Mavericks Could Steal Another from Timberwolves Even with Solid Minnesota Defense

In today’s newsletter…

- Leading Off: NFL, NCAA and tennis futures
- NBA: Timberwolves’ defense  
- MLB: Look for Gallen Ks
- News: College athletes to get payday 

We’re starting off today looking at some futures, courtesy of where FanDuel thinks things stand right now:

• Super Bowl Champion: The 49ers are the favorites at +550, with the two-time defending champion Chiefs sitting just behind at +600. They are followed by the Ravens at +950, and the Bengals, Lions, and Bills at +1300.

• College Football National Champion: The Georgia Bulldogs are the current favorite at +300, followed by Ohio State at +440, Texas at +800, and Oregon at +850. Odds get longer pretty quickly after that, with Alabama coming in next at +1400, Ole Miss at +1500, LSU at +1700, Penn State at +2000, Notre Dame at +2200, and defending champion Michigan at +2500.

• NCAA Basketball Champions: On the men’s side, Kansas is the favorite at +1000, with defending champion UConn at +1100 and Duke at +1200. Defending champion South Carolina leads the way on the women’s side at +150, with UConn and USC at +400 and Texas and Notre Dame at +700.

• In futures coming up very soon, first round play at the French Open begins on Sunday. Carlos Alcaraz (+260) is a slight favorite over defending champion Novak Djokovic (+290). Australian Open winner Jannik Sinner comes in next at +460. On the women’s side, world No. 1 and two-time defending champion Iga Swiatek is the heavy favorite at -160, with Aryna Sabalenka next at +550 and Coco Cauff at +950.

In today’s newsletter, Chris is covering Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, and he’s tracking the Timberwolves’ defense and Luka’s rebounding chances. In baseball, Craig is looking for another low-scoring night in San Diego and for Angels outfielder Jo Adell to have a matchup advantage at the plate.