NBA playoff predictions 2026: the winner, key players and dark horses

Will an Oklahoma City repeat end an NBA-record run of seven different champions in seven years? Our writers make their picks ahead of Saturday’s postseason tip-off

Wemby will no doubt be the answer to this question at some point in the (perhaps not-too-distant) future. But for now, I defer to those with at least some playoff experience. For my money, Jokić still reigns supreme as the best player alive, and for that reason, he’s my pick. CDL

Published: April 17, 2026, 10:00 am

Why Arsenal are still the favourites to win the Premier League

Manchester City gained ground last weekend but the league leaders have plenty of reasons to remain positive

By Opta Analyst

Last weekend was nightmarish for Arsenal. They lost at home to Bournemouth on Saturday with a flat, disjointed performance, and matters deteriorated further the following day when Manchester City beat Chelsea convincingly at Stamford Bridge. Arsenal’s lead at the Premier League summit has narrowed from nine points to six, and City still have a game in hand.

The two sides meet at the Etihad on Sunday for a match that could define the title race. The narrative pretty much writes itself: City win that game, then win their game in hand, and the title is surely theirs given how strong they are at the end of the season. That scenario is being talked about as an inevitability in some quarters, as though Arsenal have already let things slip.

Published: April 17, 2026, 11:00 am

San Diego Padres reportedly set for MLB-record $3.9bn sale to Chelsea co-owner

• Clearlake’s José E Feliciano, wife Kwanza Jones win bid

• Previous record for club was Cohen’s $2.42bn for Mets

• Everton owner Dan Friedkin said to be among finalists

The San Diego Padres are nearing a sale to a group led by José E Feliciano, co-founder of private equity firm Clearlake Capital and co-owner of Chelsea FC, and his wife, Kwanza Jones, for a Major League Baseball-record $3.9bn, according to multiple reports.

The Wall Street Journal and the Athletic reported on Friday that the group was closing in on a deal. The sale requires approval by 75% of MLB’s 30 owners. The reported price would surpass the $2.42bn Steve Cohen paid for the New York Mets in 2020.

Published: April 17, 2026, 4:45 pm

Chess: Sindarov wins Candidates with record total, while Vaishali takes women’s event

The Uzbek 20-year-old won first prize unbeaten but his girlfriend, Bibisara Assaubayeva, finished second to the lowest seed in the Women’s Candidates

Javokhir Sindarov finished with a record total in the world championship Candidates in Pegeia, western Cyprus, as the 20-year-old from Uzbekistan won the competition with a record 10/14 total, 1.5 points clear of his nearest rival, Anish Giri. The Women’s Candidates was won by India’s 24-year-old Vaishali Rameshbabu, half a point ahead of Kazakhstan’s Bibisara Assaubayeva, who is also Sindarov’s girlfriend.

Sindarov dominated the field with a controlled display reminiscent of the old Soviet master Mikhail Botvinnik. His pre-game preparation was exceptional, several times accurately predicting what would appear on the board right into the endgame. On the rare occasions when he was under pressure, as in his second game against the world No 3 and US champion, Fabiano Caruana, his defensive technique was precise and assured.

Published: April 17, 2026, 7:00 am

LIV Golf ‘business as usual’ but chief admits rebel tour may need to raise money

• Scott O’Neil rejects claims LIV is close to collapse

• ‘Structural changes’ afoot, chief executive says

The LIV Golf chief executive, Scott O’Neil, has admitted the nascent golf league’s finances are “managed very tightly” and said structural changes are on the way that would probably mean they needed to raise money, but he remained adamant the league would not fold.

He was interviewed by LIV employees during the TV broadcast of the first round of the rebel tour’s Mexico City leg, a day after reports that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund was to cut its funding for the league it helped launch in 2022.

Published: April 17, 2026, 10:26 am

Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

A seismic clash between City and Arsenal, Tottenham need leadership, and could Eddie Howe recall Yoane Wissa?

Josh King learned of the difficulties that come with being a Premier League player at Liverpool on Sunday. The 19-year-old was withdrawn at the break after a tough first half at Anfield as Marco Silva wanted to change things when two goals down. It will be interesting to see how King reacts to the half-time hook when he is next called upon, whether he uses it as inspirational fuel or sees it as an undeserved irritation because he was not solely to blame for Fulham being behind. Silva will have a quandary over whether to start the youngster again or leave him stewing on the bench, offering a further reminder of what is required at the top level. King has impressed over the season and at this stage of a player’s development it is sometimes a good idea to see what lessons are learned from a challenging moment. Will Unwin

Brentford v Fulham, Saturday 12.30pm (all times BST)

Leeds v Wolves, Saturday 3pm

Newcastle v Bournemouth, Saturday 3pm

Tottenham v Brighton, Saturday 5.30pm

Chelsea v Manchester United, Saturday 8pm

Published: April 16, 2026, 11:01 pm

‘Don’t you dare count us out’: KC women’s sports mogul hails US rugby double-header

Kansas City Current soccer co-owner Angie Long played the oval-ball game at college. Now she’s hosting a crunch game between the Eagles and Australia

Angie Long is co-owner with her husband Chris of the Kansas City Current, contenders in NWSL, proud occupants of the CPKC Stadium, built for the burgeoning world of women’s pro soccer. But on Friday night the venue will host a different sport, one Long fell for long ago. Rugby.

“I think we might be sold out,” Long said, of the US Eagles’ match-up with the Australian Wallaroos in a Pacific Four Series double-header, New Zealand facing Canada first.

Martin Pengelly writes about rugby in the US on Substack, at The National Maul.

Published: April 17, 2026, 10:00 am

Tiger Woods mentioned drones over home and car, ‘president’ in remarks after crash, filing shows

• Filing details remarks about drones over home

• Woods said he spoke to ‘the president’ after crash

• Prosecutors seek access to prescription records

Tiger Woods told police he had taken multiple prescription medications, including Vicodin, on the day of a crash that led to his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence, according to court filings released on Wednesday.

The filing, submitted by prosecutors in Florida as part of routine pretrial discovery and obtained by the Guardian, also details a series of unusual remarks Woods made to officers at the scene of the 27 March crash in Hobe Sound, including references to drones flying over his home and a claim that he had spoken to “the president”.

Published: April 16, 2026, 8:17 pm

Gossip around Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers’s relationship misreads the WNBA

The former UConn star’s draft night should have been about her talent. Instead, speculation shows how the league is still being viewed through the wrong lens

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For the first time in a while, there was no consensus on who would go No 1 overall in the WNBA draft this year. When the Dallas Wings did make their pick, they chose Azzi Fudd, who had distinguished herself under Geno Auriemma at UConn, including a national championship in 2025.

The moment she was picked was pure: a delighted and seemingly nervous Fudd joined WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert onstage. She took photos with her jersey, made it through the ESPN interview that immediately followed, and beamed at her family and teammates in the audience. Paige Bueckers, who played alongside the 23-year-old at UConn and was the No 1 pick for the Wings in 2025, was there also to celebrate a well-deserved honor for Fudd.

Published: April 16, 2026, 9:00 am

Coventry City chase promotion to Premier League against Blackburn Rovers – live

⚽ Championship updates from the 8pm BST kick-off
⚽ Latest table | Nick Ames on the Championship | Mail John

In 2001, Cov’s run of being in the top division since 1967 came to an end after a defeat to Aston Villa. The Sky Blues had stayed up on the final day 10 times over that time though this was the penultimate games of the season. They closed out by being relegated alongside Bradford in a 0-0 draw.

Teams that day:

Published: April 17, 2026, 5:45 pm

Questions raised over whether £3.8m government grant awarded to Wrexham AFC was lawful

Exclusive: The club, owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, received the grant without a contract or final state aid assessment in place

Wrexham AFC, the football club part-owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, was given a £3.8m government grant without a contract or a finished state aid assessment in place, raising questions over whether the award was lawful.

The club has received £18m in taxpayer-funded grants – far more than any other in the UK – to help to redevelop its stadium, the Racecourse Ground (Y Cae Ras in Welsh).

Published: April 17, 2026, 5:00 pm

Bournemouth set to appoint Marco Rose as manager for next season

• Talks held with German over replacing Andoni Iraola

• Rose out of work so can start planning immediately

Bournemouth are set to appoint Marco Rose as their new manager after successful talks with the German. Rose has emerged as the favoured candidate to replace Andoni Iraola, who is stepping down when his contract expires this summer, and an agreement in principle is in place for him to take over.

Tiago Pinto, Bournemouth’s head of football operations, has moved swiftly since learning that Iraola has decided to seek a fresh challenge. Bournemouth considered a move for Kieran McKenna but the Ipswich Town manager’s heavy buyout clause presented a significant challenge and made a move for Rose more likely. Rose has been out of work since leaving RB Leipzig in March 2025, making a deal with the 49-year-old easier to complete, and he will be able to start planning for next season now.

Published: April 17, 2026, 4:39 pm

From Cantona to Sané: five games that determined the destiny of the title

The Premier League has history when it comes to clashes between the two teams fighting to become champions

Kevin Keegan’s swashbuckling Newcastle looked set to be runaway champions, but from 12 points clear they were slowly reeled in by Alex Ferguson’s ruthless Manchester United. When the two title-chasers met at St James’ Park in early March, Keegan’s previously irresistible attack was kept out repeatedly by Peter Schmeichel, and there was a sense of inevitability when Eric Cantona popped up to volley home the winner at the far post. Ferguson’s side travelled home a point behind Newcastle, who had been dragged into a scrap, and when he turned up the mind games in the run-in, Keegan boiled over on live TV in unforgettable fashion. How the Magpies manager would have loved it if his champions-elect had put their challengers away when they had the chance.

Published: April 17, 2026, 2:48 pm

Premier League news: Howe vows to ‘fight harder than ever’; Slot banks on Isak return

Newcastle manager in defiant mood before facing former club while Liverpool’s manager seeks uplift from derby

Published: April 17, 2026, 4:01 pm

Football Daily | Villa and Forest on the edge of glory, plus a new Top Gun? The 80s are so back, baby

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Nottingham Forest’s quest to emulate Tottenham continues. For all of Spurs’ ongoing misery, they remain something of a model club: Forest’s quarter-final victory against Porto on Thursday night keeps that twisted dream alive, to finish 17th in the league and lift Bigger Vase. Naturally, Ange Postecoglou started the run, getting a point at Real Betis in September before passing the baton to Sean Dyche, who did most of the group-stage slog. He then handed over to Vítor Pereira for the knockouts. Should Forest go all the way, they’ll need to cut the manager’s medal into quarters; Nuno Espírito Santo was the man who got them into Europe. Yes, what a healthy way this is to run a football club.

Published: April 17, 2026, 1:30 pm

Premier League team news: predicted lineups for the weekend action

Manchester City host Arsenal as both aim to gain a huge advantage in the title race while Everton welcome Liverpool to Hill Dickinson Stadium

Saturday 12.30pm TNT Sports 1 Venue Gtech Community Stadium

Published: April 17, 2026, 3:35 pm

England face landmark 500th game in Iceland as Wiegman warns against slips

• Lionesses sit top of World Cup qualifying group

• Saturday’s match will be 500th in team’s history

Sarina Wiegman has said it is important England get the right result against Iceland in Saturday’s World Cup qualifier to make the win against Spain at Wembley on Tuesday “even more valuable”.

England put themselves in pole position in their qualifying group with the tight 1-0 victory over Spain, with Lauren Hemp’s early goal the difference. The European champions have three wins from three and with only the top team from each group in League A securing automatic qualification and avoiding the playoffs, the incentive to keep winning is high.

Published: April 17, 2026, 2:29 pm

Ipswich in promotion driving seat but little is ever as it seems with Championship

Kieran McKenna’s team face a crunch clash with Middlesbrough but charging Southampton loom large

At the end of July, Ipswich and Middlesbrough reached an agreement. If the Boro midfielder Hayden Hackney agreed personal terms he could join the Suffolk club, freshly relegated and awash with ready funds, for a Championship record fee of around £20m. Kieran McKenna knew he would be getting the best schemer in the division if his target said yes; a player who could make the difference in a 46-game grind. Perhaps with half an eye on Premier League interest, Hackney heard Ipswich out but turned the transfer down. He would end up staying on Teesside and propelling an often exhilarating promotion chase.

There is little chance of a mutually beneficial outcome when the sides meet at Portman Road on Sunday. Hackney has missed the past four games with a calf injury and it is unclear whether he will be ready in time for a game of potentially seismic consequence.

Published: April 17, 2026, 12:36 pm

Lancashire to put matches behind paywall; Hampshire v Somerset, and more: county cricket – live

Updates from the first day’s play in the latest round
Sign up for The Spin | Mail Tanya or comment BTL

Bad news for Lancs at Bristol, where Ajeet Singh Dale seems to have done something nasty to his hamstring and has limped off. A real shame on his return to his old club. Glos 8-0.

A fascinating piece by Emma John, with a mention of Benny Howell of Hants, Glos and more.

Published: April 17, 2026, 5:46 pm

Will Man City v Arsenal decide the Premier League title and what it means for the future – video

Jamie Jackson and Ed Aarons look ahead to the crunch Premier League meeting between Manchester City and Arsenal

Published: April 17, 2026, 5:22 pm

Dan Skelton targets bogey track as rivals jockey for Scottish Grand National glory

• Champion-in-waiting can extend his prize money record

• He has had a winner at 39 of 41 jumps tracks this season

Dan Skelton is already certain to be crowned the UK’s champion trainer over jumps for the first time this season, but still has a few remaining targets in the final days of what is already a record-breaking campaign.

Skelton became the first trainer to reach £4m in prize money in a British jumps season less than a month ago, and will send five runners on the 320-mile trip to Ayr on Saturdaytoday as he looks to make a big dent in the £200,000 required to pass £5m.

Published: April 17, 2026, 4:32 pm

Premier League heads for crunch weekend, Caicedo signs new Chelsea deal, Saudi Arabia sack Renard – as it happened

Moisés Caicedo signed a new contract at Chelsea as Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta previewed their title clash

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been speaking ahead of Sunday’s Merseyside derby. Here he is on Hugo Ekitike’s Achilles tendon injury which has ruled the Frenchman out for the rest of the season and this summer’s World Cup.

He hasn’t been operated on yet. Devastating for him coming to a new club having so much impact straight away. Playing against your former club in the Champions League quarter-final with so much to come for him in the summer.

My first thoughts are with him being out for such a long time, missing out on so many special moments. But it is not the first and not the last player who experienced something like this at the start of their career, and there are so many examples of players coming back even stronger.

Published: April 17, 2026, 3:57 pm

Russell says he would understand if Verstappen quit but ‘F1 is bigger than any driver’

• Mercedes driver doesn’t want to lose four-time champion

• ‘Natural’ for lack of competitiveness to start taking its toll

George Russell has said he would understand if Max Verstappen chose to leave Formula One after the four-time champion recently cast doubt on his future in the sport because of his dissatisfaction with current regulations.

Russell, who is currently second behind his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli in the world championship, insisted Verstappen had nothing left to prove.

Published: April 17, 2026, 3:56 pm

Pep Guardiola believes ‘mental aspect’ could be key in showdown with Arsenal

• ‘Twenty-two years without title … if they win it’s over’

• City manager enjoys watching rivals despite criticism

Pep Guardiola believes if Manchester City replicate their second-half Carabao Cup final display against Arsenal “for 95 minutes” in Sunday’s pivotal title meeting with Mikel Arteta’s side they will win, though the manager expects his opposite number to make adjustments for this key clash.

Arsenal dominated initially when the teams met last month at Wembley before City gradually became ascendant, Guardiola’s side in control after the break as two goals from Nico O’Reilly claimed the trophy. Guardiola was asked if City would prevail again at the Etihad Stadium if they perform as they did at Wembley. “If we play like the second half during 95 minutes and they play like the second half during 95 minutes, we are going to win,” said the manager.

Published: April 17, 2026, 2:59 pm

Great Barrier Thief: Dyson Daniels emerges as key to unlocking Atlanta Hawks' NBA playoff hopes

Australian guard has endured a mixed campaign but will be one of the Hawks’ main protagonists in a marquee match-up against the New York Knicks

The so-called “Great Barrier Thief” will be unleashed on to one of basketball’s most storied stages this weekend, as Australian Dyson Daniels storms into an NBA playoff battle against Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

The Atlanta guard has, like his team, endured a mixed season. But both have finished strongly to make the Hawks a dark horse as the sixth-seed in an Eastern Conference bracket considered wide open.

Published: April 17, 2026, 3:00 pm

‘We’ve got to wake up and smell the coffee’: Tony Rowe on Exeter’s new American frontier

As West Country club join rugby’s modern-day gold rush, their chair looks forward to some US razzmatazz and a possible Prem expansion into Wales

Tony Rowe has not yet had time to ensure Exeter’s proposed new American owners feel fully at home in the west. On a damp morning at Sandy Park no one is wearing a Stetson and there is not even a horse tied up outside reception. Maybe that will be part of the handover package assuming the Chiefs’ 700-odd members vote in favour next month of proceeding with the sale of their 155-year-old club.

The winds of change, though, are kicking up the local dust. For the past 33 years Rowe has been integral to one of British team sport’s most romantic Cinderella stories. But romance doesn’t pay the bills in modern pro rugby and times are a-changing. At 77 years old, it is easy to understand why Rowe fancies handing over the reins to a smartly dressed stranger from out of town.

Published: April 17, 2026, 10:00 am

LIV golf stars face career limbo with Saudi investment expected to end in 2026

• LIV chief’s rallying email to staff did not refer to 2027

• Without alternative funding future is bleak for rebel tour

Several of golf’s leading names are facing career limbo at the end of 2026 amid expectation Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund will withdraw backing for the LIV Tour.

While the likelihood is Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm will be afforded a pathway back to the PGA Tour, the future for others who made lucrative switches to LIV is far more uncertain.

Published: April 16, 2026, 4:53 pm

Champions League review: cunning Kane, PSG click into form and a bloodied pundit

The semi-finals are set after a dazzling meeting between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. But there was plenty more to talk about in the last eight

Bayern Munich’s thrilling 4-3 win over Real Madrid on Wednesday, which gave them a 6-4 victory on aggregate and set up a semi-final meeting with PSG, was a stone-cold classic. If either of the semis is as good as Real and Bayern’s quarter-final, this season will have been blessed. Arda Güler showed off his brilliance on Wednesday, first with his presence of mind after Manuel Neuer’s mistake led to the opening goal and again from a free-kick in the 29th minute. Güler’s goals gave Madrid hope, but Harry Kane made another difficult finish look routine before Luis Díaz and Michael Olise’s late goals settled the tie. Bayern’s wing wizards were crucial in defeating the 15-time champions. This game had it all. That includes controversy, with a post-match scuffle set off by Madrid players enraged by Eduardo Camavinga’s dismissal for two quickfire yellow cards. Neuer, the hero of the first leg, had his blushes saved by his Bayern teammates, though one save from Kylian Mbappé was him at his best, combining reflexes with brute strength. Fine margins decided a battle of the giants.

Published: April 16, 2026, 1:35 pm