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.

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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

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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.

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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+.

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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+.

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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.

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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.

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NFL Observations from Sunday

by Vegas Writer

Monday, Sep 16, 2024

With one game left to play - the Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles - here are some NFL observations from Week 2:Eleven of Sunday's games were decided by one score (eight points or less), four if which featured a game-winning score in the final minute of regulation or in overtime.Through the first two weeks of the season, we've seen 20 games decided by eight points or fewer this season. Only three previous seasons – 2013 (23 games), 2016 (22) and 2018 (21) – have had more such games in the same span.Four teams – the Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks – have begun the season 2-0 after missing the playoffs last season. It's the first time since 2021 that at least four teams started 2-0 the season after missing the postseason.In the New Orleans Saints 44-19 thrashing of the Dallas Cowboys, running back Alvin Kamara totaled 180 scrimmage yards (115 rushing, 65 receiving) and four touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving) in the win.The Saints' 91 points this season is the most points by a team in its first two games of a season in 15 years, and tied with the 1971 Dallas Cowboys (91 points) for the fourth-most points in a team’s first two games of a season in NFL history. New Orleans, which scored 48 points in Week 18 last season, is the third team since 1970 to score at least 44 points in three consecutive games.The Saints, who had 35 points in the first half this week after having 30 points in the first half in Week 1, joined the 2001 Indianapolis Colts and 1968 Oakland Raiders as the only teams in NFL history with at least 30 points in the first half of each of their first two games of a season.Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 18 of 25 pass attempts (72%) with two touchdown passes in the Chiefs’ 26-25 win over Cincinnati. Mahomes has 222 touchdown passes in 98 career starts, tied with Aaron Rodgers (222 touchdown passes) for the most by a player in his first 100 career starts in NFL history. Mahomes has 2,424 completions in 98 career starts and surpassed Matthew Stafford (2,410 completions) for the most completions by a player in his first 100 career starts in NFL history.Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray completed 17 of 21 pass attempts (81%) for 266 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions for a 158.3 passer rating - the highest attainable mark - while adding 59 rushing yards in the Cardinals’ 41-10 win over the Los Angeles Rams. Murray became the second player in league history with at least 250 passing yards, 50 rushing yards and a 158.3 passer rating in a game.Minnesota wide receiver Justin Jefferson had 133 receiving yards, including a 97-yard touchdown reception, in the Vikings’ 23-17 win over San Francisco, and now has 30 career games with at least 100 receiving yards, tied for most such games by a player in his first five seasons in NFL history. He also has 20 career games with at least 125 receiving yards, tied for the most such games by a player in his first five seasons in NFL history.The Las Vegas Raiders overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Baltimore, 26-23 as rookie tight end Brock Bowers had nine receptions for 98 yards. Bowers, who had six catches for 58 yards in his NFL debut last week, is the first tight end in NFL history with at least five receptions and 50 receiving yards in each of his first two career games.Washington rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels registered 270 total yards (226 passing, 44 rushing) in the Commanders’ 21-18 win over the New York Giants.Daniels now has 132 rushing yards this season, surpassing Robert Griffin III (124 rushing yards) for the most rushing yards by a quarterback in his first two career games in the Super Bowl era.New York Giants rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers recorded 10 receptions for 127 yards and one touchdown in Week 2. Nabers is the youngest player in NFL history with at least 10 receptions, 100 receiving yards and a touchdown catch in a game.New York Jets rookie running back Braelon Allen recorded a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown in the team’s 24-17 win at Tennessee. He is the youngest player in the Super Bowl era and the second-youngest player since 1933 to score a touchdown. Allen is the youngest player since 1933 with a rushing touchdown and receiving touchdown in the same game.Detroit defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson recorded a career-high 4.5 sacks and a forced fumble in Week 2 to become the fourth player since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, to record a game with three or more sacks in each of his first three career seasons.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL and MLB Previews and Odds - 09/16/2024

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Sep 16, 2024

The Monday sports card features NFL and  MLB action. Week 2 in the NFL concludes with one game. The Philadelphia Eagles host the Atlanta Falcons on ESPN and the ESPN2 Manningcast at 8:15 p.m. ET. The Eagles won their opening game of the season with a 34-29 victory against Green Bay in Brazil as a 1-point favorite. The Falcons come off an 18-10 upset loss at home against Pittsburgh last  Sunday. Philadelphia is a 5.5-point favorite with the total set at 46 (all odd from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Major League Baseball has 10 games on its schedule. The Minnesota Twins travel to Cleveland to play the Guardians at 6:40 p.m. ET. The Twins tap Pablo Lopez to pitch against the Guardians’ Matthew Boyd. Both teams are priced as a -110 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The The New York Mets play at home against the Washington Nationals at 7:10 p.m. ET. Sean Manaea gets the ball for the Mets to face Jake Irvin for the Nationals. New York is a -185 money-line favorite at BetMGM with a total of 7.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers play in Atlanta against the Braves at 7:20 p.m. ET. The Dodgers turn to Yoshinobu Yamamoto to go against the Braves’ Max Fried. Los Angeles is a -112 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Three MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:40 p.m. ET. Philadelphia are in Milwaukee with Ranger Suarez of the Phillies challenging Aaron Civale for the Brewers. The Phillies are a -120 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. Chicago is at home against Oakland with the Cubs sending out Shota Imanaga to battle against the A’s J.P. Sears. The Cubs are a -198 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. Kansas City hosts Detroit with Seth Lugo taking the ball for the Royals to duel against a starting pitcher for the Tigers yet to be named. The Pittsburgh Pirates visit St. Louis to play the Cardinals at 7:45 p.m. ET. The Pirates turn to Paul Skenes to pitch against the Cardinals’ Andre Pallante. Pittsburgh is a -142 money-line road favorite with a total of 7. The Arizona Diamondbacks play in Colorado against the Rockies at 8:40 p.m. ET. Merrill Kelly takes the ball for the Diamondbacks to face Antonio Senzatela for the Rockies. Arizona is a -170 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 11. The Los Angeles Angels plays at home against the Chicago White Sox at 9:38 p.m. ET. The Angels tap Reid Detmers to challenge the White Sox’s Jonathan Cannon. Los Angeles is a -185 money-line favorite with a total of 8. The San Diego Padres are at home against the Houston Astros at 9:40 p.m. ET. Yu Darvish takes the mound for the Padres to battle Spencer Arrighetti for the Astros. San Diego is a -135 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL and MLB Previews and Odds - 09/15/2024

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Sep 15, 2024

The Sunday sports card features NFL and MLB action. Week 2 in the NFL continues with 14 games. Ten NFL games kick off at 1:00 p.m. ET. The Detroit Lions host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a 7.5-point favorite with the total set at 51 (all odds from DraftKings). The New York Jets travel to Tennessee to play the Titans as a 4-point road favorite with an over/under of 41. The Seattle Seahawks play in New England against the Patriots as a 3-point road favorite with a total of 38. The Jacksonville Jaguars play at home against the Cleveland Browns as a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 41.5. The San Francisco 49ers are in Minnesota to play the Vikings as a 4.5-point road favorite with a total of 46. The Indianapolis Colts visit Green Bay to play the Packers as a 2.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 40.5. The Los Angeles Chargers play in Carolina against the Panthers as a 5-point road favorite with a total of 39. The Washington Commanders are at home against the New York Giants as a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under of 43.5. The Baltimore Ravens host the Las Vegas Raiders as an 8-point favorite with a total of 41. The Dallas Cowboys play at home against the New Orleans Saints as a 6-point favorite with an over/under of 47. Three NFL games start during the second window of afternoon games. The Arizona Cardinals are at home against the Los Angeles Rams at 4:05 p.m. ET as a 1-point favorite with a total of 48. Two NFL games begin at 4:25 p.m. ET. The Pittsburgh Steelers are in Denver to play the Broncos as a 2.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 36.5. The Kansas City Chiefs host the Cincinnati Bengals as a 6-point favorite with a total of 48. The Houston Texans play at home against the Chicago Bears on NBC at 8:20 PM ET for Sunday Night Football. The Texans are a 6.5-point favorite with a total of 45.5. Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The Baltimore Orioles visit Detroit to play the Tigers at 12:10 p.m. ET as a -115 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Minnesota Twins are at home against the Cincinnati Reds on Roku at 1:05 p.m. ET as a -162 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Four MLB games throw out the first pitch at 1:35 p.m. ET. The New York Yankees host the Boston Red Sox as a -175 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Philadelphia Phillies play at home against the New York Mets as a -148 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Pittsburgh Pirates are at home against the Kansas City Royals as a -112 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Washington Nationals host the Miami Marlins as a -185 money-line favorite with a total of 8. The Toronto Blue Jays play at home against the St. Louis Cardinals at 1:37 p.m. ET as a -125 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Cleveland Guardians are at home against the Tampa Bay Rays at 1:40 p.m. ET as a -135 money-line favorite with a total of 8. The Oakland A’s play in Chicago against the White Sox at 2:10 p.m. ET as a -192 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8. The Chicago Cubs are in Colorado to play the Rockies at 3:10 p.m. ET as a -130 money-line road favorite with a total of 11.5. The San Diego Padres travel to San Francisco to play the Giants at 4:05 p.m. ET as a -118 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Houston Astros play in Los Angeles against the Angels at 4:07 p.m. ET as a -205 money-line road favorite with a total of 9. Two more MLB games start at 4:10 p.m. ET. The Arizona Diamondbacks are in Milwaukee to play the Brewers as a -155 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Seattle Mariners host the Texas Rangers as a -155 money-line favorite with a total of 7. Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN features the Los Angeles Dodgers battling the Atlanta Braves at 7:10 p.m. ET. Both teams are priced as a -110 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, MLB, CFL and EPL Previews and Odds - 09/14/2024

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Sep 14, 2024

The Saturday sports card features NCAAF, MLB, CFL, and EPL action.Week 3 in NCAAF college football continues with 49 games between FBS opponents. Nine of these NCAAF games kick off at noon ET, with three games on major national television. Alabama travels to play Wisconsin on Fox as a 16-point road favorite with the total set at 49 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Florida State hosts Memphis on ESPN as a 6.5-point favorite with an over/under of 54. LSU plays at South Carolina on ABC as a 6-point road favorite with a total of 48. Seventeen NCAAF games between FBS opponents start in the 3:30 pm ET to 6:30 pm ET window, with three games on major national television. Oklahoma plays at home against Tulane on ESPN as a 13-point favorite with a total of 46.5. Notre Dame is at Purdue on CBS as a 7.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 47. Oregon visits Oregon State on Fox as a 17-point road favorite with a total of 49.5. Twenty NCAAF games between FBS opponents begin at 7:00 p.m. ET or later to complete the Saturday football card. Texas is at home against UTSA on ESPN as a 35-point favorite with an over/under of 55.5. Four more NCAAF games on major national television begin at 7:30 p.m. ET. TCU hosts Central Florida on Fox as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 62.5. Colorado plays at Colorado State on CBS as a 7.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 58.5. Georgia is at Kentucky on ABC as a 22-point road favorite with a total of 45. Indiana travels to UCLA on NBC as a 3.5-point road favorite with a total of 47. California plays at home against San Diego State on ESPN at 10:30 p.m. ET as a 17.5-point favorite with an over/under of 48.Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 1:05 p.m. ET. The Kansas City Royals play in Pittsburgh against the Pirates with both teams priced at -110 with a total of 8. The New York Yankees are at home against the Boston Red Sox as a -185 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Toronto Blue Jays host the St. Louis Cardinals at 3:07 p.m. ET as a -135 money-line favorite with a total of 8. Two MLB games start at 4:05 p.m. ET. The New York Mets are in Philadelphia against the Phillies as a -112 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9. The Washington Nationals play at home against the Miami Marlins as a -148 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Two more MLB games begin at 6:10 p.m. ET. The Baltimore Orioles visit Detroit to play the Tigers. The Cleveland Guardians are at home against the Tampa Bay Rays as a -130 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two MLB games start at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Minnesota Twins host the Cincinnati Reds as a -155 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Oakland A’s play in Chicago against the White Sox as a -166 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Atlanta Braves play at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers at 7:20 p.m. ET as a -125 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. Two MLB games begin at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Chicago Cubs are in Colorado to play the Rockies as a -155 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 11. The Arizona Diamondbacks are at home against the Milwaukee Brewers as a -135 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The San Diego Padres travel to San Francisco to play the Giants at 9:05 p.m. ET as a -155 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Houston Astros play in Los Angeles against the Angels at 9:38 p.m. ET as a -180 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The Seattle Mariners host the Texas Rangers at 9:40 p.m. ET as a -135 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5.Week 15 in the Canadian Football League concludes with two games. The Ottawa Redblacks are in Hamilton to play the Tiger-Cats at 3:00 p.m. ET as a 3.5-point road favorite with a total of 51. The Montreal Alouettes visit Calgary to play the Stampeders at 7:00 p.m. ET as a 6-point road favorite with an over/under of 50.5. Matchweek 4 in the English Premier League begins with eight matches.  Manchester United plays in Southampton on the USA Network at 7:30 a.m. ET as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 3 (all soccer odds from BetMGM). Six more EPL matches start at 10:00 a.m. ET. Brighton and Hove Albion play at home against Ipswich as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3. Crystal Palace is at home against Leicester City on the USA Network as a -1 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. West Ham United is at Fulham in a pick ‘em match with a total of 2.5. Liverpool hosts Nottingham Forest as a -2 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Manchester City plays at home against Brentford as a -2 goal-line favorite with a total of 3.5. Aston Villa is at home against Everton on NBC at 12:30 p.m. ET as a -1 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3. Chelsea visits Bournemouth at 3:00 p.m. ET as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 3.5.

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Late Regular Season MLB Betting: 4 Tips For Betting Late in the Year

by Kyle Hunter

Friday, Sep 13, 2024

It is getting very late in the MLB regular season. This is a really long grind. No other major sport has this long of a regular season. It can make betting on baseball very unique. The end of the regular season is just a little more than two weeks away. Let’s take a look at four tips for betting on MLB late in the regular season. Be Selective- This isn’t the time of the season to just spray the board and go all in. There are tons of new players on the field who we don’t really have a good feel for yet. Starting pitchers pitching in their first or second game in the majors can be very volatile. I try to stay away from those games. Sometimes the best bet is to pass on a game. Saving yourself from taking a loser is well worth it.  Handicap Motivation (Understand Others Do Too Though) Yes you should handicap motivation late in the regular season. It would be crazy not to at least consider whether the team you are looking to bet on truly cares or not. Importantly though, this cannot be the only thing you consider. Price is extremely important and the prices can get absolutely out of control this time of the year. Do you really want to lay -450 in MLB? I can’t do it! Especially in the final weekend of the season, this gets to be too crowded of a wagering strategy. Handicap Weather- As we get very late into the season, the weather can be changing a lot in some parts of the country. You’ll see some places where the heat and humidity continue late into September. You’ll also be seeing some places where cooler weather is prevailing and winds are blowing in and making it very tough to hit the ball out of the ballpark. Totals betting late in the regular season requires a lot of weather handicapping.  Look For Hot Underdogs- Baseball is a streaky sport. Every single year there are a couple teams who get hot late in the season who aren’t very good. They don’t even have anything to play for as a team, but there are plenty of young guys with talent looking to prove a point. You can catch some teams like this at good plus money prices in the last week or two of the season. If you see a high ceiling on those players and that specific team, these are chances worth taking. End of the regular season betting is much different than the rest of the season. Pick your spots carefully! 

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