Hot takes, bad beats and all things sports betting, a weekly newsletter by Steven Money.

STN Sports Weekly Rundown

April 6, 2022

The NCAA Championship Game had Station Casinos bettors feeling (Carolina) blue. About 57% of tickets bet on the big game anticipated that the Kansas Jayhawks would cover the four-point line. In the end, Kansas won 72-69. For those of you who failed math, that’s a three-point difference. North Carolina covered, as did the under, all of which amounted to a huge, huge win for the Station Casinos Sports Book (thanks, in part, to one particularly large bet that went viral).

Of course, even as college hoops fades to a distant memory, the action never stops. With all that in mind, let’s quickly look over the sports landscape and take a peek at what’s ahead on the court, on the ice, on the links, on the STN Sports App and at the Station Casinos Sports Book.

Rock No-Chalk Jayhawk
The favorite wins, but doesn’t cover the short line. Haven’t we seen this before? Oh yeah, the Big Game! The Rams were a four point favorite and won by three against Cincinnati in the NFL’s biggest game. On Monday night, we saw lightning strike twice, as the Jayhawks won, but failed to cover. (Rams/Cinci also went under the total too. Just saying).

“We were big Carolina fans on our side of the counter,” said Chuck Esposito, Station Casinos Sports Book Director. “To have the number fall one, two or three and stay under the total was really the best case scenario for us.” KU fans had a glimmer of hope before Dajuan Harris Jr. stepped on the out-of-bounds line as he streaked up the floor with just seconds remaining. For Kansas backers, that line will be more cursed than the one leading to the DMV. While money line Kansas bettors were rewarded, so too were in-play bettors on the STN App. When UNC went on its dominant first-half run, bettors could suddenly get Kansas with a fistful of plus points. Esposito said in-play bettors loaded up on KU throughout the night and at halftime. “When you have a team that is a four point favorite trailing by 15 at halftime, there’s almost that mindset that you can’t make the second half number big enough,” Esposito opined, giving a glimpse into an oddsmakers mentality. “Of course you wanna stay within market by doing the analytics and the math associated with it, but we opened Kansas -7 in the second half and guests bet that like they knew the final score.” The second half over was also a hugely popular bet, which failed to cover. When everything was said and done, KU completed the biggest comeback in NCAA Final history. This game had everything… everything, that is, except Coach K! Zing!

Size Matters
One particular bet made at Red Rock caught not only the eye of the city, but the country, too. A few minutes before tipoff, a Red Rock guest bet a $1 million dollars on Kansas -4. Had the ticket cashed, the total payout would have been $1,909,090.90. As the one and only Steven Money, I posted a copy of the ticket to my social media, and a bevy of national and local media outlets fawned over it. That was hardly the only heavy bet Station took in, as several guests made five-figure wagers. “I would say the four or five largest wagers we had in the game were all on Kansas, either on the spread or money line,” Esposito said. After the clock struck zero, there’s no doubt the majority of big bettors were reeling faster than an Alabama bass fisherman. One guest was particularly happy, though, as they made an in-season $500 gamble on Kansas to win it all at 15-to-1 odds. That person pocketed $7,500.

Then There Were Two…
It takes two! After 67 games, two guests have emerged from a field of 2,643 contestants to win Station Casinos’ Last Man Standing contest. Those two perfect prognosticators picked one correct game against the spread every single day of the men’s tournament. Going into the Final Four, 13 guests remained in the running, but the Villanova and Duke losses took out more people than a corporate credit card at a business conference. The two winners will split the $53,375 pot.

Speed It Up
The worst-kept secret in Las Vegas became official over the past week: F1 is coming. Although one of the biggest sports in the world won’t descend on our little desert oasis until November 2023, betting is available now! The STN Sports App currently has odds up on the winning team for that still-19-months-away-race (I see you, Red Bull). “Not only does the race have international popularity, but with the backdrop of the Strip I think this will quickly become both a betting and fan favorite on the circuit. This will be the biggest bet race of the year in 2023,” Esposito said. “We’re always looking, regardless of what the sport is, to kind of think outside the box to try to be first to market and get something up. That was kind of our mindset and putting this up so far in advance.” There’s no doubt that F1 has exploded in popularity, somewhat due to the Netflix’s Drive To Survive. The only thing that’s more popular: Las Vegas as a major sports destination.

The Missing Link
Shifting gears (see what I did there!)… he’s playing the Masters, y’all. He’s playing the freakin’ Masters! On Tuesday, Tiger Woods said he’s healthy enough to try and chase down another green jacket, and the Sports Book quickly adjusted to such news. Woods now sits in the top 13 in terms of odds to win the whole shebang. One week before the announcement, Tiger’s odds sat at about 60-to-1 at Station Casinos and on the STN Sports App. After the PGA said His Tigerness was practicing, the odds dropped a smidge to 45-to-1. Now that we know he’s teeing off, the odds have since been slashed in half. “There’s no question that our largest liability on the Masters is Tiger. We have more tickets on him than any other golfer in the field,” Esposito said. In addition to the future’s bets, a treasure trove of Masters prop bets are available. With so many golf options, guests can take more swings than that a-little-too-friendly married couple next door. Considering Tiger’s involvement, we know that all the eyes of the world will be trained on him this weekend. “If for some reason that certain guy in a red polo is still alive going into Sunday, it becomes must-see TV,” Esposito said. If that happens, expect even more action on TW.

Pitchers and Catchers
A jam-packed intersection of sports is happening this week. On Thursday, not only will there be NBA and NHL games; the Masters begins and it’s Opening Day in baseball! Buckle up! The action will start early in the day and run later than a Grammys ceremony. “The big thing for baseball is that during the first month of the season, we’ve got a lot of day baseball, which is great,” Esposito said. “You’ve got so many early morning games in the day, which adds to the whole atmosphere in the sports book.” For those night owls who want even more baseball, Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball and South Korea’s KBO should wet your whistle. As for why NPB and KBO are offered, Esposito explained, “This was kind a sport that was added during COVID when a lot of the American sports weren’t being played, but it’s been so popular that we’ve kept it on the wagering menu because of the response from the public.”

One Minor Thing
The pros can’t have all the fun. For the first time ever, the STN Sports App and at the Station Casinos Sports Book put up odds on the Vegas Knight Hawks game this week. Now that Russell Wilson won’t say it, we will: Go Hawks! In addition, lines on the Las Vegas Aviators games will soon be up. Options on the indoor football league and minor league baseball? In the words of the late, great “Hot” Rod Hundley, You Gotta Love It, Baby! “Stuff that’s in our own backyard, we’re always looking to be aggressive with and put it on the board,” Esposito said.

Bets To Know

STN Sports Weekly Winners