Stick a fork into Dallas they're done

Futures wagers are exactly what the term implies - a straight-odds bet on some future event, such as who will win this season's Super Bowl.
And some bookmakers will react so swiftly to the sports world's shifting fortunes that they'll adjust futures odds while regular-season games are actually in progress.

On Sunday, as Dallas was sleepwalking its way to still another loss, this time to Jacksonville, MGM Resorts sports books jacked up the odds on the 1-6 Cowboys winning the Super Bowl to triple digits: an even 100-1. At the end of training camp, the Cowboys were one of the favorites to win the Lombardi Trophy at 6-1.

"I actually watched that game with the sound on because I wanted to see if I could officially put [the Cowboys] in the graveyard," said Jay Rood, director of race and sports book operations for MGM Resorts casinos.

By about halftime of Dallas' 35-17 loss, Rood said he had his answer.

Usually, folks involved in the sports wagering industry are a clinical sort, but the Cowboys' sorry performance Sunday elicited a visceral response from even that stoic crowd.

"You'd think they'd play with a little heart, but they made [Jaguars quarterback] David Garrard look like an all-pro," said Caesars Palace sports analyst Todd Fuhrman.

Meanwhile, Detroit continued its impressive run against the spread with a 37-25 home win over Washington in game in which the Lions were two-point favorites - and covered. While it was just the second victory of the season for Detroit, it raised the Lions' record against the spread to 6-1. Interestingly, the public continued to bet against the Lions on Sunday while the professional gamblers went with Detroit.

The early-afternoon game that cost bettors the most money was the Jets' 9-0 loss to Green Bay. New York was a 61/2-point favorite at kickoff after enough morning money came in to move the line a half-point. Fuhrman said the Jets' outcome busted a raft of parlays and teasers, which are wagers that have big payouts but require the bettor to successfully pick more than one game.

The bettors rallied in a late-afternoon game when the San Diego Chargers, who had moved from 41/2-point to 51/2-point favorites against Tennessee before the game, covered with a 33-25 win.