Gonzaga opened as a 6-point favorite over Saint Mary’s, but wiseguy action on the underdog has caused bookmakers to lower the line to 4½ for Monday’s West Coast Conference tournament title game.
Betting
Nevada sports books lost $8.25 million on football bets in January, the second-worst in-season month ever tracked by the state’s gaming control board.
Handicapper Doug Fitz’s system on NBA totals, which is 20-9 this season, calls for a play on the under on any matchup of teams with winning percentages of at least 60 percent.
Jay Cronley was one of my heroes. And if you are a horseplayer like me, then he probably was to you, too. Cronley died Sunday from a heart attack at age 73.
The libertarian-leaning Competitive Enterprise Institute planned to issue a 14-page report Thursday that questions how alcohol and tobacco consumption are banned in most businesses while another “sinful” activity, sports gambling, is embraced by workers and their CEOs, especially around Super Bowl Sunday and the kickoff of the NCAA tournament.
Review-Journal sports editor Bill Bradley returned Wednesday for his bi-weekly Facebook Live lunchtime chat. This week he welcomed RJ sports betting reporter Todd Dewey to talk all things sports betting.
Westgate sports book manager Jeff Sherman said Kevin Durant is worth three points in the spread on Golden State games, while the totals won’t be affected much.
Handicapper Doug Fitz said he thinks the defeat to BYU will benefit Gonzaga, which is a minus-400 favorite at the Westgate to win the West Coast Conference tournament.
There is likely only three chances left this season to bet against UNLV, which has lost nine straight games while going 1-7-1 against the spread and has covered only two of their last 14 games.
Kurt Busch, who closed as a 28-1 long shot, helped bail out Las Vegas sports books, which would’ve taken a big hit had Chase Elliott won.
Handicapper Micah Roberts likes William Hill’s prop on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s finish position to go over 6½ (minus-135) in the Daytona 500 on Sunday.
Former Vegas Insider handicapper Lance Blankenship has been busy in Las Vegas the past 10 days pounding Purdue on futures bets to win the NCAA Tournament.
The Road to the Kentucky Derby gets a bit faster as the prep races now will award 50 points to the winner. It typically takes about 30 points to make the Derby field.
Opening Day isn’t until April 2, but that didn’t stop bettors from firing away at the Major League Baseball regular-season win totals posted Tuesday at the Westgate sports book.
Early betting interest on the bout has been nonexistent at the Westgate, which posted odds on the possible megafight Thursday with Mayweather listed as a 25-1 favorite and McGregor a 11-1 underdog.
