[h=1]Notable NCAA tourney bets across Las Vegas[/h]David Purdum
ESPN Staff Writer
3/13/17
In recent years, officials at the MGM Mirage in Las Vegas had to begin roping off the sportsbook at 3 a.m. on the Wednesday night before the first two full days of the NCAA tournament, after want ads were posted online offering to pay people to save seats overnight. Adult diapers were reportedly used.
March Madness, indeed.
This week, the sportsbook at the Mirage will open at 5:30 a.m. PT, Thursday and Friday. And there will be a line to get in.
In the meantime, follow along as ESPN Chalk covers all the action -- big, small, sharp or square -- with our updating NCAA tournament betting report.
[h=2]Futures[/h]• Villanova and Kentucky each attracted large futures bets at William Hill during conference tournament week. On March 9, a bettor staked $10,000 on defending-champion Villanova to win it all at 9-1. Another $10,000 bet came in on Kentucky at 10-1 on March 10.
• William Hill took a $1,000 bet on Michigan at 100-1 on March 11, a good price on the Wolverines, who enter tournament week at 60-1.
• Eight teams received more national championship title bets than Duke this season at William Hill. However, more money was bet on the Blue Devils to win it all than was bet on any other team. The largest Duke bet reported by William Hill was $12,000 at 8-1 odds placed on Feb. 23.
• The South Point sportsbook in Las Vegas took a pair of $10,000 bets on Duke to win the national championship from the same bettor at 10-1 and 15-2 in recent weeks, making the Blue Devils a team to sweat for the house at this point.
• The Westgate SuperBook also reported taking an influx of larger wagers on Duke to win the national championship over the last six weeks, making the Blue Devils the SuperBook's worst-case scenario.
• The Westgate and Wynn have Duke as the favorite to win the tournament. MGM has Kansas, and William Hill has North Carolina. Duke and North Carolina are co-favorites at 5-1 at the South Point, and Caesars Palace has Duke, North Carolina and Kansas as co-favorites at 5-1.
• On Feb. 23, a bettor at a William Hill sportsbook placed a $12,000 wager on Duke to win the national title at 8-1. The bet would net $96,000.
• As of Sunday at the Westgate SuperBook, more money had been bet on Duke to win the national championship than any other team.
• As of Sunday at MGM's and Caesars Palace sportsbooks, more money had been bet on Kansas to win the national championship than any other team.
• On Jan. 19, a bettor at a William Hill sportsbook placed an $8,000 bet on Kentucky at 6-1. The bet would net $48,000.
• In January, Caesars Palace took a $350 bet on Maryland at 250-1. The bet would net $87,500. "On whole, we took a lot of $100 wagers and we stand to lose over half million if Maryland comes in," Caesars Palace director of specialty games Frank Kunovic said.
• On Sept. 1, a bettor at a William Hill sportsbook placed a $300 bet on Arkansas to win the national championship at 300-1. A Hogs title would net $120,000.
• UCLA is a concern for CG Technology. The Bruins attracted more bets than any other team during the regular season, including a $3,000 bet at 25-1 and a $500 bet at 60-1. "We have a big red number to UCLA right now," Jason Simbal, vice president of risk at CG Technology, said.
• CG Technology took a $1,000 bet on SMU at 80-1 to win the NCAA tournament.
• On Feb. 12, a bettor at a William Hill sportsbook placed a $398.50 bet on Nevada to win the national championship at 250-1. A historic run for the 12th-seeded Wolf Pack would net $99,625.
[h=2]Other betting nuggets[/h]• Ed Salmons, college basketball oddsmaker for the Westgate SuperBook, has North Carolina at the top of his power rankings, but says Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and Villanova are all within a few points of each other. "Louisville is almost in that tier, too," Salmons added. "Louisville was favored over Duke (in the ACC tournament)."
• The South Point, the first book to post lines on the opening-round games, was taking bets within 30 minutes of the matchups being released Sunday. The First Four matchup on Tuesday between USC and Providence generated the most early action. "It's really getting a lot of wiseguy business," South Point sportsbook director Chris Andrews said. "Most of the sharp money is on USC."
USC opened as a 1-point favorite. The line had grown to Trojans -2.5 by Monday afternoon.
• Don't call it an upset: No. 10-seed Wichita State is a 6.5-point favorite over No. 7-seed Dayton. That is the most a lower-seeded team has been favored over a higher seed in the first round going back 12 years. Since 2005, a lower-seeded team has been favored over the higher seed 42 times. The favorite in those games went 21-21 against the spread, according to sports analytics site, BetLabsSports.
• Derek Stevens, owner of The D Casino in Las Vegas, placed an $11,000 bet on each of the 32 round of 64 games and First Four matchups that were set Sunday night. Stevens placed the bets at the South Point Casino as part of a live broadcast on Brent Musburger's "My Friends in the Desert" on the Vegas Stats and Information Network.
Stevens is known to make big bets. Two years ago, he had a $20,000 ticket on Michigan State at 50-1 from the Golden Nugget to win the tournament; it would have paid $1 million. The Spartans made a surprise run to the Final Four before losing to Duke.
"It actually worked out well for everyone," Stevens said. "[Golden Nugget owner] Tilman [Fertitta] didn't lose the million, and I was able to hedge out on Duke.
Here are Stevens' 32 bets, each risking $11,000 to win $10,000: UCLA -17, Rhode Island +2, Oregon -15, Michigan State +1.5, New Mexico State +13, Wichita State -6.5, Northern Kentucky +19, Jacksonville State +22, Michigan pick 'em, Arkansas -1, Texas Southern +25, Marquette +2.5, Troy +19.5, Providence +1, North Carolina Central -2, Wake Forest +1, New Orleans -1.5, Maryland -1, Virginia Commonwealth +3.5, North Dakota +17, Vanderbilt pick 'em, Gonzaga -22, Winthrop +12, Nevada +6.5, Florida Gulf Coast +14, East Tennessee State +12, North Carolina Wilmington +8, West Virginia -14, Notre Dame -7.5, Virginia Tech -6.
• MGM assistant sportsbook manager Jeff Stoneback on the betting crowd for the opening week of the NCAA tournament: "You get a good mix. You get the people with money who come out here and want to bet on it. And then you have kids are out here for spring break and the tourists who haven't followed college basketball all season long. But everybody wants to bet on it, from the $5 eight-team parlay player to the guy who bets $50,000 a game."
• The most common size of a bet during the first two days of the NCAA tournament at MGM's and CG Technology sportsbooks is $20, with a lot of parlays.
• Last year at Caesars Palace, 54 percent of the action bet on the NCAA tournament was placed on the first Thursday and Friday. The first-round days accounted for 81 percent of the action, according to Kunovic.
• The amount wagered on the first three full days of the 2016 NCAA tournament at William Hill's Nevada sportsbook, was equal to the amount wagered on the 2015 Super Bowl, including all proposition and futures bets.
• The game that generates the most bets is shown on the primary TV screen with sound at the Mirage.
• The last game on the schedule often is among the most heavily bet. "If you took a survey (in the sportsbook) after the last game has tipped off, I would guess you have would have at least 95 percent of people would have a bet on that game," Stoneback said.
ESPN Staff Writer
3/13/17
In recent years, officials at the MGM Mirage in Las Vegas had to begin roping off the sportsbook at 3 a.m. on the Wednesday night before the first two full days of the NCAA tournament, after want ads were posted online offering to pay people to save seats overnight. Adult diapers were reportedly used.
March Madness, indeed.
This week, the sportsbook at the Mirage will open at 5:30 a.m. PT, Thursday and Friday. And there will be a line to get in.
In the meantime, follow along as ESPN Chalk covers all the action -- big, small, sharp or square -- with our updating NCAA tournament betting report.
[h=2]Futures[/h]• Villanova and Kentucky each attracted large futures bets at William Hill during conference tournament week. On March 9, a bettor staked $10,000 on defending-champion Villanova to win it all at 9-1. Another $10,000 bet came in on Kentucky at 10-1 on March 10.
• William Hill took a $1,000 bet on Michigan at 100-1 on March 11, a good price on the Wolverines, who enter tournament week at 60-1.
• Eight teams received more national championship title bets than Duke this season at William Hill. However, more money was bet on the Blue Devils to win it all than was bet on any other team. The largest Duke bet reported by William Hill was $12,000 at 8-1 odds placed on Feb. 23.
• The South Point sportsbook in Las Vegas took a pair of $10,000 bets on Duke to win the national championship from the same bettor at 10-1 and 15-2 in recent weeks, making the Blue Devils a team to sweat for the house at this point.
• The Westgate SuperBook also reported taking an influx of larger wagers on Duke to win the national championship over the last six weeks, making the Blue Devils the SuperBook's worst-case scenario.
• The Westgate and Wynn have Duke as the favorite to win the tournament. MGM has Kansas, and William Hill has North Carolina. Duke and North Carolina are co-favorites at 5-1 at the South Point, and Caesars Palace has Duke, North Carolina and Kansas as co-favorites at 5-1.
• On Feb. 23, a bettor at a William Hill sportsbook placed a $12,000 wager on Duke to win the national title at 8-1. The bet would net $96,000.
• As of Sunday at the Westgate SuperBook, more money had been bet on Duke to win the national championship than any other team.
• As of Sunday at MGM's and Caesars Palace sportsbooks, more money had been bet on Kansas to win the national championship than any other team.
• On Jan. 19, a bettor at a William Hill sportsbook placed an $8,000 bet on Kentucky at 6-1. The bet would net $48,000.
• In January, Caesars Palace took a $350 bet on Maryland at 250-1. The bet would net $87,500. "On whole, we took a lot of $100 wagers and we stand to lose over half million if Maryland comes in," Caesars Palace director of specialty games Frank Kunovic said.
• On Sept. 1, a bettor at a William Hill sportsbook placed a $300 bet on Arkansas to win the national championship at 300-1. A Hogs title would net $120,000.
• UCLA is a concern for CG Technology. The Bruins attracted more bets than any other team during the regular season, including a $3,000 bet at 25-1 and a $500 bet at 60-1. "We have a big red number to UCLA right now," Jason Simbal, vice president of risk at CG Technology, said.
• CG Technology took a $1,000 bet on SMU at 80-1 to win the NCAA tournament.
• On Feb. 12, a bettor at a William Hill sportsbook placed a $398.50 bet on Nevada to win the national championship at 250-1. A historic run for the 12th-seeded Wolf Pack would net $99,625.
[h=2]Other betting nuggets[/h]• Ed Salmons, college basketball oddsmaker for the Westgate SuperBook, has North Carolina at the top of his power rankings, but says Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and Villanova are all within a few points of each other. "Louisville is almost in that tier, too," Salmons added. "Louisville was favored over Duke (in the ACC tournament)."
• The South Point, the first book to post lines on the opening-round games, was taking bets within 30 minutes of the matchups being released Sunday. The First Four matchup on Tuesday between USC and Providence generated the most early action. "It's really getting a lot of wiseguy business," South Point sportsbook director Chris Andrews said. "Most of the sharp money is on USC."
USC opened as a 1-point favorite. The line had grown to Trojans -2.5 by Monday afternoon.
• Don't call it an upset: No. 10-seed Wichita State is a 6.5-point favorite over No. 7-seed Dayton. That is the most a lower-seeded team has been favored over a higher seed in the first round going back 12 years. Since 2005, a lower-seeded team has been favored over the higher seed 42 times. The favorite in those games went 21-21 against the spread, according to sports analytics site, BetLabsSports.
• Derek Stevens, owner of The D Casino in Las Vegas, placed an $11,000 bet on each of the 32 round of 64 games and First Four matchups that were set Sunday night. Stevens placed the bets at the South Point Casino as part of a live broadcast on Brent Musburger's "My Friends in the Desert" on the Vegas Stats and Information Network.
Stevens is known to make big bets. Two years ago, he had a $20,000 ticket on Michigan State at 50-1 from the Golden Nugget to win the tournament; it would have paid $1 million. The Spartans made a surprise run to the Final Four before losing to Duke.
"It actually worked out well for everyone," Stevens said. "[Golden Nugget owner] Tilman [Fertitta] didn't lose the million, and I was able to hedge out on Duke.
Here are Stevens' 32 bets, each risking $11,000 to win $10,000: UCLA -17, Rhode Island +2, Oregon -15, Michigan State +1.5, New Mexico State +13, Wichita State -6.5, Northern Kentucky +19, Jacksonville State +22, Michigan pick 'em, Arkansas -1, Texas Southern +25, Marquette +2.5, Troy +19.5, Providence +1, North Carolina Central -2, Wake Forest +1, New Orleans -1.5, Maryland -1, Virginia Commonwealth +3.5, North Dakota +17, Vanderbilt pick 'em, Gonzaga -22, Winthrop +12, Nevada +6.5, Florida Gulf Coast +14, East Tennessee State +12, North Carolina Wilmington +8, West Virginia -14, Notre Dame -7.5, Virginia Tech -6.
• MGM assistant sportsbook manager Jeff Stoneback on the betting crowd for the opening week of the NCAA tournament: "You get a good mix. You get the people with money who come out here and want to bet on it. And then you have kids are out here for spring break and the tourists who haven't followed college basketball all season long. But everybody wants to bet on it, from the $5 eight-team parlay player to the guy who bets $50,000 a game."
• The most common size of a bet during the first two days of the NCAA tournament at MGM's and CG Technology sportsbooks is $20, with a lot of parlays.
• Last year at Caesars Palace, 54 percent of the action bet on the NCAA tournament was placed on the first Thursday and Friday. The first-round days accounted for 81 percent of the action, according to Kunovic.
• The amount wagered on the first three full days of the 2016 NCAA tournament at William Hill's Nevada sportsbook, was equal to the amount wagered on the 2015 Super Bowl, including all proposition and futures bets.
• The game that generates the most bets is shown on the primary TV screen with sound at the Mirage.
• The last game on the schedule often is among the most heavily bet. "If you took a survey (in the sportsbook) after the last game has tipped off, I would guess you have would have at least 95 percent of people would have a bet on that game," Stoneback said.
