Articles

Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB, EPL and NCAA Football Preview

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Oct 17, 2020

The Saturday sports card features a busy slate of college football games along with the continuation of the American League and National Championship Series and the return of the English Premier League from its international break. The College football card includes 23 games on the Saturday schedule. Eleven games kick off the slate of games from the noon to 1:30 PM ET window. Clemson travels to Atlanta to play Georgia Tech on ABC at noon. The Tigers are a 27-point favorite with the total set at 64.5 (all odds from BookMaker). Auburn makes the trip to South Carolina to play the Gamecocks on ESPN at noon as a 2.5-point favorite with the total at 53.5. ESPN2 has Navy playing at East Carolina with the Midshipmen a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 55.5. West Virginia hosts Kansas on Fox where they are 22-point favorites with an over/under of 48.5. Army travels to San Antonio to play UTSA at 1:30 PM ET on the CBS Sports Network with the Black Knights an 8-point favorite with a total of 48.5. Another nine games take place between 2:30 PM ET and 6 PM ET. Notre Dame hosts Louisville at 2:30 PM ET on NBC with the Fighting Irish 16.5-point favorites with the total set at 61.5. At 3:30 PM ET, ABC has Central Florida traveling to Memphis to play the Tigers with the Knights a 2.5-point favorite with the total at 75.5. Ole Miss goes to Arkansas to face the Razorbacks at 3:30 PM ET on ESPN with the Rebels a 1.5-point favorite and an over/under of 76.5. Georgia Southern hosts UMass at 4 PM ET on ESPNU with the Eagles a 31-point favorite with the total at 62. ESPN has Mississippi State hosting Texas A&M at 4 PM ET with the Aggies a 5-point favorite with the over/under set at 56. North Texas travels to Middle Tennessee for a 5 PM ET kickoff on the CBS Sports Network with the Blue Raiders a 6-point favorite with a total of 71.5. At 6 PM ET, Louisiana Tech hosts Marshall with the Thundering Herd a 13.5-point favorite with an over/under of 48.5. The evening card features three games starting at 7:30 PM ET with North Carolina traveling to Tallahassee to play Florida State on ABC. The Tar Heels are 13.5-point favorites with the over/under set at 64. The highlight of the Saturday football card is the Georgia-Alabama showdown at 8 PM ET on CBS. The Bulldogs rank third in the nation in the AP poll, with the Crimson Tide ranking second. Alabama is a 4.5-point favorite with a total of 58.Los Angeles forced a sixth game in the NLCS on Friday with their 7-3 victory over Atlanta. The Dodgers turn to Walker Buehler as their starting pitcher on Saturday, with the Braves countering with Max Fried. The NLCS takes place at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, with Los Angeles designated as the home team for Game 6 playing to force a seventh game on Sunday. The Dodgers are a -150 moneyline favorite with the total set at 8. FS1 has the broadcast with the first pitch at 4:38 PM ET.Houston forced a seventh game in the ALCS yesterday when they defeated Tampa Bay by a 7-4 score. The Astros give the ball to Lance McCullers for Game 7 with the Rays using Charlie Morton as their starting pitcher. Petco Park in San Diego hosts the ALCS, with Tampa Bay designated as the home team for this final game. The Rays are a -116 moneyline favorite with the total set at 8. The first pitch is at 8:37 PM ET on TBS.The English Premier League returns after taking last week off to accommodate players fulfilling their national team responsibilities. Gameweek 5 starts with four fixtures on Saturday. Liverpool travels to Everton at 7:30 AM ET in a match on the NBC Sports Network. Chelsea hosts Southampton at 10 AM ET for the second game of the NBC Sports Network doubleheader. At 12:30 PM ET on NBC, Manchester City hosts Arsenal. 

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NCAA Saturday Night Football: Alabama/Georgia Preview

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Oct 17, 2020

Saturday night features the most-anticipated game so far in this college football season the Georgia Bulldogs traveling to Tuscaloosa to play the Alabama Crimson Tide in a battle of the third and second-ranked teams in this week’s AP poll.As if this showdown needed more drama, the status of Alabama head coach Nick Saban remains a question mark after he tested positive for COVID earlier in the week. Saban has not been symptomatic and reportedly tested negative for the virus on Thursday. Protocols require three successive negative tests along with the individual being asymptomatic as prerequisites to return to normal football activities, so Saban may get cleared to be with his team for this game. The Crimson Tide opened as a 7-point favorite, but that number dropped by a couple of points after the news of Saban’s positive test. That line movement could have been the market’s assessment of the head coach’s value on the sidelines for his team and/or that some Alabama players may also test positive.Alabama looked rather un-Saban-like last week in their 63-48 victory Ole Miss. The Rebels made mincemeat of the Crimson Tide defense by accumulating 647 yards of offense in what may have been the worst defensive performance in Saban’s 14-year tenure at Alabama. Mississippi head coach Lane Kiffin may have had some insider knowledge he was able to deploy as Saban’s former offensive coordinator at Alabama. However, Saban extended his record against his former Crimson Tide assistant coaches to a 21-0 mark. Quarterback Mac Jones has seamlessly taken over the Alabama offense. After making four starts last year for an injured Tua Tagovailoa, including the final two games of the year against Auburn and Michigan in the Citrus Bowl, Jones is completing 79.5% of his passes this season for 1101 passing yards with eight touchdown passes and one interception. He ranks second in the nation in Quarterback Rating while leading an offense that is scoring 51.0 points per game while averaging 560.3 rushing yards per game. He is complemented in the backfield by senior running back Najee Harris, who has 347 rushing yards on the season after gaining 206 yards last week against Ole Miss while reaching the end zone five times. Georgia followed up their victory over Auburn two weeks ago with a 44-21 win at home against Tennessee. The Bulldogs seem to have settled on former walk-on Stetson Bennett as their starting quarterback despite two highly-touted freshman recruits and USC transfer J.T. Daniel on the quarterback depth chart. Bennett has been efficient under center while making few mistakes. He completed 16 of 27 passes against the Volunteers for 238 yards with two touchdown passes. He has five touchdown passes without an interception on the season. Mistake-free football suits Georgia head coach Kirby Smart given his outstanding defense that may be the best in the country. The Bulldogs are holding their opponents to only 12.3 points per game and 236.7 yards per game. Alabama has won the last five meetings between these two teams, with the most recent two games played on a neutral field for the SEC Championship and the 2017-18 National Championship. Three of the last four showdowns between these two teams have been decided by 7 points or less.Which unit prevails in this clash between the potent Alabama offense and the elite Georgia defense? Will Smart snap the 21-game losing streak former Alabama assistants have against Saban’s Crimson Tide teams? Will Saban even be on the sidelines for this game? BetOnline has the Crimson Tide as a 4.5-point favorite with the total set at 58. CBS has the broadcast at 8 PM ET.

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What is a Parlay?

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Oct 17, 2020

What is a parlay?When you've been sports betting for a while, and have become familiar with moneyline and point spread bets, you're ready for the next level:  parlay betting.  A parlay is a type of bet which involves two or more wagers winning.  In this bet, you can take as much risk as you want, starting with a 2-team parlay up to as many as 20 (or more) team parlays.  Bettors will find this type of bet exciting because of the high potential payout.  Of course, the odds of winning a parlay bet are significantly lower than a single bet, thus the higher payout.  In this article, we'll show you the ins-and-outs of parlay betting. How to get started with parlay betting As mentioned above, with a parlay bet, you are wagering on the outcome of multiple matches.  Parlay betting is a risky, but potentially lucrative practice that's definitely not for everyone.  Nevertheless, when you find a working strategy, you can try your luck and chase these huge parlay payouts.  The understanding of parlaying starts with the way a parlay bet is structured.  Let's start off with a 2-team parlay.  To give you an example we'll take two matches in the NBA: New York Knicks vs. Los Angeles Lakers Golden State Warriors vs. Toronto Raptors Let's assume you did proper research and were confident that each individual bet you wanted to make would end up as a successful bet.  You could bet on the moneyline or against the spread.  But regardless of your bet type, you could put your two bets together to collectively form your parlay bet.  But your parlay bet would only win if both of the individual bets were successful.  That's why it's extremely important to do proper research before placing parlay bets on multiple games.You can place parlay bets anywhere you usually do your sports betting.  All online or brick-and-mortar sportsbooks are happy to offer the possibility to place parlay bets.  Mainly because their hold (i.e., their profit) is much higher than with single bets.  A simple math exercise will illustrate this for you:Let’s say a sportsbook takes two bets from two separate bettors on the opposite side of a game -- each for 11 dollars (to win $10).  The two bettors would have risked $22 total, and the sportsbook would win $1 of juice (after collecting $11 from the loser and paying $10 to the winner).  Thus, the sportsbook’s hold (profit) is 1/22 (or 4.54%).  Now, let’s consider a 2-team parlay with odds of 13-5.  The true odds, of course, are 15-5 (or 3-1) since the probability of winning two bets is 25% (assuming the odds on each is 50-50).  Therefore, with a 2-team parlay, a sportsbook’s hold (profit) is the difference between the true odds (15-5) and the payout odds (13-5), or 2/15.  Well, 2/15 is equal to 13.33% -- much higher than a single bet’s hold of 4.54%.  Now, if you’re not dissuaded by all of this, and want to take the next step in your parlaying adventure, you should understand the different ways to bet parlays and the way parlay odds work.Round robinAlthough not every single betting site offers the possibility to place round-robin bets, they are increasingly popular in the sports betting industry.  The difference here is that with a round-robin bet, you can place multiple parlay wagers at once, instead of constructing your parlay bet one-by-one manually.  In this case, not every single individual bet has to be a winner to have a successful bet.  This also means that you can have a smaller payout than by betting regular parlays.  In general, the sportsbook is the one which creates the round-robin betting options.TeaserA teaser bet is a little closer to a traditional parlay than the round-robin bet.  You select multiple teams or totals, but there are no moneylines allowed.  Unlike a parlay bet, bettors can move each point spread or total by a certain number of points.  Because there's additional points given in these bets, there's a greater chance to win.  The trade-off, of course, is that a teaser bet doesn’t have a big payout like a parlay bet. Understanding parlay odds To properly place a parlay bet, you should understand what the odds could look like.  Also, depending on which sportsbook you use, parlay bets could be called accumulators, combo bets, or multi wagers.  Throughout this guide, we'll employ the terms parlay, parlay card or parlay ticket.  For our example, we'll take three NFL matches: New Orleans Saints vs. Los Angeles Rams New England Patriots vs. New York Jets Denver Broncos vs. Green Bay Packers These are three individual matches that all have different angles to approach as a sports bettor.  Let's say we take three different bet types:  we bet on the point spread in the Saints/Rams game, the moneyline in the Patriots/Jets game, and the over/under in the Broncos/Packers game.  The odds for this 3-team parlay could look something like this: New Orleans Saints -3.5 (-110) / Los Angeles Rams +3.5 (-110) New England Patriots -180 / New York Jets +160 Packers/Broncos Over 47.5 -110 / Under 47.5 +105 First, we have to pick which teams we go for.  To illustrate the possible payout of a winning parlay bet, let's bet on the Rams to cover the spread, the Jets to upset the Patriots, and the total number of points in the Broncos/Packers game under 47.5. The next step here is to calculate the parlay odds, given the odds of each individual bet: Rams -110 Jets +160 Under 47.5 +105 How to calculate your payout with parlay betting To completely understand the potential of a parlay bet, you have to know what you're working for.  There's a big payoff when you manage to have a couple of successful bets.  Of course, betting a 4-team parlay with teams at “plus odds” provides you with a larger payout than with teams at “minus odds,” but it's much riskier at the same time.  And the more complex your bet becomes, the smaller your chance of winning.  In the example above, we only took a 3-team parlay.All the odds of the individual bets are multiplied together: -110/+160/+105 to determine that, with an initial stake of 100 dollars, you can profit $917 over and above your initial stake.  This goes to show how serious these parlay payouts can get!  Of course, you should know that when one of these individual bets ends up losing, your entire bet fails, and your initial stake is lost.  Also, some sportsbooks have better parlay odds than others, so it’s critical to join the right online sportsbook.  If you enjoy betting parlays and teasers, then be sure to join BetAnySports as its parlay and teaser odds are the very best in the industry. Parlay betting insurance With parlay betting, the management of your bankroll might be even more critical than when only placing single bets.  You continually see big numbers when you calculate your potential payout, so it might be enticing to wager a little more than your sports betting strategy otherwise dictates.  However, it's essential to stay in check with your emotions and don't let them get the best of you.  Now, one way of covering the risks is by limiting your initial stake, but another way is by using the parlay betting insurance.Some online sportsbooks offer this insurance possibility.  Usually, when you lose one single leg of your entire parlay, you lose all of your money.  With insurance, there are several options: The sportsbook covers one losing leg of the entire parlay Any losing leg credits up to $25 in free bets to your accounts There are many more options, dependent upon what the betting site is offering as part of its promotion.  You should be aware of the terms and conditions that come with these promotions.How to use parlay betting in your sports betting strategy? Sometimes, novice sports bettors attempt parlay betting at first as the high payouts seduce them.  It makes sense.  You can put in a couple of dollars and possibly earn yourself hundreds of dollars in return, which would be appealing to anyone.  We have a few tips for those who want to consistently and constructively bet on sports.Does parlay betting make sense for you?The first thing you have to ask yourself is, does it make sense?  Are you a person who enjoys doing tons of research before making a bet, or do you prefer taking a wild guess and trying your luck?  In either situation, parlaying could be the kind of bet that's right for you.  But, you will need to be willing to take more risk than just single betting all the time.  Ask yourself whether you can handle the emotional rollercoaster of parlaying.  If not, then stay away from these risky bets.  If you can, then it's time to dive in to try your luck!Do even more research than you usually doOne essential part of sports betting is doing research.  Before you start wagering, you have to spend hours reading up on both teams that face each other.  What can history tell you about the current situation, and how does your team usually play against the other?  There are dozens of factors to consider when placing a single bet, let alone placing multiple bets at the same time.  With each leg you add to your parlay card, you should multiply the hours of research you put in.Manage your bankrollWe briefly mentioned it before, but it's very important to keep an eye on your bankroll when parlaying.  It's tempting to bet a little more when you calculate your potential payout.  Nevertheless, always stick to your strategy.  Proper bankroll management is essential to the longevity of a sports bettor, and especially for a high-risk sports bettor.

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Three Longshots to Win the 2021 NBA Finals

by AAA Sports

Friday, Oct 16, 2020

Three Longshots to Win the 2021 NBA Finals Portland Trail Blazers: Listed at +4000 to win the entire thing (via BetAnySports) I believe that the Blazers deliver great value to the 2021 season. Damian Lillard proved last season that he can compete with anyone in the league and showed what it was like to bring a team that wasn't the best, into the last playoff spot. Besides Lillard, they have CJ McCollum, Carmelo Anthony, Jusef Nurkic, Hassan Whiteside and Gary Trent Jr --  who stepped up big time in the bubble for them.  All of them are very capable of winning some playoff games. Don't count them out.New Orleans Pelicans: The Pelicans did not make the playoffs this past season which was a disappointment for NOLA fans. Brandon Ingram has turned into an absolute beast at scoring in the mid-range. With his length and wingspan, it's almost impossible to guard him. Zion Williamson, last year's #1 overall selection from Duke, AND Jrue Holiday a lockdown defender. Don't forget about guys like Lonzo Ball, Derrick Favors, JJ Reddick and more. I also expect Jaxon Hayes to have a bigger role this season. With Stan Van Gundy a top contender for the newest head coach, I expect the Pelicans to have a shot at the title in 2021 at +5500 (BetAnySports). Houston Rockets: Many may not consider the Houston Rockets as a "Longshot," but at +3000 (BetAnySports) they are behind 11 teams to win the whole thing. They may be getting a new coach, but it may be for the best if they can find someone who James Harden and Russell Westbrook both like. That's going to be the key factor on whether or not this team will succeed. If neither like the coach or only one does, I don't see this team going too far. But if both of them appreciate the new coach and work well with him (or her), I believe that this Rockets team is definitely a contender. Harden, Westbrook, House, Covington and Tucker is an excellent starting small ball 5, but look for them to add at least a solid big man for this upcoming season in order to have the ability to make a huge run in the playoffs of 2021.

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Ness Notes: Friday, Oct 16

by Larry Ness

Friday, Oct 16, 2020

This column will be available Monday through Friday (posted no later than 1:00 ET), EXCLUSIVELY at BigAl.com. I like to call it my daily 'random thoughts' on the sports betting world, although I'll pass along that my therapist refers to it as "thoughtful commentary." The Astros were able to avoid getting swept by the Rays by winning 4-3 in Game 4. The two teams went with "bullpen" games for Thursday's Game 5, as neither start saw the third inning. George Springer crushed John Curtiss' first pitch over the fence in left field to give the Astros the lead in a game in which they never trailed. Brandon Lowe homered in the third to tie it for Tampa Bay but Houston went up 3-1 on a two-run double by Brantley. Solo shots by Tampa's Arozarena and Choi sent the game to the 9th tied at 3-all. Astros closer Pressley stranded the potential go-ahead run on second base in the top of the ninth, before Carlos Correa belted a walk-off HR with one out in the ninth inning. The game-ending blast came off Nick Anderson, who had entered a tie game in the bottom of the eighth and had retired all four batters he faced before Correa's blast.<p>As we head to Game 6, here's the setting. The Rays have now lost two in a row but still lead the best-of-seven series 3-2. As for the Astros, they became just the fourth team out of 39 ever to trail a playoff series 3-0 and even force a Game 6. The 2004 Boston Red Sox (in the ALCS against the NYY), are the only team to win a series after losing the opening three games. The Astros attempt to keep their season alive with a third straight win Friday night, as the Game 6 starters are Houston left-hander Framber Valdez and Tampa Bay lefty Blake Snell. It's a rematch of Game 1, which the Rays won 2-1. Framber pitched six innings in that contest, allowing two runs on four hits and four walks, while striking out eight. Snell earned the win by allowing one run on six hits and two walks over five innings with just two Ks. Tampa Bay is favored (-135) and the over/under is 8. The Dodgers were MLB's most-dominant team during this COVID-shortened season but they found themselves in an 0-2 'hole' as they faced a Game 3 against an Atlanta team that was 7-0 this postseason. However, LA hitters 'took no prisoners' with an 11-run first inning that set a record for the most in any inning in postseason history. The Dodgers compiled 18 total bases in that 32-minute top of the first, the most in postseason history for any inning. Their three HRs and five extra-base hits each tied records for single postseason innings. However, a 15-3 win doesn't count any more than a 2-1 win does. The Dodgers sent Clayton Kershaw to the mound in Game 4, while the Braves countered with 22-year-old Bryse Wilson, who was making his first career postseason start. Game 4 was 1-1 after five innings, as Wilson matched Kershaw. Wilson held the Dodgers scoreless in the top of the sixth but in the bottom of that inning, Kershaw had yet ANOTHER postseason 'meltdown!' The Braves sent 11 batters to the plate and scored six runs in the sixth-inning, chasing Kershaw and breaking the game wide-open. Kershaw never got an out in the 6th, leaving after allowing four runs in five innings. Meanwhile, Wilson went six innings and allowed just one run in his first postseason appearance! The first three batters in Atlanta's lineup, Acuna, Freeman and Ozuna went a combined 8 of 14 with six runs scored and six RBI (Acuna hit two HRs). The 10-2 Atlanta win puts the Braves ONE win away from their first World series appearance since 1999. Atlanta manager Brian Snitker announced prior to Game 4 that he would NOT bring Fried back until Game 6, so it will be a "bullpen" game for Atlanta, while the Dodgers will hand the ball to Dustin May, who has pitched 4.2 scoreless innings over three appearances this postseason, including 1.2 innings in relief against Atlanta in Game 1. Starting pitching uncertainty has become 'common' this postseason so there is currently no price on this game.NFL home teams are a modest 40-36-1 SU (.526) Y-T-D, while going just 33-42-2 ATS (44.0%) with home dogs going 6-18 SU and 10-12-2 ATS, through five weeks. NFL games had averaged a combined 51.3 through the first four weeks of the 2020 season, the highest since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. Week 5 games averaged 51.8 PPG but over/under numbers have been adjusted up, as seven games went over and seven stayed under. Peering a little closer, let me note that the seven games which went over averaged 62.9 PPG, while the seven that went under averaged just 40.7 PPG. After five weeks, there have been 42 overs, 33 unders and two 'pushes.' There are just four remaining NFL unbeatens as the season moves to Week 6. Seattle is 5-0 (4-1 ATS) and is one of four teams which has a Week 6 bye. The others are the Chargers, Raiders and Saints. The other unbeatens are all 4-0, a group that includes Green Bay (4-0 ATS), Pittsburgh (3-1 ATS) and Tennessee (1-3 ATS). On the flip side, we have three winless teams at 0-5. Atlanta is joined by MetLife co-tenants the NY Giants and NY Jets. Atlanta fired head coach Dan Quinn at the beginning of the week and Jets head coach Adam Gase may not be far behind. Gase led Miami to a 10-6 season in 2016 but was fired after going 6-10 and 7-9 the next two seasons. For some unexplained reason, the Jets hired him in January of 2019. The Jets went 7-9 last season and have now opened 0-5. How do you like him so far? The Giants have a first-year head coach in Joe Judge but while the Falcons and Jets are a combined 1-9 ATS, the Giants have been somewhat competitive, going 3-2 ATS.<p>Tracking the three unbeaten teams playing in Week 6, the 4-0 SU & ATS Packers will play at the 3-2 Bucs in a 'Battle of the Bays' (Green vs Tampa), as Rodgers (13 TDs / 0 INTs) and TB 12 go head-to-head. Green Bay is a one-point road favorite. The 4-0 but 1-3 ATS Titans are home against the 1-4 Texans, who are coming off their first win of 2020 last Sunday, 30-14 over the Jags. Tennessee is favored by 3 1/2 points. Then there is 4-0 (3-1 ATS) Pittsburgh hosting NFC North rival Cleveland, which is 4-1 for the first time since 1994. The Browns lost 38-6 in Week 1 at Baltimore but have won four straight, scoring 30-plus points in each win. When was the last time the Browns scored 30 points or more in four straight games? Try 1968! Cleveland leads the NFL averaging 188.4 YPG on the ground, while the Steelers are holding opponents to an NFL-low 64.0 rushing YPG. Pittsburgh is favored by 3 1/2-points.The 0-5 Falcons are in Minnesota to take on the 1-4 Vikings but note that Minnesota has covered three in a row (Vikings are favored by four points). The 0-5 Giants (but 3-2 ATS) are home to 1-4 Washington, which comes in having lost four in a row (allowed 30 points or more in each), after upsetting the Eagles 27-17 in Week 1 (Eagles led that one 17-0 but never scored again). The Giants are favored by 2 1/2-points. Then we have the 0-5 Jets (also 0-5 ATS) at Miami, where they'll face the 2-3 Dolphins. It's a 'homecoming' for Gase but I doubt either Miami or New York (New Jersey?) want to claim him. Miami is favored by 9 1/2-points.SNF features the Rams at the 49ers. The 49ers represented the NFC in last year's Super Bowl but enter this game just 2-3, while the Rams are 4-1. Both are looking up at 5-0 Seattle in the NFC West. The Rams are favored by 3 1/2-points. It's another MNF doubleheader in Week 6, with an excellent game between the 4-1 Chiefs and 4-1 Bills joining the regularly scheduled game (Arizona at Dallas). The Chiefs and Bills are both coming off Week 5 losses, with the defending Super Bowl champs favored by 4 1/2-points. Dallas lost starting QB Dak Prescott for the season last week and will turn to Andy Dalton at QB. The Cards are 3-2 and a slight favorite (1 1/2 points) over the 2-3 Cowboys who are 0-5 ATS but sit atop the NFC East, as the Giants, Philadelphia and Washington are a combined 2-12-1.Good luck...Larry

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NCAA Friday Night Football: BYU/Houston Preview

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Oct 16, 2020

Friday night on ESPN presents a college football doubleheader that features three teams from the American Athletic Conference. The second game takes place at 9:30 PM ET with independent BYU visiting the Houston Cougars of the AAC.BYU is unbeaten after four games after defeating UTSA last Saturday by a 27-20 score. That was the closest game the Cougars have played all season despite entering that contest as a 34-point favorite. BYU outgained the Roadrunners by a 470 to 359 margin, but difficulties in finishing drives kept that game closer than expected. Head coach Kalani Sitake had 15 starters return from a team that was 7-6 after losing in the Hawai’i Bowl to the Rainbow Warriors by a 38-34 score. The Cougars opened up this season on the road with a 55-3 victory over an over-matched Navy team that had limited their contact in practice sessions in August due to COVID.  BYU returned home to defeat Troy by a 48-7 score and then Louisiana Tech by a 45-14 margin before last week’s game. The Cougars go back on the road for the first time since their trip to Annapolis in early September. Junior quarterback Zach Wilson leads an offense that is scoring 43.8 points per game while averaging 556.8 yards per game. The Cougars' defense is only giving up 11.0 points per game while holding their opponents to just 250.5 yards per game. Traveling to Houston to face these Cougars will be BYU’s biggest test this season. Houston endured several COVID-based cancellations early in the season before finally kicking off their season last Thursday, where they defeated Tulane by a 49-31 score. The Cougars fell behind by a 24-7 score early in the second quarter after giving up two defensive touchdowns to the Green Wave. Houston then outscored Tulane by a 42-7 margin to blowout the Green Wave by a 49-31 score. Head coach Dana Holgorsen returns 19 starters while adding 33 transfers from FBS, FCS, and junior college programs to a team that finished a disappointing 4-8 last season. Thirteen Houston players redshirted before their fifth game to maintain that year of eligibility. One of those players was quarterback D’Eriq King who later transferred to Miami (FL). However, Holgorsen has a capable quarterback to operate his version of the Air Raid offense in junior Clayton Tune, who passed for 1533 yards and 11 touchdown passes in seven games after King redshirted. Tune completed 20 of 33 passes for 319 yards with two touchdown passes last week, while also adding a touchdown on the ground. Holgorsen must have been pleased with the improved play of his defense last week. The Cougars held Tulane to only 211 total yards while holding them to just 70 rushing yards on 45 carries. Holgorsen described his practice squad defense last year as the “greatest” in the history of college football, given the talent he assembled from transfers. Those players are now all eligible, which significantly bolsters the defensive roster. BookMaker lists BYU as a 5-point favorite with an over/under of 62.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and NCAA Football Preview

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Oct 16, 2020

The Friday card features two games in college football involving three American Athletic Conference teams (and BYU) along with the continuation of the American League and National League Championship Series.Houston extended the ALCS to a sixth game today with their 4-3 victory over Tampa Bay. The Astros look to force a climactic seventh game tonight with Framber Valdez as their starting pitcher. The Rays will counter with Blake Snell to get them to the World Series. Tampa Bay is a -135 moneyline favorite with the total set at 8 (all odds from BookMaker). The ALCS takes place at Petco Park in San Diego, with the Rays the designated home team for this game. TBS has the broadcast with the first pitch at 6:07 PM ET.Atlanta took a 3-1 lead in the NLCS on Thursday with their 10-2 victory over the Dodgers. Braves manager Brian Snitker has yet to name a starting pitcher for Game 5. Los Angeles looks to extend their season to at least another game with Dustin May as their starting pitcher.Odds have yet to be set for this game, awaiting the Atlanta starting pitcher. The ALCS takes place at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, with the Braves the designated home team for Game 5. FS1 has the broadcast with the first pitch at 9:08 PM ET. Friday night on ESPN presents a college football doubleheader that features three teams from the American Athletic Conference. The first game takes place at 6 PM ET with SMU traveling to New Orleans to play Tulane.The Mustangs are 4-0 this season after they exacted some revenge against a Memphis team that has had their number over the years. SMU defeated the Tigers by a 30-27 score as a 1.5-point underdog on October 3rd, but the results were bittersweet with the team sustaining two significant injuries. Starting wide receiver Reggie Roberson, Jr. suffered a season-ending knee injury, and starting running back T.J. McDaniel experienced a season-ending ankle injury. Tulane has lost two of their last three games after they lost at Houston last Thursday by a 49-31 score. The Green Wave took a 24-7 lead early in the second quarter of that game with two touchdowns coming from their defense on a 64-yard interception return and a 1-yard fumble recovery. Tulane was then outscored by a 42-7 margin, which made it the second time this season that they blew a double-digit lead to a conference rival.SMU won the meeting between these two teams at home, 37-20,  as a 3-point favorite. The Mustangs are a 6-point favorite with the total set at 64.5.The second game on ESPN starts at 9:30 PM ET with BYU traveling to Houston to play the Cougars.BYU is unbeaten after four games after defeating UTSA last Saturday by a 27-20 score. That was the closest game the Cougars have played all season despite entering that contest as a 34-point favorite. BYU outgained the Roadrunners by a 470 to 359 margin, but difficulties in finishing drives kept that game closer than expected. Traveling to Houston to face these Cougars will be BYU’s biggest test this season. Houston endured several COVID-based cancellations early in the season before finally kicking off their season last Thursday, where they defeated Tulane by a 49-31 score. The Cougars fell behind by a 24-7 score early in the second quarter after giving up two defensive touchdowns to the Green Wave. Houston then outscored Tulane by a 42-7 margin to blow out the Green Wave by a 49-31 score. BYU is a 5-point favorite with an over/under of 62.5.

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NCAA Friday Night Football: SMU/Tulane Preview

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Oct 16, 2020

Friday night on ESPN presents a college football doubleheader that features three teams from the American Athletic Conference. The first game takes place at 6 PM ET with SMU traveling to New Orleans to play Tulane.The Mustangs are 4-0 this season after they exacted some revenge against a Memphis team that has had their number over the years. SMU defeated the Tigers by a 30-27 score as a 1.5-point underdog on October 3rd, but the results were bittersweet with the team enduring two significant injuries. Starting wide receiver Reggie Roberson, Jr. suffered a season-ending knee injury, and starting running back T.J. McDaniel experienced a season-ending ankle injury. The loss of Roberson hurts the most as he had caught five passes for 243 yards with two touchdowns against Memphis before his setback. The former West Virginia transfer missed half of last season as well with a foot injury. Head coach Sonny Dykes has assembled plenty of offensive talent on his roster to absorb these losses. Junior college transfer, Danny Gray, slides into the number one receiver role with his 15 yards-per-catch average along with three touchdowns. Sophomore Rashee Rice will see his role increase in the offense after catching 17 balls already. Redshirt freshman steps in as the starting running back. He may be more talented than McDaniel as he is averaging over 8.0 yards-per-carry with seven rushing touchdowns already. Thirteen starters returned for the Mustangs from the group that finished 10-3 last year. The team is led by senior quarterback Shane Buechele who is completing 69.1% of his passes with ten touchdown passes. SMU is scoring 44.0 points per game while averaging 558.8 yards per game, which both rank in the top-five in the nation. The Mustangs’ defense is allowing their opponents to put up 433.5 yards per game, but that has only translated into 23.3 points per game. Tulane has lost two of their last three games after they lost at Houston last Thursday by a 49-31 score. The Green Wave took a 24-7 lead early in the second quarter of that game with two touchdowns coming from their defense on a 64-yard interception return and a 1-yard fumble recovery. Tulane was then outscored by a 42-7 margin, which made it the second time this season that they blew a double-digit lead to a conference rival.The Green Wave has 12 starters back from last year’s team that finished 7-6 after winning their second straight bowl game with their 30-13 win over Southern Mississippi in the Armed Forces Bowl. After losing at home to Navy by three points in their second game, they fell behind on the road at Southern Miss on September 26th in a rematch of that bowl game by a 14-0 score in the first quarter. That prompted fifth-year head coach Willie Fritz to bench senior quarterback Keon Howard for Michael Pratt. The freshman energized the offense by passing for 142 yards in relief while adding 49 yards on the ground to lead his team to a 66-24 victory. Pratt was named the starter last week but struggled by completing only 11 of 25 passes for 141 yards with negative rushing yards. Tulane could get little going on the ground against the Cougars as they ran the ball 45 times for only 70 yards. The Green Wave will want to run the football to keep Buechele and the SMU offense off the field. Tulane has already dealt with two season-ending injuries in their backfield to running backs Tyjae Spears and Corey Dauphine, but this was a loaded unit entering the season with five viable candidates to be a potential bell-cow back. The Green Wave is averaging 387.5 yards per game along with 37.0 points per game. However, they are allowing 31.0 points per game along with 403.5 yards per game.SMU won the meeting between these two teams at home, 37-20,  as a 3-point favorite. BookMaker has the Mustangs as a 6-point favorite with the total set at 64.5.

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What is a Round Robin Bet?

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Oct 16, 2020

What is a round robin bet?Sports betting might seem like an easy task, but if you want to do it properly, you should put in lots of work.  This means putting in hours and sometimes creating complicated set-ups when placing multiple bets.  Now, to save some time and hassle, sportsbooks came up with the round robin bet.  It's a type of bet which allows sports bettors to wager multiple parlays with a single bet.  With the use of the round robin bet, bettors can cover their bases and wager all possible combinations.  This is a risky operation as betting on parlay bets means betting on a wide variety of games.  Even though the payout can be way higher, the risk increases with every single match that's added to the bet slip.  In this betting guide, we show you how to bet round robin-style and how you can start using this type of bet in your sports betting strategy today! What is the difference between a parlay bet and a round robin bet? Without parlay bets, there are no round robin bets.  Any round robin consists of bets that are combined in a parlay bet.  You might wonder, what's the difference between the two of those?  The difference is the fact that in a regular parlay combination, every single match on your bet slip has to be in your favor.  With a round robin bet -- unlike parlay bets or teasers -- not every single parlay must be a winner for you to succeed.  This makes it easier to beat the house with a round robin parlay than a regular parlay bet,  but the payout will be smaller as well. How do round robin parlays work? You can make a round robin bet as complex as you like.  That's why it might be pretty hard to grasp at first.  The best way to understand round robin bets is by starting with an example with just three teams.  In this example, we'll take three teams from three separate sports to show the flexibility and possibilities of a round robin bet.  In this example, we'll follow these betting lines: Los Angeles Lakers +7.5 (-110) Dallas Cowboys -3.5 (-110) Las Vegas Golden Knights +1.5 (-110) Similar to a regular parlay bet, these teams do not have to have anything in common.  The Lakers play in the NBA, the Cowboys are in the NFL, and the Knights represent the NHL.  All separate teams from different competitions that get together in one bet.  The difference is, when wagering a regular parlay bet, all of these individual teams would have to cash.  The round robin bet builds an extra layer of security. Meaning, you would still remain profitable if one leg of your parlay does not succeed.  In practice, this means that you construct three different two-team parlays, like this: Los Angeles Lakers +7.5 (-110) & Dallas Cowboys -3.5 (-110) Dallas Cowboys -3.5 (-110) & Las Vegas Golden Knights +1.5 (-110) Los Angeles Lakers +7.5 (-110) & Las Vegas Golden Knights +1.5 (-110) These three individual 2-team parlays allow you to be profitable even if one of the 3 teams fails to cash. There are three scenarios: If only the Los Angeles Lakers fail to cover the point spread, your parlay bet number two of the Dallas Cowboys and the Las Vegas Golden Knights will still be a winner. If only the Dallas Cowboys fail to cover the point spread, your parlay bet number three of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Las Vegas Golden Knights would still be a winner. If only the Las Vegas Golden Knights fail to cash, your parlay bet number one of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Cowboys would still be a winner. This shows the power and flexibility of a round robin wager.  Of course, should each of the three teams manage to cash, you'll receive an even bigger payout! What does a round robin bet payout look like? Any sports bettor will probably know that the most ridiculous payouts usually come from parlay bets that consist of many legs.  A round robin wager does not bring as big a payout as does a bet slip with several individual parlays, but it can be pretty impressive.  Let's take the above example to illustrate the potential profits from a round robin wager.  The parlay odds don't change when using a round robin.  For 2-team parlays (assuming -110 odds on each team), the payout will be +260 on average, the standard for most online sportsbooks.  Let's say you have three teams in your round robin, and bet $100 on each of the three 2-team parlays. There are four possible outcomes: All three teams cover the point spread. You profit $780 as all three 2-team parlays pay $260. Your initial stake is $300, that would mean your total payout is $1080 Two teams cover the point spread. You profit $60 as one of the 2-team parlays pays $260 above your initial stake of $100 for that parlay (for a total payout of $360).  But you invested $300 initially for the three parlays. One team covers the point spread. You lose $300. Your initial stake was $300, but none of the 2-team parlays succeeded. None of the three teams covers the point spread. Your initial stake is $300, but all your bets failed. Your total loss is $300. As you can see in the four scenarios above, the round robin bet gives a lot of possibilities and some security.  It combines the potential payout of the parlay wagers with the security of a regular moneyline bet.  In some sense, it's handicapping your round robin versus a regular parlay.  Is round robin betting suitable for my sports betting strategy? When it comes to online sports betting or regular sports betting at brick-and-mortar sportsbooks, it all comes down to finding the right strategy.  If you are a sports bettor who enjoys taking a risk, you might be up for some parlay betting.  But, to reduce your risks, you can play around with the round robin bets to find out whether this more secure version of parlay betting is the right way for you.  To give you some insights into effective betting using the round robin strategy, we want to provide a few betting tips:Reduce the sportsbook advantageWhen you are constructing your round robin wager, make sure you stick to two-team or three-team parlays.  When you start to increase this number, the sportsbook’s advantage becomes greater.  Thus, don't overdo it, just stick to 2-team and 3-team parlays.Be aware of your bankrollWhen you are placing a round robin wager, you are wagering on several individual parlays.  This means that every single parlay requires an individual stake.  As you could see in the example above, we bet $100 on every single parlay.  That means you're betting $300 in total.  When you want to keep your bet to a small percentage of your entire bankroll, you should be aware of the way these round robin wagers are constructed.Sports betting is all about doing researchAny bettor can have a lucky day and have a winning bet when placing a moneyline bet.  It's not really impressive and would not require that much research.  Now, when you move into parlay wagers, it means you are betting on the outcome of several different matches.  Possibly even in various sports.  When you place a bet on an MLB game, you need to know about all the players, not to mention other factors such as the ballpark configuration, the schedule, the weather (especially wind conditions), and the matchup’s history.  And it’s similar with respect to football and basketball wagering.  So, before ever placing a bet on more than one game, make sure to do your research. What is the best online sportsbook for round robin betting? As experienced sports bettors, we are continually scanning the industry for the best sportsbooks out there.  You should know that not every single online sportsbook offers the possibility to place round robin wagers.  But most will do so.  In general, we like to give a couple of tips when trying to determine the sportsbook which best suits your needs: Does the bookmaker offer round robin bets? Can the bookmaker support your wagering limits? Does the bookmaker support your preferred banking methods? How are the sportsbook’s odds on parlays, since that’s the key consideration for round robins? Of course, there are many other factors to take into consideration when making the jump to a new sportsbook, but the above will generally do the magic!  If these criteria are also important to you, then you should consider joining BetAnySports or BookMaker.  We love BetAnySports because it offers the best parlay and teaser odds in the sportsbook industry.  And BookMaker is the best sportsbook in the world for high rollers who want to bet $10,000 on an NFL game.  By now, you know all it takes to create a proper round robin bet, so enjoy yourself and start placing your first round robin!

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Ness Notes: Thursday, Oct 15

by Larry Ness

Thursday, Oct 15, 2020

This column will be available Monday through Friday (posted no later than 1:00 ET), EXCLUSIVELY at BigAl.com. I like to call it my daily 'random thoughts' on the sports betting world, although I'll pass along that my therapist refers to it as "thoughtful commentary." MLB's most-dominant team during this COVID-shortened season was the LA Dodgers but they found themselves in an 0-2 'hole' against the Atlanta Braves, who were a perfect 7-0 in the playoffs to-date after an 8-7 win in Game 2.  Atlanta pitching had allowed just SIX runs (five came in its 9-5 Game 1 win over Miami) heading into the 7th inning of Game 2 (that's over 64 innings), before FIVE relievers allowed SEVEN runs over the last three innings. The Dodgers were not able to complete their ninth-inning comeback against the Braves on Tuesday night but in what was a clear "must-win" situation in Game 3, LA hitters 'took no prisoners against Atlanta starter Kyle Wright, with an 11-run first inning that set a record for the most in any inning in postseason history. The Dodgers compiled 18 total bases in that 32-minute top of the first, the most in postseason history for any inning. Their three HRs and five extra-base hits each tied records for single postseason innings. However, a 15-3 doesn't count any more than a 2-1 win does.Kershaw's back is "good to go" and he'll get the start after opening the 2020 postseason by going  2-0 with a 1.93 ERA. Those two successful starts are in stark contrast to his checkered postseason history (9-11 with a 4.43 ERA in 32 appearances, including 25 starts) before this year. Getting the nod for Atlanta will be the 22-year-old Bryse Wilson. He's made just 15 career appearances (seven starts), posting a 3-1 record but with a 5.91 ERA, 1.80 WHIP and .306 BAA. Wilson has never pitched west of Milwaukee in his three-year, major league career and has never started a game against an NL West team. Needless to say, this is his first start in the postseason. Kershaw is 5-0 with a 1.78 ERA in 11 career starts against Atlanta with his ERA against the Braves marking his best against any NL team. Surprise, surprise. The Dodgers are favored -213 and the over/under is 9 runs. Over in the AL, the Astros were able to avoid getting swept by the Rays by winning 4-3 last night. Altuve hit a solo HR in the 1st and then doubled in a run in the second for Houston but Tampa Bay's Arozarena hit a two-run HR to tie it in the fourth, before George Springer's two-run HR put the Astros up 4-2 in the 5th. Zach Greinke got into trouble in the top of the sixth but Dusty Baker went with his 'gut' and decided to leave Greinke in and he delivered by getting out of the inning. Tampa Bay scored once in the 9th but left a runner stranded on third when the game ended. The Rays still own a commanding 3-1 lead but the Astros have 'lived' to 'fight another day.' Not much to report on Game 5, as Baker has yet to name a starting pitcher, though John Curtiss will be the first of a slew of "relievers" to toe the rubber for Tampa.The CFB week got an early start, as a pair of Sun Belt unbeatens met last night in Lafayette, La. It was 3-0 Coastal Carolina and 3-0 UL-Lafayette, which was ranked No. 21 in the latest AP poll. The game had been pushed back four days because of the threat to Louisiana from Hurricane Delta. It was 13-all at the half (both teams had a missed extra-point) and was 27-all before Massimo Biscardi kicked a 40-yard FG with four seconds remaining to give Coastal Carolina a 30-27 upset victory. The victory makes Coastal Carolina 4-0 and should move the Chanticleers closer to the AP top-25. They have received votes in the rankings each of the last two weeks for the first time in the program's four-year FBS history. It was yet another example of a ranked team falling 'victim' to an unranked team (more in a bit).There is one game on Thursday, as 1-1 Georgia St is at 2-2 Arkansas St (Red Wolves are favored by 3 1/2-points) but Friday features a doubleheader on ESPN. It's No. 17 SMU (4-0) at 2-2 Tulane at 6:00 ET and No. 14 BYU (4-0) at 1-0 Houston at 9:30 ET. The Mustangs opened last season 4-0 as well (actually opened 8-0) and by repeating that start in 2020, have recorded the school's first back-to-back 4-0 starts since 1983-84 (remember "The Pony Express?"). SMU is favored by 6 1/2-points. BYU head coach Kalani Stake was 'feeling the heat,' as the Cougars were coming off seasons of 4-9, 7-6 and 7-6. However, the Cougars opened with a light schedule in which they won their first three games by an average of 41.3 points, before unexpectedly struggling in a 27-20 win over visiting UTSA last Saturday. The Cougars find themselves 4-0 and with a very favorable schedule ahead of them. Friday's game at Houston and a Nov 6 visit to Boise St seem like the only possible pitfalls. Houston is coming off a 4-8 season and its 49-31 home win on Oct 8 over Tulane was its FIRST game of 2020. The delayed start was due to contests against Washington State, Rice, Baylor and North Texas being canceled due to various COVID-19 reasons, while a game with Memphis was postponed and rescheduled for Dec 5. Houston was predictably rusty in the win over Tulane, as it committed four of its five turnovers in the first half before recovering from a 24-7 deficit to win by 18 points! BYU looks to notch its first 5-0 start since 2008  and is favored by five points.Getting to Saturday's action, let's first acknowledge that COVID-19 has 'raised its ugly head.' It was revealed on Wednesday afternoon that Alabama head coach Nick Saban has tested positive. Earlier in the day, the game between LSU and No. Florida was postponed due to the Florida program's issue with the virus. Having already been postponed for Saturday were No. 7 Oklahoma St's game at Baylor, Vandy's game at Missouri at Appalachian St's game at Georgia St (has already been rescheduled for Dec 12). The news about Saban comes with No. Alabama hosting No. 3 Georgia. It is the LONE game on Saturday's schedule in which ranked teams were playing each other and it is easily the 'biggest" game of CFB 2020, to-date.There have been just 10 games so far in which ranked teams have me and the higher ranked team has gone 9-1 SU and 8-2 ATS (the lone SU loser was then-No. 3 Florida losing last Saturday at then-No. 21 A&M). No. 3 Georgia visits No. 2 Alabama Saturday night (8:00 ET on CBS) in Tuscaloosa. These two national powers haven't met in the regular season since 2015 and believe it or not, the last time the Bulldogs played in Tuscaloosa was 2007. That happened to be Nick Saban's first season with Alabama and Georgia won 26-23 in OT. Georgia's defense ranks first nationally in rushing (38.3 YPG), second in total defense (236.7 YPG) and is tied for fifth in scoring defense (12.3 PPG) but will surely be tested by Alabama's offense, which lead the nation with an average of 51.0 PPG (note: Alabama put up 723 yards last Saturday vs Ole Miss!). However, Alabama's defense was shredded at Ole Miss last Saturday, allowing 647 yards and 48 points. That's the most points the Tide have given up vs an unranked team since 1936! Georgia's Kirby Smart was an Alabama assistant under Saban from 2007 to 2015 and is 0-2 vs his former boss. That's not exactly news, as Saban is 21-0 against his former assistants. Is it possible Saban will be on the coaching sidelines on Saturday? Alabama was a solid six-point choice prior to the news about Saban's positive test but as of Thursday morning, Alabama is down to a four-point favorite.While Georgia/Alabama is the lone game between ranked opponents on Saturday, 11 ranked teams will be playing an unranked opponent either Friday or Saturday. That includes top-10 teams No. 1 Clemson at Ga Tech (Tigers are favored by 27 points), No. 4 Notre Dame home to Louisville (Irish are favored by 17 points), No. 5 North Carolina at Florida St (Tar Heels are favored by 13 1/2-points) and No. 8 Cincinnati at Tulsa  (Bearcats are favored by 3 1/2-points). Wednesday night saw unranked Coast Carolina upset No. 21 ULL, making ranked teams 37-13 (.740) SU vs unranked opponents in 2020 but an abysmal 15-34-1 ATS (that's just 30.6%). Let the buyer beware. I should talk, right? I used ULL as my SBC Game of the Year Wednesday night. However, I have gone 9-3-1, +$5,230 (at $100/unit) the last three CFB Saturdays and serve up an action-packed five game card on Oct 17. The "featured" play will be my 1st "signature" LEGEND Play of CFB 2020, having gone 5-0 with LEGEND Plays in all sports since July 23.<p>Good luck...Larry

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NCAA Thursday Night Football: Arkansas State/Georgia State Preview

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Oct 15, 2020

The Thursday night college football game on ESPN features two teams from the Sun Belt Conference with .500 records looking for their first win in conference play.Georgia State is 1-1 on the season after upsetting East Carolina on October 3rd by a 49-29 score as a 2-point underdog. The Panthers dominated that game by outgaining the Pirates by 199 yards while holding them to just 286 yards. Georgia State scored a special teams touchdown from a blocked punt, and they scored a defensive touchdown on a 34-yard interception return for a touchdown. The Panthers gave up a 28-yard interception return for a touchdown as well. Georgia State opened their season with a 34-31 overtime loss at home to Louisiana-Lafayette on September 19th. The Panthers then had their game the next week with Charlotte canceled because of COVID tests that were later determined to be false positives.  This game is their first on the road this season. The Panthers returned 16 starters from last year’s team that upset Tennessee in Knoxville to open their season. They finished 7-6 following a 38-17 loss to Wyoming in the Arizona Bowl. The most pressing question mark for them was who would replace their two-year starter and second-team all-conference quarterback Dan Ellington. Head coach Shawn Elliott decided on Cornelius Brown IV, and the redshirt freshman has completed 59.7% of his passes for 434 yards, with a 6.5 yards-per-attempt average. Brown has thrown four touchdowns passes but also has three interceptions. He has added 90 rushing yards on 21 carries. Running back Dustin Coates is third in the conference with a 131.5 rushing yards per game average.Arkansas State plays their second home game of the season after a successful debut last week, where they defeated Central Arkansas by a 50-27 score. The Red Wolves opened their season with a 37-24 loss at Memphis on September 5th before they pulled off a 35-31 upset victory at Kansas State as a 15-point underdog. They had to wait three weeks before playing their next game at Coastal Carolina, where they were stung by a 52-23 score despite being a 3.5-point favorite. Arkansas State returned 15 starters from last year’s 8-5 team that played in a bowl game for the ninth straight season. The Red Wolves ended their season with a 34-26 triumph over Florida International in the Camellia Bowl. Head coach Blake Anderson had a quarterback issue to address coming into the season after last year’s incumbent, Logan Bonner, suffered a season-ending injury after starting the first four games. Layne Hatcher took over as a redshirt freshman to average 294.6 passing yards per game, with the former Alabama transfer completing 65.8% of his passes with 27 touchdown passes. Anderson has rotated both quarterbacks so far this season. Bonner has been given deference as the starter as a redshirt junior, and he has completed 63.7% of his passes for 741 passing yards with eight touchdown passes and three interceptions. Hatcher has completed 58.6% of his passes for 564 yards with six touchdown passes and one interception. They share a dynamic weapon at wide receiver in Jonathan Adams. The 6’3 senior has 26 receptions with a 90.5 receiving yards per game, which is third-best in the conference. Adams has caught five touchdown passes as well, which is fourth-best in the FBS. Arkansas State hopes to get more out of running back Marcel Murray, who is now probable for this game with a leg injury that has limited him to just ten carries for 63 yards. Murray led the team last year with 820 rushing yards while adding six rushing touchdowns. This forecasts as a high-scoring affair with Georgia State surrendering 31.5 points per game along with 405.5 yards per game and Arkansas State giving up 36.8 points per game along with 411 yards per game. The Panthers pulled a 52-38 upset at home in Atlanta last year in their meeting with the Red Wolves as a 6.5-point underdog. BetAnySports lists Arkansas State as a 3.5-point favorite with the total set at 72.5. The ESPN broadcast begins at 7:30 PM ET.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and NCAA Football Preview

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Oct 15, 2020

The Thursday card once again features a Sun Belt Conference matchup in college football along with games in the American League and National League Championship Series.Houston staved off elimination on Wednesday with their 4-3 victory over Tampa Bay. The Astros remain trailing in this series by a 3-1 mark.  Dusty Baker has named Luis Garcia as his starting pitcher for Game 4, as the grind from playing games without rest in the San Diego bubble has taken its toll on the pitching staff.  Garcia has yet to make an appearance after pitching in five games with one start in the regular season. Rays’ manager Kevin Cash has also decided to deploy an "opener," with Game 4 being a bullpen game, so John Curtiss will be the first to get the ball for the Rays.  Tampa is currently favored -135 at BetAnySports, with a total of 9.5 runs. San Diego's Petco Park hosts the ALCS. The Astros are the designated home team for Game 5.  TBS has the broadcast with the first pitch scheduled for 5:07 PM ET.Los Angeles won their first game in the NLDS on Wednesday with their 15-3 blowout victory over Atlanta. The Dodgers still trail in this series by a 2-1 margin. Manager Dave Roberts has announced that Clayton Kershaw will be the starting pitcher after being scratched from starting Game 2 on Tuesday. The left-hander was 6-2 in the regular season in ten starts with a 2.16 ERA and a 0.84 WHIP. The Braves will counter with Bryse Wilson, who will be making his first appearance in the postseason. The 22-year old right-hander had a 1-0 record in the regular season with a 4.02 ERA and a 1.72 WHIP in 15 2/3 innings consisting of six games, including two starts. Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas, hosts the NLDS. Atlanta is the designated home team that will bat last. BetAnySports has Los Angeles as a -210 moneyline favorite with the total set at 9. Fox and FS1 will both broadcast the game with the first pitch at 8:08 PM ET.The Thursday night college football game on ESPN features two teams from the Sun Belt Conference with .500 records looking for their first win in conference play.Georgia State is 1-1 on the season after upsetting East Carolina on October 3rd by a 49-29 score as a 2-point underdog. The Panthers dominated that game by outgaining the Pirates by 199 yards while holding them to just 286 yards. Georgia State scored a special teams touchdown from a blocked punt, and they scored a defensive touchdown on a 34-yard interception return for a touchdown. The Panthers gave up a 28-yard interception return for a touchdown as well. Georgia State opened their season with a 34-31 overtime loss at home to Louisiana-Lafayette on September 19th. The Panthers then had their game the next week with Charlotte canceled because of COVID tests that were later determined to be false positives.  This game is their first on the road this season. Arkansas State plays their second home game of the season after a successful debut last week, where they defeated Central Arkansas by a 50-27 score. The Red Wolves opened their season with a 37-24 loss at Memphis on September 5th before they pulled off a 35-31 upset victory at Kansas State as a 15-point underdog. They had to wait three weeks before playing their next game at Coastal Carolina, where they were stung by a 52-23 score despite being a 3.5-point favorite. Arkansas State returned 15 starters from the team that finished 8-5 last year while reaching a bowl game for the ninth straight season. BetAnySports lists Arkansas State as a 3-point favorite with the total set at 72. The ESPN broadcast begins at 7:30 PM ET.

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