With some time to kill as we await our bowl location and opponent, I thought it would be interesting to see just how many Husker fans wager on college football and just how deep and expensive/risky that commitment goes. As I said in the poll article, I am fascinated by sports gambling and all the math/stats/probabilities that both go into creating lines and making wagering decisions. I only bet very rarely though, since even winning only brings relief and not euphoria.

Like almost all gambling games, the house – or the bookie – will always operate with a edge or profit called the “vig” short for vigorish, which is the built-in fee or statistical edge based on the odds. For example, the vig for craps on the pass/don’t pass line is a low 1.4%. Blackjack – with sound strategy – is low as well in the 1-2% range.

For those who play keno, you should know it’s about the closing thing in gambling to waking up by your car with empty pockets and a lump on your head courtesy of the sock full of quarters you got clocked with – the house generally takes home somewhere in the 20-25% range.

Football betting lies somewhere in the middle. Against the spread, it’s an obvious 10% – $11 is bet to win $10, $22 to win $20, etc. It can be expected that 10% is built in to the money lines, parlays, etc. as well. And when it comes to the lines, I can tell you many, many people pay attention. For the first question, I wanted to know how many of them are actually putting cash on the line and how deep that habit goes.

For the second, I wanted to know how many folks actually lay their green on the Huskers. I mean, that adds a whole new level of stress on game day. And are there fans out there icy enough to put their financial needs ahead of the game and lay wagers against the Big Red when the odds are too good to ignore – such as, you know, a Mike Riley-coached team against Ohio St. or Iowa?

• As it turns out, and despite the recent hard push of both college and pro sports and the networks leaping into bed with legalized sports gambling, the majority of our fans don’t care spend their hard-earned bucks on wagering at this time with 79% keeping it in their pockets.
• Could this change over time with economic recovery or, more likely, Nebraska dropping their ban on sports gambling? It would probably nudge the needle, but, honestly, not anywhere near enough to swing the non-bettors from majority status.
• 21% do enjoy wagering on college football with 16% keeping it pretty casual with less risk and smaller bets.
• 5% probably call it a lifestyle, letting it ride and feeling the rush. The howls of anguish when they lose likely had some of you thinking that number was higher.

• I’m guessing some folks who don’t gamble answered this one anyway driving the don’t bet on Nebraska games number higher, but it did rise considerably over the don’t bet at all number with 85% saying NOPE.
• 9% put cash over loyalty and have no qualms about betting against the Huskers. I like to believe in the best in people and believe most are just taking the opponent when the Huskers are favored thus giving them the opportunity to also cheer for a “W”.
• 6% fall into the category of those who bet on the Huskers but admit it costs them money more often than not.
• It’s not up there, but there was also an option for folks who say they bet on the Huskers and win. It’s not up there because the poll result was well below 1%. Go Big Red.

AND HERE’S ONE FROM A COUPLE WEEKS BACK WHEN ALL THE BOWL STUFF WAS WIDE OPEN

• Currently, it seems to have narrowed down to Nashville being the likeliest destination with Vegas reportedly still in play. Everything was pretty tight with the top 5 here, but the 21% who want to rock Las Vegas hold an edge over the 15% who want to do Nashville.
• If it ends up being Nashville, I will have to schedule a lunch or dinner at The Famous Nashville Palace, where my girls hockey team made a couple of visits when Nashville was in our league. And it’s up to you to scour my Facebook page years back to find evidence that my team may or may not have dragged me out on the floor they had taken over, given me a quick lesson and then forced me to line dance to live music with them.
• There will be no repeat of that debacle – this will be a solo trip.