So 2022 is in the books and everyone is looking forward to doing things a little bit better in 2023. That is certainly the case for all the region’s sports teams. Some may even be in the middle of their seasons. But there is nothing like the turning of the year to focus the mind on improving.
In Santa Monica, we are lucky to have some of the most well known teams in the world regularly featuring on the best sports betting sites in USA. But will 2023 be the year of Southern California? Here’s a quick preview of how the next 12 months might go for our teams.
Basketball
It is relatively early days in the NBA season but there are already some signs that Los Angeles may not be the most successful city in the league this year. The Clippers look to be the best bet, although the fans would love to see more of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. They just didn’t see enough game time in 2022 and the Clips need them on the court if they are to make the playoffs.
The Lakers have been even more of a disappointment. After last season’s woeful display, there was hope for this year. But sporadic bursts of success do not bode well. The WNBA Sparks fared little better last year and will now hope that new coach Curt Miller can bring back some of the glory days to the franchise.
Baseball
Major League Baseball is one league where southern California has fared better in recent years and 2023 could be another bumper year for Los Angeles. The Angels finished a way off the playoffs last season and continue to suffer from sharing a division with some of the best teams in the league at the moment.
But it is the Dodgers where local fans’ hopes of a championship lie. There have been three Fall Classics in six years and the Dodgers are the favorites to win it all in 2023. They will have to get over the 2022 postseason disappointment though. After winning 111 games in the regular season, a 3-1 loss to the Padres in the NLDS was not in the script.
Football
Last year started off so well for Los Angeles. The Rams went all in on winning the Super Bowl – and managed to do just that, on their own home field too. But recording back-to-back championships has proved very difficult. The Rams are currently one of the worst teams in the league and will be planning for next season now.
The Chargers have fared a little better. But an inconsistent season has meant that even squeezing into the playoffs was a tough ask. Both franchises need to focus on next season now and the rest of 2023 will show us whether either team has a real shot of making the Super Bowl anytime soon.
Hockey
Los Angeles hockey fans have been starved of anything to celebrate in recent years. The Ducks and the Kings have managed just one postseason series between them in the last four years and there is a possibility that there might not be too many to add to that in 2023.
Anaheim looked out of the running very early on. Things have changed a lot since winning the Stanley Cup in 2007. A major rebuilding job needs to begin at the Honda Center. The Kings are doing a little better. There is a real chance of making the postseason and the NHL has proved to be very unpredictable in the last few years. So, you never know.
Figure 2 LAFC gave fans at the Banc of California Stadium plenty to celebrate in 2022
Soccer
We’ve left the best until last when it comes to repping Los Angeles sports. This region was quick to embrace Major League Soccer when it began all those years ago and now there are two teams in the city regularly challenging for honors and attracting the best players in the world.
LAFC won its first ever championship in 2022 – as well as the regular season Supporters’ Shield. Continental soccer awaits, as well as even more soccer royalty arriving to follow in the footsteps of Gareth Bale and Giorgio Chiellini.
LA Galaxy actually lost to LAFC in the playoffs in 2022 but will have hopes of improving this year. This is a franchise capable of bringing in top talent too – as the addition of Riqui Puig from Barcelona last year showed. This next year could be another good one for LA soccer.
