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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, NFL, MLB, CFL and EPL Previews and Odds - 08/27/2022

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Aug 27, 2022

The Saturday sports card features NCAA-F, NFLX, MLB, CFL, and EPL action.Week 0 in the college football season kicks off with seven games. Nebraska plays against Northwestern in Dublin, Ireland on Fox at 12:30 PM ET as an 11-point road favorite with the total set at 51.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Two games start at 4 PM ET. Utah State hosts UConn as a 26.5-point favorite with an over/under of 59.5. Illinois is at home against Wyoming as an 11-point favorite with a total of 43. Florida Atlantic plays at home against Charlotte on the CBS Sports Network at 7 PM ET as a 7-point favorite with an over/under of 59. North Texas visits UTEP at 9 PM ET as a 1.5-point road favorite with a total of 54.5. Nevada plays at New Mexico State on ESPN2 at 10 PM ET as an 8.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 48. Vanderbilt is at Hawaii at 10:30 PM ET as a 9-point road favorite with a total of 54.5. The third week in the NFLX preseason continues with eight games. Atlanta hosts Jacksonville on the NFL Network at 3 PM ET as a 4-point favorite with an over/under of 37. Cincinnati plays at home against the Los Angeles Rams on the NFL Network at 6 PM ET as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 38. Four NFLX preseason games start at 7 PM ET. Baltimore is at home against Washington as a 6-point favorite with an over/under of 39.5. Cleveland hosts Chicago as a 5-point favorite with a total of 41.5. Miami plays at home against Philadelphia as a 2-point favorite with an over/under of 37.5. Tennessee is at home against Arizona as a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 35.Indianapolis hosts Tampa Bay at 7:30 PM ET as a 3-point favorite with a total of 41.5. Minnesota travels to Denver on the NFL Network at 9 PM ET as a 1-point road favorite with an over/under of 35.5. Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. Toronto is at home against the Los Angeles Angels at 3:07 PM ET as a -155 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. Tampa Bay visits Boston at 4:10 PM ET as a -130 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Philadelphia plays at home against Pittsburgh at 6:05 PM ET as a -255 money line favorite with a total of 9. The Los Angeles Dodgers are at Miami at 6:05 PM ET as a -200 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:05 PM ET. Washington is at home against Cincinnati as a -125 money line favorite with a total of 8. Detroit plays at Texas. Five more MLB games start at 7:10 PM ET. Arizona travels to Chicago to play the White Sox. New York is at home against Colorado with the Mets a -245 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. San Diego plays at Kansas City. Milwaukee hosts the Chicago Cubs as a -200 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Houston plays at home against Baltimore as a -175 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Two MLB games are featured on regional coverage on Fox at 7:15 PM ET. Minnesota is at home against San Francisco as a -135 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Atlanta plays at St. Louis as a -115 money line road favorite with a total of 7.5. The New York Yankees play at Oakland at 9:07 PM ET as a -240 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. Seattle hosts Cleveland on FS1 at 10:10 PM ET as a -180 money line favorite with a total of 7. Week 12 in the Canadian Football League concludes with the Edmonton Eskimos hosting the Ottawa Redblacks at 7 PM ET. The Eskimos are a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 48.5. Matchweek 4 in the English Premier League begins with seven matches. Manchester United visits Southampton on the USA Network at 7:30 AM ET as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with a total of 3 (all EPL odds from BetMGM). Five matches start at 10 AM ET. Brentford is at home against Everton as a -0.5 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Brighton and Hove Albion host Leeds United on the USA Network as a -0.5 goal line favorite with a total of 2.5. Chelsea plays at home against Leicester City as a -1.5 goal line favorite with an over/under of 3. Liverpool is at home against Bournemouth as a -2.5 goal line favorite with a total of 3.5. Manchester City hosts Crystal Palace as a -2 goal line favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Arsenal plays at home against Fulham on NBC at 12:30 PM ET as a -1.5 goal line favorite with a total of 3.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 08/26/2022

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Aug 26, 2022

The Thursday sports card features NFLX, MLB, and CFL action.The third week in the NFLX preseason continues with four games. The Carolina Panthers host the Buffalo Bills at 7 PM ET. The Panthers are a 6.5-point favorite with the total set at 40 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Two games kick off at 8 PM ET. Seattle travels to Dallas to play the Cowboys on the NFL Network with the Seahawks a 7-point road favorite with an over/under of 37.5. New Orleans plays at home against the Los Angeles Chargers with the Saints a 3-point favorite with a total of 36.5. Las Vegas is at home against the New England Patriots at 8:15 PM ET with the Raiders a 1-point favorite with an over/under of 37.Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The Los Angeles Dodgers visit Miami to play the Marlins at 6:40 PM ET. Two more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:05 PM ET. Washington plays at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates with the Nationals a -278 money line favorite at Caesars with a total of 8.5. Washington is at home against the Cincinnati Reds with the Nationals a -135 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Toronto hosts the Los Angeles Angels at 7:07 PM ET with the Blue Jays a -175 money line favorite with a total of 8.5.Two MLB games start at 7:10 PM ET. The Tampa Bay Rays travel to Boston to play the Red Sox in the first game of a doubleheader on Apple TV+. New York is at home against the Colorado Rockies with the Mets a -320 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Texas plays at home against the Detroit Tigers with the Rangers a -165 money line favorite with a total of 8. Five MLB games begin at 8:05 PM ET. Chicago hosts the Arizona Diamondbacks with the White Sox a -180 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. San Diego is at Kansas City to play the Royals with the Padres a -190 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The San Francisco Giants visit Minnesota to play the Twins. Milwaukee plays at home against Chicago to play the Cubs with the Brewers a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Baltimore Orioles are at Houston to play the Astros. Atlanta travels to St. Louis to play the Cardinals at 8:15 PM ET with the Braves a -140 money line road favorite with a total of 7.5. The New York Yankees go to Oakland to play the A’s at 9:40 PM ET. Cleveland plays at Seattle against the Mariners in the nightcap on Apple TV+ at 10:10 PM ET with both teams priced at -110 with an over/under of 7.Week 12 in the Canadian Football League continues with two games. Toronto hosts the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at 7:30 PM ET with the Argonauts a 2-point favorite with a total of 49. British Columbia plays at home against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on ESPN News at 10:30 PM ET with the Lions a 4-point favorite with an over/under of 46.5.

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2022 CFL Grey Cup Futures Wager

by Sean Murphy

Thursday, Aug 25, 2022

We're past the midway point of the CFL season and the cream has certainly risen to the top with the elite teams coming out of the West Division without exception. With that said, I'm heading to the East Division for a Grey Cup sleeper. Here's a quick look at a longshot side that might just provide its backers with a considerable payday come late November.The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are currently priced around 14-1 to hoist the Grey Cup trophy. I believe now is the time to take a flyer with the Tabbies as they check in a middling 3-4 on the campaign but are still in the mix for an East Division title with no team seeming to be interested in planting itself in the driver's seat.We've seen the Ti-Cats offense wake up (finally!) in the last couple of games, putting up their two highest-scoring performances of the season - 34 points in a victory over Toronto and 28 points in a heartbreaking one-point loss against Montreal (the same Als team that handed Winnipeg its first loss of the season one week previous). While Hamilton's defense has struggled for the most part, it should only be a matter of time before it gets its heart-and-soul back from injury in veteran Simoni Lawrence. Somewhat surprisingly, the Ti-Cats have held six straight opponents to 90 or fewer rushing yards. Only four of seven opponents have completed more than 18 passes against them so it's not as if they've been getting boat-raced on a weekly basis.Note that the Ti-Cats have a excellent opportunity to take control of the East Division with three of their next four games coming against the Argos (two games) and the Alouettes. They lost by two touchdowns on the road against the league's best team in Winnipeg in an early season 'measuring stick' game back in Week 2 but will get a shot at revenge against the Blue Bombers, at home on September 17th. Also note that the Ti-Cats late season schedule is favorable with consecutive games against one of the league's worst teams in Ottawa in late October. While Hamilton is undoubtedly a true longshot, I have little interest in backing front-running teams like the Blue Bombers and Lions at a 4-1 or worse return with so much season remaining. I do question whether the two-time defending champion Blue Bombers may have peaked a little early while the Lions just lost starting quarterback Nathan Rourke to injury. Provided the Ti-Cats can get QB Dane Evans back to 100% health, I do think the potential is there for them to surprise down the stretch.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB, NFL, and CFL Previews and Odds - 08/25/2022

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Aug 25, 2022

The Thursday sports card features NFLX, MLB, and CFL action.The third week in the NFLX preseason kicks off with two games. The Green Bay Packers travel to Kansas City to play the Chiefs on the NFL Network at 8 PM ET. The Packers evened their preseason record at 1-1 with a 20-10 victory against New Orleans as a 3.5-point favorite on Friday. The Chiefs are 1-1 in the preseason after a 24-14 victory at home against Washington as a 5-point favorite on Saturday. Green Bay is a 1-point road favorite with the total set at 36 (all odds from DraftKings). The San Francisco 49ers play at Houston against the Texans on Amazon Prime at 8:15 PM ET. The 49ers are 2-0 this preseason after their 17-7 upset victory at Minnesota as a 3-point underdog on Saturday. The Texans improved to 2-0 in the preseason with a 24-20 victory in Los Angeles against the Rams on Friday. San Francisco is a 3.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 41.5. Major League Baseball has nine games on its schedule. The Tampa Bay Rays host the Los Angeles Angels at 1:10 PM ET. Drew Rasmussen takes the ball for the Rays to pitch against Patrick Sandoval for the Angels. Tampa Bay is a -175 money line favorite with a total of 6.5. The St. Louis Cardinals play in Chicago against the Cubs at 2:20 PM  ET. The Cardinals turn to Dakota Hudson in their starting rotation to pitch against the Cubs’ Marcus Stroman. St. Louis is a -125 money line road favorite. The Cleveland Guardians visit Seattle to play the Mariners at 4:10 PM ET. Triston McKenzie takes the mound for the Guardians to pitch against Marco Gonzales for the Mariners. Cleveland is a -120 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:05 PM ET. Philadelphia is at home against Cincinnati with the Phillies tapping Aaron Nola to take the ball against the Reds Justin Dunn. The Phillies are a -205 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Chicago plays at Baltimore with Lance Lynn pitching for the White Sox against the Orioles’ Jordan Lyles. The White Sox are a -115 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two MLB games start at 7:10 PM ET. New York hosts Colorado, with Jacob DeGrom taking the hill for the Mets against Ryan Feltner for the Rockies. The Mets are a -410 money line favorite with a total of 7. Toronto plays at Boston with the Blue Jays turning to Kevin Gausman to pitch against the Red Sox’s Kutter Crawford. The Blue Jays are a -175 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. The Houston Astros are at home against the Minnesota Twins at 8:10 PM ET. Luis Garcia takes the ball for the Astros to battle against Chris Archer for the Twins. Houston is a -180 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. The New York Yankees play at Oakland against the A’s at 9:40 PM ET. The Yankees’ Jameson Taillon pitches against the A’s James Kaprielian. New York is a -215 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Week 12 of the Canadian Football League begins with one game. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers host the Calgary Stampeders at 8:30 PM ET.  The Blue Bombers take the field for the first time since August 11th when their nine-game winning streak to start the season ended in a 20-17 upset loss at home to Montreal as a 9-point favorite. The Stampeders won for the second time in their last three games after their 22-19 victory at Toronto as a 1.5-point favorite on Saturday. Winnipeg is a 6.5-point favorite with a total of 48.5. 

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2022 Travers Stakes Preview

by Al McMordie

Thursday, Aug 25, 2022

The Runhappy Travers Stakes, a Grade 1 race for 3YOs to be contested on the Saratoga dirt track at 10 furlongs this Saturday is also known as the mid-summer Derby (even though it's late summer by the time this race is run).  Its intent is to feature the best 3YO dirt horses in the country as they prep for bigger and better things in the fall, including perhaps running against elders in the Breeders Cup.  This year's field has some familiar names if you followed the Triple Crown this year.  In fact two of the winners of those three races -- Rich Strike from the Kentucky Derby and Early Voting from the Preakness -- are entered here.  But you may be surprised where those two horses are on our list below.  Contenders:#6 - Epicenter.  There are two familiar names in this category and one "new shooter."  Epicenter has been the model of consistency in every race of his career except his debut.  With six races this year already, he's danced almost every dance (he skipped the Belmont) and his dominant victory in the Jim Dandy Stakes in his last race over this same Saratoga course will make him a deserving favorite this afternoon.  The Steve Asmussen-trained son of Not This Time may still be getting better as he approaches the end of his 3-year-old campaign.  Joel Rosario gets back aboard for the ride.  Lots to like here, but you won't get much better than even money (if that) so if you're not a chalk player, you will have to look elsewhere.#1 - Cyberknife.  We talked this horse up before the Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park and while that race was supposed to be a big coming out party for Taiba and Jack Christopher, it was instead this Brad Cox-trained son of Gun Runner who stole the show at odds of almost 8-1.  The Haskell was by far Cyberknife's best race of his young career but the truth of the matter is that when you look at his nine races only the Kentucky Derby and the Lecomte down in New Orleans were poor efforts.  His other races were stellar, with the Haskell being a real eye-opening performance.  Florent Geroux hasn't been riding much at this Saratoga meet, but he does have a win here in four mounts and he's been on Cyberknife in all nine of his races.  You just might get 7-2 on him and for some reason should Epicenter throw in a clunker today, Cyberknife should be right there.#5 - Artorius.  New shooters (horses who didn't run in the Triple Crown or Haskell or Jim Dandy) are nothing new to the Travers.  These are typically horses who weren't ready for the Triple Crown trail in the Spring but then developed later in the year.  Bob Baffert had a pair who won this race in back to back years in Arrogate (2016) and West Coast (2017). Chad Brown has three horses in here, but Artorius is the one who is getting most of the buzz.  He didn't run a race until this past April and only has three on his ledger.  His last one was an impressive victory in the restricted Curlin Stakes run on this track in late July.  He ran a big enough number in winning by four lengths that Brown and owners Juddmonte felt like it was worth taking a shot today.  The problem is you would want something like 8-1 on a horse like this in a field of accomplished Graded Stakes runners, and you're not going to get it.  Sill with leading rider Irad Ortiz aboard, Artorius is a compelling choice.  Pretenders:#2 - Rich Strike.  If you want to know what racing people think of the 80-1 Derby winner these days, you needn't look any further than Rich Strike's morning line here.  He is listed at 10-1 and that's probably being generous.  There are people who will bet the son of Keen Ice today for nostalgia purposes but the fact of the matter is that Rich Strike's story is much more compelling than his racing lines.  The incredible Derby run aside, Rich Strike just simply isn't fast enough to keep up with these horses today.  There would have to be a monumental pace melt down for him to even have a shot at third, and given how this track has been playing, that's not going to happen.  Enjoy Rich Strike's remarkable story and watch replays of his Derby as much as you want, but stay away from him at the betting windows.#8 - Zandon.  It's hard to remember a horse generating this much buzz whose only career victories were in his maiden race and in a weak Blue Grass Stakes field.  Chad Brown's son of Upstart has had a great campaign by just about any measure, but he's simply been the bridesmaid too many times, to too many of the horses in this field, to be taken seriously today as a win candidate.  Of course, once again people are buzzing about how great he looks on the track in the mornings, but they've been saying that before all of his races.  His losses in the Jim Dandy, Kentucky Derby, and Risen Star were really not that close when you look at them.  So, barring about three scratches in here, we will have to take a pass until we see him back in the winners circle.  He likely will go off once again around 3-1 and that's not worth it.Live Longshot:#7 - Early Voting.  The third Chad Brown-trained horse in this race won the Preakness at very nice odds of better than 5-1.  In that race, the son of Gun Runner sat off the early pace and then made one big move as they turned for home down the Pimlico stretch.  But Early Voting abandoned that successful strategy in the Jim Dandy and decided to go straight to the front on this track and that turned out to be suicide as he faded late to finish last that day.  If Early Voting can go back to his stalking strategy this afternoon, he just might be able to turn the tables on Epicenter, but you're going to want to demand value in order to find out.  Regular rider Jose Ortiz is back on board and it will be interesting to see if he decides to take a different approach today.  His morning line is 8-1 and you will want those odds or higher but if you get it, Early Voting offers an intriguing opportunity as a value play. 

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2022 Wyoming Cowboys Preview

by Matt Fargo

Wednesday, Aug 24, 2022

Wyoming Cowboys2021-22 Season Record 7-6 (2-6 MWC Mountain) - 5-7-1 ATS - 7-6-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 4Defense - 4OverviewSince 1999, Wyoming has had 10 seasons at .500 or better and 13 seasons at below .500 and of the former, five have been in the last six years with a 2-4 COVID shortened season in 2020 being the only exception. The Cowboys have not been to the MWC Conference championship since 2016 when they went 6-2 in the conference, their best record in the MWC in their 23 years of existence since leaving the WAC. The recent run has been impressive and this is the best stretch since those final years in the WAC. Head coach Craig Bohl is entering his ninth season which matches the longest tenured coaching run in program history and he deserves it with four bowl games over the last six seasons. Last season, the Cowboys benefitted from having 21 starters returning and a 4-0 start was attributed to that but this season, only eight starters return with a tougher early schedule. OffenseThe offense started strong, had a lull during a four-game losing streak but came back to life down the stretch when it was needed. The Cowboys still finished just No. 98 in total offense and No. 100 in scoring offense as the passing game struggled, managing 200 or more yards only three times. The quarterback situation is not dire but it is certainly not the best scenario. Andrew Peasley is coming over from Utah St. and while he was appointed the starter before camp started, the gap is decreasing. He completed 53.8 percent of his passes for 830 yards with seven touchdowns and five interceptions in 18 games with the Aggies. The receiving corps is thin as it lost Isaiah Neyor to the transfer portal while also losing leading rusher Xazavian Valladay to transfer. Titus Swen ran for 785 yards and seven touchdowns so the running game will be fine behind an offensive line that is solid but limited with depth. DefenseThe defense loses a lot to the transfer portal as well and it will be an uphill battle with so many new faces. Wyoming finished No. 38 in total defense and No. 37 in scoring defense although those are the worst rankings in the last four years which shows how good the defense has been. Only four starters are back overall and two of those are along the defensive line which is important as the rushing defense was the liability last season and the main guy is nose tackle Cole Godbout who can cause disruption in the backfield. The linebackers lost leading tackler Chad Muma but right behind him was Easton Gibbs with 89 tackles and is a good player to work around as there is some decent depth here that needs to help the back end. Three starters are gone from the secondary that was exceptional last season and the lone holdover is safety Isaac White who had only 33 tackles. 2022 Season OutlookWyoming looks to keep the momentum going from this recent six-year run but it is not going to be easy in a conference with seven teams ahead of it in the odds to win the MWC and the Cowboys have to face six of those with a young team that is ranked No. 112 in returning production. They lost a ton in the transfer portal and did not get a bunch in return but can at least hang their hat on one of the best recruiting classes under Bohl. They open the season at Illinois before returning home with three straight games against Tulsa, Northern Colorado and Air Force. The final nonconference game is at BYU and three of the four remaining conference road games are winnable but no gimmies and they miss San Diego St. The O/U win total is set at 5 and considering they are going to be a favorite only four times as of now, this is an unlikely over with what is currently in place. 

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2022 Wisconsin Badgers Preview

by Matt Fargo

Wednesday, Aug 24, 2022

Wisconsin Badgers2021-22 Season Record 9-4 (6-3 Big Ten West) - 6-7-0 ATS - 6-7-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 5Defense - 3OverviewSince a 5-7 season in 2001, Wisconsin has run off 20 straight winning campaigns with half of those resulting in double-digit victories. It has finished in the AP Poll 13 times including five in the top ten over this stretch but has been left out two straight seasons. One of those was the 4-3 COVID shortened season and a bad start to last year knocked them out but they finished strong to carry something into 2022. After a pair of blowout losses to Michigan and Notre Dame while allowing 79 combined points to fall to 1-3, the Badgers defense stepped up and allowed 72 points total during a seven-game winning streak. They come into this season ranked No. 18 despite returning only eight starters to go along with a returning production ranking of No. 85. We should expect Wisconsin to win again but getting back to a double-digit winning season will be a tough ask despite a favorable schedule. OffenseThe offense has slipped over the last two seasons finishing No. 96 and No. 86 in total offense while putting up an average of 25 ppg during both campaigns. In comes a new offensive coordinator as Bobby Engram was hired after spending the last eight years with the Baltimore Ravens as a position coach but he has never called plays at any level. The passing offense was one of the worst in the country as quarterback Graham Mertz completed only 59.5 percent of his passes for 1,958 yards with 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The top three receivers are gone with Chimere Dike taking over the top spot after 272 yards last season and there is a lot of youth after him. Freshman All-American Braelon Allen rushed for 1,268 yards and 12 touchdowns while Chez Mellusi rushed for 815 yards and five scores and they will be running behind an offensive line that is big and experienced. DefenseThe defense carried the load late and overall, the Badgers finished No. 1 in total defense, No. 1 in rushing defense, No. 6 in passing defense and No. 6 in scoring defense. Now comes a test as only three starters are back, one from each level, so forget about coming close to matching the numbers from last season. Linebacker Nick Herbig is back after 64 tackles and a team high nine sacks and the other three spots will be manned by players that had a combined 26 tackles last season so the pass rush that had 39 sacks last season, tied for No. 16 in the country, will take a step back. Safety John Torchio is the lone returnee in the secondary yet he had only 35 tackles last season but did have two interceptions to go along with a pair of veteran corners. The rushing defense will be good again with Isaiah Mullens manning one of the defensive end spots and this is a big unit with decent depth. 2022 Season OutlookHead coach Paul Chryst is 65-23 in seven seasons with the Badgers and this could be his most challenging one yet. A veteran quarterback is a plus, possessing two amazing running backs is better and having the edge in size at the line of scrimmage against most opponents is always important. This is far from a rebuild and Wisconsin has three games to start the season to see where it stands. The Badgers are home against Illinois St., Washington St. and New Mexico St. which all should be won handily and then comes the big one as it travels to Ohio St. for its Big Ten opener. Overall, there are five conference road games that also includes Michigan St. and Iowa. The home schedule is tame enough to sweep and Michigan and Penn St. are off the schedule. The O/U win total is set at 8.5 which seems massive but being favored in nine of their games shows it will be doable is the pieces fall into the right places. 

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2022 Western Michigan Broncos Preview

by Matt Fargo

Wednesday, Aug 24, 2022

Western Michigan Broncos2021-22 Season Record 8-5 (4-4 MAC West) - 6-6-1 ATS - 7-6-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 4Defense - 7OverviewSince a 1-11 record in the first season under head coach P.J. Fleck, Western Michigan has finished .500 or better in eight straight seasons, making it the most consistent team in the MAC in recent years. The Broncos had everything going in its favor heading into last season as they had 19 starters back and one of the better recruiting classes in a wide open conference and things got off to a solid 4-1 start then the wheels began to fall off. Three blowout losses in four games and then a narrow five-point win over Akron as a four-touchdown favorite summed up what could have been. The Broncos closed with a win over rival Northern Illinois and a blowout bowl win over a depleted Nevada team and that could provide false hope heading into this season. Only 11 starters are back to go along with a No. 124 returning production ranking and a schedule that is backloaded with five games against top teams spells trouble Tim Lester. OffenseThe offense was great last season as it scored 30 or more points in seven games but failed to show up in some others as it had to rely on a solid defense a few times. The Broncos were No. 15 in total offense and No. 49 in scoring offense which showed the lack of being clutch when needed. The passing game was good under quarterback Kaleb Eleby as he threw for over 3,000 yards with 23 touchdowns and six interceptions but he is gone and the situation this season is a tough one. A pair of redshirt freshmen battled it out in camp for the starting spot that was eventually won by Jack Salopek who has just five career attempts under his belt. He does not have many options going into the season as three of the top four receivers are gone from last season. The good news is that there is a potent running game with Sean Tyler and La'Darius Jefferson but the offensive line has to replace three starters. DefenseIt was an up and down season for the defense that did not bend a lot but broke on too many occasions. The Broncos finished No. 28 in total defense but No. 89 in scoring defense as they were able to stop opponents on third down but were unable to keep them out of the endzone. Allowing 24 or fewer points five times was a bonus but giving up 40 or more points six times was the downfall and while seven starters are back, two of the best are gone. The strength will be at linebacker with all three starters returning as Corvin Moment, Zaire Barnes, and Ryan Selig combined for 199 tackles and nine sacks and they will need to apply more pressure with sack leader Ali Fayed departed from the defensive line as well as Ralph Holley and his 5.5 sacks. The secondary is in fine shape with two starters back as well as getting safety Bricen Garner back in the mix after missing nine games last season. 2022 Season OutlookLast year was a season of ifs, ands or buts for Western Michigan as after getting outgained in its first two games against Michigan and Illinois St., it won the yardage battle in its final 11 games but had just a 7-4 record to show for it. The returning production on offense is one of the worst in the country and it faces one of the toughest schedules in the conference. The Broncos open at Michigan St. and then start MAC play at Ball St. the following week before their home opener against Pittsburgh. A trip to San Jose St. is followed by three straight home games before the slate cranks up with the last five games against teams expected to compete for a championship with only two of those at home. The O/U win total is set at 6.5 which is lofty considering lack of experience in many key positions and the fact there is no bye week on the schedule. The first losing season for Lester looks inevitable. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 08/24/2022

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Aug 24, 2022

The Wednesday sports card features MLB action.Major League Baseball has 14 games on its schedule. The Atlanta Braves travel to Pittsburgh to play the Pirates at 12:35 PM ET. Kyle Wright takes the mound for the Braves to pitch against the Pirates’ Mitch Keller. Atlanta is a -240 money line road favorite with the total set at 8 (all odds from DraftKings). The San Francisco Giants play at Detroit against the Tigers at 1:10 PM ET. The Giants turn to Logan Webb in their starting rotation to pitch against the Tigers’ Matt Manning. San Francisco is a -165 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Texas Rangers visit Colorado to play the Rockies at 3:10 PM ET. Martin Perez takes the mound for the Rangers to battle against Jose Urena for the Rockies. Texas is a -135 money line road favorite with a total of 11. The Miami Marlins play at Oakland against the A’s at 3:37 PM ET. The Marlins tap Jesus Luzardo to pitch against the A’s Cole Irvin. Miami is a -120 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7. Two more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 4:10 PM ET. San Diego hosts Cleveland with Blake Snell taking the ball for the Padres to duel against Cal Quantrill for the Guardians. The Padres are a -165 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. Seattle is at home against Washington, with the Mariners tapping George Kirby to duel against the Nationals’ Anibal Sanchez. The Mariners are a -295 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Two MLB games start at 7:05 PM ET. Chicago travels to Baltimore on FS1 with Lucas Giolito pitching for the White Sox against Spenser Watkins for the Orioles. The White Sox are a -120 money line road favorite with a total of 8. Philadelphia plays at home against Cincinnati with the Phillies turning to Cristopher Sanchez to pitch against the Reds’ Nick Lodolo. The Phillies are a -245 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two more MLB games begin at 7:10 PM ET. Toronto visits Boston with Jose Berrios on the hill for the Blue Jays against Brayan Bello for the Red Sox. Tampa Bay plays at home against Los Angeles, with Shane McClanahan taking the ball for the Rays against Mike Mayers for the Angels. The Rays are a -265 money line favorite with a total of 7. The St. Louis Cardinals play at Chicago against the Cubs at 8:05 PM ET. The Cardinals tap Miles Mikolas to take the mound to pitch against the Cubs’ Luke Farrell, who got called up from Triple-A to pitch in this game. Two more MLB games start at 8:10 PM ET. Arizona plays at Kansas City with Zac Gallen pitching for the Diamondbacks against Brady Singer for the Royals. The Diamondbacks are a -135 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Houston hosts Minnesota with the Astros tapping Framber Valdez to start against the Twins’ Dylan Bundy. The Astros are a -230 money line favorite with a total of 8. Milwaukee is in Los Angeles against the Dodgers at 9 PM ET. Adrian Houser takes the hill for the Brewers to pitch against the Dodgers’ Andrew Heaney. 

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2022 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Preview

by Matt Fargo

Tuesday, Aug 23, 2022

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers2021-22 Season Record 9-5 (7-1 C-USA East) - 10-4-0 ATS - 10-4-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 4Defense - 7OverviewWith the exception of first year head coach David Elson, who went 0-12 in one season, and two years with Mike Sanford where he went 9-16, every other coach has had success at Western Kentucky. From Willie Taggart to Jeff Brohm to current head coach Tyson Helton, all have scored at least two winning records and Helton is coming off his most impressive year because of what did not happen. The Hilltoppers opened the season 1-4 and instead of quitting, they ran off seven straight wins, all by blowouts, and even though they lost to UTSA in the C-USA Championship, they rolled Appalachian St. in the Boca Roton Bowl and that momentum could be needed heading into this season. Western Kentucky has only 11 starters back with a returning production ranking of No. 88 and a second straight poor recruiting class came in so it could be a bit of an uphill battle this season. OffenseThe biggest offensive turnaround in the country took place at Western Kentucky as after averaging 291.7 ypg in 2020, which was No. 121 in the country, it boosted that to 528.4 ypg last season which was second in the nation behind Ohio St. The passing offense was the best in the country behind quarterback Bailey Zappe who threw for an unheard of 5,967 yards and 62 touchdowns but he is now a New England Patriot and it was supposed be West Virginia transfer Jarret Doege to take over the offense but he already left the team and it will be Austin Reed to run the show after winning the Division II National Championship at West Florida. The top two targets who put up massive numbers are gone, the running game lost its top rusher and will be a running game by committee and the offensive line has just two starters back. It will not be like last season but time will tell. DefenseThe defense was not very good but it did not have to be and that will have to change this season. The Hilltoppers finished No. 98 in total defense and No. 90 in scoring defense and have seven starters back so the unit should be better if it has to carry the offense early on. Obviously, the passing defense was the weakness because it got thrown on so much and it will be better off for it this season. Two starters are back in the secondary led by safety A.J. Brathwaite, Jr. who had 64 tackles and they will be counting on a pair of transfers to fill the holes. The linebackers will help out as Jaden Hunter led the team with 67 tackles and Will Ignont who contributed 52 tackles are both back and each can create pressure on the quarterback after combining for six sacks. The defensive front is the big question after not getting tested against the run much but there is decent depth. 2022 Season OutlookWhile last season was great, it could have been a lot better as three of those first four losses were by a combined 11 points, winning the yardage battle in two of those, and the other loss was against Michigan St. Western Kentucky is the third favorite to win C-USA, slightly behind UTSA and UAB with a lot of that based on last season but this is a tough team to trust with so many missing parts. They open at home against Austin Peay and then have a tough roadtrip at Hawaii and Indiana but do get a bye in-between then are back home for games against Florida International and Troy. Five of the last eight games are on the road including UTSA, Auburn and Florida Atlantic. They catch UAB and North Texas at home. The O/U win total is set at 8.5 partly because of last year and partly because of a 13-game schedule and it just seems too high especially with seven road games. 

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2022 West Virginia Mountaineers Preview

by Matt Fargo

Tuesday, Aug 23, 2022

West Virginia Mountaineers2021-22 Season Record 6-7 (4-5 Big 12) - 6-7-0 ATS - 5-8-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 7Defense - 5OverviewLife in the Big 12 has not been as rewarding as it was in the Big East for West Virginia. The Mountaineers finished ranked in the AP Poll in six of the final seven years in their former conference including a No. 5 and No. 6 but have only done so twice in the current league with a high being No. 18. Overall, they are 68-56 which is very good considering the competition they face on a yearly basis but have had a winning conference record only four times. Head coach Neal Brown is in his fourth season and he has posted a losing record overall so this is a pivotal season where West Virginia needs to make some noise or his days could be numbered. There is not much coming back from back-to-back bowl seasons with just 12 starters returning and the Mountaineers have a No. 111 returning production ranking. But he brought in his best recruiting class and veteran help is on the way. OffenseWest Virginia has seen the offense dip in the three seasons since the days of Dana Holgorsen and last year it finished No. 76 in total offense and No. 78 in scoring offense. That will not get it done in the Big 12 and the Mountaineers struggled with consistency, scoring 29 or more points five times and scoring 20 or fewer points six times. Quarterback Jarret Doege was accurate, completing 65.8 percent of his passes for over 3,000 yards but his 11 interceptions were a problem. Now they get transfer J.T. Daniels from Georgia and USC prior to that and he will fit into a new system led by new offensive coordinator Graham Harrell who is an offensive guru. Two of the top receivers are back that combined for over 1,000 yards and they will easily surpass that. The veteran offensive line has four starters back and that should improve the running game as long as someone steps up. DefenseThe defense has to replace six starters and they received some solid depth from the transfer portal with seven players coming in to solidify the back seven. The Mountaineers were No. 41 in total defense and No. 50 in scoring defense and they allowed fewer than 400 yards 10 times and if they can get production like that again, they will be just fine with the revamped offense. The defensive line will be the strength as it is a veteran group that did a great job at stopping the run and causing disruption. Dante Stills is back on the inside after 37 tackles and seven sacks while Tajik Alston and Jared Bartlett combined for 67 tackles and 8.5 sacks from the end positions. Leading tackler Josh Chandler-Semedo has to be replaced at linebacker while safeties Sean Mahone and Alonzo Addae, who combined for 155 tackles, are gone as well and this is where those transfers have to step up. 2022 Season OutlookDaniels is an upgrade at quarterback and unfortunately, he lost his job at the first two stops because of injuries so if he can stay healthy, the offense should hum along. That they need as they are playing a tough schedule that is backloaded with six games over their last seven against teams that won at least seven games last season. They open on the road with a tough game at rival Pittsburgh and then back home to face Towson and Kansas before two more difficult road tests at Virginia Tech and Texas. The Mountaineers do get Baylor and Oklahoma at home but have to travel to Texas Tech, Iowa St. and Oklahoma St. and they are likely going to be underdogs in all six road contests. The O/U win total is set at 5.5 and this looks like a pass either way with such a tough slate and numerous changes on both sides of the ball. Bowl eligibility is likely a must for Brown and it will be tough. 

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2022 Washington St. Cougars Preview

by Matt Fargo

Tuesday, Aug 23, 2022

Washington St. Cougars2021-22 Season Record 7-6 (6-3 Pac 12 North) - 8-5-0 ATS - 5-8-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 4Defense - 6OverviewFormer head coach Mike Price turned Washington St. into a winner in the early 2000s with a pair of No. 10 finishes in the AP Poll and then Bill Doba came in and led the Cougars to a No. 9 ranking in 2003 but then it went downhill quickly. Mike Leach came on board and after starting with three losing seasons, the winning resumed with five straight bowl appearances highlighted by an 11-2 record in 2018 that resulted in a No. 10 final ranking. Nick Rolovich made it 11 games only before being fired after failing to comply with the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for state employees. Interim coach Jake Dickert closed the season 3-3 which included a bowl bid and he was hired full time. The situation is not great as after returning 18 starters in 2021, only 10 are back this season to go along with a No. 119 returning production ranking as transfers will be playing a major role for success. OffenseThe Air Raid offense from Leach was absent the last two seasons but that is about to change. The Cougars finished No. 73 in total offense and No. 69 in scoring offense as the passing game was slightly above average but was unable to outscore opponents when needed as three losses came by a combined nine points. Dickert hired Incarnate Word head coach Eric Morris as his offensive coordinator and fireworks should ensue after possessing one of the best offenses at the FCS level. Joining him from Incarnate Word is quarterback Cameron Ward who threw for over 4,600 yards and 47 touchdowns last season with one of his favorite targets being Robert Ferrel who is also transferring over. Only two starters are back on the offensive line but the up tempo attack should lead to fewer sacks and they will have to open holes for a depleted running game that loses it leading rusher. DefenseAfter a slow start to the season, the defense came up big as it allowed 400 or more yards only three times over the last 10 games while holding opponents to 24 points or fewer eight times. Overall, the Cougars were No. 68 in total defense and No. 48 in scoring defense and they have solid production coming back. They were tied for No. 5 in the country with 29 takeaways and that is something they cannot count on again especially with a few of the playmakers having departed. The strength is up front with defensive ends Ron Stone, Jr. and Brennan Jackson combining for 107 tackles and 9.5 sacks last season to go along with a veteran middle. The linebacking corps loses two key starters including its leading tackler and this is where the transfers are going to play a big role. The secondary loses both starting safeties and will be headed by nickel back Armani Marsh coming off a 70-tackle season. 2022 Season OutlookThings are about to get exciting again in Pullman, at least that is the hope, but it should work just fine with Ward playing for his former coach in the same system with very little tweaks. Dickert was the defensive coordinator here for two years so the only thing that changes on that side is new personnel. The schedule sets up pretty well for Washington St. as it has seven home games for a second straight season with four of those coming in the first five games. They open with Idaho and then travel to Wisconsin before three more at home that includes Oregon. Three of the four conference road games are doable with a game at USC being the toughest. Additionally, they get Utah and Washington at home. The O/U win total is set at 5.5 and there are six wins on paper with two swing games to go along with the four games against elite opposition so the Cougars could be in position to go bowling again. 

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