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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, WNBA, NHL and MLB Previews and Odds - 06/10/2021

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Jun 10, 2021

The Thursday sports card features games in the NBA, NHL, MLB, and the WNBA.Two games are on the NBA playoff docket. Milwaukee hosts Brooklyn on ESPN at 7:30 PM ET in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series. The Nets took a 2-0 lead in this series with their 125-86 upset victory as a 1.5-point underdog on Monday. Brooklyn has won four straight games and 11 of their last 12. The Bucks had swept the Miami Heat in the opening round of the playoffs before losing these first two games. Milwaukee is a 3.5-point favorite, with the total set at 234 (all odds from BetOnline).Utah plays at home against the Los Angeles Clippers in the second game of the ESPN doubleheader at 10 PM ET in the second game of their Western Conference semifinals series. The Jazz won the opener of this series with a 112-109 victory as a 3-point favorite on Tuesday. They have won five games in a row. The Clippers had their two-game winning streak from their seven-game series snapped with the loss. Utah is a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 221.One game is on the NHL playoff schedule. Vegas returns home with a 3-2 lead in the West Division finals after their 3-2 win in overtime in Colorado on Tuesday. The Avalanche had won 11 straight games before dropping the last three games to the Golden Knights. Vegas is a -135 money line favorite with the total at 5.5 for Game 6. The puck drops at 9:08 PM ET on the NBC Sports Network. Ten games are on the MLB slate. Milwaukee plays at Cincinnati at 12:35 PM ET as a -120 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Brewers send out Wily Peralta to face Luis Castillo. The Los Angeles Dodgers visit Pittsburgh as a -220 money line road favorite with a total of 9. The Dodgers’ Julio Urias starts against the Pirates’ Mitch Keller. Philadelphia hosts Atlanta at 1:05 PM ET as a -129 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Zack Wheeler takes the ball for the Phillies against the Braves Ian Anderson. Seattle is at Detroit at 1:10 PM ET. Justus Sheffield starts for the Mariners against the Tigers’ Tyler Alexander. San Francisco plays at Washington at 7:05 PM ET. Anthony DeSclafani starts for the Giants against the Nationals’ Max Scherzer. Boston hosts Houston at 7:10 PM ET, with both teams priced at -110 with a total of 9. Miami is at home against Colorado as a -195 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Marlins’ Trevor Rogers pitches against the Rockies’ Chi Chi Gonzalez. Toronto visits Chicago to play the White Sox at 8:10 PM ET as a -112 money line road favorite. Hyun-Jin Ryu starts for the Blue Jays against Dallas Keuchel. The New York Yankees play at Minnesota. Michael King pitches for the Yankees against the Twins’ J.A. Happ. Oakland hosts Kansas City at 9:40 PM ET as a -151 money line favorite. The A’s send out Frankie Montas to face the Royals’ Mike Minor.One game is on the WNBA schedule. Los Angeles plays at Washington at 7 PM ET. 

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NHL Hockey: Boston Bruins vs. New York Islanders Game 6 Preview, Odds and Prediction - 06/09/2021

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Jun 09, 2021

NHL Wednesday NBC Sports Network Preview: Boston Bruins at the New York Islanders.The New York Islanders look to close out the East Division finals tonight at home at their Nassau Coliseum on the NBC Sports Network at 7:38 PM ET.New York took a 3-2 lead in this series with their 5-4 victory in Boston on Monday. The Bruins opened the scoring 1:25 minutes into the first period with David Pastrnak’s goal. Matthew Barzal evened the score with a power-play goal with 1:11 left in the period. The Islanders’ top-line center has scored in three straight games in this series. Kyle Palmieri gave New York a 2-1 lead with his power-play goal at 4:49 in the second period. Brad Marchand evened the score with his goal at 7:27. Josh Bailey gave the Isles the lead once again with his goal at 14:30. Jordan Eberle made it a 4-2 score with his power-play goal at 16:36. Brock Nelson extended the lead to 5-2 in the opening two minutes of the third period. Pastrnak scored his second power-play goal at 3:48 of the third period to pull the Bruins to within two goals. David Krejci made it a one-goal game with his score at 14:43, but the Bruins could not score again to force overtime.The Islanders scored three power-play goals in their four opportunities in the game. Those three goals matched the three power-play goals they had scored in the first four games in this series on 11 chances. New York has now scored six power-play goals in their 15 opportunities in this series. They scored three power-play goals from 16 chances in their opening round six-game series with Pittsburgh. The Islanders improved to a 29.0% power-play success rate with nine goals in 31 opportunities with the man advantage in the postseason.Anthony Beavillier co-leads the Islanders with 11 points coming from four goals and seven assists points in the playoffs. Jean-Gabriel Pageau has three goals and eight assists for 11 points. Palmieri leads the team with six goals in the postseason. Semyon Varlamov made 40 saves in the win on Monday. He has a 3-1 record in this series with a .936 save percentage, with 146 saves in the 156 shots he has faced. Varlamov is 3-3 in the playoffs, with a 2.72 goals-against-average and a .925 save percentage. He replaced Ilya Sorokin, who started in New York’s 5-2 Game 1 loss in Boston. The rookie has a 4-1 record in the postseason with a 2.32 goals-against-average and a .934 save percentage after making four starts in the opening round against the Penguins. Head coach Bruce Cassidy pulled his goaltender, Tuukka Rask, after the second period with him allowing four goals in the 16 shots he faced. Rookie Jeremy Swayman came on to stop two of the three shots he faced in the final period. Cassidy later commented that the decision was a maintenance issue with Rask not at 100%. Cassidy has not confirmed who will be in goal tonight for the Bruins. Rask is 6-3 in the playoffs, with a 2.20 goals-against-average and a .925 save percentage. Swayman made his first appearance in the postseason after posting a 7-3-0 record in ten regular-season starts. He had a 1.50 goals-against-average and a .945 save percentage in those ten games. David Pastrnak leads Boston with seven goals and 14 points in the playoffs. Brad Marchand has added six goals and four assists. Charlie McAvoy tops the team with ten assists in the postseason. Game 7 is set for Friday night if the Bruins win tonight’s game. BetAnySports lists Boston as a -132 money line road favorite with the total set at 5.Computer prediction:  Boston Bruins 3 New York Islanders 1

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, MLB and WNBA Previews and Odds - 06/09/2021

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Jun 09, 2021

The Wednesday sports card features games in the NBA, NHL, MLB, and the WNBA.One game is on the NBA playoff docket. Phoenix hosts Denver on TNT at 9:35 PM ET in Game Two of their Western Conference semifinals series. The Suns won the opening game by a 122-105 score as a 6-point favorite on Monday. Phoenix has won four games in a row. The Nuggets had won their two previous games to close out their first-round series with Portland. Denver has still won four of their last six games. Phoenix is a 6-point favorite with the total set at 222 (all odds from BetOnline).The NHL plays continue with one game. Boston visits New York to face the Islanders on the NBC Sports Network at 7:38 PM ET. The Islanders took a 3-2 lead in this season with their 5-4 victory in Boston on Monday. The Bruins have lost three of the last four games of this series after winning Game 1, 5-2. Boston is a -130 money line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5.Fifteen games are on the MLB slate. Texas plays at home against San Francisco at 2:05 PM ET as a -108 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Arizona visits Oakland at 3:37 PM ET. San Diego hosts the Chicago Cubs at 4:10 PM ET as a -193 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Los Angeles Dodgers travels to Pittsburgh at 7:05 PM ET as a -162 money line road favorite with a total of 9. Philadelphia is at home against Atlanta as a -123 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. The New York Mets visit Baltimore as a -132 money line road favorite with a total of 9. Milwaukee plays at Cincinnati at 7:10 PM ET as a -113 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Detroit hosts Seattle as a -120 money line favorite with the total at 8.5. Tampa Bay plays at home against Washington as a -146 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Boston is at home against Houston as a -128 money line favorite with a total of 9.5. Colorado travels to Miami.The New York Yankees play at Minnesota at 8:10 PM ET as a -171 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Chicago White Sox hosts Toronto as a -147 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. St. Louis is at home against Cleveland at 8:15 PM ET as a -121 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Los Angeles Angels play at home against Kansas City on ESPN at 9:38 PM ET. The Angels have won four of their last five games with their 8-1 in the second game of this series. The Royals have lost four in a row. Kansas City sends out Brad Keller to face Griffin Canning. Los Angeles is a -128 money line favorite with a total of 9.Two games are on the WNBA slate. Seattle visits Atlanta at 7 PM ET. Indiana travels to Chicago at 10 PM ET. Both games are on the CBS Sports Network.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, WNBA, MLB and NHL Previews and Odds - 06/08/2021

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Jun 08, 2021

The Tuesday sports card features games in the NBA, NHL, MLB, and the WNBA.Two games are on the NBA playoff docket. Philadelphia hosts Atlanta in the second game of the Eastern Conference semifinals series on TNT at 7:35 PM ET. The Hawks took Game 1 with a 128-124 upset victory on the road as a 4.5-point underdog on Sunday. Atlanta has won nine of their last ten games. The 76ers have lost two of their last three. Philadelphia is a 5-point favorite with the total set at 223 (all odds from BetOnline). Utah plays at home against the Los Angeles Clippers in the second game of the TNT doubleheader at 10:05 PM ET in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinals series. The Jazz defeated Memphis in their opening-round playoff series in five games with their 126-110 victory as a 9-point favorite last Wednesday. The Clippers defeated Dallas in Game 7 of their opening-round series on Sunday, 126-111, as a 6-point favorite. Utah is a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 220.Two games are on the NHL playoff slate. Tampa Bay visits Carolina on the NBC Sports Network at 6:38 PM ET. The Lightning took a 3-1 lead in the Central Division finals with their 6-4 victory at home on Saturday. The Hurricanes look to keep their season alive at home in their PNC Arena. Tampa Bay is a -118 money line road favorite with a total of 5.5. Colorado plays at home against Vegas on the NBC Sports Network at 9:08 PM ET. The Golden Knights evened the West Division finals at 2-2 with their 5-1 victory against the Avalanche on Sunday. Colorado is a -145 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Fifteen games are on the MLB schedule. The Los Angeles Dodgers travel to Pittsburgh at 7:05 PM ET as a -185 money line road favorite with a total of 8. The New York Mets visit Baltimore as a -115 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Philadelphia plays at home against Atlanta as a -152 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Detroit hosts Seattle at 7:10 PM ET as a -110 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Miami is at home against Colorado as a -169 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. Cincinnati plays at home against Milwaukee as a -126 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Houston plays at Boston as a -119 money line road favorite with a total of 9.5. Tampa Bay hosts Washington on FS1 as a -195 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5.San Francisco visits Texas at 8:05 PM ET as a -133 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The Chicago White Sox plays at home against Toronto at 8:10 PM ET as a -147 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The New York Yankees travels to Minnesota as a -109 money line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Cleveland plays at St. Louis at 8:15 PM ET as a -163 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Los Angeles Angels are at home against Kansas City at 9:38 PM ET as a -145 money line favorite with a total of 9. Oakland hosts Arizona at 9:40 PM ET as a -207 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. San Diego plays at home against the Chicago Cubs as a -166 money line favorite with a total of 7.5.Two games are on the WNBA schedule. Minnesota visits Washington at 7 PM ET as a 3-point road favorite with an over/under of 166.5. Phoenix plays at home against Dallas at 10 PM ET as a 1-point favorite with the total at 168.

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2021 NBA Playoffs: The Western Conference 2nd Round Preview

by Will Rogers

Monday, Jun 07, 2021

A look at the upcoming Western Conference playoffs:Phoenix vs. DenverSeries odds – Phoenix -225, Denver +180Odds to win Western Conference: Phoenix +290, Denver +900Odds to win NBA title: Phoenix +850, Denver +1800If this is the end of the Lakers’ run with LeBron James, let the record show that execution was carried out by the long-suffering Phoenix Suns, who kicked butt (8-0) in the bubble last fall and picked right off where they left off. If the Suns were bummed out that all the second-best record in the West got them a first-round date with the James / Anthony Davis Lakers, they didn’t show it. Led by Devin Booker, Phoenix bended, folded and mutilated the aging James and the ailing Davis. Phoenix laughed at oddsmakers who made LA the favorite to win its second straight title, then went out and took apart the Lakers in six games. The Suns now flip the script and become the favorites in their West semifinal matchup with a weirdly inconsistent Nuggets team, which is led by consensus league MVP Nikola Jokic. Jokic is as comfortable beyond the 3-point line as he is on the block, and no team is the league has yet figured out exactly what to do about him. As if that wasn’t enough, Phoenix will also have to deal with emerging star Michael Porter Jr., who has stepped up big-time to fill the shoes of injured (and out for the season) guard Jamal Murray. Porter will have his hands full on the defensive end, as no guard tandem in the league is playing better right now than Booker and PG Chris Paul. The No. 2-seed Suns are favored in this series, but it would hardly be a major upset if the Nuggets – even without Murray – figure out a way to get it done.Utah vs. Los Angeles ClippersSeries odds – Utah -123, Los Angeles +113Odds to win Western Conference: Utah +125, Los Angeles +260Odds to win NBA title: Utah +325, Los Angeles +650NBA marketing types are breathing a little easier today after the Clippers were able to advance, and the league dodged a second bullet of having another LA team laid waste in the playoffs. Losing the defending champ Lakers was bad enough, but not having the Clips in even the second round would have been tough to swallow. No worries, though. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George made sure that the home team would win at least one time in the series, and took Game 7 against the Mavericks. Now, just two days later the Clippers must start all over again – against a rested best-in-the-West Utah team that hasn’t played since eliminating Memphis on June 2. The Jazz earned the top seed by winning 52 games (in a full 82-game season that would play out to 59), and would go down in history as the most anonymous NBA champion ever if they can pull it off. Donovan Mitchell is a legit star and Rudy Gobert has been protecting rims for nearly a decade, but after that? There’s a Bogdanovic, but no one really knows which one. And whatever is left of Mike Conley. Jordan Clarkson has been dynamite off the bench. Somehow coach Quinn Snyder makes it all work, and the Jazz will be favored in the series despite the fact that home teams in the Dallas/LA series went 1-6. The Clippers were able to hold off the Mavericks partly because the Mavs just didn’t have the horses to match LA’s production, especially off the bench. Luka Doncic was Luka Doncic (he averaged nearly 40 points in the four games in LA), but the Clippers were more than able to match that with Leonard and George, and LA had an edge in everything else.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NHL, MLB and NBA Previews and Odds - 06/07/2021

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Jun 07, 2021

The Monday sports card features games in the NBA, NHL, and MLBTwo games are on the NBA playoff docket. Brooklyn hosts Milwaukee in the first game of a TNT doubleheader at 7:35 PM ET. The Nets won the opener of this series on Saturday with their 115-107 victory as a 3.5-point favorite. They have won 10 of their last 11 games. The Bucks had their four-game winning streak end with the loss after they swept Miami in the opening round of the playoffs. Brooklyn is a 1.5-point favorite, with the total set at 233.5 (all odds from BetOnline).Phoenix plays at home against Denver in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinals series. The Suns have won three in a row after defeating the Los Angeles Lakers by a 113-110 score as a 2-point underdog on Thursday to conclude that series in six games. The Nuggets have won four of their last five games after upsetting Portland on the road, 126-115, as a 5.5-point underdog on Thursday in the sixth game of their series. Phoenix is a 4.5-point favorite with an over/under of 219.5. Two games are on the NHL playoff slate. Boston is at home against the New York Islanders on the NBC Sports Network at 6:38 PM ET. The Islanders evened the East Division finals at 2-2 with their 4-1 victory at home on Saturday. The Bruins are a -186 money line favorite with a total of 5.Montreal plays at home against Winnipeg in the fourth game of their North Division finals series at 8:05 PM ET. The Canadiens took a 3-0 lead in this series with their 5-1 victory in Game 3 yesterday. Montreal is a -150 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5.Three games are on the MLB slate. Boston hosts Miami at 5:10 PM ET. The Red Sox won their fourth straight game with their 6-5 win in 10 innings at New York against the Yankees on Sunday night on ESPN. The Marlins ended their eight-game losing streak with their 3-1 victory at Pittsburgh yesterday. They send out Pablo Lopez to face Nick Pivetta. Boston is a -146 money line favorite with a total of 9.The Los Angeles Angels play at home against Kansas City at 9:38 PM ET. The Royals had won five games in a row, but they are now on a two-game losing streak after falling to Minnesota, 2-1, on Sunday. The Angels had their two-game winning streak end with a 9-5 loss to Seattle on Sunday. They send out Dylan Bundy to face Jackson Kowar. Los Angeles is a -132 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5.San Diego plays at home against the Chicago Cubs on ESPN at 10:10 PM ET. The Padres lost their sixth game in their last eight with their 6-2 loss to the New York Mets yesterday. The Cubs ended a three-game losing streak with their 4-3 victory at San Francisco yesterday. They are likely to send out Adbert Alzolay against Ryan Weathers. San Diego is a -123 money line favorite with a total of 7.5.

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NHL Hockey: Colorado Avalanche vs. Vegas Golden Knights Game 4 Preview, Odds and Prediction - 06/06/2021

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Jun 06, 2021

NHL Sunday NBC Sports Network Preview: Colorado Avalanche at the Vegas Golden Knights.Vegas looks to even the West Division finals at 2-2 after winning their first game of this series with a 3-2 victory on Friday. The puck drops on the NBC Sports Network at 8:38 PM ET.The Golden Knights began the scoring in Game 3 with William Karlsson registering a goal at the 4:38 minute mark of the second period. Carl Soderberg tied the game for Colorado a minute and a half later. Mikko Rantanen gave the Avalanche the lead on a power-play goal at 5:04 of the third period. Jonathan Marchessault evened the score again with 5:18 left in the game. Max Pacioretty scored the game-winning 45 seconds later for the Knights. Pacioretty has generated four points in the four games he has placed since Game 7 of the opening-round series with Minnesota after missing the first six games of that series. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 18 of the 20 shots he faced in the winning effort. He has a 1.88 goals-against-average and a .922 save percentage in the postseason.  Mark Stone leads the team with four goals and six points in the playoffs. William Karlsson has added three goals and three assists. Mattias Janmark has another three goals and three assists in the postseason. The Avalanche had their 11-game winning streak end with the loss on Friday. Colorado swept St. Louis in four games in the opening round of the playoffs. They won the opening game of this series, 7-1, before outlasting Vegas in Game 2 with a 3-2 win in overtime. Colorado is averaging 4.57 goals per game in the playoffs. They have scored a power-play goal in six of their seven postseason games, with multiple power-play goals in four of those contests. They have a 44% success rate on the power play in the playoffs with 11 goals in their 25 opportunities with the man advantage. The top forward line of Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, and Rantanen have outscored their opponents by a 13 to 1 margin when they have been on the ice in the postseason. MacKinnon leads the team with eight goals and 13 points. Landeskog has four goals and eight assists. Rantanen has added four goals and seven assists. Philipp Grubauer stopped 40 shots for the Avalanche in the loss. He has a 6-1 record in the playoffs with a 1.86 goals-against-average and a .941 save percentage. Colorado will continue to be without second-line center Nazem Kadri, who continues to serve out the eight-game suspension he got issued for an ill-advised hit in the opening round against the Blues.The Golden Knights get back Ryan Reaves tonight after serving his two-game suspension for his antics at the end of Game 1. Janmark is questionable from the head injury he sustained in that opening game. Top-four defenseman Brayden McNabb remains questionable in quarantine after a positive COVID test. Fourth-line center Tomas Nosek is questionable with the injury that has kept him out for the last eight games.BookMaker lists Colorado as a -113 money line road favorite with the total set at 5.5.Computer prediction:  Vegas Golden Knights 4 Colorado Avalanche 3

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, MLB and WNBA Previews and Odds - 06/06/2021

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Jun 06, 2021

The Sunday sports card features games in the NBA, NHL, MLB, and the WNBA.Two games are on the NBA playoff docket. The opening game of the second-round series between Atlanta and Philadelphia tips off on ABC at 1:05 PM ET. The 76ers host Game 1 after closing out their series with Washington in five games after a 129-112 victory as a 6-point favorite on Wednesday. The Hawks defeated the Knicks in five games with their 103-89 upset win at New York as a 1-point underdog. Philadelphia is a 2.5-point favorite, with the total set at 220.5 (all odds from BetOnline). The Los Angeles Clippers play at home against Dallas in Game 7 of their opening-round Western Conference series on ABC at 3:35 PM ET. The Clippers forced a seventh game with their 104-97 victory in Dallas as a 3-point road favorite on Friday. The Mavericks have lost three of the last four games in this series after initially taking a 2-0 series lead by winning the first two games in the Staples Center. Los Angeles is a 6-point favorite with an over/under of 210.Two games are on the NHL playoff slate. Montreal plays at home against Winnipeg on the NBC Sports Network at 6:08 PM ET in the third game of their North Division playoff series. The Canadiens took a 2-0 lead in the series with their 1-0 victory on the road on Thursday. The Jets had been on a six-game winning streak before losing the last two games. Montreal is a -131 money line favorite with a total of 5. Vegas is at home against Colorado on the NBC Sports Network at 8:38 PM ET in the fourth game of their West Division playoff series. The Golden Knights won their first game of the series with a 3-2 victory on Friday. The Avalanche had been on an 11-game winning streak. Vegas is a -109 money line favored with an over/under of 5.5.Fifteen games are on the MLB schedule. Miami visits Pittsburgh at 1:05 PM ET as a -105 money line road favorite with a total of 8. Washington plays at Philadelphia. Cleveland travels to Baltimore. Toronto plays at home against Houston at 1:07 PM ET as a -108 money line favorite with an over/under of 10. The Los Angeles Dodgers travel to Atlanta at 1:20 PM ET as a -130 money line road favorite with the total at 8. Milwaukee hosts Arizona at 2:10 PM ET as a -240 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Chicago White Sox play at home against Detroit as a -210 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Minnesota plays at Kansas City. St. Louis is at home against Cincinnati at 2:15 PM ET as a -121 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Tampa Bay visits Texas at 2:35 PM ET. Oakland travels to Colorado at 3:10 PM ET as a -108 money line road favorite with a total of 11.5. The Chicago Cubs play at San Francisco at 4:05 PM ET as a -110 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Los Angeles Angels are at home against Seattle at 4:07 PM ET as a -148 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. San Diego hosts the New York Mets at 4:10 PM ET as a -135 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The New York Yankees play at home against Boston for ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball at 7:08 PM ET. The Bronx Bombers are a -143 money line favorite, with the total at 9.5. Two games are on the WNBA schedule. Atlanta visits Minnesota at 7 PM ET. Dallas plays at Seattle at 7 PM ET. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, MLB and WNBA Previews and Odds - 06/05/2021

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Jun 05, 2021

The Saturday sports card features games in the NBA, NHL, MLB, and the WNBA.The NBA has the first game of the second round of the playoffs begin tonight, with Brooklyn hosting Milwaukee on TNT at 7:35 PM ET. The Nets defeated Boston in five games in the opening round of the playoffs with a 123-109 victory as a 12.5-point favorite on Tuesday. They have won nine of their last ten game. The Bucks won their seventh of eight games after sweeping Miami in four games after their 120-103 win on the road as a 4-point favorite last Saturday. Brooklyn is a 4-point favorite, with the total set at 239.5 (all odds from BetOnline). Two games are on tap in the NHL playoffs. Tampa Bay plays at home against Carolina in the fourth game of their Central Division finals series on the USA Network at 4:08 PM ET. The Hurricanes won their first game in this series with a 3-2 win in overtime on Thursday. The Lightning had won three games in a row going back to their Game 6 clincher in the opening round against Florida. Tampa Bay is a -153 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Boston plays at New York against the Islanders in the fourth game of the East Division finals on NBC at 7:15 PM ET. The Bruins took a 2-1 lead in the series with their 2-1 victory in overtime on Thursday. Boston is a -146 money line road favorite with a total of 5. Fifteen games are on the MLB slate. The Chicago White Sox are at home against Detroit at 2:10 PM ET as a -227 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. Cincinnati visits St. Louis at 2:15 PM ET. Toronto hosts Houston at 3:07 PM ET, with both teams priced at -105 with the total at 9.5. Tampa Bay travels to Texas at 4:05 PM ET as a -149 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Miami visits Pittsburgh as a -145 money line road favorite with a total of 7.5. Baltimore is at against Baltimore as a -118 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Philadelphia plays at home against Washington as a -130 money line favorite with a total of 9. Minnesota plays at Kansas City as a -120 money line favorite with an over/under of 9. Milwaukee hosts Arizona as a -218 money line favorite with a total of 7.5. Fox has a national broadcast at 7:15 featuring three games based on region. The Los Angeles Dodgers visit Atlanta as a -135 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The New York Yankees host Boston as a -118 money line favorite with a total of 9. San Francisco is at home against the Chicago Cubs as a -168 money line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Oakland travels to Colorado at 9:10 PM ET as a -131 money line road favorite with a total of 11.5. The Los Angeles Angels play at home against Seattle at 10:07 PM ET as a -130 money line favorite with an over/under of 8. The New York Mets visit San Diego at 10:10 PM ET as a -117 money line road favorite with a total of 5.5. Three games are on the WNBA schedule. Las Vegas plays at Washington on ABC at 1 PM ET. Chicago travels to Los Angeles for the second game of the ABC doubleheader at 3 PM ET. New York visits Connecticut at 7 PM ET.

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2021 NBA Playoffs: Milwaukee Bucks/Brooklyn Nets Series Preview, Odds and Prediction

by Sean Murphy

Friday, Jun 04, 2021

In one of the most anticipated series' of the second round, the Bucks and Nets will renew acquaintances beginning on Saturday night in Brooklyn.Here's a quick look at the tale of the tape entering this marquee NBA playoff showdown.Season seriesThe Bucks dropped the first meeting between these two teams during the regular season by a narrow 125-123 margin in Brooklyn in mid-January but answered back with consecutive victories in a two-game set played in Milwaukee in early May. Note that the Bucks were favored in all three regular season matchups, although never by more than 3.5 points. They're currently a four-point underdog in advance of Saturday's Game 1 tilt in Brooklyn. The 'under' cashed in two of three meetings during the regular season with all three totals closing at 240 points or higher. Saturday's total currently sits at, you guessed it, 240 points.   For the series, BetAnySports lists Brooklyn as a -190 favorite, with Milwaukee's odds at +175.First round recapNeither team faced much resistance in the opening round with the Bucks sweeping aside what appeared to be a disinterested Heat squad and the Nets crushing an under-performing, injury-plagued Celtics team in five games. Give the Bucks a slight advantage in terms of rest as they wrapped their series with Miami last Saturday while the Nets didn't finish off the Celtics until Tuesday night. Stopping the Big ThreeMilwaukee will be hard-pressed to stop or even slow down the Nets vaunted 'Big Three' with KD, Kyrie and the Beard having gone off against the Celtics in what at times looked like playground basketball in the opening round. The Bucks may be better served to focus on the other end of the floor, where they're certainly capable of exposing a bottom-tier Nets defense that ranked 22nd in the league in defensive efficiency during the regular season and quietly allowed 117 points per game in the final four games against Boston last round. The Bucks check in averaging 120 points per game on better than 48% shooting this season. Playing small ballThe Nets went with a smaller lineup for much of their opening round series, something that might not work so well against a Bucks squad that crashes the boards relentlessly led by the Greek Freak, Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Nets are essentially void of any true rim defenders and could have a tough time preventing the Bucks from generating a boatload of second-chance scoring opportunities in this series. Brooklyn is at its best when it can get out in transition. Floor space just isn't going to be nearly as plentiful against Milwaukee as it was against Boston. Final verdictThe Nets are the favorites to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy for a reason. While the Bucks got over a major hump by ousting at Heat squad that owned them in the bubble last summer, they face a much different challenge in round two. This is usually where we see Milwaukee start to wilt and while I don't believe we're in for a short series, I'm with the majority in thinking that the 'Big Three' will simply be too much over the course of a potential six or seven-game battle. Pick: Brooklyn in six. 

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2021 NBA Playoffs: Eastern Conference 2nd Round Preview

by Will Rogers

Friday, Jun 04, 2021

Milwaukee vs. BrooklynSeries odds – Brooklyn -200, Milwaukee +160Odds to win Eastern Conference: Brooklyn -139, Milwaukee +255Odds to win NBA title: Brooklyn +170, Milwaukee +550Road kill in the improved East included last year’s finalists, Boston and Miami, who won a grand total of one game in making graceful exits and turning the spotlight over to the final four. Brooklyn, which completed a Gentleman’s Sweep of the Celtics, looked almost bored at times behind its Big Three of James Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The Nets will have to pay a little more attention to detail against the Bucks, but Brooklyn is still a heavy favorite to get to the conference semis. Oddsmakers, handicappers and bettors also like them to reach the Finals. Injuries and Irving’s quirks cost Brooklyn the top seed in the East, but the Nets now appear locked, loaded and – most importantly – healthy in anticipation of a long playoff run. There had been concern that the arrival of Harden early in the season would mess with the team’s chemistry and offensive flow, but the Nets’ ISO styler is as simplistic as it is difficult to stop. Harden either shoots or drives, and if he’s double-teamed, some other tremendous shooter (and don’t forget Joe Harris) will get an open look. Easy peasy. On the defensive end  . . . well no one cares all that much about defense when the offense is so good. The Nets averaged more than 119 a game against Boston. Nuff said. Milwaukee should put up more of a fight, though, coming off a vacation of a sweep of the Heat. The Bucks squeaked by in Game 1, but the final three games weren’t close. It all begins and ends with Giannis Antetokounmpo, of course, but it will be curious to see how the Nets deal with Brook Lopez. Brooklyn got away with using Blake Griffin at the 5 against Boston, but that probably won’t get it done against Lopez (who had 25 vs. Miami in the clincher).Atlanta vs. PhiladelphiaSeries odds – Philadelphia -190, Atlanta +155Odds to win Eastern Conference: Philadelphia +450, Atlanta +1500Odds to win NBA title: Philadelphia +1000, Atlanta +3300After years in the Eastern Conference wilderness, the Hawks are finally starting to put it together. They brought in Clint Capela last year, they brought in Lou Williams mid-season this year and they decided to hang on to John Collins not knowing if they will be able to sign Collins this summer. And oh yeah, that Trae Young kid can also play a little. Young basically stole the Knicks’ lunch money four times in Round 1, forcing New York to turn to aging Derrick Rose at the point. No dice. Young & Co. put an end to the Knicks’ feel-good season, and now they turn their attention to Philadelphia. The 76ers are under tremendous pressure to get it done after several playoff flameouts, and they appear to be out of excuses. They have MVP candidate Joel Embiid, who at times (make that most of the time) was impossible to stop in the Round 1 vs. Washington, and they have maybe the best defensive small in the league in Ben Simmons. The trick in this series is 76ers coach Doc Rivers figuring how to deal with things when the Hawks back off Simmons and dare him to shoot. Because Simmons doesn’t shoot from beyond 12 feet. Ever. Philly is a decent favorite in this series, but weird things seem to happen to the Sixers after the regular season ends. And Atlanta is at the top of its game right now. Might be an opening there for Hawk backers to cash.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, MLB and WNBA Previews and Odds - 06/04/2021

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Jun 04, 2021

The Friday sports card features games in the NBA, NHL, MLB, and the WNBA.The NBA has one remaining game in the opening round of the playoffs tonight. The Los Angeles Clippers visit Dallas on ESPN at 9:05 PM ET in Game 6 of their Western Conference quarterfinals series. The Mavericks took a 3-2 series lead with their 105-100 upset victory as a 7.5-point underdog on Wednesday. The Clippers have lost five of their last seven games. The road team each of the first five games in this series. Los Angeles is a 2.5-point road favorite, with the total set at 216.5 (all odds from BetOnline). The NHL playoffs have two games on the docket. Winnipeg hosts Montreal on the USA Network at 7:38 PM ET in Game 2 of the North Division finals. The Canadiens have won four in a row after taking the opening game of this series with a 5-3 victory on Wednesday. The Jets had their six-game winning streak end with the loss. Winnipeg is a -117 money line favorite with an over/under of 5.5.Colorado visits Vegas on the NBC Sports Network at 10:08 PM ET in Game 3 of the West Division finals. The Avalanche won their eleventh straight game with their 3-2 overtime victory in Game 2 on Wednesday. Mikko Rantanen scored the game-winner for the Aves at the 2:07 minute mark in overtime. Vegas has lost four of their last five games. Colorado is a -114 money line road favorite with a total of 5.5.Fifteen games are on the MLB slate. Miami travels to Pittsburgh at 7:05 PM ET as a -114 money line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Philadelphia plays at home against Washington as a -108 money line favorite with a total of 6.5. Cleveland visits Baltimore as a -116 money line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Boston plays at New York against the Yankees. Toronto is at home against Houston at 7:07 PM ET as a -121 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers are at Atlanta at 7:20 PM ET as a -120 money line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Tampa Bay visits Texas at 8:05 PM ET. The Chicago White Sox host Detroit at 8:10 PM ET as a -160 money line favorite with a total of 8.5. Minnesota travels to Kansas City. Arizona plays at Milwaukee. St. Louis is at home against Cincinnati at 8:15 PM ET as a -131 money line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Oakland is at Colorado at 8:40 PM ET as a -126 money line road favorite with a total of 10.5. Seattle travels to Los Angeles to play the Angels at 9:38 PM ET. The Chicago Cubs play at San Francisco at 9:45 PM ET. The New York Mets visit San Diego at 10:10 PM ET. Two games are on the WNBA schedule. Atlanta visits Minnesota at 8 PM ET. Dallas plays at Seattle at 10 PM ET.

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