Two of the most iconic championships in sports are on the line this weekend with the Champions League Final and the Indianapolis 500. But that’s not all, as the NBA Playoffs heat up and the NHL Playoffs provide the first Game 7 of 2021. Read below for a breakdown of how PlaySugarHouse.com and BetRivers.com bettors are wagering on the biggest sporting events of the weekend.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL: The top prize in European club soccer is up for grabs this weekend as Manchester City (-109 ML) and Chelsea (+240 ML) meet in the Champions League Final on Saturday at 3 p.m. The all-England matchup marks the ninth time since 2000 a Champions League Final has been contested between two teams from the same league. Chelsea has won three of its last five games against Manchester City, most recently a 2-1 EPL victory on May 8. The public was backing Manchester City with 75% of the ML handle and 63% of the ML bets heading into that game. City enters the Champions League Final backed by 69% of the handle to win the trophy and 78% of the bets to win the trophy. The public is leaning slightly on Over 2.5 goals to be scored in the Champions League Final with 56% of the O/U handle and 60% of the O/U bets. If Manchester City is victorious, 23% of Champions League futures bets will cash, the largest percentage of betting volume of any UCL team. Manchester City was +500 prior to the start of the Champions League. This is Chelsea’s second championship match in under a month, as the betting favorite Blues lost to Leicester City, 1-0 in the FA Cup Final on May 15. A reversal of fortunes on Saturday would lead to some big wins, including a $1,000 wager on Chelsea +340 ML.
INDIANAPOLIS 500: The most iconic race in open-wheel motorsports hits the track this weekend with the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500. Scott Dixon (+350 to Win) is in pole position for Sunday’s race, and will look to capture his second Indy 500 championship, and first since 2008. Dixon is currently backed by 21% of the total handle to win and 10% of the total bets to win, more than any other driver. 21-year-old phenom Colton Herta (+700 to Win) currently holds the second shortest odds and is backed by 9% of the total handle to win, trailing just Dixon and 2016 Indy 500 champion Alexander Rossi (+1400 to win), who is backed by 11% of the total handle to win. As you might expect, the Indy 500 is incredibly popular within the state of Indiana. Bettors in the Hoosier State are currently responsible for 69% of total bets and 54% of total handle on the Indianapolis 500.
NHL PLAYOFFS: With the Pittsburgh Penguins eliminated in six games by the New York Islanders, the Colorado Avalanche (+235 Stanley Cup) are backed by the largest percentage of futures handle (23%) and bets (24%) of any remaining playoff team. Colorado is also backed by the largest Stanley Cup futures bet, a $6,000 wager at +250 that will pay out $21,000 if Lord Stanley’s Cup returns to the Mile High City. The Avalanche will play the winner of the Golden Knights vs. Wild series in the second round. Vegas began the playoffs with the second shortest odds (+550) to win the Stanley Cup, but are now +1000 to win the championship as they enter tonight’s Game 7. Vegas (-165 ML) is currently backed by 66% of the ML handle and 68% of ML bets to beat Minnesota (+143 ML) tonight.
NBA PLAYOFFS: The NBA Playoffs continue to lead the way in total bets and total money wagered across all BetRivers.com and PlaySugarHouse.com regions. No team has been more successful to the public through the first two games of the series than the Brooklyn Nets (+180 NBA Championship). The Nets were backed by the largest percentage of ML handle of any team in Game 1 (92%) and Game 2 (89%).The same goes for spread handle, as the Nets covered in Game 1 (73%) and Game 2 (71%). In a bit of a surprise, the most wagered-on series thus far is Jazz vs. Grizzlies, backed by 17% of the total NBA Playoff handle. The second-most wagered on series thus far is Knicks vs. Hawks, which is backed by 15% of the total playoff handle. The Knicks’ come-from-behind win in Game 2 on Wednesday night is currently the most wagered-on game of the playoffs across all BetRivers.com and PlaySugarHouse.com regions.
