The point spread and over/under on Sunday's Indianapolis Colts-Buffalo Bills game didn't start showing up on Las Vegas oddsboards until Saturday night.
The unknown status of injured Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor kept the odds off the board throughout the week. A worsening forecast featuring winter weather added another element to the oddsmaking puzzle.
Bookmakers across Las Vegas started monitoring the Buffalo weather forecast closely late in the week. Ed Salmons, who oversees football odds at the Westgate SuperBook, looked at the forecast on Friday and saw that lake-effect snow was expected Sunday night and into Monday. While the snow looked like it was going to hold off for the 1 p.m. kickoff, wind was clearly going to be an issue.
"I did see a lot of wind, so it put it on the radar that this was definitely going to be an under game," Salmons told ESPN.
He continued to monitor Taylor's status and the weather forecast off and on during his Saturday shift, checking the Weather Channel and other outlets.
Around 8:40 p.m. on Saturday, influential offshore sportsbook BetCRIS.com posted the opening line (Buffalo -2.5) and total (40.5). Salmons, noting the weather, opened the total at 38.5 at the Westgate.
By 9 a.m. Sunday, the forecast had worsened. Salmons opened Twitter and saw reports from New Era Field of blinding snow.
"People were saying they couldn't see the other end of the field," Salmons said.
The Colts-Bills total closed at around 36 at most sportsbooks, the lowest for any game this season, according to sports betting database BetLabSports.com.
Despite the low total, bets on the over were few and far between. At William Hill's Nevada sportsbook, 95 percent of the money bet on the Colts-Bills total was on the under. The Bills won 13-7 in overtime.
Oddsmakers at MGM debated on what number to post on the over/under for the second half. They ended up going with 14 -- and they still took all under money.
"What are you supposed to put up when they're playing in eight inches of snow?" MGM vice preside Jay Rood said. "That was our worst game of the morning."
The Bills host the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. Forecasts are calling for temperatures in the 20s, with a 20 percent chance of precipitation. Taylor is considered questionable. No point spread or total on the game had been posted as of Monday.