A summer of online sports betting usually means a heavy dose of baseball. But with the Wimbledon main draw just days away, don’t forget about all the other events out there for sports enthusiasts to enjoy.
Here are some notable events to consider:
Major League Baseball
Houston Astros at Texas Rangers
Friday, June 30 through Sunday, July 2
This weekend’s top baseball attraction is an all-Texas affair. Reigning World Series champion Houston travels north to Dallas to face a key divisional rival, the Texas Rangers.
The Astros might be the current champs, but it’s the Rangers that appear to be real championship contenders this year. At 49-31, they currently have the third-best record in Major League Baseball. Their +160 run differential leads all teams.
The MLB odds market was cool on the Rangers to start, but it’s heated up in time. While Texas opened the market as a +5000 World Series longshot, the Rangers are now 9-to-1 to win it all. They were 11-to-1 just last week.
As the Rangers have risen, the Astros have fallen. Last week, they were +800; now, they’re behind the Rangers, at +1000.
Houston remains six games behind Texas in the standings, so this weekend’s series can’t vault Houston back in front. However, it could offer a sneak peek at what an American League Championship Series could look like in October.
Tennis
Rothesay International Championship Matches at Eastbourne
Saturday, July 1 and Sunday, July 2
Wimbledon’s qualifying matches are underway this week, which means we’re just a few days away from the start of another epic fortnight of London tennis odds on the lawn.
In the meantime, there’s the Rothesay International Tournament at Eastbourne, which is something of an official UK Wimbledon warmup.
While some players opt for other tournaments in Germany, and others take the week off completely, the Eastbourne draws do still feature a number of high-profile tennis players. That includes key Americans, like Taylor Fritz on the men’s side and Coco Gauff on the women’s side.
The women’s draw at Eastbourne has been chalky and star-powered, with the quarterfinals including Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula, Jelena Ostapenko, Daria Kasatkina, and Caroline Garcia.
Garcia and Ostapenko, in particular, are strong grass players. Strong showings by both players are a warning to next week’s Wimbledon draw.
The men’s draw at Eastbourne has been far more chaotic, with a majority of the quarterfinals filled by unseeded players. That could be to the advantage of American Tommy Paul, who was one of the lone remaining seeded players left on Thursday.
The women’s championship match will likely be played on Saturday. The men’s match will be played on Sunday.
Golf
Rocket Mortgage Classic
Thursday, June 29 through Sunday, July 2 | ESPN+
The Rocket Mortgage Classic took off on Thursday morning at the Detroit Golf Club in Michigan, which means there’s yet another exciting batch of stateside golf to watch this weekend.
Tony Finau won the tournament last year and was a +1200 co-favorite prior on Wednesday, prior to the start of the tournament.
However, it’s Rickie Fowler who attracted the most golf betting attention this weekend, attracting more than 12% of the tickets and nearly 16% of the overall market handle.
Fowler is likely a popular pick after a strong showing in Connecticut last weekend at the Travelers Championship. He was a collective 15 strokes under par during the second and third rounds, shooting eight birdies and an eagle with no bogeys on Saturday.
Collin Morikawa opened third in the table at +1400. Justin Thomas, at +1600, was the second most popular pick on the board.