Pittsburgh’s upset over Indianapolis, along with Denver’s elimination of two-time defending Super Bowl champion New England, proved to be a knockout blow to audiences over the weekend, prompting many parlays and teasers. will drop along with future tickets.

Last week, Stardust racing and athletic director Bob Scucci predicted a New England-Carolina Super Bowl for the Professional Handicappers League, believing heavy favorite Indianapolis would stumble en route to Motown, home of the show’s exhibition. NFL in 2006.

On Monday, Scucci bragged in the Las Vegas Review-Junal: “If I felt there was ever a time when the Colts would be ripe for the pick, it was this game, and I said it before the game.”

Patrick Daugherty, night shift supervisor at Stardust, and Robert Jaynes, racing and sports director at Stratosphere Tower, agreed that bookies enjoyed a better Saturday than Sunday, which wasn’t chopped liver either.

“A lot of teasers were released with Indy,” Daugherty stated, referring to Pittsburgh’s shock 21-18 win over the Colts that eliminated them from Super Bowl XL contention.

“We had some run over, but others got knocked out,” Jaynes said.

Jaynes added that the number was so high that “educated players” considered it “too high.”

“Some places had it as high as Indy minus 10,” he stated. “We open at 9 1/2 and go down to 8 1/2.”

Jaynes revealed that the Stratosphere made a “giant” bet, mixed with many smaller ones, on Indy earlier in the season, when the Colts were 3 1/2-1 to win the Super Bowl.

Chicago’s 29-21 loss to Carolina was bad news for people who had Bears futures, as well as for bookmakers, who saw money early on the Bears but later on the Panthers.

“The public and the wise men liked Carolina,” Daugherty noted. “We went from 3 to 2 1/2.

“Where we did well was with the total.”

The ‘Dust opened the over/under at 31 1/2, the number dropped to 30 1/2 and shot up to 31.

“People were underbidding,” Daugherty said.

Stratosphere’s total bounced between 30 and 32, landing at 31.

“The over/under wasn’t what hurt us,” Jaynes said. “It was the money line and the points.”

The Seattle-Washington NFC matchup was either a barn or a kiss of sisters, depending on which number you bought, which again highlights the importance of looking for that extra half point.

The NFC champion Seahawks won 20-10.

“Seattle was bad,” Daugherty said succinctly.

“Either you have a small win or a push,” Jaynes observed from behind the counter.

Saturday’s blockbuster was the Broncos.

“The initial money was on the Pats, but we started to see more and more money on Denver as the day went on,” Jaynes said.

Stratosphere players were all over the Panthers, so much so that the number slipped to Bears minus 2.

“People were saying they thought we had the wrong favorite on the list,” Jaynes continued. “We went as far as 2, although some places had it at 3 and even 3 1/2.”

Daugherty acknowledged that the future responsibility virtually dissipated over the weekend.

Some stores were dangerous for the Bears, others for the Redskins. Chicago opened as high as 100/1 in some future books.

A number of blind people still disagree with the Panthers.

“We’ll back Carolina,” Daugherty said, presumably because the Stardust would clear less of the Panthers than the other three survivors.

The Stratosphere opened Seattle at minus 4 1/2 and the number quickly dropped to 4. Denver was posted as a 3-point favorite and on Monday afternoon the Broncos were at minus 3, minus $1.30.

“Why move the number when you can just raise the price?” Jaynes asked.