Flurry of $100K bets on Alabama arrive Monday for CFP title game

It’s fitting that CG Technology sports book vice president Matt Holt has a 30-1 futures bet that he placed in May on Georgia to win the national title.

Las Vegas sports books will be big Bulldogs fans in Monday’s College Football Playoff national championship. Alabama is a consensus 4-point favorite over Georgia and the total has ticked up to 46 at several shops Monday afternoon.

CG Technology, which has sports books at The Venetian, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Hard Rock Hotel and M Resort, among others, has a $500,000 liability on Alabama and a betting handle of more than $1 million on the game.

Holt said his book took two $100,000 bets on Alabama on the money line (minus-190) Monday and two $100,000 bets on Alabama minus-4.

He also took two $50,000 wagers on the Crimson Tide at minus-3 (minus-130) from a bettor who bought a half point each time from Alabama minus-3½.

The sharps and the betting public are all over Alabama at CG Technology and virtually every other book also needs Georgia. Wynn Las Vegas, which took multiple six-figure wagers on the Bulldogs, still has the Crimson Tide listed as a 3½-point favorite.

“Right now, we’re Bulldogs fans,” Sunset Station sports book director Chuck Esposito said. “We had puppies barking over the weekend (as NFL underdogs went 4-0). We’ll see if the big Bulldog barks tonight.

“If Georgia has success running the ball, it can make it interesting.”

The total opened at 48 before dropping to 44½, but the number crept back up Monday to as high as 46 at Caesars Palace, CG Technology, South Point and William Hill.

“I’m a little surprised the total has ticked up,” Esposito said. “They’re two really good defensive teams and I think points will be at a premium.”

A plethora of Super Bowl-style props are posted on the game. Holt said most prop action has been on Bo Scarbrough to score a touchdown and Calvin Ridley to have more receiving yards than Javon Wims.

Other popular props are on Alabama to commit the first turnover and to be the first team to score 15 points, and on Georgia to score last. Bettors also are backing the Crimson Tide on alternate point spreads, at minus-10½ (plus-250) and at minus-7½ (plus-175).

Holt’s $15 wager will pay $450.

“I’ll take $500,” he said.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.