All You Can Do Is Laugh....

JPM36 · Post by **JPM36** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 11:04 pm

I am an avid sports bettor and I enjoy betting on everything from single games to futures on certain teams to win the Super Bowl.

I was looking at placing a bet on a team to win the Super Bowl recently and saw the lines and they just cracked me up. This is so ridiculous. These are some actual lines from my sportsbook, which I won't link, but it is a very prominent book.

To Win the Super Bowl:

Carolina is 13-1, Washington is 20-1, Seattle is 12-1.

Given these odds, what would you guess Dallas would be? 25-1? 30-1?

Try 9-1.

9-1!!

The Redskins swept Dallas last year, including an absolute woodshed beating last December that essentially put us in the playoffs and meant they were going home. Now a year later we have added numerous talented players and they have only added one truly substantial player in Terrell Owens, a 32 year old wide receiver who didn't even play last season!

But according to this sportsbook, they are the best team in the NFC! They got from not even making the playoffs to leapfrogging the entire conferene based on 1 player! Who didn't even play a year ago! I've never seen anything like this.

To put it in persepctive EVEN MORE Pittsburgh AND New England both have longer odds than Dallas on this thing! The defending champs and the team that has won it 3 times in the last 5 years! It's just unbelievable. Only the Colts have shorter odds, at 5-1. It's laughable. They are essentially saying that Dallas is the 2nd best bet in the NFL to win the Super Bowl, just because of one guy.

I hope they go down, and go down hard.

Anyways....I just wanted to vent with some people who would understand how utterly ridiculous this is.

BossHog · Post by **BossHog** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 5:20 am

My buddy was in Vegas and put a ten spot on the Skins for me at Treasure Island and all he got was 10-to-1 odds. :shock:

... and that was in April.

Mursilis · Post by **Mursilis** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 8:12 am

I hate the Cowboys as much as anyone here, but they didn't just add T.O. - they also signed J. Fabini (OT) from the Jets, which should help on the line, and they also landed M. Vanderjagt from the Colts, and he's a top-tier kicker (no doubt due in part to all his time kicking in a dome). Besides, betting lines aren't just set based on the team's on-the-field chances - I think the odds are probably more favorable (to the sportsbook) because Dallas fans are going to bet on the 'boys anyway, so the bookies don't have to give great odds.

All that being said, I hope they lose every game!!

Fios · Post by **Fios** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 8:27 am

It's also essential to understand how thorough Vegas is with this process. The sports books set these lines to encourage betting patterns. They know that the average football fan will spend X amount on Y team and adjust the lines accordingly. There is a definite science at work.

hkHog · Post by **hkHog** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 8:42 am

It just goes to prove the old cliche that a fool (Cowboys fan) and his money are soon parted.

Countertrey · Post by **Countertrey** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 8:47 am

Oh, this is actually good news on 2 fronts. One, the return on a bet on the Skins with the current odds would pay better should they win, than an identical bet on the Cowboys. .

Second, we are better off as the dogs... under the radar is always better.

SkinsJock · Post by **SkinsJock** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 10:18 am

Fios wrote:It's also essential to understand how thorough Vegas is with this process. The sports books set these lines to encourage betting patterns. They know that the average football fan will spend X amount on Y team and adjust the lines accordingly. There is a definite science at work.

Right on, flexi straw! I think this has been "covered" many times before here.
The bookies do not establish lines for bets based on which team they (or anyone) think has a chance at winning the game - the line is based on a much more simple formula - how does the bookie get an even amount of money bet on each team - a bookie is only interested in getting your money and the quality of your team has nothing to do with it.
There are obviously a lot more idiots who will bet on the pukes - gambling is never about the quality of your team - it is all about getting people to put their money in a bookies pocket!

I also think it is a great time to take advantage of how great the Redskins chances at winning are this year - we will definetly be better than the squawks this year. 10 - 1 seems like a pretty good deal :twisted:

brain71 · Post by **brain71** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 12:35 pm

I got 12-1 in when I went to Vegas in May.

JPM36 · Post by **JPM36** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 3:08 pm

I understand and agree with everyone that's being said in this thread.

But still....the COWBOYS have the 2nd shrotest odds in the entire NFL to win the Super Bowl?

Any way you try to justify it, it's still completely ridiculous.

Mursilis · Post by **Mursilis** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 3:19 pm

JPM36 wrote:I understand and agree with everyone that's being said in this thread.

But still....the COWBOYS have the 2nd shrotest odds in the entire NFL to win the Super Bowl?

Any way you try to justify it, it's still completely ridiculous.

Which is about how I felt when SI's Peter King picked them to win the Super Bowl this season! But it will make thier ultimate demise all the more hilarious.

PulpExposure · Post by **PulpExposure** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 11:31 pm

Mursilis wrote:I hate the Cowboys as much as anyone here, but they didn't just add T.O. - they also signed J. Fabini (OT) from the Jets, which should help on the line

I read recently that Fabini has looked awful so far for the Cowboys, and they expect Pettiti to start again for them this year.

Yeah, the same guy who is basically a turnstyle.