Welcome to the 2024 Sports Equinox: Your Guide to A Historic Day for All Sports Fans
It’s about that time again. Basketball preseason is chugging along, the NHL regular season is underway, and we’re in the thick of both the NFL regular season and MLB postseason. The 2024 sports equinox is the intersection of all four leagues. What is a sports equinox? Great question. It’s the day in which each league has a game scheduled. There’s been one day each year since 2015, with the most recent taking place on October 30, 2023. On October 28, fans can take in Game 3 of the MLB World Series, Monday Night Football between the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers, or a number of enticing NBA and NHL regular season matchups. Take in as much or as little as you want. It’s the sports equinox. It’s whatever you want it to be.
How often is the sports equinox? Given how the sports schedules have broken down over the last few years, there’s a decent shot fans can take in one equinox each year. Still, nothing is guaranteed. Treat each sports equinox like it’s your last.
What Is a Sports Equinox?
A sports equinox occurs when games from NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB are all played on the same day.
First Recorded Sports Equinox: October 17, 1971
Frequency: The event remained rare until 2015, but since then, there has been at least one sports equinox every year.
Most Recent Sports Equinox: October 30, 2023
Sports Equinox Lineup:
Monday Night Football: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New York Giants
NBA: Featured game include Celtics vs. Bucks, Suns vs. Lakers, Knicks vs. Cavaliers
NHL: Featured games include Avalanche vs. Blackhawks, Sharks vs. Utah, Golden Knights vs. Flames
MLB: Game 3 of the World Series: New York Yankees vs Los Angeles Dodgers
What the Sports Equinox Means for Sports Memorabilia Collectors
The sports equinox also presents a special opportunity for sports memorabilia collectors. This rare alignment might result in limited edition memorabilia from teams or leagues commemorating the day.
NHL and NBA early-season items such as jerseys and autographs are hot commodities.
Jerseys with “rookie debut” patches could be coming out of these games since it’s so early in the season.
World Series memorabilia gains value as collectors seek items from pivotal games.
Home runs from any of the super stars in this game
Monday Night Football collectibles from a historic game add extra appeal for NFL fans.
A Cross-Sport Parlay Opportunity
For the sports bettors out there, the Sports Equinox offers a rare opportunity: the ability to construct a parlay featuring a leg from all four major professional leagues—NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB—on the same day. This unique alignment gives fans a chance to bet on a variety of games across different sports, all happening at once. Here’s what to keep in mind when crafting your parlay:
MLB (World Series, Game 3):
The World Series will head to the lower-seeded team’s stadium for Game 3. This could open the door for a home underdog play. New York Yankees are facing the Los Angeles Dodgers in LA and the home-field advantage has the Dodgers as the favorite. But, the Yankees are 3-0 in Gerrit Cole’s 3 starts in the playoffs. Yankees are currently +110 on the moneyline so this could be a smart play.
NFL (Monday Night Football: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New York Giants):
The primetime Monday Night Football matchup brings the Steelers and Giants together in what could be a defensive slugfest. With both teams showing inconsistent offenses so far, this game might lean toward a low-scoring affair. Consider the under on total points or a first-half line in your parlay.
NBA (Regular Season Matchups):
The NBA regular season will feature several marquee matchups on October 28th. A Pacific Division showdown between the Lakers and Suns, featuring superstars like LeBron James and Kevin Durant, should attract attention. If both stars are active, this game could be a high-scoring battle, making the over on total points an enticing parlay leg.
NHL (Regular Season Games):
On the ice, we have some exciting matchups like the Chicago Blackhawks facing the Colorado Avalanche. If rookie sensation Connor Bedard is on the ice, the Blackhawks might be worth a shot as an underdog, especially if they’re at home. Similarly, keep an eye on Macklin Celebrini’s status for the San Jose Sharks, as his performance could impact betting lines.
By combining bets from all four leagues, you create a truly unique parlay, which could add an extra level of excitement to an already thrilling Sports Equinox. Whether you’re betting for fun or aiming to hit a big win, the range of options across sports gives you a chance to create a diverse and exciting ticket.