Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Tigers host the rival Twins, the Rangers take on the Angels in L.A., and the WNBA Finals get underway down in Phoenix.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

The Twins and Tigers will play a doubleheader in Detroit on Tuesday, with Brian Duensing (5-1, 3.33 ERA) facing Justin Verlander (17-9, 3.41 ERA) in the late game. Lefthander Duensing has picked up the win in each of his last three starts, allowing three earned runs in those 19 innings of work. Righthander Verlander beat the Tribe last time out, allowing two runs over seven innings. Verlander was tagged with a defeat by the Twins (five runs over 7 1-3 innings) in his outing on September 19.

Also on the AL schedule for Tuesday: the White Sox at Cleveland, Kansas City at the Yankees, Baltimore at Tampa Bay, Toronto at Boston, Oakland at Seattle, and Texas at the Angels. Scott Feldman (17-6, 3.90 ERA) gets the ball for the Rangers; righthander Feldman beat the Angels on September 19 (two runs over 6 2-3 innings). Scott Kazmir (9-9, 5.06 ERA) goes for Los Angeles; lefthander Kazmir tossed six scoreless innings against the Rangers back on September 18.

Over in the National League the Marlins continue their series in Atlanta on Tuesday, with ace Josh Johnson (15-5, 3.12 ERA) taking on Tim Hudson (2-1, 3.56 ERA). Righthander Hudson is coming off a win over the Mets (two runs over six innings). Hudson is 2-1 with a pair of no-decisions in five outings since making his season debut September 1.

Rounding out the NL slate: Houston at Philadelphia, the Mets at Washington, St. Louis at Cincinnati, Pittsburgh at the Cubs, the Dodgers at San Diego, Arizona at San Francisco, and Milwaukee at Colorado. Chris Narveson (2-0, 3.82 ERA) takes the mound for the Brewers; the righthander beat the Cubs in his last start (one run over 5 2-3 innings). Jason Marquis (15-12, 3.98 ERA) pitches for Colorado; the righthander is winless in three starts (15 runs over 16 1-3 innings).

Tipping off on the hardwood  . . .

The WNBA Finals get underway on Tuesday night, with Indiana at Phoenix in Game 1. The Fever took the Eastern Conference title with a 72-67 win over the Shock last time out, with Tammy Sutton-Brown scoring a team-high 17 points for Indiana. The Mercury prevailed in the Western Conference Finals with an 85-74 win over the Sparks in their last game, as Diana Taurasi scored 21 points. Oddsmakers have Phoenix as a 4.5-point favorite for Tuesday, with a total of 175.

The Colorado Buffaloes and the West Virginia Mountaineers will both be gunning for a victory on Thursday when they meet at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium.

Odds aren’t yet posted for this game, so check back later for the opening line and total.

Rodney Stewart rushed for a pair of scores in Week 3 as Colorado cruised to a 24-0 win over Wyoming.

The Buffaloes had no trouble covering the 7-point spread in that contest, while the combined score fell well UNDER the day’s posted total (51).

West Virginia was defeated 41-30 by Auburn in Week 3, as 7-point underdogs. The game’s 71 points sailed OVER the night’s posted total of 55.

Noel Devine ran for 119 yards off 14 carries with three touchdowns in that loss.

Team records:
Colorado: 1-2 SU, 1-2 ATS
West Virginia: 2-1 SU, 1-1 ATS

Colorado most recently:
When playing in October are 3-7
When playing on turf are 2-8
After outgaining opponent are 7-3
When playing outside the conference are 5-5

West Virginia most recently:
When playing in October are 10-0
When playing on turf are 9-1
After outgaining opponent are 6-4
When playing outside the conference are 7-3

A few trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Colorado’s last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Colorado’s last 12 games on the road
Colorado is 3-9 ATS in its last 12 games
Colorado is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
West Virginia is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
West Virginia is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

Next up:
Colorado at Texas, Saturday, October 10
West Virginia at Syracuse, Saturday, October 10

The Hawaii Warriors and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs will both be gunning for a victory on Wednesday when they meet at Joe Aillet Stadium.

Odds aren’t yet posted for this game, so check back later for the opening line and total.

UNLV came back from a first-half deficit in Week 3 to grab a 34-33 win over Hawaii.

The Rebels failed to cover the 7-point spread at home in that contest, while the combined score went OVER the day’s posted total (56).

Team records:
Hawaii: 2-1 SU, 2-0 ATS
Louisiana Tech: 1-2 SU, 1-2 ATS

Hawaii most recently:
When playing in September are 7-3
When playing on turf are 5-5
After outgaining opponent are 5-5
When playing within the conference are 7-3

Louisiana Tech most recently:
When playing in September are 3-7
When playing on turf are 5-5
After outgaining opponent are 4-6
When playing within the conference are 6-4

A few trends to consider:
Hawaii is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Louisiana Tech
Hawaii is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Hawaii is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Louisiana Tech
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Hawaii’s last 6 games on the road
Louisiana Tech is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
Louisiana Tech is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Louisiana Tech’s last 6 games when playing Hawaii
Louisiana Tech is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Hawaii

Next up:
Hawaii home to Fresno State, Sunday, October 11
Louisiana Tech at Nevada, Friday, October 9

The division rival Florida Marlins and Atlanta Braves are set to renew hostilities on Wednesday when they meet at Turner Field.

Righthander Ricky Nolasco will take the mound for the Marlins to start this game. Nolasco is 12-9 this season with a 5.23 ERA.

Nolasco’s opponent in this one will be Javier Vazquez. The Braves righthander has a 2.83 ERA to go along with a 15-9 record this season.

Oddsmakers currently have the Braves listed as 197-moneyline favorites versus the Marlins, while the game’s total is sitting at 7½.

Cameron Maybin was 2-for-4 with a two-run jack to lead the Marlins over the Braves 5-4 on Tuesday night.

Florida cashed as +105 road underdogs, while the teams played OVER the 8-run total listed by sportsbooks.

Dan Uggla went 2-for-3 with a run batted in for the Marlins, as Renyel Pinto got the win in relief of starter Josh Johnson for Florida.

Matt Diaz smoked a three-run dinger for Atlanta, while Kenshin Kawakami was handed the loss after coming into the game for Braves starter Tim Hudson.

Team records:
Florida: 84-74 SU
Atlanta: 86-71 SU

Florida most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 7-3
Before playing Philadelphia are 4-6
After playing Atlanta are 6-4
After a win are 4-6

Atlanta most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 2-8
Before playing Washington are 7-3
After playing Florida are 4-6
After a loss are 6-4

A few trends to consider:
Florida is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games on the road
Atlanta is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games

Next up:
Florida at Philadelphia, Friday, October 2
Atlanta home to Washington, Thursday, October 1

Sportsbook bettors are very busy people these days. We have the NFL, college football and the MLB playoffs on the horizon and now NHL hockey starts this week. Here are some teams to consider when assessing full-season hockey odds to win the Stanley Cup.

1. Boston Bruins (+900 to win)

Boston is built for the playoffs. Its forward corps is huge, led by physical wingers like Milan Lucic, Blake Wheeler and Michael Ryder, who punish opposing defenders on the forecheck. Marc Savard, one of the league’s most underrated players, does a great job distributing the puck to his snipers. Thanks to reigning Vezina Trophy winner Tim Thomas in goal and reigning Norris Trophy winner Zdeno Chara on defense, the Bruins prevent goals as well as they score them.

2. Chicago Blackhawks (+800 to win)

If an NHL odds forecast could tell us now that Cristobal Huet will become a solid NHL starting goalie again, Chicago would top this list. The Hawks have an young, incredibly talented top four on defense and two of the game’s great offensive stars in Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. Toss in Marian Hossa when he returns from injury and you have a formidable squad.

3. Pittsburgh Penguins (+500 to win)

A throwback to the superstar era of the 1980s and 1990s, the Penguins are living proof that two or three key players can carry you to a Cup. The Pens’ group of gritty, role-playing forwards are a good enough support system for Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, two of the top three players in the world, and Marc-Andre Fleury is a big-game goalie.

4. Detroit Red Wings (+450 to win)

The Wings came within a game of a Stanley Cup but could regress slightly this season. They solider on without Marian Hossa and Jiri Hudler on offense; Chris Osgood is getting long in the tooth in goal; and Detroit’s penalty killing is a major liability. They’ll contend but may not go all the way.

5. San Jose Sharks (+700 to win)

They’re not quite putting all their eggs in one basket, but they’re close. They gutted their depth by dealing Jonathan Cheechoo, Milan Michalek and Christian Ehrhoff to make room for Dany Heatley. The Senators castoff will form an outstanding offensive duo with Joe Thornton and the Sharks could have the league’s best power play with Patrick Marleau, Dan Boyle and Rob Blake in the mix. There’s nothing wrong with San Jose’s talent but can they overcome the mental block that makes them choke in the playoffs every year? It’s not necessarily good betting management to back them.

Those who play NASCAR odds will be aware of Jimmie Johnson’s domination of Dover International Speedway, which is the site of Sunday’s AAA 400, the second race of the Chase. Johnson made a mockery of the field here in June, and he may do it again.

Dover Odds – Sunday, September 27, 2:00 PM ET

Johnson is the online sports betting favorite at +400, and he has a solid 10.4 average in 15 races at Dover, including four wins. The No.48 driver swept the 2002 races here, and he’s coming off a fourth-place result at New Hampshire.

Mark Martin kept his points lead by winning at New Hampshire, and he lines up at +600 with Tony Stewart, who led the regular season points. Martin has four wins at Dover like teammate Johnson, but it’s taken him 46 races to do so. However, he was 0-of-25 at New Hampshire last week and leads the series with five wins, so a bet with Martin wouldn’t be a bad one.

Roush-Fenway made it a 1-2-3 sweep in last year’s fall race at Dover, headed by Greg Biffle (+800), Edwards (+800) and Matt Kenseth (+2200). Although Edwards leads all active drivers with an amazing 7.6 average in 10 races, his broken foot has to be bothering him more than he’s letting on, and Dover is one of the most physically demanding tracks on the Sprint Cup circuit. If you have to bet on Roush-Fenway, go with Biffle, whose 10.6 average in 14 races is fourth, and he finished third here in June.

Juan Pablo Montoya was points racing all season to get into the Chase, but he showed that was all gone at New Hampshire as he drove like the aggressive Montoya that has won in every level he’s raced at. He set a record to win the pole at New Hampshire, and then led 105 laps before finishing third. He hasn’t finished higher than 30^th in his last two races at Dover, but past history means nothing to the No.42 driver.

For a darkhorse in your gambling software, check out Ryan Newman at +2200, as the No.39 driver has three wins here, including a sweep of the 2003 races. He finished eighth here back in June.

PICK: Go with Jimmie Johnson this week. With his track record both at Dover and in the Chase, there’s not many better places to make the three-time defending champion one of your sports picks.

Miami Hurricanes @ Virginia Tech Hokies

Miami Virginia Tech odds: Miami -3

The Miami Hurricanes are the talk of the town right now in college football but everyone needs to slow down and take a deep breath. The Hurricanes are a decent team and it’s pretty clear that they are back as an ACC contender but people are going overboard comparing them to Florida and comparing them to Alabama.

The Hurricanes are in for a reality check this week as they head to Blacksburg to face the team that has been running the ACC over the last few years. The ACC still goes through Virginia Tech.

The Hokies have a very good team this year and although the public has soured on them since they lost to a very good Alabama program, there is no way they should be a home underdog in this contest.

The Hokies still have the better defense, they have a very good special teams unit and they have a fantastic running game. Those factors are going to be enough to spill that orange Kool-Aid that everyone has been drinking. The Hurricanes are still very good but they aren’t National Championship good.

Sports Picks: Virginia Tech +3

Washington Huskies @ Stanford Cardinal

NCAA Football odds: Cardinal -7.5

The sharps have sent a clear message about who they like in this contest as they moved the line off of a key number. The Cardinal opened as a seven-point favorite but now that has quickly jumped up to 7.5.

The Washington Huskies, like the Miami Hurricanes, are overrated. New head coach Steve Sarkisian has done a fantastic job of getting the Huskies back on the map and after playing with LSU and upsetting USC, it’s fairly clear that the Huskies are a credible team. But they aren’t a Pac 10 contender.

The fact that Washington upended USC last week will work against them against Stanford. The Cardinal will not overlook the Huskies and they are going to take them very seriously.

Beyond that, the Huskies will be on the road for the first time this season and there is no question that that will make a difference. Playing in Seattle is pretty tough for anyone since it’s a long road trip but now that they are the ones that have to go on the road, we’ll see a different Huskies team this week. They are on the right track but this week they won’t win.

Betting System Pick: Stanford -7.5

Got an NFL betting line you can’t decide on? Don’t worry – just stick with these picks and you’ll laugh all the way to the bank this week.

New York Giants (-6.5) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Sunday, September 27, 1:00 p.m. ET

Here’s a potential blowout. The Giants ground out a win against a tough Redskins “D,” then lit up the scoreboard against the Cowboys. What, then, will they do to Tampa, who’s been horrible defensively so far this year? The Bucs have allowed the second-most points and yards through two weeks. Eli Manning could have a field day and Brandon Jacobs is a safe bet to run over the Tampa front seven. Pick the Giants with confidence in your NFL week 3 betting.

Pick: Giants -6.5

Washington Redskins (-6.5) @ Detroit Lions

Sunday, September 27, 1:00 p.m. ET

The Lions could finally end their drought this week. The Redskins barely scraped by St. Louis last week, winning 9-7 at home. How can we feel safe picking Washington as a 6.5-point road favorite when it didn’t even score a touchdown against the horrible Rams? The Redskins have just two sacks in two games and Matt Stafford therefore may have sufficient time to fire some deep passes to Calvin Johnson for Detroit. If the Lions don’t win, they’ll at least beat the spread. Handicapping software projects it to happen.

Pick: Lions +6.5

Chicago Bears (1.5) @ Seattle Seahawks

Sunday, September 27, 4:15 p.m. ET

The Bears seem like a steal this week. They beat the defending Super Bowl Champion Steelers last week – now they face a reeling Seahawks team that let Frank Gore gash them for 207 rushing yards in Week 2. Matt Forte should finally bust out. If Matt Hasselbeck plays, he’ll be hurting with his broken rib, so he won’t be effective. If not, the Bears will feast on Seneca Wallace. They should have no problem covering a 1.5-point spread, even factoring in Seattle’s raucous fans.  The Bears are strong NFL picks.

Pick: Bears -1.5

The Mississippi Rebels and the South Carolina Gamecocks will both be gunning for a victory on Thursday when they meet at Williams-Brice Stadium.

Odds aren’t yet posted for this game, so check back later for the opening line and total.

South Carolina continued its offensive improvement, taking a 38-16 victory over Florida Atlantic at Williams-Brice Stadium in Week 3.

South Carolina covered as a 20.5-point home favorite while the final score played under the 45.5-point total.

Current streak:
Mississippi has won 2 straight games.

Team records:
Mississippi: 2-0 SU, 2-0 ATS
South Carolina: 2-1 SU, 3-0 ATS

Mississippi most recently:
When playing in September are 4-6
When playing on grass are 4-6
After outgaining opponent are 7-3
When playing within the conference are 5-5

South Carolina most recently:
When playing in September are 6-4
When playing on grass are 5-5
After outgaining opponent are 6-4
When playing within the conference are 4-6

A few trends to consider:
Mississippi is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Mississippi is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Mississippi is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Mississippi is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing South Carolina
South Carolina is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
South Carolina is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
South Carolina is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Mississippi

Next up:
Mississippi at Vanderbilt, Saturday, October 3
South Carolina home to S. Carolina St, Saturday, October 3

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: No. 4 Mississippi takes on South Carolina, the Giants host the Cubs, and the PGA Tour begins its final playoff tournament.

Colliding on the gridiron . . .

There’s one college football game on the Thursday slate, with South Carolina hosting No. 4 Mississippi. The ranked Rebels beat up on Southeastern Louisiana last week, getting three touchdown passes from Jevan Snead in a 52-6 victory. The Gamecocks are also coming off a win, as they put up three TDs in the third quarter to blow past Florida Atlantic 38-16. Oddsmakers like Mississippi in Thursday’s matchup, listing them as 3.5-point favorites with a total of 53 points.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

The Giants will send Brad Penny (3-1, 4.01 ERA in the National League) to the mound on Thursday night as they begin a four-game home series against the Cubs. Righthander Penny will be looking to bounce back from an ugly outing against the Dodgers in which he gave up seven runs over just 2 2-3 innings of work. Countering for the Cubs will be Ryan Dempster (10-8, 3.72 ERA). Righthander Dempster held the Cards to one run over eight innings last time out.

Also on the NL schedule for Thursday: Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, Philadelphia at Milwaukee, San Diego at Colorado, and the Dodgers at Washington. Los Angeles will go with Vicente Padilla (3-0, 2.96 ERA in the NL) in that last matchup; righthander Padilla took a no-decision against the Dodgers last time out, allowing four runs over five innings. J.D. Martin (5-4, 4.21 ERA) gets the nod for the Nats; the righthander has picked up the win in each of his last two outings.

Meanwhile, there are just four games on the American League schedule for Thursday, with Texas at Oakland, Seattle at Toronto, Boston at Kansas City, and Detroit at Cleveland. Ace Justin Verlander (16-9, 3.44 ERA) is slated to start for the Tigers; the righthander has surrendered 10 earned runs on 19 hits over his last 14 1-3 innings. The Tribe send Carlos Carrasco (0-2, 9.64 ERA) to the hill; righthander Carrasco has given up 15 earned runs over 14 innings this season.

Rounding out the Roundup . . .

Finally, the last event of the PGA Tour’s FedExCup begins on Thursday, with the top 30 players in the standings competing in The TOUR Championship at East Lake GC in Atlanta. Points leader Tiger Woods is the favorite to win both the tournament and the FedExCup this weekend. Four other players can also claim the FedExCup by winning at East Lake this week – Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson, and Heath Slocum. The other golfers will need Woods to stumble.