Let's talk about road favorites. And let's talk about the first bad bet I ever made.
I was 13. My beloved New York Jets were 10-1. They were set to travel to Miami for a Monday night extravaganza. This was going to be huge. Validate us, Frank and Al!
A friend of my parents named Michael, who had a chauffeur and owned Manhattan, as far I was concerned, said he liked the Dolphins. Sure, they had Dan Marino, but they were 5-6. The Jets were two-point favorites. Way too low, right?
So we made a bet. I think it was for $20. And I kid you not, the final score was Dolphins 45, Jets 3. Innocence lost.
Michael made me pay up, for which I am eternally grateful. It has served to remind me about the dangers of underrating home-field advantage. Five Big Ten teams opened as road faves this week, though that number is down to four.
As always, picks are against the spread (from the VegasInsider.com consensus at noon Thursday).
