolito of the White Sox. Toronto is a -125 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Four games begin at 7:10 PM ET. Boston is at home against Minnesota in the second game of their three-game series. The Red Sox pitch Nick Pivetta against the Twins’ Bailey Ober. Boston is a -180 money line favorite with a total of 10.5. Cleveland hosts Texas in Game 2 of their three-game series. Zack Plesac pitches for the Indians against Jake Latz of the Rangers. San Francisco is at New York against the Mets in the second game of their three-game series. The Giants pitch Johnny Cueto against New York’s Taijuan Walker. Both teams are a -110 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Washington plays at Miami in Game 2 of their three-game series. Josiah Gray pitches for the Nationals against Edward Cabrera of the Marlins. Both teams are -110 money line favorites with a total of 8. Milwaukee is at home against Cincinnati at 8:10 PM ET in the second game of their three-game series. The Brewers pitch Brandon Woodruff against the Reds’ Luis Castillo. Milwaukee is a -180 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers play at San Diego on ESPN at 10:10 PM ET in Game 2 of their three-game series. Walker Buehler pitches for Los Angeles against Blake Snell of the Padres. The Dodgers are a -140 money line road favorite with a total of 7.5.One game is on the WNBA slate. Phoenix travels to New York at 7 PM ET. 

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NFL Players to Avoid on Your NFL MVP Tickets

by ASA, Inc.

Tuesday, Aug 24, 2021

It is inevitable that a few studs get hurt each year in the preseason, or early on in the regular season, and go on to miss a significant portion of the year. Tom Brady in 2008, Jordy Nelson in 2015, or even Christian McCaffrey last season are prime examples of the injuries mishaps that can occur early in a NFL season. Accurately predicting these injuries is very difficult, but the best way to try is to look at a player’s usage and volume. Here are three players to watch in 2021 and avoid betting to win the MVP, including 2 longer shot RB's. Ezekiel Elliott +15000The former Ohio State Buckeye has been a workhorse since he entered the league in 2016. He has been in the top 2 in rushing attempts 3 of his 5 years and has accumulated over 1400 carries in total. Not many players at the running back position have had stretches of volume quite like that. With an average of 283 carries a year it may be time for the Cowboys to put Zeke on the carries diet. Reports on Elliott have been good out of camp, but his slimmer stature does not mix well with another 280+ carry season that he might see. Recent names like Adrian Peterson, Jamal Charles, and LeSean McCoy come to mind and are a reminder of how quickly running backs can be discarded for the next.Derrick Henry +5000 Henry's usage has been ridiculous the last 2 seasons.  He has carried the ball almost 800 times.  Last season he had 378 carries (827 total touches) which was almost 70 more carries than the next highest RB.  That's the equivalent of almost 3.5 more "games" of carries if he averages 20 carries per game.  His 378 carries was the 19th most in a season in the history of the NFL and the most since 2014.  Each of the 18 RB's who had more than 378 carries in a season saw their production drop the following season and most fairly significantly.  Stay away from Henry as an MVP longshot. Lamar Jackson +1800The 2019 MVP has taken the league by storm in recent years and taken the Ravens to new heights. His crazy athleticism and immense rushing volume have helped this. Jackson broke Bill Shepard’s single season rushing attempt record (143 attempts) that had stood since 1935. Lamar did this in his rookie year (147 attempts) while only starting 7 games. He has continued the past 2 seasons with 176 and 159 rushing attempts. Quarterbacks are not meant to see that much usage on the ground and even a massive human like Cam Newton has been battered over the years. Lamar will likely see 140 rushing attempts again and that should give Ravens fans anxiety each time he leaves the pocket. 

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The Most Improved Side In All Of Europe Will Be ...

by Power Sports

Tuesday, Aug 24, 2021

Already off to a 2-0 start in the English Premier League, Brighton & Hove Albion is a team to watch out for during the 2021/22 campaign. Do I expect the Seagulls to contend for a top four spot and the Champions League next season? No I don't. But they should easily eclipse the oddsmakers’ projection of 46.5 points. Having taken the full six (points) after two matches, they are well on their way to going Over that number. Consider that Brighton finished with 41 points last year and that was with some incredibly poor luck.Though they ended up in 16th place, Brighton was a shocking fifth in expected goal difference (+16.2) last season. The only four clubs to finish above them in that metric were the actual top four in the table (standings): Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea. For those that may be unfamiliar, expected goals (or xG for short) measures the probability that a shot will result in a goal based on the characteristics of that shot and the events leading up to it. Brighton had the fourth best shot differential in the Premier League last season (+129), however they were somehow outscored 46-40. Their actual goal differential was still better than four teams who finished directly above them. Even though the actual goal differential was not as good as it “should have been,” Brighton clearly should have had a mid-table finish. Crystal Palace (14th place) had a -25 goal differential while Southampton (15th) had a -21 GD. Both Newcastle (12th) and Wolverhampton (13th) were -16. It can easily be argued that Brighton played better football than any of those four teams last season. It just didn’t show in the standings. Per xG, the Seagulls “should” have scored 12 more goals while also conceding 10 fewer than they actually did. Now some of this has to do with the fact Brighton was typically down and looking for equalizers at the end of the match. But there can be no denying that this was the most snakebitten side in the entire Premier League last year. Brighton were the “kings of the draw” last season, a distinction you really don’t want. They had 14 draws in 2020/21. Only four other teams had at least 10. Turn some of those draws into wins and all of a sudden you’re moving right up the table. On the flip side, only nine teams suffered fewer losses. Again, a top four finish for Brighton is too lofty to project for even the biggest believer in analytics. They may not even end up qualifying for the Europa League. But this is definitely a lock to be the most improved EPL side and just maybe the most improved side in all of Europe. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and WNBA Previews and Odds - 08/24/2021

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Aug 24, 2021

The Tuesday sports card features action in MLB and the WNBA.Fifteen games are on the MLB docket. One game takes place in the afternoon. Oakland hosts Seattle in the second game of their two-game series at 3:37 PM ET. The A’s pitch Cole Irvin against the Mariners Chris Flexen. Oakland is a -150 money line favorite, with the total set at 8.5. Three games begin at 7:05 PM ET. Tampa Bay visits Philadelphia in the opening game of their two-game series. Drew Rasmussen pitches for the Rays against Ranger Suarez of the Phillies. Tampa Bay is a -125 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Arizona plays at Pittsburgh in the second game of their three-game series. The Diamondbacks pitch Madison Bumgarner against J.T. Brubaker. Arizona is a -120 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The Los Angeles Angels travel to Baltimore for Game 1 of their three-game series with the Orioles. Dylan Bundy pitches for the Angels against Spenser Watkins for Baltimore. Los Angeles is a -140 money line road favorite with an over/under of 10.5. Toronto is at home against the Chicago White Sox at 7:07 PM ET in the second game of their four-game series. The Blue Jays pitch Jose Berrios against the White Sox’s Dylan Cease. Toronto is a -125 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Four games start at 7:10 PM ET. The New York Mets play at home against San Francisco in the opening game of their three-game series. Tylor Megill pitches for the Mets against Sam Long for the Giants. New York is a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Cleveland hosts Texas in Game 1 of their three-game series. The Indians pitch Eli Morgan against the Rangers Taylor Hearn. Cleveland is a -165 money line favorite with a total of 9. Boston is at home against Minnesota in the opening game of their three-game series. Tanner Houck pitches for the Red Sox against Griffin Jax for the Twins. Boston is a -240 money line favorite with an over/under of 10. Washington travels to Miami for the opener of their three-game series. The Nationals pitch Erick Fedde against the Marlins Jesus Luzardo. Washington is a -115 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Atlanta plays at home against the New York Yankees in Game 2 of their two-game series. Charlie Morton pitches for the Braves against Andrew Heaney of the Yankees. Atlanta is a -150 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. St. Louis is at home against Detroit at 7:45 PM ET in the first game of their two-game series. The Cardinals pitch Jack Flaherty against the Tigers’ Casey Mize. St. Louis is a -195 money line favorite with a total of 8. Colorado plays at Chicago against the Cubs at 8:05 PM ET in the second game of their three-game series. German Marquez pitches for the Rockies against Justin Steele of the Cubs. Colorado is a -145 money line road favorite. Two games start at 8:10 PM ET. Milwaukee hosts Cincinnati in the opener of their three-game series. The Brewers pitch Corbin Burnes against the Reds’ Tyler Mahle. Milwaukee is a -190 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Houston is at home against Kansas City in Game 2 of their three-game series. Luis Garcia pitches for the Astros against Brady Singer of the Royals. Houston is a -240 money line favorite with a total of 9. The Los Angeles Dodgers visit San Diego on ESPN at 10:10 PM ET in the opening game of their three-game series. The Dodgers pitch Julio Urias against a starting pitcher yet to be determined by the Padres. Los Angeles is a -130 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.Four games are on the WNBA slate at 7 PM ET. Seattle plays at Minnesota. Chicago travels to Atlanta. Las Vegas travels to Connecticut. Los Angeles is at Washington. 

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