LAS VEGAS Chris Andrews scans five computer faces. Turning to his right, he gazes at a dozen large TV screens resembling The Brady Bunch intro on the opposite wall.<\/p>\n
The South Point sportsbook director zeroes in on a game of consequence for his shop that has nothing to do with the NBA, NHL or NCAA basketball.<\/p>\n
Presbyterian leads 6.5-point underdog Morehead State 24-3 just before halftime late last Saturday morning. Its spring football. Andrews said, Weve gotten steamed on Morehead.<\/p>\n
A statement no book director could have ever envisioned uttering. In industry lexicon, that means cash has flowed on Morehead, reducing its point spread and creating liability for the house.<\/p>\n
That steam, though, was misdirected. Presbyterian would win 31-16. The book wins again, this time on the coronavirus-delayed oddity of the Football Championship Subdivision, whose 16-team playoff is slated for April 18 to May 15.<\/p>\n
Baseballs spring training has been another odd duck on the wagering menu. Games end whenever, with pitch limits and uncertain split-squad lineups.<\/p>\n
With unusual candor, Andrews will explain how he and his oddsmakers line those two sports. On a spring Saturday, hes grateful to be in this office, with a plethora of sports on these screens.<\/p>\n
Not long ago, a doctor told him he had a 50-50 chance of surviving a medical procedure.<\/p>\n
Well, Andrews said, thats better odds than the casino gives you.<\/p>\n
Record Figures<\/p>\n
In January, a record was set for a sixth consecutive month when $4.6 billion in legal sports wagers were made in the United States. New Jersey topped the chart at $959 million. Nevada ($647 million) was second, and the nascent Illinois market ($581 million) was fourth.<\/p>\n
Many said growing legalization would hurt Las Vegas, but I thought it would just grow the market, said Andrews, a 40-year Nevada bookmaker. I think I was right. Id be bullish on Illinois, too, because theyre well-educated on betting.<\/p>\n
People know theyre not going to win all the time, but they dont want to get screwed, either. They wont put up with that.<\/p>\n
He scans a sheet of last weekends 37 FCS games. As a four-point underdog, Southern Illinois upset Northern Iowa 17-16. As a 20.5-point underdog, Western Illinois covered in a 38-21 loss to North Dakota.<\/p>\n
The lines of nine games, he said, moved by at least three points from their opening numbers. Thats significant because handicappers salivate over gaining a point or two in perceived value.<\/p>\n
Were kinda kickin ass on it, Andrews said. Favorites are ahead, but by no more than 60-40%.<\/p>\n
Meaning bettors, such as well-regarded Brad Powers, are not doing so well. On March 8, he tweeted that he was 16-25 and down five grand, betting $500 limits. He recommended going against his picks to make $$$.<\/p>\n
Andrews said he and his crew tap Jeff Sagarins ratings and spreads from other books an uncommon admission in the business to produce South Point lines.<\/p>\n
We kind of heist the line off everybody else, Andrews said. We have an idea of where were supposed to be. After that, the money goes where the money goes.<\/p>\n
The South Point, though, is about breaking even on the diamond.<\/p>\n
Tell you the truth, I dont know what the hell is going on in baseball, he said. Were completely heisting the line [from others] when it comes out in the morning, but were doing business.<\/p>\n
With such a vast sports menu, Andrews and his oddsmakers must allocate their time wisely.<\/p>\n
Last Saturday, the Brewers were -135 (risk $135 to win $100) against the Rangers, at +115. The game ended 4-4 after seven innings. Bettors were refunded their money.<\/p>\n
Some sharp clientele has wagered the $500 limit, but Andrews suspects arbitrage: playing numbers against those from other books to guarantee profit or limit loss.<\/p>\n
Id rather be bettin hockey or NBA or college basketball than baseball, with these funky rules, Andrews said. Thats a tough handicap right now.<\/p>\n
A Big Anniversary<\/p>\n
Andrews, who turns 65 in April, hails from the Pittsburgh area, a melting-pot region known as the Cradle of Bookies. He booked his first bet in the fifth grade. He likens the area to Chicago.<\/p>\n
With a lot of ethnicities, gambling is unifying, a common denominator, he said. I think its kind of built into the ethos of both places.<\/p>\n
A certain toughness, maybe from those roots, might have helped Andrews in 2017, when he was first diagnosed with a form of blood cancer myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).<\/p>\n
A bone-marrow transplant was recommended, but the grueling process worried him for more than a year. His condition worsened. Wife Pamela and their five children convinced him to have the procedure at USC Medical Center.<\/p>\n
Those first couple of weeks were horrible, Andrews said. They knock out your entire immune system so it will take the transplant.<\/p>\n
Doctors, however, buoyed him. Little by little, he began feeling better.<\/p>\n
In November, he contracted the coronavirus, the worst of it being a persistent cough that didnt allow him to sleep for five or six days.<\/p>\n
Today, Andrews looks good and feels good. A follow-up to his successful and entertaining Then One Day ... 2017 autobiography is in the works, as is a novel involving his Greek heritage.<\/p>\n
Then comes July.<\/p>\n
A big benchmark, my two-year [transplant] anniversary, he said. They say if you make it to two years, youve survived. I should have regular immunity like any other 65-year-old. V<\/p>\n
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Some odds and oddities for gamblers and sportsbooks in Las Vegas - Chicago Sun-Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" LAS VEGAS Chris Andrews scans five computer faces. Turning to his right, he gazes at a dozen large TV screens resembling The Brady Bunch intro on the opposite wall Continue reading