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NHL Playoffs: An Early Look

by Ben Burns

Wednesday, May 12, 2021

I've looked forward to the NHL postseason for my entire life. While this has been a unique year, the playoffs figure to be just as exciting as ever.  Every NHL game this entire season has been of the "divisional variety." Due to Covid restrictions, teams played within their division all year. That'll mean that everyone is very well-acquainted with each other; the first two rounds of the playoffs will also all be between teams from the same division. You know what they say, familiarity breeds contempt. When the smoke clears, there will be one team remaining from each division. Here's how the matchups are currently shaping up. East DivisionThe Pittsburgh Penguins earned the #1 seed and will host the #4 New York Islanders. The winner of that series will face the winner of Washington Capitals (#2) vs. Boston Bruins (#3) series.West DivisionAs of this writing, the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Knights are still batting for the top seed. The team which finishes #1 will host the (#4) St. Louis Blues. The other will face the Minnesota Wild.North DivisionThe Toronto Maple Leafs dominated the "Canadian division" most of the season. By earning the #1 seed, they'll host their oldest rival, the (#4) Montreal Canadiens. The (#2) Edmonton Oilers will take on the (#3) Winnipeg Jets. Central DivisionThe Carolina Hurricanes were the class of the Central during the regular season. They'll host the (#4) Nashville Predators. The winner of that series will face the winner of the "Battle of Florida," as the (#2) Florida Panthers will take on the (#3) Tampa Bay Lightning. That should be a good series. The teams have never met in the playoffs and the Panthers had the edge in the regular season. The Lightning are still the defending champs though.  At this time of the year, a hot goalie can really carry a team. That being the case, before the playoffs officially begin, I'll check back in with a look at the goalies from each of the above teams. 

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NHL Hockey: Minnesota Wild vs. St. Louis Blues Preview, Odds and Prediction - 05/12/2021

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, May 12, 2021

NHL Wednesday NBC Sports Network Preview: Minnesota versus St. Louis. The Minnesota Wild visit St. Louis to play the opener of a two-game series at 9 PM ET on the NBC Sports Network to close out the regular season. Both teams have clinched spots in the West Division playoffs. Minnesota has won two straight games after their 4-3 victory in overtime against Anaheim on Saturday. Victor Rask scored the winning goal at the 2:46 mark in overtime. Jared Spurgeon, Ryan Hartman, and Nick Bonino scored the three goals in regulation time. Cam Talbot stopped 19 of the 22 shots he faced. The Wild concluded their seven-game homestand with a 4-1-2 mark. They are in third place in the West, three points behind Colorado for second place. With both teams playing tonight and tomorrow, Minnesota needs to win both games to put themselves in a position to leapfrog the Avalanche to seize home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. A first-round series with Vegas remains a possibility for the Wild if Colorado wins their final two games against Los Angeles. General manager Bill Guerin did not make any moves at the trade deadline.Left wing Kirill Kaprizov leads the team with 51 points from 27 goals and 24 assists. Left wing Kevin Fiala has 20 goals and 20 assists. Right wing Mats Zuccarello is third on the team with 35 points from 11 goals and 24 assists.Cam Talbot will likely get the start tonight for head coach Dean Evason with home-ice in the playoffs still in play. The veteran has a 19-7-5 record this season, with a 2.59 goals-against-average and a .916 save percentage. Talbot has allowed at least three goals in five straight games. He has a 2-1-2 record during that stretch with a .858 save percentage. He has started in three of Minnesota’s last four games. Kaapo Kahkonen has a 16-7-0 record, with a 2.70 goals-against-average and a .908 save percentage. St. Louis ended a three-game losing streak with their 2-1 overtime victory in Los Angeles on Monday. Justin Faulk scored the winning goal 46 seconds into the overtime period. Tyler Bozack scored their regulation goal. Jordan Binnington made 26 saves in his eighth start in the team’s last ten games. The Blues are 6-1-3 in their last ten games. They are locked as the fourth seed in the West Division playoffs, a distant 16 points behind the Wild. General manager Doug Armstrong made no moves at the trade deadline. Left wing David Perron leads the team with 52 points from 16 goals and 36 assists. Center Ryan O’Reilly adds 24 goals and 28 assists. Left wing Mike Hoffman is third on the team with 33 points from 17 goals and 16 assists.Head coach Craig Berube has a choice to make between resting key players versus getting his team in playoff shape. Vladimir Tarasenko is questionable with a lower-body injury. Binnington has a 17-14-8 record, with a 2.64 goals-against-average and a .911 save percentage. He is 5-0-3 in his last eight starts, with a 2.32 goals-against-average and a .927 save percentage. Backup Ville Husso is likely to get a start in one of the next two nights. He is 8-6-1, with a 3.43 goals-against-average and a .886 save percentage. St. Louis has won four of the six meetings between these two teams this season. Minnesota ended a four-game losing streak to the Blues on May 1st with a 4-3 victory at home in the most recent meeting between these two teams.  BookMaker lists Minnesota as a -140 money line road favorite with the total set at 5.5.Computer prediction:  Minnesota Wild 4 St. Louis Blues 1

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Big Al's Daily Angle: EPL, NBA, NHL and MLB Previews and Odds - 05/12/2021

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, May 12, 2021

The Wednesday sports card features action in the NBA, NHL, MLB, and the English Premier League.Six games are on the NBA docket. The card begins at 7 PM ET, with Atlanta hosting Washington in the opening game of a doubleheader on ESPN. The Hawks have won four of their last five games with their 125-124 victory at home against the Wizards as an 8-point favorite on Monday. Washington had their two-game winning streak end with the setback. Atlanta is a 6-point favorite with the total set at 239.5 (all odds from BetOnline unless indicated otherwise).Brooklyn plays at home against San Antonio at 8 PM ET as a 4.5-point favorite at DraftKings. Boston visits Cleveland as a 10-point road favorite at DraftKings. Dallas is at home against New Orleans at 9 PM ET as a 9.5-point favorite at DraftKings. Utah hosts Portland at 9:30 PM ET in the nightcap on ESPN. The Jazz had their five-game winning streak end with a 119-116 upset loss at Golden State as a 2.5-point favorite on Monday. The Trail Blazers have won eight of their last nine games after a 140-129 victory against Houston as a 15.5-point favorite on Monday. Utah is a 4-point favorite at DraftKings.The Los Angeles Lakers play at home against Houston at 10:30 PM ET as a 13-point favorite at DraftKings. Five games are on the NHL schedule. Edmonton visits Montreal at 5 PM ET as a -116 money line road favorite with an over/under of 6. Toronto travels to Ottawa at 8 PM ET as a -185 money line road favorite with a total of 6.5. Vegas plays at San Jose at 9 PM ET as a -186 money line road favorite with an over/under of 6. Colorado hosts the Los Angeles as a -320 money line favorite with the total at 5.5.Minnesota visits St. Louis at 9 PM ET on the NBC Sports Network. The Wild have won four of their last five games with their 4-3 victory against Anaheim on Saturday. The Blues ended a three-game losing streak with a 2-1 win in Los Angeles on Monday. Fifteen games are on the MLB slate. The New York Mets host Baltimore at 12:10 PM ET as a -181 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Cincinnati travels to Pittsburgh at 12:35 PM ET as a -157 money line road favorite with a total of 7.5. Cleveland plays at home against the Chicago Cubs at 1:10 PM ET as a -108 money line favorite with an over/under of 9.San Diego visits Colorado in a seven-inning doubleheader, with the opening game starting at 3:10 PM ET. The second game is scheduled for 6:10 PM ET.Philadelphia travels to Washington at 7:05 PM ET as a -138 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Kansas City visits Detroit at 7:10 PM ET. Oakland plays at Boston. The New York Yankees are at Tampa Bay. Toronto plays at Atlanta at 7:20 PM ET as a -106 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Milwaukee is at home against St. Louis at 7:40 PM ET as a -162 money line favorite with a total of 7. The Chicago White Sox host Minnesota at 8:10 PM ET as a -136 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Houston plays at home against the Los Angeles Angels as a -120 money line favorite with the total of 8.5. Arizona is at home against Miami at 9:40 PM ET as a -245 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Los Angeles Dodgers are at home against Seattle at 10:10 PM ET as a -240 money line favorite with a total of 8.Matchweek 35 of the English Premier League continues with Chelsea hosting Arsenal on the NBC Sports Network at 3:15 PM ET. The Blues are a -0.75 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, MLB and EPL Previews and Odds - 05/11/2021

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, May 11, 2021

The Tuesday sports card features action in the NBA, NHL, MLB, and the English Premier League.Eleven games are on the NBA docket. The card begins at 7 PM ET with two contests. Minnesota visits Detroit as a 7.5-point road favorite (all odds from BetOnline unless indicated otherwise). Denver travels to Charlotte as a 5.5-point road favorite with the total set at 217.5. The Los Angeles Clippers are at Toronto at 7:30 PM ET as an 11.5-point road favorite. Miami plays at Boston in the first game on TNT at 7:30 PM ET. The Heat have won five of their last six games after their 130-124 win at Boston as a 1-point favorite on Sunday. The Celtics have lost three of their last four games. Miami is a 1-point road favorite. Brooklyn visits Chicago at 8 PM ET as a 5.5-point road favorite. Dallas plays at Memphis as a 2-point road favorite. Philadelphia travels to Indiana as a 6.5-point road favorite. Milwaukee is at home against Orlando as a 14.5-point favorite at DraftKings. Phoenix plays at Golden State at 10 PM ET as a 5-point road favorite with an over/under of 230. Sacramento is at home against Oklahoma City as a 10.5-point favorite with a total of 224. The Los Angeles Lakers host New York in the nightcap on TNT at 10:10 PM ET. The Lakers ended a two-game losing streak with a 123-110 upset victory at home to Phoenix on Sunday as a 7-point underdog. The Knicks ended a two-game losing streak with a 106-100 win at Los Angeles against the Clippers as a 7.5-point underdog on Sunday. Los Angeles is a 5.5-point favorite. Two games are on the NHL schedule. Washington plays at home against Boston at 7 PM ET as a -107 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. Winnipeg is at home against Vancouver at 8 PM ET as a -158 money line favorite with a total of 5.5. Fifteen games are on the MLB slate. San Francisco hosts Texas at 3:45 PM ET as a -155 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Cleveland plays at home against the Chicago Cubs at 6:10 PM ET as a -170 money line favorite with a total of 7. Pittsburgh is at home against Cincinnati at 6:35 PM ET as a -116 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.Washington plays at home against Philadelphia at 7:05 PM ET as a -117 money line favorite with a total of 9. The New York Mets are at home against Baltimore at 7:10 PM ET as a -144 money line favorite with an over/under of 7. Kansas City visits Detroit as a -131 money line road favorite with a total of 7.5. Boston is at home against Oakland as a -130 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. The New York Yankees visit Tampa Bay on ESPN at 7:10 PM ET. The Yankees have won seven of their last nine games with their 3-2 victory against Washington on Sunday. The Rays ended a two-game losing streak with a 4-3 win at Oakland on Sunday. Tampa Bay sends out Luis Patino to face Jordan Montgomery. New York is a -127 money line road favorite with the total at 8.Atlanta hosts Toronto at 7:20 PM ET as a -167 money line favorite at DraftKings with an over/under of 9.5. Milwaukee plays at home against St. Louis at 7:40 PM ET as a -121 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. The Chicago White Sox play at home against Minnesota at 8:10 PM ET as a -118 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Houston is at home against the Los Angeles Angels as a -144 money line favorite with the total at 8. San Diego visits Colorado at 8:40 PM ET as a -205 money line road favorite at DraftKings with an over/under of 9.  Arizona hosts Miami at 9:40 PM ET as a -114 money line favorite with a total of 8. The Los Angeles Dodgers are at home against Seattle as a -235 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5.Matchweek 35 in the English Premier League continues with two matches on the NBC Sports Network. Manchester United hosts Leicester City at 1 PM ET as a -0.25 goal line favorite with a total of 2.5. Southampton plays at home against Crystal Palace at 3:15 PM ET. The Saints are a -0.25 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, MLB and EPL Previews and Odds - 05/10/2021

by Big Al Staff

Monday, May 10, 2021

The Monday sports card features action in the NBA, NHL, MLB, and the English Premier League.Six games are on the NBA docket. The card begins at 7:30 PM ET with two games. Atlanta hosts Washington as a 6-point favorite at DraftKings. Indiana visits Cleveland as a 3.5-point road favorite at DraftKings. Memphis plays at home against New Orleans at 8 PM ET as a 10-point favorite with the total set at 223.5 (all odds from BetOnline except indicated otherwise). Milwaukee travels to San Antonio as a 7.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 234. Utah plays at Golden State at 10 PM ET as a 2.5-point road favorite at DraftKings. Portland is at home against Houston as a 12-point favorite at DraftKings.Nine games are on the NHL schedule. Philadelphia hosts New Jersey as a -151 money line favorite with a total of 6. Edmonton travels to Montreal as a -118 money line road favorite with an over/under of 6. Boston plays at home against the New York Islanders as a -164 money line favorite with a total of 5.5. Florida is at home against Tampa Bay as a -121 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Carolina visits Nashville at 8 PM ET as a -135 money line road favorite with a total of 5.5. Winnipeg plays at home against Vancouver as a -171 money line favorite with a total of 5.5. Dallas plays at Chicago on the NBC Sports Network at 8 PM ET. The Blackhawks won their second game in a row with a 4-2 victory at home against Dallas on Sunday. The Stars have lost six of their last seven games. Dallas is a -148 money line road favorite at DraftKings with an over/under of 6. St. Louis plays at Los Angeles at 10 PM ET as a -130 money line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Colorado visits Vegas as a -111 money line road favorite with a total of 5.5. Six games are on the MLB slate. Cincinnati travels to Pittsburgh at 6:35 PM ET as a -133 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. Boston visits Baltimore at 7:05 PM ET as a -140 money line road favorite with the total at 9.5. The Los Angeles Angels play at Houston on ESPN at 8:10 PM ET. The Angels have won two of their last three games with their 2-1 win at home against the Dodgers on Sunday. The Astros have won three of their last four games after their 7-4 victory against Toronto on Sunday. Houston sends out Luis Garcia as their starting pitcher to face Jose Suarez.San Diego plays at Colorado at 8:40 PM ET. Miami travels to Arizona at 9:40 PM ET. San Francisco is at home against Texas at 9:45 PM ET as a -142 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.Matchweek 35 of the English Premier League continues with Fulham hosting Burnley on the NBC Sports Network at 3 PM ET. The Cottagers are a -0.25 goal line favorite with a total of 2.25.

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MLB Baseball: Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Angels Preview - 05/10/2021

by Big Al Staff

Monday, May 10, 2021

Monday MLB ESPN Preview: LA Angels at Houston.Updated at 4:30 PM ET.The Los Angeles Angels travel to Houston to begin a three-game series against the Astros on ESPN at 8 PM ET.The Angels have won two of their last three games after a 2-1 victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers yesterday. Jared Walsh socked a two-run double in the third inning, which proved to be the difference in the game. The victory raised Los Angeles’ record to 15-18, leaving them in fourth place in the American League West. They are 4 1/2 games behind Oakland for first place in the division. After five straight losing seasons, new general manager Perry Minasian hopes he has assembled a roster that can earn the team their first postseason victory in the Mike Trout era. Their superstar centerfielder has a .376 batting average this season with eight home runs and 18 RBIs. Shohei Ohtani has .276 batting average with ten homers and 26 RBIs. Walsh has added six home runs and 27 RBIs to accompany his .325 batting average. Manager Joe Maddon’s team is scoring 4.8 runs per game with a .259 batting average, a .310 on-base percentage, and an OPS of .734. Third basemen Anthony Rendon is on the disabled list with a knee injury. Maddon has named Junior Guerra his starting pitcher tonight. The veteran right-hander is 2-1 with a 4.95 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP in 12 appearances consisting of 20 innings this season. This will be his first start since 2018 when he was with the Brewers. The Angels’ bullpen has a 5.12 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP with seven saves and six blown saves. Houston has won three of their last four games with their 7-4 victory against Toronto yesterday. Kyle Tucker clubbed a three-run homer as part of his four runs batted in. Jose Altuve also homered. The Astros’ victory raised their record to 18-16. They are in second place in the AL West, a half-game behind the A’s. Dusty Baker led this team to within one game of the World Series in his first year managing the club. Houston has won the AL West title in three of the last four seasons. They lost outfielder George Springer to free agency in the offseason. Michael Brantley got signed to take his spot. The Astros also have Yordan Alvarez back on the field after the 2019 American League Rookie of the Year winner only played two games last year because of injuries and COVID. Houston is averaging 5.1 runs per game this season with a .260 batting average, an on-base percentage of .318, and an OPS of .742. Alvarez leads the team with a .362 batting average along with six home runs and 21 RBIs. Tucker has six homers and 20 RBIs despite a .188 batting average. Alex Bregman is hitting .312 with five home runs and 18 RBIs.Luis Garcia makes his fifth start of the season for the Astros. The 24-year-old right-hander has a 0-3 record with a 3.28 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP in six appearances. The Houston bullpen has a 3.88 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP with eight saves and six blown saves.Tonight’s showdown is the seventh meeting between these two AL West rivals this season. The Angels won the last battle, 4-2, in Houston on April 25th. The Astros have won four of the six games. BookMaker lists Houston as a -170 money line favorite with the total set at 9.5.

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The Play In Teams

by Will Rogers

Sunday, May 09, 2021

LeBron James didn’t much like it when the NBA announced that this season would start only a few months after the Bubble Championship series in Orlando, and maybe now we know why.With the start of the playoffs just around the corner, James has been hobbling around on a bad ankle that caused him to miss 24 of the Lakers’ first 67 games. When he comes back is anyone’s guess, and how he’ll play WHEN he does return is also a matter of conjecture.Assuming James does return, there is a distinct possibility that it will be for a Lakers team that will be forced to fight for table scraps along with a few other under-performing teams in the Western Conference Play-In tournament. (Note: James, unsurprisingly, doesn’t like the new format any more than he liked the too-early late start to the season.)Healthy, the Lakers were a solid +400 favorite to win it all again. Anthony Davis, it was figured, was good enough to take some of the pressure off James in James’s 36-year-old season, and the two had enough of a supporting cast to turn things on in the playoffs and grab their 18th world championship.But James’s ankle sprain suffered on March 20 changed everything. LA was 28-14 when James when down, and after that won just 9 of the next 25. Even scarier, James has been musing that he may never be back to 100 percent.Barring a strong finish, the Lakers may have to deal with being the Western Conference’s 7th seed and in a scary first game against the young-and-hungry Grizzlies or the Steph Curry-led Warriors.As for the odds, James’s injury has created a betting opportunity for Lakers backers who believe that the King Unleashed will still find a way to get it done. Uber-talented Brooklyn has leap-frogged LA and is the +220 favorite, but the Lakers remain a favorite at +375 to come out of the West.The Lakers aren’t the only NBA heavy hitter that could be forced to eat humble pie in the Play-In tournament. In the East, either Miami (which reached the Bubble Finals last year) or 17-time World Champion Boston appears likely to finish 7th.Miami has spurted past the listless Celtics with decent play since late April, but the Heat have been playing catchup all year after a dreadful start. Whatever they had bottled in beating Boston to get to the Finals against the Lakers six months ago was lost in a sea of poor defense and poor shooting. The Heat lost a ton of games early despite having double-digit leads, and at their lowest point had fallen to 11th place in the East.The Sons of Pat Riley didn’t figure to be in this position, especially after acquiring Victor Oladipo in a what they thought would be a right-the-ship move. But Oladipo has been out with a knee injury, and at best figures to be back at the start of the playoffs (if the Heat even get in a best-of-seven set). Never high on the Heat to begin with, oddsmakers had Miami at +3400 to win the championship entering this weekend’s play.And speaking of disappointing, say hello to the Boston Celtics, who have been to the EC finals three of the last four seasons but have fallen on hard times. The Veteran Brain Drain (Irving, Marcus Morris, Hayward, Rozier, Theis, Horford) has taken a toll, and the young players have just not developed. On top of everything, All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have not shown to the leaders that the team had hoped. A string of bad losses to non-playoff teams has upset the apple cart big time, and the Celtics are now a long-shot at +6600 to get it together and win the title.Having the Lakers, Heat and Celtics in the Play-In tournament might be great for TV ratings, but it was not what any of those NBA Mt. Rushmore teams had in mind.“Everyone has a plan,” Mike Tyson used to say, “until they get punched in the face.”

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB, NHL, NBA and EPL Previews and Odds - 05/09/2021

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, May 09, 2021

The Sunday sports card features action in the NBA, NHL, MLB, and the English Premier League.Eight games are on the NBA docket. The card begins at 1 PM ET on ESPN with Boston hosting Miami. The Celtics have lost two of three with their 121-99 upset loss as a 4-point favorite at Chicago as a 4-point favorite on Friday. The Heat have won four of five after their 121-112 win against Minnesota as an 8-point favorite on Friday. Boston is a 1.5-point favorite at DraftKings.The Los Angeles Clippers play at home against New York in the second game on ESPN at 3:30 PM ET. The Clippers have won two in a row with their 119-94 victory against the Lakers on Thursday. The Knicks had their three-game winning streak end with a 128-105 loss at Phoenix on Friday. Los Angeles is a 7.5-point favorite at DraftKings with an over/under of 216. Dallas travels to Cleveland at 7 PM ET as a 10-point road favorite at DraftKings. Charlotte plays at home against New Orleans as a 4.5-point favorite with a total of 220. Minnesota visits Orlando as a 6.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 229. Chicago plays at Detroit at 8 PM ET as a 9-point road favorite at DraftKings. Phoenix visits the Los Angeles Lakers at 10 PM ET as a 6-point road favorite with the total at 214. Sacramento plays at home against Oklahoma City as a 10.5-point favorite with an over/under of 221.5.Two games are on the NHL schedule. Dallas travels to Chicago at 7 PM ET as a -155 money line road favorite with the total at 5.5. Calgary plays at home at 8 PM ET as a -190 money line favorite at DraftKings with an over/under of 6.Fifteen games are on the MLB slate. The New York Yankees plays at home against Washington at 1:10 PM ET as a -160 money line favorite with the total at 9.5. Boston visits Baltimore as a -139 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Miami plays at home at 1:10 PM ET as a -134 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. The New York Mets are at home against Arizona as a -310 money line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. Minnesota travels to Detroit as a -156 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Chicago White Sox visits Kansas City at 2:15 PM ET as a -155 money line road favorite with the total at 8. Toronto travels to Houston. St. Louis hosts Colorado at 2:15 PM ET as a -137 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. The Chicago Cubs play at home against Pittsburgh at 2:20 PM ET as a -173 money line favorite. Texas plays at home against Seattle at 2:35 PM ET as a -122 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. San Diego visits San Francisco at 4:05 PM ET. Oakland hosts Tampa Bay as a -110 money line favorite with the total set at 8. The Los Angeles Dodgers are a -182 money line road favorites with a total of 8.5. Atlanta plays Philadelphia on ESPN at 7 PM ET. The Braves won their fourth game in five games with their 8-7 victory in 12 innings over the Phillies on Saturday. Atlanta sends out Huascar Ynoa to face Aaron Nola. Philadelphia is a -111 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8. Four games continue the Matchweek 35 English Premier League card. Brighton and Hove Albion visit Wolverhampton as a -0.25 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2. Manchester United visits Aston Villa as a -0.5 goal line road favorite with a total of 2.75. West Ham United plays at home against Everton at 11:30 AM ET as a -0.25 goal line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Arsenal hosts West Bromwich United as a -1 goal line favorite with the total at 2.75.

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MLB Baseball: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Atlanta Braves Preview, Odds and Prediction - 05/09/2021

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, May 09, 2021

Sunday MLB ESPN Preview: Philadelphia at Atlanta.Atlanta snapped Philadelphia’s five-game winning streak with an 8-7 victory in 12 innings that involved three dramatic comebacks. The Braves rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the bottom of the ninth inning to force extra-innings and later tied the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the 11th innings. Things looked dire when the Phillies scored three times in the top of the 12th inning, but Atlanta rallied to tie the game again before Ehire Adrianza’s bloop single gave the home team the victory. The Braves have won four of their last five games to rise to third place in the National League with a 16-17 record. They are one game behind the New York Mets, who have a 15-13 record. All five teams in the division are separated by 3 1/2 games. Manager Brian Snitker’s team has won three straight National League East titles. They took a 3-1 lead in the NL Championship Series against Los Angeles before the Dodgers rallied to win the next three games to reach (and then win) the World Series.Outfielder Ronald Acuna leads the team with a .313 batting average. His ten home runs and 23 RBIs are team highs. First baseman Freddie Freeman added his eighth home run yesterday, along with his 19th RBI, but he only has a .197 batting average. Outfielder Marcell Ozuna has 20 RBIs with four homers and a .208 batting average. Atlanta is scoring 4.6 runs per game with a .227 batting average, a .305 on-base percentage, and an OPS of 718. Atlanta kept the core of their lineup intact in the offseason, and they bolstered their starting rotation with the additions of Charlie Morton and Drew Smyly.The Braves have depth issues at catcher given injuries to Travis d’Arnaud and Alex Jackson. A thumb injury has d’Arnaud on the 60-day IL, and Jackson is on the 10-day IL with a hamstring injury.Snitker gives the ball to Huascar Ynoa tonight, who comes off seven scoreless innings in his last start at Washington last Tuesday. The 22-year-old right-hander has a 3-1 record with a 2.36 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP in seven appearances including six starts. The Braves bullpen has a 4.56 ERA with a 1.49 WHIP with eight saves and four blown saves. Philadelphia fell to second place in the NL East with the loss, percentage points behind the Mets with their 18-16 record. The organization hopes for their first winning season since 2011 and to break a nine-year postseason drought. First-baseman Rhys Hoskins leads the team with eight home runs and 18 RBIs to accompany his .233 batting average. First baseman Bryce Harper adds six homers and 10 RBIs along with a .304 batting average. Catcher J.T. Realmuto has a .313 batting average with four homers and 16 RBIs. The Phillies score 4.2 runs per game, with a .233 batting average, .299 on-base percentage, and an OPS of .680. The team returned the starting lineup from last year that helped them finish tied for fifth in MLB in runs scored. Manager Joe Girardi turns to Aaron Nola tonight. The right-hander allowed one run in six innings of work in his last start at home against Milwaukee last Tuesday. The 27-year-old has a 3-1 record with a 2.89 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP in seven starts. The Philadelphia bullpen has a 4.94 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP with ten saves and seven blown saves after last night's loss.BookMaker lists Philadelphia as a -108 money line favorite with the total set at 7.5.Computer prediction:  Philadelphia Phillies 6 Atlanta Braves 1

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MLB Baseball: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Atlanta Braves Preview, Odds and Prediction - 05/08/2021

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, May 08, 2021

The Philadelphia Phillies look to extend their winning streak to six games tonight as they play the Atlanta Braves on FS1 at 7:25 PM ET. Odubel Herrera clubbed a three-run homer as part of a six-run first inning. The Phillies banged out 16 hits with Jean Segura and Bryce Harper returning to the lineup. Segura scored twice with four hits. J.T. Realmuto added three hits, including a two-run homer. The victory kept Philadelphia in first place in the National League East by percentage points over the New York Mets. Philly has an 18-15 record with the Mets at 14-13 with five fewer games. The organization hopes for their first winning season since 2011 and to break a nine-year postseason drought. First-baseman Rhys Hoskins leads the team with eight home runs and 18 RBIs that accompany his .234 batting average. Harper adds six homers and 10 RBIs along with a .322 batting average. Realmuto has a .308 batting average with four homers and 15 RBIs. The Phillies score 4.2 runs per game, with a .233 batting average, .299 on-base percentage, and an OPS of .681. The team returned the starting lineup from last year that helped them finish tied for fifth in MLB in runs scored. Manager Joe Girardi turns to Vince Velasquez tonight. The right-hander allowed only one run in six innings of work in his last start at home against Milwaukee on May 3rd. The 26-year-old has a 1-1 record with a 4.91 ERA and a 1.64 WHIP in six appearances which includes three starts. The Philadelphia bullpen has a 4.77 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP with ten saves and six blown saves.Atlanta had their three-game winning streak end with yesterday’s loss. Dansby Swanson homered in the second inning in the losing effort. Manager Brian Snitker’s team is in fourth place in the NL East with a 15-17 record. All five teams in the division are separated by three games. The Braves have won three straight National League East titles. They took a 3-1 lead in the NL Championship Series against Los Angeles before the Dodgers rallied to win the next three games to reach (and then win) the World Series.Ronald Acuna leads the team with a .321 batting average. His ten home runs and 22 RBIs are team highs. Freddie Freeman adds seven homers with 18 RBIs but only has a .195 batting average. Marcel Ozuna has 20 RBIs with four homers and a .216 batting average. Atlanta is scoring 4.5 runs per game with a .227 batting average, a .302 on-base percentage, and an OPS of 714. Atlanta kept the core of their lineup intact in the offseason, and they bolstered their starting rotation with the additions of Charlie Morton and Drew Smyly.The Braves have depth issues at catcher given injuries to Travis d’Arnaud and Alex Jackson. A thumb injury has d’Arnaud on the 60-day IL, and Jackson is on the 10-day IL with a hamstring injury.Snitker gives the ball to Ian Anderson tonight. The 22-year-old right-hander has a 2-1 record with a 3.27 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP in six starts. The Braves bullpen has a 4.72 ERA with a 1.51 WHIP with eight saves and four blown saves. BetAnySports lists Atlanta as a -158 money line favorite with the total set at 9.Computer prediction:  Atlanta Braves 6 Philadelphia Phillies 2

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, MLB and EPL Previews and Odds - 05/08/2021

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, May 08, 2021

The Saturday sports card features action in the NBA, NHL, MLB, and the English Premier League.Seven games are on the NBA docket. The card begins at 7 PM ET with two games. Washington visits Indiana as a 3.5-point road favorite at DraftKings. Detroit plays at Philadelphia. Memphis travels to Toronto as a 4.5-point road favorite at 7:30 PM ET at DraftKings. Golden State hosts Oklahoma City at 10 PM ET as a 15-point favorite, with the total set at 223 (all odds from BetOnline unless indicated otherwise). Portland plays at home against San Antonio. Utah is at home against Houston. Fourteen games are on the NHL schedule. Two games begin the slate at 3 PM ET. Pittsburgh plays at home against Buffalo as a 325 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. Boston hosts the New York Rangers on NBC. The Bruins have won five of their last six games with their 4-0 victory against the Rangers. New York has lost five in a row. Boston is a -267 money line favorite with a total of 5.5. The puck drops shortly after 7 PM ET in six more games. Florida is at home against Tampa Bay as a -108 money line favorite at DraftKings with an over/under of 5.5. Washington plays at home against Philadelphia as a -180 money line favorite at DraftKings with the total at 6.5. Toronto hosts Montreal as a -210 money line favorite with an over/under of 6. Columbus is at home against Detroit as a -137 money line favorite at DraftKings with a total of 5. The New York Islanders are at home against New Jersey as a -220 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Winnipeg plays at home against Ottawa as a -175 money line favorite with a total of 5.5. Minnesota hosts Anaheim at 8 PM ET as a -286 money line favorite at DraftKings with an over/under of 5.5. Carolina travels to Nashville as a -135 money line road favorite with a total of 5.5. Vegas plays at home against St. Louis at 10 PM ET as a -180 money line favorite at DraftKings. Colorado travels to Los Angeles as a -278 money line road favorite at DraftKings with an over/under of 6. Edmonton is at home against Vancouver as a -220 money line favorite with a total of 6. San Jose hosts Arizona at 10:30 PM ET as a -108 money line favorite at DraftKings with an over/under of 5.5.Fifteen games are on the MLB slate. The New York Yankees play at home against Washington at 1:05 PM ET as a -122 money line favorite with a total of 8. St. Louis is at home against Colorado at 2:15 PM ET as a -184 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Chicago Cubs host Pittsburgh at 2:20 PM ET as a -173 money line favorite. San Diego visits San Francisco in the first game of a doubleheader on FS1 at 4:05 PM ET. The Giants ended a two-game losing streak by winning the opener of this series on Friday by a 5-4 score. The Padres have lost two of their last three games. San Francisco sends out Kevin Gausman to face Joe Musgrove. San Diego is a -131 money line road favorite with a total of 7. Tampa Bay travels to Oakland at 4:07 PM ET as a -133 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Minnesota plays at Detroit at 4:10 PM ET as a -185 money line road favorite with a total of 8. Milwaukee visits Miami at 6:10 PM ET. Cleveland is at home against Cincinnati as a -110 money line favorite with a total of 8.  The Indians will try to bounce back off last night's loss, in which they were no-hit by the Reds' Wade Miley.Boston visits Baltimore at 7:05 PM ET. Seattle plays at Texas. Arizona travels to New York to play the Mets at 7:10 PM ET. Houston is at home against Toronto as a -144 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Chicago White Sox plays at Kansas City at 7:20 PM ET as a -167 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Atlanta hosts Philadelphia in the second game on FS1 at 7:20 PM ET. The Phillies have won five in a row with their 12-2 victory over the Braves in the opening game of this series. The Braves had their three-game winning streak snapped with the loss. Philadelphia has Vincent Velasquez pitching against Ian Anderson. Atlanta is a -170 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The MLB card concludes at 9:07 PM ET with the Los Angeles Dodgers playing on the road against the Los Angeles Angels. Matchweek 35 of the English Premier League continues with four matches. Tottenham travels to Leeds United on the NBC Sports Network at 7:30 AM ET as a -0.5 money line road favorite with a total of 2.75. Crystal Palace plays at Sheffield United at 10 AM ET on the NBC Sports Network in a pick ‘em matchup with an over/under of 2.25. Manchester City hosts Chelsea at 12:30 PM ET on NBC as a -0.5 money line favorite with an over/under of 2.25. Liverpool plays at home against Southampton on Peacock at 3:15 PM ET as a -1.75 goal line favorite with a total of 3.25.

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EPL Soccer: Newcastle United vs. Leicester City Preview, Odds and Prediction - 05/07/2021

by Big Al Staff

Friday, May 07, 2021

Newcastle United visits Leicester City at King Power Stadium on the NBC Sports Network at 3 PM ET in a battle between two teams with much still at stake this season.Leicester City controls its destiny to secure a spot in next year’s UEFA Champions League. The Foxes are in 3rd place in the English Premier League table with 63 points. They are two points ahead of Chelsea and five points ahead of West Ham United to stay in the top four. They trail Manchester United by four points (with the Red Devils having a game in hand) for second place, and they are distant 17 points behind first-place Manchester City at the top of the table.The Foxes come off 1-1 draw at Southampton last Friday. They fell behind after the Saints converted a penalty kick 61 minutes into the match. Jonny Evans leveled the score seven minutes later. The result was a disappointment for manager Brendan Rodgers considering that his team played with a man advantage for 80 minutes after Southampton was issued a red card 10 minutes into the match. Rodgers’ team remains unbeaten in their last four matches across all competitions. Kelechi Iheanacho has jumpstarted the attack with ten goals in his last nine games. Jamie Vardy leads the team with 13 goals. James Maddison is back in the starting XI after being suspended by the team last month for breaking COVID quarantine protocols. Injuries will keep midfielder Harvey Barnes and defenders James Justin and Wes Morgan off the pitch.Leicester City has a challenging league schedule to close out the season with upcoming matches against Manchester United, Chelsea, and Tottenham. They also have an impending showdown at Wembley Stadium with Chelsea for the FA Cup title on May 15th in their first attempt to win that trophy in 52 years.Newcastle was unbeaten in their last four matches before a 2-0 loss at home against Arsenal on Sunday. The Magpies fell behind in the sixth minute before conceding the second goal 21 minutes into the second half. Defender Fabian Schar got issued a red card in the 90th minute, suspending him from this match.Manager Steve Bruce has his team nine points clear of relegation with their nine-point lead over Fulham for 17th place in the league table. The return of attackers Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin to the team from the doctor’s table has helped in Newcastle’s recent improved form. They had scored in four straight league matches before getting blanked by the Gunners. Wilson has ten goals and six assists this season, and Saint-Maximin has added three goals and five assists from the midfield.The Magpies host Manchester City at St. James Park next Friday before two teams at the bottom of the table in Sheffield United and Fulham. Leicester City won the reverse fixture at St. James Park by a 2-1 score on January 3rd. Maddison and Youri Tielmans scored in the section half to give the Foxes the lead before Andy Carroll cut the margin in half with just eight minutes left in the match. BetOnline lists Leicester City as a -1.5 goal line favorite with the total set at 2.75.Computer prediction:  Leicester City 2 Newcastle United 0

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