After one heckuva season, the New Orleans Saints' Cinderella story may continue! All they have to do is get past Chicago and they'll be in the BIG GAME!!!

Quite an accomplishment when you consider what they've been through. Kudos to the Saints and all of New Orleans. Looking forward to you guys going all the way!

Outlook for the Atlantic, Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico …

Hurricane Whodat is predicted to make landfall on the Florida coast in the vicinity of Miami on 7 Feb 2010 at approximately 6:25 PM EST. This extremely powerful hurricane is expected to produce damaging Shockey waves and Category 5 Brees. Reports from shipping industry indicate that this unstoppable storm has already blown a huge flock of Cardinals all the way to Arizona , and that it has sunk a powerful Viking longboat, the Brettigfǻvren. Livestock, in particular young horses, will be in severe danger of being decimated. Predictive damage estimates are unavailable at this time, but they are expected to be significant.

All interests in and near the Miami area are advised to prepare for a storm surge of catastrophic proportions as Hurricane Whodat begins to arrive in approximately 10 days. Next advisory 07 Feb 2010 at 10:00 PM EST.

I just realized my original post was from 2007, HA!, but this is the image that goes along with Rachel's Hurricane warning.

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I'm marching my a** (to the tune of "When The Saints Go Marching In") right down to the Palace Station Hotel Casino (the same place OJ got in trouble) here in Las Vegas.

And... I'm betting $100 on the Saints for the win. No point spreads. Just that they win it up!

Madden NFL predicts a Saints victory 35-31. It's been right 5 out of the last 6 years.

Madden NFL 10's Super Bowl prediction: Saints will squeak by the Colts : Ben Patterson : Yahoo! Tech

Let's hope they're right again. What's the spread in Vegas? Colts by five, I hear?

Punxatawny Phil has the Colts winning by three in overtime.

Spread seems stuck at Colts -5 1/2 (which means they would have to win by more than 5 1/2 points to cover the spread and be a winner for those betting the spread).

There is also a "money line" bet where you bet to win the game, period:

If you are betting Colts, you have to "lay" money. That means you get less back than you total bet. I don't have those odds in front of me, but (for example), you would have to bet $100 to win $60. IE, if you bet the favorite (the Colts), you would have to put down $100 to win $60 cents. You would get paid your $100 back (original bet), plus $60 (your winnings). If Colts lose, you lose your $100.

If betting the "money line" on the Saints, it would be almost in reverse. You would bet $100 and win (for example) $140 if the Saints win. IE, you bet the 'dogs (underdog Saints) by putting down $100. If the Saints win, you get your $100 back (original bet), plus $140 back (your winnings) for a total of $240. If the Saints lose, you lose your $100 bet.

With so many "wise guys" here predicting that the Colts will both win and cover (win by more than the current 5 1/2 point spread), the spread could move to 6 or 6 1/2 by kickoff. Sports book operations are just trying to find the point where the same amount of money comes in on both sides, because they don't quite pay out 100% of the winnings. That is called the "vig" (or vigorish). Lots more on that at Vigorish - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So... the line can "move" based on how they adjust it due to where the money is coming in.

The good news? One you bet, it is in stone. If the line moves after you bet, not your problem. Whatever bet you made at the moment that you bet it in Nevada says (you get a betting slip confirming all the details of your bet), you are good to go.

We are lucky to have you, Ted. I know NOTHING about gambling, and that was very educational, but I do KNOW something about Saints... I've got my french doors open here in the French Quarter... and I've been listening to the WHO DAT Nation bands for the last three weeks - it's reached a fever pitch today - you can't squeeze ONE MORE person in the Quarter - fans from all over the country are here supporting their Saints, and, just like college ball and cross-state rivalry games, ANYTHING can happen when emotions are this high... so, I say - bet on the Saints! Cos they are blessed - they have the MOJO... they have the hearts of their fans and of the whole country. They've always been underdogs - they like it that way. And, if you want to see what this town is made of, be here TUESDAY, February 9, 5pm, for the Saints parade! It will be bigger than anything Mardi Gras has EVER seen!

Ted, what you gonna spend that money on?!?!? Congrats to the SAINTS!!!!

Who Dat Saints ended up +165 for the bet I made (although numbers varied around town a little bit each way as every casino group moves their numbers based on the action at their specific properties).

Late money (day of the game) did come in on Saints, driving the line down to 5 and even 4 1/2 (in favor of Colts) in some places.

* Late Money = People making their bets day of the game.

Some of the smartest gamblers in Las Vegas laid big money (into the millions) on the Colts. IE, bet up to $2 for every $1 they would win if the Colts won. See:
Phil Ivey Sulks $2 Million Cash Loss in Sour Superbowl XLIV Colts Money-Line Wager

Billy Walters (mentioned in the article) is an EXTREMELY successful life-long sports bettor. A guy who is worth tens of millions and made his first millions as a sports better. (Yes... there really are people who study everything and use computers and are so good at it, they make big money each year betting sports). And... poker player Phil Ivey (along with others) were in with him.

Another singular bettor did the same with the Colts at the M Resort here (Story -- $1 million wager on Super Bowl approved):
NORM: $1 million wager on Super Bowl approved - News - ReviewJournal.com

Here is why I wasn't buying it (a Colts win):

Yes... first time teams are usually just happy to be in the championship (regardless of sport). Yes... the Saints played a bit nervous in the NFC championship and once again showed that early Superbowl (dropped pass, slipping on the 1).

And... once they get behind, most teams often start to fall into the frame of mind that it just isn't going to happen. How many Superbowls have been (essentially) over at halftime or earlier?

However, coming in The Saints had the "never give up, never say die, we'll come back from anything" vibe ingrained in them. Chipping away, working hard every day (or ever play, in this case). The mentality of all of NOLA displayed after disaster.

That is what all of the "wise guys" who bet sports for a living completely missed. This was not a numbers game. And...

Saints didn't just win. They WILLED to win. They FOUGHT to win. They were not going to dare let NOLA down if they could help it. They were unwilling to let down a city that had showed so much FIGHT and WILL over the past few years.

And "wise guys" be damned, but they did just that.

Wow! How bad would it feel to lose millions on a game? That'll teach 'em not to bet against N.O!

I was really impressed with the Saints. They looked awesome in the 2nd half especially.