Jmart
04-19-2005, 11:16 AM
You have gotta love the sportsbooks, they put out a line for the opening weekend before the draft even happens!
http://www.coversexperts.com/includes/article_spot.asp?ur=3320
Books differ on Week 1 NFL opening numbers
By Stephen Nover
April 18, 2005
Who said you can’t middle or side NFL games?
Several sportsbooks have already put up odds on the first week of the NFL regular season. Among the sportsbooks that have are PinnacleSports.com and Sportsbook.com. There is a difference in the betting line on all but four of the games, comparing Pinnacle’s openers to those of Sportsbook.com.
The biggest disparity is in the Packers-Lions Week 1 matchup. Pinnacle has the Packers favored by three points, while Sportsbook.com lists the Lions as minus 2 ½. Are the Packers really going to miss their two starting guards that much? Did Brett Favre retire and not tell anybody?
There is at least a two-point difference in three other games between the two Internet books.
The Vikings are 6 ½-point favorites at home against the Buccaneers at Sportsbook.com. But at Pinnacle, the Vikings are laying just 3 ½ points. Perhaps the linesmakers at Sportsbook.com don’t believe the Vikings aren’t going to miss Randy Moss too much, or the oddsmakers at Pinnacle don’t believe the Vikings have improved their defense as much as some people believe.
Speaking of Moss, his Raiders are seven-point underdogs to the Patriots the opening game of the season on Thursday, Sept. 8. Sportsbook.com has the defending champion Patriots a tad higher at 7 ½. The Raiders beat the Patriots, 27-20, when they last met in 2002. In the past two years, though, the Raiders are a combined 9-23.
J.P. Losman figures to be making his first NFL start, but that hasn’t prevented Pinnacle from installing the Bills as a 7-point favorite against the Texans. Sportsbook.com has more respect for the Texans, making the Bills a five-point choice.
Pinnacle has the Redskins a six-point choice against the Bears, while Sportsbook.com makes Washington a four-point favorite. The Redskins won only two games last year by more than seven points.
In the Week 1 Monday night matchup, the Eagles are a field goal favorite against the Falcons in Atlanta. Sportsbook.com has the Eagles at minus 2 ½.
The other consensus road favorites between the two sportsbooks are the Bengals, Broncos, Rams and Colts at minus 3 against the Ravens in the opening Sunday night game. The Bengals are minus 2 ½ vs. the Browns, the Broncos are 3 ½ against the Dolphins according to Sportsbook.com or minus 5 going by Pinnacle’s number, while the Rams are either minus 3 or 4 against the 49ers depending on which sportsbook you look at.
The two books agree on the Steelers-Titans and Chiefs-Jets opening matchups. The Steelers are minus 7, while the Chiefs are minus 3 at both books.
There is disagreement, however, on the Jaguars-Seahawks, Giants-Cardinals and Chargers-Cowboys games. The Jaguars are at minus 3 and 3 ½, while the Chargers are either minus 5 or 6.
Pinnacle makes the Giants just a 1-point home favorite against the Cardinals and their new quarterback, ex-Giant Kurt Warner. Sportsbook.com has the Giants as a stronger favorite at 2 ½.
Sportsbook.com also put up Week 1 totals. The highest over/unders are the Jets-Chiefs at 49 ½ points and the Raiders-Patriots at 49. Another high total is the Colts-Ravens at 47 ½.
There are only two totals less than 40 points. The lowest is the Bears-Redskins at 36. Then comes the Cardinals-Giants at 38 ½.
Several books also have put up NFL draft props. Pinnacle, for instance, has six props:
Will Aaron Rodgers be the first overall pick in the draft? Rodgers is minus $1.50. Rodgers may not be the top blue-chip talent in the draft, but if you were a 49ers executive would you want to go through another season of Tim Rattay, Ken Dorsey and Cody Pickett?
Will Mike Williams be drafted in the top 6 overall? Chances are if Williams lasts that long he’ll be plucked at No. 7 by the Vikings.
Will Maurice Clarett be drafted in the first 175 picks, about halfway through the sixth round? Don’t be shocked if Clarett doesn’t even get selected. The guy’s been in court more than the lawyers in “The Practice” and runs slower than Rosie O’Donnell.
Will the Vikings draft a wide receiver in the first round? They will if Braylon Edwards or Williams is available. If both are gone - and Edwards almost certainly will – then the “No” is a great price at plus $2.10.
Will Matt Jones be a first-round pick? Jones is the draft’s most intriguing prospect because of his versatile athletic skills. He could go as a quarterback, wide receiver or tight end. The “No” is minus $1.30.
Then there’s an over/under of 3 ½ on how many picks are from the University of Oklahoma. The under is minus $1.55.
http://www.coversexperts.com/includes/article_spot.asp?ur=3320
Books differ on Week 1 NFL opening numbers
By Stephen Nover
April 18, 2005
Who said you can’t middle or side NFL games?
Several sportsbooks have already put up odds on the first week of the NFL regular season. Among the sportsbooks that have are PinnacleSports.com and Sportsbook.com. There is a difference in the betting line on all but four of the games, comparing Pinnacle’s openers to those of Sportsbook.com.
The biggest disparity is in the Packers-Lions Week 1 matchup. Pinnacle has the Packers favored by three points, while Sportsbook.com lists the Lions as minus 2 ½. Are the Packers really going to miss their two starting guards that much? Did Brett Favre retire and not tell anybody?
There is at least a two-point difference in three other games between the two Internet books.
The Vikings are 6 ½-point favorites at home against the Buccaneers at Sportsbook.com. But at Pinnacle, the Vikings are laying just 3 ½ points. Perhaps the linesmakers at Sportsbook.com don’t believe the Vikings aren’t going to miss Randy Moss too much, or the oddsmakers at Pinnacle don’t believe the Vikings have improved their defense as much as some people believe.
Speaking of Moss, his Raiders are seven-point underdogs to the Patriots the opening game of the season on Thursday, Sept. 8. Sportsbook.com has the defending champion Patriots a tad higher at 7 ½. The Raiders beat the Patriots, 27-20, when they last met in 2002. In the past two years, though, the Raiders are a combined 9-23.
J.P. Losman figures to be making his first NFL start, but that hasn’t prevented Pinnacle from installing the Bills as a 7-point favorite against the Texans. Sportsbook.com has more respect for the Texans, making the Bills a five-point choice.
Pinnacle has the Redskins a six-point choice against the Bears, while Sportsbook.com makes Washington a four-point favorite. The Redskins won only two games last year by more than seven points.
In the Week 1 Monday night matchup, the Eagles are a field goal favorite against the Falcons in Atlanta. Sportsbook.com has the Eagles at minus 2 ½.
The other consensus road favorites between the two sportsbooks are the Bengals, Broncos, Rams and Colts at minus 3 against the Ravens in the opening Sunday night game. The Bengals are minus 2 ½ vs. the Browns, the Broncos are 3 ½ against the Dolphins according to Sportsbook.com or minus 5 going by Pinnacle’s number, while the Rams are either minus 3 or 4 against the 49ers depending on which sportsbook you look at.
The two books agree on the Steelers-Titans and Chiefs-Jets opening matchups. The Steelers are minus 7, while the Chiefs are minus 3 at both books.
There is disagreement, however, on the Jaguars-Seahawks, Giants-Cardinals and Chargers-Cowboys games. The Jaguars are at minus 3 and 3 ½, while the Chargers are either minus 5 or 6.
Pinnacle makes the Giants just a 1-point home favorite against the Cardinals and their new quarterback, ex-Giant Kurt Warner. Sportsbook.com has the Giants as a stronger favorite at 2 ½.
Sportsbook.com also put up Week 1 totals. The highest over/unders are the Jets-Chiefs at 49 ½ points and the Raiders-Patriots at 49. Another high total is the Colts-Ravens at 47 ½.
There are only two totals less than 40 points. The lowest is the Bears-Redskins at 36. Then comes the Cardinals-Giants at 38 ½.
Several books also have put up NFL draft props. Pinnacle, for instance, has six props:
Will Aaron Rodgers be the first overall pick in the draft? Rodgers is minus $1.50. Rodgers may not be the top blue-chip talent in the draft, but if you were a 49ers executive would you want to go through another season of Tim Rattay, Ken Dorsey and Cody Pickett?
Will Mike Williams be drafted in the top 6 overall? Chances are if Williams lasts that long he’ll be plucked at No. 7 by the Vikings.
Will Maurice Clarett be drafted in the first 175 picks, about halfway through the sixth round? Don’t be shocked if Clarett doesn’t even get selected. The guy’s been in court more than the lawyers in “The Practice” and runs slower than Rosie O’Donnell.
Will the Vikings draft a wide receiver in the first round? They will if Braylon Edwards or Williams is available. If both are gone - and Edwards almost certainly will – then the “No” is a great price at plus $2.10.
Will Matt Jones be a first-round pick? Jones is the draft’s most intriguing prospect because of his versatile athletic skills. He could go as a quarterback, wide receiver or tight end. The “No” is minus $1.30.
Then there’s an over/under of 3 ½ on how many picks are from the University of Oklahoma. The under is minus $1.55.