Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Gators take on the Seminoles, the Horned Frogs try to leap over the Lobos, and the Warriors play host to the Lakers.
Colliding on the gridiron . . .
Top-ranked Florida will meet Florida State on Saturday afternoon in a battle of state rivals. The Gators (11-0 SU, 4-5-1 ATS) pounded Florida International last time out, getting 215 yards and two TD strikes from Tim Tebow in a 62-3 victory. Tebow also rushed for 102 yards and a score in that win, and he’ll be playing his last home game on Saturday. The Seminoles (6-5 SU, 3-7 ATS) beat Maryland 29-26 in their last game, but they’re pegged as big 24.5-point ‘dogs for Saturday.
Unbeaten TCU is also a big favorite on Saturday, as they’re giving 44.5 points to New Mexico. The No. 4 Horned Frogs (11-0 SU, 8-2 ATS) had no trouble with Wyoming last time out, rolling to a 45-10 road victory. Andy Dalton threw for 168 yards and a touchdown for TCU in that win, while Matthew Tucker ran for 134 yards and a pair of scores. The Lobos (1-10 SU, 4-7 ATS) finally picked up a victory last week, snapping a 14-game skid with a 29-27 win over Colorado State.
No. 18 BYU is a 7.5-point home favorite against No. 22 Utah in Saturday’s lone ranked matchup, while No. 7 Georgia Tech is giving 7.5 points to Georgia. As well, it’s No. 11 Oklahoma State at Oklahoma (-8), No. 14 Virginia Tech (-16) at Virginia, No. 15 Clemson (-3) at South Carolina, Arkansas at No. 17 LSU (-3.5), and No. 19 Miami (-7) at South Florida. As well, No. 24 USC (-13) hosts UCLA.
Tipping off on the hardwood . . .
There are just five games on the NBA’s schedule for Saturday, with Charlotte at Washington, Dallas at Cleveland, Orlando at Milwaukee, Portland at Utah, and the Lakers at Golden State. Los Angeles last played on Tuesday night, cruising to a 100-90 home win over New York. Kobe Bryant poured in 34 points in that win, and Ron Artest added 17 points. Golden State fell 118-104 to San Antonio in their last game on Wednesday, with Monta Ellis scoring 42 points in that defeat.
The Legends Classic, Chicago Challenge, and Las Vegas Invite all continue in college hoops action on Saturday, while No. 4 Villanova plays host to La Salle. The ranked Wildcats have started the season 5-0 (3-1 ATS), and they’re coming off a 79-67 win over Mississippi in the championship game of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. Scottie Reynolds tossed in 21 points in that win. The Explorers (3-1 SU, 1-2 ATS) beat Tulane 61-59 last game, with Kimmani Barrett scoring 14 points.
Taking a trip around the rink . . .
Finally, there are 13 games on the NHL’s Saturday slate, with the Islanders at New Jersey, Ottawa at Boston, Philadelphia at Atlanta, Calgary at Columbus, Carolina at Buffalo, the Rangers at Pittsburgh, Detroit at St. Louis, Florida at Nashville, Tampa Bay at Dallas, Minnesota at Colorado, Edmonton at Vancouver, Chicago at Los Angeles, and Washington at Montreal. The Capitals blanked Buffalo 2-0 in their last game on Wednesday, with Semyon Varlamov picking up the shutout. The Habs fell 3-1 in Pittsburgh in their Wednesday outing.
