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MLS Eastern Conference Futures (2025 Season)

by Amedeus Mastrangelo

Wednesday, Feb 19, 2025

The MLS is back for another season starting on Saturday, February 22. The LA Galaxy are the defending champions from last season as they beat the New York Red Bulls in the MLS Cup Final, but neither of those teams finished at the top of their respective conferences during the regular season. Once the league gets to the playoffs it becomes anyone’s game, but the regular season is a completely different animal and not all teams are equipped to stay atop the table for the distance. Inter Miami finished at the top of the Eastern Conference last season and now that the start of the new MLS season is right around the corner, it is time to see who has the best chance of topping the Eastern Conference for the 2025 season. Eastern Conference League Winner (Regular Season) Inter Miami +125: Inter Miami is coming into this season as the team with the best chance at finishing 1st in the Eastern Conference according to the oddsmakers. Inter Miami finished last season in 1st place of the Eastern Conference with 74 points from a 22-8-4 record. They had an 8 point lead over the 2nd place team and even won the Supporters’ Shield for having the best record in the entire MLS. They did lose some key pieces from last season like Diego Gomez and Matias Rojas, but they also have a lot of depth to fill those holes and they are always going to be competitive as long as Messi is still on the team. Lionel Messi is still searching for his 1st MLS Cup since coming to the league, but he got his 1st Supporters’ Shield last season as the team proved that the regular season matters to them. Inter Miami also set the all-time MLS points record for the regular season with their performance last season, but Messi did not come to the league to be a bystander so they are going to continue to push hard this season and try to break the record they set just last year. They also have the luxury of playing in the Eastern Conference which was by far the weaker conference last season, and the competition in the East has not improved that much for this season either. Inter Miami is by far the most talented team in the Eastern Conference still and they will be pushing to perform even better than last season. There is some good value in Inter Miami to finish 1st place in the Eastern Conference at this price.  Columbus Crew +600: Columbus is coming into this season as the team with the next best chance at finishing 1st place in the Eastern Conference according to the oddsmakers. They finished last season in 2nd place of the Eastern Conference and the overall MLS table with 66 points from a 19-9-6 record. They had the best goal differential at +32, scoring 72 goals and allowing 40 goals in their 34 matches. They also had the 2nd strongest attack in the league with those 72 goals scored, but they did lose a key piece to their attack so it is going to look different for them this season. They lost Cucho Hernandez who led the team with 19 goals last season and they did not pick up a suitable replacement either. They still have a quality centre-forward in Jacen Russell-Rowe who did score 5 goals last season, but those are still going to be some very big shoes to fill in this attack for a 22 year old. Columbus still has a lot of the pieces on defense and in their midfield which has made this team so good over the last few seasons, but their attack is not going to be as strong this year with a key piece now gone from the team and no comparable replacement. They also lack a lot of depth with their forwards and that will cause problems for them trying to keep up with Miami who was the only team to finish higher last season but had 8 more points as well as 7 more goals scored. Columbus still has a very good squad that is going to be a threat in the league to win the MLS Cup this season, but they are not equipped to keep up with a team as deep as Miami in the East throughout the thick of the season. There is no real value in Columbus to finish 1st place in the Eastern Conference at this price.  FC Cincinnati +900: Cincinnati is coming into this season as the team with the next best chance at finishing 1st place in the Eastern Conference according to the oddsmakers. Cincinnati finished last season in 3rd place of the Eastern Conference with 59 points from an 18-5-11 record. They only had a +10 goal differential as they scored 58 goals in 34 matches, but also allowed 48 goals. They won the Supporters’ Shield back in 2023 and a big part of that was their outstanding defense, but they really fell off defensively last season. They lost their leading goalscorer from last season, Luciano Acosta who had 14 goals scored and 17 assists, but they did a good job at replacing him. They brought in some forwards from some smaller clubs to bolster their attack, and they also brought in Evander who had a great season on the Portland Timbers last year. He was 2nd on the team for goals scored and also led Portland in assists so he is going to take over that role for Cincinnati and they will be a lot more organized in the midfield with him on the pitch. This will help them defensively as well, but they did not make any groundbreaking moves on the defensive side to improve. Cincinnati is still going to be a dangerous team this season, but they do not have the squad to lead the conference and stay in this race for the whole season. They also won the Supporters’ Shield just 2 years ago and did not win the MLS Cup that season so their focus is still going to be on winning the MLS Cup this season. There is not a lot of value in Cincinnati to finish 1st place in the Eastern Conference at this price.  New York Red Bulls +1000: The New York Red Bulls are coming into this season as the team with the next best chance at finishing 1st place in the Eastern Conference according to the oddsmakers. The Red Bulls went to the MLS Cup Final last season and lost to the LA Galaxy, but they only finished in 7th place of the Eastern Conference with 47 points from an 11-14-9 record. They got hot once they were in the playoffs and played great defensively on that run, but they were a struggling team for a lot of the season. They only had a +4 goal differential with 55 goals scored and 50 goals allowed. They also led the MLS overall in draws with 14, the next closest in the East being 10. Those draws took a lot of points off the board for them and that will hurt them throughout the season as those dropped points tend to add up. They did make plenty of moves on defense to add a lot of depth, and they also boosted their attack by adding a veteran presence in Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting who has shown over the last few years that he still has some left in the tank when he has gotten his opportunities. The Red Bulls really underperformed during the season last year, but their run to the MLS Cup Final was a wake-up call for them to get in motion this season as they do have plenty of key pieces to be competitive in this league. They have the pieces to be a bit of a dark horse in the Eastern Conference this season, but they will need to clean up their play defensively which will be tough as their manager has also been holding them back a bit. There is not a lot of value in the New York Red Bulls to finish 1st place in the Eastern Conference at this price.  RecommendationWinning the regular season in the MLS is a very different animal than winning the MLS Cup as leading the table requires a lot of consistency for a long period of time. Many teams have the talent to win the MLS Cup by making a run in the playoffs once they are in, but only few teams in the league have the potential to top their conference for the season and take a shot at the Supporters’ Shield. The Eastern Conference is not a very strong conference either as the talent in the conference is very top heavy with the few elite teams while the rest of the Eastern Conference has a lot of parity in mediocrity. The run that the New York Red Bulls made in the playoffs last season could be the kick they needed to take the regular season more seriously as they did make a lot of moves to improve once they got a taste of that success so they do have a bit of value as a dark horse at +1000, but the Eastern Conference is pretty much a 2 horse race between the 2 strongest teams and the gap is quite wide for the rest of the conference. Inter Miami has taken over the MLS as a power since Messi got there and they are always going to be at the top of the league with him on the team. Inter Miami at +125 is the best option for a team to finish 1st place in the Eastern Conference for the regular season of the MLS.

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MLS Western Conference Futures (2025 Season)

by Amedeus Mastrangelo

Wednesday, Feb 19, 2025

The MLS is back for another season starting on Saturday, February 22. The LA Galaxy are the defending champions from last season as they beat the New York Red Bulls in the MLS Cup Final, but neither of those teams finished at the top of their respective conferences during the regular season. Once the league gets to the playoffs it becomes anyone’s game, but the regular season is a completely different animal and not all teams are equipped to stay atop the table for the distance. Los Angeles FC finished at the top of the Western Conference last season and now that the start of the new MLS season is right around the corner, it is time to see who has the best chance of topping the Western Conference for the 2025 season. Western Conference League Winner (Regular Season) Los Angeles FC +300: Los Angeles FC is coming into this season as the team with the best chance at finishing 1st in the Western Conference according to the oddsmakers. LAFC finished last season in 1st place in the Western Conference with 64 points from a 19-7-8 record. They also had the best goal differential in the Western Conference at +20, scoring 63 goals in their 34 matches and allowing 43 goals. Last year marked the end of a dynasty for LAFC as they were the dominant force in the MLS over the last few seasons and lost a lot of their key pieces prior to last season starting, but they rebuilt very well throughout the season with the pieces they brought in and ended up topping the Western Conference. They did not win the MLS Cup or the Supporters’ Shield, but they did come away with a trophy as they won the US Open Cup. LAFC is still going to be a force in the MLS this season as they continue to bring in the proper players to keep this team competitive, but they did lose 2 key pieces in the offseason and that will have a negative impact on the team. They lost their right winger Cristian Olivera and brought in Yaw Yeboah to replace him, but Yeboah did not get a lot of playing time at Columbus last season. They also lost their attacking midfielder Mateusz Bogusz who was a key piece in their attack last season, and they did not bring in a suitable replacement for him either. The team is also lacking a lot in midfield depth so that is going to cause problems for them controlling the midfield in their matches. LAFC is still going to be a top team in the Western Conference this season, but they were supposed to take a step back last season and did not, this could be the year where they really feel the impact of the quality they have lost. There is no real value in LAFC to finish 1st place in the Western Conference at this price.  LA Galaxy +400: The LA Galaxy are coming into this season as the team with the next best chance at finishing 1st place in the Western Conference according to the oddsmakers. The Galaxy finished in 2nd place in the Western Conference last season with 64 points from a 19-7-8 record. They had the same number of points and the exact same record as LAFC who finished in 1st place, but the Galaxy lost the top spot on goal differential by 1 goal. They finished with a +19 goal differential and did have a stronger attack than LAFC as they scored 69 goals in their 34 matches, but their defense was also much weaker as they allowed 50 goals. LA Galaxy did not top the Western Conference in the end, but they were the best team at the end of the season and ended up winning the MLS Cup with an incredible run in the playoffs. They were outscoring opponents by a lot near the end of the season, and they have retained a lot of that talent in their potent attack. They did lose 1 key piece to their attack in Dejan Joveljic who led the team in goals scored last season, but they brought in Christian Ramirez to replace him. Ramirez did not start many matches at Columbus last season, but he came off the bench a lot and was still 3rd on the Crew for goals scored so he is going to be playing with something to prove this year. They also brought in Marco Reus last summer who turned out to be an integral part of their midfield and really helped them on their run when they got very hot toward the end of the season. They also have a lot of depth in both their midfield and on defense so they are once again going to be a big threat in the league this season. They are the defending MLS Cup champions and will be looking to do it again, but they are also going to be pushing for the Supporters’ Shield this season after seeing Inter Miami break the all-time points record last year. Losing the top spot in the Western Conference to their rival also left a bad taste in their mouth so LA Galaxy will be looking to return to the top of the league after their rival LAFC has been running the show the last few years. The LA Galaxy have both the motivation and the squad to continue their dominance in the MLS this season. There is a lot of value in them to finish in 1st place in the Western Conference at this price. Seattle Sounders +700: Seattle is coming into this season as the team with the next best chance at finishing 1st place in the Western Conference according to the oddsmakers. Seattle finished last season in 4th place in the Western Conference with 57 points from a 16-9-9 record. They had a +16 goal differential and had the best defense in the league as they only allowed 35 goals in their 34 matches, but their attack was not very strong with 51 goals scored. They have had a great defense over the last few years and that defense has kept them very competitive in the league as they are always considered a top team, but they have not actually come close to finishing at the top of the league. Their defense gets them a lot of results throughout the season to stay in the top half of the Western Conference and it also makes them a very dangerous team in the playoffs, but their weaker attack has been a problem during the regular season as they cannot keep up with the stronger teams and will also drop points in matches they should win easily. Seattle is also due to take a big step back this season as they have been consistent in the league with a lot of veteran players, but now they have lost some of that talent and still have a much older squad. They brought in some players to improve their already great defense, but they have not made many moves to bring in impact players to improve their attack. Seattle will still be a competitive team in the league with a very good defense, but this attack is going to continue struggling to score goals in their matches. Seattle is also in dire need of a rebuild with a lot of their key players being much older in age and nearing the ends of their careers. They already lost a key veteran presence in Raul Ruidiaz as well and this will likely be a transition year for Seattle as they try to get some younger players in the squad. There is no real value in Seattle to finish 1st place in the Western Conference at this price.  Houston Dynamo +800: Houston is coming into this season as the team with the next best chance at finishing 1st place in the Western Conference according to the oddsmakers. Houston finished last season in 5th place in the Western Conference with 54 points from a 15-9-10 record. They only had a +8 goal differential as their defense was very good with 39 goals allowed in their 34 matches, but their attack was not strong with 47 goals scored which was the 3rd lowest in the Western Conference last year. They also lost a lot of key pieces and those are going to be tough holes for them to fill. They lost Sebastian Ferreira who was 2nd on the team in goals scored with 5, Adalberto Carrasquilla who was 2nd on the team in assists, and they lost Hector Herrera who was the captain of the team and really was the driving force in the midfield. They still have their leading scorer Ibrahim Aliyu, but their attack was so weak last season that he led the team in goals scored for the season with 6. They did bring in a solid midfielder from Philadelphia, Jack McGlynn, but there is still going to be a lot of new pieces in this starting XI so they will need to figure out what works best for them. They could get off to a much slower start this season as they figure things out with their new lineup and that is going to hurt them in the long run. Houston is not going to be much of a threat to be a top team in the Western Conference during the regular season this year so there is not a lot of value in them to finish in 1st place in the Western Conference at this price.  RecommendationWinning the regular season in the MLS is a very different animal than winning the MLS Cup as leading the table requires a lot of consistency for a long period of time. Many teams have the talent to win the MLS Cup by making a run in the playoffs once they are in, but only few teams in the league have the potential to top their conference for the season and take a shot at the Supporters’ Shield. The Western Conference has a lot more competition with some very good teams in the mix, but very few of those teams actually have the quality and the depth to be a top team in the conference all season. LAFC has topped the Western Conference 2 of the last 3 years in the regular season and there have not been many teams that could challenge them, but now the LA Galaxy is back with a very competitive team that are also the defending MLS Cup champions so they are going to have the motivation to put themselves back on top of the league over their rivals, and the Galaxy are also a franchise with a lot of pride due to the success they have had in the MLS throughout the years. The LA Galaxy at +400 is the best option for a team to finish 1st place in the Western Conference for the regular season of the MLS.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NCAAB, and UEFA Champions League Previews and Odds - 02/19/2025

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Feb 19, 2025

The Wednesday sports card features NBA, NCAAB, and UEFA Champions League action. The National Basketball Association returns from the All-Star break with one game on its docket. The Los Angeles Lakers host the Charlotte Hornets at 10:10 p.m. ET as a 12-point favorite, with the total set at 226.5 (all odds from DraftKings).  The NCAAB college basketball schedule has 11 games between Division I opponents. Eleven NCAAB games are on major national television. VCU plays at home against UMass on the CBS Sports Network at 6:00 p.m. ET as a 9.5-point favorite with an over/under of 146.5.  Four NCAAB games on major national television tip-off at 7:00 p.m. ET. North Carolina plays at home against North Carolina State on ESPN. The Tar Heels won for the second time in their last three games in an 88-82 victory at Syracuse as a 6.5-point favorite last Tuesday. The Wolfpack ended a nine-game losing streak with a 70-62 victory as an 8.5-point favorite on Saturday. North Carolina is a 9.5-point favorite with a total of 146.5.  West Virginia is home against Cincinnati on ESPN2. The Mountaineers lost for the sixth time in their last eight games after a 74-71 loss at Baylor as a 9-point underdog on Saturday. The Bearcats were on a three-game winning streak before an 81-70 loss at Iowa State as an 11-point underdog on Saturday. West Virginia is a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 129.5.  Georgetown hosts Providence on FS1 as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 140.5. East Tennessee State plays at home against UNC-Greensboro on ESPNU as a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under of 135.5. Bradley travels to Illinois State at 8:00 p.m. ET as a 1.5-point road favorite with a total of 144.5.  Four more NCAAB games on major national television start at 9:00 p.m. ET. Gonzaga plays at Washington State on ESPN2. The Bulldogs won for the sixth time in their last seven games in a 107-55 victory against DePaul as a 26-point favorite on Saturday. The Cougars lost for the sixth time in their previous seven games in a 77-56 loss at Saint Mary's as a 15-point underdog on Saturday. Gonzaga is a 13.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 163.5.  St. John’s is at DePaul on FS1 as a 12.5-point road favorite with a total of 143.5. Oklahoma State is at home against Central Florida on ESPNU as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 160.5.  Auburn hosts Arkansas on ESPN. The Tigers won for the 16th time in their last 17 games with a 94-85 upset victory at Alabama as a 2-point underdog on Saturday. The Razorbacks lost for the second time in their previous three games in a 69-61 loss at Texas A&M as an 8-point underdog on Saturday. Auburn is a 16.5-point favorite with an over/under of 152.5.   Boise State plays at home against New Mexico on the CBS Sports Network at 10:00 p.m. ET as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 150.5. The knockout phase playoffs in the UEFA Champions League concludes with four second-leg matches on Paramount+. Borussia Dortmund is home against Sporting Lisbon at 12:45 p.m. ET as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5.  Three more UEFA Champions League matches begin at 3:00 p.m. ET. Paris Saint-Germain hosts Stade Brest as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Real Madrid plays at home against Manchester City as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 3.5. PSV Eindhoven is home against Juventus as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5.

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NCAA Basketball System of the Week

by Al McMordie

Wednesday, Feb 19, 2025

I love handicapping NCAA Basketball.  And one of the reasons is that it is a relatively-long season (with most teams playing at least 30 regular season games), but not too long (like MLB, NBA or NHL) where the regular season games can become a bit meaningless.  And this schedule provides a situational handicapper like myself a ton of money-making opportunities along the way.One thing I like to do is play on certain teams on long losing streaks, or against certain teams on long winning streaks, as eventually these streaks will come to an end.  But sometimes, we'll also have a good situation immediately after a streak ends.  For example, when a college basketball team has won at least 10 games in a row, and then finally loses, I also like to fade that team off that loss.  Indeed, since 1990, NCAA Basketball teams are a poor 344-407-15 (45.8% ATS) off a straight-up loss, if they had won at least their 10 previous games going into that defeat.But even though there's nothing wrong with 407-344, we can improve our numbers greatly by filtering out opponents that are off a SU/ATS win.  With those games excepted, our 407-344 stat moves to 280-197-12 (58.7% ATS).  Finally, we can bring our system above the 60% mark by limiting our plays to underdog of +6 (or more) points.  In that situation, our angle zooms to 180-108-6 (62.5% ATS) since 1990.  So, our NCAA System of the Week is to play against a favorite of -6 (or more) points off a loss, if it won its 10 games prior to that defeat, and its opponent is not off a SU/ATS win.On this Wednesday, we have a team to play against, and that's the Drake Bulldogs.  Drake was on an 11-game winning streak before losing to Bradley, 61-59, as a 5.5-point home favorite three days ago.  The Bulldogs are now laying 10.5 points to Illinois-Chicago, which won, but failed to cover the spread vs. Missouri State last Sunday.  Don't be surprised if Drake does not bounce back tonight off its upset loss.Good luck, as always,Al McMordie

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAB and UEFA Champions League Previews and Odds - 02/18/2025

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Feb 18, 2025

The Tuesday sports card features NCAAB and UEFA Champions League action.The NCAAB college basketball schedule has 32 games between Division I opponents. Eleven NCAAB games are on major national television. UConn hosts Villanova on FS1 at 6:30 p.m. ET as an 8.5-point favorite with the total set at 139.5. Three NCAAB games on major national television tip-off at 7:00 p.m. ET. Davidson plays at home against Loyola-Chicago on the CBS Sports Network as a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under of 139.5. Michigan State is home against Purdue on Peacock as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 148.5. Florida hosts Oklahoma on ESPN2. The Gators have won four games in a row after their 88-67 victory against South Carolina as a 13.5-point favorite on Saturday. The Sooners are on a four-game losing streak after an 82-79 upset loss against LSU as an 8-point favorite on Saturday. Florida is a 14.5-point favorite with an over/under of 157.5. Xavier plays at home against Butler on Peacock at 8:00 p.m. ET as a 6.5-point favorite with a total of 152.5. Wisconsin is home against Illinois on FS1 at 8:30 p.m. ET as a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 161.5. Three more NCAAB games on major national television start at 9:00 p.m. ET. Marquette hosts Seton Hall on the CBS Sports Network as a 17.5-point favorite with a total of 135.5. Houston travels to Arizona State on ESPN2. The Cougars have won four games in a row after their 62-58 victory at Arizona as a 2.5-point favorite on Saturday. The Sun Devils have lost five games in a row after a 74-70 loss against TCU as a 5-point favorite on Saturday. Houston is an 11.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 134.5. BYU plays at home against Kansas on ESPN. The Cougars won for the sixth time in their last eight games in an 80-65 victory against Kansas State as an 8-point favorite on Saturday. The Jayhawks lost for the second time in their last three games in a 74-67 upset loss at Utah as a 6.5-point favorite on Saturday. BYU is a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 148.5.UCLA is home against Minnesota on FS1 at 10:30 p.m. ET as a 12.5-point favorite with an over/under of 129.5. San Diego State hosts Fresno State on the CBS Sports Network at 11:00 p.m. ET as an 18.5-point favorite with an over/under of 139.5. The knockout phase playoffs in the UEFA Champions League continues with four second-leg matches on Paramount+. AC Milan plays at home against Feyenoord at 12:45 p.m. ET. Feyenoord took the first leg at home last Wednesday by a 1-0 score. AC Milan is a -1.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3.5.Three more UEFA Champions League matches begin at 3:00 p.m. ET. Atalanta is at home against Club Brugge. Club Brugge won the first leg match at home last Wednesday, 2-1. Atalanta is a -1.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5.Bayern Munich hosts Celtic. The Bavarians won the first leg by a 2-1 score on the road last Wednesday. They are a -2.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Benfica plays at home against Monaco. They took the first leg on the road, 1-0, last Wednesday. Benfica is a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 3.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAB and Four Nations Face-Off Previews and Odds - 02/17/2025

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Feb 17, 2025

The Monday sports card features NCAAB and Four Nations Face-Off action.The NCAAB college basketball schedule has 20 games between Division I opponents. Five NCAAB games are on major national television. Bucknell hosts Lehigh on the CBS Sports Network at 7:00 p.m. ET. Bucknell has won five of their last six games after a 75-69 victory as a 1.5-point favorite on Saturday. The win improved the Bison’s record to 13-14. Lehigh ended a two-game losing streak with a 72-60 victory against Holy Cross as a 5-point favorite on Saturday. The Mountain Hawks raised their record to 10-15 with the win. Bucknell is a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 139.5 (all odds from DraftKings).  Duke travels to Virginia on ESPN at 8:00 p.m. ET. Duke has won 18 of their last 19 games after a 106-70 victory against Stanford as an 18.5-point road favorite on Saturday. The Blue Devils have a 22-3 record on the season. Virginia has won four of their last five games after a 73-70 upset victory at Virginia Tech as a 2-point underdog two days ago. The Cavaliers’ win improved their record to 13-12. Duke is a 14.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 130.5. Utah plays at home against Kansas State on ESPN2 as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 145.5. Utah ended a two-game losing streak with a 74-67 upset victory as a 6.5-point underdog against Kansas on Saturday. The Utes raised their record to 14-11 with the win. Kansas State had won six games in a row before an 80-65 loss at BYU as an 8-point underdog on Saturday. The Wildcats record dropped to 13-12 with the loss. Utah is a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 145.5. Southern University is home against Texas Southern on ESPNU at 9:00 p.m. ET. Southern has won 11 of their last 12 games after a 72-60 victory against Prairie View A&M as a 14.5-point favorite on Saturday. The Jaguars improved their record to 11-14 with the win. Texas Southern had lost three games in a row before a 67-60 win upset win at Grambling State as a 1.5-point underdog on Saturday. The Tigers improved their record to 11-14 with the win. Southern is a 6.5-point favorite with an over/under of 141.5. Baylor hosts Arizona on ESPN at 10:00 p.m. ET. Baylor has won two of their last three games after a 74-71 win against West Virginia as a 9-point favorite on Saturday. The Bears have a 16-9 record. Arizona has lost two games in a row after their 62-58 loss to Houston as a 2.5 underdog two days ago. Baylor is a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 150.5. The Four Nations Face-Off in hockey continues with the two games on TNT/truTV/Max at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Canada battles Finland at 1:00 p.m. ET as a -410 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. USA challenges Sweden as a -198 money line favorite with a 5.5 total.

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UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Song

by Will Rogers

Sunday, Feb 16, 2025

UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. SongSaturday, February 22ndClimate Pledge Arena - Seattle, WA The final UFC in February will be held in the Pacific Northwest, at Seattle's Climate Pledge Arena. The main event sees Henry Cejudo take on China's Yadong Song. Before that 5-round bantamweight bout, Brendan Allen and Anthony Hernandez will renew acquaintances at middleweight. Though the card is a little short on star power, especially after a few cancellations, I've managed to uncover a couple of strong wagering opportunities. I've shared one of them with you below. The Main EventHenry "The Messenger" Cejudo (16-4) began his career with 10 straight wins. His 10-fight winning streak came to an end in April 2016, when he was KO'd by Demetrious Johnson. That was followed by a split decision loss. All of a sudden, Cejudo was off back-to-back losses. He promptly answered the bell by winning six straight fights, including a revenge victory against Johnson. Cejudo's 6-fight winning streak has been followed by losses in his last 2 fights. Both were decision losses against top level opposition, only one of the decisions was unanimous. Can the recently turned 38-year old turn back the clock and avoid a third straight loss? Not according to the oddsmakers. Yadong Song, more than a decade younger, is a -270 betting favorite. The total has opened at 4.5o-140.  Song (21-8) is off a decision loss of his own, also against a top tier opponent. Prior to that, the "Kung Fu Kid" had won two straight and five of his past six. Song was an underdog against Petr Yan in his last fight. The fact that he's such a large favorite on Saturday says as much about Cejudo's age, as it does about Song. It may well go the distance but the younger, faster fighter should prevail. Cejudo says otherwise: "I will make the greatest combat sports comeback of 2025. It’s All or Nothing - Tune in."The Co-Main EventBrendan "All In" Allen (24-6) and Anthony "Fluffy" Hernandez fought each other in January of 2018. Hernandez won a unanimous decision. On Saturday, seven years later, they'll meet again. Hernandez is a steep -270 favorite to beat Allen for a second time. The total is 2.5o-170. Hernandez, now 31 years old, has won 6 straight. Only one of those fights went the distance.  Allen, who lost to Imavov last fight, has never lost two in a row. Prior to the Imavov fight, he had won 7 straight. His most recent win was against a fighter (Curtis) who had previously defeated him. So, he does have a history of getting revenge. The 29-year old Allen said this: “Coming off a loss, I’m always a different monster. It’s different. Plus, it’s a redemption fight for me and, I don’t know, I hope that I go out here, beat ‘Fluffy’ – and I won’t talk bad about ‘Fluffy’ whatsoever or be disrespectful, because I really like ‘Fluffy’ as a human. He’s a great human. But I’m going to go out there and I’m going to do my job. I’m going to finish him and hopefully after that it just shows circumstances weren’t on my side in France and I’m still the killer who should be close to the title shot – and hopefully I get a top-five guy next, really put a statement on them and put me back in contention.”My PickIbo Aslan and Ion Cutelaba Under 1.5 rounds. We should be able to get some plus money on the under 1.5 rounds in the Aslan/Cutelaba fight. Good value seeing as I don't see this fight lasting very long. Aslan (14-1) has seen 12 of his 15 fights end in the first round. Three of Cutelaba's last 6 fights have also ended in the first round. Go with the under. 

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NBA All Star Game Analysis and Prediction

by ASA, Inc.

Sunday, Feb 16, 2025

2025 NBA All-Star Game Odds & Analysis   The NBA All-Star Weekend has taken a new twist this year with a four-team tournament setup, featuring some of the league's legends as coaches. Here's a breakdown of the teams, odds, and some predictions: These games will be played with the first team to score 40-points advancing.   The Teams: Shaq's OGs: This team is the OGs as the name implies with some of the league’s best Vets. The ‘old guys’ on this roster include LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, James Harden along with young stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. They are favored at +135 to win the whole event. Chuck's Global Stars: Chuck’s roster is mainly made up of international stars and foreign-born players. This lineup features: Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Alperen Sengun, Donovan Mitchell, Pascal Siakam, Trae Young and Karl-Anthony Towns. This team has the two best players in the NBA on their roster with SGA and the Joker. They come in at +190, and if Giannis was in the lineup, would be the best bet of the day to win it all. Kenny's Young Stars: Featuring rising stars like Anthony Edwards and Jalen Brunson, this team could be a tough out for anyone considering these guys will play hard no matter what the circumstances are. Rounding out this roster is: Tyler Herro, Cade Cunningham, Darius Garland, Jaren Jackson Jr, Evan Mobley and Jalen Williams. They're listed at +340 to win it all. Candace's Rising Stars: The wildcard here, as they'll consist of the winners from the Rising Stars event. This is a very big moment for these young guys, and we don’t expect them to survive the pressure of the All-Star atmosphere. With odds at +850, this team is the long shot and will have their hands full in the opening game against Shaq’s OGs. Stephon Castle, Dalton Knecht, Jaylen Wells, Keyonte George, Zach Edey, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Ryan Dunn and Amen Thompson.   Game Spreads and Totals: Chuck vs. Kenny: Team Chuck is favored by 4.5 points. The total points set at 74.5 for this game.  We expect Team Chuck to advance and cover the spread in the process. Shaq vs. Candace: A 6.5-point spread in favor of Shaq's team, with a total of 72.5 points. Even though these teams are only playing to 40-points, the old guys will win and cover in the process.   Betting Prediction:   Team Chuck at +190: All of these rosters are loaded, but we like the value with Team Chuck at +190. This roster features the MVP favorites Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and has a great mix of players to complement them. They have a balanced attack that could be hard to stop with Mitchell, Towns and Young who can space the floor with their perimeter shooting. Wemby gives them a shot-blocker and rim protector in the middle. Siakam and Sengun are energy guys and will hit the boards hard and play defense.   Conclusion:   ·       The NBA ratings have plummeted this season and this is an attempt by Adan Silver to create a competitive environment on All-Star weekend. We actually feel this might work and expect games to have some semblance of defense which hasn't been the case in the past decade. Enjoy the games on Sunday. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAB and EPL Previews and Odds - 02/16/2025

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Feb 16, 2025

The Sunday sports card features NCAAB and EPL action.The NCAAB college basketball schedule has 25 games between Division I opponents. Eleven NCAAB games are on major national television. Two NCAAB games on major national television tip-off at noon ET. Florida Atlantic travels to Temple on ESPN2 as a 2.5-point road favorite with the total set at 159.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Memphis plays at Wichita State on ESPN as a 7.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 150.5. Ohio State hosts Michigan on CBS at 1:00 p.m. ET as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 150.5. Three NCAAB games on major national television start at 2:00 p.m. ET. Cleveland State plays at home against Youngstown State as a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 142.5. Drake is home against Bradley on ESPN2 as a 6.5-point favorite with a total of 129.5. South Dakota State is at South Dakota on the CBS Sports Network as a 6.5-point road favorite with a total of 171.5. St. John’s hosts Creighton on FS1 at 3:00 p.m. ET as a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 143.5. New Mexico State plays at home against Utah State. Two games are on NCAAB games on major national television beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET. New Mexico State plays at home against Utah State on the CBS Sports Network as a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 159.5. UAB is home against South Florida as a 9.5-point favorite with a total of 157.5. Maryland hosts Iowa on FS1 as an 11.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 158.5. Oregon plays at home against Rutgers at 7:00 p.m. ET as a 7.5-point favorite with a total of 153.5.Matchweek 25 in the English Premier League continues with two matches. Liverpool hosts Wolverhampton on the USA Network as a 1.5-goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Tottenham hosts Manchester United as -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAB, EPL and Four Nations Face-Off Previews and Odds - 02/15/2025

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Feb 15, 2025

The Saturday sports card features NCAAB, Four Nations Face-Off, and EPL action.The NCAAB college basketball schedule has 146 games between Division I opponents. Twenty-six NCAAB games are on major national television. Three NCAAB games on major national television tip-off at noon ET. Texas A&M hosts Arkansas on ESPN as an 8.5-point favorite with the total set at 140.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). Xavier plays at home against DePaul as a 12.5-point favorite with an over/under of 146.5. Pittsburgh is home against Miami (FL) as a 12.5-point favorite with a total of 151.5. George Mason hosts Saint Joseph’s on the USA Network at 12:30 p.m. ET as a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 134.5. Purdue plays at home against Wisconsin on CBS at 1:00 p.m. ET as a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 149.5. Navy is home against Army on the CBS Sports Network at 1:30 p.m. ET as a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 143.5. Four NCAAB games on major national television start at 2:00 p.m. ET. Baylor hosts West Virginia on ESPN2 as an 8.5-point favorite with a total of 135.5. Butler plays at home against Georgetown on FS1 as a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 141.5. Houston plays at Arizona on ESPN as a 1.5-point road favorite with a total of 137.5.  Samford travels to Wofford on ESPNU as a 1.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 148.5. UConn plays at Seton Hall on Fox at 2:30 p.m. ET as a 14.5-point road favorite with a total of 132.5. Northeastern is home against Stony Brook on the CBS Sports Network at 3:30 p.m. ET as an 11.5-point favorite with an over/under of 142.5. Three NCAAB games on major national television begin at 4:00 p.m. ET. Duke hosts Stanford on ABC as an 18.5-point favorite with a total of 140.5. Alabama plays at home against Auburn on ESPN as a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 171.5. Iowa State is home against Cincinnati on ESPN2 as an 11.5-point favorite with a total of 138.5.Three major nationally televised NCAAB games start at 6:00 p.m. ET. North Carolina visits Syracuse on ESPN as a 6.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 154.5. Tulsa hosts UTSA on ESPNU as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 147.5. Villanova plays at Providence on the CBS Sports Network as a 2.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 141.5. Five NCAAB games on major national television begin at 8:00 p.m. ET. Yale is home against Princeton on ESPNU as an 8.5-point favorite at BetOnline with a total of 147. Illinois hosts Michigan State on Fox as a 6.5-point favorite with an over/under of 156.5. Western Kentucky plays at home against Middle Tennessee on the CBS Sports Network as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 152.5. Arkansas State is home against Troy on ESPN2 as a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 144.5. Texas hosts Kentucky on ESPN as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 159.5. Three NCAAB games on major national television start at 10:00 p.m. ET. Kansas is at Utah on ESPN as a 6.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 145.5. San Diego State plays at home against Boise State on the CBS Sports Network as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 135.5. Saint Mary’s is home against Washington State on ESPN2 as a 15.5-point favorite with an over/under of 140.5. The Four Nations Face-Off in hockey continues with the two games on ABC at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada. Sweden challenges Finland at 1:10 p.m. ET as a -205 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The United States battles Canada at 8:10 p.m. ET with both teams priced as a  -110 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5.Matchweek 25 in the English Premier League continues with seven matches. Arsenal travels to Leicester City on the USA Network at 7:30 a.m. ET as a -1.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 2.5. Five more EPL matches begin at 10:00 a.m. ET. Aston Villa hosts Ipswich Town as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Fulham plays at home against Nottingham Forest on the USA Network as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. Manchester City is home against Newcastle United as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Bournemouth plays at Southampton as a -1.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 3.5. West Ham United hosts Brentford as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Crystal Palace plays at home against Everton on NBC at 12:30 p.m. ET as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: EPL and NCAAB Previews and Odds - 02/14/2025

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Feb 14, 2025

The Friday sports card features NCAAB and EPL action.The NCAAB college basketball schedule has 16 games between Division I opponents. Five NCAAB games are on major national television. Three of these nationally televised NCAAB games tip off at 7:00 p.m. ET. Loyola-Chicago hosts Saint Louis on ESPN2. The Ramblers won for the third time in their last four games in an 87-80  victory at Richmond as a 5-point favorite on Tuesday. The Billikens have lost three of their last four games after a 76-74 upset loss at home against George Mason as a 1.5-point favorite on Tuesday. Loyola-Chicago is a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 140.5. Quinnipiac travels to Sacred Heart on ESPNU at 7:00 p.m. ET. The Bobcats lost for the second time in their last three games in a 76-75 upset loss against Niagara as a 10.5-point favorite on Saturday. The Pioneers are on a five-game winning streak after a 77-71 win at Fairfield as a 1.5-point favorite on Saturday. Quinnipiac is a 3.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 156.5. Kent State plays at home against Ohio on the CBS Sports Network at 7:00 p.m. ET. The Golden Flashes have won three games in a row after their 91-83 win against Central Michigan as an 8-point favorite on Tuesday. The Bobcats won for the second time in their last three games with an 86-81 upset victory at Bowling Green as a 4.5-point underdog on Tuesday. Kent State is a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 145.5. UCLA plays at Indiana on Fox at 8:00 p.m. ET. The Bruins had won seven games in a row before an 83-78 loss at Illinois as a 6.5-point underdog on Tuesday. The Hoosiers ended a five-game losing streak with a 71-67 upset victory at Michigan State as an 11.5-point underdog on Tuesday. UCLA is a 1.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 139.5. Nevada is at San Jose State on FS1 at 10:00 p.m. ET. The Wolf Pack are on a three-game winning streak after their 94-69 victory against Fresno State as a 16-point favorite on Monday. The Spartans have lost two games in a row after their 69-66 loss to San Diego State as a 9-point underdog on Tuesday. Nevada is a 6.5-point road favorite with a total of 135.5.Matchweek 25 in the English Premier League begins with one match. Chelsea visits Brighton and Hove Albion on the USA Network at 3:00 p.m. ET. The Blues won for the second time in their last three EPL matches with a 2-1 victory against West Ham United on February 3rd. They are in fourth place on the EPL table with 43 points. The Seagulls have lost two in a row in EPL play after a 7-0 loss at Nottingham Forest on February 1st. They are in tenth place on the table with 34 points. Chelsea is a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NCAAB and Four Nations Face-Off Previews and Odds - 02/13/2025

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Feb 13, 2025

The Thursday sports card features NBA, NCAAB, and Four Nations Face-Off action.The National Basketball Association has five games on its docket. Two NBA games tip off at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Sacramento Kings travel to New Orleans to play the Pelicans as a 6.5-point road favorite, with the total set at 236.5 (all odds from DraftKings). The Houston Rockets host the Golden State Warriors as a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under of 220.5. Two more NBA games start at 8:40 p.m. ET. The Oklahoma City Thunder play at Minnesota against the Timberwolves on TNT. The Thunder are on a seven-game winning streak after their 115-101 victory against Miami as a 14-point favorite on Wednesday. The Timberwolves have lost two games in a row after their 103-101 upset loss at home against Milwaukee as an 8-point favorite last night. Oklahoma City is a 6-point road favorite with a total of 222. The Miami Heat are in Dallas to play the Mavericks at 8:40 p.m. ET as a 1.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 221. The Los Angeles Clippers visit Utah to play the Jazz at 9:10 p.m. ET as a 7.5-point road favorite with a total of 225.5. The NCAAB college basketball schedule has 59 games between Division I opponents. Seven NCAAB games are on major national television. Monmouth plays at Stony Brook on the CBS Sports Network at 5:00 p.m. ET as a 2.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 142.5. Two more NCAAB games on major national television begin at 7:00 p.m. ET. UNC-Wilmington plays at home against Charleston on the CBS Sports Network as a 6.5-point favorite with a total of 149.5. High Points is home against Longwood on ESPNU as a 10.5-point favorite with an over/under of 155.5.Two NCAAB games on major national television start at 9:00 p.m. ET. North Dakota State hosts Oral Roberts on the CBS Sports Network as a 13.5-point favorite with a total of 153.5. Memphis is at South Florida on ESPN2. The Tigers are on a seven-game winning streak after a 90-82 victory as a 15-point favorite on Sunday. The Bulls lost for the fifth time in their last seven games in a 75-70 upset loss against Wichita State as a 1-point favorite on Sunday. Memphis is a 7.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 151.5. Two NCAAB games on major national television begin at 11:00 p.m. ET. UC-Irvine is home against UC-Santa Barbara on ESPNU as an 8.5-point favorite with an over/under of 139.5. Gonzaga plays at home against San Francisco on ESPN. The Bulldogs won for the fourth time in their last five games in a 78-61 victory as a 25-point favorite on Saturday. The Dons are on a four-game winning streak after a 72-66 victory at Loyola-Marymount as a 3-point favorite on Saturday. Gonzaga is a 14.5-point favorite with a total of 153.5. The Four Nations Face-Off in hockey continues with the United States battling Finland at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, on ESPN at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Americans are a -345 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5.

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