Entering last Sunday, the Chicago Bears were 3-1, and all their wins came by double digits. Meanwhile, Green Bay’s wins were hardly inspiring, and their losses were bad. But then Sunday happened, and Green Bay steamrolled the Bears like they were an NDOT crew, winning 31-7.
“That was one of the few games that was good for us,” said Chuck Esposito, Station Casinos Race and Sports Book Director, “probably our worst pro football weekend of the year so far.” Guests took the house for piles of cash with the Bills’ and Ravens’ primetime wins on Sunday and Monday, respectively. With the Bills win over the Rams, one Red Rock guest even took the Book for nearly $394,000.
That massive win, though, may not have impressed sharps as much, as they jumped all over the Raiders before their showdown with Buffalo this weekend. The line moved down more than a full point from its initial posting. “I’m a little surprised that that number has dropped due to some sharp play,” Esposito said.
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…
NFL Updates
The Cowboys got embarrassed at home last Thursday by a Baker Mayfield-less Buccaneers team. In that game, Dallas’s offense pulled an Amelia Earhart and vanished. This weekend on Sunday Night Football, they play at Green Bay, who just boat raced Chicago. Because the NFL is a week-to-week league, Esposito believes the Cowboys offer value, especially if the line ticks up.
“They come off a really bad game. They have the extra time to prepare. The Packers won a very emotional game against the Bears. I think the Cowboys are a better team than their record indicates, and I’m not sure the Packers aren’t a worse team than their record indicates,” Esposito said, adding that the Commanders, who travel to San Francisco, are worth a look as underdogs of more than a touchdown.
The Texans, who play the Jaguars in London, may also offer value if that line moves farther away from them. Added Esposito, “It’s a huge game for the Texans. If this game does get to three points, I think there’s huge value on the Texans. Whoever wins here, it really changes the direction of the AFC South.”
At 5-0, the Minnesota Vikings co-own the league’s best record. They also hold an impressive 4-1 record against the spread. Yet, no one seems to be talking about them. Then again, are they doing it with some smoke and mirrors? Their defense is stellar, but their opponents have a combined 8-17 record, and their offense ranks in the bottom six, just ahead of the winless Dolphins (one of the teams they beat). Even a Tennessee death row inmate has more life than the Vikings’ offense.
“Even though they’re undefeated right now, I wouldn’t make them the favorite to win the NFC North. I would make Detroit or Chicago,” Esposito said. “I think any one of the other three teams are the favorites to win the North. You have to at least respect that fact that they’ve beaten two teams in their division, but they’re winning a lot of games with just field goals.” Regarding Minnesota, who’s on a bye this weekend, buyer beware.
MLB Playoffs
The Los Angeles Dodgers have sat atop the Major League Baseball mountaintop for two years, but the Milwaukee Brewers simply don’t care, and they are giving Dave Roberts’s squad everything and then some. The Brewers winning shouldn’t surprise anyone, as they had the league’s best regular-season record, with 103 wins.
“We did take some series price money on Milwaukee, so the bettors felt there was some value there with the Brewers to win the series,” Esposito said, noting that one Green Valley guest placed a $74,000 bet on Milwaukee to beat the Dodgers in the series. “If you got Milwaukee, and, say, Tampa in the World Series, it’s not what anybody expected.”
You could argue that the Dodgers are the odd man out of the final four teams, since Tampa, Cleveland, and Milwaukee are small-market teams by baseball standards. L.A. also massively eclipses them in payroll, spending more than the other three teams combined. The Dodgers’ pockets are deeper than a Radiohead song.
WNBA
The Aces’ three-of-the-last-four WNBA Finals run is over. Last week, the Golden State Valkyries swept Las Vegas out of the playoffs. “We actually needed the Valkyries from the business side,” Esposito said. “We were huge Valkyries fans. We had some big bets come in on the Valkyries for the series price.”
With the Aces out of the WNBA Finals, some locals’ interest will certainly decrease, but it’s still a championship final. “We’ve seen such an increase and an uptick in handle in the WNBA. It still adds to the overall wagering menu, so in that regard, it’s a positive,” Esposito said. “It’s just a bit of a negative not having Vegas in it, which, of course, with the props and them trying to win back-to-back championships again, would have been so much better.”
Bets To Know
NHL is fully on. NBA is about to tip off. MLB is at a fever pitch. And NFL has hit its full stride. We are at the point where STN Sports is wall-to-wall when it comes to betting options across nearly any sport you can imagine. Check the app accordingly.
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