Expert Sports Picks and Analysis from Al McMordie

MLB Notes and News -- Through May

Thursday, May 29, 2025

Best Teams Hit Mid-Season Stride -- Los Angeles Dodgers (34-22) ~ As everyone expected, the Los Angeles Dodgers are one of the top teams in baseball again this season after winning the World Series in 2024 (last season.) The Dodgers improved their pitching group and have a really good lineup for the second year in a row. Los Angeles is on top of the NL West a third into this year. Like we said last month, 'they are the favorites to win the World Series this year and we can see exactly why.' New York Yankees (35-20) ~ With an even better record than the Dodgers, New York is also one of the favorites to win the World Series this season. That's also expected as the Yankees were the team that played against Los Angeles in last year's final. New York has really good hitting and Aaron Judge is on pace for another record breaking season. Max Fried has also been the best free agent signing of any team so far. Detroit Tigers (37-20) ~ Surprising to some. Unsurprising to others. The Tigers actually have the best record in the whole MLB right now. They are scoring a lot of runs each game -- definitely helping the young star studded pitching group that Detroit has. Tarik Skubal is the front runner for AL Cy Young right now and if the Tigers can keep pitching strong behind him, they will be back into the playoffs and as one of the top seeds. Philadelphia Phillies (36-20) ~ In the loaded NL East Division, Philadelphia is the top team in the group right now. Trae Turner is hitting the ball terrifically this year and Kyle Schwarber is lighting it up again with the home runs. What's different though? Schwarber isn't getting out as often which will help Philadelphia out a lot in the long run. Hitting well has been the name of the game and what has worked for the Phillies this year. Top Pitchers So Far -- Max Fried ~ 7-0 going into Friday's start, Max Fried has the best statistics of any pitcher in the Major League's right now. There hasn't been any better time than now to play on him to win the Cy Young award in the American League, even with Skubal close behind. He has better stats and is on probably a more talented team than Skubal -- that could lead to more wins and better final statistics. Tarik Skubal ~ Like we talked about when talking about Max Fried, Skubal is the favorite to win the top pitcher in the American League award. He's been really good and even better than really good in his last start when he pitched nine innings and allowed zero runs. He struck out 13 batters in that game and had only 94 pitches thrown at the end of the game. That's unheard of. Kodai Senga ~ Senga has been terrific this season. He's the current leader in earned run average in the National League and has been pitching at the top of his game all season long. The Mets top pitching option doesn't strike out batters at the rate that he would want to be doing so at. He does the little things and does what it takes to get batters out though. Yoshinobu Yamamoto ~ Even though Yamamoto is on the maybe the top team in baseball and has an earned run average of less than 2.0, he's still not the favorite to win the Cy Young award in the National League. But, if things go the way that they have, Yamamoto will probably win that award at the end of the season. It just depends if Skenes stays in Pittsburgh or not. Top Hitters So Far -- Aaron Judge ~ The home runs aren't as 'good' as Judge would like because he wants to be first in that too. But, Judge is having an all-time season right now. He's the league leader in average leading by a lot compared to the next best. He also leads the league in hits and is second in runs scored. He is almost guaranteed to win the MVP in the American League. Shohei Ohtani ~ Ohtani missed some games because of the birth of his new-born. He also hasn't been getting too much help from the bottom of the order with getting runners on base that would lead to more runs batted in. But, Ohtani is the league leader in home runs right now and he continues to prove how good he is game after game. He's the favorite to win the MVP in the National League. Freddie Freeman ~ Second to just Aaron Judge in the batting average category this season, Freddie Freeman is having himself another terrific year. He's not hitting the ball with too much power. But, that doesn't matter when he can get on base as well as anyone in the history of the game of baseball. He can display power too in big spots if called upon. James Wood ~ A little bit of a deeper pull here. But, James Wood is having a really good season for the Washington Nationals. He has 15 hit home runs this season and has a really solid batting average too. Wood has definitely been the best hitter on his team and is still just 22 years old. There's a lot of time to improve on his really good play.

Big Al's Daily Angle: NHL, MLB and NBA Previews and Odds - 05/29/2025

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, May 29, 2025

The Thursday sports card features NBA, NHL, and MLB action.The National Basketball Association continues its playoff season with Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals on TNT/truTV/Max. The New York Knicks host the Indiana Pacers at 8:05 p.m. ET. The Pacers took a 3-1 lead in this best-of-seven series with their 130-121 victory at home as a 3-point favorite on Tuesday. The Knicks are a 4-point favorite with the total set at 222.5 (all odds from DraftKings). The National Hockey League playoffs continue with Game 5 of the Western Conference finals on ESPN. The Dallas Stars host the Edmonton Oilers at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Oilers have a 3-1 lead in this best-of-seven series after a 3-1 win at home on Tuesday. The Stars are a -135 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5.Major League Baseball has five games on its schedule. Only one MLB game throws out the first pitch in the afternoon with the Philadelphia Phillies at home taking on the Atlanta Braves at 1:05 p.m. ET in the opening game of their doubleheader after their Wednesday matchup got postponed because of rain. The Phillies have won 10 of their last 11 games after a 2-0 victory against the Braves on Tuesday. Atlanta has lost five of their last six games. Philadelphia taps Cristopher Sanchez to take the mound to pitch against the Braves A.J. Smith-Shawver. The Phillies are a -148 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5.Zack Wheeler takes the ball for the Phillies to take on Chris Sale for Atlanta in the nightcap at 6:45 p.m. ET. Philadelphia is a -118 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5.The Toronto Blue Jays host the Athletics at 7:07 p.m. ET. The Blue Jays have won two of their last three games after their 2-0 victory at Texas on Wednesday. The Athletics have lost 13 of their last 14 games after a 5-3 loss at Houston last night. Toronto turns to Jose Berrios to take the hill to face the Athletics Jacob Lopez. The Blue Jays are a -155 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Houston Astros play at home against the Tampa Bay Rays at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Astros are on a four-game winning streak after their victory against the Athletics on Wednesday. The Rays won for the seventh time in their last eight games in a 5-0 win at home against Minnesota yesterday. Ryan Gusto gets the starting assignment for Houston to battle against Shane Baz for Tampa Bay. Houston is a -115 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5.The Washington Nationals travel to Seattle to take on the Seattle Mariners at 9:40 p.m. ET. The Nationals ended a two-game losing streak with a 9-0 victory on the road against the Mariners last night. The Mariners have lost three of their last four games. The Nationals send out MacKenzie Gore to challenge Seattle’s Emerson Hancock. Both teams are priced as a -110 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5.

May Starting Pitching NL Overachievers

by Nelly's Sports

Wednesday, May 28, 2025

With most starters now making at least 10 starts in the 2025 season there is a good sample size to consider at this point in the MLB season. There are several pitchers that stand out as overachievers as we approach the end of the month of May and these four National League starters may be worth considering playing against in upcoming starting efforts. Chad Patrick – Milwaukee Brewers One of the leading rookie of the year threats, Patrick has provided a boost for a Brewers pitching staff that has battled injuries this season. Patrick went 14-1 in 24 starts in AAA last season as he appeared ready for the leap to the MLB level, pitching in the minors since 2021 with Arizona, Oakland, and now Milwaukee. A decent 9.6 K/9 from AAA hasn’t translated to the big league as Patrick has a 7.9 K/9 so far this season. He has a very low home run rate and a very high strand rate in his 12-game sample however, and those numbers are likely to shift towards the mean in the coming weeks. Patrick has a 3.29 FIP and a 4.32 xFIP and he is yet to turn in an MLB start of six innings with fewer than two runs allowed, as he has lasted six innings only three times this season. The Brewers have a losing record in his starts and his road splits offers some concern as opponents are batting .299 with a .765 OPS against him away from American Family Field. His solid results in May have come with four of his last five starts at home and Milwaukee has several difficult road games ahead in June, starting the month in Philadelphia, while also visiting Cincinnati, Chicago (Cubs), and Minneapolis. Teams are also likely to have a better scouting report and preparation for Patrick at this point as well. Corbin Burnes – Arizona Diamondbacks Burnes has been one of the better starters in baseball since landing a full-time starting role in 2020. He won the NL Cy Young in 2021 and has been an All-Star each of the past four seasons. He delivered a fine season for the Orioles last season but moving back to the NL has provided a drop in the results for Burnes so far this season, even if his 2.72 ERA keeps him valued as one of the top starters in the NL for Arizona. In 10 starts Burnes has a 4.09 FIP and his walk rate has ballooned to the highest of his career at 3.8 BB/9. He has a strand rate approaching 81 percent, the highest of his career since his brief rookie season in 2018 as a reliever, as a lot has gone right for Burnes to get out jams so far this season. Burnes has allowed three or more runs in half of his starts and while the numbers have trended in a positive direction in May, he also faced Pittsburgh and Colorado in his last two home starts to help his splits at Chase Field. Burnes remains a quality starting option, but Arizona is just 5-5 in his starts and now on the wrong side of age 30, the best years for the right-hander may be behind him. Jake Irvin – Washington Nationals Approaching 400 innings in his career, Irvin has had consistent strikeout, home run, and walk rates now in his third season as a starter for Washington. After posting a 4.61 ERA in 2023 and a 4.41 ERA in 2024, his ERA is suddenly 3.42 through 11 starts in 2025. His FIP is 4.47, right where you would expect it to be, however. Irvin has enjoyed a .229 BABIP so far this season, catching some good fortune on balls in play, even with one of baseball’s worst rated defenses behind him. Irvin is coming off an eight-inning scoreless outing in his last start for one of the best starts of his career, but three of his five road starts have come against three of MLB’s worst teams so far this season for a favorable early season draw. With a 4-1 record and a good ERA, Irvin may start to get a bit of attention in upcoming Washington games, but his 6.2 K/9 isn’t worth supporting in most matchups. Andrew Heaney – Pittsburgh Pirates May has been Andrew Heaney’s best month throughout his career with a 3.53 ERA in over 145 innings of work. He has usually been a much worse pitcher later in the season including a 4.59 career ERA after the All-Star break. Heaney has turned in a decent month of May for Pittsburgh with three excellent outings among five starts, but he shouldn’t be counted on to maintain his current 3.41 ERA. His FIP is more than a run higher at 4.45 while his strikeout-to-walk ratio is below 2:1, with his current K/9 of 6.5 the worst since his brief first season with Miami in 2014. Heaney picked up a World Series ring with the Rangers after a solid season in 2023 including pitching well in his Game 4 World Series start but he is now 8-18 in decisions since that game and the roster behind him isn’t likely to improve as a disappointing season for the Pirates continues.

May Starting Pitching AL Overachievers

by Nelly's Sports

Wednesday, May 28, 2025

With most MLB starters now making at least 10 starts in the 2025 season there is a good sample size to consider. There are several pitchers that stand out as overachievers as we approach the end of the month of May, and these four American League starters may be worth considering playing against in future starting opportunities. Yusei Kikuchi – Los Angeles Angels Despite marginal numbers in six MLB seasons, Kikuchi snagged a nice three-year deal from the Angels in the off-season. The 33-year-old lefty was coming off two decent seasons and pitched well back in the AL West after being traded to the Astros last summer. In 11 starts with the Angels he has only one win, but his ERA is on pace to be a career best at 3.17. His FIP of 4.34 is well above his FIP in 2023 or 2024 however and his K/9 is the lowest since his MLB rookie season with Seattle in 2019. So far in 2025 Kikuchi has stranded over 82 percent of his baserunners, compared to a career average of just over 73 percent for a huge difference. Kikuchi has been one of the most at-risk starters for home runs in his career but so far in 2025 he has allowed only seven home runs in nearly 60 innings for a rate well below his career average. The Angels have competed better than expected this season but Kikuchi isn’t likely to sustain his impressive results in May with a 1.91 ERA in his last five starts and no losses. Jeffrey Springs – Sacramento Athletics Springs didn’t really have a breakout season until 2022 with the Rays as he was mostly a reliever early in his career. Injuries kept him off the mound for most of the past two seasons and he was picked up by the Athletics. With a 3.97 ERA in 59 innings Springs has solid results including posting five wins. He has not had the same strikeout potential as earlier in this career however with a 7.2 K/9 now at age 32. His BABIP so far this season is .234, well below his career norms, and he has been an extreme flyball pitcher this season but without the same strikeout potential as he had in 2022. Springs has not pitched well at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento with a 5.88 ERA in 26 innings at home as most of his starts so far this season have come on the road. In four of his five home starts he has allowed at least four runs for a concern moving forward, while the Athletics bullpen hasn’t done any of the team’s starters any favors in recent weeks with ugly results. Sean Burke – Chicago White SoxBurke was outstanding in 19 MLB innings last season, and he was on the AL Rookie of the Year radar this season. With an opportunity to be a regular starter for the White Sox, Burke still is in that race and his 4.33 ERA in 11 appearances has meant steady returns. His FIP is 5.68 however, and the 10.4 K/9 he posted in the small sample last season is nowhere to be found. In 54 innings Burke has allowed 30 walks while posting only 39 strikeouts, and while his numbers have improved in May compared with April, he has also had a few favorable matchups vs. lesser hitting teams in that run of moderate success. In his last start vs. a top offense, he allowed six runs vs. the Cubs and five times this season he has allowed four or more runs. Burke is only 25 and the former 3rd round pick still has serious potential but his run in May is likely as good as it will get for Burke this season. Ryan Pepiot – Tampa Bay Rays A third round pick in 2019, Pepiot showed some promise for the Dodgers in 2022 and 2023 and over 130 innings he had a solid season with the Rays last year. His ERA of 3.55 this season is nearly identical to the 3.60 ERA he had last season. The comparisons end there however as his FIP is much higher this season and his K/9 has fallen from 9.8 to 7.4. Pepiot is allowing more home runs, but he has so far been able to strand baserunners at a nearly 82 percent rate. Pepiot has pitched well in the Rays 2025 home in Tampa and 47 of 63 innings have been at home so far this season. That ratio will adjust in the upcoming schedule for the Rays as Pepiot has made only three road starts at this point in the season. Pepiot has the numbers and pedigree to command market support, but he hasn’t displayed the same potential this season despite the similar statistical pace to 2024. Coming off seven shutout innings last weekend, Pepiot may be at his peak valuation right now and closer to average returns can be expected the rest of the way.

3 MLB Potential Futures Value Plays

by Kyle Hunter

Wednesday, May 28, 2025

The MLB season is two months old already. We know this season is the ultimate marathon though, it certainly isn’t a sprint. Let’s take a look at three potential futures value plays on the board. These are teams that I believe might be underrated in the market right now. American League West (Texas Rangers +450 to win AL West) The Texas Rangers have the lowest batting average on balls in play by a wide margin. The second lowest offensive BABIP is .270, but the Rangers are all the way down at .261. For some perspective, there are nine times in the majors with a BABIP of .300 or higher. The Rangers have had some very poor batted ball luck so far this year. There are some quality hitters in this lineup who should experience some positive regression toward the mean.Jacob Degrom is rounding into form and that makes this team dangerous should they get into the playoffs. The Rangers have an excellent defense that saves a lot of runs as well. Atlanta Braves to Make the Playoffs (Yes -110) Atlanta has been banged up badly in the early season. Ronald Acuna Jr. is finally back and hitting the ball well. Spencer Strider is working his way back in the rotation as well. Atlanta’s upside is very high. The Braves dug a deep hole to dig out of, but I like the depth of their lineup. This is the type of team who can go on a big win streak at any point. I would expect better numbers from guys like Ozzie Albies, Michael Harris, and Matt Olson moving forward. Spencer Schwellenbach is turning into a #1 or #2 type starting pitcher. Schwellenbach has great control (only 12 walks in 68 and ⅓ innings pitched). The trio of Strider, Sale, and Schwellenbach is top notch. Chicago Cubs to Win National League (+700) This is my least favorite of the three, but I think it is worth a small punt. The Cubs have a very easy NL Central schedule. The Pirates are bad. The Brewers are down. The Reds offense isn’t consistent enough and their bullpen is bad. The Cubs have a really deep lineup. They are helped in a huge way by the breakout of Pete Crow-Armstrong. Chicago is going to score a lot of runs this season, and I think they can be a tough out in October as well.

4 MLB Regression Signs: Pitching

by Kyle Hunter

Wednesday, May 28, 2025

I like to look for signs of regression in Major League Baseball. You never know exactly when regression will come, but when some key statistics stand out it can be clear that it will eventually be on the way. Let’s look at pitching numbers today. #1. Cincinnati Reds (Negative)- Opponents have a batting average on balls in play of just .263 against Cincinnati Reds pitchers. The league average is about .287. In this large of a sample, that kind of difference is significant. In conjunction with this information, the Reds overall ERA is 3.78 and their FIP is 4.10. The Reds pitching staff is pretty good, but they aren’t as good as they have looked so far this season. #2. Baltimore Orioles (Positive) Here’s a case of expected positive regression for the Baltimore Orioles. How has this team been so bad this season? The biggest disappointment in baseball. The Orioles pitching staff has a strand rate of just 69.0% compared to a league average of 74%. We should expect the Orioles pitchers to have some more luck when it comes to stranding baserunners. The Orioles ERA is 5.50 and their FIP is 4.99. Baltimore’s pitching staff isn’t good, but they aren’t as bad as they currently look. #3. Kansas City Royals (Negative) The Kansas City pitching staff has been lights out so far this year. It’s a good thing, because the Royals bats have been dreadful. Kansas City’s pitching staff has an ERA of 3.17, but their FIP is 3.67 and their xFIP is even a bit higher at 3.83. The Royals have recently had several key injuries to their starting pitching. This is a group that I expect to come back down to earth some in the coming weeks. #4. New York Mets (Negative) Somehow the Mets pitching staff has allowed just 0.64 home runs per nine innings. The average in Major League Baseball is 1.06. I don’t expect the Mets to go all the way up to the league average, but there should be some negative regression on the way. The Mets ERA is 2.83, and their xFIP is 3.74. This is a team that has very solid pitching, but they are due to come back toward the pack.

Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, MLB and NHL Previews and Odds - 05/28/2025

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, May 28, 2025

The Wednesday sports card features NBA, NHL, and MLB action.The National Basketball Association continues its playoff season with Game 5 of the Western Conference finals on ESPN. The Oklahoma City Thunder host the Minnesota Timberwolves at 8:40 p.m. ET. The Thunder took a 3-1 lead in this best-of-seven series with their 128-126 victory on the road against the Timberwolves on Monday. Oklahoma City is an 8.5-point favorite with the total set at 220.5 (all odds from DraftKings). The National Hockey League playoffs continue with Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals on TNT/truTV/Max. The Florida Panthers travel to Carolina to play the Hurricanes at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Hurricanes avoided a four-game sweep with a 3-0 upset victory on the road against the Panthers on Monday. Florida is a -125 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5.Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. Eight MLB games take place in the afternoon. Five MLB games throw out the first pitch at 1:10 p.m. ET. The New York Mets play at home against the Chicago White Sox as a -250 money-line favorite with a total of 8. The Tampa Bay Rays are home against the Minnesota Twins as a -112 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Los Angeles Dodgers play in Cleveland against the Guardians as a -142 money-line road favorite with a total of 9. The Detroit Tigers host the San Francisco Giants as a -115 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Milwaukee Brewers play at home against the Boston Red Sox as a -155 money-line favorite with a total of 8. The Houston Astros are home against the Athletics at 2:10 p.m. ET as a -130 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Arizona Diamondbacks host the Pittsburgh Pirates at 3:40 p.m. ET as a -130 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. The San Diego Padres play at home against the Miami Marlins at 4:10 p.m. ET as a -166 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5.The Baltimore Orioles are home against the St. Louis Cardinals at 6:35 p.m. ET as a -125 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The Philadelphia Phillies host the Atlanta Braves at 6:45 p.m. ET as a -162 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Cincinnati Reds are in Kansas City to take on the Royals at 7:40 p.m. ET as a -120 money-line road favorite with a total of 7.5. Two MLB games start at 8:05 p.m. ET. The Chicago Cubs play at home against the Colorado Rockies as a -345 money-line favorite. The Texas Rangers are home against the Toronto Blue Jays as a -155 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The New York Yankees visit Los Angeles to battle the Angels at 9:38 p.m. ET as a -170 money-line road favorite with a total of 9. The Seattle Mariners host the Washington Nationals at 9:40 p.m. ET as a -205 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5.

Top 5 WNBA Betting Observations Heading Into Week 3

by Vegas Writer

Tuesday, May 27, 2025

Wanted to wait a couple of weeks for my next WNBA article, so the teams could get some games under their belt.Now that we have that, I'll be giving you a weekly update with how certain teams are doing against the spread and with their totals, and which teams to look for value with, especially as underdogs.TOP 5 WNBA PLAYS, FADES, TOTALS:STORM (3-1 SU and ATS) - One of just two teams with a 3-1 ATS mark, this is a team that has been much better since its season-opening loss in Phoenix. The Storm have also stayed under in three of four this season. You should keep an eye on their totals, as the Under could be in play aplenty.FEVER (2-2 SU and 3-1 ATS) - The darlings of the WNBA could be in trouble without Caitlin Clark. Or, maybe they won't be. I'm not on the Clark bandwagon, in that she's the second coming. Kelsey Mitchell has been there many years, and is fully capable of running this offense. Don't be surprised if you're catching value with this team.LIBERTY (3-0 SU, 2-1 ATS) - When it comes to the defending league champs, the total is where you should pay attention. The Liberty have gone over in all three of their games, as they once again have a lethal offense to be wary of. New York is one of those teams that feed off its defense, but don't necessarily worry about the opposition because of how potent the offense can be. Look for high-scoring totals from the champs.VALKYRIES (2-1 SU and ATS) - Golden State has shocked some folks with its start, and you can credit coach Natalie Nakase with how she's coached a defensive strategy. It's led to three straight unders in their games, and it's not a big surprise. While her mentor, Becky Hammon, can't seem to get her Aces to play defense, Nakase has her troops abiding by her system and locking things down. Watch for high totals, and play accordingly with pure value.SKY (0-2 SU and ATS) - We're nearly two weeks into the season and Chicago has played just two games, both losses on the court and at the window. Until further notice, the Sky are a certain fade right now. I'm not sure if first-year coach Tyler Marsh has control of this roster, and am just waiting for him to pull the trigger and bench Angel Reese in favor of Rebecca Allen. When that happens, keep an eye on double-digit dog numbers. Until then, fade away.

Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL and MLB Previews and Odds - 05/27/2025

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, May 27, 2025

The Tuesday sports card features NBA, NHL, and MLB action.The National Basketball Association continues its playoff season with Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals on TNT/truTV/Max. The Indiana Pacers host the New York Knicks at 8:05 p.m. ET. The Knicks won the first game in this series with a 106-100 upset victory on the road against the Pacers as a 1.5-point underdog on Sunday. Indiana is a 2.5-point favorite, with the total set at 220.5 (all odds from DraftKings).The National Hockey League playoffs continue with Game 4 of the Western Conference finals on ESPN. The Edmonton Oilers play at home against the Dallas Stars at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Oilers took a 2-1 lead in this series with a 6-1 victory on Sunday. Edmonton is a -166 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The Los Angeles Dodgers travel to Cleveland to play the Guardians at 6:10 p.m. ET as a -135 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The St. Louis Cardinals play in Baltimore against the Orioles at 6:35 p.m. ET, with both teams priced as a -110 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The San Fransisco Giants are in Detroit to take on the Tigers at 6:40 p.m. ET as a -122 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 7. The Philadelphia Phillies are home against the Atlanta Braves on TBS at 6:45 p.m. ET as a -115 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The Minnesota Twins visit Tampa Bay to battle the Rays at 7:05 p.m. ET as a -125 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The New York Mets host the Chicago White Sox at 7:10 p.m. ET as a -270 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. Two more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 7:40 p.m. ET. The Kansas City Royals play at home against the Cincinnati Reds as a -112 money-line favorite with a total of 8. The Milwaukee Brewers are home against the Boston Red Sox as a -120 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two MLB games start at 8:05 p.m. ET. The Chicago Cubs host the Colorado Rockies as a -340 money-line favorite. The Texas Rangers play at home against the Toronto Blue Jays as a -162 money-line favorite with a total of 8. The Houston Astros play at home against the Athletics at 8:05 p.m. ET as a -205 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. The New York Yankees play in Los Angeles against the Angels at 9:38 p.m. ET as a -192 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Three more games close out the Tuesday card at 9:40 p.m. ET. The Arizona Diamondbacks are home against the Pittsburgh Pirates as a -258 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The San Diego Padres host the Miami Marlins as a -185 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Seattle Mariners play at home against the Washington Nationals as a -162 money-line favorite with a total of 8.

Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB, NHL and NBA Previews and Odds - 05/26/2025

by Big Al Staff

Monday, May 26, 2025

The Monday Memorial Day sports card features NBA, NHL, and MLB action.The National Basketball Association continues its playoff season with Game 4 of the Western Conference finals on ESPN and the ESPN2 “Insightcast.” The Oklahoma City Thunder travel to Minnesota to play the Timberwolves at 8:40 p.m. ET. The Timberwolves won their first game in this best-of-seven series with a 143-101 upset victory at home as a 3-point underdog on Saturday. Oklahoma City is a 3.5-point road favorite, with the total set at 218.5 (all odds from DraftKings). The National Hockey League playoffs continue with Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals on TNT/truTV/Max. The Florida Panthers host the Carolina Hurricanes at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Panthers took a 3-0 lead in this best-of-seven series with a 6-2 victory at home on Saturday. Florida is a -180 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5.Major League Baseball has 12 games on its schedule. The San Francisco Giants play in Detroit against the Tigers at 1:10 p.m. ET. The Giants send out Hayden Birdsong to pitch against the Tigers’ Keider Montero. Both teams are priced as a -110 money-line favorite with a total of 8. The Boston Red Sox are in Milwaukee to play the Brewers at 2:10 p.m. ET. Garrett Crochet gets the ball for the Red Sox to face Chad Patrick for the Brewers. Boston is a -155 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The Chicago Cubs play at home against the Colorado Rockies at 2:20 p.m. ET. The Cubs tap Jameson Taillon to take on the Rockies’ Carson Palmquist. Chicago is a -345 money-line favorite. The Baltimore Orioles are home against the St. Louis Cardinals at 3:05 p.m. ET. A starting pitcher yet to be named pitched for the Orioles to challenge Erick Fedde for the Cardinals. Baltimore is a -112 money-line favorite with a total of 9.5. The Texas Rangers host the Toronto Blue Jays at 4:05 p.m. ET. The Rangers turn to Jacob deGrom to face the Blue Jays’ Kevin Gausman. Texas is a -162 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7. Two more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 4:10 p.m. ET. New York plays at home against Chicago with Clay Holmes getting the starting assignment for the Mets to battle Adrian Houser for the White Sox. New York is a -310 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. Kansas City is home against Cincinnati with the Royals sending out Michael Lorenzen to face the Reds’ Nick Martinez. Kansas City is a -122 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. The Los Angeles Dodgers visit Cleveland to play the Guardians at 36:10 p.m. ET. A starting pitcher yet to be named takes the ball for the Dodgers to take on Gavin Williams for the Guardians. Los Angeles is a -175 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. The Tampa Bay Rays host the Minnesota Twins at 7:05 p.m. ET. The Rays tap Zach Littell to challenge the Twins’ Chris Paddack. Tampa Bay is a -125 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9. The Arizona Diamondbacks play at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 8:10 p.m. ET. Ryne Nelson takes the ball for the Diamondbacks to face Andrew Heaney for the Pirates. Arizona is a -192 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The San Diego Padres are home against the Miami Marlins at 8:40 p.m. ET. The Padres have not determined their starting pitcher to pitch against the Marlins’ Ryan Weathers. San Diego is a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The New York Yankees play in Los Angeles against the Angels at 9:38 p.m. ET. A starting pitcher yet to be determined for the Yankees takes the hill to battle Jack Kochanowicz for the Angels. New York is a -166 money-line road favorite with a total of 9.5.

Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, MLB and EPL Previews and Odds - 05 25/2025

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, May 25, 2025

The Sunday sports card features NBA, NHL, MLB, and EPL action.The National Basketball Association continues its playoff season with Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals on TNT, truTV, and Max. The Indiana Pacers host the New York Knicks at 8:05 p.m. ET. The Pacers took a 2-0 lead in this best-of-seven series after their 114-109 upset victory on the road against the Knicks as a 5.5-point underdog on Friday. Indiana is a 2-point favorite with the total set at 223.5 (all odds from DraftKings). The National Hockey League playoffs continue with Game 3 of the Western Conference finals on ABC. The Edmonton Oilers play at home against the Dallas Stars at 3:10 p.m. ET. The Oilers evened this series at 1-1 with a 3-0 victory on the road against the Stars on Friday. Edmonton is a -162 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The Detroit Tigers are home against the Cleveland Guardians on Roku at 11:35 a.m. ET as a -225 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. Three more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 1:35 p.m. ET. The Boston Red Sox host the Baltimore Orioles as a -135 money-line favorite with an over/under of 9.5. The Milwaukee Brewers travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Pirates as a -130 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The San Francisco Giants play in Washington to face the Nationals as a -166 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8. Two MLB games start at 1:40 p.m. ET. The Tampa Bay Rays play at home against the Toronto Blue Jays as a -118 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The Chicago Cubs are in Cincinnati to face the Reds as a -118 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 9. Three more MLB games begin at 2:10 p.m. ET. The Texas Rangers visit Chicago to challenge the White Sox as a -142 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. The Seattle Mariners play in Houston to play the Astros as a -125 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8. The Minnesota Twins are home against the Kansas City Royals as a -122 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. The St. Louis Cardinals host the Arizona Diamondbacks at 2:15 p.m. ET as a -125 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7.5. The New York Yankees travel to Colorado to challenge the Rockies at 3:10 p.m. ET as a -305 money-line road favorite with a total of 11. The Philadelphia Phillies play on the road against the Athletics as a -180 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 10. The Los Angeles Angels play at home against the Miami Marlins at 4:07 p.m. ET as a -135 money-line favorite with a total of 9. The Atlanta Braves are home against the San Diego Padres at 4:10 p.m. ET as a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8. Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN features the New York Mets hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Mets are a -142 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The English Premier League concludes its season with Matchweek 38. All ten matches start at 11:00 a.m. ET with four matches on national television. Liverpool hosts Crystal Palace on NBC as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Aston Villa is on the road against Manchester United on CNBC as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 2.5. Chelsea visits Nottingham Forest on the USA Network as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Arsenal plays at Southampton on SyFy as a -1.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 3.5.

2025 Roland Garros (French Open) Preview/Predictions:

by William Burns

Saturday, May 24, 2025

Last Year is Old News. The Future is here. At this time last year, Novak Djokovic was still at the top of his game in the Men's game of tennis. He had the second best odds to win this tournament and was very much a threat to win any title that he wanted to. Having said that, at this very tournament last year, Novak had to withdraw from one of his matchups due to a torn medial meniscus which saw him sidelined for quite some time. Yes, he's still got the third best odds to win the 2025 version of the French Open. But, the odds are considerably worse than last year and he's going to need to dig in and battle in every single set in this years tournament. On the Women's side of the tournament, Iga Swiatek is the defending champion and for good reason. She's been known to be the "queen of clay" as she has a career record of 95–14 on the clay courts (87%.) Having said all of that, she's been struggling dearly so far per her standards in 2025 on both hard courts as well as the clay courts. It has not looked like the same Iga that we saw last year at this time of the year. Don't get me wrong, you can never count out the defending champion. But, things aren't looking so good for the Pole at the moment and this tournament is going to give her lots of challenges throughout. Who's up next? Mirra Andreeva is the name to watch out for in this years tournament. She's already won multiple WTA 1000 events in 2025 at the age of just 17 years old. Andreeva currently is tied with Coco Gauff for the third best odds to win the whole thing and very much could do so considering the form. I expect her to go very far in this tournament and if she gets going like we all know that she can, she could definitely lift up a Grand Slam trophy for the first time in her young career. 3 Opening Round Matchups To Watch: Hubert Hurkacz vs. Joao Fonseca (M) .. Although this matchup isn't between players ranked in the top 25, this should be a fantastic watch as it's a player from Poland who's got the #30 seed in this tournament up against one of the best young upcoming stars in the game of Men's Tennis. Hurkacz is currently the underdog despite having the seeded number by his name. Expect an all out war in this matchup. (Best Bet - Over 38.5 Games (-135)) Tomas Martin Etcheverry vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas (M) .. The Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas is known for being very solid on the clay courts which has him favored by a fairly decent amount in this massive opening round matchup. Having said that, I wouldn't count out Etcheverry out so fast. He is coming off a very solid showing in Hamburg and has the intangibles to take this matchup further than people are expecting him to. I'm not calling for the outright win, but don't be shocked if this one exceeds three sets. (Best Bet - Tomas Martin Etcheverry To Win A Set - Yes (-185)) Naomi Osaka vs. Paula Badosa (W) .. As she's still not ranked in Women's Tennis, Naomi Osaka always seems to be in one of the most difficult opening round matchups out of anybody. Playing against her in the first round is not something that the ranked player will be looking forward to, that's for sure. Paula Badosa is the #10 seed in the 2025 French Open but still is the slight underdog in this matchup. This should be another Osaka classic and I wouldn't be surprised if it went the distance. But, be careful Badosa, even if you win the first set. (Best Bet - Naomi Osaka to Win (-135)) Odds to Win (via. DraftKings:) Men's: Carlos Alcaraz +100Jannik Sinner +225Novak Djokovic +1200Alexander Zverev +1800Lorenzo Musetti +2500Casper Ruud +2800Jack Draper +4000Holger Rune +4000Arthur Fils +6000Stefanos Tsitsipas +6500Women's: Aryna Sabalenka +240Iga Swiatek +300Coco Gauff +500 Mirra Andreeva +500Jasmine Paolini +1400Qinwen Zheng +1800Elena Rybakina +2800Jalena Ostapenko +3000Elina Svitolina +3000Madison Keys +3000 Burns' French Open 2025 Projections: Last year at Roland Garros, Burns predicted both Carlos Alcaraz (at +260) & Iga Swiatek (at -165) to win and both were successful. This year, he expects to do the exact same thing. After beating Jannik Sinner in his home country just a week ago, it's very difficult for me to look anywhere else other than Carlos Alcaraz once again this year. He's the favorite to win this year's tournament once again but I believe that it's for good reason. The rest of the field is extremely talented. But, two men stand alone on a different level. Sinner & Alcaraz. Yes, she's still the current "queen of clay" in my books. But, given Iga Swiatek's form, I find it hard to believe that she's going to be able to flip the switch in time for this year's French Open. There's just way too much talent in the Woman's game right now to have any mishaps and it's been that kind of year for Iga. I like three players this year. Andreeva (the young rising phenom.) Paolini (made the final last year.) Zheng (just beat the world #1 Sabalenka.) I expect one of those Women to win this tournament. Burns' Best Bets: Carlos Alcaraz (+100) to Win it all & Mirra Andreeva to Win the 3rd Quarter (-115)

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