Manchester United have a problem. They appointed Michael Carrick as head coach until the end of the season to buy them time, but after three successive victories and a complete transformation of the mood at Old Trafford, the “caretaker” is starting to back United into a corner.

The club has a window in which to decide who, why and when in terms of identifying and hiring their No. 1 candidate as permanent head coach. But by exceeding expectations with his 100% winning start, Carrick is closing that window a little too quickly and it might lead to the United hierarchy having to make a crucial decision sooner than it wants to make it.

The ideal scenario for United would be to wait until the end of the season and assess their options, possibly based on whether they finish in the top four, top six or neither, but that is naive and unrealistic. If United really want to get back to the top, they have to have their new coach lined up within the next four to six weeks, and that’s why Carrick is becoming a problem. A good problem perhaps, but a problem nonetheless.

– Carrick’s calm amid the chaos is exactly what Man United need
– Why did United get a free kick instead of a penalty vs. Fulham?
– Which of these midfield transfer targets would fit at Man United?

On the face of it, there are no negatives right now for United following Carrick’s installation as coach last month following the dismissal of Ruben Amorim after 14 turbulent months in charge. By guiding United to those three Premier League wins against Manchester City, Arsenal and Fulham, Carrick has put the club in a strong position to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League, so the champagne corks should be popping in the boardroom. But by having such an immediate and positive impact, Carrick has muddied the waters of United’s search for a permanent replacement for Amorim. In many ways, he is doing too well.

Carrick’s brief was to steady the ship, bring stability to the squad and steer United toward European qualification while allowing CEO Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox to pinpoint the ideal candidate to take over from Carrick in the summer. Berrada and Wilcox must decide on the profile of the permanent boss — a young head coach or a more experienced manager — and then negotiate with the preferred candidate, agents and possibly his current employers.

All of these things take time, but if Carrick continues to overperform and United keep on winning, the clamor for him to get the job permanently will grow. The club hierarchy will have to decide whether to stick with something that is working, albeit with an unproven coach at the top level, or take the cold-headed approach of discounting Carrick completely to pursue an elite manager such as Thomas Tuchel or Carlo Ancelotti.

Both England manager Tuchel and Brazil boss Ancelotti are under contract until the end of the FIFA World Cup, as is United States coach Mauricio Pochettino. Another potential candidate, Crystal Palace‘s Oliver Glasner, will also be a free agent this summer after announcing last month he will not sign a new contract at Selhurst Park. But United can’t wait until the summer before engaging with any of those coaches, or others who might be in the frame, because they will all likely have other options. Any hesitation on United’s part would put them at risk of missing out on their top target.

At the same time, whoever is destined to take the United job will want to know the club’s plans for recruitment and have an input in terms of who to sign and who to let go. None of these elements can be left until the end of the World Cup in mid-July.

Harry Maguire‘s situation at United is a prime example of an issue that the next coach will want to influence. The 32-year-old defender is out of contract at the end of the season, but one coach might want to retain the England center back’s experience, while another might choose to let him go in order to promote youngsters such as Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven. And Maguire might also want to know who his manager will be next season before deciding whether to stay or leave if a contract offer is placed on the table.

The same applies to Kobbie Mainoo. The 20-year-old midfielder was frozen out by Amorim and looked set to leave United in January, but he has now started all three games under Carrick and appears to be a crucial member of the team again.

The United recruitment team will have their views on Maguire and Mainoo, and they have already decided that midfielder Casemiro will leave when his contract expires in the summer, but a head coach at a club of United’s stature must have a say in the make-up of his squad. And potential signings will also want to know who they will be playing for. Will it be a 3-4-3 coach like Amorim, a 4-3-3 disciple such as Ancelotti, or a more flexible coach like Tuchel? Or will it be Carrick?

Sources have told ESPN that United are considering transfer moves Nottingham Forest‘s Elliot Anderson, Brighton & Hove Albion‘s Carlos Baleba and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton as they attempt to rebuild their midfield, but it is difficult to imagine any of them choosing United without having a clear of idea of who will be in charge of the team and their tactical philosophy.

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What has Michael Carrick changed at Manchester United?

Mark Donaldson and Shaka Hislop discuss how United have looked different since Michael Carrick replaced Ruben Amorim.

Ten years ago this week, Manchester City announced that Pep Guardiola would become their manager in the summer of 2016. It gave clarity to incoming signings and allowed big decisions to be made ahead of his arrival.

Liverpool took a different approach when replacing Jürgen Klopp with Arne Slot two years ago, confirming the appointment of the Feyenoord coach in mid-May. But despite Slot’s success in winning the Premier League in his first season, his relatively late appointment was followed by a summer transfer window that saw Liverpool miss out on top target Martín Zubimendi (who later joined Arsenal) and end up with just one low-key signing in Federico Chiesa.

United can’t afford a similarly unproductive summer window. Despite the recent revival under Carrick, the club still has much to do off the pitch and need clarity to move forward. So they must make a big a decision quickly. They should either announce that Carrick will take the job permanently or make it clear that he won’t.

If they sit on the fence and delay their decision, United will only be harming themselves.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed a star-studded commentary panel for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, promising what it described as a “world-class viewing experience” for fans across the globe.

In a press release issued on Friday, the ICC said an expert team of former greats and current stars will feature on ICC.TV during the tournament, which begins in India and Sri Lanka on February 7. The 10th edition of the T20 World Cup will comprise 55 matches, culminating in the final on March 8.

The ICC said the commentary will be delivered through a world feed service to broadcast licensees, ensuring “consistent, high-quality coverage across all markets”.

Highly regarded voices Ravi Shastri, Nasser Hussain, Ian Smith and Ian Bishop headline the panel. They will be joined by several former T20 World Cup winners, including Aaron Finch, Dinesh Karthik, Kumar Sangakkara, Samuel Badree, Robin Uthappa and Carlos Brathwaite.

Current South Africa captain and reigning ICC World Test Championship-winning skipper Temba Bavuma is also part of the line-up, alongside 2014 T20 World Cup winner Angelo Mathews.

According to the ICC, ICC.TV’s broadcast will include a comprehensive pre-match show, innings interval programming, post-match wrap-ups and daily highlights, capturing the action “all the way through to the knockout stages”.

The full list of commentators includes Ravi Shastri, Nasser Hussain, Ian Smith, Ian Bishop, Aaron Finch, Dinesh Karthik, Kumar Sangakkara, Samuel Badree, Robin Uthappa, Carlos Brathwaite, Eoin Morgan, Wasim Akram, Sunil Gavaskar, Matthew Hayden, Ramiz Raja, Dale Steyn, Michael Atherton, Waqar Younis, Simon Doull, Shaun Pollock, Katey Martin, Harsha Bhogle, Mpumelelo Mbangwa, Natalie Germanos, Danny Morrison, Alan Wilkins, Ian Ward, Mark Howard, Nick Knight, Athar Ali Khan, Kass Naidoo, Bazid Khan, Raunak Kapoor, Niall O’Brien, Preston Mommsen, Andrew Leonard, Russel Arnold, Roshan Abeysinghe, Angelo Mathews and Temba Bavuma.

The ICC said the line-up reflects the global nature of the tournament and aims to enhance the viewing experience for cricket fans worldwide.

Everything that happens in sports has additional context when viewed from a sports betting perspective. From season-changing injuries to record-setting moments and so much more, the sports news cycle will constantly and significantly affect the sports betting industry.

Our Super Bowl betting buzz file, with contributions from David Purdum, Doug Greenberg and others, aims to provide fans a look at the sports betting stories that are driving the conversation leading up to the big game.

Key links: Early bets | Updated odds | Sports betting home | DraftKings

Feb. 5: Bettor places $1,000 MVP wagers on Super Bowl kickers

By David Purdum

The Super Bowl can make bettors do strange things, such as wagering big bucks on a kicker to win MVP.

On Feb. 1, a bettor in New Jersey with sportsbook BetRivers placed a pair of $1,000 MVP bets on each of the starting kickers in Sunday’s game:

A spokesperson for BetRivers said the sportsbook had taken only a handful of MVP bets on the kickers, “although several of them are relatively large.” No kicker has ever been named MVP of the Super Bowl.

DraftKings also reported taking a $1,000 MVP bet on Myers at 100-1 and a $500 bet on Borregales at 200-1.

Joey Feazel, head of football trading for Caesars Sportsbook, said there has been interest on Borregales at his shop.

“Longer odds, that’s really what a lot of bettors are trying to find during the Super Bowl, something that’s not the greatest probability, but it has a decent price,” Feazel said.

Quarterbacks have been named MVP in 34 of 59 Super Bowls, including five of the last six. Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold is the MVP favorite in Super Bowl LX, listed at +115 on Thursday at DraftKings Sportsbook, followed by Patriots quarterback Drake Maye at +240.

Wide receivers have won eight MVPs, followed by running backs with seven. Ten defensive players have won the award: four linebackers, two defensive ends, two safeties, one safety and one defensive tackle.

In other long-shot MVP wagers, Hard Rock Bet reports taking a $1,000 bet on Seattle cornerback Devon Witherspoon to win Super Bowl MVP at 150-1, and $100 bets on three Seahawks defenders: defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (150-1), safety Julian Love (500-1) and defensive tackle Leonard Williams (100-1).

Feb. 4: Super Bowl odds and ends

More bets on coin flip than any Super Bowl player prop

Among the thousands of Super Bowl props on the board, the most popular one with bettors will be determined by a flick of the thumb before the game even kicks off. At BetMGM sportsbooks, more bets have been placed on the result of the pregame coin flip than on any individual player prop on the board.

Overall, “heads or tails” is eighth overall in Super Bowl wagering, behind the staples such as the point spread, outright winner (money line) and MVP. Bettors annually flock to place a bet on the Super Bowl coin flip. Most of the bets are small in stature, but there have been reports of six-figure wagers on the coin flip in the past. The Super Bowl has landed on tails in 31 out of the 59 past Super Bowls. As of Wednesday, 63% of the money wagered on the coin flip was on heads at BetMGM. — David Purdum

A super hedge

Before the season, a retail bettor at BetMGM in Nevada placed three $50,000 futures wagers on the Seahawks, two of which — to make the playoffs (+185) and to win the NFC (+2800) — have already cashed to the tune of approximately $1.5 million combined.

With the last $50,000 riding on Seattle to win the Super Bowl at 60-1, the same bettor has placed a $725,000 bet on the Patriots to win Sunday’s game at +190 money line odds, BetMGM confirmed to ESPN. Should the Seahawks win, the bettor will net $2,275,000, but if the Pats win, the bettor will net “only” $1,327,500 on the wagers with BetMGM.

The same bettor also placed large bets on the Seahawks in the preseason at sportsbook Circa, according to a source. — Doug Greenberg

Holding the line

The consensus Super Bowl point spread is holding steady at Seattle -4.5 at all but a few sportsbooks, with the Seahawks attracting the majority of the action on the spread. As of Wednesday at DraftKings, approximately 64% of the bets — and 70% of all money that had been wagered — was on Seattle.

“Early action was mostly on Seattle,” Tom Gable, sportsbook director at the Borgata in Atlantic City, New Jersey, told ESPN. “We opened [Seahawks] -4, touched -5, but settled in at -4.5 and haven’t moved since. If New England keeps it within the number, as of now, that would be a good outcome. New England winning outright even better. But a lot of handle still to come.” — Purdum

Feb. 4: Tracking the largest bets on Super Bowl LX so far

By Doug Greenberg

The matchup for Super Bowl LX is set with the Seattle Seahawks favored over the New England Patriots to take home the Lombardi Trophy. The biggest single event in American sports always brings out the big bets.

Since the summer, bettors have been speculating on the result of this game, and the wagers will finally settle on Feb. 8. Here are some of the largest bets — by odds, stakes and potential winnings — tracked thus far:

• On Wednesday, Florida attorney Dan Newlin placed a $1 million wager on the Seattle Seahawks moneyline at -230 odds to net $434,782.61, all of which will be donated to pediatric cancer research at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando. A release from Newlin said he will continue donating to Nemours “regardless of the outcome of this wager.”

• In August, a retail bettor at BetMGM in Nevada placed three separate $50,000 futures on the Seahawks, as first reported by Yahoo Sports and confirmed to ESPN by the sportsbook. Seahawks to make the playoffs at +185 cashed for $92,500 and Seahawks to win the NFC at +2800 cashed for $1.4 million. The bettor still has a Seattle Super Bowl ticket at +6000 odds that will net $3 million if successful.

• On Monday, Circa Sports director of operations Jeffrey Benson announced that the sportsbook took a $1.1 million wager on the Patriots money line at +188 that would net nearly $2.1 million if New England wins outright.

• DraftKings took a $10,000 futures bet on the Patriots to win the Super Bowl at +8000 that would pay winnings of $800,000.

• In November, BetMGM accepted a $30,000 wager on New England to win the Super Bowl at +2200, a net of $660,000 if successful.

• In late August, Circa took a $100 bet on the exact result of the Super Bowl being Seahawks over Patriots at an astonishing 3100-1. The bettor would win $310,000 if the exacta comes to fruition.

• On Jan. 14, Caesars Sportsbook took a $32,000 wager on the Seahawks at +275 odds for winnings of $88,000; less than two weeks later, it took a $40,000 bet on the Patriots at +260 for a potential net win of $104,000.

• DraftKings accepted a $500 bet on the Seahawks at +65000 to win $32,500.

• At Caesars, a bettor in Nevada placed a $55,000 wager on Patriots +4.5 (-108) for an approximate $51,000 win, while a bettor in New Jersey put in a $36,000 bet on Seahawks -4.5 (-109) for an approximate $33,000 win, according to the sportsbook’s head of football Joey Feazel, who said the wagers came in “within seconds” of the odds going up following the NFC championship.

Feb. 3: Blue, orange the favorites in Gatorade dump markets

By Doug Greenberg

Of the thousands of prop bets offered on the Super Bowl each year, the color of Gatorade poured on the winning head coach is one of the big game’s most enduring novelties.

At DraftKings, blue and orange are the current odds leaders at +250, with yellow/lime or green close behind at +260. Purple (+700), red/pink (+950) and water/clear (+1100) round out the available options.

A representative from BetMGM told ESPN that the Gatorade prop is currently the 23rd-most-bet market for the Super Bowl thus far but that they “expect it will continue to grow,” given it has not been available as long as many of the other prop markets.

In the early betting, yellow/lime or green has been the clear public preference; both BetMGM and DraftKings report their largest shares of bets and handle backing the flavor, maxing out with 28.1% of the money at the former. Blue has also been a popular choice, with a leading 29% of tickets at theScore Bet, as well as the second-most bets and handle at BetMGM. Purple and orange have also seen their fair share of action across the sportsbook marketplace.

The three most recent Super Bowls saw the Philadelphia Eagles use yellow on Nick Sirianni, while the Kansas City Chiefs dumped purple on Andy Reid for both of their Super Bowl wins.

When the Seattle Seahawks won Super Bowl XLVIII, they used orange Gatorade. The New England Patriots have varied between blue and clear throughout their six Super Bowl wins, with blue being the winning color for their victory in Super Bowl LIII. These were, of course, under different coaching regimes, if that matters.

Since 2001, orange has been the most frequently used color, getting the dump five times. All of the other colors are tied at four except for red/pink, which has never been used, according to data from BetMGM.

Feb. 2: Seahawks’ Shaheed the favorite to be fastest in Super Bowl

By ESPN Staff

Among more than 1,500 betting markets, DraftKings is offering odds on the top speed a ball carrier will reach during Super Bowl LX.

Seattle Seahawks receiver/kick returner Rashid Shaheed, at +200, is the betting favorite to reach the highest speed of any ball carrier in Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots, a wager that will be determined by the NFL’s Next Gen Stats.

Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is next at +270, followed by Seattle running back Kenneth Walker III at +400. New England quarterback Drake Maye has the shortest odds of any Patriot, at +450

DraftKings has the over/under on Shaheed’s top speed set at 19.5 mph. He reached a top speed of 21.72 mph this season, while he was with the New Orleans Saints, before his trade to the Seahawks. He has gone over 19.5 on carries in both of Seattle’s playoff games this season but has had only seven possible plays in both playoff games.

The over/under on Maye’s top speed is 18.5 mph. He has exceeded that speed in all three playoff games.

Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson was one of six ball carriers to reach 22 mph during a game this season. Henderson topped out at 22.01 mph during a Week 10 game. He is 10-1 to have the fastest carry in the Super Bowl, but the rookie running back’s touches have been limited in the playoffs.

Jan 31. Sportsbooks resist moving Super Bowl line despite heavy Seahawks action

By David Purdum

After a week of betting, the point spread on Super Bowl LX was holding steady Saturday, with the Seattle Seahawks remaining consensus 4.5-point favorites over the New England Patriots.

Sportsbooks have been reporting early lopsided action on the Seahawks to cover the spread. As of Saturday, 75% of the money that had been bet on the Super Bowl spread with DraftKings was on Seattle. In addition, Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, who is battling a sore shoulder, missed Friday’s practice with an illness.

Despite the early action on the Seahawks and Maye’s ailments, most sportsbooks were holding the line at 4.5.

“At this point, it would require significant additional action on Seattle -4.5, or a meaningful update to Drake Maye’s injury status, for us to consider a move,” Neil Walsh, senior vice president for Hard Rock Bet, told ESPN. “We do not anticipate either occurring for the next few days.”

Jamey Pileggi, head NFL oddsmaker for Circa Sports, said it would take a “six- or seven-figure” bet on the Seahawks at -4.5 to push the line up to -5.

Two Las Vegas sportsbooks — the South Point and the Westgate SuperBook — had bumped the line up to -5 in recent days.

Chris Andrews, the South Point’s veteran sportsbook director, made the adjustment to Seahawks -5 on Thursday, saying that he’d rather be the first sportsbook to make the move than the last. Since making the move to -5, Andrews said the action has been extremely balanced.

“Only $3 separates the teams at five,” Andrews said.

Bookmakers weren’t putting much stock in any impact Maye’s shoulder might have. Andrews said he was going to let the money wagered guide him. He estimated only around 5% of the total money that he expects will be wagered on the Super Bowl had been placed in the first week.

Jan. 29: Smith-Njigba most popular player in early Super Bowl betting

By Doug Greenberg

In early player prop and MVP wagering for Super Bowl LX, one name is rising above the rest: Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

The Seattle Seahawks wide receiver is currently DraftKings Sportsbook’s most-bet first touchdown scorer (+550) with 15% of the handle, as well as its most-bet anytime touchdown scorer. BetMGM similarly reports Smith-Njigba attracting the most anytime touchdown and first touchdown wagers, making him a liability for the book.

“Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Seattle’s Defense/Special Teams finding paydirt have become bad results for the book right now,” BetMGM trading manager Christian Cipollini said in an email release.

Both books list the 23-year-old’s anytime touchdown prop at -110, which has already shortened from +100 likely due in part to the heavy action he has received. That said, Smith-Njigba’s implied odds to score a touchdown, defined as “the probability of an outcome projected by Mike Clay [converted] into a money line,” are +181.

Smith-Njigba has by far the highest receiving yards over/under of any player at 95.5, according to DraftKings lines. The sportsbook reports him receiving the most wagers in the most receiving yards market (-185), as well as the most receptions market (-158).

All the early betting fervor around Smith-Njigba extends to the Super Bowl MVP market, where he is also becoming a creeping liability. At +550, he has the shortest odds for a wide receiver to win Super Bowl MVP since Larry Fitzgerald in 2009 (+400), and seeks to be the longest winner overall since his current teammate, Cooper Kupp, won it at +600 with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022, according to SportsOddsHistory.

DraftKings says Smith-Njigba is its second-most-bet MVP candidate by handle (19%), while BetMGM reports him receiving by far its most handle (24.9%), making him its largest liability in the market.

Jan. 28: Mattress Mack makes $2 million bet on Super Bowl LX winner

By David Purdum

The largest reported Super Bowl bet so far — $2 million on the New England Patriots to win the Super Bowl — belongs to a Houston furniture salesman.

Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale placed the $2 million bet last week on the AFC to win the Super Bowl with Caesars Sportsbook. At 2-1, McIngvale would win a net $4 million if the Patriots upset the favored Seattle Seahawks. It’s the largest Super Bowl bet that Caesars has taken this year as of Wednesday.

Mattress Mack is hedging his bet with one of his go-to promotions at his Gallery Furniture store: Spend $4,000 on a mattress and gear with McIngvale’s Gallery Furniture, and if the Patriots beat the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX, you get your money back on your purchase.

McIngvale, a beloved figure in Houston for decades, turns 75 in February. He has tied such giveaways to big sports wagers regularly for years. In 2022, he won approximately $75 million on bets he made on the Houston Astros to win the World Series, believed to be one of the largest sports betting payouts in U.S. history.

McIngvale has had mixed results on the Super Bowl, otherwise, winning big on Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021, but suffering a multimillion-dollar loss on the Cincinnati Bengals in 2022. He also twice lost seven figures on bets on the Houston Cougars men’s basketball team to win the NCAA tournament.

McIngvale hedges his total exposure with any boost in mattress sales generated by the giveaways. He sat out last Super Bowl recovering from heart surgery, but he’s back this season and siding with the underdogs for multiple reasons. Getting plus odds on the underdog helps with the promotion, but he also respects the Patriots’ personnel.

“I really like their quarterback [Drake Maye], coach [Mike Vrabel] and offensive coordinator [Josh McDaniels], plus Robert Kraft is always there,” McIngvale told ESPN on Wednesday.

Last year, there were no disclosed $1 million Super Bowl bets reported by U.S. sportsbooks. This year, there have been at least two, both of which are on the underdog Patriots. On Monday, sportsbook Circa reported taking a $1.1 million wager on the Patriots to win the game outright at +188 odds.