Bowl season begins on Saturday, with the first four postseason clashes on the schedule. The experts know who will cover. Here’s a look at all of the day’s action in your Daily Sports Roundup.
The Gridiron Spotlight
The 2008/09 bowl season officially gets underway at 11:00am ET on Saturday morning with Wake Forest vs. Navy in the EagleBank Bowl. The Demon Deacons and Midshipmen have already played once this season, with Navy (8-8-4 SU, 6-5 ATS) coming out on top by a final score of 24-17. Saturday’s game, though, still has Wake Forest (7-5 SU, 5-7 ATS) pegged as the 2.5-point favorite at the sportsbooks.
Colorado State (6-6 SU, 6-5 ATS) and Fresno State (7-5 SU, 2-10 ATS) will then square off in the New Mexico Bowl at 2:30pm ET, with the Bulldogs listed as 3-point favorites. Memphis (6-6 SU, 5-5-1 ATS) and South Florida (7-5 SU, 4-7 ATS) are slated for the St. Petersburg Bowl at 4:30pm ET, with the Bulls pegged as big 11.5-point favorites at BetUs Sportsbook . The night’s bowl action then concludes with the Las Vegas Bowl at 8:00pm ET, with BYU (10-2 SU, 3-8 ATS) vs. Arizona (7-5 SU, 7-5 ATS). The Cougars weren’t a lucrative team this year, and they’re 3-point dogs at NewBodog.
Other Notable Events
Not to be outdone the NFL also has a game on the schedule for Saturday, with the Ravens travelling to Dallas for an inter-conference battle against the Cowboys. Both Baltimore and Dallas are 9-5 SU on the season, but neither of those teams has a playoff berth locked down heading into the weekend. As well, both of those teams are no longer in contention for their respective division crowns, so it’s Wild Card or bust. Kickoff for the matchup is slated for 8:15pm ET.
The Ravens are coming off a disappointing 13-9 loss to the rival Steelers last week in which they could only muster three field goals. Joe Flacco went 11-of-28 for 115 yards and two INTs in the loss. The Cowboys knocked off the Giants 20-8 last time out, with Tony Romo throwing for 244 yards and two scores in that win.
Oddsmakers have the Cowboys listed as 4-point home favorites for Saturday, with the game’s total at 39.5 points. Dallas is 7-7 ATS through the first 14 weeks of the season, and they’re 7-7 on the OVER/UNDER as well. The Ravens have paid off very well at 10-4 ATS so far this season, and they’re at 8-5-1 on the OU.
Breaking NFL injuries and live weather will be at OffshoreInsiders.com Sunday morning. This is ideal for both the fantasy footballer and sports bettor.
The Rest of the Schedule
The Orlando Magic will get another big test on Saturday night when they play host to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Magic got past the Spurs by a final score of 90-78 on Thursday night, with star center Dwight Howard picking up 14 points and 13 rebounds in his return to the lineup. Jameer Nelson poured in 24 points.
San Antonio is back in action on Saturday as well, as they’ll get a visit from the Raptors. Also on the slate: Golden State at Charlotte, Indiana at Philadelphia, Houston at Minnesota, Miami at New Jersey, Sacramento at New Orleans, the Clippers at Milwaukee, and Utah at Chicago, with Phoenix playing host to Denver.
Red-hot Phil Kessel and his Boston Bruins will get a visit from the Carolina Hurricanes in Saturday matinee action in the NHL. Kessel scored twice on Thursday night as the Bruins outgunned the Maple Leafs for an 8-5 victory. David Krejci had a hat trick in the contest, which improved Boston to 22-5-4 on the year.
The Leafs will try to bounce back when they play in Pittsburgh on Saturday. The rest of the busy NHL schedule: Tampa Bay at Atlanta, Dallas at Ottawa, Buffalo at Montreal, Los Angeles at Detroit, the Islanders at Nashville, Minnesota at St. Louis, Columbus at Phoenix, Chicago at Vancouver, and the Rangers at San Jose. As well, the Capitals will be in Philadelphia for the league’s other matinee.
Finally, there are five ranked matchups on the college hardwood on Saturday: No. 2 UConn vs. No. 8 Gonzaga, No. 19 Michigan State vs. No. 5 Texas, No. 6 Duke vs. No. 7 Xavier, No. 22 Davidson vs. No. 13 Purdue, and No. 11 Syracuse vs. No. 23 Memphis. As well, No. 1 North Carolina will meet Valparaiso, No. 4 Oklahoma will take on VCU, and No. 9 Louisville will try to get past Minnesota.
A Peek at the Future
NFL conference top seeds will be on the line on Sunday, with Pittsburgh at Tennessee in the AFC, and Carolina at the Giants in the NFC. The Steelers are sitting as 2-point road favorites in their game against the Titans, while the Giants are favored by 3 points at home against the Panthers . . . there is one bowl game on Sunday night, with Southern Miss versus Troy (-4.5) in the New Orleans Bowl.