As temperatures soared higher than a SpaceX rocket, so too were the bets coming through the STN Sports Books over the weekend, particularly on UFC Freedom 250. One casino guest, for instance, placed a $200,000 bet on underdog Justin Gaethje in the main event and cashed for $750,000. Five-figure tickets were being printed all day on Sunday.
“The handle was outrageous in the two co-main events,” said Jason McCormick, Vice President of Station Casinos’ Race and Sports. It was the first time in UFC history that all seven fights on the card ended by knockout. “Now this is two main UFCs in a row that we’ve seen an undefeated fighter knocked off, and some pretty great prices on the ‘dog now with Strickland and Gaethje, the last two big main events. So don’t be afraid to take those dogs in the UFC as they’ve been live here of late,” McCormick added.
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…
Stanley Cup Final
Father’s Day is coming up, but no paternity test is needed: The Carolina Hurricanes are the Vegas Golden Knights’ daddy. On Sunday, the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Vegas Golden Knights in six games to win the Stanley Cup. The result was a boon for the Books, but not for guests. Prior to the Cup Final, guests were cashing hand over fist with the Knights’ winning ways, and, merely from a financial perspective, a VGK Cup win was by far the worst-case scenario for the Books.
“We were talking pretty consistently that around 80% of the tickets were on the Knights in just about every game. In Game 5, it was about 72% on the Knights,” McCormick said. “After we go through the numbers, it’s going to be the most handled Stanley Cup ever, and the excitement that was there.” It didn’t take long before oddsmakers posted odds for the 2027 Stanley Cup, and the ‘Canes are already listed as the favorites, followed by the Avalanche and, yep, the Knights.
“We’re blessed to be spoiled here by this team that’s made three Stanley Cup Finals. There are teams that are dying to get to this point, but again, high expectations from Knights fans after winning the Cup and looking like we had a chance to win another one, but in the end, Carolina prevailed, and that’s why they were the favorite in the series,” McCormick said. Still, as locals, this drags more than Frank Marino’s retirement.
NBA Finals
The STN Sports Books were in a lose-lose situation heading into the NBA Finals, but a Spurs win would have been worse than a roadside lobotomy. The Knicks win, while still a loser for the house and a win for the guests, was a better scenario. The series was incredible, as the Knicks were down double digits in every game and came back in four of them, even winning after trailing by 29 points in Game 4.
“Something clicks in the clock of those Knicks players as we get into those fourth quarters, and they consistently found a way to finish,” McCormick said. Guests realized this quickly, too, and automatically played the Knicks in in-play, getting better odds and advantageous spreads.
“In Game 4, when they were down 29, there was a lot of play and liability on the Knicks’ moneyline because they were getting those big prices,” McCormick said. Game 5 proved to be quite profitable for the Book, though, after one casino guest bet $750,000 on the Spurs on the moneyline, only to lose (incidentally, that was the same casino guest who won $750,000 on UFC the following day, so no harm, no foul.)
World Cup
The World Cup has begun, and there have been a few surprises already (Spain and Cape Verde draw??!), but what’s not stunning is the packed Sports Books and the money wagered on the USA, who looked brilliant in the 4-1 win vs. Paraguay. With the on-field dominance, the USA gave the world a reality check that even Lisa Vanderpump can’t compete with.
“It’s going to be a losing proposition for the Book when they win, but again, we’re all cheering for them to win,” McCormick says. The US, as of now, presents the largest liability for oddsmakers, followed by Morocco, which had World Cup odds of 66-to-1.
“They’re the seventh-ranked team in the FIFA rankings, so guests were out ahead of that with the sleeper in Morocco, and so that’s one of the teams we’re not cheering for,” McCormick said. “It’s liability or no liability, it’s hard not to cheer for the United States.” Get ready for a month of more kicks than a Reebok store.
A’s
The Athletics will permanently call Las Vegas home in a few years, but they got a taste of the city during a six-game stretch at Las Vegas Ballpark, an AAA park, and the balls were flying out of there like they had tail numbers. The first game, against the Brewers, saw a combined 29 runs scored in an A’s loss, only to be bookended on Sunday, which saw 31 runs scored in another A’s loss.
“We see the scores in that ballpark all the time with the Aviators, and obviously, it’s in the shadows of Red Rock,” McCormick said. “As the week went on, the total seemed to get higher and higher and higher.” Higher than Willie Nelson, you could say. The handle was also up, as compared to a typical regular-season A’s game. All in all, the A’s went 4-2 during the six-game stretch, covering the run line in three of those four wins.
Bets To Know
The World Cup brings daily action from morning till night. Check the STN Sports App for literally hundreds upon hundreds of ways to bet every single matchup.
Weekly Winner
The bets were coming through the STN Sports Books over the weekend, particularly on UFC Freedom 250. One casino guest, for instance, placed a $200,000 bet on underdog Justin Gaethje in the main event and cashed for $750,000. Five-figure tickets were being printed all day on Sunday and some BIG ones hit.