The first weekend of January delivers one of the most stacked betting slates of the year. NFL Week 18 wraps up the regular season with division titles, playoff spots, and seeding all on the line, while the College Football Playoff rolls on with New Year’s matchups that feel more like championship games than bowls. Add in marquee college basketball, a strong NBA and NHL weekend, Premier League action, and the PGA Tour kicking off 2026 in Hawaii, and there’s no shortage of betting opportunities.
Top Sports of the Weekend — MyBookie
NFL Week 18 – January 3–4, 2026
Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — 4:30 PM ET (Sat) — Baker versus Bryce and the Panthers versus the Bucs for the division title. Someone’s got to win the NFC South, right?
Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers — 8:00 PM ET (Sat) — Not only are the Hawks and Niners playing for the NFC West but the two squads are also battling for the top seed in the NFC Playoffs. So, yeah, lots at stake in this one.
New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons — 1:00 PM ET (Sun) — The Saints hope to lock down a fifth straight victory. Don’t look now but Tyler Shough, New Orleans’ rookie QB, is the fave to win offensive rookie of the year. If Shough throws another brilliant 300 yards plus game and a couple of TDs, Saints win.
Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals — 1:00 PM ET (Sun) — Cincy wants to end the season on a winning note. Beating the Browns won’t be easy because Myles Garrett can sack Joe Burrow multiple times in this one. Bengals’ O-line versus Garrett? Give me Myles every time.
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings — 1:00 PM ET (Sun) — A meaningless game that should go to the Vikings because the Packers will sit multiple starters. No reason to get anyone hurt when you have a wild card game coming up.
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants — 1:00 PM ET (Sun) — Dak wants to play. We’ll see if that happens. Even if he does, the Giants’ defense played great versus the Raiders, this is a home game, and Dallas’ D is going to struggle to contain Jaxon Dart.
Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars — 1:00 PM ET (Sun) — If the Jags win, they will lift the AFC South Championship strap. The Titans don’t have much chance in this one.
Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans — 1:00 PM ET (Sun) — The Texans must win and then hope the Jaguars lose. The Colts will start Riley Leonard in this. It shouldn’t be pretty unless Houston decides to sit Will Anderson and some other players on defense.
New York Jets at Buffalo Bills — 4:25 PM ET (Sun) — Buffalo is one of those teams that should sit some players. But don’t expect the Brady Cook led Jets to get it done. J-E-T-S doesn’t have the team to hang with the Bills.
Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears — 4:25 PM ET (Sun) — The NFL probably expected this matchup to mean something. It doesn’t. The Bears should sit players to rest up for next Sunday because they’ve won the NFC North and will host a game. Detroit is out of the playoffs and have no reason to play Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, or Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos — 4:25 PM ET (Sun) — Harbaugh has already said he’s sitting his top players. So the LA Chargers head to Denver without bullets in the gun. The Broncos win and they secure the top seed in the playoffs.
Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders — 4:25 PM ET (Sun) — Chiefs at Raiders is the most meaningless game in NFL Week 18. Even if the Raiders win, they won’t lose the top pick in the draft because in the head-to-head with the Giants, they lost.
Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams — 4:25 PM ET (Sun) — The Rams lost to the Falcons in NFL Week 17. So LAR has no reason to play Matthew Stafford or any of their other keys players. The Cardinals could beat the Rams in this one. Consider the ML if LAR is the chalk.
Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots — 4:25 PM ET (Sun) — New England can grab home field advantage if they win and the Broncos lose. The Pats play at the same time as Denver. Expect another New England blowout victory.
Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles — 4:25 PM ET (Sun) — Philly should rest their starters for this. The Eagles host a wild card game next week and there’s nothing at stake in this game.
Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers — 8:20 PM ET (Sun) — The final regular game of the season pits the Ravens versus the Steelers. Last checked, the Steelers are a +3.5 home dog. TJ Watt should play. So handicap this one fully and consider all injuries, especially Lamar’s, before dumping on the fave or dog.
College Football Playoff
Miami Hurricanes vs Ohio State Buckeyes — 8:00 PM ET (Wed, Dec. 31) — Miami’s D faces a much better quarterback in Julian Sayin than A&M’s Marcel Reed. The Canes have their work cut out for them to move to the semifinals.
Oregon Ducks vs Texas Tech Red Raiders — 4:00 PM ET (Thu, Jan. 1) — Oregon is an underlay at -2.5. The Ducks were outscored in the second half of their win over the James Madison Dukes. Texas Tech’s defense is elite. A moneyline upset is in the cards.
Alabama Crimson Tide vs Indiana Hoosiers — 8:30 PM ET (Thu, Jan. 1) — It would be great to put money on the Tide to win this straight up. But Indiana is the most complete team in the College Football Playoff. Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza doesn’t make mistakes. The Hoosiers should win big.
Ole Miss Rebels vs Georgia Bulldogs — Noon ET (Thu, Jan. 1) — Georgia’s defense has been spectacular in recent weeks. UGA is probably the best team to back to beat the Buckeyes and Hoosiers and win the CFP. Ole Miss is in trouble.
Men’s College Basketball (Saturday, Jan. 3)
Kentucky Wildcats at Alabama Crimson Tide — 12:00 PM ET — Kentucky’s SEC opener against Alabama kicks off Saturday’s high-profile slate. Alabama’s physical play inside and the SEC rivalry context make this game especially ripe for spread bettors.
Tennessee Volunteers at Arkansas Razorbacks — 3:00 PM ET — Tennessee travels to Fayetteville in an early conference battle. Both teams will lean on defensive intensity and rebounding battles that could determine whether this goes over or under.
Duke Blue Devils at Florida State Seminoles — 3:45 PM ET — Duke’s explosive offense faces Florida State’s disciplined defense in a mid-afternoon tilt. Tempo and transition buckets will be key betting angles here.
Arizona Wildcats at Utah Utes — 4:00 PM ET — Arizona heads to Utah for a Big 12 rival matchup with postseason implications. This game has upset potential if Utah controls pace and limits turnovers.
NBA Weekend Spotlight
Oklahoma City Thunder at Phoenix Suns — 7:00 PM ET (Sun, Jan. 4) — The Thunder take on the Suns in a marquee Western Conference tilt. Star power on both sides should keep the live totals and spreads in play.
NHL Weekend Highlight
Pittsburgh Penguins at Detroit Red Wings — 7:00 PM ET (Sat, Jan. 3) — Two Original Six rivals meet with early playoff positioning in view. Fast pace and blue lines could decide value.
English Premier League
Manchester City vs Chelsea — 10:00 AM ET (Sun, Jan. 4) — Man City hosts Chelsea in a clash with league positioning on the line. The game takes place at Etihad Stadium. So City has the edge.
PGA Tour — The Sentry Jan. 2–5, 2026
The PGA Tour kicks off 2026 with The Sentry in Hawaii. Early rounds can set up live betting value while favorites find their stride.
From winner-take-all NFL divisional games to high-pressure College Football Playoff matchups, this weekend offers bettors plenty of profit making opportunities. Soccer, hockey, and golf round out a slate that kicks off 2026 in a big way. Get your bets down early and get the New Year started right!
