Why springtime is great for F1 & sports betting

Springtime is almost here and that signals one of the most exciting periods of the year for sports and betting fans: The Master’s golf tournament, horse racing tournaments galore, the business end of football seasons, the World Snooker Championship and finally,  the new Formula One season.

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First stop: Bahrain!#BahrainGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/e3nipQiIpb

— Formula 1 (@F1) March 14, 2022

The 2022 F1 Drivers’ Championship is expected to deliver another epic battle this season with Lewis Hamilton eyeing revenge for Max Verstappen’s controversial victory last year. The bookmakers have priced the Dutchman as the favourite by the finest of margins, marking the first season in years where Hamilton is not the pre-season pick.

Big Rivalries

The rivalry between Verstappen and Hamilton is reminiscent of the Premier League battle between Manchester City and Liverpool, with both competitors raising the standards to heights never seen before and leaving everyone else in their wake. However, the price for Verstappen to retain his title is much more generous than the price for Pep Guardiola’s men to land another league title. Both battles could go down to the wire.

Betting Bonanza

This springtime, between March and June, is one of the busiest for sports wagering with a host of showpiece events and seasons concluding. Horse racing events such as Cheltenham and the Grand National are amongst the big betting events in the UK. It’s known that many people who do not normally bet will wager on the showpiece horse races. In the US, there is a similar story in the college basketball scene as the country goes crazy for March Madness betting pools.

Meanwhile, The Master’s golf tournament and the World Snooker Championship are also popular amongst punters. This year’s Masters looks set to be one of the most competitive in years with a large group of in-form up-and-comers expected to mix it up with the more established names. All eyes will be on the likes of Collin Morikawa, Jon Rahm, Cameron Smith, and Viktor Hovland.

World’s Richest Game

It is also the time of year when football fans start making their Championship predictions for the promotion, play-offs, and relegation spots. England’s second-tier is one of the most exciting leagues to watch and has become extremely popular amongst bettors. The Championship play-off final has been described as football’s richest game with more than £150 million awarded to the winner, more than the prize money for winning the Champions League.

We are going up #BrentfordFC #BeeTogether pic.twitter.com/rrAV4Aow8G

— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) May 29, 2021

Mercedes Eyeing F1 Double

Back on the racetrack, Mercedes are the favourites for the Constructors’ Championship, having added George Russell to their driver line-up. Russell is widely considered the successor for Hamilton and will play an important role as the team looks to secure both the driver and constructor’s crown this term. The Hamilton-Mercedes double was available at 2/1 before the start of the season and looks like a great value bet. The Silver Arrows finished last season in good form and Russell’s inclusion should strengthen them even further.

These are just a few of the epic springtime sporting contests set to leave us breathless in the next few months – whether you like to wager or not!

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