One of the astonishing aspects of sports wagering is the bookmakers' uncanny ability to choose a number for points spreads and over/under bets. I've always imagined that they're the product of a room of MIT grads working on NASA supercomputers. Or a sports almanac imported back from the future. One of the two.
Usually it's like catnip to both the logical and frothy fan sides of one's brain, managing to entice you into believing that this wager is a rock-solid prospect right up until those waning moments when you realize that nothing short of divine intervention will prevent you from losing this bet by that pesky half-point.