STN Sports Weekly Rundown

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

STN Sports Weekly Rundown

June 8, 2022

Welcome to Las Vegas, where we are putting up triple digits more consistently than any NBA team. Yes, it’s that time of year where we all seek shelter from the sun. Lucky for you, all the Station Casinos Race and Sports Books are air conditioned, so all the coolest locals bet here and on the STN Sports App. Similar to the valley, the sports world is heating up! Let’s quickly look back over the sport’s landscape and take a peek at what’s ahead on the court, on the ice, on the diamond and on the STN Sports App and at the Station Casinos Race and Sports Book.

Hoops
The NBA was a tale of two games for the Station Casinos Race and Sports Book. In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the Book saw a Curry flurry of Warriors money come in, meaning it was cheering hard for the Celtics. “We had five figure wagers on both sides, but the public was clearly on the Warriors side,” said Chuck Esposito, Station Casinos Race and Sports Book Director. “It was a huge handle game. One of the largest handle games that I can remember.” In Game 1, 74 percent of the tickets were on Golden State, whereas 70 percent of the tickets favored the Warriors in Game 2. The public was also all over the unders in the game, giving the Book a rare opportunity to cheer for points. Like a freshman in college, bettors rushed to the counter to bet the Warriors for the series at +160 after Steph Curry and Co. took the L after Game 1. In keeping with the theme here, the early money for Game 3 was also on, you guessed it, the Warriors. Make no mistake about it, the Book will get creamed more than “chowda” if Boston doesn’t come out as the 2022 NBA champs.

While the majority of tickets were placed on the Warriors to win the Finals, the MVP race was totally different. Like a glitter inside a birthday card, bettors were all over Jayson Tatum. “The most money was on Tatum,” Esposito said, believing guests saw value on him at 10-1 odds. That’s the kind of value you see at Bottiglia on Thursdays when wine bottles are half off! The theory: if the Warriors wins the Finals, the MVP could go to a number of players (remember, Curry has never won a Finals MVP.) But, if the Celtics win, the most likely candidate to be MVP is Tatum, as he is the Celtics legitimate superstar.

The Ice Guys
Then there are the Edmonton Oilers. We’ve seen smaller flops on the poker table! “I really thought it would be a much more competitive series,” Esposito stated, alluding to the fact Connor McDavid’s squad was swept (and gave up about million goals in doing so.) “Since they were in the playoffs, I really expected them to make it interesting and maybe go seven games, but I was wrong.” There’s a reason Colorado was such a huge favorite going into the series, and the guests didn’t blink. “They backed Colorado pretty good,” Station’s top odds maker said. “We were definitely Edmonton fans in every game.”

Although the Vegas Golden Knights are not in the playoffs, the Sports Book is feeling the VGK effect. “Because of the Knights, hockey has become that much more popular out here,” Esposito said. “Overall, the handle, even without the Knights, has been terrific.” Unlike the Colorado-Edmonton series, the Tampa Bay-New York series in the Eastern Conference has been competitive and terrific, as it features the two-time defending champion and an Original Six team. The Book has been begging for Rangers wins, particularly after New York was up 2-0 in the series. In Games 3 and 4, Tampa was getting more love than an Elvis-themed wedding chapel, and the fans were rewarded with two Lightning wins. The Rangers and Lightning both have excellent players. It’s really too bad the Knights can’t get guys like Ryan Reaves or Pierre-Édouard Bellemare on their team, or get a guy like Gerard Gallant behind the bench. What do we got to do to get guys like that?

Golf Greats
The golf world was shaken up on Tuesday morning after Dustin Johnson, winner of two majors and one of the best players in the world, announced he was resigning from the PGA Tour and joining the upstart LIV tour. Johnson wasn’t dazed and confused, though, as he said the decision was best for his family (because of his Masters and U.S. Open wins in the past, he can still play in major PGA tournaments.) While LIV doesn’t have the same cachet as the PGA yet, there are still some well-known players joining the series. For the first LIV tournament, which starts on Thursday in London, the “field” bet has the lowest odds, followed by Johnson. Esposito acknowledges that Johnson will likely be a favorite in every LIV tournament… that is, of course, providing no one else jumps over to the promotion. Right now, PGA vs LIV is really a David and Goliath situation (although David is well funded!) To give you an idea of the difference in talent right now, Johnson has the second lowest odds to win LIV premiere. However, at next week’s U.S. Open, he’s not a top 10 favorite, according to the odds. “LIV will definitely will have an effect on the PGA and betting, but I just don’t know what it’s going to be at this point,” Esposito said.

Ball Boys and Girls
Quick, name a Yankees starting pitcher not named Gerrit Cole. We’ll wait. Bettors should probably familiarize themselves with Nestor Cortes Jr. The former No. 9 pick seems to be automatic for the pinstripes when he’s on the bump, as he’s 5-1 with an ERA of 1.50. “He’s come out of nowhere to be the CY Young favorite right now,” Esposito opined. “Cortes Jr. really has been a guy that’s elevated his game to become an ace.”

In football and basketball, the point spread is the equalizer. Baseball does not have such a thing, giving bettors a chance to really add on to parlays which seem to have some common threads this season. The Yankees, Astros, Mets, Dodgers and Padres are often there whereas the Royals, A’s, Diamondbacks and Rockies are not. “Although we’re not even at the All Star Break yet, you still clearly see that gap of the haves and the have nots in MLB,” Esposito said. “Even though they’re laying a big price with the Yankees are Dodgers at times, bettors are okay throwing them in there when you have a four or five or six-team parlay.” The one silver lining for the A’s? At least no one shows up to the stadium to watch them lose.
The College Women’s World Series kicks off on June 8, and the Book is ready. Oklahoma comes in to Game 1 as a huge favorite against bitter rival Texas. For those Sooners backers looking to invest in the game but not lay the big price, the Book and STN Sports App is offering a prop bet tied to Jocelyn Alo. The woman seems to be a walking home run. But will she hit one on during Game 1 on Wednesday? That’s the bet. The “yes” is plus money. Maybe there’s value for a woman who’s smashed 118 homers in her collegiate career, obliterating the previous softball record. Esposito said, “we’re always looking to kind of add something that adds some intrigue and interest to the wagering menu, and I think that Alo prop is something cool right now.”

Bets To Know

Where to start? The STN app and Station Casinos just posted a Women’s College Softball prop where guests can bet on whether Jocelyn Alo, the most prolific home run hitter in women’s softball, will hit a home run or not in game 1 of the WCWS. And with the NBA coming to an end soon, there are still great bets to take such as exact series results, first team to reach a certain amount of points, and a bunch of other player props. NHL still has so much to offer, especially as the Eastern Conference Finals just tied up. Lastly, if you’re looking to bet Golf, US Open Futures, along with LIV Golf menu options, are now available in the app.

STN Sports Weekly Winners

A 6 teamer for the win! This STN Sports bettor hit a nice cross-sport parlay last night. $40 bet to win $3,149.80!

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  • – Tigers -123
  • – Phillies -103
  • – Marlins -1.5 +105
  • – Round Rock Express -1.5 +130
  • – D’Backs OV 10.5 -115
  • – Lighting -1.5 +150
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