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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, NBA, NHL and NCAAB Previews and Odds - 11/20/2024

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Nov 20, 2024

The Wednesday sports card features NCAAF, NBA, NHL, and NCAAB action.Week 13 in NCAAF college football continues with two games between FBS opponents at 7:00 p.m. ET. Toledo hosts Ohio on ESPN2. The Rockets won for the third time in their last four games with their 37-10 victory against Central Michigan as a 14.5-point favorite last Tuesday. The Bobcats won for the fifth time in their last six games in their 35-10 win against Eastern Michigan as a 10.5-point favorite last Wednesday. Toledo is a 2-point favorite with the total set at 44.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Eastern Michigan plays at home against Buffalo on ESPNU. The Eagles are on a three-game winning streak after their 35-10 victory at Ohio as a 10.5-point underdog. The Bulls are on a two-game winning streak after their 51-48 win in overtime against Ball State as a 3.5-point favorite. Eastern Michigan is a 1-point favorite with an over/under of 51. The National Basketball Association has eight games on its docket. Two NBA games tip off at 7:40 p.m. ET. The Milwaukee Bucks are home against the Chicago Bulls on ESPN as an 8-point favorite with a total of 236.5. The Cleveland Cavaliers host the New Orleans Pelicans as a 13.5-point favorite with an over/under of 221.5. Three more NBA games start at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Philadelphia 76ers travel to Memphis to play the Grizzlies as a 2-point road favorite with a total of 219.5. The Oklahoma City Thunder play at home against the Portland Trail Blazers as a 13.5-point favorite with an over/under of 222. The Houston Rockets are home against the Indiana Pacers as a 6.5-point favorite with a total of 231.5. Two NBA games begin at 10:10 p.m. ET. The New York Knicks play in Phoenix against the Suns on ESPN as a 5.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 222. The Golden State Warriors host the Atlanta Hawks as an 8.5-point favorite with a total of 239.5. The Orlando Magic are in Los Angeles to play the Clippers at 10:40 p.m. ET as a 2.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 207.The National Hockey League has five games on its slate. Two NHL games drop the puck at 7:37 p.m. ET. The Carolina Hurricanes visit Philadelphia to play the Flyers on TNT as a -230 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The Toronto Maple Leafs play at home against the Vegas Golden Knights as a -135 money-line favor with an over/under of 6. The Dallas Stars are home against the San Jose Sharks at 8:07 p.m. ET as a -455 money-line favorite with a total of 6. The Nashville Predators play in Seattle against the Kraken on TNT as a -130 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6. The Los Angeles Kings host the Buffalo Sabres at 10:37 p.m. ET as a -155 money-line favorite with a total of 6.The college basketball schedule has 37 games between Division I opponents. Four games are on major national television. Xavier plays at home against Siena on FS1 at 6:30 p.m. ET. as a 26-point favorite with an over/under of 145. Rutgers is home against Merrimack on Peacock at 8:00 p.m. ET as a 19.5-point favorite with a total of 134.5. Georgetown is a 13-point favorite with an over/under of 144.5. USC hosts San Jose State on Peacock at 10:00 p.m. ET as a 19.5-point favorite with a total of 142. 

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College Football Week 13 Top 12 Poll

by Wayne Root

Tuesday, Nov 19, 2024

The latest AP Poll Top 25 rankings are in after Week 12 of college football and there were some shake ups following another wild weekend! Oregon and Texas had close calls, Georgia got back on the winning end of things and BYU is no longer undefeated. A lot happened again!In our Week 13 Top 12 poll, the Buckeyes will remain at No. 2 behind the Ducks, but could engage in a rematch next month for the conference title if Ohio State wins out. The Big 10 absolutely dominates the poll with four of the top five coming from their conference. 1. Oregon (11-0)Oregon had a close call against Wisconsin on the road. Still, the Ducks came away with a 16-13 win over the Badgers to remain undefeated. Thanks to a pair of scores in the fourth quarter, the top-ranked Ducks avoided a colossal upset and stayed unbeaten this season with a victory at Camp Randall over Wisconsin. Dillon Gabriel didn’t play well, so he’ll have to fix that come the postseason. He finished with 218 yards passing and one interception.2. Ohio State (9-1)Ohio State rolled to a 31-7 victory over Northwestern on the road after trailing 7-0. Thanks to a pair of touchdown passes from Will Howard to Carnell Tate and two scores on the ground from Quinshon Judkins, the Buckeyes set up next week's huge Big Ten showdown against unbeaten Indiana with a throttling of the Wildcats. Will Howard threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns and Quinshon Judkins ran for two on the ground. Carnell Tate caught both scores but Jeremiah Smith hit 100 yards receiving. Well balanced on Saturday.3. Texas (9-1)Texas edged out Arkansas 20-10 on the road in a game too close for comfort. Quinn Ewers actually played a solid game, but the offense failed to generate much rhythm. After the Razorbacks cut the deficit to three points at 13-10 a few minutes into the fourth quarter, Texas went on an eight-play, 75-yard scoring drive capped by Matthew Golden's 1-yard reception from Quinn Ewers to put it away. Ewers only threw for 176 yards but tossed two touchdowns. Now at 9-1, Texas controls its path to the SEC and College Football Playoff.4. Penn State (9-1)Penn State dominated Purdue to continue its wins over teams not named Ohio State. This 49-10 win was basically over by the time the fourth quarter began. Drew Allar threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns in the win. Once Beau Pribula came in, he threw and ran for a score. The Nittany Lions play at Minnesota next week before concluding the regular season against Maryland in Happy Valley. If they're able to finish 11-1 with the only loss coming to Ohio State, James Franklin's team is essentially locked into an at-large playoff berth.5. Indiana (10-0) Indiana had the week off, Curt Cignetti got a massive contract extension and the Hoosiers have a date with Ohio State coming up. What a time to be an IU fan. Week 13 showdown against Ohio State with the winner likely headed to Indianapolis to play Oregon for a conference crown and automatic playoff berth. Indiana doesn't have a win over a ranked team yet this season, so the Buckeyes will be a true test. With the way they’re playing, this is one of the best teams in the country. But, they’ll get their biggest test. But if they win, can we talk about a national title?6. Notre Dame (9-1) Notre Dame rolled to another victory over Virginia and have now won eight games in a row. Since that loss to NIU, the Fighting Irish have dominated. Riley Leonard threw for 214 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Jeremiyah Love had 137 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. The Fighting Irish thwarted the pesky Cavaliers by forcing five takeaways and controlling the line of scrimmage. Notre Dame takes on unbeaten Army in Week 13. The Black Knights could surge ahead of Boise State as the Group of Five favorite with an upset.7. Alabama (8-2) Alabama rolled to a non-conference victory over Mercer to improve to 8-2 on the season. Jalen Milroe had a field day too. He finished with 186 yards and two touchdowns through the air while running for 43 yards and another score. The first-teamers played into the third quarter as Alabama rolled up 508 total yards, including 319 through the air from four different quarterbacks. Alabama pushed a step closer to a playoff berth after handling Mercer at home and heads to Oklahoma next week.8. Georgia (8-2)It was a great night for the Bulldogs, getting back on track and keeping their College Football Playoff hopes alive. You gotta love playing top 10 opponents at home. Thanks to a couple touchdowns in the second half and suffocating play defensively down the stretch, Georgia bounced back from a loss to Ole Miss in a big way. Carson Beck had one of his best games of the season, throwing for 347 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for a score to go along with 32 yards rushing.9. Ole Miss (8-2)Ole Miss had the week off fresh off the win over Georgia. So the Rebels are certainly feeling themselves, but can they keep it up? Back in the saddle after blowing out Georgia in Week 11, the Rebels appear to be in control of their own playoff destiny by simply beating Florida and Mississippi State this month to finish the regular season with 10 wins. The offense can beat anyone in the country, but it’s the defense that’s really stepped up. Put it all together and Ole Miss might be one of the best teams in the country that can win it all on their best day.10. Tennessee (8-2)Tennessee survived a drop despite the loss to Georgia. But now with another loss, there are more questions about the Vols’ offense.Tennessee has one of college football's best wins this season after toppling Alabama a few weeks back at Neyland Stadium, but had a chance to virtually lock in a playoff appearance if the Vols were able to beat Georgia on the road, but it wasn't to be. Tennessee scored the first 10 points of the game before the Bulldogs dominated from that point onward. Just a bad night? Or was Georgia just that good Saturday evening? Either way, this two-loss team’s playoff chances took a hit.10. Miami (9-1)Miami slid in last week's AP poll and CFP Top 25 after the upset loss at Georgia Tech, but used its second open date to fine-tune any issues prior to the final two games of the campaign against Wake Forest and Syracuse. Win both of those and Miami clinches a spot in the ACC Championship Game, likely against SMU. 11. BYU (9-1)The cardiac Cougars were at it again last week, beating Utah in the final seconds with a game-winning field goal to stay unblemished. A win over the Jayhawks in Week 12 would've clinched a spot in the league championship game next month, but Kansas prevailed in the fourth quarter. A team of destiny of sorts similar to TCU's run a few years ago, BYU had previously found ways to win games in crunch time on multiple weekends before the magic finally ran out.12. SMU (9-1)SMU came up with a major fourth-down stop with 1:11 remaining and scored a few plays later to put it away. Now, one more win is all that separates the Mustangs from a berth in the ACC Championship Game. Brashard Smith rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown while Kevin Jennings tossed three touchdowns passes as SMU won its seventh-straight game. SMU travels to Virginia in Week 13 before closing with Cal.

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NHL Off the Post: November 19th

by Sean Murphy

Tuesday, Nov 19, 2024

As teams across the NHL continue to adjust to their respective challenges, there’s no shortage of drama and excitement. From injuries to goaltending struggles, the season is unfolding with plenty of storylines that will evolve over time. Here's a look at news and notes from around the league as we head into the last third of November.Oil change in Edmonton The Edmonton Oilers are grappling with inconsistency this season, and now they face even more challenges with the indefinite absence of key defenseman Darnell Nurse. Nurse was on the receiving end of a vicious hit from Toronto's bruising forward, Ryan Reaves, on Saturday, forcing him out of the lineup for an unspecified amount of time. The Oilers’ defensive struggles have already been well-documented, as they rank 18th in goals allowed per game, and Nurse’s injury only exacerbates these issues. With the coaching staff now tasked with navigating the team through this adversity, Edmonton will need to find a way to improve defensively while maintaining their offensive firepower. With Nurse sidelined, Edmonton’s defense is under further scrutiny, and the Oilers must adapt quickly if they hope to stay competitive in the Pacific Division.Senators in Session: Defense Under Review In Ottawa, goaltender Linus Ullmark has been the focus of concern after a highly anticipated trade acquisition has yet to pay dividends. Despite joining the Senators in a bid to stabilize their goaltending situation, Ullmark has posted a lackluster 2.77 goals against average and an .890 save percentage through nine games. While Ottawa's offense has shown promise, these defensive shortcomings, coupled with Ullmark's struggles, have hampered their ability to climb the standings. The Senators are desperate for more consistency in the crease and will need Ullmark to find his form if they hope to make a real push for a playoff spot. The pressure is mounting on the Senators' coaching staff to get this area of the game sorted quickly before they fall too far behind in the race.Jets Flying High in Winnipeg The Winnipeg Jets continue to surprise this season with a solid 15-3 record, though they’ve been brought back down to earth with consecutive losses in Florida. Despite these recent setbacks, Winnipeg is still performing at a high level overall, with strong contributions from both their offense and goaltending. The challenge now, however, will be handling the road-heavy schedule that lies ahead. Eight of their next 10 games will be played away from home, which could test the team's ability to maintain their elite status in the Central Division. Winnipeg will need to keep their foot on the gas and find ways to keep performing on the road if they want to stay near the top of the standings as the season progresses. Red Wings Revving Up? The Detroit Red Wings have been struggling both offensively and defensively this season. They rank 22nd in goals allowed per game and 29th in shots on goal allowed per contest, indicating weaknesses in their defensive play. Offensively, it’s been even worse, with Detroit ranking 26th in goals per game and dead last in shots on goal per game. This lack of offensive production is making it hard for the Red Wings to fully capitalize on their defensive efforts. Head coach Derek Lalonde will need to find a balance between shoring up defensive gaps while also breathing life into an offense that’s struggling to generate consistent pressure. Without improvement in both areas, Detroit's playoff aspirations may quickly fade.Kraken the Code on Consistency The Seattle Kraken continue to struggle with consistency between home and road performances. While they have a solid 6-4-1 record at home, their road woes have been evident, with a 3-5 mark so far this season. With seven of their next 10 games on the road, Seattle faces a critical stretch that could define their season. The Kraken's struggles on the road have come in part due to a lack of scoring and defensive inconsistencies. They’ll need to find a way to step up their game away from home if they hope to stay competitive in the competitive Western Conference. As the schedule ramps up, their ability to perform in tough environments will be key to their playoff hopes.

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