If you don't think Vegas puts out lines in an attempt to get even (or as close to even) action as possible, you're wrong. They aren't in the score-predicting business and they aren't gambling. They are trying to act as money facilitators with the vig in their favor. In their perfect world 50 million is bet on team A and 50 million is bet on Team B. If they really think the Raiders are clearly superior and will win by double digits.......do you see a double digit line anywhere?
How it works: They release (the Stardust/LVSC is usually the first) an early line early Sunday nights, float it out there offshore, see which side the early heavy action comes in on, gets highly respected opinions on these lines and then releases the official line late Sunday night. They use public perception of the teams and try to determine what you and I (and the heavy hitters) will bet; not who they think will win and by how much. If their early number is completely off they are setting themselves up to get killed (by professionals) and to get killed by getting middled (if they have to make a major correction on the number after the official line is released).
Some have made the comment that Vegas is trying to sucker bad bettors into taking Tenn +7.5 because Vegas thinks Oak is the play. Maybe they are sucking in the Raider Nation to lay the 7.5 so that if the Raiders win by 7, Vegas cleans up instead of pushes???????
I beleive that they made the number 7.5 to force Raider bettors (which there should be more of because of popularity and they way they looked) to win by more than a TD AND to get some of those bettors over to the Titans evening things out. Had this number sat at 7 heavy moeny would be pouring in on the Raider while Tenn backers wait for 7.5 thus setting up Vegas into being heavily into one team.
How it works: They release (the Stardust/LVSC is usually the first) an early line early Sunday nights, float it out there offshore, see which side the early heavy action comes in on, gets highly respected opinions on these lines and then releases the official line late Sunday night. They use public perception of the teams and try to determine what you and I (and the heavy hitters) will bet; not who they think will win and by how much. If their early number is completely off they are setting themselves up to get killed (by professionals) and to get killed by getting middled (if they have to make a major correction on the number after the official line is released).
Some have made the comment that Vegas is trying to sucker bad bettors into taking Tenn +7.5 because Vegas thinks Oak is the play. Maybe they are sucking in the Raider Nation to lay the 7.5 so that if the Raiders win by 7, Vegas cleans up instead of pushes???????
I beleive that they made the number 7.5 to force Raider bettors (which there should be more of because of popularity and they way they looked) to win by more than a TD AND to get some of those bettors over to the Titans evening things out. Had this number sat at 7 heavy moeny would be pouring in on the Raider while Tenn backers wait for 7.5 thus setting up Vegas into being heavily into one team.
