OFF THE WALL

Weird year for betting on NFL

Trevor Konitzer is the kind of guy whose cellphone is constantly buzzing with updates on NFL players: who’s hurt, who’s playing, what breaking news affects one team or another.

He saw a betting line on last week’s Saints-broncos game open at New Orleans giving up 61⁄2 points.

And then 2020 struck — again — in a way that’s been creating havoc with the NFL’S schedules, rosters and, most importantly to some, betting lines.

A coronavirus outbreak involving the Broncos saw three of the team’s quarterbacks deemed high-risk close contacts for having been mask-less around QB Jeff Driskel before he tested positive, making them ineligible to play in the upcoming game against the Saints.

“It went up to 10 ⁄2, and as

1 soon as I got that alert on my phone, I said, ‘OK, it’s time,’ ” Konitzer said.

He quickly placed a bet on

New Orleans, knowing that a wide receiver recently elevated from Denver’s practice squad was to start at quarterback.

It was some of the easiest money he ever made.

completed 1-of-9 passes for 13 yards, and the Broncos lost 31-3.

The virus has been forcing postponements, knocking key players out of action and jumbling betting lines since Week 4 back in October.

“It’s been pretty difficult,” said John Sheeran, director of trading for Fanduel. “We don’t have all the information on who’s going to play, but we do endeavor to have a line for every game.”

All this uncertainty, however, is not affecting gamblers’ eagerness to bet on NFL games. Sportsbooks uniformly say their overall handle is way up this season, as people look for forms of entertainment that don’t involve going out.

Trivia question

On this date in 1985, Hall of Fame pitcher Burleigh Grimes died at age 92. He won more than 20 games four times on his way to 270 career victories. But he could not win the Cy Young Award because it didn’t start until after his career ended. When did the Cy Young Award begin?

They said it

From Raiders coach

to reporters, on what it was like watching film of his team’s 43-6 loss to the Falcons: “When you go to the dentist and have to have your teeth pulled out? It’s pretty much like that.”

From Mike Hart of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, on the toothless Bears — losers of five straight — somehow still in NFC playoff contention:

was always in the hunt, too.”

Tweet from Ryan Brown of Birmingham’s WJOX Radio, after watching six consecutive quarters of Kentucky football: “Hoping if I’m ever convicted of a major crime this will count as time served.”

From Dwight Perry of The Seattle Times: “The 4-7 Washington Football Team posted — and then quickly deleted — a Twitter post depicting the standings accompanied by ‘STOP THE COUNT!’ after zooming into first place in the NFC East. As political humor goes, it apparently missed wide right.”

Hinton

Kendall

Gruden,

Jon

Fudd

Young

“Elmer

Trivia answer

Grimes’ career ended in 1934. The Cy Young was first awarded in the 1956 season. Only one was handed out until 1967, when one was awarded in each league.

played from 1980-1911.

Cy