Kickoff of NFL brings frenzy to sports books

Steve Carp

Friday, Sept. 4, 1998 | 10:11 a.m.

It wouldn't matter when it starts. As long as the games count, the kickoff of the National Football League's regular season is going to bring brisk business to Las Vegas' sports books.

But when it's Labor Day weekend, one of the busiest of the year, it sets the stage for tens of millions of dollars to pour through the betting windows.

Throw in the fact the college football season begins in earnest Saturday and there are baseball pennant races -- along with the chase of Roger Maris' home run record by Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa -- and the biggest problem facing sports book directors around town is finding enough room and enough television screens to accommodate the masses.

And it won't slow down until after the final whistle of Super Bowl XXXIII Jan. 31 in Miami.

"It's going to be crazy," Vinny Magliulo, director of race and sports at Caesars Palace, said. "In recent years with the NFL commencing on Labor Day, it has made it one of the premier weekends of the year.

"But you add into the equation college football and all that's going on with baseball and it's going to be standing room only everywhere. And that's great."

For diehard NFL bettors, this may be the one week where the players have the edge.

The Week 1 numbers have been posted around town for more than a month, even longer in a few establishments. That gives the players more time to digest the numbers, procure the necessary information and form a more solid opinion when going to the betting windows.

"The players are much more educated than they used to be," Rob Terry of the Palace Station said. "With the Internet, there's a lot more information. You can read about each team in their own city and learn so much more. There's no question they know what's going on on their side of the window."

But as Magliulo points out, the books have access to the same information. And they use it just as effectively.

"We watch the same games they do. We make our adjustments as we go along," he said. "The information superhighway is a two-way street."

The public also looks at what took place during the month-long preseason and has formed its opinions, which already are reflected in the current line.

Take the Philadelphia-Seattle game. The Eagles, who struggled during the preseason at 1-3, opened a two-point favorite. Now, they're a 2 1/2-to- 3 1/2-point underdog to the Seahawks, who didn't look bad during the exhibition campaign going 4-1.

"It's all Seattle right now," Magliulo said. "But I think come Sunday, you'll see a lot of Philly money show."

Other games are providing good two-way action. The Minnesota-Tampa Bay game, which has the Vikings a 3-point favorite, is getting play on both sides. Same with the Cincinnati-Tennessee game (the Bengals are 1 1/2-point favorites) and the Pittsburgh-Baltimore game, where the Steelers are a 3-point road choice over the Ravens.

"You're seeing lots of opinions in some of these games," Terry said. "There's a lot of Tampa Bay money showing and a lot of Tennessee money. I guess people aren't sure about the Cincinnati quarterback situation."

Regardless of who likes who, things figure to be busy all over town.

"It should be a strong first weekend," Terry said. "You've got all the contests starting and everyone's excited about the season.

"I just have to make sure I have enough TVs to put the Cubs and Cardinals games on along with all the NFL games."