“It was just kind of a crazy weekend,” said Chuck Esposito, Station Casinos’ Race and Sports Book Director. “This league is a real head scratcher at times.” With all that in mind, let’s quickly look back over the sports landscape and dish out some insight on what’s ahead on the field, on the court, on the STN Sports App and at the Station Casinos Race and Sports Books.
Wild Finishes In Pro Football
The two wildest finishes of the weekend — courtesy of the Vikings and Raiders — brought Christmas cheer to guests while preventing the House from having monster days. The first of the insane finishes came on Saturday which saw Minnesota come back from 33-0 and win the game outright against the Colts. It was the largest comeback in NFL history. Matt Ryan, the quarterback of the Colts, now has the dubious distinction of blowing the largest lead in NFL history, regular season history, championship game history and Super Bowl history. And they call him Matty Ice!?!
“Anything available on in-play was not good for us,” Esposito said. The Patriots, on the other hand, essentially handed a win to Raiders backers with a lateral play that even the Stanford band would laugh at. “It provided Raiders bettors — who probably have been frustrated most of this year — with an early Christmas present,” Esposito said. “The Patriots/Raiders game was the largest game of the day for us. We were huge Patriots fans.” Guests bet the Raiders on the moneyline and laid 2.5 points. Oh yeah, and the Buccaneers blew a 17-point lead somewhere along the way, too.
Jalen Hurts Injury
All eyes are on Philadelphia this week as Jalen Hurts tends to a shoulder injury. Although Hurts, arguably the MVP frontrunner, hasn’t been listed as out for the game, there is a general belief around the league that he won’t play this week against the Dallas Cowboys. Oddsmakers are also under the assumption that Hurts is out, as the spread shot up after the news of his unlikely availability was made public. The Cowboys opened as a 1.5-point favorite, but the spread shot up about four points after amid the Hurts news.
“It affected the line dramatically,” Esposito said. “It’s a shame because there are only two late games on Christmas Eve, and what a monster game that would’ve been.” Although the Eagles-Cowboys game is likely to be the largest-bet game of the week, Hurts’ probable absence will decrease the overall handle. For Philly fans, the injury isn’t season-ending, so, as the doctor says, this will only Hurt(s) for a second.
Packers Big Bet
One local bettor got all the cheese thanks to that team in Wisconsin. The guest, who is known to the Book, placed a six-figure bet on Monday night, teasing the Packers to the under. Both cleared faster than Scientology member. In fact, the guest didn’t even need the tease, but it helped them breathe easier. The weekend also saw a number of $20,000 and $30,000 bets throughout the weekend.
We Want The Cup
Once every four years the world watches as a winner is crowned. And no recount or fraud can be claimed. The FIFA World Cup brought massive crowds to the Station Casinos Sports Books throughout the whole tournament, but the final on Sunday, Dec. 18 between Argentina and France was overwhelming. “The buzz, the electricity was far greater than I thought it would be,” Esposito said. “That crowd here on Sunday was Super Bowl-esque. Every four years we’re adding more and more wagering options and expanding, which creates a bigger handle and more interest.” At the end of the classic game, Lionel Messi and his Argentina squad won, beating Kylian Mbappé and France. The last time the French’s were this upset, Heinz entered the mustard world.
Bowl Season
College bowl lineups these days seem to be more questionable than Ikea meatballs and Bobby Petrino’s past. With so many players continuing to opt out of bowl games, the college season finale just isn’t the same. “Five or ten years ago, you wanted to do everything you could to qualify for a bowl. A lot of times it was a matchup of maybe David against Goliath and you had all these tremendous programs play against each other,” Esposito said. “The transfer portal and the opt outs have changed everything.”
The Clemson-Tennessee game hasn’t seen this many guys passing since Heaven’s Gate. While opt outs make it more difficult to see soft lines, Esposito thinks South Carolina is a team to look at. “They’re one of the hottest teams in the country, and it’s kind of interesting to see how they finish the season,” he said. “They’re playing against Notre Dame and they’re getting points there.” If South Carolina and Spencer Ratliff can find some mojo, the football might be more spiked than egg nog.
Bets To Know
’Tis the season for giving, and sports is delivering. Although the NBA has tried to own Christmas Day for years, the NFL isn’t about to let the Association have all the glory. Dec. 25 will see three NFL games and five NBA games, so there are tons of opportunities for cross-sport parlays and props added across the board.