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Inside The College Football Boxscores Week 5 – Part 2

by Matt Fargo

Tuesday, Sep 30, 2025

Fargo looks past the top line scores and goes deep into the box scores to get a better picture of what really happened for all of the FBS games the past weekend.ULM 28, Arkansas State 16Arkansas St. opened the game by intercepting a pass three plays in and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown then added on a field goal for a 10-0 lead after the first quarter. After the pick and five straight punts, UL Monroe finally got the offense going with a pair of touchdowns and never gave up the lead. The Red Wolves could only get two more field goals as the offense missed a field goal and turned it over three times. The Warhawks won the yardage 384-297 on 16 fewer plays.Texas A&M 16, Auburn 10Texas A&M outgained the Tigers 414-177 and 6.0 to 3.1 yppl but the Aggies offense stalled numerous times and were forced to five field goal attempts, missing two of those while also throwing a redzone interception. Additionally, Texas A&M was 3-14 on third down so it relied on the defense which came up huge. Auburn was held to 52 yards rushing on 24 carries (2.2 ypc) which limited the Tigers to only nine first downs, partially due to them going 0-15 on third and fourth down.Toledo 45, Akron 3Toledo returned the opening kickoff 52 yards down to the Akron 28-yard line and scored on its first play from scrimmage and the rout was on. The Rockets added a touchdown on their next possession and eventually took a 35-3 lead into halftime and eventually called off the dogs. Toledo outgained the Zips 545-145 and 8.9 to 2.4 yppl while making 28 first downs and allowing only 11. Akron went 2-15 on third down, crossed midfield only three times while punting nine times.Navy 21, Rice 13Navy took its opening possession 75 yards on 14 plays, forced a three and out and went 80 yards in three plays to take an early 14-0 lead. Rice had five first half possessions while running only 22 plays and gaining just 52 yards, forcing to punt four times and failing on fourth down. The Midshipmen outgained Rice 455-234 and 7.5 to 3.9 yppl with one downfall being 10 penalties for 85 yards. The Owls were just 4-15 on third down but 4-5 on fourth down aiding in scoring on their last three drives.Utah 48, West Virginia 14The Utah offense was very efficient as it crossed midfield on all nine of its possessions, scoring on eight of those with a second quarter interception being the lone blemish. The Utes defense was just as good as they held the Mountaineers scoreless in the first half, allowing 105 yards. Overall, Utah outgained West Virginia 532-346 but did run 16 more plays and allowed 261 yards rushing on 48 carries (5.4 ypc) so that was not ideal but did allow only four fourth down conversions.California 28, Boston College 24Boston College took the opening kickoff 84 yards on 12 plays for a touchdown and then picked off a California pass two plays later and scored another touchdown two plays after that. The Golden Bears fought back to eventually take a 21-17 lead and then went 88 yards for a 28-24 lead with 1:30 left. The Eagles were driving for the winning touchdown but threw an interception at the California goal line. Boston College won the yardage by three yards but 6.5 to 5.2 yppl as it ran 13 fewer plays.UConn 20, Buffalo 17After a scoreless first quarter Connecticut and Buffalo traded second quarter touchdowns with the Huskies regaining a seven-point lead that they would not give up until the Bulls scored the tying touchdown with 59 seconds remaining. The Huskies went 49 yards in 10 plays and kicked the game winning 44-yard field goal. Offense was not on display with Buffalo outgaining the Huskies 329-320 and the game featured 13 punts with the teams going a combined 9-28 on third down.Baylor 45, Oklahoma State 27The Bears never trailed but it was just a one possession game at the end of the third quarter before Baylor added a field goal and then went 89 yards in 10 plays for the final margin. The Cowboys were able to move the ball pretty consistently with 448 yards yet struggled in the second half but the defense was the real issue as they allowed 612 yards on 8.3 yppl including 393 yards through the air on 11.2 yards per attempt. The teams committed a combined 16 penalties for 160 yards.Ole Miss 24, LSU 19LSU forced two three and outs to open the game and following the second one, the Tigers went 67 yards to take a 7-0 lead and then the offense shut down. The Rebels made it 7-3 following an 18-play, 83-yard drive then the defense forced four punts and picked off a pass in the next five LSU possessions while the offense closed the first half with a pair of touchdowns and did not trail again. Mississippi outgained the Tigers 480-254 but ran 28 more plays and committed 14 penalties.Ohio State 24, Washington 6Washington struck first at the start of the second quarter with a field goal and got another three points late in the third quarter to make it a one possession game at 14-6 but the Buckeyes put up 10 points in two consecutive fourth quarter possessions. The Buckeyes outgained Washington 357-234 and 5.8 to 4.4 yppl and of those 234 yards, 134 came on the two field drives so the Huskies were shut down most of the day. Washington was just 2-14 on third and fourth down.Indiana 20, Iowa 15Indiana took a 7-0 lead as it intercepted an Iowa pass two plays into the game and scored two plays after from 24 yards out. The Hawkeyes rebounded with a field goal and a touchdown before the Hoosiers tied the game at 10-10 right before halftime. The teams traded fourth quarter field goals before Indiana scored on a 49-yard touchdown pass with 1:28 remaining. The Hoosiers outgained Iowa 337-284 and 5.4 to 4.1 yppl with the teams combining for only 2.8 ypc on the ground.San Diego State 6, NIU 3Each team went 63 yards on their opening possession and kicked field goals to make it 3-3 and then the offenses forgot how to perform. It was a game of punts and turnovers from there on out until the final possession of the game with the Aztecs kicking the game winning 23-yard field goal as time expired. Northern Illinois did not make it past the San Diego St. 44-yard line after the initial field goal and was held to 169 yards. The Aztecs had 266 yards, 134 on their first three possessions.Northwestern 17, UCLA 14Northwestern jumped out to a 17-0 lead and had to hold on with the offense being able to do nothing. UCLA rallied to make it a three-point game with 6:19 remaining then went three and out and was unable to move the ball after getting it back once again with 1:29 left from its own 20-yard line. The Wildcats had three punts and a missed field goal in the second half while outgaining the Bruins by only three yards overall and getting outgained 5.5 to 5.2 yppl but had just two penalties.New Mexico 38, New Mexico State 20New Mexico St. did not trail for the entire first half and took a 17-7 lead after returning a fumble 42 yards for a touchdown before the Lobos took over by going on a 31-3 run to close the game. The New Mexico offense was inconsistent early as in its first eight possessions, it had two touchdowns and a field goal but three 3 and outs, a fumble and a failed fourth down attempt before scoring on three straight possessions after that. The Lobos outgained the Aggies 476-304 and 6.9 to 4.5 yppl.Hawaii 44, Air Force 35Hawaii opened the game going 75 yards, Air Force responded by going 74 yards and the Warriors again went 75 yards to take a 14-7 lead and then stopped the Falcons on fourth down at the seven-yard line and never lost the lead. It was a 24-14 lead after three quarters until a 41-point fourth quarter where Air Force did make it a one possession game twice. Hawaii had the ball for 15 more minutes which led to a 78-47 edge in plays and a 535-494 edge in yards but was outgained 10.5 to 6.9 yppl.Tulane 31, Tulsa 14Tulane started the scoring with an opening drive touchdown and the teams traded touchdowns late into the second quarter before the Green Wave tacked on a field goal before halftime. Tulane put the game away with a third quarter touchdown as the defense clamped down in the second half, forcing five punts, picking off a pass and stopping Tulsa on fourth down. Tulane outgained the Golden Hurricane 437-337 and 5.8 to 4.6 yppl but was hurt by committing 12 penalties for 104 yards.Tennessee 41, Mississippi State 34This was a back and forth game throughout with Mississippi St. taking a 34-27 lead before Tennessee went 75 yards on 13 plays in 6:04 to tie the game with under two minutes remaining. The Bulldogs then went three and out while the Volunteers could not get past midfield and scored first in overtime before stopping Mississippi St. at the four-yard line. Tennessee won the yards 466-378 while running 14 fewer plays and it outgained the Bulldogs 6.5 to 4.4 yppl. Mississippi St. was just 8-19 on third down.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and UEFA Champions League Previews and Odds - 09/30/2025

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Sep 30, 2025

The Tuesday sports card features MLB and UEFA Champions League action. Major League Baseball begins the best-of-three Wild Card round of the playoffs with four games. The Detroit Tigers travel to Cleveland to play the Guardians at 1:08 p.m. ET. The Guardians have won 13 of their last 16 games after their 9-8 victory at home against Texas on Sunday, which won them the AL Central division title and third seed in the American League playoffs. The Tigers are the sixth seed in the AL playoffs after losing 10 of their last 12 games in a 4-3 loss at Boston on Sunday. Detroit sends out Tarik Skubal to pitch against the Guardians’ Gavin Williams. The Tigers are a -169 money-line road favorite with the total set at 6 (all odds from DraftKings). The Chicago Cubs host the San Diego Padres at 3:08 p.m. ET on ABC at 3:08 p.m. ET. The Cubs have won three games in a row after a 2-0 victory against St. Louis at home on Sunday. They claimed the fourth seed in the National League playoffs after finishing in second place in the NL Central. The Padres won for the seventh time in their previous eight games in a 12-4 win against Arizona on Sunday. They are the fifth seed in the NL playoffs after finishing in second place in the NL West. Matthew Boyd gets the ball for Chicago to take on Nick Pivetta for the Padres. The Cubs are a -115 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7. The New York Yankees play at home against the Boston Red Sox at 6:08 p.m. ET. The Yankees are on an eight-game winning streak after their 3-2 victory at home against Baltimore on Sunday. They are the third seed in the AL playoffs after finishing in second place in the AL East. The Red Sox have won six of their previous nine games after their victory against Detroit on Sunday. They are the fifth seed in the AL playoffs after finishing in third place in the AL East. New York taps Max Fried to take the mound against Boston’s Garrett Crochet. The Yankees are a -136 money-line favorite with a total of 7. The Los Angeles Dodgers are home against the Cincinnati Reds on ESPN at 9:08 p.m. ET. The Dodgers have won five games in a row after a 6-1 victory at Seattle on Sunday. They are the third seed in the NL playoffs after winning the NL West. The Reds had won three games in a row before a 4-2 loss at Milwaukee on Sunday. They are the sixth seed in the NL playoffs after finishing in second place in the NL Central. Blake Snell takes the mound for Los Angeles to duel against Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene. The Dodgers are a -206 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.Matchday 2 in the UEFA Champions League begins with nine league phase matches. Two matches start at 12:45 PM ET. Atalanta hosts Club Brugge as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Real Madrid plays on the road against Kairat Almaty as a -2.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 3.5.Seven matches conclude the UCL card at 3 PM ET. Inter Milan plays at home against Slavia Praha as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Chelsea is home against Benfica as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. Atletico Madrid hosts Frankfurt as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Tottenham is on the road at Bodo Glimt as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 2.5. Marseille plays at home against Ajax as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Liverpool is at Galatasaray as a -0.5 road favorite with a total of 3.5. Bayern Munich visits Pafos FC on the CBS Sports Network as a -2.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 3.5. All nine Champions League matches are available on Paramount+.

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Inside The College Football Boxscores Week 5 – Part 1

by Matt Fargo

Monday, Sep 29, 2025

Fargo looks past the top line scores and goes deep into the box scores to get a better picture of what really happened for all of the FBS games the past weekend.East Carolina 28, Army 6East Carolina scored touchdowns on each of its first three possessions amassing 216 yards in the first quarter and was never threatened. The Pirates outgained Army 431-290 and the Black Knights were hurt by turning it over on downs and fumbling inside the East Carolina 30-yard line on their second and third possessions. The Pirates did struggle after that first quarter as they went through a stretch of four straight possessions that resulted in an interception, a fumble and a pair of fourth down misses.Virginia 46, Florida State 38Virginia punted on its first two possessions but then jumped ahead 14-0 after forcing a pair of turnovers and converting both into touchdowns. The Seminoles responded with three straight touchdowns, the second and third following Cavaliers interceptions. It was back and forth the rest of the way before Virginia prevailed in double overtime, stopping Florida St. with a fourth down interception. The Seminoles outgained Virginia 514-440 but had four turnovers and a missed field goal.Arizona State 27, TCU 24TCU jumped out to a 17-0 lead with scores on its next three possessions as it took advantage of a missed field goal and a turnover on downs. The Sun Devils responded with a pair of touchdowns and while they got inside the Horned Frogs 26-yard line on their next four possessions, they came away with only three points as there was a fumble, a missed field goal and a turnover on downs. The game winning field goal came after a TCU fumble at the 15-yard line.Houston 27, Oregon State 24Houston spotted Oregon St. a 14-0 lead and also trailed 24-10 last in the fourth quarter but scored with 5:59 remaining, forced a three and out and went 64 yards in 51 seconds to force overtime. The Cougars stopped Oregon St. on fourth down before kicking the game winning field goal. The Beavers outgained Houston 390-352 but they ran 16 more plays and were outgained 5.3 to 4.8 yppl. The defense did hold the Cougars to 82 yards rushing on 30 carries (2.7 ypc).Kansas State 34, UCF 20After a scoreless first quarter, Kansas St. struck first with a field goal then picked off a pass and went 26 yards to go up 10-0 and never trailed in the game. The Wildcats opened a 21-point lead late in the third quarter and coasted the rest of the way. Kansas St. outgained the Knights 434-402 but ran 11 fewer plays and was outgained 6.8 to 6.2 yppl. Central Florida committed three turnovers while going 3-14 on third and fourth down while Kansas St. committed only two penalties.Ohio 35, Bowling Green 20Ohio picked off a pass four plays into the game and returned it 71 yards for a touchdown but Bowling Green responded with a 75-yard drive to tie the game. The Bobcats then went 75 yards on their next possession and never relinquished the lead. Ohio outgained the Falcons 439-350 and 6.9 to 5.4 yppl and it was a balanced offensive attack with 231 yards rushing and 208 yards passing. Bowling Green finished with four turnovers that led to 14 Ohio points.North Texas 36, South Alabama 22South Alabama took the opening kickoff and went 75 yards on 10 plays to take a 7-0 lead but North Texas scored 21 unanswered points. The Jaguars did cut it to six points midway through the fourth quarter but the Mean Green sealed it with a late touchdown. North Texas won the yardage battle 429-396 on 15 fewer plays and outgained the Jaguars 6.6 to 5.0 yppl but was just 4-13 on third down. South Alabama hurt itself with eight penalties for 80 yards while turning it over on downs twice.Illinois 34, USC 32Illinois forced a fumble at its own 30-yard line and then went 70 yards in 10 plays to take a 7-0 lead and did not trail until 1:55 remaining when USC went 80 yards to take a 32-31 lead. The Illini then went 51 yards in eight plays and kicked the game winning 41-yard field goal as time expired. Illinois outgained the Trojans 502-490 on 15 fewer plays and it won the yppl 8.1 to 6.4. All eight total touchdown drives were 66 yards or more and each team punted only once.Minnesota 31, Rutgers 28Rutgers had a field goal blocked on its opening possession but forced a pair of punts and found the endzone both times to take a 14-0 lead. Minnesota was able to tie up as it went 81 yards on three plays and then picked off a pass three plays later and needed only an eight-yard drive to tie it up. The Scarlet Knights missed a 56-yard field goal to tie it up with 17 seconds left. Rutgers won the yardage battle 387-359 but ran 17 more plays and was outgained 6.1 to 5.1 yppl.Louisville 34, Pitt 27The Pittsburgh offense started the scoring to take a 10-0 lead and then the defense returned an interception 75 yards for a touchdown for a 17-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Louisville was able to tie it up before the Panthers took a 10-point lead into halftime before it was all Cardinals defense in the second half with three interceptions and two stops on fourth down in the last five Pittsburgh possessions. The Cardinals won the time of possession by nearly 20 minutes.Duke 38, Syracuse 3Duke and Syracuse traded first quarter field goals until the Blue Devils dominated the rest of the way. Duke outgained the Orange 503-314 and 7.7 to 4.9 yppl as it was very balanced on offense with 235 yards rushing and 268 yards passing. Syracuse got into Duke territory on three of its first four possessions but committed two turnovers and came away with just that one field goal. The Orange lost the turnover battle 3-0 and crossed midfield only twice in their final seven possessions.Georgia Tech 30, Wake Forest 29Georgia Tech started the scoring with a field goal before Wake Forest ran off 20 straight points but the game was tied at 20-20 and then again at 23-23 when the Yellow Jackets tied it up with two seconds remaining. Georgia Tech took a touchdown lead in overtime and Wake Forest scored on its first play with a 25-yard run but failed on its two-point conversion attempt. Wake Forest outgained the Yellow Jackets by 32 yards on 14 fewer plays and had the yppl advantage 6.2 to 4.8.Cincinnati 37, Kansas 34This was never more than a one possession game either way and while Kansas took the early 7-0 lead, it did not take the lead again until 1:45 remaining in the game when it went 85 yards in 6:17 to take a 34-30 lead. The Bearcats then went 75 yards on 10 plays in 1:16 for the game winning touchdown. Cincinnati won the offensive battle 603-597 but the Jayhawks ran 26 fewer plays and outgained Cincinnati 10.9 to 7.4 yppl as they completed 15.9 yards per pass attempt.Notre Dame 56, Arkansas 13The home blowout loss cost head coach Sam Pittman his job as a 14-10 lead for Notre Dame early in the second quarter turned into a 42-13 lead at halftime. The Irish racked up 641 yards of offense on 72 plays (8.9 yppl) and it scored a touchdown on eight of their first nine possessions with a turnover on downs being the only blemish. The Razorbacks had the ball only three times in the second half as they turned it over on downs twice and threw an interception.Vanderbilt 55, Utah State 35It was a game for a while as Utah St. took a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter following consecutive 75-yard drives and then the Commodores took over with a 41-7 run up to the end of the third quarter. The Aggies got a pair of meaningless touchdowns that accounted for 147 of their 393 total yards. Vanderbilt put up 543 yards on 8.4 yppl and after a three and out on its opening drive, it scored on each of its eight possessions before taking the foot off the gas.Central Michigan 24, Eastern Michigan 13Central Michigan took a 14-0 lead after the first quarter and while Eastern Michigan made it a one possession game early in the third quarter, the Chippewas dominated the time of possession the rest of the way. The Eagles had only three possessions after that third quarter score and had the ball for just over seven minutes. Central Michigan outgained the Eagles 445-298 on 13 more plays and it put up 305 yards rushing on 51 carries (6.0 ypc) but went just 4-13 on third down.James Madison 35, Georgia Southern 10It was all James Madison early as it jumped out to a 21-3 lead at halftime before tacking on two third quarter touchdowns to pull away. The Dukes outgained Georgia Southern 479-192 and 6.4 to 3.8 yppl with 75 of the Eagles yards coming on their late touchdown while finishing with only 10 first downs. James Madison had the ball for nearly 12 more minutes and it finished 8-13 on third down while the defense forced eight punts that included three and outs on six of those.

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College Football 5 Teams To Buy Low

by Kyle Hunter

Monday, Sep 29, 2025

I like to look at sports betting in a similar view as the stock market. I want to buy low and sell high. What teams do the marketplace in sports betting tend to hate? The teams who have performed worst ATS. Let’s look at five teams I would look to buy low in the right spots.SMU Mustangs (0-4 ATS) The Mustangs were in the College Football Playoff last year. They did lose quite a few key part of that team, but they are still a highly talented team. SMU hasn’t covered so far this season. Jennings is still a strong quarterback, and the ACC isn’t a very good conference overall. I like how the schedule sets up for them in the month of October. Penn State Nittany Lions (0-4 ATS) It has been a really long time since a James Franklin team has been this far underwater on an against the spread basis. They played with their food a bit in the first few weeks, and then couldn’t quite complete the big comeback in their showdown with Oregon. Penn State now faces a couple weak teams from the Big Ten. History tells us Franklin is more than willing to run up the number in these games. I think that continues this season.Virginia Tech Hokies (1-4 ATS) I really like what I saw from Virginia Tech last weekend in their first game with Phillip Montgomery as the head coach against an FBS team. The Hokies went on the road and picked up a nice win over the NC State Wolfpack. Virginia Tech isn’t a good team, so I certainly wouldn’t want to bet them as favorites. However, I do think they are better than they have shown this year, and as long as they continue to battle they could have value as an underdog.Northern Illinois (1-3 ATS) The Northern Illinois Huskies are dreadful on offense, but once they get into MAC play I think their defense can help them cover some spreads. Thomas Hammock has been a tremendous underdog ATS head coach in past years, and I would expect the Huskies to have value in that role again in the MAC. Three of their next four games are against relatively weak teams in the MAC too. Air Force (1-3 ATS) Admittedly, Air Force has looked terrible in recent weeks. The defense has been dreadful, and it is hard to back them at this point. I do remember how strong they finished last season though. This week will tell us a lot when they take on Navy. If the defense continues to look terrible maybe this unit is just downright bad. Still, I think Troy Calhoun is a good coach and if the market is completely out on Air Force I could back them in some spots the rest of the way. 

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AL Wild Card Starting Pitching Possibilities

by Nelly's Sports

Monday, Sep 29, 2025

The MLB wild card matchups are set with three packed days of action Tuesday to Thursday in four best of three series without travel this week. Here is a look at the American League pairings and the starting pitching considerations this week.  AL WILD CARD Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Guardians Detroit Tigers Tarik Skubal – With the Tigers confirming a postseason spot on Saturday, Skubal didn’t start on the final day of the regular season and the likely back-to-back AL Cy Young winner will be lined up to start Game 1 in the wild card round, pitching against Cleveland for a third straight start. Cleveland won both of those games, but Detroit did win two games in Skubal starts against the Guardians earlier in the season. Last season provided Skubal’s first playoff innings and two of his three starts in the postseason were at Progressive Field for the ALDS in Cleveland, winning Game 2 with a scoreless outing, but taking the loss in the Game 5 elimination contest with five runs allowed. Skubal has a 2.37 career ERA in the postseason as he also had a scoreless road start in Houston in last season’s playoff run. Skubal has a 2.41 career ERA over seven starts at Progressive Field in the regular season.  Jack Flaherty – Winning a World Series last season with the Dodgers after being traded by the Tigers, Flaherty returned to Detroit for the 2025 season. It was a tough regular season for Flaherty with 15 losses and a 4.64 ERA despite good strikeout numbers. His struggles mostly came on the road, but he did close the season with some positive momentum pitching well in September despite Detroit surrendering the AL Central lead. Flaherty has not been a good postseason pitcher in his career with a 5.36 ERA in 47 innings, though he did pitch well as the Game 1 starter of the World Series last season, and the Dodgers still won the World Series in Game 5 even after he allowed four runs while getting four outs in a poor starting effort. Flaherty had a strong Game 1 start in the NLCS as well, but he allowed eight runs in a start later in the series. Flaherty had decent numbers earlier in his career postseason appearances with St. Louis and Baltimore and last season his two bad outings were both of his road starts. In his career Flaherty is 0-2 at Progressive Field in four starts but with a 2.31 ERA.  Casey Mize – The #1 pick in the 2018 MLB draft, Mize hasn’t been an instant success at the MLB level, but he did post a solid season with 149 innings in 2025, going 14-6 in decisions but with an average 3.87 ERA and an 8.4 K/9. Mize pitched extremely well early in the season and struggled in July and August before putting together a solid run of five starts in September. He has pitched well vs. Cleveland this season with a 2.08 ERA though Detroit lost two of those three starts. Mize did not pitch in the postseason last year as it will be his playoff debut if he is called upon in the wild card series.  Other options – While it would be a gamble, Troy Melton, a 24-year-old rookie with fewer than 46 MLB innings to his name has pitched well with a 2.76 ERA. He has made only four starts and only one since early August as it is more likely that Melton would be reserved as a possible long relief option. Keider Montero filled useful innings for the Tigers making 12 starts and eight relief appearances this season. He wasn’t as successful as Melton overall this season but had a hot hand in September with a 3.12 ERA in just over 17 innings with a 9.9 K/9.  Cleveland Guardians Tanner Bibee – With a 12-11 record and a 4.24 ERA, Bibee doesn’t have the numbers of a division champion ace, but Bibee seems likely to get the Game 1 nod. Despite an average season line, Bibee was excellent down the stretch in Cleveland’s incredible late season run, posting a 1.30 ERA in September. In last year’s run to the ALCS, Bibee was a solid option, making four starts for a 3.45 ERA with Cleveland winning both of his starts against the Tigers, while his season home splits were far stronger with a 3.22 ERA at Progressive Field in the regular season.  Gavin Williams – After starting Game 3 of the ALCS last season, Williams will likely be called on for another big start in this wild card series. He allowed three runs while getting seven outs in what was his only postseason start in Cleveland’s playoff run in 2024. Williams had a fine 2025 season with a 3.06 ERA in 31 starts including a 9.3 K/9 including back-to-back solid outings for wins vs. the Tigers in a playoff-like atmosphere in his final two regular season starts. He finished the 2025 season with a 3.00 ERA in his home innings.  Other options – Depending on how the start of the series goes, a bullpen game is very possible for Cleveland. Rookie Parker Messick delivered a 2.72 ERA in seven starts since making his debut in August. He obviously has never pitched in the playoffs, but the left-hander seems likely to be utilized at some point in this series. Being left-handed will also give Logan Allen consideration for a postseason spot though he was skipped in the rotation down the stretch with only three September starts before pitching in the regular season finale Sunday, after Cleveland had clinched a postseason spot. Allen did not pitch in the postseason last year for Cleveland. 2nd year left-hander Joey Cantillo has a 3.21 ERA and a 10.2 K/9 this season. Cantillo was a reliever in last year’s playoff run with a 3.86 ERA in three appearances. Slade Cecconi pitched two scoreless innings for Arizona in the NLCS in 2023. Making 23 starts this season, Cecconi had a 4.30 with modest numbers overall but he did have two scoreless outings in September of seven and eight innings respectively. If the Guardians decide to prefer a right-hander to open a game, Cecconi would be the best right-handed starting option behind Bibee and Williams.    AL WILD CARD Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees Boston Red Sox Garrett Crochet – After making demands and an exit out of Chicago last season, Crochet backed up the talk with a tremendous season for Boston and the left-hander is likely to finish second in the AL Cy Young voting. Crochet did pitch in the postseason as a reliever for the White Sox in 2020 and 2021, combining to throw three innings without allowing a run. Crochet had mixed results vs. the Yankees this season with a 3.29 ERA, but Boston ultimately went 4-0 in his starts vs. New York, and he is the obvious Game 1 starter choice for the Red Sox.  Brayan Bello – Despite the lowest K/9 of his career Bello had a 3.35 ERA in nearly 167 innings of work for Boston, making 28 starts. Bello has pitched for Boston since 2022, but this is the first Red Sox postseason appearance since 2021. Two of his three starts vs. New York this season were scoreless seven-inning outings including an August start at Yankee Stadium. Bello has preferable road splits this season with a 3.06 ERA away from Fenway Park, though his September ERA of 5.40 was his worst monthly split of the season.  Lucas Giolito – Another former White Sox pitcher would likely be the third Boston starter in this series. Giolito got his career back on track this season winning 10 games with a 3.41 ERA for Boston. He was terrific in August and has a 3.47 ERA since the All-Star Break to shake off a tough start to the season. Giolito made two postseason starts in his time with the White Sox, pitching a gem to beat Oakland in 2020 but taking the loss against Houston in a 2021 start, leaving him with a 3.97 ERA in his postseason innings. In two starts vs. the Yankees this season Giolito had a 3.48 ERA, with Boston winning his road start but losing his home start.  New York Yankees Max Fried – Commanding a big offseason contract, Fried delivered exactly what the Yankees needed this season, filling in for the injured Gerritt Cole as a true #1 option on the mound. The Yankees are 22-10 in Fried starts this season including winning all five of his September starts. New York lost two of Fried’s three starts vs. Boston this season, however, even though he allowed just four runs in over 18 innings of work. Fried had a memorable scoreless Game 6 start to win the 2021 World Series with Atlanta but his postseason track record has been far less reliable than his regular season numbers. Fried had a 5.10 ERA in 67 postseason innings and he made just one start in each of the past three postseasons for the Braves, allowing 14 runs in just over nine innings of work combined.  Carlos Rodon – The Yankees will lead with left-handed starters in the first two games of this series. Rodon has a career postseason ERA of 6.64 with the bulk of his playoff innings in last season’s run to the World Series. Rodon did have a quality start to beat Cleveland in the ALDS, but he ultimately allowed 11 runs in fewer than 18 innings of work in the 2024 postseason. Rodon was also ineffective in two playoff appearances for the White Sox in 2020 and 2021. With an 18-8 record and a 3.09 ERA, Rodon had a second straight strong season pitching for the Yankees, but he didn’t pitch well in two of his three starts vs. Boston, with New York losing two of those three games while he allowed 11 runs in just over 15 innings of work vs. the Red Sox.  Cam Schlittler – As a 24-year-old rookie, Schlittler has not pitched in the postseason before. He finished with a 2.96 ERA in 14 starts with a 10.4 K/9 this season. His walk rate is a bit elevated, but he threw well in both home and road innings and allowed one or no runs in seven of his final nine starts of the regular season. Boston has also never faced Schlittler, which may give him the edge for a potential Game 3 start.  Luis Gil – After missing most of the season Gil made 11 late season starts with solid results including a 3.32 ERA. His K/9 was only 6.5 however while walks were a serious problem with a 5.2 BB/9. Gil had an elevated walk rate last season as well, but he had a 10.2 K/9 last season to make up for it. Gil did pitch well down the stretch minus one bad start in Minnesota and he allowed just one earned run in 11 innings vs. the Red Sox. Gil pitched eight innings for the Yankees in the postseason last year and he had a 6.75 ERA, but New York did win both games, including his Game 4 start in the World Series facing elimination. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL and EPL Previews and Odds - 09/29/2025

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Sep 29, 2025

The Monday sports card features NFL and EPL action. Week 4 in the NFL concludes with two games. The Miami Dolphins host the New York Jets on ESPN at 7:15 p.m. ET. The Dolphins have lost their first three games this season after a 31-21 loss at Buffalo as an 11-point underdog back on Thursday, September 18th. They lost their opening games at Indianapolis by 25 points before a six-point loss at home against New England. The Jets began the year with a two-point loss at home against Pittsburgh before a 20-point loss at home against Buffalo. Miami is a 2.5-point favorite with the total set at 45.5 (all odds from DraftKings).The Denver Broncos play at home against the Cincinnati Bengals on ABC at 8:15 p.m. ET. The Broncos had lost two games in a row after their 23-20 loss in Los Angeles against the Chargers as a 3-point underdog last Sunday. They began their season with an eight-point win at home against Tennessee before a one-point loss at Indianapolis. The Bengals won their first two games of the year with a one-point win at Cleveland and then a four-point victory against Jacksonville. Denver is a 7.5-point favorite with an over/under of 44.5. Matchweek 6 in the English Premier League concludes with one match. Everton is at home against West Ham United on the USA Network at 3:00 p.m. ET. The Toffees have lost two matches in a row after their 2-0 setback at Wolverhampton in the EFL Cup on Tuesday. They have lost two straight matches overall after a 2-1 loss at Liverpool in EPL action last Saturday. They are in 12th place in the EPL table with seven points coming from two victories and one draw. The Hammers are on a two-match losing streak after a 2-1 loss against Crystal Palace on Saturday. They are tied for 18th place in the EPL standings with only three points coming from a lone victory in league play. Everton is a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. 

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CFB Home Teams Leading The Way: Will It Continue?

by Kyle Hunter

Monday, Sep 29, 2025

Five weeks are already in the rear view in the college football season. The season moves by very quickly! Home teams are 189-167 ATS (53.1% ATS) so far this season. Home favorites are 53.6% ATS so far this season. Home underdogs are 51.2% ATS on the season. Favorites have a 52.5%-47.5% ATS edge over underdogs thus far.Will the home teams continue to cover at a high rate or will see regression to the mean the rest of the way? I would guess the latter will be coming as we move forward. If you go back 20 years with a sample size of about 15,000 games the road team has a 50.9% ATS cover rate in college football. Even in the very long term, the best four weeks for the home teams on an against the spread basis has been the first four weeks of the season. Road teams have been much better against the spread late in the season.Road favorites late in the season have been very strong. In fact, road favorites of 14 points or more in game nine or later of the season are a little north of 56% ATS. We have a little ways to go before anyone reaches game nine, but it shows that road teams have often turned the tide when we get deeper into the season.I still believe that home field advantage is a bit overvalued for quite a few college football teams. As a fun exercise- let’s see which teams have performed best ATS on the road in the last 20 years? Northern Illinois is 75-45 ATS on the road. Ball State is 77-47 ATS on the road. Ohio State is 55-34 ATS on the road. Vanderbilt is 63-42 ATS on the road. On the flip side- who are the worst teams ATS on the road? Colorado is a miserable 38-66 ATS on the road. USC is 45-64 ATS on the road. Kansas is 40-62 ATS on the road.I look for regression to the mean and road teams to start covering the spread at a higher rate in college football overall. 

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NL Wild Card Starting Pitching Possibilities

by Nelly's Sports

Monday, Sep 29, 2025

The MLB wild card matchups are set with three packed days of action Tuesday to Thursday in four best of three series without travel this week. Here is a look at the National League pairings and the starting pitching considerations this week.  NL WILD CARD San Diego Padres at Chicago Cubs  San Diego Padres Nick Pivetta – Always a strong strikeout producer, Pivetta reigned in his home run risk this season for an outstanding campaign in his first season in San Diego, posting a 2.87 ERA after never having an ERA below 4.00 for a full season in his previous eight seasons. Pivetta’s only career postseason innings came with the Red Sox in 2021, and he had a 2.64 ERA over three starts. His Wrigley Field starts have gone poorly in his career with a 7.88 ERA in two starts but one of those starts was back in 2018. He allowed four runs and 10 hits in nine innings vs. the Cubs this season but these teams last met in April.  Dylan Cease – After being involved in several trade deadline rumors, Cease remained with the Padres and had strong late season returns with a 3.12 ERA in September. Cease had a 5.58 ERA in his road innings this season however and while he has an 11.5 K/9 while his 4.55 ERA was marginal, and walks can be an issue. Cease has made four postseason appearances in his career and sits with a 12.91 ERA as all three of his starting efforts have gone poorly, including allowing eight runs in five combined innings of two losses last season for San Diego. Cease does have a 2.50 ERA in three career starts at Wrigley Field, however. Yu Darvish – Any of San Diego’s games could effectively turn into a bullpen game with a deep roster of relief options. Darvish at age 39 would be a candidate to make a start even though he has a 5.38 ERA in 15 starts this season. Darvish allowed three or fewer earned runs in all five of his September starts and over 70 innings of postseason experience will be valued. Darvish famously struggled in the 2017 World Series, but he owns a 3.77 ERA in his postseason career. He was excellent in a pair of starts last postseason for the Padres, while in six career postseason starts with San Diego he has a 2.56 ERA with five quality starts. Darvish has also made 30 career starts at Wrigley Field with solid career numbers, plus two quality starts in the postseason in Chicago, one as a visitor in 2017 and one with the Cubs in 2020.  Michael King – King had a 2.95 ERA in 30 starts last season and a 3.44 ERA in 15 starts this season for San Diego. King generates strikeouts effectively, but he was more prone to allowing home runs this season compared to last season. King made his postseason debut in 2020 for the Yankees, and he had mixed results in two wins for San Diego in last season’s playoffs. He struck out 12 in seven scoreless innings against Atlanta but then allowed five runs in five innings vs. the Dodgers. King has never started at Wrigley Field however, which might give Darvish the edge in considering a third starting option.  Chicago Cubs Shota Imanaga – After a terrific 2024 season, Imanaga was less consistent in 25 starts in 2025, even as Chicago had a much better season. Imanaga had his worst start of the season in his final regular season start and he has allowed at least three runs in each of his last six starts for a concerning late season trajectory. Imanaga had worse season splits at home and after posting a 2.65 ERA at the All-Star Break, his numbers have swelled considerably. Imanaga did pitch well in both home and road starts vs. San Diego this season but those games were in April.  Matthew Boyd – With a 0.75 ERA in his postseason career, Boyd will likely get a start this week for the Cubs. He pitched well in three short starts for Cleveland in the postseason last year and made a brief postseason appearance for the Mariners in 2022.  With a 3.21 ERA in 31 starts it was a fantastic comeback season for the 34-year-old left-hander, and he excelled in his home starts with a 2.51 ERA in nearly 90 innings at Wrigley Field. Boyd didn’t pitch his best down the stretch with rising figures in August and September after a dominant July, but he pitched well in both of his starts vs. San Diego early in the season.  Jameson Taillon – Taillon has been a solid option for the Cubs the past three seasons. He lacks great strikeout numbers, but he rarely walks batters, and he had his best results late in the season after missing nearly two months of action in the middle of the season. Since returning he went 4-1 with a 1.57 ERA. Taillon did pitch twice in the postseason for the Yankees in 2022, sporting a career 6.23 ERA in the postseason though his only start was acceptable, allowing one run in just over four innings.  Collin Rea – Rea delivered a good season for Chicago and will have to be considered as a starting option. Like Taillon, Rea won’t produce big strikeout counts but he has provided consistent results and has been in good form in September, with a 2.63 ERA in five starts. Rea has pitched for quality teams before, but he has not appeared in a postseason game however.    NL WILD CARD Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles Dodgers Cincinnati Reds  Hunter Greene – Last pithing on September 24, Greene is the logical candidate to start Game 1 for Cincinnati, with the Reds not knowing if they would make the playoffs until the final day of the regular season. Greene has a 2.76 ERA in 19 starts with an 11.0 K/9. His home splits are far better than his road splits and he allowed five runs in five innings in a loss at Dodger Stadium in August. Like much of the Cincinnati roster, Greene has not pitched in the postseason previously.  Andrew Abbott – Abbott picked up a win in Milwaukee on Saturday and he might be reserved for a potential Game 3 on Thursday after being the top option all season with a 2.87 ERA in 29 starts. Abbott still had a 3.43 ERA in his road innings despite being much better at home and while his numbers after the All-Star Break were not as strong as his first half splits. He is a tough left-hander that many Dodgers hitters have never faced as he may be counted on with the season on the line.  Nick Lodolo – Lodolo did pitch an inning Sunday, two days after a great scoreless start on Thursday in a must-win game. Lodolo has the best road splits of any of the Cincinnati rotation options, though he allowed six runs and 11 hits in 10 innings vs. the Dodgers this season.  Other options - Brady Singer pitched over three innings on Sunday as he will likely not be considered to start in this series if he is included on the wild card roster. Singer won 14 games but had average numbers with some ups-and-downs in his first season with the Reds. Singer technically has postseason experience, but he faced only one batter in the postseason for the Royals last season. A highly regarded rookie, Chase Burns wowed with a 13.9 K/9 but he didn’t pick up an MLB win this season, making eight starts and five relief appearances. Burns shifted to a relief role in September and will likely be called on for innings in this series. A trade deadline pickup without much attention, Zack Littell continued the average season pace he had with Tampa Bay into 10 steady starts for the Reds. Littell has a 9.00 ERA in five career postseason innings, all as a reliever, pitching in the postseason with three different teams from 2019 to 2023. Nick Martinez pitched 11 postseason innings for the Padres in 2022 with a 0.82 ERA. Those were all relief outings and Martinez will be a veteran arm that could be used in a variety of roles.  Los Angeles Dodgers Yoshinobu Yamamoto – While his first postseason starting effort last season went poorly, Yamamoto proved to be a hero in the postseason with a terrific Game 2 start in the World Series. Yamamoto has a 3.86 ERA in nearly 19 innings in the postseason, and he pitched well in his only road start in the NLCS.  Blake Snell – Despite plenty of opportunities with 10 career postseason starts, two-time Cy Young Winner Blake Snell has never delivered a quality start in the playoffs. Snell allowed seven runs just over 13 innings for the Padres in the 2022 playoffs in his last postseason trip and while he did pitch well in the 2020 run for the Rays, he was of course infamously removed in the sixth inning after 73 pitches in a decisive Game 6 of the World Series.  Tyler Glasnow – With a career 5.72 ERA in nearly 46 postseason innings, Tyler Glasnow hasn’t been a reliable postseason option in his career. He was teammates with Snell in the 2020 World Series run for the Rays, but he allowed four or more runs in four of his six starts that postseason, including allowing 10 runs in fewer than 10 innings in two World Series starts. Other options - It remains to be seen how the Dodgers will use Shohei Ohtani as a pitcher in the playoffs. He is yet to pitch in a postseason game, but he seems likely to be an option to start a game should Los Angeles advance to the NLCS or World Series. Ohtani being used in a relief role has some challenges given that he’ll be batting in the lineup as a DH, but using him as an extended opener seems possible. It seems unlikely that Clayton Kershaw will be on the wild card roster as he pitched on Sunday. His playoff splits have never matched his regular season results, with a 4.49 ERA in over 194 career postseason innings. In his last playoff start in 2023, he allowed six runs while getting only one out. 

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Will the Maple Leafs Reach the 100-Point Mark?

by Jazz Ray

Monday, Sep 29, 2025

Hockey season is almost here, the puck dropping on October 7th. I feel the NHL could’ve picked better Opening Night games: Florida vs. Chicago, Pittsburgh vs. NY Rangers, and Colorado vs. LA. First, why no Canadian team? Hockey’s huge in Canada, and fans deserve a team to cheer for on night one.Second, Florida, a two-time champ and likely powerhouse, faces Chicago, a team expected to finish 32 points behind them. With Florida favored at -300, where’s the thrill? Then we’ve got the Rangers, favored at -200, against a fading Pittsburgh squad—decent, but not exactly gripping. The Colorado-LA matchup is solid, with two strong, evenly matched teams, but its late slot means many won’t catch it. Still, I’m pumped hockey’s back! If you don't mind tying up your money for a few months, NHL team O/U point totals can provide great opportunities to profit. The lines also provide some insight into what we can expect in the upcoming season. For example, based on their projected O/U line, the Boston Bruins are going to be a very mediocre team (again) this season, perhaps not even. Sorry Boston fans, that's reality.  NHL Team Projections: ObservationsIn looking at the following NHL projected number of team wins, courtesy of Draft Kings on September 29th, a few things jumped out at me.  The Blackhawks and Sharks are going to be really bad.  There's no single team that stands out but there are a lot of very good ones.  It's going to take me some time to get used to Utah's new name: The Mammoth.  How can the Knights be so good every year when teams like the Sabres never get there? The Maple Leafs O/U line looks like great value to me. Skip to the bottom to find out why I think so! CHI Blackhawks Over 67.5 −115Under 67.5 −115FLA Panthers Over 99.5 −115Under 99.5 −115NY Rangers Over 95.5 +105Under 95.5 −135PIT Penguins Over 76.5 −110Under 76.5 −120COL Avalanche Over 103.5 −115Under 103.5 −115LA Kings Over 98.5 −105Under 98.5 −125MTL Canadiens Over 90.5 −115Under 90.5 −115TOR Maple Leafs Over 99.5 −115Under 99.5 −115BOS Bruins Over 80.5 −115Under 80.5 −115WAS Capitals Over 96.5 −110Under 96.5 −120EDM Oilers Over 103.5 −115Under 103.5 −115VGK Golden KnightsOver 104.5 −110Under 104.5 −120CGY Flames Over 82.5 −125Under 82.5 −105NJ Devils Over 99.5 −115Under 99.5 −115BUF Sabres Over 85.5 −120Under 85.5 −110TB Lightning Over 102.5 −115Under 102.5 −115PHI Flyers Over 84.5 −105Under 84.5 −125CAR Hurricanes Over 105.5 −115Under 105.5 −115OTT SenatorsOver 95.5 −110Under 95.5 −120DET Red Wings Over 84.5 −130Under 84.5 +100NY Islanders Over 83.5 −130Under 83.5 +100CBJ Blue Jackets Over 85.5 −115Under 85.5 −115WPG Jets Over 97.5 −110Under 97.5 −120MIN Wild Over 95.5 −110Under 95.5 −120STL Blues Over 92.5 −110Under 92.5 −120DAL Stars Over 103.5 −125Under 103.5 −105NSH Predators Over 85.5 −115Under 85.5 −115UTA Mammoth Over 92.5 −120Under 92.5 −110VAN Canucks Over 90.5 −115Under 90.5 −115ANA Ducks Over 84.5 −105Under 84.5 −125SJ Sharks Over 70.5 −110Under 70.5 −120SEA Kraken Over 77.5 −120Under 77.5 −110PICK: TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS UNDER 99.5 POINTSSustaining elite performance every season is tough. Hitting 100 points requires consistent excellence. Last year, the Maple Leafs racked up 108 points, second in the East and tops in the Atlantic, but their playoff run fizzled. Could that shift their focus toward postseason prep over regular-season dominance? Quite possibly. Losing Mitch Marner hurts, as his absence leaves a gap. The Eastern Conference is stacked with powerhouses like Carolina, Florida, Tampa, New Jersey, Washington, and the Rangers. Nearby rivals Ottawa and Montreal are also on the upswing, making easy wins scarce. With a key leader gone, a tough conference, and a possible pivot in priorities,  taking the Leafs to finish below 99.5 points makes sense..

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AAA's Top Three Starting Pitching Rotations For The Playoffs

by AAA Sports

Monday, Sep 29, 2025

Los Angeles Dodgers  The Pitchers ~ Yamamoto , Snell , Ohtani and Glasnow  (later rounds.)What to Expect ~ Clayton Kershaw had a really good season in his final year of his career. But, he isn't expected to be a part of the Wildcard roster and maybe even further into the playoffs. If we were running the team, he'd definitely be on it whether he was starting or not. But, the Dodgers are still the best team in our eyes from a starting pitching standpoint. Yamamoto had an earned run average of 2.49 this season. Snell's was 2.35. Ohtani's was 2.87. And Glasnow's was 3.19. That's pretty remarkable. Only the first three will be needed (if not just two) in the Wildcard round. But, as the playoffs move along, we should not be surprised to see the Dodgers bring in both Kershaw and Sasaki along with Sheehan if they are needed.  Seattle Mariners  The Pitchers ~ Woo , Castillo , Gilbert + (Kirby / Miller.) What to Expect ~ Maybe one step down from the Dodgers, but just slightly, the Mariners pitching comes into play. Seattle's a bit worried about Woo, who's got a pectoral muscle injury right now. But, we think that he'll be good to go at some point in the ALDS, if not game one. The Mariners have really good pitching around him which makes this team dangerous. If both Kirby and Miller didn't have a pedestrian finish to the regular season, the Mariners would be getting even more talk about the rotation. But, since that was the case, the top three are going to need to be on their top game in these playoffs. Seattle's got the best team that it's had in years and it comes down to if the pitching holds up, which we think it will.  Philadelphia Phillies The Pitchers ~ Sanchez , Suarez , Luzardo + (Nola / Walker.)  What to Expect ~ Sanchez took over as the ace for the Phillies when Zack Wheeler suffered that injury that took him out for the season. He's done a terrific job and has really lived up to it. Philadelphia also has both Suarez and Luzardo to rely on, both of which have earned run averages below four this season. Kind of like Seattle, the four and five pitcher of Philadelphia is up in the air with the somewhat uninspiring play from Nola and Walker this year. But, Aaron Nola is a seasoned veteran that has had really good performances in October in his career and we think that he will still play a great role in the playoffs this season. Philadelphia looks poised for big things, even with the hard draw. Our World Series Pick: Philadelphia PhilliesLike we said in the paragraph above, the Phillies lost a big arm (Zack Wheeler) about half way through the season. They have a really good bullpen and have found lots of success in the playoffs already with some of these guys. Avoiding the wildcard series should help Philadelphia become healthier and with the home advantage if it plays LA in the next round will be much needed. If the Phillies can get passed the Dodgers, home free should be in their grasp. 

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Toronto Raptors: Over Or Under 37.5 wins?

by Jazz Ray

Sunday, Sep 28, 2025

The NBA tips off with a double-header on October 21st. I can't wait! In the first game of the opening-night doubleheader, the Thunder will receive their championship rings and raise the first championship banner in Oklahoma City. They'll host Houston with 15-time NBA All-Star Kevin Durant making his debut for the Rockets. These are expected to be two of this season's best teams-see below. The champs are currently favored by eight points. If you don't mind tying up your money for a few months, NBA team O/U wins can provide great opportunities to profit. The lines also provide some insight into what we can expect in the upcoming season. For example, based on the projected O/U lines, the top three teams in the East this year will be the Cavaliers, Knicks and Magic. NBA Team Projections: ObservationsIn looking at the following NBA projected number of team wins, courtesy of Draft Kings on September 28th, a few things jumped out at me.  The Thunder are expected to be the best team (62.5 wins) by quite a bit.  The Jazz are going to be terrible, likely the worst overall. The next three worst teams are from the East Outside of the Jazz, the West appears stronger than the East The Magic are expected to win more than 50 games this season, far more than the Celtics. What happened to Boston? The Raptors O/U line looks like great value to me. Skip to the bottom to find out why I think so! Regular Season Wins O/U LinesOKC ThunderOver 62.5 +100Under 62.5 −120CLE Cavaliers Over 56.5−115Under 56.5 −105HOU RocketsOver 53.5 −105Under 53.5 −120DEN Nuggets Over 53.5 −120Under 53.5 +100NY Knicks Over 53.5−110Under 53.5 −110ORL Magic Over 50.5 −120Under 50.5 −110MIN Timberwolves Over 49.5 +100Under 49.5 −120LA Clippers Over 48.5 +100Under 48.5 −125ATL HawksOver 47.5 −105Under 47.5 −115LA Lakers Over 48.5 −110Under 48.5 −110GS Warriors Over 46.5 +100Under 46.5 −120DET Pistons Over 45.5 −110Under 45.5 −110MIL BucksOver 43.5 −115Under 43.5−105SA Spurs Over 43.5 −105Under 43.5 −115PHI 76ers Over 42.5 −105Under 42.5 −115BOS CelticsOver 40.5 −120Under 40.5 −105MEM Grizzlies Over 39.5 −110Under 39.5 -110DAL MavericksOver 39.5 −115Under 39.5 −105MIA Heat Over 36.5 −115Under 36.5 −110IND Pacers Over 38.5 +100Under 38.5 −120TOR Raptors Over 37.5 −110Under 37.5 −110SAC KingsOver 36.5 +100Under 36..5 −120POR Trail Blazers Over 34.5 −115Under 34.5 −105CHI Bulls Over 32.5 +100Under 32.5 −120PHO Suns Over 30.5 −120Under 30.5 +100NO Pelicans Over 30.5 −105Under 30.5 -115CHA Hornets Over 25.5 −115Under 25.5 −105WAS WizardsOver 20.5 −120Under 20.5 +100BKN Nets Over 20.5 −110Under 20.5 −110UTA JazzOver 18.5 −110Under 18.5 −110PICK: TORONTO RAPTORS OVER 37.5 WINSAfter a 30-win season in 2024-25, can the Raptors add at least eight more victories this year? I believe they will. Here's why: The Raptors are a young, ascending team with another year of growth for Scottie Barnes and his teammates to gel. Missing the playoffs since 2022 puts pressure on this squad to step up, backed by a stellar front office and passionate fanbase with high expectations. Last season’s injury woes hampered the Raptors, but better health should boost their record. They finished strong, going 22-21 in their last 43 games, building a deep rotation and making a massive defensive jump—from 26th to 2nd in defensive rating post-All-Star break. Coach Darko Rajaković, now in his third year, leads his strongest roster yet. The Eastern Conference offers plenty of winnable games against weaker teams. Toronto got off to an 8-31 start last season. That's not happening again. Play on the Raptors to exceed 37.5 wins.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, MLB and EPL Previews and Odds - 09/28/2025

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Sep 28, 2025

The Sunday sports card features NFL, MLB, and EPL action. Week 4 in the NFL continues with 13 games. The Minnesota Vikings play the Pittsburgh Steelers on the NFL Network at 9:30 a.m. ET at Crove Park in Dublin, Ireland. The Vikings are a 2.5-point road favorite with the total set at 41.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Seven NFL games kick off at 1:00 p.m. ET. The Atlanta Falcons host the Washington Commanders as a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under of 43.5. The Detroit Lions play at home against the Cleveland Browns as a 10-point favorite with a total of 44.5. The Los Angeles Chargers travel to New York to take on the Giants as a 6-point road favorite with an over/under of 43.5. The Houston Texans are home against the Tennessee Titans as a 7-point favorite with a total of 39.5. The New England Patriots host the Carolina Panthers as a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 42.5. The Buffalo Bills play at home against the New Orleans Saints as a 14.5-point favorite with a total of 48.5. The Philadelphia Eagles play in Tampa Bay against the Buccaneers as a 3.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 44.5. Two NFL games start at 4:05 p.m. ET. The San Francisco 49ers are at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 46.5. The Los Angeles Rams host the Indianapolis Colts at 4:05 p.m. ET as a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 49.5. Two more NFL games begin at 4:25 p.m. ET. The Baltimore Ravens are in Kansas City to take on the Chiefs as a 2.5-point road favorite with a total of 48.5. The Las Vegas Raiders play at home against the Chicago Bears at 4:25 p.m. ET as a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under of 48.5. The Green Bay Packers visit Dallas to challenge the Cowboys on NBC at 8:20 PM ET for Sunday Night Football. The Packers are a 7-point road favorite with a total of 47.5. Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule for the final day of the regular season. Six MLB games throw out the first pitch at 3:05 p.m. ET. The Boston Red Sox are home against the Detroit Tigers. The Kansas City Royals play on the road against the Athletics. The Washington Nationals host the Chicago White Sox as a -123 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The San Francisco Giants play at home against the Colorado Rockies as a -301 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. The Philadelphia Phillies are home against the Minnesota Twins as a -208 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The New York Yankees host the Baltimore Orioles as a -194 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Two MLB games start at 3:07 p.m. ET. The Houston Astros are in Los Angeles to battle the Angels. The Toronto Blue Jays play at home against the Tampa Bay Rays as a -208 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Five MLB games begin at 3:10 p.m. ET. The Cleveland Guardians are home against the Texas Rangers. The New York Mets travel to Miami to face the Marlins as a -121 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. The Milwaukee Brewers host the Cincinnati Reds as a -150 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Seattle Mariners play at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers as a -112 money-line favorite with a total of 8. The San Diego Padres are at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Atlanta Braves host the Pittsburgh Pirates at 3:15 p.m. ET as a -208 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. The Chicago Cubs play at home against the St. Louis Cardinals at 3:20 p.m. ET as a -165 money-line favorite at BetOnline with an over/under of 7.5.Matchweek 6 in the English Premier League continues with two matches on the USA Network. Aston Villa plays at home against Fulham at 9:00 a.m. ET as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. Arsenal plays at Newcastle United at 11:30 a.m. ET as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5.

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