2025 WNBA, NFL future best bets: Back Clark to win MVP; Canales to win COY
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The 2025 WNBA season kicks off on Friday and sportsbooks are all over it.
Caitlin Clark had a massive rookie season, breaking multiple records and winning the 2024 Rookie of the Year award. Can she have an even better year? I think yes.
And while the WNBA season is set to begin, I always have my mind on football as well, considering the NFL regular-season schedule just dropped.
With that, let’s dive into three future bets I like.
Caitlin Clark to win MVP
Caitlin Clark is going to win the WNBA MVP award in 2025, and you should jump on this number now before it’s long gone.
After spending years at Iowa chasing a championship, Clark joined the Indiana Fever for her rookie season. Clark was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft and immediately became the face of the league. It was less than two months after playing in the 2024 NCAA title game, and she had already started in her first WNBA game.
Clark started slow by her standards, but came on strong after the Olympics/All-Star break. A month of rest did her well, which showed in her stats following the break. Her average points per game jumped from 17.3 before the break to 23.1 post break. She averaged a league-high 8.4 assists per game and, with better teammates this season, that number will jump. The Fever’s overall roster is better. Her teammates will handle her passes with better hands and be able to finish at the rim, unlike in last season’s games.
Clark averaged six rebounds per game. If we assume she’s going for averages of 23 points, six rebounds and eight assists — along with the Fever making the postseason as a higher seed — Clark will be the best overall player in the game.
There’s a chance those numbers are closer to 25 points, six rebounds and 10 assists if the assist number is higher.
Also worth noting, she’s excellent in must-have moments, which we know MVP voters pay attention to. She’s third in WNBA clutch points and first in assists. Her popularity will always help her chances of winning this award as well. There’s possible voter fatigue after A’ja Wilson has won the award three times in the last five seasons.
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Take Clark now to win MVP.
PICK: Caitlin Clark (+220) to win MVP
Chicago Sky Under 19.5 wins
The Chicago Sky went 13-27 in Angel Reese’s rookie season, which included a 1-5 stretch to end the season while Reese was out with an injury. The Sky fired their head coach and did not bring back Chennedy Carter, their leading scorer. Chicago is hopeful that roster additions, including drafting Hailey Van Lith, will make up for the missing points from Carter. Reese should also improve her scoring after an offseason of work.
What the Sky lack on offense, they make up for with defense. Chicago is big and long, and on paper, should improve defensively.
Still, making a seven-win jump with a new coach, new additions and questionable offensive production seems like a tall task. Twenty wins would have placed the Sky as the sixth-best team in the WNBA last season, and I don’t see the roster as good enough for that to happen this season.
PICK: Chicago Sky (-110) Under 19.5 wins
Dave Canales to win NFL Coach of the Year
The Panthers head coach enters his second season on the job with the comfort of knowing he has his quarterback.
Bryce Young was drafted in 2023 and did not have a productive rookie season. Canales and his staff got their hands on Young last season, and 2024 started awfully. Young was benched but eventually got the job back around the middle of the season. To the surprise of many, but not those in the Panthers’ building, Young showed significant improvement. He was accurate, avoided pressure and made far fewer mistakes. This helped the Panthers play both Super Bowl teams down to the final play of the game.
The Panthers saw themselves lose those close games last season, and that’s the path for a younger team with a roster in flux. You lose those close games and then start winning them the following season. You have to like the team’s offseason roster additions to not just help Young, but also boost the defense.
If the Panthers have the season I expect, like winning the division, Canales is absolutely alive for this award.
PICK: Dave Canales (+1800) to win NFL Coach of the Year
Geoff Schwartz is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports. He played eight seasons in the NFL for five different teams. He started at right tackle for the University of Oregon for three seasons and was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection his senior year. Follow him on Twitter @GeoffSchwartz.
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