National Basketball Association

Best non-Super Bowl LIX bets, predictions by Chris "The Bear" Fallica

Published Jan. 30, 2025 3:28 p.m. ET

With a little over a week until Super Bowl LIX on FOX, let’s take a step away from football and see what other betting possibilities exist out there.

Here are a few wagers I have in my pocket right now.

French Open

Iga Swiatek was a loser to eventual Australian Open winner Madison Keys in a classic semifinal, but now comes the time of the year when Swiatek excels — the post slam hardcourt and clay seasons.

She’s won the French Open four times already, including each of the last three, and it will be hard for anyone to beat her on her best surface if she continues to get better — and stay healthy — under new coach Wim Fissette.

Some might be thinking, "Didn’t she get beat at Roland Garros in the Olympics last summer?" Yes, she did, but the court plays so much differently at that time of the year than it does in late May/early June. This price will certainly not get any shorter between now and the start of the tournament.

PICK: Iga Swiatek (-175) to win French Open

NBA Western Conference

What’s this? An NBA bet from me?

Yes!

The Thunder have the best record in the West by five games (as of Jan. 30) and will only get better with the return of Chet Holmgren from injury. While the West is considered deeper than the East, which of those teams can you see beating a deep Thunder squad in a seven-game series?

The only thing one might worry about is the fact OKC has never done it before, but this feels more like a situation where it has been building for a couple of years and this is where it reaps the benefits of the roster building, finally reaching the Finals once again.

PICK: Thunder (+110) to win Western Conference

Andy Reid on preparing for Super Bowl showdown with the Eagles

Premier League and League Cup

Liverpool are -450 or so to win the Premier League and are in the semifinals of the League Cup — so why not take the plus money that the Reds win both?

It would be a near historic collapse for a team with this big of a lead at this point of the season not to win the Prem. Liverpool have a six-point lead over Arsenal with a game in hand, as well as a healthier side than their closest competitors. Liverpool has already earned a point at Arsenal and host the Gunners on May 10.

The price on Liverpool to win the Prem could jump even shorter pending this weekend’s results. Liverpool goes to Bournemouth, who is competing for a top-four spot, while Arsenal hosts Man City. A Liverpool win and anything less than an Arsenal win would make Arsenal’s task even less likely.

Liverpool are down 1-0 to Tottenham entering the second leg of their EFL semifinal clash, but that is essentially nothing. The Reds did everything but score in the first leg at Tottenham and should easily win the second leg at Anfield over a team in shambles right now. Arsenal or Newcastle would await in the final.

PICK: Liverpool (+125) to win Premier League and League Cup

Masters Tournament

Will Zalatoris’ last couple of years have sadly been lost due to back and hip injuries, but he’s shown glimpses this year that he’s getting back to the player that has three top-tens, including a runner-up, at the Masters.

His game is almost tailor-made for Augusta National, and while his putting will always be a question, it has improved and putting is always the streakiest, most random part of a player’s game. See Wyndham Clark’s putting exhibition in his U.S. Open win.

It’s always going to be hard to beat Scottie Scheffler at Augusta, but a healthy Willy Z — who lost to Hideki Matsuyama by a stroke in 2021 — is as good a stab as any, especially at a price close to 50-1.

PICK: Will Zalatoris (46-1) to win Masters

Chris "The Bear" Fallica has covered sports for nearly three decades. While college football has been his focus, he also enjoys the NFL, Soccer, Golf, Tennis, MLB, NHL and Horse Racing, with an "occasional" wager on such events. Chris recently won the inaugural Circa Football Invitational and finished in the Top 10 of the Golden Nugget Football Contest. He's a multiple-time qualifier for the NHC Handicapping Championship. Remember, "The less you bet, the more you lose when you win!" Follow him on Twitter @chrisfallica.

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