Top Gambling News Stories for Saturday July 18, 2026

Submitted by C Costigan on

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C Costigan

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Top Gambling News Stories for Saturday July 18, 2026

France takes on England to determine the World Cup third place finisher Saturday.  We have a bunch of big sport events from across the globe including the Rugby Union National Championship matches that take place during the very early morning hours Eastern Standard Time and, of course, The Open Championship. 


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Friday July 17, 2026 (8:32 pm EDT)


Soccer (Brazil)

Brazil Serie B Matches Saturday

Friday July 17, 2026 (7:39 pm EDT)

1. Criciúma vs. Vila Nova 
Kickoff: 3:00 PM ET
Clear marquee match of the day
Criciúma enters first in the standings, with Vila Nova second, making this a direct battle between the division’s top two teams.
Criciúma has 33 points and is unbeaten across its last six league matches, with five wins and one draw.
Vila Nova has a large and loyal following in Goiás and is a serious promotion contender.
This should produce the largest national betting handle, especially for match winner, totals, corners and card markets.

2. Ponte Preta vs. Goiás 
Kickoff: 3:00 PM ET
Both are historically recognizable Brazilian clubs with strong regional support.
Goiás is ninth, while Ponte Preta sits 19th, creating a promotion-chase-versus-relegation-pressure angle.
Ponte Preta enters on a five-match losing run, while Goiás recently defeated Ceará and Náutico before drawing with CRB.
Goiás was trading around -130 to win, indicating that sportsbooks regard the visitors as meaningful favorites.
This should attract good regional wagering interest, although considerably less than the first-versus-second matchup.
 

Soccer (Mexico)

Liga MX Apertura Matches Saturday

Friday July 17, 2026 (7:37 pm EDT)

1. Guadalajara (Chivas) vs. Toluca 
Time: 9:07 PM ET
The biggest Liga MX match of the day.
Chivas is one of Mexico's two biggest clubs with an enormous nationwide following.
Toluca is consistently among the league's strongest teams and a recent title contender.
This should attract the highest betting volume of the Saturday slate.

2. Querétaro vs. Club América 
Time: 11:00 PM ET
América is the most popular and most bet-on club in Mexico.
Even against a lesser-profile opponent like Querétaro, América games generate huge wagering interest.
A late-night kickoff also tends to attract strong betting handle.

3. Pumas UNAM vs. Pachuca 
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Pumas has one of the largest fan bases in Mexico.
Pachuca is consistently competitive and produces exciting young talent.
A very attractive matchup from a betting perspective.

4. Monterrey (Rayados) vs. Santos Laguna 
Time: 9:00 PM ET
Monterrey is one of Liga MX's wealthiest and most talented clubs.
Santos Laguna remains a respected side with a loyal following.
This should draw solid betting interest, particularly in northern Mexico.


Rugby Union Nations Championship

Rugby Union Nations Championship Most Sought After Matches

Friday July 17, 2026 (7:33 pm EDT)

1. New Zealand vs. Ireland 
Kickoff: 12:10 AM EDT
The biggest matchup of the weekend.
Two of the world's top-ranked teams.
Massive betting handle in New Zealand, Ireland, the UK, Australia, and South Africa.
A genuine heavyweight clash with major Rugby World Cup implications.

2. Argentina vs. England 
Kickoff: 8:10 PM EDT
Likely the most bet-on match in the Americas.
England always attracts enormous wagering volume, while Argentina has become one of rugby's biggest betting draws in Latin America.
Physical rivalry and a highly competitive fixture.

3. South Africa vs. Wales 
Kickoff: 12:40 PM EDT
South Africa is arguably the biggest draw in world rugby.
Wales has a huge following despite recent struggles.
Heavy betting interest across Europe and South Africa.

4. Japan vs. France 
Kickoff: 1:40 AM EDT
France is among the tournament favorites.
Japan generates enormous domestic television ratings.
Significant betting interest in both Europe and Asia.

5. Australia vs. Italy 
Kickoff: 3:10 AM EDT
Australia remains one of rugby's major brands.
Italy has become increasingly competitive and has grown its betting audience.
Good wagering volume, though not on the level of the top four.

6. Fiji vs. Scotland 
Kickoff: 6:10 AM EDT
Scotland has a loyal betting following.
Fiji is one of the sport's most entertaining teams and always attracts interest from rugby fans.
Generally produces an exciting, open style of rugby.
 

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Friday July 17, 2026 (7:15 pm EDT)


Open Championship

The Open Championship Odds

Friday July 17, 2026 (7:15 pm EDT)

Opening Odds

Scottie Scheffler
+650
Rory McIlroy
+850
Matt Fitzpatrick
+1300
Tommy Fleetwood
+1500
Jon Rahm
+2000
Chris Gotterup
+2700
Xander Schauffele
+2700
Robert MacIntyre
+2700
Viktor Hovland
+2700
Collin Morikawa
+3000
Wyndham Clark
+3300
Justin Rose
+3300
Ludvig Åberg
+3300
Cameron Young
+3500
Tyrrell Hatton
+3500
Si Woo Kim
+4000
Shane Lowry
+4500
Sam Burns
+4500
Russell Henley
+5000
Min Woo Lee
+5500
Justin Thomas
+5500
Tom Kim
+5500
Patrick Reed
+6000
Patrick Cantlay
+6000
Aaron Rai
+6500
Alex Fitzpatrick
+6500
Bryson DeChambeau
+6500
Joaquin Niemann
+6500
Hideki Matsuyama
+7000
Brooks Koepka
+8000
Jordan Spieth
+8000
Harris English
+8000
JJ Spaun
+8000
Rickie Fowler
+10000
Maverick McNealy
+10000
Brian Harman
+10000
Adam Scott
+10000
Nicolai Højgaard
+10000
Kurt Kitayama
+10000
Kristoffer Reitan
+10000
Akshay Bhatia
+10000
Ben Griffin
+10000
Corey Conners
+12500
Matt Wallace
+12500
Eugenio Chacarra
+12500
Alex Noren
+12500
Ryan Gerard
+12500
Keegan Bradley
+12500
Victor Perez
+12500
Alex Smalley
+15000
Tom McKibbin
+15000
Cameron Smith
+15000
Jacob Bridgeman
+17500
Sepp Straka
+17500
Bud Cauley
+17500
Marco Penge
+17500
Haotong Li
+17500
Jordan Smith
+17500
Ryan Fox
+17500
Max Homa
+17500
Casey Jarvis
+17500
Jason Day
+17500
Nick Taylor
+17500
Keith Mitchell
+17500
Harry Hall
+17500
J.T. Poston
+17500
Johnny Keefer
+17500
Michael Thorbjornsen
+17500
David Puig
+22500
Jake Knapp
+22500
Andrew Novak
+22500
Rasmus Højgaard
+22500
Sahith Theegala
+22500
Max Greyserman
+22500
Gary Woodland
+22500
Eric Cole
+22500
Thomas Detry
+22500
Michael Kim
+22500
Pierceson Coody
+25000
Sungjae Im
+25000
Sam Stevens
+25000
Jayden Schaper
+25000
John Parry
+25000
Laurie Canter
+25000
Angel Ayora
+25000
Michael Brennan
+25000
Ryo Hisatsune
+25000
Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen
+25000
Sami Valimaki
+35000
Hennie du Plessis
+35000
Daniel Berger
+35000
Daniel Hillier
+35000
Bernd Wiesberger
+35000
Lucas Herbert
+35000
Jackson Suber
+35000
Scott Vincent
+35000
Stewart Cink
+35000
Nico Echavarria
+35000
Matt Mccarty
+35000
Matthew Jordan
+35000
Aldrich Potgieter
+35000
Shaun Norris
+50000
Billy Horschel
+50000
Keita Nakajima
+50000
Francesco Molinari
+50000
Daniel Brown
+50000
Kota Kaneko
+75000
Jesper Svensson
+75000
Andy Sullivan
+75000
Antoine Rozner
+75000
Francesco Laporta
+75000
Alejandro De Castro Piera
+100000
Peter Uihlein
+100000
Naoyuki Kataoka
+100000
Baard Bjoernevik Skogen
+100000
Nevill Ruiter
+100000
Marcus Plunkett
+100000
Matthew Southgate
+100000
Dan Bradbury
+100000
Tiger Christensen
+100000
MJ Daffue
+100000
Travis Smyth
+100000
Ryutaro Nagano
+100000
Matthew Baldwin
+100000
Jeong Woo Ham
+100000
Sam Bairstow
+100000
Fifa Laopakdee
+100000
Martin Couvra
+100000
James Nicholas
+100000
Cameron John
+100000
Padraig Harrington
+100000
Joakim Lagergren
+100000
Lev Grinberg
+100000
Ren Yonezawa
+100000
Kazuma Kobori
+100000
Kazuki Higa
+100000
Jack Buchanan
+100000
David Duval
+100000
Mason Howell
+100000
Stuart Grehan
+100000
Michael Hollick
+100000
Caleb Surratt
+100000
Jack McDonald
+100000
Frederic Lacroix
+100000
Jose Luis Ballester
+100000
Darren Clarke
+100000
Adrien Saddier
+100000
David Howard
+100000
Henrik Stenson
+100000
Tom Sloman
+100000
Jiho Yang
+100000
Mateo Pulcini
+100000
Austen Truslow
+100000
Alistair Docherty
+100000
Tim Wiedemeyer
+100000
Joe Dean
+100000


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  • Chris Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher 

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