Online Gambling: NFL Week One Lines, Fezzik Speaks and John Kelly Best Bets
written April 26, 2010 by John Kelly
Credit the Las Vegas Hilton SuperBook for posting pointspreads and totals for all 16 games of the NFL's opening-week slate. The SuperBook, boasting an outstanding staff led by the personable Jay Kornegay, is considered among the best sports book operations in Nevada, along with M Resort, South Point and Cal-Neva.
On September 9, the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints open defense of their title as 4-point home favorites over the Minnesota Vikings. Super Bowl XLIV MVP Drew Brees leads a prolific Saints' offense that topped the NFL in scoring last season, averaging 31.9 points per game. Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre, still going strong at age 40, has not yet announced his plans for the coming season. If Favre returns for another season, expect a high-scoring game in the season opener as the over/under in the Superdome is 52. The Vikes are looking to avenge last season's 31-28 overtime loss to the Saints in the NFC Championship Game.
Three days after the Thursday night game, the season gets underway in earnest with 13 games scheduled for Sunday, September 12. Here's a look at the sides and totals for Week 1 in the NFL (Home teams in CAPS):
NEW YORK GIANTS (-7, 41) over Carolina
Miami (-2.5, 38.5) over BUFFALO
PITTSBURGH (-1.5, 42) over Atlanta
CHICAGO (-7, 43.5) over Detroit
NEW ENGLAND (-6, 44.5) over Cincinnati
TAMPA BAY (-2, 37.5) over Cleveland
JACKSONVILLE (-2.5, 42.5) over Denver
Indianapolis (-3, 48) over Houston
TENNESSEE (-8, 42) over Oakland
PHILADELPHIA (-1.5, 46.5) over Green Bay
SEATTLE (Pk, 39) over San Francisco
Arizona (-3 -120, 42) over ST. LOUIS
Dallas (-4, 44) over WASHINGTON.
For the fifth consecutive season, the NFL will present a pair of Monday night games to conclude the opening-week schedule. The Monday night doubleheader features the New York Jets battling the Baltimore Ravens at New Meadowlands Stadium and the San Diego Chargers visiting the renovated Arrowhead Stadium to tackle division rival Kansas City. The Jets are 3-point favorites (+105) and the total is 38.5, while the Chargers are a 5.5-point road favorite with a total of 45.5.
NFL QUICKIE QUIZ..... Name the only NFL team this season with both three straight home games and three straight road games on its regular-season schedule. (Hint: this team has an African-American head coach and three African-American quarterbacks on its roster.) Answer to follow.
CFB QUESTION..... Do you downgrade a college football program for losing quality players to the NFL? Or do upgrade the said program for producing NFL players who may have established high standards for others to follow?
FEZZIK SPEAKS..... Professional sports gambler Fezzik offered some words of wisdom in the aftermath of Ken Weitzner's recent death. "Fezz" and "The Shrink" were fellow gamblers who, at times, shared information regarding pro and college football games. Fezzik expressed sadness and disbelief in the days following his friend's apparent suicide.
One week after the terrible news, Fezzik gathered his thoughts to issue an advisory to all members of the sports gambling fraternity.
"If things seem unbearable, reach out to your friends. If you don't have close friends, reach out to the community," Fezzik said. "Bottom line, there are great networks out there, and the EOG family is one of them."
Fezzik concluded, "God bless everyone, and let's look out for each other."
A democratic (small "d") gesture, to be sure. Better yet, "Fezz" practices what he preaches. He has been known to quietly help fellow gamblers in need of financial aid.
An anonymous gambler, depressed and destitute, once told me
Fezzik helped him when no one else would.
TIME FLIES..... Father Time is relentless. The days turn into weeks, the weeks turn into months, and so on... It seems like only yesterday (1984) when I strolled down Las Vegas Boulevard on my twenty-first birthday, intoxicated by the sights and sounds of the "Gambling Capitol of the World."
More than a quarter-century later, the city has changed, and so have I. Las Vegas has transformed from a gambling mecca known for its outstanding value, friendly service and liberal rules to a city controlled by greedy corporations, committed to squeezing every single penny from every unsuspecting tourist on the property. Meantime, I've gone from an enthusiastic, wide-eyed newcomer to a middle-aged, hardcore gambler. The years have disappeared in a hurry.
I feel no bitterness, nor do I have many regrets about choosing to follow my passion for gambling. I've successfully turned my avocation into my vocation, embracing the idea of gambling for a living - the ultimate entrepreneurial pursuit. My love for gambling is exceeded only by my admiration for those who are able to win consistently. Non-gamblers bore me.
I address this topic because of a sobering experience that took place yesterday at the local Taco Bell. My lunch order at the fast-food restaurant usually totals four dollars. I ask for the half-pound cheesy potato burrito and a small drink. I was surprised to hear the cashier call out, "That will be $2.75."
I stayed quiet until I received my receipt. The burrito was $1.99, the extra sour cream was 30 cents and the "SENDRK" was 25 cents. The six-letter abbreviation "SENDRK" threw me off. "SENDRK?" The young Hispanic clerk assumed I qualified for a senior drink discount!
I thought to myself, "I'm not 65, or even 55. I'm forty-fuckin'-seven." I left Taco Bell with two questions on my mind, "Does 'Just for Men' really work?" and "Does DelTaco serve cheesy potato burritos?"
QUIZ ANSWER..... The Pittsburgh Steelers play three straight road games from October 24 to November 8. Later in the season, the Steelers play three consecutive home games from December 12-23.
Pittsburgh, coached by Mike Tomlin, features quarterbacks Charlie Batch,
Dennis Dixon and the newly-acquired Byron Leftwich on its roster until Ben
Roethlisberger returns from his suspension.
MONDAY'S BEST BETS..... Let's make a pair of straight bets on the same baseball game. Play SAN DIEGO (+150) over Florida and "OVER" the total of 8 runs. If the Padres score four or more runs, we cannot lose both wagers.
The Padres saw their eight-game winning streak end yesterday with a 5-4 road loss to Cincinnati. The Reds scored two runs in the eighth inning to post the come-from-behind victory. San Diego's bullpen, a strength over the first three weeks of the season, lost its first game of the year.
Hard-hitting first baseman Adrian Gonzalez has homered in each of San Diego's last five games.
Go Friars!
COMING FRIDAY..... My 1-2-3-4 order of finish in the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby.
written April 26, 2010 by John Kelly
Credit the Las Vegas Hilton SuperBook for posting pointspreads and totals for all 16 games of the NFL's opening-week slate. The SuperBook, boasting an outstanding staff led by the personable Jay Kornegay, is considered among the best sports book operations in Nevada, along with M Resort, South Point and Cal-Neva.
On September 9, the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints open defense of their title as 4-point home favorites over the Minnesota Vikings. Super Bowl XLIV MVP Drew Brees leads a prolific Saints' offense that topped the NFL in scoring last season, averaging 31.9 points per game. Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre, still going strong at age 40, has not yet announced his plans for the coming season. If Favre returns for another season, expect a high-scoring game in the season opener as the over/under in the Superdome is 52. The Vikes are looking to avenge last season's 31-28 overtime loss to the Saints in the NFC Championship Game.
Three days after the Thursday night game, the season gets underway in earnest with 13 games scheduled for Sunday, September 12. Here's a look at the sides and totals for Week 1 in the NFL (Home teams in CAPS):
NEW YORK GIANTS (-7, 41) over Carolina
Miami (-2.5, 38.5) over BUFFALO
PITTSBURGH (-1.5, 42) over Atlanta
CHICAGO (-7, 43.5) over Detroit
NEW ENGLAND (-6, 44.5) over Cincinnati
TAMPA BAY (-2, 37.5) over Cleveland
JACKSONVILLE (-2.5, 42.5) over Denver
Indianapolis (-3, 48) over Houston
TENNESSEE (-8, 42) over Oakland
PHILADELPHIA (-1.5, 46.5) over Green Bay
SEATTLE (Pk, 39) over San Francisco
Arizona (-3 -120, 42) over ST. LOUIS
Dallas (-4, 44) over WASHINGTON.
For the fifth consecutive season, the NFL will present a pair of Monday night games to conclude the opening-week schedule. The Monday night doubleheader features the New York Jets battling the Baltimore Ravens at New Meadowlands Stadium and the San Diego Chargers visiting the renovated Arrowhead Stadium to tackle division rival Kansas City. The Jets are 3-point favorites (+105) and the total is 38.5, while the Chargers are a 5.5-point road favorite with a total of 45.5.
NFL QUICKIE QUIZ..... Name the only NFL team this season with both three straight home games and three straight road games on its regular-season schedule. (Hint: this team has an African-American head coach and three African-American quarterbacks on its roster.) Answer to follow.
CFB QUESTION..... Do you downgrade a college football program for losing quality players to the NFL? Or do upgrade the said program for producing NFL players who may have established high standards for others to follow?
FEZZIK SPEAKS..... Professional sports gambler Fezzik offered some words of wisdom in the aftermath of Ken Weitzner's recent death. "Fezz" and "The Shrink" were fellow gamblers who, at times, shared information regarding pro and college football games. Fezzik expressed sadness and disbelief in the days following his friend's apparent suicide.
One week after the terrible news, Fezzik gathered his thoughts to issue an advisory to all members of the sports gambling fraternity.
"If things seem unbearable, reach out to your friends. If you don't have close friends, reach out to the community," Fezzik said. "Bottom line, there are great networks out there, and the EOG family is one of them."
Fezzik concluded, "God bless everyone, and let's look out for each other."
A democratic (small "d") gesture, to be sure. Better yet, "Fezz" practices what he preaches. He has been known to quietly help fellow gamblers in need of financial aid.
An anonymous gambler, depressed and destitute, once told me
Fezzik helped him when no one else would.
TIME FLIES..... Father Time is relentless. The days turn into weeks, the weeks turn into months, and so on... It seems like only yesterday (1984) when I strolled down Las Vegas Boulevard on my twenty-first birthday, intoxicated by the sights and sounds of the "Gambling Capitol of the World."
More than a quarter-century later, the city has changed, and so have I. Las Vegas has transformed from a gambling mecca known for its outstanding value, friendly service and liberal rules to a city controlled by greedy corporations, committed to squeezing every single penny from every unsuspecting tourist on the property. Meantime, I've gone from an enthusiastic, wide-eyed newcomer to a middle-aged, hardcore gambler. The years have disappeared in a hurry.
I feel no bitterness, nor do I have many regrets about choosing to follow my passion for gambling. I've successfully turned my avocation into my vocation, embracing the idea of gambling for a living - the ultimate entrepreneurial pursuit. My love for gambling is exceeded only by my admiration for those who are able to win consistently. Non-gamblers bore me.
I address this topic because of a sobering experience that took place yesterday at the local Taco Bell. My lunch order at the fast-food restaurant usually totals four dollars. I ask for the half-pound cheesy potato burrito and a small drink. I was surprised to hear the cashier call out, "That will be $2.75."
I stayed quiet until I received my receipt. The burrito was $1.99, the extra sour cream was 30 cents and the "SENDRK" was 25 cents. The six-letter abbreviation "SENDRK" threw me off. "SENDRK?" The young Hispanic clerk assumed I qualified for a senior drink discount!
I thought to myself, "I'm not 65, or even 55. I'm forty-fuckin'-seven." I left Taco Bell with two questions on my mind, "Does 'Just for Men' really work?" and "Does DelTaco serve cheesy potato burritos?"
QUIZ ANSWER..... The Pittsburgh Steelers play three straight road games from October 24 to November 8. Later in the season, the Steelers play three consecutive home games from December 12-23.
Pittsburgh, coached by Mike Tomlin, features quarterbacks Charlie Batch,
Dennis Dixon and the newly-acquired Byron Leftwich on its roster until Ben
Roethlisberger returns from his suspension.
MONDAY'S BEST BETS..... Let's make a pair of straight bets on the same baseball game. Play SAN DIEGO (+150) over Florida and "OVER" the total of 8 runs. If the Padres score four or more runs, we cannot lose both wagers.
The Padres saw their eight-game winning streak end yesterday with a 5-4 road loss to Cincinnati. The Reds scored two runs in the eighth inning to post the come-from-behind victory. San Diego's bullpen, a strength over the first three weeks of the season, lost its first game of the year.
Hard-hitting first baseman Adrian Gonzalez has homered in each of San Diego's last five games.
Go Friars!
COMING FRIDAY..... My 1-2-3-4 order of finish in the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby.
