AL Wild Card One-Game Tiebreaker: Tampa Bay Rays vs. Texas Rangers Preview

The Rays visit the Rangers in Game 163, a must-win scenario for both teams if they wish to advance to a second must-win situation. The Rays and the Rangers tied for the second American League Wild Card spot and will break the tie for the right to meet the Indians in Wednesday's Wild Card game. The Rangers have won seven straight games and the Rays have won eight of their last 10 contests.

David Price will start against rookie Martin Perez and the Rangers announced that outfielder Nelson Cruz will be activated for this game. Cruz's 50-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs ended yesterday and he has fared well against Price, going 6-for-12 with two home runs against him.

The Rangers earned the right to host this game because they won the regular season series 4-3. The teams split a four-game series in mid-September.

According to the oddsmakers at America's Bookie, the Rays are at -117, the Rangers are at +107 and the total is set at 7½. Here you can check the daily MLB Baseball Betting Lines at America's Bookie.

Pitching Matchup:

David Price (9-8, 3.39 ERA) vs. Martin Perez (10-5, 3.55 ERA)

David Price didn't face the Rangers this season but he has traditionally struggled against them, going 1-4 with a 5.98 ERA in eight career outings. After outstanding performances in July and August, Price was 1-2 with a 3.78 ERA in five September starts. The left-hander has pitched at least seven innings in four of his last six starts. Alex Rios is batting .435 with two home runs and seven RBIs in 23 career at-bats against Price.

Martin Perez won seven of his last nine decisions as one of the Rangers' most reliable starters over the second half of the season. Perez didn't face the Rays this season and in his lone career outing against them last season he threw five innings and gave up two runs and seven hits. The left-hander has allowed three or fewer runs in nine of his last 11 starts.

Game information:

8:07 PM ET, September 30

Rangers Ballpark in Arlington

Coverage: TBS

81° F/ 27° C
Clear 

AL Wild Card One-Game Tiebreaker: Tampa Bay Rays vs. Texas Rangers Preview

Texas Rangers (83-70) vs. Kansas City Royals (81-72) Preview

 

The Rangers visit the Royals in the second contest of a three-game series. The Royals' 2-1 win in the opener put them 2½ games behind the Indians for the second Wild Card, while the Rangers slipped one-half game off the pace. The Rangers have now lost 12 of their last 15 games while the Royals have won eight of their last 12.

The Royals have won 81 games to assure a string of nine consecutive losing seasons will end. Closer Greg Holland is one of reason why the Royals will have a winning season. Holland converted his 44th save in the series opener to move one shy of the franchise record shared by Dan Quisenberry (1983) and Jeff Montgomery (1993).

According to the oddsmakers at BetAnySports, the Rangers are at -108, the Royals are at -102 and the total is set at 7½.

Pitching Matchup:

Matt Garza (3-5, 4.94 ERA) vs. Jeremy Guthrie (14-11, 4.08 ERA)

Matt Garza is 0-4 over his last five starts and hasn't been the type of pitcher the Rangers hoped when they acquired him from the Cubs. Garza has allowed four or more earned runs in seven of his last nine outings and gave up six runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings against the Rays in his last start. The right-hander is 0-3 with an 8.22 ERA in three September starts. Billy Butler is 8-for-20 against him.

Jeremy Guthrie lost to the Tigers in his last outing, when he gave up three runs and a season high-tying 13 hits in eight innings. It was his fourth loss in sixth decisions since tossing a four-hit shutout against the Twins on Auguts 5. Guthrie, who is 9-4 at home, has allowed just nine home runs in 15 starts at Kauffman Stadium but 19 in 16 road outings. Elvis Andrus is batting .471 in 17 at-bats against him while A.J. Pierzynski is hitting .361 in 36 at-bats.

Game information:

7:10 PM ET, September 21, 2013

Kauffman Stadium

68° F/ 20° C
Clear

Texas Rangers (83-70) vs. Kansas City Royals (81-72) Preview

Podcast with Frank Benjamin of OddsOnBetting -- Weekend Action and Talk about ATB

 


ATB Poster Frank and I had a great podcast today and he just got it edited and posted and wanted me to share it. Frank is very knowledgeable about sports and has a great website. I have known him for 14 years from the old freewinners.com days many of the forum people came from (General, Spooky, pvcpipe, mofome, Bobalou, just to name a few off the top of my head). It was a breeding ground of great posters who moved on to other things. Frank Recently named ATB as one of the top 3 sports forums on the internet. If you haven't read the article you can do so by clicking here.

We had a good informative podcast today and had a lot of fun. I am sure you will enjoy it. We went over some info for this weekends games and gave out some winners. Talked about the future of ATB and what to expect as well.

Let us know how we did. And feel free to discuss here.

Podcast with Frank Benjamin of OddsOnBetting -- Weekend Action and Talk about ATB

Texas Rangers (83-69) vs. Kansas City Royals (80-72) Preview

 

The Rangers begin a critical three-game series against the Royals. After losing seven straight games to fall into an intense Wild Card race, the Rangers took two of the final three games in Tampa Bay, capped by an 8-2 rout last night that featured four home runs. The win allowed them to tie the Rays atop the Wild Card standings, with the Indians sitting a half-game behind them.

Should any of those teams slip, the Royals are waiting to surpass them. The Royals are coming off a series win over the Indians and sit three games behind the Rangers and Rays as they open their final home series. Billy Butler is 20-for-42 (.476) in his last 11 home games. The Rangers won two of three against the Royals at home earlier this year.

According to the oddsmakers at America's Bookie, the Rangers are at +125, the Royals are -135 and the total is set at 7½. Here you can check the daily MLB Baseball Betting Lines at America's Bookie.

Pitching Matchup:

Martin Perez (9-5, 3.64 ERA) vs. Ervin Santana (9-9, 3.23 ERA)

Martin Perez has lost his last two starts while giving up seven runs and 16 hits in 11 1/3 innings. The left-hander is 7-2 on the road despite having a 4.04 ERA that is nearly a run higher than it is at home (3.07). Perez has never faced the Royals.

Ervin Santana limited the Tigers to just five hits in 6 2/3 scoreless innings Saturday, picking up his first win since August 4 and matching his career high for quality starts with his 22nd. Santana has a chance to reach 10 wins for the sixth time in his career and needs just 2 1/3 innings to amass 200 in a season for the fifth time. The right-hander has a 5.79 ERA in 28 career starts against the Rangers but held them to one unearned run in seven innings on June 2 in his only meeting with them this season. Ian Kinsler is 19-for-54 (.352) with eight extra-base hits in his career against Santana.

Game information:

8:10 PM ET, September 20, 2013

Kauffman Stadium

68° F/ 20° C
Clear

Texas Rangers (83-69) vs. Kansas City Royals (80-72) Preview

Baltimore Orioles (81-71) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (83-69) Preview

The Orioles open a crucial four-game series against the Rays, as both teams fight for a Wild Card spot. The Orioles and the Rays lost series finales last night. The Rays are tied with the Rangers atop the Wild Card standings and the Orioles are two games back with 10 games to play. The Indians sit between them, just a half-game behind the Rays and the Rangers.

The Rays have lost seven of their last 11 home games following last night's 8-2 loss to the Rangers; however, they are 7-2 in their last nine games against the Orioles. The Rays are 11-for-81 (.136) with runners in scoring position in their last 12 losses. The Orioles took the first two games in Boston before being shut down by John Lackey last night, managing just two hits in a 3-1 setback.

According to the oddsmakers at BetAnySports, the Orioles are at +164, the Rays are at -174 and the total is set at 7.

Pitching Matchup:

Jason Hammel (7-8, 5.12 ERA) vs. David Price (8-8, 3.42 ERA)

Jason Hammel is winless since May 27, going 0-6 with five no-decisions in 11 starts during that span, which also included over a month in the disabled list with a forearm injury. Hammel has just three quality starts in that stretch, including one at Tampa Bay on June 7 when he allowed two runs in 6 2/3 innings during a tough 2-1 loss. The right-hander gave up three runs and three hits in five innings at Toronto last Friday.

David Price has lost three straight decisions, tied for the longest losing streak of his career, although it can be attributed to poor run support. The left-hander received a no-decision in a 6-4 loss at Minnesota on Sunday after giving up two runs in 6 1/3 innings. Price is 7-2 in 15 career starts with a 2.65 ERA against the Orioles and is 1-0 in three outings this season. Danny Valencia is 9-for-12 with three walks in 15 plate appearances against him.

Game information:

7:10 PM ET, September 20

Tropicana Field

Coverage: SUN

83° F/ 28° C
Thunderstorm

Baltimore Orioles (81-71) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (83-69) Preview

Baltimore Ravens (0-0) vs. Denver Broncos (0-0) Preview

The Broncos have had nearly eight months to overcome their stunning season-ending loss in January, one that extended the Ravens' surprising run to a Super Bowl championship. Now the Broncos have a chance to exact some revenge when they host the Ravens in the NFL season opener. Super Bowl champions usually open the season at home but the Ravens had a scheduling issue with the Orioles, who play Thursday night at Camden Yards. Peyton Manning had won nine straight games against the Ravens, including a 17-point rout a month earlier, before the Ravens' 38-35 double-overtime playoff victory.

Much has changed for both teams since Joe Flacco averted a certain defeat with a 70-yard tying touchdown strike to Jacoby Jones with 31 seconds to play in regulation. The Ravens undergone a dramatic roster overhaul, with future Hall of Famer Ray Lewis retiring, perennial Pro Bowl safety Ed Reed lost to the Texans via free agency and the trade of Super Bowl hero Anquan Boldin to the 49ers. Flacco became the league's highest-paid player while the Broncos added some key pieces to fortify Manning's offense.

Joe Flacco's regular season numbers were ordinary (3,817 yards with 22 touchdowns and 10 interceptions) but he was off the charts in the postseason with 11 touchdowns and no interceptions en route to winning Super Bowl MVP honors.

Torrey Smith heads an inexperienced receiving corps that suffered a jolt when starting tight end Dennis Pitta dislocated his hip, putting his season in jeopardy. Ray Rice has rushed for at least 1,143 yards in four straight seasons and leads all NFL running backs with 278 receptions during that span. The defending champions have question marks on a defense that surrendered nearly five points more per game last year than in the previous season.

Peyton Manning guided the Broncos to the No. 1 seed in the postseason and 11 consecutive wins to close the regular season after sitting out 2011 due to multiple neck surgeries. Manning's 37 touchdown passes and 4.659 yards last season were both the second-highest totals of his storied career.

Wide receivers Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker both went over 1,000 yards and combined for 179 catches and 23 touchdowns and will be joined by Wes Welker, who had at least 111 catches in five of six seasons with the Patriots. Rookie running back Montee Ball set the FBS record for career touchdowns but will open the season as the backup to Ronnie Hillman. The Broncos also have a huge void to plug on defense after Von Miller was suspended six games for violating the league's drug policy.

Game Information:

When: 8:30 PM ET, September 5

Where: Sports Authority Field at Mile Hig

Line: Broncos -7½ at America's Bookie

Total: 48½

Coverage: NBC

Weather: 86° F/ 30° C
Chance of a Thunderstorm

Last meeting: 1/12/13 Ravens 38 Broncos 35

Trends:

- The Ravens are 4-2 ATS as an underdog of 3½ to 9½ points over the last 3 seasons

- The Ravens are 7-4 ATS as an underdog over the last 3 seasons

- The Ravens are 1-4 ATS when playing on a Thursday since 1993

- The Broncos are 7-1 ATS as a favorite of 3½ to 9½ points over the last 3 seasons

- The Broncos are 11-6 ATS as a favorite over the last 3 seasons

- The Broncos are 15-11 ATS against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons


Baltimore Ravens (0-0) vs. Denver Broncos (0-0) Preview

Gambling for Entertainment – State Ran Lotteries

 
By Dirty


Today for my Gambling for Entertainment series I will talk about the hypocrisy of State run lotteries with the blessing of the Federal Government. There are 44 States and the District of Columbia that run lotteries. The only States that don’t are Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada and Utah. You can figure almost all of these States but highly Christian Utah and Nevada that is home to Las Vegas will eventually end up with some sort of lottery down the line.

I don’t want to come off as people thinking I am anti-lottery as they read this article as I am far from it. I play Powerball, Mega Millions, and Keno when I go to the bar to meet some friends for a few drinks. I will play scratch off tickets from time to time but not a big fan of those. I know, and see, many people who are and there is nothing wrong with that. The problem I have with it is that State approves all these games with low probabilities of winning and refuse to allow online gambling (casino gambling as well in many States) to be allowed.

Experts say online gambling generates between $6 billion and $20 billion dollars a year in revenue for the online sportsbooks, racebooks, casinos and poker rooms (this is not counting legal online gambling in States that have it on horses and poker). These are just with the online sportsbooks, casinos, and poker rooms that are legalized in the countries they operate out of. This doesn’t even figure in the amount of money generated at Pay Per Head sites that local bookmakers are using more and more every day. There is no way to know exactly how much money is generated off online gambling unless the United States gets its collective head out of its rear end and regulates the industry like they do brick and mortar casinos. They are seeing how easily it can be done in Nevada now that they have legalized online poker and New Jersey is not far behind. Other states like California, Delaware, and Connecticut to name a few have tossed around the idea as well. Those states already have brick and mortar casinos and they have the infrastructure in place.

Lotteries around the nation generate around $18 billion a year in profit for states by 2009 figures. That number is most likely higher now as history has shown that alcohol, gambling, and lottery sales increase during a recession. It makes no logical sense to not legalize games that people actually have a chance at winning instead of letting people pay money to play State Lottery drawing with odds of 1 to 76 million to win, or the Powerball and Mega Millions with higher odds than that. Then when we figure in the scratch off tickets they say on the dollar ones that you have a 1 in 4 chance of winning with higher odds on the more expensive scratch off tickets. Most times you win your money back or win a free ticket. They give you just enough to keep you coming back. It creates degenerates a whole lot more than someone wagering on a football game where they have a 50% chance of winning unless they are playing parlays or teasers. Legalizing poker, which is a game of skill, would give many players a chance to win some money with acceptable odds of winning and losing for many people.

Now you also have the hypocritical pro teams now teaming with the lottery to give away tickets to games, season tickets, and other prizes and charging $5 a ticket (and up) for scratch offs. Here are some links for the Atlanta Falcons games they have here in Georgia. The $500,000 2nd Chance Promotion which you can win one of 4 prizes, but you have to have bought regular lottery tickets for even a chance to enter it. Then you have the $5 Scratch off with different prizes and a chance to win up to $250,000. This just astounds me the hypocrisy the NFL shows by allowing this while keeping New Jersey and other states in court to keep them from legalizing sports betting. Along with the other major sports in the US (NHL, NBA, and MLB),who have had or currently have games with state lotteries, they are doing all they can to keep anything from being enacted by tying it up in court and trying to get in nimrods in Congress to butt into private business where it doesn’t belong. This country faces bigger problems that Online Gambling, Steroid use and other issues Congress tries to control and you can bet almost any amount you want they will eventually step in once a court rules against what they want.

One day when the sharp as a marble bureaucrats realize that they have taxed the American People enough they will be forced to look at alternate sources of revenue. It has already gotten to that point in many states and why you see more and more casinos opening and states wanting to legalize online poker and make a lot of money doing it.

Over the last decade working in the online gambling industry I have talked to many owners and general managers of big online sportsbooks on the phone and in person. I always get the same answers from all of them. 1) Legalize it and work with the jurisdictions we are in now and tax each deposit and withdrawal a small percentage (1-3%) that the sportsbook would be responsible to pay to the regulatory authority or 2) Legalize it in the US and let us come back and run our books and let us pay our normal taxes like the brick and mortars casinos, sportsbooks, and racebooks. Either way it would generate an enormous amount of revenue for all parties involved and at the same time wouldn’t hurt the crowds at land based casinos. I don’t care how much I play online there is nothing like playing in a Vegas book sportsbook or playing blackjack at a table with just the atmosphere and vibe it gives off. I am sure it is like that in Atlantic City and other casinos. There is nothing like playing live like that.

As gamblers we all need to work together and write our congressmen and state legislators and let them know how we feel and tell them we will not vote for this type of government hypocrisy that keeps you from doing as you wish in your own home and it does not affect anyone else. The time for government to back off is now and start generating revenue from all sources.

Next Gambling for Entertainment will be on Fantasy Sports and dig deeper into the hypocrisy of the professional leagues in the United States.


Gambling for Entertainment – State Ran Lotteries

Gambling for Entertainment

 Gambling for Entertainment




By Dirty

Gambling for entertainment. Why is it so taboo to many people? It happens on a daily basis all over the world. It hurts no one and adds an extra bit of excitement to virtually anything you are doing or watching. When I am talking about gambling it could mean anything from a dinner or drink to thousands of dollars for the everyday person around the world. It depends on how much money a person makes and how much the parties want to risk. Most times it is just small wagers just for fun.
When people gamble in office pools for all sports from NASCAR to College Basketball. When people play tennis or golf. When people go to the bar to have a beer they play pool for money, Keno or video poker. People bet on softball games in their adult leagues for dinner or something else small. Even mayors of cities bet small things for bragging rights when teams meet in the World Series or Super Bowl. All these types of gambling are over looked and no one thinks twice about it.
Gambling like this is what most people do when they go to casinos or wager at online sportsbooks, poker rooms and casinos. But to hear ignorant politicians and religious zealots tell it everyone that gambles needs to be in rehab. That is not the case, and far from it. Why the double standard? Gambling on the above mentioned things is disposable income and people wager it with the mindset that the money is already lost. It is not the rent money, the car payment, the grocery money as the knuckleheads in power try to convince people.
Why does the coin flip to the other side once you mention playing poker, blackjack, craps, roulette, or betting on sports? Not all people play golf or have other hobbies. Gambling on sports is their hobby and as long as it is disposable income then it shouldn’t be frowned upon. What is the difference in betting a $25 dinner and a $25 College Football game? Not one thing. It is all relevant and should be treated as such.
Gambling is a relaxing and great form of entertainment and people get just as much fun out of doing it for small amounts as they do large amounts. It is the rush they want. Like some people get a rush out of lifting weights, running or skydiving among many things. Everyone has to have their release from the stress of everyday life. It is a getaway from the mundane things that keep you tied down.
Would people rather their loved ones out doing drugs or buying expensive things they can’t afford or going to the horse racing track or casino to blow a few bucks to relieve stress and then get back to everyday life?
Most people go to a gambling establishment with an amount to lose and when it is gone they are done. They don’t lose every dime they have. It is amazing the beliefs that float around all gamblers are degenerates and how they get frowned upon even with more and more casinos popping up all over the US and other Countries and as online gambling is taking hold and being legalized in Nevada and New Jersey.
Spending money on Hobbies is never going to go away and it should be no one’s business how anyone spends money on their hobbies. Some people like to fish, knit, garden, exercise, work on cars, and many other things and no one should be surprised that gambling is one of those things.
Gamblers around the world should stand strong and keep on wagering on the many things that we love to put money on. Whether it be money, beer, dinner, wearing an opposing team’s jersey, horses, poker or casino games it is a past time that will never go away. And just think we didn’t even bring up state run gambling called the lottery.
When picking an online sportsbook, pick it like you would pick your girlfriend, as all sportsbooks are not the same. View our directory of online sportsbooks.



Gambling for Entertainment

Gambling for Entertainment – Fantasy Sports

 By Chris Dyer “Dirty”

The hypocrisy of the United States Federal Government and its citizens on gambling, especially online sports gambling, gets worse every day. The only thing worse than the lottery on the hypocrite meter is fantasy sports. Last time out I focused on the lottery and today I will tackle fantasy sports. The way the DOJ and Congress approach certain things and treats online gambling.

Every major sport and the players associations embrace fantasy sports. Fantasy Sports has an estimated $3-$4 Billion economic impact and is played by almost 30 million people across the country in 2007. The Fantasy Trade Association estimates that almost 75% of players that play fantasy sports play in leagues where there is a buy-in. All the major sports networks offer free and paid leagues with prizes into the tens of thousands of dollars.

In 2006 the Unlawful Internet and Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was passed to make banking transactions illegal to online gambling sites. They carved out Fantasy Sports under this fallacy:

“We should start by clarifying that it is currently legal to bet on fantasy sports. The Unlawful Internet Gambling and Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA), which establishes the legal guidelines for online gambling, carves out a safe haven for any fantasy or simulation sports game that:

‘has an outcome that reflects the relative knowledge of the participants, or their skill at physical reaction or physical manipulation (but not chance), and, in the case of a fantasy or simulation sports game, has an outcome that is determined predominantly by accumulated statistical results of sporting events…’

In other words, fantasy sports are considered games of skill – not chance – if they can be won by successfully utilizing superior knowledge of the players involved. The Act adds that the game in question cannot have a prize that is determined by the number of players or amounts paid (think betting odds on game picks), but rather is established in advance of the game’s start.” — Forbes.

Saying fantasy sports is a game of skill is crazy. No one can tell what an athlete is going to do on a particular day. Sure you can study the stats and players and the teams they are playing against, but that doesn’t mean anything. There is no difference in doing this than people learning how to play poker, black jack, roulette, and other casino games. A good poker player has a better shot of winning money (and more of it) than anyone playing fantasy sports. There are too many variables in sports that determine how well a player does. That doesn’t happen in poker and other card games. Sure in black jack when you are playing with more decks it gets harder, but you don’t have to worry about injuries, weather, and other things that happen in professional sports games.

The US government picks and chooses what Word Trade Organization (WTO) laws and rulings they want to follow depending on the country and the trade that is involved. They pick on the smaller countries that win cases against them and go after China and Russia for human rights violations when their worldwide monopoly on something gets threatened. Antigua and Barbuda has had the WTO issue three rulings (They can be read about in detail here, here, and here). This also includes fantasy sports as the government exempted fantasy and horse racing in the UIGEA. Antigua and Barbuda are going to start redirecting intellectual property rights monies earned on things that are copyrights in the US like movies and film. The only way to wake our hypocritical tyrannical government up is hit them in the pocket book.

I love to play fantasy sports just like I love to gamble on them. I have played enough of each to know that gambling on card games and sports is just as much or more of a skill than fantasy sports. You cannot put a line up in for the whole season and let the computer/commissioner put in the best available lineup and you could do very well. You can’t do that in poker, black jack, and other casino games.

I have really about come to realize on this topic with fantasy sports as being a game of skill is many lawmakers must have won money in playing in fantasy leagues and are like Clark Griswold in “Vegas Vacation” when they go to Las Vegas.

Marty the Dealer to Clark:

“You don’t know when to quit, do ya Griswold?… Here’s an idea: Why don’t you give me half the money your were gonna to bet, then we’ll go out back, I’ll kick you in the nuts, and we’ll call it a day!” IMDB

The UK just passed a law where online gambling companies will pay a rate of 15% tax and I am sure US operators would be happy with even a high number like that as in the UK most places were offshore in Gibraltar and paid a 1% tax. The 15% seems steep now, but is really nothing compared to being shut down, arrested and treated like pariahs like online gambling owners/operators are in the United States.

The only way to turn the tide on online gambling is to bug our representatives to death, don’t vote for the status quo, and keep fighting for freedoms. There is no excuse in not allowing regulated online gambling in the United States.

http://www.askthebookie.com/gambling...-sports-91688/

Gambling for Entertainment – Fantasy Sports

No. 12 LSU Tigers (0-0) vs. No. 20 TCU Horned Frogs (0-0) Preview

 

No. 12 LSU opens the season with an intriguing non-conference clash against No. 20 TCU in Arlington, Texas. This will be the fifth Cowboys Classic. Each team has appeared once and come away victorious.

LSU lost a ton of defensive talent but return their key offensive pieces as they're set to start a brutal schedule that features Georgia and Florida from the SEC East. TCU on the other hand has yet to announce a starting quarterback for the game. The job will be given to either Trevone Boykin or Casey Pachall, who started the first four games last season before leaving the team as a result of a drunk driving arrest.

Quarterback Zach Mettenberger, running back Jeremy Hill (12 TDs in 2012) and wideouts Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. form the core of a potentially explosive LSU offense. Mettenberger threw for 2,609 yards last season but only had 120 in the Chick-fil-A Bowl game loss to Clemson. His coaches want him to use his strong arm to attack downfield more this year. LSU ranked 11th in the SEC in passing last year, throwing 12 touchdown passes in 13 contests.

The TCU defense is one of the best in the Big 12 and if Casey Pachall (10 touchdowns, one interception in four games before his arrest) wins the job and picks up where he left off, the Horned Frogs could contend for a conference title. Running back Waymon James (1,556 career rushing yards) also returns after missing most of last season with a knee injury but defensive end Devonte Fields, an All-American candidate, is suspended for the first two games. Another player to watch will be cornerback Jason Verrett, who had 63 tackles, six interceptions and 16 pass breakups last season

The Tigers are 3-1 SU and ATS as favorites of 3½ to 10 points over the last two seasons while the Horned Frogs are 3-3 ATS as underdogs of 3½ to 10 points since 2011 and 0-3 ATS in their last three games on a neutral field.

Game Information:

When: 9:00 PM ET, August 31

Where: Cowboys Stadium

Line: LSU -3½ at BetAnySports

Total: 49½

Coverage: ESPN/WatchESPN

Weather: 101° F/ 38° C
Partly Cloudy

Last meeting: No previous meeting

No. 12 LSU Tigers (0-0) vs. No. 20 TCU Horned Frogs (0-0) Preview