Losing wagers no rookie mistake

[clevfan]

Mon, Sep. 8, 2008


Losing wagers no rookie mistake
By Kate Fagan

Philly Inquirer Staff Writer

According to Las Vegas oddsmakers, betting against rookie quarterbacks usually is a profitable business.

Kenny White, chief operating officer of Las Vegas Sports Consultants, said rookie quarterbacks - like local boys Matt Ryan, starting for the Falcons, and Joe Flacco, starting for the Ravens - cover the spread only 30 percent of the time, thus accounting for Ryan and Flacco finding their teams as underdogs, even though both were playing at home against less-than-stellar opponents.

Ryan, from Penn Charter, covered the spread in leading Atlanta past Detroit, 34-21; Flacco, from Audubon High, followed suit as Baltimore beat Cincinnati, 17-10.

"Those two games, with those rookie quarterbacks, was the biggest surprise of the day," White said.

Way back in April when odds were first released, the Eagles opened as a six-point favorite over the Rams. The number was eventually bet up to nine.

"That game got quite a bit of action," White said. "And they were right."

Even after the Eagles' 35-point drubbing of St. Louis, White said the early spread for next Monday night's Eagles-Cowboys game puts host Dallas as a seven-point favorite.

White said that last Tuesday the Eagles were a 25-1 long shot to win the Super Bowl. After yesterday's win, White said he believed that would drop to as low as 15-1, but might hover in the 18-1 range.

"After a convincing win like that, it draws public attention," White said. "And a lot of people will jump on that 25-1 and see the value there."

The Patriots, who played three quarters without star quarterback Tom Brady, failed to cover their 16-point spread in a 17-10 win over Kansas City.

Of course Vegas has no control over mid-game injuries such as Brady's. With Brady hurt, White made the host Jets a three-point favorite next week over the Patriots.

Before Brady's injury, the Patriots were 5-2 to become Super Bowl champs. Now that number should rise to as much as 10-1.



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Week 2 Odds

DALLAS 7 Philadelphia

KANSAS CITY 3 Oakland

Tennessee 1½ CINCINNATI-x

WASHINGTON 1½ New Orleans

Green Bay 3 DETROIT

CAROLINA 5 ½ Chicago

Giants 7 ST. LOUIS

JACKSONVILLE 7 Buffalo

TAMPA BAY 9½ Atlanta

SEATTLE 9 San Francisco

ARIZONA 7 Miami

JETS 3 New England

HOUSTON 5½ Baltimore

San Diego 3 DENVER

Pittsburgh 6 CLEVELAND-y

(No line yet on Colts-Vikings game)

x-Dependent on Young's status.

y-Dependent on Roethlisberger's status.