When we last checked in with our intrepid anti-hero, the aptly named ‘Degenerate Gambler,’ he was happily waking from an annual hibernation in anticipation of week 1. Long-time followers will note the standard rules that he plays by: $100 is put on the line every week, and each week he celebrates lavishly or hides in shame accordingly. Of course, more often than note, a week ends on a strange middle-ground note where our Gambler basically neither won nor lost significantly.
So let’s take a look at the lines that he thought were the juiciest in last week’s nail-biter against the Colts.
Week 1 Colts @ Chargers
- Wager 1 - Chargers - 1st Half spread (-3.5) - $30 [-110] W $27.27
- Wager 2 - Total O/U: Under 44.5 - $20 [-110] L
- Wager 3 - Odd/Even total points: Even - $20 [+110] W $22.00
- Wager 4 - Highest scoring quarter (1st) - $ 30 [+600] L
TOTAL: -$0.73
Oh. So that was kinda, well.. huh. I’d say that the Gambler is happy to get out of Dodge without losing a full dollar on the day, especially when the Chargers under-performed and the Colts nearly stole the show. It was not the defensive showcase that he had envisioned, and his ‘Hail Mary’ bet at +600 did not hit. But HEY, he figured he had a 25% chance of really scoring on the day with that one, so he’s probably not moping too much.
Week two brings the Chargers to Detroit to take on an annually talented Lions team that just can’t ever seem to perform up to snuff. That said, they somehow tied last week and are eager to find out whether they can anticipate a winning or losing season. They have the talent to win this game, and the Chargers will surely lose if they don’t play a little better in week 2.
Week 2 Chargers @ Lions
- Wager 1 - Chargers spread (-3): $40 [+130] Possible win: $52.00
- Wager 2 - First half total points (under 23.5): $15 [-120] Possible win: $12.50
- Wager 3 - Chargers First Half (-.5): $20 [EVEN] Possible win: $20.00
- Wager 4 - Total points (under 47.5): $25 [-110] Possible win: $22.73
TOTAL POSSIBLE WIN: $107.23
OK, so here we see a slightly more conservative betting pattern. If the Degenerate Gambler wins every bet this week, he just doubles his money. That’s nothing to sneeze at, but that also means that there’s no juicy prop bets popping up this early. From his selections, we again can see that he is anticipating a more defensive game than we received last week. Of particular note is that he has taken the Chargers spread on both the total game AND the first half. The lure of positive value for the full game spread (-3) at [+140] means that he knows its a gamble, but the rewards are tantalizing.
The bet he is least sure about seems to be the first half total (under 23.5), with only a $15 wager. If the Chargers can leave Detroit with their second win, and they can do so without a shootout, it stands to reason that drinks this weekend will be on our good friend the Degenerate Gambler.
-Jason “Stay degenerate, my friends” Michaels