2023 Betting Guide: Bettors, Mark Your Calendar

As well explore a variety of FIBA odds and other basketball odds here to win!

January

• 26 Dec. – Jan. 5: 2023 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
• 2: 2023 NHL Winter Classic
• 9: 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship
• 14: ONE on Prime Video 6: Superbon vs Allazov – first ONE Championship event on Amazon Prime of the year (takes place once every month) (MMA)
• 14: UFC Fight Night: Imavov vs Gastelum – first UFC event of the year (takes place twice a month at least) (MMA)
• 14: KSI vs Dillon Danis (Boxing)
• 16-29: 2023 Australian Open (Tennis)
• 21: UFC 283: Teixeira vs Hill – first UFC pay-per-view of the year (takes place once every month) (MMA)

The first “major” sports betting event is the College Football Playoff national championship on Jan. 9. This is also a busy month for combat sports. One night, Jan. 14, has both UFC and ONE championships and a boxing match airing.

February

• 4: Bellator 290: Bader vs Fedor 2 – first Bellator MMA event of the year (takes place once every month at least)
• 5: NASCAR Cup Series begins
• 12: Super Bowl LVII (NFL)
• 18: NHL Stadium Series
• 18: NASCAR Xfinity Series begins
• 18: 2023 XFL season begins
• 19: 2023 NBA All-Star Game
• 19: 2023 Daytona 500 (NASCAR)

February is Super Bowl month. But following America’s biggest game, the XFL returns. NASCAR’s season also begins with the Great American Race at the Daytona 500.

March

• TBD: 2023 MLS regular season begins (Soccer)
• TBD: Usyk vs Fury (Boxing)*
• 5: Bahrain Grand Prix – 2023 Formula One World Championship begins
• 5: 2023 IndyCar Series begins
• 11: Haney vs Lomachenko (Boxing)*
• 14: 2023 NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament begins (March Madness)
• 17: 2023 NCAA Division I women’s basketball tournament begins
• 30: 2023 MLB season begins
• 31: NCAA Division I women’s basketball Final Four (national semifinals)

Buckle up because March gets hectic. Not only does March Madness tip-off, but the 2023 MLB season also begins toward the month’s end. A speculative heavyweight unification bout between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury is also targeted here.

April

• 1: NCAA Division I men’s basketball Final Four (national semifinals)
• 2: NCAA Division I women’s basketball national championship
• 3: NCAA Division I men’s basketball national championship
• 3-9: 2023 Masters (Golf)
• 5-16: 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship (Hockey)
• 15: 2023 NBA Playoffs begin
• 15: 2023 USFL season begins
• 15: Davis vs Garcia (Boxing)
• 27-29: 2023 NFL Draft
• TBD: 2023 PFL season begins (MMA)
• TBD: 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin* (NHL)

The madness from March continues to April. Every weekend has a major sporting event. The NBA Playoffs are also set to tip off on the 15th along with the 2023 USFL season. The Stanley Cup Playoffs and NFL Draft highlight the end of the month.

May

• 6: 2023 Kentucky Derby (Horse Racing)
• 6: Canelo Alvarez vs TBD* (Boxing)
• 6-28: 2023 Giro d’Italia (Cycling)
• 12-28: 2023 IIHF World Championship (Hockey)
• 15-21: 2023 PGA Championship (Golf)
• 20: 2023 Preakness Stakes (Horse Racing)
• 28: 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500 (IndyCar)
• 28-10 June: 2023 French Open (Tennis)
• 31: 2023 UEFA Europa League Final (Soccer)
• 31-4 June: 2023 CONCACAF Champions League Final (Soccer)

What better way to start May than “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports”? The Derby is on the first Saturday of May along with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez’s potential return. The Mexican typically fights on the weekend of “Cinco de Mayo.”.

June

• TBD: 2023 Stanley Cup Finals (NHL)
• TBD: 2023 NBA Finals
• 8: 2023 CFL season begins
• 10: 2023 UEFA Champions League Final (Soccer)
• 10: 2023 Belmont Stakes (Horse Racing)
• 12-18: 2023 U.S. Open (Golf)
• 22: 2023 NBA Draft
• 28-29: 2023 NHL Entry Draft

As summer approaches, the NBA and NHL approach their climaxes with their respective Finals. The UEFA Champions League also concludes with its championship game.

July

• TBD: International Fight Week + UFC PPV (MMA)
• 1-23: 2023 Tour de France (Cycling)
• 3-16: 2023 Wimbledon Championships (Tennis)
• 10: 2023 MLB Home Run Derby
• 11: 2023 MLB All-Star Game
• 17-23: 2023 Open Championship (Golf)
• 20–20 August: 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup (Soccer)
• 21-19 August: 2023 Leagues Cup (Soccer)
• TBD: 2023 MLB Draft
• TBD: NFL training camps open

The women compete 0n soccer’s biggest stage at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Team USA looks to make it a “Three-Peat” as they defend their titles. The MLB has a trio of notable events while the UFC hosts its annual International Fight Week, which typically concludes with a high-profile, pay-per-view event.

August

• TBD: NFL preseason begins
• 16: UEFA Super Cup (Soccer)
• 25-10 September: 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup
• 26-17 September: 2023 Vuelta a Espana (Cycling)
• 28-10 September: 2023 US Open (Tennis)

A relatively “slow” month, August is notable for the NFL preseason. But toward the end of the month is the US Open.

September

• 7: 2023 NFL season begins
• 8 to Oct. 28: Rugby World Cup
• 10: Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey – final 2023 IndyCar race

After half a year, “real” NFL football games are back. Week 1 of the 2023 season kicks off on Sept. 7. This is a Thursday and will likely feature the defending Super Bowl Champion against a notable opponent.

October

• TBD: 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs
• TBD: 2023-24 NHL season begins
• TBD: Taylor vs Serrano 2 (Boxing)*
• 20 to Nov. 5: 2023 Pan American Games
• 24: 2023 MLB World Series
• 24: 2023-24 NBA season begins

If you could bet on only one month a year, it should be October. This is the only time where all of the “Big Four” pro sports leagues are in action with the NHL, NFL and NBA in the regular season and MLB with its World Series.

November

• TBD: MLS Cup 2023 begins (Soccer)
• 3-4: 2023 Breeders’ Cup (Horse Racing)
• 4: NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race
• 5: NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race
• 18: Las Vegas Grand Prix (F1)
• 19: 110th Grey Cup (CFL)
• 26: 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – final 2023 F1 race

As the NFL, NBA, and NHL seasons progress, the MLS concludes its 2023 campaign with its MLS Cup final. The Las Vegas Grand Prix also debuts for Formula 1 racing, which is the penultimate race for the 2023 season. F1 concludes in Abu Dhabi the following week.

December

• 26 to Jan. 5, 2024: 2024 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
• 30-31: Bellator x RIZIN* (MMA)

The holiday season is when the playoff race for the NFL heats up. Bellator MMA also tends to do a New Year’s Eve cross-over event with RIZIN MMA, which is a treat for combat sports fans looking to end the year with a bang.