5 Live Events That You Can Legally Bet On This Weekend: 5/29 – 5/31
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Although the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the sporting world, some leagues have been returning to action. The British Premier League will come back in two weeks, and the NHL should follow suit shortly thereafter! La Liga should be back soon as well. Until then, however, we’ve still got some respectable betting options to consider. Here are this weekend’s best plays.
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1. UFC Fight Night: Woodley vs. Burns
Where: 888sport, FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, FOX Bet, William Hill.
When: Saturday at 9:00 PM EST (ESPN+).
The UFC is back in action once again, this time from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tyron Woodley will make his first appearance since losing the welterweight title last March, as a series of injuries and canceled fights have kept him out of the octagon. Meanwhile, betting underdog Gilbert Burns is on a five-match winning streak that dates back to December 2018.
Woodley is now 38 years old, and if he wants another shot at the belt, this match looks like a must-win, especially since he’s fought only twice since 2018. At 33, Burns is much younger, but he’s got an inch on Woodley.
The two fighters pair up well, which makes for an exciting match: Woodley has a 92 percent takedown defense rate, while Burns averages 2.39 takedowns per 15 minutes. Also, all but one of the two fighters’ 18 total fights have ended in either a knockout on punches or in a decision.
I might play the underdog here just because of the plus money, as you can get burns at +156 through FanDuel. If you play him to win by points, that number jumps to +550, which is hard to pass up for a one-unit play.
2. Bundesliga
Where: 888sport, FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, FOX Bet, William Hill.
When: Games run all weekend long.
German soccer will have to compete with the British Premier League and La Liga in a few weeks, but for now, they’re the undisputed kings of the soccer world. The league played games both last weekend and this week, so some squads may be gassed from the workload.
We’ve got a close line between ninth-place Schalke (+148) and 17th-place Werder Bremen (+180). Bremen are fighting hard to avoid relegation, and they forced a draw with M’gladbach last Tuesday. Schalke, meanwhile, is going through quite the cold stretch. The club has lost three matches in a row, and there’s no sign that things will get better for them soon.
Both Schalke and Bremen are in the bottom-five for goals scored. And while Schalke’s defense is mid-pack, Bremen’s defense has surrendered the second-most goals on the year. In what should be a messy, low-scoring match, I’m comfortable tapping the under 2.5 goals (-127) at DraftKings.
3. NASCAR Racing at Bristol Motor Speedway
Where: DraftKings, FOX Bet, William Hill.
When: Sunday at 3:30 PM EST (FOX).
NASCAR heads to Thunder Valley on Sunday afternoon following a rain-delayed race at Charlotte on Thursday night. It’s quite the turnaround for drivers, and the two tracks are quite different.
Unlike the two intermediate tracks that NASCAR’s return has showcased, Bristol is classified as a short track. At just .533 miles around, it’s built like a stadium, and college football games have been played there. Due to the track’s short straightaways, top-end speed is less important than driver skill. Also, NASCAR’s new short track package that debuted at Phoenix further emphasizes driver savvy.
Traditionally, Kyle Busch is the king of Bristol, but he’s been cold to start this season. DraftKings’ initial odds still have him as the favorite, however, with a short line of +350. In the past four Bristol races, four active drivers have posted driver ratings above 100 — Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney (+1800), Joey Logano (+650), and Clint Bowyer (+2000). Given Logano’s success in the short-track package at Phoenix, I think he’s a strong bet for this weekend’s race.
4. Korean Baseball
Where: 888sport, FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, FOX Bet, William Hill.
When: Games run all weekend long.
The Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) has become the primary baseball outlet for displaced MLB fans. Through 20 games, the NC Dinos hold a commanding lead with a 17-3 record. They’re three games above the LG Twins, and six above the Doosan Bears.
The Dinos’ dominance stems from their elite pitching. They’ve allowed just 71 runs on the year, which is considerably better than the league average of 104.5. This weekend, they take on the eighth-place Samsung Lions, a squad that also ranks second-to-last in batting average.
The Dinos average 6.45 runs per game and the Lions average 4.9. That gives us a line of 11.35, so with the Dinos’ pitching prowess, the over/under sits at 10.5. While the -130 juice on the under may change before Saturday or Sunday’s game, play the under if it dips into plus-money.
5. Darts
Where: 888sport, FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, FOX Bet, William Hill.
When: Events run all weekend long.
Both the Professional Darts Corporation’s (PDC) Home Tour and British Modus Icons of Darts will continue this weekend. The PDC’s tournament has entered the playoff, so things are starting to heat up!
If you’re like to find value plays on darts this weekend, check out this handy British darts database.
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Isaiah Sirois is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Isaiah, check out his archive and follow him @is_sirois.