In sports betting, certainty is rare—but a few legendary athletes offer exactly that. You’re not betting on potential. You’re betting on proven greatness, already worthy of Canton, Cooperstown, or Springfield.

In sports betting terms, these athletes represent the rare “sure things.” Futures markets for MVPs and championships constantly shift, but when the subject is a generational player, prices often move like blue-chip stocks. For reference, a line of +1400 means a $100 bet returns $1,400 profit if successful, while -10000 means risking $10,000 to win just $100.

Whether it’s Patrick Mahomes, LeBron James, or Shohei Ohtani, these superstars have already secured their Hall of Fame legacies. The smart play? Finding current markets where you can still capitalize—before oddsmakers catch up.

Mahomes Sets the Quarterback Standard

Patrick Mahomes has secured his Canton spot several times over. He's already collected two NFL MVP trophies and three Super Bowl MVP awards. His baseline level of play secures his position in all discussions about the greatest quarterbacks ever.

But the current season has been a challenge for the Chiefs, who sit at 2-2 as of Week 5. After a Week 4 blowout win, his MVP odds shortened significantly. You're seeing prices ranging from +560 to a pretty high +2000 (per BetMGM and FanDuel odds as of October 3, 2025). This spread reflects market indecision. His Super Bowl LX odds remain a strong +850 across major books (according to DraftKings and Caesars Sportsbook futures lines). His capacity to deliver a rebound MVP season makes the current +2500 price a solid value play.

LeBron James' Age Defying Value

LeBron James entered the 2025-26 season at 40 years old. The market must reckon with the fact that he's priced as a major factor in the NBA Finals futures. His sustained excellence makes his Hall of Fame induction a simple formality as his statistical outputs remain astonishing (per NBA.com player stats, 2024–25 season). James averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game last season, as he jokingly looks into a new fitness routine. Betting the Lakers to win the Western Conference at +800 is a calculated investment (FanDuel odds, October 3, 2025).

The Lakers' odds to win the NBA Finals currently stand at +1400. That's a high-risk, high-reward scenario, betting on the King defying age for one more ring. As with any futures bet, timing and bonus selection matter just as much as the odds themselves. If you’re backing today’s stars who are on track for Canton or Cooperstown, check out the latest sportsbook promos at this link. According to expert analysis from Covers, sportsbook promos change often. You have to pay attention to terms and conditions, claim new bonuses, and compare deals across brands. 

Michael Duchesne, Managing Editor, explains, "Doing so ensures our sportsbook bonus recommendations are fresh. In October, BetMGM holds serve atop our list with its $1,500 sports betting promo that carries an additional $50 bonus bet, win or lose."

Ohtani and The Certainty Wager

The case for Shohei Ohtani’s Hall of Fame spot closed the moment he simultaneously proved his value as an elite hitter and an elite starting pitcher. The uniqueness of his career translates directly into the lowest-risk betting opportunity available.

But his market reflects this certainty aggressively. Ohtani’s closing odds for the 2025 NL MVP award were an astronomical -10000 on BetMGM. That's a price reflecting a 99.01% implied probability of him winning the award. You must risk a massive amount just to win a small profit.

Better payouts were available away from the MVP market. Ohtani’s odds for the NL Home Run Title were +1000 late in the season. He finished with 55 home runs, just one shy of taking the title (according to MLB.com 2025 season statistics). His return to the mound was spectacular.

Market Dynamics and Price Volatility

A betting market narrates a specific story about risk and certainty. The prices on Mahomes, James, and Ohtani illustrate the wildly different forces governing their respective sports. Ohtani’s negative odds show the static certainty of a finished MLB individual award.

Mahomes’s widely ranging odds illustrate mid-season NFL chaos. His MVP viability is tied directly to the team’s current 2-2 record. This volatility presents the best chance to find value. You should invest when the team's down, trusting the elite track record for the rebound.

LeBron’s +1400 is based on a longer-term, more complex calculation. It's a bet on his ability to perform at a historical level through the NBA playoffs. You have to assess the league's timing against the player's track record. 

The Hall of Fame certainty surrounding James just got official confirmation on a new front. The entire 2008 Olympic "Redeem Team," which included James, is being inducted into the Class of 2025. It's official recognition of one of the most dominant periods of his career. That squad's 8-0 record, with a massive 27.8-point average victory margin, further solidifies his legacy. 

The Risk to Reward Spectrum

These three markets create a distinct spectrum of risk and reward for bettors. Ohtani’s MVP award sits at the lowest-risk position. You trade significant capital for minimal profit. It's a statistical confirmation bet.

Mahomes’s MVP odds provide the moderate middle ground. He's a high-floor player who consistently finishes top three in voting. His current +2500 price offers a strong payout if he wins MVP. (Like this, it's a pretty low risk for a potential high reward.)

LeBron’s +1400 Championship odds represent the highest risk but offer the largest reward. A Finals win for a 41-year-old requires near-perfect execution. How can you weigh a 99% probability against a 6.7% probability? That comparison highlights the bettor’s eternal trade-off: certainty limits profit, while volatility invites both value and risk. That's what makes staying up-to-date on the latest sportsbooks' odds important.

Statistics Always Justify the Price

The betting markets don't operate on sentiment. They adjust constantly to recent, hard data. Mahomes's three Super Bowl MVPs and two 5,000-yard seasons justify his relatively short MVP number. Why would the market suddenly discount the player who has surpassed 5,000 passing yards in two of his MVP seasons?

But LeBron’s 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game last season aren't the numbers of a player in decline. These are the figures of an elite distributor and scorer. This sustained excellence justifies the Lakers holding those +1400 title odds.

Ohtani’s final 2025 stats confirm his value. He's, by many metrics, the single most valuable player in baseball. His nearly insurmountable MVP odds reflect the market acknowledging that unparalleled production.

Future Hall of Famers

You're not just waiting for some Hall of Fame committee to give its verdict. You're betting on a game that wrapped up yesterday or a championship kicking off today. These athletes really shake things up in the betting scene. Their proven track record gives you a solid foundation while the odds might bounce around. By checking out the current odds for Mahomes, James, and Ohtani, you’re spotting some mispriced bets. Basically, you're grabbing a piece of something reliable in sports with a chance to win big future bets.

Betting on proven greatness isn’t about chasing hype—it’s about timing. When the market doubts legends like Mahomes, LeBron, or Ohtani, value appears. The key is recognizing when odds temporarily misprice inevitability—and acting before they correct.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we maintain and update our existing Top 50 lists annually.  As such, we are delighted to present our pre-2025/26 revision of our top 50 Chicago Blackhawks.

As for all of our top 50 players in hockey, we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Hockey League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, Chicago again failed to make the playoffs, and when that happens on an Original Six team, it should not come as a surprise that there were no changes in the Top 50.  Nevertheless, we always acknowledge that the previous season was taken into account.

As always, we present our top five, which remain unchanged. 

1. Stan Mikita
2. Bobby Hull
3. Patrick Kane
4. Glenn Hall
5. Duncan Keith

You can find the entire list here.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we maintain and update our existing Top 50 lists annually.  As such, we are delighted to present our pre-2025/26 revision of our top 50 Buffalo Sabres.

As for all of our top 50 players in hockey, we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Hockey League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet 

Last year, the Sabres' never-ending rebuild continued as they again failed to make the playoffs.  Nevertheless, there was one new entrant and two elevations based on last year.

As always, we present our top five, which remain unchanged.

1. Dominik Hasek
2. Gilbert Perreault
3. Rick Martin
4. Ryan Miller
5. Mike Ramsey 

You can find the entire list here. 

The only new entry was Alex Tuch.  The forward debuts at #49.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

1984 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project Class.

Here we are!  Again!!

If you have been following our Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project, you know we have asked the rhetorical question: What if the PFHOF began in January 1946?

After soliciting and obtaining a passionate group of football fans and historians, we sent out a ballot for a Preliminary Vote, in which we asked each voter to select 25 names as their semi-finalists and 5 names for the Senior Pool. We then asked the group to vote for their 15 Finalists in the Modern Era and 3 in the Senior Category. The final stage was to vote for their five Modern Era inductee and one Senior inductee.

This is the result of the 39th official class. 

Below are the final results of this project based on 31 votes.

Remember that we have reverted back to the top five candidates entering the Hall in the Modern Era

This is for the “Modern Era”

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1984:

This is for the “Senior Era”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1984.

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1984.

About the 1984 Inductees:

Willie Brown, DB, DEN 1963-66 & OAK 1967-78: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1984 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1984.

Sometimes the scouts and coaches get it wrong.

Willie Brown went undrafted in 1963 after a promising career at Grambling, but this was at a time when HBCUs were not appropriately scouted.  Brown was signed by the Houston Oilers of the AFL, but was cut in training camp.  He persevered, signed with Denver, and was a starting Cornerback by mid-season.  The following year, he was a star.

Brown was with the Broncos for four years before he was traded to Oakland, a much better team, which afforded him a higher profile for his skills.  From 1967 (his first year in Oakland) to 1973, he was either an AFL All-Star/Pro Bowl Selection and was chosen for four First Team All-Pros.  Brown helped lead Oakland to an AFL Title in 1967 and a win in Super Bowl XI, and would record 54 career Interceptions.  After his career ended, Brown remained with the Raiders as a Defensive Backs Coach and would win two more Super Bowls in that capacity. 

Fran Tarkenton, QB, MIN 1961-66 & 1972-78 & NYG 1967-71: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1984 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986.

Fran Tarkenton won the starting job at Quarterback during his rookie year in Minnesota (1961), and he immediately dazzled fans with his then-unique scrambling style.  Tarkenton went to two Pro Bowls as a Viking in the 60s before he was shockingly dealt to the New York Giants before the 1967 Season.

The Giants did not have many pieces they built around Tarkenton, but New York was respectable, and Tarkenton added four more Pro Bowls to his resume.  New York sent him back to Minnesota in 1972, and in his second run with the Vikings, Tarkenton enjoyed the best part of his career.

Tarkenton led Minnesota to three NFC Championships, and in 1975, he was a First Team All-Pro and swept the MVPs.  He won his first Passing Title in 1978, which would be his last year in Pro Football.

Tarkenton left the game as the game’s leader in Passing Yards (47,003) and Touchdown Passes (342), and while they have since been shattered, Tarkenton’s impact on the game is still felt today.

Mel Renfro, DB-RB, DAL 1964-77.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1984 on his 2nd Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996. 

Mel Renfro was a football and track star at the University of Oregon. Renfro was a college Running Back, but Tom Landry and the Dallas Cowboys had other ideas for his speed.

Renfro was converted into a Safety, and like many rookie safeties, he was also used as a returner.  He would lead the NFL in Returns and Return Yards and had seven picks.  Renfro was also named to the Pro Bowl, marking the beginning of a ten-year streak of selections to that postseason honor.  Renfro would lead the NFL in Interceptions with 10 in 1969 and had 52 in a career spent entirely with the Cowboys.  Renfro was also a vital part of Dallas' wins in Super Bowl VI and XII.

This was an outstanding career for someone who was not a Defensive Back in college.

Fred Biletnikoff, WR, OAK, 1965-78.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1984 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988.

Fred Biletnikoff was Florida State’s first-ever consensus All-American, and the man whose name is on the college award for the nation’s top Wide Receiver.  Professionally, he was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in 1965, and he became just as successful at the highest level of football.

The Detroit Lions drafted Biletnikoff in the NFL, and the Oakland Raiders in the AFL, much like he did when he chose Florida State, he opted for a lesser-established entity.  What Biletnikoff lacked in pure speed, he made up for with precision route running and glue-like hands.  He became the primary go-to target for Raiders Quarterbacks, and would help lead Oakland to an AFL Title in 1967.

As the Raiders moved to the NFL, Biletnikoff helped make the team one of the powers of that side of the league.  A four-time Pro Bowl (and two-time AFL All-Star), Biletnikoff was the MVP in Oakland’s Super Bowl XI win.  At the time of his retirement, Biletnikoff was the all-time leader in postseason receptions (70), Receiving Yards (1,167), and Receiving Touchdowns (10).

Billy Shaw, G, BUF 1961-69.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1984 on his 10th Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.

Holding the distinction of being the only member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame who never played in the NFL, Billy Shaw was an elite Offensive Lineman who spent his entire career with the Buffalo Bills and was named to five consecutive First Team All-AFL Teams and the All-Time AFL roster.  It is very plausible to state that the Buffalo Bills would not have won their two AFL Championships without him.

Buffalo selected Shaw for their Wall of Fame in 1988.

Bob Brown, T, PHI 1964-68, RAM 1969-70 & OAK 1971-73.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1984 on his 6th Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.

In his 10-year career with the Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, and Oakland Raiders, Brown was selected to six Pro Bowls and named First-team All-Pro five times (and All-NFL seven times in his ten seasons). A four-time Second-team All-Pro selection, his consistent excellence earned him a spot on the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 1960s. He was renowned as a fierce, hyper-aggressive blocker whose singular goal was to "beat up on people for 60 minutes" and physically crush the will of his opponents. This mentality led Raiders coach John Madden to call him "the most aggressive lineman that ever played."

John Madden, Coach, OAK 1969-78.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1984 on his 4th Coach/Contributor Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

John Madden's Hall of Fame case rests on his remarkable success and unique impact with the Oakland Raiders in a relatively short period.  Taking over at age 32, he remains the youngest coach in NFL history to reach 100 career wins, accumulating a phenomenal 103-32-7 regular-season record for a career winning percentage of .759—the highest among all coaches with a minimum of 100 games. This decade of dominance culminated in a decisive Super Bowl XI victory over the Minnesota Vikings, which remains his ultimate coaching achievement.

Despite his short coaching tenure (10 seasons), Madden’s consistent excellence and ability to manage a team filled with strong personalities make his resume undeniably Hall of Fame worthy. He led the Raiders to seven AFC Championship Games and missed the playoffs only once, establishing a culture of aggressive, hard-hitting football that embodied the team's identity. His coaching legacy is defined by a decade of consistent winning, a Super Bowl title, and the unprecedented feat of being the youngest coach to achieve a century of victories.