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Late action report: Steelers odds still unsettled
By Andrew Folkes
Thu, Sep 7, 2006
It’s been over four days since Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had his appendix removed, but the uncertainty surrounding tonight’s game against the Miami Dolphins is still raging at the sportsbooks.
The Steelers, who opened as 4-point home favorites, are listed either as a pick ‘em or -1 at most online sites while a small minority has them listed at + 1 ½. Each book’s number is a reflection of how much Dolphins action it was exposed to before it was able to adjust.
”Some books may have had their (opening) numbers up longer than others before they got news of the injury,” speculates BetCRIS.com oddsmaker Shane Catford, who currently has Pittsburgh at -1.
It seems even a 4-point adjustment wasn’t enough to balance the money at some books. Bodog.com didn’t open tonight’s game until Tuesday and did so with the Steelers as a pick ‘em. They’ve since had to move Pittsburgh into underdog territory.
“We have been getting heavy action on Miami and the line move to +1 ½ is an attempt to draw some action on Pittsburgh,” a Bodog.com bookmaker tells ***********. “The Steelers are finally starting to get some action, but we’re still getting money on Miami.”
Roethlisberger’s injury has also had a dramatic affect on the total with the number plummeting from 37 to 34 ½. In addition to Big Ben’s absence, under action has probably also been encouraged by the Dolphins’ quarterback situation.
“People don’t expect to see these teams pass much with Roethlisberger out and Miami having a new quarterback (in Daunte Culpepper),” BetWWTS.com oddsmaker Michael Pierce explains. ”But I think I’ll stick with (this total). I don’t want to go any lower with this number.”
While Pittsburgh’s stock initially crashed at the sportsbooks, the team has been trying to amend that over the past four days. Backup quarterback Charlie Batch is one of the most experienced No.2s in the NFL and the Steelers insist he has their confidence.
"Charlie is a proven starter. He`s been in this league nine, 10 years,” linebacker Joey Porter told reporters. “He took Detroit to the playoffs before. So it`s not like he`s stepping into a situation where he`ll be nervous. My confidence in Charlie is the same as my confidence in Ben.”
That’s usually the kind of rhetoric you hear from a team starting a second stringer under center, but it appears to be influencing the betting public. Several books have been fluctuating between a pick ’em and –1 over the past 48 hours and another adjustment could be coming.
“The Steelers have been getting a lot of press about how having Batch in won’t hurt them that much,” notes Catford. “If that impacts the betting handle, we could end up at Pittsburgh –1 ½.”
Unfortunately for some books, the wild odds swing on the NFL’s kickoff could see them begin the season in the red. Having a line move from –4 at the open to +1 ½ at its lowest ebb creates plenty of opportunities for middling and scalping.
“If it lands at Pittsburgh (winning) by one, two or three I think you’ll see a lot of books get hurt,” predicts Catford. “We were lucky enough to get the news early from some of our contacts in Pittsburgh. Those contacts had the pleasure of betting first, but we didn’t get too much exposure.”
By Andrew Folkes
Thu, Sep 7, 2006
It’s been over four days since Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had his appendix removed, but the uncertainty surrounding tonight’s game against the Miami Dolphins is still raging at the sportsbooks.
The Steelers, who opened as 4-point home favorites, are listed either as a pick ‘em or -1 at most online sites while a small minority has them listed at + 1 ½. Each book’s number is a reflection of how much Dolphins action it was exposed to before it was able to adjust.
”Some books may have had their (opening) numbers up longer than others before they got news of the injury,” speculates BetCRIS.com oddsmaker Shane Catford, who currently has Pittsburgh at -1.
It seems even a 4-point adjustment wasn’t enough to balance the money at some books. Bodog.com didn’t open tonight’s game until Tuesday and did so with the Steelers as a pick ‘em. They’ve since had to move Pittsburgh into underdog territory.
“We have been getting heavy action on Miami and the line move to +1 ½ is an attempt to draw some action on Pittsburgh,” a Bodog.com bookmaker tells ***********. “The Steelers are finally starting to get some action, but we’re still getting money on Miami.”
Roethlisberger’s injury has also had a dramatic affect on the total with the number plummeting from 37 to 34 ½. In addition to Big Ben’s absence, under action has probably also been encouraged by the Dolphins’ quarterback situation.
“People don’t expect to see these teams pass much with Roethlisberger out and Miami having a new quarterback (in Daunte Culpepper),” BetWWTS.com oddsmaker Michael Pierce explains. ”But I think I’ll stick with (this total). I don’t want to go any lower with this number.”
While Pittsburgh’s stock initially crashed at the sportsbooks, the team has been trying to amend that over the past four days. Backup quarterback Charlie Batch is one of the most experienced No.2s in the NFL and the Steelers insist he has their confidence.
"Charlie is a proven starter. He`s been in this league nine, 10 years,” linebacker Joey Porter told reporters. “He took Detroit to the playoffs before. So it`s not like he`s stepping into a situation where he`ll be nervous. My confidence in Charlie is the same as my confidence in Ben.”
That’s usually the kind of rhetoric you hear from a team starting a second stringer under center, but it appears to be influencing the betting public. Several books have been fluctuating between a pick ’em and –1 over the past 48 hours and another adjustment could be coming.
“The Steelers have been getting a lot of press about how having Batch in won’t hurt them that much,” notes Catford. “If that impacts the betting handle, we could end up at Pittsburgh –1 ½.”
Unfortunately for some books, the wild odds swing on the NFL’s kickoff could see them begin the season in the red. Having a line move from –4 at the open to +1 ½ at its lowest ebb creates plenty of opportunities for middling and scalping.
“If it lands at Pittsburgh (winning) by one, two or three I think you’ll see a lot of books get hurt,” predicts Catford. “We were lucky enough to get the news early from some of our contacts in Pittsburgh. Those contacts had the pleasure of betting first, but we didn’t get too much exposure.”
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