2022 has been packed with amazing sports events, from the thrilling LA Rams victory in the Super Bowl to the final of the 2022 World Cup, it has been a feast for sports fans.
For those who like to wager on their favorite sports contests, 2022 has provided many opportunities, including the spread of cryptocurrency sports betting platforms (BitOdds.com) and other betting innovations. The sports world never sleeps, however, and eager sports bettors are already looking ahead to 2023 and the fascinating sports contests that the year has in store.
The 2023 Super Bowl
This year’s Super Bowl will take place on February 12th at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. It will be the fourth Super Bowl hosted in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The annual final playoff game for the NFL, the Super Bowl has been running since 1967, when it was known as the AFL-NFL World Championship game. A total of 20 of the current 32 teams in the NFL have won a Super Bowl.
The game is one of the year’s most popular sporting events. In addition to a huge American audience, it is watched all over the world. Even the half-time show is big news. This year Rhianna will be the headliner for the show, ending her boycott of the event.
Six Nations Rugby
The 2023 Six Nations Championship will be the 24th edition of the competition, featuring England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales, with France as the defending champions.
This is Europe’s biggest international rugby tournament and was developed from the Home Nations Championship, which was first played in 1883. The tournament finally became known as Six Nations Rugby when Italy was added in 2000.
England and Wales have won the championship the most times with each holding 39 titles. Italy and Scotland have failed to ever win a title. Interest in the Six Nations is growing across the US, and 2023 is set to include the competition’s biggest-ever television audience.
FA Cup Final
2022 had the World Cup, but for fans of historic soccer tournaments, the FA Cup Final is hard to beat. It is a knockout competition for virtually all the soccer clubs in England and Wales and is the oldest soccer tournament in the world. It began in 1871 and is open to clubs down to level 9 of the English football league season, with level 10 clubs also sometimes involved. In total, more than 700 clubs will participate in the 2022-23 FA Cup, which will be the 142nd time the competition has been held.
The competition begins in the fall of the previous year, but the third round is where the big teams from the Premier League enter and that takes place early in January. The Final is set for June 3rd at the traditional Wembley Stadium venue.
NBA Finals
The NBA regular season has a big audience, but it is the NBA playoffs that draw the biggest viewing numbers. The NBA Finals in particular is a major sports event.
The best-of-seven series between the champions of the Eastern and Western Conferences dates back to the 1959-60 season when the two main basketball associations in the US merged to form the NBA. It has been the focal point of US and world basketball ever since.
Last year, the Golden State Warriors beat the Boston Celtics 4-2 to win their fifth NBA title and their seventh overall, having won twice as the Philadelphia Warriors. This year’s Finals will start on June 1st.
Baseball World Series
Rivaling the Super Bowl for global fame, the annual championship series of Major League Baseball is a best-of-seven playoff series between the champions of the National League and the American League.
It has been played every year since 1903, with the exception of the strike-hit 1904 and 1994 seasons. This year will be the culmination of a season that starts on March 30th. The regular season ends on October 1st and the postseason begins two days later, with the World Series potentially continuing until November 4th if it goes to a full seven games.
Breeders Cup
The 2023 Breeders Cup will be held November 3rd and 4th at Santa Anita Park and will be the 40th running of the event. This annual series of top-class thoroughbred horse racing began in 1984 and has been staged in the US every year apart from 1996, when it was hosted in Canada. With massive attendance figures and more than $30m in prize money, it is the climax of the racing season and a big fall event.