Looking for some of the best bets to make on sports this week? Then you’re in luck, as we’ve taken a look at a range of mid-February events this week and found some true gems for avid sports punters.
The upcoming boxing and MMA events are rife with betting opportunities, but you will find the most audacious pick of the week in our golf prediction for the Genesis Invitational.
We don’t usually talk about ice hockey a lot here, but with the NHL Four Nations Face-Off about to begin, we felt it was the perfect time to take a closer look at the sport. To top it all off, we have gone through some Premier League matches to find some great bets.
Bookmaker Pinnacle has provided the odds for this week’s predictions.
Best Boxing Predictions This Week
We head to Madison Square Garden this weekend for some exciting bouts. Here are our betting picks from the action-packed night in New York.
Connor Coyle vs. Vito Mielnicki – Coyle to Win @ 4.00
Connor Coyle and Vito Mielnicki Jr. will face off in the undercard for Keyshawn Davis vs. Denys Berinchyk. Mielnicki Jr. brings a 20-1 record to the ring. Meanwhile, Coyle will look to extend his immaculate record to 22 wins by winning this ten-round middleweight affair.
Mielnicki Jr. turned professional after winning four Junior National Golden Gloves titles. The 22-year-old is still working his way to his first world title fight. He has already won the WBC Youth light middleweight and WBC USA light middleweight straps. The New Jersey native has been on a 12-fight winning run since losing to James Martin in Los Angeles three years ago.
This will be Mielnicki’s second fight in a row at the MSG. He made his debut at the iconic arena last September, fulfilling a childhood promise to his father that he would one day fight there. To make things even sweeter, he returned home with a majority decision win over Khalil El Harraz. White Magic will look to celebrate his return to the venue with another win.
Coyle will catch a flight from Northern Ireland to stand on the other side of the ring. This will be his first fight under the Top Rank banner. Since switching to the paid ranks in October 2016, the Derry man has built a somewhat successful professional career mostly on the road with fights in Florida, Mexico, Washington, Boston, and Barnsley.
Now Coyle has his shot at shining in the ‘Big Apple’ and a coveted world title shot within grasp. He knows he must triumph against the 5’11” boxer who steps up from super-welterweight and who is 12 years his junior.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: February 12th, 12:00 AM (GMT)
The odds, however, paint him as an underdog in this fight. Bookmaker Pinnacle prices him at 4.000, while Mielnicki is the favourite at 1.253.
Mielnicki is an excellent fighter, but we think the odds are overestimating his chances of winning this fight. Coyle is a severe power puncher, who can catch Milenicki by surprise. In his win against Harraz, Mielnicki survived some close moments, but those could be costly against the Kid.
So, we see great value in backing a Coyle win here.
Denis Berinchyk vs. Keyshawn Davis – Berinchyk to Win @ 5.260
Now, we turn our attention to the main event. Berinchyk and Davis will look to defend their respective unbeaten records in a fight that could see the WBO lightweight belt change hands.
With a perfect 12-0 record thus far, Davis has been simply outstanding in his career. Coming from Virginia, he had already drawn the interest of US boxing enthusiasts long before he turned professional. He jumped to the professional ranks in 2021 following his silver medal wins at the 2019 Pan American Games, the 2019 World Championships, and the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Coming off a career-best victory over Gustavo Daniel Lemos in November last year, stopping the Argentine in the second round, Davis will fight for a world title in his just 13th professional bout. Eight of his 12 wins came via knockouts, with only Jose Meza, Juan Carlos Burgos, Francisco Patera, and Nahir Albright going the full distance against the Businessman.
Davis will square up against Ukrainian veteran Berinchyk, who also has an Olympic silver medal in his cabinet. Having picked up the vacant championship in a split decision victory over multiple weight world champion Emanuel Navarrete last year, 36-year-old Berinchyk is undefeated in 19 professional fights and will make the first defence of his WBO title on Friday.
Berinchyk has defended the WBO International belt eight times and won the empty WBO Oriental lightweight title. He has experience against some high-profile fighters on his record from his biggest wins against Navarrete, Anthony Yigit, Yvan Mendy, Isa Chaniev, Jose Sanchez, Nihito Arakawa, Ismael Garcia and Lorenzo Parra. It does seem a bit strange that this will be only his second fight in the United States after defeating Navarrete.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: February 12th, 12:00 AM (GMT)
We were surprised to see the overwhelming odds in Davis’ favour. The skepticism on Berinchyk comes from his recent inactivity. He has fought only three times over the last three years, but we must not forget that he managed to win the WBO belt as an underdog in his last fight.
Wagering on Berinchyk winning this fight at such inflated odds seems too good of an opportunity to pass up.
Best MMA Predictions This Week
For three of its next four events, the UFC returns to its familiar setting in Las Vegas, and Fight Night 251 is the first one to come. Here are our UFC Fight Night 251 betting picks:
Ketlen Souza vs. Angela Hill – Hill to Win @ 1.943
The preliminaries on Saturday finish with a strawweight bout between seasoned veteran Angela Hill squaring off against rising prospect Ketlen Souza.
After losing a majority decision to Tabatha Ricci in August, Hill (17-14 MMA, 12-14 UFC) is seeking to recover her momentum and pick up her third victory in the last four fights.
Hill, a battle-tested veteran, has been a mainstay of the UFC’s strawweight class since she entered the roster early 2017. The 40-year-old has stayed among the most active fighters in the promotion over the past seven years, with an amazing 26 Octagon entries.
Having lost a submission to Karine Silva in her UFC debut, Souza (15-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) has bounced back in a remarkable fashion.
Driven to prove herself, she has since assembled consecutive wins, stopping Marnic Mann in the opening round and giving highly regarded prospect Yazmin Jauregui the first loss of her career. Since Souza is now facing a UFC old guard in Hill, those victories have earned her the biggest matchup of her UFC career till now.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: February 12th, 12:00 AM (GMT)
The odds from bookmaker Pinnacle say this is a pretty even pairing. A win for Souza is priced at 1.925, and Hill is slightly behind at 1.943.
Hill has seen it all in the UFC. Having 26 matches under the promotional banner, she has battled some of the top strawweights in the world including elite contenders and former champions. Having fought just three times in the UFC, Souza continues to adapt in the division. This great inequality in experience could be very important in this contest.
Among the most energetic and high output attackers in the strawweight class, Hill regularly overwhelms her opponents with force and volume. Though Souza has strength, she hasn’t encountered a striker with Hill’s degree of technical ability, agility, and ability to control the pace of a fight.
For the above reasons, we believe Hill is the safer pick, even though she is a marginal underdog in this battle.
Elijah Smith vs. Vince Morales – Morales to Win @ 2.350
After recent failures, seasoned bantamweight Vince Morales is keen to get back on track and wants to re-establish himself in the division. Promotional newcomer Elijah Smith, who enters the Octagon for the first time, stands in his way. In Saturday’s prelims, this fascinating collision of experience against fresh talent plays out as both fighters try to grab the opportunity.
After five wins and four finishes on the regional circuit, Morales returned to the Octagon last September, but lost to Taylor Lapilus in Paris. The fight was largely contested at striking range, where Lapilus showcased superior accuracy and volume. Morales was energetic, but his effectiveness trailed behind as he landed a much smaller percentage of his significant strikes than his opponent.
After a courageous win over City Kickboxing’s Aaron Tau on Dana White’s Contender Series last season, Smith makes his promotional debut this weekend in Las Vegas, aiming for his sixth straight victory. The 22-year-old follows the footsteps of his father Gilbert Smith, who has seven Octagon fights under his belt.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: February 12th, 12:00 AM (GMT)
We would’ve fancied Smith for a statement win, but the odds for him are far from enticing. Morales has not been at his best lately, but he has superior MMA experience. Smith is certainly a lively fighter, but there’s a strong chance he could struggle with the added pressure and make costly mistakes.
As a result, we suggest taking a punt on Morales here instead.
Gregory Rodrigues vs. Jared Cannonier – Under 2.5 Rounds @ 1.854
No. 7-ranked Jared Cannonier and the red-hot Gregory Rodrigues will trade blows in an exciting middleweight bout on UFC Fight Night program on February 15 at APEX Centre in Las Vegas. Rodrigues approaches the fight with momentum from a three-fight winning run while Cannonier wants to come back to winning ways after two losses in succession.
Since moving to the division over six years ago, Cannonier has been a mainstay in the UFC middleweight top 10. The Killa Gorilla is set to make his sixth successive main event appearance. His most recent losses came against Caio Borralho and Nassourdine Imavov, both of whom have bagged impressive wins lately. Cannonier could use a strong rebound to silence any doubts about age catching up to him.
The UFC decided to hand Rodrigues his first main event showdown after the Brazilian registered three back-to-back wins. The Robocop stopped Denis Tiuliulin and Brad Tavares before enjoying a unanimous decision victory over Christian Leroy Duncan seven months ago. Two days shy of his 33rd birthday, Rodrigues has flourished in the middleweight division’s “Second 15” over his UFC career. He now wants to take advantage of his first true chance to rank highly with a strong performance.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: February 12th, 12:00 AM (GMT)
Both Cannonier and Rodrigues have a knack for ending their opponents early. Rodrigues is an excellent grappler who can force a submission or TKO with his exquisite ground game. Cannonier, on the other hand, is a solid striker with 10 TKO/KO victims.
Cannonier was on the receiving end of a TKO against Imavov last June. He will turn 41 next month, so it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect another early defeat against a younger, in-form fighter.
We are confident that the fight will be over before the final bell rings, so we will bet on under 2.5 rounds.
Best Golf Prediction This Week
The Genesis Invitational sees a change of scenery this year. Instead of the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, the PGA has moved the event to Torrey Pines in San Diego. Have a look at our betting pick for the tournament.
Will Zalatoris to Win @ 60.670
After the electrifying chaos of TPC Scottsdale and the WM Phoenix Open, the PGA Tour now shifts focus to The Genesis Invitational. It’s going to be the third signature event of the 2025 season.
The LA wildfires have forced The Genesis Invitational, typically played at Riviera Country Club, to move to Torrey Pines. The San Diego course recently hosted the Farmers Insurance Open two weeks ago.
The Genesis Invitational will be contested on the South Course at Torrey Pines, where the U.S. Open was previously played, unlike the Farmers Insurance Open, which takes place across the North and South courses.
Tiger Woods was scheduled to be back in action this week, but with the death of his mother the record PGA Tour champion withdrew from the field. But the tournament will still be rich in star power, with heavyweights like Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, and Jordan Spieth all set to feature.
For our winner pick, however, we will look beyond the usual suspects. We believe Will Zalatoris is worth a punt at Torrey Pines. Zalatoris has publicly said that this is his favourite course on the Tour. The challenging environment of the course could offset many stars, but Zalatoris is the man who can thrive in this condition.
Zalatoris did not feature in the Farmers Insurance Open here in January, but he finished T13 in 2024, runner-up two years before that and T3 in 2021.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: February 12th, 12:00 AM (GMT)
Zalatoris has teed it three times this season with finishes of T-26 at The Sentry, T-12 at The American Express, and T-48 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. With narrow fairways and small greens at the South Course, precision is key—an area where Zalatoris excels. This season, he ranks 13th in driving accuracy and eighth in greens in regulation, making him well-suited for the challenge.
Bookmaker Pinnacle guarantees more than a 60x profit for backing the 28-year-old successfully. Given his strong record at Torrey Pines in past years, we think Zalatoris is a fantastic choice here.
Best Ice Hockey Prediction This Week
The NHL has replaced the 2025 NHL All-Star Game with the 2025 Four Nations Face-Off. The international tournament features four top ice hockey playing nations, but only NHL players are eligible for the rosters. With the United States and Finland set to face off in the tournament soon, here’s our betting tip for the match-up.
Finland vs. USA – Over Six Goals @ 2.150
Finland and the US will clash in their Four Nations Face-Off opener at the Bell Centre in Montreal on Thursday night.
Auston Matthews, one of the NHL’s most lethal goal scorers, wears the captain’s “C” for Team USA, while Finland’s leader, Aleksander Barkov, brings his elite two-way game to the table. Although these two players headline a game full of world-class talent, they are only a glimpse of the high-level ability on exhibit in this game and during the tournament.
That said, Team USA enter the fray as the clear favourites. They have exceptional depth on both offence and defence. Their players may not dominate every individual stat category, but when listing the league’s top performers, a significant number of them would feature near the top.
Apart from their output, their all-around performance and less-known qualities really distinguishes them. Matthews and Brady Tkachuk’s toughness gives a gritty touch, and Jaccob Slavin’s defensive acumen guarantees that their game is considerably more than just scoring.
The strength continues in goal, with Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger, and Jeremy Swayman forming an undeniably elite trio in the tournament. All three are proven NHL stars, boasting impressive resumes and top-tier stats. The Finnish attack, therefore, will find it difficult to breach the American defence.
Finland boast top NHL players like Aleksander Barkov, Mikko Rantanen, and Sebastian Aho as well as one of the league’s best goaltenders in Juuse Saros, but their depth is a clear concern. The defensive unit is particularly vulnerable, lacking top-tier options and already dealing with the loss of star defenseman Miro Heiskanen. This group of middle-pair defensemen could be quickly targeted by Team USA.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: February 12th, 12:00 AM (GMT)
This match has all the makings of a high-scoring affair, so we’re backing more than six goals to be scored. Bookmaker Pinnacle offers odds of 2.150 on the over-six market, making it a solid option to consider.
Best Football Prediction This Week
We will wrap up our weekly predictions with three Premier League betting tips. Read on for a breakdown of the best football picks this week.
Brighton and Hove Albion vs. Chelsea – Brighton to Win @ 3.010
Brighton will meet Chelsea only six days after knocking them out of the FA Cup, but this time the teams will battle in a Premier League setting.
In last weekend’s FA Cup clash, Brighton came out 2-1 winners as Chelsea could only muster a single shot on target. A blunder from Bart Verbruggen put the Blues ahead after five minutes, but the Seagulls were quick to respond. Before Kaoru Mitoma’s brilliant strike just before the hour mark clinched the victory, Brighton equalised through Georginio Rutter’s header in the 12th minute.
This was a far cry from their late September meeting at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea comfortably won 4-2 thanks to a four-goal haul from their talisman, Cole Palmer.
Brighton, six points behind seventh-placed AFC Bournemouth, are on 34 points from 24 games. German strategist Fabian Hurzeler’s first season at the club has been really outstanding. He has impressed by maintaining the Seagulls’ attractive football while securing solid results. In the FA Cup, Brighton have advanced past Norwich City and Chelsea, with a fifth round trip to Newcastle on the horizon.
Chelsea’s form has recently taken a dip under Enzo Maresca, leaving them with only the Premier League and UEFA Europa Conference League to focus on. Though fourth, they are only three points clear of seventh-placed Bournemouth, which reflects the fragility of their position with just two victories in their last eight league games.
Maresca’s men were in fierce hunt of league leaders Liverpool after scoring 34 points in their first sixteen games. Now, though, the Blues have a tough road ahead to qualify for the Champions League as Newcastle and Manchester City both draw near.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: February 12th, 12:00 AM (GMT)
Amex Stadium has not been a happy hunting ground for Chelsea in recent years. The Londoners have lost two of their last three trips to the arena. Brighton did lose to the likes of Nottingham Forest and Everton lately, but we believe the FA Cup win should give them enough confidence to beat a struggling Chelsea side once again.
For this reason, we are betting on Brighton winning this match.
Leicester City vs. Arsenal – Under Three Goals @ 1.840
Arsenal continue their mission to chase down league leaders Liverpool with a weekend trip to the King Power Stadium this Saturday. At the time of writing, the Gunners were trailing Liverpool by six points. By the time you are reading this however, the gap could increase to seven or ten points unless Everton celebrate the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park with a win.
Arsenal ran riot in their last Premier League outing, when they dismantled current champions Manchester City 5-1 in front of the Emirates Stadium crowd. Gabriel Martinelli, Thomas Partey, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kai Havertz, and Ethan Nwaneri all hit the target. Mikel Arteta’s men, however, could not bring their goal-scoring form to St. James Park days later. Arsenal suffered a 2-0 loss away at Newcastle to lose the Carabao Cup semi-final tie 4-0 on aggregate.
Their next opponent Leicester City are not having a great time. The 2015/16 champions have struggled to find their footing upon their return to the English top-flight this season. Steve Copper faced the axe for the Foxes poor results. New boss Ruud van Nistelrooy could not inspire a dramatic improvement either. Now, they face the challenge of survival at 18th, with 14 more Premier League matches to go.
Leicester faced Manchester United in an FA Cup fourth round tie in their last match. They went toe-to-toe with the current FA Cup champions, but a controversial late goal from Harry Maguire helped United nick a 2-1 win.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: February 12th, 12:00 AM (GMT)
It seems unlikely that Leicester will find the resolve to stop a title chasing Arsenal side. That said, we don’t expect this to be a goal fest. Arsenal’s injury list grew even longer with Kai Havertz joining fellow forwards Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus in the infirmary. The North London outfit should grind out a victory, but we don’t think they will be able to score more than once.
In this situation, the under-three-goal market seems to be a sensible option to bet on.
Aston Villa vs. Ipswich Town – Both Teams to Score & Villa to Win @ 3.050
Aston Villa will hope to pick up a comfortable home win when they welcome Ipswich Town at Villa Park on Saturday. The Tractor Boys are second to last in the standings with only 16 points in 24 outings. The hosts are 11 steps ahead of Ipswich in the ladder with 37 points in 24 appearances.
Villa have had a roller-coaster ride this season. Unai Emery’s men are win-less in their last three Premier League matches. But, Aston Villa have managed to book a place in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. They beat Celtic 4-2 to achieve the feat. Villa also remain alive in the FA Cup with a brilliant 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the fourth round.
Ipswich, on the other hand, don’t have many positives to look back at this season. While they also punched the ticket for the FA Cup fifth round, Kieran McKenna’s are struggling to adjust to life in the Premier League.
They have not won in the league since beating a 10-men Wolves in mid-December. Ipswich have lost seven of their last eight matches, making a return to the Championship look more like a reality with each passing day.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: February 12th, 12:00 AM (GMT)
Aston Villa can’t say that they have the most disciplined back-line in the division. Both teams have found the back of the net in the last four Premier League matches at Villa Park. While Ipswich seem set for another Premier League defeat, we do expect them to nick a consolation goal or two.
The Best Bets to Make This Week
Let’s revisit our betting picks for the week one more time. Here they are:
- Connor Coyle vs. Vito Mielnicki – Coyle to win @ 4.000
- Denis Berinchyk vs. Keyshawn Davis – Berinchyk to win @ 5.260
- Ketlen Souza vs. Angela Hill – Hill to win @ 1.943
- Elijah Smith vs. Vince Morales – Morales to win @ 2.350
- Gregory Rodrigues vs. Jared Cannonier – under 2.5 rounds @ 1.854
- Will Zalatoris to win 2025 Genesis Invitational @ 60.670
- Finland vs. USA Four Nations Face-Off – over six goals @ 2.150
- Brighton and Hove Albion vs. Chelsea – Brighton to win @ 3.010
- Leicester City vs. Arsenal – under three goals @ 1.840
- Aston Villa vs. Ipswich Town – both teams to score & Villa to win @ 3.050
We believe there are a lot of undervalued betting markets to take advantage of this week. For this reason we have voted for the underdog in many of our picks, with Zalatoris’ victory at The Genesis Invitational our most audacious prediction.
