Does any one else find this odd...

[YourPittDanceTeam]

Pitt is only a 3.5 underdog in its game tonight versus Gonzaga?
The Zags are ranked #9 nationally in most preseason polls and Pitt is picked to finish 10th in preseason ACC polls.
Something doesn't add up.

 

[Pghfan]

Sounds like a lock. Anytime I see a lock in regards to gambling, I run away.

 

[JSSTartan]

The line opened at -7 for the Zags...This is an interesting one.

 

[VAPITTALUM]

That is interesting. I mean, how could a team picked to finish 10th in the ACC stand a chance against the 9th ranked team in the country? Maybe the line just shows Vegas has no idea how the influx of new players for PITT will work out on the court.

 

[upj87]

Pitt is only a 3.5 underdog in its game tonight versus Gonzaga?
The Zags are ranked #9 nationally in most preseason polls and Pitt is picked to finish 10th in preseason ACC polls.
Something doesn't add up.

aren't the Zags dealing with some injury issues?..I think the extent of some of them have come more into focus since the opening line came out...

 

[vegasgreed]

you know what i find odd.....when someone posts a basketball question on a football board.

Pitt is only a 3.5 underdog in its game tonight versus Gonzaga?
The Zags are ranked #9 nationally in most preseason polls and Pitt is picked to finish 10th in preseason ACC polls.
Something doesn't add up.

 

[pittdan77]

Can't say I'd put much emphasis on college basketball betting lines in early November.

 

[UPitt '89]

One of the Zags best players is doubtful for the game with an injury.... That's why the line has moved from 7 to 3.5.

Also... this should be on the hoops board, not here.

 

[pittengineer75]

Very interesting movement. I dont have high expectations of this Pitt team this season, so will be very interesting to watch how they perform against Gonzaga tonight where both teams are completely screwed up with internal clocks in Japan.

 

[ratking17]

Sabonis might not play

 

[steel_curtain]

Sabonis might not play

Sabonis is playing. Reported 2 days ago by ESPN. The line still dropped hard in Pitt's favor.

 

[DC_Area_Panther]

It was explained on the hoops board--

Sagarin's computer has Pitt #10 in ACC = #50 team nationally. It has zags as #11 team nationally. The Sagarin average scoring difference between a #11 team and a #50 team is only 6.5 points on a neutral site. Apparently, Vegas odds makers were independently in close agreement with Sagarin's computer's prediction and set the opening line at zags by 7. Questions about zags bigs being injured or sick and, although playing, may play sub-par has apparently encouraged heavier betting on Pitt. Since Vegas odds makers goal is to never lose money they progressively lower the predicted point spread to get more money bet on the other side (in this case the zags) so they still make money regardless of which team wins.

 

[Pittx9]

Sounds like a lock. Anytime I see a lock in regards to gambling, I run away.

I still remember the all-time slam dunk lock in betting history. Pitt-USF the year of the Fraud Graham. Literally opened up the newspaper that morning and in the article that day about that night's game, somehow the journalist happened to mention how USF was ranked like #10 or something, nobody thought Pitt was that good, and that about 78% of America bet on USF. I quickly took Pitt and they cruised to a victory.

Those are the only times I really would bet on Pitt anymore, it really is hard to bet on a team you're rooting for unless it's say the Steelers in their heyday. I also lost the Pitt-Syracuse 2012 matchup because I was so confident I took Pitt straight up instead of taking the 1 point. Of course, they lost by one. I could go on and on about this, a Pitt-USF bball game was even crazier in this regard. Anymore though, I would not call anything a lock.