Betting Picks

The first time Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder met in the ring, no one came out a winner. The two unbeaten boxers fought to a 12-round draw in their first WBC heavyweight title bout on Dec. 1, 2018 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The rematch is slated for Feb. 22 at the MGM Garden Grand Arena in Las Vegas, as Wilder again defends his world title.

When it comes to wagering on all-star games, the NBA All-Star Game always seems to be the most popular these events. Traditionally a high-scoring affair where the players showcase their tremendous skills, it's definitely the most exciting all-star game from a spectator standpoint. And it was the NBA All-Star Game that first introduced the added intrigue of the skills competition. These are also inviting opportunities in terms of wagering.

There's no questioning the talent of Jon Jones. He's one of the most dominant mixed martial artists in the history of the discipline. The headliner for UFC 247, he was the youngest champion in UFC history when he won his light heavyweight world title at the age of 23. But Jones frequently runs afoul of the sport's regulators. He's twice been suspended for positive drug tests following his bouts.

As the NFL celebrates its 100 anniversary, the league welcomes the Kansas City Chiefs back to the Super Bowl for the first time in 50 years. The Chiefs, 1.5-point favorites in Super Bowl 54, won Super Bowl 4 23-7 over the Minnesota Vikings as 12-point underdogs. Their opponents, the San Francisco 49ers have won five of six Super Bowl appearances but none since a 1995 victory in Super Bowl 29.

Over the years, the NHL All-Star Game has gone through many format changes but in the past few years, the league appears to have hit on a formula that works via its division vs division three-on-three tournament. Pitting the Atlantic, Metropolitan, Central and Pacific Divisions in a quick free-for-all, 20-minute mini-games has created an exciting tournament for fans and TV viewers, and a much better wagering environment for sports bettors.

It's been a half century since the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl. In fact, it's been 50 years since the Chiefs went to the Super Bowl. But Kansas City is favored to get there this year. The Chiefs go into the AFC Championship Game as 7.5-point favorites over the Tennessee Titans. Meanwhile, the San Francisco 49ers are seven-point favorites over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game.

Conor McGregor is poised to make his return to the octagon and to UFC. The former lightweight world champion is slated to fight Donald Cerrone in a welterweight bout as part of UFC 246 on Jan. 18 in Las Vegas. The Irish fighter hasn't been in a bout since he lost via submission to UFC lightweight (155 pound) champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. Cerrone, normally a lightweight, lost his last two fights.

It's a certainty that the Tigers will again be the national champions of college football this season. That's because the No. 1-ranked 14-0 LSU Tigers are pitted against the third-ranked Clemson Tigers (14-0), in this years College Football Playoff title game. Clemson are the defending national champions and are playing in the national championship game for the fourth time in five years. Clemson won two of the last three titles.

While the College Football Playoff draws much of the attention in NCAA bowl season, there are still plenty of intriguing bowl game matchups over the holiday season that offer some value bets to be played. Showdowns such as the Rose Bowl, Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl still carry a wealth of tradition and to win one of these famous games is a point of pride to the participating schools.