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.
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).
STANDINGS
GRADED WEEK 8 SELECTIONS
BOBBY “BUCKETS” BRUBECK
Old Dominion +3.5 L
Old Dominion-Georgia State Under 54.5 W
Baylor-Texas Tech Over 61 W
Panthers +4 W
(BB) Cardinals +3.5 L
Record (points): 22-18 (22)
Best Bets: 3-5 (3)
CHUCK EDEL
Wake Forest-Louisville Over 64.5 W
San Diego State-Fresno State Over 42 W
Stanford-UCLA Over 66.5 L
Auburn +3.5 L
(BB) Mississippi-Texas A&M Over 55 W
Record (points): 24-16 (24)
Best Bets: 3-5 (3)
BRIAN EDWARDS
California +17 L
Arkansas -3.5 W
Florida +23.5 W
Titans -2.5 W
(BB) Missouri-South Carolina Over 45.5 L
Record (points): 18-22 (18)
Best Bets: 4-4 (4)
CHRIS “THE BEAR” FALLICA
Coastal Carolina +2.5 W
Michigan -23 L
Pittsburgh +3 L
Baylor +2 W
(BB) Boston College -8 L
Record (points): 23-17 (23)
Best Bets: 5-3 (5)
STEVE FEZZIK
Marshall -2.5 L
Syracuse -2 L
Toledo-Eastern Michigan Over 54 L
Old Dominion +3.5 L
(BB) Missouri +4 W
Record (points): 16-23-1 (16.5)
Best Bets: 5-2-1 (5.5)
JOEY “TUNES” FORTUNA
New Mexico State-UMass Over 39 L
Old Dominion-Georgia State Under 54 W
Missouri-South Carolina Under 45 W
Vikings -3.5 W
(BB) South Alabama-Arkansas State Over 54 L
Record (points): 20-20 (20)
Best Bets: 4-4 (4)
DOUG KEZIRIAN
Nebraska +7.5 L
Notre Dame-Syracuse Over 47.5 W
Temple +14 W
San Jose State -24.5 L
(BB) Oregon -17 W
Record (points): 23-17 (23)
Best Bets: 5-3 (5)
MARC LAWRENCE
Iowa State +1.5 L
Saints +1.5 W
Cardinals +3.5 L
Browns +3 W
(BB) Kentucky +11.5 L
Record (points): 20-18-2 (21)
Best Bets: 5-3 (5)
RANDY MCKAY
Wake Forest-Louisville Over 64 W
Wyoming-Hawaii Under 50.5 W
Jaguars -2.5 L
Colts -3 L
(BB) Iowa State +1.5 L
Record (points): 20-18-2 (21)
Best Bets: 5-3 (5)
MIKE NORTH
Texas A&M +1.5 L
Stanford +16.5 L
Texans +3 L
Rams +1.5 L
(BB) Louisville +3 W
Record (points): 16-23-1 (16.5)
Best Bets: 3-5 (3)
ERIN RYNNING
Arizona State-Colorado Over 47.5 W
Stanford-UCLA Over 66.5 L
Baylor-Texas Tech Over 61 W
Patriots-Jets Under 40 W
(BB) Wake Forest-Louisville Over 64.5 W
Record (points): 18-21-1 (18.5)
Best Bets: 2-5-1 (2.5)
DAN SALEY
Missouri +4 W
West Virginia +7.5 L
Louisville +3 W
Eastern Michigan +7 W
(BB) Central Florida -1 W
Record (points): 19-19-2 (20)
Best Bets: 4-4 (4)
JAMES SALINAS
Jaguars -2.5 L
Commanders +3 W
Rams +1.5 L
Bengals-Browns Under 45 P
(BB) Seahawks -3 W
Record (points): 23-15-2 (24)
Best Bets: 3-5 (3)
PAUL STONE
Miami-Virginia Under 48 W
Iowa State +1.5 L
Mississippi-Texas A&M Under 55 L
Texas-El Paso -2.5 L
(BB) Texas Tech -2 L
Record (points): 19-20-1 (19.5)
Best Bets: 3-5 (3)
JEFF WHITELAW
Central Florida -1 W
Oklahoma -1.5 W
Vikings -3.5 W
Jets +3 L
(BB) Packers-Bills Under 47 W
Record (points): 22-17-1 (22.5)
Best Bets: 6-2 (6)
CRIS ZENIUK
Bears +10 L
Jets +3 L
Bills -10.5 L
Rutgers +14.5 L
(BB) Jaguars -2.5 L
Record (points): 17-23 (17)
Best Bets: 2-6 (2)
———————
MIKE PALM
Georgia Tech-Florida State Under 47.5 L
Cardinals-Vikings Under 49 L
Bears +10 L
49ers -1.5 W
(BB) Northwestern +11.5 L
Record (points): 26-13-1 (26.5)
Best Bets: 6-2 (6)
MATT YOUMANS
Nebraska +7.5 L
Penn State +15.5 W
Hawaii +11.5 W
Steelers +10.5 L
(BB) Kentucky +11.5 L
Record (points): 21-19 (21)
Best Bets: 6-2 (6)