Monday Morning Gambler: Vegas Golden Knights Bettors Get Back In Groove Of Cashing Tickets
By Dan Behringer for LVSportsBiz.com
If you’ve been betting the Vegas Golden Knights, you finally got to cash a winner. Two, in fact.
The VGK defeated the St. Louis Blues, 5-4, in overtime on Friday for their first win since March 6. Since then, bettors had to tear up tickets twice after two straight road losses to the Minnesota Wild. And tearing up tickets is about as much fun as trying to stop a hockey puck with your teeth.
Bettors caught a short price, too, around -115 for the win. The total went over 5.5.
On Saturday, the VGK made it two in a row with a 5-1 win over the Blues. The price was higher this time, however, in the -130 range. The total of 6 was a push.
“It was a gutsy effort and a real gritty win,” coach Pete DeBoer told reporters after the game. “To end up at the end of this trip 4-2 in some tough buildings is a great road trip.”
Good enough to cash some tickets at least.
Next up for the Las Vegas team: Two home dates with the San Jose Sharks, on Monday and Wednesday. On Monday, the VGK are -250 favorites with the total at 6.
Elsewhere:
— It’s all about March Madness this week.
Expect some occasional long lines and frequent shrieks and hollers from the race and sports books and amateur handicappers touting their No. 12 vs. No. 5 seeds and animated jabber from CBS sportscasters with oversized headsets and point spread winners decided by nerve-wracking free throws in the final ticks of the clock and frequent questions of “Do you still have all your Final Four teams?” as the field of 68 gets underway with play-in games on Thursday, then first-round action on Friday and Saturday. Second-round action will occur this year on Sunday and Monday.
No. 1 seeds are Gonzaga, Baylor, Michigan, Illinois. You can find Gonzaga, the No. 1 overall seed, at around +220, Baylor at about +400, Michigan at around +450 and Illinois at about +1000. Sharps, however, like to point out there’s greater value in playing your eventual champion on the money line for each game, then hedging presuming your pick makes it to the Final Four. Some wags also note you can bet against your favorite team at each round, cheering and watching them advance if they win, cashing a ticket if they lose.
— The UNLV Runnin’ Rebels season ended ignominiously on Thursday with a 74-53 loss to Utah State in the second round of the Mountain West tournament. The score was tied at 24 at the break, but the Aggies put away the Rebels with a 50-29 outburst in the final 20 minutes and covered the 8.5-point spread. The total came in under 136.5.
“We knew tonight to be successful we were going to have to be the more physical team,” coach T.J. Otzelberger told reporters after the game. “They converted on nine out of 10 out of the locker room and we put ourselves in a deficit and were chasing the whole second half.”
No kidding.
— Bettors in the welterweight bout of UFC Fight Night on Saturday had their money refunded after a no-contest decision in the Leon Edwards-Belal Muhammad match. Muhammad’s eye swelled shut in the second round after an inadvertent poke from Edwards.
“I didn’t mean to do it,” Edwards, anywhere from -250 to -275, told reporters. “I went for the cross headkick and he stepped into it. I really apologize.”
UFC 260, slated for March 27 at the UFC Apex facility in southwestern Las Vegas, features a heavyweight championship rematch between current champion Stipe Miocic and contender Francis Ngannou. Miocic won on points in January 2018.
The defending champ was about +150 on the opening line and Ngannou was -175. However, the numbers have moved, and Miocic is now +115 and Ngannou -135 at BetMGM.
— Justin Thomas came from three shots back to win The Players Championship on the PGA Tour Sunday with a 4-under-par of 68. He paid about +1600.
The Masters is just around the corner with first round action slated for April 8 at the Augusta National Golf Club. Shorter odds are for Dustin Johnson at +700, Bryson Dechambeau and Rory McIlroy at +1000, and Brooks Kopeka at +1100 and Jon Rahm at +1100. Further down, a half-dozen or so golfers including Jose Maria Olazabel are +100000.
Dan Behringer is a longtime Las Vegan. Follow posts at doublegutshot.com. On Twitter @DanBehringer221.
