Sports betting

Out for six games with an upper-body injury, it looks like Washington Capital superstar Alexander Ovechkin will return in a game against the New York Rangers tonight.

According to the AP, Ovechkin skated at the team’s practice this morning and is “expected to be in the lineup” tonight at Madison Square Garden.

With Ovechkin out of the lineup, the Caps have remained solid on the Money line, going 4-2 SU and are -105 for tonight’s game while the Rangers are -115.

The Total is set at 6.

Updated November 17, 2009 @ 10:46 am PST 

For the second year, ESPN will hold its College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon with what the sports network says will be “at least 38 total hours of coverage with 19 games–17 men’s and two women’s–in a minimum of 25.5 hours.”

Amongst some of the upcoming games:

The Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans are 17.5-point ‘dogs against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane with a Total of 127.

The Temple Owls are 10-point ‘dogs against the Georgetown Hoyas.

The Iowa State Cyclones and Drake Bulldogs are pick’ems.

The Gonzaga Bulldogs play the Michigan State Spartans with MSU favored by 10-points.

In a rematch of the 2008 title game, the Memphis Tigers and Kansas Jayhawks play with the Jayhawks favored by 12-points.

Cal St. Fullerton Titans and UCLA Bruins got things started off at midnight EST this morning with Titans pulling a 68-65 upset.

The San Diego St. Aztecs and St. Mary’s Gaels got going at 2 am EST with St. Mary’s favored by 6.5-points with an O/U of 132–the Gaels covered and the Total went Over in an 80-58 victory

Check the NCAA basketball section for more lines over the next 24 hours.

Updated November 16, 2009 

The current Cleveland Browns are big underdogs for their Monday Night game against the ex-Cleveland Browns (the Baltimore Ravens), currently listed at +11.5.

The Browns announced a starting QB last week and Brady Quinn will be the one lining up behind center.

Cleveland has its work cut out for it as Baltimore has been a machine when favored by more than 8-points, going 19-2 straight up and 14-6 against the spread.

Monday night’s Total is set at 38.5.

Another chapter in the New England Patriots-Indianapolis Colts’ rivalry was written Sunday night and it was a classic that ended 35-34 in favor of Indy.

Listed as 2.5-point underdogs, the Pats could’ve added a straight up win with the cover if not for a strange call from head coach Bill Belichick, who decided to go for it on 4th and 2 on New England’s own 28 yardline late in the final quarter.

The Colts, who were down 34-28 at the time, prevented first down yardage and with excellent field position, proceeded to score the go-ahead TD with the clock winding down.

Indianapolis remains undefeated with the win at 9-0 while New England drops to 6-3.

The combined score of 69 went Over the Total of 48.

If the USC Trojans have an Achilles’ heel–pardon the pun–it is fellow teams from the Pac-10 conference.

On Saturday, USC lost for the third time this season to a team from within its own conference, losing 55-21 to the No. 25 Stanford Cardinal, who covered as big 11-point underdogs.

The win was monumental not only because it will deprive the Trojans of a Pac-10 title, it will cost them a berth in a BCS bowl game as well, according to the AP.

The Total was set at 58 and Stanford almost went Over on its own with 55 points.

USC has next week off and will finish the season with games against UCLA and Arizona.

Dallas Mavericks small forward Josh Howard will not play in the team’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight and is out indefintely with a left ankle injury.

ESPN Dallas reports that Howard, who had ankle surgery in May, played for the first time in a game against the Toronto Raptors last Saturday–the Mavs won 129-101 covering at -7.5–and according to the report, was limping in the second half.

Dallas is a 10.5-point road fave for tonight’s game and the Total has been set at 198.5.

In the Mavericks’ last nine games in Minnesota, they are 8-1 SU and ATS–6-0 SU and ATS in the last six–and they have taken 8 Unders in that time as well.

Tom Brady and Peyton Manning will be renewing acquaintances Sunday night as the New England Patriots travel to Indianapolis to play the Colts.

The Colts are 2.5-point home favorites with a Total of 49.5 and in the last 20 tilts between the two, the Pats have an overwhelming edge going 6-14 SU and 6-12-2 ATS but more recently, Indy is 4-1 SU and ATS.

Indianapolis is in the midst of a 10-game SU win streak at home and in its last nine games against AFC East competition, is 8-1 SU.

If you listen to the college football pundits, the TCU Horned Frogs and the Cincinnati Bearcats only have a slight chance of making the BCS championship game.

The Bearcats are currently +2500 to take the national title so the only thing they can do is keep winning big and hope for an upset.

Cincy has a home game against the No. 25 West Virginia Mountaineers tonight and is listed as a 9.5-point home fave with the Over/Under at 55.5.

While the Bearcats are 11-0 SU in their last 11 games when favored by more than 8-points but is only 3-8 ATS.

Why did Chad Ochocinco want to send mustard to the Pittsburgh Steelers?

Because he didn’t think they could “ketch-up.”

Unfortuanately for Chad, Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis will not allow the WR to send anything to the Steelers seeing as the two battle for top spot in the AFC North Sunday–both currently are sporting 6-2 records.

The Steelers are favored by a TD, the Total has been set at 42 and in the last 11 times they’ve hosted the Bengals, the Over has cashed 8 times.

Pittsburgh really doesn’t need any bulletin board material as it, like its regular season record, is 6-2 SU and ATS in the last eight overall games against Cincinnati.

Updated November 13, 2009 

It isn’t the Pacquiao-Mayweather bout that everyone is craving but Saturday’s WBO welterweight title match between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto should still be a good one.

Welterweight champ Cotto was a +195 underdog in Fight Line betting and currently is +215 while Pacquiao is was a -250 betting favorite and now is -290.

The Round Prop Over/Under for the match is 9.5 rounds and according to bookmakers, the most likely outcome in Round Betting, based on the odds, is Pacquiao by decision or technical decision (+250).

More in the Boxing section.