What a weekend of sports! The NFL, English Premier League, and La Liga start their seasons. Also, the NBA Playoffs and NHL Playoffs continue while tennis crowns women’s and men’s champions at the U.S. Open. Check out a preview of the year’s first gargantuan weekend of sports’ action!
Top Sports Events for This Weekend – Sep. 12 & Sep. 13
- When: Saturday, Sep. 12 – Sunday, Sep. 13
Saturday, Sep. 12
NBA Playoffs
Houston Rockets vs L.A. Lakers – Game 5
So much for the Rockets challenging the mighty Lakers. Since beating L.A. in Game 1, the Lakers have stormed back to win 3 straight. It appears as if Lakers versus Clippers is a shoo-in for the Western Conference Finals. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look to back one of these teams on Saturday. Expect Houston to lay it all out in a must win Game 5.
NHL Playoffs
Vegas Golden Knights vs Dallas Stars – Game 4
Dallas took a 2-to-1 series lead with a fantastic 3-2 Game 3 overtime win. After giving up 3 goals from 27 shots in Game 2, Stars’ goalie Anton Khudobin recorded 38 saves in Game 3. Dallas is more versatile than the Golden Knights. That makes this a massive contest for Vegas.
EPL, MLS, & La Liga Soccer
Major League Soccer has another full slate of games. English Premier League and La Liga start their 2020-2021 seasons on Saturday.
If you’re an EPL fan, watch Fulham versus Arsenal and Liverpool against Leeds. Both chalks should dominate. The key thing to see is if Arsenal has improved enough to challenge Liverpool for the EPL trophy. Also, look to see if Liverpool has taken a backward step.
Major League Baseball
No doubt, Saturday’s top game has the Houston Astros taking on the Dodgers in Los Angeles. The Dodgers will never stop believing the Astros cheated them from a World Series title. Los Angeles considers Houston a rival on par with the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres.
UFC Fight Night: Waterson vs Hill
17-8 Michelle Waterson battles 12-8 Angela Hill in the main event at UFC Fight Night on Saturday evening. Hill has a 1.5 inches reach advantage, which is why she’s the -130 favorite. The co-main event pits 12-0 Ottman Azaitar against 16-6 Khama Worthy. As always, Dana White has put together a fantastic card of top-notch MMA matches.
Tennis U.S. Open Women’s Finals – Naomi Osaka vs Victoria Azarenka
Victoria Azarenka knocked out Serena Williams 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 in one women’s semifinal. Naomi Osaka beat Jennifer Brady 7-6, 3-6, 6-3 in the other semi. Check out MyBookie odds for the U.S. Open Women’s Final
- Victoria Azarenka +134 / Naomi Osaka -188
Osaka has played well enough to take her second U.S. Open title in the past three years. But Azarenka beat five top 20 seeds on her way to face Naomi. She’s on fire right now. So, don’t back Osaka without handicapping this match.
College Football
The AAC, ACC, and Big 12 are in action on Sep. 12. The top matchup has the Duke Blue Devils traveling to South Bend to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Irish are -20 ½ chalks to dominate the Blue Devils.
An interesting game happens during the day when Florida State battles Georgia Tech as a -13 ½ favorite. Clemson, a +200 choice to win the National Championship, travels to Wake Forest to battle the Demon Deacons as a -33 ½ fave in the primetime game.
Sunday, Sep. 13
F1 Tuscan Grand Prix
Pierre Gasly won the Italian GP last Sunday. Yes, you read that right. Almost nobody expects Pierre to make it two wins in a row. Will Gasly shock the world again? Can Lewis Hamilton get back to the top spot on the podium? Will a different driver step it up enough for the Tuscan Grand Prix victory?
NBA Playoffs
L.A. Clippers vs Denver Nuggets – Game 6 if necessary
If the Nuggets beat the Clippers in Game 5 on Friday, LAC and Denver throw down on Sunday. Pay attention to that Friday matchup to see if this Game 6 happens.
NHL Playoffs
Tampa Bay Lightning vs New York Islanders – Game 4
Depending on what happens in Friday’s Game 3, the Lightning could play for a spot in the Stanley Cup Finals on Sunday or the Islanders could play to even the series. No matter the scenario, Game 4 should be epic.
EPL, MLS, & La Liga Soccer
There’s awesome soccer league action on Sunday, including a top English Premier League battle between Everton and Tottenham.
Major League Baseball
The Dodgers and Astros go head-to-head again on Sunday. That’s the most intriguing matchup of the day. Also note that Houston is 6 ½ games behind the Oakland Athletics in the AL West. This weekend, the Stros are playing for more than pride.
NASCAR: Federated Auto Parts 400 – Darlington Raceway
Kevin Harvick has won 2 of the last 3 Monster Energy Cup events. He won at Dover on August 23 and at Darlington last Sunday. He finished second behind William Byron at Daytona on August 29.
Tennis U.S. Open Men’s Final
We don’t know who will win the U.S. Open Men’s Final. What we do know is that the winner will be among Pablo Carreno, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, and Dominic Thiem.
NFL Week 1
The first NFL Sunday happens on Sep. 13. Top matchups include Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers traveling to New Orleans to battle Drew Brees and the Saints, the Seattle Seahawks at the Atlanta Falcons, and the Arizona Cardinals taking on the San Francisco 49ers.
Have a great weekend!