September 16, 2012

Saturday may have been the worst day in the history of The Playhouse -- which since there have been so many bad ones is a lot like trying to pin down the worst Raiders draft pick of the last two decades.  Not only did we lose the Super Play for the first time this season (Va Tech -11), we also lost any number of halftime, quarter and first-half bets, not to mention about four teasers that had no chance. In fact, we didn't win at all until nearly 11 pm PST, when Utah beat BYU, 24-21, in a wild ending that included a crib on the field before the game officially ended.

A couple thoughts/stats before getting to the Super Play of the Day, which no one should pay attention to:

'Tennessee is a top five team,' and other texts our president sent to various people on Saturday:

• 'Dude, it's a lock, Pitt is terrible'
• 'Va Tech at the half is stealing. Get on it'
• 'Stanford has no chance to hang with 'SC tonight'
• 'SC is the only team that can play with Alabama'
• 'I like SMU to keep it close, because A&M is coming off an emotional loss'
• 'Oregon's cheerleaders could urinate on me and I'd be cool with it'

The Playhouse typically doesn't dig Notre Dame, their alumni or their fans, a group that collectively is more delusional than Craig James. But it's hard not to root for Irish linebacker Manti Te'o, who lost his grandmother and girlfriend on consecutive days last week. Yahoo! Sports' Dan Wetzel tells the story far better than we could...

For those who don't the know, the Las Vegas Hotel's (formerly the Hilton) Super Contest is 'the world's ultimate pro-football handicapping contest.' This year, a record 745 contestantants, each of whom pick five NFL games against the spread each week, plopped down $1,500 in hopes of winning the $447,000 pot -- which could buy two 20,000 square-foot homes in economically depressed Las Vegas. Any entrant hitting 67 percent of their plays, something that's not going to happen, is eligible for $10,000 bonus.

Last week, a grand total of ten entrants (1.3 percent) went 5-0, while 27 went 0-5. Overall, the field, which includes some of the most respected pro handicappers in the world, hit 43 percent of its plays. The lesson: Don't gamble on the NFL, because you won't win money...

Speaking of not winning money, according to David Payne Purdum, before the college football season started Vegas took more bets on USC to win the BCS title than all other teams combined. In Payne Purdum's words, 'Vegas in rich.' ...

Former Ceasar's sportsbook director Todd Fuhrman says this morning that the pros are one the Eagles (-2.5) and Jags (+6.5), while the squares are loading up on the Patriots (-13.5), Saints (-3), Ravens (+2.5), Texans (-6.5), Cowboys (-3) and Chargers (-6.5)...


Super Play of the Day

Seattle +3 (no homerism, we are not Seahawks fans)

   
other plays

Eagles -2.5
St Louis +3.5