Victory by Ravens certain to hurt handle

We keep hearing the window of opportunity is closing on the Baltimore Ravens, mostly because Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, the defensive leaders on a team that plays old-fashioned football, are getting old. It would not be a bad thing if that window got slammed shut this week.

The NFL postseason is down to its final four teams, and the season is reduced to three games. If the Ravens play more than once, interest in the Super Bowl might be close to zero.

That's embellishment, obviously, but you get the point.

"A Super Bowl matchup with Baltimore probably would dampen the handle and the interest from the public," MGM Resorts sports book director Jay Rood said. "The Ravens would be rough."

In two days, Joe Flacco could be the most accomplished quarterback left standing in the playoffs. For two weeks before the "Big Game" -- as the sports books' proposition sheets call it -- the media will make noise about Flacco's desperate quest for respect.

Imagine sitting in a traffic jam with no cellphone or satellite radio. Boring, just like Baltimore in the Super Bowl.

What could be worse? Maybe watching grass grow, paint dry, a movie featuring Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton and another UCLA football game coached by Rick Neuheisel. It's not a long list.

The Ravens are 7-point underdogs to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday. Jimmy Vaccaro does not yet know which side he will need to turn a profit on game day, but he knows which team will be better for business long term.

"I would much rather have the Patriots than the Ravens," said Vaccaro, director of operations for Lucky's sports books. "Obviously, with Flacco and the Ravens, there's just no interest."

An elimination of New England would be something like a nightmare. The alternative is as unattractive as a bearded lady.

The presence of Tom Brady and the Patriots would boost the media hype, wagering handle and, of course, prop betting possibilities for the Super Bowl.

It makes little difference whether the New York Giants or San Francisco 49ers emerge from the NFC. Either opponent offers intrigue opposite New England. Neither looks so appealing opposite Baltimore.

"I'm rooting for the 49ers for the business aspect of it," said Vaccaro, who expects more betting action at the Lucky's books in Reno due to San Francisco fans.

On the Strip, Rood said, "I think a Patriots-Giants matchup would generate the most handle and interest and bring the most visitors."

The line on New England dropped from 7½ to 7 at most books Tuesday and Wednesday, and it was not because the betting public decided to jump on the 'dog early in the week.

"I think everyone took some sharp money on the Ravens. You take that out, and we're getting good two-way action on the game," Rood said. "That's pretty good value on a team with that good of a defense. But if Flacco doesn't perform much better than he has, I don't think the Ravens get by the Patriots."

Baltimore has not been an underdog by more than a touchdown since 2007, according to RJ Bell of Pregame.com. Bell added a trend pertaining to New England, which put up 45 points in a blowout of Denver. The week after a team has scored more than 38 points in a playoff game, those teams have covered in four of 24 games against the spread since 1994.

I'm picking the Patriots to win the game, but betting and laying 7 points is not easy. The money-line price of minus-330 also is steep. Another option is a 6-point teaser with the Patriots at minus-1, and the logical choice is to pair that with the Giants and cross several key numbers from plus-2½ to 8½.

Action on the Giants-49ers matchup is relatively even, and I'm siding with the Giants as a lukewarm opinion. The books are heavy on Giants money-line bets at around plus-115. With rain in the forecast, the total has plummeted from 45 to 42.

If you want a second opinion, Vice President Joe Biden said this week the Giants are on the way to the Super Bowl. Then, realizing he was in San Francisco and not talking baseball, Biden changed his pick to the 49ers. But it truly is a tough one to call.

Rood compared a potential 49ers-Ravens Super Bowl matchup to "another LSU-Alabama," and we don't want that.

The Harbaugh Bowl, pitting coaching brothers Jim and John, was held on Nov. 24 in Baltimore. The Ravens won 16-6 as Flacco passed for 161 yards and the game's only touchdown in the fourth quarter.

That was Thanksgiving night, and it was not just the tryptophan in the turkey that made everyone drowsy.

Contact sports betting columnist Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. He co-hosts the "Las Vegas Sportsline" weeknights at midnight on KDWN-AM (720) and thelasvegassportsline.com.