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By Dan Behringer of LVSportsBiz.com
The crowds have swelled in the race and sports book. Printed fliers with early odds sometimes are sometimes hard to find. Counters are littered with worthless tickets, abandoned Bud Light and Modela Especial bottles, and golf pencils.
All that will ratchet up two- or threefold, of course, when the NFL gets under way with the Dallas Cowboys at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football and a full schedule on Sunday.
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In the meantime, if you’ve somehow slipped off the face of the Earth, here’s how the Top 5 in college football fared in Week 1:
— No. 1 rated Alabama lived up to its billing and rolled over Miami, 44-13. The total, as touted by an analyst at VSiN, came in under 61.5 although that was still in doubt in the fourth quarter. One perennial trend, the Crimson Tide in the first-half, paid once again.
— No. 2 Oklahoma, -31.5, escaped Tulane, 40-35, which scored 13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. The total at 75 pushed.
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— No. 3 Clemson, -2.5, lost a defensive Dawgfight to No. 5 Georgia, 10-3. The Bulldogs’ relentless pressure made it a miserable night for the Tigers, who had two rushing yards net for the game. Georgia notched seven sacks. Kudos to the analyst at CBS SportsLine who foresaw the defensive struggle and touted under 51.5.
— Bonus, No. 6, Texas A&M, -29.5, squeaked out a cover against Kent State, 41-10. The total fell woefully short of 67.5.
Elsewhere:
— Follow the money: Several books had UNLV at -2 vs. Eastern Washington in the days before the Rebels season-opener Thursday. But the money steadily shifted the line to UNLV +2 by kickoff. The money, as it often is, was dead-on as the Eagles spoiled the Rebels home opener at Allegiant Stadium, 35-33, in double overtime. The extended game, however, did reward bettors who played over 66 with the score was tied at 20 at the end of regulation.
“We can’t look at this loss and hang on to it all season,” running back Charles Williams told reporters after the game. “We’ve got 11 more games to go, so we’ve got to focus on those 11 games.”
One of those 11 games is Saturday when UNLV travels to Arizona State. The Sun Devils are 33-point favorites with the total at 55.
— Line moves: Another intriguing line move was that on the Las Vegas Aces , who were initially -6 vs. the Chicago Sky on Thursday. But with Liz Cambage sidelined with COVID-19 issues and Dearica Hamby out because of a sprained ankle, the line dropped to -4.5, then to -3.5 before tipoff.
The Aces responded by bolting to a 52-36 first-half lead, then had to fend off a Sky rally that saw them briefly lead in the fourth quarter. But the Aces prevailed and covered, 90-83, and the total went over 170.
“I told (the players) how hard they’re going to have to play, and I think they learned that lesson today,” Aces coach Bill Laimbeer told reporters after the game.
But the Aces, -2 in the rematch on Sunday, apparently didn’t get the entire message. The Sky won it, 94-82, with a strong fourth-quarter performance. The total went over 170.
Next up: The Aces (20-8) host the Minnesota Lynx (18-9) on Wednesday.
— MLB MVP betting: Think Las Vegas product Bryce Harper has a shot at National League Most Valuable Player? You should be able to find him at about +900 to win the trophy, according to Vegas insider. Only the San Diego Padres’ popular Fernando Tatis Jr. at +300 and the Los Angeles Dodgers No. 2 in the lineup Max Muncy at +700 are shorter National League favorites.
Harper, who skipped the final two years of high school to play baseball for the College of Southern Nevada, posted a .337 batting average and 1.231 OPS for the Philadelphia Phillies in August, the Wall Street Journal reported.
“What he’s done for this club has been absolutely incredible,” Phillies manager Joe Girardi told the newspaper. “He’s one of those guys you don’t necessarily go and get a soda or a hot dog when he comes up to hit. You stay in your chair and you wait to see the at-bat.”
Laugher of the week: If you took a shot with Army at +2.5 vs. Georgia State, you got to sit back and enjoy one of the laughers of the week. The Black Knights struck early and often on their way to a 43-10 rout — a cover by 35.5 points.