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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, MLB and EPL Previews and Odds - 05/18/2025

The Sunday sports card features NBA, NHL, MLB, and EPL action. The National Basketball Association continues its playoff season with one game on ABC. The Oklahoma City Thunder host the Denver Nuggets in Game 7 of their Western Conference semifinal series at 3:40 p.m. ET. The Thunder are an 8-point favorite with the total set at 213.5 (all odds from DraftKings).The National Hockey League playoffs continue with one game on TNT/truTV/Max on its slate. The Florida Panthers travel to Toronto to take on the Maple Leafs at 7:40 p.m. ET. The Panthers are a -130 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5.Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The Houston Astros play in Texas against the Rangers on Roku at 1:05 p.m. ET. Three more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 1:35 p.m. ET. The Atlanta Braves are in Boston to face the Red Sox as a -130 money-line road favorite with a total of 9. The Baltimore Orioles host the Washington Nationals as a -166 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. The Pittsburgh Pirates visit Philadelphia to play the Phillies as a -118 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. The Toronto Blue Jays play at home against the Detroit Tigers at 1:37 p.m. ET as a -118 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two more MLB games start at 1:40 p.m. ET. The Tampa Bay Rays play in Miami against the Marlins as a -155 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The Cincinnati Reds are home against the Cleveland Guardians as a -125 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. Two MLB games begin at 2:10 p.m. ET. The Kansas City Royals host the St. Louis Cardinals as a -115 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Milwaukee Brewers play at home against the Minnesota Twins as a -162 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Chicago Cubs are home against the Chicago White Sox at 2:20 p.m. ET as a -305 money-line favorite. The San Francisco Giants host the Athletics at 4:05 p.m. ET as a -148 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Three more MLB games start at 4:10 p.m. ET. The Arizona Diamondbacks play at home against the Colorado Rockies as a -360 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Los Angeles Dodgers are home against the Los Angeles Angels as a -250 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The San Diego Padres host the Seattle Mariners as a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5.Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN features the New York Yankees playing at home against the New York Mets at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Yankees are a -170 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5.Matchweek 37 in the English Premier League continues with five matches. Everton hosts Southampton on the USA Network at 7:00 a.m. ET as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. Nottingham Forest is at West Ham United on the USA Network at 9:15 a.m. ET as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Two more EPL matches begin at 10:00 a.m. ET. Brentford plays at home against Fulham as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. Leicester City is home against Ipswich Town as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Arsenal hosts Newcastle United on the USA Network at 11:30 a.m. ET as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5.  

2025 NFL: Early MVP Longshot Bets

With the 2025 NFL season approaching, it's an opportune time to explore some longshot candidates for the MVP award. While quarterbacks generally dominate this accolade, identifying under-the-radar players can potentially yield significant returns. Here are five quarterbacks with longer odds, in no particular order, who could make a surprising run for the MVP title this season.Odds courtesy Draft Kings. 1. Bo Nix (Denver Broncos) +3500 Bo Nix enters his second NFL season after a promising rookie year with the Denver Broncos. He led the team to a 10-win season and a playoff berth, setting multiple franchise records along the way. Nix's familiarity with head coach Sean Payton's system and the potential for an improved supporting cast could position him as a dark horse MVP candidate. The Broncos have made strategic offseason moves to bolster their offense, aiming to support Nix's development. The addition of tight end Evan Engram provides a versatile weapon in the passing game, while there's speed-to-burn with returning receivers like Marvin Mims Jr. and Devaughn Vele. Denver used second round draft capital on running back RJ Harvey and he represents an upgrade in the backfield, perhaps relieving some of the pressure on Nix. With these enhancements, Denver's offense is poised to be more dynamic, potentially elevating Nix's performance and MVP prospects. 2. Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams) +3500 Veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford aims to recapture the form that led the Rams to a Super Bowl victory in the 2021 season. With one of the league's strongest receiving corps and a rock-solid offensive line, Stafford has the tools to orchestrate a high-powered offense. A resurgence in performance could position him as a dark horse in the MVP race, even as he enters the twilight of his career. The Rams have focused on strengthening their offensive line to protect Stafford, re-signing guards Kevin Dotson and Jonah Jackson. Additionally, the acquisition of wide receiver DaVante Adams and tight end Terrance Ferguson will compliment Puka Nacua in the passing game, enhancing the Rams' offensive versatility and likely boosting Stafford's numbers. 3. Drake Maye (New England Patriots) +4500 Drake Maye, the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, showed flashes of potential during his rookie season with the New England Patriots. After taking over as the starting quarterback, Maye demonstrated his ability to lead the offense and by all accounts is ready to make the jump to 'household name' status in 2025. The Patriots have made significant offseason moves to support Maye's development. The acquisition of wide receiver Stefon Diggs provides a proven playmaker, while the additions of offensive linemen Morgan Moses and Garrett Bradbury aim to bolster pass protection. With these enhancements and the return of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Maye is well-positioned to take a significant step forward in his second season. 4. Geno Smith (Las Vegas Raiders) +15000 The biggest longshot on our list, Geno Smith's move to the Las Vegas Raiders presents a fresh start for the seasoned quarterback. After a commendable stint with the Seattle Seahawks, Smith brings experience and poise to the Raiders' offense. The Raiders have undergone significant changes, hiring Pete Carroll as head coach and Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator while also adding game-breaking running back Ashton Jeanty in the draft. These changes, along with the addition of offensive lineman Alex Cappa and wide receiver Jack Bech, aim to revitalize the Raiders' offense. If Smith can effectively integrate into this new system and lead the team to success, he could emerge as a surprising MVP contender. 5. Brock Purdy (San Francisco 49ers) +3000 Brock Purdy enters the 2025 season looking to rebound after a challenging 2024 campaign. With a year of experience under his belt and a favorable schedule ahead, Purdy has the opportunity to lead the 49ers back to playoff contention. The 49ers have the easiest strength of schedule in the league, with opponents having a combined .415 winning percentage in 2024. This favorable schedule, coupled with a healthy roster and a strong supporting cast, positions Purdy to potentially elevate his performance and re-enter the MVP conversation.

Big Al's Daily Angle: NHL and MLB Previews and Odds - 05/17/2025

The Saturday sports card features NHL and MLB action. The 150th running of the Preakness Stakes headlines the sporting events of the day. The second leg of the Triple Crown is the 13th race at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, with a start time of 7:01 p.m. ET. The National Hockey League playoffs continue with one game on ABC on its slate. The Dallas Stars host the Winnipeg Jets in Game 7 of their Western Conference semifinal series at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Jets evened this best-of-seven series at 3-3 with their 4-0 victory at home against the Stars on Thursday. Dallas is a -155 money-line favorite with the total set at 5.5 (all odds from DraftKings).Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The New York Yankees play at home against the New York Mets at 1:05 p.m. ET. The Yankees send out Clarke Schmidt to pitch against the Mets’ Griffin Canning. The Yankees are a -135 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. The Chicago Cubs are home against the Chicago White Sox at 2:20 p.m. ET. Matthew Boyd takes the ball for the Cubs to take on Sean Burke for the White Sox. The Cubs are a -278 money-line favorite. The Detroit Tigers travel to Toronto to face the Blue Jays at 3:07 p.m. ET. The Tigers tap Reece Olson to battle against a Blue Jays’ starting pitcher yet to be named. The Baltimore Orioles host the Washington Nationals on FS1 at 4:05 p.m. ET. The Orioles send out Kyle Gibson to challenge the Nationals’ Jake Irvin. Baltimore is a -162 money-line favorite with a total of 10. The Tampa Bay Rays travel to Miami to take on the Marlins at 4:05 p.m. ET. Drew Rasmussen takes the ball for the Rays to challenge Sandy Alcantara for the Marlins. Tampa Bay is a -148 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8. The Philadelphia Phillies play at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 6:05 p.m. ET. The Phillies send out Zack Wheeler to pitch against the Pirates’ Carmen Mlodzinski. Philadelphia is a -290 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Cleveland Guardians play in Cincinnati against the Reds at 6:40 p.m. ET. Slade Cecconi takes the mound for the Guardians to take on Brent Suter for the Reds. Cleveland is a -125 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 10.  The Texas Rangers are home against the Houston Astros at 7:05 p.m. ET. The Rangers turn to Tyler Mahle to pitch against the Astros’ Ronel Blanco. Texas is a -142 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Kansas City Royals host the St. Louis Cardinals at 7:10 p.m. ET. Noah Cameron gets the assignment for the Royals to go against Miles Mikolas for the Cardinals. Kansas City is a -125 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two MLB games are featured on Fox’s regional television coverage at 7:15 p.m. ET. Boston plays at home against Atlanta with the Red Sox tapping Lucas Giolito to pitch against the Braves’ Grant Holmes. The Red Sox are a -122 money-line favorite with a total of 9. Minnesota is in Milwaukee with Pablo Lopez taking the mound for the Twins to battle Tobias Myers for the Brewers. The Twins are a -112 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5.The Arizona Diamondbacks are home against the Colorado Rockies at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Diamondbacks turn to Zac Gallen to face the Rockies’ German Marquez. Arizona is a -340 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The San Diego Padres host the Seattle Mariners at 8:40 p.m. ET. Nick Pivetta gets the ball for the Padres to challenge Emerson Hancock for the Mariners. San Diego is a -170 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The San Francisco Giants play at home against the Athletics at 9:05 p.m. ET. The Giants turn to Landen Roupp to battle the Athletics’ Luis Severino. San Francisco is a -130 money-line favorite with a total of 8. The Los Angeles Dodgers are home against the Los Angeles Angels at 9:10 p.m. ET. Clayton Kershaw pitches for the Dodgers against Tyler Anderson for the Angels. The Dodgers are a -245 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. 

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