So close, yet so far away. The NFL weekend was full of near misses, as underdogs like the Panthers, Browns, Falcons and Jets all had chances to win their games outright but failed. Still, everything hinged on one particular afternoon game, as 79% of the tickets were tied to the Buffalo Bills. That was a make-or-break game for guests, sharps and the STN Sports Books.
“Everything was dumping into the Bills. We needed an outright Rams win,” said Chuck Esposito, Station Casinos Race and Sports Book Director, “and even with the Rams scoring 44 points at home, we had to sweat the onside kick with less than a minute to go.” The Red Rock sauna doesn’t even make you sweat like that! He added, “It just has been one of those seasons where it’s never easy from our side of the counter.”
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 the STN Sports Books…
NFL
Don’t look now, but the Carolina Panthers are actually competitive. Granted, they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday as two-touchdown ‘dogs, but they covered… for the fifth straight game (the 12-1 Chiefs, mind you, failed to cover for the seventh straight game.) “If Andy Dalton doesn’t get hurt, does Bryce Young even get a chance to play this year? He’s definitely had somewhat of a resurgence,” Esposito said of Carolina. “They’re playing much better.”
This weekend, Carolina enters its game against the Dallas Cowboys as a favorite. It’s the first time since December 2022, the Panthers enter a game as a favorite. And, they’re getting support from bettors. “The number’s actually gone up,” Esposito said. “We opened them as a one-point favorite, but it’s gone up. I think it’s a combination of all the injuries the Cowboys have suffered and the resurgence of the Panthers.”
Big Bets
All eyes were glued to the Buffalo Bills/Los Angeles Rams game, for a variety of reasons, but one particular guest had a keen interest, as it offered a potential $200,00 payday. The STN guest had a $40,000 six-team money line parlay in play and had already cleared four legs of the ticket with early-slate wins by the Steelers, Dolphins, Vikings and Eagles. To complete the bet, the guest needed the Chiefs to beat the Chargers on Sunday night (they did with a field goal that went off the upright and doink’d in) and the Bills to win in the afternoon (they didn’t.)
Esposito said, “Had we not won the Bills game, when that doink occurred, it would’ve hurt a lot more. It would have felt like that football hit us in the head.”
Bowl Games
In a matter of a few hours, UNLV lost the Mountain West Championship Game to Boise State, and then watched their beloved coach, Barry Odom, leave town for Purdue. He was a good man… but not a Goodman (Hi, Oscar and Carolyn!)
Since Odom’s exit, the line has moved by a full field goal, and the number could continue to climb closer to a touchdown. “You’ve already seen this number change dramatically,” Esposito said. “You don’t know how many kids now are going to leave and follow him or enter the transfer portal, so I think it has a dramatic effect when you lose a coach like that.”
Juan Soto
Say hello to the richest player in baseball history, Juan Soto. On Sunday, the all-star signed a $765 million contract with the New York Mets, closing the Queens squad over the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers and more who were vying for his coveted bat. His signing altered the Mets’ World Series odds dramatically.
Earlier in the offseason, the Mets had 16-to-1 odds to win the October Classic, but they moved down to 12-1. After the signing, those odds were nearly slashed in half. Fun fact: STN Sports Book posted a Sota-centric home run prop bet. The number is set a 33.5.
Bets To Know
Looking ahead to the college football playoff! When the opening lines were posted, guests thought they saw some midwest values, as there was an initial push on Indiana +8.5 and Ohio State -7. Both spreads moved and no longer sit at those numbers. Keep an eye on the app for an expanded prop menu as we head into next week.
Weekly Winners
Why not, for $1! This guest put down a huge one dollar moneyline parlay which hit for $244.52 over the weekend.
-Bucs -310
-Saints -250
-Steelers -330
-Dolphins -280
-Bengals -240
-Jaguars +160
-Vikings -270
-Seahawks +130
-49ers -170
-Rams +170
-Chiefs -200