Like any sporting event, the amount of TV coverage and general interest drive the amount of gambling – so as interest in the NFL Scouting Combine has increased, so has the betting!
Sometimes lost in the action is the fact that sports betting odds are a projection of what is expected to happen, and bettors risk money when they disagree with that projection. Ask a guy on the street how fast Cam Newton will run the 40 yard dash and you’ll get an opinion – but if a bookie is willing to post it, he’s willing to let you decide which side to bet – which means he’s backing his opinion with hard cash!
Some combine numbers stir the imagination. For example the NFL combine record in the 40-yard dash is 4.24 seconds, held by Chris Johnson.
And you can bet whether that record will be broken:
Yes, Chris Johnson’s record will be broken +160
No, it won’t -220
Time of the fastest 40 yard dash
Over 4.29 seconds
Under 4.29 seconds
Cam Newton's (Auburn) fastest 40 yard dash time
Over 4.63 seconds
Under 4.63 seconds
What will be the slowest recorded 40 yard dash time?
Over 5.6 seconds
Under 5.6 seconds
Last year’s slowest result was 5.59 seconds. (If I were running, we’d really have a best bet on our hands!)
Bench Press:
Over 43½ reps -150
Under 43½ reps +110
Last year’s top Bench Press was 45 repetitions.
Prop odds on other big name players taking part in the combines include Patrick Peterson, Ryan Kerrigan, AJ Green, Julio Jones, Mark Ingram, Prince Amukamara, Da’Quan Bowers, Von Miller, Nick Fairly, Marcel Dareus, Blaine Gabbert.
Note that Las Vegas does not allow any sports betting on off-the-field activities – but the best online sportsbooks thrive at offer the widest range of betting odds on events like the NFL Combine.
The 2011 NFL Scouting Combine will be held on February 23 through March 1, 2011 (at Indianapolis, Indiana). And next up is the NFL Draft – another pro football event with a booming betting interest.
CONVERSATION:
Do you see any betting value with these NFL Combine Odds?
How much of the 2011 NFL Combine will you watch?
Why is there no betting on the Wonderlic Test?