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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, MLB, NBA, NHL, CFL and EPL Previews and Odds - 10/25/2025

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Oct 25, 2025

The Saturday sports card features NCAAF, MLB, NBA, NHL, CFL, and EPL action.Week 9 in NCAAF college football concludes with 45 games between FBS opponents. Five NCAAF games on major national television kick off at noon ET. Georgia Tech hosts Syracuse on ESPN as a 16.5-point favorite with the total set at 52.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Indiana plays at home against UCLA on Fox as a 26.5-point favorite with an over/under of 53.5. Oklahoma is at home against Mississippi on ABC as a 4.5-point favorite with a total of 52.5. Kansas hosts Kansas State on TNT as a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 55.5. South Florida travels on the road to play Memphis on ESPN2 as a 6-point road favorite with a total of 58.5. Four NCAAF games on major national television start at 3:30 p.m. ET. Alabama plays at South Carolina on ABC as an 11.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 47.5. Iowa plays at home against Minnesota on CBS as a 9.5-point favorite with a total of 39.5. Iowa State is at home against BYU as a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 48.5. Vanderbilt hosts Missouri on ESPN as a 3-point favorite with a total of 52.5. Cincinnati plays at home against Baylor on ESPN2 as a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 67.5. Miami (FL) is home to play Stanford on ESPN at 7:00 p.m. ET as a 29.5-point favorite with a total of 45.5. Three more NCAAF games on major national television begin at 7:30 p.m. ET. Texas is on the road at LSU as a 2.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 49.5. Wyoming hosts Colorado State on the CBS Sports Network as a 4.5-point favorite with a total of 47.5. Michigan visits Michigan State on NBC at 7:30 p.m. ET as a 14-point road favorite with an over/under of 47.5. Arizona State plays at home against Houston on ESPN2 at 8:00 p.m. ET as a 7-point favorite with a total of 46.5. Utah is home against Colorado on ESPN at 10:15 p.m. ET as a 14-point favorite with an over/under of 48.5. Major League Baseball continues the World Series with Game 2 of this best-of-seven series. The Los Angeles Dodgers play in Toronto against the Blue Jays on Fox at 8:00 p.m. ET. The Blue Jays won the opening game of this series last night with an 11-4 victory. The Dodgers send out Yoshinobu Yamamoto to pitch against Toronto’s Kevin Gausman. Los Angeles is a -132 money-line road favorite with a total of 7.5. The National Basketball Association has five games on its docket. The Orlando Magic hosts the Chicago Bulls at 7:10 p.m. ET as a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 231.5. Two more NBA games tip off at 7:40 p.m. ET. The Oklahoma City Thunder are in Atlanta to face the Hawks as a 6.5-point road favorite with a total of 235.5. The Philadelphia 76ers play at home against the Charlotte Hornets as a 6.5-point favorite with an over/under of 232.5. The Indiana Pacers travel to Memphis to battle the Grizzlies at 8:10 p.m. ET as a 2.5-point road favorite with a total of 239.5. The Denver Nuggets are home against the Phoenix Suns at 9:10 p.m. ET as a 12.5-point favorite with an over/under of 234.5. The National Hockey League has 13 games on its slate. The Philadelphia Flyers host the New York Islanders at 12:37 p.m. ET as a -122 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Colorado Avalanche play in Boston against the Bruins at 3:07 p.m. ET as a -192 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Two NHL games drop the puck at 5:07 p.m. ET. The Toronto Maple Leafs play at home against the Buffalo Sabres as a -170 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Tampa Bay Lightning are home against the Buffalo Sabres as a -198 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. Two more NHL games begin at 6:07 p.m. ET. The Vegas Golden Knights are on the road to challenge the Florida Panthers as a -118 money-line road favorite with a total of 5.5. The Minnesota Wild host the Utah Mammoth as a -125 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Four NHL games start at 7:07 p.m. ET. The Vancouver Canucks play at home against the Montreal Canadiens as a -115 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Detroit Red Wings are home against the St. Louis Blues as a -112 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Columbus Blue Jackets as a -115 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Washington Capitals play at home against the Ottawa Senators as a -130 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Two NHL games begin at 8:07 p.m. ET. The Los Angeles Kings visit Nashville to take on the Predators as a -130 money-line road favorite with a total of 5.5. The Dallas Stars are home to play the Carolina Hurricanes as a -115 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Edmonton Oilers play in Seattle against the Kraken at 10:07 p.m. ET as a -180 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. Week 21 in the Canadian Football League concludes with two games. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers host the Montreal Canadiens at 3:00 p.m. ET as a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 46.5. The British Columbia Lions are in Saskatchewan to face the Roughriders at 7:00 p.m. ET as a 7.5-point road favorite with a total of 51.5. Matchweek 9 in the English Premier League continues with four matches. Two matches begin at 10:00 a.m. ET. Chelsea plays at home against Sunderland as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Newcastle United is home against Fulham on the USA Network as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. Manchester United hosts Brighton and Hove Albion at 12:30 p.m. ET as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Liverpool travels on the road to play Brentford at 3:00 p.m. ET as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 3.5. 

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National Champion, Anyone?

by Harry Gagnon

Friday, Oct 24, 2025

Who is going to be the "natty" in college football in the 2025-26 season ? Well, I guess we should start with the current national champs, The Ohio St Buckeyes. Ohio State's odds are currently at +260 and their QB Julian Sayin is catching fire at the right time (I'm just saying). Sayin completing an incredible 80% of his passes and at Camp Randall in Madison last week he was 36 of 42 , almost 400 yards a 4TD's. He's been great, but the main reason the Buckeyes are the favorite to repeat is their stifling defense. Brian Day's defense is rewriting the history books with 2 shutouts and holding teams to under 10 points 6 times this year. So, yes the Buckeyes as of now deserve to be the favorite, but the Alabama Crimson Tide is breathing down their necks at +650. QB Ty Simpson is right there in the Heisman race and his 20 total TD's and 71% completion percentage will lead 'Bama to the SEC title game and possibly even more for him and head coach Kalen DeBoer. At 8/1 is the extremely interesting Indiana Hoosiers and their sensational transfer QB Fernando Mendoza. Mendoza has his squad undefeated after taking care of Oregon who currently is 9/1 in Eugene 2 weeks ago. Mendoza has 23 TD's, just 2 picks and his top 2 WR's have over 1200 yards combined. This Hoosiers team is dangerous because they can beat you with their offense or their defense that kept the Ducks offense in check, plus the rest of their schedule is easy if you consider the collapse of Penn St.The 2 teams at 11/1 I'm not sold on. Texas A&M are favored in LSU this week despite giving up 42 points to a 2-5 Arkansas team and Notre Dame still have those 2 losses to start the season that might come back to haunt them (it is Halloween in a week, get it -haunt them, anyways lets get back to the teams that can win the title). Next up is a couple of southern schools in Georgia 12/1 and Miami 7/1. If the Bulldogs can make a run to the SEC Title game that could certainly help their ranking order for the playoffs, meanwhile (I had a feeling it was a matter of time) Carson Beck had a brutal game against Louisville 100/1 with 4 picks and I'm not backing Beck based on that and his history as a Georgia Bulldog. The ACC can be proud of the Cardinals who like I said shocked the Hurricanes but they still have Clemson and have to go to SMU on their schedule. Georgia Tech is 120/1 and are undefeated because of QB Haynes King. King's numbers are not great , but regardless he and the Yellow Jackets should not be taken lightly.The best of the rest are Vanderbilt at 40/1 who will have to overcome the earlier loss they suffered to Alabama, BYU at 180/1 who had a huge victory in 'The Holy War' last week, but 3 of their last 4 wins have been one score games and play Iowa St/Texas Tech in their next 2 games. As of now my title game is the Buckeyes versus 'Bama but who knows what happens in this 12 team playoff when the dust clears.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB, NHL, NBA, CFL, EPL and NCAAF Previews and Odds - 10/24/2025

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Oct 24, 2025

The Friday sports card features NCAAF, MLB, NBA, NHL, CFL, and EPL action.Week 9 in NCAAF college football continues with three games between FBS opponents. North Texas travels on the road to play Charlotte on ESPN2 at 7:00 p.m. ET as a 25.5-point road favorite with the total set at 60.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Virginia Tech hosts California on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET as a 6-point favorite with an over/under of 50.5. Boise State plays at Nevada on the CBS Sports Network at 10:00 p.m. ET as a 21.5-point road favorite with a total of 51.5. Major League Baseball begins the World Series with Game 1 of this best-of-seven series. The Los Angeles Dodgers are on the road against the Toronto Blue Jays on Fox at 8:00 p.m. ET. The Dodgers send out Blake Snell to pitch against the Blue Jays’ Trey Yesavage. Los Angeles is a -158 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The National Basketball Association has 12 games on its docket. The Toronto Raptors play at home against the Milwaukee Brewers at 6:40 p.m. ET as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 232.5. The Orlando Magic are home against the Atlanta Hawks at 7:10 p.m. ET as a 4.5-point favorite with an over/under of 231.5. Two more NBA games tip off at 7:40 p.m. ET. The Cleveland Cavaliers visit Brooklyn to take on the Nets as a 13.5-point road favorite with a total of 222.5. The New York Knicks host the Boston Celtics on Prime Video as a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 228.5. Three NBA games start at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Memphis Grizzlies play at home against the Miami Heat as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 233.5. The San Antonio Spurs play in New Orleans against the Pelicans as a 3.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 231.5. The Houston Rockets are home against the Detroit Pistons as a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 226.5. The Dallas Mavericks host the Washington Wizards at 8:40 p.m. ET as a 10.5-point favorite with an over/under of 228.5. Three NBA games begin at 10:10 p.m. ET. The Golden State Warriors are on the road against the Portland Trail Blazers as a 1.5-point road favorite with a total of 226.5. The Sacramento Kings play at home against the Utah Jazz as a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 232.5. The Minnesota Timberwolves travel to Los Angeles to face the Lakers on Prime Video as a 2.5-point road favorite with a total of 225.5. The Los Angeles Clippers are home against the Phoenix Suns at 10:40 p.m. ET as a 9.5-point favorite with an over/under of 224.5. The National Hockey League has four games on its slate. Three NHL games drop the puck at 7:07 p.m. ET. The Toronto Maple Leafs play in Buffalo against the Sabres as a -125 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The Washington Capitals are on the road against the Columbus Blue Jackets as a -115 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The New Jersey Devils host the San Jose Sharks as a -345 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Winnipeg Jets play at home against the Calgary Flames at 8:07 p.m. ET as a -162 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Week 21 in the Canadian Football League kicks off with two games. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are home against the Ottawa Redblacks at 7:00 p.m. ET as a 14-point favorite with a total of 52.5. The Calgary Stampeders visit the Edmonton Elks at 9:30 p.m. ET as a 6-point road favorite with an over/under of 53.5. Matchweek 9 in the English Premier League begins with one match. Leeds United hosts West Ham United 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 5 Teams To Sell High

by Kyle Hunter

Thursday, Oct 23, 2025

It’s late October and we are all the way to Week 9 in college football. Let’s take a look at five teams who have been great to bettors so far this year that I think you might want to sell high on soon.BYU (5-2 ATS) The Cougars have been excellent this year at 7-0 straight up. I think Sitake is an excellent coach, but BYU has been very fortunate to win some of their recent games. BYU must play three of their next four games on the road. The games at Texas Tech and at Cincinnati will be particularly interesting. Bear Bachmeier has done a solid job managing the game for the Cougars, but I don’t think he can throw it around if BYU really needs to score a lot. This is a good team, but I think there are chances to fade them coming.Western Kentucky (6-2 ATS) The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers were fortunate to cover against Louisiana Tech earlier this week. Maverick McIvor is injured and it is unknown how much time he will miss. The Hilltoppers are likely to be laying points in their next couple games, but I’d be careful with laying those points. Western Kentucky is one of the worst run defenses in the country too. If they are playing a team that can run (see Jacksonville State in the last game of the year), that could be dangerous!Western Michigan (6-1 ATS) Western Michigan has covered this year thanks to their much improved defense. The Broncos are excellent against the rush, and only mediocre against the pass. Western Michigan has no real offensive identity, and the teams on their schedule who can score are likely to be tough for them to hang around with the whole game. Marshall Thundering Herd (5-2 ATS) I’ll admit Marshall has been better than I expected. Marshall still has a pretty weak defense though, and they will be on the road for three of their next four contests. The lone home game during that span is against James Madison, who is the class of the Sun Belt Conference. I think we’ll find a couple good fade spots the rest of the way here.Hawaii Warriors (6-2 ATS) Hawaii has been on a great run of late,  but they are awfully reliant on the pass game with Alejado working. Hawaii is still giving up a lot defensively, and their next three opponents have elite offenses. They are on a bye week this week, but a road trip to San Jose State could be very tricky. The home date against San Diego State is one I have my eye on as well.

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NBA Totals Go High Early- What Next?

by Kyle Hunter

Thursday, Oct 23, 2025

If you bet NBA totals early on, it has been all about the over thus far. The over is 12-2 so far on the season. The over is 178-149 in the last 327 in the NBA in game one for both teams.The trend has been slightly to the over in game one in general in the last 15-20 years, and this year it has been even more that way. What about games #2 through #6 though? We are coming up on those games, and I wanted to see in the last 20 years which way those have trended. For simplicity of the query, the following numbers are for games #2-games #6 for the home team. The under is 797-687 (53.7% unders) in game 2-game 6. The under is an impressive 56.3% when the game is a divisional contest. If the home team is the favorite, the under is 530-448 (54.2% unders).What does it mean for this year? This isn’t to say that NBA games will immediately just turn into a bunch of unders in the next week. I do believe though that as adjustments are made based on the very high scoring games to start the season, there will be value to be found on the under. The public likes to bet overs, and the numbers will start to run up on these NBA totals. How soon will they hit their peak? That’s the million dollar question. The shooting percentages were quite high in the first 14 games of the NBA season. The average pace was up a bit as well. Let’s be on the watch for the betting marketplace running these totals numbers up. In the near term, if you like the over I would bet it early. If you like the under I would wait and bet it late.

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NHL Off the Post: October 23rd

by Sean Murphy

Thursday, Oct 23, 2025

The puck has dropped on another NHL season and we're already starting to see some of the usual suspects rise to the top (and sink to the bottom) of the standings less than three weeks into the campaign. Here's a look at some notable teams in early season action. Struck by LightningIt's been a trying start to the season for the perennially-contending Lightning as they've dropped five of their first six games and are fresh off a 1-3 road trip. That jaunt saw them face four Eastern Conference teams. For a team with as much talent as the Bolts, they have had a miserable time trying to find the back of the net, scoring just five goals during their current three-game slide. The good news? They're back home for a manageable three-game homestand that will include matchups with the Blackhawks, Ducks and Golden Knights. The bad news? Tampa Bay is going to be steeply priced as usual as evidenced by Thursday's -300 price tag against the improved Blackhawks. Hold the phoneThe Penguins were thought to be candidates for a fire sale at some point this season but early returns are positive as they've won five of their first seven games. The Eastern Conference looks like it could be a little more wide-open than usual and that could open the door for the Pens to contend for a playoff spot. While goaltending has been a sore spot for Pittbsurgh in recent years, the duo of Tristan Jarry and offseason acquisition Arturs Silovs has held up well in the early going. We'll see if the Pens can keep it up as they'll play five games in seven days beginning with Thursday's matchup with the defending champion Panthers in Sunrise. Shark attackSan Jose is mired in a winless start to the campaign through six games. Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky is already talking about trading his children for wins. Yeah, it's that bad. While San Jose is in a full rebuild right now, there's enough talent on hand to compete. Things aren't going to get any easier as the Sharks will remain on the road for their next three games. Even an upcoming homestand looks daunting with games against Los Angeles, New Jersey, Colorado and Detroit - all potential playoff teams.Mammoth beginningsThe newly-named Utah Mammoth have turned heads in the early going, reeling off four straight wins. Keep in mind, all four of those victories came on home ice. They'll begin a four-game road jaunt on Thursday in St. Louis. This is a team that has been building toward contending status since their move from Arizona. While the names on their roster won't jump off the page for most, this is as hard-working of a team as you'll see in the NHL right now and their defensive play has been consistent, allowing three goals or less in all seven games to date. The goaltending duo of Karel Vejmelka and Vitek Vanecek is one of the more underrated in the league.Good Hab-itsHead coach Martin St. Louis has his Canadiens playing at an exceptionally high level so far this season, picking up right where they left off in 2024-25. Like the Mammoth, this is a young team that has been building toward this moment. The entire roster appears to have bought in to St. Louis' teachings, particularly the young core that has taken a big step forward already. Since dropping a lopsided 5-2 decision in Toronto on opening night, the Habs have won six of their last seven games, allowing two goals or less on five different occasions. The offense was always going to be fine but there were question marks on the blue line heading in, but so far, so good in La Belle Province. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, NCAAF, NBA and NHL Previews and Odds 10/23/2025

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Oct 23, 2025

The Thursday sports card features NFL, NCAAF, NBA, and NHL action.Week 8 in the National Football League kicks off with one game. The Los Angeles Chargers host the Minnesota Vikings on Prime Video at 8:15 p.m. ET. The Chargers lost for the third time in their previous four games after their 38-24 upset loss at home against Indianapolis as a 2.5-point favorite last Sunday. They have a 4-3 record. The Vikings lost for the second time in their last three games in a 28-22 loss at home against Philadelphia as a 2.5-point underdog on Sunday. Minnesota’s record fell to 3-3 with the setback. Los Angeles is a 3.5-point favorite with the total set at 44.5 (all odds from DraftKings).Week 9 in NCAAF college football continues with one game between FBS opponents at 7:30 p.m. ET. South Alabama travels on the road to play Georgia State on ESPN2. The Jaguars lost their sixth game in a row with a 15-14 upset loss at home against Arkansas State as a 9-point favorite on Tuesday of last week. They have a 1-6 record this season. The Panthers have lost four games in a row after their 41-24 loss at Georgia Southern as a 6.5-point underdog on Saturday. Georgia State also has a 1-6 record on the year. South Alabama is a 6.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 55.5.The National Basketball Association has two games on its docket with a doubleheader on ESPN. The Oklahoma City Thunder play on the road against Indiana at 7:40 p.m. ET as a 7.5-point road favorite with a total of 229.5. The Golden State Warriors play at home against the Denver Nuggets at 10:10 p.m. ET as a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 232.5. The National Hockey League has 12 games on its slate. The Tampa Bay Lightning are home against the Chicago Blackhawks at 6:52 p.m. ET as a -310 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. Five more NHL games drop the puck at 7:07 p.m. ET. The New York Islanders host the Detroit Red Wings as a -135 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Boston Bruins play at home against the Anaheim Ducks as a -122 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Ottawa Senators are home against the Philadelphia Flyers as a -162 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The New York Rangers host the San Jose Sharks as a -285 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Florida Panthers play at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins as a -205 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Nashville Predators are home against the Vancouver Canucks as a -112 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The St. Louis Blues host the Utah Mammoth as a -120 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Winnipeg Jets play at home against the Seattle Kraken as a -218 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. Three more games conclude the NHL card at 9:07 p.m. ET. The Dallas Stars are home against the Los Angeles Kings as a -162 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Edmonton Oilers host the Montreal Canadiens as a -230 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Colorado Avalanche play at home against the Carolina Hurricanes as a -130 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. 

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AAA Sports' Top 3 NBA Title Contenders in Each Conference

by AAA Sports

Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025

Eastern Conference: Cleveland Cavaliers ~Cleveland was highly successful in the regular season last year. Finishing the year with a 64-18 record, it was the one seed in the Eastern Conference. But, the Cavaliers lost to the Indiana Pacers in the East Semifinals, failing to capitalize on their top seed. Given all of the talent on the roster and the manner in which some of the losses transpired (many meltdowns), that was undoubtedly a sad conclusion. Darius Garland, the Cavaliers' point guard, will not start this season. They remain expected to rank among the NBA's top teams without him for a few weeks, though There is no reason why this team can't return to the conference's top seed once Garland returns. They will be competing against teams with injuries across the league. For example: Tatum on the Celtics + Haliburton on the Pacers and so on. Our Expectation is a 61-21 record -- another one seed for Cleveland. New York Knicks ~New York also begins the season somewhat knocked up. But, the Knicks were closer than they've been in any of the past few seasons last year and the team that they lost against will most definitely not be as great this season. With the addition of players like Guerschon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson, New York has improved. The Knicks have always seemed to struggle with depth in the final stages of the season, and this year they should finally see some productive play from the majority of their bench. After winning the Most Clutch Player Award during the previous season, Brunson has developed into one of the league's top players. The Knicks should gain a great deal from those injuries mentioned as well. Our Expectation is a 56-26 record -- a two seed for New York. Milwaukee Bucks ~The NBA community was undoubtedly caught off guard by Milwaukee's decision to trade Damian Lillard this offseason. We are aware that his achilles tear sustained during the playoffs would prevent him from playing this next season. However, he was Giannis' top teammates, and trading a player in his rookie season just because he was hurt didn't seem fair. Myles Turner comes in as the best addition of the team to essential replace Lillard's role as the second star along side Antetokoumnpo. Cole Anthony was also acquired from Orlando to aid with the point guard loss, and Milwaukee continues to be among the league's best teams this season. Since Giannis has already won a Championship, they must be one of the teams to watch out for at the end of this season. Our Expectation is a 52-30 record -- a three seed for Milwaukee. Western Conference:  Oklahoma City ~The Thunder's stellar play throughout the offseason brought the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy back to the state of Oklahoma. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was named the league's MVP, and Oklahoma City's decision to trade the older superstar players for draft selections has suddenly paid off spectacularly. But there's still a lot of damage to be done. OKC remains the favourite to win another NBA Finals Trophy given that they have so many players who can contribute significantly to the squad. Needless to say, it will be more difficult to accomplish. Shai and the rest of the Thunder, however, ought to feel extremely confident about their chances of winning again. Our Expectation is a 66-16 record -- another one seed for Oklahoma City. Houston Rockets ~Kevin Durant arrived in H-Town in the most significant trade of the 2025 NBA offseason, which sent Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green to the Phoenix Suns. Both teams felt it was time to make a change and now Houston becomes a even bigger threat to everyone this season after an early exit against Golden State in the first round of last year's playoffs. Houston secured the second seed in the highly competitive Western Conference with 52 victories in the previous season. With insane size + length on the team, there's going to be some questions on who's going to play the point guard position without Fred VanVleet (injury.) But, the Houston team of this season is way too good to have any trouble in the regular season and should be one of the top seeds in the West again as it searches for a first title since 1995. Our Expectation is a 57-25 record -- a two seed for Houston. Denver Nuggets ~Denver will always be among the top NBA teams as long as Jokic is on the team, having won the MVP award three of the previous five seasons. The Nuggets most likely would still be a playoff team even if he didn't have his current supporting group. But it's difficult to deny Denver's status as one of the top teams, especially after they've already won an NBA Championship with some of these players and given Gordon and Murray's terrific postseason performances in recent years. Coaching was a question mark at the end of last season with Michael Malone being fired with only a few games left. But, the Nuggets were still very good in the playoffs and will be a threat to any team that stands in their way in 2025-2026. Our Expectation is a 52-30 record -- a four seed for Denver. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, NBA, NHL and UCL Previews and Odds - 10/22/2025

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025

The Wednesday sports card features NCAAF, NBA, NHL, and UCL action.Week 9 in NCAAF college football continues with two games between FBS opponents. Delaware hosts Middle Tennessee on ESPN2 at 7:30 p.m. ET as a 9.5-point favorite with the total set at 55.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Missouri State travels to New Mexico State on the CBS Sports Network at 9:00 p.m. ET as a 1.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 50.5. The National Basketball Association has 12 games on its docket. Three NBA games tip off at 7:10 p.m. ET. The  Orlando Magic hosts the Miami Heat as an 8.5-point favorite with a total of 217.5. The Charlotte Hornets play at home against the Brooklyn Nets as a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 227.5. The Cleveland Cavaliers play in New York against the Knicks on ESPN as a 1.5-point road favorite with a total of 227.5. Two NBA games start at 7:40 p.m. ET. The Boston Celtics are home against the Philadelphia 76ers as a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 227.5. The Atlanta Hawks host the Toronto Raptors as a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 235.5. Three NBA games begin at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Detroit Pistons are in Chicago to take on the Bulls as a 4.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 233.5. The Memphis Grizzlies play at home against the New Orleans Pelicans as a 4.5-point favorite with a total of 237.5. The Milwaukee Bucks are home against the Washington Wizards as a 9.5-point favorite with an over/under of 227.5. The Los Angeles Clippers visit Utah to face the Jazz at 9:10 p.m. ET as a  10.5-point road favorite with a total of 226.5. The Dallas Mavericks host the San Antonio Spurs on ESPN at 9:40 p.m. ET as a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 224.5. Two games conclude the NBA card at 10:10 p.m. ET. The Phoenix Suns play at home against the Sacramento Kings as a 4.5-point favorite with a total of 229.5. The Minnesota Timberwolves play in Portland against the Trail Blazers as a 3.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 220.5. The National Hockey League has three games on its slate. The New Jersey Devils are home against the Minnesota Wild at 7:07 p.m. ET as a -135 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Buffalo Sabres host the Detroit Red Wings on TNT at 7:37 p.m. ET as a -112 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Montreal Canadiens are in Calgary to battle the Flames at 8:37 p.m. ET as a -125 money-line road favorite with a total of 5.5. Matchday 3 in the UEFA Champions League concludes with nine league phase matches. Two matches start at 12:45 PM ET. Galatasaray plays at home against Bodo Glimt as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Athletic Bilbao is at home against FK Qarabag as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5.  Seven matches conclude the UCL card at 3 PM ET. Chelsea hosts Ajax as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Atalanta plays at home against Slavia Praha as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Liverpool travels to Eintracht Frankfurt as a -1.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 3.5. Sporting Lisbon is home against Marseille as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Tottenham plays at Monaco as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 2.5. Real Madrid hosts Juventus as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Bayern Munich plays at home against Club Brugge on the CBS Sports Network as a -2.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 3.5. All nine Champions League matches are available on Paramount+.

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World Series Selections

by Harry Gagnon

Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025

The World Series starts on Friday night in Canada of all places and it will be the first time the Toronto Blue Jays have made it this far since 1993. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Dodgers are looking for back to back titles after sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers. This should be a fun series and I feel I have a couple of ways you can go about betting the Fall Classic. I will start with odds to be the World Series MVP. Of course we should start with Shohei Ohtani who was magnificent in the NLCS and he's sitting at +180 and not much value as you would expect. If you want to take a couple value plays on the Toronto side V. Guerrero is 6/1 and is batting .422 with 6 homers in the postseason & the hero from Game 7 George Springer is 10/1 and has 5 doubles and 4 dingers in the postseason. However my play is the Dodgers Freddie Freeman at 9/1. Now up until that 3 HR game Ohtani had not done much for LA and Freeman is due to bust out just like he did last year in the World Series against the NY Yankees. Freeman has just 1 RBI (a homer) this postseason but last year he had hits in every game and that included the game winning Grand Slam in Game 1. Freeman also had RBI's in every game and ended up with 12 in the series. He's just waiting for this opportunity so at 9/1 on this team that's my play and my value play at the same time for MVP of the 2025 World Series. As for who wins it, I'll take a prop play with the Dodgers -1.5 games at -115. We could go on and on about their offense , but when the dust clears they will win this series by 2 games or more because of their pitching. Aside from Ohtani's brilliant performance the other night the rest of their starters have been dominant in the postseason. 32 year old Tyler Glasnow has an ERA of 0.68 in this years postseason, Y. Yamamoto had a complete game shutout of the Brewers and he's carrying a 1.83 ERA versus the Phillies and Milwaukee in the postseason. Finally, the unsung player of this staff is a healthy Blake Snell who has 28K's in 21 innings of work in 3 starts and a 0.86 ERA. These numbers are insane and i just don't see them changing much. Toronto will put up a fight, and maybe this goes 6 (MAYBE) but it will be the Dodgers repeating in the end.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, NBA, NHL and UCL Previews and Odds - 10/21/2025

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Oct 21, 2025

The Tuesday sports card features NCAAF, NBA, NHL, and UCL action.Week 9 in NCAAF college football kicks off with two games between FBS opponents. Kennesaw State travels to Florida International on ESPNU at 7:00 p.m. ET. The Owls have won three games in a row after their 35-7 upset victory as a 4.5-point underdog against Louisiana Tech as a 4.5-point underdog on October 9th. The Golden Panthers ended a two-game losing streak with a 25-6 upset victory at Western Kentucky as a 10-point underdog last Tuesday. Kennesaw State is a 3-point road favorite with the total set at 49.5.  Louisiana Tech hosts Western Kentucky on the CBS Sports Network at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Bulldogs had won three games in a row before their upset loss to the Owls two weeks ago. The Hilltoppers had won three games in a row before their upset win against FIU last week. Louisiana Tech is a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 49.5. The National Basketball Association regular season tips off with two games on NBC. The Oklahoma City Thunder play at home against the Houston Rockets at 7:35 p.m. ET as a 7.5-point favorite with a total of 227.5. The Golden State Warriors play in Los Angeles against the Lakers at 10:00 p.m. ET as a 2.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 225.5. The National Hockey League has ten games on its slate. Five NHL  games drop the puck at 7:10 p.m. ET. The New York Islanders are home against the San Jose Sharks as a -218 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Vancouver Canucks visit Pittsburgh to take on the Penguins as a -115 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Washington Capitals host the Seattle Kraken as a -258 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Toronto Maple Leafs play at home against the New Jersey Devils as a -122 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Edmonton Oilers play in Ottawa against the Senators as a -135 money-line road favorite with a total of 5.5. The Florida Panthers are in Boston against the Bruins on ESPN at 7:40 p.m. ET as a -155 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. Three NHL games start at 8:10 p.m. ET. The St. Louis Blues are at home against the Los Angeles Kings as a -130 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Nashville Predators host the Anaheim Ducks as a -125 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Dallas Stars play at home against the Columbus Blue Jackets as a -158 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Colorado Avalanche travel to Utah to take on the Mammoth on ESPN as a -142 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. Matchday 3 in the UEFA Champions League continues with nine league phase matches. Two matches start at 12:45 PM ET. Barcelona hosts Olympiakos as a -2.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 3.5. Pafos FC plays at Kairat Almaty as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5.  Seven matches conclude the UCL card at 3 PM ET. Arsenal plays at home against Atletico Madrid as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. Paris Saint-Germain is at Bayer Leverkusen as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Manchester City visits Villarreal as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 2.5. Napoli plays at PSV Eindhoven as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Borussia Dortmund plays at FC Copenhagen as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 2.5. Inter Milan is at Saint Gilloise as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Newcastle United is at home against Benfica as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. All nine Champions League matches are available on Paramount+.

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CBB Deep Dive: Key Players, Top Teams & More:

by William Burns

Monday, Oct 20, 2025

Just like last year, I'm back with another College Basketball Preview to start the '25-'26 season. Last season was brilliant, and I'm expecting another phenomenal campaign of both watching and picking winners. Here's my "Deep Dive," looking into the different players and best teams for the upcoming season. (Odds via. DraftKings Sportsbook)  Five Players to Watch Out For (Guard-Center) + Honorable Mentions : G - Braden Smith (Purdue)One of the premier guards in College, Braden Smith has the opportunity to accomplish something very special this season. Even if his assist totals drop just a tad from last year (assuming he plays every game this season,) Smith could end up breaking the all time assist record in the NCAA. That would be extremely special. He's also an incredible scorer of the basketball given his height of just six feet tall. Purdue is many peoples #1 overall team coming in (#1 in the AP Poll) and there's no doubt that Smith will help lead the Boilermakers to the tournament.G - Tahaad Pettiford (Auburn)On a team that lost many guys from last season, Pettiford should stand out as the top option for the Auburn Tigers in 2025-26. He was the sixth man for the majority of the year in his freshman season and I, like most people, are expecting an absolutely monstrous season from Auburn guard. He's a polished all-around player, a fantastic dribbler with an excellent touch around the hoops. He's poised for an NBA career after the season. F - AJ Dybantsa (BYU)As one of two Freshman on this list, Dybantsa really stands out for me as the top prospect coming into College this season. He's 6'9" and has the ball handling skills of a point guard. He can score from anywhere on the basketball court and already has a Gold Medal/MVP to his name from the FIBA U19 World Cup with Team USA. Dybantsa has all the talent in the world and should be one of the top options to win the CBB Player Of The Year Award (Naismith) at the end of the year. F - Trey Kaufman-Renn (Purdue) As my second Purdue Boilermaker on this list, there's no doubt that I believe that they are one of the best teams in the country. Kaufman-Renn sort of took over the Zach Edey role a season ago and really helped keep this Purdue team at that top level. Averaging 20.1 PPG last season, he is one of the best scorers in the nation and I fully believe that he can produce similar numbers here in '25-'26.F/C - Cameron Boozer (Duke)Just like AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer has the all intangibles to be great in his first Collegiate season. The son of Bulls legend Carlos Boozer and brother of teammate Cayden Boozer is likely to be one guy that stands out from the Blue Devils this season. Yes, they've got immense talent around him. However, Boozer is a dominant force under the hoop and he can also extend his range beyond the arc. He will be one of the best players in the country. Three Honorable Mentions: 1.) Joseph Tugler (Houston)As you can see down below, Houston is my #1 team in the country coming into this season and Tugler is going to be a massive reason why. He didn't crack my list above. But, the Cougars' forward has a type of game that everyone in College should appreciate. Tugler is one of the best defensive players in the nation. He's also an extreme pest on the offensive boards (Houston's specialty.) Oh, and I forgot. He's got a 7'6" wingspan. 2.) JT Toppin (Texas Tech)After the way last season ended and with Chance McMillan & Darrion Williams departing, I wasn't entirely sure if JT Toppin would stay at Texas Tech for this upcoming season. However, since he has, the Red Raiders are going to be in for another fantastic year of basketball. Toppin scores the ball at an excellent rate and he was the Big 12 Player Of The Year last season. 3.) Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan)Wrapping up my "Honourable Mentions" list is Yaxel Lendeborg. The transfer from UAB is going to be a huge force within the Big Ten this season and he might just be the best transfer that was in the portal this offseason. With Dusty May as his head coach for this upcoming season, I expect massive things from the guy that absolutely dominated the AAC on both offense and defense through his first couple of seasons. Burns' Preseason Top 25 Rankings: 1.) Houston Cougars 2.) Purdue Boilermakers3.) Connecticut Huskies4.) Duke Blue Devils5.) BYU Cougars6.) Florida Gators7.) Michigan Wolverines8.) St. John's Red Storm9.) Louisville Cardinals10.) Texas Tech Red Raiders 11.) Kentucky Wildcats12.) Iowa State Cyclones13.) Arkansas Razorbacks14.) UCLA Bruins15.) Arizona Wildcats16.) Alabama Crimson Tide17.) Tennessee Volunteers18.) Kansas Jayhawks19.) Illinois Fighting Illini20.) Auburn Tigers21.) Wisconsin Badgers22.) Gonzaga Bulldogs23.) North Carolina Tar Heels24.) Michigan State Spartans25.) San Diego State Aztecs Three Future Bets to Make Before the Season: 1.) Houston Cougars to win the National Championships (+950)Even though Purdue and Florida seem to be the main picks from the "experts" to start the season, with my Championship Pick (prior to the season) I'm going to go with a team that I see making the Final Four this year AT THE VERY LEAST. This Cougars team is absolutely stacked, from returning players last year to the freshman class of this year and transfers. I believe that Houston is the most complete team in the country and they will always have extremely great conditioning/stamina under head coach Kelvin Sampson. The Cougars were so close last season and I believe that they are even better this season. 2.) San Diego State to win the MWC Regular Season Title (+140)The Mountain West has become extremely competitive over the past couple of seasons and more and more teams are starting to make the big dance. I believe that the Aztecs should just be one level above the rest this season. Reese Waters finally will get to play again after missing last season and that will be a massive add to SDST who has an even more confident Miles Bird & BJ Davis. I'll take the Aztecs at this price to win the conference. 3.) Gonzaga to win the WCC Regular Season Title (-160)The West Coast Conference normally comes down to a two-team race between Gonzaga and Saint Mary's. Yes, the Gaels won last year with an extremely strong 17-1 conference record. However, I believe that Saint Mary's will take a step back this season and Gonzaga shouldn't have four losses inside conference play. The Zags will be back to the top of the conference. 

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