Columnist Jeff Haney: Stardust first with bowl odds

Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2001 | 9:44 a.m.

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

The Stardust on Sunday became the first Las Vegas sports book to hang betting lines on the full slate of college football bowl games.

Other major local sports books followed suit Monday morning.

The most significant early line move came in the Jan. 1 Gator Bowl between Florida State and Virginia Tech. The Hokies were bet to two-point favorites at the Stardust after opening 1 1/2-point underdogs.

In the "national championship" Jan. 3 Rose Bowl, Miami has been bet from minus 8 to minus 10 over Nebraska.

In the Dec. 25 Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium, USC is a three-point favorite over Utah. The total stands at 46 1/2, down from 47.

Among the favorites: In bull riding, Vince Stanton, Rob Bell and Cody Hancock are each 4-1.

In bareback riding, Lan Lajeunesse is 7-2.

In the saddle bronc competition, Dan Mortenson is 5-2.

In calf roping, Cody Ohl is 2-1.

And in barrel racing, Charmayne James is 7-2.

Osborne, whose solid week was capped by a best bet winner with the Patriots, will face defending champion Dave Cokin in the second semifinal round Dec. 21.

The final matchup in the $10,000 winner-take-all single-elimination tournament is scheduled for Dec. 28.

At 9 p.m. this Friday in the Stardust race and sports book, math professor Mike Orkin, creator of "The Optimizer" software programs, faces Las Vegas author and sports analyst Patrick Forsythe in the first semifinal round.