Preseason NFL Gambling Odds Make League Secretly Happy
Professional sports leagues in North America proclaim their hatred for all things gambling on a regular basis, and constantly lobby Congress to prevent the advent or expansion of sports gambling beyond Nevada. The NFL is ready to open training camps, which means Superbowl odds are in the news, and the league couldn't be happier.
This is because the true engine that drives pro sports in general, and football in particular, is gambling. The NFL was propelled past baseball as America's port because of interest in gambling, and the ease with which football is gambled upon.
The invention of the point spread, rumored to have been created by Arnold Rothstein of Black Sox scandal fame, allowed bookies to even the two sides of a bet, balancing action more or less on each side, so that the vigorish ensures bookmaker profits.
Previous money line action could result in a heavy favorite getting all the play, regardless of how high the line was set, putting sports books at risk. Point spreads made even sure things a matter of a coin flip, and football was the easiest to figure a spread.
Soon, point spread wagering became the mainstream, and even practiced bettors did not always understand the workings of the money line. Baseball, played everyday with a money line for gamblers, was forgotten, as week-long analysis of football's point spread became a national pastime.
The NFL publicly hates gambling, but the management of the league surely knows that gambling fervor is what keeps millions glued to their televisions on weekends. Without action, audience interest would be a fraction of what it currently is.
So, in honor, Online Casino Advisory sports analyst Edmund Crumley has the current NFL Superbowl odds, with some value picks for investors.
Patriots and Cowboys are the early favorite, at 7/2 and 6/1, respectively. People haven't forgotten how close New England came to an undefeated season, and Dallas still carries the luster of the name as well as the scoring potency of a wide-open offense.
The San Diego Chargers and the Indianapolis Colts follow at 7/1 and 15/2. The Colts might be the best play of the favorites; only injuries stopped a strong run at the end of last year, and Peyton Manning wants it known his title was no fluke.
Some interesting choices come next: Jacksonville at 12/1 and Minnesota at 18/1 without a proven quarterback might be too well regarded. New Orleans at 20/1 has the talent with a load of new defensive players, but all the way from out of the playoffs might be too much to ask. The same is true of Cleveland at 25/1, and Green Bay at 25/1 must be counting on a Favre return.
The defending champ New York Giants are 16/1 purely on the basis of their hot run through last year's playoffs. If looking for a long shot, perhaps most intriguing
are Tennessee at 40/1, and Baltimore at 50/1.
