Month: May 2026

It’s NBA playoff time. Let’s take a look at the latest NBA title futures at DraftKings Sportsbook as of May 1. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. NBA Finals winner 2025-26 season Oklahoma City Thunder: -125 (bet $10 to win $18 total)San Antonio Spurs: +400 (bet $10 to win $50 total)Boston Celtics: +600 (bet $10 to win $70 total)Cleveland Cavaliers: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)New York Knicks: +1900 (bet $10 to win $200 total)Los Angeles Lakers: +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total)Detroit Pistons: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)Philadelphia 76ers: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)Minnesota Timberwolves: +18000 (bet $10 to win $1,810 total)Orlando Magic: +25000 (bet $10 to win $2,510 total)Houston Rockets: +40000 (bet $10 to win $4,010 total)Toronto Raptors: +80000 (bet $10 to win $8,010 total) Here is what to know about the NBA title oddsboard: Denver Disaster: The Nuggets were near the top of the title oddsboard for a majority of the season, but they are out in Round 1. Wow. Denver and Minnesota split the first two games in Denver, before the Wolves won Games 3 and 4 on their home floor. Denver was able to win Game 5 at home, but Minnesota closed things out in Game 6 in front of its home fans. Why is this such a shock? Well, the Wolves lost their starting backcourt of Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo to injuries in Game 4 and played without backup guard Ayo Dosunmu in Game 6. The Nuggets were without Peyton Watson for the entire series, and Aaron Gordon only played in three games, but Denver still had its star duo of Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray. Who Wants to Win the East?: Well, it appears the top two seeds in the conference seem unsure as to what they want to do. No. 1 Detroit is down 3-2 against No. 8 Orlando, with Game 6 set to take place on Orlando’s home floor, where the Magic have yet to lose to the Pistons in this series. The last time an 8-seed beat a 1-seed in the playoffs was in 2023, when Miami beat Milwaukee en route to an unlikely NBA Finals berth out of the play-in tournament. As for the second-seeded Celtics, they took a 3-1 lead over Philly by splitting the first two games in Boston, then winning Games 3 and 4 in Philadelphia. However, the Sixers staved off elimination with a Game 5 win in Boston, and then won Game 6 on their home floor. So we’re going seven.

Since joining Chip Ganassi Racing six seasons ago, Spanish driver Àlex Palou has shown to be a generational talent who is quickly working his way through INDYCAR’S record books. For that, Palou has earned a multi-year contract extension on his current deal that runs through the 2027 season. The extension was finalized following this week’s two-day Indianapolis 500 test. Ganassi never publicly discloses contract terms. The reward capped a celebratory week for Palou, who drove into Indianapolis Motor Speedway as the defending Indy 500 winner for testing and saw a larger-than-life banner of himself chugging the traditional winner’s milk. It’s the main banner as you enter the speedway — key placement he’d seen reserved for rival drivers the previous six years. “I took a picture when I was driving by and sent it to my parents,” Palou said. Palou has won four INDYCAR championships in five years, including the last three consecutive titles. He won eight times last season, including the 500, as he’s blossomed in INDYCAR since joining Ganassi in 2021. Ahead of the Long Beach Grand Prix two weeks ago, former Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi was asked if anything had surprised him through the first quarter of the season. His response was immediate: “Yeah, that Alex has only won two races. And isn’t the points leader.” Palou responded by winning Long Beach to give him three wins through five races this year and reclaim the top spot in the championship standings. “It’s incredible, actually amazing,” said rival driver Will Power, a two-time INDYCAR champion and Indianapolis 500 winner. “It’s something I’ve been thinking about the last week or so because, once again, he’s gone out and won three out of five races. I mean [Kyle] Kirkwood’s average finish is like three-point-something, and he’s not leading the championship, which is insane. “So it’s something I’m absolutely, like, how is he doing that week in, week out? Well, it’s one, he’s qualifying well. Two is he executes in the race and three is the pit stops, you know, top-notch, there’s no mistakes in there. And he’s fast. So that’s what it takes when you’re driving out there.” His 22 career victories through 103 starts ranks fifth in 121 years of INDYCAR history. Sebastien Bourdais won 31 times in that span in the diluted Champ Car era; A.J. Foyt won 30, Mario Andretti 27 and Ralph DePalma 26. Palou’s four titles already match Andretti and Bourdais, and in the post-World War II era, Palou’s 61 top-five finishes in his 103 starts trails only Andretti, who had 64. Dario Franchitti, a four-time INDYCAR champion and three-time Indy 500 winner, is now a driver coach and consultant for Ganassi. He believes there hasn’t been a driver this dominant in the series since Alex Zanardi, who won 12 races and back-to-back titles for Ganassi in 1997 and 1998. “Winning one championship is one thing, but then the subsequent ones, it gets progressively more difficult,” Franchitti said. “Just watching what he’s done, and at this early stage in his career, it’s something very special. And the level of domination, that’s the icing on the cake. “You feel sorry for the others. I’ve said to him a number of times, ‘I would have hated racing against you.’ He is the complete package.” At Long Beach last month, rival driver Pato O’Ward conceded his McLaren team has not closed the gap at all on Palou and the No. 10 Ganassi team. “The guy goes into every weekend being able to win. Honestly, it’s impressive to see,” O’Ward said. “The gap is as big as it’s been, and we’re working hard to try to be at the level he is of being able to win every race, but we don’t have that.” Connor Daly believes the domination is a combination of Palou’s flawless performances and the strength of his race team. “Alex is very good, but that team, when they’re called upon, they don’t make mistakes and that is what is so important about this game,” Daly said. “Everything has to be, everyone has to be on the same page, and he is, like without a doubt, one of the best drivers in the world right now.” Reporting by The Associated Press.

As the madness of March ends, the NBA postseason begins. Let’s check out the odds for the first round of the playoffs, at FanDuel Sportsbook as of May 1. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. EAST FIRST ROUND No. 8 ORLANDO (-134) vs. No. 1 DETROIT (+114)ORL leads 3-2 GAME 6 — DET @ ORL (May 1) Spread: Pistons -3.5Moneyline: Pistons -168, Magic +142O/U: 209.5 What to know: And just like that, the top seed in the East, a team that had the best record in the NBA at several points during the regular season, is on the brink of elimination. The Pistons saved their season with a Game 5 win at home, but it wasn’t easy, only squeezing out a seven-point win. Both Cade Cunningham and Paolo Banchero had 45 points in that one. No. 7 PHILADELPHIA (+235) vs. No. 2 BOSTON (-290)Tied 3-3 GAME 7 — PHI @ BOS (May 2) Spread: Celtics -7.5Moneyline: Celtics -290, 76ers +235O/U: 206.5 What to know: The Sixers still have life, upsetting Boston on its home floor in Game 5 and sending the series back to Philadelphia. Joel Embiid has only played twice in this series, but in those two games, he’s averaging 29.5 points, highlighted by the 33 he scored in Game 5. Can Philly push this one to seven with a win on its home floor in Game 6? No. 5 TORONTO (+870) vs. No. 4 CLEVELAND (-1500)CLE leads 3-2 GAME 6 — CLE @ TOR (May 1) Spread: Cavs -4.5Moneyline: Cavs -184, Raptors +154O/U: 218.5 What to know: Home court has held true through five games in this series, as things head back to Canadian soil. The Raptors led by seven at halftime of Game 5, and led by three going into the fourth, but were outscored 25-17 in the final frame. No. 6 ATLANTA vs. No. 3 NEW YORKNYK wins 4-2 WEST FIRST ROUND No. 8 PHOENIX vs. No. 1 OKLAHOMA CITYOKC wins 4-0 No. 7 PORTLAND vs. No. 2 SAN ANTONIOSA wins 4-1 No. 6 MINNESOTA vs. No. 3 DENVERMIN wins 4-2 No. 5 HOUSTON (+245) vs. No. 4 LA LAKERS (-300)LAL leads 3-2 GAME 6 — LAL @ HOU (May 1) Spread: Rockets -3.5Moneyline: Lakers +144, Rockets -172O/U: 205.5 What to know: Talk about a roller-coaster of a series. The Lakers took a 3-0 lead, but Houston won Game 4 at home and then stole one in L.A. in Game 5 — and both wins came without Kevin Durant. Now, the two teams head back to H-Town with the Rockets favored, and Durant out again for Game 6. Can they push it to seven?

The NFL Draft is behind us, and we’re now able to get a clearer picture of how teams are shaping up to look next season. Some squads, like Carolina, are strengthening their defenses, while teams like the Raiders are building their offenses by drafting what they hope will be a generational quarterback. With this in mind, let’s look at some wagers I like for awards season, along with one team’s win total that I’m going to back now. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Jacob Rodriguez to win Defensive Rookie of the Year The Miami Dolphins drafted Rodriguez in the second round, and he will immediately start at middle linebacker. Rodriguez was a tackling machine at Texas Tech the last two seasons. He had 127 total tackles in 2024, with 77 of those being solo tackles. Last season, he had 128 total tackles, four interceptions and seven forced fumbles. He’s a force on the field, and reminds me of last year’s DROY, Carson Schwesinger. Schwesinger was drafted by the Browns in the second round in 2025, after putting up 136 tackles at UCLA. He immediately became a starting linebacker and played nearly every game last season. With the Browns being so poor offensively and playing from behind most of the season, Schwesinger played enough snaps to get 156 total tackles in 16 games. He also had 11 tackles for loss and two interceptions. Rodriguez is in the same boat as Schwesinger — highly productive in college and drafted to a team that projects to lose a ton of games. He will get the chance to make tackles all season long. I’m making this wager. PICK: Jacob Rodriguez (+2200) Defensive Rookie of the Year Fernando Mendoza to win Offensive Rookie of the Year Simple handicap here. I believe Mendoza is going to start Week 1 and play all 17 games for the Raiders. It makes no sense for the Raiders to keep him on the bench. For what? Give him the reps immediately so he can make his rookie mistakes. Get him comfortable with the NFL, with his linemen and with his weapons. Let him get comfortable making adjustments. All of it. Playing Kirk Cousins for any period of time doesn’t help the future of the Raiders. Anyway, with Mendoza playing a full 17 games, he will have the best opportunity to win this award. The Raiders have improved their offensive line and have Brock Bowers, plus they have Ashton Jeanty at running back. The Raiders’ offensive scheme, with new coach Klint Kubiak, has produced high numbers and points for years with plenty of quarterbacks less-skilled than Mendoza. In addition, the story of Mendoza reviving the Raiders will play well with voters. The other candidates for this award have more of an uphill battle to win. Jeremiyah Love is playing on a poor Cardinals team that might not run the ball as much when they are behind in every game. They also have, at best, an average offensive line. I don’t think Love will put up numbers worthy of this award. The top drafted receivers have a shot to win the award, but I don’t know what the Tennessee offense will look like. Jordyn Tyson in New Orleans was something I was eying, but he’s not WR1 for the Saints. Hard to pick him. So I settled on Mendoza. PICK: Fernando Mendoza (+350) Offensive Rookie of the Year Carolina Panthers Over/Under 7.5 wins The Panthers finished last season 8-9 and won the NFC South. It was a fascinating season for them. They took some bad losses, like losing 17-7 to the Saints, while also beating the Rams, Packers and almost beating the Rams again in the postseason. Carolina established a ground game while quarterback Bryce Young continued to improve as a quarterback. The Panthers drafted a new left tackle and another receiver to pair with Tetairoa McMillian, who finished the season as the Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Panthers’ defense had some issues but improved in the offseason. It added Devin Lloyd, Jaelen Phillips and drafted Lee Hunter in the second round. Rookie Nic Scourton came on strong to end the season and Derrick Brown is a fantastic insider. In short, the defense should be much better. The Panthers’ schedule is far tougher this season, with games against both the NFC and AFC North, plus a first-place schedule that includes Seattle, Philadelphia and Denver. Taking their Over win total means I believe the Panthers are now a viable threat to compete for the NFC. They’d have to go 4-2 in division and then pull a few upsets along the way. I believe this team is ready for that moment, especially considering how it has improved and continued to build the roster to maximize the talent. PICK: Carolina Panthers Over 7.5 wins