Two sporting events to watch this week: Your handy guide to sport on television

Leopardstown

That weird middle-bit between Christmas and New Year’s is at least partially filled every year by four days of National Hunt racing at Leopardstown. The festival boosts seven Grand One races, including the Racing Post Novice Chase on Tuesday, the Paddy Power Chase and Paddy Power Future Champions Hurdle on Wednesday, Savills Chase and Christmas Hurdle on Thursday, and the Matheson Hurdle and the Neville Hotels Novice Chase on Day Four. – RTÉ, Tuesday-Friday

Celtic v Rangers

These two squeeze into a league that’s a few sizes too small for them, but when they meet it’s always an occasion – usually a fiery, intense one. As usual these two will meet in the Old Firm derby occupying the first and second spots in the Scottish Premiership. Expect lots of heat, no matter how cold it is on the day. – Sky Sports, Saturday

MONDAY (Christmas Day)

• NFL – Sky Sports NFL – 1.15am New England Patriots @ Denver Broncos
• NBA – TNT Sports 1 – 5pm Bucks @ Knicks; 7.30pm Warriors @ Nuggets; 10pm Celtics @ Lakers
• NFL – Sky Sports NFL – 6pm Las Vegas Raiders @ Kansas City Chiefs; 9.30pm New York Giants @ Philadelphia Eagles
• CRICKET – TNT Sports 3 from 11.30pm – 2nd Test, D1 Australia v Pakistan

TUESDAY (St Stephen’s Day)

• NBA – TNT Sports 1 – 1am 76ers @ Heat; 3.30am Mavericks @ Suns
• NFL – Sky Sports NFL – 1.15am Baltimore Ravens @ San Francisco 49ers
• CRICKET – Sky Sports Cricket from 7am – 1st Test, D1 South Africa v India
• BOXING – Sky Sports Arena from 8am – Tokyo Naoya Inoue v Marlon Tapale
• RACING – Virgin Media One, 12.30pm-3pm; UTV, 12.30pm-3pm Kempton
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Championship – 12.30pm Preston North End v Leeds Utd
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 1 – Premier League – 12.30pm Newcastle Utd v Nottingham Forest; 3pm Bournemouth v Fulham; 5.30pm Burnley v Liverpool; 8pm Man Utd v Aston Villa
• RACING – RTÉ 2, 1pm-3.20pm Leopardstown
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 2 – Premier League – 3pm Sheffield Utd v Luton Town
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Scottish Premiership – 3pm Dundee v Celtic
• RUGBY – Premier Sports 2 – URC – 5.15pm Scarlets v Ospreys
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Championship – 5.15pm Birmingham City v Stoke City; 7.45pm Ipswich Town v Leicester City
• RUGBY – RTÉ 2 & Premier Sports 2 – URC – 7.35pm Munster v Leinster
• SOCCER – BBC 1, 10.50pm-11.55pm Match of the Day
• NBA – TNT Sports 3 – 1am Timberwolves @ Thunder
• CRICKET – TNT Sports 2 from 11.30pm – 2nd Test, D2 Australia v Pakistan
• DARTS – Sky Sports Arena, 7pm-11pm World Championship

WEDNESDAY (Dec 27th)

• NBA – TNT Sports 3 – 1am Timberwolves @ Thunder
• CRICKET – Sky Sports Cricket from 7.30am – 1st Test, D2 South Africa v India
• DARTS – Sky Sports Arena, 12.30pm-4.30pm, 7pm-11pm World Championship
• RACING – RTÉ 2, 1pm-3.35pm Leopardstown
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 2 – Premier League – 7.30pm Chelsea v Crystal Palace
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Scottish Premiership – 8pm Hibernian v Hearts
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 1 – Premier League – 8.15pm Everton v Man City
• CRICKET – TNT Sports 1 from 11.30pm – 2nd Test, D3 Australia v Pakistan

THURSDAY (Dec 28th)

• NBA – TNT Sports 2 – 0.30am Bucks @ Nets
• CRICKET – Sky Sports Cricket from 7.30am – 1st Test, D3 South Africa v India
• CRICKET – TNT Sports 1 from 7.45am – 1st ODI India v Australia
• DARTS – Sky Sports Arena, 12.30pm-4.30pm, 7pm-11pm World Championship
• RACING – RTÉ 2, 1pm-3.20pm Leopardstown
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 2 – Premier League – 7.30pm Brighton v Tottenham
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 1 – Premier League – 8.15pm Arsenal v West Ham Utd
• CRICKET – TNT Sports 1 from 11.30pm – 2nd Test, D4 Australia v Pakistan

FRIDAY (Dec 29th)

• NBA – TNT Sports 2 – 0.30am Pistons @ Celtics; 3am Heat @ Warriors
• NFL – Sky Sports NFL – 1.15am New York Jets @ Cleveland Browns
• CRICKET – Sky Sports Cricket from 7.30am – 1st Test, D4 South Africa v India
• DARTS – Sky Sports Arena, 12.30pm-4.30pm, 7pm-11pm World Championship
• RACING – RTÉ 2, 1pm-3.20pm Leopardstown
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 2 – Serie A – 5.30pm Napoli v Monza; 7.45pm Genoa v Inter Milan
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 3 – Serie A – 5.30pm Fiorentina v Torino; 7.45pm Lazio v Frosinone
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Championship – 6pm Southampton v Plymouth Argyle; 8.15pm West Brom v Leeds Utd
• RUGBY – TNT Sports 1 – English Premiership – 7.45pm Bristol v Exeter
• RUGBY – Premier Sports 1 – Top 14 – 8pm Clermont v Bordeaux Bègles
• CRICKET – TNT Sports 2 from 11.30pm – 2nd Test, D5 Australia v Pakistan

SATURDAY (Dec 30th)

• NBA – TNT Sports 3 – 2am Thunder @ Nuggets
• CRICKET – Sky Sports Cricket from 7.30am – 1st Test, D5 South Africa v India
• CRICKET – TNT Sports 3 from 7.45am – 2nd ODI India v Australia
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 2 – Serie A – 11.30am Atalanta v Lecce
• DARTS – Sky Sports Arena, 12.30pm-4.30pm, 7.30pm-11.30pm London
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 1 – Premier League – 12.30pm Luton Town v Chelsea
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Scottish Premiership – 12.30pm Celtic v Rangers
• RACING – Virgin Media One, 1pm-4pm; ITV4, 1pm-4pm Newbury
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 1 – Premier League – 3pm Man City v Sheffield Utd
• RUGBY – Premier Sports 2 – URC – 3pm Edinburgh v Glasgow
• RUGBY – TNT Sports 1 – English Premiership – 3.05pm Northampton v Sale
• RUGBY – TG4 & Premier Sports 2 – URC – 5pm Stormers v Sharks
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 3 – Serie A – 5pm Hellas Verona v Salernitana
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 2 – Serie A – 5pm AC Milan v Sassuolo; 7.45pm Juventus v Roma
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Premier League – 5.30pm Nottingham Forest v Man Utd
• RUGBY – TNT Sports 1 & ITV4 – English Premiership – 5.30pm Harlequins v Gloucester
• RUGBY – Premier Sports 1 – Top 14 – 8.05pm La Rochelle v Toulouse
• NBA – TNT Sports 1 – 10pm Heat @ Jazz; 1.30am Mavericks @ Warriors
• SOCCER – BBC 1, 10.25pm-11.45pm Match of the Day

SUNDAY (New Year’s Eve)

• NFL – Sky Sports NFL – 1.15am Detroit Lions @ Dallas Cowboys
• TENNIS – Sky Sports Mix, 1am-9am Brisbane International
• RUGBY – Premier Sports 1 – Top 14 – 1pm Castres v Perpignan
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Premier League – 2pm Fulham v Arsenal
• RUGBY – TNT Sports 1 – English Premiership – 3pm Leicester v Bath
• NFL – Sky Sports NFL – 6pm Miami Dolphins @ Baltimore Ravens; 9.25pm Cincinnati Bengals @ Kansas City Chiefs
• NBA – TNT Sports 1 – 8pm Hawks @ Wizards
• SOCCER – BBC 2, 10.30pm-11.30pm Match of the Day 2

MONDAY (Jan 1st)

• NBA – TNT Sports 1 – Midnight Celtics @ Spurs
• TENNIS – Sky Sports Mix, 1am-12.30pm Brisbane International
• NFL – Sky Sports NFL – 1.20am Green Bay Packers @ Minnesota Vikings
• DARTS – Sky Sports Arena, 12.30pm-4.30pm, 7pm-11pm World Championship
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Championship – 12.30pm Sunderland v Preston North End
• RACING – Virgin Media One, 1pm-3.45pm; UTV, 12.30pm-3.45pm Cheltenham
• RUGBY – TG4 & Premier Sports 1 – URC – 3pm Connacht v Munster
• RUGBY – Premier Sports 2 – URC – 3pm Ospreys v Cardiff; 5.15pm Dragons v Scarlets
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – League 1 – 3pm Derby County v Peterborough Utd
• RUGBY – RTÉ 2 & Premier Sports 1 – URC – 5.15pm Leinster v Ulster
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Championship – 5.15pm Sheffield Wednesday v Hull City
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Premier League – 8pm Liverpool v Newcastle Utd
• NBA – TNT Sports 1 – 8pm Timberwolves @ Knicks
• TENNIS – Sky Sports Mix, 1am-12.30pm Brisbane International