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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, MLB, NHL, CFL and EPL Previews and Odds - 10/21/2023

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Oct 21, 2023

The Saturday sports card features NCAA, MLB, NHL, CFL, and EPL action.The eighth week in NCAAF college football concludes with 46 games between FBS opponents. Six games kick off on national television. Memphis visits UAB on ESPN2 as a 7-point road favorite, with the total set at 62 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Oklahoma hosts Central Florida on ABC as a 17.5-point favorite with an over/under of 67. Arkansas plays at home against Mississippi State on ESPN as a 6.5-point favorite with a total of 47. Ohio is at home against Western Michigan on the CBS Sports Network as a 16.5-point favorite with an over/under of 52.5. Air Force plays at Navy on CBS as a 10-point road favorite with a total of 33.5. Ohio State hosts Penn State on Fox as a 4.5-point favorite with an over/under of 45.5. Seven nationally televised games start at 3:30 PM ET. Tulane plays at home against North Texas on ESPN2 as a 20.5-point favorite with a total of 63. Wisconsin is at Illinois on FS1 as a 3-point road favorite with an over/under of 40.5. Oregon is at home against Washington State on ABC as a 20-point favorite with a total of 60. West Virginia hosts Oklahoma State on ESPN as a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 48.5. Alabama plays at home against Tennessee on CBS as an 8.5-point favorite with a total of 47.5. Iowa is at home against Minnesota on NBC as a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 30.5. South Florida travels to Connecticut on the CBS Sports Network as a 1.5-point road favorite with a total of 52.  Texas plays at Houston on Fox at 4 PM ET as a 23.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 60.5. North Carolina hosts Virginia on The CW at 6:30 PM ET as a 24-point favorite with a total of 58. Five NCAAF games on national television begin at 7 PM ET. Mississippi is at Auburn on ESPN as a 6.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 55.5. San Jose State plays at home against Utah State on the CBS Sports Network as a 4-point favorite with a total of 65.5. Appalachian State travels to Old Dominion on the NFL Network as a 6.5-point road favorite with a total of 55. Kansas State is at home against TCU as a 6-point favorite with an over/under of 60.5. Texas Tech is at BYU on FS1 as a 3-point road favorite with a total of 51. Two NCAAF games on national television begin at 7:30 PM ET. Michigan travels to Michigan State on NBC as a 24-point road favorite with an over/under of 46. Florida State hosts Duke on ABC as a 14-point favorite with a total of 49.5. Two more NCAAF games on national television start at 8 PM ET. Louisiana-Lafayette plays at home against Georgia State on ESPNU as a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 62. USC is at home against Utah on Fox as a 6.5-point favorite with a total of 52. San Diego State hosts Nevada on FS2 at 9 PM ET as an 11.5-point favorite with an over/under of 48. Two more games conclude the NCAAF card at 10:30 PM ET. Washington plays at home against Arizona State on FS1 as a 27.5-point favorite with a total of 60. UCLA plays at Stanford on ESPN as a 17-point road favorite with an over/under of 52. Major League Baseball continues its postseason with one game in the National League Championship Series. The Philadelphia Phillies are in Arizona to play the Diamondbacks on TBS at 8:07 PM ET. The Phillies send out Zack Wheeler to pitch against the Diamondbacks’ Zac Gallen. Philadelphia is a -135 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.  The National Hockey League has 15 games on its slate. The Ottawa Senators are at home against the Detroit Red Wings at 1:07 PM ET as a -155 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Arizona Coyotes host the Anaheim Ducks at 4:07 PM ET as a -180 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. Four NHL games drop the puck at 7:07 PM ET. The Buffalo Sabres play at home against the New York Islanders as a -125 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6. The Florida Panthers are at home against the Vancouver Canucks as a -130 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Washington Capitals visits Montreal to play the Canadiens as a -125 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Toronto Maple Leafs play in Tampa Bay against the Lightning as a -135 money-line road favorite with a total of 7. Five NHL games start at 8:07 PM ET. The Vegas Golden Knights play in Chicago against the Blackhawks as a -230 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6. The Dallas Stars host the Philadelphia Flyers as a -258 money-line favorite with a total of 6. The Minnesota Wild play at home against the Columbus Blue Jackets as a -218 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Nashville Predators are at home against the San Jose Sharks as a -225 money-line favorite with a total of 6. The Pittsburgh Penguins are at St. Louis to play the Blues as a -155 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Colorado Avalanche host the Carolina Hurricanes at 9:07 PM ET as a -135 money-line favorite with a total of 6. Two more NHL games begin at 10:07 PM ET. The New York Rangers are in Seattle to play the Kraken as a -130 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6. The Edmonton Oilers play at home against the Winnipeg Jets as a -170 money-line favorite with a total of 7. The Boston Bruins play in Los Angeles against the Kings at 10:37 PM ET, with both teams priced at -110 with an over/under of 6. Week 20 in the Canadian Football League concludes with two games. The Toronto Argonauts play in Saskatchewan against the Roughriders at 4 PM ET as a 9.5-point road favorite with a total of 50. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are at home against the Edmonton Elks at 7 PM ET as an  11-point favorite with an over/under of 50.Matchweek 9 in the English Premier League begins with seven matches. Liverpool hosts Everton on the USA Network at 7:30 AM ET as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 3.5 (all soccer odds from BetMGM). Four more matches start at 10 AM ET. Wolverhampton plays at Bournemouth on the USA Network in a pick ‘em match with an over/under of 3.5. Brentford plays at home against Burnley as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. Manchester City is at home against Brighton and Hove Albion on the USA Network as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Newcastle United hosts Crystal Palace as a -1 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. Nottingham Forest hosts Luton Town as a -1 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. Arsenal travels to Chelsea at 12:30 PM ET as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Manchester United plays at Sheffield United at 3 PM ET as a -1.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 3.

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NBA Futures Wager: Boston Celtics to Win 2024 NBA Championship

by Al McMordie

Saturday, Oct 21, 2023

The NBA season tips off on Tuesday, October 24, and I'm excited for several reasons.  From a sports gambling standpoint, I've ranked #1 at SportsWatchMonitor.com in NBA/College Basketball combined for each of the last 3 years.  Number 1 in 2023, Number 1 in 2022, and Number 1 in 2021.  I love handicapping basketball, and this season promises to be another great one.I'm also excited because my favorite team -- the San Antonio Spurs -- will have Victor Wembanyama in Black and Silver.  With Wemby in the fold, the Spurs have an opportunity to build something special in the coming years (though they'll be at the bottom of the pack this season).The top of the pack looks cut-and-dried.  In the West, Denver and Phoenix are the Top 2, while the Celtics and Bucks should reach the Eastern Conference Finals.  Memphis, of course, will be hurt by Ja Morant's lengthy suspension.  But I do think the Grizzlies and Timberwolves will have very good seasons, and could round out the Top 4 in the West.  Out East, Cleveland and Miami should also reach the NBA Quarterfinals.  With apologies to Phoenix, Denver and Milwaukee, I think the Celtics are the league's best team, and will win it all this year.  Boston's currently +400 at DraftKings, BetMGM and BetRivers.  I love what Milwaukee did to acquire Damian Lillard.  And Bucks pick-and-rolls with Lillard and Antetokounmpo will be a nightmare for opponents to defend.  But I didn't like the preseason drama with Terry Stotts and Adrian Griffin, which led to Stotts resigning as an Assistant Coach on the eve of the season.  I thought his prior head coaching experience (and superb offensive mind) was going to greatly help Milwaukee, especially with defense-oriented Griffin being a rookie head coach.  But now Stotts is gone, and there's a hole on the staff.  That was enough to tip the scales to Boston for me.The Celtics were an unintended beneficiary of the Jrue Holiday/Damian Lillard transaction.  Holiday was re-routed to Boston, and the Celtics now have the perfect defensive anti-dote to Lillard.  I never loved Kristaps Porzingis as a Top 2 option, but now he's #3.  And he's going to get wide open looks in the Celtics offense.  The Celtics, who often saw their offense bog down in the Playoffs, are much more versatile now, and shouldn't have that problem anymore, with big man Porzingis being able to step out and shoot from long distance, and Holiday being able to post-up defenders down low.  Take Boston at +400 to win the 2024 NBA Championship.Good luck as always,Al McMordie

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, MLB, NHL and CFL Previews and Odds - 10/20/2023

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Oct 20, 2023

The Friday sports card features NCAA, MLB, NHL, and CFL action.The eighth week in NCAAF college football continues with one game on national television between FBS opponents. SMU travels to Temple on ESPN2 at 7 PM ET. The Mustangs won for the third time in their last four games with a 31-10 victory at East Carolina as a 12-point favorite last Thursday. They have a 4-2 record. The Owls are on a four-game losing streak after their 45-14 loss at North Texas as a 7.5-point underdog on Saturday. Their record is 2-5. SMU is a 20.5-point road favorite, with the total set at 55 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Major League Baseball continues its postseason with two games. The Texas Rangers host the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series at 5:07 PM ET. The Astros evened this best-of-seven series at 2-2 with their 10-3 victory on the road in Texas yesterday. The Rangers send out Jordan Montgomery to pitch against Houston’s Justin Verlander. Texas is a -115 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Philadelphia Phillies play in Arizona against the Diamondbacks in the National League Championship Series on TBS at 8:07 PM ET. The Diamondbacks won their first game in this best-of-seven series with their 2-1 victory on Thursday. The Phillies hold a 2-1 series lead. Cristopher Sanchez gets the start for Philly to face Arizona’s Jon Mantiply as their opener. Philadelphia is a -130 money-line road favorite with a total of 9.5. The National Hockey League has two games on its slate. The Calgary Flames are in Columbus to play the Blue Jackets at 7:07 PM ET. The Flames opened their season with a 5-3 win at home against Winnipeg but have since lost two in a row after a 3-2 loss at Washington on Monday. The Blue Jackets have lost two of their first three games of the season after a 4-0 loss at home to Detroit. Calgary is a -142 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5.The New Jersey Devils play in New York against the Islanders at 7:37 PM ET. The Devils began their season with a 4-2 victory against Detroit before losing two games in a row after a 4-3 loss against Florida on Monday. The Islanders have won their first two games of the season after their 1-0 victory against Arizona on Tuesday. New Jersey is a -120 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.Week 20 in the Canadian Football League begins with one game. The British Columbia Lions play at home against the Calgary Stampeders at 10 PM ET. The Lions have won five of their last six games after their 33-30 victory at Hamilton as a 3.5-point favorite last Friday. They raised their record to 12-5 with the win. The Stampeders ended a three-game losing streak with a 26-19 victory against Saskatchewan as a 3.5-point favorite on Friday. They improved their record to 5-11. British Columba is an 8.5-point favorite with an over/under of 50.

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Week 8 NCAA Football Top 10 Poll

by Wayne Root

Thursday, Oct 19, 2023

The College Football season can’t get much better.    1. Michigan   The Michigan Wolverines allowed Indiana to experience hope for a moment, taking a 7-0 lead into the second quarter. Any belief the Hoosiers had of stunning the Wolverines quickly disappeared. Michigan responded with 52 unanswered points, led by quarterback J.J. McCarthy throwing as many incompletions (three) as touchdowns. Of course, the real standout is the Wolverines’ defense that allowed just 232 total yards to Indiana, perfectly replicating how this unit has performed in 2023. Allowing the third-fewest total yards per game (233) expect the Wolverines to feast on Michigan State in Week 8. Continuing on last Saturday, it looked as if Indiana might shockingly put the No. 2 Michigan Wolverines on the ropes. The Hoosiers stopped J.J. McCarthy and Co. on their first two drives and, even after throwing a bad pick after a long drive, they still responded to take a 7-0 lead. Unfortunately for them, that might’ve been a wake-up call for the Wolverines. Michigan continues to look like a buzzsaw against subpar competition. They’ll go on the road to East Lansing for a rivalry contest against Sparty next week, but even that doesn’t look like much concern with the way Jim Harbaugh has this thing humming.  2. Georgia   The Georgia Bulldogs have won 24 consecutive games, four shy of the SEC’s all-time record. With the Florida Gators and Missouri Tigers up next, there’s no reason to think Kirby Smart’s program won’t have a shot at history in November. For now, the biggest question moving forward might be regarding stud tight end Brock Bowers. The potential Heisman candidate left this game with a lower-leg injury. Smart said after the fact that X-rays were negative but he will undergo an MRI early in the next week to see where things stand. That would be a huge loss for the Dawgs right when they don’t need it. It was a middling performance after the first truly dominant showing of the season, which was the last thing the red-and-black-clad fans in Athens wanted to see from their team on the road. It won’t cost them against the Gators, but it could in November vs Ole Miss and Tennessee. 3. Florida St The ACC may come down to North Carolina and FSU, which could be an unbelievable showdown for the conference title. Since the season-opening win, you could’ve made the argument that Florida State was lucky to remain among the unbeatens in college football. They nearly let Boston College shock the world, possibly should’ve lost to Clemson, and simply hadn’t been the dominant team that they looked capable of right out of the gate this season. Keon Coleman was phenomenal in the first half and that’s all the Seminoles’ offense really needed with Florida State’s defense shutting down Syracuse. Assuming Travis avoided a long-term injury and Wilson returns in the near future, FSU is in an excellent position for next Saturday’s matchup versus Duke. 4. Ohio St This was a letdown spot with Penn State coming to Columbus last week, but it turns out that Ohio State might simply be just hitting its stride midway through the 2023 season. Kyle McCord has nearly 600 passing yards and five touchdowns in the last two games and Marvin Harrison Jr. keeps proving why he’s the best offensive weapon in the nation. Even with their top three running backs out of action by the game’s end, Dallas Hayden stepped up and Kyle McCord, once again, made the wise choice to pepper Marvin Harrison Jr. Coupled with yet another elite defensive effort, the Buckeyes throttled Purdue to the tune of 41-7. All in all, this Buckeyes’ defense is playing fairly well. It all sets the perfect stage for the Week 8 matchup vs. Penn State. 5. Washington  The Washington Huskies are 6-0 for the first time since 2017 and Michael Penix Jr. is the Heisman Trophy favorite. At home in Week 7 in a fantastic top-10 matchup, Penix Jr. (302 yards, 4 TDs) came through in the clutch to lead Washington to the comeback victory. It’s now a 13-game winning streak and there’s zero reason to believe it won’t continue against Arizona State. Throughout the week and in spite of Washington being favored at home against rival Oregon, we heard about the Ducks just being the better team, particularly on defense. After 60 minutes, though, it was Michael Penix Jr. and the Huskies celebrating the win, still looking at a zero in the loss column, and still looking like the team to beat in the Pac-12 – perhaps even more so on that last part than before. Against one of the best O-lines in college football, they created pressure and, most importantly, made plays in the clutch. The schedule remains tough in the deep Pac-12 for the Huskies, but they proved they are, in fact, the cream of the crop in this league.  6. Oklahoma   Dillon Gabriel and the Oklahoma Sooners are right where they want to be. Standing at a perfect 6-0, with a win over Texas, the Sooners’ playoff odds are higher than they’ve been in years. With Kansas dropping another game, the path to winning out the regular season becomes even clearer. If that happens, the Sooners should make it into the CFP. It’s apparent the win over the Longhorns is about the only thing building up their resumé… but it’s a damn good win, one of the best that we’ve seen this season. Again, for Brent Venables’ team, the level of competition the rest of the way in the Big 12 isn’t much to write home about. Sure, that probably means the Sooners have a clear path to make it to the conference championship – a potential rematch with Texas – as an undefeated team, but it also means they’ll need help to jump into the Top 4 if the Selection Committee sees the rankings the same way as we do! 7. Penn St.  It’s the game we’ve all been waiting for. Week 7 effectively served as a practice for the Penn State Nittany Lions, allowing this offense to figure things out and find a rhythm before facing the Ohio State Buckeyes. Drew Allar threw for three touchdowns and rushed for one more in the contest while Daequan Hardy scored on a pair of punt returns. With the defense holding the Minutemen to an appalling 109 yards of total offense on the day, it was a complete rout with the Nittany Lions moving to 6-0 with the 63-0 victory. The loser of the Week 8 matchup will suffer a devastating blow to its playoff hopes, while the victor should arguably be viewed as the best college football team in 2023. We’re just a bit weary of Penn State because of James Franklin. 8. Oregon   Bo Nix, Bucky Irving and Troy Franklin did just about everything humanly possible to win on Saturday. Ultimately, home-field advantage, a few injuries in the Ducks’ secondary and a missed field goal proved costly. The undefeated season is gone, but Oregon still has a chance at three more ranked wins this season and double-digit victories mean a New Year’s Six bowl game. Oregon is going to drop in the Top 10 polls but none of the great fans in Eugene should feel substantially worse about their team after they got clipped in Seattle by a truly great Washington team. The Ducks more than held their own in this high-profile matchup on Saturday, trading blows with Washington basically from the opening kickoff. You could question some of the late-game decisions – namely going for it late on fourth down (and not converting) – from Dan Lanning, but the team played well enough to win overall.  9. Texas  After the Longhorns got their hearts broken in Dallas with a Red River loss to Oklahoma last week, Texas had the week off. Coming off the bye week, the Texas Longhorns face a massive uphill climb to have any shot at the College Football Playoff and Quinn Ewers’ chances of winning the Heisman Trophy have plummeted. Coach Steve Sarkisian’s team will still have a chance to make the College Football Playoff. There isn’t a ranked team left on the Longhorns’ schedule, which should set up a rematch with OU in the Big 12 Championship Game. Win that and get some help, Texas can still be in the Top 4 when it’s all said and done.Oklahoma can be made up for, it’s just going to take blowout victories to close out the season with an 11-1 record at the end of November. Can that be done? Only if Texas plays solid football. 10. North Carolina   How good is North Carolina? It still remains to be seen if they are a legitimate College Football Playoff contender, but there is no denying that the Tar Heels are one of the best teams in the country as they moved to 6-0 on the season with a thorough handling of Miami in Chapel Hill on Saturday night. Drake Maye is on a roll right now. In Week 7, the North Carolina Tar Heels superstar picked up four passing touchdowns in three quarters alone against the Miami Hurricanes. With that effort, he’s now responsible for over 750 yards of offense and seven touchdowns in the last two weeks. North Carolina’s schedule for the rest of October is pretty smooth, setting Maye and the Tar Heels up for a historic season. The big change for UNC is clearly a much-improved defense from last year while the offense, especially with Tez Walker back, is still cooking. They could legitimately challenge for the ACC title and, perhaps, a CFP spot.

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NFL Week 7: VW's Power Rankings

by Vegas Writer

Thursday, Oct 19, 2023

Since we last spoke, most teams have played two games, 26 to be exact, with six others having a bye in Week 5 or 6. Of those who did play two, only seven enjoyed a 2-0 mark, and it's caused a bit of a ripple in the power rankings.I won't waste your time with jibber-jabber and will get right to it with this week's rankings:THE UPPER TIER1. Kansas City (5-1) - Back to the top for the Chiefs, who went 2-0 the last couple of weeks. And while we've yet to see the offense click, that's what makes this team so scary. Imagine when Patrick Mahomes and that offense does kick in. For now, the Chiefs' defense has them back at No. 1. (Last week 3)2. Miami (5-1) - The big test is Sunday night against Philly, but for now I still say the Dolphins could easily represent the AFC in February. They're averaging 6.5 yards per rushing attempt, which is hard to believe when Miami has neither a running quarterback nor a star running back. Run and win by committee. (Last week 6)3. San Francisco (5-1) - Not so invincible as everyone thought, eh? When the 49ers faced the No. 1 defense in the league, they had their bell rung convincingly. Then again, the Niners are a Jake Moody missed field goal away from a win. (Last week 1)4. Philadelphia (5-1) - Speaking of running into a staunch defense, like the 49ers, the Eagles hit a snag against the pesky Jets. Chalk it up for suffering through a bad day. Problem is, the blueprint may have been laid out. (Last week 2)5. Buffalo (4-2) - The Bills bounced back from their loss across the pond by knocking off the Giants. Of course, it took a fourth-quarter surge to get it done. Considering a split the last two weeks, and last week's lackluster performance, it's a one-spot dip. (Last week 4)6. Dallas (4-2) - After being humiliated by the 49ers two weeks back, the Cowboys responded with a resilient win Monday over the Bolts. Perfect timing for their bye week, as they'll have the right mindset while healing up. (Last week 5)7. Detroit (5-1) - This is the team that has my intrigue right now, especially after going to Tampa and limiting the Buccaneers to no touchdowns. Huge statement for their defense. Right now, the Lions might be the NFC's best. (Last week 9)8. Baltimore (4-2) - Dropping the Ravens one spot because I am perplexed with what looks to be a clunky offense. The Ravens may have found a way to hold on against the Titans in London, but they're not complete, yet. (Last week 7)9. Jacksonville (4-2) - Thursday will tell us a lot, especially if Trevor Lawrence doesn't play. The Jags have won three straight and now lead the AFC South. Let's see how they march out of New Orleans. (Last week 11)10. Seattle (3-2) - Off the bye, the Seahawks took an L. You can't blow that many scoring chances against a team like the Bengals and expect to win. Heck, you can't do that against the 32nd team in the league. (Last week 8)11. Cleveland (3-2) - Out of their bye, the Browns pull off the resounding upset of San Francisco. The Browns move up thanks to their defense, which everyone clearly knows about now, after shutting down the 49ers. Now they need to figure out the offense. (Last week 13)12. L.A. Chargers (2-3) - If Monday didn't define what Chargers fans annually experience, I'm not sure what else will. Blown chances result in close losses. It seems define the Bolts. Now they have to play the Chiefs and are in jeopardy of slipping down the AFC West. (Last week 10)13. Tampa Bay (3-2) - The Bucs ran into a wall, but I won't punish them that much. Detroit is a good team and it's an acceptable loss. Well, unless you ask Baker Mayfield, who ripped himself and the offense. They need to learn how to beat the league's elite. (Last week 12)14. N.Y. Jets (3-3) - From 1-3 to .500 with two wins, and suddenly those who thought the Jets could get it done with Aaron Rodgers, are becoming believers thanks to their defense. Don't sleep on the Fly Boys just yet. (Last week 16)15. Cincinnati (3-3) - Another team that started 1-3, but went 2-0 the last two weeks and now has a perfect spot to enjoy its bye week. Joe Burrow can get healthier, and that'll be dangerous for opponents. (Last week 17)16. Green Bay (2-3) - The Packers lost two weeks ago and now come into Week 7 off their bye much healthier. The loss to the Raiders could've been a win, had Jordan Love not thrown three picks. Let's see how they respond. (Last week 14)THE LOWER TIER:17. Pittsburgh (3-2) - The Steelers knocked off the Ravens and went into their bye week. Did they fix their offense? (Last week 18)18. Minnesota  (2-4) - Did last week's win over Chicago save the season? (Last week 15)19. New Orleans (3-3) - Losing on the road in Houston was not a good look. (Last week 19)20. Houston (3-3) - Beating the Saints the way the Texans did was a good look. (Last week 23)21. L.A. Rams (3-3) - All things considered, is McVay a Coach of the Year candidate? (Last week 24)22. Washington (3-3) - How did the Commanders get outgained by Atlanta, 402-193, and win? (Last week 25)23. Las Vegas (3-3) - The Raiders were left for dead two weeks ago. They've got life heading to Chicago this week. (Last week 30)24. Atlanta (3-3) - How did the Falcons outgain Washington, 402-193, and lose? (Last week 27)25. New England (1-5) - The Patriots' anemic offense should have Bobby Kraft thinking about making a coaching change. (Last week 20)26. Denver (1-5) - The Broncos' anemic offense should have Greg Penner thinking about making a coaching change. (Last week 21)27. Indianapolis (3-3) - No more Anthony Richardson isn't a bad thing. But Gardner Minshew might be. (Last week 28)28. Tennessee (2-4) - Two disappointing losses bring a bye at the right time. (Last week 22)29. N.Y. Giants (1-5) - We finally saw the Giants win a first half. Then they lost, again. (Last week 26)30. Arizona (1-5) - The Cardinals can't hang a win over Dallas over us that long. (Last week 29)31. Chicago (1-5) - The Bears could have two wins going into this one, but don't. Can they beat the Raiders? (Last week 32)32. Carolina (0-6) - Nobody in their right mind thought the Panthers would hold on to that 14-0 lead. (Last week 31)

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, NCAAF, MLB and NHL Previews and Odds - 10/19/2023

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Oct 19, 2023

The Thursday sports card features NFL, NCAA, MLB, and NHL action.Week 7 of the NFL regular season kicks off with the New Orleans Saints hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars on Amazon Prime at 8:15 PM ET. The Saints are a 1-point favorite, with the total set at 40 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). The eighth week in NCAAF college football continues with two games on national television between FBS opponents starting at 7 PM ET. James Madison visits Marshall on ESPN as a 3.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 49.5. Tulsa plays at home against Rice on ESPN2 as a 3-point favorite with a total of 58.5.Major League Baseball continues its postseason with two games. The Philadelphia Phillies are in Arizona to play the Diamondbacks on TBS at 5:07 PM ET. The Phillies took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven National League Championship Series with a 10-0 victory at home on Tuesday. They give the ball to Ranger Suarez to face the Diamondbacks' Brandon Pfaadt. Philadelphia is a -135 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9.The Texas Rangers are at home against the Houston Astros on FS1 at 8:03 PM ET. The Astros won their first game of the series with an 8-5 victory on Wednesday. The Rangers hold a 2-1 lead in the ALCS. They send out Andrew Heaney to pitch against Houston’s Jose Urquidy. Texas is a -110 money-line favorite at Caesars with a total of 9.5.The National Hockey League has 12 games on its slate. Four games drop the puck at 7:07 PM ET. The Tampa Bay Lightning host the Vancouver Canucks as a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7. The Calgary Flames play in Buffalo against the Sabres with both teams priced at -110 with a total of 6.5. The Toronto Maple Leafs are in Florida to play the Panthers as a -130 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 7. The New York Rangers host the Nashville Predators as a -198 money-line favorite with a total of 6. The Edmonton Oilers visit Philadelphia against the Flyers at 7:37 PM ET as a -218 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 7.Three NHL games begin at 8:07 PM ET. The Minnesota Wild play at home against the Los Angeles Kings as a -115 money-line favorite with a total of 6. The St. Louis Blues are at home against the Arizona Coyotes as a -125 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6. The Vegas Golden Knights play at Winnipeg against the Jets as a -115 money-line road favorite with a total of 6. Two NHL games start at 10:07 PM ET. The Dallas Stars are in Anaheim to play the Ducks as a -258 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6. The Carolina Hurricanes travel to Seattle to play the Kraken as a -148 money-line road favorite with a total of 6. Two more games conclude the NHL card at 10:37 PM ET. The Boston Bruins play in San Jose against the Sharks as a -278 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6. The Columbus Blue Jackets host the Chicago Blackhawks on ESPN as a -345 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5.

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College Football ATS Angle To Watch- Good Teams Off Mid-Late Season Loss

by Kyle Hunter

Thursday, Oct 19, 2023

The college football regular season is now more than half over. It’s crazy to think that we are this far along, but here we are getting to late October and the weather is changing in a big way. Let’s go ahead and take a look at a late season ATS angle to watch. The Angle Is As Follows:From Game Number 6 or Later in the Regular Season- The team is coming off a loss and has won 75% or more of their games on the season thus far. The team coming off the loss is now the favorite in their next game. Fading this team has been the way to go- what are the results?In this spot, the great team coming off the loss is 156-195 ATS (44.4% ATS). It has been a great fade. When the team is coming off a straight up loss of 17 points or more, that team is 47-67 ATS (41.4% ATS) in that next game.What kind of teams do we usually find in this spot? What teams meet this fade system/angle this week? This is usually a team that has just lost their first game in the mid to late portion of the season. The teams in this fade spot this week are Texas, Oregon, and USC.In my opinion- Texas is in a unique spot here because they had a bye week after their rivalry loss to Oklahoma. The Longhorns absolutely can still reach the four team playoff if they right the ship now.Oregon lost in an epic contest against Washington. They outgained the Huskies by more than 100 yards, but the Ducks went 0/3 on fourth down and lost a heartbreaker. USC was stomped at Notre Dame, and the Trojans are the team I doubt the most as far as their potential to reach their preseason goal of reaching the playoff.Do note that this is simply an angle to watch and not bets that I’m making this week. Also, keep in mind that each situation should be investigated in depth. Has the team had their bubble burst or do they still have everything to play for? It’s just another angle to keep an eye on as you handicap games in the second half of the regular season. 

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VW's Weekly Recap: Ho-Hum Two Weeks, Big Week Coming

by Vegas Writer

Wednesday, Oct 18, 2023

My apologies, but I lost a week due to some intense travel and prior obligations last week.Plenty of college basketball media days to attend, both in and out of town, and I still missed some of the conferences I was hoping to attend.Nevertheless, I'm going to update you on the past couple of weeks, and zero in on this past weekend specifically.From last Tuesday, Oct. 3 through Monday, Oct. 16, I went 20-19-1 (51.3%) and lost $630.I finished 11-12-1 in both college and pro football during that stretch, as I split out in college football (6-6), and was 5-6-1 in pro football.Overall, College Football still continues to be impressive since Week 0, as I brought a 22-18-1 run for +$2,270 net profit since Aug. 31 into this week.Breaking down favorites and dogs in college football, I am 3-6 with the underdogs I've released and am 18-10-2 with favorites.Sitting at 19-14-3 in the NFL, I'm now 6-4 with underdogs - all six victories winning outright.Last week alone, I went 7-5 in both NFL and College Football, including a 6-2 mark on Saturday and Sunday.As for MLB action, I in that same two-week range (10/3-10/16), and brought a 66-56-1 run with $7,220 net profit into this week.I hit my A.L. West Total of the Year in Game 1 of the ALCS with the Astros-Rangers staying Under. Wednesday I have my ALCS Game of the Year.We're three games into the WNBA Finals, and the Las Vegas Aces face further adversity. They will be without Chelsea Gray and Kiah Stokes for Game 4, but this is a team that has dealt with - as Kelsey Plum puts it - injuries, lawsuits and arrests all season.I haven't released a WNBA play since Sept. 29, but have my WNBA Finals Game of the Year going Wednesday.Be sure to check out my College Football observations and my NFL Power Rankings.Let's gear up for a big week of action.

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Week 7 College FB Observations: Heisman Race Thickens

by Vegas Writer

Wednesday, Oct 18, 2023

Who's atop your Heisman watch?Admittedly, my money was on reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams coming into the season.But his Pac-12 rival Michael Penix Jr. has stolen the show for me, and is currently atop my Heisman watch list.As of Wednesday at 6 am pacific, here are the top six at DraftKings: Michael Penix Jr. (Washington) -130 J.J. McCarthy (Michigan) +1000 Dillon Gabriel (Oklahoma) +1000 Jordan Travis (Florida State) +1200 Jayden Daniels (LSU) +1400 Drake Maye (North Carolina) +1800 Bo Nix (Oregon) +2000 Caleb Williams (USC) +2000 The two questions you have to ask yourself are:1. Which name sitting between Penix and Williams is worth taking a shot with, considering the value being offered?2.  Is it worth it now to lay the -130 on Penix?It certainly is worth it to play Williams at this price, considering he's NFL-ready right now and can go off at any point and dominate any opponent on any given night. And we all know Heisman voters remember what players do in the second half of the season than they remember games from September and October. He's facing Utah this weekend and has revenge on the brain from last season's conference championship game. After Saturday, you may not see Williams at this price ever again.But let's start with Penix, who threw four touchdowns in the Huskies’ big win over Oregon on Saturday. He now has 20 TD completions through the first six games of the season. This dude has obnoxiously bullied his way to the favorite role in this race, as he's completing 72% of his passes and averages nearly 11 yards per attempt.Back to the voters' memory bank, Penix and the Huskies opened the season against five unranked opponents. But Saturday's win over Oregon was the first of four Washington opponents that currently reside in the Top 25, with No. 18 USC, No. 14 Utah, No. 12 Oregon State forthcoming. How Penix does against those teams will tell us a lot. Personally, it wouldn't surprise me to see the Huskies drop two games down the stretch, and that could turn into Penix returning a plus price in the Heisman race.As for the six names in between, here is who I'm keeping my eyes on:McCarthy might be worth the investment, considering Michigan hasn't been tested yet. Though the Wolverines might not face a team that can beat them, they will face defensive units that will challenge McCarthy. A couple of breakout performances could raise his stock, which would drop his price.Gabriel could steal the headlines from everyone, point blank. He already ranks in the top 10 nationally in many categories, including third in total offense (347.7 ypg), fourth in points responsible for per game (21.0), sixth in passing efficiency rating (178.2), seventh in passing offense (313.0 ypg), eighth in passing touchdowns (16) and ninth in pass completion percentage (.723). On the last state given, for perspective, the single-season record at OU is .709 by Baker Mayfield in 2016. Gabriel leads the Big 12 in all of those categories.Daniels is an interesting commodity, as he's sporting the nation's highest pass efficiency (197.7) and averages the most yards per attempt (11.0). He's thrown the second-most touchdowns (22) and is also getting it done with his feet, having rushed for 515 yards and four touchdowns. An upcoming game vs. Alabama could propel Daniels deeper into the race, which would drop his odds.Pick your poison as we hit the midway point of the college football season, but choose wisely, as the Heisman race is about to get interesting.Here are more College Football Observations heading into Week 6:BIG 10 BATTLE - All eyes will be on Columbus this weekend when the sixth-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions hope to prove themselves against No. 3 Ohio State.The Lions have won 17 of their last 19 - while covering 16 of those games - with the only losses coming against Ohio State and Michigan.Penn State is just 1-8 straight-up against the Buckeyes under coach James Franklin. The Lions are only 3-6 against Michigan with Franklin at the helm. As a matter of fact, they're a mere 3-15 against Top 10 foes under Franklin's watch.But if there were ever a chance to shed those horrific numbers, it's this season with a stifling defense. The Lions rank No. 1 overall in allowing 193.7 yards per game, including a paltry 72.5 on the ground. Penn State has allowed an average of 8.0 points per game this season, registering shutouts in two of its last three.There is no bigger game for the Lions than this Saturday in Columbus. That is, until Nov. 11, when Michigan comes to Happy Valley. Both are important this season, as Lions boast a viable defense that could lead them to wins in both.ATS BESTS - Three teams are perfect against the number, two of which aren't surprising as they hail from Power 5 conferences, but the third is a shocker. Penn State and Oklahoma are each 6-0 straight-up and at the window, the former using its aforementioned defense and the latter riding its Hesiman-candidate quarterback to fuel a high-powered offense. The shocker, however, is UNLV, which checks in at 5-1 SU and 6-0 ATS at this point.Only one other team still has a goose egg in the loss column, but Oregon, which is 5-1 SU, now has a tie against the books, after catching +3 last week at Washington in the 36-33 loss.MORE ATS OBSERVATIONS - The Vanderbilt Commodores are an interesting storyline when it comes to the betting window this season. They're 2-6 on the year, including a 0-4 record in SEC play. They're also 1-7 ATS after nabbing their first cover of the season in this past Saturday's 37-20 loss to top-ranked Georgia. The 'Dores caught +32.5 points and easily stayed inside the number. But the interesting part of this team is its 8-0 to the over when it comes to totals.Since winning its first two games, the Commodores have been outscored by an average margin of 15.6 points per game, while allowing 39.0 ppg. But where these totals are cashing in is with Vandy doing its part on offense, averaging 27.8 points per game.The average total on Vandy games is 54, ranging between 50.5 and 56.5. So if the Commodores are scoring 27.8 points per game - half of the average posted total - and they're being blown out most games, you can see how these games are landing north of the total by an average of 8.0 points per game.Vandy hosts Ole Miss this weekend, and go figure, the books are catching up as the total at DraftKings is sitting on 60 as of Wednesday morning.CHALK CHECK-IN - Since I missed last week due to some out-of-town commitments, that kept me in time restraints and away from my weekly research, let's catch up on how the favorites have been doing.Favorites that have ranged between 4 and 7.5 points have done the best the last two weeks, going a combined 19-14, including a 12-7 showing this past week.Bigger favorites have struggled the last two weeks, with teams laying 20 or more going 1-5 two weeks back, and haven't shown us a winning week since Week 1. Since then, those teams have a combined 22-32 ATS mark.Every week I'll update you with regular board games (no FCS or added), broken down into different point-spread ranges. There were a few pushes this week and a pk'em game to consider, but through Week 7, favorites are 188-173 with the following breakdown:1-3 1/2 ............ 42-404-7 1/2 ............ 53-408-10 1/2 ........... 16-1511-14 1/2 ....,..... 25-2415-19 1/2 .......... 19-1420 and up ...... 33-40

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Five College Football Underdog Coaches

by Kyle Hunter

Wednesday, Oct 18, 2023

We’re right in the middle of the college football season. It’s crazy how fast the season flies by after we look forward to it through the whole summer. Let’s take a look at five active coaches who have been great in the underdog role (Against the Spread). Some coaches are just great at getting their team to be ready to go when they are being counted out by many. These ATS records go back to 2005.  Brian Kelly (40-22-2 ATS) LSU isn’t going to be an underdog very often, but the Tigers are going to be a dog in Tuscaloosa against Alabama on November 4. LSU pulled off the upset at home last year. Can they do it two years in a row? Kelly has been a good ATS moneymaker in general, but he has been excellent in this role.  Matt Rhule (35-18 ATS) Rhule did some great work at Baylor. He struggled in the NFL, but I’m convinced Rhule is still a good college football head coach. Nebraska picked up a nice win at Illinois recently, and the Cornhuskers are starting to play a little better in the trenches. It won’t be a quick fix here, but this Nebraska team is definitely in a better spot than they were with Scott Frost as their leader. The Nebraska last three games will be interesting: home vs. Maryland, at Wisconsin, and at Iowa.  Chris Creighton (45-28-1 ATS) Creighton is an excellent coach who gets the most out of his talent on an annual basis. Eastern Michigan is well known for playing in close games consistently. Creighton’s teams are 27-12 ATS as an underdog on the road. The Eagles will be a road underdog several more times this season.  Craig Bohl (42-28 ATS) Here’s another guy who absolutely gets the most out of his team. Craig Bohl’s Wyoming teams make the most of their home field advantage at elevation in Laramie. They are strong in the trenches, and they play some good defense. Wyoming won’t wow you, but they are always a tough team to play. Texas struggled for three quarters against this group. Wyoming pulled off the upsets over Fresno State and Texas Tech at home as well.  Billy Napier (19-8 ATS) Florida fans aren’t terribly high on Billy Napier right now, but I think they need to give him some time. Napier has been doing better with recruiting, and he has proven he can get kids up to play in these tough spots. An average or worse coach isn’t able to do this. The Gators play a really tough schedule, and they are going to be underdogs several more times. Don’t be surprised if they pull off a big upset sometime between now and the end of the season. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, MLB and NHL Previews and Odds - 10/18/2023

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Oct 18, 2023

The Wednesday sports card features NCAAF, MLB, and NHL action.The eighth week in NCAAF college football continues with two games on national television between FBS opponents. Sam Houston State hosts Florida International on the CBS Sports Network at 7 PM ET. The Bearkats remained winless after their first six games in a 27-13 loss at New Mexico State as a 4-point underdog last Wednesday. The Golden Panthers are on a three-game losing streak after their 27-14 upset loss at home to UTEP as a 3.5-point favorite on Wednesday. They have a 3-4 record on the season. Sam Houston State is a 5.5-point favorite, with the total set at 41.5 (all odds from DraftKings). New Mexico State travels to UTEP on ESPN2 at 9 PM ET. The Aggies are on a two-game winning streak after their victory against Sam Houston State last Wednesday. The win raised their record to 4-3 on the season. The Miners ended a four-game losing streak with their upset win against Florida International last week. They have a 2-5 record. New Mexico State is a 3-point road favorite with an over/under of 48.Major League Baseball continues its postseason with one game. The Texas Rangers play at home against the Houston Astros in the third game of the American League Championship Series. The Rangers took a 2-0 lead in this best-of-seven series with a 5-4 victory on Monday. Texas has won seven games in a row. The Astros have lost two games in a row after losing the opening game of this series by a 2-0 score. Max Scherzer takes the ball for the Rangers to pitch against the Astros’ Cristian Javier. Scherzer posted a 13-6 record in the regular season between his time with the New York Mets and Texas with a 3.77 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP in 27 starts. Javier had a 10-5 record in the regular season with a 4.56 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP in 31 starts. Texas is a -130 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The National Hockey League has two games on its slate. The Ottawa Senators are at home against the Washington Capitals at 7:07 PM ET. Ottawa opened their season with a 5-3 loss at Carolina on Wednesday before beating Philadelphia by a 5-2 score. They raised their record to 2-1 with a 5-2 victory against Tampa Bay on Sunday. The Capitals began their season with a 4-0 loss at Pittsburgh on Friday. They rebounded with a 3-2 victory against Calgary on Monday. Ottawa is a -166 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Pittsburgh Penguins visit Detroit to play the Red Wings on TNT at 7:37 PM ET. The Penguins opened their season with a 4-2 loss to Chicago last Tuesday before following up with a 4-0 victory at Washington on Friday. They raised their record to 2-1 with a 5-2 victory against Calgary on Saturday. The Red Wings began their season with a 4-2 loss at New Jersey on Thursday. They have since responded with a 6-4 victory against Tampa Bay on Saturday before a 4-0 win at Columbus on Monday. Pittsburgh is a -130 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, MLB and NHL Previews and Odds - 10/17/2023

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Oct 17, 2023

The Tuesday sports card features NCAAF, MLB, and NHL action.The eighth week in NCAAF college football begins with three games on national television between FBS opponents. Liberty hosts Middle Tennessee on the CBS Sports Network at 7 PM ET. The Flames remained unbeaten this season with their sixth straight win in a 31-13 victory at Jacksonville State as a 7-point favorite last Tuesday. The Blue Raiders ended a three-game losing streak with a 31-23 win against Louisiana Tech as a 3-point favorite on Tuesday. Liberty is a 14.5-point favorite, with the total set at 56.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Two nationally televised NCAAF games kick off at 7:30 PM ET. Western Kentucky travels to Jacksonville State on ESPNU. The Hilltoppers are on a two-game winning streak after a 35-28 win at Louisiana Tech as a 6-point favorite on October 5th. The Gamecocks were on a three-game winning streak before a loss to Liberty last week. Western Kentucky is a 7.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 59.5. South Alabama plays at home against Southern Mississippi on ESPN2. The Jaguars ended a two-game losing streak with a 55-7 victory at Louisiana-Monroe as a 10.5-point favorite on October 14th. The Golden Eagles are on a five-game losing streak after a 17-13 upset loss at home to Old Dominion as a 3-point favorite on October 7th. South Alabama is an 18-point favorite with a total of 52. Major League Baseball continues the postseason with one game. The Philadelphia Phillies host the Arizona Diamondbacks on TBS at 8:07 PM ET. The Phillies took the opening game of this series last night with a 5-3 victory. They send out Aaron Nola to pitch against the Diamondbacks Merrill Kelly. Philadelphia is a -155 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.The National Hockey League has nine games on its slate. The Vancouver Canucks visit Philadelphia at 6:07 PM ET as a -142 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The Minnesota Wild play in Montreal against the Canadiens at 7:07 PM ET as a -155 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. Two NHL games drop the puck at 7:37 PM ET. The Buffalo Sabres play at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning on ESPN as a -112 money-line favorite with a total of 7. The New York Islanders are at home against the Arizona Coyotes as a -185 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.Two NHL games start at 8:07 PM ET. The Edmonton Oilers are in Nashville to play the Predators as a -148 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The Winnipeg Jets host the Los Angeles Kings as a -122 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Colorado Avalanche travel to Seattle to play the Kraken on ESPN at 10:07 PM ET as a -148 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. Two more games complete the NHL card at 10:37 PM ET. The Carolina Hurricanes play in San Jose against the Sharks as a -285 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Vegas Golden Knights play at home against the Dallas Stars as a -115 money-line favorite with a total of 6.  

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