|
| |
 |
|
|
|
April 18, 2001
Copyright © Las Vegas Sun |
|
Think back, XFL bettors, to this past January,
just before the upstart football league made its debut.
Before He Hate Me.
Before the Jay Leno punch lines.
Before watching the TV ratings plunge each week became a sport unto
itself.
Heading into the season, there was a school of thought that said
gambling on the XFL would give the league a much-needed boost --
that Las Vegas lines on the games would bring them an air of legitimacy,
easing the concerns of sports fans who weren't sure what to expect
from a football league run by a pro wrestling magnate.
As it turned out, that school of thought was probably right on target.
In fact, according to one local oddsmaker, while bettors' interest
in the XFL did lag, it never dropped off the face of the earth the
way the ratings did.
"Sure, the handle fell off some
from the very beginning of the season, when (the XFL) had the novelty
factor going for it," said Rich Dressler, sports book supervisor
at the Imperial Palace on the Strip. "They stumbled for a while,
as any new business will, but we always had decent action on it."
After starting off strong and declining toward the middle of the
10-week regular season, XFL betting picked up again for this past
weekend's playoff games, Dressler said.
The main culprit in the slump in XFL betting action, Dressler said,
was the league's lack of offensive firepower -- also a likely reason
many viewers tuned out.
"People want to see scoring,
no matter what game you're talking about," Dressler said. "The
general pattern in all sports is people like to bet the 'over' and
then root for a lot of points.
"With the XFL, they
made several adjustments (in rules), because they had to do something
to increase the scoring. They got criticized for it, but they had
the right idea. They were in a tough spot."
The IP is expecting heavier action for Saturday's league championsip,
the "Million Dollar Game," between San Francisco and Los
Angeles.
"We just put it up, and most day-to-day bettors
are focusing on baseball, but we'll probably see a lot of action
Friday and Saturday," Dressler said. "As in any sport,
the quality of play improves in the playoffs, and that attracts
the public. That's definitely what we're seeing here."
L.A. opened an 8-point favorite in the Million Dollar Game, though
most early action has been on the underdog, driving the line down
to 7 1/2 at some spots. |
| |
| |
|
|
