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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 07/30/2025

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025

The Wednesday sports card features action. Major League Baseball has 15 games scheduled. The Baltimore Orioles host the Toronto Blue Jays at 12:35 p.m. ET. The Orioles send out Dean Kremer to pitch against the Blue Jays’ Jose Berrios. Baltimore is a -111 money-line favorite with the total set at 10. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 1:10 p.m. ET. Detroit plays at home against Arizona with the recently acquired Chris Paddock taking the mound for the Tigers to face Ryne Nelson for the Diamondbacks. The Tigers are a -137 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Minnesota is at home against Boston, with the Twins turning to Zebby Matthews to face the Red Sox’s Brayan Bello.Four MLB games start at 2:10 p.m. ET. Washington travels to Houston with MacKenzie Gore taking the hill for the Nationals to challenge Ryan Gusto for the Astros. Philadelphia plays in Chicago with Taijuan Walker getting tapped by the Phillies to go against Adrian Houser for the White Sox. The Phillies are a -148 money-line road favorite with a total of 9. Kansas City is home against Atlanta, with the Royals giving the ball to Angel Zerpa to battle against the Braves’ Joey Wentz. Milwaukee hosts Chicago with Freddy Peralta getting the starting assignment for the Brewers to face Shota Imanaga for the Cubs. The Brewers are a -123 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The San Francisco Giants play at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 3:45 p.m. ET. The Giants turn to Logan Webb to pitch against the Pirates’ Mike Burrows. San Francisco is a -207 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. The New York Mets are in San Diego to play the Padres at 4:10 p.m. ET. Clay Holmes takes the mound for the Mets to take on Yu Darvish for the Padres. New York is a -121 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Cleveland Guardians are home against the Colorado Rockies at 6:40 p.m. ET. The Guardians send out Kolby Allard to battle the Rockies’ Kyle Freeland. Cleveland is a -200 money-line favorite with a total of 8.The New York Yankees host the Tampa Bay Rays at 7:05 p.m. ET. Will Warren gets the ball for the Yankees to go against Zack Littell for the Rays. New York is a -143 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Los Angeles Dodgers visit Cincinnati to face the Reds at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Dodgers turn to Shohei Ohtani to challenge the Reds’ Nick Martinez. Los Angeles is a -180 money-line road favorite with a total of 9.5. The St. Louis Cardinals play at home against the Miami Marlins at 7:45 p.m. ET. Miles Mikolas takes the hill for the Cardinals to take on Cal Quantrill for the Marlins. St. Louis is a -149 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Texas Rangers play in Los Angeles against the Angels at 9:38 p.m. ET. The Rangers tap Nathan Eovaldi to face the Angels’ Jose Soriano. Texas is a -132 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5.The Seattle Mariners are on the road against the Athletics at 10:05 p.m. ET. Bryan Woo gets the ball for the Mariners to pitch against Jeffrey Springs for the Athletics. Seattle is a -148 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. d

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July Starting Pitching NL Overachievers

by Nelly's Sports

Tuesday, Jul 29, 2025

Here are four National League starters that had good returns in July but may be at risk of seeing a decline in results in the coming weeks. There are still two months to go in the 2025 MLB regular season and there can be some short-term momentum shifts out of the All-Star Break and around the trade deadline that will impact the market, sometimes a bit too severely. Be careful with supporting these NL starters at potentially inflated prices.   Robbie Ray – San Francisco Giants The Giants remain above .500 and in the NL playoff race but this has been a disappointing team in recent weeks. A bright spot seems to be the return of 2021 AL Cy Young winner Robbie Ray to pitching at an elite level. Ray has made several successful starts in recent weeks but after a great run in late May, he has provided more average strikeout numbers in recent weeks even with a low ERA in July. Ray has a 5.11 FIP over his last five starts and his K/9 is just 7.0 next to a 4.1 BB/9. Ray has still had success as his BABIP in that run is just .185 alongside stranding 82 percent of his baserunners. Ray has pitched nearly 18 more innings at home this season with a favorable home ballpark for pitching and he shouldn’t be confused with the pitcher he was in his best years early in his career when he consistently was one of MLB’s top strikeout producers. There isn’t much to like about the momentum for the Giants with July being a third straight losing month for the team and Ray will command a premium he doesn’t deserve down the stretch.  Merrill Kelly – Arizona Diamondbacks It will be interesting to see what is left of the Diamondbacks after the trade deadline and Kelly is one of the players that has a good chance of being dealt in the final season of a three-year deal. Kelly missed much of last season and has seemingly returned to his 2023 form, but his K/9 has dropped considerably, he just has enjoyed a .247 BABIP that is well below his career average. Kelly has likely earned himself some money and possibly Arizona some better prospects in a deal with a nice run since June, posting a 2.56 ERA in his last 10 starts. Kelly has benefited from many favorable matchups in that run and his FIP is about a run higher than his ERA. Kelly has allowed only six home runs in those 10 starts compared to the 1.34 HR/9 rate he had last season and while Kelly would be a solid mid-rotation option for many teams, he is far from an ace and likely doesn’t deserve his nice 9-6, 3.22 ERA line that will be difficult to match down the stretch, wherever he winds up pitching.  Spencer Strider – Atlanta Braves It has been an absolute disaster of the season for the Braves, but a bright spot is Spencer Strider taking regular turns in the rotation and pitching well. Strider was incredibly dominant in 2022 and 2023 for the Braves before UCL surgery last season. Strider hasn’t come close to matching his previous strikeout rates and he has struggled a bit with his command. Strider has allowed at least three runs in half of his starts this season and he had a 4.38 FIP in July with five home runs allowed in five starts. The Braves are one of the worst teams in baseball despite the high payroll and stars in the lineup and Strider isn’t worth supporting with ace status pricing right now. The Braves have the Brewers and Mets visiting in August for tough home draws, but this will also be a risky team to support in upcoming home games vs. the Marlins and White Sox in which Strider could be a healthy favorite. The priority for the Braves will be 2026 as Strider’s outings are likely to get shorter as the end of the season nears and the Braves are officially eliminated from the playoff race.  Brandon Woodruff – Milwaukee Brewers Woodruff has been a solid starter when healthy for Milwaukee, but he is going to face steep pricing moving forward with Milwaukee being one of the hottest teams in baseball in July and with amazing numbers in his first four starts back from injury. Woodruff has a 2.01 ERA with an 11.7 K/9 as everything has gone extremely well so far in his return to the mound. He has faced losing teams in three of those four starts and his FIP is 3.36, still good but a figure that is well above his ERA. Woodruff has allowed three home runs in his two home starts as well. In August the Brewers have 14 of their first 20 games on the road with a big gap in the home/road splits for the team this season and the bullpen has been pushed in recent weeks as the team has not let Woodruff or rookie Jacob Misiorowski pitch deep into games. Milwaukee has been on a roll in June and July, but the pace isn’t likely sustainable and Woodruff’s tiny ERA is going to make him a suspect road favorite in many upcoming starts in August. 

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July Starting Pitching AL Overachievers

by Nelly's Sports

Tuesday, Jul 29, 2025

Here are four American League starters that had good returns in July but may be at risk of seeing a decline in results in the coming weeks. There are still two months to go in the 2025 MLB regular season and there can be some short-term momentum shifts out of the All-Star Break and around the trade deadline that will impact the market, sometimes a bit too severely. Be careful with supporting these AL starters at potentially inflated prices.   Brandon Walter – Houston Astros At first glance one might assume Brandon Walter is another young pitcher climbing through the Houston system and having immediate success, but Walter is nearly 29 years old and a journeyman drafted in the 26th round by Boston back in 2019. Walter was terrible in 23 innings in 2023 for the Red Sox, but he has made the most of his opportunity with Houston this season. Walter has a 3.35 ERA but a 3.96 FIP while he rarely walks batters, he has been a home run risk in his limited action. Walter has a .252 BABIP and a nearly 85 percent strand rate as a lot has gone right so far in a small sample size. Walter has pitched six or more innings seven times in nine starts but he has mostly pitched away from Houston’s short-porch ballpark, and he has still allowed 10 home runs in nine starts. Houston’s lineup is greatly depleted with injuries right now and Walter is at risk to see his numbers balloon in the coming weeks especially when facing teams with significant right-handed power in the lineup in his Minute Maid Field starts.  Simeon Woods-Richardson – Minnesota Twins After being pushed into a starting role for the Twins a bit ahead of his development schedule last season and producing adequate results, a step forward this season has not happened for Woods-Richardson and the Twins. His numbers have been slightly worse across the board this season, but he still has a respectable 4.24 ERA. It appears that Woods-Richardson is on the upswing with a 2.63 ERA in his last six starts but his FIP is 4.85 in that time and he has not pitched more than five innings in any of those starts as the Twins have not allowed him to see batters a third time, including having a start of fewer than five innings in each of his last three outings. Walks have been a big recent problem with a 4.6 BB/9 since late June, and while Woods-Richardson has gone 3-0 in decisions in that span, he remains the weakest option in a Twins rotation that has disappointed, while the Minnesota bullpen could get worse after the trade deadline.  Luis Castillo – Seattle Mariners As a three-time All-Star, Luis Castillo has been an upper tier MLB starter for several seasons. After his numbers started to slide a big the past two seasons he now has a 3.19 ERA in 22 starts this season, led by a strong run since late June. Over his last six starts he is 4-1 with a 1.96 ERA, even without much of a bump in his strikeout rate. The difference has been zero home runs allowed after allowing a dozen in his first 16 starts of the season. Castillo has mediocre road splits this season with a 4.31 ERA, but the bulk of his innings have come at home this season. Including three of his last five starts coming at T-Mobile. Castillo has allowed five or more runs five times this season but his ERA has stayed low with many of those runs being unearned. Now at age 32, Castillo isn’t an All-Star caliber starter anymore and he will be overpriced at home with a Mariners lineup that has been inconsistent. While Seattle remains in a good AL playoff position, the record above .500 for Seattle is built on a great month of April and slight losing record since despite the Mariners grabbing headlines with acquisitions and the great home run results from Cal Raleigh.  Trevor Rogers – Baltimore Orioles  Rogers was a 1st round pick by the Marlins in 2017 but after being an erratic flamethrower early in his career posting big strikeout counts, Rogers has settled into nice run of results now with the Orioles. Rogers was picked up for the stretch run last season but pitched poorly in August before being shut down and while he has a 1.49 ERA in eight starts this season, nothing in the numbers suggests it will be a sustainable run of success. Rogers has been pitching in low stress starts for a disappointing Orioles team and he has faced a favorable path of mostly struggling teams including his great home numbers including starts vs. the Rockies and Marlins. Rogers has a 7.5 K/9 this season but has been fortunate to allow just two home runs in over 48 innings of work in a significant departure from his career rate. Rogers has also stranded almost 86 percent of his baserunners while benefitting from a .183 BABIP. The small sample has created a false profile of success for Rogers, and he shouldn’t be counted on down the stretch for an Orioles team likely to get weaker at the trade deadline. 

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Major League Baseball // Trade Deadline News + Projections For Postseason:

by William Burns

Tuesday, Jul 29, 2025

We are now just a couple of days before the end of the month and you know what that means. It's deadline time for the MLB. Things have been starting to heat up ever since the All-Star break and this is when baseball finally starts getting more and more attention from the fans. Let's take a moment to talk about what's going on right now with the deadline in sight. I'll also provide my expectations for the rest of the season.  Burns' top available players (remaining) at the TRADE DEADLINE: Eugenio Suarez (ARI)This guy has been simply out of this world this season and there's no question that teams are going to want him. With 36 HR's and 87 RBI's (leads MLB)  he's one of the most productive players out there when he makes contact this season. I expect a team to pick him up in the next couple of days before the deadline passes.Best Fits: Cubs, Mariners, Phillies, Reds.MacKenzie Gore (WSH)While he hasn't had any run support from his team all season long, it's hard not to acknowledge how good Mackenzie Gore has been this year. He owns an excellent 3.52 ERA which would be a great second option for many teams out there. While the Nationals are unlikely to give him up for anything cheap, if teams are interested, this might be the best time to go and get him. Best Fits: Yankees, Mets, Blue Jays, Astros. Joe Ryan (MIN)Even though Ryan is also going to take a lot from a team to be able to land him, I believe that the Twins will be willing to deal him if the right offer comes around. Ryan has even better stats than Gore, with a 10-5 record & 2.82 ERA & 0.92 WHIP (5th in MLB.) Well why is he potentially available then? The Twins simply aren't very good this season. Best Fits: Cubs, Blue Jays, Yankees, Astros. Dylan Cease (SDP)Staying in San Diego wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for Dylan Cease. However, his play needs to improve. It simply hasn't been up to standards this season and that's the reason for the Padres potentially wanting to ship him elsewhere before Thursday's deadline. I believe that he could be a very solid pickup, if other teams go after him. Best Fits: Red Sox, Blue Jays, Cubs, MetsSteven Kwan (CLE)Cleveland has been quite average for a while now and throughout this season. Is it time to change things up and trade off some of the top options on the team? I'm not too sure. We will just have to wait and see. If Kwan is available, teams can get one of the best contact hitters + a stellar defensive player to load their postseason team up for this October. Best Fits: Reds, Mets, Phillies, Dodgers. Jarren Durran (BOS)Probably unlikely to go as the Red Sox definitely want to buy someone big to give themselves a shot at making the postseason this year, I believe that if they were to sell him, now would be the perfect time to do so. He's in the midst of a bit of a down season after doing lots of damage a year ago and could definitely be a piece that other teams are looking for. Best Fits: Royals, Giants, Padres, BravesMitch Keller (PIT)Like the other pitchers who could be available this deadline, Keeler would definitely help improve an already great pitching staff. He's got a quite strong numbers this season despite the poor record and playing for one of the worst teams in the MLB. I believe that one of the teams seeking a pitcher should go for him though. Best Fits: Cubs, Blue Jays, Dodgers, Red Sox. Burns' Predictions + Two Futures to make: In my "Burns' Top 5 Future Bets To Make Right Now (ASAP)" article back in April, I had a future which was the National League to win the World Series this year. Well, I still firmly believe that it's the right bet to make. Some of the other ones didn't hit. But, those were somewhat long shots with great value. Having said that, I'm going to give two futures (one long shot and my best one) for the rest of the season. If you haven't played the NL to Win yet, now's still a great time.  Two Best Future Best:Philadelphia to win the World Series (+850)Paul Skenes to win the NL Cy Young (-175)  World Series Prediction: Philadelphia beats Houston in 6 games.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 07/29/2025

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Jul 29, 2025

The Tuesday sports card features action. Major League Baseball has 16 games scheduled.The Toronto Blue Jays travel to Baltimore to play the Orioles at 12:35 p.m. ET in the first game of their doubleheader, in a makeup game for a postponement on April 11th. The Blue Jays have yet to name their starting pitcher who will go against the Orioles’ Charlie Morton. The second game throws out the first pitch at 6:35 p.m. ET with Eric Lauer getting the ball for the Blue Jays to face a starting pitcher for the Orioles yet to be determined.Two MLB games start at 6:40 p.m. ET. Cleveland hosts Colorado with the Guardians tapping Logan Allen to take on the Rockies’ Tanner Gordon. The Guardians are a -239 money-line favorite with the total set at 8.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Detroit plays at home against Arizona with Casey Mize taking the mound for the Tigers to battle Brandon Pfaadt for the Diamondbacks. The Tigers are a -144 money-line with an over/under of 8.5. The New York Yankees are home against the Tampa Bay Rays at 7:05 p.m. ET. The Yankees tap Max Fried to face the Rays’ Joe Boyle. New York is a -207 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers play in Cincinnati against the Reds at 7:10 p.m. ET. Tyler Glasnow gets the ball for the Dodgers to challenge Nick Lodolo for the Reds. Los Angeles is a -156 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Four MLB games start at 7:40 p.m. ET. Philadelphia is in Chicago with the Phillies’ Jesus Luzardo taking the hill to go against the Cubs’ Jonathan Cannon. The Phillies are a -206 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Milwaukee hosts Chicago, with Quinn Priester getting the starting pitcher assignment for the Brewers against Colin Rea for the Cubs. The Brewers are a -119 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Boston plays in Minnesota with the Red Sox tapping Lucas Giolito to face a Twins’ starting pitcher yet to be named. The Red Sox are a -121 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5 Kansas City plays at home against Atlanta, with Seth Lugo grabbing the ball for the Royals to take on Erick Fedde for the Braves. The Royals are a -127 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9.6. The St. Louis Cardinals are home against the Miami Marlins at 7:45 p.m. ET. The Cardinals tap Sonny Gray to pitch against the Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara. St. Louis is a -169 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. The Houston Astros host the Washington Nationals at 8:10 p.m. ET. Jason Alexander gets the ball for the Astros to challenge Michael Soroka for the Nationals. Houston is a -144 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5.The Los Angeles Angels play at home against the Texas Rangers at 9:38 p.m. ET. The Angels turn to Yusei Kikuchi to battle against the Rangers’ Patrick Corbin. Los Angeles is a -123 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The New York Mets are in San Diego to face the Padres at 9:40 p.m. ET. Sean Manaea gets the assignment for the Mets to pitch against a starting pitcher for the Padres, yet to be determined. New York is a -121 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The San Francisco Giants are home against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 9:45 p.m. ET. The Giants send out Justin Verlander to challenge the Pirates’ Bailey Falter. San Francisco is a -158 money-line favorite with a total of 8. The Seattle Mariners visit the Athletics at 10:05 p.m. ET. Logan Evans takes the mound for the Mariners to take on Luis Severino for the Athletics. Seattle is a -114 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 10.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 07/28/2025

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Jul 28, 2025

The Monday sports card features action. Major League Baseball has 15 games scheduled.The Toronto Blue Jays travel to Baltimore to play the Orioles at 6:35 p.m. ET. The Blue Jays send out Chris Bassitt to pitch against the Orioles’ Zack Eflin. Toronto is a -126 money-line road favorite with the total set at 9.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Two more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 6:40 p.m. ET. Cleveland hosts Colorado with Slade Cecconi getting the ball for the Guardians to face Bradley Blalock for the Rockies. The Guardians are a -245 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. Detroit plays at home against Arizona with the Tigers tapping Troy Melton to take on Eduardo Rodriguez for the  Diamondbacks. The Tigers are a -131 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The New York Yankees are home against the Tampa Bay Rays at 7:05 p.m. ET. Cam Schlittler takes the mound for the Yankees to challenge Drew Rasmussen for the Rays. New York is a -119 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers play in Cincinnati against the Reds at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Dodgers turn to Yoshinobu Yamamoto to go against the Reds’ Chase Burns. Los Angeles is a -172 money-line road favorite with a total of 9. Four MLB games start at 7:40 p.m. ET. Philadelphia plays in Chicago with Cristopher Sanchez getting the starting assignment for the Phillies to battle Davis Martin for the White Sox. The Phillies are a -220 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Chicago is in Milwaukee, with the Cubs sending out Matthew Boyd to take on the Brewers’ Jacob Misiorowski. The Cubs are a -115 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.Minnesota hosts Boston with Simeon Woods Richardson grabbing the ball for the Twins to challenge Richard Fitts for the Red Sox. The Twins are a -123 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9.5.Atlanta visits Kansas City with the Braves tapping Spencer Strider to pitch against the Royals’ Rich Hill. The Braves are a -172 money line road favorite with a total of 9.5. The St. Louis Cardinals play at home against the Miami Marlins at 7:45 p.m. ET. Andre Pallante takes the ball for the Cardinals to face Edward Cabrera for the Marlins. St. Louis is a -123 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5.  The Houston Astros are home against the Washington Nationals at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Astros turn to Framber Valdez to battle the Nationals’ Brad Lord. Houston is a -238 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. The Texas Rangers play in Los Angeles against the Angels at 9:38 p.m. ET. Jacob deGrom takes the hill for the Rangers to face Jack Kochanowicz for the Angels. Texas is a -199 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5.The San Diego Padres host the New York Mets at 9:40 p.m. ET. The Padres send out Dylan Cease to take the ball to challenge the Mets’ Frankie Montas. San Diego is a -132 money-line favorite with a total of 8. The San Francisco Giants play at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 9:45 p.m. ET. Carson Whisenhunt gets the assignment for the Giants to battle Mitch Keller for the Pirates. San Francisco is a -126 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5.The Seattle Mariners are on the road against the Athletics at 10:05 p.m. ET. The Mariners tap Luis Castillo to pitch against the Athletics’ J.P. Sears. Seattle is a -132 money-line road favorite with a total of 9.5. 

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Anatomy of a 35-1 Winner: Handicapping Keegan Bradley at the PGA Travelers Championship

by Hollywood Sports

Sunday, Jul 27, 2025

Keegan Bradley entered Sunday of the PGA Travelers Championship last month, trailing Tommy Fleetwood by three strokes at 13 under par. Bradley started the tournament strong by shooting 6 under par in the opening round on Thursday. After settling for a round at par on Friday, he shot seven under par on Saturday to put himself in position, tied with Russell Henley. Once again, Fleetwood struggled in the final round at a PGA tournament as he only shot a round of 70 at par to open the door for one of the chasers. Bradley shot two under par to hold off both Fleetwood and Henley, who shot one under par in Round Four to win the tournament by one stroke at 15 under par. It was the eighth career win on the PGA Tour for the 39-year-old.There were several reasons to be bullish on Bradley heading into this event. Our Top Overlay Bet on the golfer who offered the most value relative to the odds was on him as he was listed at +3500 odds at DraftKings. Bradley followed up a tie for seventh place at the Memorial with a tie for 33rd place at the US Open. Bradley is the captain of the US Ryder Cup team but remains adamant he will not name himself to the team unless he qualifies outright — so he needed to perform well at tournaments like this to officially qualify for the team he will be overseeing. Bradley was already having a great year. He finished in a tie for sixth place at the PGA Sony Open in January before finishing in a tie for fifth place at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and then a tie for eighth place at the PGA Championship last month. He ranked 26th in Shots-Gained: Off-the-Tee and 28th in Shots-Gained: Approach the Green — and he ranks fourth in Shots-Gained: Tee-to-Green. He ranked 14th in Shots-Gained: Around the Green. He ranked sixth in the field in Shots-Gained: Approach the Green from 100 to 150 years from the pin. Bradley won this event in 2023 — and after his tie for 39th place last year, he was the number one money-winner at this tournament. He was just one of eight in the field with multiple top 15 finishes at this event — and he ranked fifth in course history at TPC River Highlands overall</b>. He was on the record indicating he always circles this tournament on his calendar after growing up in the northeast of Massachusetts and playing his collegiate golf at St. John’s. We also won our head-to-head prop bet with Bradley, who was linked with Jordan Spieth in Tournament matchup head-to-head props. Spieth followed up a tie for seventh place at the Memorial with a tie for 23rd place at the US Open last week. But Spieth’s value in the nostalgic betting market outstrips the deeper analytics. He was struggling with his irons as he ranks 54th on the PGA Tour in Shots-Gained: Approach the Green. He also ranks even worse in his likely second shot distance at this course — he was 137th in Shots-Gained: Approach the Green from 175 to 200 yards from the hole and 144th in Shots-Gained: Approach the Green from 150 to 175 yards from the pin. He ranks 91st in Greens in Regulation — and he was just 76th in Shots-Gained: Putting. Spieth did win this tournament in 2017 when he was in much better form (and I used to back him back then from time to time). In his last five trips to TPC River Highlands since that triumphant debut here, he had finished in 42nd place in 2018, missed the cut in 2019, finished in 54th place in 2020, missed the cut in 2022, and settled for 64th place last year. Spieth withdrew from the tournament on Day One, so this was an easy winner for us. Regulars have now earned over 72 weeks of free rolls from previous PGA Tour winnings the last three summers -- meaning they could invest their X into our Best Bet, Top Overlay, and Long Shot each week for the next 72 events and still keep a profit. That will keep working!Best of luck — Frank.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB, CFL and UEFA Women's EURO 2025 Previews and Odds - 07/27/2025

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Jul 27, 2025

The Sunday sports card features MLB, CFL, and UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 action.Major League Baseball has 15 games scheduled. Four MLB games throw out the first pitch at 1:35 p.m. ET. Los Angeles travels to Boston with the Dodgers sending out Dustin May to pitch against the Red Sox’s Walker Buehler. The Dodgers are a -136 money-line road favorite with the total set at 10.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Pittsburgh hosts Arizona with Paul Skenes taking the ball for the Pirates to face Zac Gallen for the Diamondbacks. The Pirates are a -163 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Philadelphia plays in New York against the Yankees, with the Phillies tapping Zack Wheeler to take on the Yankees’ Carlos Rodon. The Phillies are a -132 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. Baltimore plays at home against Colorado with Tomoyuki Sugano taking the mound for the Orioles to battle Austin Gomber for the Rockies. The Orioles are a -208 money-line favorite with an over/under of 10. Two MLB games start at 1:40 p.m. ET. Detroit is home against Toronto with the Tigers turning to Jack Flaherty to go against the Blue Jays’ Max Scherzer. The Tigers are a -117 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Tampa Bay is on the road at Cincinnati with Shane Baz taking the ball for the Rays to challenge Brady Singer for the Reds. The Rays are a -113 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5.Five MLB games begin at 2:10 p.m. ET. The Chicago Cubs play across town against the White Sox, with the Cubs sending out Ben Brown to pitch against the Sox’s Sean Burke. Houston hosts the Athletics with Colton Gordon taking the mound for the Astros to face the Athletics’ J.T. Ginn. The Astros are a -137 money-line favorite with a total of 8. Kansas City plays at home against Cleveland with the Royals turning to Noah Cameron to challenge Joey Cantillo for the Guardians. The Royals are a -132 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Minnesota is home against Washington with a starting pitcher yet to be named for the Twins to take on Jake Irvin for the Nationals. Milwaukee hosts Miami with the Brewers tapping Brandon Woodruff to battle the Marlins' Eury Perez. The Brewers are a -176 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. The St. Louis Cardinals play at home against the San Diego Padres at 2:15 p.m. ET. Michael McGreevy gets the starting assignment for the Cardinals to pitch against Stephen Kolek for the Padres. St. Louis is a -132 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Texas Rangers are home against the Atlanta Braves at 2:35 p.m. ET. The Rangers tap Jack Leiter to take on the Braves’ Bryce Elder. Texas is a -115 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The Seattle Mariners visit Los Angeles to play the Angels at 4:07 p.m. ET. Logan Gilbert takes the mound for the Mariners to battle Kyle Hendricks for the Angels. Seattle is a -169 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN features the New York Mets playing on the road against the San Francisco Giants at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Mets tap Kodai Senga to face the Giants’ Matt Gage. Week 8 in the Canadian Football League concludes with one game. The British Columbia Lions host the Hamilton Tigers-Cats at 7:00 p.m. ET as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 54.5.The UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 plays its championship match in Switzerland at noon p.m. ET. Spain plays England on Fox as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5.

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Los Angeles Sparks Will Be a Menace Down the Stretch

by Vegas Writer

Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

If you're wondering what the second half of the WNBA is going to look like, quit peeking at the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty. Stop wondering about the Indiana Fever and Las Vegas Aces.The idea - as it's always been - is to figure out which team came out of the All-Star break, sitting somewhere in the bottom five, that will become a menace for everyone else.I'll get right to it, as I don't want you stumbling over yourself as you make your wagers. The Los Angeles Sparks are about to make life miserable for plenty of teams.Heading into Sunday, the bottom of the standings, looking at the playoff picture from the outside, is as follows: 9. Golden State Valkyries 11-12 10. Los Angeles Sparks 11-14 11. Chicago Sky 7-17 12. Dallas Wings 7-18 13. Connecticut Sun 3-20 Now, it would be easy to earmark the Valkyries, since they've pulled off some incredible wins and been in the mix all season, but losing forward Kayla Thornton to a season-ending knee injury is going to hurt this team.And as the Valks try to figure out what to do without one of their key players, the surging Sparks should finally be getting Cameron Brink back. She was lost early last season to a season-ending knee injury, and was cleared just this past week.Los Angeles has won five straight after knocking off the defending champion New York Liberty on Saturday - in Brooklyn - and will have a couple of days to rest before hosting the Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday.During their five-game win streak, since July 13, the Sparks rank No. 1 with 97.2 points per game and are the only team shooting better than 50 percent from the floor, at 51.0%. They're also the only team hitting 40 percent or higher from 3-point range, at 40.4%.And I want you to think about this roster, and who were talking about here.There's a WNBA championship pedigree with Kelsey Plum, Dearica Hamby and Azurá Stevens. If you want to include Emma Cannon, we're talking about someone who has won multiple titles overseas.Rickea Jackson has turned into one of the most dangerous scorers in the league, with 13 double-digit scoring nights in the 20 games she's appeared in. Saturday, her buzzer-beating shot in Brooklyn showed us she doesn't get rattled.Again, Brink is coming back, and Rae Burrell has been back.And oh by the way, Lynne Roberts knows her X's and O's, and for all the flak she's caught this season, while managing a banged-up roster, she's a player's coach and should be earning her respect across the league.With 19 games left on the schedule, make note that 11 of them are at home.Want an underdog to pay attention to the rest of this season, look no further than the Sparks.

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NFL Pretenders to be Wary of When Betting Futures

by Vegas Writer

Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

As the NFL season approaches, I'm sure many of you are looking to zero in on the contenders and pretenders. It's my job to assist in that manner, especially the latter part, because I don't want you wasting your time - or money - on pretenders. Thus, here are five NFL pretenders to be wary of this season, in no particular order: MINNESOTA VIKINGS Yes, they won 14 games last season. But this has become normal for them, racking up regular-season wins, but faltering in the postseason. Coach Kevin O'Connell might be a quarterback whisperer, and he might turn rookie JJ McCarthy into a solid signal caller, but they're in the NFC North and I don't see how this division gets four teams into the playoffs. I'm not ready to concede they'll be top two in their own division, let alone be an NFC contender CHICAGO BEARSThere's plenty of buzz because they brought in Ben Johnson to be the coach, and that Caleb Williams finally has an offensive guy to help him break out of his shell and mold this team into a contender. I don't believe they're going to be a playoff team whatsoever. I think the NFC North is too good. I think that even if Williams takes a step forward, they're trying to make that leap from five wins to maybe being a .500 team. I don't see making the playoffs, or that they'll really make any noise this season. INDIANAPOLIS COLTSThere are far too many people penciling in the Colts to win the AFC South, even as high as a three seed in the conference. I don't buy it. I think they've got too many questions at quarterback. Personally, I think the Houston Texans are the class of the division, and I think the Colts will struggle to contend for the Wildcard, considering the other teams in the AFC. I don't see them as a contender whatsoever. DENVER BRONCOS They may have caught lightning in a bottle last season, thanks to a strong defense, but I believe Sean Payton and Bo Nix will have to figure out how to play methodically, rather than gimmicky. Think about it, the majority of Nix's completions were near the line of scrimmage, and opponents will have had plenty of time to figure out this offense as they scout their schedules. Nix still has room to improve, since he was a rookie. But this is another team, somewhat like the Chargers, that analysts believe they can win the AFC West or even sneak onto a list of Super Bowl contenders. Believe me, they'll be hard-pressed to repeat last year's success.LOS ANGELES CHARGERS This is with the idea that either they're winning the Super Bowl or that there's a groundswell that the Kansas City Chiefs are going to fall back and somehow fail while the Chargers and Denver Broncos overtake them. I respect Jim Harbaugh as a coach, and I think the Charges can be a good team, but I think they're still looking up at the Chiefs. They might contend as a wild card team, but they should not legitimately be considered a contender for the Super Bowl.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 07/26/2025

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

The Saturday sports card features MLB and CFL action.Major League Baseball has 16 games scheduled. The Philadelphia Phillies travel to New York to play the Yankees at 1:05 p.m. ET. The Phillies send out Ranger Suarez to pitch against the Yankees’ Marcus Stroman. Philadelphia is a -121 money-line road favorite with the total set at 9.5 (all odds from DraftKings). The Kansas City Royals host the Cleveland Guardians in the opening game of their doubleheader at 2:40 p.m. ET. Michael Wacha gets the ball for the Royals to take on Gavin Williams of the Guardians in what was supposed to be the Friday matchup before that game got rained out. Kansas City is a -119 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Detroit Tigers play at home against the Toronto Blue Jays at 6:10 p.m. ET. The Tigers turn to Tarik Skubal to face the Blue Jays’ Kevin Gausman. Detroit is a -200 money-line favorite with a total of 7. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 6:40 p.m. ET. Arizona plays in Pittsburgh with Merrill Kelly taking the mound for the Diamondbacks to battle Andrew Heaney for the Pirates. The Diamondbacks are a -137 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Cincinnati is at home against Tampa Bay with the Reds tapping Andrew Abbott to go against the Rays’ Ryan Pepiot. The Reds are a -119 money-line favorite with a total of 9. Two MLB games start at 7:05 p.m. ET. Baltimore hosts Colorado with Trevor Rogers grabbing the ball for the Orioles to challenge Antonio Senzatela for the Rockies. The Orioles are a -267 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Texas plays at home against Atlanta, with the Rangers turning to Kumar Rocker to pitch against the Braves’ Grant Holmes. The Rangers are a -126 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Four MLB games begin at 7:10 p.m. ET. Houston is home against the Athletics with Hunter Brown for the Astros battling the Athletics’ Jacob Lopez. The Astros are a -208 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5.  The Chicago Cubs play across town against the White Sox, with the Cubs sending out Cade Horton to face Aaron Civale. The Cubs are a -194 money-line road favorite with a total of 9.5. Milwaukee hosts Miami with Jose Quintana taking the hill for the Brewers to take on Janson Junk for the Marlins. The Brewers are a -169 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Minnesota plays at home against Washington with the Twins tapping Joe Ryan to pitch against the Nationals’ Mitchell Parker. The Twins are a -235 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5.Three MLB games start at 7:15 p.m. ET. St. Louis is home against San Diego with Matthew Liberatore taking the ball for the Cardinals to face Randy Vasquez for the Padres. The Cardinals are a -157 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. Two MLB games featured on Fox’s regional coverage. Boston hosts Los Angeles with the Red Sox turning to Garrett Crochet to battle the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw. The Red Sox are a -149 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Kansas City plays at home against Cleveland with Kris Bubic taking the mound for the Royals to pitch against Tanner Bibee for the Guardians. The Royals are a -132 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The San Francisco Giants are home against the New York Mets at 9:05 p.m. ET. The Giants tap Robbie Ray to take on the Mets’ David Peterson. San Francisco is a -119 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. The Seattle Mariners are in Los Angeles to play the Angels at 9:38 p.m. ET. George Kirby grabs the ball for the Mariners to pitch against Tyler Anderson for the Angels. Seattle is a -151 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5.Week 8 in the Canadian Football League continues with one game. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers visit Toronto to challenge the Argonauts on the CBS Sports Network at 7:00 p.m. ET. The Blue Bombers are a 5.5-point road favorite with a total of 52.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 07/25/2025

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Jul 25, 2025

The Friday sports card features MLB and CFL action.Major League Baseball has 15 games scheduled. The Milwaukee Brewers host the Miami Marlins at 4:10 p.m. ET. The Brewers send out Freddy Peralta to pitch against the Marlins’ Cal Quantrill. Milwaukee is a -240 money-line favorite with the total set at 8 (all odds from DraftKings). The Arizona Diamondbacks travel to Pittsburgh to play the Pirates at 6:40 p.m. ET. Ryne Nelson gets the ball for the Diamondbacks to take on Mike Burrows for the Pirates. Arizona is a -124 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:05 p.m. ET. New York plays at home against Philadelphia on Apple TV+ with the Yankees tapping Will Warren to face the Phillies’ Taijuan Walker. The Yankees are a -163 money-line favorite with a total of 10.Baltimore is at home against Colorado with Dean Kremer taking the mound for the Orioles to challenge Kyle Freeland for the Rockies. The Orioles are a -225 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9.Three MLB games start at 7:10 p.m. ET. Los Angeles plays at Boston, with the Dodgers turning to Emmett Sheehan to go against the Red Sox’s Bryan Bello. The Dodgers are a -123 money-line road favorite with a total of 10. Tampa Bay is in Cincinnati with Zack Littell getting the ball for the Rays to battle Nick Martinez for the Reds. The Rays are -114 money-line road favorites with an over/under of 9.5.Toronto visits Detroit with the Blue Jays tapping Jose Berrios to pitch against the Tigers’ Keider Montero. The Blue Jays are a -113 money-line road favorite with a total of 9. The San Diego Padres play at St. Louis against the Cardinals at 7:15 p.m. ET. Nick Pivetta takes the hill for the Padres to face Miles Mikolas for the Cardinals. San Diego is a -142 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5.The Chicago Cubs are across town to challenge the Chicago White Sox at 7:40 p.m. ET. The Cubs send out Shota Imanagato to take on the White Sox’s Adrian Houser. The Cubs are a -187 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5.The Texas Rangers host the Atlanta Braves at 8:05 p.m. ET. Nathan Eovaldi gets the starting assignment for the Rangers to battle Joey Wentz for the Braves. Texas is a -175 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.Three MLB games begin at 8:05 p.m. ET. Houston plays at home against the Athletics, with the Astros turning to Ryan Gusto to take on the Athletics’ Jeffrey Springs.Kansas City is home against Cleveland on Apple TV+ with Michael Wacha taking the mound for the Royals to pitch against Gavin Williams for the Guardians. The Royals are a -119 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5.Minnesota hosts Washington with the Twins’ tapping Zebby Matthews to challenge the Nationals’ MacKenzie Gore. The Twins are a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5.The Seattle Mariners travel to Los Angeles to face the Angels at 9:38 p.m. ET. Bryan Woo takes the ball for the Mariners to take on Jose Soriano for the Angels. Seattle is a -133 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5.The San Francisco Giants play at home against the New York Mets at 10:15 p.m. ET. The Giants send out Logan Webb to pitch against the Mets’ Clay Holmes. San Francisco is a -137 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5.Week 8 in the Canadian Football League kicks off with one game. The Saskatchewan Roughriders are home against the Edmonton Elks at 9:00 p.m. ET as an 8.5-point favorite with a total of 54.5.  

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