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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, and NCAAB Previews and Odds - 01/30/2025

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Jan 30, 2025

The Thursday sports card features NBA, NHL, and NCAAB action.The National Basketball Association has five games on its docket. Two NBA games tip off at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Cleveland Cavaliers host the Atlanta Hawks on TNT as a 10-point favorite with the total set at 237.5 (all odds from DraftKings). The Los Angeles Lakers travel to Washington to play the Wizards as a 7.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 223.5. The Minnesota Timberwolves travel to Utah to play the Jazz at 9:10 p.m. ET as a 7.5-point road favorite with a total of 224. The Memphis Grizzlies play at home against the Houston Rockets at 9:40 p.m. ET as a 5-point favorite with an over/under of 238. The Orlando Magic are at Portland to play the Trail Blazers at 10:10 p.m. ET as a 5.5-point road favorite with a total of 212.5. The National Hockey League has ten games on its slate. Five NHL games drop the puck at 7:07 p.m. ET. The Carolina Hurricanes are home against the Chicago Blackhawks at -455 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Winnipeg Jets visit Boston to face the Bruins as a -135 money-line road favorite with a total of 5.5. The Montreal Canadiens host the Minnesota Wild as a -125 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Tampa Bay Lightning play at home against the Los Angeles Kings as a -155 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Washington Capitals play in Ottawa against the Senators as a -112 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The New York Islanders are in Philadelphia to play the Flyers at 7:37 p.m. ET as a -112 money-line road favorite with a total of 5.5. Two more NHL games start at 9:07 p.m. ET. The Calgary Flames are home against the Anaheim Ducks as a -175 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Edmonton Oilers host the Detroit Red Wings as a -270 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Vegas Golden Knights play at home against the Columbus Blue Jackets at 10:07 p.m. ET as a -250 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Seattle Kraken are home against the San Jose Sharks on ESPN as a -198 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The NCAAB college basketball schedule has 58 games between Division I opponents. Nine NCAAB games are on major national television. Charleston hosts Stony Brook on the CBS Sports Network at 6:00 p.m. ET as a 15.5-point favorite with an over/under of 148.5. Penn State plays at home against Ohio State on FS1 at 6:30 p.m. ET as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 148.5. Bryant travels to UMBC on ESPNU at 7:00 p.m. ET as a 5.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 168.5. Liberty plays at Kennesaw State on the CBS Sports Network at 8:00 p.m. ET as a 3-point road favorite with a total of 145.5. Illinois is at Nebraska on FS1 at 8:30 p.m. ET as a 4-point road favorite with an over/under of 154.5. Two NCAA-B games on major national television begin at 9:00 p.m. ET. Memphis visits Tulane on ESPN2 as a 6.5-point road favorite with a total of 151. Purdue-Fort Wayne is home against Cleveland State on ESPNU as a 4.5-point favorite with an over/under of 148.5. UCLA hosts Oregon on FS1 at 10:30 p.m. ET as a 4.5-point favorite with a total of 140.5. Grand Canyon plays at home against Seattle on ESPNU at 11:00 p.m. ET as an 11-point favorite with an over/under of 142.5.

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NBA In the Paint: January 29th

by Sean Murphy

Wednesday, Jan 29, 2025

With the mid-season point having come and gone, it's a good time to take stock of what's been happening in the Association in recent weeks. Here's a quick look at four teams and where they stand entering the month of February. Raptors RollingThe Toronto Raptors have reeled off six wins in their last seven games, both straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS), providing a glimmer of hope for a fan base that has endured a tough 14-32 SU season. The Raptors will have the benefit of playing four of their next five games at home, offering a potential boost to their momentum. Despite their overall struggles, they’ve been a strong bet this season, sitting at 27-18-1 ATS, including an 11-11-1 ATS mark away from home, where they have managed just three outright wins in 22 games. Encouragingly, Toronto has one of the easier schedules in the league from here on out by most metrics. Thunder stormThe Oklahoma City Thunder have been one of the NBA’s best teams for much of the season but have hit a rough patch recently, dropping four of their last five games ATS while going a modest 3-2 SU over that stretch. A turnaround could be imminent as they wrap up a road trip against the Warriors on Tuesday before returning home for four consecutive games. Interestingly, their recent ATS slump matches the total number of ATS losses they suffered from December 3rd through January 16th, a sign of how dominant they had been prior to this dip. Picking up the paceThe Indiana Pacers didn’t get off to the start they had hoped for this season but have found their rhythm of late, winning nine of their last 11 games both SU and ATS. The Pacers will play two home games this week before embarking on a four-game western road trip. While they’ve been solid at home with a record five games above .500, their road performance has been more even at 13-13 SU. Maintaining their recent surge will be key as they look to solidify their playoff positioning. Feeling the HeatWith Jimmy Butler serving as a major distraction, the Miami Heat have struggled to find consistency, sitting at just 23-22 SU this season. However, they have shown signs of life with consecutive wins over the Brooklyn Nets and Orlando Magic. After hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday, Miami will head out on a four-game road trip. Bettors have had little success backing the Heat lately, as they’ve gone just 9-14 ATS over their last 23 contests, making them one of the league’s worst bets since early December. Finding stability will be crucial if Miami hopes to make a late-season push.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, NCAAB and UEFA Champions League Previews and Odds - 01/29/2025

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Jan 29, 2025

The Wednesday sports card features NBA, NHL, NCAAB, and UEFA Champions League action.The National Basketball Association has 11 games on its docket. Three NBA games tip off at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Toronto Raptors travel to Washington to play the Wizards as a 7-point road favorite with the total set at 231 (all odds from DraftKings). The Indiana Pacers host the Detroit Pistons as a 6.5-point favorite with an over/under of 229.5. The Charlotte Hornets play at home against the Brooklyn Nets as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 205. Four NBA games start at 7:40 p.m. ET. The Cleveland Cavaliers play in Miami against the Heat as a 7.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 228. The Sacramento Kings are in Philadelphia against the 76ers as an 8-point road favorite with a total of 227.5. The New York Knicks are home against the Denver Nuggets on ESPN as a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 240. The Boston Celtics host the Chicago Bulls as a 14.5-point favorite with a total of 233. Two NBA games begin at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Los Angeles Clippers visit San Antonio to play the Spurs as a 3-point road favorite with an over/under of 223. The Dallas Mavericks play in New Orleans against the Pelicans as a 2-point road favorite with a total of 232. The Minnesota Timberwolves are in Phoenix to play the Suns at 9:10 p.m. ET as a 1-point road favorite with an over/under of 217.5. The Oklahoma City Thunder travel to Golden State to play the Warriors on ESPN at 10:10 p.m. ET as a 10-point road favorite with a total of 228.5. The National Hockey League has five games on its slate. Three NHL games drop the puck at 7:07 p.m. ET. The Florida Panthers play at home against the Los Angeles Kings as a -155 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Toronto Maple Leafs are at home against the Minnesota Wild as a -170 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The New Jersey Devils host the Philadelphia Flyers on TNT as a -192 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5.The Nashville Predators play at home against the Vancouver Canucks at 9:07 p.m. ET as a -142 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Utah Hockey Club is home against the Pittsburgh to play the Penguins on TNT at 9:37 p.m. ET as a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The NCAAB college basketball schedule has 52 games between Division I opponents. Twelve NCAAB games are on major national television. Samford plays at Furman on the CBS Sports Network at 6:00 p.m. ET as a 1-point road favorite with a total of 150. Three more NCAAB games on major national television Miami (FL) hosts Virginia on ESPNU as a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under of 135. Texas Tech plays at home against TCU on ESPN2 as a 14-point favorite with a total of 137.5. LaSalle is home against Fordham on Peacock as a 4.5-point favorite with an over/under of 149.5. Three NCAAB games on major national television at 8:00 p.m. ET. Kansas State hosts Oklahoma State on the CBS Sports Network as a 7.5-point favorite with a total of 146. Creighton plays at home against Xavier on FS1 as a 6-point favorite with an over/under of 143. Bradley is home against Illinois-Chicago on Peacock as an 8.5-point favorite with a total of 147. Two more major nationally televised NCAAB games start at 9:00 p.m. ET. Saint Mary’s is at Santa Clara on ESPNU as a 4-point road favorite with an over/under of 139.5. Mississippi hosts Texas on ESPN2 as a 6.5-point favorite with a total of 141.5. Two NCAAB games on major national television at 10:00 p.m. ET.  Utah State plays at home against UNLV on FS1 as a 10-point favorite with an over/under of 144.5. Boise State is home against Nevada on the CBS Sports Network as an 8-point favorite with a total of 137.5. Stanford hosts Syracuse on ESPNU at 11:00 p.m. ET as a 10.5-point favorite with an over/under of 149. Matchday 8 concludes the league phase in the UEFA Champions League with all 18 matches taking place at 3:00 p.m. ET. Juventus plays at home against Benfica as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. All nine Champions League matches are available on Paramount+. 

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AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Preview and Picks

by Matt Fargo

Tuesday, Jan 28, 2025

This week marks the first signature event of the season with the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am taking place on the Monterey Peninsula, two hours north of San Francisco. Weather can be an issue this time of year and we saw that last season when the event was shortened to 54 holes with Wyndham Clark winning by one shot over Ludvig Åberg after shooting a course record 60 in the third and ultimately final round. The weather looks to be a non-issue this year with average temperatures and a slight chance of rain over the weekend with typical moderate winds. Gone are the three long and laborious pro-am rounds over three different courses from Thursday through Saturday as now being a signature event, the field has been shortened to 80 players with no cut. Players will alternate between Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill on Thursday and Friday during the pro-am portion and finish with both rounds at Pebble Beach over the weekend with just the professionals playing and it will be that course data we will rely on considering there has been no Shot Link data from Spyglass. With many courses getting longer, Pebble Beach is one of the outliers being one of the shortest on tour at 6,972 yards but that does not make it easy. Driving distance can be an advantage but that can bring inaccuracy into play and that is a problem here. Thus, use of the driver is scaled back and last year, driving distance averaged 277 yards with the tour average being 293 yards and that led to more greens being hit, 72 percent with the tour average being 66 percent. The average green size at Pebble is 3,580 square feet, making the greens the smallest on the PGA Tour so keeping the ball in the fairway for easier approaches is essential. Because the greens are so small, there are still plenty of missed putting surfaces so getting the ball up and down is another key to success. With recent history of playing only two of four rounds at Pebble Beach, only half of the rounds are factored into the Strokes Gained metrics so while course history is important, looking at outside stats are just as big, especially correlating events, with the top two being the RSM Classic at Sea Island Resort and the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town. As far as course history, knowing the lay of the land is vital just like most everywhere and past winners here need to have not only experience but successful experience as the last two decades plus of winners have made the cut at least once prior to their win. From a statistical standpoint, it is pretty straight forward with our top three key categories being: Strokes Gained: Off The TeeStrokes Gained: ApproachStrokes Gained: Around The Green Each bet is Win/Top Five/Top Ten. The typical recommendation is 50%/25%/25% with odds, payouts and results based on a $1000 unit (easy round number for bookkeeping) on each of the following players. The payouts are listed right below the odds which are all from DraftKings: Patrick CantlayOdds: Win 1,800 ~ Top Five 350 ~ Top Ten 160Payout: Win 900.00 ~ Top Five 87.50 ~ Top Ten 40.00 Cantlay came into this tournament last season with similar odds yet was off to a poor start with finishes of T12, T52 and T56. It has been much better in 2025 as he was T15 at The Sentry and T5 at The AMEX so he comes in with much better form and he fits here. He did not start in 2023 and has gone T11 in 2020, T3 in 2021, T4 in 2022 and T11 in 2024 and over his last 21 starts, he has 14 percent top five and 24 percent top ten percentages. He has also been great at the correlating RBS Heritage with four third place finishes and a second. Jason DayOdds: Win 3,500 ~ Top Five 550 ~ Top Ten 260Payout: Win 1,750.00 ~ Top Five 275.00 ~ Top Ten 65.00 Day has arguably the best course history without a win as he is 14-14 here while finishing in the top seven nine times and now that it is no cut for a second straight year, his chances are better and despite worse odds due to the shortened field, there is still value. Similar to Cantlay, he came into last year in not great form with a T10, T34 and MC and finished T6. He opened this year with a T40 at The Sentry but came back with a T3 at The AMEX and he was -3 after 54 holes at The Farmers but a closing 76 knocked him down to T32. Taylor PendrithOdds: Win 5,000 ~ Top Five 800 ~ Top Ten 360Payout: Win 2,500.00 ~ Top Five 200.00 ~ Top Ten 90.00 Pendrith came through for a T7 at The Farmers last week so he continues to play exceptional. He is in the midst of the best run of his career as following a cut at the PGA Championship last May, he has made the weekend in 14 consecutive starts including 11 top 25s and finishing top ten four times with a pair of top fives. Before this run, he won at the Byron Nelson which was sandwiched between a T10 and two T11s. He was T49 here in 2022 and followed that up with a T7 in 2023 prior to not qualifying last season. Maverick McNealyOdds: Win 5,000 ~ Top Five 850 ~ Top Ten 360Payout: Win 1,100.00 ~ Top Five 212.50 ~ Top Ten 90.00 McNealy is on a downward trend going T8, T45, T52 in his three starts but this is the place to get back on track as the Stanford native knows this place well and has had success as a pro. He has two top five finishes here in his six appearances and despite the average finishes over his last two starts, he has been in fine form. He closed the fall season with his first career win which was at the correlating RSM Classic while finishing T4 at the RBC Heritage. Over his last 30 starts, he has 17 percent top five and 30 percent top ten percentages. Mark HubbardOdds: Win 12,000 ~ Top Five 1,800 ~ Top Ten 750Payout: Win 6,000.00 ~ Top Five 450.00 ~ Top Ten 187.50 Hubbard is the longshot this week but has trended the right way and he has also trended right at Pebble Beach. He is coming off a T68 at The Farmers in brutal conditions but prior to that in his previous six starts, he had four T21 finishes or better including a T3 in Bermuda. Granted, the field is elite this week but all he has to do to contend is play the course and after a missed cut here in 2020, he has gotten progressively better with finishes of T55 in 2021, T33 in 2022, T20 in 2023 and T4 in 2024. Results through The Farmers Insurance open (2 Tournaments): Win: -4,000Top Five: -2,000Top Ten: +450

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Super Bowl LIX Betting Preview & Trends

by Oskeim Sports

Tuesday, Jan 28, 2025

Super Bowl LIX will pit two of the NFL's hottest teams against each other at Caesar's Superdome in New Orleans. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs aim to become the first team in league history to capture three consecutive Super Bowl victories. The Chiefs defeated Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship game, while Saquon Barkley helped propel Philadelphia past the Commanders in the NFC Championship game.Betting Preview This year's Super Bowl features a rematch of Super Bowl LVII, where the Chiefs defeated Philadelphia 38-35.  Kansas City is making its fifth Super Bowl appearance in the past six seasons, while head coach Andy Reid makes his sixth Super Bowl appearance.  Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes is making his fifth Super Bowl appearance, tying Joh Elway for the second-most appearances for a signal-caller.  Philadelphia head coach Nick Sirianni returns to the Super Bowl for the second time in his four-year tenure with the Eagles. The Eagles and Chiefs both made significant moves this offseason to strengthen their teams, with Philadelphia General Manager Howie Roseman using innovative methods like adding void years to contracts to reduce upfront cap hits while stockpiling talent - including running back Saquon Barkley - who leads the league averaging 2.55 yards before contact per rush.  Philadelphia's offense averaged 0.06 EPA/rush (second-best) and ranks No.1 in time of possession (32:22). The Eagles' attack will be challenged by a Kansas City defense conceding just 4.2 yards per rush (8th) and allowed only eight runs of 20+ yards during the regular season, fifth fewest in the league.  Kansas City finished the regular season ranked fourth in scoring defense (19.2 points per game) Patrick Mahomes is 17-3 SU in his playoff career and 44-6 SU in home or neutral-site games played in November or later. Mahomes is 30-4 SU with extended rest during the season and 8-0 SU and ATS as an underdog or favorite of less than three points.  Mahomes, who finished with a 2.3% turnover-worthy play rate this season (6th), faces an elite Philadelphia defense owning the league's seventh-best pressure rate (37%).  Philadelphia's defensive front is led by interior defenders Jalen Carter, who has 53 pressures, and Milton Williams, who posted a 14% pressure rate this season. Betting Trends The Eagles scored 55 points in the Conference Championship, the most in that round in NFL history.  Teams that scored 40 or more points in the Conference Championship are just 3-7 straight-up (SU) in the Super Bowl.  Here are some additional betting trends to consider before February 9: Super Bowl favorites are 36-22 SU and 27-29-2 ATS Since 2007, Super Bowl underdogs are 10-7 SU and 12-5 ATS The Under is 11-10 in the last 21 Super Bowls Teams that win the Super Bowl outright are 49-7-2 ATS Super Bowl teams with a better record are 5-12 SU and 1-16 ATS since 2003 Since 2018, the Chiefs are 64-7 SU when leading after the first quarter, including 29-0 SU in the last three seasons Since 2020, the Chiefs are 9-25 ATS (26.5%) following a game in which they scored 30 or more points, failing to cover the spread by an average of -5.2 points per game Since 2017, the Eagles are 19-3 SU and 17-5 ATS (77.3%) following a game in which they had 205 or more rushing yards, covering the spread by an average of +10.9 points per game Teams coming off three or more consecutive games without committing a turnover are 124-81-6 ATS (60.5%) Super Bowl Official Ron Torbert will be officiating his second Super Bowl.  Over the last two seasons, Torbert has called the third-most penalties and ranks in the top 4 in offensive holding penalties (94).  Over the last decade, favorites are 90-71-2 ATS (56%) in games officiated by Torbert.  This season, favorites went 13-4 SU and ATS with Torbert as the lead official.

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2025 Big East Basketball Postseason Picture

by Nelly's Sports

Tuesday, Jan 28, 2025

2025 Big East Basketball Postseason Picture   The Big East has the past two national titles and has seven of the past 13 NCAA Titles since 2010-11 with four titles from Connecticut, two from Villanova, and a vacated title from former member Louisville. Despite that success the Big East only had three NCAA Tournament teams last season, though all were seeded on the top three lines.  The picture for the Big East ahead of the 2025 NCAA Tournament doesn’t look a lot better as it again appears likely that the Big East bubble teams will be left out, as Seton Hall and St. John’s were last season despite strong credentials. There is work to do for the conference to live up to its recent postseason success.  Here is a look at the postseason contenders from the Big East as we approach the midpoint of the conference season:  Defending Champion – Connecticut (6-3): The Huskies won the title as a #4 seed in 2022-23, going just 13-7 in Big East play and then last season won the title as the clear favorite as a #1 seed with a 31-3 record as Dan Hurley’s team should still be considered the team to beat. Connecticut did earn three impact non-conference wins in early December beating Baylor, Texas, and Gonzaga, after losing three non-conference games in Hawaii in November, with none of those results looking favorable at this point. With potentially bad losses on the resume, the margin for error is lower than expected for Connecticut, and right now the Huskies project to be in an 8/9 game in NCAA Tournament seeding, meaning they aren’t that far from the bubble. Connecticut has had one of the easiest rated Big East schedules so far and has still lost three games as they will still play Marquette and St. John’s twice each, plus a road game at Creighton after losing hosting the Bluejays. Three of those high-profile games for the Huskies are in the next two weeks as this is a key stretch for the defending champions.   Big East Leader – Marquette (8-1): The Golden Eagles have improved by one round in the NCAA Tournament each of the past two seasons now in year four under Shaka Smart, but they have topped out at the Sweet 16 last season, despite being a #2 seed in back-to-back seasons. Right now, Marquette would have a case to be a #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament again with an 8-1 conference start and some quality non-conference wins, going 3-0 vs. Big Ten teams beating Maryland, Purdue, and Wisconsin. The problem is that the Big East path so far has been favorable and five games vs. the other three current top four teams remain with three of those five on the road. Marquette went 17-3 in conference play two seasons ago, but last season’s 14-6 finish looks more realistic for this year’s team.  Rifle Rick – St. John’s (8-1): Controversy has often followed Rick Pitino, but his track record can’t be argued with. After St. John’s narrowly missed the NCAA Tournament last season, this year’s team appears set on making sure they will be included with an 8-1 league start and a 17-3 overall record. The Big East path for St. John’s so far ranks 11th out 11 teams however as they haven’t faced Marquette or Connecticut. The only loss in conference play came narrowly at Creighton and St. John’s completed a sweep of Xavier last week. There isn’t much weight in the non-conference resume for the Red Storm, who lost in the two toughest games in very close calls in the Bahamas against Baylor and Georgia. Non-conference wins over New Mexico, Virginia, and Kansas State ultimately aren’t pulling as much weight as expected as St. John’s needs to perform well in the Big East race to stay in a good postseason position. Despite being tied on top of the Big East standings with Marquette, currently St. John’s is projected as a #7 or #8 seed in the NCAA Tournament without much of a margin for error.   Erratic Birds – Creighton (7-2): The Bluejays have looked like a quality NCAA Tournament team in a 7-2 Big East start that includes wins over St. John’s and at Connecticut, but the loss count is elevated with four non-conference defeats. The home loss to rival Nebraska won’t do Creighton any favors in March but the Bluejays do have a home win over Kansas to pull up the numbers. It is a big week for Creighton with winnable but difficult games hosting Xavier and playing at Villanova as the Bluejays look to stay in the top four of the Big East. The remaining meetings with Marquette and Connecticut are both at home while also having to play at St. John’s, and the challenge is those three big games will be in succession in the span of eight days in mid-February. An issue for Creighton also may not necessarily be the loss count or the quality of those opponents, but that Creighton was blown out in a few games with three losses by double-digits and five losses by eight or more points.   Bubble Shot – Xavier (5-5): Villanova has a little life remaining as bubble long shot, but with two non-conference losses outside the nation’s top 100, Xavier’s chances look much stronger between the 5-5 teams in the Big East. Xavier has faced the most difficult Big East schedule so far to get to 5-5 and they did manage two wins in the six games vs. Marquette, Connecticut, and St. John’s, for a commendable showing. Losses to Connecticut and St. John’s came in overtime while Xavier also had a 2-point loss to Marquette as the Musketeers have looked the part on the court. The 8-3 non-conference season lacks standout wins but wins over Wake Forest and South Carolina are at least worth mentioning and all three losses came away from home vs. top 100 teams, though the TCU and Cincinnati defeats could become more damaging by season’s end. Xavier must play at Creighton this week as falling below .500 is likely, but from there the opportunity to close the season on a strong run will be there. 13-7 in the Big East wasn’t enough for Seton Hall last season as the Musketeers will need to be sharp the rest of the way but this is a team with potential, and a team that the top three Big East contenders are likely glad to be done with for the regular season. 

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2025 ACC Basketball Postseason Picture

by Nelly's Sports

Tuesday, Jan 28, 2025

The ACC picture is taking form with a few surprise contenders in the current standings with only seven of 18 teams in the league sitting above .500 in conference play at this point. All schedules are not created equal and there is some value in projecting how the next few weeks will play out.  In ESPN’s current bracketology, only five ACC teams would make the NCAA Tournament. Only 15 teams will even make the ACC Tournament as well. The conference isn’t rated incredibly well relative to the other power conferences right now but last season the conference showed up in the postseason, going 12-5 collectively with a Final Four team, three Elite 8 teams, and four Sweet 16 teams.  Here is a look at the top postseason threats in the current ACC picture:   The Favorite – Duke (10-0): Duke is perfect in the first half of the ACC season even with a few recent close calls. The Blue Devils face North Carolina for the first time this season in the coming week and they have not yet faced Clemson this season as the 10-0 start has come through the #17 ranked ACC schedule so far. Duke’s numbers are impressive, and the Blue Devils also have non-conference wins over Arizona and Auburn. Getting to play Louisville in the ACC opener may prove to have been an advantage while the Blue Devils have road wins vs. SMU and Wake Forest as well as that opening win at Louisville. Duke is on track to be a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018-19.   Next in Line – Louisville (8-1): Louisville is in a major transition season with Pat Kelsey taking over and the roster featuring numerous newcomers. The Cardinals struggled a bit in a difficult non-conference schedule, but the team has found its form of late rolling off nine straight wins including eight in a row in ACC play. That includes wins over North Carolina and Clemson at home, plus road wins over Florida State, Pittsburgh, and SMU. Seven of eight ACC wins have come by double-digit margins of victory as well. Louisville’s only game with Duke was the opener in Durham back in early December, a game the Cardinals likely would be more competitive in if those teams played right now. The remaining schedule is quite favorable for the Cardinals as if Duke slips up twice, Louisville is a threat to move up as this team should be favored in every remaining regular season game after reaching 8-1 through the #1 rated ACC schedule so far.   Tourney Bound - Clemson (9-1): This is Brad Brownell’s 15th season and Clemson, and the Tigers have only made the NCAA Tournament four times. Last season was a breakthrough, earning a #6 seed and delivering a run to the Elite 8, including nice wins over Baylor and Arizona before losing to Alabama to fall short of a Final Four run. This year’s team has similar numbers and sits two overtime losses away from being 19-2 instead of 17-4. The Tigers have only one loss in ACC play but it came to Louisville, who looks likely to pass Clemson in the standings given the remaining paths. Clemson hasn’t faced Duke or North Carolina yet and will have challenging games ahead in the coming weeks facing NC State, Florida State, and SMU on the road in February. A non-conference win over Kentucky should keep Clemson in the NCAA Tournament picture provided the team produces a solid closing run in the ACC, with a risk for a bad loss present in this year’s conference race.   Trouble Brewing – North Carolina (6-3): The Tar Heels were a possession away from winning the 2022 NCAA Championship and then didn’t even make the tournament in 2023. Last season North Carolina had a strong 17-3 ACC season and made a Sweet 16 run, though as a #1 seed in the Big Dance, expectations were higher and the tournament exit came painfully in a two-point result, while North Carolina watched nearby ACC rivals Duke and NC State advance further. This year’s team already has eight losses, and they will still face Duke twice, Pittsburgh twice, plus games vs. Florida State, Clemson, and NC State in a difficult remaining ACC path. Losses to Stanford and Wake Forest look potentially problematic and while all the non-conference losses came against quality teams, there is a complete dearth of high quality wins, with zero top 30 wins and only two top 50 wins against UCLA and SMU. Right now, North Carolina is right on the NCAA Tournament bubble, but this team likely needs to get a win over Duke to get comfortably on the right side of the cut line as there are likely to be a few more ACC losses ahead.   Wild Card – Wake Forest (7-2): Steve Forbes has yet to make the NCAA Tournament at Wake Forest even with a 13-7 ACC season in 2021-22 and a winning record in ACC play last season. Wake Foerst doesn’t have any bad losses this season though losing by 15 against Xavier could prove to be a comparison problem among potential bubble teams. Wake Foerst has a nice win over Michigan from November and has posted a strong 7-2 start to the ACC season with the losses in competitive games vs. Clemson and Duke. The Demon Deacons beat North Carolina last week and have a big opportunity this week at Louisville, before hosting Pittsburgh over the weekend. If Wake Forest can split those games, the early February path is favorable and getting to 14-6 or better in ACC play is realistic with the toughest remaining games at SMU in mid-February and then at Duke in early March. Last year’s team had a pretty strong case to be included, and it will likely be another close call for the Demon Deacons on Selection Sunday.   Crashing Out – Pittsburgh (4-4): The Panthers were a tough omission from the 2024 NCAA Tournament with a 12-8 record in league play, surging late after starting just 1-5. That included a win at Duke, while sweeping NC State and beating Wake Forest. There were a handful of bad losses however plus a weak non-conference schedule. This season Pittsburgh had a 9-2 non-conference season with only quality losses and a few solid wins beating West Virginia, LSU, and Ohio State in a true road game. That put the Panthers on the right side of the NCAA Tournament picture, but after staring 3-0 in ACC play, the Panthers have lost four of the past five. Last week’s overtime home loss to Clemson was a damaging miss and the Panthers have a tough stretch of games in the next two weeks facing North Carolina twice plus road games vs. Wake Forest and SMU. Pittsburgh still must play Louisville on the road in March after losing to the Cardinals at home and it is hard to envision the Panthers surviving the upcoming schedule still sitting on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble.   Dark Horse – SMU (6-3): SMU had a great first ACC season in football and is proving worthy in basketball as well. The Mustangs didn’t do enough in the non-conference season to warrant NCAA Tournament consideration, but they will have the chance to make some noise in the ACC standings. In the 6-3 conference start there aren’t any high-end wins, losing the three toughest games including two home games. The toughest remaining games vs. Pittsburgh, Wake Forest, and Clemson are all in Dallas however as a great February run isn’t impossible for this team and doing so would likely give SMU quality bubble comparison ammunition. This team has appealing shooting numbers and benefits from doubling up games with fellow ACC newcomers California and Stanford. Clemson didn’t make the NCAA Tournament two years ago while finishing 14-6 in conference play, but it would be very difficult to leave out a team that finishes 15-5 or better, and while that would be on the high-end of the possible outcomes for SMU, it seems possible with the toughest games already completed. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NHL, NBA and NCAAB Previews and Odds - 01/28/2025

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Jan 28, 2025

The Tuesday sports card features NBA, NHL, and NCAAB action.The National Basketball Association has four games on its docket. Two games tip off at 7:40 p.m. ET. The Houston Rockets travel to Atlanta to play the Hawks as a 6-point road favorite with the total set at 228.5 (all odds from DraftKings). The Los Angeles Lakers play in Philadelphia against the 76ers on TNT as a 4-point road favorite with an over/under of 218. Two NBA games conclude the card at 10:10 p.m. ET. The Golden State Warriors host the Utah Jazz as an 11-point favorite with a total of 229. The Milwaukee Bucks are in Portland to face the Trail Blazers on TNT as a 6-point road favorite with an over/under of 231. The National Hockey League has eight games on its slate. Four NHL games drop the puck at 7:07 p.m. ET. The Tampa Bay Lighting plays at home against the Chicago Blackhawks as a -345 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Carolina Hurricanes visit New York to play the Rangers as a -142 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Boston Bruins plays at Buffalo against the Sabres as a -112 money-line road favorite with a total of 5.5. The Winnipeg Jets are in Montreal to play the Canadiens as a -135 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Colorado Avalanche travels to New York to play the Islanders at 7:37 p.m. ET as a -148 money-line road favorite with a total of 5.5. The Washington Capitals plays at Calgary to challenge the Flames at 9:07 p.m. ET as a -142 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Two NHL games complete the card at 10:07 p.m. ET. The Seattle Kraken are home against the Anaheim Ducks as a -142 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Vegas Golden Knights host the Dallas Stars as a -118 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The NCAAB college basketball schedule has 29 games between Division I opponents. Thirteen NCAAB games are on major national television. St. John’s is at Georgetown on FS1 at 6:30 p.m. ET as a 4.5-point road favorite with a total of 140.5. Four NCAAB games on major national television Tennessee plays at home against Kentucky on ESPN as a 9.5-point favorite with an over/under of 148.5. Providence visits Seton Hall on Peacock as a 4-point road favorite with a total of 133. South Florida is at home against Rice on ESPNU as a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 141. Ohio hosts Toledo on ESPN2 as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 161.5. Two NCAAB games begin at 8:00 p.m. ET. Michigan State plays at home against Minnesota on Peacock as a 13.5-point favorite with an over/under of 139. VCU plays at Saint Louis on the CBS Sports Network as a 6.5-point road favorite with a total of 142.5. Marquette is at Butler on FS1 at 8:30 p.m. ET as a 7-point road favorite with an over/under of 147. Two NCAAB games start at 9:00 p.m. ET. Pittsburgh is at home against North Carolina on ESPN as a 4-point favorite with a total of 154. BYU hosts Baylor on ESPN2 as a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 142.5. Utah plays at home against Cincinnati on the CBS Sports Network at 10:00 p.m. ET as a 1-point favorite with a total of 138.5. San Diego State is at home against San Jose State on FS1 at 10:40 p.m. ET as a 14.5-point favorite with an over/under of 136. Gonzaga hosts Oregon State on ESPN2 at 11:00 p.m. ET as a 14-point favorite with a total of 154.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL and NCAAB Previews and Odds - 01/27/2025

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Jan 27, 2025

The Monday sports card features NBA, NHL, and NCAAB action.The National Basketball Association has 12 games on its docket. Two NBA games tip off at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Cleveland Cavaliers host the Detroit Pistons as a 10-point favorite, with the total set at 234 (all odds from DraftKings). The Los Angeles Lakers travel to Charlotte to play the Hornets as a 5.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 222. Five NBA games start at 7:40 p.m. ET. The Sacramento Kings play in Brooklyn against the Nets as a 10.5-point road favorite with a total of 221.5. The Boston Celtics play at home against the Houston Rockets as a 6-point favorite with an over/under of 222. The New York Knicks are home against the Memphis Grizzlies as a 3.5-point favorite, with the total set at 243. The Toronto Raptors host the New Orleans Pelicans as a 2-point favorite with an over/under of 232.5. The Orlando Magic are in Miami to play the Heat as a 1-point road favorite with a total of 207. Two NBA games begin at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Denver Nuggets visit Chicago to play the Bulls as a 7.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 244.5. The Minnesota Timberwolves play at home against the Atlanta Hawks as a 10-point favorite with a total of 219. The Dallas Mavericks are home against the Washington Wizards at 8:40 p.m. ET as a 12-point favorite with an over/under of 232. The Milwaukee Bucks play in Utah against the Jazz at 9:10 p.m. ET as a 9-point road favorite with a total of 235. The Los Angeles Clippers are in Phoenix to battle the Suns at 9:40 p.m. ET as a 1-point road favorite with an over/under of 223.5. The National Hockey League has five games on its slate. Two NHL games drop the puck at 7:07 p.m. ET. The New Jersey Devils visit Philadelphia to play the Flyers as a -155 money-line road favorite with a total of 5.5. The Los Angeles Kings play in Detroit against the Red Wings as a -142 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The St. Louis Blues host the Vancouver Canucks at 7:37 p.m. ET as a 3-118 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Edmonton Oilers play at home against the Seattle Kraken at 9:37 p.m. ET as a -285 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Pittsburgh Penguins are in San Jose to face the Sharks at 10:37 p.m. ET as a -170 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The NCAAB college basketball schedule has 22 games between Division I opponents. Six NCAAB games are on major national television. Boston University is home against Holy Cross on the CBS Sports Network at 7:00 p.m. ET as a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 130. Ohio State hosts Iowa on FS1 at 8:00 p.m. ET as an 8.5-point favorite with a total of 157.5. Duke plays at home against North Carolina State on ESPN at 8:30 p.m. ET as a 22-point favorite with an over/under of 134.5. Northeastern is home against Towson State on the CBS Sports Network at 9:00 p.m. ET as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 133. USC hosts UCLA on FS1 at 10:00 p.m. ET as a 1-point favorite with an over/under of 140.5. Iowa State visits Arizona on ESPN at 10:30 p.m. ET as a 1-point road favorite with a total of 152.

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Buy Low, Sell High In The NBA

by AAA Sports

Monday, Jan 27, 2025

Three NBA teams to back and three to fade as the season grinds into February:  TEAMS TO BACK Miami Heat – One way or another, the Jimmy Butler Dilemma will be solved. The Heat (and really we’re talking President Pat Riley here) will not allow Butler to continue the Play-Sulk-Sit-Suspend business model much longer. And when Butler is no longer in uniform, the remaining players will breathe a sigh of relief and move on.  Miami enters the month of February at .500, but would have to be truly dreadful over the next few months to bad enough to enter the lottery. Besides, unlike 9 or 10 teams, they refuse to tank. They’ll at least play hard post-Butler.Orlando Magic – This was supposed to be a breakout year for the young Magic, who last season were only a few good quarters away from finishing in third in the East. Then, injuries. After finishing 12 games over .500 last season, the Magic are now a break-even team. But there is light at the end of the tunnel. Sparkplug high-motor Jalen Suggs, who is the key to just about everything Orlando does on offense and defense, has returned to action after missing 10 games with a lower back issue. Franz Wagner is also playing once again. The Magic will move heaven and earth to avoid the Play-In Tournament, and it appears doable.Denver Nuggets – Making up 9 games is the loss column in the Western Conference is obviously a bridge too far, but the Nuggets are now playing like the could make a real run at finishing second in the West, behind the Thunder. The O/U win total for Denver is 51.5, which would require only a 24-13 record the rest of the way. And to motivation, add the fact that Nikola Jokic is in the running for a fourth MVP Award and runningmate Jamal Murray has finally emerged from whatever funk he had been in since last summer’s Olympics, and the immediate future looks good. TEAMS TO FADE New Orleans Pelicans – Any team that loses by 31 points to Charlotte has to think about starting over. The Pelicans’ defense is atrocious (they give up almost 118 a game), Zion Williamson is playing but not in NBA game shape, and there’s snow on Bourbon Street. What else could go wrong? It’s definitely tanking time in the Big Easy, and the thought of Williamson (if he stays) playing alongside Cooper Flagg next season might keep the fan base from a mass exit. Philadelphia 76ers – Can things get any worse in Philly? The team bites, and the only way they can keep their first-round pick next season if they get worse this year (their first-rounder goes to Oklahoma City    if it’s not in the top 6). Now losing games is something the Sixers are actually pretty good at (See: Process). But if they lose intentionally to protect the future, the NBA suits will come down hard on them. It’s ok for small market teams to tank, but not descendants of Chamberlain, Erving and Iverson. Who knows what's going to happen with Philly.Washington Wizards – Before the season, bettors could bet over or under on the Wiz winning 22.5 games. They are now on a pace to win all of 11 games, and if things don’t get better they could challenge the record for the worst mark (9-73) in NBA history, set by the 1972-73 Sixers. Teams this bad don’t have to tank. They can play hard and still lose. And lose they will. Washington is the worst defensive team in the league and loses by an average of nearly 15 points a game. They have given absolutely no indication that things will change much over the rest of the season.

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UFC Fight Night 250: Preview and Picks

by Will Rogers

Sunday, Jan 26, 2025

UFC Fight Night 250 - Adesanya vs. Imavov Saturday, February 1stKingdom Arena - Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaWe've seen some high profile boxing matches there, as well as soccer, tennis, golf and wrestling. On Saturday, the UFC is back in Riyadh. Though there have been 20 events in Abu Dhabi, (UAE) this will mark just the second time that Saudi Arabia will have hosted an event. The headliner features Nassourdine "The Sniper" Imavov squaring off against "The Last Stylebender," Israel Adesanya. Other notable names on the card include Michael Page, Shara Magomedov, Sergei Pavlovich and Said Nurmagomedov. Let's take a closer look at the two biggest fights. The Main EventFormer middleweight champion Israel Adesanya (24-4) is currently laying in the -160 to -170 range, depending on where one plays, against Nassourdine Imavov. The 35-year old Adesanya is off back-to-back losses and has dropped three of his last four.  The 29-year old Imavov (15-4) has won three straight. Next week, at UFC 312 in Sidney, current middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis will defend his title in a rematch against Sean Strickland. (Du Plessis and Strickland are the two fighters who just beat Adesanya, while Imavov's last loss came against Strickland.) Both Adesanya and Imavov hope to face the winner of that fight. However, Dana White has already said that number one contender Khamzat Chimaev is probably next in line for a title shot.Whether or not it leads to a title shot, Saturday's match is very important to both fighters. Adesanya can't afford another loss. This will mark the first time since 2019 that he's fighting in a non-title fight. He's not suggesting retirement but another defeat could cause him to reconsider. On the other hand, an impressive win and he's right back in the conversation.Adesanya said this about his current mindset: "Same as I've always had it, I never really chased the belt. I always knew it would come around. I knew what I was going to do in the game, I knew it was going to keep coming around. So again, now I just plan on keep winning and it'll circle back. I'm not chasing the belt, but the belt chases me."Imavov feels that he has a chance to leapfrog Chimaev, if he can deliver an impressive enough victory. “Of course, depending on the performance, I can get the next title shot. It can be Khamzat. The fact that I went for four fights in one year, two top five, two top 10, that’s something very significant." Prediction: Anything could happen but my feeling is that Adesanya isn't done yet. Alexander Volkanovski recently sparred with The Last Stylebender and said he was in top form. "Didn’t even get close to him," said Volkanovski. However, the most likely outcome appears to be a decision. Imavov has seen four of his last five go the distance. Five of Adesanya's last eight fights have also been decided by the judges. The Co-Main EventI had a big play on Shara "Bullet" Magomedov (15-0) in his last fight, an impressive second round spinning back-fist KO of Armen Petrosyan. That was back in UFC 308, at Abu Dhabi. On Saturday, Magomedov puts his undefeated record on the line against English fighter Michael Page. Off a loss in his last fight, the 37-year old Page is now 22-3 for his career. Magomedov, 30 years old, opened as a -160 favorite but the line is now closer to -200. The O/U line for this 3-round middleweight bout is 2.5 over -240. Four of Page's last five fights have gone the distance. Magomedov has won three of his last six fights by decision. Before that, he'd stopped each of his first nine opponents. Magomedov is blind in one eye but that's clearly never been an issue.Convinced that he's the better striker and perhaps trying to goad him into staying on his feet, Page said this about his opponent: “I think he will be a lot more stubborn in believing in his ability. So, I think I’d definitely be landing some crazy shots if he decides to go for a takedown, because like I said, I think he in his mind he believes he’s the best when it comes to the striking game. So, it will take a few knocks before he decides to change that, and maybe it might be too little too late. I think he’ll be very bloodied up if he is going for a takedown.”Bullet countered with: “Michael Page I heard you say that I will bleed in our fight on February 1st. Yes I will bleed, only in yours." Prediction: Though I mentioned that both fighters have had some recent decisions, getting roughly +200 on the under looks like very fair value. If you're looking for a big underdog payout on Saturday, consider the under 2.5 rounds.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, NHL, NBA, NCAAB and EPL Previews and Odds 01/26/2025

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Jan 26, 2025

The Sunday sports card features NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAAB, and EPL action.The National Football League continues its postseason with its two conference championship games in the playoffs. The Philadelphia Eagles host the Washington Commanders in the NFC conference championship game on Fox at 3:00 p.m. ET. The Eagles are on a four-game winning streak after their 28-22 victory against the Los Angeles Rams as a 7.5-point favorite last Sunday. The Commanders are on a seven-game winning streak after their 45-31 upset win at Detroit as an 8-point underdog last Saturday night. Philadelphia is a 6-point favorite with the total set at 47.5 (all odds from DraftKings). The Kansas City Chiefs play at home against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC championship game on CBS at 6:30 p.m. ET. The Chiefs won for the seventh time in their last eight games with their 23-14 victory against Houston as a 10-point favorite last Saturday. The Bills won for the fifth time in their last six games after their 27-25 upset victory as a 1-point underdog on Sunday. Kansas City is a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under of 48.5.The National Basketball Association has one game on its docket. The Oklahoma City Thunder travel to Portland to play the Trail Blazers as a 12.5-point road favorite with a total of 225.5. The National Hockey League has five games on its slate. The New York Rangers are at home against the Colorado Avalanche at 1:07 p.m. ET as a -115 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Ottawa Senators host the Utah Hockey Club at 5:07 p.m. ET as a -135 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Winnipeg Jets play at home against the Calgary Flames at 6:07 p.m. ET as a -230 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Minnesota Wild are in Chicago to play the Blackhawks at 7:07 p.m. ET as a -192 money-line road favorite with a total of 5.5. The Vegas Golden Knights are home against Florida to face the Panthers as a -125 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5.The NCAAB college basketball schedule has 13 games between Division I opponents. Five NCAAB games are on major national television. Two NCAAB games on major national television at noon ET. Maryland visits Indiana on CBS as a 2.5-point road favorite with a total of 149.5. Duquesne plays at Fordham on the USA Network as a 2.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 139. Memphis hosts UAB on ESPN2 at 1:00 p.m. ET as a 7.5-point favorite with a total of 151.5. North Texas plays at home against Florida Atlantic on ESPNU at 2:00 p.m. ET as an 8-point favorite with an over/under of 137.5. Army is home against Navy on the CBS Sports Network at 3:30 p.m. ET as a 2-point favorite with a total of 141.Matchweek 23 in the English Premier League concludes with four matches. Two EPL matches start at 9:00 a.m. ET. Crystal Palace hosts Brentford as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Tottenham plays at home against Leicester City on the USA Network as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 3.5. Aston Villa is home against West Ham United at 11:30 a.m. ET as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Fulham hosts Manchester United on the USA Network at 2:00 p.m. ET as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5.

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