"Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated" - The Rivalry Thread

[smokymountainrain]

Having watched both teams play several times this year, I have no idea why Utah would be an underdog in this game. They do just about everything better than USC does.

Offensively USC looks better to me - granted I haven't watched Utah much at all this year, but based on the points they are scoring and the fact their QB is Travis Wilson, I can get a decent idea of what they are like on offense. Kessler > Wilson, no doubt. JuJu, Adoree, Green, etc > Utah's WRs and I'd probably even take Davis, Jones and Madden over Booker and whoever else Utah throw out there at running back.

Defensively, yeah, Utah >>>>>>>>>>> USC.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Come on, people. This is the vegas line. It is simply a commentary on national perception.

You don't believe it, go ahead and place your bets!

[Applejack]

Polls rule, Vegas drools!!!!!!!!

[Eddie]

Come on, people. This is the vegas line. It is simply a commentary on national perception.

You don't believe it, go ahead and place your bets!

It's like the opposite of betting against your team.

If I bet on the Utes, and the Utes lose, I get to laugh at their fans I was visiting with earlier this week who were telling me who they thought they would be matched up against in the playoffs.

If I bet on the Utes, and the Utes win, I can go buy something nice to play with that will help distract me while trying to ignore those same fans.

Win-Win!

[YOhio]

Makes sense. Tax money shouldn't be used to facilitate the teaching of LDS institute classes.

I agree.

http://www.cougarstadium.com/showthread.php?74982-Utes-using-state-facilities-to-promote-religion

[Nakoma]

Come on, people. This is the vegas line. It is simply a commentary on national perception.

You don't believe it, go ahead and place your bets!

KWhitt is going to hold Vegas accountable.

[MartyFunkhouser]

National respect.

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Frankly, I'm thrilled the Utes are underdogs. Whittingham is amazing at motivating his players playing the disrespect card. Vegas is doing the Utes a favor with the line.

Also, you know better than this. Vegas lines have nothing to do with national respect or lack thereof. Is to create an active market betting on both teams. This just tells me that there are more USC fans that are degenerate gamblers than Ute fans.

[Blueintheface]

Frankly, I'm thrilled the Utes are underdogs. Whittingham is amazing at motivating his players playing the disrespect card. Vegas is doing the Utes a favor with the line.

Also, you know better than this. Vegas lines have nothing to do with national respect or lack thereof. Is to create an active market betting on both teams. This just tells me that there are more USC fans that are degenerate gamblers than Ute fans.

Hard to visit gambling sites when your too busy viewing punography. In general, Ute fans only have two hands.

[Katy Lied]

The bigger question is whether Utah will be changing their placard signals. Or just huddling up.

[Blueintheface]

The bigger question is whether Utah will be changing their placard signals. Or just huddling up.

Clapping at the snap will be replaced with secret haka signals. Inverted, of course.

[Art Vandelay]

Frankly, I'm thrilled the Utes are underdogs. Whittingham is amazing at motivating his players playing the disrespect card. Vegas is doing the Utes a favor with the line.

Also, you know better than this. Vegas lines have nothing to do with national respect or lack thereof. Is to create an active market betting on both teams. This just tells me that there are more USC fans that are degenerate gamblers than Ute fans.

You are technically correct. However, early money is rarely ignorant fans, plus I'm not sure SC followers are passionate enough at this point, to move the line more than a point, at most. Vegas thinks SC is as good as Utah -- whether they are right or wrong, remains to be seen.

As to your second point, I've always admired your die-hard belief in da Utes.

It was fun while it lasted thinking the Utes had a shot at the south. I always kind of knew it would end with ASU. They own us like Utah owns BYU.

[Jeff Lebowski]

You are technically correct. However, early money is rarely ignorant fans, plus I'm not sure SC followers are passionate enough at this point, to move the line more than a point, at most. Vegas thinks SC is as good as Utah -- whether they are right or wrong, remains to be seen.

As to your second point, I've always admired your die-hard belief in da Utes.

And he is already on record predicting a USC victory.

[Bo Diddley]

Frankly, I'm thrilled the Utes are underdogs. Whittingham is amazing at motivating his players playing the disrespect card. Vegas is doing the Utes a favor with the line.

Also, you know better than this. Vegas lines have nothing to do with national respect or lack thereof. Is to create an active market betting on both teams. This just tells me that there are more USC fans that are degenerate gamblers than Ute fans.

Utes fans are not degenerate gamblers. Who knew?

[MartyFunkhouser]

And he is already on record predicting a USC victory.

And the Utes to win the Pac-12 South!

I'm now seeing the USC game as a 60/40 game. USC is at home and has a lot of talent and sadly they are being coached by someone who is sober. It is fine, we will still be top 10 even with a loss.

[pelagius]

Also, you know better than this. Vegas lines have nothing to do with national respect or lack thereof. Is to create an active market betting on both teams. This just tells me that there are more USC fans that are degenerate gamblers than Ute fans.

This is, of course, both in part true and nonsense. It is true to say that Vegas sports books act primarily as market makers (although even that is only true in a first order approximate sense). The nonsense comes from people failing to realize that acting as market makers (well really pseudo market makers) in this way has an important equilibrium implication: namely, that betting lines end up being quite efficient (exactly as economic theory would suggest). By efficient, I mean, that betting lines represent the best estimate of expected outcome within the bounds of the transactions costs. (It's particularly galling to me when graduates of BYU's econ program don't get this right)