Flashback to last week’s column where Station Casinos’ Race and Sports Book Director Chuck Esposito predicted a high-scoring Super Bowl game that the Chiefs would win in come-from-behind fashion (*Checks game… Chiefs win after being down by 10 points.) Are you not entertained?
The biggest NFL weekend of the year has come and again, but memories of that all-time thriller remain. “That game was video game-esque,” Esposito said. “From a wagering side, you were up, you were down. It’s kind of what you want in the Super Bowl, provided you were on the right side.”
With all that in mind, let’s quickly look back at Super Bowl 57 and look at what’s ahead on the STN Sports App and at the Station Casinos Race and Sports Books…
Big Game, Big Money
According to estimates, $153 million was wagered on the big game, and the majority of that — at least at Station Casinos — seemed to be bet on the Philadelphia Eagles, as about 70% of the tickets were punched for the birds. In other words, the Book won on the Chiefs (this despite a six-figure Kansas City bet that one of the Station Books took in).
However, thanks to two defenses that have more leaks than a Long Beach-to-Las Vegas gas pipeline, the over easily cleared the closing number of 51. The oddsmakers were hoping for a low-scoring game, but they quickly knew that that was a lost cause. The game saw more scoring than a Valentine’s Day date.
“More of the sharp action was on the under, but the public was clearly on the over, and we knew very early in the game that we weren’t getting it to stay under,” Esposito said. “You could tell basically after each team’s first drive that that game is not staying under.” With the underdog Chiefs winning, it marked the ninth time over the past 12 years in which the ‘dog has covered in the Super Bowl… Hell, the ‘dogs have won outright eight of those times.
Who Won The Money?
The Book chalked up a small win in the Super Bowl prop bets department, but many guests cleaned up like a Hank’s steakhouse busboy. Guests won on a bevy of beloved prop bets, from a successful fourth down conversation, a successful two-point conversation and the always-popular defensive touchdown bet. Guests also won with touchdowns from AJ Brown and Travis Kelce, both of them seemed to be more open than the new Wildfire on East Fremont.
“Anytime there’s a high-scoring game with a lot of different players scoring, it’s never going to bode well for our side of the counter,” Esposito said. “We did well on the special point spreads. If the game would have been a blowout, that would have hurt us.” Further, if the game went into overtime or included a safety, that would have been uglier than Mark Davis’ now-former hairstyle.
Added Esposito, “From a prop perspective, this was probably one of the better Super Bowls for the guests.”
MVP Talk
When Patrick Mahomes was named MVP of Super Bowl 57, oddsmakers breathed easy. Both Mahomes and Philly QB Jalen Hurts were the favorites to win the award, so prices were low and created little liability. Kelce was a hugely popular pick, boasting 9-to-1 MVP odds, so there was some liability on him. Now, had Hasson Reddick or either backup quarterback won MVP, the Book might have collapsed faster than a William Hill app.
Raiders QB?
Speaking of the quarterbacks, the Raiders are in the market for a quarterback, and that new master of ceremonies might be Aaron Rodgers. If the Green Bay quarterback were to come to Vegas, that would impact the Raiders’ future book odds.
“If Rodgers goes to the Raiders, I think he’s the only one that really significantly moves the needle,” Esposito said. Still, the Chiefs and Bills would have lower 2024 Super Bowl odds than the Raiders would with No. 12. Rodgers, of course, is also being heavily linked to the Jets. Since there is still mystery surrounding his future, the 2024 future book numbers do not reflect his potential landing spot.
With Rodgers currently sitting in a darkness retreat, he’s hiding more than the streaker at the 16th hole of the Waste Management Open.
Bets To Know
Vegas, you’re on the clock. And, you can already bet on who you think will be playing at Allegiant Stadium next February in Super Bowl 58. There are few surprises at the top of the list, as the Chiefs, 49ers, Bills, Eagles, and Bengals have the lowest odds to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in 2024. Interestingly, the biggest futures bet so far has come on the Broncos at 40-to-1 odds.
“As strange as it sounds, as soon as the Sean Peyton signing went through, the biggest move we saw was a good-sized bet on the Broncos to win the Super Bowl,” Esposito said. If the Broncos someone win in 2024, the Book could get burned like an Ohio chemical spill.
Weekly Winners
A nice payday for this College Basketball bettor! $400 walks away with $29,429 on this 7-teamer on Valentine’s Day:
- – 1H MICHIGAN +1 -115
- – 1H KANSAS -120
- – 1H KAN ST OV 66 -110
- – 1H KANSAS OV 66 -110
- – 1H MICHIGAN OV 62 -110
- – 2H VILLANOVA -5.5 -110
- – 1H KANSAS ST +1 -110