After a long hot summer of only baseball to bet on, bookies and bettors alike are rejoicing over the return of football action to big screens in living rooms and sports bars around the country. NFL & NCAA Football action is far and away America’s favorite wagering option… year after year.
You only had to be in one of the big books in Las Vegas on opening day of NFL action last week. At South Point every seat in the book and the adjacent lounge was filled and boisterous cheers broke out every time that Peyton Manning connected for one of his seven touchdown passes. They were not there for the baseball games.
The last time the place was filled like that was back during the NFL Playoffs last year and both the sports book operators and the lounge owners were glad for the return of football action once again.
Although baseball games were still evident on several of the large TV screens, it was clear that the major focus of attention was on the NFL game with the college games also drawing their fair share of the crowd. In coming weeks there will be an even greater offering of action from NCAA games as the regular football season unfolds.
Not that baseball is boring these days. The races for the National and American League pennants are heating up and as yet no clear favorite for the World Series has emerged although the Los Angeles Dodgers have captured the attention of oddsmakers of late who now have them leading the pack at 5-1 odds to win the Fall Classic.
But your basic, hard core, sports fan is now drawn to football and the action down on the field. As comedian George Carlin says, “baseball in a game played in a park with caps, football is played on a gridiron with helmets.” Besides, who ever heard of tailgating at a baseball game?
When football action begins each year, sports books that track their sport-to-sport handle always see a huge drop-off in baseball action once football games get underway. During the summer there is usually a decrease of around 30% when baseball remains the only action. When preseason football kicks off, some bettors will begin to wager a percentage of their weekly bankroll on football action.
Across the board and without a doubt, everybody is glad to see football back!
