- Mar 16, 2002
- 748
- 0
- 0
- 51
Stephen Nover
Patriots-Steelers line surprising to some
Can the Pittsburgh Steelers actually end up being a 3 1/2-point home underdog to the New England Patriots in Sunday’s AFC championship game?
You know bookmakers hate to get off a 3-point line, which is how many points the Patriots are favored to beat the Steelers. But it’s a legitimate question considering how much bettors steamed the Colts this past week.
Indy was bet from plus 2 1/2 to a pick’em. Some of us are still licking our wounds following New England’s 20-3 victory, wondering if the Patriots just have the Colts’ number, or if Peyton Manning is overrated because he plays so many games indoors in perfect conditions?
“No,” said Bert Osborne, head man for the Coast hotel sports books in Las Vegas, when asked if he thought the Patriots could get bet up to -3 1/2 this week. “That would be a heck of a move. The big players would keep it honest at three.”
Some books opened the Patriots at -2 1/2, but quickly moved them to 3-points. Pinnacle, a well-respected Internet book, had the Steelers +3 on Monday afternoon but at minus $1.26 juice. That could be a tip-off the game won’t get up to 3 1/2 either.
“There’s not that many of us but we’re well capitalized,” said professional bettor Steve Fezzik. “If it goes to 3 1/2 it will only be up there 15 minutes at the most because every sharp is lying in wait to play the Steelers.”
Fezzik believes the line is inflated because of how well the Patriots looked Sunday in dispatching the Colts and how lucky the Steelers were to beat the Jets. Pittsburgh was a three-point home underdog when it defeated the Patriots, 34-20, on Oct. 31. The Pats didn’t have Corey Dillon that game and were out-gained, 417-248, by the Steelers. That victory was the fifth in what has become a 15-game win streak for the Steelers.
“(Ben) Roethlisberger has one bad game and the Jets get two fluke touchdowns (on a punt return and interception return) and now there’s a five-point over-correction in the line,” Fezzik said. “I’m not saying the Patriots can’t win, but anyone who lays this number is a bad bettor. This game should be pick’em.”
In the NFC championship matchup, the line has settled in with the majority of books having the Eagles -4 1/2-points against the Falcons. There were some minus-fives at a few places Monday afternoon, including the Palms Hotel, Caesars Palace properties and Station Casino sportsbooks in Las Vegas.
“We’re getting money both ways at 4 1/2,” Osborne said. “That seems to be the right number. We have a little wiggle room if needed.”
In other words, no big deal if the Eagles should rise to 5-points since that’s not a key number as far as the favorite winning by that exact amount.
Both totals have been bet down. The Patriots-Steelers opened 38 and is currently 36, while the Falcons-Eagles over/under opened 42. At a number of influential Internet books, including CRIS, Olympic and Pinnacle, the Falcons-Eagles total dropped to 40 1/2. However, nearly all the big Strip hotels in Las Vegas had the over/under at 41 Monday afternoon.
Not surprisingly, cold weather is expected in both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. There is a 50 percent chance of snow and showers in Philadelphia for Sunday. The long-range forecast calls for a high of 29 and low of 19 degrees.
In Pittsburgh, about 300 miles from Philadelphia, the early word is 30 percent chance of snow and showers with temperatures expected to be from 22 to 27 degrees. The way the Steelers have played, they don’t necessarily need any help from the weather to go under the total. Pittsburgh led the NFL in fewest yards given up and ranked No. 1 in scoring defense, allowing only 15.7 points per game.
The Patriots, on the other hand, have the top defensive coaching minds in football. They have gone 5-2 to the under in Bill Belichick’s seven playoff games. The Steelers have scored less than 21 points in six of their last eight games.
Patriots-Steelers line surprising to some
Can the Pittsburgh Steelers actually end up being a 3 1/2-point home underdog to the New England Patriots in Sunday’s AFC championship game?
You know bookmakers hate to get off a 3-point line, which is how many points the Patriots are favored to beat the Steelers. But it’s a legitimate question considering how much bettors steamed the Colts this past week.
Indy was bet from plus 2 1/2 to a pick’em. Some of us are still licking our wounds following New England’s 20-3 victory, wondering if the Patriots just have the Colts’ number, or if Peyton Manning is overrated because he plays so many games indoors in perfect conditions?
“No,” said Bert Osborne, head man for the Coast hotel sports books in Las Vegas, when asked if he thought the Patriots could get bet up to -3 1/2 this week. “That would be a heck of a move. The big players would keep it honest at three.”
Some books opened the Patriots at -2 1/2, but quickly moved them to 3-points. Pinnacle, a well-respected Internet book, had the Steelers +3 on Monday afternoon but at minus $1.26 juice. That could be a tip-off the game won’t get up to 3 1/2 either.
“There’s not that many of us but we’re well capitalized,” said professional bettor Steve Fezzik. “If it goes to 3 1/2 it will only be up there 15 minutes at the most because every sharp is lying in wait to play the Steelers.”
Fezzik believes the line is inflated because of how well the Patriots looked Sunday in dispatching the Colts and how lucky the Steelers were to beat the Jets. Pittsburgh was a three-point home underdog when it defeated the Patriots, 34-20, on Oct. 31. The Pats didn’t have Corey Dillon that game and were out-gained, 417-248, by the Steelers. That victory was the fifth in what has become a 15-game win streak for the Steelers.
“(Ben) Roethlisberger has one bad game and the Jets get two fluke touchdowns (on a punt return and interception return) and now there’s a five-point over-correction in the line,” Fezzik said. “I’m not saying the Patriots can’t win, but anyone who lays this number is a bad bettor. This game should be pick’em.”
In the NFC championship matchup, the line has settled in with the majority of books having the Eagles -4 1/2-points against the Falcons. There were some minus-fives at a few places Monday afternoon, including the Palms Hotel, Caesars Palace properties and Station Casino sportsbooks in Las Vegas.
“We’re getting money both ways at 4 1/2,” Osborne said. “That seems to be the right number. We have a little wiggle room if needed.”
In other words, no big deal if the Eagles should rise to 5-points since that’s not a key number as far as the favorite winning by that exact amount.
Both totals have been bet down. The Patriots-Steelers opened 38 and is currently 36, while the Falcons-Eagles over/under opened 42. At a number of influential Internet books, including CRIS, Olympic and Pinnacle, the Falcons-Eagles total dropped to 40 1/2. However, nearly all the big Strip hotels in Las Vegas had the over/under at 41 Monday afternoon.
Not surprisingly, cold weather is expected in both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. There is a 50 percent chance of snow and showers in Philadelphia for Sunday. The long-range forecast calls for a high of 29 and low of 19 degrees.
In Pittsburgh, about 300 miles from Philadelphia, the early word is 30 percent chance of snow and showers with temperatures expected to be from 22 to 27 degrees. The way the Steelers have played, they don’t necessarily need any help from the weather to go under the total. Pittsburgh led the NFL in fewest yards given up and ranked No. 1 in scoring defense, allowing only 15.7 points per game.
The Patriots, on the other hand, have the top defensive coaching minds in football. They have gone 5-2 to the under in Bill Belichick’s seven playoff games. The Steelers have scored less than 21 points in six of their last eight games.
