No bets on Expos’ destination

Wednesday, June 9, 2004 | 9:07 a.m.

By Jeff Haney

Not even offshore sports books are taking bets on which city will land the Expos when the struggling major league baseball franchise relocates from Montreal.

This is a bit surprising, as at least one offshore operation is accepting bets on a similar proposition: which city will host the 2012 Olympic Games.

Las Vegas is reported to be in the running for the Expos, along with Washington, D.C., Portland, Ore., and several cities in Virginia.

Regardless, betting on the Expos' relocation would not be permitted in Nevada, said Keith Copher, the Gaming Control Board's chief of enforcement.

"The regulation requires that wagering take place on a sporting event," Copher said, "and this (relocation) is not a sporting event."

Howard Schwartz, marketing director of the Gambler's Book Shop at 630 South 11th St., said his store will sell more copies of the Steele magazine than any other football preview publication.

"The minute the Super Bowl ends, (Steele and his staff) start working on the next year's edition," Schwartz said.

In the winning manufacturer prop, Chevrolet is minus 110 against the entry of Ford and Dodge, which is minus 120.

The over/under on the number of cautions is 5 1/2, with a price of minus 135 on the under.

Tony Stewart is favored to win the race at 7-1, followed by Ryan Newman at 8-1 and three drivers -- Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon -- each listed at 10-1.

Play in Euro 2004 begins Saturday and the championship match is scheduled for July 4 in Lisbon, Portugal.

France is a decided favorite to win the event, at odds of about 5-2 depending on where you bet it.

France is also chalk, about minus 160, to win Group B, which also includes England, Croatia and Switzerland.

France's captain, Marcel Desailly, might watch from the bench when his team takes on England in its Group B opener on Sunday, according to a report from Reuters today. Desailly has been hampered by a knee injury.