Tommy Rider left Vegas with $500 big ones on THE Ohio State to take out Wisconsin on Oct. 4.
My trip to Vegas is drawing to a close and I had a great time. I want to thank everyone at Pregame for showing me around and helping me out. I have to tell you something and this isn't a sales pitch: These are some of the nicest guys you will ever meet in the handicapping business. Matty and Marco are both just genuinely nice people and they have done everything in their power to help me out and make me feel at home. And then there is Vegas Runner. If there is a more entertaining human being on this planet, I haven't met them. Hopefully next year we can get a Pregame Convention together so more people can come out and meet these guys. It's one thing to talk to them on the forums but sitting down and listening to their stories in person is worth the price of admission. Also, be prepared to eat.
So on Wednesday Matty and I hit the Hilton and a couple of things came from that visit. First, I now know where I want to be buried. That sportsbook is amazing. Just a huge room filled with TV's and every line you can imagine. The second thing that happened is I placed my first big bet of the upcoming football season. Unfortunately for the Hilton, one of their lines on the early CFB Games of the Year was way off, so I risked divorce and jumped all over it. I had to put $500 on the game because it was a great opportunity to catch a soft line in my opinion.
Ohio State 4 over Wisconsin (October 4)
One of the things I'm going to do this year is pound the Buckeyes on the road in conference games. At the Horseshoe, the spreads are going to be huge but when the Buckeyes go on the road, you will be able to take advantage of those 10-point lines against inferior competition.
Now this line being four is a joke. Wisconsin will be good this year but they aren't in Ohio State's class. I'm sure the Buckeyes will get a battle from one Big 10 team this season but I don't expect it to be a highly touted battle in Madison where the Bucks are guaranteed to be focused. And if you are worried about OSU playing the Badgers in Madison, don't be. They are vastly superior to Wisconsin this year and the Buckeyes are one of the few schools to have success in Madison, winning three of the last four meetings there.
Plus, what do you think this line is going to be if Ohio State either beats USC or suffers a close loss to the Trojans? It isn't going to be four, I can tell you that much. I think if everything plays out close to how it should for these two teams early in the year, the Buckeyes will be a 7-10 point favorite on the road against Wisky. Especially if OSU handles the Trojans.
There is just too much value in this line to pass up. If the books want to make the Buckeyes only a four-point favorite over ANY Big 10 team, I will jump all over it. They can play the game on the moon for all I care. Ohio State is so much better than the rest of the conference that I'll pay out $550 if any of those teams can stay within a field goal of the Bucks. If you are coming out to Vegas, I strongly suggest going to the Hilton and getting down on THE Ohio State over Wisconsin, as long as the line is under a touchdown. See you all at the payout window!