Sports
World Cup Final Best Bets: Three Picks for Argentina vs. Spain
Lionel Messi and Argentina will try to win their second consecutive World Cup title on Sunday. The World Cup final is here, with a matchup between Argentina and Spain that should have the football world salivating.
Spain are the reigning European Champions. Argentina, the defending World Cup champions and two-time reigning Copa America holders.
Here are our three best bets for the encounter in East Rutherford, N.J.
Moneyline
You won’t find many sportsbooks offering the money line draw at a price north of +200 odds. And while that may seem steep, both history and circumstances suggest that’s the value play.
Over the entire course of World Cup history, 8 of 21 true finals have ended level after 90 minutes. And that includes a previous, much-higher-scoring era of the sport that lasted through the late 1950s.
Since goals per game came down in the 1960s, that ratio has increased to 7 of 16 finals.
And the relative ease of Spain’s semifinal victory, combined with the drama of Argentina’s fightback a day later, has obscured the fact that these sides are pretty even analytically.
Spain holds the highest expected-goal difference of the tournament at 11.2, but Argentina is second at 10.4.
Given the finals trend, that’s enough evidence to back the 90-minute draw trend here at +210 odds and an implied 32.3% probability.
Moneyline: Draw (+210, theScore)
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Goal bands
The trend for total goals in World Cup finals is not particularly clear. But there is a pretty consistent trend for both these sides over 90 minutes in knockout play.
Both Spain and Argentina are teams that aspire to be ball dominant. It’s a style that rarely leads to 0-0 draws, but also rarely leads to super high-scoring encounters.
In 90 minutes, each of these sides have seen the total land on 2 or 3 goals in three of their four knockout round fixtures. That was also true in three of Spain’s four fixtures at the 2024 European Championships and two of Argentina’s three knockout matches at the 2024 Copa America.
Maybe it won’t happen here. But at +100 odds and an implied 50% probability, you like betting on those chances.
Goal band: 2 or 3 total goals (+100, DraftKings)
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To lift the trophy
The oddsmakers are giving a slight edge to Spain here, which is probably reflective of their slight expected-goal superiority and maybe their perceived more difficult tournament path.
But the gap between these sides is small enough that matter, and those favor the Argentines.
For starters, Argentine fans have relentlessly followed this team across the United States, creating cauldrons of support that sound like home stadiums. Crowds aren’t the only factor that creates a quantifiable home-field edge, but they are part of it.
Argentina also have the experience of playing at this stage in the previous World Cup. Spain have also played in big matches, but World Cups are different. If you were going to nitpick their run so far, you might point out that they haven’t played against anyone from beyond the European continent in the knockout stage.
Lastly, the Argentine mindset here is a dangerous combination of unified but not overly pressured. The Albiceleste very much want to send out their greatest player on a high, and there is no debate about their national identity. But they are not under the same burden as four years ago when they were trying to prove Messi’s greatness and end a 36-year drought.
Spain have always had a more complicated relationship with their national squad, in part because of Basque and Catalan separatist sentiments.
These don’t transform a 75-25 game. But they can swing a 58-42 encounter to a true coinflip. I believe that’s the case here, and that’s why I’m betting on Argentina to lift the trophy at +130 odds and an implied 43.5% probability.
To lift the trophy: Argentina (+130, DraftKings)
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Sports
Yankees option RHP Elmer Rodriguez to Triple-A
May 5, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Elmer Rodriguez (71) pitches against the Texas Rangers during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images The New York Yankees optioned right-hander Elmer Rodriguez to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre on Monday.
Rodriguez, 22, was recalled Sunday before the second game of a split doubleheader against the Los Angeles Dodgers to fill the designated 27th roster spot. He did not pitch in the game.
After making his major league debut April 29, Rodriguez is 0-2 with a 4.76 ERA over 17 innings across four starts.
–Field Level Media
Sports
St. Louis City sign D Jaziel Orozco to contract extension
Mar 1, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; St. Louis CITY SC defender Jaziel Orozco (99) controls the ball against the San Diego FC during the second half at Snapdragon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Abe Arredondo-Imagn Images St. Louis City SC signed defender Jaziel Orozco to a contract extension through the 2028-29 MLS season.
The deal announced Monday with the 22-year-old Mexico native includes an option for 2029-30.
Orozco has recorded one goal in 17 appearances for St. Louis since signing with the club in 2025. He appeared in four matches for Real Salt Lake in 2022.
“Jazi has put in consistent performances this season and it is clear he has a good understanding of what is being asked of him tactically,” sporting director Corey Wray said. “Over the last six months, he has shown qualities that we value with his tactical flexibility and versatility both in and out of possession. We are excited to keep him at the club for years to come and help him continue developing as a player.”
St. Louis will return from the FIFA World Cup break on Wednesday night against the host Los Angeles Galaxy.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Commish: SEC conversations 'real' about split from NCAA
Jul 20, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey speaks to the press during SEC Football Kickoff Media Day at the Tampa Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images SEC commissioner Greg Sankey kicked off conference media days in Tampa on Monday with a clarification for anyone doubting the seriousness of internal conversations about splitting from the NCAA.
“So they’re real. People have talked about that,” Sankey said. “They’ve opined about the frustrations that bring them to the point of saying we should look at something significantly different. I do not believe that is a leverage point. I think that’s just honest communication.
“I would prefer that stay in a meeting room or on a videoconference, not be part of the D1.ticker the next morning, but I don’t control all of that. What I think is important is those comments represent a high level of frustration with the circumstance in which we find ourselves. We have regulated ourselves more progressively than other colleagues by choice, across our league. We’ve had different academic eligibility restrictions in the past. So we have different transfer restrictions in the past. Some of what you hear comes out of a culture that we can regulate ourselves.”
Sankey said the NCAA must function “in a healthy manner” or risk simmering frustrations becoming more significant.
As the top official in one of the most consistently successful sports conferences, Sankey openly shared the SEC is at odds with portions of the NCAA membership on several matters. Those include possibly discontinuing conference championship games — Sankey wants the SEC to keep the league title game — the size of the College Football Playoff and how other leagues handle scheduling.
“We had what I’ll call an unsatisfactory conversation with members of the College Football Playoff staff and some of their advisers in Destin,” Sankey said of the challenging nine-game SEC schedule compared to less-challenging paths to the playoff for some peers. “That’s rehashing from a couple months ago, that’s not a secret. That’s a reminder of that process needing to continually improve.
“My confidence is that people will act with integrity. I do think we have questions about the understanding of the strength and rigor associated with competing in the Southeastern Conference.”
Legislative discussions are part of Sankey’s new reality, with visits to Capitol Hill and video calls to maintain a voice at the table around the Protect College Sports Act.
Introduced with support from former Alabama head coach Nick Saban and others with direct or indirect college sports ties, the bipartisan bill drew immediate opposition from the SEC and Big Ten in June before Congressional hearings were held.
Among the passionate pleas from Sankey on behalf of the SEC to Congress are national standards for eligibility and transfer limits, expectations for student-athlete health and safety, supporting educational opportunities, providing scholarship protections and overseeing agent activity. Provisions to the proposed bill remain under discussion, and Sankey believes the current framework of the legislative measure is far from perfect.
“We support the effort behind the Protect College Sports Act. However, we believe changes to the act are necessary to make it most effective,” he said. “If Congress is going to act, and again I believe it should for the reasons identified, we have one opportunity to get this legislation right. If Congress passes a bill and it’s signed into law, we won’t be returning to DC in a year or two asking and receiving help to correct the gaps that exist. That’s why it’s important that these commonsense areas be addressed now before the bill becomes law.”
–Field Level Media
Yankees option RHP Elmer Rodriguez to Triple-A
St. Louis City sign D Jaziel Orozco to contract extension
