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Inside The College Football Boxscores Week 7 – Part 3

by Matt Fargo

Wednesday, Oct 15, 2025

Fargo looks past the top line scores and goes deep into the box scores to get a better picture of what really happened for all of the FBS games the past weekend.Florida Atlantic 53, UAB 33Florida Atlantic forced a three and out to open the game and went 64 yards in eight plays to take a 7-0 lead which was the first of four touchdowns in four possessions and the Trent Dilfer tenure was done before halftime. The Blazers punted on their first four possessions and the game was done two minutes into the second quarter. The Owls outgained UAB 482-329 and 7.4 to 4.8 despite going just 3-10 on third down but were helped out by the Blazers committing 15 penalties for 128 yards. Coastal Carolina 23, ULM 8Coastal Carolina went 120 yards in its first two possessions but had to settle for a pair of field goals and it was a very inefficient first half before finding the endzone right before halftime for take a 16-0 lead into the break. The Warhawks punted on all six first half possessions and after scoring a touchdown early in the third quarter, the offense could do nothing the rest of the way. The Chanticleers only outgained UL Monroe 378-315 and 5.4 to 5.1 yppl but the Warhawks were 1-13 on third down.Wyoming 35, San Jose State 28San Jose St. jumped out to a 21-7 lead with the only Wyoming touchdown coming on a 73-yard punt return and the Spartans took a 14-point lead into halftime. After a scoreless third quarter filled with turnovers, the Cowboys cashed a turnover into a touchdown via interception and they scored two late touchdowns amassing 165 yards and the defense held. Wyoming outgained the Spartans 413-383 but ran 19 fewer plays and it had the yppl advantage 6.4 to 4.6. Texas A&M 34, Florida 17Florida took the opening kickoff and went 75 yards in eight plays to take a 7-0 lead but Texas A&M scored touchdowns on its first three possessions consisting of drives of 75, 81 and 75 yards. The Aggies took a seven-point lead into the fourth quarter and scored 10 points off a missed fourth down conversion and a fumble from the Gators. Texas A&M outgained Florida 417-319 and 6.1 to 5.2 yppl as it went 9-17 on third down while the defense held the Gators to 1-10 on third down. Iowa 30, Wisconsin 0Iowa opened the scoring with a 32-yard field goal then intercepted a pass and scored a touchdown three plays later and intercepted another pass two plays later and scored a touchdown on the next play. The Hawkeyes dominated the rest of the way with their defense to pitch the shutout. Iowa outgained the Badgers 319-209 and 5.2 to 3.7 yppl so it was far from dominating but the two early interceptions set the tone. The Hawkeyes did rush for 210 yards on 36 carries (5.8 ypc). USC 31, Michigan 13USC took the opening kickoff and went 75 yards in 11 plays to take a 7-0 lead. The Wolverines went three and out on its first possession and despite running 11 plays on its second possession, it was forced to punt again but took its third possession 86 yards in 14 plays to tie the game. The Trojans then scored the next 17 points to put the game away. USC outgained Michigan 489-316 and 7.2 to 5.5 yppl while going 6-12 on third down and held the Wolverines to 2-9 on third down. Minnesota 27, Purdue 20Purdue jumped out to a 10-0 lead and took a four-point lead into halftime and a third quarter field goal gave the Boilermakers a 20-13 lead going into the fourth quarter. The Gophers went 70 yards in 14 plays to tie the game and had an interception return for a touchdown on the next play to take the lead. Purdue was then stopped at the Minnesota seven-yard line with 1:56 left. Purdue outgained the Gophers 456-262 but were -3 in turnovers while going just 3-5 in the redzone. Georgia 20, Auburn 10Auburn took the opening kickoff and went 75 yards in 14 plays to take a 7-0 lead. The Tigers forced a punt and went 70 yards but had to settle for a 24-yard field goal and then after a punt, they went 79 yards but fumbled at the Georgia one yard line. That motivation got the Georgia offense going as the Bulldogs scored in four of their next six possessions, the exceptions being a turnover on downs and a missed field goal. Georgia outgained Auburn 296-277 and 4.3 to 4.1 yppl. Clemson 41, Boston College 10Clemson jumped ahead 10-0 and built a 17-3 lead before Boston College went 75 yards in 10 plays to cut the lead to seven points but then it was all Tigers after that. Clemson scored 17 points to close the first half to take a 34-10 lead into the break but it threw two interceptions to open the second half. The defense did the job not to let the Eagles back in the game and overall, the Tigers outgained Boston College 504-221 and 6.6 to 3.6 yppl but were sloppy with three turnovers. Texas Tech 42, Kansas 17Texas Tech forced a punt on the opening possession of the game and threw a 71-yard touchdown pass on its first play from scrimmage. Kansas fumbled on its next play and the Red Raiders scored a second touchdown five plays later then built a 21-0 lead. Kansas did score 17 unanswered points to end the first half but Texas Tech owned the second half 21-0. The Red Raiders outgained Kansas 505-319 and 7.4 to 4.1 and they rushed for 372 yards on 40 carries (9.3 ypc).  UTSA 61, Rice 13UTSA took the opening kickoff and went 75 yards in five plays to take a 7-0 lead and Rice was able to move the ball on its first possession but had to settle for a field goal. The Roadrunners then scored the next 31 points before Rice tacked on a touchdown before halftime. UTSA opened the second half with two defensive touchdowns in the first seven plays and added a safety. The Roadrunners outgained Rice 437-269 and 7.4 to 3.9 yppl but the offense was just 4-10 on third down. LSU 20, South Carolina 10LSU opened the scoring with a field goal following a Gamecocks fumble and South Carolina then missed a field goal. The Tigers then fumbled it back to South Carolina and scored three plays later on a 72-yard rushing touchdown. It was a tie game midway through the third quarter before LSU scored the final 10 points. The Tigers outgained South Carolina 420-317 and 6.7 to 4.4 yppl as it ran nine fewer plays but did have three turnovers. The Gamecocks committed 13 penalties. BYU 33, Arizona 27BYU took a 14-0 lead before Arizona ran off 24 straight points, the last touchdown coming early in the fourth quarter. The Cougars then went 69 yards in 15 plays but had to settle for a 24-yard field goal and then forced a punt and went 47 yards to tie the game with 19 seconds remaining. Field goals were traded in the first overtime and in the second overtime, BYU scored and then the defense held. The Cougars outgained Arizona 430-383 and held the Wildcats to 4-17 on third down. Troy 48, Texas State 41Texas St. opened up a 28-7 lead after the first quarter as it had two big touchdown plays of 59 and 62 yards. The Bobcats slowly let Troy back in the game as the Trojans scored on seven of their final eight possessions including the game tying touchdown with 1:13 remaining and the Bobcats missed a 42-yard field goal as time expired. Troy scored first in overtime before the Bobcats failed to convert a fourth and one. Texas St. outgained the Trojans 574-458 and 7.7 to 6.3 yppl. Boise State 41, New Mexico 25Boise St. opened the scoring with a field goal and then added a touchdown to end the first quarter but New Mexico returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. The Lobos forced a three and out and drove 58 yards for a touchdown but the Broncos went on a 31-3 run before New Mexico added a touchdown in garbage time. Boise St. outgained the Lobos 397-231 but had the ball for 21 more minutes while running 32 more plays and had just a 4.6 to 4.3 yppl advantage. Utah 42, Arizona State 10After Utah scored a touchdown on its opening possession, Arizona St. went 54 yards in 16 plays and took over seven minutes off the clock but had to settle for a field goal. The Utes then scored the next 21 points before the Sun Devils added a touchdown but it was too late. Utah rushed for 276 yards on 42 carries (6.6 ypc) and overall the Utes outgained Arizona St. 412-273. They ran 23 fewer plays and outgained the Sun Devils 7.5 to 3.5 yppl and had only eight third downs. San Diego State 44, Nevada 10San Diego St. had a 14-0 lead after the first quarter following touchdowns on a 75-yard punt return and a 45-yard interception return. The Aztecs added on 30 more points before taking the foot off the gas. Nevada scored all 10 points in garbage time in the fourth quarter. San Diego St. outgained the Wolf Pack 409-254 with 141 of those 254 yards for Nevada coming on those two scoring drives. The Aztecs held Nevada to 60 yards rushing on 33 carries (1.8 ypc). Hawaii 44, Utah State 26It was a back and forth game with Hawaii taking the lead 27-26 near the end of the third quarter and then outscored the Aggies 17-0 in the fourth quarter. Utah St. scored one minute into the second half and then the offense fell apart as it finished with two punts, a turnover on downs, a fumble and an interception in its final eight possessions. Hawaii outgained the Aggies 546-435 but ran 17 more plays and the yppl was even at 6.6. The Aggies were 2-12 on third down.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, MLB and NHL Previews and Odds - 10/15/2025

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Oct 15, 2025

The Wednesday sports card features NCAAF, MLB, and NHL action.Week 8 in NCAAF college football continues with two games between FBS opponents at 7:00 p.m. ET. Delaware travels to Jacksonville State on ESPN. The Blue Hens had won two games in a row before a 27-24 upset loss at home against Western Kentucky as a 2.5-point favorite on October 3rd. They have a 3-2 record on the season. The Gamecocks won for the second time in their last three games in a 29-27 victory at Sam Houston as a 7-point favorite last Thursday. The victory evened their record at 3-3. Delaware is a 3-point road favorite with the total set at 57.5 (all odds from DraftKings). UTEP plays at Sam Houston on the CBS Sports Network. The Miners lost their fourth straight game last Wednesday in a 19-8 setback against Liberty as a 2-point underdog. They have a 1-5 record. The Bearkats have lost their first six games of the season after their loss at home against Jacksonville State last week. UTEP is a 2.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 47.5. Major League Baseball continues its best-of-seven league championship round of the playoffs with one game. The Seattle Mariners host the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 3 of the ALCS on FS1 at 8:08 p.m. ET. The Mariners took a 2-0 lead in this series with their 10-3 victory on the road in Toronto on Monday. They have won five of their last six games. The Blue Jays have lost three of their last four games. Seattle sends out George Kirby to take the mound to pitch against Toronto’s Shane Bieber. The Mariners are a -137 money-line favorite with a total of 7. The National Hockey League has four games on its slate. Two NHL games drop the puck at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Florida Panthers are on the road in Detroit against the Red Wings on TNT. The Panthers had won their first three games of the season before a 5-2 loss at Philadelphia on Monday. The Red Wings rebounded from losing their opening game of the season with two straight victories after a 3-2 win at Toronto on Monday. Florida is a -142 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5.The Ottawa Senators visit Buffalo to take on the Sabres. The Senators won their opening game of the season but have since lost two games in a row after a 4-1 loss against Nashville on Monday. The Sabres have lost their first three games of the season after a 3-1 loss at home against Colorado on Monday. Ottawa is a -120 money-line road favorite with a total of 5.5. Two more games conclude the NHL card at 9:40 p.m. ET. The Utah Mammoth plays at home against the Calgary Stampeders. The Mammoth lost for the second time in their first three games this season in a 3-1 loss at Chicago on Monday. The Flames won their first game of the new season before losing two games in a row after their 4-2 loss at home against St. Louis on Saturday. Utah is a -218 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The St. Louis Blues are home against the Chicago Blackhawks on TNT. The Blues rebounded from losing their opening game of the season with two straight victories after their 5-2 win at Vancouver on Monday. The Blackhawks ended a three-game losing streak to begin the season with their victory against Utah on Monday. St. Louis is a -230 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5.  

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Inside The College Football Boxscores Week 7 – Part 2

by Matt Fargo

Tuesday, Oct 14, 2025

Fargo looks past the top line scores and goes deep into the box scores to get a better picture of what really happened for all of the FBS games the past weekend.James Madison 24, Louisiana 14After a scoreless first quarter, Louisiana struck first with a six-play, 80-yard touchdown drive and then recovered a fumble two plays later but could not take advantage as it had a 51-yard field goal blocked. James Madison turned that into a touchdown but the Cajuns went 75 yards in three plays to take a 14-7 halftime lead. The Dukes scored on the first play of the second half and the defense clamped down. James Madison outgained Louisiana 477-288 and 5.9 to 5.1 yppl.Ole Miss 24, Washington State 21Mississippi was caught in an unexpected dogfight as Washington St. hit the scoreboard first late in the first quarter to take a 7-0 lead and the Rebels did not get into the endzone until 31 seconds remaining in the second quarter. The Cougars took the opening second half kickoff and went 75 yards in seven plays before Mississippi scored the next two touchdowns. The Rebels outgained Washington St. 439-345 but did run 11 more plays and they were hurt by eight penalties for 99 yards.Eastern Michigan 16, NIU 10The teams traded field goals in the first half with Eastern Michigan taking a 6-3 lead. Northern Illinois opened the scoring in the second half with an 80-yard touchdown run before the Eagles reclaimed the lead early in the fourth quarter. They intercepted a pass two plays later and tacked on a field goal and the Huskies were stopped on downs twice to end the game. Northern Illinois had only 252 yards besides that touchdown run and finished 4-16 in third down. The Eagles had only 296 yards of offense.Kent State 42, UMass 6Kent St. opened the game by returning the kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown and the Golden Flashes never looked back. They took a 21-6 lead into halftime so it was still a game but they forced a punt on the first Minutemen possession and went 80 yards in 14 plays for a touchdown and took advantage of a failed fourth down try and an interception to add two more scores. Kent St. outgained Massachusetts by only 330-271 but ran 20 fewer plays and had a 5.3 to 3.3 yppl advantage.Notre Dame 36, NC State 7Notre Dame forced a punt to open the game and went 58 yards in six plays to go ahead 7-0. The Wolf Pack responded to open the second quarter with an 11-play, 83-yard drive before Notre Dame kicked a field goal right before the half. The Irish then took over as after punting on its first possession, it scored on four of its next five possessions. Notre Dame outgained the Wolfpack 485-233 and 6.8 to 3.9 yppl. The last four NC State possessions resulted in three interceptions and a safety.Marshall 48, Old Dominion 24Marshall opened the scoring with a 22-yard interception return and after a Thundering Herd missed field goal, Old Dominion tied the game on a 71-yard touchdown pass. It was all Marshall after that as it went on a 41-3 run before the Monarchs added a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns. Old Dominion was outgained by only 445-439 but 155 of its yards were those last two touchdown drives. Additionally, it lost the turnover battle 3-0 that led to 21 points for the Thundering Herd.Western Michigan 42, Ball State 0Western Michigan turned it over on downs inside the Cardinals redzone on its first possession but then scored touchdowns on its next three possessions and the rout was on. The Broncos were far from perfect as besides the fourth down miss, they had a missed field goal and a one play interception. Western Michigan outgained the Cardinals 461-88 and 6.3 to 1.8 yppl as it forced 10 punts with Ball St. converting only one third down and it crossed midfield only once.Appalachian State 41, Georgia State 20Appalachian St. opened up a 17-0 lead at halftime which eventually became 31-0 and the Mountaineers coasted the rest of the way. They were outscored 20-10 after that as the Panthers offense finally got going with three touchdown drives of 75 yards each which added some fluff yardage. Appalachian St. outgained Georgia Southern 435-381 on 10 fewer plays which made it 5.9 to 4.9 yppl. The Mountaineers punted on four of their first five possessions but did not punt after that.UNLV 51, Air Force 48The Rebels did it again with another late win to remain undefeated. Air Force was able to build an 11-point lead late in the second quarter but UNLV went on a 16-0 run and then it was back and forth and after the Falcons went up 48-44 with 1:13 remaining, the Rebels went 75 yards on six plays in 37 seconds for the game winning touchdown. Air Force outgained the Rebels 603-597 but ran 23 more plays thanks to a 14-minute clock edge and UNLV took the yppl 10.0 to 7.3.Kansas State 41, TCU 28The Wildcats spotted TCU and 7-0 lead and then ran off 28 straight points that included a 15-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown and a 25-yard interception return for a touchdown. The Horned Frogs never got it below 14 points until the end of the game on a garbage touchdown. The two defensive touchdowns were the difference as TCU outgained the Wildcats 448-343 and 6.5 to 4.8 yppl and another interception led to a touchdown and they committed eight penalties.Colorado 24, Iowa State 17Colorado scored at the end of the first quarter to take a 7-0 lead but Iowa St. scored the only 10 points in the second quarter to lead at the half. The Cyclones retook the lead after the Buffaloes took it back two plays into the second half but Colorado finished on a 10-0 run. Iowa St. outgained Colorado 441-395 and 6.3 to 6.2 yppl but the Cyclones went just 2-12 on third down and had a questionable decision to go for it on their own 18-yard line with 7:13 left and missed it.Wake Forest 39, Oregon State 14Wake Forest took the opening kickoff and went 60 yards in just three plays to take a 7-0 lead which was eventually extended to 32-0 after three quarters. The Demon Deacons had a yardage edge of 358-211 through the three quarters as Oregon St. missed a field goal, had two turnovers and turned it over on downs which accounted for 148 of those 211 yards. Overall, Wake Forest outgained the Beavers 468-309 and it ran 26 fewer plays and had a 8.7 to 3.9 yppl advantage.Georgia Tech 35, Virginia Tech 20Georgia Tech opened up an 18-0 lead which turned into 21-7 at halftime but the Hokies took the second half kickoff and went 75 yards in nine plays to make it a one possession game. The Yellow Jackets put up two more touchdowns to put them away before a late garbage Virginia Tech touchdown. Georgia Tech outgained the Hokies 481-367 but did run 11 more plays so it only had a 7.3 to 6.7 yppl advantage but Virginia Tech committed 10 penalties and was 0-8 on third down.Texas 23, Oklahoma 6Oklahoma opened up a 6-0 lead early in the second quarter at which time Texas had only 22 yards of offense and had a missed field goal in there following an interception. The Longhorns finally got on the board with a field goal and then took over in the second half. They scored on their first two second half possessions and three of four that included another missed field goal. Texas outgained the Sooners 302-258 and 4.9 to 3.7 yppl and it went 10-17 on third down.Northwestern 22, Penn State 21Northwestern had the only points in the first quarter as it used a 7:23 drive in 12 plays but it resulted in just a 27-yard field goal. It was a back and forth game the whole way and it was Penn St. that took a 21-16 lead with 10:50 left in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats then went 75 yards in 11 plays to retake the lead with 4:51 left and Penn St. could not get a first down after and never got the ball back. Northwestern outgained Penn St. 282-274 but was outgained 5.4 to 4.1 in yppl.Nebraska 34, Maryland 31This was a game of runs as Nebraska opened with a 10-0 lead, Maryland responded with 14 points, Nebraska responded 14 points, Maryland responded with 17 points including an interception return for a touchdown and Nebraska scored the final 10 points including the winning touchdown with 1:08 remaining. The Huskers outgained Maryland 453-379 and 7.7 to 5.7 yppl as it ran eight fewer plays but lost the turnover battle 3-0 with three interceptions. Maryland had eight penalties for 100 yards.Indiana 30, Oregon 20Indiana opened the scoring with a field goal and after the teams traded punts, Oregon went 51 yards in three plays to take a 7-3 lead. The Hoosiers took the ensuing kickoff and went 75 yards on nine plays in 5:00 to take a 10-7 lead and they never trailed again. Oregon tied it up three different times and Indiana put the game away with 2:06 left on a 22-yard field goal. Indiana outgained the Ducks 326-267 and 4.8 to 4.2 yppl with the Hoosiers going 5-14 on third down and the Ducks just 3-14.Navy 32, Temple 31The Midshipmen got on the board first on a 50-yard touchdown pass but Temple scored the next 17 points, its first of two 10-point leads. The Owls blew the second one with 6:34 left in the fourth quarter but they went 75 yards on 11 plays in 5:18 to take a 31-24 lead. Navy then went 75 yards in 37 seconds to score and made the two-point conversion and the Owls ran out of time. Temple outgained Navy 518-384 but ran 22 more plays and was outgained 7.1 to 6.8 yppl.Tennessee 34, Arkansas 31Arkansas opened the scoring after taking the opening kickoff 75 yards on nine plays in 4:50 for a 7-0 lead and it was back and forth with the Razorbacks holding a 17-10 lead. The Volunteers then scored 24 unanswered points before Arkansas cut it back to 10 points and then to three points with 2:55 left but never got the ball back. The yardage differential was only nine yet Tennessee outgained Arkansas 7.5 to 6.5 but was hurt by 10 penalties with Arkansas committing just one. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NHL, MLB and NCAAF Previews and Odds - 10/14/2025

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Oct 14, 2025

The Tuesday sports card features NCAAF, MLB, and NHL action.Week 8 in NCAAF college football kicks off with three games between FBS opponents. Liberty hosts New Mexico State on the CBS Sports Network at 7:00 p.m.  ET. The Flames ended a four-game losing streak with a 19-8 victory at UTEP as a 2-point favorite last Wednesday. They have a 2-4 record for the season. The Aggies ended a two-game losing streak with a 37-10 upset victory against Sam Houston as a 2-point underdog on October 2nd. Their win improved their record to 3-2. Liberty is a 10-point favorite with the total set at 46.5 (all odds from DraftKings). South Alabama plays at home against Arkansas State on ESPN2 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Jaguars are on a five-game losing streak after a 31-24 upset loss in overtime at Troy as a 1-point favorite two Saturdays ago on October 4th. They have a 1-5 record heading into this game. The Red Wolves ended a four-game losing streak with a 31-30 upset victory at home against Texas State as a 13.5-point underdog nine days ago. They improved their record to 2-4 with the win. South Alabama is a 7.5-point favorite with an over/under of 58.5. Western Kentucky is at home against Florida International on ESPNU at 8:00 p.m. ET. The Hilltoppers have won three games in a row after a 27-24 upset victory at Delaware as a 2.5-point underdog two Fridays ago on October 3rd. They have a 5-1 record. The Golden Panthers lost for the third time in four games in a 51-10 setback at Connecticut as a 7-point underdog on October 4th. Their record dropped to 2-4 with the loss. Western Kentucky is a 10-point favorite with a total of 55.5.Major League Baseball continues its best-of-seven league championship round of the playoffs with one game. The Los Angeles Dodgers travel to Milwaukee to face the Brewers in Game 2 of the NLCS on TBS/truTV/HBO Max at 8:08 p.m. ET. The Dodgers took the opening game of this series last night by a 2-1 score. They have won 11 of their last 12 games. The Brewers have lost three of their last four games. Los Angeles sends out Yoshinobu Yamamoto to pitch against Milwaukee’s Freddy Peralta. The Dodgers are a -126 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The National Hockey League has eight games on its slate. Four NHL games drop the puck at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Nashville Predators as a -218 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Edmonton Oilers play in New York against the Rangers as a -135 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Montreal Canadiens play at home against the Seattle Kraken as a -162 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Washington Capitals are home against the  Tampa Bay Lightning on ESPN as a -125 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Vegas Golden Knights are in Calgary to take on the Flames as a -162 money-line road favorite with a total of 5.5. The Dallas Stars host the Minnesota Wild on ESPN at 9:40 p.m. ET as a -192 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Carolina Hurricanes are in San Jose to face the Sharks at 10:10 p.m.  ET as a -250 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The Anaheim Ducks play at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins at 10:40 p.m. ET as a -155 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5.  

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Inside The College Football Boxscores Week 7 - Part 1

by Matt Fargo

Monday, Oct 13, 2025

Fargo looks past the top line scores and goes deep into the box scores to get a better picture of what really happened for all of the FBS games the past weekend.Missouri State 22, Middle Tennessee 20This was a back and forth game throughout that ended up coming down to the kicking game. Missouri St. took a two-point lead with 4:45 remaining and the Blue Raiders followed by driving 44 yards to set up a possible game winning field goal with under a minute left but the 52-yard attempt was no good. The yardages were nearly dead even at 353-348 as were the yppl averages at 5.2 to 5.3 but the Bears had the edge in the redzone at 5-5 with Middle Tennessee going 1-1.Liberty 19, UTEP 8Liberty snapped a four-game losing streak but it was not the most dominating victory. The Flames defense did its job as it held UTEP to 167 yards and nine first downs with 65 of those yards coming on its touchdown drive in the fourth quarter. Liberty did gain 403 yards on offense but it had the ball for over 20 more minutes while running 31 more plays and it averaged just 4.9 yppl. The Flames were just 3-18 on third down which killed possessions and led to four field goals.Kennesaw State 35, Louisiana Tech 7Kennesaw St. has already doubled its win total from last season with four. The Owls spotted Louisiana Tech a 7-0 lead in the first quarter and then went off for 35 unanswered points. Kennesaw St. outgained the Bulldogs 400-305 but ran 12 fewer plays and won the yppl 6.3 to 4.1. Louisiana Tech had its chances in the second half as it got into Owls territory three times including the seven-yard line and one-yard line but failed on fourth down twice and threw an interception.  Tulane 26, East Carolina 19Tulane dominated the first half as it outgained the Pirates 235-81 and pitched a shutout but had to settle for four field goals on offense. East Carolina was able to generate some offense in the second half as it had four scoring drives but two resulted in field goals. Tulane put the game away with two touchdown drives on its last two possessions including the game winner with 35 seconds left. The Green Wave ran 11 fewer plays and still won the yards 458-340 and the yppl at 7.4 to 4.7.Jacksonville State 29, Sam Houston 27The Gamecocks had a pair of 10-point leads early but Sam Houston used a pair of long drives to take a 21-17 lead midway through the third quarter. Jacksonville St. retook the lead early in the fourth quarter but the Bearkats scored with 52 second left to take a one point lead. The Gamecocks then went 48 yards and kicked the 52-yard game winner as time expired. Jacksonville St. won the yards 499-286 but ran 28 more plays which led to a lesser 6.2 to 5.5 yppl advantage.Southern Miss 38, Georgia Southern 35It was a shootout in Statesboro but Southern Mississippi controlled the game. The Eagles jumped ahead 7-0 late in the first quarter but the Golden Eagles scored 28 unanswered points and it never got close until the end. Georgia Southern scored a touchdown late in the fourth quarter after recovering a fumble and then forced a punt and drove down to make it a three-point game but never got the ball back. The Eagles were hurt with three interceptions and 12 penalties for 104 yards.USF 63, North Texas 36The teams traded touchdowns in the first half to make it a 21-21 game at halftime and then South Florida took over. The Bulls got the second half kickoff and went 75 yards in four plays, picked off a pass three plays later and went 15 yards in two plays and then recovered a fumble for a touchdown four plays after that and it was game over. South Florida outgained the Mean Green 580-443 including 306-107 yards rushing (5.4 to 3.7 ypc). North Texas finished with five turnovers.Washington 38, Rutgers 19Rutgers got the opening kickoff and went 75 yards in four plays and after a Washington missed field goal, it tacked on a field goal for a 10-0 lead. The Scarlet Knights then forced a punt and could have gotten more points but missed a 45-yard field goal. The Huskies got it to three points at halftime and then took over in the second half as it scored four straight touchdowns. Washington outgained Rutgers 579-493 but ran 18 fewer plays and had a 9.8 to 6.4 yppl edge but did have nine penalties.Colorado State 49, Fresno State 21Colorado St. jumped ahead 21-0 and never looked back. The Rams scored touchdowns on their first four possessions while gaining 266 yards but the offense could not keep it up as they had three and outs in their next five possessions. Fresno St. did get it to 14 points but Colorado St. tacked on two late touchdowns. The Bulldogs actually outgained the Rams 469-334 but ran 27 more plays and were outgained just 6.3 to 5.9 in yppl. They lost the turnover battle 4-0 and had 13 penalties for 117 yards.Cincinnati 20, UCF 11The Bearcats pitched a shutout for most of the first half until Central Florida got a field goal with 27 seconds remaining. The Knights did not get its touchdown until garbage time at 2:17 when the score was 20-3 as they went 90 yards in 19 plays. Central Florida did outgain Cincinnati 419-306 but held the ball for nearly 20 more minutes while running 42 more plays and it was outgained 6.4 to 4.6 yppl. The Knights were stopped on downs three times and fumbled, all in Cincinnati territory.Army 24, Charlotte 7It was complete Army domination as it outgained Charlotte 354-178 including 304-68 yards rushing (4.8 to 2.3 ypc). The Black Knights had the ball for nearly 16 more minutes because of that huge rushing advantage. It could have been worse but there was a fumble in the first half while turning it over on downs and missing two field goals on three straight second half possessions. Charlotte avoided the shutout with a touchdown with eight seconds left, accounting for 59 of its 178 yards.Miami (Ohio) 20, Akron 7This was an ugly first half that featured just a field goal for scoring, five punts, a missed field goal, two interceptions and a turnover on downs. Miami got inside the Akron 30-yard line on all five second half possessions as it scored 17 points but missed on fourth down once and ended the game at the Zips five-yard line. The RedHawks outgained Akron just 350-273 and 5.2 to 4.3 yppl as they finished just 4-12 on third down which killed drives and the Zips had 10 penalties for 60 yards.Ohio State 34, Illinois 16Ohio St. jumped ahead 20-0 as it scored on four of its first five possessions and while Illinois scored on the opening possession of the second half, the Buckeyes went 63 yards to get the touchdown back and then recovered a fumble two plays later and tacked on another touchdown. Illinois did outgain Ohio St. 295-272 with the yppl even at 4.2 but it was just 4-14 on third down and turned it over on downs twice. Additionally, the Illini lost the turnover battle 3-0 and held to 1.7 ypc rushing.UCLA 38, Michigan State 13UCLA spotted Michigan St. a 7-0 lead and then took over with 38 unanswered points to blow the game open. The Bruins punted on their first possession and then scored on six of their next seven possessions, the only non-score being a 34-yard missed field goal. The Spartans only other touchdown came late in the third quarter when the game was already decided. The Bruins outgained Michigan St. 418-253 and 6.2 to 4.2 yppl while controlling the clock for nearly 13 minutes more.Alabama 27, Missouri 24The Tigers took the opening kickoff 78 yards in six plays to take a 7-0 lead before Alabama scored on its first three possessions to take a 17-7 lead. Missouri was able to tie it up before the Crimson Tide took a two-possession lead with 3:16 remaining and Missouri could not catch them. The Tigers won the yardage battle 330-325 but ran 19 fewer plays and outgained Alabama 5.9 to 4.3 in yppl. A pair of second half interceptions did not help and Missouri was just 1-10 on third down.Pitt 34, Florida State 31This game was back and forth throughout and Florida St. took a three-point lead going into the fourth quarter. The Panthers took advantage of a Seminoles fumble to get a field goal and tie the game and then forced a pair of punts to score 10 points. Florida St. made it a three-point game with 1:45 left but Pittsburgh got the onside kick and ran out the clock. The Panthers outgained Florida St. 476-415 but had eight more plays and the yppl were 6.7 to 6.6 and benefitted going 3-3 on fourth down.SMU 34, Stanford 10SMU jumped ahead 17-0 and never led by less than two touchdowns the rest of the way. The Mustangs outgained Stanford by only 369-353 but ran 20 fewer plays and won the yppl 6.8 to 4.8 as they had the ball 13 minutes less. They used two huge plays for two touchdowns as they had an 87-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and a 96-yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter which made it a 21-point lead as opposed to a possible one possession game.Houston 39, Oklahoma State 17Oklahoma St. took the opening kickoff 75 yards to take a 7-0 lead and the game was tied at 10-10 early in the second quarter before Houston took over. The Cougars scored on six of their final seven possessions not counting the drive to end the game while the defense did not allow the Cowboys to cross midfield on six straight possessions until a garbage time touchdown. Houston had the ball for 13 more minutes and outgained the Cowboys 485-225 but did have 28 more plays.Bowling Green 28, Toledo 23Toledo jumped ahead 21-0 in the second quarter and it could have been worse as the Rockets turned it over on downs twice inside the Bowling Green redzone. The Falcons then scored 28 unanswered points as they did not allow Toledo to cross midfield on its first seven possessions of the second half. The Rockets were driving for a possible tying touchdown but threw an interception at the 32-yard line. Toledo outgained the Falcons 429-226 but had 13 penalties and were 3-13 on third down.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, MLB, NHL and CFL Previews and Odds - 10/13/2025

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Oct 13, 2025

The Monday sports card features NFL, MLB, NHL, and CFL action. Week 6 in the NFL concludes with two games. The Buffalo Bills travel to Atlanta to play the Falcons on ESPN at 7:15 p.m. ET. The Bills lost their first game of the season in a 23-20 upset loss at home against New England as an 8-point favorite last Sunday. The Falcons return from their bye week after winning for the second time in their last three games in a 34-27 victory against Washington as a 2.5-point favorite on September 28th. Buffalo is a 4.5-point road favorite with the total set at 49.5 (all odds from DraftKings).The Washington Commanders host the Chicago Bears on ABC at 8:15 p.m. ET. The Commanders won for the second time in their previous three games in a 27-10 upset victory on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers as a 3-point underdog last Sunday. The Bears return from their bye week after pulling off their second straight upset win with a 25-24 victory in Las Vegas against the Raiders as a 1.5-point underdog on September 28th. Washington is a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 49.5.Major League Baseball continues its best-of-seven league championship round of the playoffs with two games. The Toronto Blue Jays play at home against the Seattle Mariners on Fox/FS1 at 5:03 p.m. ET in Game 2 of the ALCS. The Mariners took Game 1 last night with a 3-1 victory. The Blue Jays send out Trey Yesavage to pitch against Seattle’s Logan Gilbert. Toronto is a -132 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5.The Los Angeles Dodgers play in Milwaukee against the Brewers on TBS/truTV/HBO Max at 8:08 p.m. ET in Game of the NLDS. Blake Snell takes the mound for the Dodgers to take on a starting pitcher the Brewers have yet to name. Los Angeles is a -157 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The National Hockey League has 10 games on its slate. Five NHL games drop the puck in the afternoon for Canada’s Thanksgiving Day. The Colorado Avalanche is on the road at Buffalo to play the Sabres at 12:40 p.m. ET as a -162 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. Three more NHL games start at 1:10 p.m. ET. The Ottawa Senators are home against the Nashville Predators as a -175 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Winnipeg Jets visit New York against the Islanders as a -175 money-line road favorite with a total of 5.5. The Tampa Bay Lightning are in Boston to challenge the Bruins as a -175 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Detroit Red Wings at 2:10 p.m. ET as a -192 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5.Two NHL begin at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Florida Panthers travel to Philadelphia to take on the Flyers as a -142 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The New Jersey Devils play in Columbus against the Blue Jackets as a -130 money-line road favorite with a total of 55. The Vancouver Canucks play at home against the St. Louis Blues at 7:40 p.m. ET as a -125 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Minnesota Wild are home against the Los Angeles Kings at 8:10 p.m. ET as a -125 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Utah Mammoth are on the road against the Chicago Blackhawks at 8:40 p.m. ET as a -162 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5.    Week 19 in the Canadian Football League concludes with one game. The Montreal Alouettes host the Ottawa Redblacks on the CBS Sports Network at 1:00 p.m. ET. The Alouettes are on a three-game winning streak after their 38-20 victory at home against Calgary as a 4.5-point favorite on September 26th. The Redblacks lost for the fifth time in their last six games in a 20-13 loss at home against Saskatchewan as a 5.5-point underdog on October 3rd. Montreal is a 14.5-point favorite with a total of 51.5.

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NLCS Starting Pitching Considerations

by Nelly's Sports

Sunday, Oct 12, 2025

The NLCS is set as the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers will face off in the best of seven series starting on October 13. With a longer series, the pitching plans could be adjusted compared with the ALDS games and here is a look at the possible starting options for both teams with a spot in the World Series on the line.   LOS ANGELES DODGERS Blake Snell – Despite plenty of opportunities, two-time Cy Young Winner Blake Snell had not delivered a quality start in the playoffs until this season. He now has two, as he has allowed just two runs and five hits over 13 innings in a pair of wins for the Dodgers on the run to the NLCS. Snell’s career postseason ERA is down to 2.92 and he struck out 18 in 13 innings vs. the Reds and Phillies. He last pitched on October 6 in Game 2 of the NLDS and will likely start Game 1 in the NLCS in Milwaukee. Snell didn’t face the Brewers in the regular season, and he owns a career 5.79 ERA vs. the Brewers over 14 innings with a 12.27 ERA from his lone start at American Family Field back in 2021. Yoshinobu Yamamoto – While his first postseason start last season went poorly, Yamamoto proved to be a hero with a terrific Game 2 start in the 2024 World Series. Yamamoto now has a 3.38 ERA in nearly 30 innings of postseason work, including allowing five runs, but only three earned runs over nearly 11 innings so far this postseason. Yamamoto did take the Game 3 loss in the NLDS against Philadelphia but will likely be used to start Game 2 in this series. Yamamoto didn’t get through the 1st inning in Milwaukee in July, allowing five runs while getting two outs in an eventual 9-1 defeat in his only career outing vs. the Brewers.  Shohei Ohtani – As the Game 1 starter in the NLDS for the Dodgers, Ohtani delivered a six-inning quality start with nine strikeouts in his postseason pitching debut. He hasn’t pitched since October 4 and will be able to slot into whatever order the Dodgers decide with the wealth of starting pitching options now available for the Dodgers. Ohtani is yet to pitch against the Brewers in his MLB career but he delivered a strong outing in his postseason debut on the mound. Tyler Glasnow – With a career 4.89 ERA in nearly 46 postseason innings, Tyler Glasnow hasn’t always been a reliable postseason option in his career, but he came up big for the Dodgers in Game 4 of the NLDS with six scoreless innings. Glasnow was teammates with Snell in the 2020 World Series run for the Rays but he allowed four or more runs in four of his six starts that postseason, including allowing 10 runs in fewer than 10 innings in two World Series starts. He has been nearly perfect so far in the 2025 postseason, also making a relief appearance in Game 1 of the NLDS. Glasnow threw 83 pitches on Thursday as he won’t likely pitch until the middle games of the series. Glasow is 0-3 in decisions over nine appearances against Milwaukee in his career with a 5.87 career ERA at American Family Field.  Clayton Kershaw – It was surprising that Kershaw was given a second inning in the NLDS Game 3 loss to the Phillies but he was, and it went poorly, as Kershaw’s marginal career postseason numbers swelled even higher. Kershaw can’t be considered an option to start in the NLCS and may not even be on the NLCS roster, despite contributing positively during the regular season when Los Angeles was shorthanded. A minor consideration is that Kershaw does a have a 2.83 ERA over 21 starts against Milwaukee in his career including amazing splits at American Family Field with a 1.66 ERA in 76 innings.  MILWAUKEE BREWERS Quinn Priester – The Brewers went 21-8 in games Priester started in the regular season, but his first career postseason appearance was a struggle, pulled without completing the 1st inning of Game 3 in Chicago. Priester allowed four runs and threw 39 pitches, but he very nearly got out of the inning with just one run allowed. Milwaukee could conceivably use an opener as they did in Game 5 of the NLDS on Saturday but Priester figures to be the primary pitcher in Game 1 on Monday. He had a 3.01 ERA after the All-Star Break and threw six scoreless innings for a win at Dodger Stadium in July.   Freddy Peralta – The numbers for Peralta in the postseason are adequate with a 4.23 ERA in nearly 28 innings but Milwaukee is 1-7 in games he has pitched since his first playoff appearance back in 2018. Peralta started Game 1 and Game 4 in the ALDS with decent but not dominant results in splitting those decisions vs. the Cubs. In his career, Peralta has been a far stronger pitcher in his home innings, including a 1.77 ERA at American Family Field this season as he likely to pitch on four days rest for Game 2 Tuesday, even with 84 pitches thrown on Thursday. Peralta went 2-0 vs. the Dodgers this season, but his home start in July included six scoreless innings.  Jacob Misiorowski – The rookie flamethrower delivered four solid innings in the Game 5 elimination game Saturday and will likely be penciled in for Game 3 innings, perhaps after an opening inning from Trevor Megill or Aaron Ashby. Misiorowski picked up wins in both of his playoff appearances with one run allowed in seven combined innings after some ups-and-downs in the regular season. Misiorowski struck out 12 Dodgers in a six-inning win in July at home, though his first NLCS appearance is likely to be on the road where he has a 5.52 ERA in just over 29 career innings.  Brandon Woodruff – Woodruff famously hit a home run in the playoffs in a 6-5 win over the Dodgers in Game 1 of the NLCS in 2018 and he owns a strong postseason track record with a 3.18 ERA and a 1.90 FIP, even if the Brewers have not won in any of his last six appearances. Woodruff had a quality start for the Brewers in his last playoff start but that was a 3-0 loss to the Braves back in 2021 as Woodruff hasn’t been healthy for the more recent playoff opportunities. It appears that he is not healthy this postseason either, as it sounds like Woodruff will remain off the NLCS roster for Milwaukee.  Jose Quintana – The veteran left-hander owns a solid postseason track record with a 3.25 ERA including pitching well in two of his three starts for the Mets last season, including six scoreless innings against the Brewers in Game 3 of the memorable NLDS game in Milwaukee. His position as a potential Game 4 starter or primary pitcher may hinge on Woodruff’s health, but he threw three scoreless innings to keep Milwaukee in Game 3 of the NLDS, and he owns a career ERA of 2.32 vs. the Dodgers with a 2.36 career ERA at Dodger Stadium.  Chad Patrick – Patrick finished with a 3-8 record in the regular season but the rookie had a fine year with a 3.53 ERA and a 9.6 K/9 in nearly 120 innings. He has excelled since moving to the bullpen as well, including pitching in four of five games in the NLDS and allowing no baserunners. Pat Murphy would likely rather keep Patrick in a versatile relief role, but he would be an option for an extended outing in some scenarios and Los Angeles has never faced him, as he didn’t pitch in the regular season meetings, which were all won by Milwaukee. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, MLB and EPL Previews and Odds - 10/12/2025

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Oct 12, 2025

The Sunday sports card features NFL, MLB, and EPL action. Week 6 in the NFL continues with 12 games. The Denver Broncos are the technical road team when they play the New York Jets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, on the NFL Network at 9:30 a.m. ET. The Broncos have won two games in a row after their 21-17 upset victory as a 4-point underdog on the road against Philadelphia last Sunday. They have a 3-2 record. The Jets are winless in their five games this season after a 37-22 loss at home against Dallas on Sunday. Denver is a 7.5-point road favorite with the total set at 43.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Seven NFL games kick off at 1:00 p.m. ET. The Los Angeles Rams travel to Baltimore to take on the Baltimore Ravens as a 7-point road favorite with an over/under of 44.5. The Indianapolis Colts host the Arizona Cardinals as a 9.5-point favorite with a total of 46.5. The Dallas Cowboys play in Carolina against the Panthers as a 3-point road favorite with an over/under of 48.5. The New England Patriots are in New Orleans to face the Saints as a 3.5-point road favorite with a total of 46.5. The Seattle Seahawks visit the Jacksonville Jaguars as a 1.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 47.5. The Los Angeles Chargers play in Miami against the Dolphins as a 4.5-point road favorite with a total of 44.5. The Pittsburgh Steelers play at home against the Cleveland Browns as a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 37.5. Three NFL games start in the late afternoon window. The Las Vegas Raiders are home against the Tennessee Titans at 4:05 p.m. ET as a 4.5-point favorite with a total of 41.5. Two more NFL games begin at 4:25 p.m. ET. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the San Francisco 49ers as a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 47.5. The Green Bay Packers play at home against the Cincinnati Bengals as a 14.5-point favorite with a total of 44.5. The Kansas City Chiefs are home against the Detroit Lions on NBC at 8:20 PM ET for Sunday Night Football. The Chiefs’ two-game winning streak ended on Monday in a 31-28 upset loss at Jacksonville as a 3.5-point favorite. They have a 2-3 record. After their opening week loss at Green Bay, the Lions have won four games in a row after a 37-24 victory at Cincinnati as a 10.5-point favorite last Sunday. Kansas City is a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 52.5. Major League Baseball begins its best-of-seven league championship round of the playoffs with one game. The Toronto Blue Jays host the Seattle Mariners on Fox at 8:03 p.m. ET. The Blue Jays have won seven of their last eight games after beating the New York Yankees on the road by a 5-2 score on Wednesday to end that series in four games. The Mariners have won three of their last four games after their 3-2 victory at home against Detroit in Game 5 of their ALDS with the Tigers on Friday. Toronto sends out Kevin Gausman to pitch against Seattle’s Bryce Miller. The Blue Jays are a -167 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. The National Hockey League has one game on its slate. The New York Rangers host the Washington Capitals at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Rangers rebounded from a 3-0 loss at home against Pittsburgh with a 4-0 victory at Buffalo on Thursday. The Capitals opened their season with a 3-1 loss at home against Boston. New York is a -112 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5.

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ALCS Starting Pitching Considerations

by Nelly's Sports

Saturday, Oct 11, 2025

The ALCS is set as the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays will face off in the best of seven series starting on October 12. With a longer series, the pitching plans could be adjusted compared with the ALDS games and here is a look at the possible starting options for both teams with a spot in the World Series on the line.   SEATTLE MARINERS  Bryan Woo – A big question for the Mariners will be if Woo is healthy enough to be added to the ALCS roster. After the marathon Game 5 Friday night to win the ALDS, the starting options are not at ideal rest for Seattle, but Woo could be a Game 1 starter if he is cleared. Woo has never pitched in the postseason, but he had an excellent regular season with a 2.94 ERA and 15 wins, while posting a 9.6 K/9. Like most Seattle pitchers, Woo had stronger home splits, but he still had a 3.40 ERA in 98 road innings, and he had a quality start in his only career Rogers Centre start in April despite taking a loss.  Luis Castillo – The Game 3 starter in the ALDS, Castillo has pitched extremely well in his limited playoff opportunities with Cincinnati in 2020 and with the Mariners in 2022 and now 2025. In nearly 26 innings of work his ERA is 1.40 and he has not allowed a run in six innings so far this postseason, pitching nearly five innings in Game 3 last Saturday and then making 15 pitches in extra innings to pick up the win for the Mariners in Game 5 on Friday. Castillo’s light workload on Friday and his veteran status are likely to keep him as a serious option to start Game 1 or Game 2 for the Mariners in Toronto. Castillo was far better in his home splits this season however as his road ERA was 4.71 in the regular season, which is exactly his career ERA in 21 innings at the Rogers Centre as well.  Bryce Miller – The Game 4 starter on Wednesday, Miller was one of the few starting options for Seattle that didn’t pitch Friday. It would still be a short rest turnaround, but Miller only threw 55 pitches in Game 4, in what was his postseason debut. Miller only made 18 starts in the regular season and had a 5.68 ERA to fall sharply from his strong 2024 numbers as in a vacuum he is Seattle’s #5 starter. He has the credentials to be considered to start in Game 1 or Game 2, but he did have his worst start of the season against the Blue Jays in May, allowing seven runs in five innings, and he has never pitched at the Rogers Centre.  Logan Gilbert – With a strong start in Seattle’s Game 3 in Detroit for the ALDS, Gilbert has proven himself in the postseason. He also threw 34 pitches over two scoreless innings for the Mariners in Game 5 on Friday as he won’t likely be available in the first two games of the ALCS and will likely be slotted for a start back in Seattle in Game 3 or 4. Gilbert allowed seven hits and two runs while lifted in an early season start in Toronto this season, but he does have a 2.79 career ERA at the Rogers Centre, even while his career ERA vs. the Blue Jays is 5.24.  George Kirby – Kirby started Game 1 and Game 5 of the ALDS including being controversially taken out after just 66 pitches on Friday and watching the first batter faced by the bullpen hit a two-run home run to end his scoreless outing. Kirby allowed two runs over five innings in Game 1 of the ALDS and his postseason ERA is just 1.50 over 18 innings as he did not allow a run in two appearances in the 2022 playoffs, including picking up the save in a win at Toronto. In the regular season Kirby has a 6.28 career ERA vs. the Blue Jays however and his lone start at the Rogers Centre was a disaster in April of 2024, allowing five runs in four innings. Kirby will likely start Game 3 or 4 in Seattle.  TORONTO BLUE JAYS  Kevin Gausman – While Game 1 of the ALDS for the Blue Jays turned into a blowout, it was just 2-0 game through five innings and Gausman was credited with a run in the sixth inning, falling an out short of a quality start. Gausman owns a 4.31 ERA in his postseason career with his teams 3-6 in his starts, but he is the logical starting option to start this series for Toronto. There wasn’t a big difference between the home and road splits for Gausman, with slightly better numbers on the road and he pitched far better after the All-Star break compared with his first half numbers. Gausman allowed three runs and seven hits but picked up a win vs. the Mariners in Seattle in May. He has a 2.94 career ERA vs. the Mariners over 70 innings and a 3.44 ERA at T-Mobile Park over nine appearances.  Trey Yesavage – 22-year old rookie Yesavage had an amazing postseason debut, getting 16 outs without allowing a hit while striking out 11. He will be at the forefront of Toronto’s pitching plans in the ALCS, even after pitching just 14 innings in the regular season.  Shane Bieber – Coming back from injury Bieber was dealt by the eventual AL Central champion Guardians to the Blue Jays at the trade deadline. Bieber has been pretty good in his return making seven starts, though without the strikeout rate of his best seasons. Bieber pitched for Cleveland in the 2020 and 2022 playoffs, pitching very poorly in his only postseason start in his 2020 Cy Young season. Bieber did pitch well in two starts that were both Cleveland wins in the 2022 playoffs though his career postseason ERA is still 5.23 after he allowed three runs and picked up just eight outs in Game 3 in New York on Tuesday in the ALDS.  Chris Bassitt – After ending his regular season early with back inflammation, Bassitt was left off the ALDS roster. Bassitt had another solid season and has now made 30 or more starts in four consecutive seasons. He has occasional rough outings and occasional dominant outings, winding up with a 3.96 ERA for the season. His playoff appearances came in 2020 with Oakland and in 2022 with the Mets as this will be his first postseason with the Blue Jays. His career postseason ERA is 4.20 with one quality start and two four-innings outings. He has not pitched since September 18, however and his availability to be added for the ALCS isn’t clear yet.  Max Scherzer – The future Hall of Famer and two-time World Series champion was also left off the ALDS roster. Scherzer did pitch a simulated game last week, and he will be considered as a starting option in the ALCS. While his 5.19 ERA this season didn’t match his career numbers, Scherzer has a  3.78 ERA in 143 postseason innings. He allowed seven runs in fewer than 10 innings in the World Series run for the Rangers in 2023 but still commands plenty of respect on the mound. In over 57 career innings vs. the Mariners, he has a 2.97 ERA including a 3.23 ERA at T-Mobile, for a lower ERA than his career ERA at the Rogers Centre.  Louis Varland – The Blue Jays used Varland as an opener in Game 4 of the ALDS in New York and he did his job getting four outs on 20 pitches. Varland pitched in all four games of the ALDS and had three scoreless outings. He had made 23 career starts as a versatile option that could again be used as an opener if Toronto opts for a bullpen game at some point in the series.  Eric Lauer – There are not many left-handed pitchers on either ALCS team as Lauer is likely the only possible left-hander to be in the conversation to get a start. Seattle’s lineup is mostly right-handed outside of switch hitters Cal Raleigh and Jorge Polanco, while Josh Naylor and J.P. Crawford bat from the left side towards the bottom of the order. Lauer is unlikely to start in this series but will be ready for an extended outing if needed, having pitched over 104 regular season innings in a terrific comeback season, including making 15 starts. Lauer only pitched two innings in the ALCS over two appearances, and he allowed three runs, but he did make a postseason start for the Brewers in 2021 and he has a 1.46 ERA in his career at T-Mobile Park. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, MLB, NHL and CFL Previews and Odds - 10/11/2025

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Oct 11, 2025

The Saturday sports card features NCAAF, MLB, NHL, and CFL action.Week 7 in NCAAF college football concludes with 47 games between FBS opponents. Four NCAAF games on major national television kick off at noon ET. Alabama travels to play Missouri on ABC as a 3-point road favorite with the total set at 51.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Florida State hosts Pittsburgh on ESPN as a 10-point favorite with an over/under of 57.5. James Madison plays at home against Louisiana-Lafayette on ESPN2 as an 18.5-point favorite with a total of 46.5. Ohio State plays at Illinois on Fox as a 14.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 50.5. Four NCAAF games on major national television start at 3:30 p.m. ET. Iowa State is at Colorado on ESPN as a 2.5-point road favorite with a total of 51.5. TCU visits Kansas State on Fox as a 1.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 55.5. Oregon is at home against Indiana on CBS as a 7-point favorite with a total of 53.5. Oklahoma takes on Texas in the Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, on ABC as a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under of 44.5. Navy plays at Temple on ESPN2 as a 10-point road favorite with a total of 52.5. Texas A&M hosts Florida on ESPN at 7:00 p.m. ET as a 7.5-point favorite with an over/under of 47.5. Three more NCAAF games on major national television begin at 7:30 p.m. ET. USC plays at home against Michigan on NBC as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 56.5. Texas Tech is at home against Kansas on Fox as a 14-point favorite with an over/under of 59.5. Georgia travels to face Auburn on ABC as a 4-point road favorite with a total of 46.5. BYU plays at Arizona on ESPN2 at 8:00 p.m. ET as a 2.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 47.5. Utah is home against Arizona State on ESPN as a 9.5-point favorite with a total of 44.5. Major League Baseball concludes its best-of-five divisional round of the playoffs with one game. The Milwaukee Brewers host the Chicago Cubs in Game 5 of their NLDS on TBS/truTV/HBO Max at 8:08 p.m. ET. Both starting pitchers have yet to be named as of Friday night. The Brewers are a -137 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The National Hockey League has 16 games on its slate. The Winnipeg Jets play at home against the Los Angeles Kings at 1:40 p.m. ET as a -130 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The St. Louis Blues go on the road to take on the Calgary Flames as a -125 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5.Eight NHL games drop the puck at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Washington Capitals visit New York to face the Islanders as a -118 money-line road favorite with a total of 5.5. The Toronto Maple Leafs play in Detroit against the Red Wings as a -155 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Boston Bruins are home against the Buffalo Sabres as a -115 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Montreal Canadiens are in Chicago to play the Blackhawks as a -148 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Tampa Bay Lightning host the New Jersey Devils as a -142 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Carolina Hurricanes host the Philadelphia Flyers as a -265 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The New York Rangers travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Penguins as a -142 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The Florida Panthers play at home against the Ottawa Senators as a -148 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Two NHL games start at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Utah Mammoth play in Nashville against the Predators as a -118 money-line road favorite with a total of 5.5. The Minnesota Wild are home against the Columbus Blue Jackets as a -162 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Colorado Avalanche host the Dallas Stars at 9:10 p.m. ET as a -130 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. Three games concluded the NHL card at 10:10 p.m. ET. The Anaheim Ducks are in San Jose to face the Sharks as a -122 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Vegas Golden Knights play at home against the Seattle Kraken as a -175 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The Edmonton Oilers are home against the Vancouver Canucks as a -170 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Week 19 in the Canadian Football League continues with two games. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats host the Calgary Stampeders at 3:00 p.m. ET as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 56.5. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers visit Edmonton to play the Elks at 7:00 p.m. ET as a 3-point road favorite with an over/under of 53.5. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 10/10/2025

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Oct 10, 2025

The Friday sports card features NCAAF, MLB, and CFL action. Week 7 in NCAAF college football continues with three games between FBS opponents. North Texas hosts South Florida on ESPN2 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Mean Green has won their first three games of the season after a 36-22 victory against South Alabama as a 13-point favorite back on September 27th. The Bulls have won two games in a row and four of their first five games after a 54-26 victory against Charlotte as a 28-point favorite last Friday. North Texas is a 1.5-point favorite with the total set at 66.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Two more NCAAF games are on major national television at 9:00 p.m. ET. Fresno State travels to Colorado State on the CBS Sports Network. The Bulldogs have won their first five games this season after a 20-17 victory at home against Nevada as a 13-point favorite last Saturday. The Rams are on a three-game losing streak after a 45-24 loss at San Diego State as a 4.5-point underdog last Friday. They have a 1-4 record this season. Fresno State is a 6.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 46.5. Washington plays at home against Rutgers on FS1. The Huskies won for the fourth time in their first five games after a 24-20 victory at Maryland as a 5.5-point favorite on Saturday. The Scarlet Knights have lost two games in a row after their 31-28 loss at Minnesota as a 4-point underdog on September 27th. Rutgers has a 3-2 record. Washington is a 10.5-point favorite with a total of 60.5 Major League Baseball continues its best-of-five divisional round of the playoffs with one game. The Detroit Tigers play at Seattle against the Mariners on Fox at 8:08 p.m. ET. The Tigers forced Game 5 in this series with a 9-3 victory on Wednesday. They had lost two games in a row. The Mariners have lost five of their last seven games. Detroit turns to Tarik Skubal to pitch against Seattle’s George Kirby. The Tigers are a -130 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5 Week 19 in the Canadian Football League kicks off with one game. The Saskatchewan Roughriders are home against the Toronto Argonauts at 9:00 p.m. ET. The Roughriders ended a two-game losing streak with a 20-13 win at Ottawa as a 5.5-point favorite last Friday. Their 11-4 record puts them in first place in the West Division with a 3 1/2 game lead over the Calgary Stampeders. The Argonauts have lost three games in a row after a 47-29 loss against Hamilton as a 2.5-point underdog last Saturday. Toronto has a 5-11 record, which puts them in third place in the East Division. Saskatchewan is a -10.5 point favorite with a total of 49.5. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, MLB, NHL, and NCAAF Previews and Odds - 10/09/2025

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Oct 09, 2025

The Thursday sports card features NFL, NCAAF, MLB, and NHL action. Week 6 in the National Football League kicks off with one game. The Philadelphia Eagles travel to New York to play the Giants on Amazon Prime Video at 8:15 p.m. ET as a 7-point road favorite with the total set at 40.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Week 7 in NCAAF college football continues with two games between FBS opponents. Louisiana Tech plays at Kennesaw State on ESPNU at 7:00 p.m. ET as a 6-point road favorite with an over/under of 46.5. Tulane hosts East Carolina on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET as a 6.5-point favorite with a total of 53.5. Two more NCAAF games on major national television start at 8:00 p.m. ET. Jacksonville State plays at Sam Houston on the CBS Sports Network as a 7-point road favorite with an over/under of 54.5. Southern Mississippi is on the road against Georgia Southern on ESPN2 as a 3-point road favorite with a total of 60.5. Major League Baseball continues its best-of-five divisional round of the playoffs with two Game 4s in the NLDS on TBS/truTV/HBO Max. The Los Angeles Dodgers play at home against the Philadelphia Phillies at 6:08 p.m. ET. The Dodgers send out Tyler Glasnow to pitch against the Phillies’ Cristopher Sanchez. Los Angeles is a -132 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Milwaukee Brewers visit Chicago to take on the Cubs at 9:08 p.m. ET. Neither team has yet to name their starting pitcher for the fourth game of this series. The Brewers are a -116 money-line road favorite with a total of 7.The National Hockey League has 14 games on its slate. Seven NHL games drop the puck at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Florida Panthers are home against the Pittsburgh Penguins as a -198 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Tampa Bay Lightning host the Ottawa Senators as a -166 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The New York Rangers play in Buffalo against the Sabres as a -115 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Boston Bruins play at home against the Chicago Blackhawks as a -162 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Detroit Red Wings are home against the Montreal Canadiens as a -130 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The New York Islanders are in Pittsburgh to take on the Penguins as a -135 money-line road favorite with a total of 5.5. The Carolina Hurricanes host the New Jersey Devils as a -162 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Three NHL games start at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Nashville Predators play at home against the Columbus Blue Jackets as a -125 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Dallas Stars travel to Winnipeg to play the Jets as a -115 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The St. Louis Blues are home against the Minnesota Wild as a -125 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Colorado Avalanche host the Utah Mammoth at 9:10 p.m. ET as a -175 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. Three more games conclude the NHL card at 10:10 p.m. ET. The Vancouver Canucks play at home against the Calgary Flames as a -205 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Vegas Golden Knights play in San Jose against the Sharks as a -192 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Seattle Kraken are home against the Anaheim Ducks as a -125 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5.

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