Today’s free pick is an NBA against the spread winner.
Courtesy of OddsShark.com: Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The World Series continues on the west coast, while Florida State battles N.C. State, and the NBA stages games in Orlando and Utah.
Colliding on the gridiron . . .
There’s one college football game on tap for Thursday, with No. 16 Florida State at North Carolina State. The Seminoles (6-1 SU, 4-2 ATS) slipped past Boston College by a score of 24-19 last time out, as Christian Ponder threw for 170 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. The Wolfpack (5-2 SU, 4-2 ATS) are coming off a 33-27 overtime loss to East Carolina, with Russell Wilson throwing for 322 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. Oddsmakers have North Carolina State pegged as the 3.5-point home underdog for Thursday night, with the matchup’s total listed at 57.
ScoresOddsPicks will grant you that their college run is not as mind-blowing as their NFL record of 15-3 the last 18. But 18-6 with named plays since the Hall-of-Game isn’t so bad now is it? Get one of the bigger releases all season, going back to NFLX. It’s the ACC Best Bet of the Year. Click now to purchase ScoresOddsPicks NC State-Florida State prediction against the spread.
Meeting up on the diamond . . .
The World Series continues with Game 2 in San Francisco on Thursday night, with the Giants’ Matt Cain (1-0, 0.00 ERA in the playoffs) going up against the Rangers’ C.J. Wilson (1-1, 3.93 ERA in the playoffs). Righthander Cain turned in a stellar outing against the Phillies at home during the NLCS, tossing seven scoreless innings and giving up just two hits in a win. Lefthander Wilson had a rough time against the Yankees in the ALCS, going 0-1 with a no-decision in his two starts. Wilson surrendered nine runs (eight earned) on 12 hits in 12 innings of work in those starts, and fanned only six.
Tipping off on the hardwood . . .
The NBA has just two games on its schedule for Thursday, with Phoenix at Utah and Washington at Orlando. The Wizards and Magic will both be playing their season-opening games on Thursday night, with the two clubs starting the year at opposite ends of the NBA championship futures list. Orlando is one of the favorites to win the title this season at 8/1 Vegas odds, while the Wizards are well back in the pack at 60/1 title odds. Point guard John Wall, the top overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, will be making his regular-season debut for the Wizards, and Gilbert Arenas (sore ankle) is day-to-day. The two NBA games are on Turner Network Television.
Taking a trip around the rink . . .
Finally, there are eight games on the ice around the NHL on Thursday, with Toronto at Boston, Edmonton at Columbus, Phoenix at Detroit, Florida at Ottawa, Washington at Minnesota, Los Angeles at Dallas, Colorado at Calgary, and St. Louis at Nashville. The 4-1-2 Blues edged the Penguins 1-0 in overtime at home in their last game on Saturday, with Erik Johnson providing the game-winning goal in the extra frame. Jaroslav Halak made 31 saves for St. Louis in that contest. The 5-0-3 Predators won 4-3 in Tampa Bay in their last game on Sunday, with backup netminder Anders Lindback stopping 42 of 45 shots. Nashville is 1-0 against St. Louis this year, beating them 4-3 at home October 14.