Don't Miss This Weekend’s Highlights in Sports

This Weekend’s Big Match-Ups (October 8-10, 2022)

The sports world is ablaze this year, with top teams looking to dominate, legends of their respective sports entering their final years, and young stars making a name for themselves. This year is, without doubt, one of the most exciting years for sport in recent memory, and the fantastic matchups this weekend are no different. Let’s have a look at the hottest events coming up:  

NBA: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Atlanta Hawks (October 8th)

As the NBA preseason is in full swing, the Milwaukee Bucks are aiming to bring back that famed team chemistry that led them to the 2021 NBA Championship. Led by their superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, returning shooting guard Khris Middleton, and the dependable point guard Jrue Holiday, the Bucks are on a mission to reclaim their lost title.

This weekend, they will run into many experts’ potential dark horse in the Eastern Conference this year, the Trey Young-led Atlanta Hawks. Young has taken his game to another level in the past two years. His clutch play, along with his fearless shooting and driving, has carried the Hawks to successive playoff campaigns, even reaching the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021 (and losing to Milwaukee). It should be an intriguing matchup as both teams attempt to kick into gear before the start of the regular season.

Complete NBA preseason schedule here.

Formula 1: Japanese GP (October 9th)

After the fireworks of last weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, Formula 1 returns this week with a fascinating battle in Japan, where we could see Red Bull starlet Max Verstappen win his second world title after taking an almost unassailable lead over rival Charles Leclerc in recent races. If he wins the race and adds the fastest lap point to boot, he will be crowned champion on Sunday.

However, the famed Suzuka track always provides a treat for drivers and fans alike. It is one of the most popular tracks, and with plenty of rivalries to settle down the field, and Mercedes and Ferrari still battling for second place in the Constructors Championship, there is still plenty to play for. Sergio Perez will be looking to win a second consecutive race for the first time in his career, while Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes will be aiming to put last week’s frustrating performance behind them in their hunt for points and potentially a first race win of the season. The Japanese GP promises to be a belter.

Formula 1 schedule and TV-channels here.

EPL: Arsenal vs. Liverpool (October 9th)

Arsenal and Liverpool have had quite the contrasting start to their seasons. While Arsenal flies high as the Premier League leaders for the first time in what seems like an eternity, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side that came so close to the perfect season last time around has toiled. Just two wins from their first seven Premier League games have left them floundering in ninth place, below Fulham, Newcastle, and Brighton, along with the other ‘Big Six’ clubs. While eight games are obviously not enough to count them out completely as challengers to Manchester City’s Premier League crown, these are definitely worrying times for Klopp’s team.

Arsenal, on the other hand, hasn’t felt optimism like this for years. Arsene Wenger’s 2015/2016 side was the last time Arsenal truly had a period where they challenged for the league (before familiarly falling away in the second half of the season). Seven wins and one loss in the first eight games is as good a start as any Arsenal fan could have hoped for, and the summer acquisitions of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City have given their team a real boost. This is a real test for them, though, and even a weakened Liverpool side should not be taken lightly considering the firepower at their disposal. However, this is the first time in years that Arsenal goes into this fixture as the favorites, and that should tell you all you need to know about how things are going for both teams at this moment.

Premier League (EPL) schedule here.

NFL: Los Angeles Rams vs. Dallas Cowboys (October 9th)

The Los Angeles Rams’ Superbowl win last year was the stuff of legend, being only the second team after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the year before to win a Super Bowl at their own stadium. They even beat Tom Brady’s Bucs on the way to get there, and the Matthew Stafford/Cooper Kupp combination proved near-unstoppable in the playoffs. However, their start this season has been mixed, with their latest match being a demoralizing 24-9 defeat against the San Francisco 49ers, and their record stands at 2-2 going into this matchup with the Dallas Cowboys.

The Cowboys, for their part, have had an excellent start since being beaten by Tom Brady and the Bucs in game one. They have won three on the trot, including an impressive 20-17 win against the Cincinnati Bengals, who reached the Super Bowl last year, despite losing their starting quarterback Dak Prescott to injury. Backup QB Cooper Rush has performed admirably since stepping in, and this will be the biggest test yet to see whether he has the ability to displace Prescott for the long term. There’s a lot on the line on this one.

NFL schedule with TV-channels and streams here.

Author: Dan Anderson