Start 2014 with a few good bets!
The night between the years is meant to be celebrated with friends and partying, and maybe even a little bit of gambling. 2014 will kick off with a variety of sports betting options so punters can get a head start on the year and maybe even cash a few nice returns.
European football betting
The United Kingdom remains the best spot for sports betting as we get ready to step into 2014 and there is a full calendar of betting options across the major football leagues. The Premier League is getting close to finishing and this is normally when the action heats up as the big clubs begin to show their determination.
The first day of January will have 10 games running for Barclay’s Premier League and most of them will start at 3 pm local time. Arsenal continues to lead with 42 points but the race for the title is very close as Manchester City is just one point behind, followed by Chelsea with 40.
With so much happening this season, some players may not be performing at their full potential and a slip-up can mean a huge return from a bet on the underdogs. It is certainly something to consider as you get your bets in for the first day of 2014.
The Premier League is not the only major tournament in the British Islands gamblers can wager on tomorrow and the Scottish Premier League will also have some of its major teams battling it out after the New Year’s celebrations.
US sports betting action
Moving on the other side of Atlantic, the major American leagues will make sure that sports bettors have a good selection of games to wager on. The NBA has several games scheduled for these couple of days, highlighted by the match between the Portland Trailblazers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The top two teams in the Northwest Division are separated by just one win, although Portland has played one more game than Oklahoma City, and it should be a very exciting matchup to finish 2013. The New Orleans Pelicans will then travel to Minnesota to play the Timberwolves on Wednesday for another high-scoring, action-packed game.
Since there is no better way to celebrate New Year’s than around snow and ice, NHL fans will have some pretty big games to think about as they count down the last seconds of the year. To get things started, the San Jose Sharks will play the Anaheim Ducks today and the New Jersey Devils versus the Pittsburgh Penguins will steal the spotlight tomorrow.
Of course, we should not forget that January 1st means the Winter Classic; an event which has become quite popular in hockey and should bring in a lot of betting action. This year, two of the biggest franchises in the game will go head-to-head as the Toronto Maple Leafs will take on the Detroit Red Wings for one of the biggest spectacles on ice of 2014. 50,000 cheering fans are expected to fill the Big House stadium in Michigan.
While the NFL won’t have any games for a few days, the pigskin will not be idle around the New Year. College football will make sure that fans have something to bet on as four bowl games are just around the corner. Arguably, the biggest one is the Chick-fil-A Bowl which will see two strong teams battle it out in the Texas A&M and the Duke Blue Devils on the night between the years.
As soon as 2014 comes around, the college football action will increase significantly, with 6 games scheduled for tomorrow that include some highly-anticipated matchups.
It is very likely that the first day of 2014 will generate some of the top stories of the year, given the crowded schedule bettors will be able to enjoy.
