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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL and MLB Previews and Odds - 09/12/2022

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Sep 12, 2022

The Monday sports card features action in the NFL and MLB.Week 1 in the regular season of the National Football League concludes with one game. The Denver Broncos travel to Seattle to play the Seahawks on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2. The Broncos are a 6.5-point road favorite with the total set at 44.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Major League Baseball has nine games on its schedule. The Miami Marlins host the Texas Rangers at 1:10 PM ET in the opening game of their doubleheader. The Marlins lost their second straight game with a 9-3 loss to the Mets in New York on Sunday. The Rangers ended a three-game losing streak with a 4-1 victory against Toronto yesterday. Miami sends out Trevor Rogers to pitch against Texas’ Glenn Otto. The Marlins are a -135 money line favorite with an over/under of 7. The Cleveland Guardians play at home against the Los Angeles Angels at 6:10 PM ET. The Guardians won for the sixth time in their last seven games with a 4-1 victory at Minnesota on Sunday. The Angels lost for the third time in their last four games with a 12-4 setback in Houston yesterday. Cleveland gives the ball to Konnor Pilkington to pitch against Los Angeles’ Reid Detmers. The Guardians are a -140 money line favorite with a total of 8. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 6:40 PM ET. The Houston Astros visit Detroit to play the Tigers. The Astros won for the third time in their last four games with their victory against the Angels on Sunday. The Tigers had their three-game winning streak end with a 4-0 loss at Kansas City yesterday. Framber Valdez takes the mound for Houston to battle against Eduardo Rodriguez for Detroit. The Astros are a -195 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Cincinnati Reds are at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Reds are on a two-game losing streak after their 7-6 loss to Milwaukee yesterday. The Pirates lost for the fourth time in their last five games with a 4-3 loss to St. Louis on Sunday. Pittsburgh turns to Bryse Wilson to pitch against Cincinnati’s Mike Minor. The Reds are a -145 money line favorite with a total of 9.5. The Tampa Bay Rays travel to Toronto to play the Blue Jays at 7:07 PM ET. The Rays lost for the second straight time with a 10-4 loss at New York against the Yankees on Sunday. The Blue Jays had their three-game winning streak end with a 4-1 loss at Texas yesterday. Jose Berrios pitches for Toronto against a starting pitcher yet to be determined for the Rangers. Two MLB games start at 7:10 PM ET. The Marlins tap Braxton Garrett to pitch against the Rangers’ Jon Gray for the second game of their doubleheader. The New York Mets play at home against the Chicago Cubs. The Mets won for the fourth time in their last five games with their 9-3 victory at Miami on Sunday. The Cubs come off a 4-2 loss at San Francisco on Sunday. Chris Bassitt takes the mound for New York against a starting pitcher yet to be named for the Cubs. The Mets are a -280 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.The Los Angeles Dodgers are at Arizona against the Diamondbacks at 9:40 PM ET. The Dodgers won for the fourth time in their last five games with their 11-2 victory at San Diego on Sunday. The Diamondbacks ended a four-game losing streak with a 12-6 victory at Colorado yesterday. Los Angeles sends Tyler Alexander to the hill to duel against Arizona’s Ryne Nelson. The Dodgers are a -230 money line road favorite with a total of 9.The Atlanta Braves play at San Francisco against the Giants at 9:45 PM ET. The Braves lost for the second straight time yesterday in a 8-7 loss at Seattle. The Giants has won two in a row with a 4-2 victory against the Cubs yesterday. Spencer Strider pitches for Atlanta against Alex Cobb for San Francisco. Atlanta is a -175 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL and MLB Previews and Odds - 09/11/2022

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Sep 11, 2022

The Sunday sports card features action in the NFL and MLB.Week 1 in the regular season of the National Football League continues with 14 games. Nine games kick off at 1 PM ET. The New Orleans Saints visit Atlanta to play the Falcons as a 5.5-point road favorite with the total set at 43 (all odds from DraftKings). The San Francisco 49ers play at Chicago against the Bears as a 6.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 40. The Cincinnati Bengals host the Pittsburgh Steelers as a 6.5-point favorite with a total of 44. The Philadelphia Eagles are at Detroit to play the Lions as a 5-point road favorite with an over/under of 48.5. The Miami Dolphins play at home against the New Patriots as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 46. The Baltimore Ravens travel to New York to play the Jets as a 6.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 44. The Washington Commanders play at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars as a 3-point favorite with a total of 44. The Carolina Panthers are at home against the Cleveland Browns as a 1-point favorite with an over/under of 42. The Indianapolis Colts are at Houston to play the Texans as a 7-point road favorite with a total of 46.Four NFL games start at 4:25 PM ET. The Tennessee Titans host the New York Giants as a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 44. The Green Bay Packers visit Minnesota to play the Vikings as a 1-point road favorite with a total of 46.5. The Kansas City Chiefs play at Arizona against the Cardinals as a 6.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 54. The Los Angeles Chargers are at home against the Las Vegas Raiders as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 52.5. Sunday Night Football on NBC and Peacock begins at 8:20 PM ET. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers travel to Dallas to play the Cowboys as a 2.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 50. Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. Two games throw out the first pitch at 1:05 PM ET. The Baltimore Orioles play at home against the Boston Red Sox as a -125 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Philadelphia Phillies are at home against the Washington Nationals as a -305 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Two more MLB games begin at 1:35 PM ET. The St. Louis Cardinals play at Pittsburgh against the Pirates as a -205 money line road favorite with a total of 8. The Tampa Bay Rays play in New York against the Yankees. The New York Mets visit Miami to play the Marlins at 1:40 PM ET as a -140 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Four MLB games start at 2:10 PM ET. The Cleveland Guardians play at Minnesota against the Twins. The Houston Astros host the Los Angeles Angels as a -245 money line favorite with a total of 8. The Milwaukee Brewers are at home against the Cincinnati Reds as a -280 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Kansas City Royals play at home against the Detroit Tigers as a -150 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. The Texas Rangers are at home against the Toronto Blue Jays at 2:35 PM ET.The Arizona Diamondbacks travel to Colorado to play the Rockies at 3:10 PM ET as a -155 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Chicago White Sox play at Oakland against the A’s as a -155 money line road favorite with a total of 7.5. Two more MLB games start at 4:10 PM ET. The Los Angeles Dodgers play at San Diego against the Padres as a -130 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. The Atlanta Braves are at Seattle to play the Mariners as a -125 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN at 7:08 PM ET has the San Francisco Giants playing in Chicago against the Cubs.

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

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Sep 10, 2022

The Saturday sports card features action in the NCAAF, MLB, and the CFL.Week 2 of the college football regular season continues with 45 games between FBS opponents. Seven games on national television kick off at noon ET. Alabama visits Texas on Fox as a 20.5-point road favorite with the total set at 64.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Arkansas hosts South Carolina on ESPN as a 9-point favorite with an over/under of 54.5. Kansas State plays at home against Missouri as a 7.5-point favorite with an over/under of 56.5. Penn State is at home against Ohio as a 28-point favorite with a total of 54.5. North Carolina travels to Georgia State on ESPNU as a 7-point road favorite with an over/under of 64.5. UTSA plays at Army on the CBS Sports Network as a 2.5-point road favorite with a total of 54. Notre Dame hosts Marshall on NBC as a 20.5-point favorite with an over/under of 50. Five nationally-televised NCAAF games start at 3:30 PM ET. Tennessee plays at Pittsburgh on ABC as a 5.5-point road favorite with a total of 64.5. Air Force is at home against Colorado on CBS as a 17.5-point favorite with a total of 50. Texas A&M plays at home against Appalachian State on ESPN2 as an 18.5-point favorite with an over/under of 54. Memphis visits Navy on the CBS Sports Network as a 4.5-point road favorite with a total of 49.5. Wisconsin hosts Washington State on Fox as a 17.5-point favorite with an over/under of 49. Two more NCAAF games begin at 4 PM ET. Texas Tech is at home against Houston at FS1 as a 4-point favorite with a total of 62. Illinois plays at home against Virginia on ESPNU as a 4-point favorite with an over/under of 57. Three NCAAF games on national television kick off at 7 PM ET. Louisiana-Lafayette plays at home against Eastern Michigan on the NFL Network as an 11-point favorite with a total of 56. Florida hosts Kentucky on ESPN as a 6-point favorite with an over/under of 51.5. Syracuse travels to Connecticut on the CBS Sports Network as a 23.5-point road favorite with a total of 49.5. Four more NCAAF games start at 7:30 PM ET. Auburn is at home against San Jose State on ESPNU as a 24-point favorite with an over/under of 48.5. USC visits Stanford on ABC at 7:30 PM ET as a 9-point road favorite with a total of 67. Nebraska plays at home against Georgia Southern on FS1 as a 23.5-point favorite with a total of 62.5. BYU hosts Baylor on ESPN at 10:15 PM ET as a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 53. Fresno State plays at home against Oregon State on the CBS Sports Network at 10:30 PM ET in a pick ‘em matchup with an over/under of 59.5. Mississippi State travels to Arizona on FS1 as a 10.5-point road favorite with a total of 57.5. Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The New York Yankees play at home against the Tampa Bay Rays at 1:05 PM ET as  a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The San Francisco Giants play at Chicago against the Cubs at 2:20 PM ET as a -115 money line road favorite. The Chicago White Sox visit Oakland to play the A’s at 4:07 PM ET as a -190 money line road favorite with a total of 7.5. The Boston Red Sox play at Baltimore against the Orioles at 5:05 PM ET. Philadelphia is at home against Washington at 6:05 PM ET as a -240 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The New York Mets play at Miami against the Marlins at 6:10 PM ET as a -155 money line road favorite at Caesars with a total of 7.5. The Toronto Blue Jays play at Texas against the Rangers at 7:05 PM ET as a -200 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. The Kansas City Royals host the Detroit Tigers at 7:10 PM ET as a -115 money line favorite with a total of 8. Three MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:15 PM ET. The Milwaukee Brewers are at home against the Cincinnati Reds as a -225 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two games are featured in Fox’s regional coverage. The Houston Astros host the Los Angeles Angels as a -135 money line favorite with a total of 7. The Cleveland Guardians travel to Minnesota against the Twins as a -125 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The St. Louis Cardinals play at Pittsburgh against the Pirates at 7:35 PM ET as a -205 money line road favorite with a total of 8. The Arizona Diamondbacks visit Colorado against the Rockies at 8:10 PM ET as a -115 money line road favorite with an over/under of 11.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers are at San Diego against the Padres at 8:40 PM ET as a -145 money line road favorite with a total of 8. The Atlanta Braves play at Seattle against the Mariners at 9:10 PM ET as a -135 money line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. Week 14 in the Canadian Football League concludes with three games.                  The Toronto Argonauts play at Ottawa against the Redblacks at 2 PM ET as 1.5-point road favorite with a total of 47.5. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers host the Saskatchewan Roughriders at 5 PM ET as a 7.5-point favorite with an over/under of 44.5. The Calgary Stampeders visit Edmonton to play the Eskimos at 8 PM ET as a 9.5-point road favorite with a total of 49.5.Matchweek 7 in the English Premier League got postponed after the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 09/09/2022

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Sep 09, 2022

The Friday sports card features action in the NCAAF, MLB, and the CFL.The second week in the college football kicks off with two games. Central Florida hosts Louisville on ESPN2 at 7:30 PM ET. The Knights won their opener with a 56-10 victory against South Carolina State as a 43.5-point favorite on September 1st. The Cardinals got upset on the road at Syracuse, 31-7, as a 5-point favorite last Saturday. Central Florida is a 5.5-point favorite with the total set at 61.5 (all odds from DraftKings).Boise State visits New Mexico at the CBS Sports Network at 9 PM ET. The Broncos lost at Oregon State, 34-17, as a 2-point underdog on Saturday. The Lobos come off a 41-0 victory against Maine as a 6-point favorite on Saturday. Boise State is a 17-point road favorite with an over/under of 44.Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The San Francisco Giants travel to Chicago to play the Cubs at 4:05 PM ET as a -145 money line road favorite with a total of 7.5. The St. Louis Cardinals play at Pittsburgh at 6:35 PM ET as a -195 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. The New York Mets are at Miami to play the Marlins at 6:40 PM ET as a -165 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Three MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:05 PM ET. The Baltimore Orioles host the Boston Red Sox as a -130 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Philadelphia Phillies play at home against the Washington Nationals as a -195 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. The New York Yankees are at home against the Tampa Bay Rays with both teams priced at -110 with an over/under of 7. The Toronto Blue Jays travel to Texas to play the Rangers at 8:05 PM ET as a -155 money line road favorite with a total of 8. Four MLB games start at 8:10 PM ET. The Houston Astros play at home against the Los Angeles Angels as a -225 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Kansas City Royals are at home against the Detroit Tigers as a -135 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Minnesota Twins host the Cleveland Guardians on Apple TV+ as a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Milwaukee Brewers are at home against the Cincinnati Reds as a -145 money line favorite with a total of 8. The Colorado Rockies play at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks at 8:40 PM ET as a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 10. Three games close out the MLB card at 9:40 PM ET. The Los Angeles Dodgers travel to San Diego to play the Padres as a -165 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The Atlanta Braves play at Seattle against the Mariners on Apple TV+ as a -120 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.  The Chicago White Sox are at Oakland against the A’s as a -165 money line road favorite with a total of 8.Week 14 in the Canadian Football League begins with one game. The British Columbia Lions travel to Montreal to play the Alouettes at 7:30 PM ET as a 3-point road favorite with an over/under of 52.5.

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College Football Game Two Conference Trouble

by Tom Stryker

Thursday, Sep 08, 2022

When you only play a short 12-game regular season, getting out of the gate successfully is extremely important in college football.  A slow start can put teams behind the eight-ball early and, in some situations, seasons can be ruined before the month of October arrives. With the help of my college football database, the same one that was featured in the December 13th, 2010, issue of the ESPN Insider magazine, I’ve been able to isolate and profit from a number of early season technical situations that have performed very well.  The unique system you see below is no different.  This specific scenario takes a look at conference home favorites that check in off a straight up road loss in their first regular season battle.   When I thought about the set, I believed these home teams would bounce back especially since they’re highly motivated with a conference foe coming to town.  I couldn’t have been more wrong.  Take a look at what I like to call, “College Football’s Game Two Conference Trouble.” Since 2000, PLAY AGAINST any game two college football conference home favorite priced at -2.5 or more provided they arrive without confidence off a straight up road loss in their season opener.  22-Year ATS Record = 26-5 ATS for 83.8 percent  This Week’s Play’s = KANSAS and BOSTON COLLEGE  Last Saturday, West Virginia (+7’) traveled to Pittsburgh and lost 38-31 and Virginia Tech (-6’) visited Old Dominion and got rocked 20-17.  The knee-jerk reaction would be to take the Mountaineers and Hokies off those blemishes thinking they would bounce back in a big way.  That is exactly what you don’t want to do. Good luck with the Jayhawks and Eagles this week!

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Europa League Futures

by Amedeus Mastrangelo

Thursday, Sep 08, 2022

The Europa League is starting and it is time to discuss possible futures on a team to win the tournament outright. This is a much harder tournament to predict than the Champions League considering that the champion of this league may not even be in the tournament yet and could end up being a club that has fallen out of Champions League later on in the competition. There are still plenty of talented teams right now though, so let’s take a look at which teams can really go the distance and last against those other teams that could drop into the tournament later on. To Win Outright Arsenal +550: Arsenal stands out as the biggest favorite on the board here right now, and they very well could end up in the finals with the team they have put together for this year. They have already started their Premier League season very hot with a 5-0-1 record and they spent a lot of money in the transfer window to add some big pieces and improve this team. Gabriel Jesus was just one of the big pieces they acquired to boost their attack and they also made countless other moves to boost their midfield and defense as well. They have a very good chance of going deep into the tournament and even winning it as they are one of the best teams in the Premier League this season and even have a very good chance of finishing top 4 getting back into Champions League. This is going to be a dominant team this year that will surely be a future Champions League team and they have the talent to make a deep run here. Manchester United +800: Man Utd comes up as the next biggest favorite on the list here. They are a club that has been struggling for years with disappointing season after disappointing season. They have had countless managers over the last few years even though this team has plenty of talent to be a contender. They have started to play much better in the Premier League recently after their first two embarrassing matches, but they are still a few pieces away from being an elite team in Europe. Most of their problems stem from the front office and bad decision making on their part. They finally have a manager that is turning things around slowly but this team still needs one more key piece in the midfield and on defense to really strengthen this lineup from top to bottom. They definitely have players that can score goals but their defense needs improvement and until they make a move to improve that, they will not be able to go all the way and compete with some of the stronger teams they may see drop down. The odds are tempting but until they change owners and make a few more big moves in the transfer window, this will not be a contending team.  Roma +1400: Roma comes up as the next on the list here and they are a team that made a ton of moves in the transfer window to improve their team. They picked up Dybala to really improve their attack and they have a lot of depth and quality players at both the midfield and defense positions. They have had a good start to their season in Serie A but they have really struggled to score goals against some of the bigger clubs in the league. Any matches they have won so far have been either very close in score by around 1 goal or they blew out a very bad opponent. They are the kind of team that plays very well against the bad teams but struggles to score on good defenses. They have a very good defense themselves as they have not allowed many goals in their matches, even against the better teams, and this is a defense that can take them very far in this tournament. They have the talent to be a top 4 team in Italy and their defense is good enough to keep them in any match with a chance to win, but their attack needs to start clicking and scoring lots of goals before they become a real contender. Roma did go very far in last year’s Europa Conference League as they ended up winning the title, and they have only made their team even better since then. The attack is still questionable on this team though, they have the potential to go very far in Europa League with that great defense and are a true contender to win here, but until they fix their attack and start to score goals more efficiently they are not my favorite team to win this tournament. Real Betis +2500: Real Betis is the final team we will be discussing here. They are tied with 2 other teams at +2500 to win the tournament, Lazio and Real Sociedad, but of those 3 clubs Real Betis really has the best team of the group and the best chance of going deep into this competition. Real Betis is coming off of a great season where they finished 5th place in La Liga just 5 points out of a Champions League spot. They have a much stronger team this season though, and with the recent collapse of Sevilla they have a very good chance of being a Champions League team next year as they are just that good. Their strength comes in their home matches but they still play very well away from home and they have a great defense that can take them far in this tournament. They do not allow many goals in their matches, especially when they are at home, and it will be hard to rip points away from them at home in this competition as they are very good. They also have a very good attack that can score a lot of goals and this attack will be able to bail them out in a lot of away matches where their defense is allowing goals. This is a team that can keep up with the elite teams in Europe, they just played a match against Real Madrid in their league but even though they lost that match 2-1, they still went into Madrid and played very well giving them a good fight the entire match. Real Betis is a true contender to go all the way and win this tournament as a very nice darkhorse. RecommendationsThis was just a closer look at the top 4 favorites to win the tournament but once again, the winner of this tournament may not even be in the competition yet as it could end up being a drop down team from Champions League. These are the best teams in the competition so far though, and some of them have a real chance while others do not. My picks for the winner of this tournament as it stands would be Arsenal at +550 as they have the best team in the competition right now and are easily a Champions League level team this year with the moves they made, and my darkhorse is Real Betis at +2500 as they also have a very good team that plays against strong competition in Spain and they are a team that can score a lot of goals but defend well when they need to and they always come with a very smart strategy to get the best possible outcomes in their matches.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL and MLB Previews and Odds - 09/08/2022

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Sep 08, 2022

The Thursday sports card features action in the NFL and MLB.The regular season in the National Football League kicks off with one game. The Buffalo Bills travel to Los Angeles to play the Rams at 8:20 PM ET on NBC and Peacock. The Bills take the field after losing in their epic playoff game in overtime at Kansas City, 42-36, in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs. The Rams won the Super Bowl in a 23-20 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals. Buffalo is a 2-point road favorite, with the total set at 52 (all odds from DraftKings).Major League Baseball has seven games on its schedule. The St. Louis Cardinals host the Washington Nationals at 1:15 PM ET. The Cardinals won for the sixth time in their last seven games with a 6-5 victory against the Nationals yesterday. They improved their record to 81-56. Washington has lost their last two games to fall to 48-69. St. Louis taps Adam Wainwright in their starting rotation to pitch against the Nationals’ Josiah Gray. The Cardinals are a -285 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Chicago Cubs play at home against the Cincinnati Reds at 2:20 PM ET. The Cubs lost for the fourth time in their last five games with a 7-1 setback to the Reds yesterday. Their record has dropped to 57-79. Cincinnati has won two of three to improve to 54-80. Adrian Sampson takes the ball for the Cubs against Luis Cessa for the Reds. Chicago is a -140 money line favorite. The Milwaukee Brewers are at home against the San Francisco at 4:10 PM ET. The Brewers lost for the fifth time in their last seven games after a 8-4 loss at Colorado yesterday. Their record fell to 71-65 with the defeat. The Giants are on a two-game losing streak after a 7-3 loss in Los Angeles to the Dodgers on Wednesday. Their record dropped to 65-70. Milwaukee taps Corbin Burnes as their starting pitcher to battle against San Francisco’s Scott Alexander. The Brewers are a -215 money line favorite with an over/under of 7. The Philadelphia Phillies host the Miami Marlins at 6:45 PM ET. The Phillies won their second game in a row yesterday in a 4-3 victory against the Marlins. They raised their record to 75-61. Miami is on a nine-game losing streak to fall to 55-80. Kyle Gibson takes the mound for the Phillies against Sandy Alcantara for the Marlins. Philadelphia is a -130 money line favorite with a total of 7. The Minnesota Twins play in New York against the Yankees at 7:05 PM ET. The Twins got swept in the doubleheader with the Yankees on Wednesday, losing the opener by a 5-4 score in 12 innings before dropping the nightcap, 7-1. Minnesota’s record fell to 68-67. New York is a on a four-game winning streak to improve their record to 83-54. The Twins send out Sonny Gray to pitch against the Yankees’ Nestor Cortes. The second-game of the doubleheader between the Giants and Brewers starts at 7:10 PM ET. Freddy Peralta takes ball for Milwaukee against a starting pitcher that has yet to be named for San Francisco. The Chicago White Sox visits Oakland to play the A’s at 9:40 PM ET. The White Sox won for the second time in their last three games after a 9-6 victory at Seattle on Wednesday. They improved their record to 69-68 with the win. The A’s lost for the sixth time in their last seven games after their 7-3 loss to Atlanta yesterday. Their record is now 50-87. The White Sox sends Dylan Cease to the hill to pitch against J.P. Sears for the A’s. Chicago is a -190 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7. 

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Larry "Legend" Ness (1953-2022)

by Al McMordie

Wednesday, Sep 07, 2022

I am saddened by the sudden passing of my close friend, and colleague, Larry Ness.  Larry got his start in the handicapping profession when he was hand-picked by Jim Feist to be a panelist on the Proline TV show, and the host of Sports Desk, another handicapping show.  I recall watching those shows when I was a teenager, and always liked Larry the best -- not necessarily because he had the best win percentage, but because of his personality, his humor, and his overall manner.  Larry's skill-set went beyond handicapping.  He had the best memory of sports trivia of anyone I knew.  And he was so knowledgeable that he hosted a syndicated radio call-in show at Bally's in the early-to-mid 1990s.  I even called him one night to chat about the NBA in 1993.  Fast forward to 2000 and another friend of mine, Wayne Root, asked me to join The Winning Edge TV show.  Larry was part of the handicapping team, so I finally met Larry in person.  We quickly became great friends, and I think I probably talked to Larry 6 or 7 days a week for the last 22 years (and usually multiple times a day).  In our handicapping business, we often give our strongest plays a "signature" title.  Larry's signature release was his "Legend" play because -- whether or not Larry would want to admit it -- he was a handicapping Legend.  Larry didn't have many Legend plays -- maybe just one or two a month -- but his final selection that he released this past Sunday was, indeed, a Legend play.  It was on the Minnesota Twins +115 over the Chicago White Sox. Appropriately, it won.  And Larry "Legend" Ness went out a Winner.  Rest in peace, Larry.  You will be greatly missed.  Al McMordie 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and UEFA Champions League Previews and Odds - 09/07/2022

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Sep 07, 2022

The Wednesday sports card features action in MLB and the UEFA Champions League.Major League Baseball has 17 games on its schedule. The New York Mets play at Pittsburgh against the Pirates in the opening game of their doubleheader at 12:35 PM ET. The Minnesota Twins visit New York to play the Yankees in the first game of their doubleheader at 3:05 PM ET. The Milwaukee Brewers are at Colorado against the Rockies as a -135 money line road favorite, with the total set at 12 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). The Atlanta Braves travel to Oakland against the A’s at 3:37 PM ET as a -275 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7. The Los Angeles Angels host the Detroit Tigers at 4:07 PM ET as a -195 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 4:10 PM ET. Los Angeles is at home against the San Francisco Giants, with the Dodgers a -250 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Chicago White Sox travel to Seattle to play the Mariners. The Twins play the Yankees in the second game of their doubleheader at 6:05 PM ET. The Mets play the Pirates in the nightcap of their doubleheader at 6:35 PM ET. The Tampa Bay Rays host the Boston Red Sox at 6:40 PM ET as a -165 money line favorite with a total of 7. The Philadelphia Phillies play at home against the Miami Marlins at 6:45 PM ET as a -175 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Toronto Blue Jays travel to Baltimore to play the Orioles at 7:05 PM ET as a -145 money line road favorite with a total of 7.5. The Chicago Cubs are at home against the Cincinnati Reds at 7:40 PM ET as a -145 money line favorite. The St. Louis Cardinals host the Washington Nationals at 7:45 PM ET as a -300 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Two MLB games start at 8:10 PM ET. Houston is at home against the Texas Rangers, with the Astros a -275 money line favorite with a total of 8. Cleveland visits Kansas City Royals with the Guardians a -140 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The San Diego Padres are at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks on FS1 at 8:40 PM ET as a -205 money line favorite with a total of 8.Matchday 1 in the UEFA Champions League concludes with eight group stage matches. Two matches start at 12:45 PM ET. Ajax hosts Rangers as a -1 goal line favorite with an over/under of 3 (all soccer odds from BetMGM). Eintracht Frankfurt is at home against Sporting CP as a -0.5 goal line favorite with a total of 2.5. Six matches conclude the UCL card at 3 PM ET. Liverpool travels to Napoli as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 3. Atletico Madrid plays at home against Porto as a -0.5 goal line favorite with a total of 2. Bayer Leverkusen plays at Club Brugge as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 3. Barcelona hosts Viktoria Plzen as a -3 goal line favorite with a total of 3.5. Bayern Munich is at Inter Milan as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with an over/under of 3. Tottenham plays at home against Olympique Marseille as a -1 goal line favorite with a total of 2.5. All eight Champions League matches are available on Paramount+. The CBS Sports Network’s “The Golazo Show” is an NFL Red Zone-inspired show that presents live updated highlights of all eight games. 

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NCAAF Inside the Boxscores Week 1 (Part 2)

by Matt Fargo

Tuesday, Sep 06, 2022

Inside the Boxscores is a weekly feature from Matt Fargo that has been widely recognized as one of the best summations in college football. He takes an in-depth look at each game and pulls out the most pertinent information that will help you handicap games in the future. College football is filled with quirky plays, misleading scores and surprise endings. Fargo takes you inside the action.Wyoming 40, Tulsa 37Wyoming took a 7-0 lead two plays into the game is it had a sack/fumble that was recovered in the endzone for a touchdown but Tulsa rallied to take the lead on three separate occasions including possessing a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter before the Cowboys came back to force overtime. Their points were also bolstered by special teams as they blocked a punt for a touchdown. Wyoming was outgained 521-399 but it ran 17 fewer plays and it was basically level at the yard per play average (6.0 to 6.2). The Cowboys showed good balance on offense but were just 5-15 on third down and while the defense gave up a ton of passing yards, they allowed only 61 yards rushing on 32 carries (1.9 ypc). BYU 50, South Florida 21This game was delayed for over two and a half hours because of the weather and South Florida came out flat. BYU scored on a 75-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage and before you knew it, the Cougars built a 38-0 lead and coasted from there. BYU scored on five of six offensive possessions in the first half, with the four touchdown drives all being 65 or more yards, as well as adding on an interception for a touchdown. South Florida started slow on offense as well as it totaled 80 yards in its first six possessions that included that interception, a turnover on downs and four punts. BYU outgained the Bulls 575-293 as it ran 13 more plays and had the ball for nearly 10 minutes longer. Nevada 38, Texas St. 14After winning the turnover battle 5-0 in its opener against New Mexico St., Nevada again took advantage with a 4-0 takeaway edge and it scored 21 points off those turnovers. Those three touchdown drives were all on short fields of 35, 45 and 20 yards. Texas St. won the yardage battle 277-274 as the defense played very well when it was not pinned deep in its own territory and it allowed only 130 yards rushing and 144 yards passing. The Bobcats were able to take advantage of the middle in the passing game, throwing for 289 yards but there was constant pressure in the backfield which hindered the deep passing game as they could not run the ball, rushing for -12 yards on 25 carries (-0.5 ypc). James Madison 44, Middle Tennessee St. 7The Dukes first game as an FBS member was a resounding success. After a scoreless first quarter, James Madison turned it on by scoring 37 unanswered points as it dominated on both sides of the ball. The Dukes outgained Middle Tennessee St. 548-119 as they dominated the time of possession by close to 14 more minutes and ran 24 more plays from scrimmage. They were balanced on offense, passing for 287 yards while rushing for 261 yards and they were just as good on defense, allowing just 107 yards through the air while holding the Blue Raiders to 12 yards rushing on 28 carries (0.4 ypc). Prior to its touchdown drive, Middle Tennessee St. had 20 yards of offense in its first 10 possessions. Ohio 41, Florida Atlantic 38Florida Atlantic controlled the game early before Ohio took over in the second half and the Bobcats had to withstand a ferocious rally from the Owls. Florida Atlantic took the opening kickoff and drove 75 yards for a score to take a 7-0 lead and never trailed in the first half, taking a 17-13 lead into the break. Ohio scored touchdowns on three of its first four possessions of the second half to take a 17-point lead but the Owls scored three late touchdowns and got the ball with 1:37 remaining in the game but turned the ball over on downs with 32 seconds to go. It was almost a dead even game with Florida Atlantic winning the yardage battle 478-476, nearly equal first downs with both rushing and passing fairly similar. Southern California 66, Rice 14It took a little while for USC to take control of this game as it was tied 7-7 after one quarter but then used two long touchdown drives on offense and returned an interception 93 yards for a touchdown to pull away. After building a 17-point halftime lead, the Trojans had two more interception returns for touchdowns in consecutive possessions to start the third quarter as the defense completely dominated the half. USC outgained Rice 538-280 and in seven second half possessions on defense, the Trojans allowed only 52 total yards. USC rushed for 208 yards on 28 carries (7.4 ypc) while completing 83 percent of its passes for 330 yards and scored on seven of its first eight offensive possessions. Coastal Carolina 38, Army 28This was a back and forth game for most of it until Coastal Carolina took the lead for good late in the third quarter, eventually building a 10-point lead with the defense making a late stand. The Chanticleers outgained the Black Knights 437-344 as they ran 23 more plays and had over a 12-minute advantage in time of possession. The Army offensive numbers are a bit skewed as of those 344 yards, three came from big gains, as the Black Knights had plays of 73, 70, and 54 yards, accounting for 57 percent of the offense. Coastal Carolina was exceptional at stopping the Army run game, allowing only 202 rushing yards as a lot of that can be given credit to the offense that kept its defense off the field. Florida 29, Utah 26Utah led for most of this game until it counted as it allowed the go ahead touchdown with 1:25 remaining and came up just short in a late rally. Neither team had more than a six-point lead in the game and they finished only five yards apart with Florida winning the yardage battle 451-446. The Gators opened the game by driving deep into Utah territory but fumbled the ball and the Utes went just 25 yards on five plays to take the lead until Florida tied it up and eventually took a one-point lead into halftime. The Gators had to punt on their first possession of the second half but then had two 75-yard touchdown drives to take the lead and picked off a pass in the endzone after Utah drove to the six-yard line. Kentucky 37, Miami (OH) 13Miami took the opening kickoff and drove 75 yards to take an early 7-0 lead and the teams went back and forth the entire first half while the Wildcats clung to a three-point lead at halftime. They broke it open by returning the second half kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and then recovered a fumble two plays later which led to an eight-yard touchdown drive to go up 17 points and never looked back. The defense came through by allowing only three second half points and overall they outgained the RedHawks 353-290. The offense was very efficient in the passing game as they threw for 303 yards with a 14.4 completion average but the rushing offense needs work after 50 yards gained on 26 carries (1.9 ypc). Liberty 29, Southern Mississippi 27Liberty won a thrilling four-overtime game with a stop on the final play for the two-point victory. After a scoreless first quarter, Southern Mississippi struck first with a field goal before Liberty scored 10 points off two interceptions as the offense had just 28 yards on those two scores. The Golden Eagles tied the game early in the third quarter and then took the lead in the fourth quarter on a 22-yard interception return for a touchdown. After trading touchdowns, the Flames then went 81 yards and forced overtime with a touchdown with 36 seconds left. Liberty outgained Southern Mississippi 447-391 but needed 15 more plays to do so. Penalties hurt both sides with Liberty hit with 12 and the Golden Eagles with 10. Tulane 42, Massachusetts 10Tulane never trailed and it took the lead for good midway through the second quarter as after the Minutemen tied the game at 7-7, the Green Wave took the ensuing kickoff and drove 77 yards to take a seven-point lead. They picked off a pass three plays later and scored another touchdown three plays after that. Tulane only allowed three more points the rest of the way and the defense locked down in the second half, allowing just 65 total yards. The Green Wave outgained Massachusetts 369-217 as they held the Minutemen to only 17 yards passing on four completions and while they did allow 200 yards rushing, that was on 58 carries so the 3.4 ypc average allowed was solid. The offense was not great but showed balance. Alabama 55, Utah St. 0Alabama pitched the shutout and it could not be contained on either side of the ball. The Tide outgained Utah St. 559-136 and had a 30-7 first down edge in basically what was three quarters from their starters. The Tide scored on their first nine offensive possessions including five of seven touchdown drives that were 60 yards or longer and they did not punt until late in the third quarter. Defensively, they were just as good as Utah St. opened the game with a 25-yard drive that resulted in a punt and that was the longest drive allowed until an Aggies 39-yard possession early in the fourth quarter. Overall, Alabama forced 10 punts and forced Utah St. to turn it over on downs twice but had no takeaways. Mississippi St. 49, Memphis 23A lengthy weather delay halted this game for about two hours but it was a Bulldogs domination before and after. Mississippi St. scored on its first two possessions with touchdown drives of 75 and 88 yards to take a 14-0 lead after the first quarter. After Memphis tacked on a field goal which was aided by a Bulldogs interception, Mississippi St. tacked on two more touchdowns to pull away. The Bulldogs outgained the Tigers 547-294 as they ran 83 plays compared to just 51 for Memphis as they controlled the clock for over 22 more minutes. The passing game was solid but Mississippi St. ran for just 97 yards on 34 carries (2.9 ypc) and while the defense gave up just 129 yards rushing, it was on a 6.1 ypc clip. SMU 48, North Texas 10After a three and out to open the game, the SMU offense took over with scores on five of its next six possessions with those five scoring drives all generating at least 51 total yards. The Mustangs jumped ahead 14-0 before North Texas tacked on a field goal and then after the Mean Green cut the lead to 24-10 late in the second quarter, SMU threw a 75-yard touchdown pass on the next play to start a 24-point unanswered run to close out the game. SMU outgained the Mean Green 576-422 and while that yardage variance seems closer than expected, it ran 15 fewer plays and had the ball for 10 minutes less and had a yard per play advantage of 8.7 to 5.2. North Texas was a combined 7-21 on third and fourth down. Ohio St. 21, Notre Dame 10The marquee game of the night lived up to its billing as it was a one possession game until late in the fourth quarter when Ohio St. sealed the win by going 95 yards on 14 plays in 7:06 to make it an 11-point lead. Notre Dame held the potent Ohio St. offense in check for most of the game as it allowed only 10 points and 211 yards through close to 45 minutes before the Buckeyes regained the lead with 17 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The Irish allowed just 395 yards to Ohio St. which was a win in itself but the offense generated only 253 yards as they had just 177 yards through the air although it was at a 17.7 completion averaged and they rushing for 76 yards on 30 carries (2.5 ypc). South Carolina 35, Georgia St. 14South Carolina had its hands full for over a half but pulled away late thanks to special teams. It was a scoreless first quarter and the Gamecocks were setting up for a field goal early in the second quarter but faked it to pick up the first down and eventually found the end zone. They tacked on a pair of field goals to take a five-point lead into halftime but Georgia St. picked off a pass on the second play of the third quarter and converted that into a touchdown for their first and only lead. South Carolina scored the final 23 points to pull away thanks to a pair of blocked punts returned for touchdowns. South Carolina was actually outgained 311-306 as it could not run on offense and it could not stop the run defensively. Syracuse 31, Louisville 7Syracuse took a 10-0 lead following a 31-yard field goal and after forcing a punt, it went 87 yards on five plays capped off by a 55-yard touchdown pass. It took Louisville just 3:44 to cut the lead back to three points but then it was all Syracuse the rest of the way. The Orange scored another touchdown on their next possession and then after three straight punts, they pulled away with a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter set up by a pair of takeaways. Despite the lopsided score, the Orange only outgained Louisville 449-334 and their 6.8 yards per play average was not far better than the 6.2 for the Cardinals. Louisville had 167 yards wasted because of turnovers and failed fourth downs. Texas 52, ULM 10The Longhorns were never in danger but they did not dominate like the final score shows. They outgained ULM 383-259 as they benefitted from good field position which can definitely skew offensive numbers as not as good as they could have been had they had a longer field. Of their six offensive scoring possessions, five started at their own 36-yard line or better. Texas also got touchdowns from the defense and special teams from an interception and a blocked punt. The Longhorns defense was outstanding as they did not allow a drive of more than 37 yards until late in the fourth quarter on the Warhawks lone touchdown effort that went 83 yards, accounting for over 30 percent of their total offense. Oregon St. 34, Boise St. 17It did not start great for Oregon St. as it fumbled on its first possession and went three and out on its second one then the offense got going as it scored a pair of touchdowns on relatively short fields thanks to an interception and good field position after a punt. The Beavers scored twice in the second quarter starting with a field goal after recovering a fumble at the Boise St. six-yard line and then after throwing their own interception, they got it back after another fumble and went 98 yards for a touchdown so there were 17 points scored off turnovers. Overall, Oregon St. outgained Boise St. 470-311 thanks to a potent passing game that averaged 19.5 yards per completion. The Broncos had five turnovers overall. Washington 45, Kent St. 20The season started the wrong way for Kent St. as it received the opening kickoff and threw an interception on their first play which led to a short field and Washington converted four plays later to take a 7-0 lead. The Huskies forced a punt and went 90 yards to double the lead and Kent St. had no answers of defense as Washington scored on its first six possessions including five touchdowns with four of those drives totaling 74 or more yards. Kent St. did cut the lead to 18 points early in the fourth quarter but it was too late. The Huskies won the yardage battle 525-340 as the defense was nothing special expect for three interceptions and they allowed the Golden Flashes to convert 10-17 on third down. Western Kentucky 49, Hawaii 17Hawaii got blasted at home for a second straight week as a promising start went south quickly. The Warriors got the opening kickoff and went three and out but they recovered the ensuing muffed punt at the three-yard line yet went backward and had to settle for a field goal. After getting nothing on their first two possessions, the Hilltoppers tacked on a pair of touchdowns on a long drive and an interception return before Hawaii was able to cut the lead back to four points but then Western Kentucky took over with 21 unanswered points to put the game away early in the fourth quarter. The Warriors were only outgained 412-360 but they had five turnovers that led to 24 points as well as 12 penalties. Florida St. 24, LSU 23LSU started the scoring with a field goal to take a 3-0 lead after the first quarter but Florida St. scored the next 17 points then the Tigers offense finally woke up. They were able to cut the deficit to seven points following an 82-yard touchdown drive and then after yielding another touchdown, LSU once again put together a solid drive of 75 yards to make it a seven-point game again. Then it got crazy. The Tigers forced a punt and muffed it for the second time in the game which set up a short field but the Seminoles fumbled at the one-yard line and LSU went 99 yards for the apparent tying score but had the extra point blocked. The numbers were fairly even across the board as turnovers and special teams were the difference. Clemson 41, Georgia Tech 10It was a very slow start for both teams as the first four possessions for Clemson resulted in three punts and a fumble and the first four Georgia Tech drives resulted in four punts with the last one being costly. The Tigers blocked it which set up a five-yard touchdown drive and then after a missed Yellow Jackets field goal, Clemson went 67 yards on eight plays to take a 14-0 lead. Georgia Tech scored the next 10 points but then the Tigers defense stepped up as they allowed only 45 total yards on 21 plays the rest of the way. Another blocked punt late set up another touchdown that put it away. Clemson outgained the Yellow Jackets 386-237 as the offense picked it up late and the defense was great, allowing only 3.6 yards per play. 

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Champions League Futures

by Amedeus Mastrangelo

Tuesday, Sep 06, 2022

The Champions League group stage is upon us and it is time to dive in and take a closer look at which teams are true contenders here to go deep in the tournament possibly even winning it all, and to see who are just frauds who may look like they have a chance on the surface but really just don’t cut it. There were a lot of big moves made this summer, some teams getting much stronger than they were last year and others left in a much weaker position overall. Let’s take a look at the top favorites to win the tournament and see who really does have a good chance. To Win Outright Manchester City +250: Man City is coming off of another great campaign in the Premier League, winning another title last season and they also had a lot of success in Champions League as well. They made it all the way to the semi-finals before losing to Real Madrid who went on to win the whole thing, but Man City has been a very dominant team in Europe over the past few years. They did lose some talent in the transfer window with the exits of Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus, but as always they did their best to fill the hole and ended up signing Erling Haaland who has already made his impact on the team with 10 goal scored in his first 6 league matches with the team. They have had a few slip ups to start the season but they are still unbeaten in their 6 matches so far and they have looked very good in their 4 wins. It is clear that this team has not taken a step back from last year and considering how much depth they have on their bench at every position, they are by far one of the strongest teams in the competition and will be looking to repeat their deep run last year but this time complete it going all the way to the title. They also have one of the weaker groups to play in and should have no issues getting through the group stage. This is a team that really can beat anyone in Europe on a day they bring their best effort. Paris Saint-Germain +500: PSG is coming off of another successful campaign last year as they won their French Ligue 1 title and did go deep into Champions League as well, but they were eliminated by the eventual champions, Real Madrid, in the round of 16. PSG is another team that just continues to get stronger every year, they did lose some midfield talent in the transfer window but they are so deep at that position that it should not be an issue to fill in the holes that were left. They also have one of the strongest attacking trios of all the teams between Messi, Mbappe, and Neymar, and they have already been in midseason form to start the season with the amount of goals this team has been scoring. The decision Mbappe made to stay with PSG had a very big impact on the team and really boosted their chances of going deep in this tournament as they have one of the best squads on paper. That has also turned into reality with the way they have been playing in their first few matches, and there is no doubt that they are also a team that can beat anyone in Europe when bringing their best effort. They do play in a very tough group as they have some good quality teams in Juventus and Benfica to get through, but those teams will be good tests for them and they should still have no trouble making it out of the group as they are by far the superior team in there. They should have a much deeper run than they did last season. Liverpool +550: Liverpool is coming off of a good year in both Champions League and the Premier League, but this is a team that suffered the cruel fate last season of always being a bridesmaid and never a bride. They finished their Premier League season in 2nd place, just 1 point behind the title champions Man City, and they lost to Real Madrid in the Champions League finals 1-0 as well. They have been a dominant team in Europe over the past few years but those seasons are long gone now and this is not the same Liverpool team that we have seen the last few years. Liverpool made some big changes in the transfer window, including their biggest loss in Sadio Mane leaving for Bayern Munich and so far, the impact of that move has been very apparent. They tried to replace Mane by acquiring Darwin Nunez from Benfica but that signing has just brought more problems to this team. Mane left a big hole in the starting XI as a big part of the Liverpool attack is feeding Mo Salah the ball and with a competent forward like Mane who really controls the pace of the game, their attack has been left in shambles. It has only gotten worse with the insertion of Nunez into the lineup as the team has 2 very good and high maintenance strikers now who both need touches on the ball, and they still do not have a solid midfielder or forward to take over that role and compensate for them, making their attack more fluid into the box. They have been in awful form to start the Premier League season already, but they are not going to get any better with the current state of things and this is definitely a team that has been left off in a much worse position than they were last season. They will not be making another deep run in Champions League this season and they will start to be in a downturn moving forward. Bayern Munich +650: Bayern Munich is coming off of another great campaign in their league last season, winning yet another title but they have also been the dominant force in that league for over a decade now. They had a deep run in Champions League last season but fizzled out in the quarter-finals, losing to a Villarreal side that is not even one of the dominant forces in their own league let alone Europe. Bayern has looked very good to start this season but they have not had a real test yet as they are by far the best team in their league, but they have made a lot of big changes to their squad that will be key when facing some tougher opponents. They had a huge loss with the exit of Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona and they tried to replace him with Sadio Mane from Liverpool. Mane is a very good piece to add and he will help add some consistency to this team with the way they form their attack but, he is nowhere near the kind of goal scorer Lewandowski is and when push comes to shove against these tougher opponents in UCL, their attack is not going to cut it against some of these elite defenses. Bayern is also a team that has struggled with their defense over the last few seasons as they give up a lot of goals. They did spend a lot of money to fix up their defense for this season but they have not been tested against a good quality team yet and their defense still does not compare to some of the other elite teams in Europe. Bayern always has the possibility of making a deep run because of their strong attack and how many goals they can score, but they were stunted by a Villarreal side last year that is not an elite team but does have a very good defense, and Bayern will likely run into similar troubles with some of these top defenses in the competition. This is not a team that is going the distance to the finals. Real Madrid +1000: Real Madrid is the team that is probably coming off of the most successful season as they won their La Liga title last year but also came away with the Champions League title as well. They did not make any big changes to their starting squad in the transfer window but they did win both their league title and Champions League title, and when coming off of a great season like that why fix what isn’t broken? Well they took that to heart and this core group is still very much the same and still playing at an extremely high level as they were last year. It is amazing to see the odds this high for the defending champions of the competition and they were a team that probably had the hardest road to the finals with some of the teams they had to knock out, but they still got the job done. Benzema and Vinicius have already been scoring a ton of goals in their first few matches and this team is in midseason form already, ready to repeat what they did last season. Even with the little moves they made in the transfer window, they still have one of the best teams in the competition and should be ahead of some of these other teams favored to win the tournament over them. After the year they had last season and the way they have come out this season, this is still a very dangerous team that has a chance to go all the way and win the title like they did last year. Barcelona +1400: Barcelona is a team that has been struggling over the last few seasons ever since Messi left and really started the downfall of this team. They have still finished in the top 4 of their league without him but they have not been able to keep up with some of the best in the league. That has all changed now though as they have rebuilt this squad and spent a lot of money in doing so by bringing in a ton of quality players. It is not just the quality of players they have brought in though, they were having troubles paying everyone they signed and there were players on this team that were willing to take pay cuts just to play for the team this season because that is the kind of passion these players have for both the club and winning with the club. That shows that this team has a very strong core of quality players that all want to be there and win together, and they have signed so much talent in the transfer window that they really should be one of the favorites to win Champions League. One of their biggest signings in the summer was acquiring Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich and that has really put their attack into full gear, but they also signed a lot of supporting midfielder talent that will help this attack form much better and cut through defenses the way they have been doing in their first few matches of the season. This is definitely one of the stronger teams in Europe right now and they have a very good chance of winning this tournament and even winning their league title this year as well. They are by far the biggest darkhorse on the board and there is too much value to turn them down because this is a team that can go the distance. RecommendationsThere are a lot of good options here for betting on Champions League futures and it is still very early in the competition as the group stage is just starting but, there is definitely enough to go on here when picking a team and it is definitely not too early to see which teams are stay away teams. Liverpool and Bayern Munich are definitely teams to stay away from with the current state they are in; they just do not have the talent at all positions to go all the way. The best way to bet the Champions League here for futures would be to take Barcelona at +1400 as they are a team that is very undervalued and could easily end up in the semi-finals at least. The next team would be PSG at +500 as their team is just too good all around and they will still be thinking about the way they exited to Real Madrid last year. My 3rd team to take on this list is Man City at +250 as they are the favorites for obvious reasons and continue to have a very stacked team that can go all the way with their talent. And finally, Real Madrid at +1000 would be the last team I consider, this is no knock on them as they do still have a very good team and are the defending champions but, they are my least favorite as playing all of those extra matches to the finals last season likely put a bit of a toll on them and while other powerhouses were spending money in the transfer window to make their clubs better to beat Real Madrid, Real really did not make any major moves to improve their team. These are my best suggestions for finding value on outright winners in the Champions League and remember to always bet responsibly!

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NFL Season Long Player Props

by ASA, Inc.

Tuesday, Sep 06, 2022

NFL Offensive Player PropsJameis Winston - Over 3750.50 Passing Yards Contrary to popular belief, Jameis has been very productive over the first years of his career. During his five years in Tampa, he surpassed 4,000 yards twice and 5,000 yards once. He sat behind Brees for a year and tore his ACL early last season after a hot start for the Saints. He has the best supporting cast of his career with a great O-line, and great receivers. New Orleans will have a powerful offense and 4,000 yards should be easy for Winston to hit if he remains healthy.  Daniel Jones - Under 3650.50 Passing Yards Jones has been a disappointment in the first three years of his NFL career. The Giants have not helped their young QB at all and have been a bad organization from roster construction to coaching changes. Jones barely eclipsed 3,000 yards in his rookie season in 2019, and has not surpassed that total the past two years. This may be the year that the wheels fall off all together.  Aaron Jones - Over 750.50 Rushing YardsThe Packers lost Davante Adams this offseason, which allows for Green Bay to become a much more run heavy team. Many may see the emergence of A.J. Dillion as bad news for Aaron Jones, but that is quite the opposite. Dillion taking more bruising runs between the tackles allows Jones to remain fresh and slice and dice to a more efficient season. With 17 games, Jones would only need about 45 rushing yards per game to hit the over, which seems very achievable.  Elijah Mitchell - Under 950.50 Rushing Yards  San Francisco has always used a bevy of running backs in years past, but Mitchell seems the clear cut number one back for 2022. The situation seems ripe for Mitchell, but the 49ers have not had a 1,000 yard rusher since Frank Gore back in 2014. Shanahan rides the hot hand with his running backs, so if Mitchell gets dinged up (like he did last year) or struggles, the coaching staff will plug in the next man up.  Drake London - Over 764.50 Receiving Yards London was the first receiver off the board in the 2022 draft with a class that was absolutely stacked at the position. Rookie receivers have excelled in recent years, and there are plenty of targets that will flow London’s way. The Falcons will be playing from behind a lot this season and the sheer volume alone will be enough to propel the former USC standout to a near 1,000 yards season.  Jaylen Waddle - Under 925.50 Receiving Yards Waddle had a great rookie year catching over 100 balls. His depth of target was extremely low however, which allowed him to narrowly reach 1,000 yards. The addition of Tyreek Hill is going to eat into Waddles target share, and the coaching change to Mike McDaniel is going to make the Dolphins a more run heavy team. We haven't seen enough from Tua yet to think he can support two 1,000 yards receivers. 

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