# Help me bet some football

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-bet-some-football/223850>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [January 10, 2004, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-bet-some-football/223850 "2004-01-10T19:10:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-bet-some-football/223850/1 "2004-01-10T19:10:06Z")

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I’m headed to Vegas tomorrow for a few days of poker-playing bliss at the Mirage.

I am probably the most casual football fan ever, and this year it’s safe to say that I haven’t followed it in the least; I barely know who is playing tomorrow, much less who is likely to win. Add to that the fact that I’m not a very experienced sports bettor. (I bet one one baseball game once.)

Still, it seems like a shame to be in Vegas on Sunday during the playoffs and not make a wager or two. So, I was hoping that the better football minds of the Dope might guide me thus.

[Here are the lines](http://www.vegasinsider.com/u/odds/15minute/NFL_lines.cfm?s=303) for the games tomorrow.

From the Mirage:  
St. Louis (-360) by 7.5 over Carolina (+280), 45 o/u  
New England (-300) by 6.5 over Tennessee(+220), 33.5 o/u  
Kansas City (-155) by 3 over Indy (+135), 51 o/u  
Philly (-240) by 5.5 over Green Bay (+190), 42 o/u

My understanding is that this means I could bet:  
–$11 to win $10 on St. Louis beating Carolina by at least 8 (or not)  
–$11 to win $10 that the combined score of the STL-Carolina game is more (or less) than 45  
–$36 to win $10 (plus my $36) on St. Louis winning, or $10 to win $28 (plus my $10) on Carolina

(Please correct my understanding if necessary. I’m a hold’em man myself.)

I’m not deluded enough to think I’ll win big, or at all–I just want to put down some cash and have some fun. Still, there’s no excuse to be an uninformed bettor.

Thanks in advance!  
Dr. J

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**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-bet-some-football/223850/2 "2004-01-10T21:10:38Z")

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Oh, and I don’t think I’ll be there in time to bet the Indy-Kansas City game.