NFL Vikings vs Bucs and MLB Tigers vs Giants Betting Lines

With the additional of weekly NFL Thursday Night action for the 2012 season, the Major League Baseball World Series has company on the big stage tonight. Get your dual screens warmed up – you’ll need them!

As such the Tigers vs. Giants at 6:00 PM ET, and the Bucs vs. Vikings at 6:20 PM ET, both get equal billing in our Free Pick for October 25, 2012. AT&T Park and Raymond James Stadium are the respective venues.

MLB 2012 World Series: Giants vs. Tigers Game 2 Call

Game 2 of the 2012 MLB Fall Classic sees San Francisco with a 1-0 series lead and now just three wins away from a World Series Championship. Justin Verlander did not have his good stuff as slugger Pablo Sandoval hit three home runs and the Giants crushed the Tigers 8-3  in Game 1 last night.

LHP Madison Bumgarner (0-2 ERA 11.25) will attempt to right his postseason ship as he’s been rocked for 10 runs, on 15 hits, over two games and eight innings of 2012 playoff pitching. That’s mirror opposite to his 2010 playoff performance. RHP Doug Fister (0-0 ERA 1.35) has been solid allowing two runs on 12 hits over 13.1 innings as the Tigers won his ADLS and ALCS starts.

NFL Week 8 Thursday Night Football Lines: Buccaneers vs Vikings

It’s going to be interesting to see who wins the overnight viewer ratings between the NFL and MLB match-ups. Minnesota vs. Tampa Bay is not exactly a hot button “National” prime time contest. That said, the Vikings (5-2) are one of the surprise and exciting teams in the NFL this season while the Bucs (2-5) gave the Saints all they could handle during NFL Week 7 action.

Trend bettors need to be aware of the fact that the Vikings have lost the last five games in this series, both S/U and ATS, by a combined 84-146 final count. Keep in mind that this Vikings squad is improved across the board and they’re a perfect 4-0 under the big top in Minnesota this season.

Sportsbook Review World Series Game 2 and NFL Week 8 Predictions

Fister has joined the strikeout parade in Detroit with 13 over his last 13.1 playoff innings pitched. The Giants were fairly patient in the regular season with just 6.7 strikeouts per game but that average has jumped slightly to 7.5 in the postseason. We expect a decent effort from both pitchers and we’ll back the Giants with the +1.5 (-170) run line at the betonline.ag online sportsbook.

Vikings QB Christian Ponder and his 27th ranked pass offense need to step up their game against the Bucs 29th ranked pass defense. After finishing dead last in run defense in 2011, Tampa Bay sits 3rd this season. We expect the Vikings to do enough on both sides of the ball (and special teams) to win here. We’ll take the Vikings to pillage the Bucs with the -280 ML at BetOnline