As the horses rounded the track at the 152nd Kentucky Derby, excitement built all the way from Churchill Downs to the STN Sports Books. Big hat-wearing, mint julep-sipping crowds filled the Books and watched the world’s most famous horse race, creating an environment that shook the ground more than a Northern Nevada earthquake.
After the “fastest two minutes in sports” was over, it was 30-to-1 longshot Golden Tiempo that wore the Garland of Roses. “I don’t think anybody really saw Golden Tempo winning the race,” said Chuck Esposito, Station Casinos Sports Book Director, adding that there were several bets on the thoroughbred. “The crowd was phenomenal across the board. It just got bigger and bigger throughout the day.
As advertised, the Book offered a $20,000 twin Q bet, which was won by five people, who shared the prize money. While the statewide numbers aren’t available from the Derby, the handle at Red Rock was up from past years.
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…
VGK ‘Yoffs
The Vegas Golden Knights began their second-round playoff series with a big 3-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks, a win that hurt the Books but was great for guests. In Game 1, about 80% of bets were on the Knights, many of which were on the VGK puckline, which paid out far more than the moneyline bet. The only saving grace for oddsmakers was that the game stayed under the total of 6.5.
“Had the Knights won 2-1, it would have been a much better outcome than 3-1,” Esposito said. With all due respect to the band beginning the Sphere residency, the Ducks left No Doubt that they can hang. “They’re more of a higher scoring team, so it kind of surprised me that the game was a little bit lower scoring in the first game,” Esposito said. “It wouldn’t surprise me at all if this series goes seven games.”
Given that both goalies are young, Esposito also leans toward the overs in the games, stating, “With the way Anaheim scores and the way Vegas can score, I think that the guests are going to bet over in these games.”
VGK went down 3-1 on Wednesday, tying the series at 1-1.
Wolves Attacking
It seems that everyone in the media believed the Minnesota Timberwolves wouldn’t or couldn’t best the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. People assumed Minnesota would be grounded like a Spirit Airlines flight, especially after Anthony Edwards’s injury. When the Wolves beat the Nuggets in six games, it was surprising.
“They played so well against Denver with and without Edwards. They’re kind of a scary, good team right now,” Esposito said, adding that there is liability on the Wolves. Just a few weeks ago, STN Books feared a Spurs title run, but the liability has subsided as bets have come in on other teams, Minnesota among them. The most liability, as usual, rides on the Lakers.
“Right now, we’re in the best position if one of the favorites wins it. We’re in a good spot if Oklahoma City wins again,” Esposito said.
A’s On Top?
The Oakland/Sacramento/Las Vegas Athletics are doing something that seemingly no one could have predicted: they’re winning. Sure, the AL West doesn’t seem to be the strongest division, but the A’s have been in first place for several weeks. And, as four of their next five series are against teams that have disappointed so far and are sinking faster than a Lake Las Vegas home, more wins could stack up.
“The fact that the A’s are in first place in the West is, man, I don’t think anybody saw that coming at this point. It’s really surprising,” Esposito said. Still, guests aren’t exactly lining up to bet the A’s, as many are expecting the bottom to fall out sooner rather than later. “I think there’s the potential for them to continue to build with some of these young players, so by the time they get here, they’re much more relevant,” Esposito said.
One notable tip for bettors as it pertains to the A’s: Of all the 16 games played in Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, overs are hitting a 75% clip.
Bets To Know
Keep that energy for VGK going. Their heated playoff series with the Ducks sits at 1-1, and the STN Sports app sits with countless betting options for the matchups, both before the game and during.
Weekly Winners
With baseball season comes plenty of lotto tickets that are hitting for STN Sports bettors. This guest put down $2 to win $229.94 on Cinco de Mayo.
-Rays/Blue Jays under 7.5 runs
-Dodgers moneyline (vs Astros)
-Phillies moneyline (vs A’s)
-Rangers moneyline (vs Yankees)
-Nationals moneyline (vs Twins)
-Cubs moneyline (vs Reds)
-Pirates moneyline (vs Diamondbacks)
-Mets moneyline (over Rockies)