There have been so many must-see NHL Finals matchups over the past century, but the Golden Knights-Panthers series is the hottest. Seriously, have you seen these temperatures in Vegas and South Beach?
It’s not just the temperatures that have been high either, as industry figures reported that Game 1 was the most-watched Stanley Cup Final game in 21 years (21, how apropos for Vegas.) And, as fans continue to double down on Vegas, they are being rewarded with cold, hard cash. 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…
Quest For The Cup
With a 2-0 series lead, the Vegas Golden Knights might want to start keeping the champagne on ice. The Knights can taste the cup, and it’s more flavorful than any Gordon Ramsay meal. The VGK not only won Games 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, but they also covered the puck line in both. In addition, both games went over the total. All three of those things combined spelled disaster for the Books.
“Despite our financial liability, we’re still rooting for the Knights for what they mean to the city and the community,” said Chuck Esposito, Station Casinos’ Race and Sports Book Director. Early in the playoffs, the STN sports books reported that about a quarter of all NHL future tickets were on the Golden Knights. Not only does the Sports Book have future liability on the hometown team, but guests are also betting them knightly, er, nightly. Esposito estimates the VGK are getting about 75% of the ticket count on the Stanley Cup games, meaning the betting public is about as unified as the LIV and PGA tours. For Games 3 and 4, the Knights travel to South Florida in the quest for the cup, but Esposito is incredibly confident guests will continue backing the VGK, particularly due to the fact they’re an underdog.
“You’re getting the Knights now as a small dog or around even money, so you’re getting a plus price on them,” Esposito said. “If they win or blow them out, that will just compound the liability or the financial damage on the game.” We Want The Cup! We Want The Cup!
This Stanley Cup could be more special than a reconvened legislative session in Carson City. The action and handle have been unprecedented, largely due to the fact that the Knights are the ones vying for the Stanley Cup.
“I can’t remember ever seeing an NHL Final generate this kind of handle or interest,” Esposito said, adding that this is likely the most-bet NHL series ever. “I think you could probably say that. I’m sure others Finals were bet well, but with the evolution of the mobile app it’s so much different.” Prop betting, in-play betting and an ever-expansive menu all play a role in the increase in handle. “Of course, we’re also a locals casino and Vegas is the local team, so that helps,” Esposito said. The handle has been more explosive than a July 4th sky above Red Rock and Green Valley Ranch.
NBA Finals
The Denver Nuggets are getting less love than a lineup announcement for the iHeartRadio music festival. Although Denver dominated the lopsided Western Conference all season, guests aren’t necessarily betting them on a game-by-game basis. “What’s funny is we needed the favorite, Denver, in both Games 1 and 2,” Esposito said. “We’ve split those.”
More often than in any other sports, NBA bettors favor the zig-zag theory, where they bet with the home teams. It’s somewhat rare for guests to root for the underdog road team, particularly this late in the season, but much of that could be tied to the large spreads in the series. The lines have been higher than a 400-level seat at Allegiant Stadium. In both games, which took place in the Mile High City, the lines closed with Denver as three-possession favorites. “There’s a lot of Heat love out there,” Esposito said. “Although Denver looks so good and unstoppable, there’s just a lot of value there on the Heat — they’re coached really well, and Jimmy Butler plays really well, and Bam Adebayo’s been playing well. There’s a number of factors why bettors are siding with the Heat, but I think the size of the spread is presenting a little bit of value.”
Inferior A’s
The Oakland A’s are the least-profitable team to bet on in Major League Baseball — that is, of course, unless you’re betting against them, as nearly every bettor is doing. Prior to Tuesday, it had been a month since Oakland won a road game, so a winning bet against them is more automatic than a rental car.
“The bettors are just continuing to bet against them and bet on whoever it is they’re playing,” Esposito said of the team that could be calling Las Vegas Boulevard home. While the A’s are arguably public enemy No. 1 at the STN Sports Book, other teams are also hurting the bottom line (which is good for guests.)
“Baseball hasn’t been great for us over the past week or so,” Esposito said. “The good teams continue to win and the bad teams continue to lose. It seems really early in the season to see the lack of parity.” There seems to be no end in sight either, especially when talking about the Oakland defectors. Just last year, teams were sometimes listed as 4-to-1 favorites against the A’s. This year’s A’s squad is worse, so a team being listed as a 5-to-1 favorite against Oakland isn’t out of the question, as crazy as that sounds. A’s lines are being adjusted more than a Jimmy Garoppolo contact. And, if you think the A’s are bad now, just wait until later in the season when they inevitably designate guys for assignment and bring up players that aren’t Major League-ready.
“You can just throw whoever they’re playing into a parlay, especially if the A’s are on the road,” Esposito said. “It’s been a pretty automatic bet now for a few weeks.” If the day ends in “Y,” you can almost guarantee an A’s loss.
Bets To Know
As we discussed earlier, two huge finals games are right in the “heat” of the action. And our menus have never been bigger. Props, games, and series prices are updated after each game.
Weekly Winners
One STN Sports bettor nabbed a 7-teamer across baseball and hockey on June 5… $12 to score $1,005! Here were the legs:
-1 P PANTHERS OV 1.5 -130
-RED SOX UN 4.5 -120
-PIRATES UN 4.5 -105
-ASTROS +.5 -125
-MARLINS -1.5 +130
-RANGERS -141
-PHILLIES -1.5 -115