With less than a month until regular season football begins, the STN Sportsbooks are still punching tickets for baseball, preseason football, soccer, golf, and pretty much anything else. Even Lotus of Siam at Red Rock doesn’t have the number of menu options that we do. With 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…
Ravens Fly
Bettors flocked to STN Sports Books to bet the Baltimore Ravens in their opening preseason game after the Eagles. Why? Jim Harbaugh’s squad was on a 23-game preseason winning streak, so bettors figured they’d ride the Ravens like a proposed light rail on Charleston. The Book was feeling the pain after the final whistle blew and Baltimore made it 24 games in a row.
“The Ravens had that 23-game winning streak going into the game, and guests bet them on the money line pretty good,” said Chuck Esposito, Station Casinos’ Race and Sports Book Director. “That was one of the worst things for us.” On the other hand, bettors hammered the Broncos in their opening game against the Cardinals and even moved the line a few points. Sean Payton’s squad didn’t come out victorious, which was a nice outcome for the Book.
“There’s so much information out there for preseason as far as quarterback rotations and trends and coaches that want to win. It really becomes an information game for both us and the guests on the other side of the counter,” Esposito said.
Niner Takeover
For a couple hours last weekend, the Red Sea seemed to have moved from the Indian Ocean to Allegiant Stadium. San Fransisco 49ers fans came to Las Vegas and made themselves right at home. Their team, though, did not reciprocate, falling to the hometown Raiders 34-7. “The handle on that game was terrific. I would say that’s probably been the biggest handle we’ve seen for a preseason game so far,” Esposito said. “We definitely saw some Raider action in that game. There was a lot of public interest in that game, and there was definitely a lot of red and gold in that stadium on Sunday.”
Preseason Week 2 Cometh
How will things change in the second week of preseason? It’s likely that starters will see a little more time than they did last week, but information will still be paramount to winning wagers. “In a lot of cases this is more of a dress rehearsal,” Esposito said. “Teams are going to want to give some of their starters that extra time to rest, and that information will probably come out during the week. Again, to me, quarterback rotation and knowing who’s going to play is really important information in the preseason.” NFL information might actually be more in-demand than a Kylie Minogue concert ticket. Last weekend, two particular Station bettors felt confident enough with their information to bet $10,000 on preseason games (one ticket cashed, the other did not.) With more starters likely playing this week — at least early in the game — first-half bets might have some value.
“I really think it’s kind of the tale of two halves where you can maybe handicap the first half of a preseason game differently than you handicap the second half of a preseason game,” Esposito opined, “but, there’s definitely an uptick in handle as the preseason goes on.” With so much unknown about the entirety of a game, it might be smart to take a cue from the Colorado River water cuts and ease back.
Last Man Standing
There’s still time to enter! The Last Man Standing competitions in both the NFL and college football are in full swing. Guests can sign up in person at any Station Casinos Sports Book, and the cost is $25 per entry. Each contestant that purchases four entries will receive a fifth free. While still active in the competition, guests must turn in weekly picks in person. Active participants are required to select one game against the spread for each entry. For reference, the Last Man Standing competition in the college field will win a guaranteed minimum of $100,000, and the NFL’s Last Man Standing will take home a guaranteed minimum of $150,000.
Feeling Buff
Before Sundays come Saturdays, and that’s college football time… dare we even say “prime-time?” Deion Sanders has yet to coach in a Power 5 game, but guests are believers. “One team that’s drawn a lot of love is the Colorado Buffalos. They open up against TCU and are a three-touchdown underdog,” Esposito said. “I’m anxious to see how they look.”
Sanders, you’ll recall, gutted the Buffs when he took over. Ten players went into the transfer portal or left the program in the winter, meaning the Buffs had almost as many open job opportunities as Durango Casino & Resort. Nebraska, now under Matt Rhule’s guidance, has also garnered some interest. Colorado and Nebraska notwithstanding, week one of college ball will teach us about a lot of teams, and oddsmakers will be paying close, close attention.
“You will see some dramatic line moves from week one to week two on certain schools just based on how they look,” Esposito stated. “Right now we’re reading and looking at all the information and following betting patterns and looking at stuff on how good we think teams are, but sometimes when they hit the field it’s a different product, either good or bad.”
Bets To Know
We’re showing love to our local standout! In tonight’s (8/17) Cleveland preseason game, you can bet “Will Dorian Thompson-Robinson score a rushing or throwing TD” in the game (Yes/No).
Weekly Winners
A NICE hit from this STN Sports bettor on Tuesday. $200 cashes for $19,931.05 on a 7-teamer:
-DODGERS -1.5 -110
-TWINS -1.5 +110
-MARINERS -1.5 +110
-ASTROS OV 9 -105
-BRAVES -1.5 -125
-CARDINALS -1.5 -115
-PADRES -122