ESPY Awards 2023 Odds, Nominees & Winners Predictions
While they don’t have the same notoriety as the Grammy Awards, Academy Awards, or Emmy Awards, the ESPY Awards are to the sports world that the Grammys are to music, the Oscars are to film, and the Emmys are to television: a celebration of the best of the best.
The 2023 edition of the ESPYS will be held on Wednesday, July 12, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Interestingly, for the first time in the history of the ceremony, which first took place in 1993, there will be no host this year.
That should certainly make for an interesting show, but many of those who will be tuning in (8:00 pm ET, ABC) will be doing so to see the winners and the highlights of the best teams and best moments of the year that was in sports.
As with many events, whether it’s the Super Bowl, the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, or U.S. elections, the action can be even more interesting when you have money riding on the event.
Every year, you can bet on the ESPYs at online sports betting sites like BetUS and Sportsbetting.ag, where, in addition to their odds for this event, there are a wide variety of entertainment and novelty betting markets.
2023 ESPYs Odds and Nominees
ESPY for Best Athlete, Men’s Sports
- Patrick Mahomes -150
- Lionel Messi +400
- Aaron Judge +450
- Nikola Jokic +500
Which one of these is not like the others?
While Judge was MLB’s home run leader and broke the American League home run record, which had stood since 1961, he is the only athlete on this list who did not lead his team to a championship of some kind.
Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to their second Super Bowl title in four seasons, Jokic led the Denver Nuggets to their first NBA championship, and Messi led Argentina to their first World Cup win since 1986.
Given the popularity of the NFL in the United States, Mahomes is a safe pick here. But Messi, who just signed for Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami, is a global superstar on a level that the other three can’t match combined.
ESPY for Best Athlete, Women’s Sports
- Iga Swiatek +175
- A’ja Wilson +220
- Sophia Smith +300
- Mikaela Shiffrin +425
It has already been announced that Wilson is taking home the ESPY for top WNBA player, but will she grab another piece of hardware here?
Last season, she led the Las Vegas Aces to the WNBA championship and was named league MVP. This season, she is an MVP candidate again, and the Aces have the best record in the league as the All-Star break nears.
But Swiatek, is the favorite after winning two Grand Slam singles titles last year as she captured the French Open and US Open crowns. This year, the world number has already added her third French Open title and is currently making a run at her first Wimbledon title.
ESPY for Best Record-Breaking Performance
- LeBron James -380
- Novak Djokovic +700
- Mikaela Shiffrin +900
- Max Verstappen +1000
It’s safe to say that there are some strong contenders on this list. Djokovic now has the most Grand Slam men’s singles titles and is chasing a 24th at Wimbledon. Shiffrin is the winningest men’s or women’s alpine skier in history. Verstappen dominated Formula 1 last season, winning a record 15 races last season on the way to his second straight title.
But you have to expect that James will take home the honors after breaking the NBA’s career scoring record this past season. He may not be a contender for the ESPY for Best NBA Player anymore, but there is plenty of life left in King James. This coming season, which will be his 21st NBA campaign, he will reach the 40,000-point mark if he stays healthy.
ESPY for Best MLB Player
- Aaron Judge +120
- Shohei Ohtani +120
- Paul Goldschmidt +850
- Justin Verlander +1000
A few other awards might garner more interest, but this is one of the biggest toss-ups among the ESPY Awards categories.
Sure, Judge broke a record that stood for over 60 years. But Ohtani? He’s Ohtani. Last season, he went 15-9 with a 2.33 ERA and 219 strikeouts in 28 starts on the mound and hit 34 homers and drove in 95 runs at the plate.
If Ohtani doesn’t take home the ESPY for Best MLB Player this year, he should already be considered a heavy favorite for next year’s award. At the All-Star break, he is hitting .302 with 32 homers and 71 RBI and is 7-4 with a 3.32 ERA and 132 strikeouts in 101 innings on the mound. Is he human? Inquiring minds want to know.
What was your favorite moment of the last year in sports? Will you be watching or following this year’s ESPY Awards ceremony on Wednesday? Hit us up on Twitter at @YourBettingNews with your comments.
