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I Remember Halloween! (and not fading 2-6 NFL favorites hosting a 6-2 visitor)

by Hollywood Sports

Thursday, Oct 31, 2024

It is not often teams with a 2-6 record are favored against teams with a 6-2 record -- but that was the case on Halloween with the New York Jets favored by less than a field goal against the Houston Texans. This was a clear Pros versus Joes game with the supposed "sharps" on the Jets with the public taking the team with the far better record and the better quarterback (and, yes, in 2024, C.J. Stroud is the better quarterback versus Aaron Rodgers).I endorsed the Jets in this situation -- and, no, this is not my wink-wink message for someone to call the police because I have been kidnapped by saying something very much out of character. I have been quite skeptical about this New York Jets team with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. But they are favored tonight for a reason I do not invoke empirical situational angles often in my (long) Reports — but I do track this information in my database. In the last 20 years in the NFL games played in October, November, or December, there have been only eight teams who were not winning more than 25% of their games favored against a team with a winning percentage of 75% or higher. Those favorites with bad records have a 5-2-1 ATS mark going into tonight’s game. New York held the Patriots to just 247 yards last week and did not commit a turnover despite losing that game. In that “accomplishment”, they became the first team since 2013 to lose an NFL game despite holding their opponent to under 250 yards and not committing a turnover in that game. Before that game last Sunday, NFL teams who did not commit a turnover and did not allow 250 or more yards were 220-0 straight up. I do not like the chemistry and cohesion of this team at all — but perhaps that there are now 2-6 on the season, it fits their character to finally pull out a win in prime-time on Halloween night. The pressure was off at this point. They are not going to make the playoffs since that would require them to most likely reel off eight wins in their final nine games. They have an 0-4 record in games decided by six points or less. And now they were playing a wounded Texans team that is without C.J. Stroud’s top-two targets in the passing game with Nico Collins still injured and now Stefon Diggs out the season with the injury he incurred last week. Now Houston goes back on the road where Stroud has not been nearly as effective. In his 12 career starts at home, Stroud has 22 touchdown passes while completing 66.4% of his passes, averaging 308.9 passing YPG, and posting a Passer Rating of 105.7. But in his 11 career starts on the road, he has only 12 touchdown passes while completing 62.8% of his passes, averaging just 213.5 passing YPG, and posting a 90.5 Passer Rating. The Texans were getting outscored on the road by -1.7 Points-Per-Game — and the Jets were outscoring their opponents at home by +5.6 PPG and winning the yardage battle by +119.0 net Yards-Per-Game. Sure enough, the Jets found a way to win the game by a 21-13 score. As is kind of suspected, strange events were in store for this game played on Halloween night. Rookie Malachi Corley seemed to score the opening touchdown of the game -- but he decided to drop the ball before he crossed into the end zone with the ball bouncing in the end zone. I did my own research on this and it turns out that rather than the Jets scoring a touchdown, the result was a touchdown. If you want one play to define this team's season, this was it. But later, the Texans took three points off the board midway through when New York committed a personal foul on the field goal attempt by putting a knee to the Houston snapper. Down 14-10 at the time, Houston accepted the penalty to try to score a go-ahead touchdown. But when their drive stalled, the Texans tried for another field goal -- but this time the shorter attempt shanked off the left post. To paraphrase Glenn Danzig with the Misfits: "I remember (its) Halloween!"Rather than needing one more score to cover the point spread with a 14-13 lead, the Jets now just need to milk the clock to win (and cover the point spread). On a crucial third down play, Rodgers connected with Davante Adams for the game (and point spread) clinching touchdown. Be wary of fading unlikely favorites when hosting a team with a much better record -- especially on Halloween! 

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College Football 2024-25 Preview, Part 4 -- 134 Questions and Thoughts for 134 FBS Teams

by Hollywood Sports

Thursday, Oct 31, 2024

For the 14th straight summer, I invested time researching each FBS college football team to serve as the foundation for my college football handicapping in the fall and winter. What initially began as basic note-taking on some fundamental details for each team has become an arduous and detailed process for each team that derives from reading and studying multiple sources. Each FBS team now takes about 45 minutes to an hour of preparation time. To help document this work while crystallizing my thoughts for each team, I am providing a summary of each team highlighted by a critical question that will go a long way in their success or failure.FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL: Head coach Mike MacIntyre is probably on the hot seat after overseeing consecutive 4-8 seasons in his first two years as the Golden Panthers head coach. In his defense, he did inherit a team that had lost 18 of 19 games before he was hired. MacIntyre has a proven track record in turning losing programs around. He got Colorado to the Pac-12 Championship Game with ten victories in his fourth season as the Buffaloes head coach. He led San Jose State to an 11-2 record in his third season with the Spartans. FIU has 14 starters back from last year’s squad — and they are getting better and deeper on the offensive and defensive lines. But after -3 net close victories in games decided by one scoring possession last year, they have a 6-2 record in games decided by eight points or less in the MacIntyre era — so they may be worse than their two-four win seasons suggests. They got outgained by -144 yards against Conference USA opponents last season. They are also losing in the transfer portal, with players like wide receiver Keith Mitchell getting poached by Notre Dame after generating more than 1100 receiving yards last year. They have an intriguing talent at quarterback in sophomore Keyone Jenkins. The former Auburn commit threw for more than 2400 yards last year and added 324 non-sack rushing yards.JAMES MADISON: The Dukes went 19-5 in their first two seasons as an FBS program — and they won their first bowl game appearance in program history with their 31-21 victory against the Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl. But this is a team that was almost completely overhauled after that triumph. Head coach Curt Cignetti took the head coaching job at Indiana. Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year Jordan McCloud transferred to Texas State leaving a big hole at quarterback. The offense also lost their top three running backs, their top five targets in the passing game, and two All-Conference on the offensive line. The defense lost their top five defensive linemen, their three starting linebackers, and ten of their top ten defensive backs. Only one of their top nine tacklers are back and just four of the 18 players who played 300 or more snaps last season. Overall, James Madison lost 96% of their production either to graduation or the transfer portal. Bob Chesney is the new head coach after five seasons at Holy Cross. KENNESAW STATE: After nine seasons as a football program at the FS level including four playoff appearances, the Owls make the jump to the FBS in Conference USA this season. They are more likely to struggle in the transition as Sam Houston did last season rather than find immediate success as Jacksonville State did. Brian Bohannon is their only head coach in program history and he was crafty about sandbagging some of his best players to only play four games last year to preserve another year of eligibility. So, with 16 starters back from last year’s team, this group is better than their 3-6 record. Kennesaw State will deploy a pistol offense that operates zone-read RPOs. Sophomore quarterback Davis Bryson was one of the players who was kept out of five games to preserve another season of eligibility. He will run the ball — but he only completed two passes last season which makes the entire passing game for this offense into question. Since 2015, this program has averaged 297.6 rushing Yards-Per-Game — so running the ball will likely remain their priority when they are on offense. The Owls' defense ranked ninth in the FCS by only allowing 17.9 Points-Per-Game — but they did not register a win against an FBS opponent. Depth on that side of the ball will be a challenge as they make the jump up to the FBS and Conference USA. LIBERTY: The Flames dominated their Conference USA competition in their debut in that conference. They were 13-0 before getting exposed against Oregon in their 45-6 loss in the Fiesta Bowl. Second-year head coach Jamey Chadwell has 12 starters back from that team led by fifth-year quarterback Kaiden Salter. The former Tennessee recruit was a great fit in Chadwell’s high-octane spread triple-option attack. He is a legitimate NFL prospect given his dual-threat skills. He passed for 2876 yards and 32 touchdowns to just six interceptions last year — and he added another 1154 non-sack rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. Liberty led the nation by generating 293.3 rushing Yards-Per-Game. The offensive line could be a concern with only two starters returning after that unit took a hit in the transfer portal. The defense is the bigger concern as Oregon demonstrated in the bowl game. The Flames must replace linebacker Tyren DuPree who was Conference USA’s Defensive Player of the Year. The defense also lost defensive backs Kobe Singleton and Preston Hodge in the transfer portal to Oregon State and Colorado. Chadwell was aggressive in the portal in adding talent on that side of the ball at all three levels including seven power conference transfers to add size to the defensive line. Led by Chadwell’s coaching acumen on offense and an NFL prospect at quarterback, the Flames will score plenty of points which will keep them competitive against conference opponents. Possibly qualifying for the College Football Playoff will depend on better play from their defense. LOUISIANA TECH: The Bulldogs have endured three straight 3-9 seasons which likely places head coach Sonny Cumbie on the hot seat in the third year with the program. Only ten starters return this season with more quality players leaving the program from the transfer portal than Cumbie is bringing in. The former TCU and Texas Tech offensive coordinator oversaw a mediocre offense that ranked 76th and 66th in the nation by scoring 25.9 Points-Per-Game and generating 384.7 total Yards-Per-Game. Junior Jack Turner looks to be the starting quarterback this season after the perennially underachieving Hank Bachmeier transferred again (this time to Wake Forest). Turner played in eight games last season with four starts but completed only 56.8% of his passes for 1017 passing yards with five touchdown passes but five interceptions. The wide receiver room is unproven with no returning starters and seven transfers joining the team. But the defense is the bigger problem after that unit ranked 114th and 117th by giving up 33.4 PPG and 418.2 YPG. Just five players are back from that group. This is a program that does not have many reliable playmakers on either side of the football.LOUISVILLE: The Cardinals were a success last year in the first season under head coach Jeff Brohm as they reached the ACC Championship Game and finished with a 10-4 record. However, they did lose their last three games including to Florida State in the ACC title game and then to USC in the Holiday Bowl by a 42-28 score. Brohm brought in 25 players from the transfer portal last season and he hit the transfer window hard again this year by adding 28 new players from other programs to complement 15 returning starters. Quarterback Jack Plummer has run out of eligibility after Brohm brought him in from California after originally recruiting him and coaching him for four years at Purdue. Brohm turned to Texas Tech this time around to bring in seventh-year senior quarterback Tyler Shough who has a strong arm but has only played 22 games in the last four years due to injuries. The defense added 14 transfer players to the seven returning starters to bolster a group that ranked 21st in the nation by holding their opponents to just 317.1 total Yards-Per-Game. Most of the incoming transfers are seniors which makes the long-term culture-building at Louisville an issue. Brohm is a great coach — but perpetually adding 25 or so new players with expectations to play immediately may be unsustainable. MIDDLE TENNESSEE: After 18 seasons under Rick Stockstill, the Blue Raiders have a new head coach this season with former Vanderbilt skipper Derek Mason taking over this program. He inherits only seven starters back from a group that finished 4-8 last year. Junior Nicholas Vattiato returns after the dual-threat quarterback passed for 3092 yards and added another 397 yards on the ground. Experience returns at running back but this offense ranked just 84th in the nation Rush Success Rate last season. The offensive line lost four of their top five starters and Vattiato lost five of his top six targets from the passing game. The roster lost several starters from last season including two from the offensive line and another four starters on defense including three on the defensive line and a starting linebacker. Only three starters are back on that side of the ball. Mason has a good reputation as a defensive coach, but he has a significant rebuild on his hands after the Blue Raiders ranked 86th in the nation by surrendering 395.6 total Yards-Per-Game. NEW MEXICO STATE: The Aggies come off a historic season for this program where they won ten games and played in the Conference USA Championship Game in its inaugural season with the conference. The team won 16 of their last 22 games under head coach Jerry Kill who consistently gets the most out of his talent. But his ongoing health issues along with some conflicts with his administration led to him leaving the program to take the job of chief consultant to the head coach and senior offensive advisor at Vanderbilt. Conference USA Player of the Year Diego Pavia joined Kill in the move to Nashville leaving this team with a massive hole at quarterback. Former UNLV head coach and the wide receivers coach the last two seasons in Las Cruces takes over as the head coach — and he brought in three transfers from FBS programs and another two junior college transfers to compete to be the new starting quarterback. New Mexico State may have become the poster child representing the downside of the transfer portal as their roster was absolutely gutted in the offseason after Kill announced his departure. Besides losing Pavia, the Aggies lost their top two running backs, their top wide receiver and tight end, two starting defensive linemen, and a linebacker in the portal window. Overall, the program lost their top three quarterbacks, their top two running backs, seven of their top eight receivers, their top six defensive linemen, and 11 of their top 13 defensive backs from last season. Sanchez hustled to bring in players — headlined by safety Nick Sessions from Oklahoma State, running back Seth McGowan from Oklahoma, running back Mike Washington from Buffalo, several defensive players from the junior college ranks, and all five of those quarterbacks — but those moves feel like one step forward after taking three steps back. And despite making the conference championship game, New Mexico State got outgained against fellow Conference USA opponents by -7 Yards-Per-Game. On the plus side, four starters return on the offensive line to help what could be a nice running back room. Sanchez needs a quarterback to emerge — and the defense to somehow find itself after replacing so many players. That is a lot to ask for a program that was still an Independent two seasons ago.OREGON: The Ducks' only two losses last season were to Washington and both were by only three points. Their average margin of victory in their 12 wins was 33 points. Ten starters are back from that 12-2 team — and third-year head coach Dan Lanning added another 31 players to the roster. Lanning is recruited very well and he has 21 freshmen on the team. He also continues to be aggressive in the transfer portal by bringing in 11 new players from other programs. This approach could be risky since the influx of new players who expect to play could disrupt the chemistry of the program. Former Oklahoma (and Central Florida) quarterback Dillon Gabriel should be a replacement for Bo Nix in operating offensive coordinator Will Stein’s high-powered offense. Oregon was second in the nation by both scoring 44.2 Points-Per-Game and generating 531.4 total Yards-Per-Game. The defense made a big leap in Lanning’s second year with the program by ranking ninth in the FBS by holding their opponents to 16.5 PPG and ranking 22nd by limiting these teams to 318.4 YPG. The former Georgia defensive coordinator’s defense allowed -10.9 fewer PPG and -61.2 YPG than in his second season as head coach. The biggest question is on the defensive line with that unit replacing four of the top five players from last season. Lanning brought in two transfers to bolster the depth, but it will be up to some of the 11 blue-chippers he has recruited in the last two seasons to step up and play key roles. On paper, the talent is there. But with the move to the Big Ten, the difference between competing for Pac-12 championships and competing for national championships will depend on the defensive line holding up against stout offensive lines against teams like Michigan and Ohio State. SAM HOUSTON: After gaming the redshirt process prior to entering the FBS last season, the Bearkats still only posted a 3-9 record last year. K.C. Keeler returns 12 starters back from that team. Keeler brought in Central Michigan transfer Jase Bauer to compete with Grant Gunnell and Hunter Watson who won a national championship at the junior college level. The defense replaces eight of the 13 players who logged in at least 200 snaps last season. Keeler is trying to add heft on both sides of the line of scrimmage whether it be from weight-training or transfer players, but in their second year at the FBS level, size at the line may continue to be the biggest weakness of this team.SOUTH ALABAMA: The Jaguars took some major hits in the offseason after finishing their season with a 59-10 victory against Eastern Michigan in the 68 Ventures Bowl to finish with a 7-6 record. Three-year head coach Kane Wommack made a surprise move by accepting the defensive coordinator job at Alabama — and he took defensive coordinator Corey Batoon and several defensive players with him. Linebackers coach Will Windham was promoted to be the next defensive coordinator with only three starters back from an outstanding group that ranked 15th in the nation by holding their opponents to just 313.2 total Yards-Per-Game. In all, five projected starters on both sides of the ball departed in the transfer portal. Offensive coordinator Major Applewhite was promoted to be the new head coach after overseeing a 15-10 record in a previous head coaching stint with Houston. His offense lost a two-time 1000-yard rusher in running back La’Damian Webb along with wide receiver Caullin Lacy who caught 91 balls last year. Applewhite does get back redshirt sophomore Gio Lopez who was MVP in the bowl game after throwing three touchdowns and adding another touchdown on the ground.  SYRACUSE: The Orange won their opening four games last season but then crashed and burned by losing seven of their last nine contests while getting outgained in ACC play by -146 net Yards-Per-Game. After failing to win more than seven games for the fifth straight time, head coach Dino Babers was let go after eight seasons — and then Syracuse made an interesting hire by tapping Fran Brown despite his lack of head coaching or even coordinator experience. Brown was the co-defensive coordinator at Temple in 2019. He has spent his last two seasons as the defensive backs coach at Georgia. But the administration may have made a shrewd hire for two reasons. First, Brown is well-respected as a great recruiter which is something this program desperately needs. Second, Brown has worked closely with three very successful head coaches in his previous stops at Temple with Matt Rhule, at Rutgers with Greg Schiano, and at Georgia with Kirby Smart. Brown has immediately raised the bar when it comes to recruiting — and he has also significantly improved the talent base of the roster through the transfer portal. He brought in nine transfers on both sides of the ball — and his biggest catch was snagging former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord. The senior led the Buckeyes to an 11-1 record last season while completing 66% of his passes for 3170 yards with 24 touchdown passes and six interceptions. McCord’s biggest flaw last year was not winning the Michigan game against what was the best defense in the country. Buckeye nation needed a scapegoat. Perhaps Ohio State wanted a more mobile quarterback with Chip Kelly coming over to be their offensive coordinator — but McCord is a gunslinger. The offense has been held back by their offensive line the last few seasons — and Brown addressed that area by bringing in four transfers to compete with four returning starters. The defense returns six of the 13 players who logged in at least 300 snaps along with the nine transfers. He also hired Elijah Robinson as his defensive coordinator who oversaw several good defenses at Texas A&M and was the Aggies interim head coach after Jimbo Fisher was let go last season. TROY: After posting a 23-5 record in his two seasons with the Trojans, previous head coach Jon Sumrall left for the Tulane job and took his defensive coordinator and many of his best players with him. Troy won two consecutive Sun Belt Conference Championship Games — but two dozen players entered the transfer portal to go elsewhere. And that does not even take into players like quarterback Gunnar Watson who passed for 3569 who graduated or running back Kimani Vidal who rushed for 1661 yards before entering the NFL draft. In comes Notre Dame offensive coordinator Gerad Parkeras the new head coach in a massive rebuild since only three starters return from a group that ranks 129th in the nation in returning production. The one returning starter at wide receiver was Chris Lewis who caught 10 touchdowns from 735 receiving yards but he will miss the season after being diagnosed with cancer. Parker was aggressive in the transfer portal to shore up the roster — but Troy is playing catch-up this season after all the losses and defections after two fantastic seasons. UTAH: The Utes were ravaged by injuries last season — especially on the offensive side of the football. They only generated 348.4 total Yards-Per-Game and 23.2 Points-Per-Game which ranked 92nd and 98th in the FBS — and both those marks were the worst for the program since 2011. Tight end Brant Keith and running back Micah Bernard return — but the key is getting back quarterback Cameron Rising. In his last two seasons before tearing his ACL in the Rose Bowl two seasons ago, he completed 64% of his passes for 5527 passing yards with 46 touchdown passes and just 13 interceptions. He ran for another 465 yards with six touchdowns in the 2022-23 season — and he has only been sacked 15 times in his last two seasons. He is a gamer who gives this offense some sorely needed swagger. Head coach Kyle Whittingham has been active in the transfer adding skill position talent on the offensive side of the ball. His defenses are consistently very good as he enters his 20th season running this program. Nine starters and 12 of the 17 players who played at least 300 snaps are back from a group that ranked 13th in the nation by holding their opponents to 307.2 total YPG. Utah did lose defensive end Jonah Elliss and safeties Cole Bishop and Sione Vaki to the NFL — and they are replacing four of their top five in the defensive backfield from last season. But the Utes are an immediate contender to win the Big 12 in their first season moving on from the Pac-12 — especially if Rising returns to his previous form.UTEP: After the Miners lost 11 of their last 15 games, Dana Dimel was let go after six seasons as the head coach. In comes the 34-year-old high-energy Scotty Walden after four winning seasons as the head coach at Austin Peay. He pledges to rely less on junior college transfers to instead emphasize recruiting high school players in Texas. With only nine starters back from the UTEP team that finished 3-9 last year, Walden brought in 47 new players onto the team. He leaned heavily on his players at Austin Peay with 12 of those players transferring over including ten offensive players and five starters from last season’s Governors’ offense that generated 426.8 total Yards-Per-Game and 34.1 Points-Per-Game. While it is easy to be skeptical about how successful an offense reliant on FCS talent continuing to perform at a high level against FBS competition, this was the model that Greg Kinne effectively deployed last season at Texas State with many of his players from Incarnate Word. But the offensive line lost their top six players and the defense replaces nine of the 16 players who played at least 200 snaps last season. Best of luck for us -- Frank.

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Still the Same Ole Jets

by Team Del Genio

Thursday, Oct 31, 2024

The New York Jets were a desperate team after general manager Joe Douglas fired head coach Robert Saleh last week after their 23-17 loss to Minnesota in London. The problem with the team was not on the defensive side of the football which was the specialty of the former San Francisco defensive coordinator. The Jets were only scoring 18.6 points per game. Saleh allegedly wanted to fire offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett after the game (as well as in the summer given recent reporting) yet he was the one to lose his job in the end. Douglass elevated defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich to be the interim head coach, and he is well thought of in the building. The team has blocked approaches by other teams to interview him as their potential head coach, so this is probably a real audition for him to keep the job if he can turn around what was a 2-3 team. Ulbrich did not fire Hackett, but he was able to take away his play-calling duties. Former Tennessee offensive coordinator Todd Downing got elevated to call the plays on offense, although his relationship with Aaron Rodgers was unclear. Rodgers had conflicts with Matt LaFleur and Mike McCarthy when those head coaches were calling his plays. Wide receiver Garrett Wilson had lamented the lack of creativity in the play-calling, yet it may take many weeks to overhaul the offense if that is the direction Downing and Ulbrich want to go. Yet it is still Rodgers who has to execute the plays, and he is the one at the line of scrimmage with the authority to call audibles. Maybe the problem was not the defensive head coach but Rodgers himself. When Saleh was fired, he ranked 21st in the NFL with a quarterback rating of 49.1. He ranked 26th with a passer rating of 81.6. His 6.0 yards per attempt average ranked 29th. The Jets’ first game without Saleh was a Monday night showdown at home against the Buffalo Bills. Despite the internal turmoil, a New York upset win as a 1-point underdog would have elevated the Jets into first place in the AFC East. Instead, the Bills pulled out a 23-20 victory.After that loss there are still some considering New York “the best 2-4 team in the league” who are just a few plays away from being 5-1 on the season. Others considered them simply the same old Jets whose two victories were against Will Levis and the Tennessee Titans and Jacoby Brissett and the New England Patriots. We were somewhere in the middle. Unquestionably, New York became a better team on offense after trading for wide receiver Davante Adams the next day after the loss to the Bills. Yet were they quite as good on defense with head coach Robert Saleh who built his reputation as one of the league’s best defensive minds after years of serving as the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers? At 2-4 and risking dropping to 2-5 against a Steelers team in the hunt for a wildcard spot in the AFC, trailing them by three games with Pittsburgh holding the tie-breaker would be devastating. The pressure was high and the tension could come to a head for this team that was now on a three-game losing streak. Playing the Steelers in Pittsburgh for Sunday Night Football on a short week with an interim head coach and a new play-caller on offense while incorporating a new starting wide receiver only added to the challenge. With all three losses to Denver, Minnesota, and the Bills all being by six points or less, this team is finding ways to lose. While it was expected that Rodgers would quickly incorporate Adams into the offensive attack, the numbers indicated he was simply not playing very well. He was only completing 61.8% of his passes this season, ranking 26th in the league. His 9:5 touchdown to interception ratio was tied for 18th in the league. His passer rating of 84.4 ranked 26th. Facing the Steelers with Russell Wilson making his first start for them, the Jets went into halftime with a 15-13 lead before getting outscored in the second half by a 24-0 margin in a 37-15 upset loss as a 2.5-point favorite. Bettors against teams that got embarrassed on national television is not a great way to build a bank account, yet traveling to Foxboro on a short week to play a 1-6 New England Patriots team was not what a group that suffers from overconfidence needs. The Jets locker room still considered themselves Super Bowl material despite what their record indicated. After adding wide receiver Davante Adams two weeks ago, pass rusher Hassan Reddick ended his holdout and signed a contract this week. He was expected to play. Yet after their listless 10-9 loss at home against Denver a month ago, they were supposed to rebound in London against Minnesota, and then at home against Buffalo on Monday Night Football after firing head coach Robert Saleh, and then last week on Sunday Night Football against the Steelers with Adams reunited with Aaron Rodgers. Finally, the bounce-back great performance seemed to be destined by some for their rematch against the lowly Patriots. New York played their best game of the season last month in their 24-3 thrashing of New England. The oddsmakers opened the Jets as a 6.5-point favorite in many spots, and the market has pushed them to a 7-point favorite. The last time New York was favored by a touchdown or more against the Patriots was on September 12th, 1999. Yet the Jets have not scored more than 20 points in four straight games. Rodgers has only ten touchdown passes in seven games and has thrown seven interceptions. He has been sacked 12 times and taken another 34 quarterback hits during the four-game losing streak. In his last twenty-five starts, Rodgers has an 11-14 record. Maybe this time would be different? New York had won and covered the point spread in their last two games against New England. Yet this franchise has covered the point spread only twice in their last nine games against the Patriots after beating them and covering the point spread in two straight games. Some bettors were already going broke banking on this Jets team to finally start meeting their supposed potential. Yet with their only other victory being against Tennessee, maybe this is who they are. Sure enough, the Jets blew a 13-7 halftime lead to lose at home to New England, 25-22, despite being a 7-point favorite. With a 2-6 record, New York has to win eight of their last nine games to reach ten wins. Maybe they could still make the playoffs with a 9-8 record, yet even them going 7-2 in their final nine games since overly optimistic. How owner Woody Johnson will want to proceed in the offseason is anyone’s guess. Yet after a successful month fading a Jets team, we considered overrated, they may begin to offer point spread value relative to public expectations as they begin to take on the role of the spoiler while teasing their fans as to what could have been.Good luck - TDG.

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CBB Deep Dive: Key Players, Top Teams & More:

by William Burns

Thursday, Oct 31, 2024

College Basketball is back on Monday! Nobody is more excited than I am and it's going to be another season of brilliance. Let's take a look at what you can expect this season from the players to the teams. Good Luck this season! (All odds via DraftKings Sportsbook) Five Players to Watch Out For (Guard-Center) + Honorable Mentions : G - Mark Sears (Alabama)  The quarterback of the Alabama backcourt will be one of the best players in the country once again this season. Averaging 21.5 ppg last year, he was a huge part in their run to the Final Four. He will just keep improving as well. I believe that the Tide can even make it that one step closer towards everyone's main goal this season. With Sears, Bama is a real contender at winning the whole thing.  G - RJ Davis (UNC) RJ Davis gets slept on a bit with the likes of Elliott Cadeau also in this backcourt. Having said that, Davis averaged 21.2 ppg a year ago and is really benefiting from the departure of Caleb Love (who's still at Arizona.) He's more than capable of a repeat from last year and is ready to do just that. All he needs is 785 points this season to become UNC's all time scoring leader. He had 784 last year.F - Cooper Flagg (Duke)If you've been paying attention to any recruiting over this offseason, Cooper Flagg has been the biggest headline. One of the best American prospects ever, Flagg committed to Duke and has them back in the title contending race once again. If you've never watched him play, you're not going to want to miss him this season. For such a young age, he's ridiculously talented.  F - J'Wan Roberts (Houston) Flying under the radar, Roberts has been in Kelvin Sampson's program for a while now. Not only is he a great teammate, but he's also very coachable. Roberts is dominant on the glass and very good on the defensive end. Let's not forget his scoring ability too. Yes, he may not light up many scoring sheets. But, J'Wan is one of the top players in the country heading into this season and I have to put him on this list.C - Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton) Although Kalkbrenner might not be the most flashy center in Division 1, he's slowly became one of the best. The Creighton big man has now won the Big-East Defensive Player of the Year award three times. Not only is he great on defense, but Kalkbrenner also averaged 17.3 ppg with 7.6 rpg last season. Creighton is a very good team once again this season and he's a big part of it.  Two Honorable Mentions: 1.) Tamin Lipsey (Iowa State) Slowly climbing up the ranks, Iowa State is now ready to contend for the championship. Mainly thanks to this guy. Lipsey's stats last season don't show how good he really is. He's a dominant scorer who can look like the best player on the court in any given game. As an All Big-12 First Team & Big-12 All Defensive Team player last season, expect another monster year from the Cyclone Point Guard. 2.) Alex Karaban (UCONN)To have a list of players and not mention someone from the back to back champs would be criminal. Alex Karaban, who's now been a part of both championship runs, will now be the top option on this Husky team. His numbers were much improved last season and he plays nearly every game. Not to mention his great defensive skills and ability to make the right decisions. This could be another break-out season from the young forward.Burns' Preseason Top 25 Rankings:  1.) Alabama 2.) Kansas3.) Duke4.) UCONN5.) Houston6.) Iowa State 7.) UNC 8.) Houston9.) Baylor10.) Texas A&M11.) Gonzaga12.) Tennessee13.) Auburn14.) Arizona15.) Arkansas16.) Creighton17.) Florida18.) Kentucky19.) Indiana 20.) Purdue21.) Illinois22.) Texas23.) Michigan State24.) St. John's25.) RutgersThree Future Bets to Make Before the Season: 1.) Alabama to win the SEC (+220) - Adding someone like Chris Youngblood to the mix is huge for this Crimson Tide team. This is a team that looked very good in the conference last season and should be able to do the exact same thing and even improve this year. Mark Sears & Grant Nelson are back, and you can currently get the Tide to win the SEC with tremendous value across all sports books.2.) Duke to win the ACC (+125) -  The ACC doesn't get the respect that it deserves in College Basketball anymore. Even though the overall talent is spread across many conferences, let's not forget that this conference still has the blue bloods Duke & UNC. Having said that, the Blue Devils separated themselves as the clear front runners this offseason grabbing Cooper Flagg in the recruiting phase. He'll be enough to get them back to the top of the ACC after disappointment last season.  3.) Mark Sears to win the John Wooden Award (+800) - Like mentioned earlier in this article, Sears is going to once again be a top scorer in this league. The John Wooden Award goes to the "Most Outstanding Player in Men's & Women's College Basketball." That being said, Sears should be one of the favorites, due to his scoring. Having great players around him will only make him better and I believe he has an excellent chance in winning this award this season. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, NCAAF, NHL and NBA Previews and Odds - 10/31/2024

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Oct 31, 2024

The Thursday sports card features NFL, NCAAF, NBA, and NHL action. Week 9 in the National Football League kicks off with one game. The New York Jets host the Houston Texans on Amazon Prime at 8:15 p.m. ET. The Jets are on a five-game losing streak after their 25-22 upset loss at New England as a 7-point favorite last Sunday. They have a 2-6 record on the season. The Texans won for the fourth time in their previous five games after their 23-20 victory at home against the Indianapolis as a 4.5-point favorite on Sunday. Houston has a 6-2 record this year. New York is a 1.5-point favorite, with the total set at 42 (all odds from DraftKings).Week 10 in NCAAF college football continues with one game between FBS opponents. Tulane travels to Charlotte on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Green Wave are on a five-game winning streak after their 45-37 victory at North Texas as a 7-point favorite on Saturday. They have a 6-2 record this season. The 49ers are on a two-game losing streak after their 33-28 loss at Memphis last Saturday. Charlotte has a 3-5 record on the year. Tulane is a 15-point road favorite with an over/under of 56. The National Basketball Association has four games on its docket. The Milwaukee Bucks play in Memphis against the Grizzlies at 8:10 p.m. ET as a 5.5-point road favorite with a total of 224.5. The Dallas Mavericks play at home against the Houston Rockets at 8:40 p.m. ET as a 6-point favorite with an over/under of 228.5. The Utah Jazz are home against the San Antonio Spurs at 9:10 p.m. ET as a 2-point favorite with a total of 226. The Phoenix Suns are in Los Angeles to play the Clippers at 10:40 p.m. ET as a 5-point road favorite with an over/under of 223.5.The National Hockey League has seven games on its slate. Five NHL games drop the puck at 7:07 p.m. ET. The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Anaheim Ducks as a -192 money-line favorite with a total of 6. The Philadelphia Flyers play at home against the St. Louis Blues as a -135 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6. The Toronto Maple Leafs are home against the Seattle Kraken as a -198 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Washington Capitals host the Montreal Canadiens as a -205 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6. The Carolina Hurricanes play at home against the Boston Bruins as a -170 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5.The Nashville Predators are home against the Edmonton Oilers at 8:07 p.m. ET as a -130 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6. The Chicago Blackhawks visit San Jose to play the Sharks at 10:37 p.m. ET as a -148 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.

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Will Linus Ullmark Lead the Ottawa Senators Back to the Playoffs?

by Team Del Genio

Wednesday, Oct 30, 2024

The Ottawa Senators finished last season with a 37-41-4 record and outside the NHL postseason for the sixth straight season. Early injuries derailed that team. Under new ownership, management, a rookie head coach, and a possible new arena, the Senators are looking to turn the page and enter a new era. With a young core group of players led by Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, and Drake Batherson, there is reason for optimism for this club. After acquiring a former Vezina Trophy winner goaltender when they traded for Linus Ullmark, the Senators may have the reliable top-flight goaltender they need to get back to the playoffs.  Ottawa returned home for the first time since October 19th on Tuesday after completing a three-game road trip with a 5-4 loss at Colorado on Sunday. The Senators had won five straight games at home after playing three or more in a row on the road, so their prospects were encouraging when hosting the St. Louis Blues. Ottawa had won seven of their last ten games at home after losing on the road in their previous game. With eight points coming from a 4-4-0 record, Ottawa was in last place in the Atlantic Division going into that game, yet their eight games played are the lowest of their division rivals. They had a 3-1 record at home where they are scoring 4.3 goals per game. First-year head coach Travis Greene turned to Linus Ullmark will get the start at goalie tonight. The former Boston Bruins goaltender had a 1-2 record this season with a 3.35 goals-against average and a .885 save percentage. Only one of his starts have been at home this year when he led the Senators to a 3-1 victory against Florida on October 10th. He stopped 31 of the 32 shots he faced in that game. Ullmark posted a 2.57 goals against average and a .915 save percentage last season. In his nineteen starts at home for the Bruins last season, he had an 11-3-5 record with a 2.45 goals against average and a .915 save percentage. Ottawa is establishing a nice home-ice advantage as they had won fifteen of their last twenty-three games at home when the oddsmakers installed them as the favorite. The Senators made an early statement in that game by scoring three goals in the first period. They scored another three unanswered goals in the second period and cruised to an 8-1 victory against the Blues. Ullmark was once again outstanding in front of his new home fans as he stopped 26 of the 27 shots he faced. Tkachuk scored two goals with the man advantage in that game. The Senators rank second in the NHL with their power play that is converting at a 42.9% rate. They have scored 12 goals from their 28 power play opportunities. Ottawa is averaging 4.2 goals per game which ranks third in the league. If they can continue to approach that level of offensive production while getting good goaltending from Ullmark, then Ottawa will be very much alive to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017. Yet they need to stay healthy and avoid the injury bug they experienced last season. Good luck - TDG.

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MACtion Arrives: MAC Contenders

by Nelly's Sports

Wednesday, Oct 30, 2024

There are only two MAC games this Saturday in the first weekend of November because a great college football tradition will resume next week with weeknight MAC football, affectionately known as MACtion. The next four weeks through November will be filled with Tuesday and Wednesday games in the MAC ahead of the MAC Championship December 7 in Detroit. Here is a breakdown of the current MAC contenders. Western Michigan Broncos 5-3 overall 4-0 MAC Western Michigan has allowed 32 points per game in MAC play, but the Broncos are the only 4-0 team in the conference. Western Michigan was a popular play-on team in MAC futures over the summer and veteran quarterback Hayden Wolff has done his part completing nearly 69 percent of his passes with 15 touchdown throws. Western Michigan has also posted 5.0 yards per rush this season, including 6.6 yards per rush over the past three games. This is not a trustworthy defense however and the 4-0 start has come while facing some of the expected worst teams in the conference. Western Michigan will be in MACtion in the next three weeks before a Saturday finale with rival Eastern Michigan to close the regular season. The upcoming home game with Northern Illinois and the November 12 game at Bowling Green will have a significant impact in the race. Miami OH Redhawks 4-4 overall 3-1 MAC Miami won the MAC title last season and has recovered from a 1-4 start this season to reach 4-4 with three straight MAC wins since losing the opener at Toledo. The non-conference schedule was difficult, losing reasonably competitive games with Northwestern, Cincinnati, and Notre Dame. The current run features a 30-20 head-to-head win over Ohio which could prove to be an important tiebreaker. Last week Miami won 46-7 over Central Michigan and the next two games are against Ball State and Kent State, two of the lesser teams in the conference. Miami is led by veteran quarterback Brett Gabbert in his sixth season with the team, though his numbers have not been quite as strong as last season. Miami is currently the #2 scoring defense in the conference allowing just under 18 points per game and the Redhawks have the edge in most power ratings as the top team in the conference.  Ohio Bobcats 5-3 overall 3-1 MAC Ohio picked up a 47-16 win over Buffalo last week to stay in the MAC race, bouncing back from a head-to-head loss at Miami. The remaining schedule for Ohio is favorable with Kent State, Eastern Michigan, Toledo, and Ball State remaining, but the Toledo game will be on the road where Ohio is 1-3 overall this season with the only win by two points at Central Michigan. Quarterback Parker Navarro doesn’t have great numbers but is the #4 MAC quarterback in QB Rating, ahead of Brett Gabbert and Ethan Hampton. Anthony Tyus is the second leading rusher in the MAC as Ohio is a top 15 team nationally in yards per carry, averaging 5.5 yards per rush, while only allowing 3.9 yards per rush for appealing numbers in the ground game. The Bobcats have a balanced team that could find their way to the title game. Bowling Green Falcons 4-4 overall 3-1 MAC The Falcons took on a tough non-conference schedule starting 1-3 but the losses were all one-score games including at Penn State and at Texas A&M. Bowling Green won at Toledo with 41 points in its last MAC game but did lose to Northern Illinois in October at home. The Falcons offense that has been productive managed just seven points and 205 yards in that game, though they still led at the start of the 4th quarter. The win over Toledo featured the Falcons being outgained while adding late scoring for a more convincing final than the game deserved. Connor Bazelak has been one of the better quarterbacks in the conference, but Bowling Green has featured an inconsistent defense. In the past three games the Falcons have allowed just 4.4 yards per play for excellent recent results. The remaining schedule is likely the toughest among the contenders however as the Falcons have games with both Western Michigan and Miami OH remaining. Both games are at home however and the Falcons will be in the MACtion spotlight the next two Tuesdays.  Toledo Rockets 5-3 overall 2-2 MAC The typical favorite in the MAC Toledo must still be included on this list at 2-2 as they do have a win over Miami. The remaining schedule is favorable for the Rockets and the toughest game left will be at home hosting Ohio November 20. Tucker Gleason has good numbers at quarterback even with some interceptions while backup John Alan Richter led the team to the win at Northern Illinois. A big difference this season for Toledo has been the decline of the rushing attack, down from 5.3 yards per carry and 199 yards per game last season to just 3.1 yards per carry and just 105 yards per game rushing this season. Toledo still has a capable defense allowing only 4.9 yards per play overall, third best in the MAC. This hasn’t looked like one of Jason Candle’s better teams, but the Rockets are still likely to be favored in every remaining game as reaching 6-2 with a title path is possible. 

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MACtion Arrives: MAC Spoilers

by Nelly's Sports

Wednesday, Oct 30, 2024

There are only two MAC games this Saturday in the first weekend of November because a great college football tradition will resume next week with weeknight MAC football, affectionately known as MACtion. The next four weeks through November will be filled with Tuesday and Wednesday games in the MAC ahead of the MAC Championship December 7 in Detroit. Here is a breakdown of a few teams that could star in these showcase opportunities with upset threats and entertaining play despite likely not being in contention in the MAC title race.  Northern Illinois Huskies 4-4 overall 1-3 MAC The Huskies have the top scoring defense in the MAC allowing just 17 points per game, but Northern Illinois has only one MAC win. Allowing just 4.3 yards per play the Huskies rank in the top 10 nationally in yards per play defense and have by far the best defensive numbers in the MAC. Northern Illinois has the big win at Notre Dame from early September on its resume but also has losses to Buffalo and Ball State in MAC play. After beating Bowling Green and losing a close low-scoring game with Toledo, the Huskies lost 25-23 at Ball State in a game where Northern Illinois had a 4-0 turnover deficit. Ethan Hampton led the win over the Irish but has ceded time to Josh Holst in recent weeks with Hampton missing the Toledo game and both playing last week. Holst is a better rushing presence for a solid Huskies ground attack. The Huskies have a big MACtion opportunity November 6 as they play at Western Michigan in a great top offense vs. top defense pairing. The Huskies also play at Miami in MACtion November 19 as while a MAC title is likely out of the picture, NIU could play a role in determining who gets to Detroit. Buffalo Bulls 4-4 overall 2-2 MAC Not much was expected out of the Bulls this season, but Buffalo has played four of the best teams in the MAC so far and is 2-2, beating Northern Illinois and Toledo and giving MAC leader Western Michigan a great scare in a comeback attempt in late October. In the most recent game, the Bulls were blown out at Ohio, but two defensive scores against the Bulls contributed to the lopsided final. Buffalo had 383 yards despite only 16 points in that game as this is a team that can move the ball. Quarterback C.J. Ogbonna has taken a lot of sacks but has only two interceptions while Buffalo has averaged nearly 200 rushing yards per game in the past three games, well over the season average of just 142 yards per game. The Bulls seem like a long shot to climb into the MAC race, but the remaining schedule is favorable playing Akron, Ball State, Eastern Michigan, and Kent State as this is a team capable of finishing strong to earn a surprise bowl bid.  Eastern Michigan Eagles 5-3 overall 2-2 MAC Losing last week at Akron kills any chance of making a championship run for the Eagles at 2-2 with a very difficult remaining MAC schedule. Eastern Michigan is a tough matchup as one of the fastest tempo teams in the nation however and the Eagles are capable of an upset down the stretch to shake-up the conference race. Eastern Michigan needs one more win to be bowl eligible, though the best wins of the season came vs. Jacksonville State and Central Michigan. The Eagles have made six bowl games in the past eight years for an impressive showing from Chris Creighton, who inherited a program in shambles. Cole Snyder has thrown for over 1,800 yards as the most prolific passer in the conference and he has had back-to-back 300 yard passing games and has just two interceptions this season in 272 attempts. The Eagles are one of the worst defensive teams in the conference and the nation, including allowing 7.2 yards per play the past three games, but winning an exciting shootout in MAC play at some point in November seems like a strong possibility for this group.  Ball State Cardinals 3-5 overall 2-2 MAC Ball State looked like one of the worst teams in the nation in September, getting an opening FCS win over Missouri State in dramatic fashion and then taking blowout non-conference losses to Miami and James Madison by a combined score of 125-7, surrounding a MAC opening loss at Central Michigan. Ball State’s MAC games have all been decided by three or fewer points and while the Cardinals are likely to be an underdog in every remaining game, this is a team playing better than the season valuation. Ball State lost by only 10 at Vanderbilt a few weeks ago and last week upset Northern Illinois, putting up 25 points and 392 yards on the top MAC defense. A bowl game is a long shot for the Cardinals with a difficult remaining schedule, but freshman quarterback Kadin Semonza has shown significant improvement and has no interceptions in his last three games. Ball State will be in the Tuesday spotlight for the next two weeks and could be an intriguing play-on team moving forward. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, MLB, and NCAAF Previews and Odds - 10/30/2024

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Oct 30, 2024

The Wednesday sports card features NCAAF, MLB, NBA, and NHL action.Week 10 in NCAAF college football continues with two games between FBS opponents. Liberty hosts Jacksonville State on the CBS Sports Network at 7:00 p.m. ET. The Flames’ five-game winning streak to start the season ended last Wednesday in a 27-24 upset loss at Kennesaw State as a 26.5-point favorite. The Gamecocks are on a four-game winning streak after their 42-20 victory against Middle Tennessee as a 20.5-point favorite on Wednesday. Liberty is a 2-point favorite with the total set at 63 (all odds from DraftKings). Western Kentucky plays at home against Kennesaw State on ESPN2 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Hilltoppers won for the fifth time in their last six games with their 31-14 upset victory at Sam Houston as a 1-point underdog back on October 16th. The Owls ended their six-game losing streak to begin the season with their upset win against Liberty last week. Western Kentucky is a 24-point favorite with an over/under of 49.Major League Baseball continues the best-of-seven World Series with the New York Yankees playing at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Fox at 8:08 p.m. ET. The Yankees kept their season alive last night with their 11-4 victory in Game 4. The Dodgers have a 3-1 series lead. New York taps Gerrit Cole to pitch against Los Angeles’ Jack Flaherty. The Yankees are a -142 money-line favorite with a total of 8. The National Basketball Association has 11 games on its docket. Five NBA games tip off at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Philadelphia 76ers are home against the Detroit Pistons as a 4-point favorite with an over/under of 216.5. The Cleveland Cavaliers host the Los Angeles Lakers as a 5-point favorite with a total of 223. The Charlotte Hornets play at home against the Toronto Raptors as a 6.5-point favorite with an over/under of 223. The Boston Celtics travel to Indiana to play the Pacers on ESPN as a 7-point road favorite with a total of 233.5. The Atlanta Hawks play in Washington against the Wizards as a 4-point road favorite with an over/under of 234.5. The New York Knicks are in Miami to play the Heat at 7:40 p.m. ET as a 2.5-point road favorite with a total of 214.5. Two more NBA games start at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Orlando Magic visits Chicago to play the Bulls as a 6-point road favorite with an over/under of 228. The Memphis Grizzlies are home against the Brooklyn Nets as a 12.5-point favorite with a total of 224.5. The Oklahoma City Thunder host the San Antonio Spurs on ESPN at 9:40 p.m. ET as a 13.5-point favorite with an over/under of 219.5. The Golden State Warriors host the New Orleans Pelicans at 10:10 p.m. ET as a 1-point favorite with a total of 219.5. The Los Angeles Clippers play at home against the Portland Trail Blazers at 10:40 p.m. ET as a 7.5-point favorite with an over/under of 213.5. The National Hockey League has six games on its slate. The New York Islanders play in Columbus against the Blue Jackets at 7:07 p.m. ET as a -155 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The Winnipeg Jets are in Detroit to play the Red Wings at 7:37 p.m. ET as a -142 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6. The Colorado Avalanche are home against the Tampa Bay Lightning at 9:07 p.m. ET as a -118 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Utah Hockey Club hosts the Calgary Flames at 9:37 p.m. ET as a -125 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6. The Vegas Golden Knights travel to Los Angeles to play the Kings on TNT at 10:07 p.m. ET as a -112 money-line road favorite with a total of 6. The Vancouver Canucks play at home against the New  Jersey Devils at 10:37 p.m. ET as a -115 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. 

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News And Notes From A Betting Perspective

by AAA Sports

Tuesday, Oct 29, 2024

In the NFL ..  Did Jayden Daniels win the Rookie of the Year Award with one pass this past Sunday?Daniels’s game-winning heave on the last play not only jolted the odds and made him the -400 favorite in the ROY category, it moved the surprising Commanders into first place in the NFC East at 6-2 and shortened the team’s Super Bowl odds. Lots of cash changed hands when Daniels’s pass from the other side of the 50 was tipped and landed in the hands of Noah Brown in the end zone, enabling Washington to win 18-15 and cover the spread after entering the game a slight -1.5 favorite.But Daniels probably would not have been able to even reach the end zone on the last play if he had not completed a 13-yard pass on the previous play (yes, the Bears were in soft coverage, but still). Receiver Terry McLaurin got out of bounds with just two seconds left, allowing Daniels and the Commanders close enough for one final, successful, shot.Besides being the ROY front-runner, there is even talk about a possible ROY/MVP sweep if the Commanders can somehow keep the train rolling, win the division, and get a high seed in the playoffs. -- In the NBA ..  Speaking of winning two awards in the same season, Anthony Davis has to be on the early-season shortlist for both the Defensive Player of the Year AND MVP awards. Through four games Davis was averaging nearly 33 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, and shooting 55 percent from the floor. He’s flat-out dominating defensively. Through it all the Lakers were off to a 3-1 start (ok, the schedule hasn’t been that demanding) and the NBA is salivating at TV ratings if LA remains relevant. Just a few games in, the returns are the equivalent of Dixville Notch, but no one is still questioning LeBron bringing on his buddy JJ Redick as HC of the LAL.---In Politics ..  The betting markets and mainstream polls continued to tell a different story as the presidential race entered its final week.Former President Donald Trump led in every major betting site, as high as -200 on BetOnline. There was not a lot of variation in Trump’s numbers. Vice President Kamala Harris was at +170 at the same site. Harris, however, had a 4 percentage point edge in the last major mainstream poll (Newsweek), while all the Battleground state polls showed the two neck and neck and within the margin of error.--In the WNBA ..  The champion New York Liberty are the favorites to repeat in the WNBA next season, at +175, after defeating the Minnesota Lynx (+350) in the finals. The  Las Vegas Aces, who lost to the Liberty in the playoff semifinals, are also at +350 as they face major roster decisions. The Connecticut Sun, who finally have taken a major step forward and now can hang with the top teams in the league, could have real value at +550. Caitlyn Clark’s presence in the WNBA this past season brought a boatload of more betting action in the league.

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NHL Off the Post: October 29th

by Sean Murphy

Tuesday, Oct 29, 2024

November is quickly approaching and the cream continues to rise to the top of the NHL standings. Here's a look at some news and notes from around the league.Singing the BluesRegression has come for the Blues following a hot start to the season. St. Louis has managed to post only two regulation time victories in its last seven games. Saturday's poor result in Montreal could be the wake-up call the Blues need as they continue their eastern road swing. They'll make a stop in Ottawa on Tuesday before wrapping up their jaunt in Philadelphia on Halloween Night. Goaltender Jordan Binnington is in the running for the starting job on Team Canada at the upcoming Four Nations Face Off but has struggled lately, allowing at least three goals in four of his last five games. Baby, it's a Wild worldMinnesota is quietly off to a 5-1-2 start to the campaign. Following Tuesday's stop in Pittsburgh, the Wild will open a three-game homestand against the Lightning on Friday. Regular season success is great but the jury is still out as to whether Minnesota can find a way to thrive in the postseason. There's a lot to like about what we've seen from the Wild so far this season, however, as they've produced 3.63 goals per game, good for ninth in the league. Not only that but they check in ranked fifth in the NHL in goals allowed per game. Shark baitWhen it comes to the debate over 'worst team in the league' the Sharks are the clubhouse leaders but they did manage to record their first victory of the season on Monday in Utah. Credit San Jose for not folding the tent in that contest as it fell behind 4-1 entering the third period but rallied for a 5-4 overtime win. There's a lot to be excited about as far as the future goes for this franchise but with first overall draft pick Macklin Celebrini sidelined due to injury and future number one goaltender Yaroslav Askarov toiling away in the minors, that future success feels like it's a long way off. San Jose opens a five-game homestand on Tuesday against in-state rival Los Angeles.Fanning the FlamesCalgary limps into Wednesday's stop in Utah on the heels of three straight losses. Following a surprisingly hot start to the campaign the Flames have fallen on hard times, particularly at the offensive end of the rink where they've scored only five goals during their current slide. They're currently tied for 16th in goals per game and 18th in goals allowed per contest. Needless to say, it's going to be an uphill battle contending in a top-heavy Pacific Division. Note that the Oilers, widely considered to be a Stanley Cup contender, still haven't gotten going and sit in sixth place in the Pacific. There are realistically six teams vying for the top three spots in the division this season.Rock you like a HurricaneCarolina just wrapped up an impressive 5-1 road trip with the lone loss coming in a tough back-to-back spot in St. Louis. Now the Hurricanes have a chance to really pad their record as they open a four-game homestand that will feature three divisional matchups. Note that Carolina will play just four games outside of the eastern time zone between now and the end of December. No team has given up fewer shots per game and the Canes rank third in the league in goals allowed per contest entering their Halloween Night showdown against the Bruins. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, MLB and NCAAF Previews and Odds - 10/29/2024

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Oct 29, 2024

The Tuesday sports card features NCAAF, MLB, NBA, and NHL action.Week 10 in NCAAF college football starts with three games between FBS opponents. Florida International hosts New Mexico State on the CBS Sports Network at 7:00 p.m. ET. The Golden Panthers lost for the fifth time in their last six games after their 10-7 loss at home against Sam Houston as a 5-point underdog last Tuesday. The Aggies ended a five-game losing streak with a 33-30 victory in overtime against Louisiana Tech as a 12-point underdog two Tuesdays ago. Florida International is a 9.5-point favorite with a total of 43.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Texas State plays at home against Louisiana-Lafayette on ESPN2 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Bobcats had won two games in a row before their 24-14 upset loss at Old Dominion as a 10.5-point favorite two Saturdays ago. The Ragin’ Cajuns are on a four-game winning streak after their 34-24 win at Coastal Carolina as a 6.5-point favorite on October 19th. Texas State is a 4-point favorite with an over/under of 58.5. Sam Houston is home against Louisiana Tech on ESPNU at 8:00 p.m. ET. The Bearkats won for the fifth time in their last six games with their victory against FIU last Tuesday. The Bulldogs won for the second time in their previous three games with their 14-10 win against UTEP as a 6.5-point favorite on Tuesday. Sam Houston is a 10-point favorite with a total of 45.5. Major League Baseball continues the best-of-seven World Series with the New York Yankees playing at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Fox at 8:08 p.m. ET. The Dodgers took a 3-0 series lead last night with their 4-2 victory on the road. The Yankees send out Luis Gil to face a Dodgers starting pitcher who has yet to be named in what will be a bullpen game. New York is a -135 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5.The National Basketball Association has four games on its docket. Two NBA games tip off at 7:40 p.m. ET. The Minnesota Timberwolves host the Dallas Mavericks on TNT as a 5-point favorite with a total of 223.5. The Denver Nuggets travel to Brooklyn to play the Nets as a 5.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 218. The Sacramento Kings play in Utah to face the Jazz at 9:10 p.m. ET as a 6-point road favorite with a total of 235. The New Orleans Pelicans are in Golden State to play the Warriors on TNT at 10:10 p.m. ET as a 3-point road favorite with an over/under of 215.5. The National Hockey League has seven games on its slate. Five NHL games drop the puck at 7:07 p.m. ET. The Minnesota Wild visit Pittsburgh to play the Penguins as a -130 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The Seattle Kraken play in Montreal against the Canadiens as a -148 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6. The New York Islanders play at home against the Anaheim Ducks as a -245 money-line favorite with a total of 6. The Boston Bruins are home against the Philadelphia Flyers as a -198 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6. The Ottawa Senators host the St. Louis Blues as a -155 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The New Rangers are in Washington to play the Capitals on ESPN at 7:37 p.m. ET as a -148 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Los Angeles Kings travel to San Jose to play the Sharks on ESPN at 10:07 p.m. ET as a -265 money-line road favorite with a total of 6. 

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