There are but a handful of certainties in life — death, taxes, and Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani winning MVP awards. Both have won the award in each of the last two seasons, and at least one has claimed MVP honors in every season since 2021. This isn’t surprisingly considering Ohtani might be the best baseball player in the history of the game and Judge has a penchant for racking up home runs like its child’s play, but it can make betting on the MVP race tricky and potentially less lucrative.

Judge and Ohtani are once again the favorites to win each league’s MVP award, but does that make them the best betting options? Is there better value with other players? Below, I’ve identified my best bets for each league’s MVP award as well as two longshots and two players to fade with the 2026 season getting underway on Wednesday, March 26. All odds are from DraftKings, and those looking to bet on the AL and NL MVP can visit the DraftKings promo code page to take advantage of the latest offer.

AL best bet: Bobby Witt Jr. (+500)

A player’s MVP case is always strengthened if they can power their team to a playoff spot. The Kansas City Royals have been trendy picks to claim the AL Central for a few seasons now, but this is the year it could actually happen. The Detroit Tigers added an impressive piece in Framber Valdez and will welcome infielder Kevin McGonigle, one of the top prospects in baseball, to the Show. But even with Valdez in the fold and McGonigle entering the fray, do the Tigers really have the offensive firepower to beat out the Royals? Full seasons of Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone (who looked good at the World Baseball Classic) will help K.C.’s case, and Isaac Collins could prove to be a sneaky good addition.

Then, of course, there’s Bobby Witt himself. A true five-tool player, Witt should be entering his prime in his age-26 season. There may be even more power to unlock in his bat, and if he gets the Royals to a division title, he’ll get serious MVP consideration.

The biggest road block here is Judge. The greatest slugger of his generation, Judge has only seemed to get better with age. We’ll need a bit of a stumble (or a prolonged injury) from the best right-handed hitter since Albert Pujols for Witt to get over the line. But this is baseball we’re talking about — stranger things have happened. And from a betting perspective, Witt is worth a sprinkle.

NL best bet: Juan Soto (+900)

Ohtani is a ridiculous -145 favorite to win NL MVP at DraftKings and rightfully so. The most talented baseball player of all time will be both pitching and hitting for the best team in the sport this year, and should probably be viewed as the penciled-in MVP until a shocking dip in performance or a long-term injury prevents him from being so. But in the event Ohtani does miss a chunk of time (he’ll be pitching again this year and has a history of arm trouble), who is best positioned to step into the void?

That would be Juan Soto, who somehow went under the radar in his first year in Queens despite finishing third in MVP balloting. A noticeably slow start (which was lambasted in the loud New York media) likely contributed to the narrative that Soto underperformed, but on the whole Soto still managed a 156 wRC+ — he was 56% better than league average at the plate, for the uninitiated. 

The less said about his defense the better, but Soto remains a monster with the bat. If he performs like himself right out of the gate and keeps it up into October, he’ll be in contention for the MVP award … if Ohtani misses time. Or, perhaps, is abducted by aliens. It’s going to be hard to dethrone the best player in the sport.

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AL longshot: Nick Kurtz (+1500)

What Nick Kurtz accomplished in his rookie season was downright scary. In just 117 games, he launched 36 homers (including four in one game, and he narrowly missed a fifth), knocked in 90 runs and hit a hilarious .290/.383/.619. He immediately established himself as one of the preeminent sluggers in the sport, and with the A’s still marooned in their minor-league launching pad in Sacramento, he’ll have plenty of chances to keep hitting bombs. 

The sophomore slump cliche doesn’t scare me here. First basemen are rarely first-round picks these days, but the A’s took Kurtz fourth overall for a reason — he’s a born hitter. He is the centerpiece of this offense moving forward, and if John Fisher’s merry band of exiled sluggers mash their way to the playoffs, he’ll be a driving force. I expect Kurtz to start the All-Star Game and get MVP votes again after he finished 12th last year. He could just win the thing this time with a full season’s worth of plate appearances.

NL longshot: Paul Skenes (+2800)

A full-time starting pitcher (read: not Ohtani) hasn’t won an MVP since 2014, when Clayton Kershaw rampaged his way through the NL with a 1.77 ERA. It takes a special effort like that, along with a relative down year from the league’s hitters, to earn a pitcher an MVP. For example, even with how good Tarik Skubal has been in his back-to-back Cy Young Award campaigns, he’s only finished seventh and fifth in the balloting.

If anyone’s going to pull it off, it’s Skenes. The young phenom is only getting better, and he’ll also have the narrative factor on his side if the Pirates manage to stumble into the playoffs, as some prognosticators are projecting them to do. Pittsburgh’s pitching staff is excellent, and the team added a few bats (for once). Throw in a potential gangbusters rookie campaign from rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin, the consensus top prospect in the sport, and Skenes could sweep the hardware if he turns in a monster campaign and gets the Pirates back into the playoffs. 

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AL fade: Cal Raleigh (+1100)

With all due respect to the Big Dumper, it’s hard to imagine him replicating his ridiculous 2025 season. Cal Raleigh should still be one of the best backstops in the game and will be central to whatever degree of success the Mariners enjoy this season — and a return to the playoffs should be the bare minimum expectation in Seattle. Raleigh is still a worthy centerpiece for a playoff contender, but MVP-level catchers are rare for a reason. He’s unlikely to reach 60 home runs again and given his previous season totals, even reaching 50 would be considered a big accomplishment.

NL fade: Shohei Ohtani (-145)

Ohtani is the best player in baseball and will be the presumptive favorite for at least the next four or five NL MVP awards. However, the issue here is the price point.

It’s a ridiculous price for an MVP future. For example, Aaron Judge is +215 to win the AL award and he’s won three of the last four. A minus price for an awards future is bonkers and yet it’s hard to quibble with it in Ohtani’s case.  I just can’t seriously endorse investing at that price.

There’s more value to be had with an option like Soto even if Ohtani is likely to win short of the MonStars taking his talent away.

Tiger Woods made his return to golf on Tuesday night, participating in The Golf League (TGL) Finals, and he had a supporting cast in the stands.

His girlfriend, Vanessa Trump, and her daughter, future University of Miami golfer Kai, had front-row seats at SoFi Center to take in the action.

They did not get the result they wanted, as Woods’ Jupiter Links, with Max Homa, Tom Kim and Kevin Kisner, lost to Los Angeles Golf Club, with Collin Morikawa, Sahith Theegala, Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood. LAGC made three straight eagles to close out a 9-2 victory in Woods’ first competitive golf action in over a year.

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Vanessa Trump and Kai Trump attend the match between the Jupiter Links Golf Club and the Los Angeles Golf Club at SoFi Center on March 23, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (Cliff Hawkins/TGL/TGL Golf via Getty Images)

The 15-time major champion and Vanessa Trump have kept their relationship relatively quiet. When they went public last year, Woods asked for privacy. 

Both Vanessa and Kai attended the Genesis Invitational last month at Riviera, which Woods hosted. Vanessa and Kai attended other TGL events earlier this month as well, including a match in which Kai chatted with Travis Kelce.

Woods announced his relationship with Vanessa Trump, Donald Jr.’s ex-wife, on March 23, 2025.

“Love is in the air and life is better with you by my side! We look forward to our journey through life together. At this time we would appreciate privacy for all those close to our hearts,” Woods wrote in his post.

A report in July said the two were “very serious,” and “wedding bells” could be chiming, but nothing along those lines has been made public.

Tiger Woods talks with his girlfriend, Vanessa Trump, after a match against Boston Common Golf at SoFi Center on March 17, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (James Gilbert/TGL/TGL Golf via Getty Images)

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Woods’ son, Charlie, and Vanessa’s daughter, Kai, are both competitive golfers. Kai has committed to play at the University of Miami, while Charlie will attend Florida State. 

Charlie and Kai played in the same tournament in June.

After his highly publicized divorce from Elin Nordegren, Woods was linked to Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn in the 2010s. He was dating Erica Herman at the time he won the Masters in 2019, but they, too, had a very public breakup that included sexual harassment allegations and an NDA lawsuit filed by Herman. 

Woods and Nordegren have appeared to get along in recent years, as they co-parent Charlie and Sam Woods.

One step in Woods’ return is complete as he aims to play at the Masters in two weeks. He has yet to commit, but it’s tough to imagine Augusta National without the five-time green jacket winner.

Tiger Woods congratulates Justin Rose of Los Angeles Golf Club, who won the TGL finals at SoFi Center on March 24, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (Greg Lovett/Palm Beach Post/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

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Woods last competed on the PGA Tour in the 2024 Open Championship.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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The organisers of the London Marathon are “exploring” plans to stage the event over two days in 2027, potentially allowing more than 100,000 people with the chance to take part.

The news, which was reported by The Guardian, reflects the growing popularity of running after more than a million people entered the ballot for this year’s race.

Last year’s London Marathon broke the record for the number of participants, with over 56,000 receiving a place, but ballot applications have doubled in the space of two years.

The report from The Guardian said staging the London Marathon across Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 April next year could allow around 50,000 runners on the course each day.

Increasing the number of participants would also allow more people to raise money for charity. Last year’s race set a fundraising record for the event, at £87.5m.

The plans would require approval from the mayor’s office, who said Sadiq Khan “looks forward” to working with the event and considering if a two-day event could be possible.

“The TCS London Marathon is the world’s most popular marathon, and we are continually exploring innovative ways to enable more people to take part, while delivering positive benefits for London,” a spokesperson said.

“Together with our partners and stakeholders, we are looking at the intention for the 2027 TCS London Marathon to take place across two days. No approval has been given at this stage.

“Our immediate focus is on delivering an incredible 2026 TCS London Marathon on Sunday 26 April and ensuring every participant has an amazing experience.”

Jannik Sinner continues to rewrite history at the Miami Open 2026, defeating Alex Michelsen 7–5, 7–6 to reach the quarterfinals.

The win sees Sinner extend his record to 28 consecutive sets won in Masters 1000 event, the most by any man in history.

He also moves past Roger Federer for the third-highest win rate in Masters 1000 history, now sitting behind only Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

Despite the straight-sets win, Sinner admitted he had to work through difficult moments, including trailing 2–5 in the second set:

“I felt like the serve helped me quite a lot today. Especially in important moments. Tiebreak also. Happy about that.”

“At the same time I know if I want to go far in this tournament I have to improve from the back of the court.”

He also pointed to the challenge of adapting to changing conditions:

“It’s completely different conditions than yesterday night. Today’s a day match. I’m happy how I fought. We try to go improve my level and we see how it goes.”

On adjusting his positioning during the match:

“Yeah, I didn’t feel my best tennis today. So I tried to find my way through. I know myself a bit better now. I know every day can be different. We try to improve and we try to keep going.”

The result continues a dominant run of:
28 consecutive sets won in Masters 1000 events
9 consecutive wins in Miami
20th Masters 1000 quarterfinal
5th Miami quarterfinal appearance
31 wins in his last 33 matches

Sinner has now reached at least the quarterfinal stage every time he has played in Miami.

Tyson Fury is facing a distraction ahead of his professional comeback, with his father, John, having publicly declared his concerns. Now, Queensberry promoter Frank Warren has shared his thoughts on the comments.

‘The Gypsy King’ hung up the gloves for a fifth time when he announced his retirement following consecutive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk during 2024 but, with his history of u-turn’s, fans refused to believe that Fury had truly fought for the last time.

Earlier this year, those fans were proven correct, as Fury revealed that he would fight Russian powerhouse Arslanbek Makhmudov in his comeback fight, ahead of a potential trilogy with Usyk or long-awaited showdown with Anthony Joshua.

Just three weeks out from his fight, Tyson Fury’s father, John, has controversially stated that his son is ‘finished’ and that he has had ‘nothing left’ since a brutal tilogy with Deontay Wilder.

In an interview with talkSPORT Boxing, Warren responded to John Fury’s words, believing that any disagreements between the pair should have been kept private.

“I never asked him to come back or encouraged him in any way because that has got to be his decision. He is a very wealthy guy, financially, he is set up for life probably 10 lives under, but he wants to fight and he has been in the gym, he is in tremendous shape and that is his decision.

“I understand where his family is coming from and where his Dad is coming from. However, it is Tyson’s decision and if he is going to come back, he is fighting in a couple of weeks’ time, and I’d much rather he does it now than sits around for four or five [months or years] because his powers won’t be the same.

“He has not got a lot of miles on the clock, so we will see. I think the big thing which upsets John is the training and, I’ve got to be honest and I mean this with the greatest of respect because I’m not involved in family matters, but it’s not the sort of thing you should be having a couple of weeks before a fight.

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“I am sure that Tyson would have preferred it not said and I am a big believer that you haven’t got to tell the world what you’ve got to say to your family.”

Fury-Makhmudov takes place on Saturday, April 11, as the two-time world champion seeks to prove his father wrong and build momentum ahead of a mega-fight later this year.

Just when a Bollywood blockbuster on “new India” almost stole the attention of a nation that lives and breathes cricket, the Indian Premier League (IPL) made headlines with numbers amounting to over $3 billion. Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals found new owners on Tuesday, who will pay $1.78 billion and $1.6 billion, respectively, for the teams, changing the perception around the league.

Why these deals are happening now

More than just a league

The billion-dollar valuations clearly indicate that these deals sit inside a system that combines central media revenues shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), league-wide sponsorships, local commercial deals, fan communities and content distribution. That gives each team a platform effect that goes beyond wins and losses on the field.

A conventional team business depends heavily on matchday earnings and sporting performance. By contrast, an IPL team benefits from the power of the entire league infrastructure. The franchise is a gateway into cricket’s most commercially potent ecosystem, where value is created not only through performance but through attention, content, sponsors and reach.

From vanity ownership to financial asset

The character of IPL ownership is changing as well. In the initial years, teams were associated with their promoters, celebrities or business houses. Owning an IPL team had a strong vanity component. That has not disappeared, but the focus is shifting. Today, consortia, institutional investors and private capital increasingly view IPL stakes through the lens of returns.

This reflects the growing maturity of the league. A scarce asset with predictable income, long-term appreciation potential and strong brand visibility attracts investors who think in portfolio terms. An IPL team offers scarcity because there are only a limited number of franchises. It offers yield through revenue streams tied to the league and sponsors. And it offers appreciation because the broader cricket economy continues to expand. IPL ownership is moving from passion-driven to portfolio-driven.

What new money sees in IPL teams

For newer investors, the appeal of IPL franchises goes well beyond the cricket field. These are media-facing consumer brands with multiple monetisation levers. They sit at the intersection of sport, entertainment, digital distribution and community engagement. That makes them especially attractive in an era when attention itself is a valuable asset. 

The modern investor sees an IPL team as a content engine, a sponsorship platform and a digital consumer brand. The level of social media engagement around these franchises is a testament to that appeal.

The Women’s Premier League adds another layer of long-term possibility. This is why IPL teams are being viewed less as sporting curiosities and more as expandable commercial vehicles.  IPL is no longer only sport to investors. It is becoming an alternative asset class.

Why Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals commanded premium valuations

The two deals, though linked by the same larger trend, reflect slightly different strengths. Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s premium is easier to understand at first glance. It has one of the most engaged fan bases in the league, enormous digital traction, strong commercial appeal and a visibility level amplified by star power and years of relevance in public conversation.

“RCB commands a premium because of its unmatched fan engagement, commercial pull, and the legends of the game associated with it,” said Sunil Kalra, an independent cricket analyst.

Rajasthan Royals, however, represent something equally important. Their valuation underlines the strength of the IPL as a whole. Even a franchise that may not always dominate public chatter like the most high-decibel teams can still command a premium because it owns a scarce place in one of the world’s most valuable cricket leagues.

“However, Rajasthan Royals has focused on roping in cricketing royalty and creating its brand value. Shane Warne won the first season for the team, and Rahul Dravid has been associated with RR for over a decade now. That’s cricketing royalty for you,” Kalra added.

What this means for the IPL’s future

These deals are likely to do more than generate headlines. They may reset expectations across the league. Once billion-dollar franchise valuations are established in the market, they create a new benchmark for future stake sales, minority investments and structured capital raises. That can attract more institutional money and encourage existing owners to think more strategically about capital structure, governance and monetisation.

The longer-term impact could be profound. More professional ownership structures may lead to sharper financial discipline, stronger management practices and greater focus on long-term asset building. The IPL may now be entering a more mature, finance-led phase of growth.

The significance of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals valuations goes far beyond two transactions. They show that IPL teams are no longer being judged only as sporting brands or promoter trophies. They are being treated as premium media properties, investable assets and magnets for serious capital. That changes the conversation around cricket itself. The IPL’s next phase may be shaped as much by balance sheets as by scorecards.

The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) called on the league to make a change to its 65-game eligibility rule for players to be considered for awards.

NBA players who fail to play 65 games are not considered for the league’s top honors, like NBA MVP. The union pointed to Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham, who emerged as an MVP candidate this season but may not be considered for the award if he misses more time. He’s currently sidelined with a collapsed lung.

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Memphis Grizzlies forward Cedric Coward (23) drives against Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 13, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

“Cade Cunningham’s potential ineligibility for postseason awards after a career-defining season is a clear indictment of the 65-game rule and yet another example of why it must be abolished or reformed to create an exception for significant injuries,” the union said. “Since its implementation, far too many deserving players have been unfairly disqualified from end-of-season honors by this arbitrary and overly rigid quota.”

Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James, Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo and Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry have missed too much time to be considered for the All-NBA teams.

Injuries have also plagued San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama and Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic this season. Each player is in line for the MVP but are nearing ineligibility.

Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell said he understood the rule but there were too many other factors at play.

Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant, left, greets Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic after an NBA basketball game Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA BUILDS MVP CASE AS SPURS CLINCH DIVISION, END PLAYOFF DROUGHT

“It’s for the right reasons, but it’s tough,” Mitchell said over the weekend. “We get paid money to be out there, but there’s certain things you can’t control. It’s not like guys are resting and missing these games. These are legitimate injuries, so it’s something to look at for sure because there’s no way certain guys should be in this scenario.”

Kevin Durant suggested in 2024 he was indifferent about the rule.

“I just want guys healthy and on the court too. I guess that’s what the solution is try to get guys to stay on the court,” he said at the time. “It’s just something we’ve got to deal with. I won’t say I love it, or I hate it either, but it’s just something we’ve got to deal with.”

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) walks on the court during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Monday, March 23, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

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The rule was put in place in October in hopes of curbing load management and put an emphasis on the regular season. The rule may also impact whether players would receive a supermax contract in the future.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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