Articles

Bill Belichick Exposes Another 1st Year/2nd Year Quarterback

by Team Del Genio

Sunday, Oct 30, 2022

The New England Patriots got embarrassed on Monday Night Football to begin the week with a 33-14 upset loss at home to Chicago despite the oddsmakers installing them as a 9.5-point favorite. The Patriots then went on the road against a surging Jets team highly motivated to avenge a 54-13 loss against them when they last played on October 24th last year. New York was on a four-game winning streak and hosted this game in an electric atmosphere at MetLife Stadium. Yet the oddsmakers still installed the Patriots as a small road favorite despite these circumstances? We trusted the wisdom of the oddsmakers in selecting New England as our AFC East Game of the Month for this game. It started with our expectation that Bill Belichick would dial up a defensive plan to thwart the Jets’ second-year quarterback Zach Wilson. The Patriots went into that divisional rivalry having a 58-19 record under Belichick against teams using a first-year or second-year quarterback. Those inexperienced quarterbacks had completed only 55.0% of their passes in those games. They averaged 162.1 passing yards per game in those seventy-seven games with 81 touchdown passes and 98 interceptions. The cumulative passer rating of those quarterbacks was 69.2. New England validated our judgment with a 22-17 victory against the Jets. The Patriots went into the locker room trailing by a 10-6 score before outscoring New York in the second half, 16-7. The Jets only had 17 first downs in the game despite gaining 387 total yards of offense. At first glance, it would seem as if Wilson had a good game. He threw for 355 yards with two touchdown passes. Yet his second touchdown pass to tight end Tyler Conklin took place with under two minutes when the Jets were trailing by 12 points. New York did not recover the on-side kick. Despite all those passing yards, Wilson’s performance provided yet another example of Belichick’s mastery against young quarterbacks. Wilson threw three interceptions, with two of them being inexcusable mistakes. One interception came from Wilson throwing away a lazy pass away to the sideline that was nowhere close to safely avoiding Patriot defenders in the field of play. A second interception was wildly overthrown. Both of these interceptions affected the momentum of the game and help New England engineer their comeback victory. The Jets’ coaching staff had done a good job in not asking Wilson to do too much with this offense before this game. But the offense had centered around the dynamic rookie running back Breece Hall who has rushed for 463 yards and caught another 218 receiving yards. He had five touchdowns. His season-ending ACL injury is devastating. New York still has second-year pro Michael Carter, and they acquired Brian Robinson from Jacksonville in a trade earlier this week. Yet both running backs are a downgrade from Hall. More was asked from Wilson who had gotten away with some dangerous decisions in the pocket during this recent winning streak.The Jets only had 15 rushing attempts, with one of them coming from Wilson himself in a scramble. They only gained 51 yards on the ground. They were on the field for less than 25 minutes of the game, leaving their defense, which had been playing great during their four-game winning streak, on the field for more than 35 minutes of the game.Belichick made sure to take away the Jets' rushing attack to goad New York into trying to win with Wilson's arm and decision-making. Three interceptions later, the Patriots pulled within one game of the Jets in AFC East standings and a game closer to owning the head-to-head tie-breaker between these two teams. Belichick frustrated yet another young quarterback. Good luck - TDG.

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MAC West Race November Outlook

by Nelly's Sports

Sunday, Oct 30, 2022

MAC West Race November Outlook  With the turn of the calendar to November, MACtion returns with Tuesday and Wednesday night college football and the MAC suddenly in the spotlight. Here is a look at the current MAC West standings and what to expect in the division race in the final month of the regular season. Toledo Rockets 4-1 – Remaining schedule: Ball State, Bowling Green, At Western Michigan Toledo has routinely been among the MAC favorites in the Jason Candle era, with Candle the head coach since 2006 but with the program in some capacity since 2009. Toledo has just one MAC title win in 2017 however despite a 34-17 MAC record under Candle, and that is the only year he has won the division title as the head coach. At 4-1 in league play Toledo is a heavy favorite to take the division this season as every other team in the MAC West has at least two losses and three of those five teams have three losses.  Toledo played without star quarterback Dequan Finn last week but got just enough from backup Tucker Gleason for a win at Eastern Michigan. The only MAC loss for Toledo came at East leader Buffalo but the Rockets still must play the two 2-2 teams in MAC play as Toledo is one upset loss away from inviting another team back in the division race. Toledo has the #1 total defense in the MAC and is one of the top rushing teams, but a prolonged absence of Finn would change that equation. Western Michigan 2-2 – Remaining schedule: At Bowling Green, Northern Illinois, At Central Michigan, Toledo  Western Michigan gets to host Toledo in the season finale as the Broncos have the best chance to catch the Rockets. Western Michigan won at Ball State early in the season for a key potential tiebreaker and snapped a two-game slide in the last game with a win at Miami, OH to reach 2-2.  Jack Salopek has been the wort rated quarterback in the MAC completing just 51 percent of his passes with 10 interceptions, but last week’s win was led by freshman Treyson Bourguet. His numbers did not impress with 123 yards on 16 completions, but he did avoid big mistakes and the Broncos have one of the better defenses in the MAC. Three toss-up games are ahead for Western Michigan before the finale with Toledo as this group can’t be ruled out yet and is the team with the best chance to catch Toledo.  Ball State 2-2 – Remaining schedule: At Kent State, At Toledo, Ohio, At Miami OH The Cardinals blew a fourth quarter lead in the last game hosting Eastern Michigan, a devastating result that likely ends MAC West hopes for Ball State. The Cardinals have wins over Northern Illinois and Central Michigan but the head-to-head loss against Western Michigan bumps Ball State to third place. The remaining schedule is daunting as well, facing four of the better teams in the conference in November with three of four games on the road.  Ball State is the second worst rushing team in the conference but the second best passing team, but this is a below average defense even with a favorable conference schedule so far. Quarterback John Paddock has thrown nine interceptions and has the lowest yards per attempt rate of any qualified MAC quarterback. Close games have ben the norm with four one-score results in MAC play for the Cardinals but having the next four games all land in favor of Ball State seems rather unlikely.  Northern Illinois 1-3 – Remaining schedule: Central Michigan, At Western Michigan, Miami OH, Akron  Northern Illinois got Rocky Lombardi back for the win over Eastern Michigan, but he returned to the sidelines in a loss to Ohio that dropped the Huskies to 1-3 in MAC play. Northern Illinois is better than its record but with losses to Toledo and Ball State there will need to be a lot of help with those teams getting upset down the stretch. The Huskies play at Western Michigan and the rest of the schedule is at home as it is a favorable closing run and a run to 5-3 can’t be ruled out.  The Huskies are the #2 MAC rushing team and the #2 MAC run defense for appealing traits and after making a run to the MAC title last season this is the long shot in the West that should climb upward. Toledo would need to lose twice, and the Huskies would need to win out including beating Western Michigan to force a multi-team tie scenario as it is quite an unlikely scenario, but this is a team that may pick up a few wins down the stretch despite sitting in last place at the moment.   Eastern Michigan had a three-point loss to Toledo last week that takes the Eagles out of the race in almost all scenarios. This group has lost by blowout margins twice in conference play and has been outscored by 25 points in five MAC games.  Central Michigan has been one of the biggest disappointments in the MAC, scoring fewer than 20 points per game in a 1-3 start to league play. Central Michigan still has Buffalo on the schedule plus two road games and the only MAC win came vs. 0-5 Akron as this squad has not looked like a threat.

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MAC East Race November Outlook

by Nelly's Sports

Sunday, Oct 30, 2022

MAC East Race November Outlook  With the turn of the calendar to November, MACtion returns with Tuesday and Wednesday night college football and the MAC suddenly in the spotlight. Here is a look at the current MAC East standings and what to expect in the division race in the final month of the regular season. Buffalo Bulls 4-0 – Remaining schedule: At Ohio, At Central Michigan, Akron, Kent State Buffalo has been the top scoring team in the MAC East in a 4-0 conference start and the Bulls are a win away from bowl eligibility. Buffalo has been in the MAC Championship two of the past four seasons but has not won the title since 2008. After slipping to 4-8 in the first season under Maurice Linguist, the Bulls are the top contender in the East thanks to a big late October win over Toledo in one of the season’s toughest games on the schedule. A 6-1 edge in turnovers was a huge factor in that game as Buffalo rallied from a 27-10 deficit in the fourth quarter for an incredible comeback.  Sophomore Cole Snyder has solid numbers leading the offense and the Bulls are a top five MAC offense in both rushing and passing, the only team in the MAC that can say that. Road game the next two weeks in weeknight MAC play will determine the fate of the Bulls with this week’s game at Ohio likely the biggest game of the season in the MAC East race.  Ohio Bobcats 3-1 – Remaining schedule: Buffalo, At Miami OH, At Ball State, Bowling Green Tim Albin took over for longtime head coach Frank Solich just before the 2021-22 season and the Bobcats had a challenging 3-9 campaign. This year Ohio is in better position, climbing to 5-3 following a 2-3 start to the season. Ohio took an overtime loss in the MAC opener to Kent State, last season’s East champion, as this week’s game with Buffalo will be critical in the division race.  Kurtis Rourke is the MAC’s top rated quarterback with 16 touchdowns and only three interceptions with Ohio the top passing team in the conference, averaging more than 308 passing yards per game. That has been a departure from the typical Ohio offense under Solich and Ohio surprisingly has the worst total defense in MAC play, allowing nearly 510 yards per game. Ohio benefitted from facing a backup quarterback in the win over Northern Illinois while still having a road game at Ball State makes the remaining path difficult for the Bobcats.  Bowling Green Falcons 3-1 – Remaining schedule: Western Michigan, Kent State, At Toledo, At Ohio  The Falcons have not topped four wins since 2015 as the 4-4 start has been encouraging for Bowling Green. Climbing to bowl eligibility in Scot Loeffler’s fourth season might be a stretch however though it appears to likely be a second straight season of improvement. Two of three MAC wins came by slim margins and the Falcons still must face Toledo on the road as well as two of the other MAC East contenders.  Against Buffalo, Bowling Green lost 38-7 at home as the gap between the Falcons and being a serious division contender remains steep despite sitting in a tie for second place in the division right now. The Falcons are 9th in total defense in the MAC and 10th in total offense but quarterback Matt McDonald has good numbers, and he missed the team’s ugly non-conference loss to Mississippi State. A few upsets and a chaos scenario could remain a long shot for Bowling Green in this race, but more likely the Falcons slide in the final month with this week’s game with Western Michigan critical in bowl hopes for the program.  Kent State Golden Flashes 2-2 – Remaining schedule: Ball State, At Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, At Buffalo The Flashes took back-to-back losses on the road in October MAC games as it will be an uphill battle for Kent State to repeat as East division champions. Kent State is 0-5 on the road this season but the Flashes took on an incredibly difficult non-conference schedule facing Washington, Oklahoma, and Georgia, results which have had an impact on the numbers. Kent State did win head-to-head with Ohio and will get to face Buffalo in the regular season finale as they will have a potential path in the division race, particularly if Ohio beats Buffalo this week.  Kent State has the #1 total offense in the MAC but has the second worst total defense as higher-scoring games are the norm for this group that plays at an up-tempo pace under Sean Lewis in his fifth season with the program. Marquez Cooper is one of the top running backs in the MAC and this would be the group to support in long shot futures options as the Flashes should be favored in the next three games before the finale at Buffalo that could be for the division title if Kent State gets some help with a Buffalo loss along the way.  Miami, OH did beat Kent State and played Buffalo tough as this is a better team than the fifth place 2-3 record indicates, especially now with Brett Gabbert back. Ultimately the Redhawks are effectively relegated to playing spoiler at this point facing Ohio in November and then drawing two MAC West teams. At 0-5 Akron has been eliminated from the MAC race, though three conference losses have been one-score results as the Zips have made a measure of progress. Two of the final three conference games will be on the road with the home finale in early November against Eastern Michigan. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, NBA, NHL and EPL Previews and Odds - 10/30/2022

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Oct 30, 2022

The Sunday sports card features action in the NFL, NBA, NHL, and EPL.Week 8 in the National Football League continues with 13 games. The Jacksonville Jaguars play the Denver Broncos at Wembley Stadium in London on ESPN+ at 9:30 PM ET as a 2.5-point favorite with the total set at 40.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Seven more NFL games kick off at 1 PM ET. The New England Patriots visit the Meadowlands to play the New York Jets as a 3-point road favorite with an over/under of 40.5. The Dallas Cowboys host the Chicago Bears as a 10-point favorite with a total of 42.5. The Miami Dolphins play at Detroit against the Lions as a 3.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 52. The Las Vegas Raiders are on the road against the New Orleans Saints as a 2-point road favorite with a total of 49.5. The Minnesota Vikings play at home against the Arizona Cardinals as a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 48.5. The Atlanta Falcons host the Carolina Panthers as a 4-point favorite with a total of 41. The Philadelphia Eagles are at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers as a 10.5-point favorite with an over/under of 43. The Tennessee Titans travel to Houston to play the Texans at 4:05 PM ET as a 1-point road favorite with a total of 39. Three more NFL games start at 4:25 PM ET. The Seattle Seahawks play at home against the New York Giants as a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 44.5. The San Francisco 49ers are in Los Angeles against the Rams as a 1-point road favorite with a total of 42. The Indianapolis Colts are at home against the Washington Commanders as a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 39.5. Sunday Night Football on NBC has the Buffalo Bills host the Green Bay Packers at 8:20 PM ET as a 10.5-point favorite with a total of 47. The National Basketball Association has eight games on its docket. The New Orleans Pelicans visit Los Angeles to play the Clippers at 3:10 PM ET. Three more NBA games tip off at 6:10 PM ET. The Boston Celtics play at home against the Washington Wizards as an 8-point favorite with an over/under of 225. The Cleveland Cavaliers are at home against the New York Knicks as a 4.5-point favorite with a total of 222.5. The Golden State Warriors travel to Detroit to play the Pistons as an 8-point road favorite. The Minnesota Timberwolves play at San Antonio against the Spurs at 7:10 PM ET as a 6-point road favorite with an over/under of 235.5. The Dallas Mavericks host the Orlando Magic at 7:40 PM ET as a 9.5-point favorite with a total of 217. The Phoenix Suns play at home against the Houston Rockets at 9:10 PM ET as a 12-point favorite with an over/under of 228.5. The Denver Nuggets are in Los Angeles to play the Lakers at 9:40 PM ET. The National Hockey League has five games on its slate. The New Jersey Devils are at home against the Columbus Blue Jackets at 2:05 PM ET as a -215 money line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Minnesota Wild visit Chicago to play the Blackhawks at 7:05 PM ET as a -180 money line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. Three games conclude the NHL card at 8:05 PM ET. The New York Rangers travel to Arizona to play the Coyotes as a -200 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The Toronto Maple Leafs play at Anaheim as a -190 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Vegas Golden Knights host the Winnipeg Jets as a -195 money-line favorite with a total of 6. Matchweek 14 in the English Premier League concludes with two matches on the USA Network. Arsenal plays at home against Nottingham Forest at 10 AM ET as a -2 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3. Manchester United is at home against West Ham United as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5.

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World Cup Futures

by Amedeus Mastrangelo

Saturday, Oct 29, 2022

The World Cup is right around the corner with less than a month until the 1st match kickoffs. There are a lot of good quality teams from all around the world but which teams are truly the best on the planet and have a real shot at taking home the trophy? Well, it is time to find out which teams truly are contenders to win the World Cup this year and see who are just frauds that do not have the squad depth to make a deep run. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest favorite to win the World Cup this year. To Win Outright Brazil +400: Brazil is coming into this tournament as the biggest favorite on the board and for very good reason. Brazil has by far one of the strongest teams in the world with the amount of talent they have at every position. Not only do they have a ton of talent at every position, but their squad depth is also one of the best in the world as they have multiple players at each position who are starting for some of the strongest clubs in Europe. This team is so strong that their bench players are good enough to be starters on the strongest clubs in Europe and the bench team for Brazil could easily beat some of these other countries in the tournament. Brazil truly does have one of the strongest teams in the world and they are a true contender to go all the way to the finals and lift the trophy. France +600: France is coming into this tournament as the 2nd biggest favorite on the board but that is a very generous line for them considering the issues they have been dealing with on and off the pitch. This team has a lot of scoring power on their side with some of the best forwards in the world, but once you get past the starters there is a significant drop in talent to the bench players and even some of their starters have been dealing with injuries recently like Karim Benzema. This team has a very strong and deep midfield as well but once again, they are riddled with injuries to some of their more talented players and their depth is not as strong when it comes to talent. Their defense has had some major issues though, they were allowing a lot of goals in their recent Nations League matches and this defense does have a lot of depth but lacks a lot of talent with those players. Even their goalkeeping will be an issue as their starter Lloris has really been struggling recently allowing a lot of goals in his club matches with Tottenham. There are also other big issues going on off the pitch like the feud between Mbappe and Pogba, 2 of their star players, so this team is not in the best head space right now either. On the surface this looks like a strong team that can go the distance but in reality there are just too many problems for them to deal with and they will likely fizzle out of the tournament after the group stage. Argentina +650: Argentina is the 3rd biggest favorite on this list and they have been a very dominant team in South America over the years. Their depth at the forward position is not that great but they do have a lot of talent with their starting forwards. They also have a very strong midfield and defense that does not allow many goals in their matches. They do not have the most talented players on the planet on their team but they play a very good defensive style in their matches that makes them very tough to beat. Messi has already announced that this will be his last World Cup with the team and considering they have never won with him yet, that could give his squad the boost they needed to make a deep run in this tournament. With Messi on their team along with all of their other talented forwards, and the great defense they play in every match which makes them difficult to score on, they could very well make a deep run all the way to the finals here. They are not the best option to go with as there is a chance they could run into a team with a much stronger attack and their defense may not be able to hold up as well. Argentina is a true contender to win this tournament but there are also better teams to go with who have a much better chance. England +700: England is coming into this tournament with a ton of talent on their team but they have not been able to put it together in their matches. They have been struggling heavily in their recent matches through UEFA Nations League and scoring has been a big issue for them in these matches. England has a lot of good players on their team and it really shows as they do not allow many goals and it is very hard to score goals on them, but despite all of their talent at the forward position the goals have just not been coming for them. This is not a recent issue either, it has been an ongoing issue over the last few years going all the way back to the last Euro Cup, and this issue really stems from their manager Southgate with the style of play that he has imposed on the team. This team has some major managerial issues right now and Southgate already knows that he will no longer be the manager after the World Cup as they have been looking for his replacement. The talent is there to make a deep run but as long as Southgate remains the manager of this squad, they are not a real contender here and they will find a way to fizzle out with their defensive style of play as they will struggle to score goals.  Spain +800: Spain is coming into this tournament as a slightly bigger underdog than England but they are dealing with the same issue as England for different reasons though. Spain has a very strong midfield and defense with the talent on their team at those positions but they really lean on that defense in their matches. Just like England, they are a team that has been struggling to score goals but for a much different reason. Unlike England, Spain does not have the talent at the forward position like they do at other positions and they lack a real goal scorer on their team. Without that vital goal scorer in their attack, they struggle to finish against even some of the worst defenses and it puts a ton of pressure on their midfield to pick up the slack. Their midfield does not have the talent to score goals though so they are dealing with the issue of having all of these good playmakers with nowhere to feed the ball to and it negatively affects the structure of their attack. Their defense is very good and does not allow many goals but they know they cannot give up many goals to win a match and that pressure is going to make them crack once they start to get deep and face some of the better attacking teams in the world. Spain has a very young team that will get a lot better with time but until then, they are not a real contender to win the World Cup this year. Germany +1000: Germany is coming into this tournament as a big underdog but the truth is they should be a lot higher than some of these teams previously mentioned. Germany does not have a very strong or deep group of forwards on their team but the few they have are very talented. Just because they are lacking a lot of good forwards though, they make up for it with the strength of talent in their midfield which also contains a lot of scoring power. They have been having issues over the last few years but scoring has never been an issue for them as this team has a lot of firepower with all of that talent. Their issues over the years have come from their defense as they have been allowing many goals in their matches, which is part of the reason why they feel the need to score so many goals in their matches, the best defense is an unstoppable offense to them. They were not in great form during the recent Nations League matches but they have actually fixed up their defensive issues a lot from the last Euro Cup. This team really can make a deep run with all of that talent and all of those goal scorers. They can compete with any team considering how many goals they can score but defense is still their weakest link and if they run into a very good defensive team in the tournament, they could be in a lot of trouble. This team still has a much better chance of going to the final than some of the other teams covered here so Germany truly is a contender to go all the way this year. Netherlands +1200: Netherlands is going to be the last team covered on this list as the teams that come after really do not have much of a chance and Netherlands is probably the best darkhorse on the board to win the entire tournament. This Netherlands team has a ton of talent on their team at every position and they have some of the best defensive players in the world to anchor that strong defense of theirs. They are very similar to Brazil, not in talent as Brazil still has a lot more of it, but in the sense that they have a very good and deep defense and midfield along with a good group of forwards that score a lot of goals. This team has one of the best midfield’s in the tournament that is very deep with a lot of talented players and they not only help defend as they do not allow many goals, but they really push this attack to do great things as they score a lot of goals without having a true striker on their team. They can beat any team in this tournament with the talent they have and the way they have been playing in their matches over the last year. This is one of the best teams in the World Cup this year by far and there is a very good chance that they end up in the finals and even lift the trophy. They are truly a contender to win this tournament. RecommendationsWe have gone over quite a few of the top favorites to win this tournament but as attractive as some of them do look, the reality is that there are a lot of fraudulent teams that simply have too many issues or lack the talent and depth to make a deep run here. The best option on the board is probably the biggest favorite going with Brazil at +400 since their team is just too stacked at every position and they are going to be very tough for anyone to beat. The next best option if looking for some value though is Netherlands at +1200 as they have one of the best teams in the tournament and are being highly undervalued as they are the best darkhorse on the board. The next best option would be to go with Germany at +1000 as you are getting a ton of value for a very good team that can score a lot of goals, but they also have their defensive issues which only makes them 3rd on this list. The 2 best options to bet futures on this World Cup are Brazil and Netherlands, and it is not even close how far ahead of everyone else these two teams are. 

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College Basketball Season Preparation: 3 Ways to Find Early Edges

by Kyle Hunter

Saturday, Oct 29, 2022

The college basketball season is rapidly approaching. College basketball can be an extremely overwhelming because there are over 300 teams in Division I. Needless to say, it can be very tough to be an expert on every single team, especially at the beginning of the season. Let’s take a look at three ways I think you can be be prepared and find edges early in the season on the college hardcourt.1. Examine Teams With New Coaches First - Why would you want to spend a bunch of time on teams that are very similar to a year ago? If the public masses know the team easily, you better believe the oddsmakers are going to know that team well also. Look for teams with a new coaching staff. These new coaches are likely to want to do things differently. Will there be a faster or slower tempo? Maybe they will switch from man to zone defense. Major turnover gives you more of a chance to have an edge on the books. 2. Focus Most On Under the Radar Conferences - It’s easiest to find a lot of good information on the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, etc. Why not just learn those teams inside and out? There’s nothing wrong with knowing the major schools inside and out, but focusing on them first is a poor strategy. The oddsmakers know these teams much better too. We are looking to uncover value and early in the season there is absolutely more value in the smaller conferences. Start small and work your way up to bigger conferences.3. Back the Veterans Early - While there are some exceptions to the rule, veteran teams are more often worthy of your backing in the early season. The teams who have had a chance to work together for many years and have the same coaching staff are a couple steps ahead in November and December. I don’t like to back inexperienced teams early in the year, especially when they are on the road. Even the teams who have an ultra high ceiling can look pretty bad in the early going.The large slates of games every day in college hoops can be overwhelming. I recommend working your way into it and being careful with your bankroll. The season is a very long grind!

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, MLB, NBA, NHL, CFL and EPL Previews and Odds - 10/29/2022

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Oct 29, 2022

The Saturday sports card features action in NCAAF, MLB, NBA, NHL, CFL, and the EPL.Week 9 in college football continues with 42 games between FBS opponents. Seven games on national television kick off at noon ET. Boston College visits Connecticut on the CBS Sports Network as a 7.5-point road favorite, with the total set at 44 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Oklahoma plays at Iowa State on FS1 as a 1-point road favorite with an over/under of 57.5. TCU is at West Virginia on ESPN as a 7.5-point road favorite with a total of 69. Ohio State travels to Penn State on Fox as a 15-point road favorite with an over/under of 60.5. Syracuse hosts Notre Dame on ABC as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 47.5. Houston plays at home against South Florida on ESPN2 as a 17.5-point favorite with an over/under of 60. Toledo is at Eastern Michigan on ESPNU as a 6.5-point road favorite with a total of 54. Seven nationally televised NCAAF games start at 3:30 PM ET. Illinois plays at Nebraska on ABC as a 7.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 50.5. Georgia plays Florida on a neutral field in Jacksonville on CBS as a 23.5-point favorite with an over/under of 56.5. Central Florida is at home against Cincinnati on ESPN as a 1-point favorite with a total of 56. Navy hosts Temple on the CBS Sports Network as a 14-point favorite with an over/under of 41.5. Oregon visits California on FS1 as a 17-point road favorite with a total of 56.5. Iowa plays at home against Northwestern on Fox as a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under of 56. South Alabama travels to Arkansas State on ESPNU at 4 PM ET as a 9-point road favorite with a total of 53. Four NCAAF nationally-televised games begin at 7 PM ET. Boise State is at home against Colorado State on FS1 as a 25.5-point favorite with an over/under of 42. Marshall hosts Coastal Carolina on the NFL Network as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 54. UAB plays at Florida Atlantic on the CBS Sports Network as a 4.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 46.5. Tennessee plays at home against Kentucky on ESPN as an 11.5-point favorite with a total of 61. Three more nationally-televised NCAAF games start at 7:30 PM ET. Arizona State visits Colorado on ESPNU as a 13.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 47.5. Michigan is at home against Michigan State on ABC as a 23-point favorite with a total of 55. Texas Tech hosts Baylor on ESPN2 as a 2-point favorite with an over/under of 61. Three NCAAF games on national television begin at 10:30 PM ET. Florida State hosts San Diego State on FS1 as a 10.5-point favorite with a total of 42. San Jose State plays at home against Nevada on the CBS Sports Network as a 24.5-point favorite with an over/under of 44. UCLA is at home against Stanford on ESPN as a 16.5-point favorite with a total of 65. The World Series in Major League Baseball continues with the Houston Astros hosting the Philadelphia Phillies on Fox at 8:03 PM ET. The Phillies took Game 1 with a 6-5 victory in 10 innings last night. Framber Valdez pitches for the Astros against Zack Wheeler for Philadelphia. Houston is a -140 money line favorite with an over/under of 7. The National Basketball Association has seven games on its docket. The Miami Heat plays at Sacramento against the Kings at 6:10 PM ET as a 3.5-point road favorite with a total of 226.5 (BetMGM). The Golden State Warriors visit Charlotte to play the Hornets at 7:10 PM ET as a 9-point road favorite with an over/under of 233.55 (BetMGM). The Brooklyn Nets play at home against the Indiana Pacers at 7:40 PM ET as a 10.5-point favorite with a total of 234.5 (BetMGM).Two NBA games tip off at 8:10 PM ET. The Philadelphia 76ers play in Chicago against the Bulls. The Milwaukee Bucks are at home against the Atlanta Hawks as a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 228. Two more NBA games start at 9:10 PM ET. The Dallas Mavericks host the Oklahoma City Thunder as a 10.5-point favorite with a total of 218.5 (BetMGM). The Memphis Grizzlies are at Utah against the Jazz as a 5.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 231.5. The National Hockey League has 12 games on its slate. The Dallas Stars play at home against the New York Rangers at 2:05 PM ET as a -120 money line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Florida Panthers are at home against the Ottawa Senators at 4:05 PM ET as a -205 money line favorite with an over/under of 7. The Tampa Bay Lightning travel to San Jose to play the Sharks at 4:35 PM ET as a -205 money line road favorite with a total of 6. Five NHL games drop the puck at 7:05 PM ET. The Toronto Maple Leafs play in Los Angeles against the Kings as a -145 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The St. Louis Blues are at home against the Montreal Canadiens as a -280 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Carolina Hurricanes visit Philadelphia to play the Flyers as a -175 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Buffalo Sabres host the Chicago Blackhawks as a -170 money line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Minnesota Wild play at Detroit against the Red Wings as a -155 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Colorado Avalanche are in New York to play the Islanders at 7:35 PM ET as a -130 money-line road favorite with a total of 6. The Nashville Predators play at home against the Washington Capitals at 8:05 PM ET as a -120 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. Two more NHL games begin at 10:05 PM ET. The Pittsburgh Penguins are at Seattle to play the Kraken as a -150 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The Calgary Flames host the Edmonton Oilers as a -140 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. Week 21 in the Canadian Football League concludes with three games. The Toronto Argonauts play at home against the Montreal Alouettes at 2 PM ET as a 3-point favorite with a total of 49. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats visit the Ottawa Redblacks at 5 PM ET as a 1.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 49. The Calgary Stampeders are at home against the Saskatchewan Roughriders at 8 PM ET as a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 49. Matchweek 14 in the English Premier League starts with eight matches. Manchester City travels to Leicester City on the USA Network at 7:30 AM ET as a -1.5 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Five more matches begin at 10 AM ET. Tottenham plays at Bournemouth as a -1 goal-line road favorite with a total of 2.5. Brentford hosts Wolverhampton as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Chelsea is at Brighton and Hove Albion on USA Network in a pick ‘em match with a total of 2.5. Crystal Palace is at home against Southampton as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Newcastle United plays at home against Aston Villa as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. Everton visits Fulham on NBC at 12:30 PM ET in a pick ‘em match with an over/under of 2.5. Liverpool plays at home against Leeds United on the USA Network at 2:45 PM ET as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, MLB, CFL and NCAAF Previews and Odds - 10/28/2022

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Oct 28, 2022

The Friday sports card features action in NCAAF, NBA, NHL, MLB and the CFL.Week 9 in college football continues with two games kicking off at 8 PM ET. The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs play at Florida International on the CBS Sports Network. The Bulldogs come off a 42-41 loss in overtime against Rice last Saturday. The Golden Panthers upset Charlotte, 34-15, as a 13.5-point underdog in their last contest. Louisiana Tech is a 6-point road favorite, with the total set at 57. BYU hosts East Carolina on ESPN2 at 8 PM ET. The Cougars come off a 41-14 loss at Liberty as a 7-point road favorite last Saturday. The Pirates upset Central Florida as a 5.5-favorite, 34-13, last Saturday. BYU is a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 63.5. Major League Baseball begins Game 1 of the World Series. The Houston Astros host the Philadelphia Phillies on Fox at 8:03 PM ET. Justin Verlander pitches for the Astros against Aaron Nola for the Phillies. Houston is a -165 money line favorite with a total of 6.5.The National Basketball Association has 11 games on its docket. Two games tip off at 7:10 PM ET. The Atlanta Hawks play at Detroit against the Pistons as a 6-point road favorite with an over/under of 227. The Charlotte Hornets are at Orlando against the Magic as a 3-point road favorite with a total of 225.5. Three more NBA games start at 7:40 PM ET. The Boston Celtics host the Cleveland Cavaliers as a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 219. The Toronto Raptors play at home against the Philadelphia 76ers as a 1-point favorite with an over/under of 213. The Washington Wizards are at home against the Indiana Pacers on ESPN as a 5-point favorite with a total of 230.5. Two NBA games begin at 8:10 PM ET. The Milwaukee Bucks host the New York Knicks as a 6.5-point favorite with an over/under of 224. The Minnesota Timberwolves play at home against the Los Angeles Lakers as an 8.5-point favorite with a total of 226.5. The Chicago Bulls travel to San Antonio to play the Spurs at 8:40 PM ET as a -4.5 point road favorite with an over/under of 229. The Denver Nuggets are at home against the Utah Jazz on ESPN at 9 PM ET as an 8.5-point favorite with a total of 229.5. Two games conclude the NBA card at 10:10 PM ET. The Portland Trail Blazers host the Houston Rockets as a 5-point road favorite with an over/under of 225.5. The Phoenix Suns play at home against the New Orleans Pelicans as a 5-point favorite with a total of 225.5.The National Hockey League has six games on its slate. The Vegas Golden Knights are at home against the Anaheim Ducks at 6:05 PM ET as a -265 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. Three more games drop the puck at 7:05 PM ET. The Boston Bruins travel to Columbus to play the Blue Jackets as a -150 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The Colorado Avalanche plays at New Jersey to play the Devils as a -135 money line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Carolina Hurricanes host the New York Islanders as a -190 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Pittsburgh Penguins visit the Vancouver Canucks at 10:05 PM ET as a -165 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Winnipeg Jets play at Anaheim against the Ducks at 10:35 PM ET as a -165 money line road favorite with a total of 6.5.Week 21 in the Canadian Football League begins with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers hosting the British Columbia Lions at 8:30 PM ET. The Blue Bombers are a 4-point favorite with an over/under of 50.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, NCAAF, NBA, and NHL Previews and Odds - 10/27/2022

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Oct 27, 2022

The Thursday sports card features action in the NFL, NCAAF, NBA, and the NHL.Week 8 in the National Football League kicks off with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosting the Baltimore Ravens on Amazon Prime at 8:15 PM ET. The Buccaneers lost for the fourth time in their last five games with a 21-3 upset loss at Carolina as a 13-point favorite on Sunday. The Ravens won for the second time in their previous three games with a 23-20 victory at home against Cleveland as a 6.5-point favorite on Sunday. Tampa Bay is a 1-point favorite, with the total set at 45.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Week 8 in college football kicks off with three games. Two games kick off at 7:30 PM ET. Louisiana-Lafayette visits Southern Mississippi on ESPN2. The Ragin’ Cajuns are on a two-game winning streak after a 38-18 win against Arkansas State as a 5.5-point favorite last Saturday. The Golden Eagles won for the fourth time in their previous five games with a 20-14 victory at Texas State on Saturday. Louisiana-Lafayette is a 1-point road favorite with an over/under of 43. North Carolina State plays at home against Virginia Tech on ESPN. The Wolfpack lost for the second time in their last three games with their 24-9 loss at Syracuse as a 3-point underdog on October 15th. The Hokies are on a four-game losing streak after a 20-14 loss to Miami, Florida as a 9-point underdog on October 15th. North Carolina State is a 13.5-point favorite with a total of 39. Utah travels to Washington State on FS1 at 10 PM ET. The Utes won their fifth game in their last six with their 43-42 victory against USC as a 3.5-point favorite on October 15th. The Cougars are on a two-game losing streak after a 24-10 loss at Oregon State as a 3-point underdog on October 15th. Utah is a 7-point road favorite with an over/under of 55.5. The National Basketball Association has four games on its docket. The Dallas Mavericks play at home against the Brooklyn Nets at 7:40 PM ET as a 1.5-point road favorite with a total of 227.5. The Los Angeles Clippers play at Oklahoma City at 8:10 PM ET as a 6.5-point road favorite. Two more games conclude the NBA card at 10:10 PM ET. The Golden State Warriors are at home against the Miami Heat as a 7.5-point favorite with a total of 225.5. The Memphis Grizzlies travel to Sacramento as a 4-point road favorite with an over/under of 237. The National Hockey League has ten games on its slate. Four games drop the puck at 7:05 PM ET. The Boston Bruins host the Detroit Red Wings as a -225 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Florida Panthers play at Philadelphia against the Flyers as a -200 money line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Minnesota Wild are at Ottawa against the Senators as a -130 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The Buffalo Sabres play at home against Montreal against the Canadiens as a -165 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Nashville Predators are at home against the St. Louis Blues at 8:05 PM ET as a -155 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. Two games in the NHL begin at 8:35 PM ET. The Edmonton Oilers visit the Chicago Blackhawks as a -210 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Dallas Stars host the Washington Capitals as a -125 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Seattle Kraken play at home against the Vancouver Canucks at 10:05 PM ET as a -125 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. Two more games conclude the NHL card at 10:35 PM ET. The Toronto Maple Leafs are at San Jose against the Sharks as a -225 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The Los Angeles Kings play at home against the Winnipeg Jets as a -145 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, and UEFA Champions League Previews and Odds - 10/26/2022

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Oct 26, 2022

The Wednesday sports card features action in the NBA, NHL, and UEFA Champions League.The National Basketball Association has ten games on its docket. Two games tip off at 7:10 PM ET. The Cleveland Cavaliers host the Orlando Magic as an 8-point favorite with the total set at 218. The Atlanta Hawks visit Detroit to play the Pistons as a 7-point road favorite with an over/under of 229. Three more NBA games start at 7:40 PM ET. The New York Knicks plays at home against the Charlotte Hornets as an 8-point favorite. The Philadelphia 76ers are at Toronto against the Raptors in a pick ‘em contest. The Milwaukee Bucks host the Brooklyn Nets on ESPN.Two NBA games begin at 8:10 PM ET. The Chicago Bulls play at home against the Indiana Pacers as an 8-point favorite with a total of 233. The Minnesota Timberwolves are at home against the San Antonio Spurs as a 9-point favorite with an over/under of 231. The Utah Jazz host the Houston Rockets at 9:10 PM ET as a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 232.5. Two games start at 10:10 PM ET to conclude the NBA card. The Denver Nuggets play at home against the Los Angeles Lakers on ESPN as a 6-point favorite with an over/under of 227. The Portland Trail Blazers are at home against the Miami Heat as a 1-point favorite with a total of 221.5. The National Hockey League has three games on its slate. The New York Islanders host the New York Rangers on TNT at 7:35 PM ET as a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. The Edmonton Oilers travel to St. Louis to play the Blues at 8:05 PM ET as a -115 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The Tampa Bay Lightning play at Anaheim against the Ducks on TNT as a -155 money line road fav write with an over/under of 6. Matchday 5 in the UEFA Champions League concludes with eight group-stage matches. Two matches start at 12:45 PM ET. FC Porto visits Club Brugge as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with a total of 2.5 (all soccer odds from BetMGM). Inter Milan hosts Viktoria Plzen as a -2.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3. Six more UEFA Champions League matches begin at 3 PM ET. Napoli plays at home against the Rangers as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 3. Liverpool travels to Ajax as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 3. Barcelona is at home against Bayern Munich as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 3.5. Atletico Madrid hosts Bayer Leverkusen as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Tottenham plays at home against Sporting Lisbon CP as a -1 goal-line favorite with a total of 3. Eintracht Frankfurt is at home against Olympique Marseille as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. All eight Champions League matches are available on Paramount+. The CBS Sports Network’s “The Golazo Show” is an NFL Red Zone-inspired show that presents live updated highlights of all eight games.

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NFL Over/Under Betting

by Wayne Root

Tuesday, Oct 25, 2022

Betting on NFL over/under action is not only simple and exciting, but it also happens to be one of the most reliable ways to pad your bankroll. Remember the stats of previous games don’t lie. The problem is that the average Joe doesn’t understand what applies and what is useless. Placing the data correctly into that particular matchup is paramount in success.  Handicapping NFL over/under bets is a reliable way to become a successful sports bettor. Whether you’re a rookie or a seasoned sharp, finding opportunities to hit NFL totals is a profitable and exciting method to wager throughout the season. Making over/under wagers is one of the most polarizing subjects in NFL sports betting. While most sports bettors prefer to take the over (who doesn’t love high-scoring games?), there are times where a defensive battle between two stalwart teams calls for an under wager. Looking at NFL betting trends is another effective method when deciding whether to wager on the over or the under. This includes analysis of turnovers. By the middle of the season, most turnovers begin to digress to the mean.  While the public has a habit of blindly wagering on the over, there are other variables that can cause a noticeable change in the betting trends. Factors like indoor/outdoor & home/away splits, weather conditions, and power rankings/standings can influence many sports bettors into wagering one way or the other. One of the most important aspects of over/under betting is line shopping for the best NFL odds. Sports bettors love to take the over, and as such, the public typically causes a lot of line movement. As more fans start betting the over, bookmakers adjust the line to increase the total number of points on an over/under wager. If you’re looking to bet the over, it’s better to get your wagers set earlier in the week before the public starts forcing significant line movement. On the other hand, if you’re favoring the under in a game, you might want to wait closer to kickoff to fill out your bet slip. Choose a top seasoned professional to help.  As far as weather, totals are certainly affected by the weather. Each case is different. Is the rain just gently coming down or coming down sideways? Is the snow coming as flurries or an inch an hour. Wind is the most important weather impediment in the outcome so if the announcer says welcome to bright and sunny Chicago, listen to what he says about any wind. 

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NFL Week 8 Breakdown

by AAA Sports

Tuesday, Oct 25, 2022

BEST GAME – New York Giants at Seattle (-3)New York 6-1 SU, 6-1 ATSSeattle 4-3 SU, 4-3 ATSThe football Giants had been living on the currency of their Super Bowl win over the Patriots 14 years ago, but after a lot of down years this group feels like it can make a name for itself in a powerful NFC East (NY, Philly and Dallas are a combined 17-3 SU and 15-5 ATS). The Giants appear to finally have something in QB Daniel Jones and RB Saquon Barkley (each had more than 100 yards rushing last weekend in Jacksonville). Meanwhile, in Seattle coach Pete Carroll could be a contender for coach of the year if he can somehow drag veteran journeyman QB Geno Smith and a group on nobodies into the playoffs.WORST GAME – Carolina at Atlanta (-6.5)Carolina 2-5 SU, 2-5 ATSAtlanta 3-4 SU, 6-1 ATSNot too many flat-out dog games this week as a lot of so-so teams go at each other and try to stay relevant, and the Panthers have to being feeling pretty good about themselves after taking down Tom Brady and the Bucs this past weekend. In their first game after trading Christian McCaffrey, the Panthers wore down Tampa on the ground behind D’Onta Foreman (118 yards) and Chuba Hubbard (63). Atlanta needs to bring its pass defense into the shop for major repairs after giving up 459 passing yards and 35 points in a loss to the Bengals. Good thing for the Falcons that Carolina’s passing game is among the weakest in the league.LARGEST SPREAD – Green Bay at Buffalo (-10.5)Green Bay 3-4 SU, 2-5 ATSBuffalo 5-1 SU, 4-1-1 ATSBad enough that the Packers lost to the Commanders, worse that they didn’t convert a single first down in a game for the first time in 23 years. Now reeling Green Bay has to deal with the best (ok, Philly fans, the SECOND-best) team in the league. Stranger things have happened, and the Packers were good enough to win three straight earlier this season, but this time it feels different. Buffalo was last seen putting the screws to Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City, and Buffalo goes into this one having had two full weeks to recuperate, rest and prepare. The offense should be at top speed.SMALLEST SPREAD – San Francisco at Los Angeles Rams (+1.5)San Francisco 3-4 SU, 3-4 ATSLos Angeles 3-3 SU, 2-4 ATSBoth teams look like they will live or die with their defenses – the Niners are ranked No. 3 overall this season and the Rams are right behind at No. 5. On the other side of the ball, each team has a lot of questions and not many answers. SF is turning the ball over too much, committing too many penalties and settling for too many field goals. The Rams, meanwhile, have scored 10 or fewer points in three of their six games. Hopefully, they were able to figure out a few things on their bye week.LARGEST TOTAL – Miami at Detroit (50.5)Miami 4-3 SU, 3-4 ATSDetroit 1-5 SU, 3-3 ATSTua is back, and even if he wasn’t at his best last time out, it was enough for the Fins to end a three-game losing streak (vs. SF). Now, if he can just rock and roll the way he did pre-ConcussionGate, Miami can resume its resurgence. The Lions, dead last in the league defensively and giving up 412 yards a game, might be just the team to accommodate Tagovailoa. Curiously, this is the only game on the docket with a total of 50 or higher.SMALLEST TOTAL – Tennessee at Houston (41)Tennessee 4-2 SU, 4-2 ATSHouston 1-4-1 SU, 3-2-1 ATSAny chance the Texans might have had to be a factor this season may have been cashiered this past Sunday when they blew a second-half lead and lost to the Raiders in Las Vegas. And that was coming off a bye week. Facts don’t lie – the Texans are a decent cover team but have scored more than 20 points in only one game this season.

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