Stop the Presses

         I'm going to skip over what was supposed to be my topic for this week (continuation of Free Bet Blackjack), because there is another compelling and timely topic that simply requires, well, debunking.  For those of you who are sports fans, there is little doubt that you heard that the Cleveland Cavaliers won the top pick in the NBA draft - AGAIN.  This time, despite relatively long odds (1.7%) of doing so.  This has led a large number of people to declare that the NBA Draft Lottery is rigged so that a particular team wins the lottery for some nefarious purpose that serves the NBA.  The media's desire to be as sensationalist as possible has led to some very shoddy math work in an attempt to keep the discussion going.  Ironically, earlier in the day on Tuesday (the day of the draft), I read a parody column that declared the draft rigged BEFORE the draft even took place and showed how that no matter which team won, why people would say that it was rigged.

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What's a Point Spread?

What's a Point Spread?

 Last month night, I went over to the Red Rock to place my bets on the Super Bowl.  Apparently me and everybody else in Las Vegas.  I figured I would beat the rush by going in on Saturday night.  I was wrong.  The sportsbook was about as crowded as I had ever seen it (admittedly, I don't watch the game from a sportsbook!).  I think I had read that over $100 million dollars was wagered on the game here in town.  I think I discovered the secret to why so much is wagered.  Apparently, no matter what, you have to put some money down on the game.

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