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The Decline of the Elder Statesmen Quarterbacks

by Hollywood Sports

Monday, Oct 31, 2022

What do Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers have in common besides now living in bachelor pads? They both are enduring perhaps their worst professional seasons this year, both statistically and regarding the win/loss record of their team. But it is not just those two “future Hall of Famers.” Russell Wilson and Matthew Stafford are two other quarterbacks who get described as future “Hall of Famers”. Yet of those players are struggling mightily this year. And then there is Matt Ryan, who got benched for the rest of the season by the Indianapolis Colts a week ago. Here is the interesting thing about Ryan. Brady, Rodgers, and Wilson have a combined 9-15 record with each of their teams saddled with a 3-5 record. Those three “future Hall of Famers” have combined for only one game where their team scored at least 30 points. They have combined for one game where they threw at least three touchdown passes. They have combined for three games where they threw for at least 300 yards. Ryan had a 2-4 record before seemingly getting benched for the rest of the season (by owner Jim Irsay) after the Colts lost for the second time this year to Tennessee last week. Ryan had a game where Indianapolis scored at least 30 points. He had one game where he threw three touchdown passes. And he had three games where he passed for at least 300 yards. Ryan literally matches the productivity of Brady, Rodgers, and Wilson despite playing two fewer games — and it was Ryan that got benched?   What is going on? Brady announced that he has filed for divorce. But I am not sure how that impacts his poor decision-making in games. He found the time to blow off a Saturday morning meeting the day before a game as he was returning from attending Robert Kraft's wedding the night before. It is not a great look when he then berates his struggling offensive line. Perhaps as the G.O.A.T., he has earned the right to attend the owner of his former team's party? But if building morale is part of leadership, perhaps Brady chose the wrong communication strategy with his teammates if he wants to build positive chemistry. Sure seems like the list is growing of people that have grown tired of his schtick. You can hear all about it on his podcast "Let's Go" ...Speaking of podcasts, then there is Aaron Rodgers. It was apparent to everyone that Rodgers had the challenge to work with a new group of wide receivers after Davante Adams decided he no longer wanted to have his professional career dependent on a guy who talks about retirement every other week. Rodgers chose to not work with his rookie wide receivers in the offseason. But he is very quick to let everyone know how they are letting him down. Rodgers appears on his weekly podcast with Pat McAfee to make sure everyone knows the Packers' woes are not his fault. It's never his fault. And ever since Russell Wilson threw the interception on the goal line in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots, it has never been his fault in some circles. Offensive coordinator Pete Carroll is to blame for not calling a running play to Marshawn Lynch (yes, I know Carroll is not the offensive coordinator, that is part of the joke). The Let Russ Cook cult dreamed of the day when Wilson could finally be unleashed as if there were no specific examples of the Seahawks abandoning a ground game to let Wilson throw the ball 40-plus times. It didn't work out. Now we are seeing what happens when Carroll can Let Pete Cook with the run-first game management approach with quarterback Geno Smith who is out-performing Wilson in every measurable way. I was described as "insane" once for merely questioning if the Seahawks got the better end of the deal with Denver, considering the contract that Wilson would demand. The question has been definitively answered now -- before Halloween.And then there is Matthew Stafford who has added only two more pick-sixes to his resume this year. He is on pace to match the four pick-sixes he threw last year with the Rams. Can you imagine how Geno Smith would be crucified if he threw two pick-sixes in his first eight games? Stafford has been dealing with a right elbow injury that some have used as an excuse for his mistakes. Did these observers watch him play when he was trying to force-feed the ball to Calvin Johnson when he was quarterbacking the Detroit Lions? To paraphrase Michael Corleone in The Godfather II when discussing the declining health of Hyman Roth, Stafford has been suffering from the same elbow injury for the last twenty years ...                      Best of luck — Frank.

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When It Comes to Bill Belichick, Stop Drinking the Hator-Aid

by Hollywood Sports

Monday, Oct 31, 2022

Show me a guy who makes his money off proclaiming “The Analytics”, and I will show you a guy who loves to ignore statistics to offer his random opinion. Take Aaron Schatz, the founder of Football Outsiders, whose DVOA formulas to assess offensive and defensive efficiency are based on his subjective determination that first downs and time of possession are statistics that need not be incorporated (side note: is this because of a sincere belief that these data points are overrated, or is it because finding a formula that accurately incorporates the notions that (a) a first down offers the offense the benefit of a reset and (b) time of possession wears down defenses, decreasing their efficiency are both much harder than simply pretending that football Yards-Per-Play can be measured the same as Points-Per-Possession in basketball? I guess my feelings about this are not hidden in the question …).Anyways, here is what Schatz tweeted after New England got beat in Miami, 20-7: “On one hand, you've got people who want to say that one bad game proves ‘it was all Brady’ and Belichick was never great. On the other hand, you've got people who want to deny that the preseason and Week 1 looked pretty bad. Tom Landry was 17-30 in his last 3 years. It happens.”I wrote about this last month that it was perhaps a bit premature to start digging the grave of the Patriots. I also wrote this: “If a McVay acolyte made the playoffs with a rookie quarterback last year, let’s just say they would be appreciated differently.” Since writing that sentence, Belichick has won two more games this season using a rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe as his starter. That makes it 12 victories in the last twenty-five games with a rookie quarterback. Yet these guys like Schatz are so quick to fire off a Hot Take tearing down Belichick. Let’s see what the stats say about Belichick’s team, using Schatz’s DVOA formulas that conveniently ignore time of possession and first downs. New England goes into Halloween night ranked 14th in their overall DVOA numbers. They rank ahead of 6-1 Minnesota, 5-2 Tennessee, and the 6-2 New York Giants. The Patriots' defense ranks 7th in DVOA defensive ratings. It seemed pretty clear to me that Belichick’s formula for success since Tom Brady left for Tampa Bay was to lean on a good defense while running the football.Perhaps it is the run-first philosophy that triggers angst in the quants? The potent passing attacks like the Bills and the Chiefs produce exciting numbers. Is it ironic that “But The Analytics Say!” guys often fail to appreciate the value of the running game? With their 22-17 victory in New York against the Jets on Sunday, the Patriots have won four of their last seven games since Schatz decided to evaluate preseason games to make his conclusion about the state of this New England team, sample size be damned. I know that win-loss records are overrated when compared to statistical formulas someone cooked up to then later proclaim as “objective.” But Belichick’s Patriots now have a 21-20 regular season record in the post-Brady era (21-21 when including their playoff loss last year). I’m pretty sure the advanced analytics come to the conclusion that a 21-21 record is better than Tom Landry’s 17-30 record in his final three seasons. To paraphrase Schatz's tweet: on the one hand, if you have people who are on hair-trigger alert to dog Belichick at every possible moment that his team played badly (and it sure happened after the Patriots’ stinker on Monday Night Football against Chicago). On the other hand, there are people who appreciate that if a coach’s floor is a .500 record when they do not have an established quarterback (and they win multiple Super Bowls when they do have a good quarterback), that is precisely the evidence of a great coach.You can count me in the latter category. Best of luck — Frank.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL Previews and Odds - 10/31/2022

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Oct 31, 2022

The Monday sports card features action in the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL.Week 8 in the National Football League concludes with one game for Monday Night Football. The Cincinnati Bengals visit Cleveland to play the Browns on ESPN and on ESPN2's Peyton and Eli “Manningcast” at 8:15 PM ET. The Bengals habe won two in a ror and four of their last five with a 35-17 victory against Atlanta as a 6.5-point favorite last Sunday. They improved their record to 4-3 with the win. The Browns are on a four-game losing streak after their 23-20 loss at Baltimore as a 6.5-point underdog last week. Their record dropped to 2-5 with the loss. Cincinnati is a 3-point road favorite with the total set at 45 (all odds from DraftKings).The World Series in Major League Baseball continues with the Philadelphia Phillies hosting the Houston Astros on Fox at 8:03 PM ET. The Astros evened this series at 1-1 on Saturday with their 5-2 victory at home. They send Lance McCullers, Jr. to the mound for Game 3. The right-hander posted a 4-2 record in eight regular season starts with a 2.27 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. He last pitched on Sunday in Game 4 of the ALCS when he gave up four runs (one unearned) in five innings of work in his start against the New York Yankees. Noah Syndergaard gets the call for the Phillies. The right-hander had a  10-10 record in 25 appearances in the regular season, with all but three being starting assignments. He had a 3.94 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP in those games.  He has made three appearances in the postseason including a start against Atlanta in the NLDS. He last pitched last Saturday when he hurled 1 1/3 scoreless innings against San Diego. Houston is a -130 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. The National Basketball Association has seven games on its docket. Two games tip off at 7:10 PM ET. The Sacramento Kings travel to Charlotte to play the Hornets. The Philadelphia 76ers play at Washington against the Wizards as a 4-point road favorite. Two more NBA games start at 7:40 PM ET. The Brooklyn Nets are at home against the Indiana Pacers as an 8.5-point favorite. The Toronto Raptors host the Atlanta Hawks as a 3.5-point favorite. The Milwaukee Bucks play at home against the Detroit Pistons at 8:10 PM ET as a 12.5-point favorite. The Memphis Grizzlies are at Utah to play the Jazz at 9:10 PM ET. The Houston Rockets visit Los Angeles to play the Clippers at 10:30 PM ET. The National Hockey League has three games on its slate. Two games drop the puck at 7:05 PM ET. The Buffalo Sabres are at home against the Detroit Red Wings as a -140 money line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Carolina Hurricanes host the Washington Capitals as a -180 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The St. Louis Blues play at home against the Los Angeles Kings as a -150 money line favorite with a total of 6.

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World Cup Group Betting

by Amedeus Mastrangelo

Monday, Oct 31, 2022

The World Cup is right around the corner starting on November 20 and there are so many different ways to bet on it. One great way to find some value is by betting on the groups individually whether it be on a team to win the group or just to qualify. It is time to break down each group in the tournament and find the best value in each when it comes to betting on teams to qualify. Groups Group A: The 4 countries that will be playing in Group A are Ecuador, Netherlands, Qatar, and Senegal. This group seems to be pretty straight forward and hard to find good value in. The host country Qatar is in this group and they have been a very dominant team in their region of the world, even winning the Arab Cup in their last meaningful competition played in, but they still lack a lot of talent compared to these other countries in their group and it is likely they finish at the bottom of the group. The favorite to win this group at -225 is the Netherlands but they are by far the strongest team in this group and they are going to win it as they have the most talent in the group and have the best chance at making a deep run. The only real value in this group would be to pick a team to qualify between Senegal and Ecuador, and even though it is a bit pricey at -138, Senegal to qualify is the way to go here. Senegal has a lot more talent on their team than Ecuador does and a lot of the starting players for Senegal play on a lot of the big European clubs while Ecuador’s starters come from smaller clubs in South America mainly. Senegal is probably the strongest African country in the tournament and they have enough talent to make it out of this group. Senegal to qualify at -138 is the most value you will find in this group.  Group B: The 4 countries that will be playing in Group B are England, Iran, USA, and Wales. This group actually offers quite a bit of value considering that there are some pretty decent teams who are near even in strength and the one real super power in England, who is also the big favorite to win this group, has not been in great form in recent competitions. From the recent UEFA Nations League matches going all the way back to the last Euro Cup, this England team has been very good on defense as they do not allow many goals but scoring goals has become a big issue for them and that could get them into trouble here in a 3 matchday group. Iran does have the weakest team in this group and it is likely that they will finish at the bottom of the group due to a lack of talent but, this group is wide open and they could definitely find a way to get some points in their matches which will make this group a lot closer in the end. Both USA and Wales are very similar in strength and with each being at plus money to qualify, both of them offer some real value. Wales, like England, plays very well on defense in their matches and they will play a stingy style to try and get points from every match without taking losses, but just like England they can struggle to score goals sometimes. USA has a lot of talent similar in strength but they are also a team that has goal scorers and that is going to be key for them in this group. They likely have the advantage over Wales and should be able to qualify over them but, USA also has a real shot to win this group with the way England has been playing recently. If USA can muster up a draw against England and split the points, there is a real chance they could tie on points and win the group with a better goal differential by beating up on the other 2 teams. The best value in this group is in USA to qualify at +100 and to win the group at +550.  Group C: The 4 countries that will be playing in Group C are Argentina, Mexico, Poland, and Saudi Arabia. The big favorite in this group to win it is Argentina and for good reason. Argentina has the most talent on their team at every position out of all of these teams and they have been dominating South American teams in their recent matches. They are going to be a force in this group as they have a good defense but they can also score goals. Saudi Arabia is likely to finish at the bottom of the group as they have the least amount of talent and they play a very defensive style that will not be able to keep some of these teams out of their net and Saudi Arabia has not been scoring many goals in their recent matches either. This is another tough group for qualifying though as there are 2 really good teams in Poland and Mexico who are both good enough to qualify. Argentina is likely going to win this group so there is no real value there but only one of these other teams can qualify and there is value on both with each being -110. Poland has a very good goalkeeper in Szczesny from Juventus and they have one of the best strikers on the planet in Lewandowski, but their midfield is lacking in talent and it has affected their goal scoring recently. Mexico does not have the best striker on the planet but they do have a number of very good forwards that can score goals and a group of solid midfielders to go along with their goalkeeper from the best club in Mexico this season. Mexico just has more squad depth than Poland does, Mexico is the better option to qualify at -110. Group D: The 4 countries that will be playing in Group D are Australia, Denmark, France, and Tunisia. This group does not have a lot of value in it with the biggest favorite to win the group being France at -250 and then Denmark coming in at -250 just to qualify. Tunisia has the weakest squad of all these teams and even Australia does not have nearly as much talent as France and Denmark. France and Denmark are going to be the 2 teams qualifying from this group, but there is still a bit of value to be had here. France is going to qualify from this group but they may not win the group with the way they have been playing recently. They have been in awful form lately and have also been dealing with injuries to some of their star players and also incidents between them off the field. France is also the defending World Cup Champions from the last one and it is very hard for a team to repeat. Denmark has been in great form coming into the tournament and they are very familiar with this France team as they were in their UEFA Nations League group this past season. Denmark even beat France both times in their 6 matches, 1 at home and 1 away, and they have a very talented team that plays great defense but can also score a lot of goals. Considering Denmark just beat France twice over the last few months, it is very possible that they beat them again here and if that happens then Denmark would be in the driver's seat to win this group. The best value here is in Denmark to win the group at +300. Group E: The 4 countries that will be playing in Group E are Costa Rica, Germany, Japan, and Spain. This group has a lot of value in it with some teams being undervalued and others being overvalued. Costa Rica does not have much of a chance as their team is not very talented compared to these other 3 but these other 3 teams are all very good. Germany is by far the best team in this group and it is not even close. They have a lot more talent on their team than any of the others and they have really been fixing up their defense over the last few months. This is a much improved team from the last Euro Cup with a much better defense, a very strong midfield, and a lot of goal scorers that will find the net in their matches. Germany is not even the favorite to win this group but there is a ton of value on them at +110 here. The favorite to win this group is Spain at -120 and that is very generous considering Spain is not a very good team. They have a lot of talented players but they are still a very young team that is finding their way and they are not a team that scores a lot of goals in their matches. They rely too heavily on their defense which is very good but as soon as they get matched up with a team like Germany that has that kind of firepower, their defense is going to be exposed. Spain will be lucky to even make it out of this group as their inability to score goals is going to hurt them, especially when they go against Japan who plays a very similar style of good defense and does not score a lot. If these two split the points from their match or if Japan can even find a way to win it, Spain is going to be in a lot of trouble. The best value in this group is in Germany to win the group at +110 and in Japan to qualify at +400. Group F: The 4 countries that will be playing in Group F are Belgium, Canada, Croatia, and Morocco. This is another group that does not have a lot of value in it. Morocco and Canada are both likely to not qualify as Belgium and Croatia both have much stronger teams with a lot more talent. Belgium is not the team they used to be though and they have really fallen over the last year or 2 with the way they have been playing. Croatia has been a very strong contender in every competition they play in and they have been making some very deep runs over the last few years. Both Belgium and Croatia are going to qualify here so there is not much value in those but Croatia has been playing very well recently and there is a chance with the defense they have that they will steal this group away from Belgium. The best value here is in Croatia to win the group at +250. Group G: The 4 countries that will be playing in Group G are Brazil, Cameroon, Serbia, and Switzerland. This group has some nice value with these teams to qualify. You won’t find any value in a team to win the group as Brazil is the big favorite here and for good reason as they have one of the strongest teams in the world with all of their talent and depth at every position. No team in this group is going to come near touching them, especially Cameroon who has the weakest team in the group and will likely finish at the bottom. The value here is on the team to qualify though as both Serbia and Switzerland are very close with Serbia at +110 to qualify and Switzerland at +100. There is a ton of value here though as one of these teams is clearly better and they are going to be the ones to qualify. Switzerland has a very good defense that doesn’t allow many goals but they struggle to score goals and that will get them into trouble here, especially if it comes down to goal difference. Serbia also has a decent defense but their strength is in their scoring as they have some solid forwards and midfielders who have been on fire for them and their domestic clubs, scoring a lot of goals in recent matches. Serbia has a lot more firepower on their team and they have been in very good form coming into this tournament. The best value in this group is in Serbia to qualify at +110. Group H: The 4 countries that will be playing in Group H are Ghana, South Korea, Portugal, and Uruguay. This is a very interesting group as there are a lot of good teams here. Portugal comes in as the favorite to win this group at -163 and even though that line is quite juiced, it still has value in it as Portugal has the best team in this group by far and should be a much bigger favorite to win this group. They are being undervalued here when they have a very strong team, but these other teams also have some value in them as well. Uruguay is the next biggest favorite as they are -200 to qualify and even though they do have a very good team, so does their competition. South Korea is the weakest of all these teams and they will likely finish at the bottom of the group but they could very well play out some draws and help make this a very close group in points. Ghana is also being very undervalued at +225 to qualify when they have a lot of talented players on their team and could easily take points from any of these teams. Uruguay is good as they have been rolling over teams in South America recently but their attack is also very old as their forwards are aging and their 1 good young striker is very high maintenance needing a strong midfield to feed him the ball. This could end up being a closer group in points and there is a good chance with the talent on this Ghana team that they could find themselves getting through over a Uruguay team that is past its prime. The best value here is Portugal to win the group at -163 and Ghana to qualify at +225.

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3 Angles to Watch In College Football Late Season

by Kyle Hunter

Monday, Oct 31, 2022

3 Angles To Watch Late Season CFB The college football season feels like it just started, but we are technically now into the later part of the regular season. This week the games will be played in November. That means that rivalry games are right around the corner, and it also means you should check the weather before placing your wagers. I have found three late season angles you will want to keep an eye on for the late regular season period in college football. 1. Big Conference Game Favorites Late- The angle here is backing big favorites in a conference game late in the year. The filters in this query are favorites of 21 points or larger in game nine of their season or later. Those big favorites in this spot are 249-199 ATS (55.6% ATS wins) dating back to 2006. The return on investment on this angle is much higher on road teams (14% ROI) as compared to home teams (5.6% ROI). My theory here is some teams that are big dogs this late in the season are ready to be done for the year.2. Late Season Windy Unders- This is a nice totals angle for late regular season games played in windy conditions. In this angle the home team must be playing game number 11 or later of the season. The temperature must be 60 degrees or cooler, and the average wind in the game must be 10 miles per hour or higher. The under is a whopping 204-130 (61.1% Unders) dating all the way back to 2006 in this situation. The weather always matters, but some of these games with cooler temperatures and wind combined with rain or snow late in the season can be great for under bettors. 3. Fade Non Conference Favorites Late- Non-conference favorites late in the season don’t seem to be motivated enough to cover large spreads. From game nine of the regular season on, with a spread of -13 or higher in a non-conference contest, fading that big favorite has been a good move. The non-con favorite is 46% ATS overall since 2006, but when you filter it down by teams receiving 60% or more of the bets (public favorites) the non-conference favorite dips all the way to 42.5% ATS since 2006. Be on the lookout for these spots. I believe these are really dangerous spots for the favorite largely because they usually have big rivalry games right around them on the schedule. This is the type of game that they might look over. Best of luck with your late season college football wagering. I hope these angles are helpful to you along the way! 

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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 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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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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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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