FA Cup final and Premier League betting tips: Cole Palmer to score in FA Cup final against Man City, Newcastle and West Ham to draw, and more FA Cup final and Gameweek 37 betting tips
This season's fascinating Premier League title race rumbles on, and we’ve also got the small matter of the FA Cup final, so read on for a breakdown of the best bets from this weekend’s TV games from Sports News Blitz’s punting laureate - The Bookie Basher - including the Wembley showpiece between Chelsea and Manchester City on Saturday, May 16.
FA Cup final: Five players key to Chelsea’s victory hopes against Man City at Wembley
With the FA Cup final around the corner, Callum Macfarlane’s Chelsea have the chance to win a trophy after a rather underwhelming season.
This season’s FA Cup will come to its final conclusion on Saturday, May 16, kicking off at 3pm under the arch of Wembley Stadium.
It will be extremely difficult against a very good Manchester City side, who are vying with Arsenal for the Premier League title.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Dejan Johal looks at five Chelsea players who may hold the key to Chelsea winning the cup.
Soccer analysis: Are Luton Town set to contend for the 2026/27 League One title?
Luton Town are set to remain in League One for the 2026/27 season, after an enthralling final day saw the Hatters narrowly miss a play-off position by one point.
Despite a last-minute winner against play-off rivals Bolton Wanderers, a controversial last-minute goal for Stevenage’s Dan Sweeney meant the Hertfordshire side edged into the final play-off position.
Whether the play-offs would have been beneficial for Luton, given their single victorious play-off campaign from six attempts in the 21st century, is another thought.
Next season, however, Luton certainly will be gunning for that top spot, writes Sports News Blitz’s Uchenna Haq.
ITV horse racing tips and best bets for York and Salisbury on Thursday, May 14
Day two of the Dante Festival gets underway at York Racecourse on Thursday and Sports News Blitz’s horse racing expert Kieran McHugh is back for the main event.
ITV are showing five races from York and one from Salisury, all spearheaded by the Dante Stakes at 16:05.
Premier League Darts night 15 preview and betting tips
The race for the play-offs continues to heat up in the Premier League of Darts, with just two nights of regular season action remaining. It really is now or never for the remaining arrowsmiths to bag a play-off place.
Sports News Blitz’s Charlie Fawcett previews all the action ahead of a huge night of darts in Birmingham.
Interactive Bingo Platforms Are Attracting a New Generation of Sports Fans
Entertainment activities involving digital sports, gaming, streaming, and social media have also transformed significantly over the last ten years.
Users no longer interact with entertainment options in a single dimension.
Today, people enjoy increasingly interconnected entertainment experiences when watching sports games, playing video games, watching streaming programs, or using social media accounts.
Among the platforms growing in popularity within these parameters include online bingo services, which are becoming more appealing to audiences searching for socially oriented and actively engaging gaming experiences.
Soccer analysis: Are Manchester United ready to compete for European glory?
Manchester United were once seen as the benchmark for men’s football.
The Red Devils dominated the domestic scene during Sir Alex Ferguson's tenure, winning the Treble in 1999 and cementing their status as an elite force in Europe.
The club became synonymous with consistency, a winning mentality, and the ability to perform in big games, a culture that endured even after Ferguson’s departure, writes Sports News Blitz’s Nerea Fernandes.
Motorsport news: Who are the Indianapolis 500 one off entries in 2026?
With it being standard practice since 1934 for there to be 33 cars on the Indy 500 grid, additional entries help keep the tradition alive.
They also provide opportunities for specialist teams and drivers, including outfits such as Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and Abel Motorsports, to compete on one of motorsport’s biggest stages.
Independent, non chartered teams and drivers are able to take their shot at “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing”, helping preserve the Indy 500’s long standing tradition of open competition.
Soccer analysis: The Americanisation of European football
As football has grown in popularity in the United States, the way the sport is consumed and operated across Europe has also begun to change.
Football, a sport once built on local identity and working class culture, has increasingly been reshaped by the commercial influence of American sports models.
Cricket analysis: The race for England’s opening spot – Five players who could replace Zak Crawley
With the County Championship season now underway, competition for the opening spot in England’s top order is high.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Sai Raghav Balakrishnan explores the suitability of five candidates.
Women are driving a new era of sports growth as female viewership numbers continue to increase
The number of women watching sport is growing – and the statistics are there to back it up. From the ashes of Heated Rivalry and Formula 1: Drive to Survive rise female sport fans, who are loyal and ready for sporting fun.
They not only aid consumer statistics and records, but also expand the realms of diversity, virality, and financial stability. Here, Sports News Blitz writer Katie Butler unpacks the growth of female viewership within sport.
NBA news: Has Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James played his last game in the NBA?
The Oklahoma City Thunder knocked out the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2025/26 NBA play-offs on Monday night as the reigning champions swept LeBron James and company 4-0 in the Western Conference semi-finals.
James’ season is now at an end, and with a lot of uncertainty over the forward’s options for next year, basketball fans will be hoping that this isn’t an undignified end for the GOAT. So, what are his options? Sports News Blitz’s Finn Littlewood gives his thoughts.
Naomi Riches: From ‘blind girl’ at school to rookie rowing world champion
Naomi Riches did not set out to become a Paralympic champion. At school, she was known as “the blind girl,” sat at the front of the class with large-print worksheets, and often made to feel different before anyone saw what she could actually do.
Rowing changed that.
Within four months of joining the Great Britain adaptive rowing set-up, Naomi was sent to her first World Championships and came back with gold.
In this exclusive interview with the London Keynote Speakers Agency, Naomi discusses how rowing changed her relationship with her disability, why missing out on selection in 2010 became one of the biggest lessons of her career, and what her record-breaking Thames row taught her about control, trust and resilience.
Chelsea manager search: Leading managers to take over the job next season
Ever since the departure of Liam Rosenior, the big question for Chelsea has been simple: “Who will be taking the job for next season?”
Sports News Blitz writer Dejan Johal looks at the leading candidates for the Chelsea managerial position at the moment.
ITV horse racing tips and best bets for York and Yarmouth on Wednesday, May 13
Day one of the Dante Festival gets underway at York Racecourse on Wednesday and Sports News Blitz’s horse racing expert Kieran McHugh returns to cast his eye over proceedings.
ITV are showing five races from York and one from Yarmouth, leaving our resident racing reporter with lots of action to uncover.
Soccer analysis: Is the cost of watching the beautiful game becoming too expensive for fans?
The cost of watching football, whether in the stadium or at home, is becoming too expensive. Is it affordable for the average UK resident?
Sports News Blitz’s Uchenna Haq shares his thoughts…
FIFA World Cup 2026 explained: Format, host cities and key dates
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the biggest football tournament in history, featuring more teams, matches, and three host nations for the first time ever, writes Sports News Blitz’s Darshan Kaur Gill.
The 23rd edition of the tournament will be held from June 11 to July 19 - jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Horse racing news: Gaelic Warrior named Horse of the Year in Timeform’s Jumps Awards
Gaelic Warrior has been named both Timeform’s Horse of the Year and Top Chaser following a sensational campaign in 2025/26, headlined by dominant victories in both the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Punchestown Gold Cup.
Willie Mullins’ star performer achieved a Timeform rating of 180 for his 26-length rout of Fact To File in the Punchestown Gold Cup, cementing his position at the top of the chasing division and putting him just 1lb short of the peak rating of two-time Gold Cup winner Galopin des Champs.
Gaelic Warrior proved himself equally effective around Cheltenham, producing one of the most commanding victories in the Cheltenham Gold Cup seen in recent years.
The District Padel & Pickleball Club Celebrates Grand Opening in Toronto, Signaling a New Chapter in Racquet Sports and Social Culture
Toronto’s fast-evolving sports and social landscape is entering a new phase with The District Padel & Pickleball Club, a 55,000-square-foot flagship facility located just minutes from downtown Toronto.
Following an initial opening and community preview on March 28, the club will officially celebrate its Grand Opening on May 15, marking its full arrival as a premium, design-forward destination for racquet sports and social connection.
As interest in racquet sports accelerates globally, recent data from Playtomic’s Global Padel Report shows that a new padel club is opening every 2.5 hours worldwide.
WWE news: Five takeaways from Backlash 2026 as John Cena announces new tournament in Tampa
WWE Backlash 2026 kicked off the post-WrestleMania season this past weekend, and the Tampa event wasn’t short of headlines thanks to a stacked card. All five matches were strong and John Cena even stopped by to announce a new tournament.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Mosaddek Abu outlines five key takeaways from the latest edition of Backlash.