The wait is over. Between now and mid-February, there won’t be a week without football. On Thursday, the NFL regular season kicks off with the Chiefs hosting the Ravens, followed by a rare Friday game being played in Brazil.
All this comes on the heels of a huge college football weekend that saw one game in Vegas generate a massive handle.
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…
Pro Football Kicks Off
With just days before kickoff, guests are already questioning the Chargers in Week 1. Los Angeles hosts our Raiders at So-Fi Stadium on Sunday afternoon, and the money isn’t so much ON the Raiders as it is AGAINST Jim Harbaugh and crew.
“I think it’s the uncertainty of the Chargers with losing Keenan Allen, losing Mike Williams, losing Austin Ekeler. I think there’s just a lot of uncertainty there,” said Chuck Esposito, Station Casinos Race and Sports Book Director. Early money continues to also come in on the Dolphins and Vikings. Despite Minnesota losing JJ McCarthy for the season, guests are less-than-enamored with the New York Giants this season, who could go more dark than a DirecTV broadcast.
On Monday night, all eyes will be on Santa Clara when the San Francisco 49ers begin the season as favorites against Aaron Rodgers and his Jets squad. The 49ers, of course, haven’t exactly had the most harmonious offseason, and with the amount of drama that always seems to surround Rodgers, he could probably be awarded a lifetime Oscar.
“When you look at just talent on paper, for me, I think the Jets have the most talent in the AFC East,” Esposito said. “They have Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson and they picked up Mike Williams. They have a Super Bowl-caliber defense, as well.” Still, Rodgers is more of a question mark than a Chance card in Monopoly: he hasn’t played in a year, he’s 40 years old and historically has flopped when playing in Northern California.
Added Esposito, “They have a very rough early season start, and if they get off to a bad start, what happens the rest of the year?”
Under-The-Radar?
It seems likely that the Chiefs, 49ers, Ravens and Lions will all be good in the 2024 season, but Esposito believes an under-the-radar team from Nashville might be producing some lovely music, too.
“I think the Titans are going to be better than what people think,” he said. “Will Levis had almost a full season last year where he was on and off, but they signed Calvin Ridley, Tyler Boyd, DeAndre Hopkins, Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears. You’ve got a lot of weapons for a young quarterback on offense. They’re not being talked about enough with the weapons they have.”
College Ball
The ball bounced the book’s way in Week One of college football, largely due to USC’s upset win over LSU at Allegiant Stadium. Easily the most-bet game of the weekend, guests wagered heavily on the favorite, LSU, on Sunday, meaning oddsmakers at STN were big, big USC fans — this despite several $20,000 bets on the Trojans.
“You had an isolated game in our backyard featuring USC, so that generated a huge handle,” Esposito said, noting the Trojan’s upset victory was the Book’s single biggest winner of the weekend. “We did well with Notre Dame beating Texas A&M, too, but the USC win was bigger.” Let this be evidence that Trojans can cover in more ways than one.
Last Man Standing
Last call! Signups for the Last Man Standing competitions in both the college football and NFL contests will end on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. 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. For a small investment, guests can walk away with a huge payday.
Bets To Know
Week One means endless options to bet the action. Take a look at the STN Sports App for every bet imaginable, including Same Game Parlays, futures, and much more for all of your favorite teams.
Weekly Winners
Full weekend of College football means plenty of opportunities for parlay action. $5 bet cashes for $462 on this 7-leg parlay across CFB last weekend:
-Georgia -13.5 -110
-Vanderbilt +13.5 -110
-New Mexico +31 -110
-Indiana -21.5 -110
-Georgia Tech -21 -110
-USC +4.5 -110
-Boston College +16.5 -110