With the NFL season over and the NHL and NBA regular seasons on break, the “Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing” took center stage over the weekend, with Tyler Reddick, a huge underdog, headed to the winner’s circle. Reddick’s pre-race odds of 40-to-1 were higher than the Stratosphere’s stairwell.
“The results were positive for us,” said Chuck Esposito, Station Casinos Sports Book Director. Entering the race, oddsmakers were hoping to avoid wins by Noah Gragson, Austin Dillon, or especially Joey Logano. Esposito added, “The Las Vegas race generates a huge handle because it’s here, but the one difference with Daytona is that the wagering menu is up for such an extended period of time.
On a week like this, where you had very limited hockey and the NBA on the All-Star break, you have a scaled-down sports menu overall, outside of college basketball. So, things like NASCAR draw a lot more interest.”
The NBA All-Star Game, new format and all, also saw an increase in handle, largely due to the scaled-down menu.” 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…
Olympic Surprise
When it comes to betting on the Winter Olympics, hockey still reigns supreme as guests continue to back the Red, White, and Blue. But STN guests are becoming more interested in curling than a salon hairstylist.
Compared to the 2022 Olympics, curling has seen a 20% uptick in handle.
“Skiing has seen a definite increase in handle, as well,” Esposito said. “Hockey, both men’s and women’s, is definitely No. 1, but curling is the biggest uptick, and the reason why is because of the time. Our app is 24/7, and curling is on in the morning. It’s kind of conducive with people getting up, flipping the TV on, or watching online.”
The Latest NBA
It’s certainly far enough into the NBA season to know who’s a title threat and who’s not. In the West, the Thunder are running away from the pack like a Rock ’n Roll Marathon participant, although the Spurs and Nuggets are lurking. In the East, the Pistons are one of the league’s biggest surprises and lead the conference, but inexperience could play a role come playoff time.
However, there’s one off-the-radar team near the very bottom of the NBA pack that’s been destroying guests’ parlays all season: the Utah Jazz. With an embarrassingly putrid win-loss record of 18-38 at the All-Star Break, the Jazz, who have been accused of tanking, are perceived as a nightly bet against, but they actually have one of the best against-the-spread records in the league, covering over 55% of the time.
Betting against Utah on a parlay is causing more breakups than Valentine’s Day. On the opposite side, the Cleveland Cavaliers entered the break with a 34-21 win-loss record, but their ATS record ranks 4th worst in the league, as they’ve covered less than 42% of their games. “The Jazz aren’t a really good team, but they’ve been really good against the point spread,” Esposito said.
“Anytime bad teams are good against the spread or cover a lot, it definitely helps us, because the public notoriously bets favorites and overs, so the Jazz has definitely been a help to us because of their point spread record.”
Even without Jayson Tatum, who suffered a torn Achilles in last year’s playoffs, the Boston Celtics are surprisingly among the cream of the crop in the NBA, entering the NBA season’s second half with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. And, it seems likely that Tatum’s return is inevitable, and soon.
“The Celtics are a team to look at, especially if Tatum comes back,” Esposito said. “The Cavs have been really, really good since the trade deadline, too. They’ve won five in a row. So, you’re looking for that team that kind of has that swagger and gets healthy right before the postseason. For me, maybe the Cavs or Celtics possess some value.” If Tatum can return to the player he was before the injury, Boston could take a page from this week’s windstorm and blow by everyone.
Bets To Know
The Olympics roll on! Especially as key hockey games heat up, so will the menu on STN Sports. Keep an eye out daily for new options being posted.
Weekly Winners
Shout out to starting the week with a win.
-Miss State +5 -105 over Mississippi
-Georgetown +17 -105 over UConn
-Texas Tech +10 -105 over Arizona
-LSU +15 -105 over Tennessee
-Gonzaga -4 -105 over Santa Clara
-Harvard +5 -105 over Yale
-Arkansas -9 -105 overAuburn
-Purdue -1 -105 over Purdue
-Texas +3 -105 over Mizzou
-Ohio State +5 -105 over Virginia