Columnist Jeff Haney: Giants should continue to reward backers

Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2005 | 9:22 a.m.

Jeff Haney's sports betting column appears Wednesday. Reach him at (702) 259-4041 or haney@lasvegassun.com.

Football fans look at Sunday night's game in which the Chargers host the Giants and see an intriguing story line: New York quarterback Eli Manning will be making his first appearance against the team he snubbed in last year's draft.

Las Vegas sports handicapper "Fairway" Jay Ginsbach looks at the game and sees a solid betting opportunity.

"You have a team in the Giants that is 2-0 playing a team that is 0-2 -- and you're catching six points," Ginsbach said. "The Giants have won pretty impressively both times. San Diego lost a couple of close games, but the bottom line is they lost."

The Giants have covered the point spread in each of their two victories this season, and Ginsbach expects them to cover the six-point spread Sunday. He thinks the Chargers might be overrated in the betting line due to their record of 13-1-2 against the point spread last season.

"Are they still living on that?" said Ginsbach, who will compete in the Stardust Invitational football handicapping contest Friday, squaring off against Kevin O'Neill. "We're still in a feeling-out stage with New York -- as in, how good are they? But six points is too much."

Ginsbach favors the Giants in the game's fundamental matchups, but also because of a situation he said has been historically profitable: It's worthwhile to bet on a road underdog in Week 3 when the team's first two games were at home.

Though Monday night's game against New Orleans at East Rutherford, N.J., was officially a road game for the Giants because of the Saints' displacement in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Ginsbach considered it a home game for handicapping purposes.

"The situation is even stronger when the (road underdog) won its first two games," said Ginsbach, online at sportsmemo.com.

In Sunday's headlining matchup between AFC powerhouses New England and Pittsburgh, Ginsbach likes the Steelers minus 3 points.

Ginsbach recommended a play on the Carolina Panthers against New England last week, and he's going against the Patriots again.

"I'm not sold on New England -- I think it's time to start fading (betting against) this team," he said. "Last week they had a defensive touchdown (an interception return), and they were still beaten handily.

"I really look at rushing and controlling the line of scrimmage, and I think Pittsburgh has a big edge in those areas. The Steelers are the right side in this game."

In Sunday's Philadelphia Eagles-Oakland Raiders game, Ginsbach predicts a high-scoring contest and is recommending a wager that the teams will combine for "over" 46 points. The over/under at Las Vegas sports books currently ranges from 46 to 47 1/2 points.

Ginsbach thinks the total should be listed at about 50 points. That might not appear to be much of a difference from 46, but keep in mind professional handicappers are always working on a razor-thin margin against oddsmakers in their quest to gain an edge.

"Philly is a blitzing defense and I think Oakland has the weapons to score," Ginsbach said.

Contest updates

Last Friday's Stardust Invitational matchup was marked by strongly stated opinions on the "sports advisory" business by both contestants.

Local professional gambler Fezzik (one name only, please) said people selling sports predictions should also be betting those picks with their own money -- certainly a reasonable assertion.

"In the major sports against widely available (betting) lines, basically no one, over their lifetime, can hit a winning percentage of over 56 percent," Fezzik said. "(But) every time I see the marketing it's always 68 percent, 72 percent, 76 percent and these guys never lose. I can tell you as a professional gambler I'm losing all the time, (although) add it up at the end of the year and I wind up ahead."

"... A lot of them don't even bet. I think if you're going to charge for your services, you really ought to be betting them as well."

His opponent Ron Boyles said he never wanted to enter the sports advisory business because he did not want to get lumped in with the worst elements of that industry.

"The business is littered with charlatans and snake-oil salesmen," Boyles said. "I have no desire at all to get into the tout business. I mean, there are some that legitimately try and do their homework and do an honest job for their customers, but there are so many who are just nothing but lowlife (jerks) as far as I'm concerned.

"You get put into the same barrel if you try to do a legitimate job. The whole industry, I just have no use for."

Fezzik advanced in the invitational with a record of 4-2-1 to Boyles' 3-2-2.

In the Leroy's $50,000 invitational, Doc Moseman connected on his top five picks, losing only his bottom two, to advance past Boyles (3-3-1). At 8 p.m. Friday at the Riviera sports book, Adam Meyer faces Alf Musketa.

New post

Veteran gaming executive Vinny Magliulo, most recently the director of race and sports operations at Wynn Las Vegas, has been named vice president of marketing and corporate development for Las Vegas Dissemination Company.

Magliulo will be responsible for the continuing relationship between LVDC -- which imports horse racing simulcast signals from racetracks throughout North America -- and the member companies of the Nevada Pari-Mutuel Association.