Let's talk about Pitt/SF lines

[ghoopin]

It appears to me that you can bet SF at -3 (+105 or EV) and bet Pitt on the ml at +120 and the only way you don't come out even money or ahead is if SF wins by 1 or 2 points. Definitely interesting. Thoughts???

I personally have SF +7 in the last leg of a 10 point tease. Had a chance to get Pitt +3 (EV) this morning, but decided to see what happened with Ben hoping if he was announced not to play the line would move up and I'd get some great value on Pitt ml and a chance to hit both ends.

[ghoopin]

Line back to Pitt +3 and ml +150 at Bookmaker. Looks like some money coming in on the Niners now.

[Mendoza Line]

Saw this over at Covers

Sharp money is flowing in on Pittsburgh, affecting the line for tonight’s game at San Francisco.

MGM Mirage moved Pittsburgh from +3 (-105) to +3 (-125) after taking three professional plays Monday morning on the Steelers. The first was a max $30,000 bet, the next two $15,000 bets.

“We took three pops of sharp money,” sportsbook manager Jeff Stoneback told Covers.com, adding that most of the public money is on the 49ers.

Books usually are loathe to move off 3, preferring to adjust the juice. But several offshore books dropped the line today to San Francisco -2.5.

Lucky’s oddsmaker Jimmy Vaccaro told Covers.com that “it would take a freight train” for him to move off 3.

“If one of those last-minute crazy things comes in, like Mike Tomlin saying Big Ben is not going to play, then it’s another story,” he said.

Officially, Roethlisberger is questionable with a high ankle sprain he suffered Dec. 8 vs. Cleveland. Tomlin said he’s optimistic Big Ben, who turned in a limited practice Saturday, will play.

With Big Ben’s history of playing through injuries, and with Baltimore’s loss opening the door for Pittsburgh to grab the AFC's top seed, most observers expect him to start.

“The Ravens losing makes this game a little more important for the Steelers,” Stoneback said.

However, ESPN’s Adam Schefter called Big Ben “a true game-time decision.”

The total is holding steady at 38 at most books.

San Fran gives up a league-low 14 points per game. Pittsburgh ranks second with 15.2 points allowed.

After last week’s uninspiring Rams-Seahawks matchup, books are getting heavy action on Steelers-Niners even though many did not post a line until Sunday.

“Pittsburgh is always a public team, and it’s a good matchup,” Stoneback said. “We had as much money on this game walking in Monday morning as some of the games we had up all week.”

[ghoopin]

Thanks Mendoza. I know I should at least put something on Pitt +3 or ml to hedge or hit both sides, but just hate that Pitt always draws money and the odds makers know it.