On Sports Betting: Runnin’ Rebels Pay First-game Bettors, But Most Road Wagers On Knights Fizzle

By Daniel Behringer for LVSportsBiz.com

There’s one way for a new basketball coach to impress the home crowd — win that first game.

There’s also a way to make bettors sit up and take notice — cover the spread.

New UNLV Runnin’ Rebels coach T.J. Otzelberger did both of those late Tuesday. His team won the game, beating Purdue-Fort Wayne, 86-71, at the Thomas & Mack. The Runnin’ Rebels also covered 11.5 points in the win.

Reported attendance was 7,728, but unofficial estimates put the crowd at between 3,500 and 4,000.

Otzelberger told a local newspaper after the game, in a quote that might have made Yogi Berra blush, “Once it’s real, it’s real.”

Still, a cover is a cover. It pays at the window regardless of whether there are 200 fans half-dozing on the bleachers or 20,789 people (the capacity of Madison Square Garden) cheering raucously from the rafters.

We were out and about late Tuesday afternoon and expected a little bigger crowd at one of the local race and sports books with the tip-off of college basketball season, the Vegas Golden Knights in action, college football and the NBA.

The second VGK goal vs. Columbus, which turned out to be the game-winner, brought only a smattering of applause. Still, the Golden Knights did not disappoint bettors who laid -145 vs. the Blue Jackets and saw the VGK win, 2-1.

Two days later, the VGK were back in action and a road ‘dog for her the first time this season at +130 vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Golden Knights scored first, eliciting a ripple of applause from the race and sports book crowd. But the Leafs won in overtime, 2-1, rewarding bettors who laid -160 on the home team and also Knights bettors on the puck line at around -185.

But the real noise coming from the book on Thursday night was during Thursday Night Football with the San Diego Chargers on the road at the soon-to-be Las Vegas Raiders. There were frequent outbursts of cheers and applause in a seesaw game that saw the Raiders prevail, 26-24. That made a parlay on the home team at +1.5 with over 48.5 or 49 a highly coveted ticket.

But if it’s noise from the race and sports book that you craved, you had only to find a seat or be within rooting distance of any book at the kickoff of the LSU-Alabama game after noon on Saturday. We were on Las Vegas Boulevard for the occasion, and rowdy cheers were as common as chilled Michelob Ultras being served in blue plastic tubs. Most cheers seemed to be for LSU, which closed at +5.5 or about +175 on the money line. And the cheering continued after the Tigers fended off a second-half comeback from the Crimson Tide to win, 46-41, and easily send the total over 65.5.

Oztelberger and the Runnin’ Rebels could have been lost in the aftermath of empty beer bottles on Saturday. But they gave Kansas State all they wanted and sent the game to overtime before the Wildcats won, 60-56. The total of 133 was never seriously threatened despite the overtime, and Kansas State covered -3.5.  According to The Associated Press, UNLV led 68.8 percent of the game. They also out rebounded the Wildcats, 43-37, but committed 25 turnovers.

Said Oztelberger after the game to The Associated Press: “It’s really impressive to hold a Big 12 champion program we have a lot of respect for to 16 first half points. We have to do better coming out and starting the second half.”

Later Saturday, the Golden Knights continued their road trip with a 5-2 loss to the Washington Capitals. If you took a shot on the Knights at +105, you were obviously disappointed. But if you parlayed the Capitals at -125 with over 6.5, you can buy lunch next time we see you in the book.

The VGK concluded their four-game Eastern Conference road trip on Sunday with a disappointing showing against Detroit Red Wings. Laying -155 and with the total at 6.5, the Golden Knights came up on the wrong end of a 3-2 score after the Red Wings scored with 30.9 seconds remaining.

“We played 55 great minutes of hockey and then fell asleep for the last five,” Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant told The AP afterward.

Many NFL bettors on Sunday fared little better than those who wagered on the VGK on their road swing. The five most popular plays in the Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest were the Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills. The Bills pushed, the Seahawks go Monday, but the other three were favorites and lost outright.

_ _ _

What’s next?

— Monday Night Football offers the Seahawks at +6.5 at the San Francisco 49ers. The total is 47.5.

— The Runnin’ Rebels next play at California on Tuesday.

— The VGK return home to T-Mobile Arena on Wednesday to face the Chicago Blackhawks.

Also, our suggested play last week, Illinois +13, went to +14.5 by game time. The Fighting Illini won outright, defeating Michigan State, 37-34.

*