Our long national nightmare is over! The NFL regular season begins this week, and the football gods are smiling on us with some marquee games. Of course, the NFL season comes just days after a slate of college games produced more mayhem than an Allstate commercial. 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…
Chief Problem
Never before has so much hinged on a knee. On Tuesday, reports out of Kansas City said All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce injured his knee while practicing – an injury that comes just two days before the Chiefs will begin their championship defense against the Detroit Lions. Because of the injury, the game’s spread quickly dropped a point and a half at the STN Sports Books.
“He’s the main weapon for Patrick Mahomes, and those two guys have a rapport on the field that’s off the charts,” said Chuck Esposito, Station Casinos’ Race and Sports Book Director. “So that would be a huge impact if he doesn’t play in that game.” While early money has been on the Lions — a very vogue off-season team — it’s expected that Chiefs money will pour in more than a Red Rock Pool bartender. “[Chiefs coach] Andy Reid is awfully good with extended preparation, so I still think that we will be Lions fans when the game kicks off,” Esposito said. “My guess is we’ll also need the under in that game with those two offenses.”
Jets Grounded?
The New York Jets are arguably the most-hyped NFL team of the offseason, but that hasn’t been translating into bets. Aaron Rodgers’s new squad opens up at home against the division rival Bills, and guests are laying the points on Buffalo in the early going.
“We’ve seen a lot more tickets and money on the Bills, which has surprised me a bit,” Esposito said. “We’ll see if the Jets money shows up on Monday.” There’s no doubt that emotions should be high that evening, as the game is on Monday Night Football… on Sept. 11… in New York City. So far, the reception to the Jets has been more boring than Elon Musk’s deep drills.
The Best of the Rest
To little surprise, guests are lining up to bet against the Colts, Texans and Panthers, all teams who plan to start rookie quarterbacks in Week 1. There are also other contests seeing significant action, including the 49ers/Steelers and Eagles/Patriots games.
“We’ve seen a lot of people taking the points with the Steelers as home underdogs, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see some money show on the Niners. We might end up being with the Steelers in this one,” Esposito said. In regard to Philly game, some sharp money has come in on the Patriots, but STN Books are expecting Eagles money to flood in like a Rainbow and Blue Diamond intersection. “I think the Eagles and Patriots will be one of our biggest decisions of the day,” Esposito said.
Primetime Player
Much like the New York Jets, the Colorado Buffaloes were getting all the ink in the offseason. While the Jet’s decision remains to be seen, Colorado backed it up in week 1. Deion Sanders’ team went into TCU as nearly three-touchdown underdogs and won outright at a price of +600 ($1 dollar netted you $6.) The Books took a beating like an old Mike Tyson opponent.
“The handle on that one was huge. If we could have gotten TCU just to win by a point things would have been different from from our side of the counter,” Esposito lamented. “The Colorado game was probably the worst game of the day for us, especially on the money line.” While Colorado/TCU generated a massive handle, the biggest bet was actually made on the Buff’s next opponent. A STN guest wagered $50,000 on Nebraska on the money line against Minnesota. The Cornhuskers seemed to have the game in hand, but the Gophers turned things around and kicked a game-winning field goal. The tale of the two games (Colorado and Nebraska ) didn’t go unnoticed. Prior to the season starting, Nebraska was projected to be about a three-point favorite at home against Coach Prime’s team in Week 2. The spread, however, has shifted like a California tectonic plate, and the Buffs are actually the ones laying more than a field goal.
Over and Over Again
Speaking of the Golden State… Another week, another over for the University of Southern California. This time, USC covered the over by themselves in a 66-14 route over Nevada. With that explosive offense and a defense willing to give up just enough points, the Trojans are an automatic over. “Along with the Colorado game, the USC game drew a huge handle,” Esposito said, adding that STN Sports Books almost can’t list a total high enough on USC games. “We want to have a number within the market, but a high market with whatever the total is. We’re probably not going to be the lowest in the industry, but you just see it’s an automatic over play for guests. We’re still going to book accordingly.” The total for this week’s matchup against Stanford opened astonishingly high (think 10 touchdowns) and guests are likely to pound the over again.
Big House, Bigger Spread
The Barry Odom era kicked off at UNLV with a bang in a 44-14 win over Bryant. Their opponent will look a little different this week. Say hello to Michigan, the second-ranked team in the country. The Wolverines, who will be at home in The Big House without head coach Jim Harbaugh, are more than a five-touchdown favorite in this one. Michigan failed to cover the 35-point spread last week in a 30-3 drubbing of East Carolina. So, should UNLV feel hopeful as even bigger underdogs. Ehhhh, let’s just say there’s a very good chance their offense could get more stuck than a Burning Man attendee. “The difference in the trenches I think is really the key,” Esposito said. “Will UNLV just get worn down on the offensive and defensive lines by the end of the game?”
Bets To Know
Look out for a growing menu of Pro Football bets for NFL Week 1 as we approach kickoff! Player to score first TD, team to score first, team totals, 1st half score, 1st score of game, and so much more.
Weekly Winners
Congrats to this bettor who hit a nice 4-teamer on Saturday. $40 bet, $5,421 hit! Looks like Colorado paid off.
-Colorado +600
-Colorado over 63.5
-No Illinois +280
-Fres St +160