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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, MLB, CFL and Women's World Cup Previews and Odds - 08/10/2023

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Aug 10, 2023

The Thursday sports card features NFLX, MLB, CFL, and Women’s World Cup action.Week 1 of the NFL preseason kicks off with two games broadcast on the NFL Network. The Houston Texas travel to New England to play the Patriots at 7 PM ET as a 3-point road favorite with the total set at 36.5. The Seattle Seahawks host the Minnesota Vikings at 10 PM ET as a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 35.Major League Baseball has eight games on its schedule. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 12:35 PM ET. Houston plays at Baltimore with the Astros tapping Hunter Brown to pitch against the Orioles’ Dean Kremer. The Astros are a -120 money-line road favorite with a total of 9.5. Atlanta plays at Pittsburg,h with Bryce Elder taking the ball for the Braves to face Bailey Falter for the Pirates. The Braves are a -205 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 10. Two MLB games start at 1:10 PM ET. Toronto is in Cleveland, with the Blue Jays sending out Alex Manoah to battle against the Guardians’ Noah Syndergaard. The Blue Jays are a -135 money-line road favorite with a total of 9.5. Minnesota visits Detroit, with Kenta Maeda taking the mound for the Twins to go against Reese Olson for the Tigers. The Twins are a -148 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two MLB games begin at 6:40 PM ET. Tampa Bay plays at home against St. Louis, with the Rays tapping Zack Littell to pitch against the Cardinals’ Matthew Liberatore. The Rays are a -180 money-line favorite with a total of 9.5. Philadelphia is at home against Washington, with Aaron Nola getting the ball for the Phillies to battle against Patrick Corbin for the Nationals. The Phillies are a -258 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Boston Red Sox host the Kansas City Royals at 7:10 PM ET. The Red Sox turn to James Paxton to face the Royals’ Austin Cox. Boston is a -245 money-line favorite with a total of 10.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers play at home against the Colorado Rockies at 10:10 PM ET. Clayton Kershaw returns to the mound from the injured list for the Dodgers to pitch against Ty Blach for the Rockies. Los Angeles is a -345 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5.Week 10 in the Canadian Football League begins with one game. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers go on the road to play the Edmonton Elks on the CBS Sports Network at 9 PM ET. The Blue Bombers won for the fourth time in their last five games with a 50-14 victory against British Columbia as a 6-point favorite last Thursday. The Elks come off a bye week after remaining winless this season in a 27-0 loss at home to British Columbia as a 7-point underdog on July 29th. Winnipeg is a 12-point road favorite with a total of 45.The Women’s World Cup in New Zealand and Australia continues with the first two quarterfinal matches on Fox and Peacock through Friday morning. Spain plays the Netherlands at 9 PM ET as a 0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5 (all soccer odds from BetMGM). Japan faces Sweden at 3:30 AM ET as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.

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Italy Serie A Futures (2023/24 Season)

by Amedeus Mastrangelo

Wednesday, Aug 09, 2023

The Italian Serie A is right around the corner now with Napoli being the current defending champions of the league. Serie A has been very competitive over the last few years as there has been a different champion in each of the last 4 years. Now it is time to see who has the best chance of winning the title this year. To Win Outright Inter Milan +175: Inter Milan is coming into this season as the team with the best chance at winning the title this year according to the books. Inter Milan finished in 3rd place last season with 72 points and they may be the favorites to win it all this season but they have made a lot of changes to their club. They sold Goalkeeper Andre Onana as well as Defensive Midfielder Marcelo Brozovic which will be a huge blow to their defense. They also lost Centre-Back Danilo D’Ambrosio, Centre-Back Milan Skriniar, and Centre-Forward Edin Dzeko on free transfers. They did pick up Goalkeeper Yann Sommer as well as 35 year old Centre-Back Francesco Acerbi to replace some of the talent they lost but those are more of downgrades from what they had. They did acquire Right Midfielder Juan Cuadrado as well as Centre-Forward Marcus Thuram in free transfers which will be a much needed boost to their attack, but their defense is not going to be as strong this season. Their attack has also taken a hit with the departures of Dzeko and Lukaku but they do have a very strong midfield to make up the difference. Inter Milan is also going to be very focused on winning the title after the way they let it get out of hand last season, but their team is definitely weaker than it was last season. They are still going to have a very good team that finishes in the top 4 but in such a competitive league with so many good teams right now, they simply do not have the edge in talent with the moves they have made in this transfer window.  Napoli +300: Napoli is coming into this season as the next team with the best chance at winning the title this season according to the books. Napoli are the current champions of Serie A after winning the league title last year with a 16 point lead over 2nd place. Their emergence as a dominant force in Italy was a bit of a surprise last season but they showed their skill and their depth by winning the title with a 16 point cushion and even going very deep into Champions League, losing in the quarter finals. Their big departure in the transfer window was the loss of Centre-Back Min-Jae Kim which will be a big loss to their defense but other than that, the core of their team is pretty much the same as it was last season. They did not really make a move for any new players either as their goal was to retain the talent they had and even ended up signing a few players from the team last year after their loans were up. Napoli has virtually the same starting players as they had last season other than Kim and they were leagues above the rest of the team with the way they finished. They have very good star players in Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia just to name a few and they are only going to get better this year as they gain more experience. Napoli are the defending champions and the last time they won the title prior to last season was back in 1990 but they still have the best team in Italy this year with the talent they have and they are going to be trying very hard to prove that point this season as the league has not had B2B champions in years. Napoli is still the best team this season and they have the best chance at winning the Serie A Title.  Juventus +333: Juventus is coming into this season as the next team with the best chance at winning the title this season according to the books. Juventus has not been the dominant team in Italy over the past few years like they have been for so many years of their history and a big reason for this team's struggles has been their weak attack. They have lost some talent in the transfer window with Right Winger Angel Di Maria as well as Right Midfielder Juan Cuadrado which will be a bit of a blow to this team and their already weak attack. They also sold Right Winger Dejan Kulusevski to Tottenham at the end of his loan there. They have bought some players in the transfer window as well but a lot of the players they have signed were on the team last year on loan and are now being bought out by the team. Defensive Midfielder Manuel Locatelli, Centre-Forward Moise Kean, and Centre-Forward Arkadiusz Milik are a few of the players they have bought out of their loans but that is not going to help them improve this season. They also signed Right Winger Timothy Weah which will be a much needed boost to their attack while also getting back Defensive Midfielder Denis Zakaria and Central Midfielder Weston McKennie from their loans. That will replace the talent they lost in the midfield but their attack has not done much to improve this year and as good as their defense is, scoring is still going to be an issue for them which will not make them a title contender. Juventus may be good enough to finish in the top 4 this season after coming in 7th last year but they will not win the Serie A Title.  AC Milan +500: AC Milan is coming into this season as the next team with the best chance at winning the title this year according to the books. AC Milan barely slipped into 4th place last season with 74 points but they did have a very deep run in Champions League, going all the way to the semi finals. They have been making a lot of moves in this transfer window though and a lot of them have not been good moves for the team. They sold Defensive Midfielder Sandro Tonali which will be a huge blow to this team this year while also losing Left Winger Ante Rebic in a free transfer. They also lost Attacking Midfielder Brahim Diaz who was on loan but he was also a massive part in this AC Milan attack last season. They did make a lot of signings as they brought in Right Winger Christian Pulisic, Right Winger Samuel Chukwueze, Central Midfielder Yunus Musah, Central Midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, Central Midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and Centre-Forward Noah Okafor to replace some of the talent they lost but now they also have the task of bringing in all these players and actually seeing who fits well in the lineup. They still have a lot of the talent they have from last year but Tonali and Diaz are both huge losses defensively and offensively respectively. They are going to get out to a slower start this season as they try to figure out what lineups work best for them and they will be at a disadvantage as their team is left weaker than it was last season. AC Milan will still be a top 4 contender this season but they are not going to win the title this year.  RecommendationSerie A is going to be a very competitive league this season with a lot of good teams that could win the title. There are some teams that were very good last season and could be mentioned here but they do not have the talent to win the title this year as there are teams like Lazio and Atalanta who have been shedding talent while teams like Roma have the talent but do not have the coach with their style of play. In the end, there can only be 1 winner and the best team to win the Serie A Title this season is still Napoli as they have the strongest team by far and did not make too many hurtful changes at all. Napoli at +300 is the best option to win the Serie A Title. 

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Spain La Liga Futures (2023/24 Season)

by Amedeus Mastrangelo

Wednesday, Aug 09, 2023

The Spanish La Liga is right around the corner now with a very competitive season ahead. Barcelona absolutely dominated La Liga last season while rivals Real Madrid dominated the European competition up until the finals of Champions League, but this year will be a much more competitive season so it is time to see who has the best chance at bringing home the La Liga Title in Spain this year.  To Win Outright Real Madrid +100: Real Madrid is coming into this season as the team with the best chance at winning the title according to the books. Real Madrid finished last season in 2nd place and they were 10 points behind the leaders, they also went to the Champions League finals which they lost to Manchester City so last season was a bit of a wash for them as they came close in each competition but came away with no trophies other than winning Copa del Rey. They have made some big moves in the transfer window though and they will be looking to have a much better season all around. They did lose Centre-Forward Karim Benzema as well as Right Winger Marco Asensio but they have so much depth at the midfield position as well as with attacking players that those 2 departures will not leave much of a dent. They also signed Central Midfielder Jude Bellingham as well as adding Centre-Forward Joselu and getting Attacking Midfielder Brahim Diaz back from loan so they have a lot of talent in the midfield and attacking positions with good bench depth as well. They are not done either as there have been plenty of talks still about paying the transfer fee to bring Kylian Mbappe over 1 year earlier than expected and if that happens than there will simply be too much attacking power on this team for them to not win the title as they still have a solid defense from last year with not many changes to it. Real Madrid will also be upset as a club over the season they had last year where they came close but did not win any major trophies in Europe or the league so they will be focused on performing well in both competitions and they have the depth to do so. Real Madrid is not only a real contender to win the La Liga Title this season but they are by far the best option considering their team could improve even more with the talent they are bringing in.  Barcelona +137: Barcelona is coming into this season as the next team with the best chance to win the title this year according to the books. Barcelona is the current champions of La Liga from last year after going on a spending spree which saw them dominate the league all season, but they were awful in Champions League as they fizzled out in the group stage and after having a year like that, their focus will definitely be on going deeper in Champions League this season. They did shed some talent with the departure of Defensive Midfielder Sergio Busquets as well as Left Back Jordi Alba who both followed Lionel Messi to Inter Miami, but they were also both north of the age of 34 and Barcelona still has a lot of talent on defense from their signing spree last year to make up for it. Barcelona did have the best defense in La Liga as well but due to their current financial situation, they were not able to spend any money on bringing in new players. They did sign Central Midfielder Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer from Man City though but other than that their attack is pretty much the same. Their attack did struggle at times last year to score goals and they are not going to be as focused on league matches this year after winning the title since they will be focused on winning in Champions League. They do have the depth to perform well in both competitions but they are also going to have a Real Madrid side to compete with that continues to improve their team by spending money and they simply have that massive advantage over Barcelona this season. Barcelona does not have the talent to win the La Liga Title this season, they will still be a very good team but they will fall short of the title in the end.  Atletico Madrid +900: Atletico Madrid is coming into this season as the next team with the best chance at winning the title this year according to the books. Atletico Madrid finished in 3rd place last season but they ended up just 1 point behind the 2nd place Real Madrid and were by far the best team in Spain over the last few weeks of the season. Their start to the year was not great but they started to figure out their problems midway through the season and then there was a turning point for them where the team just started to click and they were definitely on the upward trend. They are only going to build on that this season now that Memphis Depay is healthier and will be able to contribute more to the team. They did sell some players like Centre-Forward Matheus Cunha, Left Back Renan Lodi, and Defensive Midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia but none of those players were playing big roles on the team last season either. They also bought Second Striker Antoine Griezmann after being loaned from Barcelona the last few years as well as adding Right Back Cesar Azpilicueta on a free transfer to boost their defense. They have been a much better team since adapting their more attacking style and they will be looking to build on their great finish to last season but they still do not have the talent that some of the big spenders in this league have and they will fall short of the title as they will also have Champions League matches to worry about but will not have the depth to focus on both competitions as much. Atletico Madrid is definitely going to be a much better team that will make this title race very interesting as it will be more of a 3-horse race as opposed to the 2-horse race it usually is, but they will still fall short to the bigger clubs.  RecommendationThere are plenty of other teams on the list that could be mentioned as they are very good teams but every team lower than Atletico Madrid simply does not have the talent to compete with the big clubs in this league this year, especially the way Real Madrid has been spending money. Real Madrid at +100 is the best option here when looking for a team to win the La Liga Title this season as they will have the motivation to do so as well as the talent, and they only have plans of improving even more. Real Madrid will win the La Liga Title this year in the 2023/24 season.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 08/09/2023

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Aug 09, 2023

The Wednesday sports card features MLB action.Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The Cincinnati Reds host the Miami Marlins at 12:35 PM ET. Graham Ashcraft takes the ball for the Reds to pitch against Johnny Cueto for the Marlins. Cincinnati is a -122 money-line favorite, with the total set at 10 (all odds from DraftKings). The Milwaukee Brewers play at home against the Colorado Rockies at 2:10 PM ET. The Brewers tap Adrian Houser to face the Rockies’ Chris  Flexer. Milwaukee is a -230 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. The Texas Rangers are in Oakland to play the A’s at 3:37 PM ET. Jordan Montgomery goes to the mound for the Rangers to face a starting pitcher yet to be named for the A’s. Three MLB games throw out the first pitch at 6:40 PM ET. Tampa Bay is at home against St. Louis, with the Rays tapping Jalen Beeks to go against the Cardinals’ Dakota Hudson. The Rays are a -155 money-line favorite with a total of 9.5. Philadelphia hosts Washington, with Michael Lorenzen getting the start against the Nationals’ Mackenzie Gore. The Phillies are a -185 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. Minnesota travels to Detroit with Bailey Ober taking the hill for the Twins to face Alex Faedo for the Tigers. The Twins are a -155 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Two MLB games start at 7:05 PM ET. Atlanta plays in Pittsburgh against the Pirates, with the Braves sending out Max Fried to battle against the Pirates’ Quinn Priester. The Braves are a -278 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Baltimore hosts Houston, with Jack Flaherty taking the ball for the Orioles to face Cristian Javier for the Astros. The Orioles are a -122 money-line favorite with a total of 9. Three MLB games begin at 7:10 PM ET. Boston plays at home against Kansas City, with the Red Sox tapping Nick Pivetta to get the start to duel against the Royals’ Jordan Lyles. The Red Sox are a  -230 money-line favorite with an over/under of 11. Chicago visits New York with Kyle Hendricks taking the mound for the Cubs to go against David Peterson for the Mets. The Cubs are a -118 money-line road favorite with a total of 9. Toronto is at Cleveland with the Blue Jays sending out Kevin Gausman to face the Guardians’ Logan Allen. The Blue Jays are a -148 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. The Chicago White Sox plays at home against the New York Mets at 8:10 PM ET. Mike Clevinger goes to the mound for the White Sox to pitch against a starting pitcher for the Yankees that has yet to be named. The Los Angeles Angels are at home against the San Francisco Giants at 9:38 PM ET. The Angels turn to Shohei Ohtani for his spot in their pitching rotation to face a Giants starting pitcher that has not yet been named. Two games complete the MLB card at 9:40 PM ET. Los Angeles plays in Arizona, with Bobby Miller getting the ball for the Dodgers to pitch against Merrill Kelly for the Diamondbacks. The Dodgers are a -135 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9. San Diego is in Seattle, with the Padres turning to Yu Darvish to face a Mariners’ starting pitcher that has not been named. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 08/08/2023

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Aug 08, 2023

The Tuesday sports card features MLB action.Major League Baseball has 16 games on its schedule. The Philadelphia Phillies host the Washington Nationals in the opening game of their doubleheader at 4:05 PM ET after their Monday game got rained out. Zack Wheeler gets the ball for the Phillies to pitch against Trevor Williams for the Nationals. Philadelphia is a -278 money-line favorite, with the total set at 8.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Three MLB games throw out the first pitch at 6:40 PM ET. Tampa Bay plays at home against St. Louis, with the Rays tapping Zack Eflin to take the mound to face the Cardinals’ Miles Mikolas. The Rays are a -180 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Miami travels to Cincinnati with Braxton Garrett taking the hill to pitch for the Marlins to pitch against the Reds’ Luke Weaver. The Marlins are a -135 money-line road favorite with a total of 10.5. Minnesota is in Detroit, with the Twins sending out Sonny Gray to battle against the Tigers’ Eduardo Rodriguez. The Twins are a -115 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8. Two MLB games start at 7:05 PM ET. Houston plays at Baltimore with Framber Valdez getting the ball for the Astros to go against Grayson Rodriguez for the Orioles. The Astros are a -125 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. Atlanta is at Pittsburgh, with the Braves turning to Yonny Chirinos to take the mound against the Pirates’ Mitch Keller. The Braves are a -162 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 10. Four MLB games begin at 7:10 PM ET. The Phillies play the Nationals in the second game of their doubleheader, with Ranger Suarez getting the starting assignment for Philadelphia to pitch against Josiah Gray for Washington. Philadelphia is a -198 money-line favorite with a total of 8. Boston hosts Kansas City, with the Red Sox tapping Kutter Crawford to battle against the Royals’ Brady Singer. The Red Sox are a -180 money-line favorite with an over/under of 10. Chicago visits New York, with Jameson Taillon getting the start for the Cubs to pitch against Carlos Carrasco for the Mets. The Cubs are a -142 money-line road favorite with a total of 9.5. Toronto plays in Cleveland, with the Blue Jays sending out Yusei Kikuchi to face the Guardians’ Tanner Bibee. The Blue Jays are a -120 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8. Two MLB games start at 8:10 PM ET. New York is in Chicago, with Clarke Schmidt taking the mound for the Yankees to pitch against Touki Toussaint for the White Sox. The Yankees are a -162 money-line road favorite with a total of 9. Milwaukee plays at home against Colorado, with the Brewers turning to Wade Miley to duel against the Rockies’ Kyle Freeland. The Brewers are a -218 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The San Francisco Giants travel to Los Angeles to play the Angels at 9:38 PM ET. Lucas Giolito gets the call to pitch for the Angels against a starting pitcher yet to be named for the Giants. Three more games conclude the MLB card at 9:40 PM ET. Los Angeles plays in Arizona, with the Dodgers giving the ball to Julio Urias to go against the Diamondbacks’ Brandon Pfaadt. The Dodgers are a -155 money-line road favorite with a total of 9. Texas is in Oakland, with Max Scherzer taking the hill for the Rangers to battle J.P. Sears for the A’s. The Rangers are a -238 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8. Seattle is at home against San Diego, with the Mariners tapping Logan Gilbert to face the Padres’ Nick Martinez. The Mariners are a -142 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5.

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College Football 2023: Mountain West Preview

by Scott Rickenbach

Monday, Aug 07, 2023

College Football 2023: Mountain West Conference It is early in the month of August 2023 and, as always at this time of year, excitement is building for the coming Football season. That includes NFL and College Football. Most every sports bettor is quite familiar with the NFL as it is certainly the most popular among sports betting markets. Additionally, when it comes to College Football, many sports bettors are quite familiar with the Power 5 Conferences. The “Power 5” Conferences include the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC. Those major conferences in College Football along with the 32 teams in the NFL dominate the attention of most everyone this time of year and heading into the football season. That said, my focus heading into the new season is covering the “other 6” which is the “Group of 5” Conferences as well as the small group of Independents. These less popular teams which comprise the “other” conferences absolutely deserve some attention and yet many sports bettors are the least familiar with these smaller conferences. That is even with the best value often being found where others just do not focus the attention. That said, I feel there is value in at least giving a “quick hitter” preview at these teams heading into the 2023 season. Mountain West Conference:Air Force – Disciplined team. Value on teamwork and it works for this program year in and year out almost without exception. Should challenge Boise State for the top spot in the conference and, if they get solid QB play, they could win the Mountain West! Boise State – The outlook here is very similar to that of Air Force. Should be between these Broncos and the Falcons for the top spot. Boise so tough on the ground and it they can get the deep ball going in the aerial attack on offense they will be very tough to beat. Another play on team when the value is there with the line. Colorado State – The Rams are young but dangerous so they could improve as the season goes on. However, this is still a bit of a transition year so they are likely to finish around .500 in MWC action for the year. Early on could struggle but as they jell as the season goes on they will likely be tough.  Fresno State – Well coached but lost a lot on offense. The Bulldogs could struggle but yet their defense could carry them. That should be enough to help them finish near the top 3 to 5 teams in the league but I just can not trust the Fresno State offense. Might be a good under team on a regular basis. Hawaii – The Warriors will likely again be one of the worst teams in the conference. They just keep going through so much roster turnover and a lack of continuity. Is impossible to maintain a consistent program that way. Nevada – Very young team. Like Hawaii, this Wolf Pack team likely to struggle this season. Just too much inexperience and absolutely in a rebuild. I will look to fade them in the right situations. New Mexico – Lobos could be worst team in this conference. Their defense is actually respectable but the offense just  does not seem to have anything going for it. Will have to look for unders involving this team when the line value is there. Solid defense but just a very plain vanilla pedestrian offense that will not be able to challenge any half-decent defense. San Diego State – Solid defense so if they could put the offense completely together they could challenge for the top of the conference. But the Aztecs just can not seem to get the offense going. They have been trying to throw more and get away from just being such a run-heavy team but it has not worked out. Keep an eye on unders for this team as well. San Jose State – Generally speaking, I like the Spartans for overs. They lost quite a bit on defense but have a solid looking offense and this team can put pressure on teams with the offense. The defense lost too much experience and just will take a while, and possibly another season even, to return to a solid level.UNLV – Maybe an over team. Too much turmoil in coaching to trust this team to be much more than a .500 team but their offense could surprise some people as they added some key weapons on that side o the ball. The defensive line is a concern in my book though and this team could struggle to stop people. Utah State – Lost quite a few players but did add some solid talent and size on the defensive side of the ball in particular. This looks like a middling season though for this team as losing both the offensive and defensive coordinators will challenge this team to say the least. The Aggies, overall, lost quite a few starters too on both sides of the ball.  Wyoming – The Cowboys are a scrappy and physical team. Playing in Wyoming is never easy for opponents either. However, the concern for the Cowboys is the passing attack on offense. This is a very solid team on defense and they can run the ball on offense but they must get stronger with the aerial attack to keep opposing defenses off balance. I will look for unders with this team as the D is deep and talented and experienced. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and Women's World Cup Previews and Odds - 08/07/2023

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Aug 07, 2023

The Monday sports card features MLB and Women’s World Cup action.Major League Baseball has 12 games on its schedule. The San Diego Padres host the Los Angeles Dodgers at 4:10 PM ET. Seth Lugo takes the ball for the Padres to pitch against Tony Gonsolin for the Dodgers. San Diego is a -120 money-line favorite, with the total set at 9.Three MLB games throw out the first pitch at 6:40 PM ET. Philadelphia plays at home against Washington, with the Phillies tapping Ranger Suarez to face the Nationals’ Trevor Williams. The Phillies are a -225 money-line favorite with an over/under of 10. Miami travels to Cincinnati with Eury Perez getting called back up from Double-A for the Marlins to pitch against Brandon Williamson for the Reds. The Marlins are a -135 money-line road favorite with a total of 10.5. Minnesota plays at Detroit, with the Twins sending out Pablo Lopez to go against the Tigers’ Joey Wertz. The Twins are a -166 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Atlanta Braves are in Pittsburgh to play the Pirates at 7:05 PM ET. Spencer Strider takes the mound for the Braves to face Osvaldo Bido for the Pirates. Atlanta is a -290 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Three more MLB games start at 7:10 PM ET. Boston is at home against Kansas City with the Red Sox turning to Brayan Bello to duel against the Royals’ Cole Ragans. The Red Sox are a -122 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. New York hosts Chicago with Kodai Senga pitching for the Mets against Drew Smyly for the Cubs. The Mets are a -122 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Toronto visits Cleveland, with the Blue Jays tapping Hyun Jun Ryu to face the Guardians’ Gavin Williams. The Blue Jays are a -130 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Two MLB games begin at 8:10 PM ET. Milwaukee plays at home against Colorado, with Freddy Peralta taking the ball for the Brewers to pitch against Peter Lambert for the Rockies. The Brewers are a -230 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. New York is in Chicago, with Gerrit Cole pitching for the Yankees against Dylan Cease for the White Sox. The Yankees are a -166 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8. The San Francisco Giants play in Los Angeles against the Angels at 9:38 PM ET.  The Giants send out Logan Webb to battle against the Angels’ Patrick Sandoval. San Francisco is a -120 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. The Texas Rangers are in Oakland to play the A’s at 9:40 PM ET. Dane Dunning gets the start for the Rangers to face Ken Waldichuk for the A’s. Texas is a -225 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Women’s World Cup in New Zealand and Australia continues with the final seventh and eighth matches in the round of 16 knockout stage on FS1 and Peacock. Colombia plays Jamaica at 4 AM ET as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2. France faces Morocco at 7 AM ET as a -2 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3. 

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Are Celtics the Favorites After Record-Breaking Deal For Brown?

by AAA Sports

Sunday, Aug 06, 2023

If you had seen Jaylen Brown play in only one game this past season, Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals against Miami, you would have declared the Boston Celtics certifiably insane for a month later gracing Brown with the richest contract in league history -- $304 million over five years.Brown dribbled the ball as if he were a football, committing turnover after turnover as his Celtics were booed off their home court and deprived of an opportunity to get to the Finals for the second straight year and a chance to make amends for their equally awful performance in elimination Game 6 against Golden State in the 2021-22 season.But the No. 1 sin for an NBA front office is to let talent walk out the door for nothing, so for the time being Brown – who never seems to be able to bring himself to say that he actually likes being in Boston – and the Celtics are in what has been described as a marriage of convenience.Will Brown staying, at least for the time being, in Boston do much to increase the Celtics' odds at finally breaking through and winning NBA Title 18, which would be their first since the Garnett-Pierce-Allen alliance got them over the hump in 2008? Not so much. The Celtics (+450, Barstool) are in the mix along with the 2021 Champion Bucks (+700) and the defending champion Nuggets (+500) – all pretty much where they were before Brown signed his deal.As to individual props, consider this: Barstool thinks so little of Brown’s chances of winning the MVP Award that 35 players are given better odds. Nikola Jokic (+400) is a solid favorite, while Brown is at +7500 along with such luminaries as Cade Cunningham, Desmond Bane, and Mikal Bridges.Part of Brown’s problem is that for the last five years, Jayson Tatum (+900 to win MVP, behind only Jokic, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Joel Embiid) eats first, and then Brown. The addition of big man Kristaps Porzingis, who also can score, makes things even more problematic for Brown at the stats dinner table.Of course, Brown’s sticker-shock paychecks will be the biggest only until the next NBA player takes advantage of the NBA’s maze of rules regarding how salaries can be allocated and manipulated. And the Celtics have to be wondering if Brown will sleepwalk through a season or two and then decide that it might be fun checking out the climate in Dallas, Atlanta, or Miami. Stars merely have to say the word. (Privately, now, since Adam Silver wagged his finger at Damian Lillard’s agent for telling the world that Lillard might not give his all if he has to wear any uniform that doesn’t say Miami or Heat on the front.)Comparing the salaries of NBA players to those in baseball, football, and hockey is as Apples-to-Oranges as you can get, but just for fun here are a couple of . . .  comparisons:***Aaron Judge, in the early stages of a 9-year, $360-million contract that expires in 2030, has limped through 2023 – missing 54 of the Yankees’ first 101 games. He had two singles in 16 at-bats since returning.***Connor McDavid, the NHL’s best player, is working on an 8-year, $100-million deal with Edmonton. The Oilers got taken out of the playoffs in the second round this past season.***Then there’s Patrick Mahones, the best quarterback on the best team in the NFL. He shows game in, game out that he is worth every bit of his $45-million-a-year deal.Which road will Jaylen Brown, now the richest player in an NBA that has included the likes of Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Bill Russell, take? The jury will have its verdict next spring.

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College Football 2023: MAC Preview

by Scott Rickenbach

Sunday, Aug 06, 2023

College Football 2023: MAC It is early in the month of August 2023 and, as always at this time of year, excitement is building for the coming Football season. That includes NFL and College Football. Most every sports bettor is quite familiar with the NFL as it is certainly the most popular among sports betting markets. Additionally, when it comes to College Football, many sports bettors are quite familiar with the Power 5 Conferences. The “Power 5” Conferences include the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC. Those major conferences in College Football along with the 32 teams in the NFL dominate the attention of most everyone this time of year and heading into the football season. That said, my focus heading into the new season is covering the “other 6” which is the “Group of 5” Conferences as well as the small group of Independents. These less popular teams which comprise the “other” conferences absolutely deserve some attention and yet many sports bettors are the least familiar with these smaller conferences. That is even with the best value often being found where others just do not focus the attention. That said, I feel there is value in at least giving a “quick hitter” preview at these teams heading into the 2023 season. MAC (East listed first then West):Akron – Should be respectable on offense including getting some solid QB play but this team looks very weak on defense. They will likely be battling to stay out the basement in the MAC East and I will be looking for overs involving the Zips. Bowling Green – This is basically a middle of the pack type of team. Nothing stands out to be with this team on either side of the ball. By MAC standards, they are decent on defense and decent on offense and their best spots to play on or to fade will likely to come down to situational aspects. Buffalo – The Bulls are heading the right direction but just not quite there yet. They could surprise based on the respectable talent level they do have. But unless things really jell for this team, they are likely to have a season similar to last year.  Kent State – If this was basketball I would have more positives to express about the Golden Flashes. But in football, this team is just bad bad bad and has trouble to recruit strong players here. It will be another tough season at Kent State. Miami (Ohio) – If the QB play is solid (could have a healthy Gabbert back), the Redhawks could challenge for the East Division. But the defense, young last year, will have to show that the experience from last year has paid off. That plus the health on the offensive side of the ball will key things in Miami, Ohio. Ohio University – The Bobcats should challenge for the East Division title. Quite a balanced team but my concern on offense is the offensive line. However, other than that, I really like this Ohio U team and if the line jells on offense, the Cats are going to be very tough to beat. Solid on both sides of the ball and well-coached. Ball State – Hard to gauge this Cardinals team. But like coach Neu and if the QB transfer Hatcher pans out, this Cards team could be dangerous. Still a middle of the pack finish is the likely ceiling in Ball State this season. Central Michigan – The Chippewas look better on defense than offense so maybe looking for some unders here. They need to get the QB position pushing out solid production. Head coach McElwain needs to make sure he is getting more out of this offense this season.  Eastern Michigan – The Eagles are a hard-fighting team. I like what their long-tenured coach, Creighton, has put together here. These players give strong effort for him. That goes a long way with a team and I like Eastern Michigan as a scrappy team that way. Not the most talented team but a tough team that could challenge in the West Division for sure. Northern Illinois – If QB Lombardi is healthy, this team could be tough this season but I am not a fan of coach Hammond and certainly was not shocked by the disappointing 3-9 campaign last season. The Huskies were fortunate, to say the least, in 2021. Look for 2023 to be better than 2022, but only slightly unless Northern Illinois gets stellar QB play which I doubt based on health concerns. Toledo – The best team in the MAC and I really like their defense too. Their offense might seem unspectacular at times but, based on points scored, Toledo still ranked as one of the best last season. The Rockets should finish as the top of the MAC West and I will look for line value situations to play on this team. Western Michigan – They hired former Louisville offensive coordinator Taylor to lead the way in Western Michigan. The Broncos will have some growing pains. They lost some key players in the trenches on defense and overall this is a rebuilding period for Western Michigan and this season will be a challenge. The future looks bright but the key word there is future! 

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My Big Play Taken By Storm; Update on Daily Recap

by Vegas Writer

Sunday, Aug 06, 2023

I planned on releasing my new and improved "Daily Recap" with the arrival of preseason football, giving you the template of what you can expect as we head into the best time of the year.But after the way the Phoenix Mercury lost to the Seattle Storm last night - my Western Conference Game of the Year - I felt I owed you a personal message.Honestly, I don't know what was more disappointing, watching USA bow out the way it did to Sweden in the World Cup, or seeing how the Mercury lost.I don't like to point fingers at teams or players, but the loss of Shey Peddy at the end of the second quarter was damn near fatal for the second half.You can not have one of your best playmakers off the court when you're trying to defend a lead against a team that is playing for as much pride as you are.When Peddy took an accidental elbow to the back of her head by Storm forward Jordan Horston at 1:34, the scene that unfolded had to be a bit traumatizing for Peddy's teammates, as she was taken off on a stretcher."Whenever you see someone go out in a stretcher, it’s terrifying. Especially Shey, who is such a warrior and always puts everything out there," Diana Taurasi said.Thus, the Storm turned back a nine-point halftime deficit and outscored the shaken Mercury 27-15 in the third quarter.You can't handicap injuries, and you certainly cannot handicap fluke injuries.Nobody take a loss harder than yours truly, so gear up for a big bounce back on Sunday, as I continue this incredible MLB run.I'm on an overall 52-39 roll since June 13, including a 45-26 MLB run for a net profit of $19,340.Over the last seven days, I'm No. 1 on the leaderboard with $5,450 net profit. And over the L30 days I'm No. 2 on the leaderboard with $6,000 net profit.In baseball the L60 Days, I'm No. 1 on the leaderboard with $16,310 net profit, No. 1 the L30 days with $7,850 net cash flow, and No. 2 the L7 days with $4,700.I hit the Minnesota Twins Run Line (+130) over the Diamondbacks on Saturday, and today I'll deliver the goods with another winning day on the diamond.Stay tuned this coming week, as I unveil my new-and-improved Daily Recap that will be a must read this football season.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB, CFL and Women's World Cup Previews and Odds - 08/06/2023

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Aug 06, 2023

The Sunday sports card features MLB, CFL, and Women’s World Cup action.Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The Cleveland Guardians host the Chicago White Sox on Peacock at 12:05 PM ET. Xzavion Curry gets the start for the Guardians to pitch against Jesse Scholtens for the White Sox. Cleveland is a -142 money-line favorite, with the total set at 9 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Four MLB games throw out the first pitch at 1:35 PM ET. The Philadelphia Phillies play at home against the Kansas City Royals as a -205 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. The Toronto Blue Jays travel to Boston to play the Red Sox. The New York Yankees are at home against the Houston Astros as a -115 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The Baltimore Orioles host the New York Mets as a -180 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. Two MLB games start at 1:40 PM ET. The Cincinnati Reds play at home against the Washington Nationals as a -162 money-line favorite with a total of 11. The Tampa Bay Rays are in Detroit to play the Tigers as a -198 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8. Two more MLB games begin at 2:10 PM ET. The Arizona Diamondbacks play on the road in Minnesota against the Twins as a -155 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The Milwaukee Brewers are at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates as a -205 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Colorado Rockies visit St. Louis to play the Cardinals at 2:15 PM ET. The Atlanta Braves are on the road against the Chicago Cubs at 2:20 PM ET as a -122 money-line road favorite. The Texas Rangers host the Miami Marlins at 2:35 PM ET as a -135 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Two MLB games start at 4:07 PM ET. The Los Angeles Angels play at home against the Seattle Mariners as a -115 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. The San Francisco Giants are in Oakland to play the A’s as a -198 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN and ESPN2 features the Los Angeles Dodgers playing in San Diego against the Padres at 7:10 PM ET. The Dodgers turn to the recently acquired Lance Lynn to battle against the Padres’ new hurler from the trade deadline, Rich Hill. Los Angeles is a -125 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Week 9 in the Canadian Football League concludes with one game. The Ottawa Redblacks travel to Saskatchewan to play the Roughriders on the CBS Sports Network at 7 PM ET. The Redblacks had won two games in a row before their 16-12 upset loss at home as a 1.5-point favorite last Friday. The Roughriders are on a three-game losing streak after a 31-13 loss on a neutral field to Toronto as a 10-point underdog last Saturday. Ottawa is a 2.5-point road favorite with a total of 44.5. The Women’s World Cup in New Zealand and Australia continues with the fifth and sixth matches in the round of 16 knockout stage on FS1 and Peacock. England plays Nigeria at 3:30 AM ET as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5 (all soccer odds from BetMGM). Australia faces Denmark at 6:30 AM ET as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2. 

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College Football 2023: Independents Preview

by Scott Rickenbach

Saturday, Aug 05, 2023

College Football 2023: Independents It is early in the month of August 2023 and, as always at this time of year, excitement is building for the coming Football season. That includes NFL and College Football. Most every sports bettor is quite familiar with the NFL as it is certainly the most popular among sports betting markets. Additionally, when it comes to College Football, many sports bettors are quite familiar with the Power 5 Conferences. The “Power 5” Conferences include the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC. Those major conferences in College Football along with the 32 teams in the NFL dominate the attention of most everyone this time of year and heading into the football season. That said, my focus heading into the new season is covering the “other 6” which is the “Group of 5” Conferences as well as the small group of Independents. These less popular teams which comprise the “other” conferences absolutely deserve some attention and yet many sports bettors are the least familiar with these smaller conferences. That is even with the best value often being found where others just do not focus the attention. That said, I feel there is value in at least giving a “quick hitter” preview at these teams heading into the 2023 season. INDEPENDENTS:Army – The Black Knights are trying to go to a new offensive scheme instead of being run-heavy through the triple-option. Of course there are going to be some growing pains trying to make such a change. But this defense does look respectable and they will be a bit of a tough team to play but only once the offense catches up with the defense! Connecticut – Huskies made it to a bowl last season and certainly showing improvement under coach Mora. However, this UConn team still ranks as one of the weaker teams in the nation and likely will struggle to get to .500 again this season. More respectable offense than seasons past but hard to trust this defense. Keep an eye on them early this season. Massachusetts – The Minutemen were improved on defense but were so anemic offensively. They are trying to improve and become more competitive but this offense still has a lot of work to do and their defense can only hold out so long. At some point the offense has to help out but this team just not there yet and really not close. Again will be one of the worst teams in nation. Notre Dame – Of course this team is the powerhouse of the independents and the Fighting Irish look strong again this season. This is a Top 25 team this season and they look strong defensively. Of course it is easy to like Hartman at QB but will he have enough weapons. This is a different situation than what he was running at Wake Forest and there will be some growing pains. Just different level of wide receiver talent for sure. Very strong program of course but not elite because of concerns about weapons in the offense. Look for very strong defense however. 

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