The sporting landscape is intensifying heading into the holiday season. As December approaches, here are five marquee sporting events and storylines to follow over the next month.
NBA crowns their inaugural In-Season Tournament Champion
On Dec. 9th, the new NBA Cup will be lifted for the first time in Las Vegas.
Over the last few weeks, all 30 teams have competed in group stage action with the aspirations of ultimately advancing to the Sin City for the semifinals and finals.
Although winning the In-Season Tournament title does not result in an automatic playoff or play-in berth, as many have argued it should, bragging rights among league rivals and $500,000 in prize money is a worthwhile incentive.
It will be intriguing to watch some of the NBA’s brightest stars head to The Strip, looking to add another achievement to their resume.
NFL playoff race heats up
With the NFL playoffs just over a month away, the race for the final playoff spots is heating up.
At the conclusion of Week 12, the Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers all lead their respective divisions. However, nothing is certain in the NFL as teams are likely to be jockeying for playoff spots down the stretch.
The most intriguing playoff race is the AFC Wild Card, with three spots up for grabs.
Currently, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts hold those three spots. But the Houston Texans, Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills among numerous others are in the running, eager to snatch one of those spots and contend for the illustrious Super Bowl title.
UFC 296 takes over Las Vegas
Headlining the UFC 296 card on Dec. 16th is a welterweight title bout between the current champion Leon Edwards and challenger Colby Covington. Edwards will be looking to retain his title, as the southpaw has the height and reach advantage over Covington.
The co-main event features the flyweight title fight between the champion Alexandre Pantoja and Brandon Royal. Pantoja, the Brazilian 33-year-old, will be looking to defeat Royal for the second time in his career after he defeated Royal via second-round submission in August 2021.
The main card at T-Mobile Arena rounds out with a pair of welterweight fights and a lightweight tilt.
UEFA Champions League group stage concludes
The UEFA Champions League group stage concludes on Dec. 12th and 13th, as all 32 teams play their sixth and final group game with aspirations of finishing as one of the top two teams in their group to advance to the knockout round.
Group F (Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint Germain, AC Milan and Newcastle United) is one of the more interesting groups. Through the first four games, the first-place team Dortmund; and the fourth-place team Newcastle; are only separated by three points as each team has a win to their name.
For the two teams that advance from Group F and all the other groups, they will find out who their Round of 16 opponent is during the Champions League draw on Dec. 18th.
Canada looks to repeat as IIHF World Junior Hockey Champions
The Canadian under-20 men’s hockey team has won 35 total medals at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship dating back to the 1977 tournament and they’ll be looking to win their third consecutive gold – 21st overall – at this year’s competition in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Expected to lead the Canadian team is 19-year-old forward Matthew Savoie. The St. Albert, Alberta-native registered 95 points – 38 goals and 57 assists – in 62 games with the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Winnipeg Ice last season. This season, Savoie already has 17 points in 13 games played, in split time with the Buffalo Sabres (NHL), Rochester Americans (AHL) and Wenatchee Wild (WHL).
Savoie and Canada begin their tournament on Boxing Day against Finland, before playing Latvia, hosts Sweden and then Germany on New Year’s Eve to close the round robin schedule.
The entire IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship schedule can be found at iihf.com.