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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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2022 Arkansas St. Red Wolves Preview

by Matt Fargo

Monday, Jun 20, 2022

Arkansas St. Red Wolves2021-22 Season Record 2-10 (1-7 SBC West) - 6-6-0 ATS - 3-9-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 5Defense - 6OverviewArkansas St. went to one bowl game in its first 10 seasons in the Sun Belt Conference and then went to the postseason nine straight years but the Red Wolves are coming off two straight losing seasons. This includes a 2-10 record last season under first year head coach Butch Davis so it is time to get this program back on track but it might not happen overnight. One of the football adages is success, or lack thereof, comes with being able to run the ball and stop the run and Arkansas St. was awful at both last season. That has to change quickly and the ask goes to a lot of newcomers on both ends which really may not be a bad thing. The conference schedule is on their side for the most part and with the coaching staff and systems going into a second straight season, things will get better and the Red Wolves might have a shot in the average Sun Belt Conference West Division. OffenseThe Red Wolves could not run the ball last season as they rushed for 100 or more yards only three times and they averaged 82.4 ypg on 2.83 ypc, both of which were No. 128 in the country while their four rushing touchdowns were the fewest in the nation. Leading rusher Lincoln Pare, who accounted for 448 of the total 989 rushing yards, transferred out but that is not a huge deal as there are two very capable runners coming back in Johnnie Lang, Jr. and Alan Lamar. The issue is up front as the offensive line got no push and while the Red Wolves are led by tackle Robert Holmes, there are new faces along the front that will dictate how much they will improve. The passing game was solid as they used two quarterbacks after James Blackman was injured but he is back and ready to lead the attack that has to replace leading receiver Corey Rucker but No. 2 and No. 3 are back. DefenseWhile the offense scored on the ground just four times, opposing offenses rushed for 32 touchdowns and that was the biggest disparity in the conference. Overall, the Red Wolves were dead last in the nation, allowing 261.2 ypg on the ground and they look to tackle John Mincey, a former Tennessee player, and linebackers Jaden Harris and Melique Straker to shore up the rushing defense that will be very young in other spots. A repeat of last season will be a disaster. The passing defense was not great either as Arkansas St. finished No. 94 in yards allowed and gave up a whopping 14.26 yards per completion, seventh highest in the country. The prementioned linebackers will play a big role as the secondary needs help after starting safeties and leading tacklers Elery Alexander and Jarius Reimonenq have moved on. The cornerbacks have experience but are unproven. 2022 Season OutlookIt starts and ends with the running game on both sides plain and simple. The Red Wolves have nowhere to go but up and how far they can ascend will be the difference. The three toughest games on the schedule are against Ohio St., Memphis and Louisiana and they are all on the road so those can be chalked up as losses. Two other road games are at former C-USA programs Old Dominion and Southern Mississippi and those are both swing games. The home portion of the schedule looks tame on paper as the Red Wolves open with Grambling St. of the FSC and get new FBS member James Madison to go along with four other games against teams that has losing records last season. The Red Wolves have a 5 -120 O/U win total so sweeping the home slate, which is very possible, or pulling off a road win in those swing games can vault them to a .500 record and a return to a bowl game. 

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2022 CFL: Week 2 Recap

by Sean Murphy

Monday, Jun 20, 2022

We're two weeks into the 2022 CFL season with the West proving superior to the East with four of five teams in that division having posted flawless records. Here's a quick look at some key takeaways from the second week of action.Argos 20, Alouettes 19Toronto was fortunate to come away victorious thanks to a late missed field goal by Montreal. The Argos underrated defense controlled proceedings most of the way before the Als got loose for 10 points in the fourth quarter. The absence of Als standout RB William Stanback was key as no Montreal back was able to gain more than 20 yards on the ground. RB Andrew Harris was the Argos big offseason pick-up and he paid immediate dividends, running for 87 yards while adding three catches. The Als will get to play their home opener against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Thursday as they continue to search for their first victory of the season. Toronto travels to Vancouver to face the 1-0 B.C. Lions this coming Saturday.Blue Bombers 19, RedBlacks 12In a rematch of Winnipeg's Week 1 victory, the Blue Bombers proved superior to the RedBlacks once again, securing a seven-point road victory. The two-time defending Grey Cup champion Bombers entered the season with high expectations and haven't disappointed through two games with their defense not surprisingly leading the charge. Offseason acquisition WR Greg Ellingson has been terrific for Winnipeg, hauling in 10 catches for 145 yards and a touchdown in each of its first two contests. Ottawa is left scratching its head after racking up plenty of yardage but only 29 points in the home-and-home set with Winnipeg. QB Jeremiah Masoli has looked comfortable running the offense, completing 51-of-82 passes for 711 yards, a touchdown and an interception through two games. Stampeders 33, Tiger-Cats 30 (OT)In the week's wildest, most entertaining contest, the Stamps pulled out an improbable overtime victory in Hamilton. Calgary trailed 17-0 at the end of the end of the first quarter before QB Bo Levi Mitchell was able to turn back the clock, throwing for more than 300 yards and two touchdowns in the come-from-behind victory. The Stamps will enter Saturday's showdown with the provincial rival Elks sporting a perfect 2-0 record. Hamilton has dropped consecutive games to open the season, fading late in both contests. QB Dane Evans has quite simply been asked to do too much due to a non-existent ground attack. In Saturday's loss, Evans led the team in rushing with 22 yards. Now comes a difficult road date with the Blue Bombers in Winnipeg on Friday.Roughriders 26, Elks 16Most pegged the Edmonton Elks as the league's worst team entering the new season and that's precisely what we've seen through two games as Edmonton has been outscored by a whopping 85-31 margin. The Elks defense hasn't proven capable of slowing opposing attacks, whether through the air or on the ground. Saskatchewan RB Jamal Morrow torched Edmonton for 126 rushing yards on 17 carries while adding a touchdown in Saturday's victory. Edmonton QB Nick Arbuckle might have a tough time keeping his starting job after tossing five interceptions compared to only one touchdown so far this season. The Elks employed a QB carousel during training camp and preseason action. Saskatchewan's defense has been dominant, recording a ridiculous 13 sacks and four interceptions on its way to a perfect 2-0 start.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NHL and MLB Previews and Odds - 06/20/2022

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Jun 20, 2022

The Monday sports card features NHL and MLB action.The National Hockey League playoffs continue with Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals, with the Colorado Avalanche traveling to Tampa Bay to play the Lightning on ABC at 8:15 PM ET. The Avalanche are on a seven-game winning streak after beating the Lightning in Game 2, 7-0, on Saturday. Tampa Bay returns home for the next two games trailing 0-2 in this series. Both teams are priced as a -110 money line favorite with the total set at 6 (all odds from DraftKings).Major League Baseball has nine games on its schedule. The New York Mets host the Miami Marlins at 1:10 PM ET. The Mets’ record fell to 44-24 after a 6-2 loss to the Marlins on Sunday. Miami improved their record to 29-35. David Peterson takes the ball for New York against Trevor Rogers of the Marlins. New York is a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Chicago Cubs visit Pittsburgh to play the Pirates at 7:05 PM ET. The Cubs lost to Atlanta yesterday, 6-0, which lowered their record to 25-41. The Pirates improved to 26-39 after their 4-3 victory against the Giants on Sunday. Both teams are priced as a -110 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:10 PM ET. Boston is at home against Detroit with Josh Winckowski pitching for the Red Sox against Alex Faedo of the Tigers. Boston beat St. Louis on Sunday, 6-4, to raise their record to 36-31. Detroit defeated Texas yesterday, 7-3, to improve to 26-40 this season. The Red Sox are a -170 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. New York plays at Tampa Bay with the Yankees pitching Gerrit Cole against the Rays’ Shane McClanahan. The Yankees dropped to 49-17 on the season with their 10-9 loss at Toronto yesterday. The Rays fell to 36-30 after a 2-1 loss at Baltimore on Sunday. New York is a -130 money line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The Atlanta Braves are at home against the San Francisco Giants at 7:20 PM ET. The Braves raised their record to 38-29 after their 6-0 victory on the road against the Cubs yesterday. The Giants dropped to 37-28 with their 4-3 loss to the Pirates. Max Fried pitches for Atlanta against Logan Webb of the Giants. The Braves are a -140 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Two MLB games start at 8:10 PM ET. Toronto travels to Chicago with the Blue Jays pitching Jose Berrios against the White Sox’s Lance Lynn. The Blue Jays have a 38-28 record after their victory against the Yankees on Sunday. The White Sox fell to 31-32 after their 4-3 loss to the Astros last night. Toronto is a -135 money line road favorite with a total of 9.Milwaukee plays at home against St. Louis on FS1 with Corbin Burnes pitching for the Brewers against Miles Mikolas of the Cardinals. The Brewers  beat Cincinnati, 6-3, on Sunday to raise their record to 38-30. The Cardinals have a 38-30 record, too, after their loss to the Red Sox yesterday. Milwaukee is a -150 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.The Los Angeles Angels host the Kansas City Royals at 9:38 PM ET. The Angels have a 33-36 record after beating Seattle on the road yesterday, 4-0. The Royals lost on the road at Oakland on Sunday, 4-0, to drop their record to 23-42. Los Angeles pitches Noah Syndergaard against Kansas City starting pitcher Kris Bubic. The Angels are a -175 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. The San Diego Padres play at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks at 9:40 PM ET. The Padres fell to 41-27 this season with their 8-3 loss at Colorado yesterday. The Diamondbacks improved to 39-29 after their 7-1 victory against Minnesota on Sunday. Yu Darvish pitches for the Padres against Zach Davies. San Diego is a -195 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 06/19/2022

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Jun 19, 2022

The Sunday sports card features MLB action.Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The Philadelphia Phillies visit Washington to play the Nationals on Peacock at 12:05 PM ET. Zach Eflin takes the ball for the Phillies against Jackson Tetreault of the Nationals. Philadelphia is a -180 money line road favorite, with the total set at 9.5. Three MLB games throw out the first pitch at 1:35 PM ET. San Francisco plays at Pittsburgh with the Giants pitching Alex Cobb against the Pirates Mitch Keller. San Francisco is a -180 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Boston hosts St. Louis with Nick Pivetta pitching for the Red Sox against Andre Palate of the Cardinals. Boston is a -145 money line favorite with a total of 9. Tampa Bay travels to Baltimore with the Rays pitching Corey Kluber against the Orioles' Jordan Lyles. Tampa Bay is a -145 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The New York Yankees are at Toronto to play the Blue Jays at 1:37 PM ET. Luis Severino pitches for the Yankees against the Blue Jays Yusei Kikuchi. New York is a -165 money line road favorite with a total of 9.Three MLB games play at 1:40 PM ET. Milwaukee visits Cincinnati with the Brewers pitching Adrian Houser against the Reds Mike Minor. Milwaukee is a -140 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. New York is at home against Miami with Chris Bassitt pitching for the Mets against Sandy Alcantara of the Marlins. New York is a -135 money line favorite with a total of 7. Texas plays at Detroit with Dane Dunning the starting pitcher for the Rangers against Drew Hutchison of the Tigers. Texas is a -150 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.The Atlanta Braves travel to Chicago to play the Cubs at 2:20 PM ET. Ian Anderson pitches for the Braves against Kyle Hendricks of the Cubs. Atlanta is a -165 money line road favorite. The San Diego Padres play at Colorado against the Rockies at 3:10 PM ET. The Padres send out Blake Snell to pitch against the Rockies Antonio Senzatela. San Diego is a -135 money line road favorite with a total of 12.5. The Kansas City Royals are at Oakland to play the A’s at 4:07 PM ET. Brad Singer pitches for the Royals against Jared Koenig of the A’s. Kansas City is a -140 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Three MLB games begin at 4:10 PM ET. Seattle host Los Angeles with Logan Gilbert pitching for the Mariners against Kenny Rosenberg of the Angels. Seattle is a -165 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. Minnesota visits Arizona with the Twins pitching Chris Archer against the Diamondbacks Merrill Kelly. Minnesota is a -120 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Los Angeles plays at home against Cleveland, with Andrew Heaney pitching for the Dodgers against Shane Bieber of the Guardians. Los Angeles is a -155 money line favorite at PlayMGM with a total of 7.5. Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN at 7:08 PM ET has the Houston Astros hosting the Chicago White Sox. The Astros turn to Cristian Javier in their starting rotation against the White Sox starting pitcher Michael Kopech. Houston is a -175 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5.

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Previewing the Tampa Bay Lightning/Colorado Avalanche Playoff Series

by Team Del Genio

Saturday, Jun 18, 2022

The Tampa Bay Lightning were expected to have an initial edge against an Avalanche team that had not played for nine days in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals. Yet it was Colorado who scored the first goal of the series when Gabriel Landeskog scored at the 7:47 minute mark of the first period before Valeri Nichushkin gave the Aves a 2-0 lead less than two minutes later. Nick Paul cut the lead in half for the Lightning just over three minutes later yet Colorado was able to take a 3-1 lead into the first break when Artturi Lehkonen scored a power-play goal at the 17:31 mark of the first period. It appeared that Tampa Bay initially struggled to adjust to the speed of the Avalanche. Playing in the high altitude in Denver likely played a role as well. Yet the two-time defending champions responded in the second period with Ondrej Palat and Mikhail Sergachev both scoring to tie the game at 3-3. The teams played a scoreless third period before Colorado won Game 1 with Andre Burakovsky scoring the game-winner just 83 seconds into overtime. Tampa Bay has struggled throughout the postseason in the opening games of a series. They only won once in their four Game 1s (against Florida) with goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy posting a .884 save percentage in those games.Tampa Bay completed their Eastern Conference finals series with the Rangers with a 2-1 victory at home on Saturday. The Lightning attempt to become the first NHL team to win three-straight Stanley Cup titles since the New York Islanders won four championships in a row from 1980 to 1983. It has been a difficult road getting back to the finals for the Lightning. They needed seven games to get by a talented Toronto team in the first round of the playoffs before dominating Florida in the second round. After beating New York and perhaps the best goaltender in the world right now in Igor Shesterkin in six games, the Lightning have a 12-5 record in these playoffs. Forward Brayden Point returned to action in Game 1 after being out since Game 7 of the first-round series against the Maple Leafs. He assisted on a goal and played just under 18 minutes on Wednesday. Point scored 28 goals and added 30 assists during the regular season, and the 14 goals he scored in each of the two previous postseasons is the league’s top mark. Perhaps the biggest edge the Lightning have in this series is with goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. In winning the last four games against the Rangers, Vasilevksiy only gave up five goals and posted a .955 save percentage. He began this series with a 2.27 goals-against average in his seventeen starts in the playoffs this year with a .928 save percentage. In his career in the playoffs going into Game 1, Vasilevskiy had a 61-34 record with a 2.24 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage. He won last season’s Conn Smythe award for being the Most Valuable Player in the postseason. Led by Vasilevskiy, the Lightning will bring the most disciplined and effective style of play on defense that Colorado will have faced in their playoff run this year.The Colorado Avalanche reached the Stanley Cup finals by completing their second series sweep in the postseason with their 6-5 victory in overtime at Edmonton that eliminated the Oilers from the playoffs on June 6th. The Avalanche opened the postseason with a four-game sweep against Nashville. Colorado is 12-2 in the playoffs with their only two losses coming against St. Louis in the second round of the playoffs. Yet the Aves now face their biggest challenge in these playoffs in playing the Lightning. They take a step up in class which may present a jolt to the system for this Colorado team playing in their first Stanley Cup finals in the Nathan MacKinnon era. Beginning this series after nine days off between games may leave head coach Jerad Bednar’s team rusty, yet they scored three times in the first period. That time off may later help their speed and endurance as this series moves on. An area of concern for Bednar is the state of his goaltending. Darcy Kuemper had a 2.65 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage in ten playoff games before the beginning of this series. His backup, Pavel Francouz, had six victories in his six games (four starts) in the playoffs with a 2.86 goals-against average and .906 save percentage. Bednar did not announce who his starting goaltender would be to begin the finals before calling on Kuemper to be his starter. He stopped 20 of the 23 shots he saved in Game 1. Colorado is allowing 2.9 goals per game in their fourteen playoff games.The strength of the Avalanche is their balanced scoring attack. Nathan MacKinnon scored 11 goals and added seven assists in the first three rounds of the playoffs. Gabriel Landeskog added 17 points in those 14 games in the first three rounds. Mikko Rantanen scored four goals and had two assists last round against the Oilers. Defenseman Cale Makar had five goals and another 17 assists in the first three rounds of the playoffs. Tampa Bay has been the best team in the NHL over the last few seasons, yet it has been Colorado that has perhaps been the best team in the regular season over that span. This is the first Stanley Cup finals for the Avalanche corp group of young superstars. Their ambition to win their first Stanley Cup will depend on their ability to play good enough defense to beat elite opposition and how well their goaltending holds up.Good luck - TDG.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NHL, MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 06/18/2022

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Jun 18, 2022

The Saturday sports card features NHL, MLB, and CFL action.The National Hockey League playoffs continue with Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals, with the Colorado Avalanche hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning on ABC at 8:10 PM ET. The Avalanche are on a six-game winning streak after beating the Lightning in the opening game of the Stanley Cup finals with their 4-3 victory in overtime on Wednesday. Colorado is a -150 money line favorite with the total set at 6 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise).The Saturday card in Major League Baseball has 16 games on its schedule. The Atlanta Braves visit Chicago to play the Cubs at 2:20 PM ET. Kyle Wright pitches for the Braves against Justin Steele for the Cubs. Atlanta is a -165 money line road favorite. The Toronto Blue Jays host play at home against the New York Yankees at 3:07 PM ET. The Blue Jays turn to Alek Manoah in their starting rotation to face the Yankees Jameson Taillon. Toronto is a -120 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 4:05 PM ET. San Francisco travels to Pittsburgh with Alex Wood pitching for the Giants against Jose Quintana of the Pirates. San Francisco is a -182 money line road favorite at BetRivers with a total of 8.5. Tampa Bay plays at Baltimore with the Rays pitching Jeffrey Springs against the Orioles Kyle Bradish. Tampa Bay is a -165 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Oakland A’s are at home against the Kansas City Royals at 4:07 PM ET. Cole Irvin pitches for the A’s against a starting pitcher yet to be named for the Royals. Five MLB games start at 4:10 PM ET. Texas visits Detroit on FS1 with the Rangers pitching Taylor Hearn against the Tigers' Rony Garcia. Texas is a -125 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Cincinnati hosts Milwaukee with Graham Ashcraft pitching for the Reds against Jason Alexander of the Brewers. Cincinnati is a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Los Angeles plays at Seattle in the first game of their doubleheader with the Angels pitching Patrick Sandoval against a Mariners starting pitcher yet to be named. Houston plays at home against Chicago with Justin Verlander pitching for the Astros against Johnny Cueto pitching for the White Sox. Houston is a -210 money line favorite with a total of 8. New York is at home against Miami with the Mets pitching Taiwan Walker against the Marlins Braxton Garrett. New York is a -190 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Philadelphia Phillies are at Washington to play the Nationals at 4:35 PM ET. Aaron Nola takes the ball for the Phillies against Josiah Gray of the Nationals. Philadelphia is a -215 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Two MLB games begin at 7:15 PM ET in regional coverage on Fox. Boston hosts St. Louis with the Red Sox pitching Kutter Crawford against the Cardinals Dakota Hudson. Boston is a -120 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Los Angeles is at home against Cleveland, with Julio Urias pitching for the Dodgers against Cal Quantrill of the Guardians. Los Angeles is a -225 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. The San Diego Padres travel to Colorado to play the Rockies at 9:10 PM ET. San Diego turns to Nick Martinez to pitch against the Rockies' German Marquez. San Diego is a -135 money line road favorite with an over/under of 11.5. Two games conclude the MLB card at 10:10 PM ET. The Angels play the Mariners in the second game of their doubleheader in Seattle. Minnesota travels to Arizona with Dylan Bundy pitching for the Twins against Luke Weaver of the Diamondbacks. Both teams are priced at -110, with the total at 9.5. The second week of the Canadian Football League concludes with two games. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats host the Calgary Stampeders at 6:30 PM ET. The Tiger-Cats rebound off a 30-13 loss at Saskatchewan as a 2.5-point underdog last Saturday. The Stampeders won their opening game in a 30-27 victory at home against Montreal as a 3.5-point favorite on June 9th. Hamilton is a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under of 45. The Saskatchewan Roughriders play at Edmonton against the Elks on ESPN News at 9:30 PM ET. The Roughriders won their first game of the season with their victory against the Tiger-Cats. The Elks got blown out, 59-14, at British Columbia as a 4-point underdog last Saturday. Saskatchewan is an 8-point road favorite with a total of 50.5.

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2022 Arkansas Razorbacks Preview

by Matt Fargo

Friday, Jun 17, 2022

Arkansas Razorbacks2021-22 Season Record 9-4 (4-4 SEC West) - 8-4-1 ATS - 7-6-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 8Defense - 6OverviewIt was a very successful season for Arkansas and second year head coach Sam Pittman as it won nine games, the most victories since 2011, and it was two more wins than the last three seasons combined. The Razorbacks went to their first bowl game since 2016 and defeated Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl and they can build on that heading into this season. Arkansas has had only one winning season in the SEC since Bobby Petrino left in 2011 and while the conference as a whole is a beast, the SEC West is brutal with every team capable of producing a winning record. The Razorbacks have plenty of experience all around and the building block from last season attracted some highly touted transfers. Another winning season is likely but the schedule will dictate how many wins are attainable as it is a tough one and it will be important to get off to a fast start. OffenseKJ Jefferson is duel-threat quarterback that led the team in rushing and was excellent in the passing game as he tossed 21 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He did lose his best receiver to graduation but there is good depth here with three key pass catchers back along with transfer Jadon Haselwood coming in from Oklahoma. Second leading rusher Trelon Smith surprisingly left the team and transferred to UTSA but his 592 yards will be made up by Raheim Sanders and Dominique Johnson who combined for 997 yards on the ground so the No. 1 ranked rushing offense in the SEC could be even better. It will come down to the offensive line that is big and will open holes but needs to improve in pass protection as it allowed 2.31 sacks per game, No. 70 in the nation. This is the second year under offensive coordinator Kendal Briles, yes that pedigree, so they could be better in 2022. DefenseThe defense was a huge improvement in 2021 as the Razorbacks finished No. 50 in the country with 367.7 ypg and while that is just above average, they gave up 400 yards only four times after doing so 17 times in the previous two seasons. While pass protection needs to improve on offense, the pass rush needs to improve on defense as they averaged only 1.85 sacks per game which was tied for No. 89 in the country and their top sack leader that is back had just 3.5 sacks. Drew Sanders transferred in from Alabama to go alongside Bumper Pool to form a solid linebacking core to help get into the backfield. The secondary has to replace a safety and a corner and the likely guys to take over are two transfers from SEC schools so the athleticism will be there. While the principal defense is a 4-2-5, Arkansas implements a 3-2-6 at times and it has the players in place to succeed. 2022 Season OutlookArkansas opened the season 4-0 last year and while it does not have a true road game until its sixth game, a fast start will be difficult. The Razorbacks open with Cincinnati, which will be good but not like 2021, and then four of the next five games are all SEC contests against South Carolina, Texas A&M (neutral), Alabama and at Mississippi St. After Alabama, Arkansas does not play another home game for five weeks so that is a tough stretch but the back end offers an opportunity to close strong. It misses Georgia, Florida and Tennessee and its two games against the SEC East are against two of the bottom teams. The Razorbacks are pegged to finish fourth in the SEC West so it will take some overachieving to surpass its 4-4 conference record from last season. The win total is at 7.5 and they will be favored in seven games so a couple upsets might have to occur for the over to hit. 

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2022 Arizona St. Sun Devils Preview

by Matt Fargo

Friday, Jun 17, 2022

Arizona St. Sun Devils2021-22 Season Record 8-5 (6-3 Pac 12 South) - 6-7-0 ATS - 4-8-1 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 5Defense - 7OverviewExpectations were huge last season for Arizona St. and it did finish tied for second in the Pac 12 South but it was a minimal consolation. The Sun Devils started 5-1 including a perfect 3-0 conference record but a pair of losses against Utah and Washington St. deflated that great start. Not counting the 2-2 COVID-shortened season, head coach Herm Edwards has three winning seasons and three bowl games in his four years but has been unable to take the Sun Devils to the next level with their best finish being 8-5 twice. There are no high expectations this season and that might be a good thing with no pressure on the players but a stronger division puts them in a tough spot. Arizona St. lost a ton to graduation and transfers and while it is not a rebuild, the pressure is still on Edwards in what could be his final season if the Sun Devils cannot make a push at the Pac 12 South Division title. OffensePlaymakers were in place last season to form an explosive offense but it could never get off the ground and now all of those playmakers are gone. Quarterback Jayden Daniels, who had three solid seasons, transferred in February and will likely be replaced by either Emory Jones or Paul Tyson, a pair of transfers from the SEC. Running back Rachaad White, who rushed for over 1.000 yards, has graduated while leading receiver Ricky Pearsall is also gone so the offense could be challenged early on. The offensive line lost its best player in Kellen Diesch but there is enough experience and talent for this group to succeed and they will have to be the backbone of this offense. The Sun Devils finished No. 75 in total offense last season with a stacked group and with so many defections, it is a guess as to how this unit will perform especially early in the season before they can come together.DefenseThe defense carried Arizona St. last season as it finished No. 13 in total defense and No. 22 in scoring defense, both of which led the conference, and it will need another repeat. Defensive coordinator Antonio Pierce is gone to the NFL after one season and will be replaced by Donnie Henderson who has never been a coordinator at the college level. The defense lost some key players to graduation and the Sun Devils will have to rely on some significant transfers on this side of the ball as well. Defensive lineman Nesta Jade Silvera from Miami, linebacker Rodney Groce from Mississippi St. and safety Khoury Bethley from Hawaii will plug in the three big holes across the three levels. The Arizona St. defense on paper should not miss a beat as there is plenty of experience and depth across the board and a lot of the success will depend on DC Henderson and how he transitions into the system. 2022 Season OutlookThere were offseason issues with talk about recruiting violations which led to a lot of the player transfers and coaching changers and it will be up to Edwards and his veteran leadership to carry this team. The Sun Devils have two easy non-conference home games against Northern Arizona and Eastern Michigan sandwiched around a game at Oklahoma St. before opening conference action at home against Utah and at USC and those two games could make or break their season early. Arizona St. misses Oregon from the North Division and its home and road slates are relatively equal. Three of the four favorites in the conference are from the South Division and Arizona St. is not one of those so it will be a challenge. The O/U win total is set at 6.5 and this is a tough one to call as it could go either way and it will come down to upsets, good or bad, to predict the final outcome. 

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