Next, there's the absurd attention to detail. Back in Fairfax, Va., Landew will spend 40 to 50 hours each January combing through every last NFL statistic he can find before the group makes its annual Super Bowl pilgrimmage to Las Vegas. He puts his big brain and his home computer to the task, cranking out percentages on the statistical probability of various bets. Once their plane kisses the runway they fan out, canvassing casinos for bets to exploit. Sullivan offers no argument.
Nerds are analytical.
They're people who are interested in looking at a lot of data and finding things that aren't going to jump out to the casual observer. Landew's research showed that the total score of most of the two teams' games this season, as well as the 32 previous Super Bowl contests, was an odd number. The group's somewhat dispassionate reaction to the game stood in marked contrast to the pockets of fans at Caesars yelling for the Broncos or Falcons. The loudest cheers from Landew and crew came when Jason Elam hit a fourth-quarter field goal, but not because the kick helped seal the game for the Broncos. Elam's was the fourth of the game, and his hitting it ensured the group of another winning year.