More Gambling Fun, NCAA Odds

IL posted the NCAA odds from Wynn Casino again. Again, I'll state that I am not a big gambler but enjoy looking at odds and spreads for amusement purposes.

I'll also add a point about odds. The oddsmakers aren't trying to predict the outcome of the game; they are trying to balance the money on each side. So if a spread seems high or low, that is a function of the collective wisdom of the crowd and not the bias of the oddsmaker.

Some teams will tend to affect the odds because they have a lot of fans who like to bet on their team. Some folks like to bet with their hearts rather than their heads. Notre Dame in football has the reputation of being a crowd favorite and therefore sometimes gets spreads that might be a little optimistic. If there is going to be a bias in lacrosse odds, it is likely to be in favor of Hopkins because Hopkins has more fans than the other teams. Keep that in mind as you look at the odds.

I thought the spreads were mostly good:

Syracuse -3 ½ vs. Maryland
Princeton PK vs. Cornell
Johns Hopkins PK vs. Virginia
Duke -1 ½ vs. North Carolina

John Jiloty didn't like Hopkins as a pick 'em against Virginia. Hopkins might have as many fans in Annapolis as the other teams combined and don't be surprised if the Duke and Carolina fans root for Hopkins against their ACC rivals. That might help lighten some Blue Jay legs. And see above about Hopkins fans betting enough to affect the odds.

The national championship odds were interesting:

Virginia 3/1
Duke 7/2
Syracuse 4/1
Cornell 9/2
Johns Hopkins 5/1
Princeton 6/1
Maryland 7/1
North Carolina 8/1

Jiloty makes the point about Vegas loving Hopkins. Well, Hopkins has a lot of fans and they might be skewing the odds a bit.

I'll make a completely different point looking at the championship odds. The seedings in the tournament are nearly meaningless. Virginia as the #1 seed now has to play Hopkins a few crab shacks from Baltimore. Duke, as the #3 seed plays the weakest team left in the field. Would you rather be in Virginia's spot or Duke's spot on Sunday?