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EPL Soccer: Newcastle United vs. Leicester City Preview, Odds and Prediction - 05/07/2021

by Big Al Staff

Friday, May 07, 2021

Newcastle United visits Leicester City at King Power Stadium on the NBC Sports Network at 3 PM ET in a battle between two teams with much still at stake this season.Leicester City controls its destiny to secure a spot in next year’s UEFA Champions League. The Foxes are in 3rd place in the English Premier League table with 63 points. They are two points ahead of Chelsea and five points ahead of West Ham United to stay in the top four. They trail Manchester United by four points (with the Red Devils having a game in hand) for second place, and they are distant 17 points behind first-place Manchester City at the top of the table.The Foxes come off 1-1 draw at Southampton last Friday. They fell behind after the Saints converted a penalty kick 61 minutes into the match. Jonny Evans leveled the score seven minutes later. The result was a disappointment for manager Brendan Rodgers considering that his team played with a man advantage for 80 minutes after Southampton was issued a red card 10 minutes into the match. Rodgers’ team remains unbeaten in their last four matches across all competitions. Kelechi Iheanacho has jumpstarted the attack with ten goals in his last nine games. Jamie Vardy leads the team with 13 goals. James Maddison is back in the starting XI after being suspended by the team last month for breaking COVID quarantine protocols. Injuries will keep midfielder Harvey Barnes and defenders James Justin and Wes Morgan off the pitch.Leicester City has a challenging league schedule to close out the season with upcoming matches against Manchester United, Chelsea, and Tottenham. They also have an impending showdown at Wembley Stadium with Chelsea for the FA Cup title on May 15th in their first attempt to win that trophy in 52 years.Newcastle was unbeaten in their last four matches before a 2-0 loss at home against Arsenal on Sunday. The Magpies fell behind in the sixth minute before conceding the second goal 21 minutes into the second half. Defender Fabian Schar got issued a red card in the 90th minute, suspending him from this match.Manager Steve Bruce has his team nine points clear of relegation with their nine-point lead over Fulham for 17th place in the league table. The return of attackers Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin to the team from the doctor’s table has helped in Newcastle’s recent improved form. They had scored in four straight league matches before getting blanked by the Gunners. Wilson has ten goals and six assists this season, and Saint-Maximin has added three goals and five assists from the midfield.The Magpies host Manchester City at St. James Park next Friday before two teams at the bottom of the table in Sheffield United and Fulham. Leicester City won the reverse fixture at St. James Park by a 2-1 score on January 3rd. Maddison and Youri Tielmans scored in the section half to give the Foxes the lead before Andy Carroll cut the margin in half with just eight minutes left in the match. BetOnline lists Leicester City as a -1.5 goal line favorite with the total set at 2.75.Computer prediction:  Leicester City 2 Newcastle United 0

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB, NHL, NBA and EPL Previews and Odds - 05/07/2021

by Big Al Staff

Friday, May 07, 2021

The Friday sports card features action in the NBA, NHL, MLB, and the English Premier League.Ten games are on the NBA docket. The card begins at 7 PM ET, with Philadelphia hosting New Orleans as an 8.5-point favorite with the total set at 228.5 (all odds from BetOnline unless indicated otherwise). Boston travels to Chicago in the first game of an ESPN doubleheader at 7:30 PM ET. The Celtics have won three of their last four games with their 132-96 victory at Orlando as a 12-point favorite on Wednesday. The Bulls have lost four in a row after their 106-94 loss to Philadelphia as an 8-point underdog on Monday. Boston is a 3.5-point road favorite at DraftKings. Milwaukee plays at home against Houston at 8 PM ET as a 16.5-point favorite at DraftKings. Charlotte is at home against Orlando as a 9-point favorite with an over/under of 216. Miami hosts Minnesota as a 6-point favorite at DraftKings. Dallas plays at home against Cleveland at 8:30 PM ET as a 10.5-point favorite at DraftKings. Utah hosts Denver at 9 PM ET as a 3-point favorite at DraftKings. Phoenix plays at home against New York at 10 PM ET as a 6-point favorite with a total of 218. San Antonio visits Sacramento as a 4-point road favorite at DraftKings. Portland is at home against the Los Angeles Lakers in the nightcap on ESPN at 10 PM ET. The Trail Blazers have won five of their last six games with their 141-105 victory at Cleveland as a 12-point favorite on Wednesday. The Lakers have lost four of five after their 118-94 loss to the Clippers as an 8.5-point underdog on Thursday. Portland is a 6-point favorite at DraftKings. Seven games are on the NHL schedule. Columbus hosts Detroit at 7 PM ET as a -145 money line favorite with an over/under of 5. Washington plays at home against Philadelphia as a -180 money line favorite with a total of 6. Tampa Bay is at home at Dallas as a -152 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Minnesota hosts Anaheim at 8 PM ET as a -280 money line favorite with a total of 5.5.Vegas plays at home against St. Louis at 10 PM ET as a -164 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Colorado visits Los Angeles as a -270 money line road favorite with a total of 5.5. San Jose is at home against Arizona at 10:30 PM ET as a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Fifteen games are on the MLB slate. The Chicago Cubs are at home against Pittsburgh at 2:20 PM ET as a -143 money line favorite in the lone afternoon game.The New York Yankees play at home against Washington at 7:05 PM ET as a -185 money line favorite with a total of 9. Boston travels to Baltimore as a -157 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Miami is at home against Milwaukee at 7:10 PM ET as a -132 money line favorite with a total of 7. The New York Mets host Arizona as a -129 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Cleveland plays at home against Cincinnati as a -138 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Minnesota visits Detroit as a -146 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Atlanta is at home against Philadelphia at 7:20 PM ET as a -160 money line favorite with a total of 8.5.Texas hosts Seattle at 8:05 PM ET as a -110 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Chicago White Sox travels to Kansas City at 8:10 PM ET as a -153 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Houston plays at home against Toronto as a -140 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. St. Louis is at home against Colorado as a -200 money line favorite with a total of 7. The Los Angeles Dodgers visit the Los Angeles Angels at 9:38 PM ET as a -160 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Oakland hosts Tampa Bay at 9:40 PM ET as a -133 money line favorite with a total of 8. San Diego plays at San Francisco at 9:45 PM ET as a -140 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.Matchweek 35 of the English Premier League begins at 3 PM ET, with Leicester City playing at home against Newcastle United on the NBC Sports Network. The Foxes are a -1.25 goal line favorite with a total of 2.75.

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Fantasy Football Rookies with Perfect Landing Spots

by ASA, Inc.

Thursday, May 06, 2021

With the NFL draft wrapped up from this past weekend, we can finally get a look at which rookies have been blessed with ideal situations to succeed. NFL rookies are always tough to gauge where they should be drafted in fantasy football because of the multitude of question marks. Talent alone doesn’t translate to fantasy production but instead it’s a combination of coaching, opportunity, and scheme. This is why a player like Justin Jefferson was able to dominate the rookie wide receiver ranks even though he was the fourth WR off the board in the 2020 draft.   Which undervalued WR and RB are setup for fantasy gold this season? Rashod Bateman (Ravens pick 27 WR5) is a player who reminds me a lot of Jefferson from last year. Both are very technical route runners and both can simply WIN against man coverage. Bateman is landing with the Ravens who have needed to get Lamar Jackson help for a couple years now. Hollywood Brown has struggled to stay on the field and is very boom or bust when he does play. Lamar had a down year in 2020 but he did lead the NFL in touchdown passes in his 2019 MVP campaign. Expect Jackson to bounce back and to develop his passing even more this season, allowing Bateman to be the number one WR on a top 10 scoring offense.  Michael Carter (Jets pick 107 RB5) is in a great situation to make an immediate impact in New York. Adam Gase and his insistence on giving Frank Gore 10+ touches a game are no longer going to hold this offense back. New coach Robert Saleh will prefer to lean on his defense and play a run-first zone scheme. Carter will be the beneficiary as long as he can win the job in training camp (he should). The Jets added Corey Davis and also drafted speedster Elijah Moore to help open up the field. First round rookie offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker will help as well as Zach Wilson of course. The Jets may still be a bad team this year, but Carter could produce numbers similar to what James Robinson did last season. A talented runner who can contribute in the passing game, all he needs is to win Saleh’s trust and the production will follow. 

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UEFA Europa League Semifinals Previews and Odds - 05/06/2021

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, May 06, 2021

The second leg of the semifinals of the UEFA Europa League takes place on Thursday, with both matches starting at 3 PM ET.Manchester United visits Roma after winning the first leg, 6-2, last Thursday. Bruno Fernandes opened the scoring nine minutes into the match for the Red Devils. Lorenzo Pellegrini’s penalty kick and Edin Dzeko’s goal at the 33rd-minute mark gave Roma the lead. Man United stormed out of the locker room in the second half with four unanswered goals, with Edinson Cavani scoring twice and Paul Pogba and Mason Greenwood adding goals. The Red Devils reached the semifinals with their 2-0 win at home against Granada on April 15th. That victory secured their 4-0 aggregate score triumph after their 2-0 road win against the Nazaries on April 8th. Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side has won 13 of their last 18 matches across all competitions. Their showdown with Liverpool got postponed on Sunday amidst protests at Old Trafford Stadium regarding Man United’s ownership’s involvement in the Super League fiasco.Roma is winless in their last six matches after a 2-0 loss at Sampdoria on Sunday. The Yellow and Reds are in seventh place in Serie A, trailing Lazio by eight points.Manager Paulo Fonseca’s team advanced from the quarterfinals in the Europa League with a 3-2 aggregate score triumph against Ajax. The Yellow and Reds won the first leg on the road, 2-1, on April 8th before settling for a 1-1 draw at home against the Dutch giants on April 15th. Roma must score at least four goals to put themselves in a position to advance. A 4-0 or 5-1 result gives them the away goal tiebreaker. If Man United scores more than two goals, then the Yellow and Reds must win by five goals to advance. A 6-2 score for Roma after regulation time would force extra time with the aggregate score tied at eight goals apiece and deadlocked with two away goals apiece. If both teams score in extra time, but the score remains tied after the two after the two 15-minute halves, the Red Devils advance via the away goals tiebreaker. A best-of-five penalty shootout resolves the match if the extra time goes scoreless. BetOnline lists Man United as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with the total set at 3.25.Villarreal travels to Emirates Stadium to play Arsenal after winning the first leg, 2-1, on Thursday. Manu Trigueros opened the scoring five minutes into the match, and Raul Albiol gave the Yellow Submarines a two-goal lead 24 minutes later. A red card issued to Dani Ceballos left the Gunners down to ten men at the 57th minute. Arsenal still managed to cut the score in half with Nicolas Pepe’s penalty kick at the 73rd minute. That goal makes the task easier for manager Mikel Arteta in the second leg.The Gunners advance with a 1-0 result or a victory by more than one goal. A 2-1 score for Arsenal after regulation time would force extra time. They would need to either win after the extra period or hold Villarreal scoreless to force the penalty shootout.The Gunners defeated Newcastle United on the road by a 2-0 score on Sunday. Mohamed Elneny and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the two goals. Arsenal is in ninth place in the English Premier League, three points behind Everton for eighth place. Arsenal advanced from the quarterfinals of the Europa League with a 4-0 victory against Slavia Praha on April 15th. Those teams settled for a 1-1 draw in the first left at Emirates Stadium on April 8th. The Yellow Submarines reached the semifinals after their 2-1 victory against Dinamo Zagreb on April 15th. They won the aggregate score by a 3-1 margin after their road victory in the first leg on April 8th. Manager Unai Emery’s team defeated Getafe, 1-0, on Sunday, with Yeremi Pino scoring at the 79th minute. Villarreal is in sixth place in La Liga. They trail Real Sociedad by one point for fifth place. Today’s winners advance to the finals of the Europa League in Gdansk, Poland, on May 26th. BetOnline lists Arsenal as a -0.5 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.75. Both games are available on Paramount+.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, MLB and UEFA Europa League Previews and Odds - 05/06/2021

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, May 06, 2021

The Thursday sports card features action in the NBA, NHL, MLB, and the UEFA Europa League.Seven games are on the NBA docket. The card begins at 7 PM ET, with Chicago playing at Charlotte as a 2.5-point road favorite at DraftKings. Toronto plays at home at 7:30 PM ET against Washington as a 1.5-point favorite at DraftKings. Brooklyn visits Dallas in the opening game in a TNT doubleheader at 7:30 PM ET. The Nets have lost three in a row with their 124-118 loss at Milwaukee as a 2.5-point underdog on Tuesday. The Mavericks have won four of their last five games after their 127-113 upset win at Miami as a 1-point underdog on Tuesday. Brooklyn is a 4-point road favorite at DraftKings. Memphis travels to Detroit at 8 PM ET as a 10-point road favorite at DraftKings. Atlanta plays at Indiana as a 5-point road favorite at DraftKings. Golden State plays at home against Oklahoma City at 10 PM ET as a 14-point favorite with the total set at 227 (all odds from BetOnline unless indicated otherwise). The nightcap on TNT has the Los Angeles Clippers the designated home team at the Staples Center against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Clippers ended a three-game losing streak with their 105-100 victory against Toronto as an 11.5-point favorite on Tuesday. The Lakers ended a three-game losing streak with a 93-89 upset victory against Denver as a 3.5-point underdog on Monday. The Clippers are an 8-point favorite with an over/under of 211.Six games are on the NHL schedule. Five games begin at 7 PM ET. The New York Islanders host New Jersey as a -240 money line favorite with the total at 5.5. Pittsburgh plays at home against Buffalo as a -310 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. Carolina is at home against Chicago as a -265 money line favorite with a total of 6. Toronto takes on Montreal at home as a -190 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.Boston hosts the New York Rangers on the NBC Sports Network at 7 PM ET. The Bruins had their four-game winning streak end with a 4-3 loss at New Jersey on Tuesday. The Rangers have lost four in a row after their 4-2 loss to Washington on Wednesday. Boston is a -205 money line favorite at DraftKings with a total of 5.5. Edmonton plays at home against Vancouver at 9 PM ET as a -230 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.Ten games are on the MLB docket. Milwaukee visits Philadelphia at 1:05 PM ET as a -122 money line road favorite with a total of 7. The New York Yankees play at home against Houston as a -186 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Boston is at home against Detroit at 1:10 PM ET as a -205 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Texas visits Minnesota. The New York Mets travel to St. Louis at 1:15 PM ET as a -120 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.Kansas City plays at home against Cleveland at 2:10 PM ET as a -125 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Toronto travels to Oakland at 3:37 PM ET as a -141 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. Atlanta plays at Washington at 4:05 PM ET with both teams priced at -105 with the total at 9.5. Miami hosts Arizona at 6:40 PM ET as a -130 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Tampa Bay visits Los Angeles to play the Angels at 9:38 PM ET.The second leg of the UEFA Europa League semifinals takes place at 3 PM ET. Arsenal hosts Villarreal after losing the opening leg last Thursday by a 2-1 score. AS Roma plays at home against Manchester United after losing at Old Trafford by a 6-2 score last Thursday. Paramount+ broadcasts both matches.

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UEFA Champions League: Real Madrid vs. Chelsea Preview, Odds and Prediction - 05/05/2021

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, May 05, 2021

UEFA Champions League Semifinals Preview: Real Madrid at Chelsea.The second leg of the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League concludes on Wednesday, with Ream Madrid traveling to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on the CBS Sports Network at 3 PM ET.These two teams settled for a 1-1 draw in the first leg last Wednesday in the Spanish capital. Christian Pulisic gave the Blues the lead 14 minutes into the match. Karim Benzema leveled the score 15 minutes later. Real Madrid must score in the second leg. Los Blancos advances to the Champions League final with a victory since that assures an aggregate score win. They can also advance with a draw where at least two goals are scored as two away goals secures the first tie-breaker. A 1-1 result after regulation time would force extra time with the aggregate score tied at two goals apiece and deadlocked with one away goal. If both teams score in extra time, but the score remains tied after the two after the two 15-minute halves, Real Madrid wins via the away goals tie-breaker. A best-of-five penalty shootout resolves the match if the extra time goes scoreless. Los Blancos followed up their midweek draw with a 2-0 victory against Osasuna on Saturday. Eden Militao broke a scoreless game at the 76th-minute mark before Casemiro added the second goal four minutes later. Manager Zinedine Zidane’s team remains tied with Barcelona for second place in La Liga, two points behind Atletico Madrid, currently at the top of the table. Real Madrid advanced to the semifinals of the Champions League with their 3-1 aggregate score victory against Liverpool in the quarterfinals. Vinicius Junior scored twice, and Marco Asensio added a goal in their 3-1 win in the first leg at home on April 6th. A scoreless draw in the second match at Anfield Stadium in the second leg on April 14th secured their advancement. Zinedine hopes to have captain Sergio Ramos and Ferland Mendy available to fortify their backline for this match. Forward Eden Hazard returned to the pitch over the weekend. Center back Raphael Varane is a doubt after suffering an abductor injury in the Osasuna match. Right backs Dani Carvajal and Lucas Vazquez are also injured.Chelsea comes off a 2-0 victory at home against Fulham on Saturday. Kai Havertz opened the scoring ten minutes into the match. He secured his brace four minutes into the second half. They are in fourth place in the English Premier League, three points ahead of West Ham United, and they are a distant 19 points behind Manchester City for first place at the EPL table. They trail Leicester City by two points for third place. The Blues reached the semifinals with a 2-1 aggregate victory against FC Porto in the quarterfinals. Chelsea won the first leg, 2-0, at Stamford Bridge on April 7th. Mason Mount scored the opening goal in the 32nd minute before Ben Chilwell added the second goal at the 85-minute mark. They lost the second leg at Porto, 1-0, on April 13th, but the Dragons' late goal was not enough to sudden death. Since Thomas Tuchel took over the managerial duties from Frank Lampard in late January, the Blues have only lost twice in 21 matches. The former Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund skipper deployed a 3-4-2-1 formation that improved the defensive structure of this team. Seventeen of the games under Tuchel have been clean sheets. They advanced to the championship game of the FA Cup with a 1-0 victory against Manchester City on April 17th.Chelsea will be without midfielder Maceo Kovacic who continues to be out with a thigh injury. The winner advances to play Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League final in Istanbul on May 29th. BookMaker lists Chelsea as a -0.25 goal line favorite with the total set at 2.25.Computer prediction: Chelsea 1 Real Madrid 1

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Big Al's Daily Angle: UEFA Champions League, NBA, NHL and MLB Previews and Odds - 05/05/2021

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, May 05, 2021

The Wednesday sports card features action in the NBA, NHL, MLB, and the UEFA Champions League.Nine games are on the NBA docket. The card begins at 7 PM ET, with Boston visiting Orlando as a 10.5-point road favorite at DraftKings. Portland plays at Cleveland at 7:30 PM ET as an 11-point road favorite at DraftKings.Five more NBA games start at 8 PM ET. Memphis travels to Minnesota as a 4-point road favorite with the total set at 236.5 (all odds from BetOnline unless indicated otherwise). Phoenix plays at Atlanta as a 2.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 227.5. Philadelphia is at Houston as a 15-point road favorite at DraftKings. Indiana plays at home against Sacramento as a 6.5-point favorite at DraftKings. Milwaukee is at home against Washington. Utah hosts San Antonio at 9 PM ET as a 7-point favorite at DraftKings. Denver is at home against New York as a 3-point favorite with a total of 214. Nine games are on the NHL schedule. Four games start the card at 7 PM ET. Nashville travels to Columbus as a -177 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 5. Tampa Bay plays at home against Dallas as a -155 money line favorite with a total of 5.5. Montreal visits Ottawa as a -151 money line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5.Washington visits the New York Rangers in the opening game of a doubleheader on the NBC Sports Network at 7 PM ET. The Capitals ended a two-game losing streak with a 6-3 victory in Madison Square Garden against the Rangers on Monday. New York has lost three in a row. Washington is a -125 money line road favorite with a total of 5.5. St. Louis hosts Anaheim at 8 PM ET as a -240 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Vegas plays at Minnesota as a -121 money line road favorite with a total of 5.5. The nightcap on the NBC Sports Network has Colorado playing at San Jose at 9:30 PM ET. The Avalanche have won three in a row with their 5-4 victory on the road against the Sharks on Monday. San Jose has lost three in a row. Colorado is a -265 money line road favorite with an over/under of 6. Calgary plays at Winnipeg at 9:30 PM ET as a -113 money line favorite with a total of 5.5. Anaheim is at home against Los Angeles as a -132 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5.Sixteen games are on the MLB slate. Cincinnati hosts the Chicago White Sox at 12:35 PM ET as a -126 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Colorado plays at home against San Francisco as a -108 money line favorite with an over/under of 10. Seattle is at home against Baltimore as a -112 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. The New York Mets play at St. Louis at 5:15 PM ET in the opening game of their seven-inning doubleheader. Miami hosts Arizona at 6:40 PM ET as a -145 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. The New York Yankees play at home against Houston as a -137 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Atlanta visits Washington as a -131 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Milwaukee travels to Philadelphia as a -137 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Boston is at home against Detroit as a -177 money line favorite with a total of 9. The Los Angeles Dodgers play on the road at Wrigley Field in Chicago against the Cubs on ESPN at 7:40 PM ET. The Cubs swept the Tuesday doubleheader with Los Angeles by 7-1 and 4-3 scores. The Dodgers have lost five of six games. Los Angeles is a -170 money line road favorite. Texas plays at Minnesota at 7:40 PM ET. St. Louis is at home against the New York Mets at 7:45 PM ET. San Diego hosts Pittsburgh at 8:10 PM ET as a -225 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. Cleveland visits Kansas City as a -157 money line road favorite with a total of 7. The Los Angeles Angeles play at home against Tampa Bay at 9:38 PM ET. Oakland is at home against Toronto at 9:40 PM ET as a -121 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5.The second leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinals concludes on Wednesday, with Chelsea hosting Real Madrid on the CBS Sports Network at 3 PM ET. These two teams settled with a 1-1 draw in Madrid in the first leg last Tuesday.

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UEFA Champions League: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Manchester City Preview, Odds and Prediction - 05/04/2021

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, May 04, 2021

The second leg of the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League begins on Tuesday, with Paris Saint-Germain traveling to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City on the CBS Sports Network at 3 PM ET.Man City won the first leg last Wednesday in a 2-1 victory. PSG scored the opening goal from Marquinhos header 15 minutes into the match. Les Parisiens kept that lead through halftime before Kevin De Bruyne evened the score at the 64-minute mark. Riyad Mahrez scored the game-winner seven minutes later from a free-kick that snuck through a leaky PSG wall. A red card issued to PSG midfielder Idrissa Gueye moments later left manager Mauricio Pochettino’s side down to ten men. Gueye is suspended for this match. Manchester City followed up that victory with a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace on Saturday. Sergio Aguero and Ferran Torres made the score sheet for the Citizens. Manager Peg Guardiola’s side has won five of their last six matches across all competitions. The Citizens advanced to the semifinals of the Championship League for the first time under Guardiola’s stewardship with their 4-2 aggregate score victory against Borussia Dortmund. Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden scored in the opening leg 2-1 win at the Etihad Stadium on April 6th. Riyad Mahrez and Foden scored in the second leg on the road on April 14th. Man City reached the quarterfinals after they dispatched another Bundesliga side, Borussia Monchengladbach, by a 4-0 aggregate score in the first knockout stage. The Citizens have won ten of their eleven Champions League matches this season with a 0-0 draw against FC Porto, the lone blemish on their resume. Guardiola is on track to guide Man City to their third English Premier League title in the last four seasons. The Citizens are in first place by 12 points over Manchester United. PSG rebounded from their midweek loss by defeating Lens at home, 2-1, on Saturday, with Neymar and Marquinhos scoring goals. Les Parisiens have won five of their last seven games across all competitions. They remain in second place in Ligue 1, one point behind Lille.Pochettino led his team to the semifinals of the European championship by defeating Bayern Munich with the away goals tiebreaker. Les Parisiens won the opening match at Allianz Stadium, 3-2, on April 7th. Kylian Mbappe scored twice, and Marquinhos added a third goal in the triumph. Despite losing at home to the Bavarians in the second leg on April 13th, their three goals on the road broke the 3-3 aggregate score stalemate. PSG may have endured the most difficult road to reach the final four. They survived a challenging group stage that included RB Leipzig and Manchester United. Les Parisiens then faced Barcelona in the first knockout stage round. They defeated Lionel Messi and company by a 5-2 aggregate score after striking a dominant 4-1 blow on the road in the first leg against Barca. Mbappe suffered a calf injury that kept him out of the weekend match against Lens. He is not in the starting XI for this match, but he may be available as a substitute. Paris Saint-Germain must score at least two goals in victory to advance to the finals. A 2-1 result for PSG in regulation time would force extra time with the aggregate score tied at three goals apiece and deadlocked with two away goals. If both teams score in extra time, but the score remains tied after the two after the two 15-minute halves, the road team wins via the away goals tie-breaker. A best-of-five penalty shootout resolves the match if the extra time goes scoreless. Neither of these storied franchises has lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy. PSG lost to Bayern Munich in the finals last August. Les Parisiens would be just the ninth team in the history of the event to reach the finals if they can get past Man City. BetOnline lists Man City as a -0.75 goal line favorite with the total set at 3.Computer prediction:  Manchester City 3 Paris Saint-Germain 1

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, MLB and UEFA Champions League Previews and Odds - 05/04/2021

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, May 04, 2021

The Tuesday sports card features action in the NBA, NHL, MLB, and the UEFA Champions League.Seven games are on the NBA docket. The card begins at 7 PM ET with two games. Phoenix plays at Cleveland as a 13-point road favorite at DraftKings. Detroit is at home against Charlotte. Milwaukee hosts Brooklyn in the first game of a doubleheader on TNT starting at 7:30 PM ET. The Bucks have won five of their last seven games after defeating the Nets, 117-114, as a 2-point favorite on Sunday. Brooklyn had been on a four-game winning streak. Milwaukee is a 2-point favorite with the total set at 241.5 (all odds from BetOnline unless indicated otherwise). Three more NBA games start at 8 PM ET. Sacramento visits Oklahoma City as a 5-point road favorite with an over/under of 230.5. Miami plays at home against Dallas as a 3-point favorite at DraftKings. Golden State is at New Orleans. The nightcap on TNT has the Los Angeles Clippers at home against Toronto at 10:10 PM ET. The Clippers have lost three in a row after their 110-104 upset loss to Denver as a 6-point favorite on Saturday. The Raptors ended a three-game losing streak with their 121-114 win at Los Angeles against the Lakers as a 10.5-point underdog on Sunday. Los Angeles is a 9-point favorite with a total of 221.5. Five games are on the NHL schedule. Four games begin the card at 7 PM ET. Boston visits New Jersey as a -240 money line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Carolina is at home against Chicago as a -232 money line favorite with a total of 6. Pittsburgh plays at Philadelphia as a -165 money line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The New York Islanders are at Buffalo as a -260 money line road favorite with a total of 5.5.Edmonton travels to Vancouver on the NBC Sports Network at 10 PM ET. The Oilers won their fourth game in their last five with their 5-3 victory on the road against the Canucks on Monday. Vancouver has lost five in a row. Edmonton is a -190 money line road favorite with an over/under of 6. Seventeen games are on the MLB slate. The card begins at 2:20 PM with the Los Angeles Dodgers playing at Chicago against the Cubs in the first game of their seven-inning doubleheader. San Francisco visits Colorado at 5:40 PM ET in the first game of their seven-inning doubleheader. The Chicago White Sox travel to Cincinnati at 6:40 PM ET as a -115 money line road favorite with a total of 9. Arizona is at Miami. The New York Yankees play at home against Houston on ESPN at 7:05 PM ET. The Yankees have won five of their last six games with their 2-0 win against Detroit on Sunday. The Astros had their two-game winning streak end with a 5-4 loss at Tampa Bay on Sunday. Houston sends out Zack Greinke to face Domingo German. New York is a -117 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5.Philadelphia hosts Milwaukee at 7:05 PM ET as a -172 money line favorite with a total of 8. Atlanta visits Washington as a -131 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Detroit plays at Boston. Minnesota is at home against Texas at 7:40 PM ET as a -155 money line favorite with a total of 8. The Dodgers play the Cubs in the second game of their doubleheader. The New York Mets travel to St. Louis at 7:45 PM ET as a -187 money line road favorite with a total of 6.5. Kansas City plays at home against Cleveland at 8:10 PM ET as a -136 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Giants play against the Rockies in the second game of their doubleheader at 8:40 PM ET. The Los Angeles Angels host Tampa Bay at 9:38 PM ET as a -116 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Oakland plays at home against Toronto at 9:40 PM ET as a -119 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Seattle plays at home against Baltimore at 10:10 PM ET as a -127 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Pittsburgh is at home against San Diego.The second leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinals begins on Tuesday, with Manchester City hosting Paris Saint-Germain on the CBS Sports Network at 3 PM ET. Man City won the first leg with a 2-1 victory at PSG last Tuesday. The Parisians must score at least two goals in victory to advance to the finals. A 2-1 result for PSG in regulation time would force extra time with the aggregate score tied at three goals apiece and deadlocked with two away goals. If both teams score in extra time, but the score remains tied after the two after the two 15-minute halves, the road team wins via the away goals tie-breaker. A best-of-five penalty shootout resolves the match if the extra time goes scoreless. Manchester City is a -0.75 goal line favorite with an over/under of 3.

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NHL Hockey: Minnesota Wild vs. Vegas Golden Knights Preview, Odds and Prediction - 05/03/2021

by Big Al Staff

Monday, May 03, 2021

The Vegas Golden Knights play the opening game of a two-game series in Minnesota against the Wild at 8 PM ET on the NBC Sports Network.Vegas won their eleventh game in their last twelve with Jonathan Marchessault’s power-play winner at the 3:04 mark in overtime. Williams Karlsson began the scoring just after ten minutes in the first period. Mark Stone added a second goal 5:14 minutes into the second period. The Golden Knights allowed two goals in the third period to force overtime before Marchessault’s winner. Marc-Andre Fleury made 19 saves in the victory. Peter DeBoer’s team is in first place in the West Division with 74 points. Vegas is four points ahead of Colorado with six games to play, although the Avalanche have one game 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 Alex Tuch.Stone leads the team at right wing with 56 points coming from 19 goals and 37 assists. Left wing Max Pacioretty adds 24 goals and 26 assists. Defenseman Shea Theodore is third on the team with 36 points from his seven goals and 34 assists. DeBoer will likely turn to Robin Lehner as his starting goaltender tonight. He has rotated starts between Fleury and Lehner for 18 straight games since Fleury started twice in a row in March in their two-game showdown with Colorado. Lehner is 12-2-2, with a 2.03 goals-against-average and a .923 save percentage. Fleury has a 22-10-0 record with a 2.08 goals-against-average and a .927 save percentage.Minnesota ended a two-game losing streak with a 4-3 win in overtime against St. Louis on Saturday. Kevin Fail scored 2:16 minutes into overtime to give his team the victory. The Wild fell behind by a 2-0 score in the first period before Mats Zuccarello cut the deficit in half at the 6:53 mark in the second period. Minnesota entered the third period trailing, 3-1, before Nico Strum scored with just over six minutes left in the game. Jonas Brodin then tied the game with one minute left in regulation to force overtime. Kaapo Kahkonen stopped 28 of the 31 shots he faced.The Wild are 8-1-1 in their last ten games, having clinched a spot in the postseason. Minnesota is in third place in the West, six points behind Vegas, and two points behind Colorado in second place (who have a game in hand). General manager Bill Guerin did not make any moves at the trade deadline.Kirill Kaprizov leads the team with 43 points from 23 goals and 20 assists. Kevin Fiala has 19 goals and 18 assists. Zuccarello is third on the team with 31 points from 11 goals and 20 assists.Cam Talbot gets the start tonight for head coach Dean Evason. The veteran has a 17-7-4 record this season, with a 2.48 goals-against-average and a .920 save percentage.Minnesota has won the last four meetings with the Golden Knights this season. These two teams last played on April 3rd, with the Wild winning in Las Vegas, 2-1.BetAnySports lists Vegas as a -120 money line road favorite with the total set at 5.5.Computer prediction:  Minnesota Wild 3 Vegas Golden Knights 2

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, MLB and EPL Previews and Odds - 05/03/2021

by Big Al Staff

Monday, May 03, 2021

The Monday sports card features action in the NBA, NHL, MLB, and the English Premier League.Eight games are on the NBA docket. The card begins at 7 PM ET with two games. Detroit hosts Orlando as a 1.5-point favorite at DraftKings. Washington plays at home against Indiana as a 5-point favorite at DraftKings. New Orleans is at home against Golden State in the first game of an ESPN doubleheader at 7:30 PM ET. The Pelicans have won three of their last four games with their 140-136 victory at Minnesota as a 3.5-point favorite on Saturday. The Warriors ended a two-game losing streak with their 113-87 win at Houston as an 8.5-point favorite on Saturday. New Orleans is a 2-point favorite with a total set at 236.Atlanta hosts Portland at 8 PM ET as a 1-point favorite with an over/under of 234.5. Memphis plays at home against New York as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 217.5. Philadelphia visits Chicago. Utah is at home against San Antonio at 10 PM ET as a 7.5-point favorite at DraftKings. Fourteen games are on the NHL schedule. Nine games begin at 7 PM ET. The New York Islanders travels to Buffalo as a -230 money line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Pittsburgh plays at Philadelphia as a -148 money line road favorite with a total of 6. Carolina is at home against Chicago as a -237 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. Washington visits the New York Rangers as a -110 money line road favorite with a total of 6. Nashville is at Columbus as a -173 money line road favorite with an over/under of 5. Boston is at New Jersey as a -214 money line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Winnipeg travels to Ottawa as a -150 money line road favorite with a total of 6. Toronto plays at Montreal as a -146 money line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Florida is at home against Dallas as a -140 money line favorite with a total of 5.5.St. Louis hosts Anaheim at 8 PM ET as a -230 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Vegas visits Minnesota as a -125 money line road favored with a total of 5.5. Arizona is at home against Los Angeles at 10 PM ET as a -134 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Colorado travels to San Jose at 10:30 PM ET as a -245 money line road favorite with a total of 6. Edmonton plays at Vancouver as a -190 money line road favorite with an over/under of 6.Ten games are on the MLB slate. Philadelphia plays at home against Milwaukee at 7:05 PM ET as a -113 money line favorite with a total of 9. The Los Angeles Dodgers visit the Chicago Cubs at 7:40 PM ET as a -200 money line road favorite. Minnesota is at home against Texas as a -173 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The New York Mets play at St. Louis at 7:45 PM ET.Cleveland travels to Kansas City at 8:10 PM ET as a -113 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Colorado plays at home against San Francisco at 8:40 PM ET as a -110 money line favorite with a total of 10. Tampa Bay visits the Los Angeles Angels at 9:38 PM ET as a -116 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Oakland hosts Toronto at 9:40 PM ET as a -119 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Baltimore plays at Seattle, and Pittsburgh visits San Diego at 10:10 PM ET. Matchweek 34 concludes with two matches on Peacock. Wolverhampton plays at West Bromwich Albion at 1 PM ET in a pick ‘em matchup with an over/under of 2.25. West Ham United visits Burnley at 3:15 PM ET as a -0.25 money line road favorite with a total of 2.5. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB, NHL, EPL and NBA Previews and Odds - 05/02/2021

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, May 02, 2021

The Sunday sports card features action in the NBA, NHL, MLB, and the English Premier League.Eight games are on the NBA docket. The card begins at 3:30 PM ET with Milwaukee hosting Brooklyn on ABC. The Bucks have two of their last three games after their 108-98 win at Chicago as a 1.5-point favorite on Friday. The Nets had their four-game winning streak end in a 128-109 loss at home to Portland as a 3-point underdog on Friday. Brooklyn is a 3-point favorite at DraftKings. Boston plays at home against Portland at 7:30 PM ET as a 2-point favorite at DraftKings. Five games start at 8 PM ET. New York travels to Houston as a 9-point road favorite with the total set at 216.5 (all odds from BetOnline unless otherwise indicated). Philadelphia visits San Antonio as a 5.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 221.5. Miami plays at Charlotte as a 5-point road favorite at DraftKings. Dallas is at home against Sacramento as a 7-point favorite at DraftKings. Phoenix is at Oklahoma City as a 14-point road favorite at DraftKings.The NBA card concludes at 10 PM ET with the Los Angeles Lakers playing at home against Toronto.One game is on the NHL schedule, with Tampa Bay traveling to Detroit on NBC at 3 PM ET. The Lightning had their four-game winning streak end on Saturday with their 1-0 loss on the road against the Red Wings. Detroit snapped a three-game losing streak with the victory. Tampa Bay is a -343 money line road favorite with a total of 5.5.Fifteen games are on the MLB schedule. Washington hosts Miami at 1:05 PM ET as a -142 money line favorite with an over/under of 7. St. Louis visits Pittsburgh as a -147 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The New York Yankees play at home against Detroit as a -240 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Atlanta plays at Toronto at 1:07 PM ET. Cincinnati is at home against the Chicago Cubs at 1:10 PM ET as a -138 money line favorite with a total of 9. Houston visits Tampa Bay. The Chicago White Sox are at home against Cleveland at 2:10 PM ET as a -158 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. Minnesota hosts Kansas City as a -181 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers play at Milwaukee. Boston travels to Texas at 2:35 PM ET as -139 money line road favorite with the total at 9. Oakland hosts Baltimore at 4:07 PM ET as a -188 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Arizona plays at home against Colorado at 4:10 PM ET as a -145 money line favorite with a total of 9. The Los Angeles Angels visit Seattle as a -143 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. San Francisco plays at San Diego. The MLB card concludes at 7 PM ET on ESPN, with Philadelphia playing at home against the New York Mets. The Phillies have lost two of their last three games after a 5-4 loss to the Mets in the second game of their three-game weekend series. New York ended a three-game losing streak with the victory. They send out David Petersen to face Philly’s Zach Eflin. Philadelphia is a -107 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Matchweek 34 in the English Premier League continues with three matches on the NBC Sports Network. Arsenal visits Newcastle United on at 9 AM ET as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Liverpool plays at Manchester United at 11:30 AM ET in a pick ‘em matchup with a total of 2.5. Tottenham hosts Sheffield United at 2:15 PM ET as a -1.5 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.75.

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