The guests took a small chomp out of the STN Sports Books after the Florida Gators’ National Title win on Monday night.
“Houston winning would have been best case scenario for us, but the fact that the game stayed under was a positive outcome for us. It was really one of the better finals that I can remember, a really entertaining game,” said Chuck Esposito, Station Casinos Race and Sports Book Director. Houston was winning the vast majority of the game but eventually got tripped up.
“The overall handle in the tournament was good. The atmosphere was great, and it was incredible having four No.1 seeds in it. There was no Cinderella story, but you still had great storylines with Duke, Auburn, Houston, and Florida. The comeback win that Houston had against Duke was epic.”
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…
Big NCAA Bets
Back on December 8, one STN bettor put $1,000 in Florida to win the title at 45-1 odds for a payout of $45,000. Then, on Monday, several five-figure bets came over the counter, almost all of them on the Gators moneyline. “The larger bets were clearly on Florida, but Florida and under was actually a profitable outcome for us,” Esposito said.
At tip-off, 57% of the moneyline tickets were on the Cougars, whereas 60% of the tickets on the spread were tied to the Gators. Plus, 64% of tickets were on the over at 141.5. While Houston didn’t prevail after 40 minutes of game time, eventually losing 65-63, one STN guest cashed on a five-figure wager on the Cougars in the first half. The stock market only wishes it could be this profitable.
NCAA Tournament Last Man Standing
After three Last Man Standing entries were eliminated on Saturday, just two remained active going into Monday night’s National Championship game. Of the final two contestants, one had Houston +1.5, and the other had Florida -1.5, ensuring that the entire $63,550 prize would go to a single entry. (Yes, that final free throw was the difference between $63,550 and $0 – the anguish!)
Of course, the guest siding with Florida, who won by two points, is now richer than Nicco’s’ 18 Layer Chocolate Cake. STN’s Last Man Standing contest began with 3,147 entries.
Goal 895
The Great 8 did it. As Alex Ovechkin chased down the NHL all-time scoring record, STN Sports Books offered multiple ways to wager, from the goal method (full strength, power play, empty net or shorthanded) to the period in which it would be scored to the team it would come against. When the bet was first posted, the New York Islanders had 5 to 1 odds, tied for third lowest.
“The attention the bet drew and the number of people betting on the prop was great. It was definitely a win-win,” Esposito said. Ovi’s 2nd-period slap shot, which gave him his 895th goal to pass Wayne Gretzky’s 31-year record, was historical.
“We’re always looking to capitalize on what the hot story is, and we want to put up a competitive line,” Esposito said. “I thought it was fun putting the Ovi stuff up. It really did draw a lot of attention.”
Bets To Know
Golf’s most popular tournament is here. The Masters tees off on Thursday in Augusta, Georgia. and our betting menu is dialed in. Look for futures, matchups, player props, and so many more options to bet the tournament even after Thursday tees off.
Weekly Winners
Over the weekend, two STN bettors cashed incredible parlay tickets. The first guest put $10 on a parlay that needed Enrique Hernandez, Trent Grisham and Bobby Witt Jr. all to hit home runs that day, which ended up happening. The payout: $4,558. Chicks dig the long ball. Not to be outdone, another guest plopped $35 down on an 8-team parlay that included two hockey games and six baseball games. The ticket had the Reds, Orioles, Dodgers, Angels, Giants and Mets all on the moneyline. The ticket also included the NHL’s Rangers to cover the puckline and the Sabres to win. That guest cashed a ticket for $13,423.