In a message board post I’ll often see a question like “why does Vegas hate us?” The people setting the lines don’t care about the Ravens. They don’t care about Ray Lewis, they don’t care what Joe Flacco should make next season, and they don’t care when Bernard Pollard says the NFL won’t be around in 30 years. They only really care about how the betting market will price the game so they can closely approximate the spread when they first offer it and hone it before many dollars are wagered to something that will split action appropriately.

More on this misconception and other NFL wagering concepts HERE