I agree. One of my pet angles is FAR, or Fury of Anti-Revenge. If the road team lost the most recent meeting at home, and believes it should have won, the current home team invariably smacks them in the mouth early, reasserting the pecking order. I've used it for first half wagers for more than 20 years. It's especially effective early in the season. And it's also great in college basketball, using the second conference meeting if the road team won the first meeting. There's a misconception that the road team will own the energy and motivational edge, so you often get a bonus in the line by taking the home team in the FAR scenario. The higher profile the game, the better.
Miami over Florida State in the 1988 opener was one of the first major tests of that angle, after the Canes stole the 1987 meeting, 26-25, via the furious comeback. Every simpleton was playing the Florida State revenge angle in the 1988 opener. I remember sitting in the front row of Caesar's Palace sportsbook with my friend Dan. Both of us had major bets on the Canes, at +3.5 for the first half and +7 for the game. Seemingly every sap in the joint bet on Florida State. There was stunned silence throughout the first half, and especially as Miami scored late to make it 17-0. At least half the Florida State bettors got up to leave the sportsbook. Dan was laughing profusely. He turned around and shouted to them, "Go read some more (preseason) magazines."
Once I discovered and started winning on that angle, often by massive margin, I used it to explain some earlier first half home onslaughts. The Dolphins over Pittsburgh in the famous 1973 Monday Night game was one of them. Miami completely dominated the first half, leading 30-3. The intensity level was surreal. That was the game in which Shula took the intentional late safety, fooling Cosell, Gifford and Meredith in the booth, and salvaging the game 30-26 after Larry Seiple made a terrific free kick after the safety. That game was Fury of Anti-Revenge for the Dolphins, after Miami went into Pittsburgh and defeated the Steelers in the previous season's AFC Championship Game, 21-17.
