ESPN
Jan 6, 2026, 10:43 AM ET
The College Football Playoff is set to crown the first champion of the 2026 calendar, making this the perfect time to ask our analysts to go on record with their picks for who will lift the various cups and trophies to be won through the end of the year. And just for fun, we asked them to reveal their favorite championship bet for the year and then to parlay their pick, be it a conservative pairing or a multileg ticket to dream on.
Let's be clear: As is the general expectation with most parlays, it's highly unlikely that these bets will hit. They're about making predictions, having the receipts to back them up and, should the improbable happen, being able to answer the question: What were the odds?
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and current as of time of publication.
College Football Playoff National Championship (Jan. 19)
Current favorites: Indiana Hoosiers (+125), Miami Hurricanes (+310), Oregon Ducks (+320)*
Pam Maldonado's CFP pick: Hoosiers +125
The Hoosiers win because defense travels, discipline compounds and variance shrinks in January. They force long drives, win red zones and avoid self-inflicted chaos. Oregon's speed meets structure, and Miami brings volatility. Indiana brings answers, patience and late-game edges when games tighten and nerves finally matter most under pressure.
Maldonado's 2026 parlay:
CFP: Indiana +125
Australian Open: Carlos Alcaraz +160
Pays +485 ($10 to win $48.50)
*Odds and wager placed prior to Thursday's Miami-Ole Miss game
Olympic Winter Games (Feb. 6-22)
Current medal leaderboard favorites: Norway (-160), Germany (+450), USA (+500), Canada (+600)
Liz Loza's Olympic medal pick: Germany +450
Norway (-160) is, for good reason, the odds-on favorite to win the most gold medals in this year's Olympic Games. The Land of the Midnight Sun is the Games' all-time leader in golds, largely due to the nation's dominance in skiing and biathlon events. Germany, however, poses serious competition, having won an impressive 12 gold medals (second to Norway) at the 2022 games in Beijing. The Germans could be on the precipice of an upset this go-round, particularly with two of Norway's most-distinguished competitors retiring from the Nordic combined. Additionally, with superstar contenders in the bobsledding and skeleton events as well as emerging hockey and biathlon talent, Germany is an underdog worth betting on.
Loza's 2026 parlay:
Olympics: Germany +450
NFL: Buffalo Bills +1000
MLB: Philadelphia Phillies +1100
Pays +72500 ($10 to win $7,250)
Super Bowl LX (Feb. 8)
Current favorites: Seattle Seahawks (+330), Los Angeles Rams (+425), Denver Broncos (+650), New England Patriots (+900)
Seth Walder's Super Bowl pick: Denver Broncos +650
The more I look at the playoffs, the more I see the seas parting for the Broncos: They have a bye in a conference that doesn't have a single team in FPI's top five. And while I've been skeptical of Bo Nix in the past, the Broncos' offense has ranked eighth in EPA per drive since the team's bye in Week 12. Plus, Denver doesn't need Nix to be perfect because he's surrounded by talent. The team has an excellent offensive line and a great defense. That's the recipe for winning without an elite quarterback.
Walder's 2026 parlay:
NFL: Denver Broncos +650
EPL: Arsenal -500
WNBA: New York Liberty +370
Pays +4130 ($10 to win $413)
Matt Bowen's Super Bowl pick: Buffalo Bills (+1000)
In a wide-open postseason field, I'm willing to bet on Josh Allen's unique dual-threat traits and an explosive Buffalo offense that ranked third in scoring this season (27.1 points per game). Yes, I have concerns about the Bills' defense, a unit that lacks high-end speed in the secondary. However, if Sean McDermott's team can play with zone discipline in its core coverages while using calculated pressure to disrupt the pocket, it will create more opportunities for Allen, whom I see as the ultimate difference-maker in the NFL playoffs.
Bowen's 2026 parlay:
NFL: Buffalo Bills +1000
Men's Olympic hockey: Canada +130
Men's NCAA tournament: Houston +1500
NBA: Denver Nuggets +700
MLB: Philadelphia Phillies +1100
Scottie Scheffler to win the Masters +300
Pays +15544220 ($1 to win $155,442.20)
Men's and women's NCAA basketball championship (April)
Current men's favorites: Michigan (+340), Arizona (+850), UConn (+950), Duke (11-1)
Current women's favorites: UConn (-160), Texas (+800), South Carolina (+800), LSU (+850), UCLA (+850)
Mark Zinno's men's champion pick: Arizona (+850)
The Wildcats might be the most fundamentally sound team in the country. Offensively, they play with pace and can shoot the lights out from anywhere on the floor. Defensively, they take your soul with size, length and athleticism. And you can forget about trying to grab a rebound against them -- the only people cleaning glass better in America are on a scaffold at a really tall building. This isn't a team that has to worry about a "good draw" in March. The Wildcats have no holes and can beat anyone. I trust them to cut the nets down when it's all over.
Zinno's 2026 parlay:
NCAAM: Arizona +850
NHL: Edmonton Oilers +1100
NBA: Oklahoma City Thunder +115
LaLiga: Barcelona -170
Pays +38827 ($10 to win $3,882.70)
English Premier League (May)
Current favorites: Arsenal (-500), Manchester City (+450), Aston Villa (+3500), Liverpool (100-1)
Victoria Matiash's Premier League champion pick: Aston Villa +3500
Considering the success Unai Emery's side has enjoyed since late September, it's almost difficult to remember the club's desultory 0-3-2 start. Since beating Fulham on Sept. 28 -- perhaps partially inspired by a gutsy victory over Bologna in UEFA Europa League competition three days earlier -- Villa is riding a 13-1-2 record. If not for a recent loss to Arsenal, whom they beat earlier this season, Ollie Watkins & Co. would sit neck and neck alongside the league leaders. For value, with Manchester City stumbling of late and Villa riding hot, this play presents as an attractive wager on Arsenal to slip down the stretch.
Matiash's 2026 parlay:
Premier League: Aston Villa +3500
NFL: Buffalo Bills +1000
NHL: Colorado Avalanche +280
Pays +150380 ($10 to win $15,038)
UEFA Champions League Final (May 30)
Current favorites: Arsenal (+400), Bayern Munich (+450), Paris Saint-Germain (+700), Manchester City (+700)
Dan Thomas' Champions League pick: Paris Saint-Germain (+700)
PSG won the Champions League last season, yet the bookies seem to have forgotten, and as a result the French side is an excellent value. PSG still have their brilliant exciting young squad with Luis Enrique in charge, and the chasing pack have issues galore.
Barcelona can't defend. Man City's back line is decimated. I don't trust Bayern Munich out of Germany, and Real Madrid are just rubbish.
Thomas' 2026 parlay:
UCL: Paris Saint-Germain +700
EPL: Arsenal -500
World Cup: Spain +450
Pays +5180 ($10 to win $518)
Stanley Cup Final (June)
Current favorites: Colorado Avalanche (+280), Carolina Hurricanes (+600), Tampa Bay Lightning (+750), Vegas Golden Knights (+850)
Sean Allen's Stanley Cup pick: Colorado Avalanche to beat Florida Panthers (+3000)
This season is shaping up to be the perfect opportunity for my adopted favorite teams to clash in the final battle, so rather than take a winner, I'm going with one of DraftKings' "exact result" bets. My longtime favorites from Denver -- forged by a childhood love of Peter Forsberg and Joe Sakic -- are the heavy Cup favorites amid their runaway regular season. Meanwhile, my adopted recent favorites from south Florida -- forged by backing them alone in 2022-23 -- have been in the final three years running and hope to have Aleksander Barkov back in time to make it four. To juice the parlay, let's go contrarian for the outcome of the Olympics; as in the Stanley Cup playoffs, anyone can have a huge game at the right moment to change this outcome.
Allen's 2026 parlay:
NHL: Avalanche over Panthers +3000
Men's Olympic hockey: Sweden +500
Pays +18500 ($10 to win $1,850)
NBA Finals (June)
Current favorites: Oklahoma City Thunder (+115), Denver Nuggets (+750), San Antonio Spurs (+1200), New York Knicks (+1200), Houston Rockets (+1300)
André Snellings' NBA championship pick: Boston Celtics (+2500)
The Celtics are a long shot to win the championship, but they are currently the second seed in the Eastern Conference and have the fifth-best record in the NBA. And they have done that all with Jaylen Brown leading the way without Jayson Tatum, who has consistently said he hopes to return this season. If they enter the playoffs with a high seed and get Tatum back, they will have a strong chance to make a run at a second championship with this core.
Snellings' 2026 parlay:
NBA: Celtics +2500
NFL: Rams +450
Australian Open: Jannik Sinner -125
French Open: Iga Swiatek +225
Pays +79752 ($10 to win $7,975.20)
FIFA World Cup (June-July)
Current favorites: Spain (+450), England (+550), France (+800), Brazil (+800), Argentina (+800)
Eric Karabell's World Cup pick: France (+800)
France isn't exactly a bold pick, after Les Blues won it all in 2018 and lost in the 2022 final to Argentina, but a sleeper isn't winning it all. The France-Norway Group I match will be an early Cup highlight, but regardless of that result, France, with incredible star power led by Kylian Mbappe, should advance a long way. This might be an outstanding year for the country.
Karabell's 2026 parlay:
World Cup: France +800
NBA: San Antonio Spurs (you might have heard about their awesome French center) +1200
MLB: San Diego Padres (they must reunite with journeyman 1B Ty France in July, of course) +2000
Pays +245600 ($10 to win $24,560)
World Series (October)
Current favorites: Los Angeles Dodgers (+330), New York Yankees (+750), Philadelphia Phillies (+1100), Houston Astros (+1300)
Tristan H. Cockcroft's World Series pick: Blue Jays (+1500)
The Blue Jays, two outs away from their third World Series championship and first in 32 years, have hardly been content to stand pat as runners-up. They've invested a collective $337 million on four free agents, with more additions potentially to come. (Kyle Tucker? Alex Bregman? A Bo Bichette reunion?) It wouldn't be the first time a team got its first taste of the Fall Classic, then won it the following season: See the 2014-15 Kansas City Royals and 2021-22 Houston Astros (not to mention five additional teams this century that made it to back-to-back World Series). Maximizing championship windows is in vogue, and the Blue Jays' odds are outstanding for a team with a very real shot at taking that next step.
Cockcroft's 2026 parlay:
MLB: Blue Jays +1500
NFL: Denver Broncos +650
Wimbledon: Jack Draper +1800
Pays +227900 ($10 to win $22,790)
WNBA Finals (October)
Current favorites: Minnesota Lynx (+300), Las Vegas Aces (+310), New York Liberty (+370), Indiana Fever (+425)
Eric Moody's WNBA champion: Golden State Valkyries (+2500)
The Valkyries are a fascinating pick to win the title despite long odds. In their inaugural season, they went 23-21, became the first expansion team to reach the playoffs and built one of the league's strongest home-court advantages while leading the league in attendance. Natalie Nakase earned Coach of the Year honors and Veronica Burton emerged as a cornerstone player. The main concern is the lack of a true superstar, but the infrastructure is real. With aggressive ownership, a forward-thinking front office and the ability to pursue elite free agents once the CBA is resolved, Golden State has a clear path to a rapid championship leap, making it a compelling futures bet.
Moody's 2026 parlay
WNBA: Valkyries +2500
NFL: Jacksonville Jaguars +1300
NBA: Detroit Pistons +2000
Pays +764300 ($10 to win $76,430)
