The Rams victory over the Raiders on Thursday Night Football put the Station Casinos’ Race and Sports Books in the driver’s seat going into the Sunday slate of games. The Raiders loss set the stage for a week that saw the Book cash in on a bad beat and hand out two six-figure checks.
With all that in mind, let’s see what’s cooking in the sport’s landscape and dish out some insight on what’s ahead on the STN Sports App and at the Station Casinos Race and Sports Books.
Raiders Back And Forth
The Raiders/Rams Thursday Night Football game was really the perfect storm. Not only was the hometown team playing in the sole NFL game of the evening, the Silver and Black were also riding a three-game win streak and playing an injury-riddled Rams squad who’s quarterback had only been with the team for 36 hours. Because of all these factors, the Raiders fans were racing to the STN Sports App and emptying their “cash” faster than a MacBook Pro. They would regret it.
“The guests backed the Raiders with both fists,” Chuck Esposito, Station Casinos’ Race and Sports Book Director. “We were Rams fans in every facet. From a handle standpoint, that was one of the bigger single games that I can remember of the season.”
The Rams comeback win, guided by Baker Mayfield, crushed teasers and parlays that carried into the Sunday games. For that one night, Baker Mayfield looked like the Baker Mayfield of old. You could even argue that the last “baker” so in-command of a group of people was Jim and Tammy Faye.
“There were a lot of parlays I saw, and they all seemed to have the Raiders on everything early in the week. That loss really did kill a lot of stuff that was moving forward,” Esposito said.
Broncos Backdoor Beat
The guests were also on the wrong side of a pretty bad beat Sunday afternoon. The Kansas City Chiefs entered a showdown at Denver as 7.5-point favorites, and the Chiefs were embraced more than a crooked set of teeth. When Patrick Mahomes and his guys went up 27-0, things looked great for guests. But, Denver got on its high horse and mounted a comeback, outscoring the Chiefs 28-7 the rest of the way. Kansas City still won, but they didn’t cover. “The biggest parlay game was the bettors betting the Chiefs against the Broncos,” Esposito said. “We really needed the Broncos. It looked pretty dismal at 27-0.”
Mr. Irrelevant in SF
The 49ers seem to be the exception to the rule. When a team’s starting quarterback goes down, their odds are supposed to skyrocket. In San Fransisco’s case, their odds went down when backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolotook over for an injured Trey Lance earlier in the season. With Garoppolo out — possibly for the season — the odds should likely go up.
However, after third stringer (and current Mr. Irrelevant) Brock Purdy and the Niners destroyed the Buccaneers over the weekend, the Super Bowl odds ticked slightly down again. In the NFC, they are second only to the Eagles.
“They have the ingredients to continue to win,” Esposito said. “I don’t think they ever put a huge emphasis on the quarterback having to win the game. They run the ball great, their skill position players are topnotch and they play stout defense.” With the way things are playing out, they could actually snag the No. 2 seed away from Minnesota, who seem more overhyped than the Harry and Meghan special on Netflix. The Niners, though, will have to get by with Mr. Irrelevant and without Deebo Samuel for a bit, as the do-it-all receiver was knocked out of Sunday’s game with a leg injury. Samuel’s absence could very well change betting lines, too.“
There’s not a ton of wide receivers in the league that actually move the needle, but I would say under the circumstances for their team, he does a little bit,” Esposito said.
Detriot Is… Good?
It’s fitting that Minnesota played in Aretha Franklin’s hometown of Detroit last week, because they just don’t get any R-E-S-P-E-C-T. The Vikings entered the game with a 10-2 record but were underdogs against the Lions, who have a losing record. How could this be? They are, after all, the second-best team in the NFC, based off their record. Well, the oddsmakers know what they’re doing, as evidenced by Lions’ relatively easy win.
“I’m not a fan of the Vikings. I don’t think they’re that good,” Esposito said. “The had a great record but opened as an underdog, and they were bet against heavily.” The Book needed the Vikings to win that game, but didn’t come close to getting there, which handed Station is big early morning Sunday loss. “I think everybody realizes that the Vikings are more of a paper tiger than anything else,” Esposito said. “A lot of us aren’t sold on Minnesota being the second best team in the NFC. If I had to write down the top teams in the NFC, it clearly would be Philly, San Francisco, and Dallas. Minnesota’s not even in my discussion.” Poor Minnie, second fiddle in both the league and Disneyland.
Are the fish fried?
For weeks, it seemed like the Dolphins were the talk of the AFC. Everyone looked at them as a contender. But, they then went to California and got suffered worse losses than a Russian infantry unit in Ukraine. Now they head to frigid Buffalo to take on the AFC’s top seed on Saturday night. The weather calls for snow, which (checks the map) doesn’t occur in Miami. The early money is coming in on the Bills, who enter the game as the favorite of more than a touchdown.
Last Man Standing Champs
The champs are here! We have officially crowned the winners of the Last Man Standing competitions in both pro and college football. Both winners placed their weekly bets at Green Valley Ranch, and both were thissss close to being knocked out weeks ago!
The winner of the pro contest, who took home a $150,000 check, picked the Washington Commanders -4.5 in their game against Atlanta in Week 12. With just over a minute to go, the Falcons had a fresh set of downs from the 2-yard line and seemed perfectly positioned to win the game outright. Instead, Marcus Mariota threw an interception to seal the win and the cover.
In the college side, a woman took home the $100,000 payday. Her close call game during the Iron Bowl, as she picked Auburn +22.5. The Tigers covered by a half point, as Alabama won 49-27. Only those folks at Area 51 have had closer encounters!
Bets To Know
College Football Bowl Season is finally upon us! For the games now through the end of the year, STN Sports will have betting options to bet from the comfort of your holiday party. Check the app for plenty of prop options, too.
Weekly Winners
$3,225 turns to $358,032 for an STN RACE bettor! A huge Pick-6 hit today at Gulfstream, giving a horse racing bettor a huge payday. Here’s what hit:
Race 4: 2, 4-6
Race 5: 1-4, 7, 8
Race 6: 2, 8
Race 7: 1-8
Race 8: 2-8
Race 9: 1-3, 6-8