"Johnny Football" is the nickname of Johnny Manziel, quarterback for Texas A&M. As the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, it’s easy to understand how important he is to the prospects of his team. When he recently became embroiled in a potential rules infraction that could affect his playing status, most sports books took the game "off the board," pending more information being obtained, at which point the odds will be adjusted as necessary.
Bets that have already been made, stand, including season-totals bets. It’s similar to making a bet on a game that begins and a key player gets hurt before it’s over. That player is no longer available and his absence will likely affect the outcome, but all bets on the game stand. Sometimes it works in favor of the player and sometimes it doesn’t.
Uncertainty over eligibility or injury is treated in different degrees by the sports books. A similar situation occurred when New England Patriots star quarterback Tom Brady came up lame in a practice last week. As soon as word got out, the upcoming Pats game came off the board in many places, but not everywhere, because it was a preseason game in which Brady’s loss would have a reduced effect. And even in Manziel-type situations, it’s not a given that all books will pull the game down. Sometimes smaller books are out of the loop and leave a game up, which creates an opportunity for bettors who find the live line. In high-profile situations, however, the line will usually be taken down everywhere.
At the time of this writing the Texas A&M bets remain off the board.
