UConn such a favorite that bettors have to be $900 to win $100

[Kaizen]

The University of Connecticut women's basketball team is so much of a favorite that bettors who want to make $100 off them to win the title would have to bet $900.

The odds, posted by the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, allow fans to make that bet on UConn or choose the field. A bet on any other team in the tournament is worth $600 per $100 bet should they prevail instead of the Huskies.

"Even with the odds we're giving, we don't expect to see big money betting against UConn," said the Westgate's Ed Salmons.

Salmons said that since the bet was posted on Tuesday, a total of $600 was bet -- all on the field to win.

ESPN's FiveThirtyEight site says that the Huskies have an absurd 95 percent chance of making the tournament game, 84 percent chance of making the title game and 70 percent chance of winning it all, which would make their fourth straight.

http://espn.go.com/chalk/story/_/id/14994410/in-vegas-bet-uconn-huskies-women-field

 

[Wink96]

Do they give an actual point spread?

 

[Tenspro2002]

Do they give an actual point spread?

That only makes sense in the context of an individual game.

What this means is that UConn is -900 to win the championship and that everybody else combined is +600. Those odds imply an ~85% chance to win the championship.

Of course, Vegas doesn't always reflect reality -- recall that they're trying to ensure equal action on each side of a bet so that the house wins regardless of the outcome. They probably assume a lot of people will bet on UConn.

 

[Carnac]

The University of Connecticut women's basketball team is so much of a favorite that bettors who want to make $100 off them to win the title would have to bet $900.

The odds, posted by the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, allow fans to make that bet on UConn or choose the field. A bet on any other team in the tournament is worth $600 per $100 bet should they prevail instead of the Huskies.

"Even with the odds we're giving, we don't expect to see big money betting against UConn," said the Westgate's Ed Salmons.

Salmons said that since the bet was posted on Tuesday, a total of $600 was bet -- all on the field to win.

ESPN's FiveThirtyEight site says that the Huskies have an absurd 95 percent chance of making the tournament game, 84 percent chance of making the title game and 70 percent chance of winning it all, which would make their fourth straight.

http://espn.go.com/chalk/story/_/id/14994410/in-vegas-bet-uconn-huskies-women-field

The folks whose business it is to set betting lines are seldom wrong. Oh sure, no one is perfect. They miss one every once in a while, but not too often. If they like UConn at the kind of odds they've posted, what does that say about our chances? Of course, we're looking at this with our hearts. They on the other hand are looking at this strictly from a business standpoint.

They don't care who wins as long as they make a profit. Remember, they don't guess, use crystal balls, smoke, mirrors, tea leaves, tarot cards, envelopes or rabbit's feet. I've never seen one adorned in a cape or turban either, yet they get it right over 90% of the time. They know what they are doing. That's how they built all of those high rise luxury hotels and casinos in Las Vegas.......not with their money, but with ours; when bettors foolishly bet with their hearts, and not with their gut using common sense, and not believing what their eyes tell them.