If I Had A Dime In Vegas…

“If the size of your bundle, you want to increase, I’ll arrange that you go broke in quiet and peace.”–Nathan Detroit, crap game operator in the Sinatra/Brando classic Guys & Dolls.

It’s time to figuratively step up to the window again, as the Notebook has another Saturday morning feature of what I would do if had a thousand dollars to start the football season in Las Vegas. The bankroll’s been chipped away at and is down to $794.90 (a 10 percent house advantage is paid on lost bets, explaining the odd ninety cents). I’m going five bucks apiece on the following 23 games.

I got in trouble early on by focusing too much of the weekly bankroll on one particular game. I’m fighting temptation again because I love Wake Forest (-3) over Duke, and UL-Lafayette (-3) over Western Kentucky, and was tempted to go fifty apiece on each one. But the last three weeks of just betting raw volume in small amounts has been profitable, so we stick with a winning formula. Although the fact I have a strong opinion on the UL-Lafayette-Western Kentucky game strongly suggests I need outside interests, so I’m going to watch my tivoed episode of Person of Interest now this morning.

Iowa (-23.5) Indiana
Illinois (-4) Purdue
Wake Forest (-3) Duke
Texas A&M (-20.5) Iowa State
Western Mich (-12) Eastern Mich
Army (+10.5) Vanderbilt
La Tech (+6.5) Utah State
Okla State (-7) Missouri
Northwestern (+4) Penn State
Tennessee (+29) Alabama
Southern Miss (-3) SMU
Auburn (+21) LSU
UL-Lafayette (-3) Western Kentucky
Maryland/Florida State (Over 55.5)
Cincinnati/South Florida (Under 55)
BC/Virginia Tech (Over 43.5)
East Carolina/Navy (Over 65)

Arizona (+170) Pittsburgh—upset pick on the moneyline
Tampa Bay (+1) Chicago
NY Jets (+2) San Diego
Green Bay (-9) Minnesota
Kansas City (+4.5) Oakland
Baltimore (-8) Jacksonville