Thanks to a bevy of moneyline upsets in the NFL over the weekend, the STN Sports Books were feasting like a Thanksgiving house guest. Underdogs went 8-6 against the spread in Week 9, including six outright wins.
“It was probably one of our best Sundays, if not the best Sunday, of the year. Getting a little puppy love and having those doggies bark a little bit is always a good thing,” said Chuck Esposito, Station Casinos Sports Book Director. The Steelers beating the Colts, coupled with the Panthers smacking the Packers and the Vikings toppling the Lions were all huge boons for the Book.
Esposito added, “Having those good-sized ‘dogs come in really changed the complexion of the day for us.” 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…
Trade Deadline
Because of the flurry of NFL trades on Tuesday, lines were moving like Jakobi Meyers, the biggest being the Jets. On Monday, the New York was a slight favorite in its upcoming game against the Browns. After dealing Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams just 24 hours later, the Jets now find themselves as underdogs. The line shifted about four points.
“You’ve kind of sent a message to your team that, ‘Hey, we’re waving the white flag this year,” Esposito said of the Jets. The Colts/Falcons spread also moved after Indy’s stunning trade for Gardner. Further, the New Orleans/Carolina line also ticked up after the Saints’ trade of Rashid Shaheed to Seattle. Said Esposito or the Seahawks, “I love what Seattle did, too. I think the move with Seattle to get Shahid gives him another weapon. The Colts also proved that they are all in.”
Looking Ahead
On Monday night, the Books cashed with the Cardinals beating the Cowboys in a relatively low-scoring affair. This week, Esposito likes the Cardinals again to cover the line in Seattle.
“I know it’s a short week and they’re playing a really tough Seattle team, but it’s a division game, and we’re past the midway point of the season. With the Cardinals are getting a touchdown, I think there’s just a little bit of value there,” he said. Esposito also sees value in the Vikings at home getting more than a field goal on Sunday against the Ravens.
“I know the Ravens have Lamar Jackson back, but I still think the Vikings have a good defense,” the oddsmaker said. “And JJ McCarthy, while he’s still a rookie for all practical purposes, I think he’s a big step up from Carson Wentz.” With Wentz, Minnesota’s offense stalled. McCarthy has all the makings of being a future star.
Last Man Standing
The Magnificent Seven? Entering the week, only 25 entries from a field of 7,141 remained in the hunt for the $150,000 prize in Station Casinos’ Last Man Standing NFL completion. Over in the college football contest, which carries a $100,000 prize, 12 entries from a field of 3,318 remained to begin the week. It’s now down to only seven entries left in both competitions.
World Series
The fact that the World Series went seven games proved to be fruitful for the Books. Sure, they were in a more advantageous position with the Blue Jays winning, but the Los Angeles Dodgers winning a second consecutive trophy wasn’t nearly as bad as, say, losing SNAP benefits.
“The fact that the Dodgers won Game 7 by less than a run and a half was also really good for us,” Esposito said. The Dodgers, who won The Fall Classic with a 5-4 win on Saturday, were among the favorites to win the World Series all season long, so the future book odds never increased much, thus not exactly creating ample value for bettors. Likewise, when Yoshinobu Yamamoto rightfully won MVP, that too was a profitable for the Books, as most guests had placed MVP money on Mookie Betts or Shohei Ohtani.
“We took in some money on him, but overall it was a good outcome for us. It wasn’t a lot. We posted a positive number on him as MVP,” Esposito revealed.
Bets To Know
College basketball has officially tipped off. With action nightly, check out all the matchups and betting options on the app (and even an occasional Match of the Day!)
Weekly Winners
On Sunday, one guest placed a $5 bet on a five-leg Anytime Touchdown parlay. The guest needed a touchdown by Caleb Williams, Terrell Jennings, Rico Dowdle, Jaxson Dart and Bhayshul Tuten. The guest pocketed $3,105 on their meager bet!