Happy days are here again! Between now and February there won’t be a week in which football isn’t played. The Pigskin got us feeling better than Aaron Rodgers at an ayahuasca factory. Beginning Thursday, the NFL is set to roll out a four-day slate of games so big that these summer nights will make John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John jealous (ONJ forever!)
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.
Pre-Football Heaven
The Station Sports Book got an early taste of what it can expect all season: Rooting against the Las Vegas Raiders. The hometown team kicked off the NFL season last week with a 27-11 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. “We were clearly Jags fans and the over,” said Chuck Esposito, Station Casinos Race and Sports Book Director. “The public is always going to back the Raiders, especially when they’re relevant and good. My guess is there’s going to be very few games this year that we’re not going to be rooting against the Raiders.”
Although this is preseason football, fans are already involved and looking for an advantage — and they’re finding it with some research. Lines for the San Francisco/Green Bay game shifted after the Packers said Jordan Love would get some playing time. The Rams, who seemingly haven’t won a preseason game since Moby was a minnow, basically sidelined its first- and second-string quarterbacks, giving the Chargers a chance at an easy win.
The Lions, Esposito said, have gotten some early action thus far, as have the Jets, all which appears to be tied to easily findable information and rumors. Ya know, just pretend like you’re at Mar-A-Lago and search. “I can’t stress enough that there’s just so much information out there,” Esposito implored. “With so many games this week and weekend, my guess is you’re definitely going to see and uptick in handle pretty much across the board. And I know it’s strange, but a lot of these games are going to have a bigger handle than some meaningful baseball games over the weekend.”
It’s Called Strategy.
Strategies are lot like nightclub deejays: Some are good, but most are just garbage. However, in terms of preseason football, some time-tested theories have worked. Betting on teams with quarterback competitions has worked in the past for bettors, especially if both wannabe starters have played meaningful minutes in regular season NFL games (eyeballs Carolina.)
“There’s an advantage to betting on teams with quarterbacks that have the opportunity to contribute,” said Esposito. That’s not just limited to QB1 spots either. There’s a backup competition brewing in Buffalo; same with Chicago, Pittsburgh and, to a degree, Vegas. Put it this way, overlooking No. 2 can hurt your betting and your bowels. “There is some interesting kind of backup quarterback and third-string battles going on, and I think that’s a big part of preseason betting,” Esposito said, adding that preseason betting is usually more tied specifically to the quarterbacks than regular season betting.
“The quarterback would be the No. 1 thing to move a line, but after that it’s more information based, like knowing how long starters are going to play. You see much more dramatic movement in the preseason, things you won’t see in a few weeks,” he said. “You get games going right through key numbers in many cases in the preseason, so it’s booked differently and I think it’s viewed differently from the guys on the other side of the counter.”
“If you ain’t first, you’re last”
That’s the point, Ricky! 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.
One Last Swing
Get ready for the onslaught of Serena. On Tuesday, Serena Williams announced that she’s likely retiring after the US Open. Although Serena is almost always the most-bet female tennis player, expect even more money tossed her way at next month’s major. “I think it will be similar to a Tiger Woods-type of situation where people feel like they must play her,” Esposito said. “It’s still too early for the bets to come in on her, but you can expect them to come.”
Not The Nats
The fallout from baseball’s trade deadline is being felt. Washington, who’s basically running out a Little League World Series team after the Juan Soto trade, is seeing less love than a nun at the Vatican. Bettors — both pro and casual — are steering clear of the Nats and instead going all in on their opponent, no matter who it is. “All season long there have been teams that guests bet on, but there’s also teams that they bet against. Washington’s definitely one of those teams, and it’s only gotten worse since the trade deadline,” Esposito said, noting there could be some “unprecedented” lines when the Nats play the Mets and Padres over the next few weeks.
Bets To Know
Like we talked about earlier, preseason football is actually seeing plenty of early action. Take a look in the STN Sports App for lines for every game being played this week.
Weekly Winners
Over 150-1! This STN Sports bettor hit an 8-teamer in baseball on August 8. $10 to cash for $1,542.85!
-Yankees -106
-Angels +109
-Giants +171
-D’backs -240
-Nationals OV 7.5
-Cubs -187
-Mets -1.5 -165
-Orioles +123