Vegas Odds & Ends 12/29/06

UCLA, USC's crosstown rival who upset Pac 10 win over the Trojans last month kept Southern Cal out of the BCS national title tilt, is garnering plenty of attention in college hoops.

"We have a lot of liabilty on UCLA," said Las Vegas Hilton oddsmaker and supervisor Jeff Sherman, referring to the Hilton's NCAA Tournament futures book, where the Bruins have plummeted from 20/1 to 6/1.

"Pitt had a good start and has gone from 50/1 to 25/1.

"Wisconsin has dropped from 40/1 to 25/1.

"The Floridas, Dukes, North Carolinas ... we get a lot on them, but odds are shorter.

"College basketball started out well, but has tapered off recently.

"Overall, I'd say we're up."

The Hilton switched to a 10-cent NHL line this season and Sherman notes the move was smart.

"We're writing a lot more and holding a good percentage." he said.

"It was a wise business decision."

The nearly two-month-old NBA campaign that far has been a rollercoaster ride, with the usual ups and downs and the Western Conference dominating the first two months of play.

"Right now we're a small winner," Sherman said.

Baseball's on the backburner now, but it will not be long until the Boys of Summer are frolicking between baselines again.

The Hilton recently posted odds on the 2007 home run chase, though Sherman says wagering so far has been practically non-existent.

World Series futures are a vastly different matter.

Numbers went up before conclusion of the 2006 World Series and they draw solid daily action.

Peak wagering times are after futures first go up, following major trades, a couple weeks after the launch of spring training camps and in early May, about a month into the regular season.

"Teams that are supposed to draw the most action are getting their money," Sherman said, referring to clubs like New York's Yankees and Mets.

St. Louis, which handily disposed of Detroit in October's Fall Classic, is 15/1; the Tigers are 10/1.

"They're betting the Red Sox at 10/1 and, of course, the Cubs.

"That goes without saying.

"It's the same every year.

"The Cubs already are down to 18/1, from 30/1.

"They're always a liability.

"They're also betting the Braves at 50/1, the Rangers at 60/1, Pittsburgh at 200/1, Kansas City and Tampa Bay at 500/1 ... all the long shots.

"We've written a lot of little tickets on these teams and they add up."

Golf has been Sherman's specialty for more than a decade, ever since he was a UNLV graduate student working at the Imperial Palace Race and Sports Book and Kornegay asked him to brush up on the sport.

Sherman hung Masters futures in August and acknowledgments wagering has been slow, but expects it to gather steam after the first few events of 2007 and reach a pinnacle once the countdown to Augusta actually begins.

"We have money on Retief Goosen and Adam Scott right now," said Sherman, who lists odds on 99 golfers, including more than two dozen between 200/1 and 500/1.

Goosen and Scott are both 25/1.

Tiger Woods continues to be golf's biggest betting draw.

The Hilton has a proposal that asks how many majors Woods will capture in 2007: one, two, three or four.

"Our only liability is a Grand Slam," Sherman said.

"If anyone can do it, he certainly can.

"There's no question he can win four tournaments (in a season)."

The Hilton also has futures on who will top the annual money list.

Woods paces the pack at 2/5, followed by Jim Furyk at 6/1 and Phil Mickelson
at 8/1.

Everyone else is double digits or higher, starting with Vijay Singh at 15/1.

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Source by Lynda Collins