Thank God for the Golden Nugget

blatanthomerism 4 years ago
You probably know the Golden Nugget as the subject of an interminably boring Fox reality show starring the bizarro Maloofs. Maybe you and your crew remember that time your hungover buddy lost his lunch of 99 cent fried pickles over by the Nugget’s craps tables. Stand-up connoisseurs flock to Gordie Brown’s nightly show to witness his renowned Sly Stallone impression. (“Adrian!” Eat your heart out, Rita Rudner.)
However, the Nugget will always hold a special place in Homerism’s heart for giving him a joyous reminder that the college football season isn’t nearly as far away as it seems. For, today, the casino’s oddsmakers blessed gamblers with early point spreads for 2009’s biggest games.
(I guess it’s their prerogative if they want to declare UNLV-Hawaii one of the season’s biggest games, so let’s ignore that for now.)
Unfortunately, I couldn’t track down a link to the spreads. I pulled together the list below from message boards. As such, I can’t vouch for their accuracy, but all the numbers appear to match up when compared across sources.
Six OU games are listed:
  • OU (+3) vs. Texas
  • OU (-21) vs. BYU
  • OU (-9.5) at Nebraska
  • OU (-9) at Texas Tech
  • Oklahoma State at OU (-10.5)
  • OU (-10) at Miami, FL
First off, Homerism loves the prospect of OU giving points in the Red River Shootout. The Sooners always seem to play better as an underdog, and the Longhorns already have plenty of reason to play up the disrespect angle. Second, seeing as the Sooners are a double-digit favorite against OSU, the books don’t appear to be buying all the hype surrounding the Pokes. Lastly, three touchdowns seems like a lot to cover in the first game of the year against the always experienced Cougars.
Other observations:
*While it appears the linesmakers doubt OSU, they certainly seem to be buying the Ole Miss.
*When was the last time LSU was a double-digit underdog in Death Valley? The Tigers are getting 11 against the mighty Florida Gators.
*Word on the ground in Sin City is that despite opening as at 6.5, the line in the USC-Ohio St. non-conference showdown has been posted at 3.5. Likewise, Vegas has bumped up the Illinois-Missouri line to 5.
*What’s the story with Arkansas? The Nugget has handicapped five Razorback games already? Seems like Vegas may be setting a trap for unsuspecting bettors underestimating Bobby Petrino. Note the list includes the Hogs September clash with Georgia, one of Homerism’s “danger games” for this season.
*My only other danger game included: USC (-14.5) at Arizona St.
*As for Homerism’s pre-line picks, there’s Missouri (-5) at Nevada, Virginia Tech vs. Alabama (-4) and the aforementioned OU (-9.5) at Nebraska.
*Vegas clearly has a far lower opinion of Georgia this year than I do.
*I’m actually kinda surprised the line for Florida-Tennessee is only 27.

Anyway, without further adieu, here are the early lines:

Thursday, September 03, 2009
1001 OREGON
1002 BOISE ST. -4

Saturday, September 05, 2009
1003 GEORGIA
1004 OKLAHOMA ST. -3

1005 MISSOURI @ST. LOUIS MO
1006 ILLINOIS -2½

1007 VIRG. TECH @ATLANTA GA
1008 ALABAMA -4

1009 COLORADO ST.
1010 COLORADO -13

1011 BYU @ARLINGTON TX
1012 OKLAHOMA -21

1013 LSU -16
1014 WASHINGTON

1015 NEVADA
1016 NOTRE DAME -17

Sunday, September 06, 2009
1017 MISSISSIPPI -17
1018 MEMPHIS

Monday, September 07, 2009
1019 MIAMI (FL)
1020 FLORIDA ST. -3

Thursday, September 10, 2009
1021 CLEMSON
1022 GEORGIA TECH -4½

Saturday, September 12, 2009
1023 NOTRE DAME -3½
1024 MICHIGAN

1025 UCLA
1026 TENNESSEE -3

1027 USC -6½
1028 OHIO ST.

1029 OREGON ST. -14
1030 UNLV

Thursday, September 17, 2009
1031 GEORGIA TECH
1032 MIAMI (FL) -4

Friday, September 18, 2009
1033 BOISE ST. -10½
1034 FRESNO ST.

Saturday, September 19, 2009
1035 WEST VIRGINIA
1036 AUBURN -4

1037 TENNESSEE
1038 FLORIDA -27

1039 LOUISVILLE
1040 KENTUCKY -3½

1041 BOSTON COLLEGE
1042 CLEMSON -7

1043 NEBRASKA
1044 VIRGINIA TECH -6

1045 MICHIGAN ST.
1046 NOTRE DAME -7

1047 UTAH
1048 OREGON -7½

1049 FLORIDA ST.
1050 BYU -3

1051 TEXAS TECH
1052 TEXAS -17

1053 GEORGIA -2½
1054 ARKANSAS

1055 HAWAII
1056 UNLV -7
>>
Thursday, September 24, 2009
1057 MISSISSIPPI -7
1058 SOUTH CAROLINA

Friday, September 25, 2009
1059 MISSOURI -5
1060 NEVADA

Saturday, September 26, 2009
1061 ARIZONA ST.
1062 GEORGIA -14

1063 MIAMI (FL)
1064 VIRGINIA TECH -4½

1065 CALIFORNIA
1066 OREGON -1

1067 WAKE FOREST
1068 BOSTON COLLEGE -9½

1069 MICHIGAN ST.
1070 WISCONSIN -4½

1071 ARKANSAS
1072 ALABAMA -10

Friday, October 02, 2009
1073 PITTSBURGH -4
1074 LOUISVILLE

Saturday, October 03, 2009
1075 LSU
1076 GEORGIA -4

1077 FLORIDA ST. PICK
1078 BOSTON COLLEGE

1079 OKLAHOMA -10
1080 MIAMI (FL)

1081 UNLV
1082 NEVADA -7

1083 USC -8½
1084 CALIFORNIA

1085 TEXAS A&M @ARLINGTON TX
1086 ARKANSAS -13½

1087 MICHIGAN
1088 MICHIGAN ST. -7½

1089 WISCONSIN -2½
1090 MINNESOTA

1091 AUBURN
1092 TENNESSEE -6

Thursday, October 08, 2009
1093 NEBRASKA PICK
1094 MISSOURI

Saturday, October 10, 2009
1095 GEORGIA TECH
1096 FLORIDA ST. -4½

1097 WISCONSIN
1098 OHIO ST. -12

1099 BOSTON COLLEGE
1100 VIRGINIA TECH -8

1101 FLORIDA -11
1102 LSU

1103 AUBURN
1104 ARKANSAS -4½

1105 OREGON
1106 UCLA -3

1107 ALABAMA
1108 MISSISSIPPI -3

1109 GEORGIA -3½
1110 TENNESSEE

1111 BYU -13
1112 UNLV

1113 FRESNO ST. -3
1114 HAWAII
>>
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
1115 BOISE ST. -6
1116 TULSA

Thursday, October 15, 2009
1117 CINCINNATI
1118 SOUTH FLORIDA -6½

Friday, October 16, 2009
1119 PITTSBURGH
1120 RUTGERS -3

Saturday, October 17, 2009
1121 CALIFORNIA -3½
1122 UCLA

1123 OKLAHOMA @DALLAS TX
1124 TEXAS -3

1125 USC -10
1126 NOTRE DAME

1127 VIRGINIA TECH
1128 GEORGIA TECH -6

1129 TEXAS TECH
1130 NEBRASKA -7

1131 MARSHALL
1132 WEST VIRGINIA -14

1133 BYU -17
1134 SAN DIEGO ST.

1135 UTAH -10
1136 UNLV

Thursday, October 22, 2009
1137 FLORIDA ST. -3
1138 NORTH CAROLINA

Saturday, October 24, 2009
1139 PENN ST. -7
1140 MICHIGAN

1141 BOSTON COLLEGE
1142 NOTRE DAME -7

1143 TENNESSEE
1144 ALABAMA -14

1145 CLEMSON
1146 MIAMI (FL) -4½

1147 TEXAS A&M
1148 TEXAS TECH -14

1149 AUBURN
1150 LSU -10

1151 BOISE ST. -17
1152 HAWAII

Thursday, October 29, 2009
1153 NORTH CAROLINA
1154 VIRGINIA TECH -8

Friday, October 30, 2009
1155 WEST VIRGINIA
1156 SOUTH FLORIDA -6

Saturday, October 31, 2009
1157 GEORGIA @JACKSONVL, FL
1158 FLORIDA -16

1159 USC -10½
1160 OREGON

1161 MISSISSIPPI -4
1162 AUBURN

1163 CALIFORNIA -6
1164 ARIZONA ST.

1165 MIAMI (FL) -6½
1166 WAKE FOREST

1167 TEXAS -7
1168 OKLAHOMA ST.
>>
Thursday, November 05, 2009
1169 VIRGINIA TECH -6½
1170 EAST CAROLINA

Saturday, November 07, 2009
1171 OKLAHOMA -9½
1172 NEBRASKA

1173 OHIO ST.
1174 PENN ST. -3

1175 FLORIDA ST.
1176 CLEMSON -4½

1177 LSU
1178 ALABAMA -6

1179 USC -14½
1180 ARIZONA ST.

Thursday, November 12, 2009
1181 SOUTH FLORIDA
1182 RUTGERS -3

Friday, November 13, 2009
1183 WEST VIRGINIA
1184 CINCINNATI -3

Saturday, November 14, 2009
1185 AUBURN
1186 GEORGIA -10½

1187 MICHIGAN
1188 WISCONSIN -7

1189 NEBRASKA
1190 KANSAS -2½

1191 FLORIDA -17
1192 SOUTH CAROLINA

1193 TENNESSEE
1194 MISSISSIPPI -13

1195 MIAMI (FL) -2½
1196 NORTH CAROLINA

1197 FLORIDA ST. -6½
1198 WAKE FOREST

1199 NOTRE DAME
1200 PITTSBURGH -1

Saturday, November 21, 2009
1201 LSU
1202 MISSISSIPPI -6

1203 OHIO ST. -7
1204 MICHIGAN

1205 MINNESOTA
1206 IOWA -9

1207 OKLAHOMA -9
1208 TEXAS TECH

1209 CALIFORNIA -3½
1210 STANFORD

Thursday, November 26, 2009
1211 TEXAS -21½
1212 TEXAS A&M

Friday, November 27, 2009
1213 PITTSBURGH
1214 WEST VIRGINIA -3

1215 NEBRASKA -6
1216 COLORADO

Saturday, November 28, 2009
1217 FLORIDA ST.
1218 FLORIDA -20

1219 GEORGIA
1220 GEORGIA TECH -1

1221 TENNESSEE -1½
1222 KENTUCKY

1223 VIRGINIA TECH -7½
1224 VIRGINIA

1225 CLEMSON PICK
1226 SOUTH CAROLINA

1227 ALABAMA -8
1228 AUBURN

1229 UTAH
1230 BYU -6

1231 ARKANSAS
1232 LSU -8

1233 OKLAHOMA ST.
1234 OKLAHOMA -10½

1235 UCLA
1236 USC -18

1237 ARIZONA
1238 ARIZONA ST. -2

1239 MIAMI (FL) -3
1240 SOUTH FLORIDA

1241 NORTH CAROLINA
1242 NC STATE -2½

1243 BAYLOR @ARLINGTON, TX
1244 TEX. TECH -7

1245 RICE
1246 HOUSTON -13

1247 WASHINGTON ST.
1248 WASHINGTON -8

1249 MISSISSIPPI -16
1250 MISSISSIPPI ST.

Thursday, December 03, 2009
1251 OREGON ST.
1252 OREGON -6

Saturday, December 05, 2009
1253 ARIZONA
1254 USC -20

1255 CINCINNATI
1256 PITTSBURGH -7

Saturday, December 12, 2009
1257 ARMY @PHILA., PA
1258 NAVY -14½

POSTED BY AK AT 9:14 PM 
LABELS: DANGER GAMES, HANDICAPPING, OKLAHOMA SOONERS, VEGAS
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