There are no shortage of betting opportunities available in 2023. A few events that will take place during the first half of the year will be certain to attract a lot of attention from odds-makers the world over.
Super Bowl LVII Glendale, Arizona – February 12
The Super Bowl is the most watched annual sporting event in the world and whether at the stadium in person or viewing from afar, betting on the game can be a great feeling. Last year’s showdown between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals was viewed by 99.18 million Americans according to Statista.
Sportsbook FanDuel has decided to step into the ever-lucrative world of Super Bowl advertising that you may have noticed has started during the playoffs. “The Kick of Destiny” campaign features Rob Gronkowski in a series of monthlong ads and social media, culminating in Gronk kicking a field goal live at the game, in order for fans who have used FanDuel’s Sportsbook to bet on the Super Bowl, a chance to win a share of $10 million.
Bookmakers worldwide won’t be missing out on this event and regardless of whether you are an experienced gambler or a first-timer, numerous odds and markets are available. Wagers can be placed on the outcome of the coin toss, the moneyline, point spread, and even what will be the first song that halftime show performer Rhianna will sing, with What’s My Name? currently leading the way at +250.
Now that we have reached the end of Wild Card weekend the current favorites to take home the trophy according to DraftKings are Kansas City at +320, with Buffalo second at +380, followed by San Francisco at +450.
NFL Draft Kansas City – April 27-29
The spotlight is never not shining on the NFL, just how they like it. But while the NFL Draft takes place during the offseason in April, it’s still a major betting event among the football-watching public.
This year’s iteration will be held outside the plaza of Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri. When it comes to betting, reading the odds and calculating potential wins and losses is done the same way as for any other wager.
Betting on an event such as the Draft does require some knowledge of the NFL landscape, there is a certain amount of luck involved also. Due to its increased level of interest from the gambling community over the last few years, online sportsbooks have developed a deep market of betting options for the event to suit all levels of fans, including 1st, second, and 3rd overall pick, a players draft position, first-team pick by position, total 1st round picks by position and a player going in the top 2, 3, 5, 10, etc.
The majority of online sportsbooks have welcome bonuses available for new players and around the time of the NFL Draft, you can parlay these deals into some profits if you do things the right way.
Boxing – Tyson Fury v Oleksandr Usyk Heavyweight Unification – TBC
We know that this showdown between these two undefeated heavyweights will take place in the spring of 2023, with calendars penciled in for a date sometime between late March and early April and with the location also yet to be confirmed.
Bookmakers have made Tyson Fury a strong favorite against Oleksandr Usyk in a fight between the pair, when they last released odds on January 19, 2023.
He is currently -250 to win the fight outright, while you can get +180 on Oleksandr Usyk if you fancy the upset.
87th Masters at Augusta – April 6-9
Despite the arrival of the LIV Golf tournament having seemingly divided men’s golf, Augusta National Golf Club chairman Fred Ridley announced that the club will “invite those eligible under our current criteria to compete in the 2023 Masters Tournament.”
Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka and Cameron Smith and are already in the 2023 field while Abraham Ancer, Harold Varner III, Kevin Na and Louis Oosthuizen are all in position to lock up their Masters berth via the year’s final Official World Golf Ranking.
At the moment you can get Tony Finau at 33-1 via FanDuel to win the iconic green jacket. Only three players matched Finau’s win total on the PGA Tour last year (3). All three of them (Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Cam Smith) are major winners. It’s time for Finau to join that elite company.
As an outside bet you can also get Bryson DeChambeau at 50-1 with Caesars Sportsbook. Before all this LIV stuff, it was a matter of when, not if, DeChambeau would win a Masters. Yes, he has been humbled by Augusta National, but between that and bolting for LIV, perhaps DeChambeau and will be extra motivated to show up and show out in April.
Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs – May 3-7
Held every first Saturday in May since 1875 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky and known as the “fastest two minutes in sport,” the Kentucky Derby is the longest-running continuous sporting event in the US.
The official Kentucky Derby lineup includes three full days of racing: Thurby, an all-day event on Thursday tailored to the local crowd, Oaks Day on Friday for fillies races and Derby Day itself on Saturday. Each racing day features 11 – 14 different races of varying lengths.
Check out Twin Spires for all of the up to date info about how to bet on horse racing if you’re inexperienced, as well as form guides for all horses that are racing in the lead up to the Derby itself.
2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club, Rochester, New York – May 18-21
The PGA Championship, also sometimes referred to as the US PGA is currently the second major tournament in the golfing calendar and is held at various venues. The 2023 edition takes place at the Oak Hill Country Club.
The East Course at Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford near Rochester, New York will host the US PGA Championship for the fourth time and first since 2013. The Oak Tree lined course has undergone restoration as recently as 2019 and half of the 18 holes have a lateral water hazard with the course situated on the eastern branch of Allen Creek.
Vegas Insider has defending champion Justin Thomas as the joint favorite to retain his title alongside Spaniard Jon Rham at +1000. Rory McIlroy is tied up alongside Scottie Scheffler at +1200 closely followed by Colin Morikawa at +1600.
2023 NBA Finals – TBC
The Boston Celtics found themselves on the losing end of the 2022 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors, but after an incredible start to the season with head coach Joe Mazzulla, they sit as the favorites to win the NBA Finals at +360.
The New Orleans Pelicans currently sit in third place within a very tight Western Conference and have spent some time at the top this season. It would not be shocking to see the Pelicans make a deep run in the playoffs led by Williamson and crew if they are healthy. New Orleans has +2200 odds to win the NBA Finals and it seems like everything will only improve when Williamson and Ingram return from their injury.
The Brooklyn Nets started the season 1-5 but have since gone 26-10, with Ben Simmons filling up the stat sheet averaging 7.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game while also adding 1.5 steals per game as well. The team is gelling beyond what many thought at the beginning of the season, but if they can hold on to a top-6 seed during Kevin Durant’s absence, this team (currently +550) should be able to finish in the top three come the start of playoffs.
