By Daniel Behringer for LVSportsBiz.com
Let’s say you had a ticket on the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels at +3.5 late Tuesday and saw a game headed for a close finish. There’s two scenarios you didn’t want — a complete Rebels collapse or overtime.
And you got one of them. The game ended tied at 67.
And while overtime was relatively close, the final of Cal 79, Rebels 75, doomed those holding Rebels tickets that read +3.5. It was also a tough beat for over bettors, who would have cashed a winner in regulation with a total of 137.
You pays your money, you takes your chances. And sometimes you get to tell bad-beat stories about betting on Las Vegas sports teams.
It was a difficult loss for the Rebels under first-year coach T.J. Otzelberger. The local team led at halftime, and it took an 11-2 run from the Bears to send to game to overtime. Said Oztelberger to The Associated Press after the game, “I think we just need to be intentional in maintaining our focus.”
A day after the Rebels game, the Golden Knights took to home ice at T-Mobile Arena against the Chicago Blackhawks. The betting line went all the way to -250 for the local team, which was coming off a road swing in which they lost three of four. Several pundits on afternoon radio opined the Knights would win but demurred on the hefty price.
But the pundits were wrong, and the Blackhawks rolled to a 5-3 win over the reeling Knights.
In a quote that may have summed up the Knights’ losing streak, Blackhawks defenseman Calvin de Haan told The Associated Press, “Hockey is a weird game and you can feel the momentum swing on the ice sometimes.”
But if you were audacious enough to play the Blackhawks on the reverse puck line, say in the +450 range, you can buy lunch the next time we see you in the book. At that price, drinks, too. Maybe Mai Tais.
But what de Haan said about momentum speaks volumes on sports — and sports betting.
The Rebels were back on the hardwood Friday and fell victim to the hot-shooting UCLA Bruins, 74-51. Rebels bettors at +8 or the ever hopeful at +300 on the money line were again frustrated. However, playing under 130 proved to be a winning bet.
Said Otzelberger to The AP after the game: “We wanted to be challenged. Now we get to go home and play in front of our fans.”
A day later, the Rebels football team hosted Hawaii at Sam Boyd Stadium. A handicapper at CBS SportsLine saw value in over 72.5 points for the game, but the Rebels and Rainbow Warriors apparently did not see his pick. The home team scored first, but the Rainbow Warriors responded with 21 unanswered points to win, 21-7, and cover -7.
Also Saturday, the Golden Knights attempted to reverse their four-game slide at the Los Angeles Kings. Laying -150 on a road team that has been struggling, in retrospect, seemed like a highly risky investment. And the Knights got off to a shaky start before rallying to tie it at 3 in the second period. The Kings scored the game-winner, however, at 12:42 in the third period to frustrate bettors holding Knights tickets for the fifth straight game. Betting over 6.5 goals, however, was a winner.
Gallant after the game to The AP: “Played good besides the winning goal but that happens.”
Translation: No momentum.
Later in the day, college football fans who tuned in to nationally televised Oklahoma Sooners at the Baylor Bears thought they were witnessing a major upset with Baylor, at +10.5, leading Oklahoma, 31-10, at halftime. But the Sooners rallied in the second-half to win, 34-31 and dash the dreams of Bears money line bettors holding +300 tickets.
Talk about momentum.
NFL bettors, for the most part, saw a fairly predictable Sunday. The top five plays in the Westgate SuperContest were the Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans, New England Patriots, New York Jets and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Cardinals eked out a win on the contest line of +11, the Texans lost badly and failed to cover, but the Patriots and Jets rolled. The Chiefs go on Monday Night Football. The No. 6 most popular play in the contest was the Dallas Cowboys, who covered in a win over the Detroit Lions.
The weekend for local sports fans and bettors ended Sunday when the Golden Knights, again laying -150, snapped their longest losing streak in their short franchise history with a 6-0 rout of the Calgary Flames.
Knights bettors finally got to cash a ticket. If was on the puck line in the +155 range, it was even sweeter.
Perhaps — just perhaps — the VGK can find some much-needed momentum for fans and bettors.
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What’s next?
— Monday Night Football may be entertaining with the Kansas City Chiefs at the Los Angeles Chargers at Azteca Stadium, capacity of 87,523, in Mexico City. Chiefs are -4.5 or 5 with the total at 53.
— Runnin’ Rebels coach Oztelberger gets his wish to play before home fans when the local team hosts the Abilene Christian Wildcats later Monday. Rebels are -10.5 with the total at 134.5.
— And the Golden Knights get a chance to make it two in a row and exact revenge from a previous loss when they entertain the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday.
— The UNLV football Rebels host the San Jose State Spartans on Saturday. San Jose is -4.5 with the total at 63.5.
— While we don’t make picks here often, we will put our unblemished 1-0 record on the line and play No. 269, the New England Patriots -6.5 in the NFL on Sunday.
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