The Golden Knights’ playoff runs are always a conundrum for the STN Sports Book. On one hand, they are by far the most bet team, creating liability issues. On the other hand, the VGK’s involvement brings more excitement and bigger handles. Last week, the Knights were eliminated from the playoffs by Edmonton, making locals sadder than a Memorial Day mourner.
“It’s a little bit of a catch-22,” said Station Casinos Race and Sports Book Director Chuck Esposito. “There was serious liability on them to win the Cup. So, from the sheer business side of it only, the result was beneficial for us.” Liability-wise, the Book is now on sound footing with the four remaining teams — Dallas, Edmonton, Carolina and Florida — all of whom are good enough to raise the Cup. “You could make a case for any one of these four teams,” Esposito said.
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…
Locations, Locations, Locations
Fresh off the expansion of STN Sports to the Las Vegas Strip, Nevada sports bettors now have two more ways to get into the action. STN Sports is now in Mesquite, partnering with Casablanca Resort and Casino along with Virgin River Casino & Lodge to power both sportsbooks!
Guests can sign up, deposit, fund, bet, and more at these locations, all while receiving the guest service they know and love from Station Casinos.
NHL Playoffs
Prior to either conference finals beginning, the Edmonton Oilers were the slimmest of favorites to win the Stanley Cup, and guests have become believers, as early money on the Canadian squad forced the series price to increase and take off like an Electric Daisy Carnival helicopter.
“I think we’re going to need Dallas. Maybe not in Game 1, but ultimately, I think when push comes to shove, when it’s all done, I think that’s what we will need,” Esposito said. “This is an Oilers team on a mission. I think they’re really, really good. Dallas is not going to be easy, but I think Edmonton is a little bit on a mission. They really want to get that Cup for Connor McDavid. I think it’s just tough to go against Edmonton now, but Dallas and that Sea of Green have shown to be a very tough place for opponents to play. It’s a really interesting matchup, and I think it’s a toss-up, but I think there’s value with Edmonton.”
In the East, the Florida Panthers continue their quest to repeat, but they face a tough Carolina Hurricanes squad that has been on the cusp of a Stanley Cup for years. “To me, Florida is the most physical of the four teams that are left, and then you’ve got Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. They’re an awfully tough team to beat,” Esposito said. Florida opened as a slight favorite in the series, and the early money came in on the champs.
“I think we’re going to be Carolina and Dallas fans, which is kind of uncharacteristic,” Esposito said. “Home Ice usually means so much, but there’s much more parity, and road teams do well in hockey, but both road teams opened as favorites in the series, which is unusual.” Is this the season the Canes get there? In the previous six seasons, Santa Claus had better luck with canes… and Tuesday night did nothing to help their cause.
NBA Playoffs
The New York Knicks get more press than a “no tax on tips” promise, and STN guests are banking on them to win the Eastern Conference. “You’re going to see a lot of Knicks money, because they’re kind of that sentimental favorite right now, and they’re that big market team,” Esposito said. “The handle has already been one-sided for the Knicks.”
In the regular season, New York took two of three from the Pacers, and two of the three games went over the total. The Pacers, who are the series underdog, might be a sleeping giant hidden in plain sight. Said Esposito, “The Pacers have been just phenomenal, but it’s always tough to go play in the Garden.”
Oklahoma City has been a wagon all season long, and they rightfully enter not only the Western Conference Finals as favorites, but they’re also the odds-on favorites to win the whole thing. They’ve been bossing people around like they’re Bill Belichick’s girlfriend. “The Thunder have been just so good during the regular season and postseason, but I think the Timberwolves are definitely live,” Esposito said. Early on, guests threw money on the Thunder in the series, but Minnesota money soon followed. Then, of course, Tuesday night happened and OKC bettors were vindicated.
PGA Championship
On Sunday, Scottie Scheffler notched his third major championship, but the PGA Championship win wasn’t exactly what the STN Books had hoped for. “We did okay. It wasn’t great. It was a winner, for sure, but we definitely could have used one of the other guys,” Esposito said.
Had Jhonattan Vegas or Matthew Pavon won (both guys who were in the mix on Sunday), that would have been nirvana for oddsmakers, as “very few people” had tickets on them. Scheffler entered the tournament as a favorite, followed by Rory McIlroy, but the Masters winner never really made a run last weekend.
Before the tournament, Books offered a slew of different bets, which saw more profits than the Old Testament. “We did okay on matchups. We did okay on props. Everything actually worked out pretty well for us. We offered Top 10 and Top 20 bets, as well as cut-line bets. We offered a first-round score, and we actually did really well on it,” Esposito said. “Overall, I would say the matchup bets were the best for us.”
Bets To Know
STN Sports bettors are quickly finding success this MLB season with HR props. Betting on dingers is one of the most fun bets you can make – take a look at any matchup and you’ll see players to bet on to go yard.
Weekly Winners
On Monday night, a Palace Station bettor won nearly 500 times their investment after hitting an 11-team baseball parlay for $1,358.73. The guest placed a meager $2.50 bet on 11 teams:
Red Sox +113, Brewers -110, Astros +120, Phillies -235, Angels +122, Mariners -196, Royals +120, Diamondbacks +126, Cardinals -157, Cubs +1.5 and Red +2.5.