Pittsburgh’s upset of Indianapolis, coupled with Denver’s elimination of two-time defending Super Bowl champion New England, proved to be a knockout for audiences over the weekend, prompting many parlays and teasers. dropped along with future tickets.
Last week, Stardust racing and sporting director Bob Scucci predicted a New England-Carolina Super Bowl for the Professional Handicappers League, believing heavy favorite Indianapolis would stumble on the way to Motown, home of the NFL’s exhibition. NFL in 2006.
On Monday, Scucci bragged in the Las Vegas Review-Jounal: “If I felt there was ever a time the Colts would be ready to be drafted, it was this game, and I said so before the game.”
Patrick Daugherty, Stardust’s night shift supervisor, and Robert Jaynes, Stratosphere Tower’s racing and sporting director, agreed that the bookmakers enjoyed a better Saturday than Sunday, which wasn’t chopped liver either.
“There were a lot of teasers being released with Indy,” Daugherty stated, referring to Pittsburgh’s impressive 21-18 victory over the Colts that knocked them out of contention for Super Bowl XL.
“We had some run over, but others were knocked out,” Jaynes said.
Jaynes added that the number was so high that “educated gamers” considered it “too much.”
“Some places had it as high as Indy minus 10,” he said. “We open at 9 1/2 and are down to 8 1/2.”
Jaynes revealed that the Stratosphere made a “giant” bet, mixed with many smaller ones, at Indy earlier in the season when the Colts were 3 1/2 to 1 to win the Super Bowl.
Chicago’s 29-21 loss to Carolina was bad news for people who had Bears futures, as well as bookies, who saw money early on the Bears but later on the Panthers.
“The public and the savants liked Carolina,” Daugherty noted. “We went from 3 to 2 1/2.
“Where we did well was with the total.”
The ‘Dust opened the over/under at 31 1/2, the number dropped to 30 1/2 and soared at 31.
“People were underbetting,” Daugherty said.
The Stratosphere total bounced between 30 and 32, falling at 31.
“The over/under wasn’t what hurt us,” Jaynes said. “It was the money line and the points.”
The Seattle-Washington NFC matchup was either a barn or a sisterly kiss, depending on which number you bought, which again highlights the importance of looking for that extra half point.
The NFC champion Seahawks won 20-10.
“Seattle was bad,” Daugherty said succinctly.
“You either have a small win or a push,” Jaynes observed from behind the counter.
The blockbuster on Saturday was the Broncos.
“The initial money was on the Pats, but we started to see more and more money on Denver as the day went on,” Jaynes said.
Stratosphere players were all over the place on the Panthers, so much so that the number slid to Bears minus 2.
“People were saying they thought we had the wrong favorite on the list,” Jaynes continued. “We went as far as 2, although some places had it at 3 and even 3 1/2.”
Daugherty acknowledged that future liability all but washed away over the weekend.
Some stores were in danger for the Bears, others for the Redskins. Chicago opened as high as 100/1 on some future books.
A number of blind people still disagree with the Panthers.
“We’ll back Carolina,” Daugherty said, presumably because the Stardust would punt the Panthers less than the other three survivors.
The Stratosphere opened Seattle at minus 4 1/2 and the number quickly dropped to 4. Denver was posted as a 3-point favorite and on Monday afternoon the Broncos were minus 3, minus $1.30.
“Why move the number when you can just raise the price?” Jaynes asked.
