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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 07/08/2022

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Jul 08, 2022

The Friday sports card features MLB and CFL action.Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The Tampa Bay Rays visit Cincinnati to play the Reds at 6:40 PM ET. Shane McClanahan takes the ball for the Rays to pitch against Luis Castillo of the Reds. Tampa Bay is a -155 money line road favorite with the total set at 8 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). The Los Angeles Angels play at Baltimore to play the Orioles at 7:05 PM ET. The Angels turn to Reid Detmers as their starting pitcher against the Orioles’ Tyler Wells. Both teams are priced as a -110 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:10 PM ET. New York is at home against Miami ,with Chris Bassitt pitching for the Mets against Pablo Lopez on the hill for the Marlins. The Mets are a -165 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. New York plays at Boston with the Yankees pitching Nestor Cortes against the Res Sox’s Connor Seabold. The Yankees are a -155 money line road favorite at Caesar’s with an over/under of 9.5. The Atlanta Braves are at home against the Washington Nationals at 7:20 PM ET. Charlie Morton takes the mound for the Braves to duel against Erick Fedde of the Nationals. Atlanta is a -280 money line favorite with a total of 9. The Minnesota Twins visit Texas to play the Rangers at 8:05 PM ET. The Twins turn to Sonny Gray in their starting rotation to pitch against the Rangers’ Jon Gray. Minnesota is a -115 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. Three MLB games throw out the first pitch at 8:10 PM ET. Chicago is at home against Detroit with Lucas Giolito pitching for the White Sox against Tarik Skubal of the Tigers. The White Sox are a -165 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. Milwaukee hosts Pittsburgh, with the Brewers turning to Aaron Ashby on the mound to pitch against the Pirates’ J.T. Brubaker. The Brewers are a -215 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Kansas City plays at home against Cleveland with Brady Singer pitching for the Royals against Aaron Civale of the Guardians. The Royals are a -115 money line favorite with a total of 9. The St. Louis Cardinals host the Philadelphia Phillies at 8:15 PM ET. Adam Wainwright takes the mound for the Cardinals against Zack Wheeler of the Phillies. St. Louis is a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Three more MLB games begin at 9:40 PM ET. Arizona is at home against Colorado, with the Diamondbacks pitching Zac Gallen against the Rockies’ Chad Kohl. The Diamondbacks are a -165 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Houston travels to Oakland with Jose Urquidy pitching for the Astros against Paul Blackburn of the A’s. The San Francisco Giants visit San Diego to play the Padres. Blake Snell pitches for the Padres against a starting pitcher yet to be named for the Giants. Two MLB games conclude the card at 10:10 PM ET. Toronto plays at Seattle with the Blue Jays pitching Ross Stripling against the Mariners’ George Kirby. Los Angeles is at home against Chicago, with Tyler Anderson pitching for the Dodgers against the Cubs’ Keegan Thompson. The Dodgers are a -225 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Week 5 of the Canadian Football League continues with the Saskatchewan Roughriders hosting the Ottawa Redblacks on ESPN News at 9:30 PM ET. The Roughriders won for the third time in their first four games with their 41-20 win against Montreal as a 4.5-point favorite on Saturday. The Redblacks are winless in three games this year after their 34-31 loss to British Columbia as a 1.5-point underdog on Thursday. Saskatchewan is a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 44.5.

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2022 Connecticut Huskies Preview

by Matt Fargo

Thursday, Jul 07, 2022

Connecticut Huskies2021-22 Season Record 1-11 (N/A) - 6-6-0 ATS - 6-5-1 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 8Defense - 8OverviewIt was another rough season for Connecticut and head coach Randy Edsall had seen enough, announcing his retirement after two games effective at the end of the season but he was not given that as he was let go immediately. The Huskies finished 1-11, the only win coming against Yale of the FCS and they have gone 4-32 over the last four years including 2020 where they did not even take a snap. Only one win over this span was over an FBS team, Massachusetts, which is just as bad. They have won more than three games only once since 2013 which resulted in a 6-7 season and the last winning record came in the days of the Big East. Jim Mora, Jr. takes over as head coach and he is in a decent situation for improvement as he has a lot coming back but as is the case sometimes, more can be less and it is difficult to get rid of poison left in a program but maybe Mora, Jr. has a cure. OffenseEight starters are back on an offense that was close to the worst in every major category including No. 128 in total offense and No. 129 in scoring offense. It will not get any worse but how much improvement there is comes down to the quarterback play. How bad was it? Six players took a snap last season and only one of those is back but the Huskies will rely on Penn St. transfer Ta'Quan Roberson to take over as the starter and he has a ton of potential as a duel-threat. He has a plethora of receivers to target as three of the top four are back and they also should have a healthy Cameron Ross back after missing 10 games last season after an outstanding 2019. Their leading rusher is back as well as Nate Carter rushed for 578 yards on a solid 4.6 ypc. The weakness is the offensive line with only two starters back and there will be issues if this unit cannot at least be somewhat competent.  DefenseDefensively, Connecticut was nearly as bad as the offense ranking No. 106 or worse in overall, scoring, rushing and passing defenses and those problems were similar to the other side where having a year of not hitting the field was devastating. Eight starters are back on the stop unit and a lot of young players received plenty of time last season so there is experience and finally with a year under their belt, better things should come about. The Huskies did lose their best pass rusher and only 7.5 sacks return so the defensive line is already behind the eight-ball and is the clear weakness. The secondary has a pair of upperclassmen corners and while the safeties are only sophomores, all four started last season. The strength last year were the linebackers and that will be the case again as the two top tacklers are back and Connecticut gets an SEC transfer to man the outside. 2022 Season OutlookThings have to turn around sometime or football might not be around much longer in Storrs at the top level. Clearly, Edsall was past his prime and his second stint derailed the program with possible long lasting effects. Mora, Jr. has experience at the highest of levels so his presence alone is big and should get the most out of this team. The schedule is frontloaded for failure as the Huskies travel to Utah St. in their opener but do get Central Connecticut St. at home a week later and then Syracuse before going to Michigan and NC State in back-to-back weeks. Another loss at home against Fresno St. likely ends the first half at 1-5 and while there are a couple winnable games down the stretch, it will not be easy. The O/U win total is 2.5 which seems about right but trying to figure out that third winner, let alone the second, will make over bettors sweat it out. 

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2022 Colorado Buffaloes Preview

by Matt Fargo

Thursday, Jul 07, 2022

Colorado Buffaloes2021-22 Season Record 4-8 (3-6 Pac 12 South) - 6-6-0 ATS - 5-7-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 7Defense - 5OverviewThere was a time when Colorado was a national force in college football back when it was part of the Big 12 and a move to the Pac 12 would have thought the Buffaloes could bring those days back. Instead, it has been nine losing seasons in 10 years not counting the 4-2 COVID-shortened campaign including a 4-8 record last season. They have gone through five coaches and in the second year of Karl Dorrell in 2011, expectations were high in Boulder as 17 starters were back but a 1-4 start derailed any of that and when they lost, they lost big with seven of the eight losses coming by at least 22 points. Dorrell is now on the clock and tried to buy some time by revamping his coaching staff but it will take a big effort to likely keep his job. The early schedule is not in their favor and with just 12 starters back and a poor recruiting class, it could be another tough season. OffenseThe offense was one of the worst in the country last season as Colorado averaged 257.4 ypg and 18.8 ppg, No. 129 and No. 121 respectively and that was with an offense with nine starters back following a breakout the previous season. The Buffaloes do bring seven starters back this season so they should see an improvement and it will come down to quarterback Brendon Lewis, that is if he even wins the job. He was unable to get the ball downfield as he averaged a paltry 5.0 ypa and threw for just 1,540 yards with 10 touchdowns and J.T. Shrout could take over coming back from injury. The running game was better, but not much, as Colorado averaged only 126.2 ypg on the ground with the leading rusher gone. The two top receivers transferred out which they cannot be blamed for, and a young group takes over. The offensive line is also a work in progress and could struggle early. DefenseDefensively, Colorado was not much better. It was ranked 91st or worse in total defense, passing defense and rushing defense and while allowing 17 points or less four times, the other eight games resulted in giving up an average of 35.8 ppg. With only five starters back, there is work to be done and that starts in the secondary. The passing defense was bad and three starters transferred out so this is a raw back end that needs to grown up in a hurry in the pass-happy Pac 12. The defensive line is big and athletic but needs to get a bigger push in not only stopping the run but getting to the quarterback as the Buffaloes had only 14 sacks, tied for No. 126 in the country. Linebacker Carson Wells and his 5.5 sacks have moved on so this group has to come up big and the whole defense needs to take the ball away more after forcing only 14 turnovers last season including just four fumbles. 2022 Season OutlookThere are some good parts in place for Colorado but not enough to contend in the South unless the quarterback situation has a miraculous turnaround. The Buffaloes are in the bottom half of the country in returning production so many newcomers will be asked to step up. The schedule sets up for a 0-4 start as they will be underdogs in all four games as they open at home against TCU as a nine-point underdog and then travel to Air Force and Minnesota to close out nonconference play. UCLA comes to visit in the Pac 12 opener and then it finally gets a quick break with games against Arizona and California before closing the season with six games against teams projected for winning seasons. The Buffaloes win total is set at 3.5 which seems about right based on the strength of this slate and it will take some upsets in the second half of the season to surpass that total. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 07/07/2022

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Jul 07, 2022

The Thursday sports card features MLB and CFL action.Major League Baseball has 13 games on its schedule. Two games throw out the first pitch at 2:10 PM ET. Houston hosts Kansas City with Justin Verlander taking the ball for the Astros against Kris Bubic of the Royals. The Astros are a -350 money line favorite with the total set at 8.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Cincinnati is at home against Pittsburgh, with the Reds pitching Mike Minor against the Pirates’ Roansy Contreras. The Reds are a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Philadelphia Phillies are at home against the Washington Nationals at 4:05 PM ET. Bailey Falter pitches for the Phillies against Joan Adon of the Nationals. Philadelphia is a -180 money line favorite with a total of 10. The Baltimore Orioles play at home against the Los Angeles Angels at 7:05 PM ET. The Orioles turn to Jordan Lyles in their starting rotation against the Angels’ Chase Silseth of the Angels. Baltimore is a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Three more MLB games start at 7:10 PM ET. New York travels to Boston with Gerrit Cole pitching for the Yankees against Josh Winckowski of the Red Sox. The Yankees are a -165 money line road favorite with a total of 9. New York is at home against Miami with the Mets pitching Trevor Williams against the Marlins Daniel Castrano. The Mets are a -170 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Pittsburgh visits Cincinnati with Bryse Wilson pitching for the Pirates against a starting pitcher yet to be named for the Reds. The Atlanta Braves host the St. Louis Cardinals at 7:20 PM ET. The Braves turn to Spencer Strider in their starting rotation against Matthew Liberatore of the Cardinals. Atlanta is a -210 money line favorite with a total of 9. The Chicago White Sox play at home against the Detroit Tigers at 8:10 PM ET. Dylan Cease takes the ball for the White Sox against Beau Brisk for the Tigers. Chicago is a -240 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two MLB games start at 9:40 PM ET. Colorado plays at Arizona with the Rockies turning to Austin Gomber in their rotation against Dallas Keuchel of the Diamondbacks. The Rockies are a -145 money line road favorite at BetRivers with a total of 9.5. San Diego is at home against San Francisco, with Joe Musgrove pitching for the Padres against Logan Webb for the Giants. The Padres are a -130 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. Two MLB games conclude the card at 10:10 PM ET. Los Angeles is at home against Chicago, with the Dodgers pitching Tony Gonsolin against Mark Leiter, Jr. of the Cubs. The Dodgers are a -275 money line favorite with a total of 8. Seattle hosts Toronto with Marco Gonzales pitching for the Mariners against a starting pitcher yet to be determined for the Blue Jays. 

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2022 Colorado St. Rams Preview

by Matt Fargo

Thursday, Jul 07, 2022

Colorado St. Rams2021-22 Season Record 3-9 (2-6 MWC Mountain) - 4-8-0 ATS - 6-6-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 6Defense - 6OverviewIt was a quick hook for head coach Steve Addazio who finished 3-9 in his first full season at Colorado St. and for a team that had not won more than seven games in five seasons before he arrived, it was a surprising fire. He might have just been a band-aid before the Rams got the guy they really wanted in Jay Norvell who made a lateral move in the MWC, coming over from Nevada. He went 33-26 with the Wolf Pack and while he did nothing spectacular there, Colorado St. upped the ante by offering him a $4 million raise that he could not pass up. Colorado St. was No. 57 in total offense and No. 66 in total defense last season which was not horrible but a six-game losing streak to end the year sealed the fate. The Rams have not won a bowl game since 2013 and even getting to the postseason in 2022 looks to be a challenge with all of the difficult games taking place on the road. OffenseAs mentioned, the offense was not horrible and should improve under Norvell and his wide open passing attack. Six starters return and five newcomers that will be taking over followed their coach to Colorado St. Quarterback Clay Millen only played in two games for the Wolf Pack last season but was the projected starter before making the move where he will take over right away. Along with him come two receivers in Tory Horton and Melquan Stovall who combined for 1,302 yards receiving on 11.4 yards per completion so there will be a seamless transition. The two top running backs are gone but potential is there with A'Jon Vivens and another Nevada transfer in Avery Morrow. The offensive line will be replacing four starters, all experienced transfers with two of those coming from, yes you guessed it, Nevada. It is an interesting mix but one that should prosper. DefenseThe defense was good but inconsistent last season especially down the stretch where the Rams allowed 37 ppg during the final six games. The strength is at linebacker where two of the top three returning tacklers reside and will be the core to get the unit into better situations. The defensive line features Mohamed Kamara at one end and he was a big disrupter as he had 6.5 sacks and with an upgrade on the other side, he should be even better. Overall, the Rams finished No. 24 with 83 tackles for loss and the pieces are in place for at least similar production with possible upside. Getting to the quarterback will be important with a secondary bringing in a lot of new faces. Three transfers come in to help a unit that finished No. 39 in passing defense but lost most everybody. Overall, the defense is in a good place that could improve if the chemistry holds. 2022 Season OutlookThis is a program that should be better than what has taken place over the last two decades with just one season with double-digit wins and while the Rams will not get there this season, the future looks bright with Norvell if he can bring in strong recruiting that was once one of the best in the conference. Colorado St. opens the season at Michigan as a four-touchdown underdog but then has three winnable games on deck with a matchup at Washington St. being a game that could light an early spark. Norvell then heads back to Nevada for the conference opener before a pair of home games against Utah St. and Hawaii. Three of the next four are on the road with two difficult ones at Boise St. and Air Force. The O/U win total is 5.5 and the schedule has five home games that should be won easily so it will take an upset on the road or Utah St. at home to get the over and a bowl invite. 

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2022 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Preview

by Matt Fargo

Wednesday, Jul 06, 2022

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers2021-22 Season Record 11-2 (6-2 SBC East) - 5-7-1 ATS - 6-7-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 4Defense - 3OverviewIn 2020, Coastal Carolina returned 14 starters and were one of a very few amount of teams that were able to play nearly a full schedule and it took advantage by going 11-0 in the regular season before losing to Liberty by three points in the Cure Bowl. Last season, the Chanticleers had one of the most experienced teams in the country as they had 19 starters back and used that to their advantage, rolling to an 11-2 record with the two losses coming by just five points. Things will be quite a bit different this season as only seven starters are back and Coastal Carolina in the third most inexperienced team in the country as far as returning production. Head coach Jamey Chadwell is in his fifth season and while it is a young team, he and his staff are doing something right and will again be a force in the Sun Belt but the Chanticleers will get the best out of every opponent. OffenseThe offense is nearly a complete rebuild but the Chanticleers have quarterback Grayson McCall to lead the unit following a sensational 2021 season. He threw for 2,558 yards with 23 touchdowns and only three interceptions and that is with missing two games for a second straight season. His TD/INT ratio is an incredible 46/5 over that span and now we will see what he is really made of. His leading returning receiver is a running back and the most productive returning receiver is Tyson Mobley with six catches for 82 yards. Braydon Bennett had 20 catches out of the backfield and he takes over the starting job after rushing for 528 yards while averaging a robust 7.8 ypc. The rushing aspect will be just fine as the offensive line, while a redo, is experienced as there was a lot of rotation and they know the system so there should not be a regression up front. DefenseCoastal Carolina was rock solid on defense in all aspects as they were No. 17 overall and No. 19 in points allowed but like the offense, new faces will be all over. The one weakness last season was taking the ball away as they forced only 12 turnovers, No. 112 in the nation, and law of averages should up that which is a necessity. The strength will be the defensive line headlined by tackle Josaiah Stewart who had 12.5 sacks and 43 tackles and overall, there is good size and decent depth that can again create a push. The back half of the front seven is more in trouble as the linebackers are very inexperienced and will be learning on the fly but being in the system for most of the potential starters is a plus. The secondary was also decimated with just one starter back and there is corner depth but the inside will need playmakers to step up. This is likely a unit that will fall off. 2022 Season OutlookFor a team that has played only five seasons at this level, the last two years have been pretty amazing even though the success has mostly come in the Sun Belt. The Chanticleers were 6-18 in their first three years in the conference and have gone 14-2 over the last two seasons and while there should be fewer wins, how many is debatable. Coaching has clearly played a big part in the success and this will be the biggest challenge for Chadwell but a big fall is unlikely. Coastal Carolina opens the season with a tough game against Army, part of three straight home games before conference play begins. Three of the four conference road games are against three of the worst teams and they get Appalachian St. at home. The O/U win total is 8 and this one looks like a crapshoot as we most likely will not know this team because of the turnover until after the first month is complete. 

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Countdown to NFL 2022-Part 3

by Larry Ness

Wednesday, Jul 06, 2022

The NFL played its first-ever 17-game season in 2021 (over 18 weeks) and that seems to be the 'new normal,' at least until the season is expanded to 18 games (wait for it!). Since it's 100 percent likely that anyone reading this article is betting on NFL games, I'll start with an ATS recap of the 2021 season, comparing it to the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Home teams went 132-123-1(.518) two seasons ago (2019), the worst record since the advent of the 16-game schedule. Then, in 2020, home teams had a losing record for the FIRST time in history, going 127-128-1. One could argue that empty and partially empty stadiums played a role in that. However, that situation no longer applied in 2021. That said, home teams struggled again in 2021, finishing just 138-131-1 (.517) SU and 128-140-2 ATS (47.8%). Home dogs used to be considered 'money in the bank' but home 'puppies' were only 34-69 (.330) SU, although they were a more respectable 49-54 (47.6%) ATS. For those O/U bettors, I hope you were an 'under' bettor, as there were 146 unders, 123 overs and three pushes (that's 54.3% favoring the under). The best ATS teams were Dallas (13-4) and Green Bay (12-5), followed by Detroit which was 11-6, despite going 3-13-1 SU. FIVE teams went 10-7. The worst ATS records belonged to 3-14 Jacksonville (5-12 ATS) and 5-12 Carolina (5-12 ATS). The 6-11 Bears, plus the 4-13 Giants and the 4-13 Jets all finished 6-11 ATS. The Vikings were the best 'Over' team (11-6) with the Chargers, Chiefs, Eagles and Jets going 10-7. The best 'Under' team was the Broncos (12 unders-to-5 overs), followed by the Giants (11-5-1) and the Steelers (11-6).Come mid-August, I will be offering my top selections for team over/under win totals for the 2022 regular season and in this article, I will review the NFL playoff structure, THEN and NOW!  The leagues merged in 1970 and the 'new' NFL (with 26 teams) reorganized into two conferences of three divisions each (AFC and NFC). For you old-timers or youngsters with a passion and appreciation for history, I highly recommend "The NFL, Year One" (The 1970 Season and the Dawn of Modern Football) by Brad Schultz. From the 1970 season to the 1977 season, four teams from each conference (for a total of eight teams) qualified for the playoffs each year, the three division champions plus a "wild card" team. Expansion came to the regular season in 1978, going from 14 games to 16. The league added one more wild card team for each conference, as the two wild card teams played the week before the division winners (wild card winner would then play the No. 1 seed from each conference). The 1990 season saw a third wild card team for each conference added, expanding the playoffs to twelve teams. The lowest-seeded division winner was then "demoted" to the wild card week, leaving the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in each conference with an opening 'bye week!'The 1990 format continued until the 2002 expansion (to 32 teams) and reorganization into eight divisions. In this format, the four division winners and two wild cards are seeded 1–6, with the top two seeds receiving byes, and the highest seed in each round guaranteed to play the lowest seed. There were calls to expand the playoffs to 14 teams beginning in 2006 but there were no changes made. However, the "COVID" season of 2020 brought the implementation of a 14-team playoff format, placing a third wild-card team in each conference, and only giving the top seed a bye. The current 14-team playoff field seems like the "new normal" but then again, don't bet on it.As we look ahead to what to expect in NFL 2022, we now have a two-decade history to look back on. On average, how many teams repeat their playoff appearance from one season to the next, compared to how many teams are making a playoff appearance the season after missing the postseason. As noted above, the 2002 playoff field expanded from 10 to 12 games and lasted through the 2019 postseason. So how many teams repeated their playoff appearance from the previous season, compared to teams making a playoff appearance after missing the postseason the previous year.Here's what my research revealed. 98 of 204 playoff teams repeated their playoff appearance from 2003 through 2019, while 106 teams were playoff 'newbies!' Doing the math, that means that on average, 48.0 percent of the teams were back in the playoffs the following season, while 52.0 percent of the teams were in the playoffs after missing the postseason the previous season. With the field expanding to 14 teams in 2020 (from 12), there were seven playoff participants from 2019 and seven non-playoff teams from 2019 in the 2020 field. For the 2021 postseason, six teams were playoff repeaters from 2020, while eight teams were new to the field from 2020.That's pretty consistent, so we should expect pretty much a 50-50 split, meaning about half of the coming playoff field will be teams that did NOT compete in last year's postseason. Just a thought. That kind of uncertainty ("On Any Given Sunday") just may be why the NFL stands atop the sporting world as "America's Game." Here's another great read, "America's Game" (The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured a Nation) by Michael MacCambridge,I'll be back next Wednesday (July 13th) with my first "real look" at NFL 2022. See you then.Good luck...Larry

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2022 Clemson Tigers Preview

by Matt Fargo

Wednesday, Jul 06, 2022

Clemson Tigers2021-22 Season Record 10-3 (6-2 ACC Atlantic) - 5-8-0 ATS - 4-8-1 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 9Defense - 6OverviewMost any team would take back-to-back 10-win seasons but those can be considered downers for Clemson after having won at least 12 games in the previous five campaigns. Still very damn good and the Tigers will look to extend their 11 consecutive double-digit win seasons in 2022 and they once again have the firepower to do so. Last year was the first one since 2014 that Clemson was not ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll at some point in the season as it got to No. 3 and finished No. 14, the third lowest in the 11 years. Head coach Dabo Swinney has built one of the best programs in the country and it is not going anywhere as it should roll through the ACC once again with a loaded roster that will improve in areas it fell short in 2021. The Tigers have the fourth lowest odds to win the National Championship at +1,000 so expectations remain sky high along with the other usual suspects. OffenseThe offense was easily the downfall for Clemson as it was No. 95 in total offense and No. 79 in scoring offense as it had its worst quarterback play in quite some time. D.J. Uiagalelei was bad as he completed only 54.7 percent of his passes while throwing nine touchdowns and nine interceptions and while he will come in as the starter unless fall camp is a disaster, he needs to pick it up with Cade Klubnik, a five-star recruit from Austin who bucked the Longhorns, ready and waiting. There are big time playmakers at receiver to get the ball to as the top target is gone but the next two in line in Joseph Ngata and Beaux Collins return. The running game was decent with Will Shipley and Kobe Pace sharing the carries and putting up 1,268 yards and should evolve more behind a veteran offensive line that did its job and will be better in opening holes and pass protection. DefenseClemson has had a slight drop off on defense the last two seasons but very slight and it finished No. 9 overall and No. 2 in scoring defense, allowing only 15.0 ppg. The Tigers bring back six starters and while the two top tacklers have moved on, they are loaded at every level. The strength is the defensive line with four potential NFL players manning a great run stopping unit and the ability to get to the quarterback. Clemson finished No. 8 in rushing defense and had 42 sacks which was tenth most in the nation so they will once again be all over the place in opponent backfields. Some key losses took place in the linebacking corps but there is experience and of course talent. Clemson was not great against the pass last year and have a bunch to replace as it lost both corners but just like every level, the newcomers are not green and should step in and be just fine. 2022 Season OutlookClemson has been so good and so dominant that it has been an underdog during the regular season only two times since 2015 and despite all of the chalk, they are still up in the money. The Tigers closed last season with six straight wins and they can carry that into this season although momentum is not an issue. They open with a conference game against Georgia Tech in Atlanta and then have a pair of nonconference home games against Furman and Louisiana Tech before going fully into the ACC. Three of the next four games are on the road with a couple small tests but nothing they should not get through. The final four conference games are at home with a game at Notre Dame mixed in and that could decide CFP or bust since it is in November. The O/U wins are at 10.5 and while that is big, they will be favored in every game with ND possibly an exception. 

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2022 Cincinnati Bearcats Preview

by Matt Fargo

Wednesday, Jul 06, 2022

Cincinnati Bearcats2021-22 Season Record 13-1 (8-0 AAC) - 9-5-0 ATS - 6-8-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 8Defense - 5Overview2021 was a season of firsts for Cincinnati as it won a program best 13 games and became the first non-power conference team to make the College Football Playoff. The Bearcats have gone 44-7 over the last four years including a 29-3 record in the AAC and while a drop-off is expected, it should not be much of one. They have been in the top 45 in recruiting over the last three seasons so while a lot of non-power teams have to rebuild, they are simply reloading. Head coach Luke Fickell has done an outstanding job at Cincinnati and while he has been the talk of landing a bigger job over the last couple years, he has stuck it out and with the Bearcats heading to the Big 12 starting next season, he is not going anywhere at this point. There is experience at all levels but Cincinnati enters the season with a returning production ranking of No. 92 so nothing will come easy. OffenseQuarterback Desmond Ridder is gone as is leading rusher Jerome Ford and leading receiver Alec Pierce so star power has to be replaced. Ridder was outstanding and his numbers will not be duplicated but Evan Prater is capable of leading an offense that still has plenty around him. Four of the other five top receivers are back and they combined for 1,485 yards with 17 touchdowns so there will be numerous options for Prater. The running game is a little murkier as Ford and Ridder were the two top rushers with a combined 1,603 yards and the Bearcats hope LSU transfer Corey Kiner can produce right away as he was the No. 9 ranked running back in the 2021 recruiting class. The strength is the offensive line as all five starters are back and the unit helped Cincinnati finish No. 42 in sacks allowed and No. 6 in tackles for loss allowed and will ease the transition along. DefenseThis is where it will be interesting. The Bearcats had one of the top defenses in the nation last year as they finished No. 8 in total defense and No. 5 in scoring defense but have to replace six starters. The strength of the defense a season ago was against the pass but three of the four starters are off to the NFL and there is expected to be a big drop-off in the secondary. If it was a stronger conference then things could be really dicey but the AAC is not a lethal passing league and the early schedule should help the changeover. Two of the top linebackers are also gone and this poses a problem stuffing the run which was the weakness last season if being ranked No. 44 is considered a weakness. The defensive line is in fine shape with three important pieces returning. The Bearcats were tied for third in the nation with 30 takeaways and coming even close to that will be a bonus. 2022 Season OutlookExpectations are high but not to the level of what transpired last year and the Bearcats will have a target on their back every game. Cincinnati ran through the conference once again and should produce a repeat of that. The Bearcats open the season at a vastly improved Arkansas team and if they can pull off the upset as a touchdown underdog, another undefeated season is more than attainable if it can catch some breaks like last season. The other three nonconference games are against Kennesaw St., Miami and Indiana and while the AAC is not a strong conference, they face five teams with wins totals of six or more, three of those on the road, so there are roadblocks along the way. The Cincinnati O/U win total is 9 and while only three of its games last year were decided by a possession, expect that to be higher so if it can handle the close ones, double-digit wins are likely. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 07/06/2022

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Jul 06, 2022

The Wednesday sports card features MLB action.Major League Baseball has 14 games on its schedule. The Cleveland Guardians visit Detroit to play the Tigers at 1:10 PM ET. Shane Bieber pitches for the Guardians against Michael Pineda of the Tigers. Cleveland is a -170 money line road favorite with the total set at 7.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 2:10 PM ET. Milwaukee plays at home against Chicago, with the Brewers giving the ball to Corbin Burnes to pitch against the Cubs’ Adrian Sampson. The Brewers are a -245 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Minnesota plays at Chicago with Joe Ryan pitching for the Twins against Lance Lynn of the White Sox. Both teams are priced at -110 with a total of 8.5. The Toronto Blue Jays travel to Oakland to play the A’s at 3:37 PM ET. The Blue Jays turn to Jose Berrios in their starting rotation against the A’s James Kaprielian. Toronto is a -180 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two more MLB games start at 6:40 PM ET. Los Angeles visits Miami with Shohei Ohtani pitching for the Angels against Trevor Rogers of the Marlins. The Angels are a -170 money line road favorite with a total of 7. New York plays at Cincinnati with the Mets tapping David Peterson to face the Reds’ Graham Ashcraft. The Mets are a -170 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Three MLB games begin at 7:05 PM ET. Texas is at Baltimore with Glenn Otto facing the Orioles’ Spenser Watkins. The Rangers are a -115 money line road favorite with a total of 9.5. Philadelphia hosts Washington with Aaron Nola taking the mound for the Phillies against Josiah Gray on the hill for the Nationals. The Phillies are a -215 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. New York travels to Pittsburgh with the Yankees pitching Luis Severino against the Pirates’ Mitch Keller. The Yankees are a -245 money line road favorite at BetRivers with a total of 9. The Boston Red Sox are at home against the Tampa Bay Rays at 7:10 PM ET. Brayan Bello makes his Major League debut on the mound for the Red Sox against Corey Kluber of the Rays. Boston is a -135 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Atlanta Braves host the St. Louis Cardinals on ESPN at 7:20 PM ET. The Braves turn to Max Fried in their rotation to pitch against the Cardinals’ Miles Mikolas. Atlanta is a -180 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Houston Astros play at home against the Kansas City Royals at 8:10 PM ET. Cristian Javier takes the mound for the Astros to duel against Brad Keller of the Astros. Houston is a -260 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The San Francisco Giants visit the Arizona Diamondbacks at 9:40 PM ET. The Giants turn to Alex Cobb to pitch against the Diamondbacks’ Merrill Kelly. San Francisco is a -130 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The Colorado Rockies play in Los Angeles against the Dodgers at 10:10 PM ET. Jose Arena got called up from the minors to take the hill for the Rockies against Mitch White for the Dodgers.

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2022 Charlotte 49ers Preview

by Matt Fargo

Tuesday, Jul 05, 2022

Charlotte 49ers2021-22 Season Record 5-7 (3-5 C-USA East) - 5-6-1 ATS - 6-6-0 O/UReturning StartersOffense - 8Defense - 6OverviewThis is the eighth season for Charlotte playing college football and while there has not been a ton of success, it has been relatively competitive. The 49ers went to their first bowl game in 2019 following a 7-5 regular season but it has had two straight losing seasons heading into a possible turnaround in 2022. Charlotte was on its way to its second ever bowl game last season, winning five of its first nine games but closed the season with three straight blowout losses to finish 5-7. Head coach Will Healey enters his fourth season and will likely need a winning campaign and a trip to a bowl game to save his job. The 49ers bring back one of the most experienced offenses in the country so the potential is there on that side and they will have to outscore opponents because of a questionable defense. The schedule is on their side to get it done with three winnable conference road games. OffenseEight starters return on an offense that finished No. 66 in the country, averaging 404.3 ypg, and the unit comes into the season ranked No. 8 in returning production. Quarterback Chris Reynolds enters his fourth season as the full time starter and he was excellent last year, throwing for 2,684 yards with 26 touchdowns and only nine interceptions. The passing game can be even better as he has his top three weapons back led by Grant Dubose and Victor Tucker who combined for close to 60 percent of the receiving yards. The offensive line was decent with protection as it allowed 25 sacks and should cut that down as four starters are back. The running game lacks a go to star but it is a two-headed attack of Calvin Camp and Shadrick Byrd that combined for 1,218 yards on 5.0 ypc last season so the spread offense is balanced enough to keep defenses on their toes. DefenseThis is where the 49ers season will likely be decided. The defense was awful last season as Charlotte allowed 465.3 ypg which was No. 120 in the nation and each unit was bad as it finished No. 112 in passing defense and No. 116 in rushing defense. After allowing 38 points or more in half of their games, the 49ers have to improve in a hurry. There is experience coming back as they do return six starters but the players gone were some of the best. Charlotte lost three of its top four tacklers as the linebacking corps is the biggest work in progress. It will hope to apply more pressure to the quarterback as the 49ers had only 16 sacks last season which was tied for No. 118 in the nation and while the defensive line is small, it is quick to get into the backfield. The secondary is experienced and deep led by safeties Solomon Rogers and Marcus Robitaille but more takeaways are needed.  2022 Season OutlookIt is a make or break season for Healey who has a career 15-17 record in Charlotte and while he has not had any disastrous seasons, his teams have put up some individual game clunkers with 16 of the 17 losses coming by double-digits and by an average of 21.3 ppg. Not ideal. He has to take advantage of the offense he has in place and hope the defense can at least do an average job. The 49ers start conference play right out of the gate as they travel to face Florida Atlantic and then plays four straight non-conference games, three of which are likely losses. Two of the three remaining C-USA road games are winnable at Rice and Middle Tennessee St. and they should take three of the four conference games at home. The O/U win total is 5.5 so win the games it should and Charlotte will finish at least 6-6 and can be better if it can pull an upset or two along the way. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 07/05/2022

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Jul 05, 2022

The Tuesday sports card features MLB action.Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The San Diego Padres host the Seattle Mariners at 4:10 PM ET. Mike Clevinger takes the ball for the Padres against Logan Gilbert for the Mariners. San Diego is a -130 money line favorite, with the total set at 7. Two MLB games throw out the pitch at 6:40 PM ET. New York plays at Cincinnati with the Mets pitching Max Scherzer against the Reds Nick Lodolo. The Mets are a -195 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Miami is at home against Los Angeles, with Sandy Alcantara taking the ball for the Marlins against Noah Syndergaard for the Angels. The Marlins are a -140 money line favorite with a total of 7.Three MLB games start at 7:05 PM ET. Baltimore hosts Texas, with the Orioles turning to Austin Voth in their starting rotation against the Rangers’ Spencer Howard. Baltimore is a -115 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Philadelphia is at home against Washington, with Cristopher Sanchez getting called up from Triple-A to make the start for the Phillies against Paolo Espino of the Nationals. The Phillies are a -155 money line favorite with a total of 9.5. New York travels to Pittsburgh with the Yankees going with Jameson Taillon on the mound against Jose Quintana for the Pirates. The Yankees are a -215 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two MLB games begin at 7:10 PM ET. Cleveland visits Detroit with the Guardians pitching Cal Quantrill against the Tigers Drew Hutchison. The Guardians are a -150 money line road favorite with a total of 9. Boston is at home against Tampa Bay on TBS with Nick Pivetta pitching for the Red Sox against Jeffrey Springs for the Rays. The Red Sox are a -125 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. The Atlanta Braves host the St. Louis Cardinals at 7:20 PM ET. The Braves turn to Ian Anderson in their starting rotation against the Cardinals Andre Pallante. Three MLB games start at 8:10 PM ET. Chicago plays at home against Minnesota with Michael Kopech pitching for the White Sox against Chris Archer of the Twins. The White Sox are a -130 money line favorite with a total of 9. Houston is at home against Kansas City with Luis Garcia pitching for the Astros against Zack Greinke of the Royals. The Astros are a -225 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Milwaukee hosts Chicago with the Brewers tapping Jason Alexander to start against the Cubs’ Kyle Hendricks. The Brewers are a -140 money line favorite with a total of 9. Two MLB games begin at 9:40 PM ET. San Francisco travels to Arizona with Alex Wood pitching for the Giants against Tyler Gilbert of the Diamondbacks. Toronto plays at Oakland with the Blue Jays turning to Yusei Kikuchi to pitching against the A’s Adrian Martinez. The Blue Jays are a -190 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. The Los Angeles Dodgers are at home against the Colorado Rockies at 10:10 PM ET. Mitch White pitches for the Dodgers against German Marquez of the Rockies. The Dodgers are a -230 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. 

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