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It is time for the Week 16 installment of BTSC Bookie! This is a chance for the BTSC community to collectively choose games in which to place an imaginary wager of “BTSC Bucks.” Each week I will remind everyone of the rules before voting on specific bets and the type of wagers we want to do next week.
Before I get into the procedure of things, I want to remind everyone that gambling addiction is a serous problem numerous people face. Like many things in life, gambling can be a fun and safe exercise if done in moderation, while obsessive gambling can have destructive and life-altering consequences. If you or anyone you know is suffering from a gambling addiction, help is available HERE.
The Process
- We will start with $500 in BTSC Bucks for the season. If we bust, we may borrow from the BTSC Bookie, but will have to pay 20% interest each week it isn’t paid. It’s a steep price, but there are consequences to failure.
- Games this week will be betting against the spread with commission.
- There will be 8 betting lines for users to place a vote on games against the spread. The values are as of Tuesday evening and they are locked in throughout the voting. The polls will run until Saturday night at 12:59 PM. The top result for an NFL game will have a $150 bet.
- A write-in campaign can be staged for voting. If any comment in the weekly article brings up a different game in the comments to make the wager and can receive enough recommendations to place it in the top three vote-wise, it will be calculated accordingly. I know it’s highly unlikely for a comment to receive that many recommendations, but if it does it will count.
- Saturday games will be included and the poll will stop just before the first kickoff.
- Some games may have the two opposing lines as an option. If so, only the higher vote-getter will be eligible for the wager.
- Betting both for and against the Steelers is always an option.
Last Week’s Wager
For Week 15, we placed three $50 wagers on three different games and a $25 parlay bet on all three games. The first bet was on the Pittsburgh Steelers at -2 for a payout of -115 over the Buffalo Bills. The 17-10 defeat by the Steelers lost the $50 wager and ruined the parlay bet. The next $50 wager was successful with the Patriots at -9 for a payout of -110 over the Bengals. The payout for the game ended up being $45.45 above the original bet. The final game we lost our money as the choice was the Los Angeles Rams favored by 1 point over the Dallas Cowboys. If we would have hit on all three games, the $25 parlay bet would have had a total payout of $170.35 so it was a good risk worth taking.
Week 14 Balance: $1,035.59
Week 14 Net Gain/Loss: -$54.55
Week 15 Total: $981.04
Week 16 Options
Here are the options chosen for the Week 16 betting exercise. Based on your vote, one large bet of $150 will be placed on a single game. Additionally, there is a second poll on what type of bets you would like to do next week. If you want to play your own game, leave your choices in the comments below and keep track of your total throughout the season.
For this week, payouts are listed in parenthesis. We will place a $150 on one game. We will go through the formality of voting before placing the bet on the Steelers. If you wish to vote more than once, clear your “cookies” on your browser and vote again.
Poll
On which game do you want to place your BTSC bucks?
This poll is closed
-
20%
Steelers (-3) at Jets (-115, 64%)
(14 votes) -
8%
Jets (+3) vs Steelers (-105, 36%)
(6 votes) -
0%
Patriots (-6.5) vs Bills (-110, 43%)
(0 votes) -
15%
Bills (+6.5) at Patriots (-110, 57%)
(11 votes) -
10%
Ravens (-10) at Cleveland (-110, 68%)
(7 votes) -
2%
Cleveland (+10) vs Ravens (-110 32%)
(2 votes) -
34%
Saints (-3) at Titans (+100, 71%)
(24 votes) -
7%
Titans (+3) vs Saints (-120, 29%)
(5 votes)
Poll
What kind of bet do you want to do for Week 17?
This poll is closed
-
34%
Against the spread
(19 votes) -
20%
Moneyline
(11 votes) -
9%
Over/Under
(5 votes) -
5%
One each of against the spread, moneyline, and over/under
(3 votes) -
30%
One each, plus a parlay
(17 votes)