Gaming Notes: Baseball playoffs expected to help betting action

Bob Cloud

Monday, Sept. 30, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Now that the Major League Baseball playoffs are set to begin, area books expect interest in the sport to pick up. But it remains to be seen how substantially.

Rob Terry, race and sports book director at Boulder Station, said while baseball generates moderate interest at best during the regular season, the playoffs bring bettors out.

"The baseball playoffs are almost like hockey -- a whole different season," Terry said. "In the playoffs, every pitch matters. In my opinion, this is the only time of year people really get into baseball. This time of the year is fun, and it makes a good combination with football."

In the National League, San Diego, which swept a weekend series at Los Angeles to capture the West, will face Central champ St. Louis. The Dodgers fell into the wild card spot and will have to face defending champ Atlanta. In the American League, it's wild card Baltimore against Cleveland and the New York Yankees facing Texas.

Terry said he believes this year's playoffs will spark interest because of a nice mix of old favorites and new hopefuls.

"You have some new teams in this year," he said. "You have St. Louis back for the first time in a long time and Texas is in for the first time ever. Plus, you have big-name teams with big fan backing in the New York Yankees and Atlanta.

"Everybody thinks the Braves should go ahead and get sized for rings, but I think it'll be a race."

Sam's Town race and sports book director Tony Paonessa agreed the playoffs will put a bounce back in baseball's step. But he doesn't anticipate a rush to the betting windows.

"Baseball doesn't usually hold the bettor interest like other sports do," Paonessa said. "Now that we're in the playoffs, we'll see a lot more interest. It still won't bring out a large amount of fans overall, but it will create action for the day."

Circling the wagons

Tonight's Monday Night Football matchup features the struggling Dallas Cowboys (1-3) in Philadelphia to meet the Eagles, 3-1. The Cowboys have lost the last two weeks vs. Indianapolis and at Buffalo, and enter the game with the prospect of playing without hobbled quarterback Troy Aikman and running back Emmitt Smith.

Philadelphia opened as a one-point selection, and has been bet up to a three-point choice. The over/under stands at 38.

Terry said the heavy backing the Cowboys usually enjoy has waned over recent weeks, a trend which should continue against an angry squad of Eagles.

"I think all the questions surrounding Dallas right now has hurt the action on the Cowboys," he said. "Certainly, diehard fans keep pounding money on the Cowboys, but other players have backed off.

"This is the second time in five weeks Philadelphia has been on Monday Night Football, and the last time they were blown out by Green Bay. I think they'll see this game as a chance for redemption."

Regardless of fading interest, the Cowboys still bring people out, even just to bet against them. Terry said that fact alone will keep tonight's handle up.

"A game like this will have great action on it," he said. "It'll probably get a lot of two-way money, but I think it'll be heavier on the Eagles. This is also a pay day weekend for a lot of our customers, so we expect a good handle. Of course, Dallas is always going to bring people out."

Paonessa, for one, likes the Eagles big tonight at The Vet.

"Dallas has been a public team for years, but now people have started to get away from the Cowboys because of all the controversy surrounding them," he said. "I look for Philadelphia to be sky high. Even if Aikman and Smith play I think the Eagles will put it to them. That place will be rocking. I think it could be a rout."

Odds and ends

* PADRES-DODGERS GO UNNOTICED: One baseball divisional race wasn't decided until the final day Sunday, as San Diego and Los Angeles battled through 10 scoreless innings before the Padres scored a 2-0 win in 11. The win, San Diego's third straight over the weekend at Chavez Ravine, gave the Padres the West Division title and the right to avoid the Atlanta Braves in the first round of the NL playoffs. The drama, however, took place while bettor interest was firmly fixed on football. "You go through 161 games and it all comes down to one final game," said Boulder Station's Rob Terry. "This is what baseball is all about. Still, it didn't generate the attention we would have thought, probably because it was up directly against football."