Bovada

This week in the Bovada Futures Watch we take a look at two of the most historic flat races in the world, the Epsom Derby for three-year-old colts and the Epsom Oaks for three-year-old fillies. Both races take place on the first weekend of June at famed Epsom Downs in Surrey, UK.

Ohio State versus USC is a matchup college football purists, casual fans and sports bettors can all get excited about as two of the most storied programs in the country will meet in the postseason Dec.29 at 8:30 ET in the Cotton Bowl.

While we're still several months away from the 2018 Triple Crown, the race is already on for horses wanting to earn a spot in the starting gate in the first leg, the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May. Two weeks later they'll run the Preakness Stakes, followed three weeks later by the Belmont Stakes.

The College Football Playoff has never happened without Alabama present, and that could explain why the Crimson Tide are favored in 2018 despite being being the number four seed. At +190, what are the factors to consider before taking Bama?

Last week, the New Orleans Saints toppled the Carolina Panthers to move to the head of the class in the NFC South. Now they must deal with the defending NFC champion Atlanta Falcons to lock away the crown. The Saints and Falcons meet Thursday in Atlanta and again Dec. 24 in New Orleans, and in each of the past four seasons, the team that won the first game swept the series.

Finding a high-priced future winner of a major stakes race is one of the best ways to hit a handicapping home run when it comes to horse racing. Each week we'll take a look at some of the Future Wagers on offer in the Bovada racebook and try to find horses that offer the best possible value if you bet them today.

In what should be an excellent betting race with a solid field of contenders, Grade 1 racing returns to Aqueduct Race Track in New York this Saturday with the running of the $750,000 Cigar Mile. The race has drawn a field of 10, led by Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile runner-up Sharp Azteca.

Perhaps the most important jump race in the UK, the Cheltenham Gold Cup for 2018 will be run on Friday, March 16, the final day of the four-day Cheltenham Festival. The early future bet line at Bovada has jump racing star Thistlecrack as a very tempting 5-1 favorite.

Just a couple weeks after the Breeders' Cup World Championships, the racing world returns to Del Mar race track for the running of the $300,000 (G1) Hollywood Derby. The historic race has drawn a well-matched field of nine three-year-old colts set to go 1 1/8 miles on the turf course.