NHL » Rangers at Capitals • Thursday, 7 p.m., CSN
This is a rematch of the first round of last year’s Stanley Cup playoffs. The Blue Shirts did not like how last year’s season ended for them at Verizon Center. Meanwhile, the Caps want to keep their dominance over New York rolling.

NCAA football » Florida at LSU • Saturday, 8 p.m., CBS
Baton Rouge on a Saturday night will be loud and the last place Florida wants to have Tim Tebow checking out his health. Are the Gators the best team in college football? Are the Tigers a legit contender? — Jim Williams

BOLD PREDICTIONS

1. The Redskins will be 4-2 in 14 days » We’re not crazy (OK, maybe we’re a little crazy), but this really is possible — even after the Skins laid an egg against the Lions last week. Washington’s next three games are against the Buccaneers, Panthers and Chiefs. Entering Week 4 these teams had combined for (drum roll, please) a whopping zero wins. Look, the Redskins aren’t a very good team. Jason Campbell and the offense can’t get into the end zone and they haven’t put pressure on the quarterback. They’ve looked lifeless through the first three weeks of the season. But the Buccaneers are having an identity crisis. The Panthers are 29th in points scored and 30th in points allowed — never a good sign. And the Chiefs are dreadful. Two of these games are at FedEx Field — part of a stretch where the Skins play three of four at home before their bye week. If there ever was a time for this team to show signs of life it will happen now. — James Irwin

2. Gilbert Arenas will play in only three preseason games » Starting Tuesday in Richmond, the Wizards will take the court for the first of eight preseason games in three weeks. While the opener at Virginia Commonwealth’s Siegel Center will be overshadowed by Allen Iverson’s debut with the Memphis Grizzlies — since it’s only a short drive away from his hometown of Hampton — the health of Gilbert Arenas will dominate the next seven contests the same way that his every move has been scrutinized during training camp. Whether it’s a jammed finger or sore knees, it’s already clear that Arenas has been impatient to get underway and October will see whether the Wizards staff do their best to pull back on the reigns and try to keep Arenas under wraps as much as possible before the regular season opener. The easiest way will be to limit Arenas to a brief appearances at Siegel Center, at Verizon Center on Oct. 9 vs. Dallas and the short jaunt to Philadelphia on Oct. 20. — Craig Stouffer

3. Death for No. 1 Florida » LSU’s Tiger Stadium is nicknamed “Death Valley,” but that’s an offshoot of its previous nickname “Deaf Valley,” so named for the decibel levels that Tiger fans can hit. With the game on national TV on a Saturday night, No. 1 Florida as the visitors and after a full day of tailgating, expect Baton Rouge to be a wall of noise. That can’t be good for a quarterback, Tim Tebow, who is recovering from a concussion, or his potential replacement, sophomore John Brantley. This will be the first major test for a Florida (4-0) team that lacks the outside explosion of previous Gator squads. The LSU offense has often sputtered this season, but the defense is solid. There isn’t a player in college football better equipped to lead his team in a hostile environment than Tebow, but this will be too big a challenge for an offense searching for its identity. LSU will win 20-17. — Kevin Dunleavy

FIVE UP & FIVE DOWN


UP

1. Brett Favre » Must be nice to see old friends on the Packers when your team is 3-0 and you have a 94.5 QB rating.

2. Rio de Janeiro » Becomes the first South American country to host an Olympics by beating out Madrid, Tokyo and Chicago.

3. Rockies » Set team record for wins and solidified Jim Tracy’s manager of the year award with playoff berth.

4. Kobe Bryant » If winning the gold wasn’t enough, Bryant beats foreign stars as the top jersey sold in Europe.

5. Alex Ovechkin » A two goal, one assist performance to start the season is not a bad way to defend the MVP.


DOWN
1. Allen Iverson » Guard says the Pistons lied to him about coming off the bench and that last year was the worst of his career.

2. Gilbert Arenas » Already injured, he’s missed scrimmages at training camp because he dislocated his middle finger.

3. Byron Leftwich » Benched for a second-year quarterback out of San Diego after leading the Bucs to one first down in first three quarters.

4. David Garrard » Coach Jack Del Rio pulls the plug on his Friday radio show for the timing of the show.

5. Hockey fans » The battle between Versus and DirecTV caused many fans to miss an eventful opening night.

— Jeffrey Tomik