Money piling up on Pats in Vegas

The betting action in Las Vegas is piling up on the New England Patriots, leaving sportsbooks with a decision heading into championship Sunday.

On Saturday, the Patriots were holding steady as three-point favorites over the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game. The money was lopsided on New England.

At Caesars Palace sportsbooks, five times as much money had been wagered on the Patriots compared to the underdog Broncos. At William Hill's Nevada book, 85 percent of the money bet was on New England. The story was the same almost everywhere. Barring a dramatic rush of game-day money on the Broncos, Vegas will be a big Peyton Manning fan on Sunday.

The early money also was siding with the favorite in the NFC Championship Game. The Carolina Panthers are three-point favorites over the Arizona Cardinals. About 75 percent of the money was on the Panthers at sportsbook operator CG Technology. But Carolina wasn't necessarily the sharp side.

"The smartest bet we took this week was on Arizona," CG Technology vice president of race and sports Jason Simbal said Saturday.

Even as money continued to flow in on both favorites -- especially on New England -- the books weren't budging on the point spread. Asked what it would take to bump up the Patriots to -3.5, Nick Bogdanovich of William Hill quipped, "a lot more money."

The MGM made the jump to New England -3.5 (-115) Thursday and immediately took sharp action on the Broncos. But for every one bet on Denver there were still three on New England, MGM sportsbook assistant manager Jeff Stoneback said.

"Since we went to -3.5, it's been very balanced moneywise," Stoneback said Saturday morning. "We have a difference of less than $10,000 between the teams."

That was expected to change Saturday afternoon. A VIP casino guest had inquired about making a six-figure bet on the Patriots, Stoneback said.

The Wynn sportsbook pushed the line to Patriots -3.5 on Thursday, but it didn't last long.

"The sharps gobbled that up like it was the best thing they'd seen all year," Wynn executive director John Avello said.

The Westgate SuperBook was one of the Vegas books to have posted early lines on the potential Super Bowl matchups. The Patriots are one-point favorites over both the Panthers and Cardinals. Carolina and Arizona are both three-point favorites over the Broncos.

The SuperBook currently has the NFC -1 in the Super Bowl.

"We'll need the AFC," SuperBook football oddsmaker Ed Salmons, regarding the action on the early Super Bowl line.