Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Columnist Jeff Haney: How Fresno State almost sent the betting public back to the window for refunds

Jeff Haney's sports betting column appears Monday, Friday (gaming) and Wednesday (poker). Reach him at (702) 259-4041 or [email protected].

Leroy's "Money Talks" football handicapping contest

This invitational features 16 handicappers who each put up $2,500 to compete in a single-elimination tournament. Leroy's adds another $10,000 to the prize pool for a total of $50,000. The winner collects $40,000, with $10,000 going to the runner-up. Each week, two contestants make seven selections against the point spread from the weekend's college and pro football games, working with a hypothetical bankroll to rank their picks. The top pick is worth $770 to win $700, the second pick $660 to win $600, down to the seventh pick, $110 to win $100. The contestant who ends up with a higher hypothetical bankroll advances to the next round.

This week's results:

Alf Musketa, sports handicapper, 4-3, -$140: Tulsa -14 (W $300); San Diego St. -7 (W $200); Alabama +7 (L $330); Okla. St. -2 1/2 (L $440); Iowa -4 1/2 (W $500); Kansas St. -3 (W $600); Stanford +5 1/2 (L $770)

Bryan Leonard, sports handicapper, 5-2, +$490: Iowa -4 1/2 (W $100); Central Fla. -11 (W $200); Tulsa -14 (W $300); Ohio St. -3 (W $400); Navy -27 (L $550); Mid Tenn. St. +18 (L $660); Vanderbilt +11 (W $700)

Leonard advances

This week (8 p.m. Friday at the Riviera): Buzz Daly vs. Bill Krackman

The Stardust Invitational football handicapping contest

The Stardust invitational features 16 handicappers competing in a single-elimination tournament for a top prize of $10,000. Each week, two contestants make seven selections against the point spread from the weekend's college and pro football games. The contestant with the better record advances to the next round. A "best bet" is used for a tiebreaker.

The weekend's results:

Tim Trushel, sports handicapper, 3-4: Ohio St./Michigan under 44 (L); N. Texas +4 1/2 (L); Jets +13 (L); Titans +4 (W); Titans/ Jaguars over 39 (W); Saints +9 1/2 (W); Saints/Patriots over 47 (L, best bet).

Steve Cofield, sports radio host, 4-3: Alabama +7 (L); Penn St. -7 1/2 (W); Panthers -3 (L); Oklahoma +7 1/2 (W); Kentucky + 27 (L); Iowa -- 4 1/2 (W); Kansas State -- 2 1/2 (W, best bet).

Cofield advances.

This week (9 p.m. Friday at the Stardust): Fezzik vs. Ed Salmons

Although they covered the point spread with room to spare, the Fresno State Bulldogs fell short in their bid to throw the Rose Bowl picture into disarray Saturday night, losing 50-42 to top-ranked Southern Cal in a wild one at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

Several sports books, including those at Station Casinos properties, have posted an early betting line on the Rose Bowl, scheduled for Jan. 4 and expected to determine college football's national champion.

USC opened a 6 1/2-point favorite in the Rose Bowl against No. 2 Texas at Station sports books. Sensing value on the Longhorns, bettors drove the line down to 6 points last week before money from Trojans backers sent it back to 6 1/2, Sunset Station sports book director Micah Roberts said.

"We're seeing good two-way action," Roberts said.

In setting the point spread at 6 1/2, oddsmakers figured the line in a USC-Texas game played at a neutral site would probably be 4 1/2 points, Roberts said. Then they considered the Trojans would have at least a moderate home-field advantage in Pasadena. And USC always attracts money from the "betting public," or recreational gamblers -- if not professional bettors.

That was the case in Saturday night's game, in which the Trojans opened as high as a 26-point favorite before money on Fresno State pushed the line down to 23 or 23 1/2 in Las Vegas by game time.

The Fresno State money was coming primarily from "wise guys," or professional gamblers, with the majority of smaller bets and parlays supporting USC.

"We saw some very respected opinions bet the underdog," Roberts said. "But the general public was definitely on SC."

USC (11-0 straight-up, 5-6 against the point spread) returns to Pac-10 action when it plays UCLA in its season finale Dec. 3.

Although he had not predicted an outright upset, Roberts was not surprised Fresno State gave the Trojans trouble.

"I was saying let's not look forward too much to UCLA or Texas," Roberts said. "This team (Fresno) is a quality team."

Station sports books temporarily took the early Rose Bowl line off the board Sunday, but oddsmakers were expected to re-evaluate it and post an updated number today.

If either USC or Texas fails to make the Rose Bowl, wagers on the early Rose Bowl line will be refunded.

Heisman push from Reggie Bush

Southern Cal's Reggie Bush made headway in the Heisman Trophy race with his performance against Fresno, in which he rushed for 294 yards, including touchdown runs of 45 and 50 yards, and finished with 513 all-purpose yards.

Those flashy numbers will likely boost Bush's stock in Heisman wagering at offshore book Pinnacle Sports (pinnaclesports.com), which had Bush as a second choice in the betting to win the award in its most recent odds.

Quarterback Vince Young of Texas, which had a bye this weekend, was favored to win the Heisman at odds of minus-120 (risk $1.20 to win $1). Bush was listed at plus-150 (win $1.50 for each $1 wagered), and USC quarterback Matt Leinart, last year's winner, was 3-1.

The opening preseason line had Young a 7-1 long shot, with Leinart a 13-10 favorite and Bush at 9-2. Young has compiled 30 touchdowns and more than 3,000 total yards for the No. 2 Longhorns to become the betting favorite, in part because teammates Bush and Leinart are likely to hurt each other's chances by splitting the ballots of voters who favor a Trojans player, Pinnacle oddsmaker Simon Noble said.

Wagering on the winner of the Heisman Trophy is not permitted in Nevada per state regulations, which allow betting only on outcomes of athletic contests, not balloting.

Manning Bowl?

Victories by the Colts and the Giants on Sunday kept alive the possibility that brothers Peyton and Eli Manning, quarterbacks for Indianapolis and New York, could meet head-to-head in the Super Bowl.

The Palms sports book has posted a proposition asking whether that will happen. Pending adjusted odds after Sunday's action, the line on "No," the Mannings will not meet in the Super Bowl, was minus-1200; the "Yes" was plus-900.

The Colts, 10-0 after beating the Cincinnati Bengals 45-37, are heavy betting favorites to win the Super Bowl.

"And the Giants would have to be considered one of the favorites in the NFC, right behind the Falcons, Panthers and Seahawks," Palms sports book director Rich Baccellieri said.

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