Underdogs have their day, and so do busy books
In an upside-down world, a few predictable events did occur. To no surprise, Tony Romo tossed three interceptions, and the Dallas Cowboys solidified their status as America’s bet-against team.
It’s the regular season, not the playoffs, so Peyton Manning put on a passing clinic in an apparent Denver Broncos blowout.
The Washington Redskins lost again, and did not change their nickname.
Other than that, the NFL’s first Sunday swept away the betting public in a tsunami of surprising events.
“You never know what you’re going to get,” said Jay Kornegay, Westgate Las Vegas sports book director.
The Philadelphia Eagles, the biggest favorites on the board, trailed 17-0 early in the second quarter. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots were outscored 23-0 in the second half.
Pittsburgh blew a 27-3 lead, but won on a field goal as time expired. Two other popular favorites, Chicago and New Orleans, lost in overtime.
“It’s insane,” Jimmy Vaccaro said from the South Point book, where foot traffic was jammed at 15 betting windows. “You watch these games and just shake your head. If you can figure this stuff out, you’re smarter than I am.”
It was smarter to bet underdogs, and better to be a bookmaker. Ten games kicked off at 10 a.m., with ’dogs covering eight and winning six outright.
“You had a lot of upsets. It’s one of the best mornings we’ve ever had,” Kornegay said. “You had a tsunami of games in the morning, and as far as the sports book is concerned, almost everything went our way.”
A majority of bettors were swimming in red ink by the afternoon, with many paying the price for the Bears’ 23-20 loss to the lowly Buffalo Bills. Jay Cutler threw two interceptions, and in overtime he came up short, completing 1 of 3 passes for 3 yards to set up a punt and the Bills’ final, stunning drive.
“That was our biggest win,” Vaccaro said. “In our contest, 5,000 people circled the Bears and 400 circled the Bills.”
Teasers can be a good wagering strategy at times, especially in the NFL. The Bears, 7-point favorites, were laying one point on a six-point teaser. It was easy to take the bait.
“The Bills winning in overtime pretty much eliminated all teasers,” Kornegay said. “People are pretty upset with the Bears, and people are pretty upset with the Patriots. You have a couple of popular teams that disappointed the public.”
It appeared to be business as usual for New England, which sucked in the public as a 4-point favorite. Brady hit tight end Rob Gronkowski for a touchdown pass, and the Patriots led 20-10 at the half in Miami. When the Dolphins won 33-20, there was a lot of head shaking.
The Bills, Dolphins, Falcons and Panthers produced the most profitable results for the books. Matt Ryan passed for 448 yards as Atlanta, a 3-point home ’dog, overcame a 20-7 deficit to strike down the Saints 37-34. Carolina scratched quarterback Cam Newton, and Tampa Bay went from a 2½- to 4½-point favorite. If it looks easy, forget it. The Bucs were a bust in a 20-14 loss.
The underdogs, including Minnesota and Tennessee, went 10-3. There was zero drama in the victories by the Vikings and Titans.
But it was a strange point-spread story in Philadelphia, where angry fans booed after the Jacksonville Jaguars stormed to a 17-0 lead as 10½-point ’dogs. The Eagles scored the final 34 points, covering on a 17-yard fumble return with 1:23 to play, and that was insane.
In New York, the Jets left the back door open, and Raiders rookie Derek Carr sneaked inside the spread with a 30-yard touchdown pass with 1:21 left. Oakland, a 5½- to 6½-point ’dog, covered in a 19-14 loss.
Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco slept through the first half, and Baltimore blew its home opener to Cincinnati. The Redskins slept through the entire game in a 17-6 loss at Houston.
“You analyze these games for four months,” Kornegay said, “and in only a few hours, it’s amazing how much of that didn’t come true.”
Washington’s demise was expected, and the same was true with Dallas. Romo and the Cowboys staged a comedy of errors in a 28-17 loss to San Francisco that turned into a joke shortly after lunch.
Around dinnertime, the Broncos, favored by 8½ and leading 24-0, coughed up the cover in a 31-24 victory over Indianapolis. The Colts’ comeback behind Andrew Luck was a fitting end to several bettors’ unlucky day, because the books needed the underdog, of course.
■ BOTTOM LINES — The SuperContest at the Westgate drew a record 1,403 entries from NFL handicappers. With an entry fee of $1,500, the prize pool tops $2.1 million. … Vaccaro said the Pro Football Jackpot Parlay Card at the South Point drew 5,240 entries at $5 apiece. Twelve entrants are tied with two losses — picking straight-up winners — going into today’s doubleheader.
Las Vegas Review-Journal sports betting columnist Matt Youmans can be reached at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. He co-hosts “The Las Vegas Sportsline” weekdays at 2 p.m. on ESPN Radio (1100 AM). Follow him on Twitter: @mattyoumans247.
