Life comes at you fast. One day, you’re betting on the Vegas Golden Knights, and the next, you’re watching Alex Palou win the Indianapolis 500. Talk about whiplash!
As he had done all season, Palou, the overall favorite going into “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” has dominated a circuit that uses more oil than a Diddy party. At Indy, he collected his fifth win of the season.
“With something like racing, guests are usually looking for value, so we usually do well when it’s the favorite,” said Station Casinos Race and Sports Book Director Chuck Esposito. “We had a good handle, probably better than the last couple of years. I think it’s starting to grow, so I think overall we did pretty well.” While Indy was certainly a highlight of the past weekend, it’s hardly the only thing getting our engines revved.
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…
Under Trend
How low can you go? It’s not uncommon for bettors to root for one team in one game and against them in the next. One thing that stays consistent, though, is that everyone seems to be betting on NBA and NHL overs. For guests, betting the over is more automatic than Vegas hitting triple-digit temperatures in May.
“In the NHL and NBA, this time of year, we are huge under fans. I mean, it’s like a nightly basis,” Esposito said. “Especially in the NBA, there have been nights where the under has a bigger outcome than the game itself. So if we can get the under to come in, usually it’s a good sign.” STN guests always love betting overs in all sports, but the betting behavior is even more enhanced in the postseason, and they’ve had mixed results. So far in the NBA and NHL playoffs, oddsmakers haven’t needed an over once, and they don’t expect anything to change. “People are blindly betting the over. They don’t care what it is,” Esposito said.
Baseball’s Big Bet
Although the New York Yankees always get more press than an award show’s wardrobe malfunction, they don’t even have the best record in the American League. That honor goes to the Detroit Tigers, who lead an excellent AL Central Division in which four of the five teams have winning records.
Even the White Sox are better than everyone thought they’d be. One STN guest had some major confidence in the Tigers on Saturday, betting $100,000 on them against the Guardians. Cleveland, however, bested Detroit in extra innings that evening.
Raiders Projection
We’re still three months from NFL action, but STN Sports Books are getting a jump start like a car at AutoZone. Recently, lines were posted for all 17 Raiders games. And, if oddsmakers are to be believed, the Silver and Black will be vastly improved from the 2024 season. Last year, the Raiders were favored in one game, against the Panthers, which they lost. They’re the favorite in four games this season.
“I think with having Geno Smith and having Pete Carroll there, I expect that they’re going to be a better team than they were last year,” Esposito said. “I thought they had a decent draft, and there still might be some free agent moves that are out there, but Pete Carroll’s a winner. Their win total is at six and a half, so it’ll be interesting to see if they can get over that number or not.”
While the STN oddsmaker is optimistic about the Raiders and the AFC West in general, the same can’t be said for the Packers and 49ers. “I don’t think Green Bay addressed some of their needs on defense, and they’ve got a really tough schedule,” Esposito said. “I know they drafted Matthew Golden, but I don’t think they have the alpha No. 1 wide receiver, so I could see them taking a step back.” Over the Bay Area, San Francisco is expected to win the NFC West (based on the win total), but that team is hardly flawless.
“Christian McCaffrey’s a little bit older, they lost some skill position players, and I think that the Rams and Cardinals have closed the gap there, too,” Esposito added. “For me, I think the Rams are the best team in the NFC West.” With questions and unknowns surrounding the 49ers, Cardinals and Seahawks, the Rams now have less baggage than a Southwest Airplane.
Bets To Know
It’s a race to get into the action, in more ways than one! From this past weekend’s Indy 500, to all the NASCAR races, to F1, auto sports are HOT to bet on! Check the app for the latest odds in your favorite racing sport.
Weekly Winners
$1 to win $239? Why not! This one hit on Monday, May 26:
-Orioles moneyline
-Tigers moneyline
-Reds moneyline
-Mets moneyline
-Diamondbacks moneyline
-Rays moneyline
-Dodgers moneyline
-Brewers/Red Sox under 7.5
-Cubs -1.5
-Padres moneyline