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English Premier League: Everton vs. Arsenal Preview, Odds and Prediction - 04/23/2021

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Apr 23, 2021

Friday EPL NBC Sports Network Preview: Everton versus Arsenal.Everton visits Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on the NBC Sports Network at 3 PM ET in a battle of two teams fighting to qualify for European competitions next season. Arsenal is unbeaten in four straight matches and ten of their last twelve games across all competitions. They last played on April 18th, where they settled for a 1-1 draw at home against Fulham. The Gunners fell behind at the 59th-minute mark from a Cottagers penalty kick. Eddie Nketiah salvaged a point for his team by scoring in the seventh minute of extra time just before the final whistle. That result was the team’s third draw in their last six matches. The Gunners begin Matchweek 33 in ninth place in the English Premier League with 46 points. They are nine points behind Chelsea and West Ham in their tie in fourth place with 55 points. The top-four positions in the EPL table likely qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season. Only the top three teams qualify for the Champions League if Chelsea wins the Champions League title and Arsenal wins the Europa League titles, yet both teams finish outside the top-four in the EPL. Winning those titles earns an automatic qualifier for next year’s Championship League, and the Champions League can only accept a maximum of five teams from the English Premier League. Seven teams qualify for European competition with the advent of the new Europa Conference League. Arsenal is four points behind Tottenham for seventh place in the EPL.Manager Mikel Arteta may have his ambitions focused on winning the Europa League. The Gunners’ first leg showdown at Villarreal in the Europa League semifinals is next Thursday. Arsenal is dealing with some impactful injuries. Forward Alexandre Lacazette is out with a hamstring injury. Fellow forward Pierre-Emerick Aubemeyang is recovering from a bout of Malaria he contracted during the international break with the Gabon national team. The duo has combined to score 22 goals in league play this season. Arteta is likely to go young with his starting XI, with Gabriel Martinelli joining Nketiah, Emile Smith Rowe, and Bukayo Saka up top. Everton is winless in their last six completions after a 2-2 draw at home against Tottenham last Friday. Gylfi Sigurdsson's brace matched the two goals from the Spurs’ Harry Kane to earn the third straight draw for his team. The Meyerside Giants' focus is the English Premier League after being eliminated in the FA Cup quarterfinals to Manchester City by a 2-0 score on March 20th. Everton is in eighth place in the EPL table, six points behind Chelsea and West Ham for fourth place. The Toffees do have one game in hand with a makeup match with Aston Villa still needing to fit into the remaining schedule. Everton started the season fast under manager Carlo Ancelotti. They took 13 of a possible 15 points in their first five matches. Injuries ravaged the team to expose the lack of depth on the roster, and these problems continue to persist. Dominic Calvert-Lewin has missed the last two league matches with a groin injury, but he expects to return to the pitch this afternoon. He leads the team with 14 goals in the English Premier League this season. The Toffees won the reverse fixture between these two teams with a 2-1 victory at Goodison Park on December 19th. BookMaker lists Arsenal as a -0.50 goal line favorite with the total set at 2.5.Computer prediction:  Arsenal 2 Everton 0

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Namajunas vs. Weile: Buckle Up

by Ben Burns

Thursday, Apr 22, 2021

With three titles up for grabs, Saturday's UFC card has a lot of potential. The main event features Kamaru Usman in a rematch against Jorge Masvidal. Valentina Shevchenko defends her flyweight title against Jessica Andrede, a former champion herself. Both those champions are favored in the -400 to -500 range. Perhaps the most anticipated fight is the co-main event; Zhang Weili puts her strawweight belt on the line against Rose Namajunas, another former champ. Outside of Amanda Nunes, Shevchenko and Weili enter the weekend as the best female fighters in the sport. With Usman and Shevchenko such heavy favorites, let's take a look at what figures to be the most competitive of the three title fights. Zhang Weili vs. Rose NamajunasIf you watched Weili's last fight, an all-out war with Joanna Jędrzejczyk, you'll know why everyone is excited. It was absolutely one of the best fights of 2020. In fact, many consider it the greatest women's fight of all-time. Weili proved she had the heart of a champion. She took a lot of punishment but kept coming forward with everything she had. Now, however, she takes on Namajunas, perhaps even more dangerous than Jędrzejczyk.  These are two serious fighters, both intent on having her arm raised. Zhang lost her first professional fight, a decision in the China MMA League in 2013. Since then, she's won 21 straight. She's focused and determined. Ditto for Rose; she's also extremely hungry. She's 7-2 since 2015 and 4-1 since 2017. Her lone loss came against Andrede, who took the belt from her and Namajunas would go on to avenge that loss. Weili rearranged Jędrzejczyk's face, en route to winning a split decision. However, Namajunas knocked her (Jędrzejczyk) out, becoming the champion. Joanna could barely stand after that 2018 upset. A young Namajunas was nearly a 4:1 underdog for that (first) fight. (Namajunas would also go on to win a rematch by decision, too.) Rose is getting more respect this time but is still a sizable dog. At most shops, Weili is roughly -200 while Namajunas pays back in the +170 range. Note that Jedrzejczyk is already saying: "She's got next." The O/U line for this fight is 4.5 rounds and one has to lay some extra juice to take the 'over.' In other words, we could be in for another epic battle. Good luck and enjoy! 

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English Premier League: West Brom vs Leicester City Preview, Odds and Prediction - 04/22/2021

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Apr 22, 2021

Thursday EPL NBC Sports Network Preview: West Brom versus Leicester City.West Bromwich Albion visits Leicester on the NBC Sports Network and the Peacock app at 3 PM ET in a battle of two teams with much to play for in the final weeks of the English Premier League season.Leicester City comes off a 1-0 victory against Southampton in the semifinals of the FA Cup on Sunday. Kelechi Iheanacho scored the winning goal at the 55th-minute mark of the second half. That triumph was the Nigerian’s eighth goal for the Foxes in his last six matches across all competitions. Leicester City will play Chelsea for the FA Cup title on May 15th in their first attempt to win this trophy in 52 years.In the meantime, manager Brendan Rodgers attempts to keep his team in the top four in the English Premier League table to qualify for the Champions League next season. The Foxes have lost their last two league matches after a 3-2 loss at West Ham United on April 11th. Leicester City went into halftime trailing by a 2-0 score before giving up the third goal in the third minute of the second half. Iheanacho scored two goals at the 70th and 90+1 minute marks, but that effort was too little too late. The Foxes outshot the Hammers, 15-4. This setback came on the heels of a 2-0 loss at home to Manchester City on April 3rd.Leicester City is currently in third place in the EPL with 56 points. They trail Manchester United for second place by 10 points. They are one point ahead of Chelsea and West Ham, who are on their heels with 55 points. Liverpool and Tottenham are two points behind with 54 points in the crowded top-end of the table. This match is at King Power Stadium, where the Foxes have won seven with one draw in their 15 league games. James Justin and Harvey Barnes are both out indefinitely with injuries. Ricardo Pereira appears fit after exiting the match with the Saints on Sunday. James Maddison is available after playing as a substitute against Southampton. West Brom has won two matches in a row in league play. They followed up their surprising 5-2 upset win at Chelsea with a 3-0 victory against Southampton on April 12th. Mattheus Pereira scored on a penalty kick at the 32nd minute before Matt Phillips added a second goal three minutes later. Callum Robinson scored the final goal in the 69th minute in the second half. The Baggies remain in 19th place with 24 points. They trail Fulham by three points for 18th place and, more importantly, trail Burnley by nine points for 17th place, which is the final spot in the standings that avoids relegation to the Championship League next season. Manager Sam Allardyce has seven matches to make up this ground. Leicester City won the reverse fixture on September 13th at the Hawthorns by a 3-0 score. BetOnline lists Leicester City as a -0.75 goal line favorite with the total set at 2.75.Computer prediction:  Leicester City 2 West Bromwich 1

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, MLB, NHL and EPL Previews and Odds - 04/22/2021

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Apr 22, 2021

The Thursday sports card features action in the NBA, NHL, MLB, and the English Premier League.The NBA has six games on the docket. The schedule begins at 7 PM ET with three contests. New Orleans visits Orlando as a 7.5-point road favorite with the total set at 225 (all odds from BetOnline unless indicated otherwise). Phoenix plays at Boston as a 7.5-point road favorite at DraftKings. Milwaukee hosts Philadelphia in the opening game of a TNT doubleheader. The Bucks have lost two in a row after their 128-127 upset loss to Phoenix as a 3-point favorite on Monday. The 76ers lost their second straight game in a 116-113 loss at home to the Suns as a 3-point underdog on Wednesday. Milwaukee is a 6-point favorite at DraftKings. San Antonio plays at home against Detroit at 8 PM ET as an 8-point favorite at DraftKings. Chicago is at home against Charlotte at 9 PM ET as a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 211.5.The Los Angeles Lakers play at Dallas at 9:30 PM ET in the nightcap on TNT. The Lakers lost their second game in their last three with a 111-97 setback to Utah as a 7-point underdog on Monday. The Mavericks ended a two-game losing streak with their 127-117 victory against Detroit as a 10.5-point favorite on Wednesday. Twelve games are on the NHL schedule. Seven games begin the card at 7 PM ET. The New York Islanders play at home against Washington as a -115 money line favorite with a total of 5.5. Boston visits Buffalo as a -295 money line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Carolina is at Florida as a -114 money line road favorite with the total at 5.5. Tampa Bay hosts Columbus as a -270 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Pittsburgh is at home as a -280 money line favorite with a total of 6. Toronto travels to Winnipeg as a -130 money line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5.Dallas plays at Detroit at 7:30 PM ET as a -180 money line road favorite with the total at 5.5. Colorado visits St. Louis at 8 PM ET as a -145 money line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Vancouver is at home against Ottawa at 10 PM ET as a -140 money line favorite with the total at 6.Eight games are on the MLB slate. Cincinnati plays at home against Arizona at 12:35 PM ET as a -135 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Pittsburgh visits Detroit at 6:10 PM ET.The evening schedule begins at 6:10 PM ET with the New York Yankees playing at Cleveland. Boston hosts Seattle at 7:10 PM ET as a -163 money line favorite with a total of 9.5. The New York Mets play at Chicago against the Cubs at 7:40 PM ET as a -124 money line road favorite. Houston plays at home against the Los Angeles Angels at 8:10 PM ET as a -125 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. San Francisco hosts Miami at 9:45 PM ET as a -137 money line favorite with a total of 8. The Los Angeles Dodgers are at home against San Diego at 10:10 PM ET as a -170 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5.Matchweek 32 in the English Premier League concludes on the NBC Sports Network at 3 PM ET with Leicester City hosting West Bromwich Albion. The Foxes are a -1 goal line favorite with a total of 2.5. 

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Rise And Fall Of The European Super League 

by Ben Burns

Wednesday, Apr 21, 2021

In case you haven't noticed, in 2021, more than ever, the people hold the power. Outraged by the proposed formation of the "European Super League," soccer fans took to social media. UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) joined in to help apply pressure. Roughly 48 hours after the idea was announced, it collapsed. For those who may have never heard of any of this, let's backtrack. Over the weekend, twelve of Europe's biggest soccer teams announced plans to join together to form the "Super League." The idea was to play mid-week games, so as not to interfere with regular league play. There would be a total of 20 teams involved. The twelve  which had committed included teams from England, Spain and Italy: Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, Arsenal, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Juventus, Inter Milan and Ac Milan.To me, initially, the plan sounded pretty good. After all, more soccer equals more wagering opportunities. Evidently, however, I was in the minority. Indeed, the reaction to the proposal was fast and furious. Watching the owners backpedal was kind of funny. Liverpool's John Henry commented, via video message: "I want to apologize to all the fans and supporters of Liverpool Football Club for the disruption I caused ... Over these 48 hours, you were very clear ...We heard you. I heard you ... "The rest of the clubs released similar messages. Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli said this to the Italian outlet La Republica on Tuesday: “There is a blood pact between the clubs, we are going forward. This project has a 100% possibility of success.”The very next day, Agnelli acknowledged: “... evidently no. I don’t think that project is now still up and running."The UEFA Congress stated: "The 55 member associations and participants in the UEFA Congress condemn the declaration of a so- called “Super League.” The UEFA Congress is adamant that the closed “Super League” goes against the very concept of what it is to be European ..."So, no Super League. Not to worry though. There's still a ton of soccer going though and the Euro Cup is right around the corner. Stay tuned for my UFC preview, as this week's card may prove to be one of the best in quite some time. 

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NHL Hockey: San Jose Sharks vs Vegas Golden Knights Preview, Odds and Prediction - 04/21/2021

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Apr 21, 2021

NHL Wednesday NBC Sports Network Preview: San Jose versus Vegas.Updated at 1:30 PM ET.The San Jose Sharks visit the Vegas Golden Knights on the NBC Sports Network at 9:30 PM ET in a rematch of their shootout thriller on Monday.Vegas won their seventh straight game with Alex Tuch’s shootout goal that delivered them the victory in tighter T-Mobile Arena. Captain Mark Stone scored two power-play goals to rally the Golden Knights from their two-goal deficit. Robin Lehner made 29 saves to continue his 8-0-1 mark since his return from Injured Reserve on March 19th.Peter DeBoer’s team is in first place in the West Division with 66 points. Vegas is two points ahead of Colorado, although the Avalanche have two games in hand remaining on their regular-season schedule. The Golden Knights acquired Mattias Janmark from Chicago at the trade deadline. The versatile forward with experience at center and wing provides the team depth. He has been playing on the third line anchored by Tuch.Stone leads the team at right wing with 52 points coming from 17 goals and 35 assists. Left wing Max Pacioretty adds 22 goals and 23 assists. Defenseman Shea Theodore is third on the team with 36 goals from his six goals and 30 assists. DeBoer will likely turn to Marc-Andre Fleury as his starting goaltender tonight. He has rotated starts between Fleury and Lehner for 14 straight games since Fleury started twice in a row in March in their two-game showdown with Colorado. Fleury has a 20-10-0 record with a 2.09 goals-against-average and a .925 save percentage. San Jose opened the scoring on Monday with a goal from Nikolai Knyzhov in the opening period before Noah Gregor gave his team a 2-0 lead after scoring early in the second period. Martin Jones has 38 saves in the losing effort. Patrick Marleau made NHL history by passing Gordie Howe for most games played in the NHL. The Sharks have lost six games in a row to fall to sixth place in the West Division. With 41 points, they are three points behind St. Louis and four points behind Arizona for fourth place and the final playoff spot in the West.  General manager Doug Wilson looked to the future at the trade deadline by trading veterans for prospects while acquiring draft picks in exchange for some contract laundering. San Jose dealt away goaltender Devan Dubnyk, forward Stefan Noesen, and center Antti Suomela. Left wing Evander Kane leads the team with 36 points from 17 goals and 19 assists. Center Tomas Hertl has 13 goals and 15 assists. Defenseman Brent Burns and center Logan Couture tie for third on the team with 26 points. Burns leads San Jose with 20 assists, and Couture is second on the team with 14 goals.Bob Boughner has decided against giving Jones his fourth straight start in goal. Instead, rookie goaltender Josef Korenar will get his second start of the season. The 23-year-old Czech has a 0-1 record with a 2.45 goals-against-average and a .895 save percentage in three games this season. In eight games in the AHL this season, Korenar had a 3.22 goals-against-average and a .898 save percentage.Vegas has won seven straight encounters with the Sharks, including the six meetings with them this season. BookMaker lists the Golden Knights as a -260 money line favorite with the total set at 6.Computer prediction:  Vegas Golden Knights 4 San Jose Sharks 1

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, MLB and EPL Previews and Odds - 04/21/2021

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Apr 21, 2021

The Wednesday sports card features action in the NBA, NHL, MLB, and the English Premier League.The NBA has 12 games on the docket. The card begins at 7 PM ET with five games. Golden State visits Washington as a 2-point road favorite with the total set at 239.0 (all odds from BetOnline unless indicated otherwise). Chicago visits Cleveland as a 1.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 211.5. Phoenix plays at Philadelphia as a 1-point road favorite at BetNow. Indiana plays at home against Oklahoma City as a 10.5-point favorite at BetNow. Toronto is at home against Brooklyn as a 2.5-point favorite at BetNow.New York hosts Atlanta at 8 PM as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 217. Utah travels to Houston as an 11-point road favorite with an over/under of 228. San Antonio plays at home against Miami as a 1.5-point favorite at BetNow. Dallas is at home against Detroit as a 12.5-point favorite at BetNow. The Los Angeles Clippers are at home against Memphis at 10 PM ET as a 1.5-point favorite at BetNow. Denver visits Portland as a 2-point road favorite at BetNow. Sacramento hosts Minnesota as a 5-point favorite with the total at 239.Four games are on the NHL schedule. Nashville plays at Chicago on the NBC Sports Network at 7 PM ET. The Predators ended a two-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory against the Blackhawks on Monday. Chicago has lost two of their last three. Nashville is a -116 money line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Minnesota visits Arizona at 9 PM ET as a -150 money line road favorite with a total of 5.5. Vegas hosts San Jose on the NBC Sports Network at 9:30 PM ET. The Golden Knights won their seventh straight game with their 3-2 victory over the Sharks on Monday. San Jose has lost six in a row. Vegas is a -250 money line favorite with a total of 5.5. The NHL card concludes at 10 PM ET with Edmonton playing at home against Montreal as a -126 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.Fourteen games are on the MLB slate. The card begins at 1:05 PM ET, with Philadelphia hosting San Francisco as a -123 money line favorite with the total at 8. Miami is at home against Baltimore at 1:10 PM ET as a -161 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Houston travels to Colorado at 3:10 PM ET as a -149 money line road favorite with a total of 10.5. Minnesota plays at Oakland at 3:37 PM ET as a -110 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. Washington plays at home against St. Louis at 4:05 PM ET as a -165 money line favorite with the total at 8. The Los Angeles Angels are at home against Texas at 4:07 PM ET as a -170 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. San Diego hosts Milwaukee at 4:10 PM ET as a -195 money line favorite with a total of 7.5.Cleveland plays at home against the Chicago White Sox at 6:10 PM ET. The New York Yankees are at home against Atlanta on ESPN at 6:35 PM ET. The Bronx Bombers won the opening game of this series on Tuesday with their 3-1 victory to end a five-game losing streak. The Braves have lost two of their last three games. Atlanta sends out Ian Anderson as their starting pitcher, with the Yankees countering with Corey Kluber. New York is a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.Cincinnati hosts Arizona at 6:40 PM ET as a -172 money line favorite with the total at 8.5. Toronto travels to Boston at 7:10 PM ET. The New York Mets play in Chicago against the Cubs at 7:40 PM ET as a -138 money line road favorite at BetNow. Tampa Bay plays at Kansas City at 8:10 PM ET.Matchweek 31 of the English Premier League continues with two matches. Tottenham hosts Southampton on the Peacock app at 1 PM ET as a -0.75 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.75. Manchester City travels to Aston Villa on the NBC Sports Network at 3:15 PM ET as a -1.25 goal line road favorite with a total of 2.75.

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Early American League MVP Darkhorse

by ASA, Inc.

Wednesday, Apr 21, 2021

The MLB season is still extremely fresh and there is a long way to go before we start to see percentages play out and teams pull away from the pack. That being said, some players have gotten off to hot starts and are offering great return on investment if they can continue to produce. The MVP voting often takes into account the best player stats but also the success of the team they play for. In the past six years, 9 of the 12 MVPs have come from teams that finish with a winning record. Only Mike Trout (twice) and Giancarlo Stanton have won MVPs with losing teams.  The Los Angeles Dodgers are already red hot in the National League and will likely produce a MVP at the end of the season. The American League is a bit more up for grabs and the Red Sox have impressed by starting with the best record in the AL and 2nd most wins on the Majors through the first few weeks.  Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts are the young guns for Boston, but don’t forget about JD Martinez who has six homers already and is leading MLB in in RBI’s. With +4000 odds to win AL MVP he would provide a great return on even a small wager and it is not too farfetched.  The Red Sox were picked to finish behind the Yankees, Blue Jays, and Rays in the AL East by most people, but that is why they play the games. Boston has the talent to win their division and JD Martinez would be a major contributor if they do so. He has hit over .300 in each of his last seven season besides last year’s shortened season. Martinez also drove in the 130 and 105 runs in the two years prior to Covid. He is 33 years old but is showing no ill effects, and let’s not forget Freddie Freeman won MVP last season at 31 years old. With a 40/1 current return on investment, he is off to a great start this season and his odds will climb if the Red Sox can stay hot.  

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, MLB and EPL Previews and Odds - 04/20/2021

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Apr 20, 2021

The Tuesday sports card features action in the NBA, NHL, MLB, and the English Premier League.The NBA has five games on the docket. The card begins at 7:30 PM ET with New Orleans hosting Brooklyn on TNT. The Pelicans have dropped three games in a row after their 122-112 upset loss at New York as a 1.5-point underdog on Sunday. The Nets have lost two of three with their 109-107 upset loss at Miami as a 5.5-point underdog on Sunday. BetNow lists New Orleans as a 2.5-point favorite. Atlanta is at home against Orlando as a 12.5-point favorite with an over/under of 219 (all odds from BetOnline unless otherwise indicated). New York plays at home against Charlotte as a 6-point favorite at BetNow. Sacramento hosts Minnesota at 10 PM ET as a 4-point favorite at BetNow.The Tuesday TNT doubleheader concludes at 10 PM ET with the Los Angeles Clippers playing at Portland. The Clippers have won eight of their last nine games with their 124-105 win against Minnesota as an 11.5-point favorite on Sunday. The Trail Blazers have lost three of four after their 109-104 upset loss at Charlotte as a 4.5-point favorite on Sunday. Los Angeles is an 8-point road favorite at BetNow.Eight games are on the NHL schedule. The card begins at 6:30 PM ET with Boston visiting Buffalo on the NBC Sports Network. The Bruins have won four in a row with their 6-3 win against Washington on Sunday. The Sabres have won two of three after their 4-2 victory against Pittsburgh on Sunday. Boston is a -275 money line road favorite with a total set at 5.5 (all odds from BetOnline unless otherwise indicated). Four games start at 7 PM ET. Tampa Bay hosts Carolina as a -128 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Florida is at home against Columbus as a -201 money line favorite with the total at 5.5. The New York Islanders are at home against the New York Rangers as a -125 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Dallas is at home against Detroit at 8:30  PM ET as a -250 money line favorite with the total at 5.5. Toronto visits Vancouver at 9 PM ET as a -285 money line road favorite with an over/under of 6. The NHL card concludes at 10 PM ET with the Los Angeles Kings playing at home against Anaheim as a -134 money line favorite with a total of 5.5. Sixteen games are on the MLB card with a seven-inning doubleheader between Minnesota and Oakland. The schedule begins at 4:10 PM ET with the Los Angeles Dodgers playing at Seattle as a -190 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The New York Mets visit the Chicago Cubs on ESPN at 7:40 PM ET. New York has won five of their last six games with their 2-1 win at Colorado on Sunday. The Cubs have lost three of four after losing to Atlanta on Sunday night, 13-4. Taijuan Walker pitches for the Mets against Chicago’s Jake Arrieta. New York is a -131 money line road favorite.The MLB card concludes at 10:10 PM ET with San Diego playing at home against Milwaukee. The Padres are a -116 money line favorite with the total at 7.Matchweek 32 of the English Premier League continues with Chelsea hosting Brighton and Hove Albion on Peacock at 3 PM ET. The Blues are a -0.75 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.25.

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NHL Hockey: Detroit Red Wings vs. Dallas Stars Preview, Odds and Prediction - 04/19/2021

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Apr 19, 2021

NHL Monday NBC Sports Network Preview: Detroit versus Dallas.The Detroit Red Wings visit the Dallas Stars on the NBC Sports Network at 8:30 PM ET in a battle of Central Division teams currently outside the playoff picture.Dallas has won two games in a row after their 5-1 victory against Columbus on Saturday. Joe Pavelski scored his team-high 18th goal, and five other Stars’ players added a goal or an assist. Denis Gurianov, Jamie Benn, John Klingberg, and Esa Linder all scored goals. Jake Oettinger stopped 20 of the 21 shots he faced.The Stars are in sixth place in the Central Division, three points behind Nashville for the fourth and final playoff spot. They are one point behind Chicago for fifth place. Dallas returned the core of their group that lost to Tampa Bay in the Stanley Cup finals in six games. After having their first four games canceled because of COVID, the Stars have been behind the eight-ball all season. They still have three games in hand to potentially catch the Predators. Management did not make a move at the trade deadline, but they did add defenseman Sami Vatanen off waivers. Center Tyler Seguin has not played this season with a hip injury, but he is expected to be back if Dallas makes the postseason. Right wing Alexander Radulov and goaltender Ben Bishop are out the year with injuries. Pavelski leads the team with 41 points coming from 18 goals and 23 assists. Rope Hintz has added 13 goals and 22 assists. The left wing will be a game-time decision to play tonight with a lower-body injury. Left wing Jason Robertson is third on the team with 12 goals and 20 assists. Head coach Rick Bowness has tapped Anton Khudobin as his goalie tonight. Khudobin has a 9-9-6 record with a 2.34 goals-against-average and a .917 save percentage. Detroit had their three-game winning streak end with a 4-0 loss to Chicago on Saturday. The Red Wings had 29 shots but got shut out by the Blackhawks’ goaltender Malcolm Subban. Jonathan Bernier made 23 stops in the losing effort for Detroit.The Red Wings are in last place in the Central Division, 11 points outside the playoff picture. General manager Steve Yzerman was a seller at the trade deadline by trading forward Anthony Mantha and defenseman Patrick Nemeth. With 19 draft picks in the first five rounds next two drafts, including five in the first two rounds for 2021, the organization is in a full rebuild. Center Dylan Larkin leads the team with 22 points coming from eight goals and 14 assists. Defenseman Filip Hronek has two goals and 22 assists. Left wing Adam Erne has added 11 goals and seven assists. Head coach Jeff Blashill is expected to keep Bernier as his goaltender tonight. Bernier is 9-8-0 with a 2.93 goals-against-average with a .913 save percentage. Dallas has won three of the four meetings between these two teams after defeating the Red Wings in Detroit by a 3-0 score on March 20th. BookMaker lists the Stars as a -245 money line favorite with the total set at 5.5.Computer prediction:  Dallas Stars 4 Detroit Red Wings 1

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB, NHL, EPL and NBA Previews and Odds - 04/19/2021

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Apr 19, 2021

The Monday sports card features action in the NBA, NHL, MLB, and the English Premier League.The NBA has nine games on the docket. The card begins at 7 PM ET, with Detroit hosting Cleveland as a 1.5-point favorite with the total set at 212.5 (all odds from BetOnline unless indicated otherwise). Boston is at home against Chicago as a 6-point favorite at 7:30 PM ET at BetNow.The first game of a doubleheader on ESPN has Philadelphia playing at home against Golden State at 7:30 PM ET. The 76ers have won four in a row with their 106-103 win against the Los Angeles Clippers as a 4-point favorite on Friday. The Warriors had their four-game winning streak end with a 119-114 loss at Boston as a 3-point underdog on Saturday. Philadelphia is a 7.5-point favorite at BetNow.Four more games are scheduled for 8 PM ET. Milwaukee is at home against Phoenix as a -2.5 point favorite with an over/under of 234.5. San Antonio visits Indiana as a 1-point road favorite with a total of 231.5. Atlanta plays at home against Houston as a 10-point favorite at BetNow. Washington hosts Oklahoma City as an 11-point favorite with an over/under of 230. Denver is at home against Memphis as a 5-point favorite with the total at 227.5 at 9 PM ET.The nightcap on ESPN has Utah visiting Los Angeles to play the Lakers at 10:10 PM ET. The Jazz had their two-game winning streak end with a 127-115 loss at the Staples Center to the Lakers on Saturday. Los Angeles has won two of their last three games. Utah is a 5.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 216.Eight games are on the NHL schedule. Tampa Bay is at home against Carolina as a -120 money line favorite with the total set at 5.5. Florida plays at home against Columbus as a -226 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5.Dallas hosts Detroit on the NBC Sports Network at 7:30 PM ET. The Stars have won two in a row with their 5-1 win against Columbus on Saturday. The Red Wings had their three-game winning streak snapped with a 4-0 loss to Chicago. Dallas is a -218 money line favorite with the total at 5.5.Nashville is at home against Chicago at 8 PM ET as a -137 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Minnesota visits Arizona as a -145 money line road favorite with the total at 5.5. Calgary is at home against Ottawa as a -200 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. Edmonton hosts Montreal as a -124 money line favorite with a total of 6. Vegas is at home against San Jose at 10 PM ET as a -220 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.Eight games are on the MLB docket. The card begins at 11:10 AM ET with the Chicago White Sox playing at Boston as a -111 money line road favorite with the total at 8. St. Louis visits Washington as a -112 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8 at 7:05 PM ET. Philadelphia is at home as a -105 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Kansas City plays at home as a -112 money line favorite at BookMaker with an over/under of 8. The Los Angeles Angels host Texas at 9:38 PM ET as a -201 money line favorite with a total of 9. Minnesota visits Oakland at 9:40 PM ET. San Diego is at home against Milwaukee at 10:10 PM ET as a -130 money line favorite with an over/under of 7. The Los Angeles Dodgers travel to Seattle as a -190 money line road favorite with a total of 8. Matchweek 31 of the English Premier League continues with Liverpool playing at Leeds United on the NBC Sports Network at 3 PM ET. The Reds are a -0.75 goal line road favored with an over/under of 3.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, MLB, EPL and the English FA Cup Previews and Odds - 04/18/2021

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Apr 18, 2021

The Sunday sports card features action in the NBA, NHL, MLB, the English Premier League, and the English FA Cup.The NBA has eight games on the docket. The card begins at 1 PM ET with two contests. Atlanta hosts Indiana as a 4.5-point favorite with the total set at 234.5 (all odds from BetOnline unless indicated otherwise). New York plays at home in Madison Square Garden against New Orleans in the first game of an ESPN doubleheader. The Pelicans have lost two in a row after their 117-111 loss at Washington as a 3.5-point favorite on Friday. The Knicks have won five in a row with their 117-109 upset win at Dallas as a 6.5-point underdog on Friday. New York is a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 221.Brooklyn visits Miami in the second game on ESPN at 3:30 PM ET. The Nets have won two of three with their 130-115 win against Charlotte as a 12-point favorite on Friday. The Heat have lost three in a row with their 119-111 upset loss at Minnesota as a 7-point favorite on Friday. Brooklyn is a 5.5-point road favorite with a total of 225. Six games are on the NHL schedule. The card begins with Boston playing at home against Washington on NBC at noon ET. The Bruins have won three in a row after their 3-o shutout victory against the New York Islanders on Friday. The Capitals have won four of five with their 6-3 win at Philadelphia on Saturday. Boston is a -130 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Islanders visit Philadelphia on the NBC Sports Network at 6:30 PM ET. New York lost three of four with their setback in Boston on Friday. The Flyers also lost three of four after their defeat to the Capitals yesterday. The Islanders are a -130 money line road favorite with the total at 5.5 at BetAnySports. Sixteen games are on the MLB slate, including a seven-inning doubleheader between the Chicago White Sox and Boston. The slate begins at 1:05 PM ET with three games. Philadelphia is at home against St. Louis as a -181 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Washington hosts Arizona as a -191 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. The New York Yankees play at home against Tampa Bay as a -245 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.The MLB card concludes with Atlanta playing at Chicago against the Cubs for ESPN Sunday Night Baseball at 7:08 PM ET. Chicago ended a two-game losing streak by winning the second game of this series on Saturday, 13-4. The Braves had won two in a row before the setback. The Cubs are a -112 money line favorite at BetNow.Matchweek 31 of the English Premier League continues with two matches on the NBC Sports Network. Arsenal hosts Fulham at 8:30 AM ET as a -0.75 money line favorite with a total of 2.5. Manchester United is at home against Burnley at 11:30 AM ET as a -1.25 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.75. The second semifinals match in the FA Cup is on ESPN+ at 1:30 PM ET. Leicester City plays Southampton at Wembley Stadium as a -0.5 goal line favorite with the total at 2.5. The winner plays Chelsea for the FA Cup title on May 15th. 

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