The score might be real issue

Days before news broke about UCLA quarterback Ben Olson’s problems with headaches and concussion-like symptoms, Las Vegas oddsmakers seemed to already know.

The Bruins, who suffered an embarrassing defeat at Utah last week, opened Sunday as nine-point favorites over Washington but by Monday night, the line had dropped to 5 1/2 on the Glantz-Culver line.

On Tuesday, Olson’s injury was finally revealed by UCLA and with Patrick Cowan -- who has been sidelined since training camp because of a hamstring injury -- still less than 100% and the other quarterbacks being walk-on redshirt freshman McLeod Bethel-Thompson and recently turned receiver Osaar Rasshan, it would not be a surprise to see the line fall even more.

But one oddsmaker insider said, “The line on the Bruins may have dropped on Monday just because people on the East Coast finally saw what happened to them at Utah. That score may have done more than Olson’s concussion.”

That’s evident at AccuScore.com, which has kept UCLA as a 6 1/2 -point favorite since Monday.

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Heisman Trophy

Three weeks into the college football season and the Heisman Trophy race is heating up, with Arkansas running back Darren McFadden holding down the top spot as favorite.

According to this week’s updated list at Sportbet.com, McFadden -- a runner-up for the award last season -- is at +150 to become the Razorbacks’ first Heisman winner. Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm and West Virginia running back Steve Slaton are next at +350 with USC quarterback John David Booty listed at No. 4 at +400.

The darkhorse in the hunt? Florida quarterback Tim Tebow at +900.

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Major League Baseball

Now that baseball’s regular season is coming to a close, there are still a few interesting matchups to watch not directly related to the playoff race. The most intriguing involves the over/under for the Seattle vs. Oakland series, which concludes tonight at McAfee Coliseum.

Since both teams have faded out of the postseason picture, the Athletics and Mariners have been shaky at best. But in recent games, scoring and giving up runs has not been a problem.

Going into Tuesday night’s game, the over was 8-1 in the A’s previous nine games, and the over was 5-1 in the Mariners’ last six games against teams in the American League West.

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lonnie.white@latimes.com