Thursday it all begins, and a World Cup bracket has never looked more wide open. Forty-eight teams means more matches than ever, and an even tougher task to lift the trophy.

Spain sits on top, narrowly favored around +450 as the world's top-ranked side and reigning European champions. Heavy public backing keeps shortening their price, and they're already the biggest liability at major books. The whole team runs through 18-year-old Lamine Yamal on the wing, with Rodri and Pedri controlling the middle. A kind Group H draw alongside Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, and Cape Verde should let them ease in.

France is right alongside them near +475 and carries the deepest roster in the field. Kylian Mbappe needs just five goals to become the World Cup's all-time leading scorer, and he’s only 27 years old. Michael Olise has emerged as a genuine threat behind him. They’re back-to-back finalists, and they have the squad depth this expanded format will reward.

England follows around +650, still chasing a first trophy since 1966. Harry Kane leads the offense with Bellingham and Rice driving the midfield. With Thomas Tuchel in charge, many see this as their best shot in a generation for England to come out on top.

Behind them it gets crowded. Portugal won the 2025 Nations League and has odds of +850 to win this years World Cup on the strength of Bruno Fernandes and Vitinha, not just an aging Ronaldo.

Brazil opens a new coaching era with Ancelotti at the helm but they aren’t short of drama after leaving Chelsea’s Player of the Year, Joao Pedro, off the roster. They have a potentially brutal opener against Morocco to begin the group stage.

Argentina defends its crown at +900, transitioning away from a 38-year-old Messi while nursing defensive injuries and Germany lurks as the dark horse at +1400, but they’ll be motivated to avenge back-to-back group stage exits in 2018 and 2022.

The 2026 World Cup kicks off tomorrow between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City. I’ll have more insights for you here throughout the tournament.

🏀 The WNBA Won’t Research Itself

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🏀 Spurs Look to Even Series in Game 4

San Antonio's 115-111 win in Game 3 was exactly what they needed to try and reset this series. After dropping the first two games, the Spurs flipped the script with a version of basketball that looked nothing like what they played in Games 1 and 2.

The biggest shift was Victor Wembanyama finally imposing himself inside. Through the opening two contests he was drifting to the perimeter, settling for threes, and letting New York's defense dictate his game. He made just 2 of 9 from deep in Game 1 compared to 2 of 4 in Game 3. 

It felt different from the opening possession. He attacked the rim, finished 8 of his 11 makes inside the restricted area, and put up 32 points, 8 boards, 6 assists and 3 blocks. He refused to let MSG rattle him, physically engaging Jalen Brunson and laughing it off when the crowd got loud. That energy was contagious.

Instead of launching the corner threes, Fox, Castle, and Harper kept putting their heads down and drawing contact. The Spurs attempted 32 free throws, 24 of them in the second half alone, and held a 20-point fourth quarter defensively to close it out.

They committed only 8 turnovers while forcing 13 from the Knicks and converting those giveaways into 21 points. New York managed just 7 off San Antonio's mistakes. In a four-point game, that differential was the margin of victory.

👉️ Karl-Anthony Towns Defensive Prop

The Spurs' offensive philosophy is built around rim pressure, and that's exactly what makes KAT such a strong target here. San Antonio ranks 7th in shot frequency at the rim and surrenders the 5th-most blocks to opposing big men. Every time the Spurs push into the paint, KAT is sitting right there waiting.

He's cleared this line in 5 consecutive games, averaging 1.4 blocks per game in that stretch, and hits it at 80% over his last 10. Game 3 only gave San Antonio more reason to keep attacking inside, which means more interior shot contests for Towns. The tactical matchup is everything on this one.

👉️ Luke Kornet Low Volume Prop

Kornet is averaging 3.6 rebounds per game over his last 5 with less than 10 minutes per game. He's shooting 64% from the field on the season and his per-minute production ranks among the best at his position. Kornet has also shown a tendency to become more impactful as series progress in these playoffs.

He's hit this line in 4 of his last 5 games, 7 of his last 10, and nearly 90% of the time across his 89 games this season. The line is set low enough that one put-back or a single free throw attempt puts him in a great spot.

 🌲 The Pine Line

🏒 The Avalanche captain just won the Mark Messier Award. He’s made a huge impact on and off the ice.

💼 Want to bet on high-risk markets? You can, once you give up your employment information.

🏈 The NCAA has an issue with their policies. Turns out they can’t actually enforce any of them.

👟 Air Jordan, Nike LeBron, the Shai 001. There is a new signature shoe coming soon.

⚾️ This could be a worrying one for Braves fans. Their lead off man could be sitting for a while.

🏒 Another Banger in the Stanley Cup Finals

Through four games, this series has been everything you could ask for. Every game in the first three was decided by a single goal, Game 3 needed double overtime before Vegas escaped, and Game 4 saw Carolina pull away late with an empty net goal to even things at 2-2. We're in a best-of-three for the Cup now, and the hockey has been must-watch.

The individual performances have matched the stakes. Mitch Marner set the record for the fastest hat trick in Stanley Cup Final history, completing it in 6:10 in Game 3. Carolina answered with three goals in 39 seconds in the same game, the fastest three-goal sequence in Final history. Brett Howden leads all playoff scorers with 14 goals, including 4 this series. These are two explosive teams, and neither has shown an ability to simply put the other away.

Series to Go to Game 7 (+100)

Even money on a Game 7 in a tied series. The Stanley Cup Final has only reached Game 7 eight times since 2000. That’s almost a 33% rate. But history didn't account for a series where both teams are breaking records.

The coaching matchup between Tortorella and Brind'Amour is a tactical chess match with no clear edge, and both rosters have proven capable of erasing leads in minutes. Tortorella won his only Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 of the 2004 edition. He may need to draw on that experience now 22 years later.

Carolina is 7-1 on the road this postseason and has finally figured out their power play after it stalled early. Vegas has shown they have the individual firepower to counter every punch.

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