Expert Sports Picks and Analysis from Al McMordie

Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB, NHL, UEFA Champions League and NCAAF Previews and Odds - 10/12/2022

Wednesday, Oct 12, 2022

The Wednesday sports card features action in NCAAF, MLB, NHL, and the UEFA Champions League.Week 7 in the college football regular season kicks off with one game between FBS opponents. Marshall hosts Louisiana-Lafayette on ESPN2 at 7:30 PM ET. The Thundering Herd are a 10.5-point favorite, with the total set at 47 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). The Divisional Series in Major League Baseball continues with two games in the National League. The Atlanta Braves host the Philadelphia Phillies on Fox at 4:35 PM ET. The Phillies took a 1-0 lead in this best-of-five series with their 7-6 victory on Tuesday. Kyle Wright takes the ball for the Braves against Zach Wheeler for Philadelphia. Atlanta is a -130 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.The Los Angeles Dodgers are at home against the San Diego Padres on FS1 at 9:37 PM ET. The Dodgers won the opening game of this best-of-five series yesterday, 5-3. Los Angeles gives the ball to Clayton Kershaw to pitch against the Padres’ Yu Darvish. The National Hockey League has six games on its slate. Three games drop the puck at 7 PM ET. The Washington Capitals host the Boston Bruins in the first game of a doubleheader on TNT as a -140 money line favorite with a total of 6. The Carolina Hurricanes play at home against the Columbus Bluejackets as a -250 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6. The Toronto Maple Leafs visit Montreal to play the Canadiens as a -260 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The Colorado Avalanche are at home against the Chicago Blackhawks in the nightcap on TNT at 9:30 PM ET as a -425 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. Two more NHL games start at 10 PM ET. The Anaheim Ducks play at home against the Seattle Kraken as a -125 money-line favorite with a total of 6. The Edmonton Oilers are at home against the Vancouver Canucks as a -195 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. Matchday 4 in the UEFA Champions League concludes with eight group-stage matches. Two matches start at 12:45 PM ET. Napoli hosts Ajax as a -1 goal-line favorite with a total of 3 (all soccer odds from BetMGM). Atletico Madrid plays at home against Club Brugge as a -1 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Six more matches begin at 3 PM ET. Liverpool travels to the Rangers as a -1.5 goal line road favorite with a total of 3. Bayer Leverkusen is at home against FC Porto as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Barcelona FC hosts Inter Milan as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 3. Bayern Munich plays at Viktoria Pfzen as a -2.5 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Tottenham is at home against Eintracht Frankfurt as a -1 goal-line favorite with a total of 3. Sporting Lisbon FC plays 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.

NFL Week 6 Breakdown

by AAA Sports

Tuesday, Oct 11, 2022

BEST GAME – Dallas at Philadelphia (-5.5)Dallas 4-1 SU, 4-1 ATSPhiladelphia 5-0 SU, 3-2 ATSJerry Jones has probably gone through a few buckets of Maalox already this week as his Boys get set for their early NFC East showdown in Philly. Two of the best teams in a pretty mediocre year for the NFL go at it Sunday night. Dallas is mum of whether QB1 Dak Prescott will be back in action (he may return to practice this week) against the league’s only unbeaten team. The Cowboys have some other health issues to deal with – notably banged-up pass rushes Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence. The Eagles, meanwhile, are perfect so far but flying dangerously close to the sun and could be 2-3 with a few contrarian bounces of the ball.WORST GAME – New England at Cleveland (-3)New England 2-3 SU, 2-2-1 ATSCleveland 2-3 SU, 2-3 ATSJust what Bill Belichick wants – a quarterback controversy. Mac Jones was supposed to be the real deal, but a sprained ankle has opened the door for unheralded and unknown Bailey Zappe – and the fans are now reminiscing about Bledsoe and Brady two decades ago. The Patriots defense shut out the Lions (the NFL’s highest-scoring team) last week, so for those who love D and are not tired of the whole Belichick/NE scene, this game might not be THAT bad. Cleveland is one missed field gal away from a winning record and being tied for first in the NFC North. Not a dog game, but slightly worse than the others.BIGGEST SPREAD – Carolina at Los Angeles Rams (-10.5)Carolina 1-4 SU, 1-4 ATSLos Angeles 2-3 SU, 1-4 ATSThe Rams have quite a few things to sort out, but Concern No. 1 is an offensive line that can’t open holes for the running game. The defending Super Bowl champs are dead last in the league (62 yards a game) running the ball, and that’s makes throwing it even more difficult. Wideout Cooper Kupp is being blanketed and averaging only 7.4 yards per target (way down from previous years). Fortunately for the Rams, the Panthers aren’t much better – they have the worst offense in the NFL. Oddsmakers like the Rams to break out of their funk this week.SMALLEST SPREAD – Washington at Chicago (-1)Washington 1-4 SU, 1-4 ATSChicago 2-3 SU, 2-2-1 ATSSpeaking of teams having trouble moving the ball on the ground, say hello to your dysfunctional Washington Commanders. HC Ron Rivera thinks he knows where the problem lies. Hint: It’s not Ron Rivera. It’s QB Carson Wentz, and when the boss is dissing his most important player, there are major problems. This tight line (Bears -1) is a bit odd considering that Chicago hasn’t been all that bad this season and also QB Justin Fields seems to be figuring things out. Fields was more than decent in last Sunday’s loss to the Vikings and finished with a 118.8 passer rating. He also rushed for 47 yards and had a 52-yard rushing TD called back by a penalty. Still, oddsmakers have listed this one as the lowest total (38.5).LARGEST TOTAL – Buffalo at Kansas City (53.5)Buffalo 4-1 SU, 3-1-1 ATSKansas City 4-1 SU, 2-3 ATSBuffalo has the NFL’s best offense, so it’s a bit counterintuitive that the Bills have covered the total only once in five games. Buffalo is actually 0-3 in games in which the total is 50 or more. The Chiefs, meanwhile, have been in four shootouts already this season and are trying to win games despite a middling pass defense that hasn’t been all that impressive. Expect a lot of over money mid-week which could drive the total even higher before kickoff.

Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB, NHL and UEFA Champions League Previews and Odds - 10/11/2022

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Oct 11, 2022

The Tuesday sports card features action in MLB, NHL, and the UEFA Champions League.The Divisional Series in Major League Baseball begins with four games, The Atlanta Braves host the Philadelphia Phillies at 1:07 PM ET. The Phillies reached the Divisional Series with their two-game sweep of the Cardinals in the wildcard round. Max Fried takes the ball for the Braves against Ranger Suarez for Philadelphia. Atlanta is a -195 money line favorite with the total set at 7 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). The Houston Astros play at home against the Seattle Mariners on TNT at 3:37 PM ET. The Mariners advanced to the Divisional Series with their two-game sweep of the Blue Jays in Toronto The Astros tap Justin Verlander to pitch against the Mariners’ Logan Gilbert. Houston is a -215 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The New York Yankees are at home against the Cleveland Guardians on TBS at 7:37 PM ET. The Guardians advanced to the ALDS with a two-game sweep of Tampa Bay in the wildcard round. Gerrit Cole takes the hill for the Yankees against Cal Quantrill for the Guardians. New York is a -205 money line with a total of 7. The Los Angeles Dodgers are at home against the San Diego Padres on FS1 at 9:37 PM ET. The Padres reached the NLDS with their 6-0 victory in New York against the Mets on Sunday in the third game of their Wildcard Series. The Dodgers give the ball to Julio Urias against the Padres’ Mike Clevinger. Los Angeles is a -215 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.The National Hockey League has two games on ESPN it's slate. The New York Rangers are at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning at 7:30 PM ET. The Rangers are a -115 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Los Angeles Kings host the Vegas Golden Knights at 10 PM ET as a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. Matchday 4 in the UEFA Champions League begins with eight group-stage matches. Two matches start at 12:45 PM ET. Manchester City visits FC Copenhagen as a -2.5 goal road favorite with a total of 3.5 (all soccer odds from BetMGM). Juventus plays at Maccabi Haifa as a -0.5 road favorite an over/under of 2.5. Six more matches begin at 3 PM ET. Salzburg plays at Dinamo Zagreb in a pick ‘em match-up with a total of 2.5. AC Milan hosts Chelsea in a pick ‘em match with an over/under of 2.5. Real Madrid visits Shakhtar Donetsk as a -1.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 3. RB Leipzig visits Celtic as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 3. Borussia Dortmund hosts Sevilla as a -1 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Paris Saint-Germain plays at home against Benfica as a -1 goal-line favorite with a total of 3.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.

2022-23 NHL Preview: Central Division

by Sean Murphy

Monday, Oct 10, 2022

The puck drops on the 2022-23 NHL season in rinks across the country this week (the Sharks and Predators opened the campaign in Prague, CZE over the weekend). I'm running through quick previews of all 32 teams, continuing with the Central Division.Odds to win division in parentheses.Colorado Avalanche (-150)As is often the case following a Stanley Cup championship, the Avalanche lost a number of key pieces in the offseason, namely Nazem Kadri, Andre Burakovsky and Darcy Kuemper. With Kuemper moving on, Colorado added former New York Rangers backup goaltender Alex Georgiev, who will look to make a name for himself in the Mile High City. Playing goal for the Avs isn't a bad gig as they're capable of lighting up the scoreboard with a wealth of talent up front, not to mention an elite blue line corps led by superstar Cale Makar. No Stanley Cup hangover here - expect the Avs to have little trouble pacing the Central Division for another year. Minnesota Wild (+400)Having made few offseason changes, the Wild appear content with the roster that got them to the playoffs last season (but made an early exit at the hands of the St. Louis Blues). In somewhat of a surprise move, the Wild locked up trade deadline rental goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, leading to them cutting ties with Cam Talbot. The case could certainly be made that Fleury's best days are behind him but he's made a career out of proving people wrong. Kirill Kaprizov leads a top-heavy forward group along with former first-round draft pick Matt Boldy poised for a breakout sophomore campaign after contributing 39 points in 47 games last season.Nashville Predators (+1000)The Predators are already off to a perfect 2-0 start to the season after posting consecutive hard-fought wins over the San Jose Sharks in Prague. With a good mix of youth and experience, the needle is certainly pointed up in Nashville. Filip Forsberg is back to lead the charge after signing a long extension with the club and Juuse Saros looks like a budding star between the pipes. Unlike the majority of the other teams in the Central, the Preds appear to have all of the pieces in place to potentially be a thorn in the side of the Avs at the top of the table. St. Louis Blues (+1200)Unable to get over the hump that is the Colorado Avalanche in each of the last two playoffs', the Blues did little to bolster their roster in the offseason. Ville Husso, who split time with veteran Jordan Binnington between the pipes last season, has moved on. Given Binnington's turbulent times with the Blues since helping them to a Stanley Cup championship back in 2019, it stands to reason that St. Louis will be in the market for a bonafide starting goaltender in the near future. The core of the team remains intact, a big reason why the Blues reside in that second tier in the Central Division. Regardless how the regular season goes, getting past the Avs next Spring figures to remain a tall task. Dallas Stars (+1400)The Stars remain paralyzed by the contracts of aging superstars Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. The team's biggest offseason move was a subtraction rather than an addition as Dallas lost key defenseman John Klingberg to free agency. With question marks up and down the roster the Stars seem far removed from reaching the Stanley Cup Final just three seasons ago (albeit in that strange 2020 'bubble' tournament). This is a franchise that always treats a non-playoff season as a disappointment but that's likely where it's headed again in 22-23. Winnipeg Jets (+2000)Head coach Rick Bowness is back for a second go-round with the Jets franchise, with three-plus decades in between stints. For a franchise that had so much optimism a couple of years ago, things have fallen apart rather quickly. Guys like Patrik Laine and Andrew Copp are long gone with Mark Schiefele and Kyle Connor left to shoulder much of the load offensively. Connor Hellebuyck provides stability between the pipes but he'll be hard-pressed to get much help from a depthy-shy defensive corps in front of him. Not helping matters if the fact that forwards Mason Appleton and Pierre-Luc Dubois start the season nursing injuries. Arizona Coyotes (+24000)The Coyotes should at least be given credit for not standing pat despite the numerous issues that continue to swirl around the franchise's future in the desert. Phil Kessel is out the door, now a member of the Vegas Golden Knights. Connor Geekie and Zack Kassian are among those joining the fledgling 'Yotes. The big story is of course Arizona's move to 5,000-seat Mullett Arena, located on the campus of Arizona State University. The 'Yotes will share the facility with the Sun Devils and team insiders have already indicated that the players aren't all that pleased with the arena amenities being offered. Expect another trying campaign for the 'Desert Dogs'. Chicago Blackhawks (+24000)How the mighty have fallen. The Blackhawks, not so far removed from a Stanley Cup dynasty, have fallen on hard times and continue their quasi-rebuild in 2022-23. It's probably a matter of 'when' rather than 'if' face of the franchise, Patrick Kane, will be traded. Alex DeBrincat, one of the team's biggest offensive producers over the last couple of seasons, has already been dealt to Ottawa. There's help on the way with a wealth of young prospects bubbling under the surface but it's going to take some time for them to come along. Expect the Blackhawks to stay the course this season and ultimately finish near or at the bottom of the top-heavy Central Division.

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

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Oct 10, 2022

The Monday sports card features action in the NFL, CFL, and EPL.The fifth week in the National Football League concludes with one game for Monday Night Football. The Kansas City Chiefs play at home against the Las Vegas Raiders on ESPN at 8:15 PM ET. The Chiefs return home after a 41-31 upset victory at Tampa Bay as a 2-point underdog last Sunday night. The Raiders ended their three-game losing streak with a 32-23 win at home against Denver as a 2.5-point favorite last Sunday. Kansas City is a 7-point favorite, with the total set at 51.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise).Week 18 in the Canadian Football League concludes with one game. The Montreal Alouettes host the Ottawa Redblacks on ESPN2 at 1 PM ET. The Alouettes are on a three-game winning streak after their 25-18 victory at Edmonton last Saturday as a 2-point favorite. Montreal won the game despite getting outgained, 375-295, in yardage. A 100-yard interception return for a touchdown by the Alouettes defense in the fourth quarter was the play of the game by preventing the Elks from taking a two-score lead and providing them their eventual winning margin. Trevor Harris completed 14 of 17 passes for 180 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. Montreal raised their record to 7-7 with the victory, placing them in second place in the East Division. The Redblacks have lost three in a row after a 34-19 loss at British Columbia as a 5.5-point underdog on September 30th. Nick Arbuckle completed 27 of 36 passes for 363 yards, with a touchdown pass and an interception in the losing effort. Ottawa’s 3-11 record puts them in last place in the East Division. These two teams split their two prior meetings this season. The Alouettes won the first game, 40-33, as a 2-point road favorite on July 21st. The Redblacks avenged that loss with a 38-24 upset victory on September 22nd as a 4-point road underdog. Montreal is a 6.5-point favorite with an over/under of 47.5. Matchweek 10 in the English Premier League finishes with one match. Aston Villa travels to Nottingham Forest on the USA Network at 3 PM ET. The Villans are unbeaten in their last three matches, with a victory against Southampton during that stretch. They last played on Sunday of last week in a 0-0 draw at Leeds United. Aston Villa is in 16th place in the EPL table with eight points. They have two victories and two draws in their eight matches. A win in this match moves them to ninth place in the standings.The Forest opened their first year promoted to the top flight by earning a win and a draw in their first three matches. They are on a five-game losing streak after a 4-0 loss at Leicester City last Monday. Nottingham Forest is tied for 19th place with the Foxes, who pulled out of last place with that win against them. A victory for the Forest would lift them into a tie for 17th place and the last spot for relegation at the end of the season. Aston Villa is a -0.5 goal line road favorite at BetMGM with a total of 2.5.

Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, MLB and EPL Previews and Odds - 10/09/2022

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Oct 09, 2022

The Sunday sports card features action in the NFL, MLB, and the EPL.The fourth week in the National Football League continues with 14 games. One game kicks off the card at 9:30 AM ET. The Green Bay Packers play the New York Giants at Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium in London on the NFL Network. The Packers are an 8-point favorite, with the total set at 41.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Nine NFL games start at 1 PM ET. The Los Angeles Chargers travel to Cleveland to play the Browns as a 2-point road favorite with an over/under of 47. The New England Patriots play at home against the Detroit Lions as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 45.5. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are at home against the Atlanta Falcons as a 10-point favorite with an over/under of 46. The New Orleans Saints host the Seattle Seahawks as a 5-point favorite with a total of 45. The Jacksonville Jaguars play at home against the Houston Texans as a 7-point favorite with an over/under of 43.5. The Buffalo Bills are at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers as a 14-point favorite with a total of 45.5. The Miami Dolphins travel to New York to play the Jets as a 3.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 45.5. The Tennessee Titans play at Washington against the Commanders as a 1.5-point road favorite with a total of 43. The Minnesota Vikings host the Chicago Bears as a 7.5-point favorite with an over/under of 44. One NFL game begins at 4:05 PM ET. The San Francisco 49ers visit the Carolina Panthers as a 6.5-point road favorite with a total of 39.5. Two more NFL games start at 4:25 PM ET. The Los Angeles Rams play at home against the Dallas Cowboys as a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 41.5. The Philadelphia Eagles are at Arizona to play the Cardinals as a 5-point road favorite with a total of 48.5. Sunday Night Football on NBC has the Baltimore Ravens playing at home against the Cincinnati Bengals at 8:20 PM ET. The Ravens are a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 47.5.The postseason in Major League Baseball continues with the lone climactic third game in the best-of-three wildcard series. The New York Mets host the San Diego Padres on ESPN at 7:37 PM ET. The Mets evened this series at 1-1 with their 7-3 victory against the Padres on Saturday. Chris Bassitt takes the mound for New York to pitch against Joe Musgrove for San Diego. The winner advances to the National League Divisional Series to play in Los Angeles against the Dodgers on Tuesday. The Mets are a -135 money line favorite with a total of 6.5.Matchweek 10 in the English Premier League continues with four matches. Two games start at 9 AM ET. Crystal Palace plays at home against Leeds United on the USA Network as a -0.5 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.5 (all soccer odds from BetMGM). West Ham United is at home against Fulham on CNBC as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. Liverpool visits Arsenal on the USA USA Network at 11:30 AM ET in a pick ‘em match with an over/under of 3. Manchester United plays at Everton on the USA Network at 2 PM ET as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with a total of 2.5.

Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, MLB, NHL, CFL and EPL Previews and Odds - 10/08/2022

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Oct 08, 2022

The Saturday sports card features action in NCAAF, MLB, NHL, CFL, and the EPL.Week 6 in the regular season of the college football season concludes with 52 games between FBS opponents. Six NCAAF games kick off on national television at noon ET. Tennessee visits LSU on ESPN as a 3-point road favorite with the total set at 64.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Western Michigan plays at home against Eastern Michigan on the CBS Sports Network as a 6-point favorite with an over/under of 55.5. Florida is at home against Missouri on ESPNU as a 10.5-point favorite with a total of 54. Texas plays Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas as an 8.5-point favorite with an over/under of 65. Michigan travels to Indiana on Fox as a 22.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 59. TCU plays at Kansas on FS1 as a 7-point road favorite with a total of 68.5. Five NCAAF games on national television start at 3:30 PM ET. Tulane hosts East Carolina on ESPNU as a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 55.5. Oklahoma State is at home against Texas Tech on FS1 as a 9-point favorite with a total of 67.5. Georgia plays at home against Auburn on CBS as a 28.5-point favorite with an over/under of 49.5. Tulsa travels to Navy on the CBS Sports Network as a 6-point road favorite with a total of 46.5. Utah plays at UCLA on Fox as a 3.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 64. Two more NCAAF nationally-televised games begin at 4 PM ET. Miami (FL) is at home against North Carolina on ESPN2 as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 66. Ohio State visits Michigan State on ABC as a 27-point road favorite with an over/under of 65. Three NCAAF games on national television start at 7 PM ET. Air Force plays at Utah State on FS1 as a 10.5-point road favorite with a total of 54.5. Wyoming is at New Mexico on the CBS Sports Network as a 3.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 37. James Madison plays at Arkansas State on the NFL Network as an 11.5-point road favorite with a total of 55. Four more nationally-televised NCAAF games begin at 7:30 PM ET. USC hosts Washington State on Fox as a 12-point favorite with an over/under of 65. Clemson travels to Boston College on ABC as a 20.5-point road favorite with a total of 48.5. Kansas State is at Iowa State on ESPNU as a 1-point road favorite with an over/under of 45. Notre Dame plays BYU at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas as a 4-point favorite with an over/under of 51.5. Alabama is at home against Texas A&M on CBS as a 24-point favorite with a total of 48. Boise State hosts Fresno State on FS1 as a 7.5-point favorite with an over/under of 45.5. San Diego State plays at home against Hawai’i on the CBS Sports Network as a 23.5-point favorite with a total of 48.5. Oregon State is at Stanford on ESPN at 11 PM ET as a 5-point road favorite with an over/under of 56. The postseason in Major League Baseball continues with the second games in the four best-of-three wildcard series. The Cleveland Guardians host the Tampa Bay Rays on ESPN2 at 12:07 PM ET after winning Game 1 on Friday, 2-1. Triston McKenzie takes the ball for the Guardians to pitch against Tyler Glasnow for the Rays. Cleveland is a -115 money line favorite with a total of 6. The Toronto Blue Jays are at home against the Seattle Mariners on ESPN at 4:07 PM ET after losing Game 1 yesterday, 4-0. The Blue Jays turn to Kevin Gaussian to battle against the Mariners’ Robbie Ray. Toronto is a -150 money line favorite with an over/under of 7. The New York Mets play at home against the San Diego Padres on ESPN at 7:37 PM ET after losing Game 1 on Friday by a 7-1 score. Jacob DeGrom is expected to be the starting pitcher for the Mets against Blake Snell for the Padres. New York is a -180 money line favorite with a total of 6. The Philadelphia Phillies are at St. Louis on ESPN2 at 8:37 PM ET after taking the opening game of this series yesterday, 6-3. The Phillies tap Aaron Nola to duel against the Cardinals’ Miles Mikolas. Philadelphia is a -115 money line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Nashville Predators play the San Jose Sharks in Prague at 2 PM ET in a rematch of their game that opened the regular season in the National Hockey League in the Czech Republic yesterday. Nashville is a -180 money line favorite with a total of 6.Week 18 in the Canadian Football League continues with two games. The Toronto Argonauts host the British Columbia Lions at 4 PM ET as a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under of 48.5. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers play at home against the Edmonton Eskimos at 7 PM ET as a 13-point favorite with a total of 50.5. Matchweek 10 in the English Premier League begins with five matches. Four games start at 10 AM ET. Leicester City travels to Bournemouth as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Chelsea is at home against Wolverhampton as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. Manchester City hosts Southampton as a -2.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Newcastle United plays at home against Brentford on the USA Network. Brighton and Hove Albion play at home against Tottenham on NBC at 12:30 PM ET in a pick ‘em match with a total of 2.5.

NFL Surprises Provide Intriguing Matchups for Week 5

by Vegas Writer

Friday, Oct 07, 2022

We've hit the quarter pole of the NFL season, per se, with everyone outside of the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos four games into their campaign.The Colts (2-2-1) beat the Broncos (2-3) 12-9 on Thursday in arguably the most boring and unimpressive game of the season.And everyone had the lone undefeated team the Philadelphia Eagles (4-0), right?The vaunted AFC West, we all knew it would be a combined 8-8 through four weeks, right along with the NFC West, correct?How about the New York Giants? We all knew they'd be 3-1, easy.The surprises have been plentiful, for sure, and a bigger picture is being painted with some crucial matchups in store for Week 5.As mentioned, the week officially started in Denver, blah. A better matchup kicks off Sunday in London, where the Giants face the Green Bay Packers, who are also 3-1. The Packers and Giants’ combined winning percentage of .750 (6-2) is the highest by two teams entering an international game in Week 4 or later all-time.Amazingly, we're talking about a Giants team (19.0) that is scoring more per game, albeit by fractions, than the Packers (18.8). Green Bay has the edge on defense, allowing 17.3 points per contest, while the Giants give up half a point more, at 17.8.But it's the Red Zone percentage I'm most intrigued by, as the Giants rank No. 2 after allowing just five touchdowns to opponents who made 14 trips inside the 20-yard line (35.7%).The Packers are laying -8 to the Giants, who have covered seven of their last 10 October-played games.The Las Vegas Raiders earned their first win of the season and can move out of the AFC West cellar with a win in Kansas City on Monday night. Easy, yeah? They'll need to slow reigning AFC Offensive Player of the Week Patrick Mahomes, who leads the NFL with 32 games with at least 300 passing yards since taking over as the Chiefs' full-time starter in 2018. Mahomes threw for 249 yards and three touchdowns in Kansas City’s win last week.Kansas City is -7 against the Raiders, who have failed to cover five of their last six in Kansas City.There's no arguing everyone knew the Buffalo Bills (3-1) would be in first place in the AFC East, although there may be some dispute with those who saw them being 4-0. This week they host the downtrodden Pittsburgh Steelers (1-3), as the Kenny Pickett era begins in Steeltown.Pickett may be ready in coach Mike Tomlin's eyes, but he'll have a tall task in matching the talents of Buffalo QB Josh Allen, who ranks second in the NFL with 12 combined passing and rushing touchdowns (10 passing, two rushing) this season and has 146 combined passing and rushing touchdowns since entering the NFL in 2018, fourth-most among all players over that span.The Bills are -14 at home against Pittsburgh, which has covered in Week 5 the last four seasons.In a huge road game in the NFC, the Eagles put their undefeated mark on the line in Glendale, where they'll visit the Arizona Cardinals (2-2).The Cards are 2-2 and Kyler Murray has shown better play the past few weeks. He just recorded his 10th career game with at least two touchdown passes and one rushing touchdown, the second-most such games by a quarterback since he entered the NFL in 2019. Since the 2020 season, Murray leads all quarterbacks with 18 rushing touchdowns, while Philly quarterback Jalen Hurts is tied for second with 17.The Eagles, who have covered seven of their last 10 in Week 5, are -5 in Arizona.Also from the NFC, there's a showdown in Inglewood brewing, as the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams (2-2) host the Dallas Cowboys (3-1).The Cowboys, who have allowed the fourth-fewest yards (537) to wide receivers, have their hands full against L.A.'s Cooper Kupp, who leads the NFL with 42 receptions this season. Kupp, who registered a career-high 14 receptions in Week 4, has recorded at least 10 receptions in three of his first four games this season and has 11 career games with 10-or-more receptions since entering the NFL in 2017.The Rams are laying -5 to Dallas on Sunday, and it's the home team that boasts a 7-2 ATS streak the last nine meetings.I'm on a 7-3 run in the NFL, including my NFC East Game of the Year on the Cowboys last Sunday, and my Thursday Night AFC Total of the Year on the Colts-Broncos under.I'll have my fourth straight NFL Total Winner going Sunday and another Division Game of the Year.

Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 10/07/2022

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Oct 07, 2022

The Friday sports card features action in NCAAF, MLB, and the CFL.Week 6 in the regular season of the college football season continues with four games. Nebraska travels to Rutgers on FS1 at 7 PM ET. The Cornhuskers improved to 2-3 on the season after their 35-21 win against Indiana as a 6.5-point favorite last Saturday. The Scarlet Knights lost for the second straight game with their 49-10 loss at Ohio State as a 39-point underdog on Saturday. They fell to 3-2 with the loss. Nebraska is a 3-point road favorite, with the total set at 50.5. Memphis hosts Houston on ESPN2 at 7:30 PM ET. The Tigers are on a four-game winning streak after losing their opening game of the season. They come off a 24-3 victory against Temple as an 18.5-point favorite on Saturday. The Cougars have lost three of their last four games after a 27-24 upset loss at home in overtime to Tulane as a 5-point favorite last Friday. They are 2-3 on the season. Memphis is a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 57.5. Two games kick off at 10:30 PM ET. Nevada plays at home against Colorado State on FS1. The Wolf Pack are on a three-game losing streak after a 48-20 loss at Air Force as a 24-point underdog two weeks ago. They have a 2-3 record on the season. The Rams are winless in their first four games after a 41-10 upset loss to Sacramento State as a 4.5-point favorite on September 24th. Nevada is a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 44.5. San Jose State is at home against UNLV on the CBS Sports Network at 10:30 PM ET. The Spartans are on a two-game winning streak after a 33-16 win at Wyoming as a 2.5-point favorite last Saturday. They have a 3-1 record this year. The Rebels are on a three-game winning streak after a 31-20 victory against New Mexico as a 14-point favorite last Friday. They have a 4-1 record. San Jose State is a 6.5-point favorite with an over/under of 52. The postseason in Major League Baseball begins with the opening games in the four best-of-three wildcard series. The Cleveland Guardians host the Tampa Bay Rays on ESPN at 12:07 PM ET. Shane Bieber takes the ball for the Guardians to pitch against Shane McClanahan for the Rays. Cleveland is a -120 money line favorite with a total of 6.The St. Louis Cardinals play at home against the Philadelphia Phillies on ABC at 2:07 PM ET. The Cardinals tap Jose Quintana to pitch against the Phillies’ Zack Wheeler. St. Louis is a -110 money line favorite with an over/under of 7. The Toronto Blue Jays are at home against the Seattle Mariners on ESPN at 4:07 PM ET. Alek Manoah takes the hill for the Blue Jays to battle against Luis Castillo for the Mariners. Toronto is a -130 money line favorite with a total of 7. The New York Mets host the San Diego Padres on ESPN at 8:07 PM ET. The Mets turn to Max Scherzer to pitch against the Padres’ Yu Darvish. New York is a -150 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. Week 18 of the Canadian Football League kicks off with one game. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are at home against the Saskatchewan Roughriders as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 46.5.

NFL Scoring and Over/Under Trends After Week 4

by Team Del Genio

Thursday, Oct 06, 2022

Scoring had been up last week going into Monday Night Football, with the first fifteen games of Week 4 averaging 50.3 combined points. After three weeks of the regular season, games were averaging only 42.1 combined points per game, the lowest mark since 2010. We expected scoring to rise with offensive players getting more in synch after not taking many snaps in the preseason. The Week 4 numbers included high-scoring games that had 93 combined points between Seattle and Detroit and 72 combined points between Kansas City and Tampa Bay last night. Yet seven of the fifteen games still finished under the number so far in Week 4 before the Los Angeles Rams played at the San Francisco 49ers Monday night. Five of the games did not see more than 42 combined points scored. For the season, the under has a 37-25-1 record. For prime-time games, the under has cashed in nine of the twelve games. Of course, the Sunday Night Football scoring fest between the Chiefs and Buccaneers demonstrated that it would be foolish to simply take the under became the game happens to be played at night in front of a nationally-televised audience. On the other hand, perhaps that game follows a different script if Rachaad White does not fumble the opening kick-off to give the ball to Patrick Mahomes deep in Tampa Bay territory. When Kansas City had a 7-0 lead in the first minute of the game, the Buccaneers played the entire game from behind and abandoned their rushing attack. So, each game needs to be treated differently. We passed on the over/under bet for Sunday Night Football, preferring the side plays with the Chiefs. We did endorse the under for Monday Night Football with that NFC West showdown involving two teams that like to run the football and who have played seven of their previous nine games played in San Francisco under the number. We were rewarded with a comfortable under with the 49ers' 24-9 victory. Jimmy Garoppolo was efficient if not explosive by completing 16 of 27 passes for 239 yards while leading San Francisco to 327 total yards of offense. Yet they only scored 17 offensive points with their final touchdown being from a 52-yard interception return for a touchdown. The struggles on offense for the reigning Super Bowl champions continued as they gained only 257 yards behind a banged-up offensive line. Matthew Stafford completed 32 of 48 passes for 254 yards, yet lost 54 yards from getting sacked seven times. Stafford has been sacked fourteen times in the last two games. He has gone 87 straight pass attempts without a touchdown pass. In his last eight games including the playoffs last year, he has thrown sixteen interceptions. Lingering elbow and shoulder injuries may be impacting his performance.Week 5 begins Thursday night with the under having a 38-25-1 record. For prime-time games, the under has cashed in ten of the thirteen games. Yet that was not enough for us to endorse the Indianapolis/Denver under for the opening Thursday night contest for the week. The oddsmakers installed the over/under in the 43-point range and the market bet that number down all week with both teams missing their starting running backs, Jonathan Taylor for the Colts and Javonte Williams for the Broncos. While we were willing to be the under with the low number on Monday, injuries on a pair of defensive units not as good as the Rams and 49ers played a large role in passing (and instead taking the side play). As we continue to preach, these long-term under trends are interesting to observe but not nearly enough to expect to continue on their own.Good luck - TDG.

NHL Hockey Futures Bet: Toronto Maple Leafs to Win the 2023 Stanley Cup

by Al McMordie

Thursday, Oct 06, 2022

The Predators and Sharks will kick off the NHL season (in Prague) this week, so it's time to unveil my pick to win this year's NHL Stanley Cup. It will be a familiar selection since my futures pick is the same team I went with last year: the Toronto Maple Leafs (at 10-1 odds (FanDuel)). The Leafs have the best pure goal scorer in the NHL (which probably means in the World). Connor McDavid might still be the best overall player in the game, but nobody can put the puck in the net as frequently and in as many different ways as Toronto's superstar Center, Auston Matthews. The 25-year-old finished last season as the only 60-goal scorer in the league, and he did it in just 73 games. Nobody would be surprised if Matthews led the league again this season and improved on the 60-goal bar. But what about the rest of the team? The Leafs need to take a serious step forward this season. For six straight years, the Leafs have made the playoffs. And for six straight seasons, they've gone packing after the first round. Another season like that, and they need to seriously consider blowing it up (with the exception of Matthews). One area where the Leafs have already blown it up is in goal. Both of last season's net-minders -- Jack Campbell and Petr Mrazek -- are out, and that's not necessarily a bad thing when you consider who they brought in. Toronto got aggressive in the off-season and went after two potentially #1 goalies in Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov. While Murray is the more experienced (but still only 28), it's the 25-year-old Russian who is potentially the long-term number one in net -- and don't be surprised if Samsonov is a Vezina Trophy winner one day. The Leafs also addressed a defense that faltered badly at times last season, bringing in veterans Mark Giordano (trade from Seattle) and Jordie Benn (signed as a free agent). Those two may not be the entire answer this team needs, but they're certainly a start. Head Coach Sheldon Keefe will be back after a 54-win season -- by far his best result as an NHL skipper. If Keefe can get this team to gel and play together like they're capable of -- beyond the regular season -- then they just might be hoisting the Cup at the end. Take the Toronto Maple Leafs at 10-1 odds to win the Stanley Cup. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

NHL Metropolitan Division Preview 2022-23

by Scott Rickenbach

Thursday, Oct 06, 2022

Metropolitan Division 2022-23 Point Total PredictionsCarolina Hurricanes – 116 points last year. Predicting them to land around the 100 mark this season. This team is so strong on the blue line. They can D up! But the Hurricanes have some question marks this season as they lost quite a bit of scoring with guys that departed. I know they added Brent Burns and Max Pacioretty but the latter is out at least 4 months most likely recovering from surgery. Also, Paul Stastny is a big add but again Niederrieter, Trocheck and DeAngelo all are with other teams now. Hurricanes still we be one of the strongest clubs in the league but how the new pieces mix in will be a key. Columbus Blue Jackets – 81 points last year. Predicting a range of mid to upper 80s this season. What a top line they have now since Johnny Gaudreau landed here and Patrick Laine decided to remain with Columbus. The Blue Jackets, however, have quite a ways to go as they defense is not what it was a few seasons ago and is very young. Also, will they have enough scoring depth behind that top line?New Jersey Devils – 63 points last year. Predicting a range of mid to upper 80s this season. This team should be much improved because I liked what I saw from this team as the season went on. The late season Devils were much better than the early season Devils and they’ll carry momentum here and be an improved team this season. The added some solid pieces heading into the new season and now can take the next step after a sluggish start last season doomed them. This team can contend for a playoff spot. They have a solid young core and then added guys like Ondrej Palat and Erik Haula among others! This team going to be tough to play against. New York Islanders – 84 points last year. Predicting a range of upper 80s to low 90s this season. Not too sure about this team. Barry Trotz was fired and yet the Islanders were so much better after the rough start to the season when they opened up with a 13-game road trip and then got hammered by a covid outbreak. Lane Lambert now an NHL coach for the first time. The talent is there for this team to still be a title contender and I know a lot of systems will stay the same since Lambert was an assistant under Trotz but this is his first time as head coach. Roster is much the same and the Isles will contend for a playoff spot but I don’t think it will be easy for this team that is still a bit offensively challenged. New York Rangers – 110 points last year. Predicting them to land around the 100 mark this season. Igor Shesterkin in goal is a key for these Rangers. He is phenomenal. They also have a core group of young talent and have built this team really well. To get to next level though those young guys are going to have to have their best seasons yet. Very strong team but lost some solid guys from last season’s team that made the post-season run. Really like the additions of Trocheck and Halak as well. Philadelphia Flyers – 61 points last year. Predicting a range of mid to upper 70s this season. Definitely like the hiring of fiery head coach John Tortorella because if any team needed a real kick in the pants from the bench boss it was this Philly bunch. Torts will demand this most from this club and we will see improvement as a result. A big key was that Sean Couterier will not need surgery after all and he is such a strong player and will be huge for the top line when he is back out there again in a few weeks most likely. However, it is likely “do or die” time for GM Chuck Fletcher and the Flyers have a decent amount of talent but question marks on defense and that exposes their goaltending too much. Carter Hart needs a more dominant, consistent season between the pipes as well. Pittsburgh Penguins – 103 points last year. Predicting a range of mid to upper 90s this season. The core group is still there for the Penguins to try to make one more push. Malkin, Crosby, Rust, Letang all long-time Penguins trying to help make a run at it. The additions of defensemen Ty Smith and Jeff Petry should pay dividends too. If Tristan Jarry is strong enough in goal the Pens should make playoffs and could even make a run but the competition seems to be getting in tougher in this division and of course the other Eastern Division is stacked with Bruins and Lightning and Maple Leafs and Panthers. So the Penguins are one of those 8 battling to get in but the Metropolitan is getting better while Pittsburgh staying a bit stagnant. Washington Capitals – 100 points last year. Predicting a range of low to mid 90s this season. Yes the Capitals still have the Amazing 8 in Alexander Ovechkin. Additionally what a huge move to get goalie Darcy Kuemper after he won the cup with the Avalanche. Some of the other Capitals additions are solid too and this Washington team is going to, like Pittsburgh, be in the mix for one of those playoff spots. However, like some other teams, the Caps are dealing with a couple of injury issues entering the season and guys like Tom Wilson and Nicklas Backstrom being out for awhile to start the season is absolutely not ideal of course.

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