College Football

Golden Nugget releases college football Games of the Year lines

Golden Nugget releases college football Games of the Year lines

The Las Vegas Golden Nugget released Game of the Year lines Thursday for 100 college football games for the upcoming season, and though the handle is down from recent years, sportsbook director Aaron Kessler isn't sweating it.

Chris Mascaro

Staff Writer

Bet Chicago

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@CCMascaro

Chris Mascaro is an experienced journalist with more than 10 years in the field at places like Newsday, SI.com, MLB.com and The Sports XChange. He's a graduate of Cornell University and Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism.

The Las Vegas Golden Nugget released Game of the Year lines Thursday for [100 college football games](https://news.wagertalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/college-football-games-of-the-year-2019-golden-nugget.pdf) for the upcoming season, and though the handle is down from recent years, sportsbook director Aaron Kessler isn't sweating it. "We were pretty spot-on with our numbers," Kessler said. "A lot of people were praising us for the lines we put out. (As for the handle,) it's fine, we're happy with it." Indeed, Kessler and the folks at the Nugget were getting kudos from industry insiders for their opening numbers. But it has led to a slight decrease in tickets, Kessler acknowledged. __MORE:__ [Sharp bettors target Northwestern in first game at Stanford](https://www.betchicago.com/2019-college-football-games-of-year-point-spreads-sharps) <a href="https://twitter.com/lindetrain/status/1134202173682642944" class="embedly-card" data-card-width="100%" data-card-controls="0">Embedded content: https://twitter.com/lindetrain/status/1134202173682642944</a> Setting the initial lines is about "a month- or two-month process," Kessler said, which entails creating power ratings, compiling a list who's staying in college and who left, recruiting classes, programs' histories and coaches. Bascially, everything. "We want to get something out for people to talk about," Kessler said. "We put them out now because there's not much happening." There's a natural lull in the sports calendar once the NBA and NHL seasons near their end, and [baseball](https://www.betchicago.com/mlb-betting/home), [golf](https://www.betchicago.com/golf-odds/home) and [tennis](https://www.betchicago.com/tennis-odds) are the biggest -- if not the only -- games in town some summer days/nights. And, of course, it's a way for sharp bettors to get a jump on the action. They see it as an advantage to get favorable lines before the market can react, but sportsbooks can also benefit from early betting, as professionals might move lines to a more reasonable number than what was initially posted. That's what happened to one Northwestern game at CG Technology, and you can read more about that [here](https://www.betchicago.com/2019-college-football-games-of-year-point-spreads-sharps). At the Golden Nugget, the Army-Navy game saw the biggest line movement in opening betting, going from Army as a 13-point favorite down to -8 as of Thursday evening, according to Kessler. LSU went from a 9.5-point home favorite Oct. 26 against Auburn down to 6.5, and Ohio State went from laying 10 points for its Sept. 28 game [at Nebraska](https://www.betchicago.com/2020-college-football-national-championship-odds-nebraska) to giving seven. "You just don't want to be 10 points off from where the market's going to be," Kessler said. "We look at the sharps' action, and it helps, but the sharp guys bet, and then we move the lines accordingly. I'd like them to make million-dollar bets and lose them, but that's unreasonable. They're gonna bet what they bet. "They go with their wallets." Of course they do, but it'll be three, four or even five months before those wallets see any bills from these wagers. Yet that doesn't factor into the timing of when these lines are posted, Kessler said. So while college football's season unofficially kicks off with spring games, the real action began Thursday. __MORE:__ [Bookmakers differ on Notre Dame's chances to make College Football Playoff](https://www.betchicago.com/odds-2019-college-football-playoff-betting-notre-dame) ## College football Game of Year point spreads Opening lines below <style type="text/css"> table.tableizer-table { font-size: 12px; border: 1px solid #CCC; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; } .tableizer-table td { padding: 4px; margin: 3px; border: 1px solid #CCC; } .tableizer-table th { background-color: #104E8B; color: #FFF; font-weight: bold; } </style> <table class="tableizer-table"> <thead><tr class="tableizer-firstrow"><th>Date</th><th>Game</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td>Aug. 29</td><td>Miami vs. Florida (-7.5)</td></tr> <tr><td>Aug. 31</td><td>Northwestern at Stanford (-6)</td></tr> <tr><td>Aug. 31</td><td>Auburn (-3) vs. Oregon</td></tr> <tr><td>Sept. 1</td><td>Houston at Oklahoma (-27)</td></tr> <tr><td>Sept. 1</td><td>Notre Dame (-18) at Louisville</td></tr> <tr><td>Sept. 7</td><td>Stanford at USC (-3)</td></tr> <tr><td>Sept. 7</td><td>Texas A&M at Clemson (-17.5)</td></tr> <tr><td>Sept. 7</td><td>Army at Michigan (-17.5)</td></tr> <tr><td>Sept. 7</td><td>LSU (-2) at Texas</td></tr> <tr><td>Sept. 13</td><td>Wash St. (-10) vs Houston</td></tr> <tr><td>Sept. 14</td><td>Oklahoma (-11) at UCLA</td></tr> <tr><td>Sept. 14</td><td>Alabama (-18) at South Carolina</td></tr> <tr><td>Sept. 14</td><td>Iowa at Iowa St (PK)</td></tr> <tr><td>Sept. 14</td><td>Stanford at UCF (-2)</td></tr> <tr><td>Sept. 14</td><td>Clemson (-18) at Syracuse</td></tr> <tr><td>Sept. 21</td><td>Notre Dame at Georgia (-9.5)</td></tr> <tr><td>Sept. 21</td><td>Auburn at Texas A&M (-3.5)</td></tr> <tr><td>Sept. 21</td><td>Oklahoma State at Texas (-10)</td></tr> <tr><td>Sept. 21</td><td>Michigan State (-2.5) at Northwestern</td></tr> <tr><td>Sept. 21</td><td>Michigan (-5) at Wisconsin</td></tr> <tr><td>Sept. 21</td><td>Oregon at Stanford (-2.5)</td></tr> <tr><td>Sept. 28</td><td>Ohio State (-10) at Nebraska</td></tr> <tr><td>Sept. 28</td><td>Northwestern at Wisconsin (-7)</td></tr> <tr><td>Sept. 28</td><td>USC at Washington (-9.5)</td></tr> <tr><td>Sept. 28</td><td>Wash St at Utah (-3.5)</td></tr> <tr><td>Sept. 28</td><td>Clemson (-27) at North Carolina</td></tr> <tr><td>Sept. 28</td><td>Mississippi at Alabama (-34)</td></tr> <tr><td>Sept. 28</td><td>Miss St at Auburn (-6.5)</td></tr> <tr><td>Sept. 28</td><td>Texas Tech at Oklahoma (-19)</td></tr> <tr><td>Oct. 5</td><td>Auburn at Florida (-7)</td></tr> <tr><td>Oct. 5</td><td>Georgia (-18) at Tennessee</td></tr> <tr><td>Oct. 5</td><td>Texas (-7) at West Virginia</td></tr> <tr><td>Oct. 5</td><td>Iowa at Michigan (-12)</td></tr> <tr><td>Oct. 5</td><td>Mich State at Ohio State (-15.5)</td></tr> <tr><td>Oct. 5</td><td>Northwestern at Nebraska (-6)</td></tr> <tr><td>Oct. 5</td><td>Washington at Stanford (PK)</td></tr> <tr><td>Oct. 12</td><td>USC at Notre Dame (-12.5)</td></tr> <tr><td>Oct. 12</td><td>Florida State at Clemson (-25)</td></tr> <tr><td>Oct. 12</td><td>South Carolina at Georgia (-20)</td></tr> <tr><td>Oct. 12</td><td>Florida at LSU (-4.5)</td></tr> <tr><td>Oct. 12</td><td>Alabama (-14) at Texas A&M</td></tr> <tr><td>Oct. 12</td><td>Oklahoma (-6.5) vs. Texas</td></tr> <tr><td>Oct. 12</td><td>Penn State at Iowa (-2)</td></tr> <tr><td>Oct. 12</td><td>Michigan State at Wisconsin (-3)</td></tr> <tr><td>Oct. 17</td><td>UCLA at Stanford (-7.5)</td></tr> <tr><td>Oct. 18</td><td>Ohio State (-14) at Northwestern</td></tr> <tr><td>Oct. 19</td><td>Clemson (-32) at Louisville</td></tr> <tr><td>Oct. 19</td><td>Oregon at Washington (-6)</td></tr> <tr><td>Oct. 26</td><td>Auburn at LSU (-9.5)</td></tr> <tr><td>Oct. 26</td><td>Miss St at Texas A&M (-7)</td></tr> <tr><td>Oct. 26</td><td>Texas (-6) at TCU</td></tr> <tr><td>Oct. 26</td><td>Iowa (-3) at Northwestern</td></tr> <tr><td>Oct. 26</td><td>Penn State at Michigan State (-2)</td></tr> <tr><td>Oct. 26</td><td>Notre Dame at Michigan (-6)</td></tr> <tr><td>Oct. 26</td><td>Wisconsin at Ohio State (-13)</td></tr> <tr><td>Oct. 26</td><td>Syracuse (-1.5) at Florida State</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 2</td><td>Houston at UCF (-14)</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 2</td><td>Florida vs. Georgia (-3.5)</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 2</td><td>Virginia Tech at Notre Dame (-16)</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 2</td><td>Oregon (-1) at USC</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 2</td><td>Utah at Washington (-8)</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 9</td><td>LSU at Alabama (-16)</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 9</td><td>Kansas State at Texas (-13.5)</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 9</td><td>Iowa at Wisconsin (-2.5)</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 9</td><td>Clemson (-24) at NC State</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 9</td><td>UCLA at Utah (-11)</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 16</td><td>Stanford at Wash St (-6.5)</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 16</td><td>Georgia (-7.5) at Auburn</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 16</td><td>LSU (-14.5) at Mississippi</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 16</td><td>Alabama (-20) at Miss St</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 16</td><td>Oklahoma (-13.5) at Baylor</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 16</td><td>Texas (-2.5) at Iowa State</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 16</td><td>Michigan State at Michigan (-13.5)</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 16</td><td>Wisconsin (-1) at Nebraska</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 23</td><td>Washington (-9) at Colorado</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 23</td><td>UCLA at USC (-5)</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 23</td><td>Texas A&M at Georgia (-12.5)</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 23</td><td>Texas (-7) at Baylor</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 23</td><td>TCU at Oklahoma (-19.5)</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 23</td><td>Penn State at Ohio State (-10.5)</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 28</td><td>Mississippi at Miss St (-13.5)</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 29</td><td>Texas Tech at Texas (-10)</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 29</td><td>Iowa at Nebraska (PK)</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 29</td><td>Wash. State at Washington (-9)</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 30</td><td>Notre Dame (-5.5) at Stanford</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 30</td><td>Ohio State at Michigan (-3.5)</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 30</td><td>Alabama (-13) at Auburn</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 30</td><td>Florida State at Florida (-14)</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 30</td><td>Georgia (-20.5) at Georgia Tech</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 30</td><td>Texas A&M at LSU (-7.5)</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 30</td><td>Clemson (-23.5) at South Carolina</td></tr> <tr><td>Nov. 30</td><td>Oklahoma (-10) at Oklahoma State</td></tr> <tr><td>Dec. 14</td><td>Army (-13) vs. Navy</td></tr> </tbody></table> __ALSO SEE:__ [Offshore sports book offer Nick Saban retirement prop bet](https://www.betchicago.com/nick-saban-prop-bet-retire-alabama-football)

2019-05-31T01:21:17.644Z