Philadelphia Sports Roundup

Don't expect any awkward silences at Lincoln Financial Field when Donovan McNabb and the Washington Redskins come to town this Sunday.

Regardless of his years of service, the cold way in which the team traded him, or the fact that coach Andy Reid believes 99 percent of Philadelphia still loves McNabb, the former Eagles quarterback should be booed – and booed hard.

Why not? McNabb won't be taking it easy on Philadelphia on Sunday. The Redskins, who opened as 6.5-point underdogs for Week 4, will rally around their captain as he returns to the stadium that he helped build. And, after losing to the lowly St. Louis Rams last weekend, Washington needs to squeeze out every ounce of motivation to avoid going 1-4 to start the year.

The Eagles look like the much better team heading into this NFC East showdown, winning back-to-back outings with Mike Vick under center. However, they've been the better of the two teams for a while now and that hasn't stopped Washington from going 7-3-1 against the spread in their last 11 head-to-head meetings. These classic rivalries, especially with this extra bit of gas thrown on the fire, should be handicapped much differently than week-to-week games.

So boo and bash the Redskins pivot with all your heart. Just make sure you're betting with your brain this Sunday.

Fade to black

The Phillies are heading back to the postseason after clinching the National League East title on Monday. The defending NL champs are expected to coast into the playoffs, trying to rest their big guns for the opening round. It's the perfect time to fade the Phils as they close the season against the Atlanta Braves, who are battling the San Diego Padres for the NL Wild Card. I'll take motivation over relaxation any day.

Keep an eye out

Penn State's monster matchup with Iowa is one of the bundle of big college football games this weekend. The Nittany Lions' offense, which is scoring only 23.3 points per game (second last in the Big Ten), is dealing with a hole in its o-line. Right tackle Lou Eliades is out for the year with a knee injury, leaving freshman QB Robert Bolden vulnerable to the Iowa pass rush. Penn State has covered just twice in the last 10 meetings with the Hawkeyes, going back to 1996.

Pierce problem

Temple is uncertain of the status of running back Bernard Pierce for this weekend's tilt with Army. Pierce, who leads the Owls with 343 yards rushing and six of the team's eight touchdowns, sprained his ankle in Saturday's loss to PSU. Head coach Al Golden is hopeful his star sophomore will play but will go with sophomore Matt Brown if Pierce isn't healthy. Books have Temple set as a 5-point road favorite. The Owls are 3-1 against the spread this season and have covered in their past two meetings with the Black Knights, outscoring Army 62-20 in those games.