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Festive sports betting guide for 2024
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Premier League title race gathers pace
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King George at Kempton on Boxing Day
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Littler aims to light up Ally Pally
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Plus the best NFL and cricket this Xmas
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Get an extra boost on your Premier League Bet Builders this Christmas with Betfair
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Get a completely Free Bet on any sport on Boxing Day
Betfair's Boxing Day Football Superboost!
Aleksandar Isak (v Aston Villa) and Cole Palmer (v Fulham) form our Saturday Superboost with both players in red hot form.
Aleksandar Isak (21) and Cole Palmer (25) both sit in the top seven for shots on target this season.
We just need both men to have a single shot on target for the Superboost to land and the selection has been boosted from 1/21.50 to 1/12.00.
Back Isak & Palmer to have 1+ shots on target (was 1/2) NOW
Watch Football... Only Bettor Boxing Days Best Bets!
Christmas football guide - top of tree wins league?
Premier League matches come thick and fast between Christmas and New Year and it can be a decisive period in the title race. The last time leaders Liverpool won the league, in 2019/20, they were top of the tree at Christmas. Their fans will be hoping that is a good omen for the Reds.
There are two full matchdays across the Christmas and New Year period, with the traditional Boxing Day feast of eight matches, six more on Saturday 28 and more dotted about the other days. There is, however, only one match on New Years' Day when Arsenal travel to Brentford.
There are no clashes between the title contenders - Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City - but there are many intriguing match-ups and, at this time of year, it is all about getting another three points in the bag. And of course, it isn't only about the top flight, so we will have previews for EFL Championship, League 1 and 2 matches too.
Read our experts' previews for their tips and Betfair ambassador Alan Shearer's score predictions.
Christmas horse racing guide - King George and more
Betfair ambassador Paul Nicholls loves the King George VI Chase and, while it would be a surprise if Bravemansgame (current antepost price 16/117.00) were to win it again, as he did two years ago, Team Ditcheat will give Kempton their best shot on Boxing Day. You will be able to read Paul Nicholls' thoughts on all his runners in his exclusive Betting.Betfair column.
The leading contenders in the King George VI at this stage look set to be Grey Dawning 7/24.50, Corbetts Cross and Envoi Allen both 6/17.00.
You can also read our tipsters and get their bests bets for Boxing Day racing at Kempton and elsewhere. The King George is not the only big race of the day and fans will be hoping Constitution Hill returns to racing for the first time in 12 months to take part in the Christmas Hurdle.
The following day, it is the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow and, across the Irish sea, the Leopardstown Christmas Festival runs from 26 to 29 December.
Darts World Championship - Littler to light up Ally Pally?
Luke Littler is one of the faces of 2024 which is not something you can often say about a darts player. One thing you can always say, though, is that the World Championship at Alexandra Palace (15 December to 3 January) is one of the highlights of festive sport.
In a remarkable 12 months, 17-year-old Littler has won 10 trophies, becoming the youngest ever player to win the Premier League and Grand Slam of Darts. He is 15/82.88 to win the PDC World Championship and the market indicates that Luke Humphries 3/14.00 and Gary Anderson 10/111.00 are his main rivals.
Sky Sports' Abigail Davies will be recommending her best bets for the tournament on Betting.Betfair. In the meantime, read the Ultimate Guide to PDC World Darts Championship 2025.
Christmas NFL guide - Crucial time for Super Bowl contenders
Like the Premier League, the festive period can be crucial in the NFL as teams with an eye on the Super Bowl battle for places in the play-offs. The penultimate gameweek of the regular season is played between from 25 to 31 December.
Detroit Lions are the 5/23.50 favourites to win the Super Bowl which takes place on Sunday 9 February. They have already clinched their place in the play-offs, as have defending champions Kansas City Chiefs 5/16.00, Philadelphia Eagles 11/26.50 and Buffalo Bills 6/17.00. That means there are six more places in the post-season up for grabs and plenty of teams are in the hunt.
Read Paul Higham's game previews and get his best bets for every round. And listen to the Betfair's NFL...Only Bettor podcast for more weekly picks.
Christmas cricket guide - Big Bash and Australia v India
Down Under is the place to be for cricket fans this festive period. First up you can have a white ball Christmas at the Big Bash which starts on 15 December so will be well underway by the time the festive fixtures come around. Read our cricket betting expert Ed Hawkins' match previews and get his best bets.
Ed will also provide the lowdown on the best betting angles for Australia v India when the fourth Test in their series begins in Melbourne on 25 December.