It’s a Number’s Game

IT’S ALWAYS A

Numbers

GAME

With the American Century Championship reclaiming its stature as the happening of the year in Lake Tahoe, the fun times will flow and the laughs will echo throughout Harrah’s, Harveys and the other hotel casino properties as fans watch Charles Barkley hit the golf ball again. In the end, an edge will surface because sports wagering has become so widely popular around the U.S.

BY JOSEPH SANTOLIQUITO

The Player Odds To Win sheet is one of the special attributes of the annual Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course extravaganza and 2021 is more attractive than ever with the most prominent and the most competitive field in the long, rich history of the tournament.

The array of stars will be competing for $600,000, and the #1 target is defending champion Mardy Fish, the U.S. Davis Cup Captain. The betting favorite, though, is two-time ACC champion Tony Romo, who withdrew with an injury last year. Three-time champion Mark Mulder, and PGA TOUR Champions exemption competitor and Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz are also threats to win.

Smart bettors will be wagering on Romo at 3/2 (risk $20 to win $30), Fish at 2/1 (risk $10 to win $20), Mulder at 4/1 ($10 to win $40) and Smoltz at 8/1 ($10 to win $80).

Of special interest could be Annika Sorenstam, the greatest player in the history of women’s golf, who finished second in 2014 but is playing regularly again and intending to compete for the title. The William Hill oddsmakers have Annika also at 8/1. Barkley is listed as the longest long shot at 7,500-1. So, yes, you can bet $10 on Charles to win the tournament and if he does so, you collect $750. Everything will start friendly, and stay friendly, until everyone picks up a golf club. That’s when the competitive juices will begin to flow. Mulder wants to hold the crystal ACC Champions Cup aloft again, after winning in 2015, ’16 and ’17. TOP: Canelo holding a check for $12,500 to donate to the South Lake Tahoe Boys and Girls Club. “I like my odds. There are a handful of us that will do well, so the odds are pretty accurate,” said Mulder, 43, the father of three and 2006 World Series champion. “All of the years I did win, I didn’t bet on myself, and the years I did bet on myself, I didn’t win. RIGHT: Jimmy Rollins talking it up. So that’s created a trend.

“Every year this is an amazing event with the celebrities and the athletes. It’s such a good group of guys. There are some guys who take it seriously, but we are all here to enjoy ourselves and put on a little bit of a show. We all joke every year that we’ll bet on Charles and let him win. I will tell you what, there’s not a better guy than Charles and how he interacts with everyone and the fans.

“I tell people that when you retire from being a professional athlete you have that void of competition. Golf has filled that void for me. Trust me, when it comes time to hit that shot in the final round on Sunday, I’m focused. You better believe everyone who’s won this before wants to win again.”

Former Philadelphia Phillies all-time great, Major League MVP and 2008 World Series champion Jimmy Rollins is listed at 2000/1. The shortstop says the odds need to be tweaked.

“My odds should be zero-to-zero,” laughed Rollins, who will be competing in the ACC for the third time. “I don’t play to win; I go to hang out with the retired community. But there are guys who grind, like Romo, Mulder, Smoltz. Those are the real golfers and you can expect them to compete in the final round.

“The last couple of years, Charles has improved. He has supposedly improved his swing. I know he’s been bragging about his game. I will say this, this tournament brings out something in you. When you’re walking around, there is a sense of pride to play well and get a positive score.

“I did well up until the last day last year, and I wanted to end up on the right side of things. Then I shanked four shots in a row and that was it. When you’re walking around and your name is announced, there is a sense of pride. You want to win your group and not finish last.” With so many big names and odds on all of them, fans love to peruse the big boards in the sportsbooks. There’s Aaron Rodgers (150-1), Jerry Rice (200-1), Greg Maddux (250-1), Tom Glavine (2501), Larry Fitzgerald (300-1), Justin Timberlake (500-1) and Emmitt Smith (2000-1). Ray Romano is (3,000-1) and the 5000-1 club includes Michael Strahan, Al Michaels, John O’Hurley, DeMarcus Ware and Herm Edwards. And fans are always excited about the tournament first-timers. Newcomers include Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott (30001), New Orleans Saints star Taysom Hill (1,000-1), Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth (3000-1), two-time New York Giants Super Bowl champion Justin Tuck (3000-1) and former New York Yankees star pitcher CC Sabathia (3000-1). ABOUT THE AUTHOR “Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter based in the Philadelphia area who has been writing for PhillyVoice.com since its inception in 2015, Ring Magazine, and has written for ESPN, Sports Illustrated, the Philadelphia Daily News. He is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be followed on Twitter here: @JSantoliquito.”

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