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3 CFB Season Win Total Unders I Like

by Kyle Hunter

Thursday, Aug 21, 2025

College football week zero is this Saturday. We have five games to get us ready for the big week one action next weekend. Season win totals are one of my favorite bets, and I’ve been successful in those in the long run. Let’s take a look at three season win total unders that I like. Arkansas State under 5.5 (-140) The Arkansas State Red Wolves won 8 games last year, but they were 126th out of 134 teams in the country in yards per play margin. They were unbeaten in one score games. Arkansas State is a prime regression candidate this year. The Red Wolves are one of the weakest teams in the country in the trenches. It is extremely hard to keep winning when you are at this kind of a deficit and are weak on the offensive and defensive lines. I think they will only be favored in three or possibly four games this season. I think they’ll underperform this year.  Marshall under 5.5 (-175) The juice has gotten much worse in this one in recent weeks, and I prefer the Sun Belt wins under 3.5 that is lower juice if you have that as an option. Still, I think under 5.5 on this one is an excellent wager. Marshall lost nearly everyone including their coaching staff to Southern Miss. The Thundering Herd are very short on talent this season. Marshall has a tough schedule where the easier teams are on the road and the toughest teams are at home in the conference. They no longer have a strong defense to fall back on like they have had in recent seasons.  I see them struggling to top four wins.  UAB under 4.5 (-140) The UAB Blazers tried to make a big splash by hiring Trent Dilfer a few years ago. I can’t blame them for trying an outside the box hire. They expected Dilfer to bring in some big names and the wins to follow. The recruiting hasn’t gone as well as expected, and the  Blazers have a very big problem on the offensive and defensive lines. The Blazers have a good quarterback, but the weapons around him make it tough for him to excel. The UAB defense gives up way too high of a success rate. Dilfer is absolutely on the hot seat, and if this season starts poorly for UAB things could spiral out of control.

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3 CFB Conference Only Win Total Bets

by Kyle Hunter

Thursday, Aug 21, 2025

College football week zero is this Saturday. We have five games to get us ready for the big week one action next weekend. Season win totals are one of my favorite bets, and I’ve been successful in those in the long run. Let’s take a look at three conference only win totals I have bet for this season. James Madison over 5.5 (-110) We need a 6-2 Sun Belt record out of James Madison, and I think they will win at least 7 games in the conference. The depth James Madison has at quarterback is almost unheard of at the Group of 5 level. Matthew Sluka is back with his old coach. Alonza Barnett has proven to be a star at quarterback too. You could argue that James Madison has two quarterbacks better than the starting quarterback on every other Sun Belt team. James Madison will likely be favored in either seven or possibly all eight games in the conference. The Dukes have a terrific trio of running backs as well, and they are going to put up a bunch of points this year. I think they are a level above everyone in the Sun Belt. Nevada under 2.5 (-110) Nevada was able to be competitive last year thanks in large part to a much better than expected secondary. The Wolf Pack lost nearly everything from the secondary, and I expect this defense to be much worse this year. The schedulers did them no favors this year. They host both Boise State and San Jose State (the expected top two teams in the MWC). UNLV is another team they must host and they are expected to be third or fourth. I think Fresno State could be better than expected too with the former North Dakota State coach taking over at Fresno. Nevada is likely to struggle in Mountain West play this season. Maryland under 2.5 (-190) A lot of juice here,  but I think Maryland will be an underdog in every single Big Ten game this season. The Terrapins are notoriously fast starters and slow finishers under Mike Locksley. The team has chemistry question marks heading into the season. They also lost a bunch of defensive guys to the portal, including a couple key linebackers entering the portal last minute. Maryland’s defense kept them competitive most of the time last year, but I expect them to take a big step backward.The Terrapins have a couple talented young quarterbacks, but the offensive line in front of them is likely to be dominated by most of the  Big Ten defensive fronts. I expect Maryland to have a tough season in 2025. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 08/21/2025

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Aug 21, 2025

The Thursday sports card features NFLX, MLB, and CFL action. The NFL preseason kicks off Week 3 with two games. The Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Carolina to play the Panthers on the NFL Network at 7:00 p.m. ET. The Steelers are 1-1 in the preseason after a 17-14 loss at home against Tampa Bay as a 3-point underdog on Saturday. The Panthers are winless in the preseason after a 20-3 loss at Houston on Saturday. Pittsburgh is a 4.5-point road favorite with the total set at 35.5 (all odds from DraftKings).The New York Giants host the New England Patriots on Amazon Prime Video at 8:00 p.m. ET. The Giants are unbeaten in the preseason after a 31-12 victory against the New York Jets as a 3.5-point favorite on Saturday. The Patriots have won both their preseason games as well, after their 20-12 upset win at Minnesota as a 1.5-point underdog on Saturday. New York is a 6.5-point favorite with an over/under of 37.5. Major League Baseball has nine games scheduled. The Athletics play in Minnesota against the Twins at 1:10 p.m. ET. The Athletics send out Jack Perkins to pitch against the Twins’ Jose Urena. The Athletics are a -115 money-line road favorite with a total of 9. The Kansas City Royals play at home against the Texas Rangers at 2:10 p.m. ET. Michael Lorenzen gets the ball for the Royals to face Patrick Corbin for the Rangers. Kansas City is a -118 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Chicago Cubs are home against the Milwaukee Brewers at 2:20 p.m. ET. The Cubs turn to Shota Imanaga to take on the Brewers’ Quinn Priester. Chicago is a -138 money-line favorite with a total of 7. The Los Angeles Dodgers are in Colorado to challenge the Rockies at 3:10 p.m. ET. Clayton Kershaw gets tapped by the Dodgers to duel against Chase Dollander for the Rockies. Los Angeles is a -271 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 12. The New York Mets visit Washington to play the Nationals at 4:05 p.m/. ET. The Mets give the starting pitcher assignment to Sean Manaea to battle the Nationals’ MacKenzie Gore. New York is a -144 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. The San Diego Padres host the San Francisco Giants at 4:10 p.m. ET. Dylan Cease takes the hill for the Padres to take on Justin Verlander for the Giants. San Diego is a -172 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch on Fox’s regional coverage at 7:15 p.m. ET. Baltimore plays at home against Houston, with the Orioles turning to Brandon Young to face the Astros’ Jason Alexander. The Orioles are a -112 money-line favorite with a total of 9. New York is home against Boston with Luis Gil getting the ball for the Yankees to challenge the Red Sox’s Lucas Giolito. The Yankees are a -144 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The St. Louis Cardinals play in Tampa Bay against the Rays at 7:35 p.m. ET. The Cardinals tap Sonny Gray to duel against the Rays’ Joe Boyle. St. Louis is a -123 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Week 12 in the Canadian Football League kicks off with one game. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers play in Montreal against the Alouettes on the CBS Sports Network at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Bombers won for the second time in their last three games after their 30-27 victory against Ottawa as a 4-point favorite last Thursday. They are in third place in the West Division, trailing first-place Saskatchewan by three games. The Alouettes lost for the third straight time in a 36-18 loss at British Columbia as a 7.5-point underdog last Saturday. They are in second place in the East Division, trailing Hamilton by a half game. Winnipeg is a 6-point road favorite with an over/under of 37.5.

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UFC 319 Recap -- What Happened?

by AAA Sports

Wednesday, Aug 20, 2025

Last weekend, the UFC took a trip to Chicago, Illinois where UFC 319 took place. It might've been the most highly anticipated main event fight of 2025 and fighting fans from around the world tuned in. Before we jump right into the Kamzhat VS DDP fight, we will look at some of the other significant finishes that happened during this terrific event.  Carlos Prates VS Geoff Neal (Prates W ~ Spinning Back Elbow ~ 0:01 left in Round 1) For the sixth time in his career, a fighter from one of the world's newest, yet incredibly successful, fighting organizations took the octagon in Saturday night's third last bout. Carlos Prates, a Welterweight fighter, was the first 'Fighting Nerds' (the team he is a member of) to suffer defeat in the UFC. That hasn't prevented Prates from being quite confident going into this battle versus Geoff Neal. For some time now, he has been steadily progressing up the rankings, and he knew that winning this bout would put him in an ideal spot for further success. His opponent, Geoff Neal came into this fight as no slouch though. Compared to Prates, he had been in the UFC for a lot longer and had enjoyed numerous victories in the octagon. Neal appeared to be in good shape as the bout began. That said, as the round progressed, the Brazilian ultimately found his range. We were on the verge of a second round of action when Prates carried out the unthinkable and used one of his spinning attacks to send the United Center into shock. With one second remaining, a spinning back elbow hit flush, and the referee immediately stopped the fight. Neal had never been knocked out before in his UFC career. *(We had the Under 2.5 Rounds as our UFC Total Of The Year)  Lerone Murphy VS Aaron Pico (Murphy W ~ Spinning Back Elbow ~ 1:39 left in Round 1) If you thought the fight before this was fun to watch, the Co-Main event on the UFC 319 card might have even one upped it. Prior to the fight, there was lots of talk about Aaron Pico and him being the next big thing in the UFC. Like a lot of fighters these days, Pico was coming from the Bellator fighting association. Before the fight, he was actually the betting favorite and getting a lot of respect for being a complete fighter that was really good at both wrestling and stand up boxing. Lerone Murphy entered the bout with a perfect record -- 16-0 (1 no contest.) Talk about not getting much respect at all. While it was a pretty even fight for the most part through the first couple of minutes, with Pico slightly ahead with the couple of takedowns he was able to land, we could tell that this fight was going to be good. But, seconds later, Murphy landed a spinning back elbow of his own, landing even more direct that Prates' which happened not even 15 minutes prior. Herb Dean stopped it as fast as he could and this was the first time we've ever seen back-to-back spinning back elbows to win fights.  Khamzat Chimaev VS Dricus Du-Plessis (Chimaev W ~ Unanimous Decision)  All signs pointed towards a really good final fight of the night. This was expected to be the fight of 2025 according to a lot of fighting fans. Before this fight, the South African champ had silenced all of the critics. He might have been the most doubted champion in the UFC for a stretch as people just didn't believe that he'd keep winning. The fight at UFC 319 was his third title defense and he was ready for the biggest challenge of his career. But, the Russian wrestling wonderkid had other plans. Like in his other fights, Chimaev would look to take down Du-Plessis early. In fact, he did just that. Against Kamaru Usman, Chimaev faded a bit in the 3rd round, leading to Usman maybe stealing a round off of him. That gave fans of Dricus hope for the final rounds of this bout. But, Khamzat took control early and didn't let up. He took down Du-Plessis 12 times through the whole fight and within the first 40 seconds of each round. It was a domination and in the words of Bruce Buffer, 'And New' was announced loudly at the end of the night. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 08/20/2025

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Aug 20, 2025

The Wednesday sports card features MLB action. Major League Baseball has 14 games scheduled. The Toronto Blue Jays travel to Pittsburgh to play the Pirates at 12:35 p.m. ET. The Blue Jays send out Chris Bassitt to pitch against the Pirates’ Johan Oviedo. Toronto is a -150 money-line road favorite with a total of 8 (all odds from DraftKings). The Philadelphia Phillies host the Seattle Mariners at 1:05 p.m. ET. Jesus Luzardo takes the ball for the Phillies to face Luis Castillo for the Mariners. Philadelphia is a -143 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5.The Houston Astros play in Detroit against the Tigers at 1:10 p.m. ET. The Astros turn to Framber Valdez to take on the Tigers’ Charlie Morton. Houston is a -132 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The Arizona Diamondbacks play at home against the Cleveland Guardians at 3:40 p.m. ET. Brandon Pfaadt takes the mound for the Diamondbacks to challenge Parker Messick for the Guardians. Arizona is a -132 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Miami Marlins are home against the St. Louis Cardinals at 6:40 p.m. ET. The Marlins tap Sandy Alcantara to go against the Cardinals’ Andre Pallante. Miami is a -126 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The New York Mets are in Washington to take on the Nationals at 6:45 p.m. ET. Kodai Senga takes the ball for the Mets to battle Brad Lord for the Nationals. New York is a -187 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9.The Atlanta Braves host the Chicago White Sox at 7:15 p.m. ET. The Braves send out Hurston Waldrep to face the White Sox’s Martin Perez. Atlanta is a -187 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The Tampa Bay Rays play at home against the New York Yankees at 7:35 p.m. ET. Drew Rasmussen takes the hill for the Rays to pitch against Cam Schlittler for the Yankees. Tampa Bay is a -119 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5.Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:40 p.m. ET. Minnesota is home against the Athletics, with the Twins turning to Bailey Ober to take on the Athletics’ J.T. Ginn as a -131 money-line favorite with a total of 9. Texas visits Kansas City with a starting pitcher yet to be named for the Rangers to challenge Noah Cameron for the Royals. The Rangers are a -126 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8. The Milwaukee Brewers play in Chicago against the Cubs at 8:05 p.m. ET. Jacob Misiorowski gets the ball for the Brewers to face Collin Rea for the Cubs. Milwaukee is a -308 money-line road favorite with a total of 11.5. The Los Angeles Angels host the Cincinnati Reds at 9:38 p.m. ET. The Angels send out Yusei Kikuchi to battle the Reds’ Nick Martinez. Los Angeles is a -126 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The San Diego Padres host the San Francisco Giants at 9:40 p.m. ET. J.P. Sears takes the mound for the Padres to pitch against Landen Roupp for the Giants. San Diego is a -157 money-line favorite with a total of 8. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 08/19/2025

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Aug 19, 2025

The Tuesday sports card features MLB action. Major League Baseball has 16 games scheduled. The Chicago Cubs host the Milwaukee Brewers in the opening game of their doubleheader at 2:20 p.m. ET. The Cubs send out Matthew Boyd to pitch against the Brewers’ Chad Patrick. Chicago is a -144 money-line favorite with the total set at 7 (all odds from DraftKings). Three MLB games throw out the first pitch at 6:40 p.m. ET. Toronto travels to Pittsburgh with the Blue Jays tapping Max Scherzer to face the Pirates’ Mitch Keller. The Blue Jays are a -150 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8. Detroit plays at home against Houston on TBS with Tarik Skubal getting the ball for the Tigers to take on Hunter Brown for the Astros. The Tigers are a -175 money-line favorite with a total of 7. Miami is home against St. Louis with the Marlins giving the ball to Edward Cabrera to challenge the Cardinals’ Michael McGreevy. The Marlins are a -144 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. Two MLB games start at 6:45 p.m. ET. New York plays in Washington with David Peterson taking the hill for the Mets to go against Jake Irvin for the Nationals. The Mets are a -208 money-line road favorite with a total of 9. Philadelphia hosts Seattle with the Phillies sending out Cristopher Sanchez to battle the Mariners’ Bryce Miller. The Phillies are a -176 money-line favorite with an over/under of  8. The Boston Red Sox play at home against the Baltimore Orioles at 7:10 p.m. ET. Walker Buehler gets the ball for the Red Sox to face Tomoyuki Sugano for the Orioles. Boston is a -144 money-line favorite with a total of 9.5. The Atlanta Braves are home against the Chicago White Sox at 7:15 p.m.  ET. The Braves turn to Bryce Elder to face the White Sox’s Shane Smith. Atlanta is a -176 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9.  The New York Yankees are in Tampa Bay to take on the Rays at 7:35 p.m. ET. Carlos Rodon takes the hill for the Yankees to challenge Shane Baz for the Rays. New York is a -144 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5.  Two MLB games begin at 7:40 p.m. ET. Kansas City hosts Texas with the Royals tapping Seth Lugo to go against the Rangers’ Merrill Kelly. The Royals are a -114 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Minnesota Twins play at home against the Athletics, with Joe Ryan getting the ball for the Twins to face Jacob Lopez for the Athletics. The Twins are a -157 money-line favorite with a total of 8.The Brewers visit the Cubs in the second game of their doubleheader at 8:05 p.m. ET. Milwaukee sends out Brandon Woodruff to battle Chicago’s Jameson Taillon. The Brewers are a -121 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 7. The Los Angeles Dodgers play in Colorado against the Rockies at 8:40 p.m. ET. Emmett Sheehan gets the starting assignment for the Dodgers to face Austin Gomber for the Rockies. Los Angeles is a -275 money-line road favorite with a total of 12. The Cincinnati Reds are in Los Angeles to challenge the Angels at 9:38 p.m. ET. The Reds turn to Hunter Greene to duel against the Angels’ Kyle Hendricks. Cincinnati is a -150 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two more games conclude the MLB card at 9:40 p.m. ET. Arizona is home against Cleveland with Eduardo Rodriguez getting the ball for the Diamondbacks to go against Tanner Bibee for the Guardians. The Diamondbacks are a -115 money-line favorite with a total of 9. San Diego hosts San Francisco with the Padres tapping Nick Pivetta to pitch against the Giants’ Kai-Wei Teng. The Padres are a -241 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.

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NFL System of the Week

by Al McMordie

Monday, Aug 18, 2025

The NFL season is underway, and the lone preseason Monday Night Football game will be played tonight.  The Washington Commanders will host the Cincinnati Bengals, and the home team has been installed as a 4-point underdog.Last week, the Commanders suffered the worst defeat, as New England annihilated them, 48-18, as a 6.5-point home favorite.  Cincinnati, meanwhile, also lost, but the score was much more respectable:  a 34-27 upset at the hands of the 5.5-point home dog Eagles.In the preseason, it has often been profitable to back certain teams off blowout losses.  And our System of the Week does just that.  Since 1983, NFL Underdogs of +4 (or more) points, off a loss by more than 21 points, have gone 28-12-1 ATS.  That bodes well for Washington tonight.  As does the fact that Monday Night Underdogs have gone 22-10-3 ATS in the preseason off a straight-up loss.Take a look at Washington on this Monday.Good luck, as always,Al McMordie

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NFL Win Total Swings: What the Market's Telling Us

by Sean Murphy

Monday, Aug 18, 2025

NFL win totals don’t just reflect projections — they reflect psychology. Sportsbooks like DraftKings set their numbers in the spring, but by the time training camps roll around, those lines are anything but static. Injuries, coaching changes, sharp money, and even public buzz can turn a modest opener into a very different picture by late August. The trick is understanding what those moves mean. The New Orleans Saints are one of the clearest examples of the market turning sour. They opened camp at 6.5 wins at some books, but the quarterback situation, not to mention a rookie head coach in Kellen Moore, has left bettors unimpressed. Sharps piled on the under, and DraftKings reacted by moving the total to 5.5 — a full-game swing that shows more than skepticism, it shows conviction. When sportsbooks shade a line that aggressively, they’re not just managing casual money, they’re protecting against sharp exposure. On the flip side, the New England Patriots climbed from 7.5 to 8.5 wins. That’s the psychology of optimism at work. A new coaching staff (led by a proven winner in Patriots alum Mike Vrabel), fresh offensive identity, and a handful of splashy offseason additions convinced bettors that last year’s struggles were an outlier. Markets don’t wait for results; they price in belief. If the narrative is strong enough — and in New England’s case it is — books adjust early to avoid being overrun. The Washington Commanders fall into a different category. They opened with rare optimism at 9/9.5 wins, fueled by Jayden Daniels’ rookie brilliance and offseason upgrades. But bettors cooled once they looked closer at the schedule and defensive flaws. The total hasn’t cratered, but subtle adjustments toward the under tell you something important: sharp money isn’t necessarily buying the hype. When a number lingers in place but the juice shifts, it’s usually a sign the market expects regression without wanting to overreact. Another interesting mover has been the Chicago Bears. They’ve gone from 7.5 to 8/8.5, riding the Caleb Williams wave and the energy around new head coach Ben Johnson. That’s a public-driven move if there ever was one. The Bears are the kind of team casual bettors want to believe in, which inflates the total whether or not the roster is truly ready to contend. For sharp bettors, this kind of climb can present an opportunity: fading hype at its peak, especially with whispers of Williams struggling to run the offense efficiently. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Rams tell a story of perception flipping in real time. Early in the summer, skepticism about Matthew Stafford’s health and depth concerns drove money to the under. But when they added Davante Adams and doubled down on offense, sentiment shifted. Now the over is favored, and the line reflects renewed belief. That’s psychology at its most transparent — one player move can swing a market when bettors already want a reason to buy in. Of course, Stafford's back remains a concern and should the keys to the offense be handed over to Jimmy Garoppolo, confidence figures to wane. The Minnesota Vikings have been an interesting case study. Despite last year’s success, their total opened at 8.5, only to be bet up heavily before settling out at 9. The uncertainty at quarterback, even with some anointing J.J. McCarthy a future star, has overshadowed what is otherwise a stable roster. The defense is loaded and led by one of the best minds in the business in coordinator Brian Flores but a difficult schedule looms in what figures to be an ultra-competitive NFC North Division. Bettors rarely want to buy into transition years, and the line reflects that reluctance.Betting win totals is less about predicting the standings and more about reading the room. The Saints’ expected collapse, the Patriots’ potential surge, the Commanders’ cooling, the Bears’ climb, the Rams’ reversal, and the Vikings’ promise all tell the same story in different ways: the NFL betting market runs on psychology. Sharps set the tone, the public piles on stories they want to believe, and sportsbooks move the numbers to keep their balance. The best strategy isn’t chasing the move, but understanding why it happened — and deciding if that leaves you value on the other side.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, MLB and EPL Previews and Odds - 08/18/2025

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Aug 18, 2025

The Monday sports card features NFLX, MLB, and EPL action. The NFLX preseason concludes its Week 2 with one game for Monday Night Football. The Cincinnati Bengals travel to Washington to play the Commanders on ESPN at 8:00 p.m. ET as a 3-point road favorite with the total set at 43.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Major League Baseball has 13 games scheduled. The Chicago Cubs host the Milwaukee Brewers in the opening game of their doubleheader at 2:20 p.m. ET. The Cubs send out Cade Horton to pitch against the Brewers' Freddie Peralta. Chicago is a -123 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Three MLB games throw out the first pitch at 6:40 p.m. ET. Pittsburgh plays at home against Toronto, with Paul Skenes taking the ball for the Pirates to take on Kevin Gausman for the Blue Jays. The Pirates are a -122 money-line favorite with a total of 7. Miami is home against St. Louis with the Marlins tapping Eury Perez to face the Cardinals’ Matthew Liberatore. The Marlins are a -137 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. Detroit hosts Houston with Jack Flaherty taking the mound for the Tigers to challenge Spencer Arrighetti for the Astros. The Tigers are a -150 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Philadelphia Phillies play at home against the Seattle Mariners at 6:45 p.m. ET. The Phillies turn to Ranger Suarez to pitch against the Mariners’ Logan Gilbert. Philadelphia is a -112 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Boston Red Sox are home against the Baltimore Orioles at 7:10 p.m. ET. Dustin May takes the hill for the Red Sox to battle Trevor Rogers for the Orioles. Boston is a -121 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Atlanta Braves host the Chicago White Sox at 7:15 p.m. ET. The Braves send out Spender Strider to take on the White Sox’s Yoendrys Gomez. Atlanta is a -207 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Kansas City Royals play at home against the Texas Rangers at 7:40 p.m. ET. Michael Wacha gets the starting assignment for the Royals to face Jack Leiter for the Rangers. Kansas City is a -132 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The Brewers challenge the Cubs in the second game of their doubleheader at 8:05 p.m. ET as a -122 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9.The Los Angeles Dodgers play in Colorado against the Rockies at 8:40 p.m. ET. The Dodgers tap Yoshinobu Yamamoto to pitch against Colorado’s Kyle Freeland. Los Angeles is a -282 money-line road favorite with a total of 11. The Cincinnati Reds are in Los Angeles to face the Angels on FS1 at 9:38 p.m.  ET. Brady Singer gets the ball for the Reds to face the Angels’ Victor Mederos. Both teams are priced as a -110 money-line favorites with an over/under of 9. Two games conclude the MLB card at 9:40 p.m. ET. Cleveland visits Arizona with the Guardians turning to Gavin Williams to face a Diamondbacks’ starting pitcher yet to be named as a -123 money-line favorite with a total of 9. San Diego is home against San Francisco with Nestor Cortes taking the mound for the Padres to take on Robbie Ray for the Giants. The Padres are a -144 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5.Matchweek 1 of the English Premier League season concludes with one match. Leeds United hosts Everton on the USA Network at 3:00 p.m. ET as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. 

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College Football Starts Saturday 08/23

by Wayne Root

Sunday, Aug 17, 2025

College football starts Saturday 08/23 2025 COLLEGE TOP 10 WEEK 1 By Wayne Allyn Root Here's a breakdown of the strengths and potential weaknesses for each of the top 10 college football teams in 2025. One thing is certain, this list will revolve like my rolodex throughout the season   1. Texas Strengths: The Longhorns have a potentially loaded defense at all three levels. Sophomore Colin Simmons leads a strong defensive end group. Junior Anthony Hill Jr. could be the best linebacker in the country. A top-10 backfield and receiving corps will support new QB Arch Manning. The Longhorns have a talented running back room, led by junior Quintrevion Wisner. Weaknesses: The offense will feature four new offensive line starters. The biggest hole to fill is at tight end. There will be reliance on portal additions at defensive tackle. The team needs to improve its rushing attack. 2. Penn State Strengths: The Nittany Lions return a dynamic running back duo in Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. The team returns a majority of its offensive line. Quarterback Drew Allar is experienced. The team might have the fewest holes of any title contender. Weaknesses: The team struggles against highly-ranked opponents. The team lost tight end Tyler Warren, who caught a program record 104 passes last season. 3. Clemson Strengths: Quarterback Cade Klubnik is returning. The team returns its top three receivers, and Tyler Brown is back from injury. The team has a veteran roster and a loaded depth chart. The team has an experienced and improved offensive line. Weaknesses: The running back room could be a weakness. There is inexperience on defense, especially in the cornerback room. 4. Ohio State Strengths: The Buckeyes return wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and safety Caleb Downs. The receiving corps remains the best in college football. The team has a deep defensive line rotation. Weaknesses: The offensive line projects as average. The team lost all four starters from its 2024 defensive front. The team must replace eight starters on defense. Quarterback Julian Sayin has limited experience. 5. Georgia Strengths: The team should have a top-10 defense. The linebacker unit should be a real strength. The team has a new wave of talent stepping in. Weaknesses: The passing game has plenty of questions. The team has a brand new quarterback in Gunnar Stockton. The run game lacks a clear bell cow running back. The team lost its entire elite interior offensive line. 6. Notre Dame Strengths: The ground game is strong with running back Jeremiyah Love and one of the nation's top offensive lines returning. The transition from Al Golden to Chris Ash as defensive coordinator should be seamless. The team has a strong secondary. Weaknesses: The development of new quarterback C.J. Carr looms large. The team has inexperience at quarterback. 7. Oregon Strengths: The Ducks have depth and talent, especially post-transfer portal. The team has a strong elite edge rush, receiving depth, and an explosive backfield. The defense is talented at all three levels. The team might have their next great quarterback in Dante Moore. Weaknesses: The team has quarterback inexperience. The team needs to get more out of the ground game. 8. LSU Strengths: Garrett Nussmeier returns as LSU's starting QB. The team has an expensive and expansive receiver room with multiple potential stars. Linebackers Whit Weeks and Harold Perkins form a strong duo. Weaknesses: The Tigers lose four starting offensive linemen from a year ago. The team's defense was its Achilles' heel. The rebuilt offensive line must improve in run blocking. 9. Alabama Strengths: The team has a star-studded defense. The team has a wide receiver core. The team has a strong supporting cast to ease new quarterback Ty Simpson into the lineup. Weaknesses: The team has inexperience under center. The team's pass rush, specifically from the interior of the defensive line, could be a weakness. 10. Miami Strengths: The Hurricanes have several All-American candidates on both sides of the ball. The team addressed last season's biggest issue by hiring new defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman. The secondary is going to feature a lot of transfer players. Weaknesses: The team allowed 25.3 points per game last season. The team has a difficult non-conference schedule with a season opener against Notre Dame and a match-up against in-state rival Florida. There is a chance that Hetherman's new defensive scheme could cause communication issues

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, MLB and EPL Previews and Odds - 08/17/2025

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Aug 17, 2025

The Sunday sports card features NFLX, MLB, and EPL action. The NFLX preseason continues its Week 2 with two games. The Jacksonville Jaguars travel to New Orleans to play the Saints on the NFL Network at 1:00 p.m. ET as a 2.5-point road favorite with the total set at 40.5 (all odds from DraftKings). The Chicago Bears host the Buffalo Bills on Fox at 8:00 p.m. ET as a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 40.5. Major League Baseball has 15 games scheduled. The Philadelphia Phillies play in Washington against the Nationals at 11:35 a.m. ET on the Roku Channel as a -175 money-line road favorite with a total of 9.5. The Boston Red Sox play at home against the Miami Marlins at 1:35 p.m. ET as a -245 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Texas Rangers are in Toronto to take on the Blue Jays at 1:37 p.m. ET as a -112 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 1:40 p.m. ET. The Cleveland Guardians are home against the Atlanta Braves as a -132 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Milwaukee Brewers visit Cincinnati to face the Reds as a -111 money-line road favorite with a total of 9.5. Three more MLB games start at 2:10 p.m. ET. The Houston Astros host the Baltimore Orioles as a -137 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Detroit Tigers play in Minnesota against the Twins. The Kansas City Royals play at home against the Chicago White Sox. The New York Yankees are in St. Louis to challenge the Cardinals at 2:15 p.m. ET as a -144 money-line road favorite with a total of 9.5. The Chicago Cubs play at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 2:20 p.m. ET as a -208 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Colorado Rockies are home against the Arizona Diamondbacks at 3:10 p.m. ET.Three MLB games begin at 4:05 p.m. ET. The Los Angeles Angels travel on the road to face the Athletics with both teams priced as a -110 money-line road favorite with a total of 10. The San Francisco Giants host the Tampa Bay Rays as a -164 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers play at home against the San Diego Padres as a -158 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5.The Seattle Mariners play in New York against the Mets in the Little League Classic for Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN at 7:10 p.m. ET. This game is being played on a neutral field in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The Mariners are a -124 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.Matchweek 1 of the English Premier League season continues with three matches. Two matches start at 9:00 a.m. ET. Chelsea plays at home against Crystal Palace on the USA Network as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. Nottingham Forest is home against Brentford as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Arsenal is at Manchester United on NBC at 11:30 a.m. ET as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 2.5.

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Serie A Futures (2025/26 Season)

by Amedeus Mastrangelo

Saturday, Aug 16, 2025

The Serie A season in Italy is right around the corner, starting on Saturday, August 23. Napoli is coming into this season as the defending champions, beating out the 2nd place team Inter Milan by 1 point, but this is a very competitive league from year to year as they have had 3 different champions over the last 4 seasons. Now with the league ready to start up again, it is time to see who has the best chance at lifting the Serie A Title this season.  To Win Outright Napoli +162: Napoli is coming into this season as the team with the best chance at lifting the trophy according to the oddsmakers. Napoli is coming off of a season where they won the Serie A Title by 1 point over the 2nd place side and that title race went right down to the final match of the season. They had the best defense in the league last season as they only allowed 27 goals in their 38 matches, but their attack only scored 59 goals and was not nearly as strong as the other 2 teams in the top 3. Their defense is likely going to take a step back this season as well since they did lose some key pieces and it will be tough to recreate the kind of defensive season they had last year. They still have lots of quality in their attack and midfield, but they also played all of last season without playing in any European competitions and that was a big reason for their success in the league. Now they are going to have Champions League to worry about this season which will take away focus from the league and they do not have the depth that some of the other major players have in Serie A so winning the title in B2B years feels like a stretch for this squad, especially as the favorite to do so. There is no real value in Napoli to lift the trophy at this price as there are better options to go with.  Inter Milan +275: Inter Milan is coming into this season as the team with the next best chance at lifting the trophy according to the oddsmakers. Inter Milan is coming off of a good season as they finished in 2nd place in the league, losing the title to Napoli by 1 point, and they also finished 2nd place in Champions League as they lost to PSG in the Final. They still came away empty handed last year so it was not a great season by their standard, but that is only going to increase their hunger to win this season and what they did last year was still impressive, performing so well in those 2 competitions. They are going to be under new management this season and they already had a taste with him in the Club World Cup, but they still have all of the quality and depth from last season so it may not click right away, but they will figure things out as the season goes on and they are once again going to be a force in the league. They have also won the Serie A Title twice over the last 5 seasons and they have been a consistent dominant force over the last decade, always giving themselves a chance in the title race. Inter Milan is going to be focused on the league this year after coming so close last year and they have the talent as they only allowed 35 goals in their 38 matches last season while scoring 79 goals. Last season likely refocused this squad and they are going to be motivated to win a trophy with their new manager this year. There is a lot of value in Inter Milan at this price since they still have the best squad in the league.  Juventus +500: Juventus is coming into this season as the team with the next best chance at lifting the trophy according to the oddsmakers. Juventus is coming off of a good season as they finished in 4th place in the league and have been building themselves back up after the turmoil they went through just a few seasons ago. They had one of the better defenses in the league last season as they allowed 35 goals in their 38 matches, but their attack was a big problem with only 58 goals scored. They have made some moves to fix that as they brought in a striker and they still have a lot of quality in their midfield and on defense, but they did lose their goalkeeper which could have a big impact. Juventus is going to continue to improve this season as they look to be a stronger force in Serie A, but Champions League is still going to be a big focus for them and they do not have the quality in their depth to make a deep run in both competitions. Their defense also got exposed in the Club World Cup as they fell flat on their face against the stronger teams they had to face so when push comes to shove in this league, Juventus will drop points in the key matches against other Italian giants. Juventus will continue to improve this season, but there is no real value in them winning the title at this price.  AC Milan +550: AC Milan is coming into this season as the team with the next best chance at lifting the trophy according to the oddsmakers. AC Milan is coming off of a bad season by their standards as they finished in 8th place and were 2 points out of a European spot. Their attack was good with 61 goals in their 38 matches and their defense only allowed 43 goals, but neither was at the elite level they needed to be at to compete with the top 4. They have made some big moves in the transfer window though and they have added to that midfield with a lot more quality and depth, also improving the defense with more quality as well. This is a rare season where AC Milan is not in any European competitions so they are going to have the hunger to perform better in the league and they will be highly focused on the league now with no European competitions to take away from their focus. AC Milan is also one of the champions of Serie A in the last 4 seasons so the players know what it takes to win in this league and they are a big wild card that could come out as one of the more dominant teams. AC Milan is not going to take a step back from where they were last season with the talent they have so there is a lot of upside with AC MIlan to exceed expectations this year. They have the quality to compete with the other Italian giants so there is some good value in AC Milan to win the title at this price.  Roma +1000: Roma is coming into this season as the team with the next best chance at lifting the trophy according to the oddsmakers. Roma is coming off of a good season as they finished in 5th place in the league and earned themselves a Europa League spot. They have been a very consistent team in Serie A over the years as they always seem to find their way into Europa League, but they struggle to make the top 4 every season so winning the title feels very out of reach for them still. They do have some quality in their attack, but they lost some key pieces in the transfer window. Their midfield and their defense lacks a lot of quality as well so they will likely be a competitive team as they usually are, but they do not have the quality to compete with the top teams. They also have Europa League to worry about and they always seem to make a good run in the competition so that is going to take away focus from the league and they will likely end up as another fringe team fighting for the Europa or Conference League spots. There is no real value in Roma to win the title at this price.  Atalanta +2000: Atalanta is coming into this season as the team with the next best chance at lifting the trophy according to the oddsmakers. Atalanta is coming off of a great season as they finished in 3rd place in Serie A and they have been improving a lot over the last 2 seasons, starting to establish themselves as a dominant team in Serie A. They had one of the better defenses as they only allowed 37 goals in their 38 matches and they had one of the best attacks with 78 goals scored as well. They still have a lot of the quality that they had last season so they are going to be a force in Serie A once again, but they are also coming off of a disappointing Champions League campaign so that will likely be a big focus for them this year. They certainly have the quality to compete with some of the bigger clubs in the league, but Champions League is going to take away from that focus on the league and they still lack the depth that some of the other teams have. Atalanta is an interesting dark horse at this price, but there are still better options to go. Lazio +3300: Lazio is coming into this season as the team with the next best chance at lifting the trophy according to the oddsmakers. Lazio is coming off of a season where they finished in 7th place in the league and they missed out on European competition by goal differential. They scored 61 goals in their 38 matches last season, but they also allowed 49 goals and they will not be able to compete with the bigger clubs like that. They have been a consistent Europa team for the last few years, but making the top 4 has always been a struggle for them, and it is only going to get harder this year. They took a big step back last season and now they have lost a lot of quality and depth that they used to have. They are going to continue to take a step back this year as they have changed up the squad quite a bit and it lacks the quality that a lot of these other teams have around them. Lazio will be lucky to even qualify for European competition this year unless they make some big moves in the transfer window. Lazio has no real value to win the title at this price.  RecommendationThe Serie A in Italy is always fluctuating with a very competitive top 7, but there are still some clear contenders coming into this season. Inter Milan is still the best option coming into the season as they do have the best squad and have been so dominant in the league over the last few years. AC Milan also has some value though as they did make some big moves to improve the squad and they have no European competitions to participate in so winning the Serie A Title is going to be priority number 1. Inter Milan at +275 is the best option for a Serie A winner followed by AC Milan at +550 as a dark horse. 

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