This week’s exciting online sports betting calendar is highlighted by the NFL preseason and the Women’s World Cup Final, with college football and U.S. Open tennis right around the corner.
Soccer
Women’s World Cup Final: Spain vs. England
Saturday, Aug. 20 | 6 a.m. | FOX
This weekend’s Women’s World Cup Final will feature a classic national rivalry, as Spain and England go head-to-head in the final round.
The United States has dominated the Women’s World Cup since its inception in 1991, with the Americans winning half of the eight tournaments that were held prior to this year.
Past accomplishment doesn’t insulate against present loss, which explains the underwhelming results recorded by the U.S. National team in the group stage. Ultimately, the U.S. was eliminated by Sweden two weeks ago in their first game of the knockout round.
Spain eliminated the Swedes with two late goals in a previously scoreless game on Tuesday, qualifying for its first-ever Women’s World Cup championship match. England advanced on Wednesday after a 3-1 win over Australia.
Neither team has ever won the WWC, though England did earn a third-place finish in 2015. Spain is a slight favorite in the three-way soccer odds market at +165. England is +180.
Japan’s Hinata Miyazawa currently leads all players with five goals. Spain and England have no players with four goals but a combined five with three apiece.
NFL
Denver Broncos at San Francisco 49ers
Saturday, Aug. 19 | 8:30 p.m.
San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan announced this past week that quarterback Brock Purdy is cleared to practice. He also clarified that Purdy – a seventh-round draft pick from 2022 – will definitely be QB1 for the Niners going forward.
That appears to shut the door on any intrigue surrounding the quarterback spot in San Francisco this fall, but it also spices up the 49ers’ backup quarterback competition for the remainder of the preseason.
San Francisco spent a lot of draft capital to acquire North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance during the 2021 draft. Can he beat out free agency acquisition Sam Darnold for the No. 2 spot, or is he officially an NFL bust?
NFL viewers will get another data point in the ongoing Darnold/Lance battle on Saturday when the 49ers play host to Sean Payton’s Denver Broncos, who are trying to shake off a bad taste of their own after last year’s devastating season under former head coach Nathaniel Hackett.
On Wednesday, the NFL odds market priced the Broncos were a 4-point favorite in San Francisco. The 49ers lost to the Raiders in last week’s preseason opener, 34-7. Denver lost at Arizona, 18-17.
Baseball
Milwaukee Brewers at Texas Rangers
Friday, Aug. 18 through Sunday, Aug. 20 | FS1 (Saturday)
This weekend features a late-season battle of division leaders when Milwaukee heads south for a key test against World Series contender Texas.
Houston and St. Louis closed the offseason as MLB betting favorites in the AL West and NL Central, respectively, but neither team is at the top of their standings with just over a month left in the regular season.
The Astros are in a strong Wild Card position, though they’re still 3.5 games back of Texas for the division lead as of Wednesday. St. Louis has been in fifth place in the NL Central for most of the year.
Milwaukee has only one series win over a winning team since July 1, which came against the Phillies in mid-July. The Brewers have a plus-two run differential on the season and rank 28th in Major League Baseball in team batting average.