Thursday Sports Roundup and Headlines

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Spurs hit the floor in Detroit, the Celtics return to action against the Jazz, and Lefty tees it up at the Northern Trust Open.

Tipping off on the hardwood  . . .

The NBA's Thursday doubleheader this week tips off with San Antonio at Detroit at 8:00pm ET. The Spurs (35-17 straight-up, 25-25-2 against-the-spread) were upset 112-107 by the Knicks on Tuesday, with Manu Ginobili sitting out to rest a sore ankle. The Pistons (27-25 SU, 20-32 ATS) were bounced 92-86 by the Bucks on Tuesday; Antonio McDyess scored 24 points for Detroit in that defeat.

The late game then has Boston at Utah at 10:30pm ET. The Celtics (44-11 SU, 31-24 ATS) haven't played since before the All-Star break; their last contest was a 99-92 win over Dallas back on February 12. The Jazz (31-23 SU, 28-26 ATS) were in action on Tuesday night, as they rolled to a 117-99 win over Memphis. Utah's Andrei Kirilenko returned from an ankle injury with 14 points in the victory.

Vegas Odds on Academy Awards

The 2009 Oscars will be awarded Sunday, but the Oscars betting line says the suspense is minimal. Mickey Rourke for Best Actor, Danny Boyle for Best Director, Heath Ledger for Best Supporting Actor, Kate Winslet for Best Actress, and Slumdog Millionaire for Best Picture are among the virtual locks according to sportsbooks. 

The march toward Madness . . .

The top college hoops matchup on Thursday night has No. 22 Washington playing on the road against No. 20 UCLA. The Huskies pounded Oregon 103-84 last time out and now sit at 19-6 SU and 15-8 ATS on the season. The Bruins got 26 points from Darren Collison in their 84-72 loss to Arizona in their most recent outing. UCLA's marks fell to 19-6 SU and 12-12 ATS on the year with that defeat.

No. 9 Duke will be at Madison Square Garden to take on St. John's on Thursday night; the Blue Devils fell 80-74 to Boston College on Sunday. As well, it'll be No. 16 Xavier at Charlotte, Loyola Marymount at No. 17 Gonzaga, and Rutgers at No. 12 Villanova. The Wildcats remain a profitable pick at 13-8 ATS this season.

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Sports Headlines

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Taking a trip around the rink . . .

There are a dozen games on the NHL's schedule on Thursday night, including the Blackhawks on the road in Florida. Chicago picked up a 5-3 win in Tampa Bay on Tuesday night, with Jonathan Toews scoring twice and Patrick Kane adding a goal and two assists. The Panthers are coming off a 4-0 blanking of the Devils on Tuesday, with Tomas Vokoun stopping all 36 shots in the shutout win.

The Canadiens will take on the Pens in Pittsburgh on Thursday, with Alexei Kovalev not making the trip at the request of team management. As well, it'll be Carolina at the Islanders, New Jersey at Tampa Bay, Vancouver at Ottawa, Buffalo at Philadelphia, Columbus at Toronto, St. Louis at Nashville, Calgary at Minnesota, Edmonton at Dallas, Atlanta at Phoenix, and Los Angeles at San Jose.

Rounding out the Roundup . . .

The PGA Tour will tee off in Pacific Palisades, California on Thursday in the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club. Defending tournament champion Phil Mickelson is the 8/1 favorite to get on track this weekend and pick up the trophy, with Padraig Harrington at 10/1 odds to grab the win, and Ernie Els listed at 12/1 odds. Geoff Ogilvy, Jim Furyk, Vijay Singh, and Mike Weir all sit at 15/1 on the Vegas chart; Weir finished second last week at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.