Now, this is something.
The PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship continues this weekend with some big names — Rory, Phil, Sergio — fully in contention. A double dose of NASCAR zooms into Pennsylvania with two races in the Poconos. And another UFC Fight Night will take over the octagon in Las Vegas on Saturday, with an 11-fight card featuring a lightweight bout between Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker.
Also consider that the MLB, NBA and NHL have solidified their plans to return in July, securing the status of futures bets, and the betting options are as big as they have been in months.
Let’s take a quick look at what you can wager on this weekend.
Rory McIlroy live betting leader for Travelers Championship
At press time, Rory McIlroy was in second place at -7, three strokes off the lead at the PGA Travelers Championship at the TPC River Highlands Course in Cromwell, Connecticut. But McIlroy was the favorite to win according to the live betting odds at Bet Rivers Sportsbook/PlaySugarHouse Sports.
McIlroy was +400, with Xander Schauffele (also at -7) at +650. Bryson Dechambeau (-5) was +800, followed by Viktor Hovland (-8) at +900 and Sergio Garcia (-6) at +1600.
Live betting odds and player scores are certain to change significantly as the tournament continues, so you’ll need to check the PA sportsbooks for updated odds and pricing. Friday’s golf action will be televised from 3-6 p.m. on the Golf Channel. Saturday’s broadcast and Sunday’s final round will air on CBS from 3-6 p.m.
There are also round betting options and some daily fantasy contests available at FanDuel and DraftKings for those seeking other avenues into the action.
Kyle Busch is the betting favorite for NASCAR’s Pocono Organics 325
NASCAR action arrives in the Keystone State this weekend for two races at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. The Pocono track is a unique three-turn course with varying banked turns nicknamed the “Tricky Triangle” by drivers and race fans.
The Pocono Organics 325 is set for Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on FOX. On Sunday, the Pocono 350 will be broadcast at 4 p.m. on FOX, making for a rare two-day racing doubleheader.
In Saturday’s race, Kyle Busch, a former Poconos winner, is the favorite at BetRivers/PlaySugarHouse at +400. He’s followed by Kevin Harvick (+650), Denny Hamlin (+700) and Chase Elliott (+750).
The rest of the top 15 and their odds at BetRivers/PlaySugarHouse are as follows:
- Martin Truex Jr. (+750)
- Brad Keselowski (+800)
- Ryan Blaney (+1000)
- Joey Logano (+1100)
- Erik Jones (+1600)
- Kurt Busch (+2000)
- William Byron (+2000)
- Alex Bowman (+2200)
- Jimmie Johnson (+2500)
- Clint Bowyer (+5000)
- Tyler Reddick (+6000)
More NASCAR betting available in PA
Odds are also available on the remainder of the field. FOX Bet offers different pricing and a boosted bet that pays out +350 if Kevin Harvick or Martin Truex wins.
The regional sportsbooks also have wagering options for top five and top 10 betting, group and head-to-head betting, and special wagers that include over/unders on the winning race car number, and bets on the winning race team and whether or not the winning car is odd or even.
Daily fantasy players can also find a wide variety of DFS contests available at FanDuel and DraftKings for both Saturday and Sunday’s races. The odds for Sunday’s race should be available soon after Saturday’s race is completed.
Poirier is the favorite in Saturday’s UFC main event
According to a fight preview at Forbes.com, UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Hooker features two top-five-ranked lightweights in the main event. Dustin Poirier (25-6) enters at -235 at BetRivers/PlaySugarHouse, while Dan Hooker (20-8) is the underdog at +185. The winner is expected to be a frontrunner for an upcoming title bout.
Saturday’s action will air on ESPN/ESPN+, with the preliminaries starting at 6 p.m. and the main card beginning at 8 p.m. There are multiple UFC betting options for the main event and the other bouts on the 11-fight card, including method of victory, round betting and whether or not the fight will go the distance.
The rest of Saturday’s UFC bouts and their odds at BetRivers/PlaySugarHouse are as follows:
- Mike Perry (-315) vs. Mickey Gall (+235)
- Brendan Allen (-305) vs. Kyle Daukaus (+235)
- Gian Villante (+175) vs. Maurice Greene (-225)
- Sean Woodson (-480) vs. Julian Erosa (+333)
- Luis Pena (-265) vs. Khama Worthy (+205)
- Tanner Boser (-107) vs. Philipe Lins (-115)
- Takashi Sato vs. Ramiz Brahimaj – No Line
- Jordan Griffin (+107) vs. Youssef Zalal (-134)
- Kay Hansen (-175) vs. Jinh Yu Frey (+138)
- Mara Romera Bello vs. Miranda Maverick – No Line
Daily fantasy players can also find contests at FanDuel and DraftKings for Saturday’s action. At DraftKings, a $15 entry offers a first-place prize of $150K.
MLB, NBA and NHL futures are available now
Some other good news arrived in recent days, with the MLB, NHL and NBA solidifying their plans to return. As noted by ESPN, Major League Baseball is planning a condensed 60-game regular season that will begin July 23 or 24 and last until late September.
PA sportsbooks have updated odds for the Phillies and the Pirates based on the amended season schedule.
The NBA and NHL are also planning to resume their seasons in late July. Futures bets for all three leagues are available now at Pennsylvania betting apps.
So the end of summer looks promising for bettors and sports fans alike. But no one will have to wait until then for all the action.
There’s plenty of it this weekend.
