Sports handicapping opinions are usually built on decisions and events that occurred in the past. But with the XFL, Rio Sports Supervisor David Dandrea tells us that a few 'wise' guys already know what the sports books have not had time to learn."
Which explains why the 'smart' money won three of the first four games played in the new league.
"Teams of bettors were using the same games all over town," Dandrea pointed out. "On Saturday, when we opened the Orlando Rage a nine-point favorite over the Chicago Enforcers, people came out of the woodwork to bet on the Enforcers. By game time the line had moved two full points, to Rage minus seven. Incidentally, the Rio didn't take one dime on Orlando, and I mean that literally. As it worked out, Orlando won it 33-29, but they didn't come close to covering the seven points.
"In the other Saturday game, we knew we were going to get hit hard on the Las Vegas side, and we were. The Outlaws opened as a 4 1/2-point favorite over New York/New Jersey and were bet all the way up to minus-six. Fortunately, we had good 'two-way' on this one (betting on both sides) and managed to eke out a small win when 'Vegas won and covered, 19-0.
"On Sunday, the 'steam' game was the Birmingham Bolts-Memphis Maniax. Early in the week we put the Bolts up as a three-point favorite, but the betting moved it to the other side, with Memphis ending up a 1 1/2-point favorite at game time. No need to tell you, when Memphis won it 22-20, the cashier's lines were out to the parking lot.
The only game the Rio won, Dandrea said, was the early game on Sunday.
"The Los Angeles Xtreme were the consensus pick to win it all, and they were bet like people believed it, moving from an early four-point favorite against San Francisco to an eight-point 'chalk' by game time. As you probably know by now, L.A. never led and lost outright to the San Francico Demons, 15-13. That was big 'steam' that worked in our favor."
From the point of view of anybody working for the sports books, the XFL would be a grateful addition to the menu this time of year.
"We were very pleasantly surprised by the handle the league generated " Dandrea said. "In a weekend when both the NFL and NHL had their all-star games, the first weekend of the XFL out-handled both of them combined.
"We never quote the actual amounts of money we take in, but to put you in the picture, I'd say that each XFL game did about as well as your average college basketball game, and better than what we do on hockey. And with the television ratings three times what they expected, I'd have to say it was a promising beginning. If college sports get canceled, the new XFL could really catch on because betting fuels a lot of interest."
There were not any 'over/under' numbers posted on last week's XFL games, and listening to Station Casinos sports executive Linc Romans, we probably won't see any 'totals' until the fourth or fifth week of the season.
"We're not going to put them up until we understand a little more about the product," Romans said. "The four XFL games handled about what an ordinary college football game would bring in. Not one of the big college games, but at our places everybody was pleasantly surprised by the handle the new league generated."
Apparently the same concerned citizens who visited David Dandrea over the weekend saw fit to slip into the various Station Casinos as well.
"We were hit pretty much the same way the Rio was," Romans conceded, "particularly in the Maniax-Bolts game (Memphis-Birmingham). We had two dimes ($2,000) on the Maniax before the ink was dry on the wallboards."
This department was interested, but not greatly surprised, to learn that both Romans and Dandrea were enthusiastic about this new football league. But when the end of the tunnel has a college betting ban in it, any light is a good light.
Vegas Insider
Which explains why the 'smart' money won three of the first four games played in the new league.
"Teams of bettors were using the same games all over town," Dandrea pointed out. "On Saturday, when we opened the Orlando Rage a nine-point favorite over the Chicago Enforcers, people came out of the woodwork to bet on the Enforcers. By game time the line had moved two full points, to Rage minus seven. Incidentally, the Rio didn't take one dime on Orlando, and I mean that literally. As it worked out, Orlando won it 33-29, but they didn't come close to covering the seven points.
"In the other Saturday game, we knew we were going to get hit hard on the Las Vegas side, and we were. The Outlaws opened as a 4 1/2-point favorite over New York/New Jersey and were bet all the way up to minus-six. Fortunately, we had good 'two-way' on this one (betting on both sides) and managed to eke out a small win when 'Vegas won and covered, 19-0.
"On Sunday, the 'steam' game was the Birmingham Bolts-Memphis Maniax. Early in the week we put the Bolts up as a three-point favorite, but the betting moved it to the other side, with Memphis ending up a 1 1/2-point favorite at game time. No need to tell you, when Memphis won it 22-20, the cashier's lines were out to the parking lot.
The only game the Rio won, Dandrea said, was the early game on Sunday.
"The Los Angeles Xtreme were the consensus pick to win it all, and they were bet like people believed it, moving from an early four-point favorite against San Francisco to an eight-point 'chalk' by game time. As you probably know by now, L.A. never led and lost outright to the San Francico Demons, 15-13. That was big 'steam' that worked in our favor."
From the point of view of anybody working for the sports books, the XFL would be a grateful addition to the menu this time of year.
"We were very pleasantly surprised by the handle the league generated " Dandrea said. "In a weekend when both the NFL and NHL had their all-star games, the first weekend of the XFL out-handled both of them combined.
"We never quote the actual amounts of money we take in, but to put you in the picture, I'd say that each XFL game did about as well as your average college basketball game, and better than what we do on hockey. And with the television ratings three times what they expected, I'd have to say it was a promising beginning. If college sports get canceled, the new XFL could really catch on because betting fuels a lot of interest."
There were not any 'over/under' numbers posted on last week's XFL games, and listening to Station Casinos sports executive Linc Romans, we probably won't see any 'totals' until the fourth or fifth week of the season.
"We're not going to put them up until we understand a little more about the product," Romans said. "The four XFL games handled about what an ordinary college football game would bring in. Not one of the big college games, but at our places everybody was pleasantly surprised by the handle the new league generated."
Apparently the same concerned citizens who visited David Dandrea over the weekend saw fit to slip into the various Station Casinos as well.
"We were hit pretty much the same way the Rio was," Romans conceded, "particularly in the Maniax-Bolts game (Memphis-Birmingham). We had two dimes ($2,000) on the Maniax before the ink was dry on the wallboards."
This department was interested, but not greatly surprised, to learn that both Romans and Dandrea were enthusiastic about this new football league. But when the end of the tunnel has a college betting ban in it, any light is a good light.
Vegas Insider
