“We had a very small winning day, but it was one of the better Sundays for the guests,” said Chuck Esposito, Station Casinos Race and Sports Book Director. The Book got burned in a slew of games, but oddsmakers were thankful for the Lions outright win against the Giants and the Raiders win against the Broncos. “The Lions clearly saved the morning from being disastrous,” Esposito continued.
“Coincidentally enough, this is probably the first time all year that the bettors have kind of left the Raiders somewhat, and we were Raiders fans. They actually got there for us and really kind of saved the afternoon.” However, another AFC West showdown went the guest’s way with the Chiefs 30-27 win over the Chargers. In that one, Los Angeles covered the 5.5-point line and the game went over, which was the worst possible outcome for the guys behind the counter.
With all that in mind, let’s quickly look back over the sport’s landscape and dish out some insight on what’s ahead on the field, on the STN Sports App and at the Station Casinos Race and Sports Books.
Bills/Lions Preview
Don’t look now, but the Lions (yes, the Lions) have the longest active win streak in the NFC right now, having won three in a row. They have a better record than a lot of brand name squads (cough, cough, Packers) and their games are consistently going over the total. On Thursday, they host the Buffalo Bills, who are already in the Motor City, having played there on Sunday because their home stadium was a winter wonderland buried under a barrage of snow.
A few weeks ago, the Bills/Lions line was set at double digits. While Buffalo is still a heavy favorite, the line has ticked down. “Something seems amiss with the Bills right now,” said Esposito. “This is still a big number, and they’re playing a confident young Lions team right now.” Detroit has been more puzzling than a green bean casserole this year, as they seem to fall behind early and then often battle back. Second half overs in Lions games have been about as automatic as a Chevrolet transmission.
Giants/Cowboys Preview
While Philly, Kansas City and Buffalo seem to be getting all the press, don’t sleep on the Dallas Cowboys. Their running game can be dominant and their defense is stuffing teams like Stove Top. On the heels of a 40-3 win against a division-leading Minnesota team, the ‘Boys host the Giants on Thanksgiving. This game was a bit sexier before the Giants loss against the Lions, but it’s still Dallas on Thanksgiving. That’s gotta count for something, right?
“The Giants-Cowboys game might be our biggest decision of the day,” Esposito said. “You can seriously make a case right now that the Cowboys are in that top three-to-five best teams in the league.” The Giants, on the other hand, are a cornucopia of problems with all their injuries and troubling quarterback play. Because of the Giants injuries, their current squad is the NFL equivalent to leftovers. This game has a bigger spread than a Thanksgiving meal, as Dallas is nearly a two-digit favorite.
“This game looked better on paper than it currently does right now, and I think the line would’ve been under a touchdown had these two teams played two weeks ago,” Esposito said, “but these two teams that are clearly trending in opposite directions.” That Dallas defense might be feasting on more than just drumsticks Thursday night.
Patriots/Vikings Preview
The Thanksgiving nightcap is tastier than canned cranberries, as the 6-4 Patriots take on the 8-2 Vikings. Based on the spread, this game should be more competitive than the other two. But, after Minnesota’s drubbing on Sunday, are they really that good? “I thought it was a little bit of smoke and mirrors,” Esposito said. Like a side dish of yams, the Patriots are better than people think and have road and home records of 3-2, meaning they’re consistent. Having said that, they don’t exactly light up the scoreboard, so they can put people to sleep quicker than tryptophan.
“They’re not intimidated to play away at all, and they really play good defense. They play a lot closer games to the vest,” Esposito said. “So you may see this game not be quite as high scoring, but I think it’s a good matchup.” For what it’s worth, Kirk Cousins has never beaten New England, although his the sample size is small. His sample size of playing in prime-time games is much larger, and his record is almost as dismal. Plus, cousins eventually annoy everyone on Thanksgiving…
“We’re clearly going to need the Lions or the Giants in those other games, and my guess is we might be small Patriots fans in the evening,” Esposito said. “We’re going to need some puppy love on Thanksgiving, no question. We’re going to need the Lions or the Giants to cover, or we could possibly be in a position where there’s no way out on the late game.” If somehow both underdogs cover in the first two games, it’s all, well, gravy!
Bets To Know
Keep an eye on the STN Sports App on Thanksgiving for in-play bets, fun props and a host of other options (hell, there are World Cup games that day, too.) The Book already has one NFL-specific prop available: The Thanksgiving Day Salami, which pertains to the total number of points scored on Thursday. It’s basically an over/under bet for all the games combined. While there’s no telling what will happen on the field that day, Station’s top oddsmaker has a pretty good idea of who he’ll cheering for.
Weekly Winners
It all came down to Monday Night for this STN Sports bettor. The 49ers covered -8, giving this 5 teamer for $100 a $2,187 payday!
-Raiders +125
-Cowboys -2
-Bengals -3.5
-49ers -8
-Chargers +7 -160 B(+2)