Hot takes, bad beats and all things sports betting, a weekly newsletter by Steven Money .
STN Sports Weekly Rundown
March 2, 2022
Sometimes the ball just bounces the casino’s way. Last Saturday will go down as one of the best college basketball days ever… for the Station Casinos Sports Books, at least. On Feb. 26, seven of the top 10 ranked teams lost outright. Not only that: for the first time ever, every top 6 team lost. March Hoops [checks calendar] has begun! On the heels of the record setting day at the gym, let’s quickly look over the sports world’s landscape and take a peek at what’s ahead on the field, on the ice, on the court, on the STN App and at the Station Casinos Sports Book.
The NBA Chiefs
The Brooklyn Nets are last in the NBA in their against -the-spread record, and they’re barely hanging onto a playoff spot right now. Yet, according to the odds, they’re still the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. Funny enough, we’ve seen this before, and it wasn’t that long ago. Seven weeks into the 21-22 NFL season, the Kansas City Chiefs were 3-4. At the time, they were in last place in their division and KC’s wins were hardly inspiring. Still, they were the betting favorite to win not only the AFC West, but also the AFC. They damn near did, too, as they lost in overtime in the AFC Championship game.
Brooklyn’s record says they shouldn’t be feared, but the public sees it differently. The real question is, what does a lineup of Kevin Durant/Kyrie Irving/Ben Simmons actually look like together? “I think it goes back to those old Bulls games where it didn’t matter if you won 72 games in the regular season. It’s about turning it on and taking it to a different level once the postseason starts,” said Station Casinos Sports Book Director Chuck Esposito. Another wrinkle? Because Irving can’t play home games yet due to New York City COVID rules, are the Nets actually better off playing a majority of games on the road?
Feeling Philly
While there is still a little mystery surrounding the Nets, the same can’t be said in the City of Brotherly Love. The Philadelphia 76ers are looking scary good with MVP frontrunner Joel Embiid and James Harden running the floor. Granted they’ve beaten up on some lesser competition, but watch out for this squad. “I think you’re gonna see Harden putting up Rocket-esque numbers in Philly,” Esposito said. For those with a memory as short at Bobby Knight’s temper, Harden averaged nearly 30 points a game during his nine-year run in Houston. Also, the Sixers have a stellar road record — in fact, they have a better road record than a home record. That type of team usually wins in playoffs.
The Home Stretch
As evidenced by this past weekend, anything can happen in college basketball. “There is a lot more parity, but I think this goes back to kind of a trend of the big schools and the one-and-done. You’re forced to retool every year,” Esposito said. “I think it helps level the playing field because a lot of these smaller schools have kids who’ve been there for three or four years and have that camaraderie.” This year has clearly shown that there isn’t a surefire favorite in college hoops, as five teams have been No. 1. Considering this is Mike Krzyzewski’s final year, it figures that Duke will be the sentimental favorite to win it all. “They were the evil empire for a long time, and I think people are gonna wanna see them go deep,” Esposito predicted.
Cheering for Duke kind of feels like rooting for the sports book to win, doesn’t it? Still, if you’re looking for a sleeper to shake up some brackets (and this might be the year to take a longer shot), Illinois and Tennessee are two teams that are battle tested, fly under the radar, and are in the top 20. “This year might come down to a team that gets hot and makes a serious run for it,” he said.
Sticks and Stones
For nearly five years, the Vegas Golden Knights were a no-brainer for bettors. The public was pounding the VGK, and they were often rewarded. Now that the Knights are struggling a bit and can’t keep a healthy lineup on the ice, the public has turned faster than your next-day Football guacamole. What have you done for me lately, VGK!?
“Bettors are softening on them a little bit. The public here has been spoiled over the last several years when the Knights were playing well, and guests were all over them earlier when they had that stretch when they were playing well,” Esposito said, “but I think the bettors realize they’re a little undermanned right now and missing some star power.” However, if the Knights can find some swagger, get hot and get healthy (looking at you, Stone, Patches, Martinez), the Station Sports Books will not be fans of the Vegas Born boys from the betting side of the counter. The question, though, is: can they compete with the best? We’ve seen them lose twice recently to league-leading Colorado, and they got walloped by Calgary, who leads the division. “It does looks like Colorado is just a step above everyone right now,” said Jason McCormick, Vice President of Station Casinos Sports Books. “They look like the class of the West. The Eastern Conference looks a little more open, but Carolina is playing fantastic hockey. Florida is on a losing streak, but they’re still really impressive. Tampa is still really good, too.”
Ice Fight
That Taylor Swift was on to something when she said, “Cause baby, now we got bad blood.” By paying attention to mean streaks and rivals, guests can now make a fistful of money. Stations and the STN App continue to give bettors more and more ways to win cold hard cash, and they’ve now added fight props to hockey games. That’s right, you can bet on whether or not you foresee guys dropping gloves and swinging for the fences (since we might not see that in baseball for a while). In addition to the punched up props, Station is offering more hockey options than ever before. There are now props tied to certain player’s shots on goal, reverse puck lines, exact margin of victory and more. Pro tip: maybe sprinkle some money on the first period overs. Esposito noted that first period NHL overs are cashing at an incredible clip right now.
Early Bird Gets The Worm
Are you ready for some football! The Rams champagne is still on ice, but you can already bet on an NFL game that takes place in five months. We’re forward thinkers over here! STN App users can already place a wager on the Hall of Fame Game between the Raiders and Jaguars on Aug. 4. Vegas is small favorite, and the Station Casinos Sports Book is expecting a fairly low scoring affair, based on the total.
Sports on Sports on Sports
Dumb question: How many sports can you handle? Las Vegas will be the sports mecca (again!) this week with its varying menu of matches and games. Not only are the Vegas Golden Knights playing home games on Thursday and Sunday, NASCAR also rolls into town for the Pennzoil 400, and Kyle Larson is listed as the favorite. Want more? Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington will battle it out in UFC 272 at T-Mobile Arena. Oh yeah, college basketball will also have a huge presence, as there are FIVE conference tournaments in Vegas over the next two weeks. This, of course, is all leading up to this little thing called the NFL Draft, which is also here. Are you not entertained!?
Last Man Standing
Guests can now sign up for the Men’s Last Man Standing competition for NCAA Basketball Tournament, i.e. March Hoops! For the low, low price of $25, players can purchase an entry into the winner-take-all competition in person at any Station Casinos property or Station-run sports books. Bettors can increase their chances of winning by purchasing multiple entries. Any contestant who purchases four entries will receive a fifth entry complimentary. Contestants will make picks against the spread every day of the tournament, from March 17 to March 20. For those still in the running and haven’t lost, the daily picks will continue from March 24 to March 27, as well as April 2 and April 4. Think of it like standing in the DMV line: the goal of the day is to move forward! Although the grand prize won’t be known until all entries are in, the pot is expected to exceed $50,000. If more than one bettor has a perfect tournament, the pot will be split.
Bets To Know
Look out for rivalries and chippy behavior for a chance to predict a scrap and cash in. Odds available in the app.
STN Sports Weekly Winners
Take a look at this 5-team parlay that cashed on games played this past Saturday:
– Kings -1.5 (+200)
– Leafs -1.5 (+120)
– Lightning (-170)
– Avalanche (-160)
– Canadiens (+140)
