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Columnist Jeff Haney: Patriots Pack It In; Raiders Reward Backers

by Jeff Haney

A fiery old cuss like Chuck Bednarik would never admit it.

Nor would a publicity-conscious bureaucrat like Paul Tagliabue.

There are no news conferences, no press releases, no special bulletins on Yahoo! sports.

But sports bettors and bookmakers will tell you it happens every year around this time.

As the NFL schedule winds down, certain teams decide to "pack it in" for the season. Hopelessly behind in the playoff race and with little or nothing to play for, they simply don't "show up" for their remaining games -- mentally or psychologically, that is.

Identifying the teams that have decided to "pack it in" and wagering against them can be a profitable endeavor for an astute gambler.

"I think it can be (a valid approach), under the right circumstances," said Tom Smilanich, sports book director at Sunset Station. "A perfect example was on Sunday with the Patriots. Once they got behind against Philadelphia, I feel that they gave up."

The Patriots, 4 1/2-point favorites against the Eagles, went down 24-9 Sunday to fall to 7-7 on the year and to fourth place in the AFC East. It was the fifth loss in six games for the reeling Pats, who were officially eliminated from playoff contention later Sunday when the Bills beat the Cardinals.

The Eagles, one of the worst teams in football, appeared to rally behind quarterback Koy Detmer, filling in for injured starter Donovan McNabb. Philadelphia was plus 150 on the money line.

"When New England got down, it looked as if they had no fight left in them," Smilanich said.

As a sports book director, Smilanich acknowledges the reality of teams who "pack it in" toward the end of the season. But as a fan, he hates to see it.

"I'm not a Patriots fan, but I am a fan of the sport, so I was disappointed to see that happen," Smilanich said.

At the other end of the spectrum are games such as Monday night's Packers-Vikings matchup that feature two teams in "must-win" spots.

Some experts think the pressure in so-called "must" games causes teams to come out tight and play below par; others, such as Smilanich, think it can bring out the best in a squad.

"You usually find out what teams are made of in this kind of a matchup," Smilanich said. "The cream really does rise to the top, as corny as that expression sounds. These were two veteran teams showing a lot of heart."

Although Green Bay covered the 5-point number Monday, Minnesota's 24-20 win lifted its record to 8-6 and brightened its playoff outlook.

"It came down to the last series, and the Packers still had a chance with (quarterback Brett) Favre," Smilanich said. "I don't think either team choked at all."

* BUCS STOP HERE: The Buccaneers came up short against the Raiders Sunday in a game that saw some of the most one-sided betting of the NFL season.

The stable of highly regarded handicappers in Sunset Station's weekly contest lined up en masse to support the Raiders, with eight of the 11 entrants choosing Oakland as one of their top picks.

In the Sun's handicapping contest, five of the seven entrants went with the Raiders as one of their plays.

That support for Oakland was reflected in the city's sports books. The Raiders opened as a small underdog or a pick 'em and were bet to as high as a 2 1/2-point favorite at some properties. They won 45-0.

"The (bettors) played the game like they knew the final score before it started," Smilanich said. "I'm not surprised the Raiders won the game, but I'm surprised they won it as easily as they did."

The situation was similar on the other side of town.

"Pretty much everyone was on the Raiders," said Jeff Sherman of the Resort at Summerlin's sports book. "Everyone thought it was a good spot with Tampa Bay coming off two tough divisional games against Minnesota and Detroit, being on the road and with a rookie quarterback."

A classic "sandwich" game, in other words. But with the first-place Bucs back home this coming Sunday against the Packers in another NFC Central clash, Tampa Bay could be worth a look for bettors.

"I made the number Tampa Bay (minus) 3, and I don't like Green Bay at all," said Sherman. "If I took a side in the game, it would be Tampa Bay."

Early money is indeed coming in on the Buccaneers, who are a 3-point favorite minus 120 at the Stardust and a 3 1/2-point favorite at the Las Vegas Hilton.

* BASKETBALL BETTING: Sharp money appears to be right on target so far this season in both college basketball and NBA wagering.

"The big moves (on college lines) are getting there," said Sherman. "That often happens this time of the year in non-conference play. Some of the big players are getting information ahead of us, and it takes a while for us to catch up."

NBA bettors have also been successful, says Sunset Station's Smilanich.

"The (bettors) are getting the best of it so far," Smilanich said. "We've made some adjustments trying to catch up to them, but early on the (bettors) definitely have had an edge."

Does Smilanich expect that edge to level off as the season rolls on?

"I certainly hope so," he deadpanned.

* CONTEST RESULTS: Four entrants -- Dave Nelson, George Brown, Danny Viola and Pete Fitzsimmons -- went 17-0 this past week to split the $15,000 weekly prize in the Stardust's free All-American Football Contest. Each winner took home $3,750.

In the championship round of the Stardust Invitational, radio personality Papa Joe Chevalier captured the tournament's winner-take-all $10,000 prize by upsetting Dana Corbo, owner of Don Best Sports. Papa Joe's selections went 3-3-1, while Corbo went 2-5.

Copyright © Las Vegas Sun. Inc. Republished with permission.

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