The sporting world seems to be at its peak right now, with so many incredible sporting stories being written over the past few weeks all around the world. With Australia causing a massive shock to beat hosts India in the Cricket World Cup Final last week, underdog teams all over the world have yet another hit of motivation and belief that they can overturn the odds (and hostile away crowds as well).

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This week will see more unmissable matchups take place in a number of different sports, from an All-American grudge match in boxing to the final race in a spectacular Formula 1 season. Let’s go into what sporting matchups you should stream this weekend.

NBA: Spurs at Warriors (November 24th)

The Golden State Warriors have had a strange start to the season. After winning 6 of their first 8 games and looking good with the addition of legendary point guard Chris Paul to their team, they have gone on a horrible run since then, losing 6 games in a row and finally breaking that streak against a poor Houston Rockets side in an unconvincing performance. A win’s a win, though, especially after such a damaging losing run.

Steph Curry has been one of their only bright sparks, but the lack of consistent scoring from his teammates, such as Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins, has meant that he has had to take much more of the load than usual, and thus has had to take more shots that he otherwise wouldn’t take.

The Warriors had high hopes for this season, especially after that early run, but if they want to make any kind of deep playoff run, they will have to have better performances around Curry. Draymond Green being suspended (are you surprised?) for 5 games for a needless and silly headlock of Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert has not helped their defense either.

The Warriors will come up against a San Antonio Spurs side that have lost their last 9 games and are in the beginning of a rebuild. Usually, this would mean that this game wouldn’t carry much interest, but the Spurs do have one big talking point this season (see what I did there?)

Victor Wembanyama was drafted number 1 by the Spurs this offseason, and the 19 year old Frenchman has already been widely tipped to be the next generational talent and face of the NBA. A lot of pressure on a young man’s shoulders, but he has already shown glimpses of greatness, especially when he scored 38 points against Kevin Durant’s Phoenix Suns.

He still has a lot to learn, especially on the defensive side, but watching him play right now feels like watching the next star of the league being born right in front of our eyes. He may not be able to overcome the fast-paced Warriors by himself, but his size against a small Golden State team should be fun to watch. Expect a high-scoring affair with fantastic plays from both sides.

Premier League: Liverpool at Manchester City (November 25th)

It feels like every weekend there’s a huge matchup between the big teams in the Premier League recently. After Manchester City’s thrilling 4-4 draw against Chelsea before the international break, the Premier League returns with top-placed City hosting Liverpool, who are just 1 point behind them in second place.

Man City have not quite hit the heights of last season yet, with some beautiful victories being canceled out by late losses to Wolves and Arsenal before that amazing draw against Chelsea. But despite that match being praised for its entertainment, it’s not like City to concede 4 goals in a game, especially against a Chelsea side that they had held goalless in their last 3 matchups.

It doesn’t seem like their defense is as solid as last year as of yet, and if there is a team that will be confident of exploiting this weakness, it is undoubtedly Liverpool. Jürgen Klopp’s men have consistently been City’s biggest rivals over the past few years, and with Luis Diaz, Mo Salah, and Darwin Núñez in great form, their attacking talent should worry City.

Liverpool have also shown tremendous resilience in coming back from losing positions on multiple occasions this season to win, so the Sky Blues can’t start relaxing when ahead like they did against Chelsea. The fact the game is at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester gives City an edge, but write this Liverpool team off at your peril.

Formula 1: Abu Dhabi GP (November 26th)

The Formula 1 season is coming to an end, with the teams heading to Abu Dhabi for the curtain-closing 23rd race of the year. It’s been a year of utter domination for Red Bull and Max Verstappen, with both the Drivers and Constructors Championships being wrapped up weeks ago. However, this race will not just be a coronation for Red Bull, as there are positions in both standings to fight for.

On the drivers side, Carlos Sainz, Fernando Alonso, Lando Norris, and Charles Leclerc are all separated by just 12 points in the battle for 4th place in the standings. All 4 have driven excellently at times this season, but they have all also had periods of bad form, whether down to individual mistakes or the car falling behind in performance.

Sainz is the only non-Red Bull driver to have won a race this season, and if he wins this weekend, he will surely wrap up 4th place, which would be an incredibly successful season for him considering he was expected to play second fiddle to Charles Leclerc after arriving at Ferrari.

On the constructors side, Mercedes and Ferrari are only separated by 4 points going into Abu Dhabi, with second place behind Red Bull (and a lot of prize money) up for grabs. Ferrari have been in better form over the past 2 races, and if Mercedes don’t perform, they will lose their grip on second place, despite Lewis Hamilton finishing a clear third behind the Red Bull drivers in the drivers standings.

Other than these battles, this weekend will just be a goodbye to Formula 1 for the winter, and a final chance to see the drivers do battle until 2024.

Author: Dan Anderson

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