26 Sports Predictions For 2026

“Another year over, and a new one just begun.” This is always my favourite piece to write every year, because there’s nothing better than putting bold sports predictions on the record and seeing how they age. Last year, I’ll be the first to admit, didn’t go particularly well, but that’s part of the fun. Let’s try to be a little sharper, a little bolder, and a lot more right in 2026.

NBA Predictions:

1. The Oklahoma City DO NOT win the 2026 NBA Championship

2. The New York Knicks Make the NBA Finals

3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Wins a Second Straight MVP Award

4. NBA Expansion Gets Announced

5. Giannis Antetokounmpo Finally Gets Traded

6. Jayson Tatum Returns Before the Playoffs; Celtics Win At Least One Playoff Series

7. LeBron James Does Not Start the 2026-27 NBA Season with the Lakers

8. The Golden State Warriors Miss the 2026 NBA Playoffs

OKC started this season on a historic tear, ripping off a 25–2 run and looking like a team of destined to go back-to-back. But over the last few weeks, we've started to see a few kinks in the armor, and I think someone ultimately knocks them off before they can win it all. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander still takes home a second straight MVP as the Thunder cruise through the regular season. In a wide-open Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks seize their opportunity and head to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. After a frustrating last few years in Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo finally gets traded, as it becomes clear it’s time for both sides to move on. Jayson Tatum returns earlier than expected from his torn Achilles after his rehab progresses far quicker than anticipated, and the Celtics look way better than I expected this season. With a healthy Tatum, the Celtics have the pieces to compete to win the East and at least win one playoff series. LeBron James does not start next season with the Lakers, whether that’s due to retirement or beginning a new chapter on another team, as this feels like his final year in Los Angeles. And while Stephen Curry remains great, the Golden State Warriors miss the playoffs, undone by a supporting cast that simply isn’t good enough anymore.

NFL Predictions:

9. An NFC West Team Wins the Super Bowl

10. While It Doesn't Mean He Gets Traded... Lamar Jackson Asks out of Baltimore

11. Drake Maye & The Patriots Get to the AFC Championship Game

12. Patrick Mahomes is Back by Week 1

13. Pete Carroll Officially Retires From Coaching

14. Myles Garrett or Maxx Crosby Get Traded

15. A Big Time College Coach Makes the Jump to the NFL

The Seahawks, Rams, and 49ers have made the NFC West easily the best division in football this season, and it feels only right that the year ends with one of them hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. While it doesn’t necessarily mean it actually happens, I do think Lamar Jackson asks for a trade out of Baltimore, as we’ve seen things get ugly between the two sides before and the tension could resurface with Lamar needing a new contract after a disappointing season for the Ravens. The Patriots have been one of the biggest surprises in the league, led by the emergence of second-year quarterback Drake Maye, who has played at an MVP-caliber level and carries New England all the way to the AFC Championship Game. After tearing his ACL in Week 15 and facing real questions about his availability for next season, Patrick Mahomes is back on the field by Week 1 for the Chiefs. Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby both signed extensions with the Browns and Raiders last year, but I think one, if not both, are traded this offseason to real contenders. Following a disastrous season in Las Vegas, Pete Carroll and the Raiders “mutually part ways,” and Carroll officially retires from coaching for good. And finally, a big-time college head coach makes the jump to the NFL, whether that’s Marcus Freeman, Kirby Smart, or even Deion Sanders, someone takes the leap to the big leagues.

NHL Predictions:

16. Team Canada Wins The 2026 Olympics, Beat Team USA Once Again in the Final

17. The Florida Panthers Lose In Round 1 of the Playoffs

18. Evgeni Malkin is Traded at the Trade Deadline

19. The Dallas Stars Win the Stanley Cup

20. Quinn Hughes Signs an Extension with the Minnesota Wild

21. The Seattle Kraken Win the Gavin McKenna Lottery

After a great Four Nations tournament last year, Canada and the United States meet once again for gold at the 2026 Olympics in Italy, and once again it’s Team Canada that comes out on top. Following back-to-back Stanley Cups and three straight trips to the Final, the wear and tear of long playoff runs finally catches up to the Florida Panthers, who bow out in the first round and don’t even win a series. With Evgeni Malkin in the final year of his deal and the Penguins faltering near the bottom of the standings, he’s traded at the deadline to a contender in hopes of competing for one more Stanley Cup. After years of playoff frustration, the Dallas Stars finally break through and win the Stanley Cup. Following a shocking trade to the Minnesota Wild earlier this month, Quinn Hughes commits to the State of Hockey long-term by signing an extension. And as they continue to become less relevant by the year, the Seattle Kraken win the Gavin McKenna lottery, a result that could finally set the franchise up for a sustainable long-term run.

MLB Predictions:

22. Paul Skenes Gets Traded

23. The Boston Red Sox Finish With the Top Record in the AL

24. The Toronto Blue Jays Land Kyle Tucker

25. The Los Angeles Dodgers Complete the Three-Peat

26. A Strike Happens After the 2026 Season

After failing him once again, the Pirates ultimately make the difficult decision to trade Paul Skenes to a big-market contender, landing what could be the biggest haul in MLB history. Roman Anthony continues to get better and better, powering the Red Sox to the best record in the American League and firmly reestablishing Boston as a true contender. However, after falling short in the World Series, the Toronto Blue Jays respond by landing the biggest fish in free agency and signing Kyle Tucker, a move meant to push them over the top. That still isn’t enough, though, as the Los Angeles Dodgers go on to win the World Series once again and complete the three-peat, a run of dominance that forces the league to seriously consider a salary cap and ultimately leads to a strike beginning in the 2026 offseason, with labor tensions threatening to spill into the 2027 season.