GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) – Lines were out the door at some Las Vegas sports books in the hours before the Super Bowl, with bettors eager to take their shot at a game that oddsmakers called a tossup.
At the South Point book, oddsmaker Jimmy Vaccaro said the pick `em line was the first he could remember since the 1982 Super Bowl, with money balanced evenly on each team.
”The best job we’re doing today is staying out of the way and taking their cash,” Vaccaro said. ”We have nothing to be concerned about. We win no matter who wins.”
With two hours left before the game, the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook had all windows open and the Seahawks favored by a point, though oddsmaker Jay Kornegay said he was about to change the game to pick `em.
”It’s rush hour right now,” Kornegay said. ”We had lines literally outside most of the day, which was pretty much what we expected.”
Seattle opened a favorite two weeks ago, but the line switched to New England when early money came in on the Patriots. The late money was on the Seahawks, evening the game out as pick `em at most legal books.
”This is the easiest game I’ve ever been involved with,” said Vaccaro, who began making odds in the 1970s. ”Barring something silly like a 4-0 game it’s going to be very good for the books.”
Vaccaro said the betting could surpass the $119.7 million wagered on last year’s Super Bowl in Nevada sports books, which was a record
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TIGHT SECURITY
Security for the Super Bowl, as expected, was quite tight.
University of Phoenix Stadium was ringed with security personnel, including SWAT teams with machine guns, uniformed and plain-clothes police and hundreds of workers in red jackets.
Everyone who entered the stadium was subject to a pat down, metal detectors and bag checks. Bomb-sniffing dogs also roamed the grounds and checked bags at security checkpoints.
Local officials also received help from the Border Patrol, which brought Black Hawk helicopters and truck-sized X-ray machines to make sure the Super Bowl was safe.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection also deployed 100 officers to assist other federal and local law enforcement agencies.
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SQUATTING PENALTY
Seattle wide receiver Doug Baldwin drew a penalty flag for unsportsmanlike conduct after catching a touchdown pass to put the Seahawks up two scores in the Super Bowl. Why? Something of a mystery to television viewers.
But it appeared to have been an obscene gesture; Baldwin apparently simulated pulling down his pants over the football as if to go to the bathroom.
He was flagged for a 15-yard celebration penalty.
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