After a thrilling foray into last weekend’s exciting parlay action, we suffered another narrow defeat on the final leg of the parlay. With that said, we enter the middle of May feeling good about our process and are confident in our picks this weekend.
Saturday, May 13th, marks the XFL Championship and we like this game as a betting opportunity for our parlay card. Additionally, we’re going back to the soccer well along with the UFC and NHL Playoffs this weekend.
As usual, these picks are introduced by our level of confidence. All betting odds are courtesy of Bovada.
Weekend Parlay Picks
| Pick | Odds |
|---|---|
| Crystal Palace | -115 |
| Anthony Smith | -110 |
| Dallas Stars (G6) | -150 |
| DC Defenders -6.5 | -110 |
Pick 1: Crystal Palace (-115) vs. Bournemouth
Saturday, May 13th at 10:00 AM ET
Although it has been a tumultuous season of sorts for both Crystal Palace and Bournemouth, both of these mid-table sides found their footing in the late stages of this 2022-23 campaign.
The Eagles of Crystal Palace were enhanced by new manager Roy Hodgson and a reinvigorated sense of attack. With just a few games left, Palace will almost certainly remain in the top flight.
Bournemouth will enter this match a tad banged-up and that could lead to openings for a deep Palace attack. The Cherries are slated to be without Marcus Tavernier, Ryan Fredericks, and Junior Stanislas.
They’ll go with a slow and plodding back-four in their defense. However, the pace of the Eagles in this free-flowing match should be too much to handle.
#CPFC team for Bournemouth? pic.twitter.com/65M4rxU3p8
— PalaceEagles (@PalaceEaglesc0m) May 12, 2023
With key Bournemouth absences of both Tavernier and Hamed Traore, the Palace back-line should have a relatively comfortable day. That should allow the strength of the Eagles’ attack to shine through.
While both sides are out of European contention, the urgency really won’t be there for easy side. As a result, expect a fast-paced, free-flowing tilt, and one that ultimately favors the pace and skill of Hodgson’s Palace side. At a generous -115 price with soccer betting sites, back the Eagles to keep on soaring at Selhurst Park.
Pick 2: Anthony Smith (-110) over Johnny Walker
Saturday, May 13th at 3:45 PM ET
The co-main event of this Saturday’s UFC fight night card from North Carolina will provide for a scintillating showdown between two of the sport’s long-serving light heavyweight veterans.
Anthony Smith enters with a 35-17 record, coming off of an unfortunate ankle injury back from July 2022. He’ll be faced with one of his toughest tests in the octagon as Johnny Walker will enter with a 20-7 record, fresh off a big win at UFC 283 over Paul Craig.
Both of these fighters are firmly in the Top-10 contenders of the light heavyweight division and you can’t count either man out for a run at the lightweight championship belt.
Smith has shown he can hang with some of the top talents in this division, and is one of the sport’s most exciting fighters. ‘Lionheart,’ as he is dubbed, has 34 wins inside the distance, and has shown to be a durable, educated fighter inside the octagon. He can be lethal and calculating with his striking.
Your #UFCCharlotte co-main event is official: Anthony Smith (205.5) vs. Johnny Walker (205.5)
📷 by Bryson Hester (@_HEHATEME) pic.twitter.com/IYitGmJOIJ
— Cageside Press (@Cagesidepress) May 12, 2023
That will come in handy against an unorthodox style that Walker will offer up against Smith. The Brazilian fighter has height, length, and youth on his side, and enters in great form at the moment.
While Smith has likely seen it all, Walker’s pace can be confusing and erratic to handle. He boasts 16 knockouts across his twenty career wins, and will undoubtedly be seeking for another early knockout.
Walker has had many of his fights end early throughout his UFC career, and his chin, durability, and endurance are often called into question.
Expect Smith to work that to his advantage and use the full three rounds. By all accounts, the veteran Smith is fully healed from his leg injury and claims that ring rust won’t be a factor due to his lengthy MMA experience.
Walker really hasn’t gone against the quality of competition Smith has, and this will represent a big step-up in class for him. He holds a stronger resume, and can win the battle standing, as well as on the mat.
This is a generous price at UFC betting sites, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see Smith continue his resurgence via a submission victory on Saturday night in North Carolina.
Two-Team Parlay Odds
If you prefer to just go with a two-team parlay card, Crystal Palace (-115) and Anthony Smith (-110) have parlay odds of +257. This means you would win $257 dollars for every $100 dollars wagered.
Pick 3: Dallas Stars (-150) at Seattle Kraken
Saturday, May 13th at 7:10 PM ET
Hockey fans and bettors saw first-hand Wednesday night the power of a keen forecheck and a physical, battle-tested group as the Dallas Stars finally started to take control over an unproven Seattle Kraken side.
The Stars enter Game 6 on Saturday evening with a commanding 3-2 series lead and are clearly the betting favorites at NHL betting sites.
Dallas head coach Peter deBoer continues to push all the right buttons and, despite his group likely not possessing the high-end talent other teams have, their system and structure is nearly impossible to break down.
Jake Oettinger has been stellar between the pipes and Finnish defenseman Miro Heiskanen has emerged as one of the game’s best talents. The Dallas forecheck and offensive zone pressure is wearing down a weak Seattle defensive group and goaltender Philipp Grubauer simply isn’t good enough to bail out the Kraken.
Since starting this series strong, the Kraken are getting soundly beaten with their 5 on 5 play. Dallas is controlling the neutral zone, which is leading to higher quality chances and scoring opportunities.
Pavelski scores his 7th of the playoffs. 😱 pic.twitter.com/xPntRwVGg0
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 12, 2023
Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson are having a field day in the matchup game. Despite this series shifting back to Seattle, it’s tough to see the Kraken having much resolve left in them after a gruelling 7-game series vs. Colorado in Round 1.
The Stars are a battle-tested and Playoff hungry group. In a crucial Game 6, look for them to close things out on Saturday night at a generous price for a clear favorite at sports betting sites.
Three-Team Parlay Odds
Taking the first three parlay bets of this weekend parlay card, Crystal Palace (-115), Anthony Smith (-110), and the Dallas Stars (-150), returns exciting +495 parlay odds. This means you would win $495 dollars for every $100 dollars wagered.
Pick 4: DC Defenders -6.5 (-110) vs. Arlington Renegades
Saturday, May 13th at 8:00 PM ET
It will be a bittersweet moment on Saturday night when the XFL comes to a close with its XFL Championship game. This season has been fun to watch and profitable for our XFL betting.
Saturday night’s championship showdown between the DC Defenders and Arlington Renegades should make for a quality showcase of the league.
The Defenders have been the elite team in the XFL from the opening week. They’ve mastered a hard running approach and excellent defensive play to coast to an impressive 9-1 record.
They throttled the Sea Dragons a couple of weeks ago in the Playoffs and running back Abram Smith has proven to be a force when his offensive line gives him an inch of space.
Under centre, quarterback Jordan Ta’amu has been anointed as the Offensive Player of the Year and for good reason. The dual threat QB has been a force in 2023. His 300 yards rushing, combined with his huge arm, will cause a lot of trouble for the Renegades’ defense.
Arlington Renegades WR LuJuan Winningham on the team playing in the XFL Championship game this Saturday vs. the DC Defenders:
“We’re feeling good….we got a lot of chemistry, guys just trust each other….We kind of all been picturing this since we got here, it an opportunity to… pic.twitter.com/OXEegHHnqc
— D210SPORTS (@D210S) May 11, 2023
The Renegades should consider themselves somewhat fortunate to even be in this title game. They went 4-6 on the season and limped into the Playoffs. They boast a league-worst -11 touchdown differential, but undoubtedly have gotten hot at precisely the right moment.
Defensively, Arlington has been opportunistic with turnovers, both in interceptions and forcing fumbles. Offensively, Renegades’ QB Luis Perez has breathed life into this unit, but he’s yet to face a defensive line like the Defenders. Expect DC to win the battle in the trenches and pressure Perez throughout all four quarters.
Despite the talent of Perez, he struggles with reads downfield and his overall efficiency. He hasn’t handled pressure all that well during his time as the starting QB for the Renegades.
It’s tough to imagine many sustained drives from Arlington against this DC defense. We expect the Defenders to steamroll the Renegades and easily cover the -6.5-point spread at XFL betting sites. They’ve been the top team in the league all season long and they will punctuate that on Saturday.
Four-Team Parlay Odds
And there you have it, folks! Four exciting wagers spanning Saturday and Sunday to add a little excitement to your betting needs this weekend. If you do choose to wager on all four selections of this parlay card, you will receive parlay odds of +1036. This means that you would win $1,036 dollars for every $100 dollars wagered.
