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NCAA FB: 4 Winless ATS Teams Who Might Be Underrated Now

by Kyle Hunter

Wednesday, Sep 27, 2023

I always like to look at perception of teams and gauge when might be the time to sell high or buy low. Today, we’ll take a look at four teams who are winless against the spread so far this year. These are teams that I believe could have value moving forward.  Georgia Bulldogs (0-3-1 ATS) Who would have expected that the number one team in the country would be winless against the spread at this point in the season? Georgia has played a very weak schedule. UT Martin, Ball State, and UAB are all terrible teams. South Carolina is the only pretty good team they have played so far. Georgia screwed around in that game and they were down 14-3 going into the locker room. They flipped the switch in the second half and won. The Bulldogs are just 51st in yards per carry against this weak schedule. They only have five sacks on the season defensively. The Bulldogs stat profile isn’t great. Having said all of this, Georgia is the most talented team in the country. The Bulldogs are going to turn it on at some point.  Michigan Wolverines (0-4 ATS) Here is #2 in the nation! Michigan has typically been a team that crushes weaker opponents. The Wolverines were amazing in the large favorite role in the last six or eight years under Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh missed the first three games due to his suspension. Maybe that bothered the team and threw off the rhythm a bit. Michigan is still a great team, and the Wolverines are now not thought of as highly in the marketplace. The Wolverines are really strong in the trenches, and that should help them win and cover a lot of games in the poor weather games in the Big Ten. I’m not going to adjust Michigan much at all in my power ratings. Harbaugh’s team will get it going against the spread too.  UTSA Roadrunners (0-4 ATS) UTSA is a team I expected to be very good this year. So far this season I’ve been wrong on this bunch. They are winless ATS on the season, but they have a bye week this weekend and the hope is Frank Harris will be back soon. Harris is a star, but he has been hobbled this year, and the backups had to play against Tennessee. UTSA’s schedule gets much softer later this year. The Roadrunners still play UAB, E Carolina, Rice, and USF at home. UTSA still has a much higher talent level than many of the teams they will play against in this conference. I think we’ll have a chance to buy low on UTSA soon.  Troy Trojans (0-4 ATS) Troy was a covering machine last year. Now, they are 0-4 ATS so far this season. Troy doesn’t have an elite defense like they had last year, but they are still very solid on the defensive end. The Trojans offensive line has been abused by strong defensive lines in the non-conference slate. While it will still be a question mark, there are quite a few weaker defensive lines in the Sun Belt on their schedule the rest of the way. 

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Week 4 College FB Observations: Blue Bloods in Football, Now

by Vegas Writer

Wednesday, Sep 27, 2023

Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina.Just saying those school names brings out the Blue Blooded Basketball lover in me.That said, don't look now, but these may not be College Basketball-only schools any longer.The four schools with a combined 23 national championships on the hardwood, each with at least four titles, come into this weekend with a combined 16-0 mark in College Football.Let's start with North Carolina, which is 4-0 behind a steady offense that has scored no less than 31 points in each game this season. And that's come against the 18th-toughest schedule to date, per TeamRankings.com. After splitting their first four games of the season with two each at home and on the road, the Heels are in an advantageous situation of becoming bowl-eligible over the next month, as they'll play three straight in Chapel Hill after enjoying Saturday's bye.Kansas has also provided a steady diet of offense, scoring at least 31 points in all four games, thanks to a power rushing game that is rumbling for the nation's 12th-best 217.8 yards per game. The Jayhawks opened Big 12 play with a 38-27 win over conference newcomer BYU. They've been one of the more efficient teams with a third-down conversion that ranks No. 1 in the country (60.5%) and No. 11 with their Red Zone offense (95.0%).Kentucky has a tough sandwich home game this week, after opening SEC play last week in Tennessee against Vanderbilt. The Wildcats beat the Commodores, 45-28, and now come home to play arch-rival Florida before heading to Athens to play two-time defending champion Georgia next week. If there is an area concern with Kentucky, outside of its defensive efficiency up front, it'll have to clean things up with penalties. The 'Cats rank 116th with 8.0 penalties per game and 108th with 68 penalty yards per contest.Duke's 4-0 start to the season includes its impressive and still-talked-about season-opening win over Clemson, a 28-7 victory that is still reverberating. The Blue Devils' stifling defense could have its hands full this week, though, as it welcomes Notre Dame to town.Here are more College Football Observations heading into Week 5:DOWN TO FIVE - There are just five teams that remain 4-0 ATS this season, including a pair of surprises from Group of 5 conferences.Joining Oklahoma, Oregon and Penn State in the undefeated ranks at the betting window are Liberty and UNLV.It was unsure how Liberty was going to react with coach Huge Freeze leaving for Auburn, but the Flames haven't skipped a beat with an explosive offense that is scoring 40.0 points per game - 16th-highest in the nation. Their 11th-best offense is gaining 501.0 yards per game and now gets to rest before playing back-to-back games against reclassifying teams Sam Houston and Jacksonville State.UNLV is playing well under first-year coach Barry Odom, who has brought an SEC mentality to Rebel Park and produced a winning culture that has the 3-1 Rebels talking bowl eligibility. UNLV has already played two Power 5 teams in Michigan and Vanderbilt, and now opens Mountain West play against an underachieving Hawai'i team. The Rebels are laying -11 to the Rainbow Warriors this week.As for the powerhouses, we're talking about three of the top 15 scoring offenses in the nation. Oregon is scoring a nation's second-best 54.0 points per game, Oklahoma is checking in at No. 4 with 46.8 ppg., and Penn State is scoring 40.5 ppg.Oregon is laying -27 on the road at Stanford this week., Oklahoma is -20 at home against Iowa State, and Penn State is also laying -27 on the road, at Northwestern.RAM TOUGH? - After all that chatter to rile up Colorado, only to lose to the Buffaloes in overtime, the Colorado State Rams responded nicely with a 31-23 road win at Middle Tennessee. Problem is for the Rams and their inconsistent offense that returns to Fort Collins for a tough sandwich home game against Utah Tech is they could be without their top two running backs, Avery Morrow and Kobe Johnson. Bad enough the Rams rank 129th in the nation with 57.3 yards rushing per game, now they may have inexperience in the backfield when hosting the Utah Tech Thunderbirds this week.Utah Tech may be an FCS afterthought, but the T-Birds have had this game circled for weeks, and could prove to be more than a paycheck grab visit. If Utah Tech can get its passing game going against Colorado State's shaky pass defense, it might be wise to peep what should be a healthy underdog line from the extra board.RED ZONE - It's one thing to think about how teams perform in the Red Zone, as it's always important to consider efficiency when a team gets inside the 20-yard line. But it's equally important to see how defensive unis perform in the Red Zone.The Top 5 may shock some people, but it is no surprise if those on that list remain undefeated.The No. 1 Red Zone D is Syracuse, with opponents getting into the zone just four times in nine trips, a 44.4% conversion. The Orange's staunch effort on D should provide them with confidence when hosting Clemson this week.All tied at 50.0% are Power 5 schools Duke, Michigan and Texas. While Michigan has allowed opponents inside the 20 just six times, Duke and Texas have allowed teams to get into the Red Zone 10 times.Rounding out the first five is Sun Belt-member Georgia State, which has seen opponents get past its 20-yard line 13 times, and allowing only seven scores (five TDs, two FGs), a 53.8% clip.CHALK CHECK-IN - Laying between 11 and 14.5 points paid off last week, as favorites in that range went 6-2. Across the regular board games, underdogs edged out the favorites, going 31-29.Underdogs dominated the low-chalk category, covering eight of the 11 games that lines between 1 and 3.5, outside of a couple of pushes.Every week I'll update you with regular board games (no FCS or added), broken down into different point-spread ranges. There were a few pushes this week and a pk'em game to consider, but through Week 4, favorites are 105-103 with the following breakdown: 1-3 1/2 ............ 17-19 4-7 1/2 ........... 27-26 8-10 1/2 ........... 9-10 11-14 1/2 .......... 15-11 15-19 1/2 .......... 10-9 20 and up ...... 27-28

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The MLB Playoff Race Is Going Down to the Wire

by Oskeim Sports

Wednesday, Sep 27, 2023

A lot can happen between now and Sunday, Oct. 1, when the 2023 MLB season comes to an end. If the season ended today, the Braves and Dodgers would have byes in the first round of the NL playoffs and the Orioles and Rangers would own the AL byes. The big questions that need to be answered are the wild card entrants in both leagues. It’s possible that the races in the AL and NL come down to tiebreakers.  Toronto (87-69), Houston (86-71), and Seattle (84-72) are currently vying for the two remaining AL wild card spots. It’s possible that all three or two of the three end the season with identical records. What happens then? That’s where the tiebreaker could come into effect. How Tiebreakers Work in MLB Since 2022, any ties for a division title or for a wild card spot in the postseason have been determined by math. Prior to the MLB playoffs expanding from 10 to 12 teams, any ties were broken by playing a tiebreaker game. Now, ties are broken through a series of tiebreaker rules. The top three elements of breaking a tie are head-to-head record, intra-division record, and record against teams in the same league but in a different division. The head-to-head record comes first. If that doesn’t break the tie, then it’s team records against the other division opponents. Finally, teams would compare records against teams from their league but not in their division. Examples of Tiebreakers in 2023 The most heated wild card race is in the AL where Toronto, Houston, and Seattle have their sights set on the final two playoff spots. Seattle has already clinched the season series against Houston. If they end up tied, the Mariners hold the advantage. Interestingly, Seattle and Toronto each won three games against each other this season. That means the tiebreaker goes to the intra-division record. Seattle’s was 29-17. Toronto went 19-27. That gives the Mariners the advantage over the Blue Jays too. The Orioles hold the advantage over Tampa Bay if the Rays were able to tie Baltimore for the top spot in the AL East. The O’s won the season series 8-5. The Rangers have a 2.5-game lead over Houston and a 4-game lead over Seattle in the AL West. Texas and Seattle play four games to end the season. If they end up tied, Texas holds the advantage due to head-to-head record. The Cubs, unfortunately, are on the losing end of tiebreakers with all the other teams still vying for the NL wild cards. Arizona and Chicago have identical records right now, but the D-Backs hold the tiebreaker advantage. Miami is one game behind the Cubs. The Reds are 2.5 games back. Both teams hold the tiebreaker advantage over the Cubs

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2023-24 NHL Preview: Metropolitan Division

by Sean Murphy

Wednesday, Sep 27, 2023

The NHL preseason is underway and the puck drops for real on the 2023-24 season in two weeks. As we march toward Opening Night on October 10th, I'll run through quick previews of all 32 teams. Here's a look at the Metropolitan Division.Odds to win division courtesy Draft Kings.Carolina Hurricanes (+180)It appeared the Hurricanes were well on their way to a Stanley Cup Final appearance during a deep playoff run last Spring but the Cinderella Panthers had other ideas. Hopes are once again sky-high in Raleigh as Carolina loads up for another run at Lord Stanley's Cup. The Canes cleared out a number of aging players in the offseason including Max Pacioretty, Shayne Gostisbehere, Paul Stastny and Derek Stepan, replacing them with upgrades virtually across the board with the likes of Michael Bunting, Dmitry Orlov and former teammate Tony DeAngelo. Shoring up the blue line was paramount as Carolina's netminding duo of Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta isn't getting any younger. A return to health for Andrei Svechnikov is critical and all indications are that he'll be ready to go at the start of the season. New Jersey Devils (+240)The Devils rebuild is beginning to pay dividends as they enter the 23-24 season as serious contenders for the Metropolitan Division title after falling just short last Spring. While they didn't make a big splash in free agency, they didn't necessarily have to as the pieces are already in place to take another step forward this season. GM Tom Fitzgerald has done a tremendous job building a roster dotted with young, emerging superstars surrounded by veteran talent. One are of concern could be between the pipes where Akira Schmid enjoyed a breakout postseason. The jury is still out as to whether he can do it over the course of an 82-game season. Veteran Vitek Vanecek remains on board as well but you have to wonder where his confidence level is at after a brutal playoff showing. New York Rangers (+330)As is seemingly the case every single year, the Rangers talent is good enough to match up with any team in the league, let alone their own division. A new era will begin this season with Peter Laviolette taking over behind the bench. While Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane are two big name rentals that moved on in the offseason, neither made much of a splash in the Big Apple down the stretch last season. The Blueshirts only tinkered with their roster this Summer and the result is a consistent core that should shine for Laviolette right out of the gates. Of course, New York also has arguably the best goalie in the world in Igor Shesterkin who you have to figure is in line for a bounce-back season after recording only average numbers in 22-23 (.916 save percentage and 2.48 goals against average). Pittsburgh Penguins (+700)The Penguins won the Erik Karlsson sweepstakes, bringing on another veteran that can still produce, as he proved during a massive renaissance campaign in 22-23. This could be Pittsburgh's last kick at the can for a while, so to speak, with Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang - the core three - all nearing the end of their respective careers. Few teams underwent more of an overhaul during the offseason than the Pens, largely due to GM Kyle Dubas coming over from Toronto and putting his stamp on the roster immediately. The issue is, most of the players Dubas brought in, aside from Karlsson, aren't likely to move the needle very much. The Metropolitan Division as a whole remains crowded at the top and you have to wonder whether Pittsburgh has enough gas in the tank to contend over the course of 82 games. New York Islanders (+1500)Despite a lukewarm showing in 22-23, the Islanders did little (virtually nothing, in fact) to bolster their roster heading into the 23-24 campaign. Needless to say, GM Lou Lamiorello is banking on New York's veteran core to lead it back to the promised land. It's not as if the Isles are void of talent. They boast top-end scorers including Mat Barzal and Bo Horvat and do have some young players ready to contribute as well. That's not to mention the fact that they're set in goal with Ilya Sorokin in the conversation with Igor Shesterkin for world's best. It's unlikely Lamiorello will stand pat should the Isles be in contention come March and he does have plenty of draft capital at his disposal to make a splash at the trade deadline if necessary. Washington Capitals (+3000)How the mighty have fallen. It doesn't seem like that long ago that the Capitals were drinking out of the Stanley Cup and now here they are staring up from the bottom of the Metropolitan Division. The list of offseason acquisitions in the nation's capital is short and less than impactful. Ovie's chase for the NHL goal-scoring record will be the most interesting story in Washington this season. Anything can happen of course and franchise fortunes do have a tendency to change on short notice. With that being said, the cupboard isn't particularly well-stocked and a fire sale may not be far off should things go south early in the season. Philadelphia Flyers (+13000)Remember when the Flyers came roaring out of the gates last season? It was all downhill from there as Philadelphia was predictably one of the league's worst teams. It's tough to envision a path back to respectability this season with a number of veterans sent packing and not much coming back in return. GM Daniel Briere will be given plenty of time to get things sorted in the City of Brotherly Love, even if it doesn't sit particularly well with the Broad Street faithful. Expect another year of subtle tanking in an effort to gain additional draft capital after selecting future game-changer Matvei Michkov with the seventh overall selection in this past June's Entry Draft. Columbus Blue Jackets (+18000)It's been a tumultuous stretch for the Blue Jackets as a franchise. First there was the questionable hiring of polarizing head coach Mike Babcock, followed by his subsequent resignation months later. The team will turn over the reins to former Assistant Coach Pascal Vincent and that can only be seen as a positive, surely from the players' perspective. First round draft pick Adam Fantilli has already made a splash at training camp with some predicting that he'll push Connor Bedard in the Calder Trophy race this season. I would suggest pumping the brakes on that notion but do think Fantilli can make an impact right away. With little talent heading out the door and a much-needed blue line boost in the form of Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson, Columbus is in good position to perhaps climb the Metropolitan Division ranks before the turn of the New Year. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 09/27/2023

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Sep 27, 2023

The Wednesday sports card features MLB action.Major League Baseball has 16 games on its schedule. The Arizona Diamondbacks travel to Chicago to play the White Sox at 2:10 PM ET. The Diamondbacks send out Brandon Pfaadt to take the mound to face a White Sox pitcher yet to be named. Arizona is a -175 money-line road favorite, with the total set at 9.5 (all odds from DraftKings). The Miami Marlins play in New York against the Mets in the opening game of their doubleheader at 4:10 PM ET. Braxton Garrett takes the ball for the Marlins to face a starting pitcher yet to be determined for the Mets. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 6:10 PM ET. Cleveland hosts Cincinnati, with the Guardians turning to Shane Bieber to pitch against the Reds’ Andrew Abbott. The Guardians are a -130 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. Tampa Bay plays at Boston, with Tyler Glasnow taking the ball for the Rays to battle Bryan Bello for the Red Sox. The Rays are a -125 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. The Baltimore Orioles play at home against the Washington Nationals at 6:35 PM ET. The Orioles send out Grayson Rodriguez to duel against the Nationals’ Patrick Corbin. Baltimore is a -238 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.Two MLB games start at 6:40 PM ET. Detroit is at home against Kansas City, with Tarik Skubal getting the ball for the Tigers to face Jonathan Bowman for the Royals. The Tigers are a -198 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. Philadelphia hosts Pittsburgh with the Phillies tapping Ranger Suarez to go against the Pirates’ Johan Oviedo. The Phillies are a -130 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The New York Yankees are in Toronto to play the Blue Jays at 7:07 PM ET. Gerrit Cole takes the mound for the Yankees to face Jose Berrios for the Blue Jays. Both teams are priced at -110 with a total of 7. The Marlins visit the Mets at 7:10 PM ET in the second game of their doubleheader. The Atlanta Braves play at home against the Chicago Cubs at 7:20 PM ET. The Braves send out Darius Vines to pitch against the Cubs’ Jameson Taillon. Atlanta is a -162 money-line favorite with an over/under of 10.5. Two MLB games start at 7:40 PM ET. Minnesota is at home against Oakland, with Pablo Lopez taking the mound for the Twins to battle against Joey Estes for the A’s. The Twins are a -265 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Milwaukee hosts St. Louis, with the Brewers sending out Wade Miley to face the Cardinals’ Zach Thompson. The Brewers are a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Los Angeles Dodgers are in Colorado to play the Rockies at 8:40 PM ET.  Emmet Sheehan takes the hill for the Dodgers to duel against Noah Davis for the Rockies. Los Angeles is a -218 money-line road favorite with a total of 11.5. The Texas Rangers visit Los Angeles to play the Angels at 9:38 PM ET. The Rangers turn to Dane Dunning to pitch against the Angels’ Griffin Canning. Texas is a -168 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9. The Houston Astros play in Seattle against the Mariners at 9:40 PM ET. Framber Valdez takes the ball for the Astros to go against Bryce Miller for the Mariners. Houston is a -125 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. The San Francisco Giants play at home against the San Diego Padres at 9:45 PM ET. The Giants tap Sean Manaea to face the Padres’ Matt Waldron. San Francisco is a -112 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5.

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VW's Weekly Recap: Bounce Back Week Starts With WNBA Top Prop

by Vegas Writer

Tuesday, Sep 26, 2023

Time for the weekly recap, as I take a look back at the week that was.Since last Tuesday, I'm on a 5-7-2 roll in every sport and am down -$2,550. Complete transparency, right? It is what it is.That said, I went 5-4-2 in both college and pro football since last Tuesday, and even further, was 1-1 with a win on my NFL Game of the Month (Chiefs) and a loss on my NFL Total of the Month (Bills-Commanders Over).The latter was troubling for me, considering Eric Bienemy is the offensive coordinator for the Commanders and he couldn't get anything going when he'd done just fine with Kansas City's offense in years past against the Bills.I went 1-2 with College Conference Games of the Month, hitting Utah out of the Pac-12.Overall, College Football continues to be impressive since Week 0, as I'm enjoying a 15-8-1 run for +$6,220 net profit since Aug. 31. For the season (L30 days on the leaderboard), I'm ranked No. 1 in net profit ($4,240) and win percentage (65.2%).Breaking down favorites and dogs, I've hit two of the three underdogs I've released and am 12-5-1 with favorites.Sitting at 10-6-2 in the NFL, I'm now 4-1 with underdogs - all four victories winning outright.As for MLB action, a 0-1 week didn't help the profits I've built in football. Good news is, that losing streaks don't last and things are setting up nicely for a huge comeback this week - beginning with Tuesday's Interleague Monster Mismatch.The WNBA is in the semifinals, and while we have a pair of Game 2s tipping off tonight, I like one particular player prop for Tuesday night.Do yourselves a favor and grab my WNBA Player Prop of the Year.Be sure to check back Wednesday for my College Football observations and Thursday for my NFL Power Rankings.Let's gear up for a big week of action.

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2023-24 NHL Preview: Atlantic Division

by Sean Murphy

Tuesday, Sep 26, 2023

The NHL preseason is underway and the puck drops for real on the 2023-24 season in two weeks. As we march toward Opening Night on October 10th, I'll run through quick previews of all 32 teams, beginning with the Atlantic Division.Odds to win division courtesy Draft Kings.Toronto Maple Leafs (+200)Yet another disappointing season is in the books for the Maple Leafs but here they are as the favorite to win the Atlantic Division once again, priced almost identically to what we saw at this time last year. We witnessed a sea change of sorts in Toronto during the offseason with GM Kyle Dubas shown the door. Brad Treliving seemingly has a much different vision in Toronto, bringing in a number of sandpaper guys including Tyler Bertuzzi, Ryan Reaves and Max Domi. There's no denying the Leafs are a much deeper team than they were last season but the jury is out as to whether they've accumulated any more talent. While the addition of John Klingberg to the blue line was a step in the right direction, Toronto will undoubtedly be looking to add a piece or two in that department as the season goes on. Joseph Woll stepped up and performed admirably between the pipes down the stretch last season and should push veteran Ilya Samsonov. Boston Bruins (+350)It's the end of an era in Boston as long-time captain Patrice Bergeron announced he was hanging up his skates this Summer. He is one of nine regulars that will need to be replaced this season although none of the other departures will have nearly the same impact. The good news for the Bruins is that they still boast top-end talent led by superstar David Pastrnak and newly-named captain Brad Marchand along with a steady if not spectacular defensive corps. The last line of defense for the B's is a bright spot as well with the duo of Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman returning after a tremendous regular season but disappointing playoffs. Head coach Jim Montgomery is in his second year with the team and that should prove impactful. Florida Panthers (+400)The Panthers enjoyed a Cinderella run all the way to the Stanley Cup Final last June but are being priced as the third-best team in crowded Atlantic Division for a reason. Florida will be forced to start the season without two of its best defensemen in Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour. It also lost a mountain of a man on the back-end in Radko Gudas to the Ducks. That matters on a roster that isn't blessed with a ton of depth on the blue line, even with a number of offseason additions including veteran Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Up front the Cats will once again be led by Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk. Again, it's the depth, or lack thereof, that concerns me. In goal, Sergei Bobrovsky regained his form as the playoffs went on before faltering in the Final. He's not getting any younger and next in line is Spencer Knight, who missed last season after entering into the NHLPA Assistance Program, and Anthony Stolarz, who has yet to prove he can succeed at the big league level. Tampa Bay Lightning (+600)It's jarring to see the Lightning this far down the pecking order in the Atlantic Division. The salary cap hasn't been kind to the Bolts as they've been forced to move on from a number of key contributors in recent years, all but ending their chances of a true dynasty in South Florida. Again this offseason Tampa Bay lost a number of key cogs including Alex Killorn, Ross Colton and Ian Cole. The Lightning's list of additions features a number of workman-like players including veteran Conor Sheary. Of course, there's still plenty of reason for optimism as Tampa Bay remains star-studded, if not aging, up front and has a pair of defensive standouts in Victor Hedman and Mikhail Sergachev. Unfortunately injuries have cost that blue line duo a number of games recently and keeping them healthy will be paramount this season. You have to figure goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy is in for a strong bounce-back campaign after wearing down last season. Buffalo Sabres (+900)Keeping in mind, the Sabres were priced at +5700 to win the Atlantic Division at this time last year, perhaps they're poised to take a step in the right direction in 2023-24. The needle is definitely pointing up for this team offensively after a breakout year from the likes of Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens last season. With a nice mix of youth and experience on the blue line, including sophomore Owen Power who by all accounts is ready for a breakout season of his own, there's reason to be optimistic that Buffalo can at least contend for a playoff spot this season. Goaltending remains a big question mark with unproven talent between the pipes including prospect Devon Levi who the Sabres are hopeful can take hold of the starting gig. The biggest obstacle for Buffalo might just be the ultra-competitive nature of the Atlantic. Ottawa Senators (+1100)Alex DeBrincat's time in Ottawa was short-lived and as a result the Senators will be looking to replace a good chunk of offensive production from last year's team. Veteran Vladimir Tarasenko was brought in following a failed experiment in Manhattan but it appears he doesn't have a ton of tread left on his tires and I question how long he'll remain happy in Ottawa, especially if the team isn't winning. Much like the Sabres, there is a lot to like when it comes to the Sens with Brady Tkachuk coming off a superstar-caliber season and Jakob Chychrun one of the more underrated defenseman in the entire NHL. Joonas Korpisalo will be tasked with the starting job between the pipes - a position that has proven to be a revolving door in Ottawa in recent years.Detroit Red Wings (+2500)GM Steve Yzerman made a splash by acquiring Alex DeBrincat in the offseason but apart from that, he mostly made minor moves to improve the Red Wings perhaps only marginally this season. Few teams in the league boast less top-end talent than Detroit. It almost seems as if Dylan Larkin's time in the Motor City has been more or less wasted as he's in the prime of his career. There's no question Yzerman will eventually build a winner, just as he did in Tampa Bay, but it's going to take some time. Unless Ville Husso is able to pull a rabbit out of his hat in goal and the Wings blue line ends up over-achieving, this team will be hard-pressed to push for a playoff spot in the Atlantic as there just isn't enough firepower up front. Montreal Canadiens (+20000)The price says it all as the Canadiens are unlikely to climb the ranks in the Atlantic Division this season. The time will come where the Habs are once again considered a contender in the Eastern Conference but it's still likely 2-3 years off. Guys like Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield will make Montreal a fun team to watch once again but there are a number of holes in the lineup that need to be plugged. I really like Martin St. Louis as a head coach and believe he's in it for the long haul. Unfortunately he's likely to see a number of key veterans dealt away over the course of the season as the Habs continue their rebuild. I do think we saw some addition by subtraction in the offseason with guys like Mike Hoffman and Jonathan Drouin moving elsewhere. Drouin in particular was never a fit in his home province. Expect plenty of wild, high-scoring games involving Montreal this season with the biggest question marks lying in its own end of the rink. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 09/26/2023

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Sep 26, 2023

The Tuesday sports card features MLB action.Major League Baseball has 16 games on its schedule. The Los Angeles Dodgers play in Colorado against the Rockies in the opening game of their doubleheader at 3:10 PM ET. Neither team has yet to name their starting pitcher.The Cincinnati Reds travel to Cleveland to play the Guardians at 6:10 PM ET. The Reds send out Hunter Greene to pitch against the Guardians’ Lucas Giolito. Cincinnati is a -112 money-line road favorite with the total set at 8 (all odds from DraftKings). The Baltimore Orioles host the Washington Nationals at 6:35 PM ET. Kyle Bradish takes the ball for the Orioles to pitch against Josiah Gray for the Nationals. Baltimore is a -238 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. Two more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 6:40 PM ET. The Kansas City Royals play in Detroit against the Tigers. The Royals turn to Zack Greinke to face a Tigers starting pitcher yet to be named. The Pittsburgh Pirates are in Philadelphia to play the Phillies. Aaron Nola takes the ball for the Phillies to pitch against a Pirates’ starting pitcher yet to be determined. The Toronto Blue Jays play at home against the New York Yankees at 7:07 PM ET. The Blue Jays tap Kevin Gausman to battle against the Yankees’ Michael King. Toronto is a -162 money-line favorite with a total of 7. Two more MLB games start at 7:10 PM ET. Tampa Bay plays in Boston with Zach Eflin taking the ball for the Rays to pitch against the Tanner Houck for the Red Sox. The Rays are a -130 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Miami is at New York with the Marlins turning to Braxton Garrett to duel against the Mets’ Joey Lucchesi. The Marlins are a -135 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. The Atlanta Braves are at home against the Chicago Cubs on TBS at 7:20 PM ET. The Braves tap Bryce Elder to face the Cubs’ Justin Steele. Atlanta is a -148 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. Four MLB games begin at 7:40 PM ET. Arizona plays in Chicago with Zach Davies taking the mound for the Diamondbacks to pitch against the Cubs’ Jose Arena. The Diamondbacks are a -142 money-line road favorite with a total of 9.5. Oakland plays in Minnesota with the A’s yet to name a starting pitcher against the Twins’ Bailey Ober. Milwaukee hosts St. Louis with Adrian Houser going to the mound for the Brewers against Zack Thompson for the Cardinals. The Brewers are a -148 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Dodgers play on the road against the Rockies in the second game of their doubleheader at 8:40 PM ET. Los Angeles taps Bobby Miller to duel against a starting pitcher yet to be named for Colorado. The Los Angeles are at home against the Texas Rangers at 9:38 PM ET with Reid Detmers on the mound for the Angels against a Rangers’ starting pithcer yet to be named.The San Diego Padres travel to San Francisco to play the Giants at 9:45 PM ET. The Padres tap Seth Lugo to duel against the Giants’ Kyle Harrison. San Diego is a -125 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The Seattle Mariners plays at home against the Houston Astros on TBS-TV at 10:05 PM ET. George Kirby takes the hill for the Mariners to face Cristian Javier for the Astros. Seattle is a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.

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Around The Horn

by AAA Sports

Monday, Sep 25, 2023

Each season some of the surviving members of the NFL’s last and only undefeated (including playoffs) team, the 1972 Dolphins, get together and toast each other with champagne when the final unbeaten team takes a loss. In an ironic twist, this year the Old-Timer Dolphins – Bob Griese, Mercury Morris, Marv Fleming, and the like – may be rooting for the present-day Dolphins to lose.The current iteration of the Fins is 3-0, in first place in one of the best divisions in the NFL, and is fresh off putting a 70-20 hurting on the defenseless Broncos. They have it all going as they head into Week 4’s matchup at Buffalo in what will be the most anticipated game of the first quarter of the season.Miami’s offense has been so dominant that the Dolphins scored more points in the Denver game than 17 other teams have scored in three games total this season. Tua Tagoviloa has offensive weapons everywhere he turns, and if he can stay concussion-free (no guarantee there, to be sure), the Fins could have a playoff berth banked by mid-November. Oh, BTW, Miami is also a perfect 3-0 ATS.The Bills, meanwhile, are one team that doesn’t figure to be intimidated by the Dolphins’ flashy offense and numbers. After slipping up in a Week 1 loss to the Jets, the Bills have laid the wood to Las Vegas (38-10) and Washington (37-3). They’ll be ready.Buffalo is a 3-point favorite, with the O/U set at a healthy 49.5.INDUSTRY IS HITTING IT BIGJust a few years removed from Covid lockdowns and closed casinos, the gambling industry has come roaring back in a huge way.Numbers released recently by the American Gaming Association show that commercial casinos just enjoyed their best July ever, with a fat profit of $5.4 billion. That’s not all. The industry is poised to enjoy its best year ever. The black number through seven months was $38 billion, a full 11 percent better than in 2022 and virtually assuring that the number will eclipse last year’s.Why?Two reasons are the American public which is traveling again, plus the opening of several bricks-and-mortar casinos. Increased sports betting also provided a strong wind to the industry’s back, with a mammoth 28 percent jump in revenue over the previous July. Even wagering on baseball, the poor cousin to football and basketball wagering, showed a large boost.The only states that reported declining casino revenues were Mississippi, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, and Louisiana.PENNSYLVANIA TARGETS CASINO SMOKERSIn Pennsylvania, a bill to eliminate smoking in the state’s 18 casinos is winding its way through the state legislature. Currently, a loophole in the state’s 15-year-old Clean Indoor Air Act allows patrons to light up, producing second-hand smoke levels more than five times greater than in smoke-free gambling houses. National studies show that only 11 percent of Americans still smoke.NBA CRACKS DOWN ON LOAD MANAGERSThe NBA’s new policy on load management, which will limit the amount of time teams can rest their star players, should have an interesting impact on gambling lines. Sitting stars to keep them rested for the playoffs (Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James are obvious examples) can be killers for both the oddsmakers, who set lines based on full participation; and for bettors, who cringe when they have put down cash but then see their team’s best player in street clothes. One thing is certain – the gambling industry will be demanding that teams announce well in advance if a player will be sitting. But even that might not be enough for punters to keep their sanity.NEWSOM INCHES UP A BITGavin Newsom’s increased national profile is starting to show up on the PredictIt betting market. Newsom is now getting action at 18 cents on the stock market-style website, which seems low but is a bit higher than Ron DeSantis’s 14 cents. The California governor is not a declared candidate but would vault toward the top of the Democratic list if President Joe Biden elects to not run in 2024.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and NFL Previews and Odds - 09/25/2023

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Sep 25, 2023

The Monday sports card features NFL and MLB action.Week 3 in the NFL concludes with two games. The Philadelphia Eagles travel to Tampa Bay to play the Buccaneers on ABC-TV at 7:15 PM ET. The Eagles have won their first two games of the season after their 34-28 victory as a 6-point favorite back on September 14th. The Buccaneers are unbeaten in their first two games of the season after their 27-17 victory against Chicago as a 1-point favorite last Sunday. Philadelphia is a 5-point road favorite with the total set at 45 (all odds from DraftKings). The Cincinnati Bengals host the Los Angeles Rams on ESPN at 8:15 PM ET. The Bengals are winless in their first two games of the season after their 27-24 upset loss to Baltimore as a 3-point favorite last Sunday. The Rams are now 1-1 after their 30-23 loss to San Francisco as a 7.5-point underdog on Sunday. Cincinnati is a 2-point favorite with an over/under of 43.5. Major League Baseball has four games on its schedule. The Arizona Diamondbacks travel to New York against the Yankees at 1:05 PM ET. The Diamondbacks have won six of their last seven games after their 7-1 victory against the Yankees yesterday. The Yankees had won two games in a row before their loss on Sunday. Merrill Kelly takes the ball for Arizona to pitch against Clarke Schmidt for New York. The Diamondbacks are a -125 money-line road favorite with a total of 7.5. The Texan Rangers play in Los Angeles against the Angels at 9:38 PM ET. The Rangers are on a five-game winning streak after their 9-8 victory against Seattle on Sunday. The Angels lost their third game in their last four games in a 9-3 loss at Minnesota on Sunday. Jon Gray takes the ball for the Rangers to pitch against Patrick Sandoval for the Angels. Texas is a -185 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9. The Seattle Mariners play at home against the Houston Astros at 9:40 PM ET. The Mariners are on a three-game losing streak after their 9-8 loss at Texas yesterday. The Astros have lost five of their last six games after a 6-5 loss to Kansas City on Sunday. The Mariners tap Luis Castillo to face the Astros’ Justin Verlander. Seattle is a -118 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. The San Diego Padres visit San Francisco to play the Giants at 9:45 PM ET. The Padres won for the ninth time in their last ten games with a 12-2 victory against St. Louis on Sunday. The Giants lost for the fifth time in their last six games on Sunday after a 3-2 loss on the road in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. Blake Snell takes the ball for the Padres to go against Logan Webb for the Giants. San Diego is a -112 money-line road favorite with a total of 7.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, MLB and EPL Previews and Odds - 09/24/2023

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Sep 24, 2023

The Sunday sports card features NFL, MLB, and EPL action.Week 3 in the NFL continues with 13 games. Nine NFL games kick off at 1 PM ET. The Minnesota Vikings host the Los Angeles Chargers as a 1-point favorite, with the total set at 54 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). The Green Bay Packers plays at home against the New Orleans Saints as a 1-point favorite with an over/under of 42. The Jacksonville Jaguars are at home against the Houston Texans as a -7.5-point favorite with a total of 44. The Cleveland Browns host the Tennessee Titans as a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 38.5. The Baltimore Ravens play at home against the Indianapolis Colts as an 8-point favorite with a total of 43.5. The Miami Dolphins are at home against the Denver Broncos as a 6-point favorite with an over/under of 47.5. The New England Patriots travel to New York to play the Jets as a 2.5-point road favorite with a total of 36. The Buffalo Bills play in Washington against the Commanders as a 6-point road favorite with an over/under of 43. The Detroit Lions host the Atlanta Falcons as a 3-point favorite with a total of 46.5. The Seattle Seahawks play at home against the Carolina Panthers as a 5-point favorite with an over/under of 42. Two more NFL games kick off at 4:25 PM ET. The Dallas Cowboys play in Arizona against the Cardinals as a 13-point road favorite with a total of 43. The Kansas City Chiefs are at home against the Chicago Bears as a 12.5-point favorite with an over/under of 48. Sunday Night Football on NBC features the Las Vegas Raiders playing at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers at 8:20 PM ET. The Raiders are a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 43. Major League Baseball has 16 games on its schedule. The Philadelphia Phillies host the New York Mets at 1:05 PM ET as a -180 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Tampa Bay Rays play at home against the Toronto Blue Jays at 1:10 PM ET as a 118 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Three MLB games throw out the first pitch at 1:35 PM ET. The Washington Nationals are at home against the Atlanta Braves in the opening game of their doubleheader. The Boston Red Sox host the Chicago White Sox as a -155 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Arizona Diamondbacks visit New York to play the Yankees. Three MLB games start at 1:40 PM ET. The Milwaukee Brewers play in Miami against the Marlins as a -130 money-line road favorite with a total of 7. The Baltimore Orioles are in Cleveland to play the Guardians with both teams priced at -110 with an over/under of 8. The Pittsburgh Pirates play in Cincinnati Reds. Two MLB games begin at 2:10 PM ET. The Kansas City Royals travel to Houston to play the Astros. The Minnesota Twins play at home against the Los Angeles Angels as a -230 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Chicago Cubs are at home against the Colorado Rockies at 2:20 PM ET as a -258 money-line favorite. The Texas Rangers host the Seattle Mariners at 2:35 PM ET as a -130 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Detroit Tigers play in Oakland against the A’s at 4:07 PM ET as a -148 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. The San Diego Padres are at home against the St. Louis Cardinals at 4:10 PM ET as a -225 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Braves are on the road against the Nationals in the second game of their doubleheader at 6:35 PM ET. Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN has the Los Angeles Dodgers playing at home against the San Francisco Giants at 7:10 PM ET. Matchweek 6 in the English Premier League concludes with five matches. Four matches start at 9 AM ET. Arsenal hosts Tottenham as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 3 (all soccer odds from BetMGM). Brighton and Hove Albion play at home against Bournemouth on the USA Network as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Chelsea is at home against Aston Villa as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 3. Liverpool hosts West Ham United as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 3.5. Newcastle United visits Sheffield United on the USA Network at 11:30 AM ET as a -1 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, MLB, CFL and EPL Previews and Odds - 09/23/2023

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Sep 23, 2023

The Saturday sports card features NCAAF, MLB, CFL, and EPL action.The fourth week in NCAAF college football concludes with 58 games between FBS opponents. Seven NCAAF games are on national television at noon ET. Texas A&M hosts Auburn on ESPN as an 8.5-point favorite, with the total set at 51 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Oklahoma visits Cincinnati on Fox as a 14-point road favorite with an over/under of 57.5. Troy plays at home against Western Kentucky on ESPNU as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 57. Marshall is at home against Virginia Tech on ESPN2 as a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 41. Northern Illinois hosts Tulsa on the CBS Sports Network as a 4-point favorite with a total of 54.5. Florida State is at Clemson on ABC as a 2-point road favorite with an over/under of 55. TCU plays at home against SMU on FS1 as a 6.5-point favorite, with a total of 63.5. Toledo plays at home against Western Michigan on ESPNU at 1:30 PM ET as a 21.5-point favorite with an over/under of 53.5. Seven nationally televised NCAAF games start at 3:30 PM ET. Oregon is at home against Colorado on ABC as a 21-point favorite with a total of 70. Miami (FL) visits Temple on ESPN2 as a 23-point road favorite with an over/under of 45.5. Kansas hosts BYU on ESPNU as a 9.5-point favorite with a total of 54.5. Maryland plays at Michigan State on NBC as a 7.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 52.5. Duke is at Connecticut on the CBS Sports Network as a 22.5-point road favorite with a total of 45. Alabama plays at home against Mississippi on CBS as a 7-point favorite with an over/under of 56. Utah is at home against UCLA on Fox as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 52.5. Two NCAAF games on national television begin at 4 PM ET. Iowa State hosts Oklahoma State on FS1 as a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 36.5. Rice travels to South Florida on ESPNU as a 2.5-point road favorite with a total of 57. Wake Forest hosts Georgia Tech on The CW at 6:30 PM ET as a 4-point favorite with an over/under of 58.5. Three nationally-televised NCAAF games start a 7 PM ET. Oregon State plays at Washington State as a 3-point road favorite with a total of 57.5. LSU plays at home against Arkansas on ESPN as a 17.5-point favorite with an over/under of 55. Wyoming is at home against Appalachian State on the CBS Sports Network as a 3-point favorite with a total of 44. Five more NCAAF games are on national television at 7:30 PM ET. Georgia hosts UAB on ESPN2 as a 40.5-point favorite with an over/under of 55. Texas is at Baylor on ABC as a 17-point road favorite with a total of 48.5. Ohio State visits Notre Dame on NBC as a 3.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 55.5. Missouri plays Memphis on a neutral field at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis on ESPNU as a 7-point favorite with a total of 51.5. Penn State is at home against Iowa on CBS as a 14.5-point favorite with an over/under of 36.5. Three more NCAAF games on national television begin at 10:30 PM ET. USC plays at Arizona State on Fox as a 34.5-point road favorite with a total of 62. Fresno State hosts Kent State on the CBS Sports Network as a 27.5-point favorite with an over/under of 47.5. Washington plays at home against California on ESPN as a 20.5-point favorite with a total of 57.Major League Baseball has 14 games on its schedule. The New York Yankees are at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks at 1:05 PM ET as a -125 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Minnesota Twins host the Los Angeles Angels at 2:10 PM ET as a -218 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. The Chicago Cubs play at home against the Colorado Rockies at 2:20 PM ET as a -230 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Philadelphia Phillies are at home against the New York Mets at 4:05 PM ET as a -192 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. The Detroit Tigers travel to Oakland to play the A’s at 4:07 PM ET. Three more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 4:10 PM ET. The Tampa Bay Rays host the Toronto Blue Jays as a -135 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Milwaukee Brewers play in Miami against the Marlins as a -118 money-line road favorite with a total of 7. The Boston Red Sox are at home against the Chicago White Sox as a -148 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Baltimore Orioles play at Cleveland against the Guardians at 6:10 PM ET as a -142 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. The Pittsburgh Pirates are in Cincinnati to play the Reds at 6:40 PM ET. The Texas Rangers host the Seattle Mariners at 7:05 PM ET as a -125 money-line favor with an over/under of 8.5.The Kansas City Royals play in Houston against the Astros at 7:10 PM ET.  The San Diego Padres are at home against the St. Louis Cardinals at 8:40 PM ET as a -166 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers play at home against the San Francisco Giants at 9:10 PM ET. Week 16 in the Canadian Football League concludes with two games. The Montreal Alouettes visit Calgary to play the Stampeders at 4 PM ET as a 1-point road favorite with an over/under of 47. The Toronto Argonauts are at home against the Hamilton Tigers-Cats as a 9.5-point favorite with a total of 49.5. Matchweek 6 in the English Premier League begins with five matches. Three EPL matches begin at 10 AM ET. Crystal Palace hosts Fulham as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Wolverhampton plays at Luton Town as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 2.5. Manchester City is at home against Nottingham Forest on the USA Network as a -2 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3.5.Brentford hosts Everton on NBC a 12:30 PM ET as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. Manchester United is at Burnley at 3 PM ET as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 3.

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