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Vegas Writer's Daily Recap - May 31, 2023

by Vegas Writer

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

The WNBA was back in action on Tuesday with four games.Underdogs went 3-1, including a pair of double-digit pups.For the season, underdogs are now 13-11. Also, totals are dead even with 12 overs and 12 unders.The Atlanta Dream made easy work of the Chicago Sky, who were the last undefeated ATS team until last night. Rhyne Howard scored 20 points, Allisha Gray and rookie Haley Jones each added 13 and the Dream rolled past Chicago, 83-65.The Indiana Fever was a formidable foe as a 12 1/2-point underdog at Connecticut before falling to the Sun, 81-78. Tiffany Hayes scored 22 points, Brionna Jones had 19 points and 11 rebounds, and the Sun held off a late charge by the Fever.The Dallas Wings slipped past the winless Minnesota Lynx, one of two teams without a victory this season. Natasha Howard scored 25 points, Satou Sabally had 23 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three steals to lead the Wings. Western Conference Player of the Week Arike Ogunbowale finished with 21 points for Dallas.Finally, in the nightcap, it was the New York Liberty holding off the Seattle Storm, the other winless team in the league. It was Breanna Stewart's first game back in Seattle since going to the Liberty as a free agent during the offseason. Stewart had 25 points and 11 rebounds in her return and the Liberty beat Seattle 86-78. Seattle got within single digits early in the fourth before Sabrina Ionescu drained a 3-pointer, one of her six treys in the game. Ionescu finished with 20 points for New York.The WNBA is off on Wednesday.From the MLB card, six of the eight underdogs won Tuesday, with one game a pick'em. The most notable underdog victory was undoubtedly the Oakland Athletics (+215 DraftKings) in their 2-1 win over the Atlanta Braves. While it was only the second time Oakland has won consecutive games this season, perhaps the bigger story is the suddenly struggling Braves, who have lost six of their last nine despite their offense producing with a .254 batting average and 14 homers in the nine games. It's the pitching staff that's been struggling, as Atlanta's staff has a 4.76 ERA since May 22, and has been smacked around for 11 homers. Opponents are hitting .258 in the nine games.I delivered a winner on Tuesday in baseball with my National  League West Game of the Week on the Diamondbacks Run Line over the Colorado Rockies, a 5-1 victory. Tonight I have my final MLB Division Play of May - be it Game, Dog or Total - as I am ready to roll with an MLB DIVISION DOG OF THE MONTH.Though the NHL won't start until Saturday with Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, I will keep these notes handy for you.NHL Playoff Notes: Road teams are 46-37 in the postseason. Underdogs are 40-41 in the postseason, with a $100 wager on the pups turning a profit of roughly $1500. The Over is 43-39-1, but the Under has cashed 30 of the last 53 games. There have been 23 overtime games, and road teams are 15-8 in those games. NHL favorites higher than -150 are 14-34 on the puck line this postseason. Stanley Cup Notes:FLORIDA The Panthers have won 16 of their last 21 road games. Florida enters the SCF on an 18-6 win streak. The Panthers check in at seventh in the postseason with 3.11 goals-for per game. Florida's goals-against average during the playoffs is 2.69, ranking sixth. VEGAS Vegas has won 13 of 17 against Atlantic Division teams. The Golden Knights are on an 18-6 roll at home. The Golden Knights rank third in the playoffs with 3.65 goals-for per game. Vegas is fourth in the postseason with a goals-against average of 2.65. SERIES The home team has won the last five meetings. The Golden Knights have won five straight meetings in Vegas. Vegas is on a 5-2 roll in the overall series.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 05/31/2023

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

The Wednesday sports card features action in the MLB. Fourteen games take place in Major League Baseball. The Texas Rangers travel to Detroit to play the Tigers at 1:10 PM ET. Dane Dunning takes the mound for the Rangers against a starting pitcher yet to be named for the Tigers. The Chicago White Sox host the Los Angeles Angels at 2:10 PM  ET. The White Sox turn to Lance Lynn in their starting rotation to go against the Angels’ Jaime Barria. Chicago is a -135 money-line favorite, with the total set at 9 (all odds from DraftKings). The Tampa Bay Rays play in Chicago against the Cubs at 2:20 PM ET. Zach Eflin pitches for the Rays against Justin Steele for the Cubs. Tampa Bay is a -135 money-line road favorite. The Cleveland Guardians visit Baltimore to play the Orioles at 3:05 PM ET. The Guardians tap Shane Bieber in their starting rotation to face a starting pitcher yet to be named for the Orioles. The Atlanta Braves are in Oakland against the A’s at 3:37 PM ET. Jared Shutter takes the hill for the Braves to duel against James Kaprielian for the A’s. Atlanta is a -215 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9. The San Francisco Giants play at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 3:45 PM ET. The Giants tap Alex Wood to battle against the Pirates’ Mitch Keller. San Francisco is a -125 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers are at home against the Washington Nationals at 4:10 PM ET. Noah Syndergaard takes the ball for the Dodgers to pitch against Patrick Corbin for the Nationals. Los Angeles is a -240 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. The San Diego Padres travel to Miami to play the Marlins at 6:40 PM ET. The Padres’ Blake Snell takes the mound to pitch against the Marlins’ Braxton Garrett. San Diego is a -120 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Toronto Blue Jays host the Milwaukee Brewers at 7:07 PM ET. Alex Manoah starts for the Blue Jays against Julio Teheran for the Brewers. Toronto is a -180 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Two more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:10 PM ET. The Boston Red Sox play at home against the Cincinnati Reds, with the Red Sox turning to James Paxton to pitch against the Reds’ Luke Weaver. Boston is a -180 money-line favorite with a total of 10. The Philadelphia Phillies play in New York against the Mets, with Aaron Nola taking the ball for the Phillies to face Carlos Carrasco for the Mets. Philadelphia is a -125 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Houston Astros are at home against the Minnesota Twins at 8:10 PM ET. The Astros turn to Hunter Brown to take the ball and pitch against the Twins’ Louie Garland. Houston is a -180 money-line favorite with a total of 8. Two more games conclude the MLB card at 9:40 PM ET. The Arizona Diamondbacks host the Colorado Rockies, with Tommy Henry pitching for the Diamondbacks against Dinelson Lamet for the Rockies. Arizona is a -175 money-line favorite with an over/under of 10. The Seattle Mariners play at home against the New York Yankees, with the Mariners sending out George Kirby to pitch against the Yankees’ Clarke Schmidt. Seattle is a -135 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. 

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How to Bet the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year

by Oskeim Sports

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

If you’re betting on the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, you’d better have a strategy. Otherwise, betting on a whim is a waste of your money. The top offensive rookie in the league plays one of three positions and possesses specific qualities. Here, we show you how to maximize your bets in this category. Where to Start Make sure the player is a wide receiver, a running back, or a quarterback when putting a wager on the NFL Offensive ROTY. Tight ends and linemen don’t win this award. When you look at rookie QBs, RBs, and WRs, they need to play. Guys that win this award typically play 15 games or more in their first year. Additionally, it is advantageous if the player plays in around 15 to 16 games each season. That player will be able to compile the kinds of stats that garner season-ending honors if they participate in the majority of games. Defining ROTY According to its definition, the best offensive first-year player in the National Football League receives the Associated Press NFL Rookie of the Year Award each year. Now, it helps to understand who votes for the winner. Voting is open to the 50 Associated Press journalists who cover the NFL. They vote right after the last game of the regular season. Typically, two to five players receive votes and there is usually no dispute over the winner. Voters normally vote for the players with the best statistical seasons. If they don’t have strong numbers; they aren’t winning the ROTY. The Numbers Speaking of numbers, actual passing yards matter more than metrics like air yards or yards per attempt. Running backs and wide receivers usually need about 1,300 yards or more to be a ROTY winner. To accumulate those kinds of numbers, a rookie has to play. Since 2010, nine ROTY winners have played at least 15 games and 28 of the 39 players that received votes since 2010 played in every single game. Playing in every game – or at least most games – is what allows rookies to produce big numbers. Past Winners Up until the early 2000s, the ROTY was a running back-heavy award. With rookie quarterbacks often playing early now, QBs have now taken nine of the past 20 trophies. Running backs and wide receivers won the other 11. Each of the last two ROTYs – Ja’Marr Chase and Garrett Wilson – were receivers. More receivers are being taken early in the draft and, as a result, are playing earlier. Timing Timing is everything for ROTY bettors. Many might not have touched Justin Herbert at 30-1 as a rookie QB with the Chargers. But, when starter Tyrod Taylor went down, Herbert stepped in and had an outstanding season to earn the award. In 2014, Odell Beckham Jr. missed the first four games of the season. That caused his value to drop, but he eventually ended up winning the ROTY. The point is that bettors might have to wager on a guy that isn’t a starter or isn’t playing a lot at the beginning of the season in order to get longer odds. Recent victories have gone to many players. Since 2009, six winners have earned odds of at least +1200. The timing is critical for gamblers. Team Matters The ROTY winner has played on a team that has averaged 7.9 victories since 2010. Some (Saquon Barkley, 3-13) were on truly bad teams, while others (Dak Prescott, 13-3) were on really good ones. Only four of the winning quarterbacks in the prior six seasons had a winning percentage over .500. Given that the worst teams frequently select toward the top of the draft, this should make sense. Because the quarterback is so important, teams choose to draft them first. When you draft a QB so high, it is expected that he will play early. The Draft & More Twelve of the past 20 ROTY winners were chosen in the first 10 picks in their draft. Players who are chosen highly usually have more opportunities to play right away. That, of course, leads to the numbers we discussed earlier. Running back is the only position where non-first-round picks have won. Although they have earned a few votes, offensive linemen have never taken home the prize. There have been six votes cast since 2010 on an offensive lineman. Victories for the quarterback matter when the vote is close. Despite Ezekiel Elliott having the second-best rookie running back season of all time in 2016, Dak Prescott won the ROTY. He threw just four interceptions and led the Cowboys to a 13-3 record.

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CFL 2023 West Division Preview (The Prairies)

by Scott Rickenbach

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Canadian Football League West Division The Prairies CFL 2023Saskatchewan Roughriders – Projected win total is 7.5 and last season the Roughriders won 6 games. Off a rare disappointing campaign, the Riders should bounce back here. Football is huge in Saskatchewan and the addition of QB Trevor Harris should pay immediate dividends. They also added receiving talent and have a new offensive coordinator. There could be some growing pains earlier this season as a result of all the new additions but then as this team jells as the season progresses, no one will want to face them. They have a defense capable of ball-hawking and should create some turnovers and get key stops. A .500 season is not out of the question and I would not be surprised to see 9 wins for them this season. Winnipeg Blue Bombers – Projected win total is 12.5 and last season the Blue Bombers won 15 games. Of course this total may seem low but the Bombers getting 15 wins last season was a case of a lot of breaks going their way for sure. However, the one break that Winnipeg did not get was losing the Grey Cup by a single point. This team will be hungry to get back to the big game and they have the talent and depth to make a run for sure. However, I would not be surprised, given the improvement of other teams in the West Division, to see them struggle to get past 11 wins this season. Remember they were going for 3rd straight Grey Cup win last season. It is hard to consistently ascend to that level. A lot of things have to break the right way for a team. Will QB Zach Collaros again be able to stay healthy? He has had injury issues in recent seasons but this Bombers team does remain mostly intact plus brings back Lawler at wide receiver and he is genuinely happy to be back in Winnipeg. This team has a bullseye on its back again this season. Look for 11 or 12 wins at the most because other teams have improved in the West. 

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CFL 2023 West Division Preview (BC/Alberta)

by Scott Rickenbach

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Canadian Football League West Division BC/Alberta CFL 2023BC Lions – Projected win total is 9.5 and last season the Lions won 12 games. QB Rourke was a big part of the BC offense and he is now in Jacksonville in the NFL with the Jaguars. Also, WR Burnham who was a star for the Lions has now retired. So this is a team that has lost some key pieces from the one that knocked off Calgary in the post-season last year.  Although Vernon Adams, Jr could surprise at QB, he is a little difficult to trust stepping into this new situation. I do like the fact they arguably strengthened the trenches a little bit on both sides of the ball but the key will be how Adams does under center.  Calgary Stampeders – Projected win total is 9.5 and last season the Stamps won 12 games.  Bo Levi Mitchell is now with Hamilton. This Stampeders defense also has undergone some changes. They can have a strong ground game but the key will be the receiving strength they get. I do not trust this group completely and it is now Maier under center. I do like him at QB but he wrapped up the season with a 5-5 TD-INT ratio the last stretch of games. If they can’t establish the strong aerial game with a rather questionable WR group than how good can this ground game really be? The Stamps take a step back.  Edmonton Elks – Projected win total is 6.5 and last season the Elks won 4 games. The only way to go for Edmonton is up, really. You can see by the projected win total here that an improved season is indeed expected here for the Elks. The key here is they are in the 2nd season with Chris Jones at the helm and now this team has added some key pieces in terms of receiving talent but also at other positions including on defense. This team looks very much improved and if they can get strong QB play from Taylor Cornelius this team could even get to 8 or 9 wins this season. This is a team I will be looking for value to play on early in the season in particular.  

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2023 MLB End of May - Real or Fake: San Francisco Giants

by Nelly's Sports

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

The Giants are making a surge with strong results in the month of May. Can this team compete for a playoff spot in 2023? Now with two months of the MLB season complete the sample size has reached a meaningful level and the standings are taking form through all the adjustments for the 2023 season. Several teams have provided some recent momentum to emerge in the playoff standings, including the San Francisco Giants. Is it a real run to relevance or a fake short-term boost for a mediocre squad? The Giants had the best regular season record in baseball in 2021, winning 107 games to win the NL West title. Last season San Francisco fell back to the pack, finishing 81-81. San Francisco’s prospects for 2023 brought mixed opinions as the Giants struck out on a few big-name free agent bids. As the end of May approaches the Giants have climbed just above .500 with a recent surge, is that a sustainable pace or is this squad going to finish out of the running? San Francisco is 28-26 with a +9 scoring differential, going 16-11 at home and 12-15 on the road, for a profile that fits the record. After going 11-16 in March and April the Giants are 17-10 so far in May and +37 in scoring. The Giants have fared poorly in blowout score games and are only 5-5 in one-run results while 1-2 in extra-inning games as there hasn’t been great fortune in the win/loss record.  The recent schedule creating the rise in late May has come through a quality path as well, going 5-1 on a home stand against Philadelphia and Miami, while taking five of seven on a road trip through Minnesota and Milwaukee. The upcoming schedule is a mixed bag with the Orioles visiting in early June but also manageable opportunities with the Rockies, Cubs, and Cardinals. The late June path includes facing the Dodgers, Padres, and Diamondbacks in succession for a critical run in the standings. The pitching for the Giants has average season numbers but it is a misleading picture. The starting pitching has been quite good, but the bullpen had awful early season numbers. San Francisco relievers have a 0.45 ERA with a 0.70 WHIP in the current 10-game splits as the unit has turned a corner. The starting pitching trio of Logan Webb, Anthony DeSclafani, and Alex Cobb has been excellent this season and the results appear to be sustainable. Ross Stripling is on the IL right now while Sean Manaea has had disastrous results as the back of the rotation hasn’t worked out as planned. Alex Wood is still there as a capable option however while Jakob Junis has settled into a long relief option that could eventually return to a starting role as the overall pitching depth looks promising for the Giants.  Much like in 2021, the offense lacks big names, but Michael Conforto is having an all-star caliber season while Thairo Estrada continues to prove he can be an everyday player. The Giants are fifth in MLB in home runs hit and while it is a high-strikeout lineup, there is little reason to think San Francisco can’t continue to be a borderline top 10 scoring and OPS squad as they are now.  Arizona has been a surprise contender in the NL West, but the Diamondbacks have a few red flags that suggest being there in September may be less likely. The Padres have been one of the biggest disappointments in baseball and while San Diego is likely to make a run at some point, there is a chance to team could fold and sell off expensive parts as well if the Dodgers look too difficult to catch. Los Angeles is 33-22 to pace the division but Los Angeles hasn’t been as dominant as in the past few seasons as this division race is still open and the Giants look like a team that will be in the mix. Verdict on the 2023 San Francisco Giants start: Real Contender

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2023 MLB End of May - Real or Fake: Seattle Mariners

by Nelly's Sports

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Seattle has overcome a slow start to post solid returns in the month of May, can the Mariners return to the playoffs? Now with two months of the MLB season complete the sample size has reached a meaningful level and the standings are taking form through all the adjustments for the 2023 season. Several teams have provided some recent momentum to emerge in the playoff standings, including the Seattle Mariners, darlings of last season’s playoffs. Is it a real run to relevance or a fake short-term boost for a mediocre squad? Seattle has seemed to be an overachiever with close-game fortune the past two years, but the Mariners seemed to prove doubters correct with a 12-16 start to the season. Seattle has suddenly emerged above .500 however with a 16-10 run in May while +30 in scoring in that span. The Mariners are 3-5 in extra-inning games and 6-12 in one-run games in great contrast to the past two seasons, yet Seattle keeps closing the gap in the AL West, now just 6.5 games behind Texas.  The Mariners do have three teams ahead of them in the division including the 2022 World Series champions. The Angels have played above .500 baseball as well and Seattle is 7-0 and +24 in scoring vs. Oakland, a team on a historically bad pace. Seattle’s schedule in June is very difficult as after they close the month of May with the Yankees, they have a three-stop road trip going from Arlington to San Diego to Anaheim. Late in June the Mariners will play in New York and Baltimore vs. AL East contenders as June is likely to take a toll on the record and placement in the standings for Seattle.  Luis Castillo has lived up to his billing as the staff ace while Logan Gilbert and George Kirby have turned in solid results as well to make the Mariners a formidable rotation. Bryce Miller has also emerged as an impressive rookie to add to the pitching depth with Seattle still able to turn to Marco Gonzales as a change-of-pace starter in the rotation. Gilbert and Kirby can be questioned in their ability to be used for 200-inning seasons as starters while Miller has had some good fortune in his six starts as Seattle may not be able to maintain its elite pitching numbers all season long.  The Mariners have one of the most strikeout-prone lineups in baseball and have been in MLB’s bottom six in batting average and OPS for the season despite the winning record. Recent injuries to AJ Pollock and Dylan Moore don’t help that situation while Eugenio Suarez and Jarred Kelenic have proven to be streaky at the plate. Seattle has four players already with 60 or more strikeouts as the Mariners have the fourth most strikeouts in MLB.  The biggest red flag for the Mariners is going 7-15 vs. winning teams this season while the three other contenders in the AL West all have at least 14 wins against above .500 squads. Seattle’s lineup has had success vs. left-handers this season winning 60 percent of its games vs. left-handed starters but there are not that many lefty starters in the division and Texas, Houston, and the Angels have all had much better results vs. right-handers. Ultimately Seattle’s strong month of May would look rather ordinary without those seven wins vs. the Athletics, who they won’t face again until late August when it may be too late to make a run at the playoffs.  Verdict on the 2023 Seattle Mariners start: Fake Contender

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Vegas Writer's Daily Recap - May 30, 2023

by Vegas Writer

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

The Miami Heat are headed to the NBA FinalsJimmy Butler scored 28 points, Caleb Martin had 26 points and 10 rebounds and the eighth-seeded Heat crushed the Boston Celtics 103-84 in Game 7 on Monday night.Miami, which recovered from blowing a 3-0 lead in the series and advanced to face the Western Conference champion Denver Nuggets, is in the NBA Finals for the second time in four seasons.Game 1 is Thursday night in Denver, where the Nuggets have been waiting since May 22.In the NHL, the Vegas Golden Knights are returning to the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in their first six seasons in the league.Paced by original members of the Golden Misfits who played in the inaugural season for Vegas, the Knights blanked the Dallas Stars 6-0 on Monday.William Karlsson scored twice, Jonathan Marchessault added his ninth goal of the season, and three others added a goal for the Western Conference's top seed.The Stanley Cup Final opens Saturday night in Vegas, where the Knights will host the eighth-seeded Florida Panthers in Game 1.NHL Notes: Road teams are 46-37 in the postseason. Underdogs are 40-41 in the postseason, with a $100 wager on the pups turning a profit of roughly $1500. The Over is 43-39-1, but the Under has cashed 30 of the last 53 games. There have been 23 overtime games, and road teams are 15-8 in those games. NHL favorites higher than -150 are 14-34 on the puck line this postseason. Seven of the 11 underdogs won Monday on the shortened MLB card. The most notable underdog victory was undoubtedly the Oakland Athletics (+205 DraftKings) in their 7-2 win over the Atlanta Braves. Perhaps something to watch is the Braves losing five of their last eight despite their offense producing with a .267 batting average and 13 homers. It's the pitching staff that's been struggling, as Atlanta's staff has a 5.20 ERA since May 22, and has been smacked around for 11 homers. Opponents are hitting .266 in the eight games.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 05/30/2023

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

The Tuesday sports card features action in the MLB. Fifteen games take place in Major League Baseball. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 6:40 PM ET. The Miami Marlins host the San Diego Padres, with Sandy Alcantara taking the mound for the Marlins to pitch against Ryan Weathers for the Padres. Miami is a -135 money-line favorite, with the total set at 8 (all odds from DraftKings). The Texas Rangers travel to Detroit to play the Tigers, with the Rangers turning to Martin Perez to battle against the Tigers Alex Faldo. Texas is a -130 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Baltimore Orioles play at home against the Cleveland Guardians at 7:05 PM ET. Kyle Gibson takes the ball for the Orioles to pitch against Cal Quantrill for the Guardians. Baltimore is a -150 money-line favorite with a total of 8. The Toronto Blue Jays are at home against the Milwaukee Brewers at 7:07 PM ET. The Blue Jays send out Yusei Kikuchi to duel against the Brewers’ Adrian Houser. Toronto is a -150 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Two MLB games start at 7:10 PM ET. The Boston Red Sox hosts the Cincinnati Reds, with Brayan Bello pitching for the Red Sox against Ben Lively for the Reds. Boston is a -180 money-line favorite with a total of 9.5. The New York Mets play at home against the Philadelphia Phillies on TBS. The Mets tap Kodai Senga to pitch against the Phillies' Ranger Suarez. New York is a -135 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The St. Louis Cardinals are at home against the Kansas City Royals at 7:45 PM ET. Miles Mikolas takes the mound for the Cardinals to duel against Zack Greinke for the Royals. St. Louis is a -180 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The Tampa Bay Rays visit Chicago to play the Cubs at 8:05 PM ET. The Rays send out Shane McClanahan to pitch against the Cubs’ Kyle Hendricks. Tampa Bay is a -195 money-line road favorite. Two more MLB games begin at 8:10 PM ET. The Minnesota Twins play at Houston against the Astros, with Joe Ryan pitching for the Twins against Brandon Bielak for the Astros. Minnesota is a -120 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8. The Chicago White Sox hosts the Los Angeles Angels with the White Sox turning to Lucas Giolito to pitch against the Angels’ Tyler Anderson. Chicago is a -140 money-line favorite with a total of 9. Three MLB games start at 9:40 PM ET. The Arizona Diamondbacks play at home against the Colorado Rockies, with Zac Gallen pitching for Diamondbacks against Kyle Freeland for the Rockies. Arizona is a -230 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Atlanta Braves are in Oakland to play the A’s, with the Braves sending out Bryce Elder to pitch against the A’s J.P. Sears. Atlanta is a -245 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. The Seattle Mariners are at home against the New York Yankees, with Logan Gilbert taking the mound for the Mariners to face Nestor Cortes of the Yankees. Seattle is a -135 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The San Francisco Giants host the Pittsburgh Pirates at 9:45 PM ET. The Giants tap John Brebbia to start against the Pirates' Johan Oviedo. San Francisco is a -165 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The Los Angles Dodgers play at home against the Washington Nationals at 10:10 PM ET. Tony Gonsolin takes the ball for the Dodgers in a battle against Jake Irvin of the Nationals. Los Angeles is a -300 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9.

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Vegas Writer's Daily Recap - May 29, 2023

by Vegas Writer

Monday, May 29, 2023

With both the NBA and NHL off, it was all about the WNBA and Major League Baseball on Sunday, with some other sports sprinkled in.Before I hit the recap, make note for Memorial Day I have two plays, one on the MLB diamond and this one on the NBA hardwood. I'm on a 44-26-2 NBA run for $15,350 net profit since 4/17. I'm 4-2 in this series thus far, and I'm locked and loaded for Game 7 with NBA SIDE WINNER # 30 OF 48.The Indiana Fever - last year's worst team in the WNBA - snapped a 20-game losing skid dating back, with a 90-87 win over the Atlanta Dream. The Fever won outright as a 7-point underdog, and improved to 1-2 SU and ATS on the year. Atlanta is sporting the same records.The defensive-minded Chicago Sky had their best offensive performance of the season in a 94-88 win over the Dallas Wings. The Sky are tied atop the Eastern Conference with the Connecticut Sun, both at 3-1. Chicago is the only team in the league that has covered every game its played, sitting at 4-0 ATS. The Wings dropped to 2-1 SU and 1-2 ATS.The Las Vegas Aces continued to dominate the weaker teams in the league, and improved to 4-0 with a 94-73 blowout win over the Minnesota Lynx. The Aces are the league's only unbeaten team at 4-0 SU, while they're 3-1 ATS. The Lynx are now 0-4 both SU and ATS.The WNBA is off tonight, and returns Tuesday with four games.Five of the 12 underdogs won Sunday on the MLB diamond, while there were three games around a pick'em. The most notable underdog victory had to be the Cincinnati Reds (+140 DraftKings) in their 8-5 win over the Chicago Cubs. The Reds head into the week on a three-game win streak, during which they've scored an average of 8.3 runs per game while hitting .381 and slugging .593. They open an Interleague series in Boston before returning home for seven games.My best play for Memorial Day is a DIVISION TOTAL OF THE MONTH. It's the best Over/Under value on the entire card, and a play you cannot afford to miss. Let's build the bankroll for tonight with this MLB DIVISION TOTAL OF THE MONTH.NHL Notes: Road teams are 45-37 in the postseason. Underdogs are 39-41 in the postseason, with a $100 wager on the pups turning a profit of roughly $1400. The Over is 42-39-1, but the Under has cashed 30 of the last 52 games. There have been 23 overtime games, and road teams are 15-8 in those games. NHL favorites higher than -150 are 14-34 on the puck line this postseason.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL and MLB Previews and Odds - 05/29/2023

by Big Al Staff

Monday, May 29, 2023

The Monday sports card features action in the NBA, NHL, and MLB.The National Basketball Association playoffs continue with the Boston Celtics hosting the Miami Heat on TNT at 8:30 PM ET in the seventh game of the Eastern Conference finals. The Celtics evened this series at three games apiece with their 104-103 victory as a 2.5-point favorite on Saturday. Boston is a 7.5-point favorite, with the total set at 203 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise).The National Hockey League playoffs continue with the Dallas Stars playing at home against the Vegas Golden Knights on ESPN at 8:05 PM ET in the sixth game of the Western Conference finals. The Stars kept this series alive with their 4-2 upset victory on the road against the Golden Knights on Saturday. Vegas has a 3-2 series lead. Dallas is a -120 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Monday card in Major League Baseball has 11 games on its schedule. The Baltimore Orioles are at home against the Cleveland Guardians at 1:05 PM ET. Tyler Wells takes the ball for the Orioles to pitch against Logan Allen for the Guardians. Baltimore is a -145 money-line favorite with a total of 8. The Texas Rangers travel to Detroit to play the Tigers at 1:10 PM ET. The Rangers tap Nathan Eovaldi to battle against the Tigers’ Matthew Boyd. The St. Louis Cardinals host the Kansas City Royals at 2:15 PM ET. Adam Wainwright takes the hill for the Cardinals to pitch against Josh Staumont for the Royals. St. Louis is a -200 money-line favorite with an over/under of 10. The Tampa Bay Rays visit Chicago to play the Cubs at 2:20 PM ET. The Rays tap Taz Bradley to duel against the Cubs’ Marcus Stroman. Tampa Bay is a -130 money-line favorite. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 4:10 PM ET. The Arizona Diamondbacks play at home against the Colorado Rockies, with Ryne Nelson taking the mound for the Diamondbacks to face Karl Kaufmann for the Rockies. Arizona is a -180 money-line favorite with a total of 10. The Houston Astros are at home against the Minnesota Twins, with the Astros turning to J.P. France to face the Twins’ Sonny Gray. Houston is a -125 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The San Francisco Giants host the Pittsburgh Pirates at 5:05 PM ET. Anthony DeSclafani takes the ball for the Giants to pitch against Rich Hill for the Pirates. San Francisco is a -145 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Atlanta Braves play in Oakland against the A’s at 8:07 PM ET. The Braves tap Mike Soroka to take the mound against the A’s Paul Blackburn. Atlanta is a -240 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Chicago White Sox play at home against the Los Angeles Angels on FS1 at 8:10 PM ET. Michael Kopech pitches for the White Sox against Griffin Canning for the Angels. Chicago is a -135 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers are at home against the Washington Nationals at 9:10 PM ET. The Dodgers’ Bobby Miller takes the hill to battle against the Nationals’ Trevor Williams. Los Angeles is a -230 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Seattle Mariners host the New York Yankees at 9:40 PM  ET. Bryce Miller pitches for the Mariners against Domingo German for the Yankees. Seattle is a -135 money-line favorite with a total of 8.

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Vegas Writer's Daily Recap - May 28, 2023

by Vegas Writer

Sunday, May 28, 2023

Suffice to say, neither the Miami Heat nor the Vegas Golden Knights want to play for a championship.The Heat were up 3-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals, and the series is now 3-3.An improbable putback at the buzzer gave the Boston Celtics a 104-103 victory, and now the series returns to Beantown for Game 7 on Monday.The Golden Knights were up 3-0 in the Western Conference Final, and the series is now 3-2.The Dallas Stars got two third-period goals to win 4-2 in Las Vegas, and now the series returns to Dallas for Game 6 on Monday.Buckle up!NHL Notes: Road teams are 45-37 in the postseason. Underdogs are 39-41 in the postseason, with a $100 wager on the pups turning a profit of roughly $1400. The Over is 42-39-1, but the Under has cashed 30 of the last 52 games. There have been 23 overtime games, and road teams are 15-8 in those games. NHL favorites higher than -150 are 14-34 on the puck line this postseason. With both the NBA and NHL off, let's talk WNBA.The New York Liberty pulled away late for a win and cover against the Connecticut Sun, an 81-65 victory. Since scoring 64 points on .343 shooting in the season opener, the Liberty are 2-0 and have averaged 85.5 points per game on .478 shooting.The Las Vegas Aces destroyed a majorly shorthanded Los Angeles Sparks squad, that needed a hardship contract signed before the game to avoid a fine. Las Vegas was up 31-13 after the first quarter, and went on to win 93-65. The Aces are 3-0 and scoring 97.3 points per game on .509 shooting.I am not attracted to anything on the MLB card, but do have my sights set on the Aces-Lynx in the WNBA tonight, in Las Vegas. I was at last night's home opener as a fan, sitting with season ticket holder friends, and what a spectacle. But it's not the game that intrigued me last night, and I'll further explain inside, why I'm unloading with this monster WNBA CONFERENCE GAME OF THE WEEK.Six of the 11 underdogs won Saturday on the MLB diamond, while there were four games around a pick'em. The most notable underdog victory had to be the Miami Marlins (+175 DraftKings) in their 8-5 win over the Los Angeles Angels. The Fish got the best of Shohei Ohtani, and continued to show signs of life with what at times is an impressive offense. The Marlins close their road trip tonight, and have won three of four while hitting .331 and averaging 7.5 runs per game. They've hit seven home runs in the four games.I am passing in baseball tonight.

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