On Sports Betting: Are You Ready To Bet Some UNLV Rebels Football? Be Careful
By Dan Behringer for LVSportsBiz.com
Are you ready to bet on some UNLV Rebels football?
It’s a question a casual bettor might have asked late Saturday as the Las Vegas team suited up for a game at the San Jose State Spartans.
After games vs. San Diego State, Nevada and Fresno State, the Rebels were winless. Also coverless. That is, they had failed to win or cover in their first three outings under new head coach Marcus Arroyo.
Against San Joe State, the betting line closed at around UNLV +17, according to Vegas Insider. After 60 minutes of play, the Rebels had lost again, 34-17. But this time they had earned a push on the betting line.
Make it 0-3-1 against-the-spread. Three of their four games have gone under the total.
“When you allow drives to continue on situational football like that and they extend into touchdowns, you can’t beat yourself against good teams,” Arroyo, a quarterback for San Jose State around the turn of the century, told reporters after the game. “We’re off the field. We’ve got a couple penalties and big plays, we’ve got to get off and we’ve got to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
The Rebels went three-and-out five times.
The Rebels next play at Colorado State on Saturday. The Rebels are +15 with the total at 57.5.
If the Rebels were trending downward, the Las Vegas Raiders were headed in the opposite direction going into their game Sunday vs. the Denver Broncos. The Raiders had won three of their last four and covered or won outright in three of those four games.
Still, money appeared on the Broncos. At Circa, the line dropped from Raiders -5 to -3 before closing at -3.5.
But Raiders backers had the last laugh Sunday as the Silver and Black pulled away from the Broncos late in a 37-12 win. As The Associated Press reported, the Raiders have topped 150 yards rushing in three straight games for only the second time in the past 10 seasons. If you discovered a prop bet that said Raiders would intercept the Broncos over 3.5 times, you had a winner — the Raiders had four interceptions.
The Raiders next host the division-leading Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium. The Chiefs’ lone loss came at the expense of the Raiders on Oct. 11. The Chiefs are currently -6.5 with the total at 56.5 for a game to be showcased on Sunday Night Football.
“We don’t have much time to celebrate,” coach Jon Gruden told reporters after the game. “We have to play the Chiefs. We had 87 punt return yards called back. We had a penalty on fourth-and-inches. We left some plays out there that our guys are capable of making.”
Elsewhere:
— ESPN’s Prime Time game with the Toledo Rockets at the Western Michigan Broncos on Wednesday turned out to be dramatic affair that included two disqualifications for targeting and a deceptive play that proved to be a game-winner. Toledo, which closed at +1.5, led by 10 points with less than three minutes remaining. Sharps and squares were already lining up at the window to cash their tickets when Western Michigan scored two touchdowns in the waning seconds to win (and cover), 41-38. The Broncos’ winning touchdown came on a fake clock-killing spike with 17 seconds remaining. Moral: It ain’t over until the final official review.
— The Detroit Lions appeared to be a solid play against the Washington Football Team on Sunday. A simulation from CBS SportsLine showed the Lions winning handily. The Lions were as high as -5.5, but the line fell to -3 and even -2.5 in some shops as money rolled in on Washington. The Lions led 28-3 in the third quarter, but Washington rallied to tie it at 24. The Lions eventually prevailed, 30-27, on a field goal as time expired.
— Dustin Johnson won the delayed 2020 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on Sunday by five strokes. His final score of 268 was -20 vs. par and set a Masters record. He paid around 8/1. Favorite Bryson Dechambeau, at around +750, finished at -2 and tied for 34th place. Las Vegan Collin Morikawa, who went off at about +2700, finished at even par and tied for 44th place. Johnson is already 8/1 to win the 2021 version of the Masters.
— The Cincinnati Bearcats covered -27.5 in their 55-17 win Saturday over the East Carolina Pirates. Cincinnati, ranked No. 7 in The AP poll, has won outright or covered four straight after a loss to South Florida on Oct. 3. Cincinnati is -4.5 at Central Florida on Saturday.
— No. 2 ranked Notre Dame beat Boston College, 45-31, on Saturday, narrowly covering -13. They have won and covered three of their last four. The Fighting Irish next play at North Carolina on Nov. 27.
— Betting on the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers has proved profitable for bettors’ bankrolls. The Steelers are 9-0 after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals, 36-10, on Sunday and easily covering -6.5. The Steelers are 6-2-1 ATS for the year. They are now -10 vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
