Champions are being crowned all over the sports world, but none more unlikely than J.J. Spaun. The golfer came out of nowhere over the past weekend to win the 125th US Open on a course more saturated than a towel at Sunset Station Pool. Still, Spaun made some STN Sportsbook bettors very happy, as he opened with 125-to-1 odds, and yes, there were wagers on him at that price.
“As a whole, we did really well on the US Open. The handle was up. The live betting aspect was just phenomenal,” said Chuck Esposito, Station Casinos Sports Book Director. “When you look at the majors in golf, the live aspect has really captivated the guests, and we see a huge handle on that.” One guest even turned $1 into $796.58 after successfully parlaying nine legs of the Open’s second round matchups with a single tennis leg (One golf leg pushed, but others were all winners).
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…
Champs Again
One Southern state has a wall, and his name is Sergei Bobrovsky. The Florida Panthers’ goaltender was dominant in Games 5 and 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals, when he was most needed. And on Tuesday night, Florida became back-to-back Champions amid suffocating defense against the Edmonton Oilers. “We were in real good shape on the future book with Florida,” Esposito said.
The Panthers went into Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals as favorites, and the money was all on them. “The action is so one-sided. We’ve seen dramatic line moves,” Esposito said prior to puck drop. Behind Sam Reinhart’s four goals, Florida ended up clinching Game 6 and its second title in a row, winning 5-1, even though it never even felt THAT close. The Smith Center stage produces far more drama. Incidentally, betting action was vastly different in Game 5 in Edmonton.
“After the Oilers were able to tie [the series] at 2-2 and then having to go back to Edmonton, the money on Edmonton and the over and Edmonton on the puckline was probably the largest disparity in the Stanley Cup Finals,” Esposito said. “We were huge Panthers fans in Game 5, which worked out extremely well for us.”
NBA Finals
For STN Sportsbooks, the NBA Finals feel like deja vu. On a nightly basis, they are essentially rooting for the Thunder to win but not cover the line, and for the game to go under the total.
“The people that are betting the Pacers are really backing the Pacers on the moneyline, thinking that they can win,” Esposito said, adding that there was “so much Pacer moneyline play” in Game 5, which OKC won 120-109. On Thursday night, which could see Oklahoma City close it out,
Esposito expects a heavy dose of Thunder money. He added, “My guess is you’ll see fairly one-sided action on Thursday. The Pacers are going to have to play a perfect game.” After getting so close to the throne, Indiana could walk away more crown-less than a No Kings protest.
Aces Struggles
For the better part of three years, the Las Vegas Aces and STN guests have been bigger buddies than the soon-to-open FRIENDS Experience. But the Aces have struggled mightily in 2025, and bettors have noticed.
“The league’s still generating a good handle with some of the star power they have, but we’re not used to seeing the ACEs as a double-digit underdog over the last couple of years.” On Tuesday night, they were 13-point underdogs at the Lynx and failed to cover after being outscored by 23 in the second half. Granted, reigning WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson has missed some time in concussion protocol, including Tuesday night, but the team seems to be missing Kelsey Plum, who was traded to the Sparks in the offseason, more than they thought. Amid the struggles, guests aren’t quick to bet against the Aces. Instead, they’re just staying away from the game, decreasing a typical Aces handle.
“There’s more action on them when they’re the favorite at home, like you see with the Raiders, but there’s definitely some similarities or parallels between the two,” Esposito said.
MLB Trade
San Francisco gave their fans a treat and shook up baseball after acquiring Rafael Devers from the Red Sox. Often overshadowed in the NL West by the Dodgers and Padres, the Giants are a sneaky good team that has underachieved at the plate, as their hitting has often vanished like the Vegas groundwater supply. Devers, who’s only 28 years old, should help.
“I think this was a shot the Giants had to take,” Esposito said. “This is a much different ballpark than Fenway, but it really does kind of help that lineup a lot, and I think it does narrow the gap in the NL West just a little bit.”
Earlier in the season, the Giants had World Series odds as high as 75-to-1, and there were bets on them at that price, creating liability for the STN Sportsbooks. Just before the trade was made on Sunday, San Francisco had 25-to-1 odds, but they now sit at 16-to-1 odds. The Red Sox odds, meanwhile, jumped up after the trade, going from 55-to-1 World Series odds to 75-to-1 odds. That’s not even a jump that Kris Kross would be happy with.
Bets To Know
Racing to the finish! Reminder that the STN Sports App allows you to bet races. One STN Sports bettor actually took advantage of our low minimum bets on Tuesday, betting $1 to win $1,736.50 on a greyhound trifecta at Tri State Eve.
Weekly Winners
DINGERS! A $2 Home Run parlay hit for $769.24 Tuesday on the STN Sports App. The bombs:
-Trea Turner over 0.5 HR +631
-Javier Baez over 0.5 HR +696
-Nathaniel Lowe over 0.5 HR +561