Saturday Sports Rundown

 

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: Top-ranked Connecticut looks to roll past Seton Hall, the Flyers host the Islanders, and the NBA stages All-Star Saturday.

Tipping Off in the NBA

Saturday's NBA All-Star festivities begin just after lunch with practice sessions for both the Eastern and Western squads, followed by the D-League All-Star Game. Phoenix's U.S. Airways Center then offers up All-Star Saturday Night starting at 8:00pm ET, with the activities including the Skills Challenge, Three-Point Shootout, H.O.R.S.E. competition, and Slam Dunk contest. Dwight Howard is considered the big favorite to win the Slam Dunk contest again this year; he'll be challenged by J.R. Smith, Nate Robinson, and Rudy Fernandez for that trophy. The All-Star Game is scheduled to get underway at 8:00pm ET on Sunday night.

Daytona 500 Betting Line

The NASCAR odds have odds to finish top three, odds to win and even betting lines among groups. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Tony Stewart are the betting favorites.

The March to Madness

Top-ranked Connecticut will take on Seton Hall at the Prudential Center on Saturday afternoon in a Big East matchup. The Huskies had no trouble knocking off Syracuse in their last contest, cruising to a 63-49 victory to improve to 23-1 on the season. However, UConn guard Jerome Dyson suffered a knee injury in that contest and could miss the rest of the year. The Pirates bumped their record to 14-9 (but just 5-6 in the Big East) with a 74-49 victory over DePaul last time out.

No. 2 Oklahoma will host Texas Tech on Saturday, while No. 4 Pittsburgh gets a visit from Cincinnati, No. 7 Wake Forest has No. 25 Florida State come to campus, No. 8 Memphis visits Southern Miss, and St. John's travels to play No. 10 Marquette. As well, No. 11 UCLA will be trying to pick up a win over Arizona at the McKale Center; the Bruins were upset 74-67 by Arizona State on Thursday.

Best Betting Picks

Stevie Vincent continues to befuddle the bookmakers as his Ivy League GAME of the DECADE was an underdog Penn team that won by 73-52. The certifiable mastermind of a handicapper has six winners in all Saturday including the Pac 10 GAME of the YEAR among four Level 5 burials. He has two Level 4 winners to top it off. Click now to purchase

A Trip Around the Rink

Afternoon action in the National Hockey League on Saturday starts off with a 1:00pm ET matchup between the Islanders and Flyers in Philadelphia. The Flyers were bounced 5-2 by the Senators last time out, with Antero Niittymaki surrendering five goals on just 28 shots. The Islanders are coming off a 4-2 loss to the Devils, and they'll be without center Doug Weight for the next six weeks due to a sprained MCL. D-man Mark Streit (shoulder) is day-to-day for New York.

The other early matchup on Saturday sees the Oilers in Los Angeles for a 4:00pm ET puck drop. The evening slate then features seven more games, including Columbus at Carolina, Pittsburgh at Toronto, Washington at Tampa Bay, Boston at Nashville, Ottawa at Minnesota, and Calgary at Phoenix. As well, the Stars will be looking to pick up a road win by topping the Hawks in Chicago.

Sports Headlines

Even Pete Rose has come out critical of Alex Rodriquez questioning his victimization plea…Maria Riesch won the slalom race at the skiing world championships…A witness is expected to testify she saw Barry Bonds inject steroids. Kathy Hopkins is the former personal shopper for Bonds…The Miami Heat made a blockbuster trade getting Jermaine O'Neal in a deal for Shawn Marion.

Rounding Out the Slate

Brett Favre might have retired, but it doesn't look like Kurt Warner is going anywhere. The Cardinals quarterback, who just led his team to a berth in the Super Bowl, has reportedly begun negotiations on a new contract. Getting Warner back in the fold would certainly help Arizona's chances of repeating as NFC champions next season - and it might give their Super XLIV odds a nudge as well. Despite their successful 2008 campaign the Cards aren't considered one of the favorites to win the trophy next season, with their odds back at around 30/1 at the sportsbooks.