Sports Galore In April

The Grand National, the Masters at Augusta and the World Snooker Championship are among the sporting highlights in April. These are the key dates to mark in your diary:

1st April

Football:

Man City will take on Liverpool at the Etihad. Pep Guardiola¿s men will try to close the gap on league leaders Arsenal, but they face a stern challenge against Liverpool, who beat them 1-0 at Anfield earlier in the campaign. In Germany, Thomas Tuchel will take charge of Bayern Munich for the first time when they take on title rivals Borussia Dortmund in Der Klassiker.

Football odds and Football spread betting markets for the Premier League
 

Boxing:

Two-time former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will make his highly anticipated return to the ring this weekend. He takes on American Jermaine Franklin at The O2 in London, as he bids to get his career back on track following consecutive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk. Franklin is 21-1 in his career, and he was unfortunate to lose to Dillian Whyte on points last time out, as many viewers thought he had done enough to win the fight. Joshua is the heavy favourite to win, but he will need to rediscover the old magic.

Boxing odds and Boxing spread betting markets for the Joshua vs. Franklin fight

2nd April

Football:

West Ham take on Southampton in a huge relegation six-pointer at the London Stadium this weekend. Both teams are in the drop zone, and this is a must-win game for Hammers boss David Moyes as he seeks to hold onto his job. Top four rivals Newcastle and Man Utd will meet at St. James¿ Park in a repeat of February's EFL Cup final, which United won 2-0.

Football odds and Football spread betting markets for the Premier League

Formula 1:

The third Grand Prix of the year will be held in Melbourne on Sunday. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc won the Australian Grand Prix last season, but the Red Bull has been dominant this time around, so teammates Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez are the favourites to take the chequered flag.

Formula 1 odds and Formula 1 spread betting markets for the Australian Grand Prix

4th April

Football:

Chelsea and Liverpool meet at Stamford Bridge. Both teams are struggling this season, but there will be a lot of talented players on the pitch for this game.

Football odds and Football spread betting markets for the Premier League

6th April

Golf

The best golfers from the PGA Tour will go up against 18 LIV Golf rebels when Augusta National hosts the Masters. It is the first major of the year, and it is also widely considered to be the most prestigious. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm spearhead the PGA Tour contingent, and it will be fascinating to see how they fare against a breakaway group featuring the likes of Cameron Smith and Dustin Johnson. As always, the Masters at Augusta will begin on Thursday and conclude on Sunday.

Golf odds and Golf spread betting markets for the Masters

7th April

Rugby Union:

The European Champions Cup and Challenge Cup Round of 16 matches take place between 7th April and 9th April. Several British clubs are in the mix, with Leicester, Edinburgh, Sharks, Harlequins, Gloucester, Exeter, Bulls, Saracens and Ospreys all still standing in the Champions Cup. In the Challenge Cup,. Bristol, Scarlets, Glasgow Warriors, Cardiff and Sale are all bidding for glory.

Rugby Union odds and Rugby Union spread betting markets for the Champions & Challenge Cups

9th April

Football:

Liverpool host Premier League leaders Arsenal at Anfield. This is a potential banana skin for the Gunners, who won 3-2 when these teams met at London earlier in the campaign, so it will be interesting to see how it unfolds.

Football odds and Football spread betting markets for the Premier League

MMA:

Middleweight champion Alex Pereira will put his strap on the line when he tangles with Israel Adesanya at UFC 287. It will be a rematch of their battle at UFC 281, which saw Pereira capture the title via a fifth-round knockout. The action takes place in Miami on Saturday night, but UK fans will need to wait until the early hours of Sunday morning to watch the action live. The co-main event pits Gilbert Burns against Jorge Masvidal, and there are lots of other exciting bouts to look forward to.

MMA odds and MMA spread betting markets for UFC 287

11th April

Football:

Man City take on Bayern in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash. It pits Guardiola against his old nemesis, Tuchel, in what should be a fascinating game. Benfica host Inter in the other match.

Football odds and Football spread betting markets for the Champions League

12th April

Football:

Chelsea head to Spain to face reigning European champions Real Madrid. The Blues crashed out of the competition against Los Blancos last season, so they will be out for revenge. The other game is an all-Italian affair between AC Milan and Napoli.

Football odds and Football spread betting markets for the Champions League
 

15th April

Horse Racing:

The Grand National will bring the nation to a virtual standstill when it gets underway at Aintree on 15th April. An estimated 500 million people across the globe will watch the toughest stayers in the business battle it out over 4 miles and 2½ furlongs, making it the world's most popular race. They must clear 30 fences during its running, including formidable obstacles such as The Chair, Canal Turn and Becher's Brook. The favourites include Corach Rambler, Noble Yeats, Delta Work, Mr Incredible, Any Second Now, Gaillard Du Mesnil, Longhouse Poet, Le Milos and Vanillier.

Horse Racing odds and Horse Racing spread betting markets for the Grand National
 

Snooker:

Snooker's finest players will head to the Crucible in Sheffield to compete in the World Championship. Ronnie O'Sullivan is the defending champion, but he faces fierce competition from the likes of Judd Trump, Mark Selby and Neil Robertson. A £2,395,000 prize pot is up for grabs, which should sharpen the players¿ focus. The tournament begins on 15th April and runs until the final on 1st May.

Snooker odds and Snooker spread betting markets for World Championship

Basketball:

The NBA playoffs will begin in mid-April. An initial play-in tournament will see four teams from each conference - the teams ranked seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th - battle to clinch places in the main bracket. Fans can then look forward to the first round of the playoffs.

Basketball odds and Basketball spread betting markets for NBA Playoffs

18th April

Football:

Chelsea host Real Madrid in the second leg of their quarter-final, while AC Milan head south to face Napoli at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

Football odds and Football spread betting markets for the Champions League

19th April

Football:

The other two Champions League quarter-finals conclude.

Football odds and Football spread betting markets for the Champions League

22nd April

Football:

Man City are the overwhelming favourites to beat Championship side Sheff Utd in the FA Cup semi-finals towards the end of April.

Football odds and Football spread betting markets for the FA Cup
 

23rd April

Football:

The other FA Cup semi-final sees Brighton take on Man Utd. The Red Devils are chasing their second piece of silverware this season, but they have lost their last two games against the Seagulls.

Football odds and Football spread betting markets for the FA Cup

26th April

Football:

Man City host Arsenal at the Etihad in what could be a title-deciding match. The Gunners currently hold the advantage in the title race, but they have lost to City in the league and cup this season.

Football odds and Football spread betting markets for the Premier League

30th April

Formula 1:

The action heads to Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, a race won by Verstappen last year.

Formula 1 odds and Formula 1 spread betting markets for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix