​As the NFL season arrives, the Rams are atop Super Bowl futures odds. In fact, Los Angeles is not only the favorite, but the second choice Bills’ odds are twice that of the Rams. That’ll happen when an already strong team adds sack-master Myles Garrett in the offseason, then welcomes back the recently un-retired Aaron Donald. "It’s warranted, if you look at the talent of this team up and down the roster," Caesars Sports head of football trading Joey Feazel said. Feazel provides his insights on Super Bowl 61 odds and action, ahead of Wednesday’s kickoff between the defending champion Seahawks and runner-up Patriots. 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. Money From The Masses Last season, the Rams fell just short of a Super Bowl appearance, losing to the Seahawks 31-27 in the NFC Championship Game. As the 2026-27 season opens, multiple sportsbooks are reporting strong L.A. action, with Caesars among them. "We opened at +900 and have cut those odds almost in half to +500. And the action is coming in, no matter what the price is," Feazel said of steady Rams betting. "The Rams are No. 1 in ticket count, and they’re No. 1 by a healthy margin in money." Indeed, 18% of all Super Bowl futures money at Caesars is on the Rams. That’s 2.5 times more cash than the 49ers, who are second in money at 7%, as the +1800 co-eighth choice. Super Bowl Hangover? Interestingly, the Super Bowl champion Seahawks — the +1100 third choice in odds to win the Super Bowl — aren’t getting nearly the attention of their NFC West rivals. "I don’t think bettors are sold on the Seahawks," Feazel said. "From February to now, they’ve lost a lot of key pieces. There’s been a little fallout on expectations, based on the pieces they did and didn’t keep." Among those departing: Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III, who signed with the Chiefs in the offseason. Further, fellow running back Zach Charbonnet will miss Seattle’s first four games — and possibly more — while continuing to recover from a torn ACL suffered in last season’s playoffs. The Seahawks beat the Patriots 29-13 in Super Bowl 60. New England also isn’t among the more popular bets in Super Bowl futures odds, while sitting at +2000. "They’re not really betting the Patriots much at all. That’s actually one of our better positions," Feazel said. Liability Leaders As is often the case in Super Bowl futures, it’s a long shot creating the biggest concern at Caesars. Heavy regional bias in Caesars’ Las Vegas market is helping to heighten that concern. "Our biggest liability and the best result for customers is the Raiders," Feazel said of the +12500 long shots (125/1). "Bringing in [new coach] Klint Kubiak and rookie QB Fernando Mendoza is leading to a lot of money." Mendoza led Indiana to a 16-0 season and the national championship last season. But he’s not yet the starter and might not be for a while, with offseason acquisition Kirk Cousins the Raiders’ QB1 at the moment. Feazel also noted a couple legitimate liabilities in Super Bowl 61 odds. "Obviously, the Rams are not our greatest position. Then the Broncos and the 49ers," Feazel said of two teams at +1800. "The Broncos are getting a lot of love. Bettors are still interested in Denver, and the same with the 49ers. "And there’s a whole lot of love around Kyler Murray and the Vikings." Indeed, Minnesota opened as a +8000 long shot and has nearly cut that price in half to +4500. After seven seasons with the Cardinals, Murray signed with the Vikes in the offseason and beat out J.J. McCarthy for the starting job. Sportsbook Needs On the flip side, Caesars Sports has a quartet of legit teams that it’s rooting for in Super Bowl futures. All four are certainly playoff contenders. "The Jaguars are a great position for us, and the Lions are great for us, which is not normally the case," Feazel said. "Also, the Ravens and Texans. A lot of people are sleeping on how good that Texans defense is." Jacksonville went a stout 13-4 last season before losing to the Bills in the wild-card round. Houston went 12-5 in the regular season, then routed the Steelers in the wild card before bowing out at New England. The Jags are +2800 at Caesars, while the Texans are part of a +1800 logjam with the Broncos, 49ers and Chargers. Detroit went a combined 29-9 in 2023-24/2024-25, including playoff games, but stumbled to 9-8 last year and missed the postseason. Similarly, Baltimore went a disappointing 8-9 last year, largely due to QB Lamar Jackson (knee/back) missing four games. Caesars expects both teams to bounce back, with the Ravens the +1300 fourth choice in Super Bowl 61 odds, followed by the Lions at +1600. I Like Big Bets and I Cannot Lie As the season commences, there are a plethora of bets on Super Bowl futures odds. Among the more notable plays at Caesars is a $27,000 wager on Seahawks +1100. If Sam Darnold & Co. pull off a repeat title, then that bettor cashes in for $297,000 profit, for a total payout of $324,000. Other noteworthy wagers at Caesars: Then there’s this Super Bowl exacta at DraftKings Sportsbook: In easier-to-digest terms, the odds are 500/1. If somehow it’s Bengals vs. Cowboys on Feb. 14 at SoFi Stadium, and Cincinnati wins its first-ever Super Bowl, then that customer profits $1.25 million. Read More

​Some of the biggest names in INDYCAR — including a past champion and Indianapolis 500 winners — are on the move after the 2026 season. Six-time series champion and 2008 Indy 500 winner Scott Dixon and 2026 Indy 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist are headed to the same place, Arrow McLaren. The team announced on July 6 their hirings — and the release of Christian Lundgaard and Nolan Siegel — effective the end of the season. That has been the biggest news of the silly season so far, while the latest news came on Sept. 4 as Meyer Shank Racing announced that former Formula 1 driver and current INDYCAR rookie Mick Schumacher would join the team in 2027. Some teams will have the same lineup as this year, including Team Penske (which didn't have any drivers in a contract year), Andretti Global (which re-signed free agent Marcus Ericsson) and ECR (which re-signed free agent Christian Rasmussen) will have the same lineup for 2027 as it has for 2026. That can't be said for many teams, including Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, which last month sold one of its charters to Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and left Schumacher looking for a ride. It is the first charter sale since the system was implemented in 2025 and it means one driver in the RLL stable won't return as the organization cuts from three to two cars. Another silly season move that people will be talking about the entire offseason will be the one of Dixon leaving his home at Ganassi. Ganassi, in his statement July 2, thanked Dixon for driving for the team since 2002: "Scott has meant so much to CGR over the past 24 years. Together we've shared championships, many victories, and countless moments that have helped define this organization. Because of everything we've accomplished together, and the legacy Scott has built here, we believed it was important to give him the opportunity to finish his career at Chip Ganassi Racing, and we made him a multi-year offer to do just that. We respect that he's chosen a different path." For Dixon, he told me and other reporters on July 3 that it was an emotional decision but time to move on to another team. In a statement on July 6, he said driving for McLaren would be special. "As a New Zealander, being part of Bruce McLaren’s legacy will be special; his spirit and grit are still very much rooted in that team, and I’m excited to carry that on," he said. McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown wants to win the triple crown of the Indianapolis 500, the Grand Prix of Monaco and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He hopes that having current driver Pato O'Ward plus for the Indy 500, former winner Ryan Hunter-Reay, along with Dixon and Rosenqvist gives him the best chance. "Our INDYCAR team has shown fantastic momentum, and this lineup of Pato, Scott, Felix and Ryan will strengthen every aspect of our program," Brown said in a July 6 statement. "We’ve got our eyes firmly set on the championship as well as winning the Indianapolis 500 to secure the triple crown in the Papaya era." One driver not on the move is Marcus Armstrong, who announced July 3 that he will remain at Michael Shank Racing, driving the MSR No. 60 instead of the No. 66. "I feel that Meyer Shank Racing gives me one of the strongest cars on the grid every weekend," Armstrong said in a July 3 news release. "Our goals are aligned, we want to win races and be consistently fighting at the front." Here’s a look at where INDYCAR organizations stand for 2027 with info collected from sources within the INDYCAR industry as it heads into its season finale Sept. 6 at Laguna Seca. Chip Ganassi Racing Series points leader Alex Palou, who signed a contract extension earlier this year, isn’t going anywhere and Kyffin Simpson’s progress — he’s 13th in the standings — let alone the funding he brings should allow him to remain for another season. But obviously the big news is Dixon leaving. Stars in all sports often leave their team, but to see Dixon (currently 12th in the standings) leave Ganassi after 24-plus seasons is wild. Who will replace Dixon? Lundgaard, being pushed out of Arrow McLaren, emerged as the definitive favorite at the time of the announcement and nothing has changed in the last couple of months. Team Penske Scott McLaughlin (sixth in the standings) signed a contract extension last year and David Malukas (fifth) in the first year of a multiyear deal, so both appear solid. Josef Newgarden is seventh in the standings, and while there was a lot of buzz last year that he possibly wanted to leave no matter his contract status, he appears more happy this year with two victories in the first 12 races. Andretti Global Marcus Ericsson (eighth in the standings) was the one driver who was on the hot seat at this organization. But he has performed well enough this year that Andretti Global rewarded him with a contract for 2027. Kyle Kirkwood (third) isn’t going anywhere. Will Power certainly hasn’t had the results he wanted at 11th in the standings but has also led in more than half the races this year. So he wouldn’t be expected to get pushed out. Ericsson started the season likely looking over his shoulder at Dennis Hauger (20th in the standings), an Andretti-signed driver on loan to Dale Coyne Racing. But Hauger indicated he is looking for a ride for next season while not commenting specifically on his status with Andretti Global. "One of our priorities has been building consistency across our INDYCAR program, and bringing Marcus back is an important part of that," Andretti Global President Jill Gregory said in a news release. "He’s shown exactly what he’s capable of this season through the speed and results he’s delivered. Keeping our driver lineup together next season allows us to build on the chemistry and performance we’ve established as a team." Arrow McLaren Christian Lundgaard (second in standings) and Nolan Siegel (18th) are both out. Pato O’Ward (fourth) is signed through next season but has been vocal when cars haven’t been up to standards. Ganassi is the most likely landing spot for Lundgaard in an essentially Dixon-for-Lundgaard swap. Siegel, meanwhile, could still have an affiliation with McLaren — if the team opts for a technical partnership with Juncos Hollinger Racing, where Siegel potentially could move to for 2027 with the funding he brings. Siegel, with his funding, is a likely candidate for rides at Foyt, JHR and Dale Coyne Racing next season. Meyer Shank Racing Rosenqvist, ninth in the standings, went from possibly being on the hot seat to having teams interested in him after winning the Indianapolis 500 and now is on the move. But Marcus Armstrong (14th in the standings) is staying and the team announced on Sept. 4 that Mick Schumacher would come from Rahal. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing With the announcement that RLL will scale back from three to two cas, it is relatively assumed that Mick Schumacher (23rd in the standings) is out as Graham Rahal (15th in the standings) and Louis Foster (19th) have contracts for 2027. MSSR team co-owner Mike Shank: "He really impressed us in his first season of INDYCAR. It is not an easy series to come into and the competition is incredibly tight, but when you look at what he’s accomplished and the progress he’s made throughout the year, we see a lot of potential in him." Juncos Hollinger Racing Rinus VeeKay (10th in the standings) most likely will return, but he certainly got some looks from other teams. Sting Ray Robb (25th) is on the hot seat. This could be the landing spot for Siegel, especially if the organization resumes having an alliance with McLaren. Caio Collet also has been mentioned as a candidate. ECR Alexander Rossi (16th) and Christian Rasmussen (21st) will be back. Rasmussen announced a contract extension earlier this year and Rossi appears to be the veteran anchor the team needed after Ed Carpenter retired from full-time racing. Rossi confirmed July 3 that he will be back next season and is not part of any silly season moves. A.J. Foyt Racing Santino Ferrucci (17th) and rookie Caio Collet (24th) both have potential to run better. Whether they get another year to show it remains to be seen. Sponsorship could be key to any of the decisions. Collet has been impressive despite his finishes and that performance, along with some funding, makes him an attractive candidate for open spots. Ferrucci most likely stays with the Collet seat potentially a little more fluid. Dale Coyne Racing Dennis Hauger (22n) appeared set move to Andretti Global at some point, but that won't happen as Andretti informed Hauger earlier this summer that he can look and it has nothing for him beyond 2026. Romain Grosjean (20th) has had some respectable runs for the organization, an organization that often doesn’t determine drivers until the offseason. Hauger, the defending Indy NXT Series champion, potentially could generate some interest from other teams. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Now that Dreyer & Reinbold has purchased a charter for a full-time car next year, Conor Daly is the heavy favorite to land this seat. Daly drove for the team in the Indianapolis 500 this past season. The Job Seekers Several drivers without full-time rides are looking for them and possibly could be players in silly season with the already mentioned Daly and Ilott leading that list. Additionally, Devlin DeFrancesco is looking to return to the INDYCAR grid, and 2024 top rookie Linus Lundqvist is still seeking an opportunity. Among Indy NXT drivers, Enzo Fittipaldi's recent surge is certainly opening some eyes and the performances of Tymek Kucharczyk and Nikita Johnson also have made INDYCAR team owners notice. Josh Pierson also has funding for a potential INDYCAR ride but whether he has the resume INDYCAR would like to approve him is questionable considering newly released driver standards released in September. Read More

​WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (Monterey, Calif.) — One last go for INDYCAR in 2026. In a year filled with new street courses at Arlington, Markham (Ontario) and Washington, the 2026 INDYCAR season will end at a historic racing venue and one where INDYCAR has competed the last five years. The 2.238-mile, 11-turn Laguna Seca permanent road course is one of the most scenic on the circuit and features the famous corkscrew. Alex Palou has clinched the title, his fourth consecutive and fifth in five years. But there’s plenty of reason to watch the finale, with FOX coverage beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday. Here’s what to know about this weekend: What’s The Biggest Fight In The Points? The biggest one is the fight for second. Christian Lundgaard has a two-point lead on Kyle Kirkwood, four points on Pato O’Ward and 23 points on David Malukas. If O’Ward can get to second, it would be the result of a rally that included a sweep of The Milwaukee Mile doubleheader last weekend. "I go into Laguna with a proper shot at being second in the championship again, which I did last year," O’Ward said after the sweep. "I love that opportunity. I'd love to end it like that and kind of just pick it back up because ... the rest of the year, I felt a little bit like a lost puppy." What Drivers Are In Their Last Race With Their Teams? At least five drivers have been announced as not returning to their teams. That list is led by Scott Dixon, who has earned six titles and 58 victories at Chip Ganassi Racing, where he first raced in 2002. He will head to Arrow McLaren next year. Indianapolis 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist will leave Meyer Shank Racing, also for McLaren. Out at McLaren are Lundgaard — yes, the driver who is second in the standings — and Nolan Siegel. Mick Schumacher also knows he won’t be back at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, as the team has sold one of its charters. He said he knows where he is headed, and while the signs point to replacing Rosenqvist, no announcement has been made. There are six other drivers whose fates have not yet been cemented (at least publicly) for 2027: A.J. Foyt Racing’s Caio Collet and Santino Ferrucci; Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Rinus VeeKay and Sting Ray Robb; Dale Coyne Racing’s Romain Grosjean and Dennis Hauger. Will Scott Dixon Win This Year? It doesn’t look like it.  Dixon has won every year in each of the last 21 years but is winless in 2026. "Every weekend we’re trying to win," Dixon told me and other reporters last week. "It’s been a rough year. It’s been frustrating. ... It’s been one of those years where anything can slightly miss, we do." Just How Big Is The Drop Of The Corkscrew? The drop of the first portion is 59 feet over 450 feet of track length. The total drop is 109 feet, or just more than 10 stories. New Name For The Corkscrew? The track is naming the corkscrew after Alex Zanardi, a two-time champion who made a wild pass in that section in 1996. Zanardi lost both his legs in an accident in 2001 and earned a Paralympics gold medal in handcycling. He died in May. Palou will carry a paint scheme in tribute to Zanardi this weekend. What About Indy NXT? The Indy NXT championship is coming down to the wire as they enter a doubleheader weekend with the first race Saturday and the season finale Sunday. Nikita Johnson leads Enzo Fittipaldi by three points, while Tymek Kucharczyk is 29 points behind. More than likely, it will come down to Johnson and Fittipaldi and who runs better than the other this weekend. The two drivers told me Thursday that they just plan to race the best they can on Saturday and Sunday. Johnson: "I’m racing myself this weekend. I can’t control what they’re going to control. ... The only thing I can control is myself. I’m going to try to put it on the pole and maximize the points I can." Fittipaldi: "At the end, I’m just going out there and doing my best. I’m racing everyone. ... Qualifying is going to be the key part of the weekend." Read More

​Marcus Freeman began his college football career as a player under Luke Fickell. Now he gets to coach against him. No. 4 Notre Dame and Wisconsin open their season facing off on Sunday night at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, bringing together two head coaches whose shared history spans more than two decades. Freeman and Fickell enter the matchup with personal and professional ties that have helped shape both programs and the coaching staffs surrounding them. A Foundational Relationship From Columbus To Cincinnati The connection between the two head coaches began when Freeman played linebacker at Ohio State from 2004 to 2008, where Fickell served as his position coach. That player-coach relationship evolved nearly a decade later when Fickell hired Freeman as his linebackers coach and defensive coordinator at Cincinnati, a role Freeman held from 2017 through 2020. Over those four seasons, Freeman helped build the Bearcats' defense into a nationally-renowned unit, gaining his first extended experience leading a college defense before moving onto Notre Dame in 2021. Mutual Respect And Shared Philosophies Despite their shared past, both coaches established a distinctly different culture within their respective programs as head coach. Fickell noted that Freeman's progression into one of college football's top head coaches stems from his ability to chart his own course rather than strictly replicating the methods of his mentors. "The ones who have the most success, like Marcus has, are ones who create an identity for themselves, not just where they've been, whether it's his time with us at Cincinnati or his time at Ohio State or his time under Jim Tressel," Fickell said. Freeman has pointed to Fickell as a foundational figure in his coaching development, highlighting specific work habits and expectations that he carried forward into his head coaching career. "I've got a lot of respect for him," Freeman said. "I wouldn't be in this position without the investment he made in me. There's traits that every coach I've had a player, as a coach, that I have in me. When I think about Luke Fickell, I think about a tireless worker, I think about the demands that he has for his players, his coaches. And the mindset of, 'This is the way we're going to play. This is who we are. This is our identity, and we're committed to it.'" Prior Matchup And Staff Connections Sunday will not mark the first time Freeman and Fickell have stood on opposite sidelines. In 2021, Fickell led Cincinnati to a 24-13 victory at Notre Dame Stadium, a key win during the Bearcats' run to the College Football Playoff. Freeman was Notre Dame's defensive coordinator on Brian Kelly's staff during that game before taking over the program as head coach when Kelly departed for LSU at the end of the regular season. The ties between the Badgers and Fighting Irish also extend beyond the two head coaches. Notre Dame offensive line coach Joe Rudolph spent six seasons as Wisconsin's offensive coordinator under former head coach Paul Chryst from 2015 to 2020, and remained on staff in 2021 as offensive line coach. Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli, and wide receivers coach Mike Brown all served on Fickell's Cincinnati staff during that 2021 playoff season. "It's not just Marcus that we've got a long history with," Fickell said. "There's a lot of guys over there that in particular we've got great relationships with, and had great relationships with. Like I've always said, I wouldn't be sitting here today if it wasn't for not just Freeman, but a lot of those guys over on that staff." Different Trajectories Heading Into Lambeau Field While the personal connections run deep, the two programs enter Sunday in completely different situations. Notre Dame are three-touchdown favorite following a 24-4 run over the past two seasons, which included an appearance in the College Football Playoff championship game in 2024. The Fighting Irish will be led on the field by quarterback CJ Carr, alongside three preseason Associated Press All-America defensive selections in first-team cornerback Leonard Moore, second-team linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, and safety Brauntae Johnson. Wisconsin enters Fickell's fourth year seeking stability after back-to-back losing campaigns. The Badgers finished 4-8 in 2025 and 5-7 in 2024, snapping a 22-year streak of winning seasons. Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin is slated to kickoff at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sunday. Read More

​Once the Washington Huskies' celebration of beating bitter rival Oregon in the 2023 Pac-12 Championship Game — and clinching a spot in the College Football Playoff — finally calmed down, an awkward reality began to set in. This was the end of Pac-12 football as we knew it. One of the oldest conferences in college sports, dating back to the formation of the Pacific Coast Conference in 1915, was about to disappear. Its demise had been years in the making, with the inability to secure and improve its media rights deal at the center of the problem. As name, image and likeness transformed college football, the premier programs knew they could no longer afford to fall behind the Big Ten and SEC. Washington, Oregon, UCLA and USC headed to the Big Ten. Reacting to their departure, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah joined the Big 12. Left hanging, Cal and Stanford scurried to find a home in the ACC. The movement diminished the Pac-12 to a two-team conference of Washington State and Oregon State. Gone were the days of Pac-12 basketball tournaments in Las Vegas. The Apple Cup rivalry between Washington and Washington State moved to the beginning of the season. The tradition of staying up late to watch the ever-chaotic "Pac-12 After Dark" ended. Now, after two years of the Pac-12 conference essentially ceasing to exist, it's back. So back. The new-look Pac-12 in 2026 looks much different than it did in the past. There will still be rivalries, heated competition, and late-night shockers, but it's no longer viewed as a power conference. Now, a team must be ranked higher than every other Group of Six opponent in the final top 25 to reach the College Football Playoff. Another fun fact: Every Pac-12 football team has the word "State" in its name. The new members include five teams from the Mountain West — Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State — and one from the Sun Belt Conference, Texas State. They join Oregon State and Washington State to complete the eight-team Pac-12. The Broncos have long been one of the premier Group of Six programs, and now bring their famous blue field to the bright lights of the Pac-12. Fresno State and Utah State each qualified for bowl games in 2025, while Colorado State will look to turn things around under former UCLA coach Jim Mora. Texas State, meanwhile, has won a bowl game in each of the past three seasons. One wrinkle: Gonzaga will join the conference for college basketball, bringing the Pac-12 to nine members in that sport. The Bulldogs have qualified for the NCAA Tournament in each of the past 17 seasons, including trips to the national championship game in 2017 and 2021. The new-look Pac-12 might not have the luster or level of competition of its predecessor, but it should be one of, if not the, strongest Group of Six conferences in both football and basketball. Read More