Hail yeah! College football crowned its newest kings on Monday, and Michigan came out on top. Hail to the victors! The Wolverine’s win was a financial coup for the STN Sports Books, who were ailing from a weekend in which guests ruled the final week of the NFL’s regular season. Many bettors threw the National Championship onto their NFL parlays, which only added to the liability on Monday.
“It was a good Week 18 for the bettors,” said Chuck Esposito, Station Casinos’ Race and Sports Book Director. “There was definitely more liability going into the championship game than before the weekend started because of all those carryover bets.”
With all that in mind, let’s quickly look back at the past week in sports and peek at what’s ahead on the STN Sports app and at the Station Casinos Race and Sports Books.
The Natty
Like dishes a Guy Fieri’s restaurants, the Huskies had no bite. On the day of the National Championship (and in the days leading to it) guests flooded STN Books with Washington Huskies money. In fact, about 65% of the ticket count was on the team from the Pacific Northwest. Plus, the future book was an issue, as the Huskies opened the season with championship odds of 45-to-1 odds (and yes, some guests had that ticket.) Michigan was always in the top five of the future book, so liability wasn’t nearly as pronounced.
“Monday was really best case scenario,” Esposito said. “Getting Michigan to win and cover and have the game stay under was really good for us and good from a future book standpoint. Washington winning outright would’ve clearly been worst case scenario.” In the end, Michael Penix Jr.’s squad just couldn’t handle the Fighting Harbaughs.
These two teams aren’t done fighting either. The Wolverines will travel to Seattle next October play the Huskies in Big Ten play. One month after that, Michigan will also have a lot to say about who goes to Washington… albeit Washington D.C.
Pro Football Playoffs
The NFL scriptwriters got it right for the playoffs. We have Mike McCarthy’s newest squad, the Cowboys, playing his old squad, the Packers. We’ve got Matthew Stafford traveling to Detroit, his hometown of 12 season, as the quarterback of the Los Angeles Rams. Tyreek Hill and his Dolphins head to his old stomping grounds in Kansas City, too. Not even Aaron Rodgers and Jimmy Kimmel can produce drama like this. The weather could be a factor in the Miami at Kansas City and Pittsburgh at Buffalo games. Western New York is supposed to see snow and a high of 25 on Sunday. In Kansas City on Saturday, the day of the game, it’s supposed to be windy with single-digit highs. The low that day: -6. That colder than the reception of a Jo Koy monologue.
“Because the weather is supposed to be really, really bad in both Buffalo and Kansas City, you have to think the ‘dog has a little bit of a chance,” Esposito said. “The Steelers are a double-digit ‘dog but they can be really loose in this game. But, Buffalo might be the hottest team in the league. Miami only has one kind of signature win, and that was against the Cowboys. They’re a little bit banged up. I never want to count out Patrick Mahomes, but Kansas City hasn’t been great.”
Dallas Dominance
By definition, all playoff teams are good. But there has to be value somewhere, right? Look no further than Big D. Dallas enters the game as favorites of more than a touchdown against a very good and perhaps overachieving Packers squad. The way Esposito sees it, the total could be the play.
“The Cowboys have been really dominant at home this year, but I’m still a little leery of them,” he said, “but the Packers defense has not been great. I think if I had to pick a play I would say the over on the Packers/Cowboys total. I could see a lot of points scored in that one.” This game could go higher than a defendant jumping over a judge’s courtroom bench.
Rams Sneaky Pick?
The only thing scarier than the Rams might be Tupac Shakur’s suspect being released on bail. “I personally think the Rams are a live dog in that game against Detroit,” Esposito said. The Lions have been very good at home this year, but their defense might be a little suspect against the pass, which is Rams’ bread and butter.
“If you’ve got a healthy Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, coupled with the way Kyren Williams is running the ball, that could cause the Lions problems,” Esposito said. “It wouldn’t stun me if we see some significant Rams play. We’ve already seen some of that. That’s a team is dangerous when healthy.” Considering the blockbuster 2021 trade that involved Jared Goff and Stafford, both of these quarterbacks should have chips on their shoulders bigger than that Doritos ad enveloping the Luxor.
It’s early, but lines on this weekend’s playoffs have taken more turns than a Durango roulette wheel. So far, money has come in on the Browns, Chiefs, Bills, Eagles, and Cowboys — all those games have seen lines move up a half-point. The biggest question of all? Who will be punching their tickets to Vegas for Super Bowl LVIII. “I think Buffalo is better than most people think. A Ravens/Bills AFC title game for me seems really live, and it wouldn’t stun me to see Buffalo and San Francisco in the Super Bowl,” Esposito said.
Bets To Know
Look for an expanded menu in the all-new STN Sports App heading in the NFL playoffs. Tons of player props are available to bet, and are now parlayable with the Same Game Parlay feature.
Weekly Winners
We have our $150,000 WINNER! Bill J. outlasted 6,324 entries to win the Pro Football Last Man Standing contest. In week 17, Bill selected selected Ravens -3½, while the other entrant selected Rams -4½. Congrats to this winner.