That is, if the sharpies don’t get too frisky

by Jimmy Vaccaro (Twitter @JimmyVaccaro)
November 24, 2009

For openers, would you like to see Jim Taylor, Alex Karras and Joe Schmidt playing in the snow Thanksgiving morning at Tiger Stadium, just one more time?

Now, that would be priceless.

But, back to where we are today.

Back in those days, booking or even playing the isolated game meant simply laying or taking, just making a single decision and moving on.

In today’s world it means playing a little more defense. If you are playing and start out with a 0-3 mark in the pro games, you are apt to go off like a skyrocket and could put a dent in what so far has been a good year for your bankroll.

Conversely, if you are a taker and have all three favorites show on Thursday, that turkey in your stomach will feel like a Dick Weber bowling ball, all the way through Sunday’s late games.

As the football players always say coming off a "short week," preparation comes at a heightened speed.

Well, if you are a sports gambler or a bookmaker it can also apply here. It is also a short week for us. You always open these games at the highest numbers you can stretch to because no matter what the "smarts" do with these games, it will read Packers, Dallas, Giants with over 60% in ticket count.

And if you are booking and if some of the respected players land on one of these favorites you are almost betting two days of action on one outcome … not a good way to book.

But this trend has grown in the last 20-odd years and you have to make the best of it. If you ask a bookmaker on the QT, he might agree to going 1-2 with the pro games on Thanksgiving just to stay out of the hornets nest that comes real quick.

The good thing if you are booking is that at least the "Motown Miracle" with the Lions and Stafford playing his best Willis Reed part might have been given some oxygen for the last 6 games of the season.

And it looks like we have seen the last J-MARC sighting for a while. In this business you can’t hide anymore as the Broncos were the bet-on team since that miraculous ending in Cincy.

Money actually showed on TAMPA BAY on Sunday and nothing stopped the onslaught of Chargers’ money with that game closing 6½.

So, if you are a "left" side of the card player (aka, favorites), Sunday could mean with every live ticket with three winners already in, every winner now means you are getting at least 10-1 for your effort.

So enjoy yourself and you will know the mood of the industry come Sunday morning. If the guy in the back comes out to ask you how Thanksgiving was, you will know how Thursday went. And if he does not come out, you will definitely know the three pro scores in the computer.

Take care,
Jimmy V.