The Sports Bookie Blog

Super February: A Sports Bettors Viewpoint

February 5th, 2009

Here’s the latest bet-blurb from the team at Bodog Sport: Bettor’s View: Super February 

I’m still buzzing over Super Bowl XLIII. That might have been the best football game I’ve ever seen – but I’m biased, because I made some money in the end. Everything looks better when the bankroll is growing.

It started before the coin toss. I couldn’t help but to take the over on Jennifer Hudson’s version of The Star-Spangled Banner, even at the chalky price of –210. I personally don’t bet every single Super Bowl prop, but I always take the time to see what’s on the menu, and the total on the length of the national anthem was 2:01 – exactly how long it took Hudson to sing it at the Democratic National Convention. Of course Sunday’s version was going to be longer. It was a more dramatic moment in a much larger venue (Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium, as opposed to Denver’s Pepsi Center).

As for the football itself, I was watching at home with the computer in front of me and the game on the big-screen. Most of my friends are either in the sports media or the handicapping business, so we had a UFC 94 party the night before instead – and what a card that was. But I digress. Sunday was a workday, and I was working the live betting.

This is a great way to make some cash. I stuck with a simple pass/run strategy, expecting the Steelers to use their standard run-heavy conservative approach and the Cardinals to be more creative, passing on running downs and vice-versa. John Madden even suggested this for Arizona during the NBC broadcast. The Cards went a little more pass-heavy than I expected (43 passes, 12 rushes), and in retrospect, I should have bet “pass” more often during the second half as Arizona was fighting from behind. I was just looking for more surprises than Ken Whisenhunt gave us – and how about Pittsburgh’s attempt at the Wildcat? Anyway, I still came out ahead in live betting by a small margin, enough to make it worth playing.

I’ll tell you where I did get burned: the “Will there be a safety?” prop. I bet “No” every year, and I win every year, because the last time it happened was in 1991. I barely had enough money to buy a hamburger back then, let alone gamble. Anyway, as you know, I didn’t win this year, which is a real kick in the pants when you pay –1000. But that’s OK; I’ll continue to bet against the safety and make that back in time. I’m a patient man.

I wasn’t feeling nearly as levelheaded about James Harrison’s 100-yard interception return for a touchdown at the end of the first half. I had Arizona +7 in this game, as did most of my friends. Harrison’s TD put Pittsburgh up 17-7 just when it looked like the Cardinals would at least tie the game 10-10, being on the Steelers 1-yard line and all. If I hadn’t been stunned about the enormity of the return, I might have thrown something I shouldn’t have at the big-screen. Like my computer.

Things turned out all right in the end, although I could have done without the last-minute Steelers win. I had the Cardinals on the moneyline at +170. I also bet the over on the total of 47, so it was a wash, but I would have made money if it had gone the other way. And being a bit of a Kurt Warner fan (so undervalued for so many years), I admit I was rooting for the Cards. At least Warner went over 265.5 passing yards.

Not a bad way to start the month. Now it’s time for some basketball, and I’m like a kid at a candy store with all the hoops games on the sked. The Lakers and Celtics are up this week; I’ll be on that one for sure, although I’m going to be waiting to see how Kevin Garnett is feeling before the game. Seems he didn’t take his flu shot this year. What?! I paid $30 for mine. Is he having trouble making ends meet? I could have loaned him the money until his next paycheck comes in.

I’m also going hard on NASCAR betting in February. And I’m betting Toyota early and often. I’m not making any grand statement about the quality of American cars here; I just don’t expect very many people in the sport’s betting demographic to put their money on a Japanese automaker. If I’m wrong, I’ll be happy to jump ship to Chevrolet next month – if they still exist, of course.

 

Entry Filed under: General Banter,Sports Betting,Sports News & Results