Follow us @bigal_com

Instagram Twitter

Articles

Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL and MLB Previews and Odds - 09/23/2024

by Al McMordie

Monday, Sep 23, 2024

The Monday sports card features NFL and MLB action. Week 3 in the NFL concludes with two games. The Buffalo Bills host the Jacksonville Jaguars on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Bills are 2-0 on the season after their 31-10 upset victory at Miami as a 2.5-point underdog on September 12th. The Jaguars are winless after their first two games after an 18-13 upset loss at home to Cleveland as a 3-point favorite on Sunday. Buffalo is a 5.5-point favorite with the total set at 45.5 (all odds from DraftKings). The Cincinnati Bengals play at home against the Washington Commanders on ABC at 8:15 p.m. ET. The Bengals have stumbled out to an 0-2 start after their 26-25 loss at Kansas City as a 6.5-point underdog last Sunday. The Commanders evened their record at 1-1 with a 21-18 victory against the New York Giants as a 1-point favorite last week. Cincinnati is a 7-point favorite with an over/under of 46.5.Major League Baseball has four games on its schedule. The Philadelphia  Phillies are at home against the Chicago Cubs at 6:40 p.m. ET. The Phillies lost for the fourth time in their last five games after their 2-1 loss in New York against the Mets last night. They are in first place in the NL East with a five-game lead over Atlanta entering the final week of the regular season. The Cubs won for the third time in their last four games with their 5-0 victory at home against Washington on Sunday. They have been eliminated from the postseason. Aaron Nola takes the ball for Philadelphia to pitch against Nate Pearson for Chicago. The Toronto Blue Jays host the Boston Red Sox at 7:07 p.m. ET. The Blue Jays are on a four-game losing streak after their 4-3 loss at Tampa Bay yesterday. They have been eliminated from the American League playoff race. The Red Sox are on a two-game winning streak after an 8-1 victory against Minnesota on Sunday. They remain technically alive in the AL wildcard race but need to make up six games. Toronto taps Chris Bassitt to face Boston’s Tanner Houck. The Red Sox are a -120 money-line favorite with a total of 8.The Houston Astros play at home against the Seattle Mariners at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Astros’ three-game winning streak came to an end on Sunday after a 9-8 loss at home to the Los Angeles Angels. They are in first place in the AL West with a five-game lead over the Mariners. Seattle is on a two-game losing streak after their 6-5 loss at Texas yesterday. Hunter Brown gets the ball for Houston to challenge Bryce Miller for the Mariners. The Astros are a -148 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Arizona Diamondbacks are at home against the San Francisco Giants at 9:40 p.m. ET. The Diamondbacks have lost two games in a row after their 10-9 loss at Milwaukee yesterday. They are tied with the New York Mets for the final two spots in the NL wildcard race with a two-game lead over Atlanta. The Giants have won four games in a row and six of their last seven contests after their 2-0 victory at Kansas City on Sunday. They have been eliminated from the postseason. Arizona sends out Eduardo Rodriguez to battle San Francisco’s Hayden Birdsong. The Diamondbacks are a -170 money-line favorite with a total of 9.

Read more

UFC Fight Night Preview and Picks

by Will Rogers

Sunday, Sep 22, 2024

UFC Fight Night Moicano vs. Saint-Denis  Saturday, September 28thAccor Arena - ParisThe UFC returns to Paris for the third straight September on Saturday. MMA wasn't legalized in France until 2020. So, the French have a relatively short history of fights here. The first time the UFC came here was in September of 2022. That inaugural event saw French heavyweight Cyrl Gane defeat Tui Tuivasa. Last September, the UFC returned. Once again, Gane was the headliner. Once again, he came through for the home faithful, defeating Serghei Spivak. Gane isn't part of this week's card. Instead, France's Benoit "God Of War" St. Denis, an exciting lightweight will face Brazil's Renato "Moicano" Carneiro. Let's take a closer look at the two biggest bouts. The Main Event  Moicano vs. Saint-Denis Saint-Denis -2752.5 under -155As one can tell by the odds, Saint-Denis is expected to win this fight. The 28-year old "God of War" has a 13-2 record. He was last seen getting KO'd by Dustin Poirier this past March. Prior to that, he'd won five straight. Saint-Denis can win in a variety of different ways. One of his recent victories was a head-kick KO. Two were TKO's by punches. One was a face-crank submission while another was a rear-naked choke submission. One thing all six of those fights had in common was that none of them made it past the second round. As a matter of fact, only one of his 15 fights, one of the two losses, ever went to the judges. At 35 years old, "Moicano" has been around for a while. He fought recognizable names like Brian Ortega, Cub Swanson and Jose Aldo back in 2017-2019 but has been matched up against lesser known opposition of late. He is 3-0 his past 3 fights though, a TKO, a decision and a submission. Prediction: Inspired by the French fans, Saint-Denis is going to be too much for the older Brazilian. Though warranted, the heavy price tag is too much for my taste. Instead, the play is on the Under 2.5 rounds. Moicano has been stopped four times and none of Saint-Denis' 13 victories have gone past the second round. Play on the Under. The Co-Main Event  Allen vs ImavovImavov -2102.5 over -200American middleweight Brendan Allen (24-5) takes on France's Nassourdine Imavov (14-4) in the (3-round) co-main event. Though not quite as expensive as Saint-Denis, the French fighter is again a fairly steep favorite. Since losing a decision to Sean Strickland, Imavov is undefeated. He's very skilled but Allen also comes in full of confidence. The American is 7-0 his past 7 fights and 9-1 his last 10. In his last fight, Allen defeated Chris Curtis, the last fighter to have beaten him. (Imavov and Curtis also fought once but it was declared a no contest due to a clash of heads.) Prediction: This one will likely go the distance with Imavov winning by decision. Unless the price comes down, I'm unlikely to be involved. 

Read more

Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, MLB and EPL Previews and Odds - 09/22/2024

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Sep 22, 2024

The Sunday sports card features NFL, MLB, and EPL action. Week 3 in the NFL continues with 13 games. Seven NFL games kick off at 1:00 p.m. ET. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Denver Broncos as a 6-point favorite, with the total set at 41 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). The Houston Texans travel to Minnesota to play the Vikings as a 1.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 46. The Pittsburgh Steelers play at home against the Los Angeles Chargers as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 34.5. The New Orleans Saints are at home against the Philadelphia Eagles as a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 49.5. The Tennessee Titans host the Green Bay Packers as a 3-point favorite with a total of 37.5. The Cleveland Browns play at home against the New York Giants as a 6.5-point favorite with an over/under of 38. The Indianapolis Colts are at home against the Chicago Bears as a 1-point favorite with a total of 44. Five NFL games start during the second window of afternoon games. Two NFL games begin at 4:05 p.m. ET. The Seattle Seahawks host the Miami Dolphins as a 4.5-point favorite with an over/under of 41.5. The Las Vegas Raiders play at home against the Carolina Panthers as a 6-point favorite with a total of 40. Three more NFL games start at 4:25 p.m. ET. The Baltimore Ravens play in Dallas against the Cowboys as a 1-point road favorite with an over/under of 47.5. The San Francisco 49ers are in Los Angeles to play the Rams as a 6.5-point road favorite with a total of 43.5. The Detroit Lions visit Arizona to play the Cardinals as a 3-point road favorite with an over/under of 51.5. The Kansas City Chiefs play in Atlanta against the Falcons on NBC at 8:20 p.m. ET for Sunday Night Football. The Chiefs are a 3-point road favorite with a total of 46.5. Major League Baseball has 16 games on its schedule. The Minnesota Twins are in Boston against the Red Sox in the opening game of their doubleheader at 12:35 p.m. ET as a -125  money-line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Pittsburgh Pirates travel to Cincinnati to play the Reds at 1:10 p.m. ET as a -125 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. The Baltimore Orioles are at home against the Detroit Tigers at 1:35 p.m. ET. Two more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 1:40 p.m. ET. The Tampa Bay Rays host the Toronto Blue Jays. The Atlanta Braves play in Miami against the Marlins as a -198 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Three more MLB games begin at 2:10 p.m. ET. The Milwaukee Brewers play at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks as a -122 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Houston Astros are at home against the Los Angeles Angels as a -285 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The San Francisco Giants are in Kansas City to play the Royals as a -115 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 7. The St. Louis Cardinals host the Cleveland Guardians at 2:15 p.m. ET as a -115 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. The Chicago Cubs play at home against the Washington Nationals at 2:20 p.m. ET as a -198 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Seattle Mariners travel to Texas to play the Rangers at 2:35 p.m. ET as a -125 money-line road favorite with a total of 7.5. The New York Yankees play in Oakland against the A’s at 4:07 p.m. ET as a -180 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two more MLB games start at 4:10 p.m. ET. The San Diego Padres are at home against the Chicago Cubs as a -325 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers host the Colorado Rockies as a -345 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Red Sox play at home against the Twins in the second game of their doubleheader at 5:35 p.m. ET, with both teams priced at -110 at BetMGM with a total of 8. Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN has the Philadelphia Phillies in New York to play the Mets at 7:15 p.m. ET. The Phillies are a -155 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 7. Matchweek 5 in the English Premier League concludes with two matches on the USA Network. Brighton and Hove Albion is home against Nottingham Forest at 9:00 a.m. ET is a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. Manchester City hosts Arsenal at 11:30 a.m. ET as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5.

Read more

Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, MLB, CFL and EPL Previews and Odds - 09/21/2024

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Sep 21, 2024

The Saturday sports card features NCAAF, MLB, CFL, and EPL action.Week 4 in NCAAF college football continues with 50 games between FBS opponents. Nine of these NCAAF games kick off at noon ET, with three games on major national television. Florida travels to Mississippi State on ESPN as a 6.5-point road favorite with the total set at 58 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Ohio State hosts Marshall on Fox as a 39.5-point favorite with an over/under of 52.5. Clemson plays at home against North Carolina State on ABC as a 19-point favorite with a total of 44. Sixteen NCAAF games between FBS opponents start in the 3:30 pm ET to 6:30 pm ET window. Four college football games on major national television at 3:30 p.m. ET. USC plays at Michigan on CBS as a 4.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 44. Auburn is at home against Arkansas on ESPN as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 56. Notre Dame hosts Miami (OH) on NBC as a 27.5-point favorite with an over/under of 43.5. LSU plays at home against UCLA on ABC as a 21-point favorite with a total of 56. Utah is at Oklahoma State on Fox at 4:00 p.m. ET as a 1-point road favorite with an over/under of 53.5. Nineteen NCAAF games between FBS opponents begin at 7:00 p.m. ET or later to complete the Saturday football card. Miami (FL) visits Souter Florida on ESPN as a 17-point road favorite with a total of 65. Two college football games on major national television begin at 7:30 p.m. ET. Iowa plays at Minnesota on NBC as a 2.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 35. Tennessee is at Oklahoma on ABC as a 7-point road favorite with a total of 57.5. Colorado is at home against Baylor on Fox at 8:00 p.m. ET as a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under of 51.5. Kansas State travels to BYU on ESPN at 10:30 p.m. ET as a 6.5-point road favorite with a total of 49.5. Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The Cincinnati Reds host the Pittsburgh Pirates at 1:10 p.m. ET as a -125 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Chicago Cubs play at home against the Washington Nationals at 2:20 p.m. ET as a -142 money-line favorite.The Baltimore Orioles are home against the Detroit Tigers at 4:05 p.m. ET as a -125 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Four more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 4:10 p.m. ET. The Tampa Bay Rays host the Toronto Blue Jays as a -135 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Philadelphia Phillies play in New York against the Mets with both teams priced as a -110 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. The Minnesota Twins are in Boston to play the Red Sox as a -142 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8. The Atlanta Braves travel to Miami to play the Marlins as a -258 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. The Kansas City Royals play at home against the San Francisco Giants at 5:10 p.m. ET as a -155 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Texas Rangers are home against the Seattle Mariners at 7:05 p.m. ET as a -142 money-line favorite with a total of 8. Two more MLB games begin at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Milwaukee Brewers host the Arizona Diamondbacks as a -115 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Houston Astros play at home against the Los Angeles Angels as a -250 money-line favorite with a total of 8. The Cleveland Guardians play in St. Louis Cardinals at 7:15 p.m. ET as a -135 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8. The San Diego Padres are home against the Chicago White Sox at 8:40 p.m. ET as a -278 money-line favorite with a total of 8. The New York Yankees are in Oakland to play the A’s at 9:07 p.m. ET as a -180 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8. The Los Angeles Dodgers host the Colorado Rockies at 9:10 p.m. ET as a -285 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Week 16 in the Canadian Football League concludes with two games. The Montreal Alouettes visit Ottawa to play the Redblacks at 3:00 p.m. ET as a 2.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 50. The Edmonton Elks play at home against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at 7:00 p.m. ET in a pick ‘em game with a total of 49.5. Matchweek 5 in the English Premier League begins with eight matches. Chelsea plays at West Ham United on the USA Network as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Six more EPL matches start at 10:00 a.m. ET. Aston Villa is at home against Wolverhampton as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. Newcastle United is at Fulham as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 2.5. Leicester City hosts Everton as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Liverpool plays at home against Bournemouth on the USA Network as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 3.5. Southampton is at home against Ipswich as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Tottenham hosts Brentford as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 3.5. Manchester United visits Crystal Palace on NBC as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5.

Read more

2024-25 NHL Preview: Atlantic Division

by Sean Murphy

Friday, Sep 20, 2024

The puck drops on the 2024-25 NHL season in just a couple of weeks as the Sabres and Devils play a two-game set at O2 Arena in Prague. In this preview, we'll take a look at the eight teams that reside in the Atlantic Division, in no particular order.Montreal CanadiensMake no mistake, the Canadiens remain in full rebuild mode, even after landing a big fish in Patrik Laine over the Summer. The needle is certainly pointing up after an injury-plagued 30-win campaign but it's going to be difficult to gain much ground in the ultra-competitive Atlantic. The Habs are brimming with young talent led by the likes of Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield who are fast-entering their prime. Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook are two key pieces up front that return healthy. The biggest issue for Montreal could be between the pipes where a lot is asked of the lower-tier tandem of Samuel Montembault and Cayden Primeau. With plenty of youth behind veterans Mike Matheson and David Savard on the blue line, Habs goaltenders figure to get peppered on most nights. Boston BruinsThe Bruins enter the season as a big of a wild card following a second-place finish in the Atlantic in 2023-24. There was a massive roster overhaul during the offseason with familar faces like Jake DeBrusk, Matt Grzelcyk and Linus Ullmark moving on. Face of the franchise Brad Marchand isn't getting any younger and required multiple offseason surgeries leaving many to wonder how much he will be able to contribute. The addition of Elias Lindholm should provide a spark up front and certainly boosts the ceiling of likely linemate David Pastrnak. Between the pipes the number one job will belong to Jeremy Swayman. We've seen a time-share between Swayman and Ullmark in recent years but the former is undoubtedly ready to take the next step.Toronto Maple LeafsContract issues swirl around Mitch Marner as training camp opens this week. The Maple Leafs did make a number offseason personnel changes but elected to keep the so-called 'Core Four' intact. Little was done to bolster the blue line and that's a concern. Christopher Tanev will provide some depth but he's by no means a game-changer. Anthony Stolarz was brought in to provide backup relief to starting netminder Joseph Woll who has yet to really prove himself as a true number-one option. You have to think this will be the last ride for this particular era of the Leafs if they fall short of expectations (again).Detroit Red WingsBy all accounts, general manager Steve Yzerman has done a solid job of improving the roster, largely by building from within with a host of young talent. With that being said, the Red Wings missed the playoffs last season and for a fan base that's desperate for a winner, patience is starting to run thin. Vladimir Tarasenko was the big add in free agency. Patrick Kane was re-signed as well. You do have to wonder how much either player has left in the tank at this stage of their respective careers. The blue line lacks depth as far as offensive production goes. Moritz Seider is a stud but the rest of the D-corps is average at best. The Wings are hoping one of Cam Talbot, Ville Husso and Alex Lyon will rise up and take hold of the starting goaltender role. Three might turn out to be a crowd in this particular case. Buffalo SabresThe Sabres were thought to be a possible sleeper team in the Eastern Conference last season but fell well short of expectations. Their roster is filled with familiar faces - few teams stood pat the way Buffalo did in the offseason. Whether that's a good or bad thing is up for debate. There's no question the Sabres boast plenty of top-line talent, both up front and on the back-end. Guys like Dylan Cozens, Zach Benson and John-Jason Peterka appear ready to take a step forward. Veterans Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch should chip in as well. Defensively, you'd be hard-pressed to find a stronger trio than Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power and Bowen Byram. In goal, there's depth but also not a lot of reliability. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen figures to hold down the number-one job. Ottawa SenatorsThe Senators always seem to make a splash in the offseason and this year was no different as they acquired goaltender Linus Ullmark from the Bruins via trade. Goaltending has been an issue in Ottawa for years so the addition of Ullmark should provide some stability. There's reason to question how much patience Brady Tkachuk will have if this team struggles again. A player like Tkachuk who is on the verge of superstardom could certainly benefit from moving to a bigger market and whispers of that have already begun. Aside from Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle is really the only forward that moves the needle. This is a team that will need to be better as a sum of its parts rather than relying on its limited number of top-end superstars. Florida PanthersLike most Stanley Cup winners, there is plenty of roster turnover for the Panthers to deal with as they begin defense of their title. Their blue line depth will be tested after Brandon Montour and Oliver Ekman-Larsson exited in the offseason. Up front, the top six are set but again depth could become an issue should injuries arise. Starting goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky proved he still has plenty left in the tank during Florida's championship run and will be back between the pipes. Chris Dreidger and Spencer Knight will battle for the backup job after Anthony Stolarz left for Toronto. Defending a championship is never easy but the Panthers should once again find themselves near the top of the Atlantic.Tampa Bay LightningIt's the end of an era in Tampa with Steven Stamkos packing his bags for Nashville in the offseason. A lot will be asked of Nikita Kucherov but he'll have plenty of support with Brayden Point remaining in the fold and Jake Guentzel brought over from Carolina. Defensively, Mikhail Sergachev is a key loss. Victor Hedman showed tremendous durability last season, appearing in 78 games and contributing 76 points. He was named team captain earlier this week. The Bolts are set in goal with Andrei Vasilevskiy still one of the best netminders in the world and backup Jonas Johansson capable of taking on a 25-30 game workload.

Read more

Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB, CFL and NCAAF Previews and Odds - 09/20/2024

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Sep 20, 2024

The Friday sports card features NCAAF, MLB, and CFL action. Week 3 in NCAAF college football continues with three games between FBS opponents. Syracuse hosts Stanford on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Orange come off a 31-28 upset victory against Georgia Tech as a 3-point underdog on September 7th. The Cardinal beat Cal-Poly by a 41-7 score as a 34.5-point favorite two Saturdays ago. Syracuse is an 8.5-point favorite, with the total set at 56.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Nebraska plays at home against Illinois on Fox at 8:00 p.m. ET. The Cornhuskers have won their first three games after a 34-3 victory against Northern Iowa as a 30-point favorite last Saturday. The Fighting Illini are also 3-0 after their 30-9 victory against Central Michigan as a 21-point favorite last week. Nebraska is an 8-point favorite with an over/under of 43. Washington State is at home against San Jose State on the CW at 10:00 p.m. ET. The Cougars have won their first three games after their 24-19 upset win against Washington as a 6-point underdog on Saturday. The Spartans are also unbeaten after their first three games after their 31-10 victory against Kent State as a 16.5-point favorite on Saturday. Washington State is a 12.5-point favorite with a total of 55.5.Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The Chicago Cubs host the Washington Nationals at 2:20 p.m. ET as a -165 money-line favorite at BetMG with an over/under of 9. The Cincinnati Reds play at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 6:40 p.m. ET as a -130 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The Tampa Bay Rays are at home against the Toronto Blue Jays at 6:50 p.m. ET as a -115 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Baltimore Orioles host the Detroit Tigers at 7:05 p.m. ET. Three MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Minnesota Twins travel to Boston to play the Red Sox, with both teams priced at -110 with a total of 9. The New York Mets host the Philadelphia Phillies as a -112 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Atlanta Braves play in Miami against the Marlins as a -205 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The Texas Rangers are home against the Seattle Mariners at 8:05 p.m. ET as a -120 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7. Three more MLB games start at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Kansas City Royals host the San Francisco Giants as a -166 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Houston Astros play at home against the Los Angeles Angels as a -265 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Arizona Diamondbacks are in Milwaukee to play the Brewers as a -125 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. The St. Louis Cardinals are home against the Cleveland Guardians at 8:15 p.m. ET as a -115 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. Two MLB games begin at 9:40 p.m. ET. The New York Yankees visit Oakland to play the A’s as a -198 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. The San Diego Padres host the Chicago White Sox as a -245 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7. The Los Angeles Dodgers play at home against the Colorado Rockies at 10:10 p.m. ET. Week 16 in the Canadian Football League kicks off with two games. The Toronto Argonauts are home against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at 7:00 p.m. ET as a 6.5-point favorite with a total of 53. The Saskatchewan Roughriders play in Calgary against the Stampeders at 9:30 p.m. ET as a 2.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 51.

Read more

NCAA Football System of the Week

by Al McMordie

Friday, Sep 20, 2024

The Florida State Seminoles were ranked #10 in the Associated Press poll to start the season, but have started the season 0-3.  They lost in Dublin, Ireland, 24-21, as a 10.5-point favorite vs. Georgia Tech to kick off the season.  Then, Boston College upset them, 28-13, as a 16.5-point underdog.  And last week, FSU suffered its 3rd straight upset defeat when Memphis went into Tallahassee, and won, 20-12, as a 6.5-point dog.This Saturday, Florida State will look to break into the win column with a victory against California, which is playing its first ACC Conference game.  The Bears are 3-0 this season, with wins over Cal Davis (31-13), Auburn (21-14) and San Diego State (31-10).Florida State has been installed as a 2.5-point home favorite.  The knee-jerk reaction might be to grab the points with the 3-0 Bears vs. the 0-3 Seminoles.  But be careful.  The games that often look the easiest turn out to be anything but.  And that leads us to our NCAA Football System of the Week.  Not surprisingly, it is a contrarian system.  Since 1980, home teams on a 3-game (or worse) losing streak have gone 55-38 ATS in FBS games vs. foes on a 3-game (or better) win streak, if our home team wasn't getting more than 6 points.Consider playing on the Florida State Seminoles minus the points.Good luck, as always...Al McMordie

Read more

Trying to Make Sense of Kirk Cousins' Start with the Atlanta Falcons

by Team Del Genio

Thursday, Sep 19, 2024

The Atlanta Falcons ranked 26th in the league last season by averaging only 18.9 points per game despite having an offensive head coach in Arthur Smith. The conclusion that general manager Terry Fontenot made was that Desmond Ridder was not the answer at quarterback and that Smith’s run-first approach was not the best way to utilize the Falcons' talent on offense. While Fontenot hired Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris (who had previously been the defensive coordinator in Atlanta) as the new head coach, he tapped into Sean McVay's coaching tree with Morris bringing along the Rams quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Zac Robinson to be the new offensive coordinator. Fontenot then signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year $180 million free agent deal to be the team’s starting quarterback, and then he drafted Michael Penix with the eighth pick in the first round of the NFL draft. Problem solved, right? Finally, recent first-round picks running back Bijan Robinson, wide receiver Drake London, and tight end Kyle Pitts would be unlocked with better offensive schemes and high-end talent at quarterback. Cousins did not play in the preseason as he continued to recover from his Achilles injury that ended his season prematurely last year. Yet in his first game back last week, Cousins looked old and ineffective in the Falcons’ 18-10 upset loss at home to Pittsburgh despite being a 4-point favorite. Cousins only completed 16 of 26 passes for 155 yards. He threw two interceptions. Perhaps it was just rust that the 36-year-old needed to work off. He was getting accustomed to a new system. Unfortunately, there appeared to be deeper concerns. Cousins barely moved in the pocket. He may not be back to 100% from his leg injury. Or maybe he has lost even more mobility? He was never known for his agility in the pocket. The Steelers’ T.J. Watt had his way with him all game. Yet Robinson’s schemes did not seem to be helping matters. He had Cousins in the shotgun formation for all but one of his snaps. They did not utilize a play-action pass even once, despite that being a staple in McVay’s offenses. He did not throw a pass of 20 or more yards in the air. Perhaps Cousins could flip the switch in his second start for the Falcons for his Monday night game against Philadelphia, despite his notorious record in prime-time games. He had lost ten of his thirteen starts on Monday Night Football with fourteen interceptions. He has thrown at least one pick in nine of those thirteen games for Monday Night Football. Maybe Robinson had Cousins in shotgun in week one to hide his limited mobility? Either way, the Falcon offense did not look much better from the previous seasons under Smith and Ridder at quarterback. Perhaps Penix is the answer, but Morris can not move to him this early in the season with $100 million of his new contract guaranteed. They need more evidence that Cousins cannot work things out. It was fascinating to then see Cousins back under center right away against the Eagles on Monday. Was the reliance on shotgun the previous week an experiment? Was it a short-term tactical diversion? Was it a game-specific adjustment to playing against Watt? Maybe time will tell.Cousins' final numbers look encouraging after expertly leading the Falcons down the field to score the winning touchdown with less than two minutes to go without any timeouts left. He completed 20 of 29 passes for 241 yards with two touchdown passes and no interceptions. Yet did anyone watching the game think Cousins was playing very well before that final winning? Atlanta only scored six points in the 1st Half, and they only had nine points late in the third quarter. Tight end Kyle Pitts is not being featured in the offense. If not for that final drive when Cousins completed 5 of 6 passes for 70 yards, his stat line looks much different. It took some questionable game management decisions by Philadelphia head coach Nick Sirianni and a dropped pass by Saquon Barkley which would have iced the game and stopped Cousins from even getting the opportunity to get one final opportunity to lead the offense. The post-game narrative would be much different if the Falcons were now 0-2 coming off a game where Cousins completed 15 of 23 passes for 171 yards with only one touchdown pass and scoring just 15 points. If not for the controversial decision by Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to not blitz Cousins on that final drive and just play prevent defense, Atlanta may not have scored that winning touchdown. Being gifted that opportunity allowed the Falcons to score seven of the 32 points that have scored this season, representing 21.8% of their scoring production. Cousins deserves full credit for taking advantage of the soft coverage to orchestrate that final winning drive. He looked more comfortable operating the two-minute offense that involves the team’s base plays that he did earlier in the game as he continues to learn a new system. Perhaps he will continue to operate the offense as he did in the second half as he gets more comfortable with these schemes and back into game shape after missing so much time. Yet bettors who only look to his final stat line without accounting for the “eye test” regarding how he looked earlier in the game may be coming to a hasty conclusion regarding how good the Atlanta will be with him under center this season.Good luck - TDG.

Read more

Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, NCAAF, MLB and UEFA Champions League Previews and Odds - 09/19/2024

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Sep 19, 2024

The Thursday sports card features NFL, NCAAF, MLB, and UEFA Champions League action. Week 3 in the National Football League kicks off with one game. The New York Jets host the New England Patriots on Amazon Prime at 8:15 p.m. ET. The Jets are a 6-point favorite with the total set at 38.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise).Week 3 in NCAAF college football starts with one game between FBS opponents. Appalachian State plays at home against South Alabama on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET as a 7-point favorite with an over/under of 63. Major League Baseball has 12 games on its schedule. The Baltimore Orioles is at home against the San Francisco Giants at 1:05 p.m. ET as a -135 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. Two more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 1:10 p.m. ET. The Atlanta Braves travel to Cincinnati to play the Reds as a -205 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Cleveland Guardians host the Minnesota Twins as a -115 money-line favorite with a total of 8. The Texas Rangers play at home against the Toronto Blue Jays at 2:35 p.m. ET as a -115 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The New York Yankees play in Seattle against the Mariners at 4:10 p.m. ET as a -112 money-line road favorite with a total of 7. The Los Angeles Dodgers are in Miami to play the Marlins at 4:40 p.m. ET as a -205 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8. The Tampa Bay Rays are at home against the Boston Red Sox at 6:50 p.m. ET as a -115 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. Three more MLB games start at 7:15 p.m. ET. The Arizona Diamondbacks visit Milwaukee to play the Brewers as a -115 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8. The New York Mets host the Philadelphia Phillies as a -142 money-line favorite with a total of 8. The St. Louis Cardinals play at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates as a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Chicago Cubs are at home against the Washington Nationals at 7:40 p.m. ET as a -190 money-line favorite at BetMGM with a total of 8.5. The Houston Astros host the Los Angeles Angels at 8:10 p.m. ET as a -278 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.Matchday 1 in the UEFA Champions League concludes with six league phase matches. Two matches start at 12:45 PM ET. Benfica visits Red Star Brigade as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 2.5. Bayer Leverkusen plays at Feyenoord as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 3.5.Six matches conclude the UCL card at 3 p.m. ET. Arsenal is at Atalanta as a -0.5 road favorite with a total of 2.5. Atletico Madrid plays at home against RB Leipzig on the CBS Sports Network as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Barcelona travels to Monaco as a -0.5 road favorite with a total of 3.5. Stade Brest is at home against Sturm Graz as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. All eight Champions League matches are available on Paramount+.

Read more

Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and UEFA Champions League Previews and Odds - 09/18/2024

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Sep 18, 2024

The Wednesday sports card features MLB and UEFA Champions League action. Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The Chicago Cubs host the Oakland A’s at 2:20 p.m. ET. Justin Steele gets the ball for the Cubs to face Brady Basso for the A’s. Chicago is a -166 money-line favorite (all odds from DraftKings). The Arizona Diamondbacks travel to Colorado to play the Rockies at 3:10 p.m. ET. The Diamondbacks tap Eduardo Rodriguez to pitch against the Rockies’ Austin Gomber. Arizona is a -155 money-line road favorite with the total set at 11. The Los Angeles Angels play at home against the Chicago White Sox at 4:07 p.m. ET. Jack Kochanowicz gets the ball for the Angels to challenge a starting pitcher for the White Sox yet to be determined. The Baltimore Orioles are at home against the San Francisco Giants at 6:35 p.m. ET. The Orioles tap Dean Kremer to go against the Giants’ Hayden Birdsong. Baltimore is a -180 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. Four more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 6:40 p.m. ET. San Diego hosts Houston with Dylan Cease taking the mound for the Padres to battle against Framber Valdez for the Astros. The Padres are a -112 money-line favorite with a total of 7. Los Angeles plays in Miami with the Dodgers turning to Landon Knack to take the ball to duel against the Marlins’ Ryan Weathers. The Dodgers are a -185 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Cleveland plays at home against Minnesota with Tanner Bibee getting tapped to pitch for the Guardians to face Bailey Ober for the Twins. The Guardians are a -118 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. Atlanta is in Cincinnati with the Braves turning to Spencer Schwellenbach to pitch against the Reds’ Jakob Junis. The Braves are a -155 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Tampa Bay Rays are at home against the Boston Red Sox at 6:50 p.m. ET. Ryan Pepiot takes the hill for the Rays to go against Tanner Houck for the Red Sox. Tampa Bay is a -120 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. The New York Mets host the Washington Nationals at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Mets send out Jose Quintana to duel against the Nationals’ D.J. Herz. New York is a -175 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Two more MLB games start at 7:40 p.m. ET. Detroit visits Kansas City with Tarik Skubal getting his second to last start of the season to continue his case for the American League Cy Young award for the Tigers to battle against Alec Marsh for the Royals. The Tigers are a -148 money-line road favorite with a total of 7.5. Milwaukee plays at home against Philadelphia with the Brewers turning to Freddy Peralta to face the Phillies’ Aaron Nola. The Brewers are a -120 money-line favor with an over/under of 8. The St. Louis Cardinals are home against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 7:45 p.m. ET. Sonny Gray gets the ball for the Cardinals to pitch against Jake Woodford for the Pirates. St. Louis is a -198 money-line favorite with a total of 8. The Texas Rangers host the Toronto Blue Jays at 8:05 p.m. ET. The Rangers send out Cory Bradford to challenge the Blue Jays’ Bowden Francis. Texas is a -130 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The New York Yankees play in Seattle against the Mariners at 9:40 p.m. ET. Nestor Cortes, Jr. takes the mound for the Yankees to battle Bryce Miller for the Mariners. New York is a -120 money-line road favorite with a total of 7.5. Matchday 1 in the UEFA Champions League continues with six league phase matches. Two matches start at 12:45 PM ET. Bologna plays at home against Shakhtar Donetsk as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Sparta Prague is at home against Salzburg as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5.Six matches conclude the UCL card at 3 PM ET. Borussia Dortmund is at Club Brugge on the CBS Sports Network as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Celtic hosts at home against Slovan Bratislava as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 3.5. Manchester City plays at home against Inter Milan as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Paris Saint-Germain is at home against Girona as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 3.5. All eight Champions League matches are available on Paramount+.

Read more

Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 09/17/2024

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Sep 17, 2024

The Tuesday sports card features MLB action. Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The San Francisco Giants travel to Baltimore to play the Orioles at 6:35 p.m. ET. The Giants tap Blake Snell to pitch against the Orioles’ Albert Suarez. San Francisco is a -118 money-line road favorite with the total set at 7.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Three more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 6:40 p.m. ET. Cleveland hosts Minnesota with Gavin Williams taking the mound for the Guardians to face Zebby Matthews for the Twins. Cleveland is a -130 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Atlanta plays in Cincinnati with the Braves tapping Grant Holmes to face the Reds’ Brandon Williamson. The Braves are a -120 money-line road favorite with a total of 9. Los Angeles is in Miami with Bobby Miller getting the ball for the Dodgers to challenge Darren McCaughan for the Marlins. The Dodgers are a -198 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5.The Boston Red Sox visit Tampa Bay to play the Rays at 6:50 p.m. ET. The Red Sox send out Nick Pivetta to battle against the Rays’ Shane Baz. Boston is a -112 money-line road favorite with a total of 7.5. The New York Mets play at home against the Washington Nationals at 7:10 p.m. ET. Tylor Megill takes the hill for the Mets to duel against Mitchell Parker for the Nationals. New York is a -166 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. Three MLB games start at 7:40 p.m. ET. Kansas City is home against Detroit with the Royals turning to Cole Ragans to face the Tigers’ Casey Mike. The Royals are a -170 money-line favorite with a total of 8. The Philadelphia Phillies play in Milwaukee against the Brewers with Zack Wheeler getting the ball for the Phillies to pitch against Frankie Montas for the Brewers. The Phillies are a -148 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 7. Chicago hosts Oakland with the Cubs tapping Jordan Wicks to challenge the A’s Mitchell Spence. The Cubs are a -166 money-line favorite. The St. Louis Cardinals play at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 7:45 p.m. ET. Lance Lynn takes the mound for the Cardinals to go against Bailey Falter for the Pirates. St. Louis is a -142 money-line favorite with a total of 8.The Texas Rangers are at home against the Toronto Blue Jays at 8:05 p.m. ET. The Rangers tap Nathan Eovaldi to battle a Blue Jays starting pitcher yet to be named. Texas is a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Arizona Diamondbacks are in Colorado to play the Rockies at 8:40 p.m. ET. Jordan Montgomery gets the start for the Diamondbacks to duel against Ryan Feltner for the Rockies. The Diamondbacks are a -155 money-line road favorite with a total of 11.5. The Los Angeles Angels host the Chicago White Sox at 9:38 p.m. ET. The Angels send out Griffin Canning to pitch against the White Sox’s Davis Martin. Los Angeles is a -170 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. Two more games conclude the MLB card at 9:40 p.m. ET. New York travels to Seattle with Luis Gil getting the ball for the Yankees to face Bryan Woo for the Mariners. New York is a -120 money-line road favorite with a total of 7. San Diego plays at home against Houston with the Padres turning to Michael King to challenge the Astros’ Hunter Brown. The Padres are a -118 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.

Read more

Assessing Caleb Williams' Progress from Week 1 to Week 2

by Team Del Genio

Monday, Sep 16, 2024

Rookie Caleb Williams struggled in his professional debut, and there are several reasons why his successful transition to the NFL may take some time. The Bears won their first game with him as their starting quarterback last week with their 24-17 victory against Tennessee, yet he completed only 14 of 29 passes last week for just 93 passing yards. His passer rating was a low 55.7 in that game and he averaged -0.39 expected points per pass play. Williams became only the eleventh quarterback in the history of the NFL to throw the ball at least 25 times in his first professional start yet fail to pass for at least 100 yards. He joined a club with such illustrious names like Tommy DeVito, Desmond Ridder, and Brett Hundley, and the track record of the other ten quarterbacks on the list in their second career start is not good. Those quarterbacks lost twenty-two of their twenty-seven second starts with a 10-16-1 ats mark. While improvement from the first and second start is expected, those numbers suggest that Williams will not be able to simply flip a switch with an adjustment or two. Williams seemed surprised by the speed of the opposing defense. In taking several bad sacks, he discovered that his great mobility is not as dynamic at the NFL level as it was facing Pac-12 defenders. His accuracy was never top-level at USC, and those concerns continued in his debut. Too often, he stared down his intended wide receiver target which led to two of his passes being knocked down. Williams thrived in college with his ability to improvise and make big plays. It was this skill that rendered comparisons to Patrick Mahomes. Yet Mahomes only started the final game of the regular season in his rookie season after learning as an understudy under the veteran Alex Smith. Williams needs to improve his understanding of working in the pocket whether it be reading defensive schemes, working progressions, and avoiding the rush but resisting the urge to break the pocket.Rookie quarterbacks had only won twenty-five of eighty-two games when starting in a prime-time game. It's even worse for these rookies early in the season as they had only won four of the fourteen games when a rookie was a starting quarterback in a prime-time game in the first four weeks of the season. This was one of the reasons we were the Houston Texans to cover the -5.5-point spread. The Texans narrowly covered that number with their 19-13 victory. As Chris Collingsworth pointed out frequently during the game on NBC for Sunday Night Football, there was plenty to like from Williams' performance against the Texans. Most importantly, he seemed more focused on staying in the pocket and not bailing too early on the play. He also respected the speed of the opposing defenders and accepted negative plays rather than make things worse with ill-advised decisions to try to use his athleticism to extend plays. He got sacked times but did a good job of taking his medicine and not making things worse. He got hit eleven times which is an indictment of the play of his offensive line. Williams did a nice job in choosing when to use his legs to gain yards. He ran the ball five times for 44 yards, yet he did not take off and run too early on the play. As opposed to rookie Jaylen Daniels, Williams knows how to slide when rushing down field to avoid injury. His work with the slip-and-slide which was documented on Hard Knocks last month helped him get comfortable with that skill. Yet Williams still has plenty to work on. His accuracy continues to be a work in progress. He only completed 23 of 37 passes. He threw two interceptions. Too often, he was late on throws or wildly off the mark. He has a ways to go in being consistently effective in the pocket and completing passes in tight windows. Good luck - Team Del Genio.

Read more
« ‹ 1 59 61 344 › »

Follow us @bigal_com

Instagram Twitter

Links

Big Al's Sports Picks Info

All photographic images used for editorial content have been licensed from the Associated Press.

© 2025 Al McMordie's BigAl.com. All Rights Reserved.