On Sports Betting: Knights Scuffle, But Runnin’ Rebels Stitch Together Wins
By Daniel Behringer for LVSportsBiz.com
The casual fun wonders if the Marchessault jersey that cost $169.99 has lost its cachet.
But the sports bettor wonders: Should I put my hard-earned cash on the Golden Knights or is there value on fading them?
After Tuesday’s 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres, the bettors at least had an answer. It was the fourth straight loss for the team, which went off as a -170 favorite. Bettors who took the Sabres collected 3-2 (+150) on their tickets.
The four-game skid matched their longest streak without a point in the franchise’s three-year history, according to The Associated Press. The Golden Knights lost four in a row during an 0-4-1 skid from Nov. 7-16, the wire service noted.
While VGK gamblers were grumbling and tearing up tickets, a cataclysmic shake-up followed Wednesday when coach Gerard Gallant and assistant Mike Kelley were fired. Pete DeBoer, former coach for the archrival San Jose Sharks, was tapped as new new head coach.
Golden Knights General Manager Kelly McCrimmon in a statement after the firings: “In order for our team to reach its full potential, we determined a coaching change was necessary. Our team is capable of more than we have demonstrated this season.”
So don’t ditch that $169.99 jersey just yet.
While the VGK and their fans, both the serious and casual, were digesting the news, the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels took to the hardwood at the Thomas & Mack on Wednesday evening. The Rebels were laying anywhere from 11.5 to 12.5 against the San Jose Spartans and were 10-8 ATS prior to tipoff.
The local team rode strong scoring from several players to a 98-87 win, but it was the Spartans who eked out a narrow cover. The total easily went over 139.5.
UNLV coach T.J. Otzelberger after the game to a local newspaper: ““A good team win. I thought our guys did a tremendous job sharing the basketball, as well as we’ve done all year.”
By Thursday, a good number of race and sportsbook denizens were focused on the Vegas Golden Knights at the Ottawa Senators. It was the first game for the VGK with DeBoer as head coach, and oddsmakers made the local team a hefty -185 favorite early in the day.
By the time we got to the window, it was -175 but we never flinched in putting down a little cash. Teams with new coaches, whether in baseball, basketball, football or hockey, have historically responded with a strong performance — at least in the first game. So it was no big surprise that a fired-up Golden Knights team took down the Senators, 4-2. The total pushed at 6.
DeBoer after the game to The AP: ” It’s a good group and, like I said, a tough week and some hard days. I thought it was nice to get a win and kind of move past that.”
The Knights road swing continued Saturday as they visited the Montreal Canadians at the Bell Centre. This time, the VGK were -130 with the total again 6. We were out and about on Las Vegas Boulevard for the game and heard a chorus of moans when the Canadians took a 4-0 lead and spirited cheers when the VGK rallied to tie the score before losing, 5-4, in a shootout.
So how do you feel about that Marchessault jersey now?
Meanwhile, the Runnin’ Rebels were -6 as they hosted the New Mexico Lobos at the Thomas & Mack. After leading 43-40 at the break, the Runnin’ Rebels rode a strong second-half performance to win going away, 99-78, and easily send the total over 150.
“Our guys are playing for each other,” Otzelberger said to a local newspaper after the game. “They’re playing hard. They’re playing the way that we need to play to be successful. At the same time, we’ve got a lot in front of us, and we need to keep getting better.”
UNLV has now won three straight and seven of its last eight.
The big story of Sunday was obviously the NFL Championship Games. In the AFC title game, the Kansas City Chiefs rallied from a 10-0 deficit to defeat the Tennessee Titans, 35-24. The total, which had come down from 53 to 51 in many spots before kickoff, went over fairly easily. (Full disclosure: We played the Chiefs at -4.5, -115 in the first half, which was a loser, but also had the Chiefs at -7.5, +110 for the game, which helped save the day.)
In the NFC game, the San Francisco 49ers dismantled the Green Bay Packers, 37-20, in a game that held all the suspense of an “Antiques Roadshow” rerun. It was another favorite covering, another over and plenty of parlays clicking — and another sweet payday for a good portion of the betting public.
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What’s next?
— The Golden Knights will be at the Boston Bruins on Tuesday before the NHL All-Star Game on Saturday. The VGK are 1-4-1 in their last six games.
— The Runnin’ Rebels, 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games, visit the Nevada Wolf Pack on Wednesday.
— The next big party is Feb. 2 when the 49ers and the Chiefs meet at Hard Rock Stadium in Tampa, Fla., for Super Bowl LIV. The Chiefs are currently -1 with the total at 53.5.
