Odds show Florida expected to have another big season

By Jeff Haney (contact)

Monday, July 6, 2009 | 2 a.m.

The Florida Gators, listed at odds of 2-1 to repeat as the winner of college football’s championship game, are likely to be favored by double digits in the point spread of each of their regular-season games this season.

Florida is also an overwhelming favorite of 1-3 to win the Southeastern Conference championship. It’s no surprise, then, that the Gators also top the list of college regular-season win totals according to odds posted at all Lucky’s sports books.

The over/under on the number of Florida’s regular-season wins was installed at 11, the highest among the 30 teams on the board at Lucky’s. The Gators have 12 regular-season games on the schedule — but no rematch against Mississippi, the only team to beat Florida last season. Ole Miss won 31-30 as a 23-point underdog.

Florida was favored by double digits in all but three of its games last regular season. The Gators covered the spread in a breeze in all three of those games, thumping Tennessee, LSU and Georgia.

The only other teams with season-win totals in double digits for the upcoming season are Boise State at 10 1/2, USC at 10 1/2, Texas at 10 and Oklahoma, which lost to Florida in the title game in January, at 10.

Both teams from Nevada are expected to improve on last year’s performance. The line on UNLV opened at 5 1/2, “over” minus 125 (risk $1.25 to win $1 on the over; or risk $1.05 to win $1 on the under). The Rebels finished 5-7 a year ago in a season in which they confounded the odds-

makers by beating Arizona State outright as a 23-point underdog and losing straight-up to San Diego State as a 10 1/2-point favorite.

UNR has a total of 9 wins (minus 130 on the under) attached to it after going 7-5 in the regular season last year but losing its bowl game against Maryland.

Three other teams on the board are also projected to show marked improvement this season:

• Illinois, coming off a five-win season, is listed at 7 1/2, over minus 155, thanks to the return of the highly regarded quarterback-wide receiver tandem of Juice Williams and Arrelious Benn.

• Notre Dame, which went 6-6 in the regular season a year ago despite losing four of its last five, opened with an over/under of 9 victories, minus 115 each way. The Irish are looking for a major bowl victory after breaking their nine-game bowl losing streak by winning the Hawaii Bowl in December.

• UCLA, coming off a 4-8 season, has a total of 6 1/2 victories attached to it, minus 120 on the under. Barring some major surprises along the way, however, the Bruins will still be a significant underdog in their big rivalry game Nov. 28 at USC.

The opening odds on the college football season-win totals at Lucky’s have a 30-cent line in place. That means if the price on the over is minus 115, then the price on the under is also minus 115; if the price on the over is minus 155, then the price on the under is plus 125, and so on.

The posted limit, at least for now, is a maximum of $500 a pop. No parlays are permitted, a standard rule on this type of wager.

Lucky’s has sports books throughout the state, including outlets at the Plaza and Terrible’s in Las Vegas.