Only two franchises in the history of Major League Baseball have won three consecutive World Series titles, and the feat has yet to be accomplished this century. The Los Angeles Dodgers begin their quest to join the exclusive club on Thursday.
The Dodgers start the defense of their second straight championship when they host the Arizona Diamondbacks at 8:30 p.m. ET in the 2026 MLB season opener for both teams at Dodger Stadium. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12-8, 2.49 ERA last season), the 2025 World Series MVP, takes the mound for reigning champions while Zac Gallen (13-15, 4.83) starts for Arizona in one of the 11 games on Thursday’s schedule.
Los Angeles has aspirations of becoming the first team to win three consecutive World Series since the New York Yankees did so from 1998-2000. The Bronx Bombers also won four straight from 1936-39 and five in a row from 1949-53, while the Oakland Athletics reigned supreme from 1972-74.
The Dodgers went just 7-6 against the National League West-rival Diamondbacks last season, including a 3-3 mark at home. Yamamoto has enjoyed success versus Arizona as the 27-year-old Japanese right-hander has posted a 3-1 record and 1.93 ERA in six career starts.
Gallen hasn’t done as well against Los Angeles over his career. In 15 turns, the 30-year-old righty is just 2-5 with a 3.90 ERA and 1.207 WHIP.
Only three games are on Thursday’s NBA schedule, including one between two streaking teams in the New York Knicks (48-25) and host Charlotte Hornets (38-34) at 7 p.m. ET at the Spectrum Center. The Knicks, who are half a game behind the Boston Celtics for second place in the Eastern Conference, are riding a seven-game winning streak, while the Hornets have won four straight and six of seven contests to pull even with the Orlando Magic for ninth place. New York is 2-0 against Charlotte this season.
The NHL has 13 games on its slate, one of which has the Chicago Blackhawks (27-31-13) continuing their four-game road trip with a matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers (34-24-12) at Xfinity Mobile Arena at 7 p.m. ET. Chicago has very little chance of reaching the postseason, but Philadelphia, which posted a 3-1 road victory over the Blackhawks earlier this campaign, is five points out of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Dodgers are massive -265 favorites on the money line against the Diamondbacks in the latest consensus MLB odds while the Over/Under for total runs scored is 9. The Hornets are 1.5-point favorites over the Knicks, and the Flyers are -169 favorites on the money line versus the Blackhawks.
Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet for Thursday, Mar. 26. All times Eastern
MLB best bets, where to watch
Diamondbacks at Dodgers
Time: 8:30 p.m. | Location: Los Angeles | TV: NBC | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Diamondbacks +1.5 (+106) | Expert: Yoshinobu Yamamoto to record win (+131, Matt Severance)
The Diamondbacks went 3-3 at Dodger Stadium last season and Gallen was superb in his only start there, allowing only two hits and recording eight strikeouts across six scoreless innings of a 3-0 victory. Two of Arizona’s three losses at Los Angeles in 2025 were by one run, and the SportsLine Projection Model believes the club will keep it close on Thursday as the Diamondbacks cover the spread in 56% of its simulations. SportsLine expert Matt Severance expects the Dodgers to prevail and believes the win will go to Yamamoto, who struggled in his first start against Arizona last year but gave up just one run and fanned 26 batters over 20 frames in his last three meetings with the club.
NBA best bets, where to watch
Knicks at Hornets
Time: 7 p.m. | Location: Charlotte, N.C. | TV: NBA TV | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Over 222.5 (-108) | Expert: Hornets -118 (Larry Hartstein)
The Knicks and Hornets are in the top half of the NBA in scoring, with the former ranking 10th (117.2 points) and the latter being 12th (116.4). New York has eclipsed its average in three of its last four contests, scoring 136, 145 and 121 points in those outings. Charlotte also has been lighting it up of late, recording at least 124 points in each of its past four games. The SportsLine Projection Model sees the trends continuing as its simulations have the Over hitting more than 57% of the time. SportsLine expert Larry Hartstein (34-23, +731 on his last 57 NBA picks) likes the Hornets to extend their winning streak to five games and end New York’s run of seven straight victories, all of which came against inferior opponents.
NHL best bets, where to watch
Blackhawks at Flyers
Time: 7 p.m. | Location: Philadelphia | TV: ESPN+ | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Under 5.5 (-105) | Expert: Flyers -166 (Matt Severance)
Goals have not come easy for the Flyers and Blackhawks this season. Philadelphia is 26th in the NHL in scoring with 195 tallies, while Chicago ranks 29th with 184. The teams combined for four goals in their first meeting of the campaign, and the SportsLine Projection Model doesn’t see them scoring too often in Thursday’s matchup as the Under hits in well over 65% of its simulations. The Flyers are just 1-3-1 in their last five home games and the Blackhawks have won three of their last four on the road, but SportsLine expert Matt Severance (37-24, +664.5 on his last 61 NHL money-line picks) thinks Philadelphia will come away with the victory since it has much more at stake.
