Taking into account the frantic baseball trade deadline and the return of the NFL, the sports world is buzzing. The dog days of summer will soon be a distant memory as we drown ourselves in baseball playoff chases and waterfalls of football. The athletic flooding will be worse than the Vegas intersections were last week, and we can’t wait.
With all that in mind, let’s quickly look back over the sport’s landscape and take a peek at what’s ahead on the field, on the diamond, on the STN Sports App and at the Station Casinos Race and Sports Books.
MLB Moving Day
The Padres made more moves than a backup dancer at baseball’s trade deadline, and the odds reflect that. San Diego began the week with low World Series odds, but they were still pretty far behind teams like the Yankees, Dodgers, Astros. After acquiring All-Star closer Josh Hader from the Brewers, the Pads’ odds dropped faster than an AT&T phone call. On Tuesday, after snatching up Juan Soto, Josh Bell and Brandon Drury, their odds dropped even more, putting them within shouting distance of baseball’s creme de la creme.
“They’ll be a favorite against almost every team in National League, except maybe the Dodgers or Mets,” said Jason Simbal, Station Casinos Race and Sports Book Director. “The Padres were one of the top four or five big contenders, and this just exaggerates that.”
On the other end of the coin, the Nationals are going to be a clear “bet against” for the remainder of the season, as they are tied with the highest World Series odds in MLB. Guests are zeroing in on Washington opponents like a missile and Ayman al-Zawahiri. With every team having about 60 games left on the schedule, Simbal suspects the Nats will be a severe underdog in every single game.
“They’ll be lucky to win 20 games,” he said. “It’s going to be a challenge with that team and how bad they’re going to be without Soto and without Josh Bell. The Nationals angle of this trade is going to make it really tough for our side of the counter daily.” Shockingly enough, the Nats beat the division-leading Mets just hours after trading their two best players. Go figure! Still, now that Washington is a shell of itself, the team will probably get less done than congressmen.
The Mariners continue to be a team the Sports Book is wary of. To begin the season, Seattle was thought of less than your car’s check engine light. The Mariners, though, are clearly in the hunt and became buyers at the trade deadline, snatching up arguably the biggest pitcher available in Luis Castillo. At one point this season, the Mariners had 100-to-1 odds of winning the World Series. Granted, Station Books didn’t see a ton of action on the M’s but they saw some, and even small bets at those sky-high odds add up to big payouts and big liability. “Of the teams that have a chance to make the playoffs, the Mariners are a team we do very bad with,” Simbal noted.
Football News
Despite having more clarity in regard to the Deshaun Watson situation, Station Sports Books are treating the Browns like a mosquito repellent: Off! The NFL has hinted that if might appeal the quarterback’s six-game suspension and ask for a longer punishment. Guests can still bet Cleveland on the futures book, but that’s it. “Until we know what’s official we’re just going to wait on them and keep pretty much everything off the board,” Simbal said.
The water shortage is real, but the NFL drought is over. On Thursday, the Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars kick off the preseason schedule with the Hall of Fame game. Although Las Vegas was the favorite by a couple points throughout the spring and summer, the spread has continued to go down like a Bitcoin bank account.
“There’s a decent amount of action on the game already, but the majority will come on Thursday,” Simbal said. Most of the betting thus far has come from professional (or sharp) bettors. “In the NFL and especially with preseason, the people that are betting a week out or even more than a day out from the game are going to be a little more sophisticated. That’s part of the reason why the line has moved,” Simbal said. “On Thursday, that’s when the recreational play will come in, and we expect pretty heavy Raiders action.”
The AFC West is loaded. That much we know. However, pro bettors can’t take their eyes off one team in the division, and it’s not the squad that’s won six consecutive years. “We’ve been getting a lot of action on the Chargers to win the AFC West,” Simbal said, adding that bettors also believe Los Angeles-via-San Diego will go over their projected win total.
“We’ve had sharp guys betting them throughout the summer.” Interestingly, of the four teams in the AFC West, 58% of the bets — in other words, the majority of bets — have been on the hometown Raiders to win the division. However, there’s been more money bet on the Chargers to win the division due to some LA-rge wagers (see what we did there, LA-rge.) “When that happens, it’s generally because the public is betting one way and the guys who are betting the bigger action, mostly sophisticated bettors, are on the other side,” Simbal said.
Last Man Standing is HERE!
Come one, come all! The Last Man Standing competitions in both the NFL and college football are open for business. Station Casinos Race and Sports Books are currently accepting signups for the annual competition. Guests can sign up in person at any Station Casinos Sports Book, and the cost is $25 per entry. Each contestant that purchases four entries will receive a fifth free.
While still active in the competition, guests must turn in weekly picks in person. Active participants are required to select one game against the spread for each entry. For reference, the Last Man Standing competition in the college field will win a guaranteed minimum of $100,000, and the NFL’s Last Man Standing will take home a guaranteed minimum of $150,000.
Bets To Know
If you happen to catch this email before kickoff, check the STN Sports App – there’s still time to bet the local hometown football team as the Las Vegas takes on Jacksonville in the annual Hall of Fame Game.
Of course, that’s just the start of preseason. Besides the games, take a look at the futures and props on the board before kickoff of week one of the actual season. STN Sports has Award Props, Y/N Playoff Props, Divisional Futures, Conference Futures, Passing/Receiving/Rushing Player Props, and so much more.
Weekly Winners
$30 to win $3,156! Congrats to this STN Sports bettor who hit it big on baseball August 1:
– DODGERS -1.5 +130
– PADRES -1.5 EV
– ROYALS +152
– RED SOX +161
– ORIOLES +147
– YANKEES -1.5 +110
– METS -1.5 -145