Week 5 NFL picks from the nation’s best handicappers are up. Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Broncos play host to the Patriots, the Sprint Cup Series hits the track at Auto Club, and the baseball playoffs continue.
Sensational handicapper Matt Rivers has a free football pick. Rivers was the winningest handicapper ever on a large network of handicapping sites before being promoted to The Show.
Colliding on the gridiron . . .
The Bengals and Ravens will fight for top spot in the AFC North on Sunday when the teams meet in Baltimore for a 1:00pm ET contest. Cincinnati improved to 3-1 straight-up (2-2 against-the-spread) with a 23-20 road win over the Browns last time out. Baltimore (3-1 SU, 3-1 ATS) was tagged with its first loss of the season last week, falling 27-21 to the Patriots in New England. Oddsmakers have the Ravens listed as 8.5-point home favorites, with the total for the game at 42 points.
The other early-afternoon NFL matchups for Sunday: Cleveland at Buffalo (-6), Washington at Carolina (-4), Pittsburgh (-10.5) at Detroit, Dallas (-7.5) at Kansas City, Oakland at the Giants (-15), Tampa Bay at Philadelphia (-15.5), and Minnesota (-10) at St. Louis. The Vikings are 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS after beating the Packers on Monday night. The Rams are at 0-4 SU and 1-3 ATS this season.
The late-afternoon games on Sunday have Atlanta at San Francisco (-2.5), Houston at Arizona (-5.5), Jacksonville at Seattle (PK), and New England (-3) at Denver. The Patriots (3-1 SU, 2-2 ATS) will be looking to hand the Broncos (4-0 SU, 4-0 ATS) their first loss of the season. The Sunday nighter then has Indianapolis (-3.5) at Tennessee. The Colts are riding high at 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS, while the Titans are close to writing off the season at 0-4 SU and 1-3 ATS.
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Sports headlines…
Tim Tebow leads LSU to an impressive low scoring win in the Bayou against LSU…The LA Dodgers sweep the St. Louis Cardinals and await the winner of the Rockies and Phillies…Congrats to the U.S. soccer team, which qualified for their sixth straight World Cup
Meeting up on the diamond . . .
It’ll be Andy Pettitte (14-8, 4.16 ERA) vs. Carl Pavano (14-12, 5.10 ERA) on Sunday as the Yankees and Twins continue their ALDS in Minnesota. Lefthander Pettitte lost to the Rays in his most recent start, giving up five runs (three earned) over 4 1-3 innings. Righthander Pavano beat the Royals in his last trip to the hill.
The Angels’ Scott Kazmir (10-9, 4.89 ERA) takes on the BoSox’s Clay Buchholz (7-4, 4.21 ERA) as the other ALDS heads back to Boston for Sunday’s Game 3. Lefthander Kazmir blanked the A’s over five innings for a win in his last start of the season. Righthander Buchholz has allowed 13 runs over his last eight innings.
Over in the NL the divisional series between the Phillies and Rockies will be in Colorado for Game 3 on Sunday. Jason Hammel (10-8, 4.33 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Rockies; righthander Hammel tossed a couple of scoreless innings against the Dodgers last Sunday. J.A. Happ (12-4, 2.93 ERA) will start for Philly.
Taking a trip around the rink . . .
There are two games on the NHL’s Sunday slate, with Dallas at Vancouver and Anaheim at the Rangers. New York improved to 3-1-0 on the season with a 4-3 road win over the Capitals on Thursday night. Marian Gaborik scored twice in the third period to seal that victory, while Ryan Callahan and Ales Kotalik had the other Rangers tallies. Henrik Lundqvist stopped 25 of 28 Capitals shots in the win.
Roaring around the track . . .
Finally, the drivers of the Sprint Cup Series hit the track at Auto Club Speedway on Sunday afternoon for the Pepsi 500. Tony Stewart won at Kansas last time out, which boosted him up a spot in the Chase standings to fourth. Mark Martin holds an 18-point lead on Jimmie Johnson in the standings after three Chase events, with Juan Montoya in third place. Matt Kenseth won the Auto Club 500 on the track back in February, and Johnson is the defending champ at the race.
For more information: Get the NFL betting line, top football picks.