The weekend is nearly upon us and there is plenty of exciting sport to look forward too. There’s something for everyone across the world this weekend, from the tensions of the NBA playoffs, to the exhilerrating spectacle of Formula 1. But which events should sports bettors be turning to?
NBA: Sixers vs Raptors: Game 4
When: Saturday 2PM EST
While the lines aren’t known yet due to the outcome of Wednesday night’s game 3 still pending at the time of writing, we can assume that this is going to be a key clash in the seven-game series. The Sixers had a 2-0 lead going into Wednesday’s showdown, the first of two in Toronto.
The Sixers will be without star defender, Matisse Thybulle, but he hasn’t been a huge factor in the series thus far. Furkan Korkmaz and Georges Niang will look to step up in his place.
The first two games were nothing short of dominant from a Sixers standpoint. Joel Embiid forced his way to the free-throw line 12 times in the opening quarter of game 2, and Tyrese Maxey has exploded into the spotlight, leading the team with a burst of young energy.
For Toronto, regardless of how Wednesday night pans out, it’s going to be a must-win game. The Raptors haven’t even come close to slowing down Embiid so far, and if that trend continues, the conseneus for betting this one should be easy to see.
NBA: Nets vs Celtics: Game 3
Saturday 7:30PM EST
Like the Sixers game, we won’t know much about the lines betting-wise until game 2 is in the books and that could go either way.
Boston took the first game thanks to a clutch basket by Jayson Tatum at the buzzer, but all eyes in the arena were on Kyrie Irving as the tension rose throughout the night.
Very little comes close to a rivalry like this when playoff implications are on the line, so regardless of how the lines shape up, it’s going to be a coin-flip.
Premier League: Arsenal vs Manchester United
Fresh off of a 4-0 battering by Liverpool, Manchester United will travel to London to face Arsenal, who have their hands full with Chelsea on Wednesday night. Arsenal has been slumping somewhat recently, winning only one of their last five, and they’re tied on points with United, although they do have two games in hand.
Even so, this will be a huge game considering one of those games in hand is against Chelsea on Wednesday. United may have Cristiano Ronaldo back in the squad, following the tragic news that his baby son passed away. He returned to training on Wednesday.
Formula 1: Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
Formula 1 returns this week after a short break and sees the drivers head to San Marino. Charles Leclerc is the man setting the pace thus far, having won two of the last three races and been on the podium on all three occasions.
It will be interesting to see if Mercedes are able to take a step forward after their wobbly start to 2022, and in the same breath if overachievers like Haas and Alfa Romeo are able to keep exceeding expectations.
From a betting perspective, this could be a great spot to play Max Verstappen. He won the second race of the season but has suffered two DNF’s due to mechanical faults with the car. He won this race back in 2021 and if Red Bull can even gain an inch on the Ferrari’s, then the odds of a Verstappen win (+275) could hold some value.
PGA Tour: Zurich Classic
The PGA Tour heads to New Orleans for a team event. Formed of 80 two-man teams, the Zurich Classic holds plenty of intrigue due to the vast array of pairings. There are some really intriguing duos as well.
It’s hard to look past Colin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland. Two of the brightest young stars in the sport teaming up to throw down is a very exciting angle and one that has pushed them to the top of the pecking order when it comes to betting odds. They’re currently +650 to win.
Chilean duo, Joaquin Niemann and Mito Pereira team up after playing together last week at the RBC Heritage and finding success at the Tokyo Olympics. They’re currently +2500 to win this weekend.
Photo by PI/Zuma Press/Icon Sportswire
