The Westgate Las Vegas Superbook, billed as the world’s largest sports book, has made Alabama a seven-point favorite in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. That’s hardly unusual. Alabama was a double-digit favorite in the semifinals, and is routinely favored by more than a touchdown during the regular season.
Vegas made Bama the Championship favorite before the Tide had even finished destroying MSU
The Cotton Bowl got so out of hand that Vegas just moved on to next week.
Handout/Getty Images
The unusual part of the Westgate’s decision: It happened before Alabama had finished winning the semifinal.
The @LVSuperBook opens Alabama as a 7-point favorite over Clemson. Over/Under opens at 53.5.
— David Payne Purdum (@DavidPurdum) January 1, 2016 This was published with more than 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter of the Cotton Bowl, and Westgate wasn’t the only sports book to jump the gun. Pinnacle Sports and CG Technology (which operates the sports books at a handful of Las Vegas casinos) also published extremely early lines once Alabama had opened up a 24-point second-half lead.
No word yet on whether pending tickets on Alabama-Michigan State were redeemable at the Westgate while the game was still being played.
See More:
