Do you like to gamble?
Las Vegas may be for you.
I was once in a masters program writing class at the University of San Francisco, and a couple times that semester the professor would have us read one of our latest works to the rest of the class. The guy reading his story one day seemed a nice enough fella, but when he shared his story about how he liked to cruise up to Lake Tahoe at a leisurely pace in his old Toyota, my blood boiled.
He was one of those sons-of-bitches that tied up traffic on Highway 50 while I was rushing to get to the Lake Tahoe casinos to get down on a football game. I hated those slow travelers, and it sometimes took more than one passing lane to get them in the rearview mirror.
Now, you might think that as long as I was rushing up to make a bet on a football game that I like to gamble. Truth is, I don’t … at least not on football. Now I may enjoy a cocktail and time sitting next to my wife pulling on a slot machine … and that certainly would be gambling. But gamble on a football game?
No.
Risk, yes, gamble no.
If one was to check out the definition of “gamble” in the dictionary, it states that gambling is the act of putting money or other valuables at risk in hopes of gaining a profit.
In the same dictionary, it defines investment as the act of leveraging money or other thing of value in order to gain a profit.
Do you see the difference there? Gambling by definition is based on chance, while investing is pinned to factors considered reliable for making a profit. When someone learns that I make a living on the outcome of National Football League games, they immediately go to the assumption that I need to be lucky.
I don’t.
But, as my partner Paul puts it, “Luck never hurts.”
I don’t need luck to turn a profit from NFL games any more than your dentist needs luck to successfully fill a decaying tooth. He knows what he is doing, and has a reasonable expectation that the procedure will end successfully.
How confident would you feel if your dentist told you moments before shooting you with novacaine that he hopes this works?
Okay, you want to gamble, as I already stated, Las Vegas might be your destination. But, if you want to invest, I strongly suggest you land on the Falcons this Sunday.
The Las Vegas Raiders are a gamble this week. Last Sunday, they met the Kansas City Chiefs for the second time this season with the Super Bowl Champions riding a four game winning streak. The first time that happened, in October, the Raiders upset the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Last Sunday night, they went to the well in hopes of downing Patrick Mahomes and company for a second time this season … and got a lot closer than most people figured they would.
Not only did the two AFC West teams trade the lead in the game for most of the night, the Silver and Black took a late advantage on their fourth touchdown, 31-28. Then, as is his pattern, Mahomes got the win by completing his fifth TD drive of the evening as time ran out.
Now, the Raiders head to Atlanta to meet a Falcons team that most bettors thought had a real good chance last Sunday in New Orleans. The Saints were playing their first game without injured quarterback Drew Brees, and while we interpret that as an edge for the team looking to compensate for his loss, the betting public gambled that his absence would weaken the Saints. In that game, the opening line was reduced from the Saints favored by 5½ points to 3½ points, and New Orleans won easy, 24-9.
Now, off that loss, people are gambling on the Falcons having trouble again this week when they host the Raiders.
But, what we know is this, the Raiders are confident off a loss because it came against the talented Chiefs in close fashion. At the same time, the Falcons are motivated after being hammered by a Saints team forced to play without their starting quarterback.
Okay, how many points do we have to lay to get Atlanta at home in this game?
What?
We get points?
Three of them.
Like I said, I don’t like to gamble … but I’m sure going to invest in this.
Qoxhi Picks: Atlanta Falcons (+3) over Las Vegas Raiders