Weekend Betting Preview

From Japan’s Saitama Arena to Daytona International Speedway and all points in between, this weekend shapes up as a busy one for sports bettors.

UFC 144 goes Saturday in Japan, where the lightweight belt is on the line. Champion Frank Edgar is favored against challenger Ben Henderson but much betting action is on the bigger Henderson.

Light heavyweights Ryan Bader and Rampage Jackson clash and lightweight challengers Joe Lauzon and Anthony Pettis go at it as well. And a slew of popular Japanese fighters fill out the fill with Yoshiro Akiyami, Hatsu Hioki and Yushin Okami among the list of A-grade MMA fighters on the bill.

As always, the biggest selection of UFC betting odds (and a generous bonus offer) are at 5Dimes sportsbook where you can bet on which will fighter will win, by submission or decision, who will win the first round and more.

A day later in Florida, the betting focus switches to the biggest day in auto racing – the Daytona 500. Dale Earnhardt jr and Jimmie Johnson are the early favorites at 10/1 odds but there are hundreds of cool prop bets at shops such as Bovada along with updated lines that get posted after qualifying.

Last year, huge longshot Trevor Bayne won, rewarding his backers with a huge payday.

The NBA All-Star Game also goes in Florida with the Orlando Magic hosting the event. Fans can bet on the East or West, over-under and also on game MVP odds (where LeBron is favored). Of course, the 3-point contest and dunk contest are also up for betting and longshots pay out handsomely.

In college basketball, most of the nation’s top schools are in action Saturday, with a key Top 25 battle at Virginia. No. 25 Cavaliers host the No. 7 UNC Tar Heels and TopBet has been aggressive with excellent hoops odds and bonuses lately.

And in the Big 12, an even bigger battle as Missouri faces Baylor in a clash of No. 3 and No. 4 rated schools. See the matchup reports and betting trends on every college basketball game here at AmericasLine.com.

Sunday sees an important Big Ten battle as No. 8 Ohio State hosts No. 16 Wisconsin.

NHL bettors have a busy weekend with key games Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Saturday battle between the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators is key for both teams.

See the latest lines and latest $100 free bet bonus at some sponsors.