Want to bet?

   The NFL is by far our most popular sport for a variety of reasons, and one of them is gambling. People that can't fathom a Las Vegas line in Major League Baseball and would never consider putting money on a college football, basketball or NBA game will bet on the NFL. Teams play once a week and information is easy to come by.  That's why the end of Sunday's Pittsburgh-San Diego game was such a disaster for bettors and for the NFL.

   The Steelers were 4 1/2-point favorites. They led by only a point as the teams lined up for the final play. Everybody that put money on the Chargers was thrilled. And then the Steelers scored off a San Diego turnover as time expired. This put them up by seven. They covered. And now everybody that had bet on the Steelers was thrilled.

   According to RJ Bell of Pregame.com, 66% of the money on the game was on the Steelers. If this is true, bookies also are thrilled, since that's money they don't have to pay out.

    Referee Scott Green admitted after the game that officials had misinterpreted a rule and that the Steelers should have been credited with a touchdown on the final play.

   If the perception is that officials are aware of and influenced by the betting line, the league loses credibility. The folks that put money on the Steelers lose cold, hard cash. 

   

Comments

[rick]

Tom,

Do you proof read anything you write? It makes no sense that the people betting on the Steelers and the bookies would be "thrilled" if 66% of the money was placed on the Steelers. By saying "also" it suggests that both are thrilled, not one or the other. I obviously realize that the people betting on the Steelers are not "thrilled". Come on man, you write and blog for a living.

[mike]

Yo Rick...just started following professional sports? Been playing too much intermural mahjong? Roof top bocci over for the year?
The Steelers were 4.5 point favorites...that means the Chargers won the spread by 3.5...with 66% on the Steelers (giving up 4.5 points) the Steeler betters lost big time making the bookies quite happy.
I admit reading Sorenson's stuff is generally like doing a doing a cryptogram after 3-4 Martini's but in this case...he was pretty straight up....

[Clark]

The bookies weren't "thrilled" that 66% of the money went on the Steelers, they were thrilled that 66% of the money went on the Steelers and the STEELERS DIDN'T COVER, which means they don't have to pay out on those bets. Lopsided betting doesn't thrill the bookies, because it puts them in line for big losses. But it does thrill them when all the money goes one way and those bets don't pay.

[Shawn]

Mike,

Wow, I guess Rick thought Tom was the only clueless one writing on this blog. Too much time sleeping in class?

Tom;
"And now everybody that had bet on the Steelers was thrilled."

Mike;
"the Steeler betters lost big time making the bookies quite happy."

[mike]

This is silly but I cant resist...of course the bookies are "thrilled" also known as "quite happy"...Pittsburgh didnt cover...betters on Pittsburgh lost...SD won the BET 14.5 to Pittsburgh 11....they took the bets and didnt have to pay out...THEY MADE MONEY! Shhesh Shawn...talk about "sleeping in class"....that middle school PE double period took its toll today huh?

[Jody]

This comment goes for Rick, the self proclaimed editor of Tom talks, dude do you really read these articles so you can correct their grammar? I mean I can understand criticizing there opinions but there grammar? Save that for the elementary school kids who need it, please. Because no one cares moron! I get so sick of reading these posts and hearing all the negativity from the fair weather panthers fans as it is but having to hear some douche bag try to correct grammar just puts me over the top.

[Jody]

This comment goes for Rick, the self proclaimed editor of Tom talks, dude do you really read these articles so you can correct their grammar? I mean I can understand criticizing there opinions but there grammar? Save that for the elementary school kids who need it, please. Because no one cares moron! I get so sick of reading these posts and hearing all the negativity from the fair weather panthers fans as it is but having to hear some douche bag try to correct grammar just puts me over the top.

[Ben]

I had money on the Chargers. I also had money on the Chargers when Hochuli took my money. The refs got even with me.