Well, okay, not really. It's not really Vegas anymore, it's more "Internet Gamblers", but whatever.
I'm sure this will change as the Spring sessions end and summer/pre-season roll around, injuries occur, etc. But right now at least, the big board gives ND a 40-1 shot at the MNC. Seems like a long shot, but when you consider the rest of the field, it's an implied rank of 11th. Not too shabby.
| Team | Odds (/1 unless noted) | Implied Rank |
| OKLAHOMA | 3.5 | 1 |
| FLORIDA | 4 | 2 |
| USC | 4 | 3 |
| OHIO STATE | 7 | 4 |
| TEXAS | 8 | 5 |
|
ALABAMA
|
20 | 6 |
| LSU | 20 | 7 |
| OREGON | 20 | 8 |
| VIRGINA TECH | 25 | 9 |
| PENN STATE | 30 | 10 |
| NOTRE DAME | 40 | 11 |
| CALIFORNIA | 50 | 12 |
| FLORIDA STATE | 50 | 12 |
| GEORGIA | 50 | 12 |
| GEORGIA TECH | 50 | 12 |
| MIAMI FLORIDA | 50 | 12 |
| NORTH CAROLINA | 50 | 12 |
| OKLAHOMA STATE | 50 | 12 |
| MISSISSIPPI | 60 | 19 |
| PITTSBURGH | 60 | 19 |
| TEXAS TECH | 60 | 19 |
| BOSTON COLLEGE | 100 | 22 |
| ARIZONA | 100 | 22 |
| BOISE STATE | 100 | 22 |
| CINCINNATI | 100 | 22 |
| CLEMSON | 100 | 22 |
| IOWA | 100 | 22 |
| MICHIGAN STATE | 100 | 22 |
| MISSOURI | 100 | 22 |
| NEBRASKA | 100 | 22 |
| NC STATE | 100 | 22 |
| SOUTH CAROLINA | 100 | 22 |
| TCU | 100 | 22 |
| TENNESSEE | 100 | 22 |
| WEST VIRGINIA | 100 | 22 |
| ARIZONA STATE | 200 | 36 |
| ARKANSAS | 200 | 36 |
| AUBURN | 200 | 36 |
| BYU | 200 | 36 |
| ILLINOIS | 200 | 36 |
| KANSAS | 200 | 36 |
| MARYLAND | 200 | 36 |
| MICHIGAN | 200 | 36 |
| OREGON STATE | 200 | 36 |
| RUTGERS | 200 | 36 |
| SOUTH FLORIDA | 200 | 36 |
| UCLA | 200 | 36 |
| UTAH | 200 | 36 |
| WISCONSIN | 200 | 36 |
Course, this could be a bit misleading, as ND fans of late have headed to Vegas in droves to drink/party off the effects of:
1) Losing last minute recruits
2) Men's Hoops Implosion
3) Obama at Commencement
4) A play about vaginas talking
5) The cancellation of the Dillon Pep Rally
Not much surprising in the upper echelon, except maybe Ohio State over some of the SEC powers (again). Oregon is getting some love. And I have no idea how Pitt could be 60-1. Without all-everything HB LeSean McCoy, they are going to suck. But again, it's way early.
Obviously Vegas odds to win it all will also take into account how likely a team is to be put into the BCS championship game. Utah is a perfect example of how this is slightly messed up. Even if they end up pretty highly ranked, their odds of making it to the BCS title game are slim, so their odds here are slim. I'm not saying they'll repeat last year or be in the Top 20, but you'd think they'd be better than 200-1. But, they're not a BCS team, so their road is tough/impossible. Like it or not, that's the BcS world we live in.
By san diego irish March 27, 2009 - 4:21 pm
Interesting. LV likes ND more than some of the other “experts”. I’m not convinced that VT and Oregon shouldn’t be longer odds for the MNC.
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By trey March 27, 2009 - 11:46 pm
I think Florida is so damn deep right now, I have a problem with them being under OU.
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By TBoneND March 28, 2009 - 8:49 am
This is a bet on potential only.
Wouldn’t be nice to see some overachieving this fall?
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By Bob March 28, 2009 - 10:44 pm
Remember, they set lines as low as possible while still enticing people to bet. It’s not necessarily an indication of the team’s talent or chances. A big factor is the ND fan base’s willingness to wager a few bucks even if they’re only getting 40 to 1.
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By trey March 30, 2009 - 12:05 am
I agree. MNC would be amazing, but pretty unlikely at this point. Year after next, though…all bets(pun intended) are off.
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By Kevin April 22, 2009 - 5:21 pm
when did the Dillon pep rally get canceled? bastards!
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