Each week, our “What’s on Tap” series previews the week ahead in the world of sports betting. Come here for a summary of upcoming financial happenings, legislative and regulatory meetings, industry conferences, top games scheduled for the week, and much more. Also, check out our weekly review “Get a Grip” for a look back at last week’s notable news.
Tuesday, May 31
Nadal, Djokovic meet in epic French Open quarterfinal
Rafael Nadal survived a marathon five-setter on Sunday, outlasting Felix Auger-Aliassime in four hours to advance to the French Open quarterfinals. There, he will meet defending champion Novak Djokovic, a straight-set victor over Diego Schwartzman of Argentina.
While Nadal owns a remarkable 109-3 record at the French Open, two of the defeats have come at the hands of Djokovic. Nadal, who has a record 13 French Open singles titles, lost in the semifinals to Djokovic last year. Djokovic remains the +150 favorite at FanDuel to win the tournament, with Nadal the third choice at +440. Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz is the second choice at +270.
Djokovic has a 30-28 all-time record against Nadal, including wins in four of their last seven matches. However, Nadal has won seven of nine meetings against Djokovic at Roland Garros.
Nadal-Djokovic. ÉPISODE 59 🔥#RGsurPrime #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/YrzbIbotHv
— Prime Video Sport France (@PVSportFR) May 29, 2022
Avs-Oilers face off in Game 1 of Western Conference Finals
Through 10 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Connor McDavid has somehow found a way to raise his game to a higher level. McDavid has 23 points in two series, leading the Edmonton Oilers to the conference finals for the first time since 2006. On Tuesday, the Oilers will face the Colorado Avalanche in Denver in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.
For the Avs, Nathan MacKinnon has powered a potent offense with a team-high eight goals in the playoffs. At BetMGM, the Avalanche are heavy -250 favorites to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. Colorado last appeared in the finals in 2002.
Western Conference Finals — Exact Series Result at BetMGM
- Avalanche in 5 — +350
- Avalanche in 6 — +375
- Avalanche in 7 — +400
- Oilers in 7 — +650
- Oilers in 6 — +700
- Avalanche in 4 — +700
McDavid vs MacKinnon – predictions? pic.twitter.com/nYGqX7WFZa
— Don Cherry (@CoachsCornerDC) May 28, 2022
Wednesday, June 1
Allen-Mahomes faces Brady-Rodgers in latest version of The Match
Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are veterans of The Match, logging three combined appearances in the made-for-TV, match-play event since 2020. On Wednesday, the two future Hall of Famers will face a pair of newcomers in Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes at Wynn Resorts in Las Vegas.
Patrick Mahomes calls out Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady for their “old jokes they probably found on Twitter” ahead of The Match next week. Said he looks forward to winning the trash talk battle and the match with Josh Allen. pic.twitter.com/xqvx50jRV5
— Brandon Zenner (@NPNowZenner) May 26, 2022
Of the four quarterbacks in the 12-hole competition, Rodgers has the best handicap at 4.6, followed by Mahomes with a handicap of 7.7. Brady, who holed out for eagle from 100+ yards in the 2020 version of The Match, has a handicap of 8.1. Finally, Allen trails the field with a handicap of 9.0.
Allen missed the cut while teamed with pro golfer Keith Mitchell in February at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Mahomes, meanwhile, finished tied for 50th out of 87 at last summer’s American Century celebrity golf championship in Lake Tahoe. The Brady-Rodgers team (-190) is heavily favored at WynnBET to defeat Allen-Mahomes, who have odds of +155.
Thursday, June 2
Warriors return to NBA Finals for first time since 2019
Entering the regular season, oddsmakers had little faith that the Golden State Warriors could return to pre-pandemic form with a deep run through the NBA Playoffs. The Warriors opened the season with odds around 11/1 to win the title, far below public favorites such as the Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns, and Milwaukee Bucks. But after dismissing the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals in five games, Golden State’s title odds fell to -195 at FanDuel.
The Warriors will host the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, marking Golden State’s first game in the finals since being defeated by the Toronto Raptors in six games in 2019 after the Warriors lost Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson to serious ailments. Though Durant has since taken his talents to Brooklyn, Thompson scored a game-high 32 points in Game 5 against Dallas, showing signs of recovery from a nagging Achilles injury.
Here are the NBA Finals odds for Game 1 of #Warriors vs. #Celtics 😤🙌🏻https://t.co/K41mc6waIB
— Warriors Nation (@WarriorNationCP) May 30, 2022
The Celtics nearly squandered a double-digit fourth quarter lead on Sunday against the Miami Heat, but they held on to win 100-96 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. At Caesars Sportsbook, the Warriors opened as -160 favorites to defeat the Celtics (+140) in the series. Boston opened the season with odds of 50/1 to win the NBA title and could become the largest opening day longshot to win the title in 35 years.
Friday, June 3
Tennessee enters NCAA baseball tourney as CWS favorites
Tennessee waltzed through the SEC Tournament over the weekend, defeating four opponents by a combined 25 runs. The top-ranked Volunteers open Friday’s regionals in the NCAA Tournament as the definitive favorite at FanDuel to win the College World Series, with odds of +260. Oregon State, the second choice, has odds of +750, followed by Oklahoma State and Virginia Tech, both at +1400.
In total, four SEC teams will host regional sites on the weekend — Tennessee, Florida, Texas A&M, and Auburn.
Saturday, June 4
Swiatek pursues second career French Open title
While top seed Iga Swiatek lost a set on Monday for the first time in a month, the Polish player extended her career-best winning streak to 32 matches in a three-set win over Zheng Qinwen. Swiatek needs two more victories this week to earn a spot in Saturday’s French Open women’s final. The draw has opened up for Swiatek, as she entered the second week as the only player in the Top 10 to qualify for the quarterfinals.
Swiatek has odds of -280 at PointsBet to win the tourney, far above Coco Gauff and Leylah Fernandez, the co-second choices at +1000. The men’s draw still has star power on the top half of the draw with Djokovic, Nadal, and Alcaraz all vying for the title. If Nadal can get past Djokovic and perhaps Alcaraz in the semis, he will play for his 14th career French Open singles title on Sunday.
