Like the Vegas thermometer, we keep it 100 out here at the STN Sports Books! There’s nothing like the return of football, and we have actual, legitimate college games this week! Dubbed “Week 0,” it’s not a full slate of games; it’s more of a teaser… dare we say, it’s even “demure.”
“I think it is definitely going to get everybody’s juices flowing for the start of football season,” said Chuck Esposito, Station Casinos Race and Sports Book Director. With all that in mind, let’s quickly review the past week in sports and peek at what’s ahead on the STN Sports app and at the STN Sports Books…
College Football
College football returns on Saturday, with Florida State and Georgia Tech kicking things off from Dublin. So, grab a pint of Guinness and drink it all in! The Seminoles enter the game as double-digit favorites, but the line has come down from its initial posting. A little closer to our backyard — yet way north — Nevada hosts SMU. In that one, SMU is a massive favorite.
“It’s not surprising that early in the season you see some line movement,” Esposito noted. Consider this weekend the appetizer of the season. Next week is the main course.
NFL
The NFL is going down. Although there’s one week left of the preseason, the trend has developed: unders! You can noodle around like the China Mama kitchen, but unders are almost a sure thing. Through two weeks of the preseason, unders have gone 26-6, meaning they’re winning more than 72% of the time. Last weekend, STN Sports Books cashed several 7 and 8-team parlays with only unders on the card.
“Preseason football has been dominated by unders, and the betters have done extremely well,” Esposito said. “It’s just a trend now, and I think it’s becoming more magnified.” In preseason play, star power is nonexistent, and coaches generally aren’t willing to open up their playbook. Offenses are more vanilla than Ben & Jerry’s, as coaches generally look at linemen and bubble players. “Some of these games, you just know midway through the first quarter that there’s no chance it’s going over. So unders continue to be a really popular bet, and the bettors have done really well so far,” Esposito said.
It’s not a stretch to say that the Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens will be good this year — they have been for many consecutive years. But, bettors are also expecting big things this year from a team in the Lone Star State (no, not that team.) The Houston Texans are THE vogue pick of the year.
“For me, it’s a little surprising,” Esposito said. “I think they’re good. I believe [head coach] DeMeco Ryans has done a great job, and I love CJ Stroud and the addition of Stefon Diggs, but when you look at their odds to win the Super Bowl, and you look at the separation of where the Jags and the Colts are personally, I don’t think there’s that wide of a gap.” Just two seasons ago, it was widely accepted that Jacksonville was the best team in the division. As of now, the Texans have the fifth-lowest Super Bowl odds. The Jags and Colts are 19th and 20th, respectively. Even the Grand Canyon doesn’t have a gap that large. The Jags signed Gabe Davis this offseason to help out Trevor Lawrence. If Anthony Richardson can stay healthy, the Colts could be a problem for the AFC South.
“Based on the odds, you would think the Texas are slam dunk to win the AFC South, and maybe they are, but I personally think that the gap is much more narrow,” Esposito said.
Last Man Standing
Signups for the Last Man Standing competitions in both the NFL and college football are still underway. The rules: Each entry costs $25, and guests must sign up in person at any Station Casinos Sports Book. Any contestant who purchases four entries will receive a fifth free.
While still active in the competition, guests must turn in their weekly picks in person. Active participants must select one game against the spread for each entry. The winner of the Last Man Standing competition of the college variety will win a guaranteed minimum of $100,000, and the NFL’s Last Man Standing winner will take home a guaranteed minimum of $150,000.
MLB
The Orioles and overs are going hand in hand like a Vegas pool party and a sanitary wipe. Baltimore is producing the most overs in the entire league, covering at a nearly 60% clip (Atlanta is on the opposite end.) Baltimore is in the top six in win percentage and in the top five on the run line.
“If you like a team and you like them on the run line, in most cases, guests are betting the overs as well with that,” Esposito said. But the Orioles are going over like a Democratic National Convention run time.
Bets To Know
College Football Week Zero is upon us. Whether it’s this weekend or looking ahead, the menu of college football offerings have exploded on the STN Sports App!
Weekly Winners
$20 parlay cashes for $1,119.49 for this STN Sports bettor across baseball on August 19!
-Mets -133 vs. Orioles
-Mets/Orioles under 9 -125
-Dodger -130 vs. Mariners
-Astros -140 vs. Red Sox
-Royals -220 vs. Angels
-Angels/Royals under 9 -115
-Giants -230 vs. White Sox
-Diamondbacks -220 vs. Marlins