On Friday nights in the fall for more than a decade, football bettors would crowd a small, smoky sportsbook on the Strip to see two handicappers go head to head in a $10,000 winner-take-all contest. The contestants’ names were lit up outside on the marquee, adding an element of prestige to being a part of the Stardust Invitational.
The contest concluded after the 2005 season — the Stardust closed on Nov. 1, 2006 and its two hotel towers were imploded in March 2007 — and it has been missed.
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So it’s time to bring back memories of an old friend. In a tip of the cap to the Stardust Invitational, Circa owner Derek Stevens is putting up his money and putting his support behind a new VSIN-produced event, the Circa Friday Football Invitational.
The theme is the same, but the contest format is slightly different and improved. While there are still 16 handicappers in a bracket, all contestants are involved each week in a season-long competition, as opposed to the Stardust format that pitted only two handicappers a week in a head-to-head elimination duel. Stevens has boosted the prize money to $25,000.
The 16-handicapper field is officially set. Here are the contest details:
Sixteen handicappers compete — with no entry fee required — in a season-long contest with $25,000 in prizes awarded.
When: Friday, September 9 through Friday, January, 6, 2023 (18 weeks)
Where: VSIN studio at the Circa sportsbook
Contest plays: Five plays, college and NFL sides and totals (no props, team totals, first-half plays etc.) with one designated as the Best Bet (BB).
WEEK 8 SELECTIONS
BOBBY “BUCKETS” BRUBECK
Old Dominion %plussign% 3.5
Old Dominion-Georgia State Under 54.5
Baylor-Texas Tech Over 61
Panthers %plussign% 4
(BB) Cardinals %plussign% 3.5
Record (points): 19-16 (19)
Best Bets: 3-4 (3)
CHUCK EDEL
Wake Forest-Louisville Over 64.5
San Diego State-Fresno State Over 42
Stanford-UCLA Over 66.5
Auburn %plussign% 3.5
(BB) Mississippi-Texas A&M Over 55
Record (points): 21-14 (21)
Best Bets: 2-5 (2)
BRIAN EDWARDS
California %plussign% 17
Arkansas -3.5
Florida %plussign% 23.5
Titans -2.5
(BB) Missouri-South Carolina Over 45.5
Record (points): 15-20 (15)
Best Bets: 4-3 (4)
CHRIS “THE BEAR” FALLICA
Coastal Carolina %plussign% 2.5
Michigan -23
Pittsburgh %plussign% 3
Baylor %plussign% 2
(BB) Boston College -8
Record (points): 21-14 (21)
Best Bets: 5-2 (5)
STEVE FEZZIK
Marshall -2.5
Syracuse -2
Toledo-Eastern Michigan Over 54
Old Dominion %plussign% 3.5
(BB) Missouri %plussign% 4
Record (points): 15-19-1 (15.5)
Best Bets: 4-2-1 (4.5)
JOEY “TUNES” FORTUNA
New Mexico State-UMass Over 39
Old Dominion-Georgia State Under 54
Missouri-South Carolina Under 45
Vikings -3.5
(BB) South Alabama-Arkansas State Over 54
Record (points): 17-18 (17)
Best Bets: 4-3 (4)
DOUG KEZIRIAN
Nebraska %plussign% 7.5
Notre Dame-Syracuse Over 47.5
Temple %plussign% 14
San Jose State -24.5
(BB) Oregon -17
Record (points): 20-15 (20)
Best Bets: 4-3 (4)
MARC LAWRENCE
Iowa State %plussign% 1.5
Saints %plussign% 1.5
Cardinals %plussign% 3.5
Browns %plussign% 3
(BB) Kentucky %plussign% 11.5
Record (points): 18-15-2 (19)
Best Bets: 5-2 (5)
RANDY MCKAY
Wake Forest-Louisville Over 64
Wyoming-Hawaii Under 50.5
Jaguars -2.5
Colts -3
(BB) Iowa State %plussign% 1.5
Record (points): 18-15-2 (19)
Best Bets: 5-2 (5)
MIKE NORTH
Texas A&M %plussign% 1.5
Stanford %plussign% 16.5
Texans %plussign% 3
Rams %plussign% 1.5
(BB) Louisville %plussign% 3
Record (points): 15-19-1 (15.5)
Best Bets: 2-5 (2)
ERIN RYNNING
Arizona State-Colorado Over 47.5
Stanford-UCLA Over 66.5
Baylor-Texas Tech Over 61
Patriots-Jets Under 40
(BB) Wake Forest-Louisville Over 64.5
Record (points): 14-20-1 (14.5)
Best Bets: 1-5-1 (1.5)
DAN SALEY
Missouri %plussign% 4
West Virginia %plussign% 7.5
Louisville %plussign% 3
Eastern Michigan %plussign% 7
(BB) Central Florida -1
Record (points): 15-18-2 (16)
Best Bets: 3-4 (3)
JAMES SALINAS
Jaguars -2.5
Commanders %plussign% 3
Rams %plussign% 1.5
Bengals-Browns Under 45
(BB) Seahawks -3
Record (points): 21-13-1 (21.5)
Best Bets: 2-5 (2)
PAUL STONE
Miami-Virginia Under 48
Iowa State %plussign% 1.5
Mississippi-Texas A&M Under 55
Texas-El Paso -2.5
(BB) Texas Tech -2
Record (points): 18-16-1 (18.5)
Best Bets: 3-4 (3)
JEFF WHITELAW
Central Florida -1
Oklahoma -1.5
Vikings -3.5
Jets %plussign% 3
(BB) Packers-Bills Under 47
Record (points): 18-16-1 (18.5)
Best Bets: 5-2 (5)
CRIS ZENIUK
Bears %plussign% 10
Jets %plussign% 3
Bills -10.5
Rutgers %plussign% 14.5
(BB) Jaguars -2.5
Record (points): 17-18 (17)
Best Bets: 2-5 (2)
Additional picks
MIKE PALM
Georgia Tech-Florida State Under 47.5
Cardinals-Vikings Under 49
Bears %plussign% 10
49ers -1.5
(BB) Northwestern %plussign% 11.5
Record (points): 25-9-1 (25.5)
Best Bets: 6-1 (6)
MATT YOUMANS
Nebraska %plussign% 7.5
Penn State %plussign% 15.5
Hawaii %plussign% 11.5
Steelers %plussign% 10.5
(BB) Kentucky %plussign% 11.5
Record (points): 19-16 (19)
Best Bets: 6-1 (6)
