Expert Sports Picks and Analysis from Al McMordie

Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 06/07/2025

Saturday, Jun 07, 2025

The Saturday sports card features MLB and CFL action.The third leg of the horse racing Triple Crown headlines the day with the 157th Belmont Stakes. The Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York, hosts this event for the second straight year due to the reconstruction of Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The post time is 7:04 p.m. ET on Fox. Major League Baseball has 16 games scheduled. The Chicago Cubs travel to Detroit to play the Tigers at 1:10 p.m. ET, with both teams priced as a -110 money-line favorite and the total set at 8.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 2:10 p.m. ET. The Arizona Cardinals play in Cincinnati against the Reds in the first game of their doubleheader after yesterday’s rainout. The Minnesota Twins host the Toronto Blue Jays as a -112 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers are in St. Louis to take on the Cardinals at 2:15 p.m. ET as a -187 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5.Three MLB games start at 4:05 p.m. ET. The San Francisco Giants play at home against the Atlanta Braves as a -179 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Philadelphia Phillies visit Pittsburgh to play the Pirates as a -181 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. The Texas Rangers play in Washington against the Nationals as a -172 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8. Four MLB games begin at 4:10 p.m. ET. The Kansas City Royals are in Chicago to face the White Sox as a -157 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. The Houston Astros travel to Cleveland to battle the Guardians as a -137 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 7. The Tampa Bay Rays are home against the Miami Marlins as a -149 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Diamondbacks play on the road against the Reds in the second game of their doubleheader as a -119 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. Two MLB games are featured on Fox’s regional television coverage at 7:35 p.m. ET. The Milwaukee Brewers host the San Diego Padres as a -115 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The New York Yankees play at home against the Boston Red Sox as a -112 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Seattle Mariners are on the road to face the Los Angeles Angels at 9:38 p.m. ET as a -163 money-line road favorite with a total of 9. The New York Mets visit Colorado to play the Rockies at 9:40 p.m. ET as a -284 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 11. The Baltimore Orioles play on the road against the Athletics at 10:05 p.m. ET. Week 1 in the Canadian Football League concludes with two games. The Calgary Stampeders are home against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at 7:00 p.m. ET as a 2.5-point road favorite with a total of 53.5. The British Columbia Lions host the Edmonton Elks on the CBS Sports Network at 10:00 p.m. ET as a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 49.5.

Big Al's Daily Angle: NHL, MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 06/06/2025

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Jun 06, 2025

The Friday sports card features NHL, MLB, and CFL action.The National Hockey League playoffs continue with Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals. The Edmonton Oilers host the Florida Panthers on TNT/truTV/Max at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Oilers took the opening game of this best-of-seven series with a 4-3 victory in overtime on Wednesday. Edmonton is a -130 money-line favorite, with the total set at 6.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Major League Baseball has 15 games scheduled. The Miami Marlins travel to Tampa Bay to play the Rays at 1:10 p.m. ET in the lone afternoon game. The Philadelphia Phillies play in Pittsburgh against the Pirates at 6:40 p.m. ET as a -148 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9. The Texas Rangers play in Washington against the Nationals at 6:45 p.m. ET as a -125 money-line road favorite with a total of 9.5. The New York Yankees play at home against the Boston Red Sox at 7:05 p.m. ET as a -175 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. Three MLB throw out the first pitch at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Cleveland Guardians are home to take on the Houston Astros as a -112 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Arizona Diamondbacks are in Cincinnati to face the Reds on Apple TV+ as a -112 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9.5. The Chicago Cubs visit Detroit to battle the Tigers on Apple TV+.The Kansas City Royals play in Chicago against the White Sox at 7:40 p.m. ET as a -175 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. Two more MLB games start at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Toronto Blue Jays are in Minnesota to go against the Twins. The Milwaukee Brewers host the San Diego Padres as a -148 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers are in St. Louis to challenge the Cardinals at 8:15 p.m. ET as a -112 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The New York Mets travel to Colorado to face the Rockies at 8:40 p.m. ET as a -325 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 10.5. The Seattle Mariners play in Los Angeles against the Angels at 9:38 p.m. ET as a -155 money-line road favorite with a total of 9. The Baltimore Orioles are on the road against the Athletics at 10:05 p.m. ET. The Atlanta Braves visit San Francisco to play the Giants at 10:15 p.m. ET as a -135 money-line road favorite with a total of 7.5. Week 1 in the Canadian Football League continues with one game. The Montreal Alouettes play at home against the Toronto Argonauts at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Alouettes finished with an 11-6-1 record last year after losing in the East Division finals in a 30-28 loss at home to the Argonauts last November. Toronto won last year’s Grey Cup in a 41-24 upset victory against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as an 8.5-point underdog in November. Montreal is a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 48.5.

Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, MLB and CFL Previews and Odds - 06/05/2025

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Jun 05, 2025

The Thursday sports card features NBA, MLB, and CFL action.The National Basketball Association continues its playoff season with Game 1 of the NBA finals on ABC. The Oklahoma City Thunder host the Indiana Pacers at 8:40 p.m. ET. The Thunder won for the fifth time in their last six games with a 124-94 victory at home against Minnesota as an 8.5-point favorite to win the Western Conference finals in five games last Wednesday. The Pacers won for the sixth time in their last eight games with a 125-108 victory at home against New York as a 4-point favorite to close out the Eastern Conference finals in six games on Saturday. Oklahoma City is a 9.5-point favorite with the total set at 231 (all odds from DraftKings).Major League Baseball has 13 games scheduled. The Atlanta Braves are home against the Arizona Diamondbacks at 12:15 p.m. ET as a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. The St. Louis Cardinals host the Kansas City Royals at 1:45 p.m. ET as a -130 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Detroit Tigers travel to Chicago to play the White Sox at 2:10 p.m. ET as a -225 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Philadelphia Phillies play in Toronto against the Blue Jays at 3:07 p.m. ET as a -118 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The Minnesota Twins are on the road against the Athletics at 3:35 p.m. ET. The Seattle Mariners play at home against the Baltimore Orioles at 3:40 p.m. ET as a -170 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The San Francisco Giants are home against the San Diego Padres at 3:45 p.m. ET as a -122 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. The Los Angeles Dodgers host the New York Mets at 4:10 p.m. ET as a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 10.The Houston Astros are in Pittsburgh to take on the Pirates at 6:40 p.m. ET as a -162 money-line road favorite with a total of 7.5. The Chicago Cubs visit Washington to play the Nationals at 6:45 p.m. ET. The New York Yankees play at home against the Cleveland Guardians at 7:05 p.m. ET as a -265 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Tampa Bay Rays are home against the Texas Rangers at 7:35 p.m. ET as a -155 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The St. Louis Cardinals host the Kansas City Royals at 7:45 p.m. ET as a -118 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5.Week 1 in the Canadian Football League kicks off with one game on the CBS Sports Network. The Saskatchewan Roughriders play at home against the Ottawa Redblacks at 9:00 p.m. ET. The Roughriders reached the West Division finals where they lost on the road at Winnipeg as a 3-point underdog on November 9th. They finished the season with a 10-9 record. The Redblacks lost in the East Division semifinals in a 58-38 loss at Toronto as a 6.5-point underdog on November 2nd. Saskatchewan is a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 48.5.

2025 Belmont Stakes Preview

by Al McMordie

Thursday, Jun 05, 2025

This year marks the first time that separate Kentucky Derby and Preakness winners meet in the third jewel of the Triple Crown since 2013. That year, Derby winner Orb and Preakness winner Oxbow squared off at Belmont Park but interestingly neither of them were victorious as Oxbow finished second and Orb was third behind the winner, Palace Malice. Will Sovereignty (Derby) and Journalism (Preakness) suffer the same fate? There are some interesting challengers (six others in total) this year and below we preview the main contenders in this year's Belmont Stakes. #6 Baeza: The most successful path to Belmont Stakes victory has been skipping the Preakness and going directly from the Kentucky Derby to Belmont (or in this case, Saratoga). This strategy has produced 11 winners since 2001, including recent champions Dornoch, Mo Donegal and Essential Quality. Baeza and (Derby winner) Sovereignty are the only horses in the field that meet this condition. The deepest closer in the race, Baeza, rallied from 15th at Churchill Downs to finish a hard-charging third. One thing that's not in Baeza's favor is that this race will be run at 1 1/4 miles, rather than the normal Belmont distance of 1 1/2 miles. #3 Rodriguez: Bob Baffert's speedy 3YO won his Derby tune-up here in New York at Aqueduct race track (the Wood Memorial) in gate-to-wire fashion. It will be shocking if Rodriguez is not on the lead today from the moment the gate opens and Baffert has never been shy about trying to steal these big races by going to the front and playing "catch me if you can". But Rodriguez scratched the week of the Derby due to a foot injury and then did the same thing leading up to the Preakness, so question marks surround him. And that Wood Memorial victory -- impressive as it was -- was over two months ago. #7 Journalism: Any doubts people had about this California invader after the Derby were laid to rest after his incredible Preakness Stakes run at Pimlico three weeks ago (which we cashed). There is little to knock about Mike McCarthy's colt at this point but you have to wonder if the three races in a five week span, together with the cross-country travel could take something out of him. Will these factors result in Journalism not being at his best today? Maybe. But maybe not. And, like the Preakness, where he went off at even money, his odds here are relatively short, at 8-5 on the morning line. #5 Crudo: If Rodriguez doesn't fire because of his time off, lingering foot issue, or some other reason, this talented Todd Pletcher-trainee could have things all his own way. If you watch his performance in the Sir Barton on the Preakness undercard, you can't help but be impressed. He not only beat a pretty good group of 3YOs by daylight, but he galloped out after the race was over looking like he could go around the track again at the same pace. And clearly Pletcher and co-owner (and Celebrity Chef) Bobby Flay think Crudo has the goods or they would have picked a different spot for him. Pletcher knows something about winning this race, as he's done it four times and most recently three years ago with Mo Donegal. If there's a knock against him, it's that Crudo has been beating horses at the equivalent of the AAA Minor League level and he's now stepping up to face Sandy Koufax and Nolan Ryan. #2 Sovereignty: His talent is obvious and his skipping of the Preakness was the plan all along by his connections. You can't deny his incredible performance in the Derby (which we cashed), where he faced almost three times the number of rivals he will this Saturday. But like Baeza and Journalism, he doesn't possess any early speed so it's hard to say what kind of trip he will get and whether he will be able to make the same type of charge he did on that first Saturday in May. Closers have had an incredibly hard time winning on the Saratoga dirt track. And although the extra 1/8 of a mile may help (most dirt route races here are 1 1/8 miles), it might not be enough unless Sovereignty can be much closer to the pack early than he usually is (which he may be).We cashed the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and go for the 3-0 SWEEP again this year in the Triple Crown races (we've won 15 of the last 31 Triple Crown races, including a 3-0 SWEEP in 2022). Don't miss our 2025 Belmont Stakes winner.Good luck, as always...Al McMordie

Big Al's Daily Angle: NHL and MLB Previews and Odds - 06/04/2025

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Jun 04, 2025

The Wednesday sports card features NHL and MLB action.The National Hockey League playoffs continue with Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals. The Edmonton Oilers host the Florida Panthers on TNT/truTV/Max at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Oilers have six of their last seven games after a 6-3 win at Dallas against the Stars last Thursday that ended the Western Conference finals in five games. The Panthers have won five of six games with their 5-3 victory at home against the Carolina Hurricanes last Wednesday to conclude the Eastern Conference finals in five games. Edmonton is a -130 money-line favorite with the total set at 6.5 (all odds from DraftKings).Major League Baseball has 15 games scheduled. The Miami Marlins play at home against the Colorado Rockies at 12:10 p.m. ET. The Marlins send out Cal Quantrill to take the mound to pitch against the Rockies’ Kyle Freeland. Colorado is a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Milwaukee Brewers travel to Cincinnati to take on the Reds at 12:40 p.m. ET. A starting pitcher yet to be named for the Brewers goes against Andrew Abbott for the Reds. The Boston Red Sox are home against the Los Angeles Angels at 1:35 p.m. ET. The Red Sox tap Lucas Giolito to face the Angels’ Jose Soriano. Boston is a -130 money-line favorite with a total of 10. The Houston Astros play in Pittsburgh against the Pirates at 6:40 p.m. ET. Ryan Gusto takes the ball for the Astros to take on Mike Burrows for the Pirates. Houston is a -142 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9. The Chicago Cubs are in Washington to battle the Nationals at 6:45 p.m. ET. The Cubs turn to Matthew Boyd to pitch against the Nationals’ MacKenzie Gore. Chicago is a -135 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The New York Yankees host the Cleveland Guardians at 7:05 p.m. ET. Clarke Schmidt gets the ball for the Yankees to challenge Luis L. Ortiz for the Guardians. New York is a -185 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Toronto Blue Jays play at home against the Philadelphia Phillies at 7:07 p.m. ET. The Blue Jays tap Jose Berrios to take on the Phillies’ Mike Abel. Toronto is a -112 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The Atlanta Braves are home against the Arizona Diamondbacks at 7:15 p.m. ET. Chris Sales gets the starting assignment for the Braves to face Merrill Kelly for the Diamondbacks. Atlanta is a -175 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Tampa Bay Rays host the Texas Rangers at 7:35 p.m. ET. The Rays send out Shane Baz to go against a Rangers’ starting pitcher yet to be determined. Tampa Bay is a -125 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The Detroit Tigers visit Chicago to challenge the White Sox at 7:40 p.m. ET. Sawyer Gipson-Long gets the ball for the Tigers to pitch against a starting pitcher yet to be named for the White Sox. The St. Louis Cardinals play at home against the Kansas City Royals at 7:45 p.m. ET. The Cardinals tap Miles Mikolas to take the hill to take on the Royals’ Noah Cameron. St. Louis is a -130 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.The Seattle Mariners are home against the Baltimore Orioles at 9:40 p.m. ET. Emerson Hancock gets the start for the Mariners to battle Cade Povich for the Orioles. Seattle is a -130 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The San Diego Padres play at home against the San Francisco Giants at 9:45 p.m. ET. The Padres send out Nick Pivetta to face the Giants’ Kyle Harrison. San Diego is a -115 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 7.The Minnesota Twins are on the road against the Athletics at 10:05 p.m. ET. Zebby Matthews takes the mound for the Twins to challenge a starting pitcher yet to be named for the Athletics. The Los Angeles Dodgers are home against the New York Mets at 10:10 p.m. ET. The Dodgers turn to Tony Gonsolin to pitch against the Mets’ Griffin Canning. Los Angeles is a -148 money-line favorite with a total of 9.5.

Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 06/03/2025

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

The Tuesday sports card features MLB action.Major League Baseball has 15 games scheduled. Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 6:40 p.m. ET. Pittsburgh hosts Houston with the Pirates tapping Paul Skenes to pitch against the Astros’ Lance McCullers. The Pirates are a -142 money-line favorite with the total set at 7.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Miami plays at home against Colorado with Sandy Alcantara taking the ball for the Marlins to face Chase Dollander for the Rockies. The Marlins are a -180 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Chicago Cubs travel to Washington to take on the Nationals at 6:45 p.m. ET. The Cubs turn to Cade Holton to take on the Nationals’ Trevor Williams. Chicago is a -155 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The New York Yankees are home against the Cleveland Guardians on TBS at 7:05 p.m. ET. Carlos Rodon takes the ball for the Yankees to battle Tanner Bibee for the Guardians. New York is a -185 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Philadelphia Phillies play in Toronto against the Blue Jays at 7:07 p.m. ET. The Phillies send out Cristopher Sanchez to go against the Blue Jays’ Bowden Francis. Philadelphia is a -148 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. Two more MLB games start at 7:10 p.m. ET. Boston hosts Los Angeles with Bryan Bello taking the mound for the Red Sox to face Yusei Kikuchi for the Angels. The Red Sox are a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. Cincinnati plays at home against Milwaukee with the Reds turning to Hunter Greene to pitch against the Brewers’ Freddy Peralta. The Reds are a -115 money-line favorite with a total of 8. The Atlanta Braves are home against the Arizona Diamondbacks at 7:15 p.m. ET. Spencer Strider takes the ball for the Braves to take on Zac Gallen for the Diamondbacks. Atlanta is a -148 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Tampa Bay Rays host the Texas Rangers at 7:35 p.m. ET. The Rays tap Drew Rasmussen to challenge the Rangers’ Tyler Mahle. Tampa Bay is a -142 money-line favorite with a total of 8. The Detroit Tigers are in Chicago to take on the White Sox at 7:40 p.m. ET. A starting pitcher yet to be named for the Tigers will go against Shane Smith for the White Sox. The St. Louis Cardinals play at home against the Kansas City Royals at 7:45 p.m. ET. The Cardinals send out Andre Pallante to challenge the Royals’ Michael Lorenzen. St. Louis is a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Seattle Mariners are home against the Baltimore Orioles at 9:40 p.m. ET. George Kirby gets the starting assignment for the Mariners to face Tomoyuki Sugano for the Mets. Seattle is a -162 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. The San Francisco Giants host the San Diego Padres at 9:45 p.m. ET. The Giants turn to Landen Roupp to battle the Padres’ Ryan Bergent. San Francisco is a -148 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Minnesota Twins go on the road to play the Athletics at 10:05 p.m. ET. Pablo Lopez takes the hill for the Twins to take on a starting pitcher yet to be determined for the Athletics. The Los Angeles Dodgers play at home against the New York Mets on TBS at 10:10 p.m. ET. The Dodgers turn to Clayton Kershaw to face the Mets’ Tylor Megill. Los Angeles is a -142 money-line favorite with a total of 9.

Stanley Cup Final: Conn Smythe Award Prediction

by Sean Murphy

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

As the Edmonton Oilers prepare for a rematch against the Florida Panthers in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, much of the spotlight is on Connor McDavid, the reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner. However, Leon Draisaitl is also a legitimate candidate for the playoff MVP, offering significant line value and a compelling narrative that could sway voters.Playoff performance to date Draisaitl has been instrumental in the Oilers' playoff run, showcasing his offensive prowess and leadership on the ice. While McDavid leads in overall points (by the narrowest of margins - just one point), Draisaitl sits tied with Corey Perry for the team lead in goals scored and his contributions have been pivotal in critical moments, often turning the tide in tightly-contested games. His ability to elevate his play during high-stakes situations underscores his value to the team and strengthens his case for the Conn Smythe Trophy.Betting odds Currently, Draisaitl's odds to win the Conn Smythe Trophy stand at +750, positioning him as a strong value bet compared to McDavid's favored odds of +110 (odds courtesy DraftKings). This disparity presents an opportunity for bettors seeking a high-reward wager on a player with a significant impact on his team's success, especially with the Oilers currently priced as slight favorites to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup. Should voters decide it's a toss-up between McDavid and Draisaitl the case can certainly be made for giving it to the latter after McDavid won the trophy despite Edmonton falling short one year ago.Redemption song? In last year's Stanley Cup Final, Draisaitl's performance was underwhelming, recording only three points (two goals and an assist) across seven games. This year's final round offers a chance for redemption and Draisaitl appears poised to seize it. His determination to overcome past shortcomings and lead the Oilers to victory adds a compelling narrative to his Conn Smythe candidacy . While McDavid remains the frontrunner for the Conn Smythe Trophy, Draisaitl's consistency and game-breaking ability makes him a legitimate contender. Draisaitl's current odds offer substantial value given his knack for coming through with big goals when it matters most and you won't find a bigger stage than this. As the Oilers vie for the Stanley Cup, Draisaitl's contributions could very well tip the scales in his favor for playoff MVP honors.

Stanley Cup Primer: Inside the Numbers

by Vegas Writer

Monday, Jun 02, 2025

Remember when the Florida Panthers won the 2024 Stanley Cup, and forward Matthew Tkachuk had one message for Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid in the handshake line:"Hopefully we’ll see you next year!"Welp! Away we go.And before I go any further, allow me to remind you that I head into the Stanley Cup Final on a 52-39-1 run in hockey since Jan. 28, for a net profit of $16,140.After 1,392 NHL games, not to mention a very fun 4 Nations Face-Off clash in February, the Panthers and Oilers will run it back, as we're about to be treated to just the second Stanley Cup Final rematch in the past 40 years.Only one way to appreciate the teams that got here, and that's with an NHL Stat Roll from the Conference Finals. Let's take a look at the teams we're about to watch skate for the right to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup:OFFENSIVE SURGE: Florida outscored Carolina 16-4 through the first three games of the Eastern Conference Final while becoming the first team in 44 years - and sixth in NHL history - to score five or more goals in each of the first three games of the Conference Finals/Semifinals. Perspective: The Panthers have scored a combined 37 goals in Games 1-3 over the first three rounds. They've allowed 24 in those nine games.ROAD CATS: Forget about being a road dog, these Road Cats tied a franchise record for road wins in one playoff year (8), set an NHL record for goals through 10 road games in one postseason (48), claimed all three series with a road-clinching win and ride a road winning streak of five games into the finalBARKING CAT: Selke Trophy winner Aleksander Barkov showed why he is a three-time winner of the award after sharing the series lead with seven points in the ECF alone, while leading Florida in percentage of offensive zone time at even strength (41.1%) against a Hurricanes squad that led the league in offensive zone time during both the regular season and playoffs. Barkov leads Florida's balanced offense with 17 points in 17 games and is one of 19 different goal scorers for the club this postseason.FREE FLOWING OIL: Since falling behind 2-0 to Los Angeles in the opening round, Connor McDavid and the Oilers flow into the Cup Final on a 12-2 run, including a four-game win streak. Edmonton is averaging more than four goals-per-game during that stretch (4.14) while outscoring opponents 58-33, including 19-5 during their string of four straight victories. McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each have tallied 5 goals and 17 assists since Game 3 of the first round, while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has all 18 of his points during the 14-game stretch.CONNOR "DUE" MCAVID: If there was ever a time the fastest skater on the planet was due to win the Cup, it's this year. And he's skated like it, even more so than we saw in 2024. McDavid scored his second career series-clinching goal in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final, ironically, 97 days after No. 97 scored the championship-clinching overtime goal for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off. McDavid comes into the Cup Final with 43 goals and 100 assists in 90 career playoff games. He became the fourth player in NHL history with 20 or more points in four consecutive postseasons.REVENGE RETURN: Edmonton is the seventh team since the start of the NHL’s expansion era (1967-68 onward) to return to the Stanley Cup Final after losing in it the season prior. Of the previous six teams to return, three have won the title, including the Panthers last season.OIL RUNS DEEP: Balance helped the Oilers return to the Cup Final, as all but two Edmonton skaters registered a point in the Western Conference Final (19 of 21). It marked just the seventh time a team has had that many players contributing in the Conference Finals/Semifinals or Stanley Cup Final.THE NETMINDERS: Goaltenders Sergei Bobrovsky (Panthers) and Stuart Skinner (Oilers) will oppose one another for a second straight year and will do so after being the only goaltenders to post a save percentage of .900 or better in the 2025 Conference Finals. Bobrovsky set a franchise record with his third shutout of the postseason in Game 2 against Carolina, while Skinner enters the Final with three shutouts and a share of the Oilers' franchise benchmark. Skinner became the ninth goaltender in NHL history to record a shutout in each of his first three wins of a postseason and was the fifth in the league's modern era (since 1944) to allow one goal or fewer through his first four wins.

Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 06/02/2025

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Jun 02, 2025

The Monday sports card features MLB action.Major League Baseball has seven games scheduled. The Miami Marlins host the Colorado Rockies at 6:40 p.m. ET. The Marlins lost for the second time in their last three games with a 4-2 setback against San Francisco on Sunday. The Rockies have lost eight straight games after a 5-3 loss against the New York Mets yesterday. Miami sends out Max Meyer to take the mound to pitch against the Rockies German Marquez. The Marlins are a -192 money-line favorite with the total set at 8 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise).Two MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:10 p.m. ET. Boston plays at home against Los Angeles with the Red Sox tapping Richard Fitts to pitch against the Angels’ Tyler Anderson. The Red Sox have won two of their last three games after their 3-1 victory at Atlanta on Sunday. The Angeles have lost seven of their last eight games after a 4-2 loss at Cleveland yesterday. Boston is a -155 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9.5.Cincinnati is home against Milwaukee with Brady Singer taking the ball for the Reds to take on Aaron Civale for the Brewers on FS1. The Reds lost for the second time in their last three games with a 7-2 loss in Chicago against the Cubs yesterday. The Brewers have won seven games in a row after a 5-2 win against Philadelphia on Sunday. Cincinnati is a -122 money-line favorite with a total of 9.5. The Detroit Tigers travel to Chicago to face the White Sox at 7:40 p.m. ET. The Tigers won for the sixth time in their last seven games after a 1-0 win at Kansas City on Sunday. The White Sox lost for the sixth time in their last seven games after a 3-2 victory at Baltimore yesterday. Detroit gives the ball to Jack Flaherty to battle Chicago’s Jonathan Cannon. The Tigers are a -218 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8. The San Francisco Giants host the San Diego Padres at 9:45 p.m. ET. The Giants won for the second time in their last three games after their win at Miami yesterday. The Padres won for the fifth time in their last seven games in a 6-4 victory against Pittsburgh on Sunday. Logan Webb gets the ball for San Francisco to go against Stephen Kolak for San Diego. The Giants are a -175 money-line favorite at BetMGM with a total of 7.The Minnesota Twins play on the road against the Athletics at 10:05 p.m. ET. The Twins lost for the third time in their last four games in a 2-1 loss at Seattle on Sunday. The Athletics lost for the 17th time in their last 18 games in an 8-4 loss at Toronto yesterday. Minnesota sends out Joe Ryan to challenge the Athletics’ Luis Severino. The Twins are a -160 money-line road favorite at BetMGM with an over/under of 9. The Los Angeles Dodgers play at home against the New York Mets at 10:10 p.m. ET. The Dodgers had won two games in a row before their 7-3 loss at home against the New York Yankees on Sunday. The Mets won for the seventh time in their last eight games with their victory against the Rockies yesterday. Dustin May gets the ball for the Dodgers to face Paul Blackburn for the Mets. Los Angeles is a -155 money-line favorite at BetMGM with a total of 9.

UFC 316 Preview and Picks

by Will Rogers

Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

UFC 316 - DVALISHVILI vs O'MALLEY IISaturday, June 7th Prudential Center - Newark, NJThe final fight card of May, UFC Vegas 107, was a dud. Leading up to fight day, there were numerous cancellations. Matchups were changed. Several fighters missed weight. Worst of all, mere moments before it was scheduled to start, the Main Event was scratched. This was a result of Maycee Barber pulling out with a "severe medical issue." With two titles on the line and a bevy of other exciting fights scheduled, UFC 316 promises to deliver a much better product. Let's get into it. The Main EventMerab Dvalishvili and Sean O'Malley will be fighting for the bantamweight title for the second time. Dvalishvili won a decision when they fought in 2024. At the time, O'Malley was the champion. The line was essentially a pick'em. This time, Dvalishvili is the champ and he's laying roughly -300. O'Malley, an elite striker, is younger, taller and has a reach advantage. Dvalishvili's grappling skills are next level though. After his win over O'Malley, Dvalishvili defeated Umar Nurmagomedov, who had previously been 18-0. That makes it 12 straight wins for Dvalishvili. He's taken on tough competition and he's dominated. O'Malley hasn't fought since the previous meeting. He's committed himself to learning from the loss and improving his skills and conditioning. The Pick: Under 4.5 Rounds +212. The O/U line was 4.5o-120 or -130 for the first fight. Now, the O/U line is 4.5o-280. That brings a take-back of better than +200 on the under 4.5 rounds. That's where the value is, in my opinion. While O'Malley has had a few recent decisions, he'd previously had a stretch of six straight KO/TKO victories. Though Dvalishvili does often win by decision, he's fully capable of stopping O'Malley. He says that's his plan, too: “He’s always looking for a finish,” Dvalishvili said about O’Malley. "He wants to knock you out. I’m just gonna strike and knock him out. This fight, I’m gonna prove how crazy I am. I’m gonna box with him." O'Malley responded: “If that’s his game plan, that would be stupid.”The Co Main Event The women's bantamweight title is on the line in the Co-Main Event. Former gold-medalist, Kayla Harrison (18-1) is a heavy -600 favorite over Juliana Pena. Harrison made her promotional debut last April at UFC 300 event, submitting former champion Holly Holm in the second round. She followed up the victory over Holm with a unanimous decision over Ketlen Viera. While everyone is pretty much giving this one to Harrison, don't forget that Pena (12-5) once shocked Amanda Nunes. Not only has Pena fought Nunes twice, she's previously battled against Shevchenko. She won't be intimidated. The O/U line is 4.5 under -135. The Big Guys One of the more competitive fights on the card sees Serghei "The Polar Bear" Spivak take on Waldo "Salsa Boy" Cortes-Acosta. Both these guys are in the 265-pound range. Spivak (17-5) is currently a -125 favorite over Cortes-Acosta. Spivak was stopped in the first round of his last fight after earning a first round submission victory before that. Cortes-Acosta (13-1) is off four straight victories. Salsa Boy has the better record but The Polar Bear has taken on better opposition. The Pick: Under 2.5 under Rounds -135. When guys are this large, the fights often don't last long. As a matter of fact, none of Spivak's last seven fights have made it past the second round. Five were first round finishes. Cortes-Acosta checks in off a second round TKO win over Ryan Spann.

Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Previews and Odds - 06/01/2025

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

The Sunday sports card features MLB action.Major League Baseball has 15 games scheduled. The Texas Rangers host the St. Louis Cardinals on Roku at 1:05 p.m. ET. The Rangers send out Jacob deGrom to pitch against the Cardinals’ Erick Fedde. Texas is a -175 money-line favorite, with the total set at 7.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Four MLB games throw out the first pitch at 1:35 p.m. ET. Boston travels to Atlanta with Garrett Crochet getting the ball for the Red Sox to face Bryce Elder for the Braves. The Red Sox are a -135 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8. Philadelphia plays at home against Milwaukee, with the Phillies tapping Ranger Suarez to take on the Brewers’ Jose Quintana. The Phillies are a -180 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Baltimore is home against Chicago, with Charlie Morton taking the mound for the Orioles to challenge Adrian Houser for the White Sox. The Orioles are a -166 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Toronto Blue Jays host the Athletics at 1:37 p.m. ET. The Blue Jays turn to Kevin Gausman to pitch against the Athletics’ J.P. Sears. Toronto is a -192 money-line favorite with a total of 8. Three more MLB games start at 1:40 p.m. ET. Cleveland plays at home against Los Angeles, with Gavin Williams getting the starting assignment for the Guardians to go against Jack Kochanowicz for the Angels. The Guardians are a -170 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. New York is home against Colorado, with the Mets sending out Clay Holmes to face the Rockies’ Carson Palmquist. The Mets are a -395 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. San Francisco plays at Miami, with Hayden Birdsong getting the ball for the Giants to battle Ryan Weathers for the Marlins. The Giants are a -130 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.Two MLB games begin at 2:10 p.m. ET. Houston hosts Tampa Bay, with the Astros tapping Hunter Brown to challenge the Rays’ Taj Bradley. The Astros are a -205 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. Kansas City is home against Detroit, with Kris Bubic getting the ball for the Royals to face Keider Montero for the Tigers. The Royals are a -148 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Chicago Cubs host the Cincinnati Reds at 2:20 p.m. ET. The Cubs send out Jameson Taillon to pitch against the Reds’ Nick Martinez. Chicago is a -162 money-line favorite. Two MLB games start at 4:10 p.m. ET. Arizona plays at home against Washington, with Corbin Burnes taking the hill for the Diamondbacks to challenge Mitchell Parker for the Nationals. The Diamondbacks are a -238 money-line favorite with a total of 9. Seattle is home against Minnesota, with the Mariners turning to Luis Castillo to take on the Twins’ Chris Paddack. The Mariners are a -135 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.The San Diego Padres host the Pittsburgh Pirates at 5:10 p.m. ET. Randy Vasquez gets the ball for the Padres to face Andrew Heaney for the Pirates. San Diego is a -142 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN features the Los Angeles Dodgers playing at home against the New York Yankees at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Dodgers tap Yoshinobo Yamamoto to pitch against the Yankees’ Ryan Yarbrough. Los Angeles is a -175 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5.

The Ascension of the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference

by Team Del Genio

Saturday, May 31, 2025

The Indiana Pacers are champions of the Eastern Conference after a 125-108 victory at home against the Knicks on May 31st to take the conference finals in six games. The Pacers phoned in their Game 5 effort on Thursday. After taking a 3-1 lead in this series on Tuesday with a 130-121 victory on their home court, the Pacers were flat in Game 5 in a 111-94 loss at Madison Square Garden. Indiana missed 20 of their 30 shots from 3-point land, and they only shot 40.5% from the field. Tyrese Haliburton only scored eight points on 2 of 7 shooting and he missed both his shots from 3-point land. That disappointing effort came off one of the best performances in NBA history when Haliburton scored 32 points in Game 4 in 38 minutes with 15 assists, 12 rebounds, four steals, and zero turnovers. Asking Haliburton to repeat those numbers will be too much, yet he should play much better than he did on Thursday. He has been a better player at home where he averages 20.4 points per game this season on 50.0% shooting and a 41.5% clip from 3-point range. He averages 10.0 assists per game at home. On the road, Haliburton averages 16.7 points per game on 43.8% shooting and a 34.9% clip from 3-point land. His assists average drops to 8.0 assists per game on the road this year. Indiana had covered the point spread in nineteen of their last twenty-eight games when playing with revenge from a loss to their opponent in their previous game against each other. They had covered the point spread in eleven of their last sixteen games at home when the oddsmakers installed them as a favorite of six points or less. The Pacers had covered the point spread in six of their last nine games in the Eastern Conference finals with Rick Carlisle as their head coach.New York kept this series alive by shooting 49.4% from the field in their best shooting performance since Game 1 of this series. Yet the Knicks had covered the point spread in four of their last eleven games on the road after winning at home in their previous game. They had covered the point spread just twice in their last eight games on the road after playing a game where they did not allow more than 100 points. Karl-Anthony Towns was a game-time decision with a knee injury, yet he was excellent by making 10 of 20 shots for 24 points, and he added another 13 rebounds. Yet if this injury that had him limping badly in the final moments of Game 4 lingers and he is not 100%, the Knicks are in deep trouble. The road team had only covered the point spread (or won) once in the last nine playoff games between these two rivals in Game 4, 5, or 6. New York had covered the point spread three times in their last eleven games on the road when the oddsmakers installed them as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points. Haliburton bounced back in Game 5 by scoring 21 points on 9 of 17 shooting. He added 13 assists. Pascal Siakam scored 31 points for Indiana. Towns scored 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, yet the Knicks got outscored by 17 points when he was on the court. The Pacers shot 54% from the field and made 17 of their 33 shots from 3-point land for a 52% clip. New York made 48% of their shots yet missed 23 of 32 shots from the 3-point line for a 28% shooting percentage from 3-point range. When Indiana got swept by the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals last year, it was easy to conclude that the Pacers were simply also-rans and a tier below the Celtics in a conference Boston dominated. Yet a year later, maybe more credit should have been given to Indiana (and head coach Rick Carlisle) as being close to taking the next step to become a real threat to win an NBA title. Game 1 of that series went to overtime before the Pacers lost Games 3 and 4 by just three points in both games. Indiana will be the underdog against Oklahoma City when the NBA finals begin next week. Yet after the Thunder only advanced to the Western Conference semifinals last year (before losing to Dallas), it will be the Pacers with more recent playoff experience. Good luck - TDG.

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