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NHL Playoffs: A Glance Inside The Numbers

by Vegas Writer

Saturday, Apr 19, 2025

The most exciting postseason is set to begin, as the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs open Saturday, beginning the two-month parade to see who will hoist Lord Stanley's Cup.That means it's time to delve inside the playoff numbers.Here are several for you to chew on:* If you're counting on one of the five Canadian teams to win the Stanley Cup, remember among the 16 teams that qualified for this year's postseason, the four longest waits for a championship belong to teams from north of the border: Toronto (58 years; last 1967), Edmonton (35 years; last 1990), Montreal (32 years; last 1993) and Ottawa (32 years; looking for first Cup)* If you're wondering which playoff teams have won the most series in the last five years (since 2020), seven teams have won at least six playoff series over the past five years, including four that have won the Stanley Cup: 11 – Tampa Bay (SC in 2020 & 2021) 8 – Vegas (SC in 2023) 8 – Florida (SC in 2024) 7 – Colorado (SC in 2022) 7 – Dallas 6 – Carolina 6 – Edmonton * Looking for a Wild Card longshot? Good news! At least one Wild Card team has advanced from the opening round in six of the nine years under that format, including multiple teams four times in a single postseason.* Who will represent the Eastern Conference? An Atlantic Division team isn't a bad bet for your future wager. To wit: a team currently in the Atlantic Division has reached the Stanley Cup Final in six straight years. In the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Atlantic Division has five of the eight playoff spots in the East: Toronto, Tampa Bay, Florida, Ottawa and Montreal. Here are the Atlantic Division teams who have made the Stanley Cup Final, since 2019: 2024 – Florida (Won Cup) 2023 – Florida (Lost Final) 2022 – Tampa Bay (Lost Final) 2021 – Tampa Bay (Won Cup) 2020 – Tampa Bay (Won Cup) 2019 – Boston (Lost Final) Here is a glance at the No. 1 trend or stat to think about for each team coming into the playoffs: Carolina: The Hurricanes closed their regular-season campaign on a 1-7 slide, and were outscored by an average final of 4.38 to 2.88.Colorado: Dating back to Feb. 26, the Avalanche are tied with the Blues for the highest point production, with an average of 3.74 goals-for per game.Dallas: The Stars were tied for second-to-last with the New Jersey Devils down the stretch, after losing their seven of their last eight games (1-5-2) since April 2. Dallas was outscored by an average final of 4.38 to 2.88 in that span.Edmonton: The Oilers have stayed under in nine of their last 10 regular-season games. The average tally in those games was 4.9 goals per game.Florida: The defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers closed their regular-season campaign losing seven of their final 10 games. They also stayed under in seven of their last nine.Los Angeles: The Kings are 17-5-0 since March 8, a stretch that has seen them rank No. 1 in allowing just 2.00 goals per game.Minnesota: The Wild won four of their last five regular-season games to clinch the No. 1 Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. Important to note: the four wins all came in overtime.Montreal: The Canadiens won seven of their last 10 games in the regular season, with seven of those games staying under the posted number.New Jersey: The Flames landed over the posted number in eight of their last 11 games of the regular season. Those 11 games averaged a final tally of 5.91 goals per game.Ottawa: The high-scoring Senators went over the posted number in their last five games with each game landing on seven goals or higher.St. Louis: Rank No. 1 in the NHL with 40 points since Feb. 23, having won 19 of its last 25 games of the regular season, going 19-4-2.Tampa Bay: The high-flying Lightning closed the regular season going over in five of their last six games, with those contests averaging nearly seven goals per game.Toronto: The Leafs won nine of their last 10 games of the regular season and allowed two or fewer goals in seven of those games. Since March 29, the Leafs are the only team allowing less than two goals per game.Vegas: The Golden Knights won 19 of their final 28 games, ranking tied for third with 42 points since Feb. 6. They ranked third in that span in allowing 2.32 goals per game.Washington: The Capitals, who qualified for the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a -36 goal differential, finished with a +57 goal differential this season.Winnipeg: Rank No. 1 in the NHL with 57 points since Jan. 11, having won 28 of its final 39 games of the regular season, going 28-10-1.

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The NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs

by Will Rogers

Saturday, Apr 19, 2025

CLEVELAND (1) vs. MIAMI (8)Game 1 odds – Cavaliers -12.5Series odds – N/AOdds to win East – Cavaliers +190, Heat +50000The Cavs didn’t do much to quell any stray doubters when they stumbled down the stretch, losing three of their last five games. They’ll no doubt consider that bad run as a one-off and point to their wire-to-wire dominance of the Eastern Conference. Nine years after LeBron James bolted Cleveland and the Cavs have resurfaced with a deep, talented team that should be well-rested – none of the Core 4 (Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarret Allen and Evan Mobley) averaged as many as 32 minutes this season. Can Miami, which has been backsliding since it surprisingly made it to the 2023 Finals, really make this a series? Not likely, even with Tyler Herro playing out of his mind (68 points in the Heat’s two Play-In victories). Just not enough talent, especially since Jimmy Butler shot his way out of South Florida.BOSTON (2) vs. ORLANDO  (7)Game 1 odds – Celtics -13.5Series odds – Celtics -1600, Magic +8000Odds to win East – Celtics -140It’s doubtful that the Magic can get this series to a sixth game, but Orlando has a big and effective front line that is capable of doing some physical damage and take some spring out of the Celtics’ step in the next round. Orlando has actually had decent success against Boston in the regular season, winning 10 of the last 13 meetings, although the Celtics won by 27 in Boston this season. There was some concern about the status of 2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, who missed 19 games this season, including the final three games. Boston (which has a history of downplaying injuries) reports that Brown and his tender right knee is good to go for Game 1. As always, the Celtics will bomb away from deep. Opponents have had some success this season by leaving one player (usually Jrue Holiday) open and playing tight D on the other four.NEW YORK (3) vs. DETROIT (6)Game 1 odds – Knicks -7.5Series odds – Knicks -400, Pistons +310Odds to win East – Knicks +1000, Pistons +8000New York has been waiting all season for Mitchell Robinson to return and fill the hole left by the departure of Isiah Hartenstein, but will Robinson be game-ready to have an impact in the playoffs against the on-the-rise Pistons? The Knicks are hardly the picture of confidence as they enter the playoffs after not recording a single victory over any of the top three teams (Cleveland, Boston and OKC) this season. “We have to get it fixed and we have to get it fixed fast,” said Tom Thibodeau after NY blew a 28-point lead in a loss to the Cavs.  Detroit, with a blend of veterans led by superstar-in-the-making Cade Cunningham, can’t wait to get rolling. Pistons fans haven’t seen their team win a playoff game since 2008. Bad draw for the Knicks, who desperately need to take The Next Step, and for Thibodeau.INDIANA (4) vs. MILWAUKEE (5)Game 1 odds – Pacers -5.5Series odds – Pacers -200, Bucks +160Odds to win East – Pacers +2500, Bucks +4000The Bucks look like they’ll have to get by without injured Damien Lillard, who has missed 14 straight games due to blood clots in his right calf. Milwaukee’s defense has actually been a bit better without Lillard on the court, but it’s hard to see the Bucks advancing until Giannis Antetokounmpo gets significant help from somewhere. The Pacers bring a balanced attack behind Tyrese Halliburton and Pascal Siakam, and have far more depth than the Bucks. Expect Indiana to put constant pressure on Antetokounmpo, play a faster pace than Milwaukee wants to play at, and sub liberally. The two met in the playoffs last season; Lillard was banged up, and the Pacers took full advantage in a six-game series win. History seems to be repeating.

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The NBA Western Conference Playoffs

by Will Rogers

Saturday, Apr 19, 2025

OKLAHOMA CITY (1) vs. MEMPHIS (8)Game 1 odds – Thunder -12.5Series odds –Odds to win West – Thunder -150With 68 regular-season wins in their back pocket and a stifling defense that was stat-wise the third-best in the league, the Thunder seem more than ready for a long playoff run. Oh, and they also have the expected MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. That should help a bit. Toss in Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren to protect the rim (which they didn’t have this time last year), and the package appears complete.  Can Memphis actually make this a series? The Grizzlies don’t have the deepest bench among playoff teams, and front-liners Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. will have to see big minutes. Fatigue is a factor for any OKC opponent. There is a reason – actually, lots of reasons – why the Thunder won 68 games this year, 20 more than Memphis.HOUSTON (2) vs. GOLDEN STATE (7)Game 1 odds – Warriors -1.5Series odds – Warriors -200, Rockets +165Odds to win West – Warriors +750, Rockets +2500He’s ba-a-a-a-ack. Playoff Jimmy has entered the building. Butler had 38 points and got to the foul line a staggering total of 18 times in Golden State’s Show-the-Kid-Who’s-Boss 7-8 Play-In win over Morant and the Grizzlies. Now the Rockets have to figure out how to deal with Butler’s slashing mid-range game AND keep an eye on Steph Curry moving around outside the 3-point line. Houston finds itself in the odd position of finishing second in the conference, winning 52 games, and the underdog in a series against a Play-In survivor. The Rockets’ No. 1 problem as the playoffs start is that they lack a genuine go-to player when they need a bucket late in the game. Amen Thompson, perhaps the best defender in the league, will have to log big minutes.LOS ANGELES LAKERS (3) vs. MINNESOTA (6)Game 1 odds – Lakers -4.5Series odds – Lakers -200, Timberwolves +160Odds to win West – Lakers +600, Timberwolves +1600This is the first playoff meeting between these teams, but the Wolves no doubt recall all too well the way Luka Doncic carved them up like a Thanksgiving turkey in the West finals last season. Minnesota will have to deal with both Doncic and a title-thirsty LeBron James this time around, and the only way the Wolves can get past this series is if Anthony Edwards is clearly the best player on the court for at least four games. That may be asking a little too much for Ant-Man, even though confidence in himself never seems to wane. Expect Minnesota to reprise Boston’s strategy in beating Doncic’s Mavericks in The Finals last year – go at Doncic on every possession, and harass him over 94 feet when the Lakers have the ball. Tiring out James and Doncic may not be a winning strategy, but it might have some effect if the series goes 6 or 7.DENVER (4) vs. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (5)Game 1 odds – Nuggets -3.5Series odds – Nuggets -135, Clippers +110Odds to win West – Nuggets +1000, Clippers +1600To paraphrase Jason Bateman’s character in Dodgeball, “Firing your head coach just before the playoffs is a bold move, Cotton. Let’s see if it pays off.”  Put another way, if interim boss David Adelman has the answers, why didn’t he tell former HC Mike Malone? No one knows how this will all play out, but Denver and perennial MVP candidate Nikola Jokic figure to have their hands full with the Clippers. The LAC have overachieved after letting Paul George flee to Philadelphia, and now venerable vets James Harden and Kawhi Leonard have their team peaking at just the right time – 9 wins in their final 10 regular season games. This series has the look and feel of a long grind, and home court for Denver in a Game 7 could be pivotal. The Clippers are mediocre on the road.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NHL, MLB, EPL and NBA Previews and Odds - 04/19/2025

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Apr 19, 2025

The Saturday sports card features NBA, NHL, MLB, and EPL action.The National Basketball Association tips off the 2025 playoff season with four games. The Indiana Pacers host the Milwaukee Bucks on ESPN at 1:10 p.m. ET as a 5.5-point favorite, with the total set at 224 (all odds from DraftKings). The Denver Nuggets play at home against the Los Angeles Clippers on ESPN at 3:40 p.m. ET as a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 223.5.The New York Knicks are home against the Detroit Pistons on ESPN at 6:10 p.m. ET as a 7-point favorite with a total of 220. The Los Angeles Lakers host the Minnesota Timberwolves on ABC at 8:40 p.m. ET as a 4-point favorite with an over/under of 216.The National Hockey League playoffs begin with two games on TBS/truTV/Max on its slate. The Winnipeg Jets host the St. Louis Blues at 6:10 p.m. ET as a -192 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Colorado Avalanche travel to Dallas to face the Stars at 8:40 p.m. ET as a -135 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5.Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The Philadelphia Phillies play at home against the Miami Marlins at 1:05 p.m. ET as a -218 money-line favorite with a total of 10. The Detroit Tigers are home against the Kansas City Royals at 1:10 p.m. ET as a -130 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Arizona Diamondbacks play in Chicago against the Cubs at 2:20 p.m. ET as a -115 money-line road favorite. The Seattle Mariners are in Toronto to take on the Blue Jays at 3:07 p.m. ET as a -125 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Four MLB games throw out the first pitch at 4:05 p.m. ET. The Pittsburgh Pirates host the Cleveland Guardians as a -180 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Cincinnati Reds visit Baltimore to play the Orioles as a -130 money-line road favorite with a total of 9. Two more MLB games are on Fox’s regional coverage. The New York Mets play at home against the St. Louis Cardinals as a -175 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Texas Rangers are home against the Los Angeles Dodgers as a -112 money-line favorite with a total of 8. Three MLB games start at 4:10 p.m. ET. The Washington Nationals play in Colorado against the Rockies as a -130 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9. The Boston Red Sox host the Chicago White Sox as a -325 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Tampa Bay Rays play at home against the New York Yankees as a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. Two MLB games begin at 7:10 p.m. ET. The San Diego Padres are in Houston to battle the Astros on FS1 as a -125 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. The Milwaukee Brewers are home against the Athletics as a -130 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Atlanta Braves host the Minnesota Twins at 7:15 p.m. ET as a -218 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. The San Francisco Giants travel to Los Angeles to play the Angels at 9:38 p.m. ET as a -130 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Matchweek 33 in the English Premier League starts with five matches. Four matches begin at 10:00 a.m. ET. Brentford plays at home against Brighton and Hove Albion as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. Crystal Palace is home against Bournemouth as a 0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Manchester City plays at Everton on the USA Network as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 2.5. West Ham United hosts Southampton as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. Aston Villa plays at home against Newcastle United on the USA Network at 12:30 p.m. ET as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA and MLB Previews and Odds - 04/18/2025

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Apr 18, 2025

The Friday sports card features NBA and MLB action.The National Basketball Association concludes its Play-In Tournament prior to the playoffs with two games. The Miami Heat travel to Atlanta to play the Hawks on TNT and truTV at 7:10 p.m. ET as a 1-point road favorite with the total set at 219.5 (all odds from DraftKings). The Memphis Grizzlies host the Dallas Mavericks on ESPN at 9:40 p.m. ET as a 6-point favorite with an over/under of 221.5. Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The Arizona Diamondbacks play in Chicago to take on the Cubs at 2:20 p.m. ET. The Diamondbacks tap Corbin Burnes to pitch against the Cubs’ Colin Rea. Arizona is a -135 money-line road favorite. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 6:40 p.m. ET. Cleveland is in Pittsburgh with Luis L. Ortiz taking the hill for the Guardians to face Carmen Mlodzinski for the Pirates. The Guardians are a -125 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Kansas City visits Detroit with the Royals turning to Cole Ragans to battle the Tigers’ Jackson Jobe. The Royals are a -142 money-line road favorite with a total of 7.5. The Philadelphia Phillies play at home against the Miami Marlins at 6:45 p.m. ET. Zack Wheeler gets the ball for the Phillies to battle Sandy Alcantara for the Marlins. Philadelphia is a -218 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Two MLB games start at 7:05 p.m. ET. New York plays in Tampa Bay with the Yankees sending out Carlos Rodon to go against the Rays’ Drew Rasmussen. Both teams are priced as a -110 money-line favorite with the total set at 8.5. Baltimore is home against Cincinnati with Cade Povich taking the mound for the Orioles to battle Andrew Abbott for the Reds. The Orioles are a -155 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Seattle Mariners are in Toronto to take on the Blue Jays on Apple TV+ at 7:07 p.m. ET.  as a -112 money-line road favorite with a total of 7.5. Two MLB games begin at 7:10 p.m. ET. Boston hosts Chicago with the Red Sox turning to a starting pitcher yet to be named to face the White Sox’s Martin Perez. The Red Sox are a -218 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. New York plays at home against St. Louis with David Peterson taking the ball for the Mets to take on Miles Mikolas for the Cardinals. The Mets are a -166 money-line favorite with a total of 8. The Atlanta Braves are home against the Minnesota Twins on Apple TV+ at 7:15 p.m. ET. The Braves turn to Bryce Elder to pitch against the Twins’ Chris Paddack. Atlanta is a -135 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers travel to Texas to challenge the Rangers at 8:05 p.m. ET. Yoshinbo Yamamoto takes the hill for the Dodgers to take on Jacob deGrom for the Rangers. Los Angeles is a -142 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. Two more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 8:10 p.m. ET. Houston hosts San Diego with the Astros tapping Ryan Gusto to face the Padres’ Kyle Hart. The Astros are a -135 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. Milwaukee plays at home against the Athletics with Freddy Peralta getting sent out for the Brewers to battle J.T. Ginn for the Athletics. The Brewers are a -162 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5.The Washington Nationals play in Colorado against the Rockies at 8:40 p.m. ET. The Nationals turn to Mackenzie Gore to battle the Rockies’ Chase Dollander. Washington is a -135 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9. The San Francisco Giants are in Los Angeles to take on the Angels at 9:38 p.m. ET. Logan Webb gets the ball for the Giants to challenge Tyler Anderson for the Angels. San Francisco is a -155 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.

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NHL Playoffs: Regular Season Man Games Lost Should Be Taken In Consideration

by Vegas Writer

Thursday, Apr 17, 2025

As the NHL Playoffs are set to start Saturday, one of the biggest factors for me in the opening round has always been which teams have been the healthiest, and which team has experienced the most man-games lost. Which team has dealt with the most adversity, and which team is still battling injuries.Many teams struggle to rekindle chemistry from the first half of the season, when they gathered enough points to get them in playoff position, but struggled down the stretch and are still dealing with injuries.For instance, everyone has been fascinated by the Washington Capitals earning the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, but this is a team that has the 10th highest Cap Hit of Injured Players (CHIP). That includes their star goaltender, Logan Thompson, who has been dealing with concussion issues since the 4 Nation's Face-Off break. Altogether, the Caps have 190 man-games lost this season and CHIP of $10.31 million.Per NHLInjuryViz.com, CHIP represents the per-game cap charge of a player missing a game through injury/illness, i.e., annual cap charge divided by 82.Seven of the 11 teams with the highest CHIP are headed to the postseason, including Central Division teams Colorado, St. Louis and Dallas.The Tampa Bay Lightning (3.37) and Winnipeg Jets had the two lowest CHIP this season, and it's a projected Stanley Cup Final that many experts are predicting.Interestingly, after the Bolts and Jets, the next closest playoff team is Montreal, with the NHL's eighth-lowest CHIP.Here are the 16 playoff teams, from lowest to highest CHIP: Tampa Bay 3.37 Winnipeg 4.12 Montreal 5.77 Florida 6.85 New Jersey 7.87 Carolina 8.40 Ottawa 8.43 Vegas 9.22 Los Angeles 9.40 Toronto 9.97 Washington 10.31 Edmonton 11.31 Minnesota 13.19 Dallas 13.50 St. Louis 14.28 Colorado 16.09

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How to Play the Play-In Tourney

by Al McMordie

Thursday, Apr 17, 2025

The NBA's Play-In Tournament is ongoing.  Golden State and Orlando have punched their tickets to the post-season, and will each be seeded #7 in their respective conference.  Still to be decided are the #8 seeds.  This Friday, Miami will visit Atlanta, while Dallas will travel to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies.As of this writing, on Thursday morning, Atlanta has been installed as a 1-point favorite, with an Over/Under line of 220.  And the Grizzlies are favored by 6.5 points, with an Over/Under line of 223.This is the 5th season of the Play-In Tournament, so we're beginning to get some data under our belt.One thing which has emerged is that the favorites have excelled in these games that decide the #8 seed, with a 7-1 ATS record.  Here, Memphis is a clear favorite, while it's unclear which team will close as the favorite in the Atlanta/Miami game.The other thing is that these games that decide the #8 seed tend to be relatively low-scoring, and have gone 6-2 under the total.  I would expect that trend to continue, as NBA Playoff (or Play-In) games where BOTH teams stand to be eliminated with a loss have gone under the total 56.5% since 1990.  Consider playing the unders in the Hawks/Heat and Grizzlies/Mavericks games.Good luck, as always,Al McMordie

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NHL and MLB Previews and Odds - 04/17/2025

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Apr 17, 2025

The Thursday sports card features NHL and MLB action.The National Hockey League has seven games on its slate for the final day of the regular season. Six NHL games drop the puck at 7:07 p.m. ET. The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Washington Capitals on ESPN with both teams priced as a -110 money-line favorite with the total set at 5.5 (all odds from DraftKings). The Buffalo Sabres play at home against the Philadelphia Flyers as a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The New York Rangers are home against the Tampa Bay Lightning as a -135 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Columbus Blue Jackets host the New York Islanders as a -130 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Toronto Maple Leafs play at home against the Detroit Red Wings as a -142 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Ottawa Senators are home against the Carolina Hurricanes as a -120 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Los Angeles Kings host the Calgary Flames on ESPN at 9:37 p.m. ET as a -155 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5.Major League Baseball has 10 games on its schedule. The Arizona Diamondbacks travel to Miami to play the Marlins at 12:10 p.m. ET. The Diamondbacks tap Eduardo Rodriguez to pitch against the Marlins Edward Cabrera. Arizona is a -162 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Pittsburgh Pirates play at home against the Washington Nationals at 12:35 p.m. ET. Andrew Heaney gets the ball for the Pirates to take on Trevor Williams for the Nationals. Pittsburgh is a -125 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. The Seattle Mariners play in Cincinnati against the Reds at 12:40 p.m. ET. The Mariners send out Bryan Woo to challenge the Reds’ Bryan Singer. Seattle is a -118 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8. The Athletics are in Chicago to battle the White Sox at 2:10 p.m. ET. J.P. Sears takes the hill for the Athletics to face Davis Martin for the White Sox. The Athletics are a -162 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. The Philadelphia Phillies are home against the San Francisco Giants at 4:05 p.m. ET. The Phillies turn to Cristopher Sanchez to go against the Giants Jordan Hicks. Philadelphia is a -175 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Cleveland Guardians visit Baltimore to take on the Orioles at 6:35 p.m. ET. Tanner Bibee takes the mound for the Guardians to pitch against Tomoyuki Sugano for the Orioles. Cleveland is a -122 money-line road favorite with a total of 9. The Detroit Tigers host the Kansas City Royals at 6:40 p.m.  ET. The Tigers tap Reese Olson to battle against the Royals’ Michael Lorenzen. Detroit is a -148 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Tampa Bay Rays play at home against the New York Yankees at 7:05 p.m. ET. Taj Bradley takes the hill for the Rays to pitch against Willie Warren for the Yankees. Tampa Bay is a -122 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The New York Mets are home against the St. Louis Cardinals at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Mets turn to Griffin Canning to challenge the Cardinals' Andrew Pallante. New York is a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Texas Rangers host the Los Angeles Angels at 8:05 p.m. ET. Kumar Rocker gets the ball for the Rangers to take on Josh Kochanowicz for the Angels. Texas is a -148 money-line favorite with a total of 9.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, MLB, EPL and UCL Previews and Odds - 04/16/2025

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Apr 16, 2025

The Wednesday sports card features NBA, NHL, MLB, EPL, and UCL action. The National Basketball Association continues its Play-In Tournament prior to the playoffs with two games on ESPN. The Chicago Bulls host the Miami Heat at 7:40 p.m. ET as a 1-point favorite with the total set at 219 (all odds from DraftKings). The Sacramento Kings play at home against the Dallas Mavericks at 10:10 p.m. ET as a 4.5-point favorite with an over/under of 215.5. The National Hockey League has six games on its slate. Two NHL games drop the puck at 7:07 p.m. ET. The Winnipeg Jets are home against the Anaheim Ducks as a -270 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Montreal Canadiens host the Carolina Hurricanes as a -112 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Detroit Red Wings travel to New Jersey to play the Devils on TNT at 7:37 p.m. ET as a -115 money-line road favorite with a total of 5.5. The Dallas Stars play in Nashville against the Predators at 8:07 p.m. ET as a -162 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Vancouver Canucks are home against the Vegas Golden Knights on TNT at 10:07 p.m. ET as a -115 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Edmonton Oilers are in San Jose to take on the Sharks at 10:37 p.m. ET as a -205 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5.  Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The Atlanta Braves visit Toronto to battle the Blue Jays at 1:07 p.m. ET as a -148 money-line road favorite with a total of 7.5. Two more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 1:10 p.m. ET.  The Milwaukee Brewers host the Detroit Tigers as a -148 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Minnesota Twins play at home against the New York Mets as a -118 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Houston Astros play in St. Louis against the Cardinals at 1:15 p.m. ET as a -112 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The San Diego Padres are home against the Chicago Cubs at 4:10 p.m. ET as a -125 money-line favorite with a total of 8. The Baltimore Orioles host the Cleveland Guardians at 6:35 p.m. ET as a -130 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. Three more MLB games start at 6:40 p.m. ET. The Pittsburgh Pirates play at home against the Washington Nationals as a -112 money-line favorite a total of 8.5. The Arizona Diamondbacks are in Miami to challenge the Diamondbacks as a -122 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Seattle Mariners travel to Miami to play the Marlins on FS1 as a -122 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The Philadelphia Phillies are home against the San Francisco Giants at 6:45 p.m. ET as a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Two MLB games begin at 7:05 p.m. ET. The Tampa Bay Rays host the Boston Red Sox as a -148 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The New York Yankees play at home against the Kansas City Royals as a -166 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Athletics play in Chicago against the White Sox at 7:40 p.m. ET as a -155 money-line road favorite with a total of 7.5.The Los Angeles Angels are in Texas to face the Rangers at 8:05 p.m. ET as a -115 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers are home against the Colorado Rockies at 10:10 p.m. ET as a -310 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Matchweek 32 in the English Premier League concludes with one match. Newcastle United hosts Crystal Palace on the USA Network at 2:30 p.m. ET as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. The knockout phase playoffs in the UEFA Champions League concludes with the final two second-leg quarterfinal matches on Paramount+ at 3:00 p.m. ET. Bayern Munich visits Inter Milan as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 2.5. Real Madrid plays at home against Arsenal as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5.

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RBC Heritage Preview and Best Bets

by Matt Fargo

Tuesday, Apr 15, 2025

History was made last week at The Masters as Rory McIlroy brought home his first green jacket with a playoff win over Justin Rose and became just the sixth player in history to complete the career Grand Slam. It was an epic Sunday at Augusta National as McIlroy entered the final day with a two-shot lead only to find himself down one after two holes but he gained the lead back after the third hole and took a four-shot lead into the final nine. Tying a Sunday best 66 with Hideki Matsuyama, Rose forced the playoff in part to McIlroy missing the winning putt on 18 but he bounced back with a birdie on the first playoff hole for the win. While Rory is understandably taking this week off, it will be a loaded field at the RBC Heritage, the fifth signature event of the season on the PGA Tour, taking place from Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, South Carolina. This is the third consecutive year the event has signature status which has gained scrutiny being played the week after The Masters but it is not deterring many players with 26 of the OWGR top 30 teeing it up, only McIlroy and Matsuyama of the eligible top 30 opting out. There are 71 players in the field in this no-cut event including reigning champion Scottie Scheffler who joins Matt Fitzpatrick (2023), Jordan Spieth (2022) and Matt Kuchar (2014) as the only returning past champions. Harbour Town Golf Links is a par 71 that stretches 7,213 yards making it one of the shortest stops on tour but defends itself with tight fairways and numerous doglegs making it the essence of a ball position course. Distance off the tee is well down the list of metrics as the driver is taken out of play for a majority of the holes. Because Harbour Town is short and a placement course, Driving Accuracy is one of the top key components this week. Last year, seven players finished at 75 percent or higher driving accuracy and only Lucas Glover finished outside the top 20 as his short game let him down. Strokes Gained: Approach is as important as ever here with Harbour Town having the second smallest greens on tour and history shows success comes with this. In 2024, 14 players gained +0.63 strokes or more with only three of those finishing outside the top 20, six finishing inside the top ten and three inside the top three. Strokes Gain: Around-The-Green is up there as well for those not having a strong Greens In Regulation percentage which is tough to achieve with the average size of the greens at just 3,700 square feet. Lastly, Stroke Gained: Putting comes into play as 14 players last year lost -0.59 strokes or worse on the greens and none finished better than T33. The RBC Heritage starts a four-week testing period allowing the use of distance measuring devices, focusing on pace of play concerns. Players must ensure the device measures distance only as other features determining elevation, wind and slope are prohibited. This was tested on the Korn Ferry Tour a few years back and the pace of play was hardly affected. This week looks like pristine weather in Hilton Head with temperatures hitting the high 60s on Thursday and then reaching the low 70s on Friday, Saturday and Sunday with sunshine every day and no rain in the forecast. The wind coming off Calibogue Sound can be a concern but this week it will be pretty dormant with gusts maxing out at around 25 mph on Sunday. Top four key categories this week in order: Driving AccuracyStrokes Gained: ApproachStrokes Gained: Around-The-GreenStrokes Gained: Putting Each bet is Win/Top Five/Top Ten. The typical recommendation is 50%/25%/25% with odds, payouts and results based on a $1000 unit (easy round number for bookkeeping) on each of the following players. The payouts are listed right below the odds which are all from DraftKings: Shane LowryOdds: Win 2,500 ~ Top Five 450 ~ Top Ten 200Payout: Win 12,500.00 ~ Top Five 1,1250.00 ~ Top Ten 500.00 Lowry was in the mix at The Masters on Sunday and a top five or top ten at the very least was likely but he put up an 81, finishing dead last in the Sunday field in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. That was surprising since that is his strength so we will chalk that up as an anomaly and expect a bounce back at a place he loves. Despite the blowup, he has gained strokes on approach in seven of his eight starts while the same can be said on approach. He has three top tens at the RBC Heritage and while he has been near the bottom the last two years, both were due to the worst putting performances from his entire 2023 and 2024 seasons. He will use that disappointing and stress free 81 as motivation. Aaron RaiOdds: Win 4,000 ~ Top Five 650 ~ Top Ten 275Payout: Win 20,000.00 ~ Top Five 1,625.00 ~ Top Ten 687.50 We saw Aaron Rai open with a Thursday 70 at The Masters as he led the field in Strokes Gained: Tee-To-Green before plummeting the next two days but closed with another 70 on Sunday. He heads to Harbour Town for only the second time in his career, the first resulting in a T48 in 2023 but he came into that event without a single top 20 for the season. This year he has four to his credit with a T4 at Mexico being his best as his success has stemmed from his strong approach game and his accuracy off the tee. He has one career win which was at the Wyndham Championship last year with Sedgefield Country Club being a correlating course and coupled with good recent form, look for more good things. Sepp StrakaOdds: Win 4,000 ~ Top Five 650 ~ Top Ten 280Payout: Win 20,000.00 ~ Top Five 1,625.00 ~ Top Ten 700.00 Straka was a popular sleeper pick last week with his elite tee to green game where he is ranked No. 8 but he struggled off the tee and with his short game costing him the weekend but the rest could be good for him this week. In 11 starts this year, he has seven top 15 finishes including a win at The American Express, and he has gained strokes on approach in 10 of his 11 starts. Additionally, he has gained more than 8% against the field in driving accuracy while finishing negative only once. He missed the cut here in 2023 when entering in poor form but that was sandwiched in-between a T3 in 2022 and a T5 last year with exceptional putting on these small greens. Daniel BergerOdds: Win 4,500 ~ Top Five 750 ~ Top Ten 320Payout: Win 22,500.00 ~ Top Five 1,875.00 ~ Top Ten 800.00 We used Berger at the Valero Texas Open two weeks back and he finished T30 no thanks to a Saturday 77 and is coming off a solid week at The Masters with a T21, his seventh straight top 30 finish. In all of those events, he has lost strokes in only one category once, Strokes Gained: Off-The-Tee at THE PLAYERS Championship. He comes in No. 10 in Strokes Gained: Total and No. 10 in Driving Accuracy and had his best approach tournament of the season last week and if his putter remains consistent, he will contend. Because of his injury and not qualifying, he has not played here the last two years but prior to that, he finished T3, T13 and T21 in 2020-2022. Results through The Masters (11 Tournaments): Win: -7,000Top Five: -3,500Top Ten: -2,025Top 20 Masters: -90

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, MLB and UCL Previews and Odds - 04/15/2025

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Apr 15, 2025

The Tuesday sports card features NBA, NHL, MLB, and UCL action. The National Basketball Association tips off its Play-In Tournament prior to the playoffs with two games on TNT. The Orlando Magic hosts the Atlanta Hawks at 7:40 p.m. ET as a 5-point favorite with the total set at 217 (all odds from DraftKings). The Golden State Warriors play at home against the Memphis Grizzlies at 10:10 p.m. ET as a 7-point favorite with an over/under of 229.The National Hockey League has ten games on its slate. Five NHL games drop the puck at 7:07 p.m. ET. The New Jersey Devils travel to Boston to take on the Bruins as a -142 money-line road favorite with a total of 5.5. The Ottawa Senators are home against the Chicago Blackhawks as a -305 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5 The Tampa Bay Lightning host the Florida Panthers on ESPN as a -175 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Columbus Blue Jackets play in Philadelphia against the Flyers as a -142 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Toronto Maple Leafs are in Buffalo to battle the Sabres as a -166 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. Three NHL games start at 8:07 p.m. ET. The New York Islanders play at home against the Washington Capitals as a -112 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The St. Louis Blues host the Utah Hockey Club as a -166 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Minnesota Wild play at home against the Anaheim Ducks as a -270 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Calgary Flames are home against the Vegas Golden Knights at 9:07 p.m. ET as a -112 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Los Angeles Kings visit Seattle to challenge the Kraken at 10:37 p.m. ET as a -122 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5.Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. Three MLB games throw out the first pitch at 6:40 p.m. ET. The Pittsburgh Pirates host the Washington Nationals as a -125 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Arizona Diamondbacks play in Miami against the Marlins as a -166 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Seattle Mariners are in Cincinnati to go against the Reds as a -120 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The Philadelphia  Phillies play at home against the San Francisco Giants at 6:45 p.m. ET as a -155 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. Three MLB games begin at 7:05 p.m. ET. The Baltimore Orioles are home against the Cleveland Guardians on TBS as a -142 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Tampa Bay Rays host the Boston Red Sox as a -130 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. The New York Yankees play at home against the Kansas City Royals as a -192 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Atlanta Braves visit the Toronto Blue Jays as a -122 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8. Three MLB games start at 7:40 p.m. ET. The Athletics play in Chicago against the White Sox as a -166 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The Detroit Tigers are in Milwaukee against the Brewers as a -120 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The New York Mets travel to Minnesota to play the Twins as a -118 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. The Houston Astros play in St. Louis to face the Cardinals at 7:45 p.m. ET as a -130 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Texas Rangers are home against the Los Angeles Angels at 8:05 p.m. ET as a -130 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Chicago Cubs are in San Diego to play the Padres at 9:40 p.m. ET as a -142 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers host the Colorado Rockies at 10:10 p.m. ET as a -325 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The knockout phase playoffs in the UEFA Champions League continue with two second-leg quarterfinal matches on Paramount+ at 3:00 p.m. ET. Barcelona visits Borussia Dortmund as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Paris Saint-Germain plays at Aston Villa as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 2.5. 

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Play-In Tournament Breakdown

by Will Rogers

Monday, Apr 14, 2025

EASTERN CONFERENCEATLANTA (8) at ORLANDO (7)Tuesday, April 15Orlando -4.5O/U – 218.5Heading into the season the Magic were thought to be the Next Big Thing in the East, looking very much like a 50- to 55-win team. But injuries to top of the rotation players ended serious title hopes, as Jalen Suggs and Mo Wagner both were derailed by knee issues. Orlando does head into the Play-In on a decent run (7-3 in their last 10) although its most impactful player, Paulo Banchero, is dealing with an ankle injury. The Hawks are slight dogs in this one as they make their fourth straight Play-In  appearance, trying to replicate the magic that enabled them to make a run to the Eastern Conference finals in 2021.  As always, Atlanta needs a super-human effort from Trae Young to make significant noise. The winner of this series gets Boston in the first round, so it looks like neither the Hawks nor the Magic will be still playing in May.MIAMI (10) at CHICAGO (9)Wednesday, April 16Chicago -1.5O/U – 223.5The Heat pride themselves on always being able to figure things out, and they’ll have to do a lot of figuring once the dust settles on this season. The mid-season Jimmy Butler drama seemed to sap a lot of energy from the team, although they beat a lot of bad teams in the final 10-game stretch, winning seven. Chicago, meanwhile, showed quite a bit of spunk after dealing away Zach Lavine, and rallied behind Coby White and Josh Giddey to give Bulls fans some hope that they might be able to break out of the middle of the pack. If any Play-In team seems ready to make life hard for the Eastern Elite, it might be Chicago. The winner plays the loser of the Magic-Hawks game, with the survivor there catching the top-seed Cavaliers in Round 1. WESTERN CONFERENCEMemphis (8) at Golden State (9)Tuesday, April 15Golden State -6.5O/U – 231.5Here’s a crazy stat: The Warriors are winless in three Play-In games. They’re solid favorites to end that mini-skid and advance to a first-round series against the second-seeded Rockets. But they’ll head into the Memphis game still shaking their heads after losing the regular season finale to the Clippers. At home. Still, a check of the roster still shows Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler, and both have tons of playoff experience. They can definitely carry GS past Memphis, but after that will depth be an issue? Draymond Green no doubt will exchange pleasantries with Ja Morant and try to throw Morant off his game.  The Grizzlies’ need to dig in on defense more than they did in games vs GS this season – they gave up 255 points to the Warriors in two losses.DALLAS (10) vs. SACRAMENTO (9)Wednesday, April 16Sacramento -5.5O/U – 223.5If Anthony Davis is going to log big minutes in any game this season, it’s this one. The mid-season deal of Luka Doncic to the Lakers may last as long as the Red Sox’ shame in trading Babe Ruth to the Yankees, and Davis needs to produce – fast – so the Mavs can save a little face. Sacramento has plenty of problems itself, but unless Klay Thompson (14 ppg average) turns back the clock and goes off big-time, the Kings should get another bite of the apple against the 7-8 loser. Under players might want to take a long look at this one. Neither team figures to show much interest in running up and down the court. When the Mavs are eliminated, they will have to sit down and try to find a path forward with aging roster full of players who always seem to get hurt.

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