Bettors took more of a beating than a drum set at the When We Were Young Festival this weekend. The STN Sports Books rode a wave of underdog wins and covers all weekend long, capping it off with a huge payday on Monday night when the Vikings bested the 49ers.
“Week 6 had been our best NFL weekend of the season, but that’s now been replaced with this past weekend, Week 7, as the best pro football weekend we’ve had,” said Chuck Esposito, Station Casinos’ Race and Sports Book Director. “September was more kind of in favor of the guests or the bettor, and October has been more our side of the counter, but it can flip back at any time.”
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…
Pigskin
Points in the NFL have been more absent than James Harden at a 76ers practice. The unders have continued to cash in the NFL. On Sunday, unders went 7-4, including the Sunday night game featuring the Dolphins and Eagles. In fact, one STN guest had a $40,000 bet on the Fins/Birds over.
“Having the Eagles cover was not ideal on Sunday night, but keeping the total under was. Keeping the total under on Monday was good for us.. These unders have really been beneficial for us,” Esposito said. A guest also bet $40,000 on the Chargers/Chiefs over, which seemed like an easy win at halftime, as 41 points were already on the board. However, only 7 points were scored in the second half. The game finished with 48 points. The over/under was 48.5. Talk about a bad beat for over bettors!
Esposito added, “When you’ve got teams like the Falcons, the Bears, the Patriots, the Broncos, all teams that are underdogs winning outright, it really knocks down teasers money line and it’s extremely good for our side of the counter.”
Foot the Bills
The public just can’t quit the Buffalo Bills. Going into the season, Buffalo was one of favorites in the AFC, and they still are. Still, they don’t seem to have that swagger they’ve had for the past few seasons. On Sunday, they went into New England as favorites of more than a touchdown and lost outright. They now have a 3-4 record against the spread, and an overall record of 4-3.
“The Patriots being able to knock off the Bills was huge,” Esposito said. “Although there was some sharp or sophisticated play on the Patriots, you could make a case that the largest discrepancy in ticket count and money, straight parlay teaser was all on the Bills against the Patriots.” There’s a theory that guests are overlooking the series of injuries that Buffalo’s defense has incurred, including season-ending injuries to starters Tre’Davious White and Matt Milano. Ed Oliver has also been dinged up like a car door in the Paris parking garage.
“They’ve lost about 35% to 40% of their starting defense for either the year or an extended time. It’s hard to replace those guys,” Esposito opined. “I think everybody keeps expecting that offense to explode.” This week, the Bill host the Bucs on Thursday night, and (surprise, surprise) Buffalo is a heavy favorite.
Look Ahead
While it’s the still early, a few Week 8 NFL lines have shifted based on the the market. There’s been some play so far on the Patriots against the Dolphins, as well as the Lions over the Raiders. Despite the 49ers dropping a game to the Vikings on Monday, the guests are already backing San Francisco against Cincinnati, who will be coming off a bye.
“The one thing the Bengals haven’t shown is that they can protect Joe Burrow,” Esposito said. “I have to think that the Niners, coming off a game where they had no sacks, are going to be pinning their ears back and going after a quarterback that is still a little banged up and an offensive line that can’t protect.” For what’s worth, Station’s top oddsmaker also sees value on the Rams getting nearly a touchdown at Dallas.
Last Man Standing
The end is near. Active entries in the NFL and college football Last Man Standing contests are dropping lower than A’ja Wilson in a twerking TikTok video. We’re seven weeks into the NFL season and only 59 of the initial 6,324 entrees remain active. Over in the college Last Man Standing competition, only 32 of the initial 3,223 entries are still active.
World Series
Nothing stay fall like the World Series and, well, pumpkin spice everything. It’s down to this: The Texas Rangers vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks. Exactly the matchup everyone predicted right? The Rangers have been established as a prohibitive favorite.
“The handle has been really good on the playoffs,” Esposito said. “The outcomes late in both series were great for our side of the counter. The Diamondbacks and Rangers, maybe not the marquee matchup, but these two teams have gotten really, really hot at the right time.”
Bets To Know
The Association is back, baby! On Tuesday, the NBA kicked off its 2023/2024 slate, and it will be our first chance to see how teams look after offseason signings and new draftees. Keep an eye out for daily matchups and props as well as frequently updated futures throughout the season.
Weekly Winners
-MIAMI FL +130
-S FLA -2 -110
-OKLA ST +145
-WISC -2.5 -110
-MINN +3.5 -110
-COLO ST +8 -110
-MEMPHIS -6.5 -110
-GA ST +140