Here is the official betting preview of Florida Atlantic and Middle Tennessee State. The sportsbooks have MTSU as a 2-2.5 point favorite, with a total of 51.

FAU is 1-3 straight up, including 0-3 on the road. They are 2-2 against the spread and have gone over all three road contests. MTSU is also 1-3 straight up, but 1-1 at home. They are likewise 2-2 against the spread and all four of their games have gone under.

The Owls are 3-2 all-time straight up to the Red Raiders. We thought they were the Moccasins. FAU’s quarterback Rusty Smith has thrown five interceptions against just four TDs. The Owls have been smashed by a combined 54-3 in their last two games. Smith, the preseason Sun Belt Player of the Year has completed just 25 of his last 68 passes.

Brian Gould of ScoresOddsPicks.com says that Smith and his supporting cast are capable of much more. “Most of the starting lineup for an offense that averaged 31.2 points per game last year is back.”

MTSU has not faired much better, giving up 31 points in each of their Sun Belt Conference contests. Bob Warner of Lines-Maker.com says that MTSU has a very small and inexperienced offensive line. However, the Owls have shown no ability to stop mobile quarterbacks in the spread offense.

Keep in mind that Middle Tennessee does hold a win over Maryland, which was the Terrapins only setback in five games this year.

Neither team is facing a short week, each having not played in 10 days. The top football betting service in America is GodsTips. They have a huge play on tonight’s game. Details are on the home page of OffshoreInsiders.com

The Minnesota Twins will be looking to punch their ticket to the postseason on Tuesday night by beating the Chicago White Sox. Here’s a look in your Daily Sports Roundup.

The Gridiron Spotlight

You won’t want to shine the spotlight too brightly on Tuesday’s college football matchup, as it’s an underwhelming affair between 1-3 Florida Atlantic and 1-3 Middle Tennessee. The Owls managed to beat UAB a few weeks ago, but they couldn’t get much going against any of Texas, Michigan State, or Minnesota. The Blue Raiders’ lone win came against Maryland, and they’ve been beaten by Troy, Kentucky, and Arkansas State.

When these Sun Belt teams met last season Florida Atlantic came away with a 27-14 home win as 2.5-point favorites. Middle Tennessee had won the previous two meetings between these teams by identical scores of 35-14 (one at home, one on the road), covering the spread twice. The Blue Raiders opened as 1.5-point favorites for Tuesday.

Who to bet on to beat the Vegas odds on FAU and MTSU? The power of 620 sports services behind every selection is on a 43-23 run in football betting.

Kal Elner, a handicapper out of Reading, PA hits a consistent 65 percent when “waiving his normal star rating system”.  He is also the all-time top NBA totals capper. He waives the rating with his “Added Rotation Game of the Year” on Florida Atlantic/Middle Tennessee State. Click now to purchase  for just $16 sports betting picks from the top sports services or you can get more information and a free sports pick

Other Notable Events

If mark to market accounting and the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act has you looking for a bailout, the top betting experts at OffshoreInsiders.com are always here for you. Forget the nihilism radio touts or Paul Perrault to get your money back. Get the best sports handicappers here.

The White Sox managed to beat the Tigers in their makeup game on Monday, so now they’ll battle the Twins in a one-game playoff for first place in the AL Central and MLB’s final postseason berth on Tuesday. The winner of this game will move on to face the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS, with that series getting underway Thursday afternoon.

The Twins will send Nick Blackburn (11-10, 4.15 ERA) to the mound on Tuesday, and the White Sox will counter with John Danks (11-9, 3.47 ERA). Righthander Blackburn beat the White Sox in his last outing, surrendering just two earned runs on eight hits over five innings. Lefthander Danks wasn’t as sharp in his last start, as he was knocked around for seven earned runs on seven hits over four innings of work by the Indians.

Survivor Gabon on CBS

One of the best sportsbooks for exotic odds Sportsbook.com has posted Ace Gordon as the Survivor Gabon favorite at +300. Crystal Cox and Matty Whitmore are next at +500. Dan Kay and Marcus Lehman are just a notch behind at +550.

The same bookmaker has the betting odds posted for the Amazing Race on CBS. Nick/Starr is the prohibitive favorite at +200. Andrew and Dan as well as Ken/Tina and Terenace/Sarah are +440. Personally we like Heidi Strobel.

In the past, the oddsmakers have foreseen the success of Mike Boschetti from “Last Comic Standing” and the winners of American Idol.

The Rest of the Schedule

It’s another slow day for sports on Tuesday, so your only other options are preseason hockey or whatever football games you have saved on your TiVo from the weekend.

News from the Wire

Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett has a strained oblique, and his next start won’t come any earlier than Game 3 of the ALDS against the Angels . . . Angels pitcher Joe Saunders seemed to be recovered from his kidney stone on Sunday – he tossed six scoreless innings in a win versus the Rangers . . . the Ducks have finally brought veteran winger Teemu Selanne back into the fold, signing him to a two-year contract over the weekend…Alonzo Mourning has written a book “Resilience” that is sure to make waves….perhaps not as much as LA Times blogger the photogenic Lisa Guerrero, who calls New England Patriots fans fair weather. Philadelphia writer Phil Sheridan angers Phillies fans for a bizarre column today claiming the same thing about his hometown baseball squad.

Political Ticker

Barack Obama maintains his lead according to the political betting odds. Bruce Elliott, an opportunist apparently is big into painting nude portraits, the latest of VPILP Sarah Palin. It can be obscene and not heard at Chicago dive bar the Old Town Ale House. He apparently is also a collector of nude photos of Janet Jackson and Britney Spears. Do we really want to see Britney Spears nude?    

A Peek at the Future

The opening game of three baseball divisional playoff series are on the schedule for Wednesday, with Milwaukee at Philadelphia, the Dodgers at the Cubs, and Boston at the Angels. The league championship series are slated to get underway on October 9 and 10, while the first game of the World Series will be October 22 . . . the WNBA Finals get underway on Wednesday night in San Antonio and continue through the weekend.

Football handicappers are going over the updated NFL power rankings for Week 5 and the sharpest are checking out the college football power rankings as well.

Here is the official betting preview of the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football. The sportsbooks have Pittsburgh as the five-point favorite with a total of 34-34.5. Based on yards allowed per game, these are statistically the league’s top two defenses.

Because of Hurricane Ike, the Ravens had an unscheduled bye week and have played just two games, winning and covering both. This is their first road game and their toughest foe.

The Steelers are 2-1 straight up and 1-2 versus the number. This is their only home game in a five game stretch in which four-of-five are on the highway. The won and covered their only home game so far crushing Houston 38-17. Their last two games have produced a total of 16 and 21 points combined.

The Steelers defense has carried them. According to Bob Warner of Lines-Maker.com, they are allowing just 2.8 yards per rush against teams normally allowing 3.8, 4.9 yards per pass to 5.8 and 4.1 yards per play to 5.0.

There are several key injuries for tonight’s game. The Steelers will be without their leading rusher Willie Parker, meaning rookie first-rounder Rashard Mendenhall gets his first career start. In the past four series meetings, no Pittsburgh running back has exceeded 42 yards rushing.

Two key players will start but could be less than 100 percent: Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger and Ravens RB Willis McGahee.

Out for Baltimore is key defender Samari Rolle. They will start Corey Ivy or Frank Walker, two players who looked horrible in the preseason according to Brian Gould of ScoresOddsPicks.com.

The Steelers rush defense has also been great in the series, allowing just 81.8 yards rushing per game and 3.4 yards per carry in the last five meetings at Heinz Field. The Steelers are a stunningly spectacular 13-0 straight up on MNF since 1992. Baltimore meanwhile is trying to snap a six-game primetime losing streak.

If you are betting on this game, the biggest side and total are detailed on the home page of OffshoreInsiders.com