Straight from the Strip
The latest and greatest Vegas insight from Matty O'Shea

The excitement of the upcoming NFL season is starting to heat up along with the Las Vegas weather here on the Strip, as sports books across the city are beginning to give bettors their first taste of pro football action. The Las Vegas Hilton just posted the opening lines for the first weekend of the NFL season, which starts Thursday, September 8 th when the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots host the Oakland Raiders.

Meanwhile, some Vegas books (including the Hilton and Plaza downtown) have put up proposition bets on the Over/Under Win Totals for all NFL teams. One insider I spoke with said he particularly likes the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-10 in 2005) to easily finish above the Over/Under Total of 7 wins, stating that they should get off to a 4-2 start due to a relatively easy schedule early on.

Scheduling is of key importance since each NFL team’s schedule is created based on the previous year’s record, with the top teams getting more difficult paths to making the playoffs. The Bucs, who won the Super Bowl just three years ago, are seen as a team that underachieved greatly last season and should be ready to rebound with a solid core returning and a potential franchise running back drafted recently in former Auburn All-American Carnell “Cadillac” Williams. Plus, they have one of the best coaches in the game, Jon Gruden, who is known for his intense nature and preparation. Gruden became the youngest head coach to ever win the Super Bowl and is the only head coach to win the Super Bowl in his first season with the team. His teams have averaged 9 wins per season in 7 years.

Reading the right stuff pays!

Matty O'Shea
matty@pregame.com

Click here to check out all of Bodog's NFL future bet offerings for the 2005 season.

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