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MLB: Handicapping the Wild Card Races

by Power Sports

Tuesday, Aug 31, 2021

Our monthly look at Major League Baseball will focus on the respective Wild Card races in the American and National Leagues. Over the course of the final month of the regular season, this figures to be where all the intrigue is.In the AL, it’s safe to say current division leaders Tampa Bay, Chicago & Houston will be involved in the postseason. All three have near 100 percent odds of making the playoffs at this point. Honestly, I’d be shocked if any team out of the trio failed to win its division.The Wild Card race is pretty wide open though with five teams battling for the two spots. From the East, you’ve got the Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays. From the West, the A’s and Mariners are in contention. There will not be a second team from the Central in this postseason.Those of you that have read any of my previous articles, or followed my picks throughout the year, know that I am completely dismissive of the Mariners’ chances. They are 70-62 but have a -61 run differential. Their expected number of wins, based on that run differential, is 59. They are the only team in baseball that has outperformed its win expectation by more than five games. The Mariners’ good fortune in games decided by one run and extra innings will run out. As of this writing, five of Seattle’s next eight games are against Houston. They lost Monday to the Astros … by one run. It feels as if we’ve already seen the “best” from the Yankees, Red Sox and A’s this season. The Yankees recently had a 13-game win streak snapped and have now lost three in a row. The Red Sox were 52-31 on July 2nd. They have gone just 23-27 since. The A’s, like the Yankees, had their own 13-game win streak this season. Theirs came all the way back in April. Take that away and they’ve been a .500 team the rest of the year.I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Toronto is the team to keep an eye on. Yes, they trail the three teams I just mentioned. But their run differential (+118) is vastly superior. (Note: I always harp on run differential because I think it’s a better measure of a team’s performance than won-loss record). Ten of the Blue Jays’ final 33 games are against the worst team in baseball, Baltimore, including the last series of the season (and that’s at home). The Jays also have seven games left against another last place team, Minnesota. My picks for the two Wild Card spots are the Blue Jays and Yankees. New York has the best record in games decided by two runs or fewer, so they have been a little lucky in 2021. Boston has scored the most runs of the three, but also allowed the most. Oakland really doesn’t do it for me.Over in the National League, things aren’t nearly as wide-open. The Giants, Dodgers and Brewers are all shoo-ins for the playoffs. Last month, we told you to take note of Atlanta and they’ve seized control of the East. Based on the run differentials in that division, you have to think the Braves are winning it for a fourth straight year.Whomever doesn’t win the West - the Giants or Dodgers - will obviously be the top Wild Card in the Senior Circuit. The second Wild Card comes down to the likes of the Reds, Padres, Cardinals and Phillies. Look, whoever it ends up being will be a massive ‘dog in the WC game and will probably lose. I don’t have particularly strong feelings on this race. It feels like it’s San Diego’s to lose. The fact they’ve lost 13 of their last 17 games but are only one-half game behind Cincinnati tells me that any righting of the ship should guarantee the spot. They have the best run differential of the four teams. The Cardinals and Phillies both have negative run differentials, so I’m skeptical of them. The Padres have a ton of games left vs. the Giants and Dodgers though and an interleague series with Houston. It’s also not good that 20 of the Padres’ final 32 games are on the road. They are 41-29 at home, but below .500 on the road. The Reds have nine games left vs. Pittsburgh plus seven more with the Cubs and Nationals. I think they will make the playoffs. 

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2021 NFL Preseason: A Point Spread Review

by Al McMordie

Tuesday, Aug 31, 2021

The 2021 NFL Preseason is in the rear view mirror.  And it was the first season of a new 3-game format adopted by the league.  This new format significantly changed how many teams approached the preseason games.  And, as a result, many handicappers had to adjust, as the old "Week 3 Dress Rehearsal Game" went out the window.  Instead, many teams just shelved their key starters for much, if not all of the preseason.Let's take a look at the final data.Home teams:  13-32-2 ATSRoad teams:  32-13-2 ATSFavorites:  24-22-2 ATSUnderdogs:  22-24-2 ATSOvers:  27-20-1 Unders:  20-27-1Teams off a win vs. an opponent not off a win:  14-9-1 ATS, including 12-3 ATS on the roadTeams off a loss vs. an opponent not off a loss:  9-14-1 ATS, including 3-11 ATS at homeTeams off back-to-back losses vs. an opponent not off back-to-back losses:  7-4 ATS, including 4-1 ATS on the roadTeams off back-to-back wins vs. an opponent not off back-to-back wins:  4-8-1 ATS, including 1-5-1 ATS at homeTeams that covered their previous game by 10+ points:  8-4-1 ATS, including 7-2 ATS on the roadTeams that failed to cover their previous game by 10+ points:  5-7-1 ATS, including 2-5 ATS at homeTeams that won their previous game by 10+ points:  7-4-1 ATS, including 6-2 ATS on the roadTeams that lost their previoius game by 10+ points:  5-6-1 ATS, including 2-4 ATS at homeClearly, the one thing which jumps out is the extremely poor play of the home teams.  In seasons past, the NFL coaches perhaps tried to be more competitive in front of their home faithful.  This Preseason, many of the coaches simply couldn't be bothered to reward their fans in attendance.But even though things changed, one thing remained the same:  the Preseason dominance of the Baltimore Ravens.  John Harbaugh's men stretched their Preseason win streak to 20 games.  And they covered all three contests.  They're now 17-2-1 ATS in the Preseason since 2016.  And, perhaps most impressively, their only two ATS losses were by 1 points each!  It did, however, come with a cost this year, as #1 RB, JK Dobbins, sustained a season-ending injury in a meaningless Week 3 game.  So, it will be quite interesting to see whether Harbaugh changes his approach to these exhibition games in 2022.Good luck, as always...Al McMordie

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and WNBA Previews and Odds - 08/31/2021

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Aug 31, 2021

The Tuesday sports card features action in MLB and the WNBA.Fifteen games are on the MLB docket. Cincinnati hosts St. Louis at 6:40 PM ET in the second game of their three-game series. The Reds pitch Sonny Gray against the Cardinals’ Miles Mikolas. Cincinnati is a -160 money line favorite, with the total set at 9 (all odds from DraftKings). Toronto is at home against Baltimore at 7:07 PM ET in Game 2 of their three-game series. Hyun Jin-Ryu pitches for the Blue Jays against Keegan Akin of the Orioles. Toronto is a -350 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5.  Washington plays at home against Philadelphia at 7:08 PM ET in the middle contest in their three-game series. Patrick Corbin pitchers for the Nationals against Matt Moore of the Phillies. Washington is a -115 money line favorite with a total of 9.5. Three games begin at 7:10 PM ET. The New York Mets are at home against Miami in the opener of their three-game series. The Mets pitch Trevor Williams against a Marlins’ starter that has yet to be named. New York is a -240 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Tampa Bay is at home against Boston in Game 2 of their four-game series. Ryan Yarbrough pitches for the Rays against a starting pitcher yet to be determined for the Red Sox. Tampa Bay is a -135 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Oakland travels to Detroit for the opening game of their three-game series. The A’s pitch Cole Irvin against the Tigers’ Tarik Skubal. Oakland is a -115 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Colorado plays at Texas at 8:10 PM ET in the second game of their three-game series. Austin Gomber pitches for the Rockies against Jordan Lyles of the Rangers. Colorado is a -135 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Three games begin at 8:10 PM ET. Minnesota hosts the Chicago Cubs in the opener of their two-game series. The Twins pitch John Gant against the Cubs’ Zach Davies. Minnesota is a -165 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Kansas City plays at home against Cleveland in the first game of their three-game series. Mike Minor pitches for the Royals against the Indians Zach Plesac. Kansas City is a -125 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. The Chicago White Sox are at home against Pittsburgh in Game 1 of their two-game series. The White Sox pitch Lucas Giolito against the Pirates’ Bryse Wilson. Chicago is a -335 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The New York Yankees play at Los Angeles against the Angels at 9:38 PM ET in the second game of their three-game series. Jameson Taillon pitches for the Yankees against Jaime Barria of the Angels. New York is a -129 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. San Diego is at Arizona at 9:40 PM ET in Game 2 of their three-game series. The Padres pitch Blake Snell against the Diamondbacks’ Zac Gallen. San Diego is a -165 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Milwaukee plays at San Francisco on FS1 at 9:45 PM ET in the second game of their four-game series. Brandon Woodruff pitches for the Brewers against an undecided starting pitcher for the Giants. Milwaukee is a -135 money line road favorite with a total of 7.5. Two games conclude the MLB card at 10:10 PM ET. The Los Angeles Dodgers are at home against Atlanta in Game 2 of their three-game series. The Dodgers pitch Walker Buehler against the Braves’ Charlie Morton. Los Angeles is a -180 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Houston Astros are at Seattle in the second game of their three-game series. Lance McCullers pitches for the Astros against the Mariners’ Yusei Kikuchi. Houston is a -165 money line road favorite with a total of 8.Four games are on the WNBA slate. Los Angeles visits Indiana at 7 PM ET. Connecticut plays at Washington at 7 PM ET. New York travels to Minnesota at 8 PM ET. Chicago is at Phoenix at 10 PM ET.

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Ness Notes: NFL 2021: 18 Weeks / 17 Games

by Larry Ness

Monday, Aug 30, 2021

I'm a bit of a history buff, so bear with me. In its early years, the NFL did not have a set schedule, as teams played a different amount of games, competing against independent professional, college, or amateur teams. Then, from 1926 through 1946, NFL teams played as few as 11 games and as many 14 games per season. From 1947 through 1960, each NFL team played 12 games per season. The American Football League began play in 1960 and introduced a balanced schedule of 14 games per team over a 15-week season, in which each of the eight teams played each of the other teams twice, with one bye week. The NFL (under Pete Rozelle) quickly realized it had a serious competitor. The NFL quickly expanded in 1961, moving to a 14-game schedule, which remained in place through 1977.The league changed its schedule to include 16 regular season games in 1978 and through 1989, the 16 games were played over 16 weeks. The NFL introduced a bye week to the schedule in 1990, as each team played 16 regular season games over 17 weeks. Each team would have a weekend off during the regular season, on a rotating basis. Welcome to 2021, as the NFL will begin play on September 9, as teams will play 17 regular season games over 18 weeks. The just completed preseason was shortened to three weeks and I'll have a comment or two on that at the end of the article.With the 16-game schedule now clearly in our rearview mirror, let's take a quick trip back down memory lane. Which teams had the best and worst records during the 43-year, 16-game era? After some research, here's what I found. Of the 32 teams, I guess we shouldn't be too surprised to find that 16 teams had winning records, while 16 had losing records (a perfect 50-50 split). The top-5 records belong to the Pittsburgh Steelers (413-265-2, .609), the New England Patriots (410-270, .603),  the Denver Broncos, (394-285-1, .580), the Green Bay Packers (381-293-6, .565) and the Baltimore Ravens (225-174-1, .564). Note: The Ravens joined the league in 1996. The bottom-5 records belong to the Detroit Lions (268-410-2, .396), the Cleveland Browns (251-379-2, .399), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (276-403-1, .407), the Arizona Cardinals (276-400-4, .409) and the Jacksonville Jaguars (177-239, .425). Note; The Browns sat out a three-year span from 1996-98 and the Jaguars didn't join the NFL until the 1995 season.However, when all is said and done, Super Bowl trophies count for more than regular-season wins. The Steelers won four Super Bowl rings in the 16-game era, which is tied for third-most with the NY Giants, who just barely own a winning record since 1978 at 340-338-2 (.501). The San Francisco 49ers (regular season record of 375-302-2, .553 ranks 7th-best) are second with five Super Bowl rings and naturally, the New England Patriots top the list with six Super Bowl rings. The Tampa Bay Bucs deserve a special 'shout-out,' as despite owning the 3rd-worst regular season record during the 16-game era (see above), the team has actually been able to win TWO Super Bowl rings following the 2002 and 2020 regular seasons.With the addition of one more regular season game, the NFL cut the 2021 preseason to three games for each team. The exceptions were Dallas and Pittsburgh, which played a fourth game by meeting in the Hall of Fame Game. Hurricane Ida forced the cancelation of last Saturday's Arizona/New Orleans contest, so the Cardinals and Saints played just two preseason contests. Here's a quick recap of NFLX 2021.The Baltimore Ravens extended their preseason winning streak to 20 consecutive victories by going 3-0 SU and ATS. The Ravens are one of seven unbeaten teams, joined by (in alphabetical order) the Bills, Broncos, Browns, Colts, Chiefs and Pats. The Bills joined the Ravens at 3-0 ATS and the Colts checked in at 2-0-1 ATS. You just may have noticed that all SEVEN unbeatens play in the AFC. The NFC saw EIGHT teams go winless, highlighted (lowlighted?) by the 0-3 SU and ATS Falcons and Packers. Are rumors true that Rodgers is trying to get back in touch with the people at Jeopardy? One final thought. The NFC East 'earned' the moniker of NFC 'Least' in 2020, when all four teams finished below .500 and the Washington Football Team won the division at 7-9. In the just completed preseason, Washington was the ONLY team in the NFC East to win a game, going 1-2 SU but 0-3 ATS. As for the Cowboys, Eagles and Giants, they combined to go 0-9-1. Quoting Jackie Gleason (with respect to Wayne Gretzky, the original "Great One"), "And away we go!"As Arnold once famously said, "I'll be back" (on Sep 9).Good luck...Larry

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2021 NFL: AFC South Division Preview

by Sean Murphy

Monday, Aug 30, 2021

We continue our series of NFL division previews with the AFC South. All four teams have questions entering the 2021 season. Here's a quick look at what to expect.Odds to win (courtesy of BetOnline)Tennessee Titans -120Indianapolis Colts +160Jacksonville Jaguars +600Houston Texans +2800Tennessee TitansThe Titans draw a bit of a tough hand, playing 12 consecutive weeks before reaching their bye in Week 13. Tennessee of course remains absolutely loaded on offense with QB Ryan Tannehill continuing his ascension and another big-time weapon to work with in WR Julio Jones. The future Hall-of-Famer is likely to play second fiddle to A.J. Brown and that should suit Jones just fine after he became used to blanket-coverage in Atlanta. Derrick Henry is in line for some regression off a 2,000 yard season but remains well-positioned to run wild behind an elite offensive line. I mentioned that every team in the division has questions to answer, and for the Titans it relates to their defense. They were involved in more shootouts than they would like a year ago but fortunately for them, they have the division's best offense by a longshot. Indianapolis ColtsThere's lots of potential in Indianapolis but the summer hasn't exactly gone as planned with Carson Wentz dealing with an injury, and now Covid protocols. Jacob Eason and Sam Ehlinger spent the month of August battling for the backup (and perhaps opening day) starting job. With Ehlinger going down to injury we're likely to see either Wentz (provided he can get out of Covid protocol) or Eason under center. Regardless, the focal point of the offense should be the ground attack led by sophomore starter Jonathan Taylor. With T.Y. Hilton going down to injury, the wide receiving corps is a big question mark. Can Michael Pittman Jr. rise to the occasion and enjoy a breakout campaign? Defensively, the Colts are set. They have the personnel in place to once again boast one of the league's most stout defenses. Indy won't hit the road until Week 3, when it faces Tennessee in a key division clash.Jacksonville JaguarsThe Jags finally have their quarterback in first overall draft pick Trevor Lawrence and the starting job is all his with Gardner Minshew being dealt to the Eagles in late August. While Lawrence didn't always impress in preseason action, he seemed to get better with each passing game and should have a wealth of weapons to work with in the Jags offense. That won't include rookie RB Travis Etienne as he suffered a season-ending injury during the preseason. James Robinson proved his is more than capable of shouldering the load last season, however. The aerial attack is well-positioned for success with the likes of D.J. Chark and Laviska Shenault Jr. building a rapport with Lawrence. Unfortunately the Jags defense is still a year or two away from holding up its end of the bargain, or that's the hope anyway. Outside of the Titans, it's hard to say whether the Jags other AFC South rivals can take full advantage of their defensive flaws.Houston TexansThere's little reason for optimism in Houston. QB DeShaun Watson remains a big question mark as he waits for a trade while he deals with legal issues. Journeyman QB Tyrod Taylor is likely their best option under center. Oft-injured WR Will Fuller has moved on to Miami. RB David Johnson is a shell of his former self. The offensive cupboard is alarmingly bare. Meanwhile, the face of the defense for so many years, J.J. Watt, bolted for greener pastures in Arizona. This is a team that is desperately lacking an identity and most project it finishing dead last not only in the AFC South, but in the entire league. The Texans will alternate home and away games for the first six weeks of the season, beginning with a contest against the Jaguars in Week 1. Their lone primetime game comes in Week 3 at home against Carolina. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 08/30/2021

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Aug 30, 2021

The Monday sports card features 11 games in MLB.One game takes place in the afternoon. Minnesota visits Detroit at 2:10 PM ET. The Twins had their two-game winning streak end with a 6-2 loss to Milwaukee on Sunday. The Tigers have lost three of their last four in a 2-1 loss to Toronto yesterday. Minnesota pitches Bailey Ober against Detroit’s Casey Mize. The Twins are a -125 money line road favorite with the total set at 9 (all odds from DraftKings).Cincinnati hosts St. Louis at 6:40 PM ET. The Reds have lost four of six after their 2-1 loss at Miami on Sunday. The Cardinals had won two in a row before yesterday’s loss. Luis Castillo pitches for Cincinnati against Jon Lester for St. Louis. The Reds are a -190 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Philadelphia visits Washington at 7:05 PM ET. The Phillies have won three in a row after their 7-4 win at Arizona yesterday. The Nationals have lost four of five after their 9-1 loss in New York against the Mets. Philadelphia pitches Zack Wheeler against Washington’s Josiah Gray. The Phillies are a -190 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Toronto hosts Baltimore at 7:07 PM ET. The Blue Jays have won two in a row after their 2-1 win at Detroit yesterday. The Orioles have lost 22 of their 25 games after their 12-8 loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday. Robbie Ray pitches for Toronto against Chris Ellis for Baltimore. The Blue Jays are a -310 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Tampa Bay plays at home against Boston on ESPN at 7:10 PM ET. The Rays have won seven in a row after a 12-8 win at Baltimore yesterday. The Red Sox’s three-game winning streak ended with a 7-5 defeat at Cleveland on Sunday. Tampa Bay pitches Luis Patino against the Red Sox’s Nick Pivetta. Tampa Bay is a -135 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Colorado visits Texas at 8:05 PM ET. The Rockies have won three of four after their 5-0 win at Los Angeles against the Dodgers yesterday. The Rangers ended their four-game losing streak with their 13-2 win against Houston. Colorado pitches German Marquez against Los Angeles’ A.J. Alexy. The Rockies are a -150 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5.The New York Yankees travel to Los Angeles to play the Angels at 9:38 PM ET. The Yankees had won 13 in a row but are now on a two-game losing streak after their 3-1 loss at Oakland last night. The Angels ended their three-game losing streak with a 10-2 victory against San Diego yesterday. Corey Kluber is on the mound for New York against a starting pitcher yet to be determined for Los Angeles. The Yankees are a -145 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. San Diego visits Arizona at 9:40 PM ET. The Padres have lost six of seven after their after a 10-2 loss in Los Angeles against the Angels yesterday. The Diamondbacks have lost three in a row after a 7-4 loss at Philadelphia on Sunday. San Diego pitches Chris Paddack against Arizona’s Tyler Gilbert. The Padres are a -170 money line road favorite with a total of 9. Milwaukee visits San Francisco at 9:45 PM ET. The Brewers ended their three-game losing streak with a 6-2 victory at Minnesota yesterday. The Giants have lost two of three after a 9-0 loss at Atlanta on Sunday. Corbin Burnes is pitching for Milwaukee against Johnny Cueto for San Francisco. The Brewers are a -145 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Two games conclude the card at 10:10 PM ET. Houston travels to Seattle. The Astros had their four-game winning streak end with their 13-2 loss to Texas yesterday. The Mariners ended their three-game losing streak with a 4-3 win against Kansas City on Sunday. The Astros pitch Luis Garcia against the Mariners Chris Flexen. Houston is a -160 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers host Atlanta on ESPN after losing their second game in their last three in a 5-0 loss to Colorado. The Braves have won two of three after a 9-0 win against San Francisco on Sunday. Julio Urias pitches for the Dodgers against Atlanta’s Drew Smyly. Los Angeles is a -200 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: EPL, CFL, WNBA, MLB and NFL Previews and Odds - 08/29/2021

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Aug 29, 2021

The Sunday sports card features action in the NFL preseason, MLB, CFL, WNBA, and EPL.Five games conclude the NFL preseason. Jacksonville travels to Dallas on the NFL Network at 1 PM ET. The Jaguars are a 3.5-point road favorite with the total set at 36.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Cincinnati hosts Miami on CBS at 4 PM ET. The Bengals are a 2-point favorite with an over/under of 36.5. San Francisco plays at home against Las Vegas on the NFL Network at 4 PM ET as a 5-point favorite with a total of 35.5. New England visits the Meadowlands to play the New York Giants on the NFL Network at 6 PM ET. The Patriots are a 3.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 35.5. Cleveland plays at Atlanta on NBC at 8 PM ET. The Browns are a 5.5-point road favorite with a total of 36. Fourteen games are on the MLB docket. Three games start at 1:05 PM ET. Philadelphia plays at home against Arizona as a -190 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Tampa Bay is at Baltimore as a -240 money line road favorite with a total of 10.5. St. Louis plays at Pittsburgh as a -170 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5.Four games begin at 1:10 PM ET. Cincinnati concludes their series at Miami as a -180 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Toronto plays at Detroit as a -170 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Boston is at Cleveland as a -160 money line road favorite with a total of 9.5. The New York Mets are at home against Washington as a -180 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Atlanta plays at home against San Francisco on TBS at 1:20 PM ET. The Braves are a -120 money line favorite with a total of 9. Two games start at 2:10 PM ET. Milwaukee is at Minnesota as a -160 money line road favorite with an over/under of 10. The Chicago White Sox are at home against the Chicago Cubs as a -220 money line favorite with a total of 9. Houston plays at Texas at 2:35 PM ET as a -225 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two games begin at 4:10 PM ET. The Los Angeles Dodgers are at home against Colorado as a -240 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Seattle plays at home against Kansas City as a -170 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The New York Yankees conclude their series in Oakland on ESPN at 7:08 PM ET. The Yankees are a -150 money line road favorite with a total of 9.Week 3 of the Canadian Football League concludes with Winnipeg hosting Calgary on ESPN2 at 7 PM ET. The Bluebombers are a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 44. One game is on the WNBA slate. Chicago travels to Seattle at 6 PM ET.The third week of the English Premier League finishes up with three matches. Leeds United visits Burnley on the NBC Sports Network at 9 AM ET as a -0.25 goal line road favorite with a total of 2.75. Tottenham hosts Watford on Peacock at 9 AM ET as a -1.25 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Manchester United travels to Wolverhampton on the NBC Sports Network at 11 AM ET as a -0.75 goal line road favorite with a total of 2.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, NFL, MLB, CFL, WNBA and EPL Previews and Odds - 08/28/2021

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Aug 28, 2021

The Saturday sports card features action in NCAAF, NFL preseason, MLB, CFL, WNBA, and EPL.Four games between FBS opponents kick off the 2021-22 college football season. Nebraska visits Illinois on Fox at noon ET. The Cornhuskers are a 7-point road favorite with the total set at 53 (all odds from DraftKings except when indicated otherwise). Fresno State hosts Connecticut on the CBS Sports Network at 2 PM ET. The Bulldogs are 27.5-point favorites with an over/under of 63.5. UCLA plays at home against Hawaii on ESPN at 3:30 PM ET. The Bruins are a 17-point favorite with a total of 67.5. UTEP travels to New Mexico State at 9:30 PM ET as a 10-point road favorite with an over/under of 58.5.Six games continue the third full week of the NFL preseason. The Arizona/New Orleans game got canceled due to Hurricane Ida. Buffalo is at home against Green Bay on the NFL Network at 1 PM ET. The Bills are a 9.5-point favorite with a total of 36.5. Baltimore plays at Washington at 6 PM ET as a 3.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 32.5. Chicago travels to Tennessee on the NFL Network at 7 PM ET. The Bears are a 3-point road favorite with a total of 35.5. Tampa Bay plays at Houston at 8 PM ET as a 4.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 36.5. Denver hosts the Los Angeles Rams at 9:05 PM ET as an 8.5-point favorite with a total of 33.5. Seattle plays at home on the NFL Network at 10 PM ET. The Seahawks are a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 35. Fifteen games are on the MLB docket. Three games start in the afternoon. Boston plays at Cleveland on FS1 at 4:05 PM ET as a -150 money line road favorite with a total of 9. The New York Yankees are in Oakland to play the A’s at 4:07 PM ET as a -115 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Seattle is at home against Kansas City at 4:10 PM ET as a -155 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Philadelphia hosts Arizona at 6:05 PM ET as a -210 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Two games begin at 6:10 PM ET. Toronto is at Detroit as a -183 money line road favorite at 5Dimes with a total of 9.5. Cincinnati plays at Miami as a -115 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Three games start at 7:05 PM ET. Houston is at Texas as a -250 money line road favorite with a total of 9. Tampa Bay plays at Baltimore as a -190 money line road favorite at 5Dimes with an over/under of 9.5. St. Louis continues their series at Pittsburgh as a -180 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Three games start at 7:10 PM ET. The Chicago White Sox play at home against the Chicago Cubs as a -300 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The New York Mets are at home against Washington as a -220 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Milwaukee is at Minnesota as a -150 money line road favorite with an over/under of 10. Atlanta hosts San Francisco at 7:20 PM ET as a -115 money line favorite with a total of 9. San Diego plays in Los Angeles against the Angels on FS1 at 9:07 PM ET. The Padres are a -135 money line road favorite with an over/under of 10. The Los Angeles Dodgers host Colorado at 9:10 PM ET as a -265 money line favorite with a total of 9.The fourth week in the Canadian Football League continues with one game. British Columbia visits Ottawa on ESPN+ at 7 PM ET. The Lions are a 4.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 43.5.Three games are on the WNBA slate. Las Vegas travels to Indiana at 1 PM ET. Los Angeles plays at Connecticut at 7 PM ET. Dallas visits Washington at 7 PM ET. The third week in the English Premier League begins with seven matches. Manchester City hosts Arsenal on Peacock at 7:30 AM ET as a -1.75 goal line favorite with a total of 3. Five games start at 10 AM ET. Aston Villa plays at home against Brentford on CNBC as a -0.5 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Brighton and Hove Albion are at home against Everton on the NBC Sports Network as a -0.25 goal line favorite with a total of 2.25. Southampton travels to Newcastle United on Peacock in a pick ‘em matchup with an over/under of 2.5. Leicester City visits Norwich City as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with a total of 2.75. West Ham United is at home against Crystal Palace as a -1 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Chelsea visits Liverpool on NBC at 12:30 PM ET in a pick ‘em match up with a total of 2.5. 

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Should the College Football Playoff Expand?

by Oskeim Sports

Friday, Aug 27, 2021

As the 2021 college football season is set to get underway on the final weekend in August, one question continues to be on the mind of fans, players, coaches, and anyone with a connection to the sport. Should the College Football Playoff expand?  A better question may be how many teams should a newly expanded playoff include? Or even better, how exactly should the CFP expand? These are all great questions, but it appears the one thing that appears to be a certainty is that the CFP committee is going to expand. So, should they? For Expansion The biggest reason for expanding the current CFP model comes down to one thing – money. There are millions of dollars to be made by increasing the number of teams, and therefore the number of games, in the playoff. The revenue generated eventually feeds back to the conferences and, ultimately, every FBS program. That’s a good thing. With the money issue out of the way, there are other reasons for CFP expansion. One is more conference representation. The CFP is only seven years old. That equates to 28 bids to play for a national title. Only 11 teams have been involved thus far and of those 11 Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, and Oklahoma own 20 of those 28 bids. An expansion of the playoff to say eight teams would likely mean that each Power 5 conference champion would earn a spot. Two more teams, not conference champions, but worthy of a shot would be selected by the CFP committee and the final team would be the best of the Group of 5. Using 2020 as an example, Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Oregon would have represented the Power 5 conferences. The highest-ranked Group of 5 team was Cincinnati, which was definitely deserving of an opportunity to play for a national title after going 9-0. The committee would then have had to choose from among a handful of teams – Notre Dame, Iowa State, Texas A&M, and a few others – for the other two spots. Any expansion of the CFP would also mean home playoff games. The current four-team format puts the national semifinals as part of the six major bowl games. That means they are played at neutral sites. Any expansion would change the current schedule and likely mean that first-round games would be played at the home of the higher-seeded team.  In a sports culture that loves playoffs, home playoff games would feed the college football frenzy. If the NFL, NBA, and other college sports have playoffs, why not college football? It’s what sports fans are used to and it allows for more competition. Fans could eventually tire of watching Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, and Oklahoma playing each other every year for a national title. Against Expansion One of the biggest arguments against any expansion of college football’s playoff system is the number of games played and the length of the season. Teams that play for championships typically play 14 and 15 games in a season. They play in conference championship games before playing in the CFP. A season begins with training camp in early August. Some teams will play into January. That’s a long time for amateur athletes.  Expanding the playoff may also make mediocrity acceptable. Expanding to just eight teams will put teams with at least two losses into the CFP. Expanding to 16 teams could mean a four-loss entrant into a playoff to win a national championship. Is a two-, three-, or four-loss team deserving of a bid to play for the national championship?  In reality, in any given season there are only two or three teams that are capable of winning a national championship. Right now, it just so happens that those two to three teams are usually Alabama, Clemson, and Ohio State or Oklahoma. And guess what? Oklahoma’s record in the CFP is 0-4. In fact, No. 4 seeds are just 2-5 overall and the five losses have been by a margin of 20 points.  Expanding the playoff field would only decrease the importance of the regular season too. With three or four losses being acceptable to make the playoff, games like Alabama-Miami or Georgia-Clemson in the regular season don’t really mean as much. One of the things that make college football so great is the importance of each individual game. Playoff expansion kills that. A four-team playoff may not be perfect. A six-, eight-, or even sixteen-team version will not be perfect either.  

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Ness Notes: CFB 2021: Play Away!

by Larry Ness

Friday, Aug 27, 2021

The coaches' preseason poll (established in 1950) came out back on August 10 and to no one's surprise, defending champion Alabama garnered 63 of the 65 first-place votes. FYI...Alabama has been ranked No. 3 or higher in each of the last 12 coaches' preseason polls. Clemson checked in at No. 2 but No. 3 Oklahoma was the school which grabbed the remaining two 1st-place votes. Rounding out the top-10 were No. 4 Ohio St, No. 5 Georgia, No. 6 Texas A&M, No. 7 Notre Dame, No. 8 Iowa St, No. 9 North Carolina and No. 10 Cincinnati, The AP poll (established in 1936) released its preseason poll on August 16 (AP began its preseason rankings in 1950). Naturally, Alabama was No. 1 but unlike in the coaches' poll, 16 of the 63 AP voters chose someone other than 'Bama as its top choice. Alabama got 47 1st-place votes, followed by No. 2 Oklahoma's six, No. 3 Clemson's six, No. 4 Ohio State's one and No. 5 Georgia's three.I choose to refer to the AP rankings during the regular season until the CFP rankings take over. Here's some interesting tidbits worth mentioning with the season kicking off on Saturday. It marks Alabama's EIGHTH preseason No. 1 ranking, tying Ohio St but both schools trail Oklahoma's 10 preseason No. 1 rankings. Just 11 schools in AP history have opened No. 1 and ended No. 1, the most recent being Alabama in 2017. Only TWO schools have gone through a season as the AP's No. 1 team wire-to-wire, Florida State in 1999 (rest in peace Bobby Bowdon) and USC in 2004 (Pete "I know nothing about violations" Carroll). More on Alabama. The Crimson Tide have now been ranked in 214 consecutive weekly AP polls, a streak that began back in 2008. During the 2020 season, Alabama moved past Florida (209 weeks from 1990-2002) and Florida St (211 weeks from 1989-2001), into second-place all-time. This seems hard to believe but Nebraska now, but Nebraska was ranked in 348 consecutive weekly AP polls from 1981-2002. Don't worry Husker fans, Scott Frost is ready to make a run at the record.Some more random thoughts regarding the AP preseason top-25. Texas A&M was the "last team out" in the final CFP rankings of 2020 and opens No. 6 in the AP poll, the school's highest since ranking No. 3 in the 1995 preseason poll. Iowa St opens ranked 7th, the school's highest-ever AP ranking. Cincinnati (AAC) opens at No. 8, the highest preseason ranking for a non-Power 5 school since Boise St (MWC) earned a No. 5 ranking in 2011. Notre Dame lovers will not like that the Fighting Irish check in at No. 9, one spot BELOW the Fighting Bearcats!  Rounding out the top-10 is North Carolina, which has its highest preseason ranking since being No. 7 back in 1997. Ironically, Mack Brown was the school's head coach back in 1997, as well. Talk about "Back to the Future!"The 2021 season kicks off Saturday with a 'whimper,' featuring a modest seven-game card with nary a ranked team involved.  However, the first week of September features a busy card with all top-25 teams in action. The schedule includes five games between ranked opponents, highlighted by No. 5 Georgia taking on No. 3 Clemson in Charlotte (early line has Clemson favored by three points) and No. 1 Alabama taking on No. 14 Miami-Fl in Atlanta (early line has Alabama favored by 18.5 points).The bowl schedule calls for 43 games, including the two CFP semifinal contests and the CFP national championship game. We enter the season hoping that things go smoothly. There were 118 games postponed or canceled last year due to COVID-19. As we get set to open the 2021 season, every Power-5 conference has announced that schools that are unable to play due to COVID-19 this fall will have to forfeit the game and receive a loss. Let me take a quick peek back at the top-10 in the final CFP of the 2020 season (Dec 20). No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Clemson, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 Notre Dame, No. 5 Texas A&M, No. 6 Oklahoma, No. 7 Florida, No. 8 Cincinnati, No. 9 Georgia and No. 10 Iowa State.Alabama, Georgia and Iowa St were the only schools in this group that didn't cause a postponement or cancellation, while Ohio State, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Oklahoma Cincinnati would have each been saddled with a loss under this year's policy. Florida would have taken the biggest hit, as the Gators would have forfeited two games (ending with FIVE losses instead of three). Other than Alabama remaining No. 1, the College Football Playoff standings could have looked much different last Dec 20th under this season's rules. Fingers crossed.Good luck...Larry 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, CFL, MLB and WNBA Previews and Odds - 08/27/2021

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Aug 27, 2021

The Friday sports card features action in the NFL preseason, MLB, CFL, and the WNBA. The third and final week of the NFL preseason kicks off with four games. Indianapolis visits Detroit at 7 PM ET. The Colts won their second game in the preseason with their 12-10 upset win at Minnesota as a 2-point underdog on Saturday. The Lions lost their second preseason game in a 26-20 loss at Pittsburgh as a 7-point underdog last Saturday. Indianapolis is a 2-point road favorite, with the total set at 33.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Carolina hosts Pittsburgh at 7:30 PM ET. The Panthers remained winless in the preseason with their 20-3 loss at home to Baltimore as a 3.5-point underdog on Saturday. The Steelers are 3-0 in the preseason after their win against the Lions. Carolina is a 4-point favorite with an over/under of 34.5. The New York Jets play at home against Philadelphia at 7:30 PM ET. The Jets won their second straight preseason game in a 23-14 win at Green Bay as a 2.5-point road favorite last Saturday. The Eagles are winless in the preseason after a 35-0 upset loss at home against New England as a 1-point favorite on August 19th. New York is a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 34.Kansas City is at home against Minnesota on the NFL Network at 8 PM ET. The Chiefs won their second straight preseason game with a 17-10 win at Arizona as a 3.5-point favorite last Friday. The Vikings have lost their first two preseason games in a 12-10 upset loss to Indianapolis as a 2-point favorite on Saturday. Kansas City is a 4-point favorite with an over/under of 38.5. Fifteen games are on the MLB docket. Three games start at 7:05 PM ET. Philadelphia hosts Arizona as a -235 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. St. Louis plays at Pittsburgh as a -155 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Tampa Bay is at Baltimore as a -235 money line road favorite with a total of 10.5. Four games begin at 7:10 PM ET. Boston plays at Cleveland as a -180 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. The New York Mets are at home against Washington as a -220 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Cincinnati is at Miami as a -150 money line road favorite with a total of 8. Toronto visits Detroit as a -180 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Atlanta is at home against San Francisco at 7:20 PM ET as a -125 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Houston travels to Texas at 8:05 PM ET as a -220 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two games start at 8:10 PM ET. Milwaukee visits Minnesota as a -135 money line road favorite with a total of 9.5. The Chicago White Sox are at home against the Chicago Cubs as a -225 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. San Diego visits Los Angeles to play the Angels at 9:38 PM ET as a -160 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The New York Yankees continue their series at Oakland at 9:40 PM ET as a -150 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Two games begin at 10:10 PM ET. Seattle is at home against Kansas City as a -170 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Los Angeles Dodgers are at home against Colorado as a -240 money line favorite with a total of 9.The third week in the Canadian Football League begins at 7:30 PM ET, with Hamilton visiting Montreal on ESPN News. The Tiger-Cats have lost their first two games after a 30-8 loss at Saskatchewan as a 1.5-point underdog on August 14th. The Alouettes are 1-1 on the season after getting upset at Calgary, 28-22, as a 5-point favorite last Friday. Hamilton is a 2.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 46.5. Two games are on the WNBA slate. Phoenix travels to New York on the CBS Sports Network at 8 PM ET. Chicago visits Seattle at 10 PM ET.

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2021 NFL: AFC North Division Preview

by Sean Murphy

Friday, Aug 27, 2021

In the second installment of our series of NFL division previews, we take a look at the AFC North, which promises to be one of the most competitive divisions in football. Here's a quick look at what to expect from each division.Odds to win (courtesy of BetOnline)Baltimore Ravens +110Cleveland Browns +140Pittsburgh Steelers +370Cincinnati Bengals +2300Baltimore RavensThe hope heading into 2021 is that Baltimore can get more from its passing game with the additions of wide receivers Sammy Watkins and rookie Rashod Bateman. I'm not holding my breath. We can expect to see the Ravens continue to focus on moving the football with their dynamic ground attack with running back J.K. Dobbins primed for a big season after running for just shy of 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns a year ago. Lamar Jackson has been a monster in the regular season and there's little reason to expect anything different this year. Defensively, the Ravens lost Matt Judon and Yannick Ngakoue to free agency. The cupboard is by no means bare, however, and the addition of veteran Justin Houston should help keep the pass rush on track. The Ravens open the season with back-to-back primetime games.Cleveland BrownsBrowns doubters are suddenly few and far between following last year's playoff run. The roster remains relatively unchanged from last season and that's obviously not a bad thing. It does remain to be seen whether the Browns offense can reach the heights it did a year ago with Odell Beckham Jr. still dealing with a knee injury and Jarvis Landry not getting any younger. Nick Chubb will once again be asked to shoulder much of the load - a role he has proved more than capable of handling. Note that Cleveland will open the season by playing three of its first four games on the road, including a return visit to Kansas City in Week 1 - the scene of its playoff demise last January. Pittsburgh SteelersI'm fairly high on the Black and Gold entering the new season, which could serve as the 'last ride' so to speak for the combo of head coach Mike Tomlin and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers are brimming with talent on both sides of the football with the addition of potential Rookie of the Year candidate Najee Harris in the backfield serving as the showpiece. While the defense is set, the offense will need Big Ben to be the quarterback he was early last season rather than the one that regressed heavily down the stretch. Most have the Steelers ranked as having the most difficult schedule in the NFL this season. That schedule includes five primetime games. It all gets started with a difficult test right out of the gate as Pittsburgh heads to Buffalo to face the Bills. Cincinnati BengalsThe Bengals boast a lot of potential with Joe Burrow returning from last November's devastating season-ending injury but they're still likely a couple of years away from possibly contending for the division crown. The offense should be fine once Burrow gets re-acclimated as he has a host of weapons to work with, including highly-touted draft pick Ja'Marr Chase. All indications are that Burrow got stronger as camp went on and he'll be working behind an improved offensive line compared to a year ago. Defensively, the Bengals have plenty of holes. In fact, the Bengals may possess one of the worst defenses in football which should lead to plenty of shootouts. Cincinnati's Thursday night game against the Jaguars marks its only primetime game of the season. A three-game homestand from Week 12-14 will feature matchups with potential playoff teams - the Steelers, Chargers and 49ers.

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