Does Vegas influence our favorite past time?

[Wazmankg]

Yes they do. They want the team w/ the most money bet on them to lose. Enhancing their share of the stake.

That's true. The notion that Vegas doesn't care because there's equal money on both sides and they get their cut regardless is a popular myth. Having the same amount bet on both sides for every game is clearly impossible. That said, no I don't think Vegas influences the refs, which is not to say there's never been a game that's been fixed.

 

[Bulldog]

After rereading the initial post I think I might have misinterpreted it. Seems like it is more about whether or not refs in various sports are ever in on some kind of a fix. We know that that has happened and that it was once apparently routine in the NBA. I suspect that it has also happened in both college football and the NFL, but I don't think it is wide spread. Perhaps I am naive.

No you're not naive. Football has a head ref, linesmen ref and backfield ref as well as instant replay. Someone who wanted to bribe the officials would certainly need to bribe more than just one on the field. As much money as the casinos bring in on football betting they'd be insane to try an bribe NFL officials. The Feds would be all over that like ugly on an ape.

 

[MajorPackersFan]

As stated earlier Graham was on the other end of the field w/ Knox. So how could he be the player you are claiming caused the foul? Watched it few times more (lol 1 of my favorite plays vs you guys). And just being honest, nothing can be determined by the Video either. As they (Fox) change camera views, as your so called penalty evolves.

I guess I don't know what you mean by "other end of the field". Knox was on the far side of the field, opposite the camera. The penalty happened on that same side of the field, as Hester was on the near side of the field in comparison to the camera. The blowup I posted doesn't make it obvious, but that sure looks like a #21 that's grabbing Bush's shoulders. It's possible the refs get the player's # wrong, too. That happens all the time.

As far as not waiting for the play to develop, does it matter? You see Bush's entire upper body torque to the left as if someone is pulling on his shoulder pad, or someone from the sideline is using "the force". You don't see the ultimate result of what happened, but it doesn't take an idiot to realize something other than himself affected his momentum in that short clip.

Believe what you want I guess. The refs called holding, and that looked very much like holding.

 

[SFNL]

When Vegas changed the line from NO -7.5 to NO -9.5 it clearly made betting on Atlanta more attractive, since bets on Atlanta were then Atlanta +9.5, rather than the previous Atlanta +7.5. If, as according to the rule of thumb that you previously posted, each additional one-point change in the line to favor a team attracts an additional $1 million bet on that team, then this two-point change in the line should have attracted an additional $2 million bet on Atlanta. Since Atlanta covered the spread, this line change (given that your "rule of thumb" is correct) clearly cost Vegas $2 million.

How Vegas ended up coming out on the game would then depend on how much was bet on each team prior to the line change. You are right that the change from NO -7.5 to NO -9.5 implies that more was bet on NO than Atlanta prior to the line change. How much more, though, isn't known by the general public, but your "rule of thumb" suggests that it was about $2 million.

No. The line doesn't move 1 pt BEFORE a million is bet.. It moves after it is bet.
So
NO -7.5 ---------- A million was bet on NO, line was moved
NO -8.5----------- Another mill was bet on NO, line was moved
NO -9.5----------- Betting finally evened out but more on NO

 

[BOTSLAYER]

A lot of things in this thread did not feel like reading every thing.

1st, Vegas lines are designed to make money. Usually this is done by having betters bet an equal number of money on each side and the loser pays the vig. There are trap lines though, or lines that look amazing and Vegas knows it will go the other way and that the public will bet the wrong way.

@ TDs3nOut, In general Vegas is rooting for the underdog because squares love hammering favorites, especially road favorites...like your Broncos today (I have a rooting interest in the Pats today ).

All that being said Vegas or somebody with similar interests do fix games. A LOT of games. I guess a LOT is a trivial term but imo a lot is more than 10 a year. I suspect that the NFL probably fixes at least 1 week on average. That is just in the NFL.

There was a crime syndicate betting on Soccer. They fixed about a game every 3 days (an average) over 3 years. That is just the games that the authorities know about which was mostly done by bribing officials.

The NBA playoffs last year were a joke and disgusting. I have never seen so many lopsided games back to back than that and it all stemmed from just a few early calls on top players in the beginning of the game. (That player has to completely change their style of play if they are even on the floor, it is huge.)

The SB last year, do we really think that some random guy threw away his job to cause a power outage for the game? Or do we really think that all of a sudden on the biggest stage imaginable that that particular piece of equipment would malfunction?

Vegas fixes games, they are not the only group fixing games, and it happens very often.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

Also lines move at different rates and it is much much sooner than $1m. The earlier the line comes out the more the line will move from a bet. The longer the line is out the less it will move. If Vegas knows the outcome and the bet is on the wrong side that bet will never move the line.

 

[podsox]

Las Vegas Odds, Sportsbook Lines and Sports Betting Trends at ScoresAndOdds.com for NFL Football, NCAA College Football, NBA Basketball, NCAA College Basketball, NHL Hockey,

 

[63bears40]

A lot of things in this thread did not feel like reading every thing.

1st, Vegas lines are designed to make money. Usually this is done by having betters bet an equal number of money on each side and the loser pays the vig. There are trap lines though, or lines that look amazing and Vegas knows it will go the other way and that the public will bet the wrong way.

@ TDs3nOut, In general Vegas is rooting for the underdog because squares love hammering favorites, especially road favorites...like your Broncos today (I have a rooting interest in the Pats today ).

All that being said Vegas or somebody with similar interests do fix games. A LOT of games. I guess a LOT is a trivial term but imo a lot is more than 10 a year. I suspect that the NFL probably fixes at least 1 week on average. That is just in the NFL.

There was a crime syndicate betting on Soccer. They fixed about a game every 3 days (an average) over 3 years. That is just the games that the authorities know about which was mostly done by bribing officials.

The NBA playoffs last year were a joke and disgusting. I have never seen so many lopsided games back to back than that and it all stemmed from just a few early calls on top players in the beginning of the game. (That player has to completely change their style of play if they are even on the floor, it is huge.)

The SB last year, do we really think that some random guy threw away his job to cause a power outage for the game? Or do we really think that all of a sudden on the biggest stage imaginable that that particular piece of equipment would malfunction?

Vegas fixes games, they are not the only group fixing games, and it happens very often.

Great Post.