How sweep it is! The sting that the Station Casinos’ Race and Sports Books felt over the weekend from the golf course was countered by the joy from the court. Ever since the NBA Playoffs began, the sports gambling industry has been terrified of the Lakers winning the NBA title, but the worry is now over like the Mirage’s dolphin era.
With all that in mind, let’s quickly look back at the past week in sports and peek at what’s ahead on the STN Sports App and at the Station Casinos Race and Sports Books…
NBA Playoffs
Dominion Voting isn’t the only one enjoying the court these days. Over the past few weeks, it’s been well-documented that the Lakers possessed a ton of liability to the Book, as Los Angeles carried 150-to-1 odds at one point during the season.
“We wanted to kick ourselves a little bit for having it that high,” said Chuck Esposito, Station Casinos’ Race and Sports Book Director. An L.A. title would have crushed the Book like a small car at a monster truck rally. “With our close proximity to Southern California and no NBA team here, the Lakers become kind of the favorite for local betters here,” Esposito said. “From the business side of it, I’m glad they’re out. But, it’s a little catch-22 because a Lakers and Celtics final would have generated a lot more interest and action.”
Now, there’s a chance that neither team will make it. Of course, the old rest vs. rust argument comes into play. The Nuggets will have now nine days off before suiting up again against either Boston or Miami. Denver will be favored against both teams, but they’ll likely open as 9-to-5 favorites against Miami or 7-to-5 favorites against Boston. Side note: While Los Angeles was the Book’s wicked witch of the west, the Heat now carry the most liability of the three teams left.
NHL Playoffs
Dallas has the name, but the Golden Knights might have the star power, particularly after that Tuesday night drubbing. Now it’s their sixth season, the VGK are proving to be a model of consistency — and bettors still can’t get enough.
“No matter what, the Knights are going to get play on them, and this has happened every year since their inauguration into the league,” Esposito said. “We’re clearly Knights fans from the fan side of it, but from the business side of it, things are different. The public backs them and we’re a locals company, so we see a lot of Knights money.”
With so many players finding the back of the net, the Knights have more weapons than the Mob Museum. And, while the Panthers/Canes series is generating action, it pales in comparison to the handle that stems from Knights games. Esposito said the Western Conference Finals’ handle is double that of its Eastern Conference counterpart. If the Knights can burn the Stars one more time, expect an epic Stanley Cup Final handle and more menu options than the upcoming Summer House restaurant.
On second thought… As the NHL and NBA regular seasons were winding down, the Bruins and Celtics both appeared on the fast track to winning championships. Seeing this, Station oddsmakers put up a Boston-based prop bet tied to the two teams. Would one team win a title? Both? In hindsight, oddsmakers should have focused more attention south. “We should have put one up for Florida,” Esposito said. “We had no idea, of course, that two No. 8 seeds would still be playing. I’m probably glad we didn’t put that bet up because the odds would’ve been so high that I’d be rooting for the Florida teams to get beat now.”
PGA Pain
You’re going to get burned with too many irons in the fire, right? The Sports Book took a beating on the PGA Championship when LIV golfer Brooks Koepka hoisted the trophy. Koepka teed off as a 20-to-1 long shot, and many Station and STN bettors took a shot at it.
“They bet him pretty well,” Esposito bemoaned. “There were five or six guys battling it out on the final day and he was the only one that we would have lost on. Unfortunately, he got there.” Unlike that guy who shot the basketball from the top of the Stratosphere 900s times, Koepka didn’t miss.
Derby Disappointment
Unlike the Savannah Bananas last weekend, Mage couldn’t peel off a win. The Kentucky Derby winner came in third place in the Preakness Stakes, which puts a bit of a damper on the upcoming third leg of the Triple Crown.
“We clearly wanted Mage to win because it sets up a kind of bonanza for the Belmont. From our side, anytime you have two different horses win the Derby and the Preakness, it’s really kind of anti-climactic going into the Belmont,” Esposito said. With just seven horses running at the Preakness, Mage’s job should there should have been easier than the Derby win. Like Russell Wilson’s first season in Denver, this is another disappointing horse.
Hand-to-Hand Combat
Things that you want to last long: your gum and your bedroom performance. Station Casinos’ Sports Books added a third thing, as it wanted last week’s boxing match between Devin Haney and Vasiliy Lomachenko to keep going, too. “The early money was in on Haney, but there was a late push of money on Lomachenko,” Esposito said. In the end, Haney won by decision. “The big difference for us is that we really needed to fight to go the distance. We didn’t really have a preference on the outcome, but going the distance was the key,” Esposito said.
Best of the Rest
This holiday weekend’s slate will be chock full of action, with the Indy 500, Major League Baseball, PGA and LIV tournaments all occurring, all with ways to get in the action. Check the STN Sports App for the latest.
Weekly Winners
Plenty made out on Brooks Koepka winning the PGA Championship, but one STN Sports bettor planned way ahead, and it paid off. On April 1, the bettor got him at +6000 for $460. They walked away with $28,060.