Question for gamblers

[The Lens]

Why is it that you can hardly get a line for MU unless were playing TT, Duke or UW.  Any given night I can wager on Stetson v. James Madison  (tomorrow there is a line for Tenn Tech vs Cen FLA) but a ranked Big East team gets no line at least 5 times this year.

Does Vegas not employ Milwaukee area scouts?  What is the deal?  Any idea?

[mu_hilltopper]

I would love to know the answer to that one, too.  We've had lines some unknown cupcakes (22 points) .. but not for all, as you've said.  And you'll see lines for other no-name matchups. 

Just look at today's line .. Samford v. Murray State has a line.  How a top 25 team like MU doesn't get lines all the time .. just don't understand.

http://www.covers.com/sports/ncb/ncb_lines.aspx

[spartan3186]

Ive gotten a line for almost every single game. There have been a couple exceptions but not many. I used vip.com, although with the new stupid restrictions its much more difficult to get money to these sites. Im glad i got in when i did.

[The Lens]

I don't think it's just my guy, when ever my guy doesn't have one I go to VegasInsider.com (which lists all the major casino lines, sort of a clearinghouse for lines) and they haven't had anything.

[Eye]

I'll try my best to answer as many of these as I can ...

First of all, surprised there was a posted line on a Stetson - JMU game. The Colonial has been a posted conference for at least 15 years, but didn't know that was the case with the Atlantic Sun.

The TN Tech - Central Florida and Samford - Murray games are easy to answer. All four are from posted conferences (C Florida C-USA, other three Ohio Valley).

The top 20 or so of the 31 conferences that have automatic bids to the tourney have lines available for all games, so any games involving two teams from those conference will have a line available. When MU is playing someone from below that threshhold (off the top of my head, Hillsdale - D2, ND State - United, UMBC - American East, Delaware St. and Morgan St. - MEAC, Oakland - Mid-Con, Savannah St - Indy) there won't normally be a posted line. If someone in Vegas or running a site thinks they'll get equal action on the game beyond the posted conferences, they can post their own line, so if you try hard enough to find a line on a game involving a team from outside the top 20 conferences, a lot of the time you'll be able to find it (what seems to have happened with the ND State game).

For some background, the numbers of posted conference has steadiy increased from about a dozen to 20 over the past 10 years or so, due to more games being on TV and the Internet, which increases wagering interest on teams from the mid-majors. If MU is playing someone from outside a posted conference, a lot of times it's not worth the books time to post a line, as there's an inability to get equal action on both sides, and the possibility that a smart guy who knows more about the small team than the book could take advantage of them. Most local guys are taking their lines off the Internet.

[mu_hilltopper]

Ah, finally, an excellent answer.  Thanks, Eye.

There's another reason MU should stop playing (as many) Morgan States.  We can't gamble on the outcome, and what fun is that?

OTOH, this opens an opportunity for MU to create a sports book, right there at the BC.