Packer backers are out in force

Bob Cloud

Monday, Oct. 14, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Tonight's the night many football disciples have waited for. It's Green Bay and San Francisco on Monday Night Football.

The Packers (5-1) are six-point favorites over the 49ers (4-1) at Lambeau Field, with an over/under of 45. The game is set for 6 p.m. on ABC.

Jay Kornegay, race and sports book director at the Imperial Palace, has had this matchup posted for weeks. He said this should be one battle which lives up to advance billing.

"This is the game of the year, no doubt about it," Kornegay said. "I think this is the Super Bowl of the regular season. Whoever wins this game gets a leg up on home field advantage and the chance to host the NFC championship.

"I don't think the Packers or the 49ers are worrying about their divisions. They're looking far down the line at home field advantage in the playoffs. This game is very important."

For the Packers, it will be the second appearance of the season on Monday Night. They pounded Philadelphia back in week No. 2 also at Lambeau Field, where Green Bay has won 20 of its last 21 games.

"If you remember the atmosphere the Packers had against Philadelphia a few weeks back and you saw how the fans go crazy, then times that by three. That's what it'll be like on Monday night," said Kornegay.

Most of the betting action has come down on the Packers, who opened as a four-point selection. Kornegay said impressive performances by Green Bay, combined with the fact the teams San Francisco has beaten own a combined 2-14 record, has led to the Packer backing.

"It opened at four and now it's six, so that tells you the Packers have been hit heavy," Kornegay said. "Everybody has pretty much jumped the 49ers' ship."

However, John Avello of Bally's said he believes a late rush of 49er money is forthcoming. The Niners have been 'dogs just seven times since 1992, and are 3-4 in such contests. San Francisco beat both Dallas and Miami as road underdogs last year.

"It's a very important game," said Avello. "The Packers have been bet steady, but there's going to be many takers for the 49ers at six points. The sharp guys are just waiting to see how high it goes before they take the 49ers. There's going to be plenty of two-way action on this one."

Kornegay, who is offering 32 propositions on tonight's game, said the hype is justified because these are the two best teams in football.

"It (the NFC) still looks like the dominant league, so that makes this game all the more important," he said. "If you take either one of these teams and put them up against the top AFC teams, it would be a double-digit spread. This game is really a huge step for both teams."

Looking to the Series

The New York Yankees clinched the American League pennant and a berth in the World Series by beating Baltimore Sunday. The Bronx Bombers will either face St. Louis or Atlanta in the Fall Classic.

St. Louis holds a 3-1 lead in the National League Championship Series.

"The Yankees will have the home field advantage first of all," Kornegay said. "I expect they'd be a $2 favorite over the Cardinals, and if the Braves come back and win they'd be the favorites at $1.50 or so.

"The Yankees do get to set up their pitching and rest up. Some say the time off could hurt their competitive edge, but that remains to be seen."

One factor in World Series wagering will be the use of the designated hitter in games at AL parks, according to Kornegay.

"It'll be tough for the Yankees either way because when they go to the National League park they can't use the designated hitter, and that'll take (Cecil) Fielder out of the lineup," he said. "That's a big bat to lose."

Odds and ends

* TOO MANY EARLY GAMES: A quirk in the NFL schedule Sunday had nine of the 12 games played in the morning, a fact which didn't sit well with some area sports books. "Even if you're at home and get the Sunday (satellite) package, you still get nine games all at the same time," said Jay Kornegay of the Imperial Palace. "There's no way you can enjoy and watch that many games at once." The NFL slate was apparently stacked so as to conflict as little as possible with the baseball playoffs, but that didn't alter Kornegay's stance. "There's the baseball playoffs, but I still don't understand it," he said. "You are competing with another sport, but you still should want to do the right thing for your customers."