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Ohio St -11.5 or Virginia tech +11.5

Bojangles' Southern 500
By Micah Roberts

Labor Day weekend has been missing something for the past 11 years that had been a staple in America since 1950, but that something has returned home. NASCAR Nation gets their wishes this week as the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway returns to its roots this holiday weekend.

Let’s say it again, “Darlington Raceway has the Southern 500 on Labor day weekend again!”

You may say, "big deal, a track is a track and who cares when they race." but that’s not so for the passionate NASCAR Nation that holds onto the sports past with great regard. When NASCAR moved Labor Day date at Darlington following the 2003 season, there was outrage. So what did NASCAR do? The following year they told everyone Darlington would get only one date for the 2005 season and the race would be in May, but they still called it the Southern 500.

It may have taken NASCAR 11 years to finally get to those angry protest letters from the fans, but at least they finally got it right.

We don’t have a lot of history in our young country, but nostalgia is something most of us cherish and hold dear. We like Wrigley Field and Fenway Park because the age tells us its something special. For the Southern 500 on Labor Day, a race and date more synonymous with NASCAR history than the Daytona 500 running in February, it’s finally home where it belongs and I couldn’t be happier.

After a week off, maybe I’m just excited about seeing some racing again and the whole Darlington thing is just a side story in my mind that enhances the anticipation.

Another reason to be excited is that Darlington’s 1.366-mile high banked layout is unlike any on the circuit with four differing turns. It’s a tough track to master and every driver has found a ’Darlington Stripe’ on their car door at some point in their careers. They’ve been calling Darlington ’The Lady in Black’ for years because she’s just a mean old nasty lady.

This weekend’s race is also special because we’ll get to see the new aero package that ran in July at Kentucky, which turned out to be the most exciting race of the season with all kinds of passing. Less overhang on the splitter and a shorter spoiler seems to create the perfect formula for great racing. The cars were super loose and it forced drivers to feather the fuel pedal more around turns rather than mashing the pedal all the way around the track.

Kentucky’s 1.5-mile flatter, wider layout is much different than Darlington’s so who knows what to expect from the racing. What I think we’ll see is an intense race with more Darlington Stripes dished out because of the cars being so loose. Even with race packages where the car stuck good through the turns, drivers had trouble with managing Darlington. The winner of the race will be the driver who has the guts to continually be on the brink of sliding into the walls.

Yeah, I think I’m pretty much all-around jazzed for this race.

What will ultimately make this my favorite race of the year is if I can cash some tickets in odds to win and driver match-ups. To come to my final conclusion on how things should turn out, I’ve mixed in what happened at Kentucky, past Darlington history and current form.

Under that criteria, the four Joe Gibbs Racing drivers stand out. They had the new package figured out the best at Kentucky as all four finished in the top-five. Kyle Busch led 163 of the 267 laps en route to his second win of the season. He would go on to win the next two races. He also won at Darlington in 2008. He’s definitely got the current form thing down, he’s run well at Darlington and he dominated at Kentucky with the new package, but who wants to bet the favorite? I don’t want to lay big prices on match-ups either, so I’ve got to go another route and hope he doesn’t win.

Matt Kenseth finished fifth at Kentucky and got his first Darlington win in 2013. He’s won two of the past four races on the schedule and fits the profile of someone that can win.

Denny Hamlin has a 6.9 average finish at Darlington which is tops among all active drivers. The ’Lady in Black’ seems to have a fondness for Hamlin and let him win in 2010. He finished third at Kentucky and might offer some of the best value in this race. I’ll be looking to play him with odds to win and driver match-ups against anyone but Busch and Kenseth.

Kevin Harvick won at Darlington last season for the first time in his career after several years of taking beatings on the track. It was his fourth top-five finish in 18 starts, but he’s got five finishes of 32nd or worse over that span too. I’ll shy away from him this week just because of a lackluster Kentucky performance where he finished eighth and didn’t lead a lap.

Joey Logano has won two of the past three races coming into Darlington, but his 23rd-place average finish is something to really consider and force some match-up wagers against. He was second at Kentucky and we have to respect his set-up there, but his Darlington history resonates more. With a track already being tough on him and now having a looser car, I’ll look for plus money on drivers matched up against him.

Top-5 Finish Prediction:

1) #11 Denny Hamlin (8/1)
2) #20 Matt Kenseth (7/1)
3) #48 Jimmie Johnson (10/1)
4) #18 Kyle Busch (5/1)
5) #4 Kevin Harvick (6/1)

Drivers to Watch - Darlington

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Bojangles’ Southern 500
Sunday, September 6th – 7:00 p.m. EDT
Darlington Raceway, Darlington, SC

The Sprint Cup series heads to Darlington for a race on “The Track Too Tough to Tame” on Sunday. Darlington Raceway, which is also referred to as “The Lady in Black”, features a rather distinct egg-shaped design and runs 1.366 miles with four turns. Turns 1 and 2 on this track feature 25-degree banking and turns 3 and 4 feature 23-degree banking. It’s a track that was built in 1949 and has hosted the Bojangles’ Southern 500 (with its current name) for the past two years now.

With only two events to go until the Chase for the Sprint Cup Challenger Round, this race is absolutely crucial. Last year, Kevin Harvick emerged as the winner in this race. His average speed was 131.211 and he was able to take full advantage of earning the top pole position.

Gordon has earned seven wins at this track in his career (1995, 1996 twice, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2007) and Denny Hamlin has one Sprint Cup victory (2010) and a record 5.9 average finish here.

Let’s now take a look at who might come away victorious in South Carolina on Sunday:

Drivers to Watch

Denny Hamlin (8/1) - Denny Hamlin has just one Sprint Cup victory at Darlington Raceway, but he has won numerous other races here before and holds a track record for average finish at 5.9. Hamlin enters this race in fantastic form, coming in fifth at the Pure Michigan 400 and third at the Irwin Tools Night Race. He has one victory on the year and another eight top-five finishes to his name. He may be one of the favorites to win this race, but he is still getting favorable enough odds to warrant putting some units on him.

Jimmie Johnson (10/1) - Jimmie Johnson had a poor outing at the Pure Michigan 400 two races ago, but he followed it up with a fourth place finish at the Irwin Tools Night Race on Aug. 22. Johnson has had success at Darlington before, winning a Sprint Cup race here in 2012. While he hasn’t been as dominant this season as in years past, Johnson still has four victories and 11 top-five finishes on the season. He is consistently at the top of the leaderboard and would be a great value play at the odds he is currently receiving.

Jeff Gordon (20/1) - Jeff Gordon only has a few races left as a full-time Sprint Cup driver and he’ll be looking to go out with a bang over the next few weeks. Gordon will be visiting a track that he has had a lot of success at in his career and should be feeling confident that he’ll get his first victory of the season. Gordon has three-top five finishes this season and 12 top-10s, but he has not been able to enter victory lane just yet. At 20/1, it’s definitely worth putting a unit or two on him to get that done at a track he is very familiar with.

Greg Biffle (100/1) - Greg Biffle has not won a Sprint Cup race since 2013, but he is getting some extremely favorable odds and has been doing quite well as of late. Biffle has finished in the top-25 at five straight races and that includes a fifth place finish at the Windows 10 400. Biffle has also had some success at Darlington, winning this race in back-to-back years (2005, 2006) earlier in his career. It wouldn’t be a bad decision to put a unit or two on a guy that can make you look pretty smart once Monday rolls around.

A.J. Allmendinger (500/1) - Allmendinger may not have any victories in the Sprint Cup Series this season, but he does have three top-10 finishes and one of them was a seventh at the Windows 10 400 just a few weeks ago. He is receiving some insane odds for this race and isn’t poor enough of a driver to be counted out completely. He won a race in 2014 and is more than capable of surprising people and doing so again. If he did then it’d be tough to swallow not taking him.

Odds to win Bojangles’ Southern 500 -

Kevin Harvick 4/1
Kyle Busch 5/1
Joey Logano 7/1
Matt Kenseth 7/1
Carl Edwards 8/1
Denny Hamlin 8/1
Brad Keselowski 10/1
Jimmie Johnson 10/1
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 15/1
Kurt Busch 15/1
Martin Truex Jr. 15/1
Jeff Gordon 20/1
Kyle Larson 20/1
Kasey Kahne 30/1
Jamie McMurray 40/1
Ryan Newman 60/1
Tony Stewart 60/1
Austin Dillon 75/1
Clint Bowyer 75/1
Paul Menard 75/1
Chase Elliott 100/1
David Ragan 100/1
Greg Biffle 100/1
Ryan Blaney 100/1
Aric Almirola 300/1
AJ Allmendinger 500/1
Casey Mears 500/1
Danica Patrick 500/1
Ricky Stenhouse 500/1
Field (Any Other Driver) 500/1

MLB

National League
Diamondbacks @ Cubs
de la Rosa is 4-1, 4.00 in his last six starts (over 4-2-1 in last seven).

Hendricks is 0-1, 6.98 in his last four starts (over 5-3 in last eight).

Arizona lost nine of last 12 games; four of their last six went under the total. Chicago won three of last four games (under 5-3 in last eight). D'backs lost three of last four games with the Cubs; over is 6-4-1 in last 11 series games.

Braves @ Nationals
Banuelos is 0-3, 6.57 in his last three starts (under 4-0-1 in his MLB starts).

Ross is 2-0, 2.87 in his last three starts (under 3-1-1 in last five).

Braves were outscored 95-25 in losing their last 11 games (over 9-3-2 last 14); they're 2-11 in last 13 games with Washington-- under is 5-3-1 in last nine in series. Nationals are 10-4 in last 14 games (over 5-1-1 last seven).

Mets @ Marlins
Matz is making his first start since July 5; he is 2-0, 1.32 in his first two MLB starts, but he had a bad back after that last start.

Cosart is making his first start since July 4; he is 0-3, 10.13 in his last four starts (over 3-1).

Mets won four of last five games with Miami; over is 6-3 in last nine series games. NY won eight of last 12 games (over 9-3); they've got a 5-game lead in NL East with 28 games left. Marlins won four of last five gams; four of their last six home games stayed under.

Brewers @ Reds
Nelson is 3-1, 3.79 in his last six starts (over 4-1 in last five).

Lorenzen is 0-6, 9.79 in his last eight starts (over 3-1-1 in last five).

Milwaukee won eight of last nine games with Cincinnati; Brewers won six of last seven games (over 9-2-1 in last twelve). Reds lost eight of their last 11 games- they lost last eight times they scored less than seven runs.

Pirates @ Cardinals
Cole is 1-1, 3.44 in his last three starts (under 7-2 in last nine).

Lackey is 2-1, 3.29 in his last four starts (over 4-1 in last five).

Pittsburgh won seven of last 11 games with St Louis (over 5-2-1 last eight); Bucs lost five of last six games (over 4-1 in last five) overall. Cardinals won nine of their last 12 games (over 5-2-1 in last eight)

Giants @ Rockies
Bumgarner is 5-1, 1.61 in his last six stats; under is 5-2-2 in his last nine.

Flande is 1-0, 4.55 in his last five starts (over 3-2).

Rockies are 7-5 in last 12 games; seven of last nine went under. Giants are 5-12 in last 17 games overall; under is 5-2-1 in their last eight road games. SF lost five of last eight games with Colorado; seven of last ten series games went over total.

Dodgers @ Padres
Anderson is 2-2, 597 in his last five starts (over 4-1).

Cashner is 1-1, 4.98 in his last four starts (over 4-1 in last five).

Dodgers won nine of last 11 games; under is 9-4-1 in their last 14. LA is 9-4 in last 13 games with San Diego (under 6-4 in last ten). Padres lost seven of last ten games (over 5-1-1 in last seven).

American League
Indians @ Tigers
Anderson is 0-2, 7.46 in his last five starts; four of his last six went over.

Verlander is 2-1, 1.82 in his las four starts (under 6-2 in his last eight).

Cleveland lost three of last four games; four of last five stayed under total. Tigers lost ten of last 13 games; six of last seven went over. Indians lost seven of last ten games with Detroit; over is 9-3 in last twelve.

Rays @ Bronx
Archer is 2-1, 1.72 in his last three starts (over 5-1 in last six).

Nova is 0-3, 7.80 in his last three starts (under 4-1 in last five).

Tampa Bay lost three of last five games with Bronx; under is 9-2-1 in last 12 in series. Rays won four of last six games (over 8-4 in last 12). NY won six of last eight; under is 4-1 in their last five games.

Orioles @ Blue Jays
Tillman is 0-3, 7.27 in his last three starts (under 7-2-1 in last ten).

Estrada is 4-2, 2.28 in his last seven starts (under 6-1).

Orioles lost nine of last 12 games; four of last five went over. Blue Jays won nine of last 12 games (under is 6-3 in last nine). Baltimore won four of last six games with Toronto.

White Sox @ Royals
Johnson is making first '15 start; he is 11-8, 2.37 in 22 AAA starts this season. Johnson is 4-3, 4.73 in 10 MLB starts (five each in '13/'14).

Cueto is 0-3, 9.00 in his last three starts; his last four went over.

White Sox lost five of last seven games with Kansas City; under is 7-4-1 in last 12 series games. Chicago won its last three games overall; five of its last seven went over the total. Royals lost four of their last six games (over 5-2 in last seven).

Twins @ Astros
Duffey is 2-0, 2.66 in his last four starts (over 4-1 in five MLB starts).

Keuchel is 3-0, 1.29 in his last four starts.

Minnesota won four of last six games with Houston (under 4-1-1); Twins are 8-4 in last 12 games (over 6-4-1 in last 11). Astros lost four of their last six games (over 4-1-1).

Rangers @ Angels
Lewis is 0-2, 9.28 in his last two starts (under 3-0-1 last four on road).

Santiago is 0-4, 7.43 in his last five starts (under 4-2 in last six).

Rangers lost eight of last 12 games with Angels; six of last nine in series went over total. Texas won seven of last nine games overall. Halos won three of last four games (over 4-2-1 in last seven).

Mariners @ A's
Iwakuma is 4-1, 3.78 in his last five starts (under 4-1 in last five on road).

Nolin was acquired in Donaldson trade, is making first '15 start; he allowed seven runs in 2.1 IP in two appearances for Toronto in '13/'14. He is 2-2, 2.66 in 12 AAA starts this season.

Seattle won nine of last 12 games with Oakland, scoring 33 runs in last four; last five series games got over total. Mariners won eight of last eleven games (over 10-2 in last 12). A's lost seven of last ten games; over is 10-1-1 last 12.

Interleague
Phillies @ Red Sox
Eickhoff is 1-2, 3.32 in his three starts (over 2-1)

Rodriguez is 2-0, 3.32 in his last three starts (over 3-1 in last four).

Philly lost eight of last 11 games with Boston; five of last six series games went over. Phils lost nine of last 12 games (over 9-2-1). Red Sox won six of last nine games (over 8-4 in last twelve)

Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
Az-Chi-- de la Rosa 16-11; Hendricks 14-12
Atl-Wsh-- Banuelos 2-3; Ross 5-7
NY-Mia-- Matz 2-0; Cosart 2-6
Mil-Cin-- Nelson 14-13; Lorenzen 7-11
Pitt-StL-- Cole 18-9; Lackey 15-12
SF-Col-- Bumgarner 17-10; Flande 4-3
LA-SD-- Anderson 14-12; Cashner 10-16

Cle-Det-- Anderson 5-5; Verlander 4-10 (3-1 last 4)
TB-NY-- Archer 16-12; Nova 5-7 (0-3 last 3)
Balt-Tor-- Tillman 12-13 (0-3 last 3); Estrada 12-10
Chi-KC-- Johnson 0-0; Cueto 13-13 (0-3 last 3)
Min-Hst-- Duffey 4-1; Keuchel 19-8
Tex-LAA-- Lewis 13-14; Santiago 12-14 (1-7 last 8)
Sea-A's-- Iwakuma 8-6 (5-1 last 6); Nolin 0-0

Phil-Bos-- Eickhoff 1-2; Rodriguez 10-7

Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
Az-Chi-- de la Rosa 8-27; Hendricks 7-26
Atl-Wsh-- Banuelos 2-5; Ross 0-12
NY-Mia-- Matz 1-2; Cosart 1-7
Mil-Cin-- Nelson 8-27; Lorenzen 9-19 (9 of last 13)
Pitt-StL-- Cole 9-27; Lackey 7-27
SF-Col-- Bumgarner 6-27; Flande 2-7
LA-SD-- Anderson 9-26; Cashner 12-27 (5 of last 7)

Cle-Det-- Anderson 3-10; Verlander 3-14
TB-NY-- Archer 6-28; Nova 2-12
Balt-Tor-- Tillman 4-25; Estrada 10-22
Chi-KC-- Johnson 0-0; Cueto 6-26
Min-Hst-- Duffey 1-5; Keuchel 4-27
Tex-LAA-- Lewis 5-27; Santiago 8-26
Sea-A's-- Iwakuma 4-14; Nolin 0-0

Phil-Bos-- Eickhoff 1-3; Rodriguez 4-17

Umpires
Az-Chi-- Six of last eight Hirschbeck games went over.
Pitt-StL-- Five of last six Wolcott games went over.
Mil-Cin-- Four of last five Wolf games went over.
NY-Mia-- Last five Guccione games all went over.
Atl-Wsh-- Under is 10-5 in last fifteen Fletcher games.
SF-Col-- Over is 5-1-2 in last eight Fairchild games.
LA-SD-- Eight of last eleven TBarrett games stayed under.

TB-NY-- Under is 11-4-1 in last sixteen May games.
Balt-Tor-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Everitt games.
Cle-Det-- Home side won six of last seven Randazzo games.
Min-Hst-- Four of last five Culbreth games stayed under.
Chi-KC-- Under is 7-3-1 in last eleven Kulpa games.
Sea-A's-- Seven of last nine Carlson games went over.
Tex-LA-- Four of last five Winters games went over.

Phil-Bos-- Over is 8-3-2 in last thirteen LBarrett games.

Preview: Mystics (16-14) at Dream (12-18)

Date: September 06, 2015 3:00 PM EDT

After letting the Atlanta Dream hang around in the Eastern Conference race, the Washington Mystics have a chance to put them away.

The slumping Mystics wrap up a difficult four-game trip with Sunday's showdown against an Atlanta team with no margin for error left.

Washington (16-14) appeared to be a postseason lock until losing five of six, including all three games on this trek. The slump has kept Atlanta (12-18) alive for a playoff spot, though it needs to win all four remaining games and have the Mystics lose their last four to grab the No. 4 seed.

'Season's not over, we'll see what happens in the end,' forward Angel McCoughtry said after the Dream's 80-75 overtime loss at New York on Tuesday. 'Keep playing hard, give it all we got to the end.'

Atlanta does have two games left with the Mystics and has dominated the recent series, having won 15 of the past 19 regular-season meetings. Those include a 72-69 Dream victory at Philips Arena on June 26 and a 64-61 Atlanta win in Washington on June 12.

The Mystics have lost eight of nine in the regular season at Philips.

Atlanta had won three straight before narrow losses to Chicago and New York. It's leaned heavily on McCoughtry in that stretch, with the two-time scoring champion averaging 22.6 points and tallying 25 while coming off the bench against the Liberty.

Tiffany Hayes has provided a lift as well, averaging 17.0 points over the last three games and scoring a career-high 28 in a key win at Indiana on Aug. 28.

Washington showed considerable offensive improvement Thursday at Los Angeles after being held to fewer than 60 points in losses to Seattle and Phoenix to open the trip. The Mystics shot 48.6 percent and had six double-figure scorers against the Sparks, but couldn't hold a 15-point lead in a 93-91 defeat.

"We've just got to continue to play hard through the adversity we go through on the road," guard Ivory Latta said. "Road games are hard and the crowd was into it, so you got to just fight through it."

Washington also has had to deal with a back injury to Kara Lawson that's expected to keep the starting point guard out for a fifth straight game Sunday.

Latta, Washington's leader at 11.1 points per game, scored 18 on Thursday and Emma Meesseman had 19 on 9-of-12 shooting. Meesseman scored 21 and went 8 of 11 on June 12, with Latta getting held to five points on 2 of 12 from the field.

Preview: Shock (16-14) at Sparks (13-18)

Date: September 06, 2015 5:00 PM EDT

Just over a month ago, the Los Angeles Sparks owned the WNBA's worst record. Candace Parker's return sparked a surge that now has them one win away from a spot in the playoffs, and adding a healthy Nneke Ogwumike could make the sub-.500 club a tough out.

The only team to defeat the Sparks in the past two weeks and the only one which has been hotter is the Tulsa Shock, who go after a seventh consecutive victory Sunday at Staples Center.

Los Angeles was 3-14 after losing at Minnesota on July 29 when Parker made her season debut after sitting out to get 100 percent healthy. The Sparks have since won 10 of 14 to move into the fourth and final playoff position in the Western Conference, and their magic number over fifth-place Seattle is down to one.

Parker has posted 12 double-doubles in the last 13 games, averaging 20.9 points and 10.7 rebounds in her last seven. She had 26 points and 11 boards in Thursday's 93-91 win over Washington, but maybe the more important performance came from Ogwumike.

The All-Star forward had missed six games due to injury but returned to score 24 points and grab 10 boards in 34 minutes.

Ogwumike has averaged 22.3 points in three meetings with the Shock this year. She had 26 in an 84-57 win at Tulsa on Aug. 6, and she was clearly missed in the most recent meeting as the Sparks fell 76-66 on Aug. 28 despite Parker's 24 points and 11 rebounds.

While that is Los Angeles' only loss in six games, the Shock (16-14) have reeled off six straight wins to wrap up a postseason berth following a 10-game skid. Tulsa still could catch second-place Phoenix but can secure at least the No. 3 seed with a win Sunday because it enters 3 1/2 games ahead of Los Angeles.

These teams have split four meetings with the home team winning each time.

Odyssey Sims has fueled Tulsa's six-game win streak with an average of 21.7 points. She's totaled 54 in the last two after getting held to 15 by Los Angeles as Riquna Williams stepped up to also score 15, but Williams will miss a second straight game due to a leg injury.

Sims had only four points and missed all six of her field-goal attempts in last month's loss to the Sparks and missed the other in July due to injury.

Preview: Storm (9-21) at Sky (19-12)

Date: September 06, 2015 6:00 PM EDT

The Chicago Sky can move one step closer to home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs by spoiling Jewell Loyd's return to her hometown.

The Sky can win for the fifth time in six games and eliminate Loyd's Seattle Storm from playoff contention Sunday night.

Chicago (19-12) picked up a key victory Thursday, 82-60 over Eastern Conference leader New York. Courtney Vandersloot matched a season high with 21 points and made all five 3-point attempts.

The Sky appear to face too large of a deficit at 2 1/2 games with not enough time to catch the Liberty, who can secure the East's No. 1 seed with a win in Minnesota on Sunday or a Chicago loss.

The Sky's main focus is likely on maintaining its one-game lead over third-place Indiana and 2 1/2-game edge over fourth-place Washington.

The Storm (9-21) are in line to miss back-to-back postseasons for the first time since their first two years of 2000 and '01. A loss or a Los Angeles win over Tulsa on Sunday will make it official.

Loyd will be trying to bolster her case for rookie of the year. The Chicago native and No. 1 overall draft pick leads first-year players with 10.4 points per game and has scored 34 over the past two contests.

Loyd had a team-best 16 points and career-high six assists for her short-handed team in an 85-67 loss to Tulsa on Thursday. The Storm chose to rest veteran point guard Sue Bird while Monica Wright and Abby Bishop were out with injuries.

Ramu Tokashiki hasn't played since Aug. 21 because she has been helping lead Japan to a berth in the Olympics. Tokashiki, the MVP of the Asian championships that concluded Saturday, is slated to return for Seattle on Tuesday at the earliest.

"We've got several people playing out of position right now and, as small as that may seem, it can throw you out of sync," coach Jenny Boucek told the team's official website. "Our systems are based on synchronicity. We got a lot of weird combinations in right now."

Chicago's second-leading scorer Cappie Pondexter (15.0 points per game) has missed the past two contests with a concussion, and her status is uncertain.

Pondexter and Chicago's other starters scored in double figures in a 94-84 win in Seattle on Aug. 14. Vandersloot and Elena Delle Donne led the way with 21 points apiece.

Preview: Liberty (21-9) at Lynx (21-10)

Date: September 06, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The WNBA's top teams square off for the second time in 10 days Sunday, though it's unclear whether one of the premier players in the league will take part in the marquee matchup between the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty.

Minnesota's Maya Moore exited Friday's 81-65 win over Indiana late in the third quarter after being struck in the nose by an elbow from teammate Sylvia Fowles. Indications are that the injury isn't serious, but the reigning league MVP could sit out with the Lynx (21-10) owning a comfortable lead in the Western Conference.

The Lynx trail New York (21-9) in the race for home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

"I would do whatever necessary to get on the court and hope for as little distraction as possible, but we'll see," Moore told the team's official website.

Missing injured All-Stars Lindsay Whalen and Seimone Augustus, the Lynx shot 53.1 percent against the Fever and led nearly the entire way to earn a second straight win. They had dropped four of five, a stretch capped by an 81-69 road loss to New York on Aug. 28.

That began a three-game win streak that put the Liberty on the brink of clinching the East's No. 1 seed, but an 82-60 loss to Chicago on Thursday kept their magic number at two.

The Liberty struggled at both ends in their most lopsided defeat of the season. New York went 0 for 7 from 3-point range and allowed the Sky to make 9 of 15 from beyond the arc, while star center Tina Charles finished 8 for 24 from the field.

"This is one game where we didn't have it," coach Bill Laimbeer said. "It was a good lesson for us when it comes to the energy and effort that we are going to need for the playoffs. Tonight they had it and we didn't."

A potential season-ending injury to guard Brittany Boyd compounded the Liberty's problems. The rookie, fifth on the team with 6.6 points per game, underwent surgery Friday to repair a fractured left wrist and is expected to miss five to six weeks.

Boyd's absence may force New York to rely even more on Charles and guard Epiphanny Prince, the Eastern Conference player of the month for August after averaging 17.8 points, 4.2 assists and 2.6 steals.

Both were factors Aug. 28, with Prince scoring 22 points and Charles adding 18 and 11 rebounds. Moore led all players with 25 points.

The Liberty have won two straight against Minnesota, but have dropped three in a row at the Target Center.

Dream on fire at the betting window
Andrew Avery

The Atlanta Dream bring a five-game winning streak against the spread into Sunday's meeting with the Washington Mystics Sunday afternoon.

Furthermore, the Dream have cashed bets in eight of their last 10 games and now have the third-best ATS mark in the league at 17-13.

The Dream opened as 1-point home faves but are now -2.

CFL Betting Notes - Week 11
By David Schwab

The second half of the 2015 CFL regular season starts this week and it features a special Labor Day double header as the official push towards the Grey Cup Playoffs gets underway.

The first half of the season closed things out with Montreal’s stunning 26-23 upset of Hamilton last Thursday as a heavy 11 ½-point road underdog. Edmonton improved to 6-3 straight-up with its 38-15 victory against Toronto on Friday as a seven-point home favorite.

Saturday’s CFL action saw Calgary hammer Winnipeg 36-8 as a six-point road favorite and Week 10 wrapped-up on Sunday with Ottawa keeping Saskatchewan winless on the season with a 35-13 victory as a three-point favorite at home.

Sunday, Sept. 6

Winnipeg Blue Bombers (3-5 SU, 3-4-1 ATS) vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders (0-9 SU, 2-7 ATS)
Point-spread: Saskatchewan -3 ½
Total: 52

Game Overview

Winnipeg’s lopsided loss to Calgary last week was its third straight both SU and ATS after a 3-3 SU (3-2-1 ATS) start. With Drew Willy still out of the lineup due to injury, the Blue Bombers turned to Robert Marve as their quarterback. He went on to complete 12-of-20 passes against the Stampeders for 94 yards. He was also picked-off twice in that game.

The Roughriders are still looking for their first SU win of the year in the first of this home-and-home series against West Division rival Winnipeg. In the loss to Ottawa they turned to Tino Sunseri at quarterback for an ineffective Brett Smith to try and add a spark. Sunseri did go on to complete 12-of-18 passes for 165 yards, but he could not get his team into the end zone.

Betting Trends

The Blue Bombers have a slight 3-2 edge ATS in the last five meetings including a 30-26 victory as six-point road underdogs to start this season. The total has gone OVER in the last three games between these two.

Brohm to start for Blue Bombers Sunday
Andrew Avery

Quarterback Brian Brohm has been given the starting nod for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as the struggling club visits the Saskatchewan Roughriders Sunday afternoon.

Regular No. 1 quarterback Drew Willy is scheduled to be back later this month as he nurses a knee injury, though Ed Tait of the Winnipeg Free Press speculates a mid-to-late October return, and backup Robert Marve has placed on the injured list with a leg injury.

Winnipeg traded for Matt Nichols from the Edmonton Eskimos earlier in this week.

The Bombers have lost three-consecutive games straight up and against the spread and are presently 3.5-point road dogs at the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the lone CFL matchup Sunday.

NCAAF Tech Trends - Week 1
By Bruce Marshall

Sunday, Sept. 6

Matchup Skinny Tech Edge

PURDUE at MARSHALL

Purdue now 5-1 last six as dog away from Ross-Ade and 9-5 vs. spread last 14 overall since late 2013. Herd 3-3-1 as home chalk in 2014 after 6-0 mark in role previous year. Herd 18-10-1 last 29 on board.

Slight to Purdue, based on recent Boilermaker road success.

Purdue, Marshall clash

PURDUE BOILERMAKERS (0-0) at MARSHALL THUNDERING HERD (0-0)

Joan C. Edwards Stadium - Huntington, WV
Kickoff: Sunday, 3:00 p.m. ET
Line: Marshall -7.5, Total: 63

Purdue tries to erase a dreadful 2014 campaign when it opens the 2015 season on Sunday at C-USA favorite Marshall.

The Boilermakers have been awful since Darrell Hazell took over in 2013, going a combined 4-20 SU (11-13 ATS), but they did manage to post a 7-5 ATS mark last year, including 4-1 ATS away from home. To improve the team's woeful 345 total YPG (108th in FBS), Hazell will have his offense play at a faster pace this season.

The Thundering Herd were 13-1 SU (8-5-1 ATS) last year and had no problems piling up gaudy offensive numbers with 45.6 PPG (3rd in nation) and 559 total YPG (2nd in FBS). But superstar QB Rakeem Cato used up his eligibility, leaving James Madison transfer QB Michael Birdsong as the starting signal caller.

These teams last played in West Lafayette in 2012, which was a 51-41 victory for 17-point-favorite Purdue. The Herd had 534 yards of offense that day, but were done in by four turnovers and eight penalties.

While Marshall has no significant injuries, Purdue will be extremely thin at linebacker, as LB Galen Robinson is suspended two games and the LB trio of Ja'Whan Bentley (back), Jimmy Herman (hamstring) and Danny Ezechukwu (knee) are all questionable. OT J.J. Prince (shoulder) will not play.

Purdue will try to correct its offensive struggles (23.8 PPG, 95th in nation) with junior QB Austin Appleby (1,449 pass yds, 5.3 YPA, 10 TD, 11 INT). The dual-threat Appleby (198 rush yds, 3.2 YPC, 5 TD) stands tall at 6-foot-5, and will frequently target top WR Danny Anthrop (616 rec yds, 16.2 avg, 4 TD). But for Appelby to end a six-start losing skid, he'll need help from his ground game.

Purdue averaged a solid 4.7 yards per carry last year (42nd in FBS), but lost nearly 1,500 rushing yards to graduation. However, sophomore RBs Keyante Green (199 rush yds, 7.4 YPC) and D.J. Knox are both explosive. T

he defense returns six starters to a unit that allowed 35.7 PPG during its season-ending, six-game losing skid. Purdue surrendered 249 rushing YPG during that slide and needs better production from DTs Jake Replogle (40 tackles, 3 sacks) and Ra'Zahn Howard (20 tackles), especially with the multiple injuries to the linebackers.

The Boilermakers were decent in the secondary, holding teams to 6.9 YPA (55th in nation), and bring back star CB Frankie Williams (3 INT, 7 PBU, 74 tackles) to lead the back four.

James Madison transfer QB Michael Birdsong (2,728 pass yds, 7.3 YPA, 22 TD, 15 INT in 2013) is one of five new offensive starters for Marshall.

The 6-foot-5, strong-armed quarterback doesn't have any superstar pass catchers, but his receiving corps is deep with WRs Davonte Allen (544 rec yds, 4 TD), Angelo Jean-Louis (490 rec yds, 6 TD) and Deon-Tay McManus (422 rec yds, 6 TD). But the main engine to this high-octane offense is RB Devon Johnson (1,767 rush yds, 8.6 YPC, 17 TD), a 246-pound converted tight end.

He should have a field day on Sunday against Purdue's injury-riddled linebackers. Marshall's defense brings back only two starters to the front seven, but both are strong senior leaders in DT Jarquez Samuel (30 tackles) and SLB D.J. Hunter (5.5 sacks, 80 tackles, 10 TFL). CB Corey Tindal (12 PBU, 73 tackles) SS Taj Letman (4 INT, 94 tackles) and FS A.J. Leggett (4 INT, 63 tackles) comprise a major portion of an excellent secondary that allowed only 5.9 yards per pass attempt last year (9th in nation).

Game of the Day: Purdue at Marshall

Purdue Boilermakers at Marshall Thundering Herd (-7.5, 61.5)

Purdue improved from one win to three last season and is hoping for a bigger step forward in 2015. The Boilermakers will get an early preview of how they stack up Sunday when they visit Conference USA power Marshall.

The Thundering Herd narrowly missed a spot in a New Year’s Day Bowl last season when a 67-66 overtime loss to Western Kentucky served as the team’s lone setback in an otherwise stellar campaign. While Purdue had trouble scoring down the stretch in 2014, Marshall put up an average of 45.6 points but will be replacing record-setting quarterback Rakeem Cato with Michael Birdsong. The Boilermakers will turn their offense over to junior Austin Appleby, who started seven games last season but marks Purdue’s fifth different starting quarterback in as many season openers. “Nothing changes now,” Appleby told reporters after officially being named the starter last week. “It’s just kind of business is usual. I’m glad it’s official, and now I can focus on getting this team ready to be 1-0.”

TV: 3 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1.

LINE HISTORY: Books opened Marshall -7.5. The total opened at 63 but is down to 61.5.

INJURY REPORT: Purdue - Danny Anthrop (Probable, knee), LB Ja'Whan Bentley (Questionable, back), LB Jimmy Herman (Questionable, hamstring), LB Danny Ezechukwu (Questionable, knee), DE Gelen Robinson (Eligible Sept. 19). Marshall - N/A.

WEATHER: Temperatures in the low-80s under partly cloudy skies. There is a small 22 percent chance of rain.

WHAT CAPPERS SAY: "Marshall only returns 11 starters, and they must replace quarterback Rakeem Cato who threw for 3,903 yards and 40 touchdown passes in 2014. Marshall’s offense averaged 45.6 points per game in 2014, and it’s highly unlikely they’ll repeat that in 2015. Purdue is in their third season under head coach Darrell Hazell, and the Boilermakers return 15 overall starters. Purdue improved on both sides of the ball in 2014, so they should make another forward move in 2015." Steve Merril.

WHAT BOOKS SAY: "The spread has bounced around between the key number and 7.5 since the regular bettors began getting involved this week. The very early, sharper action came in on Purdue, but we're not seeing that as much the last couple of days. The biggest draw for both the smarts and squares is the under as we've dropped the total three points since Monday. We're largely one-sided regarding the total so we'll be rooting for a shootout." John Lester

ABOUT PURDUE (2014: 3-9 SU, 6-5-1 ATS, 6-6 O/U): One reason coach Darrell Hazell expects Appleby to have more success in 2015 is consistency along the offensive line, where all five starters return. "I can't tell you how big that is for us," Hazell told reporters of the offensive line. "It's been a blessing. We talk about not being able to evaluate quarterbacks or running backs because we were always breaking down up front. That hasn't been the case." The line should also benefit freshman running back Markell Jones, a top recruit who is expected to see plenty of time in the backfield.

ABOUT MARSHALL (13-1 SU, 9-5 ATS, 8-6 O/U): Birdsong is surrounded by talent at the offensive skill positions, including running back Devon Johnson and senior wide receiver Davonte Allen. Johnson pounded his way to 1,767 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground in 2014 and added a pair of receiving scores as a key component of the offense. “I know our guys are ready to go play somebody else, so it’s time to start our preparation and we’ve got to do a great job starting (Sunday),” Thundering Herd coach Doc Holliday told reporters after closing training camp.

TRENDS:

* Thundering Herd are 4-0 ATS in their last four non-conference games.
* Over is 5-0 in Thundering Herd last five vs. Big Ten.
* Over is 4-1 in Thundering Herd last five non-conference games.

CONSENSUS: Users are split own the middle on this matchup.

Free College Football Picks: Purdue Boilermakers at Marshall Thundering Herd
by Alan Matthews

I would argue this Sunday is the worst Sunday for a sports betting fan until Feb. 7. Why? We are on the eve of the NFL football season -- so close yet so far! -- but there's no action among the professionals this Sunday. There will be every Sunday afterward until Feb. 7, which is the Sunday after Super Bowl 50. OK, technically we only get the stupid Pro Bowl in the Sunday in between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl, but you have all those Super Bowl props to analyze and tide you over.

But don't fret, there is football action this Sunday: Purdue travels to Marshall in the only college action of the day. And I can guarantee you the betting action on this one will dwarf any game involving the Thundering Herd the rest of the season. Maybe Purdue, too, although of course the Boilers will take heavy action against when they are in Big Ten play. Incidentally, this is the first time ever a Big Ten team has visited Marshall.

Purdue Boilermakers at Marshall Thundering Herd Betting Story Lines

Now that Illinois already has fired Tim Beckman (a week before the season!?!?!), the hottest coaching seat in the Big Ten belongs to Purdue's Darrell Hazell. His first two seasons have resulted in a 4-20 record. Only one of those wins was against a Power 5 program, and the Boilermakers haven't won a conference home game since 2012. The Boilers are again projected in preseason Big Ten polls to finish last in the Big Ten West.

An upset here, considering Purdue hasn't won a nonconference road game since 2007 at Toledo, could serve as a springboard after the last two seasons. But a loss to a Conference USA team, albeit a very good one, and Hazell already starts walking the plank. Purdue's final three nonconference games are at home, but it will be an underdog on Sept. 19 vs. Virginia Tech. And Purdue at most will be favored in only two Big Ten games.

Junior Austin Appleby, to no surprise, won the QB competition in camp. He started the final seven games last year, with the first a win over Illinois for Hazell's only Big Ten victory. Appleby was very up-and-down, completing 52.9 percent for 1,449 yards, 10 TDs and 11 picks. The Boilermakers' top two rushers from last year, Akeem Hunt (the team's best player, also led in receptions) and Raheem Mostert, are gone. But No. 1 receiver Danny Anthrop (38 catches, 616 yards, four TDs) and the entire O-Line are back. Seven starters return on defense.

Marshall was so close to earning the Group of 5's automatic bid to a New Year's Six bowl game last year. The Herd were unbeaten and No. 24 in the nation when they hosted Western Kentucky in the regular-season finale, and Marshall was stunned 67-66 in overtime in a thrilling game. WKU opted to go for 2 points after scoring in overtime and converted. The 15 combined TD passes were the most in a game involving FBS teams. Marshall allowed a school-record 738 yards. The Herd were still able to beat Louisiana Tech in the Conference USA Championship Game and then Northern Illinois in the Boca Raton Bowl.

I suppose you could say the two major schools with the biggest QB shoes to fill this season are Oregon (Marcus Mariota) and Florida State (Jameis Winston). Statistically, those guys had nothing on departed Marshall QB Rakeem Cato. He was a four-year-starter who passed for 3,903 yards and 40 touchdowns last season. Overall in his career he threw for 14,079 yards and broke Russell Wilson's NCAA record for consecutive games with a TD pass; Cato set the mark at 46. His replacement is Michael Birdsong, who sat out last season after transferring from FCS school James Madison. It will be the first time since 2005 that the Thundering Herd have had a fourth-year junior making his first Marshall start at quarterback.

The Herd were the only FBS team ranked in the Top 20 nationally in rushing offense (No. 8, 271.9 yards per game) and passing offense (No. 17, 287.3 yards per game) last year, but they may lean more toward the run in 2015 with tailback Devon Johnson returning. He rushed for at least 100 yards 10 times last season. The former tight end led C-USA with 1,767 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. Overall, five starters are back on offense and seven on defense.


Purdue at Marshall Betting Odds and Trends

Marshall is a 7.5-point favorite -- tells you all you need to know about the state of the football program at Purdue these days that it's more than a touchdown dog at a C-USA team -- with a total of 61. The Herd are -300 on the moneyline. Purdue is 3-1-2 against the spread in its past six road games. Marshall is 4-0 ATS in its past four nonconference games. The "over/under" is 4-1 in the Herd's past five out of conference. The Boilers are 1-9 SU in their past 10 as a road dog of at least 7.5 but have covered five of them. Marshall is 0-5 vs. the Big Ten this century but has covered twice.

Free College Football Picks: Purdue at Marshall Betting Predictions

The last time Purdue came off a three-win season, the Boilermakers went 9-3. That's not happening. I don't see more than four wins. No Marshall quarterback in his first start has ever beaten a major college opponent in the opening game of a season. I say that changes, but I'll take the points here. Cato was everything to Marshall, and it will take some time to adjust to life without him. Herd win a close, high-scoring game, so go over.

Handicapped by Chatsworth Consortium at Running Aces

Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.


Race 1 - Post: 6:00 - 1 mile. TROT - Class Rating: 65 - Purse:$8000 - MINNESOTA-SIRED 3 YEAR OLD COLTS & GELDINGS


CONSORTIUM CHOICES


Chatsworth Consortium

# 3 GO SEE LO GO 6/5


# 2 AL-MAR SKIP-BO 3/1


# 1 DRAKENSBERG 4/1


We've got an instinct GO SEE LO GO is going to get the win. Horoscope said take a chance today, this race horse is as good as any to take a shot with. Getting a good feel about this gelding. Could surprise today. Feel the need for speed, this contender has been turning in some amazing TrackMaster Speed Ratings averaging around 68. AL-MAR SKIP-BO - Appears that this nice horse's running style fits well in this race. Clearly will be there at the finish. With a very good 59 TrackMaster Speed Rating last time out, will surely be a factor in this contest. DRAKENSBERG - The brain trust knows that speed is the key in harness racing. This interesting entrant will unlock our way to a nice score. Would appear to have a probability at being helped with first time Lasix here.