LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The NFL regular season has officially kicked off and that means Las Vegas sportsbooks are seeing one of their busiest weekends of the year.
The Philadelphia Eagles' win over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night opened the season. The Kansas City Chiefs face the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil on Friday night, setting the stage for NFL Sunday.
I visited the STN sportsbook at Red Rock Casino in Summerlin on Friday morning to hear from local bettors and a sportsbook executive.
WATCH | What local bettors want from the regular season
How many games will Pete Carroll's Las Vegas Raiders win? The two sports fans I spoke with, Lew and Alex, ranged from 6-8 wins. That would be an improvement from 4 wins in 2024.
Who will be crowned as Super Bowl champions? Lew thinks the Buffalo Bills will win their first Super Bowl title while Alex would guess that the Eagles repeat as champions.
I dove into Week 1 betting and Super Bowl odds with the Red Rock sportsbook's director of race and sport, Chuck Esposito.
Watch the full chat below
Nick Walters: The NFL season has kicked off and all 32 teams have the same goal, and that's hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. But only one team can reach that goal. We got Chuck Esposito, the director of Race and Sport here at Red Rock Sportsbook. Chuck, what does it look like for the Raiders at least? I know our Las Vegas football fans want to know what it might look like, even if it's slim chances.
Chuck Esposito: Yay sports books. Football's back, so you can just tell by the environment and the atmosphere in the book. It’s electric right now. Raiders play in a really tough division with the Broncos, Chiefs, and Chargers. I think the gap has closed between the Chargers and Broncos with the Chiefs. Raiders are a distant 4th right now, but our locals are really betting the Raiders a lot. I think with the new head coach in Pete Carroll, offensive coordinator in Chip Kelly, you had Geno Smith, Jeanty, a good draft. This team is getting a lot of love from our guests right now.
Nick: On Thursday night, we got to see the defending Super Bowl champions back in action when they beat the Dallas Cowboys. What are the odds look like for the Eagles to repeat?
Chuck: Teams at the top are the Eagles, the Chiefs, the Bills. They're getting a lot of love. The Ravens from our bets right now, but they're really looking for value. Teams a little bit below that, I think in the AFC West, you look at Chargers, Broncos getting a lot of love and the NFC West, Rams and Cardinals getting a lot of love. Steelers and Cowboys as well are getting some backing from the bets right now. But at the top again, Ravens, Bills, Eagles, Chiefs seem to be the four teams that are the favorite at the top of our future bookboard.
Nick: Chuck, this must be one of the busiest times of the year for the sportsbook. Of course we had an electric week one of college football a week ago with Texas versus Ohio State, and now we finally have NFL regular season action. What's it been like here in the room behind us?
Chuck: It's been great. There were people sitting out here early yesterday ready for the game. They were just into it.You could just tell there's a different environment, a different vibe, and electricity in the room, tremendous drink specials going on with that. Delay last night. $3 shots and beers, $1.99 margaritas. Our guests were having a great time here in the Red Rock racing sportsbook.
Nick: Any sleeper picks that you've seen happen more often as a Super Bowl champion this year?
Chuck: The one thing that seems to be getting a little bit of love is the Minnesota Vikings. They play on the road week one against the Bears, a divisional game. They're loaded on defense and on offense, but they do have a rookie quarterback, basically, JJ McCarthy. It's his 2nd year, but he was hurt last year, but He's getting a lot of love right now as well and the Minnesota Vikings. But hey, everybody except the Eagles are 0 and 0 right now, or Eagles and Cowboys. One team has a win, one has a loss. So very early, but a lot of optimism for a lot of teams right now in pro football.
Nick: Chuck, you usually don't see such a massive blockbuster trade days before the season kicks off, like when Micah Parsons was sent from the Cowboys to the Packers, not to mention it's between two marquee franchises in the NFL. What did that huge trade do to shake up some odds.
Chuck: It changed things dramatically. If you look at the Cowboys, they went from 50-1 to be hoisting to Lombardi to 65-1. And in the Packers' case, they went from 18 all the way down to 12 and now the favorite in the NFC North. I'm sure the Lions will have something to say for that, a little bit of a chip on their shoulder maybe, bulletin board material, but the Packers are now the favorite in the NFC North, and it pains me to say that being from Chicago and being a Bears fan, but the Packers are the favorite right now.
Nick: Outside of Super Bowl picks, what are some of the more popular bets being placed at Vegas sportsbooks?
Chuck: There's so many different wagering options, as we talked about kind of the future book. Go on our STN mobile app. There are so many props on each game. You're looking at 300 to 400, maybe 500 different props on each game, which are just exciting. The live wagering aspect, once the game kicks, our guests seem to love as well. In baseball, you're getting towards the penne chase right now in the playoffs, not that far away. It's just an exciting time to be in the race and sportsbook industry and just our crowds and the atmosphere. It's fun on our side of the counter, and we know the guests are having a good time as well. We also have up to a $50 no-worry wager going on right now for new STN mobile sign ups. So a lot of fun stuff going on in all of our racing sportsbooks industry-wide.
Nick: It's an exciting time for Vegas sports bets, and it's an exciting time for football fans everywhere as the NFL season kicks off. Chuck,we really appreciate your time.
Chuck: Alright, thanks a lot and good luck this football season.
-
Vegas Knight Hawks to celebrate IFL Championship with patio party
The Vegas Knight Hawks hosted a party in honor of their first IFL National Championship on Thursday evening at M Resort, flocking together with their fans.
Las Vegas Aces tie league record in matchup against Atlanta Dream
The Aces hold the longest winning streak this season in the league. With a win on Wednesday, the Aces tied the franchise record with 12 straight victories.
VGK drops 2025-26 broadcast schedule with 69 games airing on The Spot-Vegas 34
If you can't make it to T-Mobile Arena or want to make sure you're keeping up with the Guys in Gold when they are on the road, the official broadcast schedule has dropped for the 2025-26 season.
Amari Cooper returns as Las Vegas Raiders finalize 53-man roster ahead of Week 1
The Raiders set their 53-man roster Tuesday, cutting 32 players while reuniting with veteran wide receiver Amari Cooper, who says he’s ready to lead a young receiver group under coach Pete Carroll.
