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).
WEEK 9 SELECTIONS
BOBBY “BUCKETS” BRUBECK
Kansas pick
Texas -2.5
Baylor-Oklahoma Over 61.5
Washington State-Stanford Under 49
(BB) Bills-Jets Under 46
Record (points): 22-18 (22)
Best Bets: 3-5 (3)
CHUCK EDEL
Navy-Cincinnati Under 43.5
Ohio State-Northwestern Under 55
Georgia -8
UCF-Memphis Over 58.5
(BB) Middle Tennessee-Louisiana Tech Over 63.5
Record (points): 24-16 (24)
Best Bets: 3-5 (3)
BRIAN EDWARDS
North Carolina -7
South Carolina -6.5
Tennessee +8
TCU -8
(BB) LSU +13.5
Record (points): 18-22 (18)
Best Bets: 4-4 (4)
CHRIS “THE BEAR” FALLICA
Virginia +7
Texas -2.5
Arizona State +11
Vanderbilt +6.5
(BB) Georgia Tech +3
Record (points): 23-17 (23)
Best Bets: 5-3 (5)
STEVE FEZZIK
Iowa +3.5
Florida +3
UAB pick
Bengals -7
(BB) Stanford +4.5
Record (points): 16-23-1 (16.5)
Best Bets: 5-2-1 (5.5)
JOEY “TUNES” FORTUNA
Florida State-Miami Over 54
UCF-Memphis Over 58.5
South Alabama-Georgia Southern Over 60.5
Texas State-UL Monroe Under 53
(BB) Florida-Texas A&M Under 55.5
Record (points): 20-20 (20)
Best Bets: 4-4 (4)
DOUG KEZIRIAN
Wake Forest-NC State Under 54.5
Brigham Young +8.5
Texas Christian -8
Alabama-LSU Over 56.5
(BB) North Carolina-Virginia Under 60.5
Record (points): 23-17 (23)
Best Bets: 5-3 (5)
MARC LAWRENCE
Georgia -8
Texas Tech +8
Notre Dame +3.5
Raiders -2
(BB) James Madison +7
Record (points): 20-18-2 (21)
Best Bets: 5-3 (5)
RANDY MCKAY
Iowa-Purdue Under 39.5
Indiana +13
Stanford +4.5
Florida-Texas A&M Under 55.5
(BB) Rams-Buccaneers Under 42.5
Record (points): 20-18-2 (21)
Best Bets: 5-3 (5)
MIKE NORTH
Bills -11.5
Falcons +3
Cardinals -2
Rams +3
(BB) Dolphins-Bears Under 45.5
Record (points): 16-23-1 (16.5)
Best Bets: 3-5 (3)
ERIN RYNNING
UCLA-Arizona State Over 66
Clemson-Notre Dame Under 43.5
Panthers-Bengals Under 42.5
Raiders-Jaguars Over 48
(BB) Rams-Buccaneers Over 42.5
Record (points): 18-21-1 (18.5)
Best Bets: 2-5-1 (2.5)
DAN SALEY
North Carolina -7
Wake Forest -3
Baylor +3.5
SMU -3
(BB) Memphis +3.5
Record (points): 19-19-2 (20)
Best Bets: 4-4 (4)
JAMES SALINAS
Texas-San Antonio pick
Colts-Patriots Under 40.5
Falcons +3
Seahawks +2
(BB) Ravens-Saints Under 48.5
Record (points): 23-15-2 (24)
Best Bets: 3-5 (3)
PAUL STONE
Army +7
Air Force-Army Under 40.5
Pittsburgh -4
LSU +13.5
(BB) Kansas State +2.5
Record (points): 19-20-1 (19.5)
Best Bets: 3-5 (3)
JEFF WHITELAW
Penn State -13
Missouri pick
Georgia -8
Raiders -2
(BB) Vikings -3
Record (points): 22-17-1 (22.5)
Best Bets: 6-2 (6)
CRIS ZENIUK
Vikings -3
Lions +3.5
Seahawks +2
Titans +12.5
(BB) Bears +4.5
Record (points): 17-23 (17)
Best Bets: 2-6 (2)
Additional picks
MIKE PALM
Wake Forest -3
Clemson -3.5
Vikings -3
Raiders -2
(BB) Purdue -3.5
Record (points): 26-13-1 (26.5)
Best Bets: 6-2 (6)
MATT YOUMANS
Iowa +3.5
Stanford +4.5
LSU +13.5
Buccaneers -3
(BB) Raiders -2
Record (points): 21-19 (21)
Best Bets: 6-2 (6)