Vegas expecting Super Bowl-like New Year's Day

By Marcus DiNitto, Sporting News	@TheLinemakers


If betting handle in Las Vegas is any indication – and, of course, it is – the sport of college football has made the right decision by putting the two national semifinals on New Year's Day. Sports books have been writing lots of action with plenty more to come ahead of kickoff. "The two games, with three more to go with it, will make it the biggest January 1 handle we've ever seen," said South Point oddsmaker Jimmy Vaccaro. In fact, disregarding the prop bets that have become so popular with Super Bowl betting, New Year's Day 2015 will be comparable to Super Bowl Sunday. "As far as just money on straight bets, sides, totals, parlays, or whatever, it will be as good as Super Bowl," said Vaccaro. "But remember, half the money bet on the Super Bowl is on prop bets, which we can't do for college, because there's just not that much excitement (around individual players)." Where the money is going Betting action has been evenly split between the favorites and underdogs for both College Football Playoff games set for New Year's Day – Florida State vs. Oregon in the Rose Bowl and Ohio State vs. Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. "It's very good for us so far," Vaccaro said of early wagering. "Guy walks up and says 'give me Alabama,' a guy walks up behind him and says 'give me Ohio State. A guy says 'give me Florida State,' another guy says 'give me Oregon.'" Nick Bogdanovich, director of trading at William Hill U.S., said his books are seeing the same thing. "Pretty even and a lot of it. There's good action on those two games, and so far it's balanced," Bogdanovich said. "We have our fair share of people on both sides, which I expected." The South Point is dealing a 9-point spread for both games two days before the New Year. Alabama has been as high as -9.5, and Oregon has bounced between -8 and -9.5, but Vaccaro said 9 seems to be right number. "We've been on 9 for 20-some days – haven't moved. ... So obviously the numbers are right." But, he predicted, "you will see a big move." What sides the books will need Lay the points with the favorite; take a shot with the underdog on the money line. That's the M.O. of the public bettor, and Vaccaro anticipates nothing different on Thursday. "If you're in town and you're on Ohio State guy, you're not going to walk to the window and say 'give me Ohio State +9.' You're gonna want Ohio State on the money-line, just like (bettors) do on the Super Bowl. "So I can see it right now – if it falls between 1 and 9 in both games, we'll probably have a monster day." Said Bogdanovich, "I think we'll need the favorites to win the game, because there's been plenty of dog money on both Florida State and Ohio State (on the money line). Whether we'll need them to cover, that'll be the only thing to be determined." He predicted, "I think we'll need Oregon for both the money line and the points, and I think we'll need Ohio State to cover against 'Bama but not win the game."