Robert Jaynes wears a heavy chain around his neck, at least for a Las Vegas bookmaker. He's a Duke fan. That's a no-no in Sin City, dating back to 1990, when Jerry Tarkanian and the hometown Runnin' Rebels handily disposed of the Blue Devils in the NCAA championship game at Denver. Duke rebounded by winning the next two national titles. "I've always been a Duke fan," Jaynes, race and sports director at the Stratosphere Tower, conceded. "I just like the way they run their program, the recruiting especially. "Other teams may be up there for a couple of years, then they fall off. "Duke is packed every year." The Stratosphere has Duke at even money to take the crown for a third time; the Blue Devils have finished second half a dozen times. "I admit my bias is showing," Jaynes conceded, refering to the fact The Stratosphere has Duke at even money on its futures board, lower than most valley establishments, especially considering the Blue Devils have had some difficulties winning lately. "I have my opinions." UConn is a 5/2 second pick. "You can get a good price on North Carolina at 7/1," Jaynes said. Jeff Sherman, a Las Vegas Hilton oddsmaker/supervisor, doesn't like the Blue Devils, the SuperBook's 7/2 second choice, at all. He leans toward 5/2 UConn, the Hilton's current favorite, but sees the title chase as fairly open -- though not as much so as in some recent seasons. The Tarheels are 18/1, the seventh lowest odds. "There are some highly thought of teams out there, like Gonzaga, which is struggling to win at home," said Sherman, who pegs UConn, Duke, Villanova and Memphis, with Texas a close call, to get Sunday's four No. 1 seeds. "If you're looking for a longer shot, Washington has a chance at 35/1. It's a team that played well earlier and competed against better teams. "UCLA (25/1) has a good shot. It's played well lately." Jaynes' leading longshots are Washington, 9/1 at the Stratosphere, and 8/1 Memphis. "They'll at least give you some return for your money," Jaynes said. "Nobody's interested in even money and 5/2 favorites now. "The time to get down with futures is when they first come out, whether we're talking baseball, football, basketball or anything else. "Once they see what's happening, the bookmakers will drop them." |
