Expert Sports Picks and Analysis from Al McMordie

Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB, NFL, NCAAF and NHL Previews and Odds - 10/14/2021

Thursday, Oct 14, 2021

The Thursday sports card features action in the NFL, NCAAF, MLB, and the NHL.The sixth week of the NFL regular season kicks off with Tampa Bay visiting Philadelphia on Fox and the NFL Network at 8:20 PM ET. The Buccaneers improved their record to 4-1 with a 45-17 victory against Miami as an 11-point favorite last Sunday. The Eagles ended a three-game losing streak with a 21-18 upset win at Carolina as a 2.5-point underdog on Sunday. Philadelphia raised their record to 2-3. Tampa Bay is a 6.5-point road favorite with the total set at 52.5 (all odds from DraftKings).The seventh week in college football continues with two games. Memphis hosts Navy on ESPN at 7:30 PM ET. The Tigers dropped their third game in a row with a 35-29 loss at Tulsa as a 3-point underdog on Saturday. They are 3-3 on the season. The Midshipmen fell to 1-4 with a 31-24 loss to SMU as a 13.5-point underdog on Saturday. Memphis is a 10.5-point favorite with an over/under of 56. South Alabama plays at home against Georgia Southern on ESPNU at 7:30 PM ET. The Jaguars fell to 3-2 this season with their 33-31 upset loss in overtime at Texas State as a 4-point favorite last Saturday. The Eagles have lost four of five games after a 27-24 loss at Troy as a 5.5-point underdog on Saturday. Georgia Southern fired head coach Chad Lunsford before that game. They are 2-4 on the season. South Alabama is a 3-point favorite with a total of 50. The Divisional Series of the MLB playoffs conclude with Los Angeles Dodgers playing in San Francisco against the Giants on TBS at 9:07 PM ET. The Dodgers forced the final game of this best-of-five series with a 7-2 win at home on Tuesday. Los Angeles pitches Julio Urias against San Francisco’s Logan Webb. The Dodgers are a -110 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7. The winner hosts the Atlanta Braves in the first game of the National League Championship Series on Saturday. Nine games are on the National Hockey League docket. Six games drop the puck at 7 PM ET. Montreal visits Buffalo as a -140 money line road favorite with a total of 6. Toronto travels to Ottawa as a -175 money line road favorite with an over/under of 6. Florida plays at home against Pittsburgh as a -190 money line favorite with a total of 6. The New York Rangers are at home against Dallas as a -120 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. Carolina hosts the New York Islanders as a -125 money line favorite with a total of 5.5. Columbus is at home against Arizona as a -135 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Tampa Bay travels to Detroit at 7:30 PM ET as a -250 money line road favorite with a total of 6. Nashville plays at home against Seattle at 8 PM ET as a -125 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Vegas visits Los Angeles to play the Kings at 9:30 PM ET as a -155 money line road favorite with a total of 5.5.

NFL Week 6 Breakdown

by Will Rogers

Wednesday, Oct 13, 2021

BEST GAME – Los Angeles Chargers at Baltimore (-3)Los Angeles 4-1 SU, 4-1 ATSBaltimore 4-1 SU, 2-3 ATSIt might be time to start taking the Chargers seriously, and maybe get QB Justin Herbert involved in the MVP conversation. Going up against a more-than-decent Browns defense, Herbert merely tossed five touchdown passes and threw for 398 yards. He has zero turnovers in the last three games, and if he can make it four in a row in this battle of division leaders, the LAC will be knee deep in AFC East title talk. But the Ravens never make things easy for anyone in Baltimore, and figure to try to run the ball down the throats of a Charger defense that is ranked dead last against the run this season.WORST GAME – Miami at Jacksonville (+3.5)Miami 1-4 SU, 2-3 ATSJacksonville 0-5 SU, 1-4 ATSOK, if you were the coach of the winless Jags and were full steam ahead toward being the worst team in pro football for the second straight season, you’d want to pound a few and let loose in a bar, too. But the ice is cracking under the feet of Urban Meyer, and if any coach ever needed a win more than Meyer does this week, you name him. The only interesting thing about this game, other than that it will be played in London, is the possible return of Fins QB Tua Tagovailoa. London pub-goers will be ready with their cell phone cameras in case Meyer drops in to check out the local birds on Saturday night.BIGGEST SPREAD – Los Angeles Rams at New York Giants (+10.5)Los Angeles 4-1 SU, 3-2 ATSNew York 1-4 SU, 2-3 ATSThe Giants were hoping that QB Daniel Jones would take a big step in this, his third season. Instead, he was unable to walk without stumbling on Sunday after suffering a concession in a blowout loss to the Cowboys. Now the NYG will probably be without him in Week 6 as they limp through what is looking like yet another lost season. BTW, RB Saquon Barkley and WR Kenny Golladay were also knocked out of the Dallas game. Assuming that the Giants don’t put up much of a fight and use this week to get their key players semi-healthy, the Rams should still be able to cover double-digits as they try to keep pace with undefeated Arizona in the NFC West.SMALLEST SPREAD – Minnesota at Carolina (-1.5)Minnesota 2-3 SU, 2-3 ATSCarolina 3-2 SU, 3-2 ATSGreg Joseph’s field goal as time expired on Sunday saved Minnesota’s victory over winless Detroit, and might have also saved his coach’s job. That it came down to the wire, at home no less, is an indictment of the Vikings, who were roasted for conservative play-calling against the Lions. The Panthers, meanwhile, have their own problems – especially on the offensive line – and are in a fade pattern with two straight losses after a 3-0 start. Oddsmakers opened with this one a PK as both teams will spend this week trying to sort out their myriad issues.LARGEST TOTAL – Kansas City at Washington (55.5)Kansas City 2-3 SU, 1-4 ATSWashington 2-3 SU, 1-4 ATSThe WFT is giving up a ton of points this season – more than 31 a game. The Chiefs respond by saying “Hold my beer,” checking in with a D that has given up more than 33 per. It should all add up to an offensive show in Landover, with offenses dominating against laissez-faire defenders. Both the Chiefs and WFT have been lousy cover teams so far this season, and Washington is a 6-point home dog in this one.SMALLEST TOTAL – Seattle at Pittsburgh (42.5)Seattle 2-3 SU, 2-3 ATSPittsburgh 2-3 SU, 2-3 ATSWith Russell Wilson down for 4 to 8 weeks with an injured throwing hand, the Seattle offense has now been turned over to Gene Smith (he of butt fumble fame). Smith’s job now is to keep the Seahawks afloat until Wilson can return (the time frame is 4 to 8 weeks) for what is believed to be his final season in the Pacific Northwest. Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh talk of Ben Roethlisberger walking away mid-season was doused by the Steelers’ win over Denver. Five of 14 games in Week 6, BTW, have totals 50 points or higher. This game opened at Pittsburgh -3.5 before being bet up to 4.5.

Big Al's Daily Angle: WNBA, NHL and Soccer Previews and Odds - 10/13/2021

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Oct 13, 2021

The Wednesday sports card features action in the WNBA, NHL, and World Cup qualifying matches. The second game of the WNBA finals takes place on ESPN at 9 PM ET. Chicago won the opener of this best-of-five series with their 91-77 upset victory at Phoenix as a 3-point underdog on Sunday. Kahleah Cooper led all scorers with 21 points, and she added ten rebounds for the Sky. Allie Quigley added 18 points, and former Finals Most Valuable Player Candace Parker contributed 16 points, eight rebounds, and three assists in the victory. The Mercury got 20 points and six rebounds from Brittney Griner. The backcourt of Diana Taurasi and Skylar Diggins-Smith combined for 32 points on 10 of 19 shooting. Phoenix is a 4-point favorite with the total set at 169 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Five games are on the National Hockey League docket. Toronto hosts Montreal at 7:08 to begin the card. The Maple Leafs lost to the Canadiens in their seven-game opening-round playoff series last season after taking a 3-1 lead after the first four games. Auston Matthews is out for at least the first three games of the season with a wrist injury. Mitch Marner is questionable with an upper-body injury. Montreal lost to Tampa Bay in the Stanley Cup finals in five games. They lost Phillip Danault and Jesperi Kotkaniemi in free agency in the offseason but added forward Mike Hoffman from St. Louis. Goaltender Carey Price is not with the team after entering the league’s 30-day mental health leave program. Toronto is a -180 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.Washington plays at home against the New York Rangers on TNT at 7:38 PM ET. The Capitals lost in five games in the opening round of the playoffs last year to Boston. Nicklas Backstrom is out with a hip injury, and Alex Ovechkin is questionable with a lower-body injury. The Rangers begin their new era under head coach Gerard Gallant after missing the playoffs last season. The former Vegas Golden Knights coach will have former Tampa Bay Lightning forward Barclay Goodrow, who the team signed in free agency. Washington is a -130 money line favorite with a total of 6.Three games start at 10:08 PM ET. Winnipeg travels to Anaheim. The Jets got swept by Montreal in the second round of the playoffs last season. They will be without Mark Scheifele tonight, who continues to serve the suspension he incurred in that series. The Ducks missed the playoffs last year. Winnipeg is a -150 money line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Colorado is at home against Chicago on TNT. The Avalanche lost to Vegas in the West Division finals in six games. They lost goaltender Phillip Grubauer to the Seattle Kraken in free agency in the offseason. The Aves signed goalie Darcy Kuemper from Arizona to take his spot. Nathan MacKinnon is out for tonight after a positive COVID test. The Blackhawks acquired former Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury in a trade with Vegas to become their new number one goaltender. Chicago also added defenseman Seth Jones from Columbus and forward Tyler Johnson from Tampa Bay. Colorado is a -210 money line favorite with a total of 6. Edmonton hosts Vancouver in a battle of Pacific Division foes. The Oilers got swept in the opening round of the playoffs against Winnipeg. They added forward depth in Zach Hyman, Warren Foegele, and Derek Ryan in free agency to support Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Canucks missed the playoffs last year in a season racked by COVID postponements. They added defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson in the offseason. Forward Brock Boeser is out tonight with an injury. Edmonton is a -185 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.5.The World Cup qualification matches for CONCACAF teams continue on Wednesday with four games. The USMNT plays at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio, against Costa Rica on ESPN2 at 7 PM ET. The Stars and Stripes are a -1 goal line favorite with a total of 2.5. (all soccer odds from Play MGM). Canada plays at home against Panama at 7:30 PM ET. Honduras is at home against Jamaica at 8:05 PM ET as a -0.5 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2. Mexico visits El Salvador at 10:10 PM ET as a -1 goal line road favored with a total of 2.5.

Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, MLB and NHL Previews and Odds - 10/12/2021

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Oct 12, 2021

The Tuesday sports card features action in the NCAAF, MLB, and the NHL.The seventh week of the college football regular season kicks off with Appalachian State traveling to Louisiana-Lafayette on ESPN2 in a showdown in the Sun Belt Conference. The Mountaineers improved their record to 4-1 with a 45-16 victory against Georgia State as a 10.5-point favorite on October 2nd. Appalachian State’s lone loss was at Miami (FL), 25-23, as a 7-point road underdog. They have victories against East Carolina, Elon, Marshall, and the Panthers to begin the month. The Ragin’ Cajuns have won four in a row after their 20-18 victory at South Alabama as a 12-point favorite on October 2nd. Louisiana opened their season with a 38-18 loss at Texas before rattling off four straight wins against Nicholls State, Ohio, Georgia Southern, and the Jaguars earlier this month. Louisiana upset Appalachian State last season with a 24-21 win in Boone as a 3-point underdog. The Ragin’ Cajuns were avenging two losses to the Mountaineers the previous year, including the Sun Belt championship game. Louisiana reached their third straight conference championship game last year before their opportunity for revenge against a Coastal Carolina team that beat them earlier in the year got canceled because of COVID.Appalachian State is a 5-point road favorite with the total set at 57 (all odds from DraftKings).The MLB playoffs continue with three games in the divisional series. The Chicago White Sox play at home against Houston on FS1 at 2:07 PM ET in make-up for the Monday afternoon game that got postponed because of rain. The White Sox avoided elimination in this best-of-five series on Saturday with a 12-6 victory against the Astros. Houston holds a 2-1 lead in the series. Carlos Rodon pitches for the White Sox against Lance McCullers of the Astros. Chicago is a -120 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Atlanta is at home against Milwaukee on TBS at 5:15 PM ET. The Braves took a 2-1 lead in the series with a 3-0 victory against the Brewers on Monday. Los Angeles hosts San Francisco on TBS at 9:07 PM ET. The Giants have a 2-1 lead in the series after their 1-0 win on the road against the Dodgers on Monday. The 2021-22 season in the National Hockey League begins with two games on ESPN. Tampa Bay plays at home against Pittsburgh at 7:30 PM ET. The Lightning won their second straight Stanley Cup championship last season with their six-game victory against the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup finals. They return this season without their third forward line of Yanni Gourde, Barclay Goodrow, and Blake Coleman who all joined other teams in the offseason. Pittsburgh was beaten by the New York Islanders in six games in the playoffs last year. The Penguins will be without Sidney Crosby, Evgeny Malkin, and Jake Kuentzel for this game. Crosby is out a few games with a wrist injury, and Kuentzel is on the COVID list. Malkin is out until November or December with a knee injury. Tampa Bay is a -210 money line favorite with a total of 6.Vegas hosts Seattle at 10 PM ET. The Golden Knights lost in the semifinals of the playoffs last year in six games to Montreal. The team traded goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to Chicago in the offseason, establishing Robin Lehner as their number one goalie. The Kraken make their NHL debut as an expansion team playing against the league's previous expansion club. Seattle appears to be a quality defensive club with veteran goaltender Philipp Grubaur between the pipes and Mark Giordano and Adam Larsson as the top blue line pair. Jarod McCann, Jordan Eberle, and Jaden Schwartz are three of their experienced forwards. Vegas is a -260 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5.

NHL Central Division Preview 2021-22

by Scott Rickenbach

Monday, Oct 11, 2021

Central Division 2021-22 Point Total PredictionsWith last season being just 56 games, the first point total listed is the number of points the team earned in the standings last season but extrapolated over a normal 82 game season. Then the second total listed is my prediction range for this season. Arizona Coyotes – 79 points last year. Predicting a range of mid to upper 60s this season. Tough division for a bad team. The Coyotes face teams that frustrate you like Dallas and St Louis. Then they also face teams they can’t keep up with in terms of offensive firepower like Winnipeg and Colorado. It is going to be a long season for Arizona. Chicago Blackhawks – 81 points last year. Predicting a range of mid to uppers 80s this season. Lot of positive additions for this team in terms of new personnel plus they get Jonathan Toews back after he missed last season. This adds up to a revamped team ready to fight for a playoff spot again! Colorado Avalanche – 120 points last year. Predicting a range in the 105 to 110 range this season. Such a strong team but the goaltending needs to stay healthy. I do like Kuemper but will Francouz be back to himself as he returns from injury. Very strong team with scary good scoring talent. Again should be one of the best teams in the league and, if they get top notch goalie work, look out! Dallas Stars – 88 points last year. Predicting a range of low to mid 90s this season. Ben Bishop starts season still on injured reserve. Can this Stars team get enough from its other goalies? Now a healthy Seguin and Hintz means this team could be better than many realize. They tend to have a tough defense so if the goaltending holds up and they keep their top point producers healthier this time around, this team is going to be challenging for a playoff spot. Minnesota Wild – 110 points last year. Predicting a range of mid to upper 90s this season. Got to give the coaching credit here. Wild continue to overhaul roster but still produce quite consistently. This is a solid team no one likes to face. If they can improve their power play and continue to get strong goaltending, this team could get to 100 points this season. Nashville Predators –94 points last year. Predicting a range of low to mid 80s this season. This team rebuilding a bit and Pekka Rinne now retired. Juuse Saros fantastic in goal but will things be different without Rinne now right behind him? Also the team skating in front of him has lost a few key pieces and seems to be trending the wrong direction. This team steps back a bit this year. St. Louis Blues – 92 points last year. Predicting a range of mid to upper 80s this season. Still a solid team known for being physical and playing stingy defense but I do not think last year’s regression was just a one-year team. Unless goalie Jordan Binnington can resume the excellent play similar to his rookie season, this team could continue to regress. Winnipeg Jets – 92 points last year. Predicting a range of mid to upper 90s this season. Connor Hellebuyck at goalie makes the Jets tough when he is on because this team certainly has plenty of firepower up front with their top lines. Winnipeg to be particularly tough this season especially if they can get Pierre-Luc Dubois going again after he struggled after coming over from Columbus.

NHL Pacific Division Preview 2021-22

by Scott Rickenbach

Monday, Oct 11, 2021

Pacific Division 2021-22 Point Total PredictionsWith last season being just 56 games, the first point total listed is the number of points the team earned in the standings last season but extrapolated over a normal 82 game season. Then the second total listed is my prediction range for this season. Anaheim Ducks – 63 points last year. Predicting a range of uppers 60s to low 70s this season. Horrible power play last season. Ridiculously bad. Special teams important to winning hockey games and Anaheim has issues on the power play and now concern at goalie with back-up Ryan Miller retiring. Calgary Flames – 81 points last year. Predicting a range of upper 80s to low 90s this season. Should be better this season but coach Sutter has to get more out of this group. The core group could be dismantled if Calgary again falls short but this team has enough talent to do more than they have shown. They just need to be more consistent and cohesive as a group. Edmonton Oilers – 105 points last year. Predicting a range of around the century mark this season. The Oilers are so strong with their top line but now the pieces they have added for additional support could help take this team to the next level. It is far from a sure thing but if Edmonton’s new additions fit in well this team could really surprise near the top this season. Los Angeles Kings – 72 points last year. Predicting a range of upper 70s to low 80s this season. Trying to rebuild with impressive young talent and could be on their way. We’ll see some improvement this season but this team still another year away at least. San Jose Sharks – 72 points last year. Predicting a range of low to mid 80s this season. Sharks could be better this season simply with better goaltending. But this is still not a team that will be near the top. They will be fortunate to land in the middle of the pack but I think they have finally made some moves in the right direction with what they have done at the goalie spot at least. Seattle Kraken – This is inaugural season but just like Golden Knights of 2018, this is not a normal expansion team situation and I am predicting a range of upper 80s to low 90s. This team has a ton of talent and did so well in the expansion draft. Just really a stockpile of scorers plus the goaltending has potential to be a fantastic tandem as well. This Seattle team will immediately be one of the better teams in the division most likely. Vancouver Canucks – 73 points last year. Predicting a range of mid to upper 80s this season. This team has talent and coach Green got his two year extension and guys are buying into things here. The Canucks will improve this season. This team was impacted a lot by covid last season, among other distractions. Let us not forget they had a .565 save percentage the season before. They can get back into the range again and I think they will this year. So they are flying under the radar a bit coming in. Keep that in mind. Vegas Golden Knights – 120 points last year. Predicting a range of upper 90s to low 100s. Still trying to put another run together but have lost some of the players that helped mold an identity in Vegas. That cohesive group they had when they first came into the league and swept the hearts of Vegas fans is a bit of a memory now. Still a very good team no doubt but this could be a bit of a transitional year for the Golden Knights. They will still be a very good team but I think they might be further away from the Cup now than they were before! That is what I mean by a transitional year.

Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB, NFL, and CFL Previews and Odds - 10/11/2021

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Oct 11, 2021

The Monday sports card features action in the NFL, MLB, and the CFL.Week 5 in the NFL regular season concludes with the Baltimore Ravens hosting the Indianapolis Colts for Monday Night Football on ESPN at 8:15 PM ET. The Ravens won their third game in a row with their 23-7 victory at Denver as a 1-point underdog last Sunday. Baltimore is 3-1 on the season. The Colts ended a three-game losing streak with a 27-17 upset victory at Miami as a 2.5-point underdog on Sunday. Indianapolis improved to 1-3 on the year with the win. The Ravens took the meeting between these two teams last season by a 24-10 score on the road as a 1-point underdog. Baltimore is a 7-point favorite with the total set at 46.The playoffs in Major League Baseball continue with four games in the best-of-five League Divisional Series. Atlanta plays at home against Milwaukee on TBS at 1:07 PM ET. The Braves evened this series at 1-1 with their 3-0 victory on the road against the Brewers on Saturday. Ian Anderson pitches for Atlanta against Freddy Peralta for Milwaukee. The Braves are a -120 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.The Chicago White Sox are at home against Houston on FS1 at 3:37 PM ET. The White Sox won their first game of this series last night with a 12-6 victory at home against the Astros. Houston holds a 2-1 lead in the series. Chicago pitches Carlos Rodon against the Astros Jose Urquidy. The White Sox are a -130 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Boston plays at home against Tampa Bay on FS1 at 7:07 PM ET. The Red Sox took a 2-1 lead in this series with a 6-4 victory in 13 innings on Sunday. Neither manager has named a starting pitcher for the game. Boston is a -125 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Los Angeles Dodgers hosts San Francisco on TBS at 9:37 PM ET. The Dodgers evened this series at 1-1 with their 9-2 victory against the Giants on Saturday. Los Angeles pitches Max Scherzer against San Francisco’s Alex Wood. The Dodgers are a -210 money line favorite with a total of 7.Two games take place in the Canadian Football on ESPN+ for Canadian Thanksgiving Day. Montreal plays at home against Ottawa at 1 PM ET. The Alouettes ended a two-game losing streak with a 23-20 upset victory in overtime at Hamilton as a 3.5-point underdog on October 2nd to improve their record to 3-4. The Redblacks come off a 35-16 loss at Toronto as a 9.5-point underdog last Wednesday, which dropped their record to 2-6. Montreal is a 7.5-point favorite with an over/under of 47.5.Hamilton is at home against Toronto at 4 PM ET. The Tiger-Cats improved to 4-4 on the season with their victory last week against the Alouettes. The Argonauts improved their record to 5-3 with their win against Ottawa. Hamilton is a 5-point favorite with a total of 43.

Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB, WNBA and NFL Previews and Odds - 10/10/2021

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Oct 10, 2021

The Sunday sports card features action in the NFL, MLB, and the WNBA.Week 5 in the NFL regular season continues with 14 games. The card kicks off at 9:35 AM ET with the New York Jets playing the Atlanta Falcons at Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium in London. The Falcons are a 2.5-point favorite with the total set at 45 (all odds from DraftKings). Eight NFL games continue the card at 1 PM ET. Carolina hosts Philadelphia as a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 45.5. Denver visits Pittsburgh as a 1.5-point road favorite with a total of 39. Tampa Bay plays at home against Miami as a 10-point favorite with a total of 48. Tennessee travels to Jacksonville as a 4.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 49. Green Bay plays at Cincinnati as a 2.5-point road favorite with a total of 51. New England visits Houston as a 7.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 39. Minnesota hosts Detroit as a 10-point favorite with a total of 49.5. New Orleans travels to Washington as a 2.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 43. Four games take place in the second window of afternoon games. Two games start at 4:05 PM ET. The Los Angeles Chargers play at home against Cleveland as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 47. Las Vegas is at home against Chicago as a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 45.5. Two more games begin at 4:25 PM ET. Arizona hosts San Francisco as a 5-point favorite with a total of 48. Dallas plays at home against the New York Giants in the national game broadcast on Fox. The Cowboys are a 7-point favorite with an over/under of 52.5.Kansas City is at home against Buffalo on NBC at 8:20 PM ET for Sunday Night Football. The Chiefs are a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 56.The MLB playoffs continue with two Games 3s in the American League Divisional Series. Boston hosts Tampa Bay on the MLB Network at 4:07 PM ET. The Red Sox evened this series at 1-1 with a 14-6 road victory on Friday. Nathan Eovaldi pitches for Boston against Drew Rasmussen of the Rays. The Red Sox are a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Chicago White Sox play at home against Houston on FS1 at 8:07 PM ET. The Astros took a 2-0 lead in this best-of-five series with a 9-4 win on Friday. Houston pitches Luis Garcia against the White Sox’s Dylan Cease. Chicago is a -125 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. The finals of the WNBA playoffs begin with Phoenix playing at home against Chicago on ABC at 3 PM ET. The Mercury won at Las Vegas against the Aces, 87-84, as a 5.5-point underdog to win that five-game semifinals series on Friday. The Sky have won six of their last seven games after beating Connecticut in four games after a 79-69 upset win at home as a 4-point underdog on Wednesday. Phoenix is a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 166.

Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB, CFL, Boxing and NCAAF Previews and Odds - 10/09/2021

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Oct 09, 2021

The Saturday sports card features action in NCAAF, MLB, CFL, and Boxing.The third heavyweight title fight between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder takes place on pay-per-view at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The start time is between 11 PM ET and midnight. Fury is a -295 money line favorite, and Wilder is priced as a +235 money line underdog (all odds from DraftKings). The total is 7.5 rounds. Week 6 of the college football season concludes with 46 games between FBS opponents. Twelve games kickoff the card from noon to 3 PM ET. Six games are on national television at noon. Oklahoma plays Texas at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas in the Red River Rivalry on ABC. The Sooners are a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 63.5. Ohio State hosts Maryland on Fox as a 21-point favorite with a total of 71. Mississippi plays at home against Arkansas on ESPN as a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 67. Tennessee is at home against South Carolina on ESPN2 as a 10.5-point favorite with a total of 57. Baylor hosts West Virginia on FS1 as a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 43.5. Toledo plays at home against Northern Illinois as a 12.5-point favorite with a total of 52. Seventeen games start from 3:30 PM ET to 6 PM ET. Seven games are on national television at 3:30 PM ET. Georgia visits Auburn on CBS as a 14.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 46. BYU is at home against Boise State on ABC as a 6-point favorite with a total of 58. North Carolina hosts Florida State on ESPN as a 17-point favorite with an over/under of 64.5. Wake Forest travels to Syracuse as a 6-point road favorite with a total of 59. Colorado State plays at home against San Jose State on FS1 as a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 44.5. SMU plays at Navy on the CBS Sports Network as a 13.5-point road favorite with a total of 56. Western Michigan is at home against Ball State on ESPNU as a 12-point favored with an over/under of 57.5. Iowa hosts Penn State on Fox as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 40.5. Seventeen games close out the Saturday evening card in NCAAF. Three games are on national television at 7 PM ET. TCU travels to Texas Tech on ESPN as a 2.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 61. Kent State plays at home against Buffalo on ESPNU as a 6-point favorite with a total of 65. Air Force hosts Wyoming on the CBS Sports Network as a 5-point favorite with an over/under of 47.5. Michigan visits Nebraska on ABC as a 2.5-point road favorite with a total of 50. Two games are on national television at 8 PM ET. Alabama plays at Texas A&M on CBS as an 18-point road favorite with an over/under of 50.5. USC is at home against Utah on Fox as a 3-point favorite with a total of 53. Two games start at 9 PM ET. Tulsa plays at home against Memphis on ESPN2 as a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 61. San Diego State hosts New Mexico on FS1 as a 19.5-point favorite with a total of 42.5. Two games complete the card at 10:30 PM ET. Nevada plays at home against New Mexico State on the CBS Sports Network as a 29-point favorite with an over/under of 63.5. UCLA is at Arizona on ESPN as a 16-point road favorite with a total of 60.5. The MLB playoffs continue with both second games in the NLDS on TBS. Milwaukee hosts Atlanta at 5:07 PM ET. The Brewers won Game 1 by a 2-1 score on Friday. Brandon Woodruff is their starting pitcher today against the Braves Max Fried. Milwaukee is a -130 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers play at San Francisco at 9:07 PM ET. The Giants took the first game of this best-of-five series by a 4-0 score yesterday. San Francisco pitches Kevin Gausman against the Dodgers’ Julio Urias. Los Angeles is a -115 money line favorite with a total of 7. Week 10 in the Canadian Football League continues with Saskatchewan hosting Calgary on ESPN+ at 7 PM ET. The Roughriders are a 4-point favorite with an over/under of 44.5.

The Rich Keep Getting Richer

by Tom Stryker

Friday, Oct 08, 2021

Momentum. Keep that word etched into your memory if you’re thinking about placing a wager on any sport. When a team is hot, give them the buy sign. If they’re not, simply shy away. I took that simple train of thought and applied it to this week’s college card. At first, I was looking to see how some college football teams did off back-to-back SU and ATS wins. From there, with the help of my college football database, the same one that was featured in the December 13th, 2010, issue of the ESPN Insider magazine, I focused on those squads that achieved their success as favorites in both, dogs in each game, and as a favorite and an underdog. The best of what I discovered can be found in this week’s System of the Week – The Rich Keep Getting Richer. Take a look. Since 1980, PLAY ON any home favorite priced at -10 or more, if they are coming off a road war, provided they won and covered their last two contests as double-digit favorites. 41-Year ATS Record = 107-57-4 ATS for 65.2 percent This Week’s Play = OHIO STATE The Buckeyes finally got their money train on the right track. Two weeks ago, Ohio State (-48.5) did just enough to cover the number against Akron. Last Saturday, head coach Ron Day and his kids were a -15-point road favorite at Rutgers and cashed easily 52-13. This week, OSU is laying -21 at home against Maryland and that means the Buckeyes are locked into this lucrative technical situation. There is one special parameter that can be added to this general system that really increases its profitability. If our “play on” host destroyed the Las Vegas pointspread by double-digits last, this system tightens up to an eye-popping 70-27-2 ATS for 72.1 percent. Last Saturday, OSU was a -15-point favorite at Rutgers and won by 39 points. The Buckeyes smashed the Las Vegas number by 24 points in that victory which means they fit this tightener perfectly. Good luck with the Buckeyes on Saturday.

NHL Hockey Futures Bet: Toronto Maple Leafs to Win 2022 Stanley Cup

by Al McMordie

Friday, Oct 08, 2021

The 2021-22 NHL season starts next week. So, it's time for my preseason forecast of the eventual Stanley Cup champion. This has become one of my popular columns, in large part due to the spectacular success I've enjoyed on my futures predictions over the years. Last year, we hit the basketball "daily-double" with Baylor (at 12-1 odds) and the Milwaukee Bucks (at 13-2 odds) winning their respective championships. And that was the 2nd straight NCAA Basketball season we cashed our preseason ticket, as we had Virginia (at 22-1 odds) in the 2019 season! Also in 2019, I predicted the Washington Nationals (at 18-1 odds), and followed that up in 2020 with the Los Angeles Dodgers (at 4-1 odds). But, to show I can be dead wrong on occasion, I fell way short with my 2021 MLB prediction on the Minnesota Twins (at 22-1 odds). Still, I've hit three of the last five MLB futures, as I also had the Houston Astros in 2017 (at 10-1 odds). And other winners have been the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 (at 7-1 odds), the San Antonio Spurs (2014, 14-1 odds; 1999, 11-2 odds), Golden State Warriors (2016, 5-1 odds; 2018, -160 odds), and Green Bay Packers (2011, 10-1 odds).For this upcoming hockey season, I'm going to turn to a team which has had nothing but heartbreak over the last 54 seasons: the Toronto Maple Leafs. But the current odds are quite attractive, as I just took them yesterday at 15-1 odds at William Hill Sportsbook in Las Vegas. And they're also 14-1 currently at BetAnySports.eu. The Maple Leafs may have finally found their man in goal. After a variety of goaltenders led to some pretty mediocre net-minding numbers over the past several years -- annual team GAA of 2.77, 2.84, and 3.04 leading up to last season -- the Leafs turned to veteran Jack Campbell in the latter part of last season with very good results. Campbell was brought on at the end of the short 2020 season, but he became the Leafs full-time goalie in the final quarter of last season and posted a 17-3-2 record with a sparkling 2.15 GAA and .921 saves pct. The Leafs are comfortable enough with Campbell being their guy going forward that they let Frederik Andersen go to the Hurricanes by way of free agency in July. The Leafs and Canes basically swapped net-minders as Petr Mrazek comes to Toronto from Carolina and will serve primarily as Campbell's back-up. The Leafs' offense didn't see very many changes in the off-season and that's a good thing for a team that finished sixth in Scoring last season with 184 goals in 55 games. There will be Salary Cap challenges going forward NEXT season, but this is not a team that is trying to build for later. This is a team which believes it has the talent to win it all this season. Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares all return to lead the offense that should be better than it was a year ago. Young Defenseman Rasmus Sandin (Toronto's first round pick in 2018) should be ready to break out on the blue line with substantially more ice time. If he does, then the Leafs' defense could be much improved. The window of opportunity is open for the Leafs to win their first Cup since 1967, but it could close quickly after this season given their Cap situation. Take Toronto at 15-1 odds to win the 2022 Stanley Cup. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

Wilder/Fury III

by Ben Burns

Friday, Oct 08, 2021

On Sunday, Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury will fight for the third time. It's been roughly a year and a half since Fury dominated Wilder. Their first meeting, back in December of 2018, resulted in a draw. Wilder was a fairly big favorite for that first fight. However, Fury is an even bigger one for Saturday night's bout. Let's take a closer look. Wilder/Fury IWilder was favored in the -180 to -200 range. The judges scored it 115–111 for Wilder, 114–112 for Fury and 113–113; a split draw. However, when 27 boxing journalists were polled, fifteen gave the fight to Fury and only three had it going to Wilder. Nine scored it a draw. These two had been talking trash about each other for years. Fury confronted Wilder after he won a fight in 2016 in NY and said: "any time any place anywhere when you're ready, I'll fight you in your back garden like I did Klitschko I'll beat you, you bum! You're a bum!" Wilder responded: "I don't play this, you can run around like you're a preacher and all that but I promise you when you step in this ring I will baptize you!" The fighters had a combined 67-0 record when they finally met. Fury weighed in at 256 1/2 pounds. Wilder was 212 1/2. Afterward, both fighters claimed to have won. Each called out Anthony Joshua after that fight. In an interesting twist, Joshua recently lost and now Fury has offered to train him for his rematch against Usyk.Wilder/Fury IIThe odds were closer for the rematch but the fight was not. Hyped as "Unfinished Business," it appeared clear that things had been settled. The odds opened more in the pick'em range but Wilder closed as a -140 favorite. That didn't phase Fury. He took it to Wilder, knocking him down twice before Wilder's corner eventually threw in the towel, in the seventh round. While Wilder would go on to fire the cornerman who threw in the towel, he was getting pummelled. Wilder won't go away though. Back with a new trainer, he insists that things will be different. He's got a huge ego and has all sorts of excuses for why he lost. One has to wonder what his confidence will be like though. Deep inside, he knows that he lost. Not surprisingly, Fury is now the significant favorite. He's currently laying close to -300. Takeback is roughly +240 with Wilder. With the recent trend of "YouTube stars" fighting over-the-hill fighters, it will be good to see a couple of legitimate heavyweights. Enjoy the fight!

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