Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Steelers get a visit from the Patriots, the Giants play host to the rival Cowboys, and the Sprint Cup Series races at the Kobalt Tools 500.

Colliding on the gridiron . . .

The Sunday night matchup highlights the Week 10 NFL schedule, with New England (6-2 SU, 4-3-1 ATS) at Pittsburgh (6-2 SU, 5-3 ATS). The Patriots will be looking to bounce back from an embarrassing 34-14 road loss to the Browns last Sunday, as Tom Brady was held to 224 yards passing with two TD strikes. Aaron Hernandez had two TD catches for New England in that loss. The Steelers are coming off a 27-21 road win over Cincinnati, with Ben Roethlisberger throwing for 163 yards and one touchdown while getting intercepted once. Rashard Mendenhall ran for 99 yards and a score in that contest for Pittsburgh. The oddsmakers have the Steelers pegged as the 4.5-point home favorites for the Sunday night matchup, with the total for the contest at 45 points.

Early-afternoon NFL games on Sunday have Cincinnati at Indianapolis (-7), the Jets (-3) at Cleveland, Minnesota (-1.5) at Chicago, Tennessee (-2) at Miami, Houston at Jacksonville (-1.5), Detroit at Buffalo (-3), and Carolina at Tampa Bay (-6.5). Later in the afternoon it’ll then be Kansas City (-1) at Denver, St. Louis at San Francisco (-6), Seattle at Arizona (-3), and Dallas at the Giants (-14). The Cowboys (1-7 SU, 1-7 ATS) will have Jason Garrett at the helm this week after Wade Phillips was relieved of head-coaching duties; Dallas fell 45-7 in Green Bay last week. The Giants (6-2 SU, 5-3 ATS) have won five games in a row, bouncing the Seahawks 41-7 in Seattle in their last game.

As well, the Canadian Football Leagues offers up the first round of its playoffs on Sunday, with Toronto (9-9 SU, 9-9 ATS) at Hamilton (9-9 SU, 10-8 ATS) in the Eastern Semi-Final, and B.C. (8-10 SU, 7-11 ATS) at Saskatchewan (10-8 SU, 9-9 ATS) in the Western Semi-Final. Oddsmakers have the Tiger-Cats listed as 7-point home favorites in that first contest, while the Roughriders are 4.5-point home favorites in the late game.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The NBA has five games on tap for Sunday, with Minnesota at Atlanta, Detroit at Sacramento, San Antonio at Oklahoma City, Houston at New York, and Phoenix at the Lakers. The Suns played host to Los Angeles back on October 29, falling 114-106. Kobe Bryant led the way with 25 points for the Lakers in that victory, while Pau Gasol was good for 21 points and nine assists. Lamar Odom picked up 18 points and 17 rebounds in that contest. Grant Hill scored a team-high 21 points for the Suns in that loss to the Lakers, while Steve Nash was held to eight points and nine assists that day.

There are also five ranked teams in action around college basketball on Sunday, with Canisius at No. 10 Syracuse, Toledo at No. 22 Temple, IUPUI at No. 12 Gonzaga, Howard at No. 14 Purdue, and Princeton at No. 1 Duke. The Blue Devils are coming off a 61-59 win over Butler in last year’s NCAA Tournament championship game, and the oddsmakers have them pegged at 5/1 odds to repeat that feat at the end of this season.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

The National Hockey League has four games on its Sunday schedule this week, with Edmonton at the Rangers, Minnesota at Tampa Bay, Anaheim at Chicago, and Atlanta at Washington. The Thrashers and Capitals last met on October 23 in Washington, with the home side pulling out a 4-3 overtime victory. Alexander Semin had a hat track for the Caps in that game, while Tomas Fleischmann provided the marker in OT. Evander Kane (two) and Andrew Ladd replied for Atlanta, with Chris Mason racking up 40 saves.

Roaring around the track . . .

Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, and Kevin Harvick will continue to jostle for top spot in the driver standings when the Sprint Cup Series stages its second-last race of the season on Sunday afternoon, the Kobalt Tools 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Hamlin has a 33-point lead on Johnson and a 59-point advantage on Harvick in the driver standings heading into this race, thanks to his win last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Oddsmakers have Hamlin at 4/1 odds to take the checkered flag in Phoenix on Sunday, with Johnson just ahead at 3/1 odds, and Harvick farther back at 10/1 odds.

Finally, the drivers of Formula 1 will wrap up their 2010 campaign on Sunday with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Fernando Alonso sits atop the drivers championship with 246 points heading into this race, ahead of Mark Webber (238), Sebastian Vettel (231), and Lewis Hamilton (222). Oddsmakers have Alonso pegged at 4/1 odds to get the win on Sunday, with Webber at 3/2 odds, Vettel at 19/10 odds, and then Hamilton at 7/1 odds. Alonso is also the -125 favorite to score enough points to win the drivers championship.

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Blues try to keep their streak alive against the Jackets, while Miami (Ohio) meets Bowling Green, and the Rockets battle the Wizards.

Colliding on the gridiron . . .

There’s one college football game on the Wednesday schedule, with Miami (Ohio) at Bowling Green. The RedHawks (5-4 SU, 4-4 ATS) beat Buffalo 21-9 on the road in their most recent contest, as Zac Dysert threw for 231 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. The Falcons (2-7 SU, 5-4 ATS) are coming off a rare win, getting past Central Michigan 17-14 last time out. Willie Geter ran for 103 yards for Bowling Green in that game. Oddsmakers have Miami (Ohio) pegged as the 2.5-point road favorite for this Wednesday night game, while the total for the contest has been set at 50.5 points.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The NBA offers up 10 games on Wednesday, with Milwaukee at Atlanta, Utah at Orlando, Charlotte at Toronto, New Jersey at Cleveland, Golden State at New York, Philadelphia at Oklahoma City, Dallas at Memphis, the Clippers at San Antonio, Minnesota at Sacramento, and Houston at Washington. The Rockets (1-5 SU, 3-3 ATS) finally broke into the win column in their last game on Sunday, knocking off Minnesota 120-94 at home. Luis Scola led the way with 24 points for Houston that day. The Wizards (1-4 SU, 1-4 ATS) have been equally miserable to start the season, falling 107-102 at home to Cleveland last game. John Wall had 13 points and 10 assists in the loss.

There are also four college basketball games on Wednesday night, all regional action in the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer: Illinois Chicago at No. 5 Pittsburgh, Charleston at Maryland, Toledo at No. 13 Illinois, and Louisiana Tech at Texas. That event got underway on Monday night, with Pittsburgh (83-75 over Rhode Island), Maryland (105-76 over Seattle), Illinois (79-65 over UC Irvine), and Texas (83-52 over Navy) all putting up wins. The championship round will begin on November 18.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

Finally, there are six games on the National Hockey League schedule for Wednesday, with Buffalo at New Jersey, Boston at Pittsburgh, Toronto at Florida, Phoenix at Chicago, the Islanders at Anaheim, and St. Louis at Columbus. The 9-1-2 Blues extended their winning streak to seven games on Sunday, picking up a 2-0 road win over the Rangers. Alexander Steen scored both St. Louis goals in that contest, while backup netminder Ty Conklin made 27 saves for the shutout. The 8-5-0 Blue Jackets fell 3-2 at home to the Wild in their last game on Saturday, with Mathieu Garon allowing three goals on 24 shots. Rick Nash and Kyle Wilson scored for Columbus in that defeat.

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Jazz travel to Miami to take on the Heat, while the Lightning play host to the Maple Leafs, and Toledo does battle with Northern Illinois.

Colliding on the gridiron . . .

Week 11 of the college football season gets underway on Tuesday night with a Mid-American conference clash between Toledo and Northern Illinois. The Rockets (6-3 SU, 5-4 ATS) bounced Eastern Michigan 42-7 on the road last time out, with Terrance Owens throwing for 234 yards and four touchdowns for Toledo that day. The Huskies (7-2 SU, 6-2 ATS) are coming off a 28-21 road win over Western Michigan in which Chandler Harnish threw for 214 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Both Toledo and Northern Illinois are 5-0 in Mid-American conference play so far this season.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The NBA offers up seven games on Tuesday, with Denver at Indiana, Cleveland at New Jersey, the Clippers at New Orleans, New York at Milwaukee, Detroit at Portland, Minnesota at the Lakers, and Utah at Miami. The Jazz (3-3 SU, 2-4 ATS) slipped past the Clippers 109-107 in double overtime at home in their last game on Saturday, as Deron Williams led the way with a team-high 30 points. Paul Millsap picked up 25 points and 13 rebounds for Utah in that contest. The Heat (5-2 SU, 4-3 ATS) got past New Jersey 101-89 at home in their last game on Saturday. Dwyane Wade had 29 points for Miami in that contest, while LeBron James had 23 points, and Chris Bosh had 21 points.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

As well, there are seven games on tap around the National Hockey League on Tuesday, with Edmonton at Carolina, Vancouver at Montreal, Washington at the Rangers, Atlanta at Ottawa, Calgary at Colorado, Anaheim at San Jose, and Toronto at Tampa Bay. The 5-5-3 Maple Leafs have been tagged with a loss in each of their last five games, falling 3-2 in a shootout to the Sabres in their last game on Saturday night. Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin scored for Toronto in that defeat, while J-S Giguere stopped 29 of 31 Buffalo shots. The 7-4-2 Lightning were beaten 5-2 in San Jose in their last game on Saturday, with Martin St. Louis and Steve Stamkos scoring goals for Tampa in that loss.

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: Ranked Virginia Tech hosts Georgia Tech on the gridiron, while the Bulls get a visit from the Knicks, and the Rangers take on the Flyers.

Colliding on the gridiron . . .

There are two college football games on the schedule for Thursday, with Buffalo at Ohio (-15.5), and Georgia Tech at No. 20 Virginia Tech (-13). The Yellow Jackets (5-3 SU, 3-4 ATS) were beaten 37-13 at Clemson last time out, as Joshua Nesbitt threw for just 83 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Anthony Allen ran for 92 yards for Georgia Tech in that contest. The ranked Hokies (6-2 SU, 6-1 ATS) are coming off a 44-7 home rout of Duke, with Tyrod Taylor passing for 280 yards and three scores. Taylor also ran for 47 yards that day. Oddsmakers have that matchup’s total listed at 56 points.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The NBA offers up just two games for Thursday, with Oklahoma City at Portland, and New York at Chicago. The Knicks (1-2 SU, 2-0-1 ATS) last played on Saturday when they were beaten 100-95 at home by the Trail Blazers. Wilson Chandler scored a team-high 22 points off the bench for New York in that contest, while Raymond Felton was good for 16 points and five assists. The Bulls (2-1 SU, 2-1 ATS) hosted the Trail Blazers on Monday and pulled out a 110-98 victory. Luol Deng exploded for 40 points for Chicago in that win, while Derrick Rose pitched in with 16 points as well as 13 assists.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

Finally, there are six games on tap in the National Hockey League on Thursday, with Columbus at Atlanta, the Islanders at Ottawa, San Jose at St. Louis, Vancouver at Chicago, Tampa Bay at Los Angeles, and the Rangers at Philadelphia. The 6-4-1 Rangers topped the Blackhawks 3-2 at home in their last game on Monday night, with the line of Artem Anisimov, Brandon Dubinsky, and Ryan Callahan providing two points apiece. Henrik Lundqvist stopped 33 Chicago shots. The 7-4-1 Flyers beat the Hurricanes 3-2 at home on Monday for their fourth straight win, with Scott Hartnell potting a pair of goals. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 26 of 28 Carolina shots in the contest.

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: Oregon tries to stay undefeated against Southern Cal, TCU looks to thump UNLV, and the World Series heads down to Texas for Game 3.

Colliding on the gridiron . . .

No. 1 Oregon hits the road to take on No. 24 Southern Cal on Saturday in one of three ranked matchups on the college football schedule. The Ducks (7-0 SU, 4-2 ATS) pounded UCLA 60-13 at home last time out, as Darron Thomas threw for 308 yards and three touchdowns. LaMichael James ran for 123 yards and a pair of scores for Oregon in that win. The Trojans (5-2 SU, 3-4 ATS) are coming off an easy 48-14 home win over California, as Matt Barkley threw for 352 yards and five touchdowns. Oddsmakers have Oregon listed as the 7-point favorite for Saturday’s contest, with the total pegged at 71.

The other two ranked matchups on Saturday are No. 5 Michigan State at No. 18 Iowa (-6.5), and No. 7 Missouri at No. 14 Nebraska (-7.5). Rounding out the day’s Top-25 action: No. 22 Miami (-15) at Virginia, No. 20 Oklahoma State (-5) at Kansas State, Tennessee at No. 17 South Carolina (-18), No. 15 Arizona (-9) at UCLA, No. 3 Auburn (-7) at Mississippi, No. 25 Baylor at Texas (-7.5), No. 13 Stanford (-7) at Washington, Kentucky at No. 23 Mississippi State (-6), Vanderbilt at No. 19 Arkansas (-20.5), No. 8 Utah (-7) at Air Force, No. 10 Ohio State (-25.5) at Minnesota, Colorado at No. 11 Oklahoma (-23.5), and No. 4 TCU (-35) at UNLV in one of the day’s expected blowouts.

As well, there’s one game on the Canadian Football League schedule for Saturday, with Winnipeg at Edmonton. The Blue Bombers (4-12 SU, 9-7 ATS) are listed as 7.5-point road underdogs against the Eskimos (6-10 SU, 7-9 ATS), with the night’s total set at 52.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

The World Series shifts to Texas for Game 3 on Saturday night, with the Rangers’ Colby Lewis (2-0, 1.45 ERA in the playoffs) taking to the mound against the Giants’ Jonathan Sanchez (0-1, 2.93 ERA in the playoffs). Righthander Lewis beat the Yankees twice during the ALCS, holding them to a combined three runs on nine hits over his 13 2-3 innings of work. Lewis fanned 13 in those two starts. Lefthander Sanchez went 0-1 with a no-decision against the Phillies over his two NLCS outings, surrendering five runs (four earned) on eight hits in just eight innings. Sanchez struck out eight in those games.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The NBA offers up nine games on Saturday, with Washington at Atlanta, Sacramento at Cleveland, Detroit at Chicago, Philadelphia at Indiana, Minnesota at Memphis, Denver at Houston, Charlotte at Milwaukee, New Orleans at San Antonio, and Portland at New York. The Trail Blazers sit at 2-0 both SU and ATS after knocking off the Suns 106-92 on Tuesday and the Clippers 98-88 on Wednesday. Brandon Roy led the way with 22 points and 10 rebounds for Portland in their win over Los Angeles, while LaMarcus Aldridge was good for 19 points and 10 rebounds. Andre Miller picked up seven assists.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

Finally, there are 14 games on the NHL’s schedule for Saturday, with the Islanders at Philadelphia, Nashville at Detroit, Pittsburgh at Carolina, Florida at Montreal, Boston at Ottawa, Atlanta at St. Louis, Chicago at Minnesota, Buffalo at Dallas, Columbus at Colorado, Tampa Bay at Phoenix, Washington at Calgary, Anaheim at San Jose, New Jersey at Los Angeles, and the Rangers at Toronto. The Maple Leafs will be playing the Rangers for the third time this month, beating them 4-3 in New York on October 15 and falling 2-1 at home on October 21. Ruslan Fedotenko and Artem Anisimov had the goals for the winning Rangers in that last matchup, while Colby Armstrong replied for Toronto.

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.

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.

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.

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The NBA season tips off in Boston, Portland, and Los Angeles, while Boise State searches for a big victory at home over Louisiana Tech.

Colliding on the gridiron . . .

Week 9 of the college football season kicks off on Tuesday night, with Boise State playing host to Louisiana Tech. The No. 2 Broncos (6-0 SU, 5-1 ATS) blasted San Jose State 48-0 on the road last time out, with Kellen Moore throwing for 231 yards and two touchdowns in the win. Doug Martin added 68 yards and two scores on the ground for Boise State that day. The Bulldogs (3-4 SU, 3-3 ATS) are coming off a 48-35 home win over Idaho, as Ross Jenkins passed for 422 yards and three touchdowns. Lennon Creer rushed for 179 yards and two scores for Louisiana Tech in that win. Oddsmakers have ranked Boise State pegged as a huge 37.5-point home favorite for Tuesday night.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The NBA season gets underway on Tuesday night on three fronts, with Miami at Boston, Phoenix at Portland, and Houston at the Lakers. The oddsmakers have the Heat favored on the road in their opener, as LeBron James’ new team is listed as a 1-point favorite over the Celtics. Heat guard Dwyane Wade is expected to play on Tuesday despite missing time in the preseason with a hamstring injury. The total for the Miami/Boston matchup is at 193. The Trail Blazers are then 7.5-point home favorites vs. the Suns for Tuesday (with the total at 201), while the Lakers begin their title defense as an 8-point home favorite against the Rockets. The total for that last matchup is at 196.5.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

As well, there are six games on the National Hockey League’s schedule for Tuesday, with Florida at Toronto, Phoenix at Ottawa, Buffalo at Philadelphia, Edmonton at Calgary, Anaheim at Dallas, and Colorado at Vancouver. The 4-4-0 Avalanche were beaten 6-4 at home by Los Angeles on Saturday night, with Craig Anderson giving up six goals on 30 shots in the defeat. Milan Hejduk and Paul Stastny each scored twice for Colorado that day. The 3-3-2 Canucks trounced Minnesota 5-1 at home in their last game, with backup netminder Cory Schneider making 23 saves in the win. Manny Malhotra had two goals for Vancouver that game, and Jannik Hansen added two assists.

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The NLCS between Philly and the Giants resumes in San Francisco, while the Yankees play host to the Rangers in Game 4 of their ALCS.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

The NLCS shifts to San Francisco on Tuesday, with Game 3 between the Giants and Phillies. San Francisco will give the ball to Matt Cain (0-0, 0.00 ERA in the playoffs) in that contest, while Philadelphia counters with Cole Hamels (1-0, 0.00 ERA in the playoffs). Righthander Cain had to settle for a no-decision in his NLDS outing against the Braves, surrendering one unearned run on seven hits over his 6 2-3 innings of work in that game. Lefthander Hamels dazzled the Reds in his only outing of the NLDS, giving up just five hits over his nine shutout innings. Hamels struck out nine in that win.

Meanwhile, it’s Game 4 of ALCS between the Rangers and Yankees in New York on Tuesday night. The Yankees will try their luck with A.J. Burnett on the mound on Tuesday. Righthander Burnett has yet to pitch in the playoffs this year, and the team was just 2-8 in his last 10 trips to the mound during the regular season. The Rangers will turn to Tommy Hunter (0-1, 4.50 ERA in the playoffs) for Tuesday’s game. Righthander Hunter lost to the Rays in the ALDS, giving up three runs over four innings.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

As well, there are four games on the ice around the National Hockey League on Tuesday, with Boston at Washington, Vancouver at Minnesota, Carolina at San Jose, and Calgary at Nashville. The Flames improved to 2-2-0 on the season on Saturday night with a 5-3 home win over rival Edmonton. Alex Tanguay scored twice for Calgary in that contest, with Brendan Morrison, Jarome Iginla, and Niklas Hagman providing one goal each. Miikka Kiprusoff made 27 saves. The Predators fell 3-2 at home in overtime in their last game on Saturday, blowing the 2-0 lead they held through two periods. J.P. Dumont and Jordin Tootoo scored for Nashville, and Anders Lindback stopped 31 shots.

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Titans and Jaguars hit the field for Monday Night Football, and the Rangers and Yankees meet in New York in Game 3 of the ALCS.

Colliding on the gridiron . . .

Monday Night Football this week sees the Titans (3-2 SU, 3-2 ATS) hit the road for a game against the Jaguars (3-2 SU, 3-2 ATS) in Jacksonville. Tennessee went into Dallas last week and came out with a 34-27 road win. Vince Young completed just 12 of 25 pass attempts for 173 yards in the contest, but he did manage to connect on two touchdown strikes. Chris Johnson ran for 131 yards and two scores that day. The Jaguars are also coming off a road win, as they got past the Bills 36-26 in Buffalo last week. David Garrard went 16 of 20 for 178 yards passing against Buffalo, with three touchdowns and one interception. Oddsmakers have set the Titans as 3-point road favorites for Monday night’s matchup, while the total for the contest is set at 45.5 points.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

The Rangers and Yankees will break a 1-1 series deadlock on Monday night when they take the field at Yankee Stadium in Game 3 of the ALCS. Texas will hand the ball to ace Cliff Lee (2-0, 1.12 ERA in the playoffs) in that contest, while the Yankees will counter with veteran Andy Pettitte (1-0, 2.57 ERA in the playoffs). Lefthander Lee picked up a pair of wins over the Rays during the ALDS, holding them to just two runs on 11 hits over his 16 innings of work while fanning 21 batters. Lefthander Pettitte had one start against the Twins during the ALDS, giving up two runs over seven innings in that victory. The Rangers and Lee are -118 road favorites for Monday, with the total set at 7.5 runs.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

Finally, the National Hockey League offers up five games on Monday, with Colorado at the Rangers, Ottawa at Pittsburgh, the Islanders at Toronto, St. Louis at Chicago, and Dallas at Tampa Bay. The Stars improved to 4-0-0 on the season with a 3-2 shootout win over the Blues on Saturday night; James Neal and Loui Eriksson scored for Dallas in regulation time in that contest, while Kari Lehtonen made 41 saves. The Lightning fell to 3-1-0 on the season with a 6-0 road loss to Florida in their last game on Saturday. Dan Ellis and Mike Smith combined to stop just 32 of the 38 Florida shots in that defeat.

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Steelers and their top QB take on the Browns, the Colts battle the Redskins, and the Giants and Phillies meet in Game 2 of the NLCS.

Colliding on the gridiron . . .

Ben Roethlisberger returns to action for the Steelers (3-1 SU, 3-1 ATS) on Sunday afternoon as they play host to the Browns (1-4 SU, 2-3 ATS). The Steelers held the fort while Big Ben was suspended, but they’re still coming off a 17-14 home loss to the Ravens in their most recent game. Rashard Mendenhall rushed for 79 yards and two scores in that contest. The Browns were doubled up 20-10 at home by the Falcons last week, and they’re expected to turn to rookie quarterback Colt McCoy for Sunday’s game against the rival Steelers. Oddsmakers have the Steelers pegged as big 13.5-point home favorites for Sunday’s game, with the total for the matchup set at 37.5 points.

Also on the NFL’s schedule for Sunday: Atlanta at Philadelphia (-3), Seattle at Chicago (-6.5), Miami at Green Bay, Detroit at the Giants (-10), New Orleans (-4.5) at Tampa Bay, San Diego (-8.5) at St. Louis, Kansas City at Houston (-4.5), Baltimore at New England (-3), Oakland at San Francisco (-6.5), the Jets (-3) at Denver, Dallas at Minnesota (-1.5), and Indianapolis (-3) at Washington. The Colts (3-2 SU, 3-2 ATS) got past Kansas City 19-9 at home last week, despite Peyton Manning throwing for just 244 yards with no touchdowns. The Redskins (3-2 SU, 3-1-1 ATS) slipped past Green Bay 16-13 at home last time out. The total for this Sunday night matchup is set at 44 points.

There are also two Canadian Football League games on the schedule for Sunday, with Winnipeg (4-10 SU, 8-6 ATS) at Montreal (10-4 SU, 7-7 ATS) and Calgary (10-4 SU, 9-5 ATS) at Saskatchewan (9-5 SU, 8-6 ATS). The Als are pegged as 12-point home favorites in the first game, and the Riders are 1.5-point home faves in the second game.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

It’ll be Game 2 of the NLCS between the Giants and Phillies on Sunday night, with Roy Oswalt (0-0, 5.40 ERA) getting the ball at home against San Francisco’s Jonathan Sanchez (0-0, 1.23 ERA). Righthander Oswalt took a no-decision against the Reds in the NLDS, surrendering four runs (three earned) on five hits over his five innings of work. Lefthander Sanchez is also coming off an NLDS no-decision, giving up one run on two hits over 7 1-3 innings of work against the Braves. Sanchez pitched in Philadelphia on August 19, earning the win after allowing just one run over eight innings. Oswalt faced the Giants on August 17, allowing three runs in his seven innings.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

Finally, there are just two games on the National Hockey League’s schedule for Sunday, with Phoenix at Anaheim and Carolina at Vancouver. The Hurricanes last played on Thursday night on the road against the Senators, falling 3-2. Sergei Samsonov and Eric Staal scored for Carolina that day, while Cam Ward stopped 36 of the 39 Ottawa shots.