The Game’s Top Lineman

Saturday’s UCLA-USC football game may be the main course on L.A.’s sport menu this weekend, but in the sports and race books up and down the Strip of this gambling mecca, it is no more than an hors d’oeuvre.

“It isn’t even considered a big game,” said Billy Baxter, a local professional gambler. “Any NFL game this Sunday would be a bigger game.

“SC is a 21-point favorite. Now, you take a game like Georgia-LSU where LSU is a 1 1/2 -point favorite. That’s what I would classify as a big game because both teams have a chance to win. I know there’s all this hype about USC chasing a national championship, but they are such a heavy favorite.”

When Baxter speaks, the gambling community listens. He has the reputation of being a very knowledgeable and successful gambler, and has the financial clout to back up his opinions. Robert Walker, the director of the sports book at MGM/Mirage Resorts, said Baxter is one of a select few who has the power to single-handedly move the line by his bet.

But Walker, who oversees 14 sports books in Las Vegas, Reno and Laughlin, Nev., doesn’t agree with Baxter’s view that the Bruin-Trojan game is not a big attraction to his customers.

“I think we’ll get a ton of play,” Walker said, “especially being so close to L.A. A lot of it will come in in these last two days.”

The overs and unders -- wagering on how many total points will be scored in the game -- is at 74 1/2 points.

USC has been made a six-point favorite over Texas should the schools play for the national title.

Walker did concede that Saturday’s game won’t attract as much wagering as any NFL game, or any of the upcoming major bowl games.

He also said that the reemergence of Notre Dame as a significant team had made the Irish more popular with bettors than USC when both were in meaningful games.

“I don’t think SC has gotten the respect of many from the East Coast that it has deserved over the last three or four years,” Walker said.

While Walker does welcome Baxter, and his money, at his betting establishments, there is a limit on the town’s other professional gamblers. They can bet no more than $10,000 to $15,000 on college games, no more than $30,000 to $50,000 on the pros.

“The difference is that the NFL is pure vanilla,” Walker said. “The lines are so obvious, anyone could set them. We tend to make some mistakes with the colleges because of the sheer volume, the amount of information we have and the lack of parity you have compared to the NFL.

“If we didn’t have those limits, Billy Baxter would take us out, and I don’t mean to dinner. We don’t have a problem with our casino players, because they take their winnings and go to our shows or back to the tables. Billy takes his winnings and pays his mortgage.”

So how is Baxter planning on wagering on Saturday’s game?

“I might give the [under]dog a shot,” he said. “I don’t believe UCLA will beat them. That would be stupid. But I might take [the points].”

Responded Walker: “If a Billy Baxter takes the 21 points, I might move the line to 22.”

And that’s how lines are made.