May 2025 Sports Calendar, Major Events to Bet On & Expert Tips
The month of May is packed with high-stakes sporting events, offering you numerous opportunities to bet. There’s football action from the UEFA finals, the EFL playoff, to the PGA championship, and even the Euro League Final four.
Thankfully, bet365 covers all the events and lots more. So, whether you’re backing your favorite football team, exploring golf betting, or diving into a bit of world basketball, the month of May offers you a chance to do so while enjoying some of the most competitive odds. Read on to find out some sports events covered by bet365 in May.
End of the English Premier League season
If you’re a football lover, here’s your chance to put your bet365 welcome bonus to good use. On May 25th, the 2024/2025 English Premier League season comes to an end with all matches being played simultaneously. Liverpool clinched the title with four matches left to play, thanks to a 5:1 win over Tottenham Hotspur. Second-placed Arsenal is looking to retain its spot, while Newcastle, Manchester City, Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, and Chelsea are eying 3rd, 4th, and 5th place to qualify for the Champions League. The Europa League and Conference League are still open for these teams to occupy, with Brighton and Fulham also having a chance, albeit a long shot.
As for the table bottom dwellers, Leicester City, Southampton, and Ipswich are heading back to the Championship despite being promoted at the beginning of the season.
FA Cup final
Ready your predictions for the English FA Cup final, which kicks off on May 17th, with Manchester City, who have been in shockingly disappointing form this season, will play Crystal Palace, who shocked Aston Villa with a 3:0 win over Aston Villa to reach the finals. The match could go either way because the Cityzens dropped out of the Premier League race early in the season due to a poor run of form, and will be seeking redemption by clinching the FA Cup, which could be their only trophy this season having struggled past the UCL league phase but lost in the playoff round to Real Madrid. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace will see the match as an opportunity to clinch their first-ever top-flight trophy and automatically claim a Europa League spot.
EFL playoff finals
Still on football, the EFL Play-offs are a post-season mini-tournament that offers teams just outside the automatic promotion spots a final chance to move up to the next league. Participants include the Championship and League teams that finish 3rd to 6th, and the League Two teams that finish 4th to 7th at the end of the regular season.
Here’s the match schedule for the EFL playoff finals:
- Championship: Saturday 24 May
- League One: Sunday 25 May
- League Two: Monday 26 May
I recommend closely monitoring the playoff finals, as you’ll have 15 different matches to bet on.
UEFA finals
Football enthusiasts are eating good in May, as the month is packed with a lot of UEFA football action, as the finals of the Champions League, Europa, and Conference League will be played as follows:
- Champions League: Saturday 31st May, Allianz Arena, Munich
- Europa League: Wednesday 21st May, Estadio de San Mamés, Bilbao
- Conference League: Wednesday 28th May, Wrocław Stadium, Wrocław
The Champions League is currently at the semi-finals stage, with the game between Barcelona and Inter Milan ending in a 3:3 stalemate. Meanwhile, Arsenal lost one-nil to Paris Saint-Germain. The Europa League is also heated, with Manchester United playing Athletic Bilbao and Tottenham Hotspur facing Bodo/Glimt. As for the Conference League, Chelsea, the favorites, play Gjurgaden to boost their chances of winning their first trophy under manager Enzo Maresca. Meanwhile, Real Betis play Fiorentina for a chance to reach the final.
PGA Championship
bet365 covers numerous mainstream sports, including golf, and you’re in for a treat in May as the PGA Championship commences. It’s one of the four major men’s golf championships, alongside The Open, The Masters, and The US Open. Unlike the other three, the PGA tournament will feature no amateurs. You’ll get to bet on 20 notable professionals, including Xander Schauffele, who won the championship in 2024, Current World No. 1, Scottie Scheffler, seeking redemption after last year’s off-course incident, Rory McIlroy, who’s fresh off completing his career Grand Slam at the Masters, etc.
Xander Schauffele is the holder of the PGA Championship and one of the favourites to top the standings in 2025.
The championship will be played between 15th and 18th May at Quail Hollow Golf & Country Club.
Unfortunately, Tiger Woods will be missing the championship for the fifth year in a row, this time with the player revealing that his “heart is not really into practising right now”, due to the loss of his mother in February.
Kentucky derby
Horse racing bettors aren’t left out, as the 151st Kentucky Derby will take place on the 3rd of March, 2025, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race has always been regarded as” The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” and marks the first leg of the Triple Crown series.
This year’s race features 20 top 3-year-old thoroughbreds with several standout contenders, including Journalism (3-1), the morning-line favorite with four consecutive wins and the highest qualifying points at 122.5. Other names to watch out for include Sovereignty (5-1), Rodriguez (12-1), and Citizen Bull (20-1).
Euro League final four
The 2025 Turkish Airlines Basketball EuroLeague Final Four will take place at the Etihad Arena, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, from May 23 to 25. Games one and two will be held on May 23, while the third-place and championship games will take place on Sunday, May 25.
Fenerbahçe Beko Istanbul is currently the only qualified team. The remaining three spots will be occupied as the playoffs conclude.
IIHF World Championship
If you’re an Ice Hockey betting enthusiast, you’ll be pleased to learn that the IIHF World Championship takes place from May 9 to 25, and is co-hosted by Sweden, Denmark, Herning, and Stockholm. The tournament will be played by 16 national teams competing for the title, which begins with a preliminary round consisting of two groups of eight teams each. After which, the knockout stages will commence.
The Group A teams are
- Sweden
- Canada
- Czechia
- Germany
- Slovakia
- France
- Kazakhstan
- Great Britain
For Group B, we have:
- Finland
- United States
- Latvia
- Norway
- Denmark
- Austria
- Slovenia
Conclusion – Sports calendar & top events to bet on in May 2025
As you can see, May is packed from start to finish with lots of games, title matches, and tournaments. From the IIHF World Tournament and the UEFA finals to the end of the Premier League season, bet365 will offer you the chance to bet on all games. Just be sure to play responsibly. Also, don’t forget to check that you can also check team and player stats, as well as head-to-heads, for more information to increase your chances of making better picks.
