Monday Betting Advice

The Redskins will be looking to pick up their third straight victory when they take the field on Monday night against the Steelers. Who covers the game? Bettors have the answer to the Vegas spread winners in the NFL and NBA.  Circuit City is the latest company to feel the affects of a bad economy and quite frankly only sharp gamblers have been immune thanks to forensic sports handicapping and the talents of sports betting expert Joe Duffy. Here's a look in your Daily Sports Roundup.

The Gridiron Spotlight

The Redskins seemed like the fourth banana in the competitive NFC East division before the season began, but with just two losses over eight contests they're right there in the race for first place. Washington is coming off a 25-7 road win over the Lions in which they covered the 7-point spread; that moved them to 6-2 (5-3 ATS) on the season.

Pittsburgh lost some ground in the AFC North race last week when they fell 21-14 to the Giants as 3-point home favorites. That defeat put an end to the Steelers' three-game winning streak, which saw them knock off the Ravens, Jaguars, and Bengals. The Steelers head into the Monday nighter at 5-2; they're at 3-4 ATS through seven games.

The oddsmakers are siding with the Redskins at home in this one, as they're listed as 2-point favorites. The total for the contest is sitting at 36.5 points; the Steelers are 4-3 on the OVER/UNDER so far this season, while the Redskins are at 2-5-1 against the totals.

Other Notable Events

A pair of NBA teams in search of their first victories will take to the court on Monday night, but unfortunately for them they won't be playing each other. The 0-3 Kings will be trying to get a road victory in Philadelphia; Sacramento lost 121-103 to Orlando last time out. Meanwhile, the 0-3 Clippers will be at home on Monday night to take on the Jazz; Los Angeles was pounded 101-79 by Utah in the first game of the home-and-home set.

Four other matchups round out the NBA's schedule for the night: Chicago at Orlando, Detroit at Charlotte, Golden State at Memphis, and Cleveland at Dallas. LeBron James and his Cavaliers have stumbled out of the gate; they've beaten the lowly Bobcats, but they dropped games to both the Celtics and Hornets to sit with a 1-2 mark on the year.

The Rest of the Schedule

There are three games in the National Hockey League on Monday night, including Buffalo at New Jersey. Both of those teams rolled to wins on Saturday; the Sabres blanked the Capitals 5-0, and the Devils pounded the Thrashers 6-1 (despite star netminder Martin Brodeur leaving the contest early with a reported bruised elbow). The other two games on the slate are Columbus at the Islanders, and Colorado at Chicago.

News from the Wire

Phillip Fulmer is out as head coach of Tennessee…Allen Iverson is on his way to the Detroit Pistons in a blockbuster trade involving Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess… S Ryan Clark, LB Keyaron Fox, CB Bryant McFadden, and T Marvel Smith are all OUT for the Steelers on Monday night, while RB Willie Parker and QB Ben Roethlisberger are both listed in the PROBABLE section of the team's injury report . . . the Redskins have RB Ladell Betts, WR Malcolm Kelly, CB Shawn Springs, and DE Jason Taylor listed as OUT for Monday night. RB Clinton Portis is PROBABLE to play in the contest.

A Peek at the Future

Notable college football matchups during the week include Northern Illinois at Ball State on Wednesday night, and both Maryland at Virginia Tech and TCU at Utah on Thursday night . . . the drivers of the Sprint Cup Series will hit Phoenix International Raceway for the Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 on Sunday afternoon, and they'll then close out their 2008 season with the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 16.

Obama Projected Landslide

It's all over as far as who wins the US presidential election says Grandmaster sports handicapper Joe Duffy. Follow any possible upsets and the odds are updated real time through election night.