The NFL tripleheader takes center stage on Thursday, but there are also a few games in the NHL, NBA, and college ranks. Here's your Daily Sports Roundup.
The Gridiron Spotlight
The 12:30pm ET contest on Thursday sees the 0-11 SU (4-7 ATS) Lions looking to finally break into the win column against the 10-1 SU (9-1-1 ATS) Titans. Detroit was up 17-0 on Tampa Bay after the first quarter last week, but they trailed 21-17 at halftime and eventually lost 38-20. The Titans couldn't keep their perfect record intact last week, as Brett Favre and the Jets beat them 34-13. Tennessee is pegged as an 11-point favorite for this contest, with the total at 44.
At 4:15pm ET the Seahawks and Cowboys will clash in Dallas. Seattle (2-9 SU, 4-6-1 ATS) continued their disastrous campaign last week with a 20-17 loss to the Redskins. Matt Hasselbeck threw for just 103 yards and was picked off twice in that defeat. Dallas (7-4 SU, 5-6 ATS) took care of business against the Niners in Week 12, getting 213 receiving yards and a touchdown from Terrell Owens in a 35-22 win. The Cowboys are 13-point favorites, with the game's total at 46.5.
The final game of the night then kicks off at 8:15pm ET, with Arizona at Philadelphia. The Cardinals (7-4 SU, 7-4 ATS) had a big test against the conference-leading Giants last week, and they failed in a 37-29 home defeat. Kurt Warner threw for 351 yards and a score in that loss. The Eagles (5-5-1 SU, 6-5 ATS) yanked Donovan McNabb in a 36-7 loss to the Ravens last time out; McNabb posted a QB rating of just 13.2 in that contest. The oddsmakers still like the Eagles for Thursday night, as they're 3-point faves. The total is at 47 points.
Other Notable Events
The only college football game on tap for Thursday sees Texas A&M on the road against No. 4 Texas. The Longhorns head into this matchup at No. 4 in the AP Poll and No. 2 in the BCS rankings, and they'll need to send a message to the voters with a resounding win over the Aggies (who are 35.5-point underdogs). Texas (10-1 SU, 8-3 ATS) easily got past Kansas by a final score of 35-7 last time out. Texas A&M (4-7 SU, 4-7 ATS) is coming off of a 41-21 loss to Baylor.
The Rest of the Schedule
There are a pair of games on the NBA's schedule for Thursday, as Washington will host Orlando, and Denver will get a visit from New Orleans. The Wizards beat up on Golden State on Tuesday night under interim head coach Ed Tapscott.
Only Canadian teams are in action around the NHL on Thursday, with Toronto at Ottawa and Calgary at Vancouver. The Canucks lead that group with 14 victories on the season; they slipped past the Red Wings by a score of 3-2 Monday night.
Finally, there are three college basketball events on Thursday: the Old Spice Classic, the Anaheim Classic, and the Great Alaska Shootout. No. 5 Michigan State, No. 9 Gonzaga, No. 12 Tennessee, and No. 21 Georgetown are all in the field for the Old Spice Classic tournament this year. No. 14 Arizona State and No. 19 Wake Forest will see action in the Anaheim Classic tournament Thursday.
News from the Wire
McNabb will be the Eagles' starting quarterback once again on Thursday despite getting replaced by Kevin Kolb in last week's loss; Kolb threw two interceptions in that game . . . the Seahawks will use former Cowboy Julius Jones as their starting running back against Dallas Thursday . . . Titans running back LenDale White complained about his playing time last week; he had one carry in the loss.
A Peek at the Future
There are a dozen college football games on Friday, starting at noon ET. Two ranked teams are in action, with Mississippi State at No. 25 Mississippi (-16) and Fresno State at No. 9 Boise State (-21) . . . the top NBA matchups on Friday are Philadelphia at Boston and New Orleans at Portland . . . the struggling Stars will get a tough home matchup on Friday night, as they'll get a visit from the Sharks.
