When Jay Rood, vice president of race and sports for MGM, was reviewing his books odds to win the Super Bowl on Sunday afternoon, he seriously considered making the Dallas Cowboys the favorites -- even ahead of the New England Patriots.Rood stopped just short, trimming the Cowboys odds to win the Super Bowl from 4-1 to 11-5, after their 27-17 win over the Baltimore Ravens. The Patriots are 9-5 at the MGM.Theyre pretty neck-and-neck with the Patriots, if not a little bit better, Rood said of the 9-1 Cowboys, who are close to even money to win the NFC. Theyve won nine in a row and are looking really solid. Its apparent theyre the favorites for home-field advantage [in the NFC].The MGM sportsbook now has Dallas listed at 6-5 to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Dallas began the season at 8-1 to win the conference, behind five other teams.The Cowboys have traditionally been a popular public team to bet, but with quarterback Tony Romo going down with a back injury in preseason, bettors shied away. As of Sunday at the MGM, five teams had attracted more bets to win the Super Bowl than the Cowboys.(In fact, more Super Bowl bets have been placed on the Green Bay Packers than on any other team at the MGM and Westgate SuperBook. The Packers fell to 4-6 on the season after a 42-24 loss at Washington on Sunday night, Green Bays fourth loss in a row).With rookie quarterback Dak Prescott and rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott shining, the betting public has begun to gravitate toward the Cowboys in recent weeks, though.It took [the public] a while to get on them, but they have the last three weeks, Jason Simbal of sportsbook operator CG Technology said. The most telling thing was last week, when theyre playing Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, one of the major public teams, and we needed the Steelers.But not everyone was on board the Cowboys bandwagon this week, when they hosted Ravens as 7-point favorites. Earlier in the week, Dallas had been a 7.5- and even 8-point favorite over the Ravens at the MGM. Respected bettors thought that was too many points.The Ravens were a big wiseguy play, Rood said.Other shops werent as lucky and were overwhelmed by public money on the Cowboys, who were one of nine favorites to cover the spread Sunday. All three favorites in the late afternoon kickoffs -- the Seattle Seahawks, Miami Dolphins and the Patriots -- covered the spread, turning what had been a decent morning for the house into a losing day for some shops.Not a good afternoon, Simbal said. In our three biggest decisions of the entire day, just on straight bets, not even on parlays, we needed the Eagles, we needed the Rams and we needed the Niners. And we lost all of them. Losing day for us.The Patriots, per usual, delivered the largest blow of the day for the Westgate SuperBook. Twice as much money was bet on New England as was bet on the underdog San Francisco 49ers at the Westgate. New England, which closed as a 12-point favorite, beat the 49ers 30-17.For an afternoon NFL kickoff, that was as much money as weve written on game like that in a long time, Ed Salmons, assistant manager at the SuperBook, said.The New York Giants were one of the most popular picks on parlay cards at the MGM. The Giants, who were seven-point favorites over the Chicago Bears, won 22-16. Giants kicker Robbie Gould missed two extra points.Boxing fight deals six-figure blowAndre Ward defeated Sergey Kovalev on a controversial unanimous decision Saturday night to win three light heavyweight world title belts. Ward, the favorite, winning by decision was the worst-case scenario for the MGM sportsbook. It cost the book a small six-figure loss, Rood said.It also delivered a blow to William Hills Nevada sportsbook, which took a $150,000 bet on Ward at -140 odds on Oct. 24. The bet netted $107,142.85.College football odds & ends-- Alabama opened as an 18.5-point favorite over the Auburn Tigers on Sunday at CG Technology. In the first 15 minutes, the line moved to Alabama -20, after a respected customer placed a $2,000 limit bet on the Crimson Tide. The only other early bet on Iron Bowl as of 6 p.m. PT was a $20 wager on Auburn.-- Ohio State opened as a 7-point favorite Michigan on Sunday at CG Technology. The first bet the book took was a $2,000 limit play on the Wolverines, which dropped the line to Buckeyes -6.5. The Westgate SuperBook also opened Ohio State -7 and attracted some early action on the Wolverines.-- Colorado improved to 10-1 against the spread this season with Saturdays 38-24 win over Washington State. Temple is also 10-1 ATS, the two best ATS records in the nation. Arizona has the worst ATS record at 1-10.-- William Hills Nevada sportsbook took four money-line bets on Texas to beat heavy underdog Kansas straight-up. None were very big, but one bettor did place $120 on the Longhorns to win at -2,400 odds. The bet would have netted $5. William Hill took 11 money-line bets on the Jayhawks at +1,200, the largest a $50 poke that netted $600.-- The Golden Nugget sportsbook in Las Vegas posted an early line on the SEC championship game between Alabama and Florida. The Crimson Tide opened as 20-point favorites. Cheap Air Jordan Authentic . It says Pocklingtons lawyer filed the appeal Friday in a California court. CTV Edmonton also says Pocklington gave a $100,000 cash deposit as part of the conditions of his bail, and that he will be out on bail until his appeal is heard. Air Jordan From China . Any real chance at payback wont come until the playoff. Still, Pittsburgh knows its taut 3-2 win over the Bruins on Wednesday night is a pretty good place to start laying the groundwork. "They are a very good defensive team," Penguins forward Brandon Sutter said. http://www.airjordanoutletsale.com/ .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Jordans Shoes Online Wholesale . -- Matt Ryan needed one of the best games of his career to lead the Falcons and their depleted offence out of their three-game losing streak last week. Cheap Air Jordan Outlet Store . Pedro scored from a pass by Lionel Messi in the 33rd minute and added two more goals in the 47th and 72nd after Valdes saved his second penalty in four days following his stop in Wednesdays 4-0 over Ajax in the Champions League. MIAMI -- With time running out in the playoff race, the New York Mets set sympathy aside.Noah Syndergaard struck out eight and allowed one run in six innings Tuesday night, and the Mets totaled 19 hits to beat the grieving Miami Marlins 12-1.Jay Bruce and Yoenis Cespedes each hit his 31st homer for the Mets, who maintained their half-game lead over the Giants for the first NL wild card. San Francisco routed Colorado 12-3.The Cardinals also won, beating Cincinnati 12-5, and remained 1 1/2 games behind the Mets with five days left in the regular season.The game was Miamis second since the death of ace Jose Fernandez in a boating accident. One night after the Marlins heart-tugging victory over New York filled with tributes to their teammate, emotions were more subdued, and their bats were too.Syndergaard (14-9) had a lot to do with that.Last night was a little different for us, he said. We just went out there tonight and competed. I feel like thats what Jose would have wanted us to do, with as much passion and heart as possible.After missing a scheduled start Saturday due to strep throat, Syndergaard threw 93 pitches and lowered his ERA to 2.60, third-best in the majors.I felt great. I felt strong out there, Syndergaard said. Every game right now coming down to the wire is critical. I tried to keep things simple, and went out there and tried to win each pitch.Hell return for the regular-season finale Sunday at Philadelphia if needed.Miamis Dee Gordon, who hit a Hollywood-worthy homer in the first inning Monday, again got things going in the first. This time he reached on a bunt, stole second and came home on a single by Marcell Ozuna.But against Syndergaard, the Marlins advanced only one other runner to second base.Im sure our guys are exhausted, Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. But momentum is controlled by their guy. This cats got great stuff.For mourners at Marlins Park, there were nudges toward a return to normal. The Kiss Cam and organ music returned after a one-game hiatus, but the dugout dancers were still missing, along with the sea creatures that usually race around the warning track.Marlins plaayers were back in their regular uniforms after they all wore Fernandezs No.dddddddddddd 16 on Monday. But each jersey sported a patch with 16 on the sleeve, and the number remained stenciled on the back of the mound.The crowd was mostly quiet, except for transplanted New Yorkers. Bruce hit a two-run homer into the upper deck in right field off Tom Koehler in the second inning, and Cespedes hit an even more majestic two-run shot off the home run sculpture in the third.Lucas Duda contributed a three-run double, and Bruce and Curtis Granderson also drove in three runs for the Mets.We kind of got back to business as usual, Bruce said. Hearts are still heavy, and theyre going to be here. But we needed to win this game today, and we were able to do that.Koehler (9-13) allowed four runs in 3 2/3 innings.VETERAN ROCKEDMets manager Terry Collins said RHP Bartolo Colon was unable to block out the emotions of the occasion when he allowed a season-high seven runs in 2 1/3 innings Monday.Were going to throw that out, Collins said. There were just too many things on everybodys mind. I dont think the true focus was there.MOURNING MARLINSSlugger Giancarlo Stanton said its important that the team pay proper tribute to Fernandez as they grieve.It has nothing to do with baseball, Stanton said before the game. If you care about life, if you have passion or loved ones or anybody, you can relate to this situation.A memorial service and public viewing for Fernandez are scheduled for Wednesday. Players will attend a Mass on Thursday.Fernandezs agent, Scott Boras, watched the game with Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria.TRAINERS ROOMMets: LHP Steven Matz will undergo surgery next week to remove bone spurs in his pitching elbow and miss the rest of the season. ... 3B Wilmer Flores (wrist) will sit out the rest of the series and will likely miss the rest of the regular season.UP NEXTMets RHP Seth Lugo (4-2, 2.61) is scheduled to start the rubber game of the series Wednesday against RHP Jose Urena (4-8, 5.95). ' ' '