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Record haul for Nevada sports books in September (aka, why you should put down the parlay cards)
The $571 million bet on sports in Nevada last month was the highest amount since the state began tracking the total handle in 1984.
The strong numbers could put a dent in the argument that expansion of legalized sports betting would put a dent in Nevada’s sports betting industry. Instead, it may have increased interest. Time will tell.
Depending on how you look at it, the books won (or bettors lost) $56.3 million, also a record, with football accounting for $44.34 million of that.

As Dave Tuley points out in the story, and Brent pointed out to Jimmy Vaccaro multiple times later Tuesday, the books kept 60 percent of the money bet on parlay cards.
More from Dave here.
David Purdum’s version here.
The betting markets have been wrong about these SEC underdogs before
Both the SEC East and West divisions can be wrapped up on the first Saturday of November in this week’s blockbuster CBS doubleheader.
Do underdogs LSU and Kentucky have a chance against Alabama and Georgia, respectively?
Jeff Fogle points out that the betting markets have misjudged the Tigers and Wildcats when they are underdogs this season.
More from Jeff here.
NBA’s killer schedules
Are gamblers and oddsmakers weighing fatigue as much as they should be when looking at the NBA schedule?
The answer from ESPN’s Baxter Holmes is “No.”
In the past two seasons, Holmes identified 96 “Schedule Alert” games and correctly predicted the outcome in 74% of them.
This season, there are 42 games identified.
One problem, the first one on the list — Portland at Houston — failed the test as the Blazers won 104-85 Tuesday night.
But food for thought here.
(Reminder for Point Spread Weekly subscribers: we run the situational schedules for every NBA game in rotation order along with 3 sets of power ratings.)
Seen & Heard on VSiN
It was not a great weekend for the Duffel Bag Bettor as Purdue failed to win or cover. Nick Bogdanovich from William Hill has the latest info for Mitch and Pauly on Follow The Money, including an inexplicable line adjustment.
Westgate SuperBook manager Jeff Sherman says there is still plenty of value to be found picking a team to come out of the NBA Eastern Conference.
Pete Fiutak of College Football News joins Gill Alexander on A Numbers Game to go over the football landscape and preview the big games of the weekend ahead. Listen to the segment here.
Want to get more involved with hockey betting? Andy MacNeil, who writes about hockey for VSiN’s Point Spread Weekly, tells Gill about one key stat that will benefit your handicapping of the sport.
The first set of CFB Playoff rankings were released Tuesday night. But just how important are they to bettors? Brent and Amal Shah had a difference of opinion on the topic.
Brent and his Guys in the Desert look back and ahead at the NFL with Westgate SuperBook manager John Murray. Watch the first hour of Tuesday’s show.
John will be back at 3 p.m. Pacific on Wednesday to announce the new lines for the SuperContest.
Meantime, we posted the new standings on Tuesday after eight weeks.
Classic here.
Gold here.
If you are wondering how many points it will take to win the Classic and Gold contests, one longtime contest observer on Twitter (@ComptrBob) has an educated estimate.
Breeders’ Cup Week: Don’t miss our handicapping previews
A special edition of The Ron Flatter Racing Pod will preview all 14 Breeders’ Cup races. Ron will be joined by Dave Tuley, Vinny Magliulo and South Point handicapper Patrick McQuiggan. The podcast will be posted later tonight.
The Ron Flatter Racing Pod is sponsored by Xpressbet. Sign up for a new Xpressbet account with promo code BRENT200 and receive a $200 Bonus. To cash in, simply sign up with Promo Code BRENT200 and Bet $200 within 30 days. You’ll receive a $200 cash bonus within 3 days.
Dave promises to have his handicapping posted on VSiN.com by Thursday. And Ron will be reporting from Churchill Downs, starting today. |