Tired of handicappers sleazier than Karen Owen? Looking for winners from sports handicappers hotter than Krystal Ball photos or Dayana Mendoza pics? There is plenty of that this weekend from the nation’s top betting experts.
Courtesy of OddsShark.com: Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The NHL season hits the ice, while Nebraska looks for a win over Kansas State, and baseball’s Division Series continue with three games.
Colliding on the gridiron . . .
Thursday features one college football matchup, with Kansas State playing host to No. 7 Nebraska. The ranked Cornhuskers (4-0 SU, 1-3 ATS) had to settle for a 17-3 home win over South Dakota State last time out, as QB Taylor Martinez went 6-of-14 for 140 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. The Wildcats (4-0 SU, 2-1 ATS) topped UCF 17-13 at home in their most recent contest, with QB Carson Coffman going 11-of-22 for 189 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Oddsmakers have Nebraska pegged as the 12-point road favorite for Thursday, with the total at 51 points.
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Meeting up on the diamond . . .
The MLB playoffs continue on Thursday, with the NLDS between the Braves and Giants kicking off in San Francisco. Atlanta will send Derek Lowe (16-12, 4.00 ERA) to the mound in that contest, while San Francisco counters with Tim Lincecum (16-10, 3.43 ERA). Righthander Lowe faced the Giants back on August 8, giving up two runs on five hits over 5 1-3 innings of work in a victory. Righthander Lincecum pitched against the Braves on August 5, surrendering three runs on six hits over 6 1-3 innings in that defeat.
As well, it’s Game 2 of both ALDS on Thursday, with Texas at Tampa Bay and the Yankees at Minnesota. The Rangers will send C.J. Wilson (15-8, 3.35 ERA) to the mound on Thursday, while the Rays counter with James Shields (13-15, 5.18 ERA). Meanwhile, the Yankees hand the ball to Andy Pettitte (11-3, 3.28 ERA) as he takes on the Twins’ Carl Pavano (17-11, 3.75 ERA). Lefthander Pettitte pitched against the Twins twice back in May, winning both games (two runs over 14 1-3 innings). Righthander Pavano is coming off a no-decision against the Jays, allowing two runs in seven innings.
Taking a trip around the rink . . .
Finally, the National Hockey League season gets underway on Thursday with five games on the schedule: Carolina at Minnesota (from Helsinki, Finland), Philadelphia at Pittsburgh, Montreal at Toronto, Calgary at Edmonton, and Chicago at Colorado. The defending-champion Blackhawks will have new starting goaltender Marty Turco between the pipes in their Thursday matchup, and they’ll be looking to work in some new depth players after jettisoning the likes of Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, and Kris Versteeg in the offseason. Those moves dropped the Hawks from 5/1 Cup favorites on the opening line to 7/1 odds. The Avalanche are set at 40/1 odds to win the Stanley Cup.