Last week was one of those once-a-year sports moments when all four major leagues are in session. The NFL, though, still reigns supreme in betting handle, and it’s not particularly close. Still, that doesn’t mean every week is enormously profitable for the STN Sports Books. Take last Sunday, for example, when the house’s win was smaller than the grocery store’s Halloween candy aisle right now.
“We didn’t really do well on a lot of games. We were up a very small amount,” said Chuck Esposito, Station Casinos Race and Sports Book Director. “We weren’t up a lot after the early games on Sunday, but the night game really worked out well. We really needed the Seahawks against the Chiefs. The only way that we would win the game was an outright Seahawks cover, and that was a pretty impressive performance. They covered and got us a win that really helped out for the day.”
One Red Rock guest placed a $150,000 on the Chiefs at +3.5, so for the Book, the Seahawks’ 20-3 win was more fruitful than a Summerlin Farmer’s Market. 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
The Raiders got dropped like candy in a trick-or-treat bag last week and have lost four in a row, but sharp bettors feel the cure for their losing woes sits right in front of them: the New York Jets. The 2-5 Jets, who just lost to the woeful Dolphins, enter the game as small home favorites. There’s also been a big push on Jacksonville, who faces Indianapolis. The Colts have begun cleaning house like a French maid, axing their general manager last week, and then trading Pro Bowlers Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner this week. Rumors are swirling about Jonathan Taylor’s possible exit, too.
“I’m a little bit nervous about this Jags game to see how high it could potentially go,” Esposito said. “I can see the Colts kind of pillaging a little bit of their roster.” Whereas Indy just doesn’t seem to be very good, the Eagles were expected to be a contender but have been hit hard by the injury bug. “This might just be a season where the Eagles end up punting with all the injuries at this point,” Esposito said, adding that the Commanders, coming off a bye, are also getting early money.
The Chiefs are coming off a beatdown that would make an EDM artist take notice, and they could be staring down a losing streak. “I think the Broncos as a home underdog is a value play,” Esposito said. Other teams the oddsmaker likes this week: the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Browns, if the game doesn’t creep up to 3.5, and the Commanders. “This Eagles team is a mess, with Saquon Barkley hurt and Devonta Smith maybe being on the shelf for the year,” Esposito said.
Are the Rams finally becoming the Rams? Los Angeles won the offseason with its trades and signings, but they’ve struggled out of the gate, something that could prove troublesome in a division with the 49ers and Seahawks. But they manhandled the better-than-expected Raiders last week and have a schedule softer than Pat McAfee’s temperament in the next three weeks: the winless Chargers, at the 1-4 Commanders, and finally at the 2-5 Cardinals (we know, Arizona beat L.A. recently). “This is where they can turn the corner,” Esposito said. “The next three weeks are critical for them. They cannot stub their toe on any of the next three games.” Should the Rams rattle off three in a row, they’d be 6-4 heading into home games against the Packers and Chiefs.
Last Man Standing
The NFL Last Man Standing contest, which guarantees an aggregate payout of $150,000, is becoming a survival-of-the-fittest contest. Going into last week, 63 of the initial 6,855 entries remained active. After last week, only 42 remain. In the college football Last Man Standing contest, which pays an aggregate payout of $100,000, just 51 of the initial 3,121 entries remained active going into last weekend. Now, only 23 remain, meaning over half were knocked out. Contest entries are getting booted like a desktop computer.
Bets To Know
Race fans, celebrate Breeders’ Cup Weekend with STN Sports on October 30 and 31. Race fans can enjoy a $10,000 Twin Quinella (Twin-Q) jackpot on Friday and a $20,000 Twin-Q jackpot on Saturday. Visit participating STN Sports Race Books throughout Las Vegas to get in on the action. The Twin-Q is a $2 wager with an aggregate jackpot.
Weekly Winners
An STN Sports bettor turned a $24 wager into a $19,807.80 payout on Saturday, October 24, after hitting a Pick 3 at Santa Anita Park. The winning ticket, placed through mobile wagering at Santa Fe Station, featured $3 combinations across three consecutive races. The bettor correctly selected Pura Vida Princesa in Race 7, The Warden in Race 8 and Weho in Race 9 to hit the winning 4-2-1 combination.