Football not only game in town
As I'm burning the midnight oil on Friday night, I'm preparing for a big day of college football on Saturday and then my favorite day of the week with the NFL card on Sunday. However, I keep getting distracting by other sporting events at this time of year (and I'm not even going to get into how much I'm handicapping and watching replays in preparation for the Breeders' Cup at the end of the month). So, here's a View From Vegas look at the rest of the weekend action:
* The baseball playoffs have been pretty excited even if you're a Cubs fan (which I am) or a Yankees fan (which I'm not). The latest highlight on Friday night was Manny Ramirez of the Red Sox hitting a walkoff homer in the bottom of the ninth against the Angels. The three-run shot gave Boston a 6-3 victory and a 2-0 series lead, and obviously it made winners of bettors who laid -145 to -150 on the Red Sox to win the game, but it also was a lucky result for those who played the run line and laid Boston -1.5 runs. If Manny's hit had landed anywhere in the field of play at Fenway Park, the final score would have been 4-3 and run-line players would have lost. The game did stay under the total of 9.5 runs. Boston isn't alone with a 2-0 lead in its series as the Indians grabbed a 2-0 series lead over the Yankees earlier in the day and the Rockies and Diamondbacks were already up 2-0 in the NL series vs. the Phillies and Cubs, respectively. While the Red Sox won both their games as the favorite, underdog bettors have been cashing in on the rest of the series as the dogs have won five of the six other games. Home teams are 6-2 overall with the Red Sox, Diamondbacks and Angels holding home-field advantage. The totals have gone 5-3 to the under, with an odd occurrence in which the three games on Wednesday all went under, then the three games on Thursday all went over, and then both of Friday's games went under. The AL teams take Saturday off to travel and the NL series resume with the Cubs as a -180 favorite to stave off elimination. Early weather reports have the wind blowing in from right field, so if you want to bet the under, you might want to do that ASAP before the total drops. The Rockies, winners of 16 of their last 17 games, are -155 favorites to finish off the Phillies. The total is 11 runs at Coors Field.
* Saturday night is all right for fighting on both ends of the country. At Madison Square Garden in New York, Samuel Peter is a -900 favorite to retain the WBC heavyweight title (which he didn't win in the ring) over Jameel McCline. But since the heavyweight division is pretty much in a shambles, that bout is being overshadowed by the super featherweight title fight at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Manny Pacquiao is a -360 favorite over Marco Antonio Barrera. Both popular fighters should bring a lot of fans, and these two usually put on a good show. The fight is scheduled for 12 rounds but the oddsmakers have put the over/under at 10 rounds with the under being bet to a -130 favorite. Pacquiao by KO is around -160 as the most likely result, with Pacquiao by decision at +190, Barrera by decision around +400, Barrera by KO at +600 and a draw at +1400.
* The Nextel Chase for the Cup continues Sunday at 10:45 a.m. Vegas time with the UAW-GM 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Station Casinos has Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon as the 5-1 co-favorites, with Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. at 6-1, and then a dropoff to Kevin Harvick at 10-1. In the race for the season title, Gordon is the 5-2 favorite, with Johnson at 7-2 and Stewart at 5-1.
* The baseball playoffs have been pretty excited even if you're a Cubs fan (which I am) or a Yankees fan (which I'm not). The latest highlight on Friday night was Manny Ramirez of the Red Sox hitting a walkoff homer in the bottom of the ninth against the Angels. The three-run shot gave Boston a 6-3 victory and a 2-0 series lead, and obviously it made winners of bettors who laid -145 to -150 on the Red Sox to win the game, but it also was a lucky result for those who played the run line and laid Boston -1.5 runs. If Manny's hit had landed anywhere in the field of play at Fenway Park, the final score would have been 4-3 and run-line players would have lost. The game did stay under the total of 9.5 runs. Boston isn't alone with a 2-0 lead in its series as the Indians grabbed a 2-0 series lead over the Yankees earlier in the day and the Rockies and Diamondbacks were already up 2-0 in the NL series vs. the Phillies and Cubs, respectively. While the Red Sox won both their games as the favorite, underdog bettors have been cashing in on the rest of the series as the dogs have won five of the six other games. Home teams are 6-2 overall with the Red Sox, Diamondbacks and Angels holding home-field advantage. The totals have gone 5-3 to the under, with an odd occurrence in which the three games on Wednesday all went under, then the three games on Thursday all went over, and then both of Friday's games went under. The AL teams take Saturday off to travel and the NL series resume with the Cubs as a -180 favorite to stave off elimination. Early weather reports have the wind blowing in from right field, so if you want to bet the under, you might want to do that ASAP before the total drops. The Rockies, winners of 16 of their last 17 games, are -155 favorites to finish off the Phillies. The total is 11 runs at Coors Field.
* Saturday night is all right for fighting on both ends of the country. At Madison Square Garden in New York, Samuel Peter is a -900 favorite to retain the WBC heavyweight title (which he didn't win in the ring) over Jameel McCline. But since the heavyweight division is pretty much in a shambles, that bout is being overshadowed by the super featherweight title fight at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Manny Pacquiao is a -360 favorite over Marco Antonio Barrera. Both popular fighters should bring a lot of fans, and these two usually put on a good show. The fight is scheduled for 12 rounds but the oddsmakers have put the over/under at 10 rounds with the under being bet to a -130 favorite. Pacquiao by KO is around -160 as the most likely result, with Pacquiao by decision at +190, Barrera by decision around +400, Barrera by KO at +600 and a draw at +1400.
* The Nextel Chase for the Cup continues Sunday at 10:45 a.m. Vegas time with the UAW-GM 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Station Casinos has Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon as the 5-1 co-favorites, with Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. at 6-1, and then a dropoff to Kevin Harvick at 10-1. In the race for the season title, Gordon is the 5-2 favorite, with Johnson at 7-2 and Stewart at 5-1.
Incorrect fact in today's comments when Mr. Tuley said underdogs won ALL six other games (except for Boston) in the LCS games this week. Webb was favored over Zambrabo in game 1, as I recall. oTHER THAN THAT, YOU'RE DOING A GOOD JOB--THANKS FOR YOUR THOUGHTS!
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Good catch, Jan. Can't believe I forgot that. Just goes to show I've got the sharpest readers out there. Thanks for the correction.
Dave
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