Chris Andrews has been a busy man since taking over as South Point sportsbook director in February. Rather than just settle in to his new surroundings, the veteran bookmaker decided to begin his regime running at full-speed and has made a huge splash by offering an array of wagering options that has never been done before in the state.
For the first time in Nevada sportsbook history, the South Point has posted regular season win totals for all 128 Division I college football teams. That’s every school from Air Force and Appalachian State to Wisconsin and Wyoming. And to make the unprecedented move even more astounding, it’s only May with the first kickoff not occurring until August 27.
“I start compiling everything for all the teams right after the Super Bowl,” said Andrews, a Pittsburgh native who has run Nevada books for 37 years. “I track down what I can get for every school with the local papers and school web sites, and for a few teams the info is pretty hard to come by.”
Two weeks ago the South Point was the first in Nevada to post spreads for the first week of college football action and also offered 40 Games of the Year numbers. Last Thursday Andrews unleashed win totals on every school and offered some insight to key components in his oddsmaking process.
“When I do my ratings for each team, I always lean heavily on the offensive line with returning starters,” he said. “I’m a big believer that stability in the offensive line is key for teams performing well early in the schedule. I don’t have a math model, but I certainly have a methodology to produce the team ratings and win totals I’m comfortable with.”
He’s taking a dime ($1,000) on the Power-5 conference teams and a nickel ($500) on the other schools.
Last year at this time Andrews was posting his team ratings and win totals as the owner and publisher of AgainstTheNumber.com, which a few sportsbooks outside of Nevada copied and posted for action. This year, he’s now got the additional pressure of not just making solid numbers but also trying to make money for the South Point in his debut for owner Michael Gaughan. He’s very confident, and so far the wise guys haven’t been running to the window to bet any “bad” numbers. No total has run with more than two limit wagers on any side.
One of the pitfalls of posting numbers so early is the unknown variables that happen with so much time before the first kickoff.
“We haven’t even posted the numbers yet and I’m already doing adjustments from the news of Art Briles being fired,” Andrews said on Thursday. “I had Baylor set at 9.5 wins, but I’m in kind of a wait and see mode with what happens to the rest of the staff, who I’m sure had some kind of knowledge of what was going on there. Who is coming in and who is going? If there is a major overhaul to the remaining staff, we’ll make some big adjustments, and not just with Baylor, but with all the teams they play. Right now we’ve taken everything to do with Baylor (Game of the Year lines, Week 1 lines and win totals) off the board.”
Andrews said one his most difficult win totals to make was Ohio State, who he set at 9.5 UN -125.
“Ohio State was a tough number to make just because they had to replace so much talent, but between their schedule and Urban Meyer, they should be fine this year. If Nick Saban isn’t the best rest recruiter in the nation then it’s definitely Urban. I like Oklahoma to win against them, but they’ll get better as the season goes along. They’ll be a much better team in November than September.”
Andrews made Oklahoma -7 as one of his 40 Games of the Year for the Buckeyes’ Sept. 17 game at Norman. Last week the Golden Nugget posted totals on 24 teams with Ohio State set at 8.5 wins, setting up a nice middle opportunity for bettors hoping for Ohio State to win nine games. For nine wins to happen, three losses have to come somewhere. Oklahoma looks like one, maybe a road loss at either Wisconsin or Michigan State, and then maybe a revenge minded Michigan at Columbus on Nov. 26.
“I think Michigan is going to be real good,” Andrews said.
Two teams posted with the highest win total were Clemson and Boise State set at 10.5.
“See if you can find me two losses on that Boise State schedule,” he said.
| 2016 South Point NCAA Football Win Totals | ||
| INDIVIDUAL TEAMS | Total | |
| Air Force | 8.0 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Akron | 5.0 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Alabama | 10.0 | EVEN |
| -120 | ||
| Appalachian State | 8.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Arizona | 6.0 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Arizona State | 5.0 | -120 |
| EVEN | ||
| Arkansas | 7.5 | -120 |
| EVEN | ||
| Arkansas State | 7.5 | EVEN |
| -120 | ||
| Army | 4.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Auburn | 6.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Ball State | 4.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Baylor | 9.5 | EVEN |
| -120 | ||
| Boise State | 10.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Boston College | 6.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Bowling Green | 7.0 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Buffalo | 5.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| BYU | 8.0 | +105 |
| -125 | ||
| California | 4.0 | -120 |
| EVEN | ||
| Central Florida | 5.0 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Central Michigan | 7.0 | -120 |
| EVEN | ||
| Charlotte | 2.5 | -120 |
| EVEN | ||
| Cincinnati | 6.5 | -130 |
| +110 | ||
| Clemson | 10.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Colorado | 4.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Colorado State | 5.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Connecticut | 5.0 | EVEN |
| -120 | ||
| Duke | 5.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| East Carolina | 5.5 | +105 |
| -125 | ||
| Eastern Michigan | 3.0 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Fla. International | 6.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Florida | 7.5 | -125 |
| +105 | ||
| Florida Atlantic | 4.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Florida State | 9.5 | EVEN |
| -120 | ||
| Fresno State | 3.5 | -125 |
| +105 | ||
| Georgia | 8.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Georgia Southern | 8.0 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Georgia Tech | 6.5 | +105 |
| -125 | ||
| Hawaii | 2.5 | -120 |
| EVEN | ||
| Houston | 9.5 | -135 |
| +115 | ||
| Idaho | 3.5 | -125 |
| +105 | ||
| Illinois | 4.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Indiana | 4.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Iowa | 8.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Iowa State | 3.5 | EVEN |
| -120 | ||
| Kansas | 1.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Kansas State | 5.5 | -120 |
| EVEN | ||
| Kent State | 4.5 | -120 |
| EVEN | ||
| Kentucky | 5.0 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Louisiana Tech | 7.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Louisville | 9.0 | +110 |
| -130 | ||
| LSU | 10.0 | EVEN |
| -120 | ||
| Marshall | 8.5 | -125 |
| +105 | ||
| Maryland | 4.5 | +110 |
| -130 | ||
| Massachusetts | 2.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Memphis | 6.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Miami FL. | 6.5 | -125 |
| +105 | ||
| Miami Ohio | 3.5 | EVEN |
| -120 | ||
| Michigan | 10.0 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Michigan State | 7.5 | -130 |
| +110 | ||
| Middle Tenn State | 7.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Minnesota | 6.0 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Mississippi | 8.5 | EVEN |
| -120 | ||
| Mississippi State | 6.5 | -120 |
| EVEN | ||
| Missouri | 5.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Navy | 6.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| NC State | 6.0 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Nebraska | 8.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Nevada | 6.5 | -120 |
| EVEN | ||
| New Mexico | 7.0 | -120 |
| EVEN | ||
| New Mexico State | 3.0 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| North Carolina | 8.5 | -125 |
| +105 | ||
| North Texas | 2.0 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Northern Illinois | 8.5 | -120 |
| EVEN | ||
| Northwestern | 6.5 | -120 |
| EVEN | ||
| Notre Dame | 9.5 | +110 |
| -130 | ||
| Ohio | 7.5 | EVEN |
| -120 | ||
| Ohio State | 9.5 | +105 |
| -125 | ||
| Oklahoma | 10.0 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Oklahoma State | 8.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Old Dominion | 5.0 | EVEN |
| -120 | ||
| Oregon | 8.0 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Oregon State | 3.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Penn State | 6.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Pittsburgh | 7.0 | EVEN |
| -120 | ||
| Purdue | 4.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Rice | 6.0 | EVEN |
| -120 | ||
| Rutgers | 4.5 | -125 |
| +105 | ||
| San Diego State | 8.5 | -130 |
| +110 | ||
| San Jose State | 5.0 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| SMU | 3.5 | -120 |
| EVEN | ||
| South Alabama | 3.0 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| South Carolina | 5.0 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| South Florida | 8.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Southern Miss | 8.0 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Stanford | 8.5 | EVEN |
| -120 | ||
| Syracuse | 4.0 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| TCU | 8.0 | -125 |
| -105 | ||
| Temple | 8.5 | -120 |
| EVEN | ||
| Tennessee | 9.5 | +105 |
| -125 | ||
| Texas | 6.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Texas A&M | 6.0 | -120 |
| EVEN | ||
| Texas San Antonio | 4.0 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Texas State | 3.0 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Texas Tech | 7.0 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Toledo | 6.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Troy | 6.0 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Tulane | 3.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Tulsa | 6.5 | -120 |
| EVEN | ||
| UCLA | 8.5 | EVEN |
| -120 | ||
| UL-Lafayette | 6.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| UL-Monroe | 3.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| UNLV | 5.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| USC | 7.5 | EVEN |
| -120 | ||
| Utah | 7.2 | EVEN |
| -120 | ||
| Utah State | 6.5 | -130 |
| +110 | ||
| UTEP | 5.0 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Vanderbilt | 5.0 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Virginia | 4.5 | -130 |
| +110 | ||
| Virginia Tech | 6.5 | -130 |
| +110 | ||
| Wake Forest | 5.5 | +110 |
| -130 | ||
| Washington | 9.0 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Washington State | 7.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| West Virginia | 6.5 | -130 |
| +110 | ||
| Western Kentucky | 8.5 | +110 |
| -130 | ||
| Western Michigan | 8.5 | EVEN |
| -120 | ||
| Wisconsin | 7.0 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
| Wyoming | 3.5 | -110 |
| -110 | ||
Micah Roberts is a former Las Vegas race and sports book director, one of The Linemakers on SportingNews.com , and longtime motorsports columnist and sports analyst at GamingToday. Twitter: @MicahRoberts7 Email: [email protected].