Oddsmakers take shot in the dark establishing UFL betting lines

It's no secret J.P. Losman is the quarterback and Jim Fassel is the coach of the Las Vegas Locomotives. Fassel and Losman are familiar names from the NFL. Almost everything else about the new four-team United Football League is a mystery.

But if you think you can solve the UFL -- or just have an insatiable need to gamble on football -- you can bet on it.

The Las Vegas Hilton posted the first odds on UFL games Tuesday, beating offshore books to the punch.

Hilton oddsmaker Jeff Sherman and sports book manager Ed Salmons did not exactly have inside information when making the lines. Sherman said they read stories about the teams and attempted to judge the talent level of the players.

''We looked at the rosters and kind of just took a shot,'' Sherman said. ''With so much uncertainty, it's just as much a shot in the dark for us as for anyone trying to bet it.''

Las Vegas is a 7-point favorite over the California Redwoods in today's opener at Sam Boyd Stadium. The total is 40. Las Vegas is minus-300 on the money line to win straight up.

The Locos are 4-point favorites in the first half, with a total of 20.

In the UFL's second game on Saturday, the Florida Tuskers are 4-point favorites over the New York Sentinels.

''Las Vegas looks like the No. 1 team in the league to us, with Florida the second-best team,'' said Sherman, who ranks California fourth. ''The Vegas roster has got the most recognizable names, and Losman is supposedly the marquee player in the league.''

The Hilton posted Las Vegas as the 3-2 favorite to win the UFL title.

Fassel coached the New York Giants in a Super Bowl. Losman played five seasons for the Buffalo Bills after being a first-round draft pick. So, based on those facts alone, it stands to reason the Locos should be home favorites over the Redwoods -- as strange as that sounds.

California is led by former NFL coach Dennis Green, and quarterback Mike McMahon is a former starter for the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles.

The UFL released these numbers on the teams' 50-man rosters: 30.5 percent of the players were drafted by the NFL, and 48 percent of the players have NFL experience.

The quality of play might be high, but Sherman said he expects the UFL to attract minimal betting action, similar to the Canadian Football League and the defunct XFL, which had a Las Vegas franchise in 2001.

''It's a curiosity for everybody at this point,'' Sherman said.

UFL commissioner Michael Huyghue said he wants sports books to post lines on games to enhance the popularity of the league.

The Hilton's UFL wagering limits -- $2,000 for sides and $1,000 for totals -- are double what's allowed on the CFL. As of Wednesday night, Sherman said the Hilton had written no betting tickets on the California-Las Vegas game, but he expects action today.

• NOTES -- In the XFL's opening game, on Feb. 3, 2001, the Las Vegas Outlaws defeated the visiting New York/New Jersey Hitmen, 19-0. ... Gary Greene of Bluebooksports.com is hosting a new football betting show on Saturdays, from 10 p.m. to midnight, on KDWN-AM (720).

Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907.