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Free Thought Number 21
Published: 1/24/2007 4:20 PM
Last Modified: 1/24/2007 4:20 PM

Free Thought of the Week, Number 21 -- People gamble on team sports, no surprise there.

It's legal in Las Vegas and practiced on certain internet
sites -- send your money off-shore, who knows, it could wind up under water.

States should put out football parlay cards -- they might make as much as Indian casinos.

People also gamble with bookmakers, which is illegal.

I knew a bookmaker once. He had this over his desk: TRUST THE NUMBER!

What that means is the people who set point spreads know more than any gambler ever could.

The people who set point spreads are not thungs, it's more like they're sports geniuses. They can somehow see into into huddles before they form.

There's a misconception about sports gambling where people think bookmakers and gaming establishments want half the people on one side of a bet, or game, and half on the other, so they can collect the 10 percent vigorish on losers. But what sports books would much rather have is almost everybody on the wrong side of a bet.

The point of this free thought is: If a number looks one-sided to you, you're fixing to lose.

There's no way of knowing how often the public is wrong on a game. Frequently, that's probably the correct answer. When the public is heavy on one side of a game, they're probably wrong 90 percent of the time.

Most games with point spreads are like 50-50 propositions, coin flips.

There has never been a broke bookie.

If you gamble in Vegas, and want to give yourself the best chance of winning, try to place yourself on the bookie's side of the bet, which is the side opposite the dopey public. The off-side of obvious numbers win. A lot.
Where it's legal.





Reader Comments 9 Total

Jeremy (6 years ago)
I agree with about 90% of your take. The people that set the point spreads are definately good at what they do. If a number seems too good to be true, then it usually is. I definately agree with you that Vegas likes certain teams in certain situations each week, so they set a "trap" line and win a ton of money from Joe Public.

My only disagreement is that since sports games are unpredictable, Vegas does want 50% of the money on each side IN SOME GAMES each week. In my opinion, they trap you on some games, and take the juice on others.

If a person lives in Vegas and wants to bet on football for a living (or any other sport for that matter), then he has to smell out the trap games. Otherwise, he'll have to find a couple of good teams each week that have good line value (overrated and underrated teams, etc...).

Jeremy (6 years ago)
A great example of a trap line occurred in this week's Bedlam hoops event. When I saw that OSU was favored by only 5, I knew that Vegas liked the Sooners to keep it close. Before the line came out, I thought the much better Cowboys would be favored by 10 or so in Stillwater. Final score? OSU by 5.
world picker (6 years ago)
Jeremy: The OSU-OU game was a classic example of never doubting the number.

Actually, the number went up slightly.

I heard that 95 percent of the bets made on that game, at 5 and a half points, were on OSU.

Which is why there are no broke bookies.

The Super Bowl number looks about right, don't you think?

Cases can be made for both sides.

Times like this, with billions bet, they'll take the ten percent on losers.
Jeremy (6 years ago)
What is it, Indy -7? That seems about right.

The game is going to be played in warm weather. Advantage Indy.

The Bears' QB has played well lately. Advantage Bears.

The Bears' QB has played well lately, and thus is due to blow up. Advantage Indy.

The Bears have the better big play defense and special teams.

Indy has by far the better QB.

Indy has the more seasoned coach.

The Chicago defense would make the 7 points seem good, so for that reason the line scares me. Right now, I'll take Indy and lay the TD. I'm betting on the resurgent Colts' defense picking off Grossman a few times. As long as Peyton's thumb isn't too bad, they should score some points.

Rip (6 years ago)
I would take the Bears with 7, and the over, which means it will be the Colts covering and the score under 49.
world picker (6 years ago)
Friend of mine is in Las Vegas, and he said the number he sees most out there is six and a half.

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Out Pick The Picker

The Picker began entertaining – and infuriating – sports fans in 1993. Each week during football season, he writes about his picks of college and NFL games in his Thursday Sports column. He's never afraid of sharing his opinions about the game and the personalities who play it. Readers have a chance to go against him each season in the Outpick the Picker contest. He welcomes the competition.

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