In case you’re interested, one of the online sports books, 5Dimes, is the first out of the gate with betting spreads for the first weekend of college football action.
Georgia opens as a seven-point favorite over Clemson.
Clemson at Georgia – Saturday, August 30, 2014 12:00 PM 317 Clemson +7 -120 318 Georgia -7 -120
So, what do you think? Too much? Too soon?
Get The Picture 
It’s way too early to bite on a betting line for Georgia-Clemson. Both teams still have four more months for key players to get arrested.
LikeLike
Good one. At least Clemson will suspend players, unlike the Gamecocks
LikeLike
None of Clemson’s players were arrested.
LikeLike
uh… except the possible starting QB, who was led off the practice field in cuffs.. but you have an agenda, so…
LikeLike
There was a rumor of a parking lot disagreement involving a player who is no longer with the team. No charges were filed.
LikeLike
It feels right for the moment, ut still too soon. I’m sure if they get some decent QB play in fall it will shrink. If not, it may actually swell. What if Chubb comes in and starts blowing minds? The options are endless at this point.
LikeLike
I know their D is likely going to be ahead of ours, especially in the secondary. But our offense should be light years ahead of theirs, given the weapons they lost. Now obviously injuries and suspensions can change that. But as it stands right now, there’s no reason we shouldn’t beat them by at least a touchdown. Last year I felt like the teams were basically even, but home field gave them the nod, I figured the game was 60/40 in their favor. And it sucked losing, but I wasn’t torn up about it, had kinda expected it.
This year, I see it as 70/30 in our favor. As long we have no other major injuries or suspensions, I will be SORELY disappointed if we lose to them this fall.
LikeLike
The line last year was Georgia -3 1/2. Just sayin.’
LikeLike
And we would’ve likely won that game by 4 if we didn’t brainfart in the red zone (or lose Malcolm Mitchell in the beginning of the game). The line was on point.
LikeLike
Losing Gurley for half the game didn’t help, either.
LikeLike
Who are we gonna lose this season? We always lose somebody. JHC is already gone permanently instead of the just usual first 2 games. And the summer hasn’t even started yet.
LikeLike
I don’t get this line.
Clemson’s front seven vs. Georgia’s rebuilding line is a mismatch.
LikeLike
I’m just as concerned about Clemson’s receivers and backs against whomever UGA lines up in the defensive backfield.
LikeLike
Some good Munsoning right here.
LikeLike
Consider it a baptism for our new defense, courtesy of Dabo..
LikeLike
Consider it a baptism (under fire) for our new defense, courtesy of McGarity…..
LikeLike
Help a betting-line-challenged brother out. What does the “-120” mean?
LikeLike
I forget the technical term for that (odds maybe?) but it’s basically saying you have to bet $120 to win $100 on either team. That number is always going to be the answer to “what do I have to bet to win $100?”
LikeLike
You are correct, it is a “moneyline” bet with no points involved in determining who wins the bet. In other words it is a straight up bet with the winning team on the field winning the bet. In this case, you risk $120 on UGA to win $100, or bet $100 on Clemson to win $120. Stated another way, UGA is a 6-5 favorite as a “straight” bet. Many bettors prefer this to bets using the spread, but majority of bets on football involve the points to determine the winner.
I agree with the Rev’s analysis for both last year and this year’s Clemson matchup, but it is still too early to analyze the game any further because we don’t yet know availability and health of key players. Every once in a while you will see a game that looks so out of balance that betting early might be worth the risk (say a key injury that has not been announced publicly). Unless you have enough “inside” info to know the line is way off and might swing dramatically before kickoff it is best to wait until game week to place a bet.
LikeLike
Actually, that is not correct. The -120 is the Vig(also know as juice) meaning that when you take UGA -7 you have to bet $120 to win $100. The money line (or straight bet) is not out on this game yet but for a 7 point favorite would probably be around -220 to -270(I’m guessing).
LikeLike
Vig does not apply to money line bets where I bet, the odds are all in the bet. (Sometimes the two sides do not equal out to “zero” as in my example.) The Vig is always 10% of the losing side in line bets on the game only, 20% on over/unders and teasers. Occasionally they will reduce the vig during the week to entice more bets on a particular team, only see that on less than a handful of games of the 90 or so each weekend….guess they think that is better than moving the points up or down.
LikeLike
If you are laying points AND taking -120, then you’re getting screwed.
LikeLike
You aren’t, the bet giving the points is a 110 risk to win a hundred, always a 6-5 bet when points are involved. Jdawgs7 was wrong about that being bet being the “vig”. If it were, everyone would be better leaving the points alone for only another 10% vig. It should be said that the 120/100 money line is a close bet, you will see many moneyline odds where you have to bet 500, or more, just to win 100. That 5-1 odds level is not unusual when you have teams that are more than 3 TD favorites in a game.
LikeLike
Nope. You’re wrong. Educate yourself; you seem to know just enough about wagering to be dangerous. Look at the original website(5dimes which I use); there is no money line as of now. The -120 is what you pay on the 7 points. Again, a money line wager on a 7 point favorite would be much higher than -120. You are correct in saying that most times laying points costs -110 but in this case it doesn’t…probably because they are the only place right now taking wagers on games and they can charge the extra juice.
LikeLike
You are right about me being dangerous on wagering. Many, many years of proof about that. But I gamble a lot on football, mostly college. While I don’t bet moneyline bets often, I have never, ever paid a vig on a ML bet. If your site does charge on that, then you are correct regarding your site, but not mine. Doubt this conversation would be happening if it were -300. Clearly the vig isn’t the difference. But I have see “some” line bets with 6-5 and not 5 1/2 to 5 as the odds so a 120 to 100 can happen rarely just as 105 or Even can happen…again to entice bettor on a side the book is way out of balance. I have never had that from a local book but some betting sites offer the variations.
LikeLike