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Copa Libertadores Futures 2024 (Knockout Rounds)

by Amedeus Mastrangelo

Sunday, Jul 28, 2024

The 2024 Copa Libertadores group stage has ended and there are plenty of familiar faces left in this competition who always make deep runs in this tournament, but there have also been a few surprise teams making it out of the group stage as well. Now with the Round of 16 matches set and ready to begin on August 13, it is time to see who still has the best chance of making a deep run to the final to lift the trophy. To Win Outright Flamengo +350: Flamengo is coming into this Round of 16 as the team with the best chance to win the title according to the oddsmakers. Flamengo was picked as the team with the best chance to win in a Copa Libertadores article prior to the group stage starting, and they still have a very good chance at winning this competition as they have one of the more talented squads in all of South America. The price has not changed from +350 prior to the 2024 edition of the competition starting. Flamengo is currently one of the top teams in the Brasileirao this season, fighting for the title, and this is a competition they are going to be focused on winning as it is the most desired trophy by these bigger clubs. Flamengo has not won many trophies recently so motivation is going to be high in this tournament, and this is a competition they have had a lot of success in over recent years. They have appeared in the Final in 2 of the last 3 seasons, winning the trophy just 2 seasons ago, and they have won the competition twice in the last 5 seasons as well. Flamengo always makes a deep run in this tournament and with the talent they have in their squad, they are still the best team in the competition this season. There is value at this price for Flamengo to lift the trophy this season.  Palmeiras +400: Palmeiras is coming into this Round of 16 as the team with the next best chance at winning the title according to the oddsmakers. Palmeiras is another club that has had a lot of success in this tournament in recent years, making 2 appearances in the Final over the last 4 seasons and winning both times, but they have not made an appearance in the Copa Libertadores Final over the last 2 seasons and their team is not as strong this season. They have won the Brasileirao Title the last 2 straight seasons, but they have lost some of their talent this year and have struggled in the league. They still topped their group in the group stage at 4-2-0, but they are not going to have an easy opponent in the Round of 16. They will have to face another club from Brasil in their first match, playing against Botafogo, and Botafogo has been a very good team over the last 2 seasons. Botafogo was leading the title race last season before allowing Palmeiras back in it late in the year, and Botafogo is right at the top of the table in the Brasileirao once again this season. They have also won 2 of the last 3 meetings against Palmeiras over the last 2 seasons, keeping them from scoring a goal in 2 of those matches as well. This is not a great price for a Palmeiras side that has a very tough opponent right in the Round of 16 as this team could see an early exit with their squad losing talent this year as well. Even if they do get by Botafogo, Palmeiras does not have the best squad in this competition and there are other teams that could give them trouble deeper in the tournament. Palmeiras is not the best option here to lift the trophy this season.  River Plate +450: River Plate is coming into this Round of 16 as the team with the next best chance at winning the title according to the oddsmakers. River Plate is regarded as the best team in Argentina and they are definitely one of the bigger clubs with a very intimidating stadium to play in, but the results simply have not been there in any of their competitions this season to show that this is even the best team in Argentina. They struggled in the 1st phase of their domestic season as they barely topped the table by 1 point in the Copa de la Liga, but they also fizzled out in the 1st round of the playoffs, losing to the eventual champions Estudiantes. They were the clear favorite to win the LPF title this season as well, but they have struggled more in this 2nd phase of the season as they are currently sitting in 12th place after 7 matches this season in their own league table. They topped their group in the group stage of this competition at 5-1-0, but they were in a much weaker group with no clubs from Brasil or Argentina. They are not going to have an easy opponent in the Round of 16 either as they have to face Talleres who is currently in 2nd place in the league table and has been one of the better teams in Argentina all year. River Plate has struggled against Talleres as well, losing 4 of their last 6 meetings with just 1 win in that span. River Plate does not have the best squad in this tournament so even if they get past Talleres in the first round, they are going to run into a better team eventually. They have not shown in their league matches this season either that they can dominate a stronger squad from their own league. There has only been 1 club from Argentina in the Copa Libertadores Final over the last 4 seasons which was Boca Juniors last season and River Plate has not made an appearance there since 2019 when they were the runner up. They have only won the competition once in the last 8 seasons and that was back in 2018, but this is not going to be their year as they do not have the squad to do it. There is no real value in River Plate to win the competition this season.  Fluminense +700: Fluminense is coming into this Round of 16 as the team with the next best chance at winning the title according to the oddsmakers. Fluminense topped their group in the group stage at 4-2-0, but they did not play in a very strong group as there were no other clubs from Brasil or Argentina, the 2 strongest leagues in South America. They have also fallen completely out of form since the group stage and have struggled to get points in their own domestic league. Fluminense are actually the defending champions from last season as they beat Boca Juniors in the Final, but this is nowhere near the same quality team that had such a great season all around last year. They also have a tough opponent in the Round of 16 who they have struggled with a lot over the years. They will see Gremio in the Round of 16 and Gremio has not been a dominant team this season as they also lost some talent from last year, but they have been a wild card with their performances and they tend to dominate this Fluminense side. Gremio has won the last 7 straight meetings with Fluminense and Fluminense has failed to score a goal in 5 of those 7 matches. There is a very good chance that the defending champions go down in the Round of 16 but even if they do get past Gremio, they do not have the talent or depth in their squad to make a deep run in this competition. Even their win in this competition last season was the first time they have been back to the finals in 15 seasons. There is no value in Fluminense to win this competition and repeat as the champions.  Atlético Mineiro +800: Atlético Mineiro is coming into this Round of 16 as the team with the next best chance at winning the title according to the oddsmakers. They topped their group during the group stage at 5-0-1 and have been a very dominant team in this competition, but they have been starting to fall out of form recently in their domestic league. They recently hired a new manager and they have been starting to improve once again after a stretch of poor form, but they have still been very inconsistent in their matches. They have a very good squad with a lot of talent, but it has not been enough in this competition in recent years. They have struggled to get to the Final, making no appearances in the last 10 straight seasons, and they have even struggled to win the Brasileirao Title consistently. They have an easier matchup in the Round of 16, but they are still facing a club from Argentina that plays in a very strong league, and San Lorenzo also has a very good defense that can cause problems for this Atletico Mineiro attack. Even if Atletico Mineiro makes it past them, they will eventually run into a stronger team that takes them out as they usually go out before they can get to the Final. There are better teams in the tournament this year and Atletico Mineiro will fall short once again. There is no value in them to win this competition this season.  Botafogo +900: Botafogo is coming into this Round of 16 as the team with the next best chance at winning the title according to the oddsmakers. Botafogo does not have a history of going deep into this competition in recent years, but they have been improving a lot over the last 2 seasons. Last season, they were a huge threat in the Brasileirao all year as they led the table with a 10+ point lead for most of the season before collapsing in the final weeks, but they are back on top this season with one of the better teams in Brasil. They are going to be focused on going deep into this competition. They have a tough opponent in the Round of 16 as they are taking on Palmeiras who is one of the favorites to win the tournament, but Palmeiras has not been as good as their teams in previous years and Botafogo has actually beaten them twice in 3 matches over the last 2 seasons. Palmeiras has failed to score in 2 of those 3 meetings and Botafogo has a very good defense that is one of the best in Brasil. Botafogo has been steadily improving over the last few seasons and with the experience they gained from being one of the better teams in Brasil last year, they can draw from that in this competition and make a deep run. They have the talent in their squad and they have the defense to go far which will be very important in a competition like this. Botafogo is a true dark horse to win this competition this season, there is value in them to win at this price.  RecommendationThere are plenty of good teams in this competition and some that were not mentioned here, but in reality this competition has been dominated by a select few teams over the last few years so there is not going to be much room for these smaller clubs from weaker South American leagues to go deep. This competition has been dominated by clubs from Brasil and Argentina over the last few years as there has not been a club from another country in the last 7 straight Copa Libertadores Finals, and 9 of the 14 teams that have appeared in those finals have been from Brasil as well. Brasil is still the strongest league in all of South America with plenty of talented teams this year and it is very likely that the winner of this competition will come from the Brasileirao as they have in the last 5 straight Copa Libertadores Finals. Flamengo is still the best team in this competition and will be focused on winning trophies this year after falling short the last few seasons. Flamengo at +350 has value here as they are the most likely team to win the tournament this season, but Botafogo at +900 is also a very good dark horse as they have a great defense and will be a threat deep in the tournament. 

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Around The Horn

by AAA Sports

Sunday, Jul 28, 2024

Will the Philadelphia 76ers and their major roster remake finally have the chops to challenge the Boston Celtics and make a serious, deep run in the East next spring?Few teams promise so much and then deliver so little, but the arrival of a mandatory third star and the addition of serious rotation depth just might be the combination that finally turns the tide.This past season another injury to former MVP Joel Embiid buried Philadelphia into the Play-In which led to a first-round grinder of a first-round 6-game series loss to the Knicks, but that’s now officially yesterday’s news to a team that pilfered Paul George from the sleeping LA Clippers in the off-season. Assuming a somewhat healthy Embiid and a still-improving Tyrese Maxey, a Philly with George enables the Sixers to officially join an Eastern Conference Big Four along with Boston, New York and Milwaukee.Boston remains the No. 1 choice of oddsmakers at +310 to win the title, but Philly (+800) and the Knicks (+900) are neck-and-neck, with those numbers reversed in some books.Besides George, the 76ers have recast their bench with the addition of a handful of 30-something veterans – Caleb Martin. Kyle Lowry, Andre Drummond, Reggie Jackson and Eric Gordon. But in the end it will come down to how quickly Embiid, George and Maxey can play together, and whether Embiid is healthy next April, May and (cross your fingers) June.Lucky lottery winnerIt’s not quite the same as winning hundreds of millions on Power Ball, but a Maryland woman was still able to cash $576,900 on a bizarre play. The retired teacher bought 25 tickets with the same 5-digit combination – and hit on it.  There were 26 winning tickets, overall (another person also won), so each ticket paid $23,076. The odds of hitting that were about 1 in 500,000, but the payoff was capped at 600,000, which limited the winnings (and also made her strategy of buying multiple tickets foolhardy).Chiefs support sports betting initiativeIt wasn’t all that long ago that pro sports teams were actually spending money on lobbyists to prevent the legalization of sports betting. Now leagues and teams see money to be made from wagering and want as big a piece of the pie as possible. Thus, it was hardly a surprise recently when the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs threw their support behind a movement to add a question on the November ballot that would legalize sports wagering in Missouri. Backers of the initiative seem to have more than enough signatures to get on the ballot, but as with other grass roots referenda, nothing is guaranteed when  it comes to state governments. The Cardinals, Blues and Royals also back the move. Sports betting has not yet been approved in 12 states, including Missouri.Caitlin Clark effect on gamblingAdd a dramatic increase in sports betting to Caitlin Clark’s WNBA impact. The amount of wagering on WNBA games and props (many, obviously, involving Clark) has increased three-fold over 2023. BetMGM reported that Clark hadfive times as many prop bets as any other WNBA player. Clark remains a heavy (-1200) favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award, although her rival Angel Reese (+650) has closed the gap a bit.Harris making a moveSpeaking of a tightening race, The PredictIt betting site has been turned on its head with the departure of Joe Biden and the arrival of Kamala Harris as Donald Trump’s opponent. The site is constantly changing, but Trump held a dominating lead in the wake of Biden disastrous debate performance, but with Harris in the race and Democrats energized, the numbers are nearly even – reflecting the results of several national polls.Competitive eater passes awayThe bizarre world of competitive eating got attention when longtime hot dog-eating champ Joey Chestnut was banned from Nathan’s annual July 4 competition in an endorsement squabble. Another shoe dropped in mid-July when a competitive eater died while eating during a live podcast. An autopsy on the 24-year-old Chinese woman showed that her stomach was “deformed” and filled with undigested food. Competitive eating is most popular in the United States, Canada and Japan. China has placed some regulations on the activity.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 07/28/2024

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Jul 28, 2024

The Sunday sports card features MLB and CFL action.Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The Cincinnati Reds travel to Tampa Bay to play the Rays on the Roku Channel at 11:35 a.m. ET. Hunter Greene takes the mound for the Reds to face a starting pitcher for the Rays yet to be named. Cincinnati is a -130 money-line road favorite with the total set at 7.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Two more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 1:35 p.m. ET. Philadelphia hosts Cleveland with the Phillies tapping Kolby Allard to pitch against the Guardians’ Xzavion Curry. The Phillies are a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Baltimore plays at home against San Diego with Albert Suarez taking the hill for the Orioles to go against Randy Vasquez for the Padres. The Orioles are a -148 money-line favorite with a total of 9.5. The Texas Rangers play in Toronto against the Blue Jays at 1:37 p.m. ET. The Rangers send out Jon Gray to battle against the Blue Jays Jose Berrios. Texas is a -112 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two more MLB games start at 1:40 p.m. ET. Minnesota is in Detroit with Bailey Ober getting the assignment for the Twins to face a starting pitcher yet to be determined. The Twins are a -185 money-line road favorite at BetMGM with a total of 8. New York is at home against Atlanta with the Mets turning to David Peterson to battle against the Braves Reynaldo Lopez. The Mets are a -112 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.Four MLB games begin at 2:10 p.m. ET. Seattle visits Chicago with the Mariners sending out Bryce Miller to duel against the White Sox’s Garrett Crochet. The Mariners are a -112 money-line road favorite with a total of 7.Milwaukee hosts Miami with Tobias Myers getting the ball for the Brewers to face Kyle Tyler for the Marlins. The Brewers are a -205 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Kansas City plays at home against Chicago with the Royals turning to Cole Ragans to face the Cubs’ Javier Assad. The Royals are a -175 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Houston is at home against Los Angeles with Spencer Arrighetti taking the ball for the Astros to duel against River Ryan for the Dodgers. The Astros are a -122 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. The St. Louis Cardinals host the Washington Nationals at 2:15 p.m. ET. The Cardinals tap Miles Mikolas to go against the Nationals’ D.J. Herz. St.Louis is a -155 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The San Francisco Giants play at home against the Colorado Rockies at 4:05 p.m. ET. Jordan Hicks gets the ball for the Giants to duel against Austin Gomber for the Rockies. San Francisco is a -198 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Los Angeles Angels are at home against the Oakland A’s at 4:07 p.m. ET. The Angels turn to Jose Soriano to battle against a starting pitcher yet to be determined. Los Angeles is a -125 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Pittsburgh Pirates play at Arizona against the Diamondbacks at 4:10 p.m. ET. Mitch Keller takes the hill for the Pirates to face a Diamondbacks’ starting pitcher yet to be named. Pittsburgh is a -120 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5.Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN features the Boston Red Sox hosting the New York Yankees at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Red Sox tap Tanner Houck to battle against the Yankees’ Carlos Rodon. Boston is a -112 money-line favorite with a total of 9.5.Week 8 in the Canadian Football League concludes with one game. The Edmonton Elks play at home against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on the CBS Sports Network at 7:00 p.m. ET. The Elks are a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 52.5.

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July Starting Pitching AL Overachievers

by Nelly's Sports

Saturday, Jul 27, 2024

July Starting Pitching AL Overachievers There are a few pitchers that stand out as overachievers in the month of July, posting impressive conventional numbers but with some concerns lurking deeper in the data. Here are four American League starters which you should be cautious with supporting moving forward after fortunate recent runs on the mound that are not likely sustainable.  Brady Singer – Kansas City Royals Brady Singer has been considered an elite talent for the Royals since being a 1st round pick in 2018. With Kansas City charging towards a playoff spot this season, Singer has put together his most complete campaign. His ERA is just 2.82 in 21 starts. His FIP is 3.81 however and the biggest difference in his numbers this season has been stranding over 83 percent of his baserunners compared to his career average of just over 72 percent. In what has been an outstanding month of July for Singer, he has stranded over 90 percent of his baserunners to produce a 1.88 ERA even with a 3.39 FIP and a 3.1 BB/9. Singer doesn’t have elite strikeout numbers and he has an extreme disparity between his home and road splits, as many Royals have this season with a great home record for Kansas City. After strong results in April and May, Singer fell back a bit in June and the deeper numbers suggest his July shouldn’t have been much different than his average results in June. Singer is likely to remain a slightly above average option for the Royals, but he may get overpriced, particularly in his home starts following the fortunate run he has been on in recent weeks.   Kutter Crawford – Boston Red Sox With a 6-8 record in just over 129 innings last season Kutter Crawford had a 4.04 ERA and a 3.83 FIP last season. In now 119 innings in 2024 Crawford has a 3.33 ERA but with a 4.24 FIP that is nearly a half-run higher than he had last season. His K/9 is lower this season while his BB/9 and HR/9 rates are higher, yet he has allowed fewer runs. Crawford has enjoyed an exceptionally charmed month of July with a 2.52 ERA but a 5.14 FIP as he has allowed six home runs in 25 innings but has kept the damage to a minimum allowing only seven earned runs with five solo shots and one two-run home run allowed. Crawford has just a 6.1 K/9 in July and he has not allowed a single baserunner to score in those 25 innings, a truly remarkable run that obviously won’t last much longer. Crawford has made three of those four starts in July on the road and his season splits are worse at home. Crawford may be worth looking to fade in upcoming Fenway Park outings as he isn’t pitching as well as his recent numbers imply.  Dean Kremer – Baltimore Orioles Going 0-7 in 13 starts for Baltimore in 2021 wasn’t a great sign for Dean Kremer’s future but he had a solid 2022 season as Baltimore started to turn the corner and then last season, he was a key piece of the rotation making 32 starts for the AL East victors. Kremer’s season 2024 season was derailed with an injury in late May, and he recently returned in July, providing four acceptable starts this month, posting three decent outings and one terrible outing for a 4.74 ERA. He lacks a quality start since his return and the Baltimore bullpen has not been as sharp as it was last season. Kremer has a 5.99 FIP since his return and he has walked 10 batters in 19 innings. Ultimately Kremer hasn’t looked like the same pitcher in 2024 as he did the past two seasons, and the Orioles should be considering what his role should be moving forward with the trade deadline nearing. With Baltimore’s great record, Kremer will still command favorite pricing in most matchups, but he has been a worse than average pitcher this season, particularly at home where he owns a 6.16 ERA. August has historically been Kremer’s best month in his career splits, but given his disjointed 2024 season, that isn’t likely to prove true this season.  Jose Soriano – Los Angeles Angels Left for dead with numerous injuries and a terrible stretch of results in April and May, the Angels have produced a winning record since June 1. The scoring numbers don’t sync with that record however, but the Angels have been competitive in division games and could prove to be a spoiler in the tight AL West race. Starting pitching has been an unexpected strength for the Angels and Jose Soriano has turned in a 3.51 ERA in 95 innings. His K/9 has fallen off a cliff compared to his numbers last season as a reliever, but he has been blessed with a .255 BABIP so far in his 2024 season. Soriano is an elite groundball producer with an over 59 percent rate this season, featuring a big jump from last season which has helped to keep his HR/9 very low in 2024. Soriano has not pitched particularly well in Anaheim however and nearly two thirds of his innings at this point in the season have been in road venues. In July Soriano has a 4.51 FIP despite a 3.57 ERA and his K/9 is below 6.8. His groundball rare has fallen and three of his four starts in July have been road starts, including games vs. Oakland and Chicago, plus a start in a favorable environment in Seattle. Soriano is still pitching for a bad team and while his 3.51 ERA looks nice, his weak strikeout potential and higher than average walk risk should make him unappealing to support in most pairings moving forward.   

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July Starting Pitching NL Overachievers

by Nelly's Sports

Saturday, Jul 27, 2024

July Starting Pitching NL Overachievers There are a few pitchers that stand out as overachievers in the month of July, posting impressive conventional numbers but with some concerns lurking deeper in the data. Here are four National League starters which you should be cautious with supporting moving forward after fortunate recent runs on the mound that are not likely sustainable.  Jose Quintana – New York Mets The Mets have been one of the hottest teams in baseball in July, moving into an NL wild card position while shockingly passing up the Braves in the NL East standings, at least for a moment. The bullpen for New York has turned things around and 35-year-old Jose Quintana has been an unexpected source of success in the rotation. Quintana posted only nine MLB wins from 2020 to 2023 as he bounced around the league after posting mostly average results with the Cubs in the late 2010s, with his best seasons in 2015 and 2016 with the White Sox. Quintana’s 2024 season line is relatively average with a 4.02 ERA and a 7.1 K/9 but since mid-June he owns a 1.98 ERA. Next to that ERA is a 4.75 FIP which looks more realistic as in his last 41 innings Quintana has a .192 BABIP and an insane 99.4% strand rate. Quintana has faced the Nationals, Cubs, and Rockies in four of those seven starts to face three of the worst teams in the NL, but his current pace is not sustainable. Incredibly he has those great numbers even with a marginal 3.5 BB/9 and a high 1.5 HR/9 as Quintana’s run of success is likely to be short-lived.  Mitch Keller – Pittsburgh Pirates Keller showed some potential through rough conventional numbers in 2021 and 2022 on a struggling Pirates team before his breakthrough All-Star season last year. Keller’s strong first half deteriorated into an average season overall in 2023 and the same thing could occur in 2024. Pittsburgh’s rotation is getting a lot of attention, but Keller is a pitcher that has overachieved going 10-5 with a 3.34 ERA. His FIP is a half-run higher than that at 3.84 while his K/9 has fallen considerably compared to last season. He has a lower BABIP and a lower HR/9 this season compared with last season but over his last six starts his ERA is 3.28 with a 4.46 FIP and his K/9 has fallen even further to just 7.6. He faced losing teams including the White Sox in three of his last six starts while four of those six starts were at home where his career ERA is nearly a run lower. The Pirates are currently just above .500 and are an exciting team on the rise but Keller doesn’t deserve the valuation of the higher ceiling starters in the rotation. With Jared Jones and Bailey Falter recently hitting the IL, pressure will grow on Keller while the bullpen supporting him will face more strain as the team faces several tough upcoming road series in late July and early August.  Matt Waldron – San Diego Padres The success of Matt Waldon has come out of nowhere as he was an 18th round pick back in 2019 and mostly has struggled in his minor league climb, including posting a 3-9 record with an 8.44 ERA in AAA in 2022 and a 2-10 record with a 7.31 ERA in AAA in 2023. Waldron has a 7.7 K/9 alongside his solid 3.64 ERA, and he has pitched better on the road as his success hasn’t been a product of pitching at Petco Park. There are some cracks appearing in recent starts for Waldron however with a 3.61 ERA in his last seven starts since late June next to a 4.58 FIP. His K/9 is just barely above 7.0 in that span, and he has allowed seven home runs in his last seven starts. While Waldron has provided solid innings as the Padres look to stay in a wild card position in the crowded NL race, the team might be wise to add another starting option to the rotation at the trade deadline.  Hunter Greene – Cincinnati Reds  While he went 5-13 as a 22-year-old rookie in 2022, Hunter Greene dazzled at times with a great upside. His K/9 was 11.8 in 2022 and 12.2 last season. This season it has dipped to a still impressive 10.2, but his elevated walk rate has remained. Greene had one of the NL’s higher HR/9 rates in 2022 and 2023, but somehow this season his HR/9 is below 0.8 this season, even with no change to his groundball rate. Greene has a 3.14 ERA but a much higher FIP and while he has put together perhaps the best month of his career in recent weeks, there should be concerns about his potential to maintain that pace. Greene has allowed just two home runs in his last six starts, posting a 2.05 ERA in 35 innings. It has been a favorable draw however with four of his six starts against the Pirates, Tigers, and Rockies. His BABIP in that span is just .237 and he is about to enter August, where his worst monthly career splits have been in his young career. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 07/27/2024

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Jul 27, 2024

The Saturday sports card features MLB and CFL action.Major League Baseball has 16 games on its schedule. The Toronto Blue Jays host the Texas Rangers at 3:07 p.m. ET. Kevin Gausman gets the ball for the Blue Jays to pitch against Michael Lorenzen for the Rangers. Toronto is a -142 money-line favorite with the total set at 8.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). The Baltimore Orioles play at home against the San Diego Padres at 4:05 p.m. ET. The Orioles tap Dean Kremer to face the Padres’ Michael King. Baltimore is a -115 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. Two more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 4:10 p.m. ET. Tampa Bay is at home against Cincinnati with Zack Littell taking the mound for the Rays to go against Andrew Abbott for the Reds. The Rays are a -122 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. New York hosts Atlanta with the Mets turning to Tylor Megill to battle against the Braves’ Spencer Schwellenbach. The Mets are a -118 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Philadelphia Phillies play at home against the Cleveland Guardians at 6:05 p.m. ET. Tyler Phillips takes the mound for the Phillies to challenge Carlos Carrasco for the Guardians. Philadelphia is a -162 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The Detroit Tigers are at home against the Minnesota Twins at 6:10 p.m. ET. The Tigers send out Tarik Skubal to face the Twins’ Joe Ryan. Detroit is a -122 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7. The San Francisco Giants host the Colorado Rockies in the opening game of their doubleheader at 7:05 p.m. ET. Blake Snell takes the ball for the Giants to pitch against Ryan Feltner for the Rockies. San Francisco is a -218 money-line favorite with a total of 8. Three more MLB games start at 7:10 p.m. ET. Kansas City plays at home against Chicago with the Royals giving the ball to Seth Lugo to duel against the Cubs’ Shota Imanaga. The Royals are a -122 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. Houston is at home against Los Angeles with Ronel Blanco taking the hill for the Astros to battle Justin Wrobleski for the Dodgers. The Astros are a -135 money-line favorite with a total of 9. Milwaukee hosts Miami with the Brewers sending out Aaron Civale to face the Marlins’ Max Meyer. The Brewers are a -160 money-line favorite at BetMGM with an over/under of 8. Three MLB games begin at 7:15 p.m. ET. St. Louis plays at home against Washington with Kyle Gibson getting the ball for the Cardinals to pitch against Jake Irvin for the Nationals. The Cardinals are a -135 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Two MLB games are featured on Fox’s regional coverage. Seattle travels to Chicago with the Mariners turning to Bryan Woo to challenge the White Sox’s Erick Fedde. The Mariners are a -148 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Boston is at home against New York with Kutter Crawford taking the mound for the Red Sox to battle Marcus Stroman for the Yankees. The Red Sox are a -108 money-line favorite with a total of 10. The Arizona Diamondbacks host the Pittsburgh Pirates at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Diamondbacks send out Brandon Pfaaadt to pitch against the Pirates’ Marco Gonzales. Arizona is a -165 money-line favorite at BetMGM with an over/under of 8. The Los Angeles Angels play at home against the Oakland A’s at 9:38 p.m. ET. Tyler Anderson takes the mound for the Angels to face Mitch Spence for the A’s. Los Angeles is a -122 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The Giants are at home against the Rockies in the second game of their doubleheader at 10:05 p.m. ET. San Francisco taps Hayden Birdsong to go against a Colorado starting pitcher yet to be determined. The Giants are a -218 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5.Week 8 in the Canadian Football League continues with one game. The Toronto Argonauts host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on the CBS Sports Network at 7:00 p.m. ET. The Argonauts are a 2-point favorite with a total of 48.5. 

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NFL Hall of Fame Game Preview: Texans vs. Bears

by Sean Murphy

Friday, Jul 26, 2024

The annual NFL preseason kickoff matchup in Canton, Ohio - otherwise known as the Hall of Fame Game - takes place in less than a week as the Houston Texans battle the Chicago Bears. Here's a quick look at what to expect in this year's preseason opener.Early prices have the Bears installed as 1.5-point favorites with the total set at 33 points.The Texans are brimming with optimism after making great strides in QB C.J. Stroud's first year under center. Of course, we won't see much from Stroud or the rest of Houston's projected regular season starters in this game. Last year, head coach DeMeco Ryans gave his number ones just a single series of action in their first preseason game and even that may be optimistic with this being an additional preseason instalment to the standard three games.Houston figures to have an advantage in terms of quarterback rotation with experienced passers in Davis Mills and Case Keenum likely to see plenty of snaps in this contest. With that said, given the rather vanilla gameplan that is likely to be employed, it's unlikely we'll see Mills or Keenum letting it fly too often in Canton. The Bears usher in a new era of sorts with Caleb Williams taking over at quarterback. While rookies generally get the bulk of the action in the preseason, that's unlikely to be the case with Williams serving as Chicago's number one guy right out of the gate. Behind Williams is the uninspiring trio of Tyson Bagent, Brett Rypien and Austin Reed. Bagent has shone in the preseason before so perhaps we'll see a little more creativity from the Bears offense in this contest as they look to instill some confidence heading into a critical campaign. In the backfield, the Bears do boast considerable depth. Even as you go down the depth chart you'll find guys that have been more than just bit players in Roschon Johnson and Travis Homer. If Chicago elects to impose its will on the ground as this game progresses, it is likely to find some success. Both of these teams have been successful in recent preseason campaigns but we don't have a lot to go on with briefly-tenured head coaches in Ryans and Eberflus. Last year, the Texans went 2-1 in exhibition play while the Bears settled for 1-2.Bears fans obviously travel well and with alumni Steve McMichael, Devin Hester and Julius Peppers all entering the Hall of Fame this year, there's even more reason for the stands to be packed with navy and orange on this night. Any sort of emotional boost can help in 'meaningless' August games such as this one.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 07/26/2024

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Jul 26, 2024

The Friday sports card features MLB and CFL action.Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 6:40 p.m. ET. Minnesota travels to Detroit with Pablo Lopez taking the mound for the Twins to pitch against Keider Montero for the Tigers. The Twins are a -170 money-line road favorite with the total set at 8 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Philadelphia hosts Cleveland with the Phillies tapping Cristopher Sanchez to face the Guardians’ Ben Lively. The Phillies are a -175 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Tampa Bay Rays play at home against the Cincinnati Reds at 6:50 p.m. ET. Shane Baz gets the ball for the Rays to go against Nick Lodolo for the Reds. Tampa Bay is a -115 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. The Baltimore Orioles are at home against the San Diego Padres at 7:05 p.m. ET. The Orioles send out Grayson Rodriguez to battle against the Padres’ Adam Mazur. Baltimore is a -225 money-line favorite at BetMGM with an over/under of 9. The Toronto Blue Jays host the Texas Rangers at 7:07 p.m. ET. Yusei Kikuchi takes the mound for the Blue Jays to challenge Andrew Heaney for the Rangers. Toronto is a -130 money-line favorite with a total of 8. Two more MLB games start at 7:10 p.m. ET. New York plays at home against Atlanta with the Mets turning to Kodai Senga coming off the injured list to make his first start of the season to face the Braves' Charlie Morton. The Mets are a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. New York plays in Boston with Nestor Cortes, Jr. getting the start for the Yankees to go against Bryan Bello for the Red Sox. The Yankees are a -130 money-line road favorite with a total of 9.5. Four MLB games begin at 8:10 p.m. ET. Kansas City is at home against Chicago with the Royals turning to Brady Singer to duel against the Cubs’ Kyle Hendricks. The Royals are a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. Houston hosts Los Angeles with Framber Valdez on the hill for the Astros to face Gavin Stone for the Dodgers. The Astros are a -122 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Seattle is in Chicago with the Mariners sending out George Kirby to battle against the White Sox’s Drew Thorpe. The Mariners are a -155 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Milwaukee plays at home against Miami with Freddy Peralta getting the ball to pitch for the Brewers to pitch against Trevor Rogers for the Marlins. The Brewers are a -230 money-line favorite with a total of 8. The St. Louis Cardinals are at home against the Washington Nationals at 8:15 p.m. ET. The Cardinals tap Sonny Gray to duel against the Nationals’ MacKenzie Gore. St. Louis is a -166 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.The Los Angeles Angels host the Oakland A’s at 9:38 p.m. ET. Carson Fulmer takes the mound for the Angels to face a starting pitcher yet to be determined for the A’s. The Arizona Diamondbacks play the Pittsburgh Pirates at 9:40 p.m. ET. The Diamondbacks have yet to name their starting pitcher to go against the Pirates’ Luis L. Ortiz. Arizona is a -160 money-line favorite at BetOnline with a total of 8. The San Francisco Giants are at home against the Colorado Rockies at 10:15 p.m. ET. Kyle Harrison gets the ball for the Giants to challenge Kyle Freeland for the Rockies. San Francisco is a -185 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.Week 8 in the Canadian Football League continues with one game. The Ottawa Redblacks host the Calgary Stampeders at 7:30 p.m. ET. This game is a pick ‘em with a total of 51.

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8 SEC Football Betting Tidbits

by Kyle Hunter

Friday, Jul 26, 2024

College football is less than one month away! It will be here before you know it. I’ve been doing deep dives into the teams one by one. I’ve recently looked closely at the SEC. It’s a major conference that gets a lot of coverage. Let’s take a look at 8 under the radar tidbits to help you bet the SEC in the season ahead.8 SEC Tidbits- Early Season Betting LSU- Brian Kelly has been fantastic in the underdog role. How good? Kelly is 40-23-2 ATS in his last 65 games as an underdog. The Tigers have some tough spots in their schedule and will be an underdog some this year. Texas- Their first year in the SEC is crucial for the Longhorns. If they can fix their red zone woes this offense could be special. They were bottom ten in the nation in red zone efficiency on offense. Was it play calling or was it the players not coming through in key moments?  Georgia- The Georgia Bulldogs have an absolutely amazing looking depth chart in the trenches. They have highly touted players three and four deep on both the offensive and defensive line. This is the reason I have them as the favorite for the national title this year. Georgia can suffer injuries in these spots and experience very little drop off.  Tennessee- A defense that has a major strength and a major weakness. The Volunteers defensive line is excellent, and I find it to be underrated. They can dominant the weaker offensive lines that they go up against. On the other hand, the Volunteers secondary is a weakness. They brought in MTSU and Temple starters to help try to shore things up, but I’m not sure they are enough for the SEC. South Carolina- A couple key points here. First, The Gamecocks will likely run the football a lot this year with Sellers or Ashford at quarterback and Sanders and company at running back. The special teams will still be good, but I don’t think they will be quite as great now that Pete Lembo(special teams guru) left.  Mississippi State- Jeff Lebby is the new coach, and he wants his teams to play ultra fast. The Bulldogs are playing at a major talent disadvantage though. They are learning a new offense and the wide receivers just aren’t up to par for what he needs. Will they continue to play fast even when they are taking their lumps? Kentucky- The Kentucky Wildcats once again have an elite defensive line. Mark Stoops is doing this year in and year out. They allowed just 3.3 yards per carry and had 33 sacks last year. I think they could be even better this season. Florida- This could be the most difficult college football schedule I’ve ever seen. I continue to think that Billy Napier is getting a bit of a raw deal from some Gators fans. However, I have to wonder if this team gets off to a slow start whether they will be able to keep battling all the way or not. The first few games are huge for both Napier’s future and the Gators chances this season. 

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3 ACC Teams To Watch

by Kyle Hunter

Friday, Jul 26, 2024

ACC Football: 3 Teams To WatchCollege football is less than one month away! It will be here before you know it. I’ve been doing deep dives into the teams one by one. I’ve recently been in the ACC. I want to take a look at three ACC teams I’ve got my eye on in one way or another for the season ahead.  Georgia Tech- I really like Offensive Coordinator Buster Faulkner. Haynes King was fantastic in Faulkner’s system last year, and I see no reason to expect anything other than a very good season from King. This is a quarterback who wasn’t put in the right position to succeed at Texas A&M, but he was very highly touted and he showed why last year. I don’t think Georgia Tech’s offensive success last year was a fluke at all. Head Coach Brent Key knows offensive lines very well and the Yellow Jackets offensive line will be a major strength this year. They averaged 5.4 yards per carry last year and allowed only 15 sacks. Can the Georgia Tech defense improve? That is up in the air. I expect big numbers from the offense though. Virginia Tech- Kyron Drones should have been starting from the beginning of the year last year in Blacksburg. Drones really took off late last year as he learned the offense much better. The Hokies are much improved at wide receiver with Jennings and Gallo back from injury. The offensive line is the one question mark I have on offense. If they can gel, this could be a special offense. The Hokies is very strong in the secondary and solid on the defensive line as well. Virginia Tech’s special teams are so good that they will win a game or two solely because of that unit. The Hokies are a team I like as a futures play. The potential upside here is high. Duke- The Blue Devils lost so much in the offseason. They lost a top notch coach in Mike Elko. They lost a star quarterback in Riley Leonard. They lost their top running back in Jordan Waters. Manny Diaz has a lot to prove as a head coach. Murphy could be a good quarterback in the right system, but I’m not convinced this is the spot. Duke’s offensive line is going to be a major weakness. The Blue Devils lost their top five defensive linemen and are going to struggle in a big way to stop the run. Diaz should do a good job coaching up the secondary, so I see Duke as a matchup specific team. The Blue Devils should do far better against pass heavy teams than run heavy teams. 

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2024 Mountain West Conference Football Preview

by Matt Fargo

Thursday, Jul 25, 2024

2024 Mountain West Conference Preview Regular Season Win Totals and MWC Championship Odds (via DraftKings) Boise State: 9 Over -150 Under +120/-110 MWC WinnerFresno State: 8 Over +110 Under -140/+475 MWC WinnerUNLV: 7.5 Over +125 Under -160/+550 MWC WinnerColorado State: 6 Over -140 Under +110/+1,200 MWC WinnerAir Force: 6.5 Over -140 Under +110/+1,100 MWC WinnerWyoming: 6.5 Over +100 Under -130/+1,400 MWC WinnerSan Jose State: 5 Over +120 Under -150/+5,000 MWC WinnerUtah State: 5 Over -125 Under -105/+3,000 MWC WinnerHawaii: 5 Over -130 Under +100/+5,000 MWC WinnerSan Diego State: 5.5 Over +105 Under -135/+2,800 MWC WinnerNevada: 2.5 Over -120 Under -110/+30,000 MWC WinnerNew Mexico: 2 Over -120 Under -110/+35,000 MWC Winner Coaching Changes Boise St.: Andy Avalos Out ~ Spencer Danielson InNew Mexico: Danny Gonzalez Out ~ Bronco Mendenhall InSan Diego St.: Brady Hoke Out ~ Sean Lewis InSan Jose St.: Brent Brennen Out ~ Ken Niumatalolo InNevada: Ken Wilson Out ~ Jeff Choate InWyoming: Craig Bohl Out ~ Jay Sawvell InUtah St.: Blake Anderson Out ~ Nate Dreiling InFresno St.: Jeff Tedford Out ~ Tim Skipper In Boise St. Broncos 8-6 ~ 6-2 MWC ~ 6-5-1 ATS ~ 8-4-0 O/UReturning Starters ~ Offense 6/Defense 11 Following a 10-4 season in 2022, Boise St. was tabbed the favorite by many to repeat as regular season champions, the first season the MWC was without divisions and the Broncos finished in a tie with San Jose St. and UNLV and ended up rolling the Rebels in the MWC Championship Game before losing to UCLA 35-22 in the LA Bowl. The Broncos ended up 8-6 and went through a head coach firing which was an odd one as they were playing fine with a 5-5 record at the time with four of those losses by 13 combined points and the other against Washington. Boise St. went 3-1 with then interim head coach Spencer Danielson and he is in a great situation. Six starters are back on offense and while Boise St. has to replace Taylen Green, it should be in good hands with USC transfer Malachi Nelson who was a top 2 recruit in 2023. Running back Ashton Jeanty, who rushed for 1,347 yards and 14 touchdowns, returns as does most of the offensive line, while their top two wide receivers have to be replaced. The Broncos have 11 starters back on defense and even though they allowed 25.6 ppg last season, that experience is huge. Boise St. is at Oregon and hosts Washington St. and Oregon St. in the nonconference (they do not count in the MWC standings) while avoiding 3 of the other top six in the MWC. Fresno St. Bulldogs 9-4 ~ 4-4 MWC ~ 4-8-0 ATS ~ 7-4-1 O/UReturning Starters ~ Offense 8/Defense 5 Not counting the 2020 COVID season, Fresno St. has won nine or more games in five of the other six seasons, the only team in the MWC that can make that claim. Last season, the Bulldogs got off to a 5-0 start and got into the AP Top 25 but lost a tough game at Wyoming by five points but won their next three games after that. Fresno St. was unable to keep that going and make a run to the MWC Championship Game as it lost its final three regular season games before blowing out New Mexico St. 37-10 in the New Mexico Bowl. Head coach Jeff Tedford returned for a second stint in 2022, replacing Kalen DeBoer who went to Washington and he was responsible for four of those 9+ recent win seasons but he stepped down and Tim Skipper takes over. The Bulldogs have eight starters back on offense including quarterback Mikey Keane who was outstanding as a freshman and they also have their top three running backs returning. The offensive line is loaded and this offense will not miss a beat. The defense lost over half of their starters but are strong in the back seven and bring in No. 1 defensive end recruit Korey Forman from USC. They open at Michigan and close at UCLA which are the only true nonconference tests and in the MWC, they avoid Boise St. but are at UNLV and Air Force. UNLV Rebels 9-5 ~ 6-2 MWC ~ 10-2-0 ATS ~ 7-4-1 O/UReturning Starters ~ Offense 5/Defense 6 UNLV was one of the surprises of the conference last season as following a 35-7 loss at Michigan, the Rebels went on a 7-1 run before losing the regular season finale to San Jose St. It was good enough to get them to the MWC Conference Championship Game where they were blown out by Boise St. before losing to Kansas 49-36 in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. Still, it was a 9-5 season which were the most wins since 1984 where they had won eight games once and seven games twice so it was no surprise head Barry Odom signed a five-year contract extension in April after his first season here. The offense was supposed to explode under Bobby Petrino but he bolted for Texas A&M before coaching a game and offensive coordinator Brennan Marion did a fantastic job, averaging 34.4 ppg. The Rebels lose quarterback Jayden Maiava to USC but Holy Cross transfer Matthew Sluka can thrive in this system. Their offensive line is stacked and their top two receivers that combined for 2,089 yards are both back. UNLV was not as strong defensively but it as their best unit in seasons and there is talent at all levels and should be better under defensive mind Odom. They are at Kansas and a game at Houston could be tricky to open the season and while they face Boise St. and Fresno St., both are at home. Colorado St. Rams 5-7 ~ 3-5 MWC ~ 4-8-0 ATS ~ 6-6-0 O/UReturning Starters ~ Offense 7/Defense 7 Colorado St. put together five straight winning seasons from 2013-2017 but now they have a string of six straight losing campaigns culminating with its 5-7 record last year. The Rams had a chance to make it to a bowl game but lost its season finale as a favorite at Hawaii. Four of the seven losses were by one possession so there was progress last season following back-to-back 3-9 campaigns and they are looking for the breakthrough. Head coach Jay Norvell has this team going in the right direction entering his third season after proven success at Nevada where he got out at the right time. The offense nearly doubled its output, going from 13.2 ppg in 2022 to 26.1 ppg in 2023 thanks to the top passing game in the MWC that finished No. 9 in the country led by all MWC quarterback Braydon Fowler-Nicolosi. His top target Tory Horton returns and while they lose their leading rusher, there was not much there anyway. The offensive line returns four of five starters. The defense regressed from 2022 but the Rams are athletic and will show improvement. Three of their top four tacklers that combined for 296 tackles are back and the secondary is loaded. A trip to Texas opens the season and they host rival Colorado and while they avoid Boise St. and UNLV, they have Air Force and Fresno St. on the road. Air Force Falcons 9-4 ~ 5-3 MWC ~ 5-7-0 ATS ~ 6-6-0 O/UReturning Starters ~ Offense 3/Defense 4 Winning in Colorado Springs has become commonplace under head coach Troy Calhoun as Air Force has had only four losing seasons under his direction and last season looked like it could be something special. The Falcons rolled out to an 8-0 start but got blown out at home by 20 points against Army and they were never the same, losing their last four regular season games. They just fell short of their fourth straight non-COVID double-digit season but if everything goes right, they could start a new streak but that is a big if. The issue is inexperience as Air Force is the second least experienced team in the MWC and it brings back only six starters. Two of those are on offense and they happen to be receivers, the least needed position in this offense so it is a rebuild but the Falcons have had to replace five or fewer starters four times in the last six years and have been successful under offensive coordinator Mike Thiessen. They will find a way for a potent rushing attack. The defense will be fine in the secondary where three of their four returning starters reside and there is plenty of junior and senior experience up front. Nonconference games include Army and Navy as usual and a game at Baylor while in the MWC, they miss Boise St. and UNLV and get Fresno St. and Colorado St. at home. Wyoming Cowboys 9-4 ~ 5-3 MWC ~ 7-4-1 ATS ~ 5-5-2 O/UReturning Starters ~ Offense 6/Defense 7 Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl retired at the end of last season after 10 seasons with the Cowboys where he compiled a 61-60 record and took them to a bowl game in six of the last seven non-COVID seasons. He went out strong with a 9-4 record with those nine victories the most in his tenure and now Jay Sawvel takes over after serving as the defensive coordinator under Bohl for the last four seasons. This is a strong program with a toughness on both sides so the transition should be seamless especially with a schedule that is on their side. Wyoming was below average on offense as they averaged only 327 ypg but it had a decent power rushing attack and they will stick to that style with new offensive coordinator Jay Johnson who arrives from Michigan St. so he knows about the style. Harrison Waylee returns after rushing for 947 yards last season and will be running behind an offensive line with four returning starters. The wild card will be quarterback Even Svoboda who has a big arm and can run. Under Sawvel, the defense was never great but decently consistent, allowing between 21.0 and 23.9 ppg and they have seven starters back. The Cowboys go to Arizona St., Washington St. and host BYU and in the MWC, they get Boise St. and Air Force at home and avoid Fresno St. San Jose St. Spartans 7-6 ~ 6-2 MWC ~ 9-3-0 ATS ~ 8-4-0 O/UReturning Starters ~ Offense 3/Defense 4 It was a tale of two seasons for San Jose St. last year as it got off to a 1-5 start with the lone win coming against Cal Poly of the FCS but then the Spartans found their footing and closed the regular season 6-0 to finish 6-2 in the conference and a three-way tie for first place. They did not make the MWC Championship Game because of some unknown tiebreaker and while they went on to lose against Coastal Carolina 24-14 in the Hawaii Bowl, it was some unplanned success. They enter this season as the least experienced team in the conference and one of the least experienced teams in the country so it will take some overachieving and new head coach Ken Niumatalolo comes in with a chip on his shoulder. San Jose St. averaged 31.8 ppg last season, its most since 2013, and there will be a regression with only three starters back and they lose an all MWC quarterback and their top four rushers along with four offensive linemen. The defense is not much better off with only four starters back after finishing No. 2 in the conference in defense. The linebacking corps will be the strength and need to be disruptive to make up for a weak secondary. Washington St., Oregon. St. and Stanford make up the nonconference slate and while they face all the top teams in the MWC, three of those are at home. Utah St. Aggies 6-7 ~ 4-4 MWC ~ 6-6-0 ATS ~ 8-4-0 O/UReturning Starters ~ Offense 8/Defense 7 Utah St. ended last season on a 3-1 run, including a pair of double overtime wins, to become bowl eligible where it was ultimately blown out by Georgia St. 45-22 in the Idaho Potato Bowl but the Aggies had some positive momentum heading into 2024. Then came a late blow in July where the administration fired head coach Blake Anderson for cause after he had not complied with the reporting of sexual misconduct cases. Newly hired defensive coordinator Nate Dreiling will serve as interim head coach and not only does he has to take over the X and O aspects but he has to make sure his team is on board as this firing was not taken well by very many. 15 starters are back and the Aggies are the third most experienced team in the conference so on paper, they can be a sleeper contender as long as their heads are into it. They lost their quarterback but brought in Iowa transfer Spencer Petras who has a ton of experience. He will be throwing to the second best receiving corps and will be behind an experienced line. The defense could struggle as they lost three of their top four tacklers and need to stop the run where they allowed 213 ypg. They host Utah and are at USC and Washington St. while in the MWC, they avoid Fresno St. and Air Force and do have four conference home games. Hawaii Rainbow Warriors 5-8 ~ 3-5 MWC ~ 5-8-0 ATS ~ 6-7-0 O/UReturning Starters ~ Offense 8/Defense 7 Hawaii has made progress in the first two years under head coach Timmy Chang and the pieces are in place to get to a bowl game. The problem is that Hawaii plays two FCS teams so should they win those, they will need five other wins to get seven wins total to get to a bowl but it is more than possible. The Warriors have momentum coming into this year as they won three of their last four games and Chang took over the play calling late in the season. Whether he continues that is still unknown as he hired a new offensive coordinator in Dan Morrison who happened to coach Chang when he was the quarterback at Hawaii. The Warriors bring back eight starters on an offense that improved slightly from 2022 and has a chance to really explode this season. Quarterback Brayden Schager threw for 3,542 yards last season with 26 touchdowns but did toss 14 picks. He threw for 320 or more yards in half of his games but needs to be more consistent and he has his top six receivers back. Any resemblance of a running game will help. The defense improved as the season went on last year and still needs to get better with seven starters coming back. UCLA and Sam Houston are the other two nonconference games and in the MWC, they miss Air Force and get Boise St. and UNLV on the island. San Diego St. Aztecs 4-8 ~ 2-6 MWC ~ 7-5-0 ATS ~ 5-7-0 O/UReturning Starters ~ Offense 6/Defense 4 San Diego St. has been as consistent as they come as not counting the 2020 COVID season, the Aztecs had 12 consecutive winning seasons, including five double-digit winning campaigns, up until their 4-8 record last year. What made it worse was the fact they started out 2-0 but then the schedule caught up to them as they lost their next four games against teams that finished with eight or more wins and they could not recover. Head coach Brady Hoke retired after last season and Sean Lewis was hired after serving as the offensive coordinator at Colorado last season. He will shift the offense from a running style to a more Air Raid system as the Aztecs have not averaged 200 yards passing since 2019. Six starters are back on offense and San Diego St. has to break in a new quarterback which is not a bad thing with a new system and it will likely be Florida St. transfer A.J. Duffy. While they will be airing it out at a record speed, that sets up the running game and they brought in 1,000-yard rusher Marquez Cooper from Ball St., who also played under Lewis at Kent St. The defense will struggle namely because they will be on the field way too much. The schedule is not horrible as it is ranked No. 80 but there are too many roadblocks away from home to get enough wins but this is a team on the rise. Nevada Wolf Pack 2-10 ~ 2-6 MWC ~ 6-6-0 ATS ~ 6-6-0 O/UReturning Starters ~ Offense 6/Defense 6 Nevada football has never been a thing as it has had only one double-digit winning season in the 37-year history of the program and it has reached eight wins only four times since 2006. While the Wolf Pack have never been really good, they have never been really bad either, that is up until the last two seasons where they went 2-10, the worst two-season stretch ever. There is not much talent or depth so it will be another tough season but they should be better. The offense has nowhere to go but up as Nevada averaged 17.3 ppg on 300 ypg and those are the fewest points it has averaged since 2000 when it put up the exact same amount. Quarterback Brendon Lewis was bad and will be pushed by Nebraska transfer Chubba Purdy and whoever wins the job will be throwing to a brand new set of receivers as the top six are gone. They bring in former 1,000-yard rusher Patrick Garwo from Boston College and it all will work around a young offensive line. The defense was not the worst ever but it was still bad as the Wolf Pack were No. 125 overall and No. 118 in scoring. They will be better with Choate here but still not very good. Nevada plays 13 games and the nonconference schedule is tough while it has to play the top five teams in the MWC so it is going to be another long season. New Mexico Lobos 4-8 ~ 2-6 MWC ~ 6-6-0 ATS ~ 9-3-0 O/UReturning Starters ~ Offense 3/Defense 6 New Mexico has not had a winning season since 2016 and it will not break that streak this season but the Lobos did make a solid move with their head coach as they hired Bronco Mendenhall who had plenty of success at a similar type school in BYU. It has been so bad in Albuquerque that the four wins from last season were the most than the previous six seasons. New Mexico has been to four bowl games since 2006 and every one of those was at the New Mexico Bowl so their prize has been to not even be able leave home and Mendenhall will fix that eventually, just not now. Only three starters are back on offense which is not good considering they averaged 27.3 ppg, their most since 2016 and they more than doubled their output from 2022. Devon Dampier likely takes over at quarterback who is a duel threat and he gets two receivers and a tight end that are returning starters but that is it on offense. The Lobos lose a 1,229-yard running back and the entire offensive line. The defense was far from good enough to help the offense and with the offense taking a big step back, the defense does not have the talent to improve dramatically. They are at Arizona and at Auburn early and they miss Boise St. and UNLV in the MWC and have seven road games in total. Another rebuild.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 07/25/2024

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Jul 25, 2024

The Thursday sports card features MLB and CFL action.Major League Baseball has eight games on its schedule. The San Diego Padres travel to Washington to play the Nationals at 12:05 p.m. ET. The Padres won for the fourth straight time with their 12-3 victory on the road against the Nationals yesterday. Washington has lost two games in a row. Dylan Cease gets the ball for San Diego to pitch against Patrick Corbin for the Nationals. The Padres are a -180 money-line road favorite with the total set at 8.5 (all odds from DraftKings). The Baltimore Orioles play in Miami against the Marlins at 12:10 p.m. ET. The Orioles are on a three-game losing streak after their 6-3 loss on the road against the Marlins on Wednesday. Miami has won two games in a row. Baltimore taps Corbin Burnes to face the Marlins’ Roddery Munoz. The Orioles are a -258 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.The Cleveland Guardians host the Detroit Tigers at 1:10 p.m. ET. The Guardians have won two games in a row after their 2-1 victory at home against the Tigers yesterday. Detroit has lost three of their last four games. Gavin Williams takes the mound for Cleveland to go against a starting pitcher yet to be named for the Tigers.The Texas Rangers play at home against the Chicago White Sox at 2:35 p.m. ET. The Rangers are on a four-game winning streak after their 10-2 victory at home against the White Sox on Wednesday. Chicago has lost ten games in a row. Texas turns to Max Scherzer to battle against the White Sox’s Jonathan Cannon. The Rangers are a -258 money-line favorite with a total of 8.The Tampa Bay Rays are in Toronto to play the Blue Jays at 3:07 p.m. ET. The Rays have lost two of their last three games after losing on the road to the Blue Jays yesterday. Toronto has won two of their last three games. Taj Bradley takes the hill for Tampa Bay to challenge Chris Bassitt for the Blue Jays. Both teams are priced as a money-line favorite at -110 with an over/under of 7.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers are at home against the San Francisco Giants at 4:10 p.m. ET. The Dodgers had their five-game winning streak end in an 8-3 loss at home to the Giants. San Francisco was on a two-game losing streak before the victory. The Dodgers send out Clayton Kershaw to pitch against the Giants’ Logan Webb. Los Angeles is a -142 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5.The Atlanta Braves are in New York to play the Mets at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Braves have lost two games in a row after a 9-4 loss at home to Cincinnati on Wednesday afternoon. The Mets are on a three-game winning streak after their 12-3 victory across town against the Yankees yesterday. Chris Sale gets the ball for Atlanta to pitch against Luis Severino for the Mets. The Braves are a -130 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5.The Los Angeles Angels host the Oakland A’s at 9:38 p.m. ET. The Angels are on a four-game winning streak after their 2-1 victory at Seattle last night. The A’s were on a two-game winning before an 8-1 loss at home to Oakland on Wednesday. The Angels turn to Kenny Rosenberg to duel against the A’s Ross Stripling. Los Angeles is a -115 money-line favorite with a total of 9. Week 8 in the Canadian Football League kicks off with one game. The Montreal Alouettes play at home against the Saskatchewan Roughriders at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Alouettes had won their first five games this season before a 37-18 upset loss at home against Toronto as a touchdown favorite back on July 11th. The Roughriders have won five of their first six games this season after a 19-9 upset victory at home against Winnipeg as a 5-point underdog last Friday. Montreal is a 4-point favorite with an over/under of 48.

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