Columnist Jeff Haney: Duke favored to succeed Spartans as champs

Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2000 | 9:38 a.m.

Jeff Haney's sports betting column appears Wednesday. Reach him at 259-4041 or haney@lasvegassun.com.

Odds to win 2001 NCAA men's basketball tournament

7-1: Duke

8-1: Arizona

10-1: Maryland

15-1: Stanford

20-1: North Carolina, Kansas

22-1: Tennessee

25-1: Illinois, Michigan State

30-1: SetonHall, Kentucky, UConn, Arkansas

35-1: Florida, Wisconsin, UCLA

40-1: Utah, DePaul, Wake Forest, Cincinnati

50-1: Missouri, USC

60-1: Iowa State

75-1: N.C. State, Oklahoma

100-1: Virginia, Notre Dame, Alabama, Georgetown, Texas, Dayton

125-1: Xavier, Iowa, TCU, St. John's, Villanova

150-1: SMU, Mississippi State, LSU, Temple

(Odds courtesy WIT Sports)

It's the eve of another college basketball season, and gamblers are busy handicapping the field of 318 Division I teams, then driving down to their local sports book to bet on which team will survive March Madness and be crowned king of the NCAA Tournam ...

Oh yeah.

Almost forgot.

You can't do that in Nevada.

The state's sports books have long been forbidden from accepting futures bets on college basketball's championship. The ban is an offshoot of the so-called "UNLV rule," which says books cannot take action on sporting events involving the Rebels or Nevada-Reno teams.

Of course, that doesn't stop offshore books from posting odds on the NCAA Tournament winner.

And recently, WIT Sports -- based in San Jose, Costa Rica, and licensed by the government of that country -- became one of the first books in the world to do so.

Oddsmakers at WIT (the initials stand for "Whatever it Takes") established Duke as a 7-1 favorite to win the 2001 men's basketball tournament.

The odds against a repeat by defending national champ Michigan State are 25-1. Last year's other Final Four teams are in the same neighborhood: North Carolina is 20-1, Florida 35-1 and Wisconsin 35-1.

Arizona, ranked No. 1 in the USA Today/ESPN top 25 preseason poll, is an 8-1 second choice.

The Blue Devils are No. 2 in the poll, and No. 3 Stanford is a 15-1 shot. Maryland, No. 7 in the poll, commands the third-shortest price at 10-1.

WIT (witsportsbook.com) reports good action in the futures book, particularly among recreational bettors in the $20-100 range.

The book has posted odds on 40 teams, but will give customers a line on their favorite team, even if it's not on the board. All you have to do is ask.

"We'll quote odds on any other team," a WIT spokesman said. "You want a line on, say, Creighton, we'll give you one. We didn't make a line on UNLV, but if you want one, we'll be happy to do that for you.

"We are very much a customer-oriented business."

* BLUE RIBBON PICK: Forget what the pop songstress says about a black fly in your chardonnay.

It really is ironic that more copies of the annual Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook -- which does not contain one word of betting information -- are sold at the Gambler's Book Shop than just about anywhere else.

The fact so many gamblers think the Blue Ribbon is worth its weight in gold illustrates how much power the book packs.

"It's one of our biggest sellers in any category," said Howard Schwartz, marketing director of the Gambler's Book Shop. "The books are flying out of here."

Unlike the preseason glossy magazines, the Blue Ribbon guide's late deadline allows its team of writers and editors to cram its 384 pages with the most timely data, schedules and analysis.

In fact, the book contains very few photos and no "fluff pieces" -- just page after page of detailed information to be devoured by college basketball fans.

And serious handicappers.

"Guys from the sports services come in and buy them," Schwartz said. "We sell them to fans, people involved in the sport ... people buy them for gifts. We've had customers come in and buy five or six of them at a time."

The Blue Ribbon has been so popular this fall that the Gambler's Book Shop is temporarily sold out, but should receive a new shipment by early next week.

In addition to its usual comprehensive coverage of each Division I team, this year's 20th anniversary edition features a special section on the "top 20 events in Blue Ribbon's history." Can't give too much away here, but suffice to say UNLV figures prominently in one of the top 20 events. This year's Rebels, however, do not appear in Blue Ribbon's preseason top 40.

The Gambler's Book Shop is at 630 South 11th Street, just north of Charleston, and online at gamblersbook.com.

The round prop is set at 6 1/2, with "will go" a minus 145 favorite and "won't go" a plus 115 underdog.

Other propositions: Lewis by knockout (even money), Lewis by decision (8-5), Tua by knockout (9-2), Tua by decision (12-1) and draw (20-1).

Three entrants, who needed the Packers and the "Freeman Fluke" Monday night, went 16-1 to split the $15,000 weekly prize in the Stardust's free All-American football contest.

In the Stardust invitational, Robert Walker, sports book director for MGM-MIRAGE, went 5-2 to defeat "Big Ten Doc" of Doc's Sports, who went 1-6. Second-round action in the $10,000 event begins Friday at 9 p.m. with radio personality Papa Joe Chevalier facing off against local handicapper Cathy Creevy.

The Don Best tournament, with a $15,000 prize at stake, also enters second-round play, with this week's matchup airing at 4 p.m. Thursday on KRLV 1340-AM. Las Vegan Alex Shelton hosts.