We’re in the midst of a wild 10-day stretch in sports, starting with day one of the NFL Draft last Thursday and culminating in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. Additionally, the NBA Playoffs are in full swing, and the NHL’s postseason begins on Tuesday. Let’s take a moment to sift through the chaos and take a look at future odds.  

(All odds provided by Sportsbook.ag).

Super Bowl XLVIII

New England Patriots (+600) – The Patriots traded out of the first round and made a total of four picks in rounds two and three. They landed outside linebacker Jamie Collins, wide receiver Aaron Dobson, and a pair of defensive backs from Rutgers. The bottom line for New England is that Tom Brady is still Tom Brady. And even though he no longer has Wes Welker, he does have newcomer Danny Amendola.

Denver Broncos (+600) – Not unlike the Patriots, the Broncos are co-favorites to win it all because they have a veteran, multi-Pro Bowl, Super Bowl-winning quarterback. Peyton Manning should only improve with health concerns a thing of the past and a full year on a new team under his belt. In the draft, Denver’s highlights included the addition of defensive tackle Sylvester Williams and running back Montee Ball.

San Francisco 49ers (+650) – Already one of the most talented teams in the league, San Francisco was widely considered to have enjoyed one of the best drafts last weekend. The Niners bolstered their defense with safety Eric Reid and defensive end Tank Carradine while also landing running back Marcus Lattimore in the fourth round. They certainly have the tools to make it one step further next season.

Seattle Seahawks (+900) – The Seahawks did not draft until No. 62 overall in the second round, but they also have very few — if any — holes on their roster. Plus, they landed defensive tackle Jesse Williams, generally thought of as a first-round talent, in the fifth round. Seattle lost a heartbreaker in the divisional playoffs last season and is only getting better.

Stanley Cup

Pittsburgh Penguins (+300) – Pittsburgh coasted to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, well ahead of everyone else in the NHL except first-place Chicago. Sidney Crosby and company finished first in the league in scoring and second in power-play conversion rate. The 2009 Cup-winning roster is largely intact, so that experience will help. So will confidence from eight wins in the last 10 games.

Chicago Blackhawks (+350) – The 2010 Stanley Cup champions finished 9-2-1 in their last 12 contests despite being in cruise-control mode. Just how good is this team? It led the NHL in goals-against average (2.0) and came in second in scoring behind the Penguins. A blockbuster Chicago-Pittsburgh Stanley Cup Finals matchup is +500 to become a reality.

Boston Bruins (+800) – Boston could use some more positive sports distractions these days, and it just might get it from the Bruins. They did not play great at the end of the regular season, but the 2011 champs always have a chance with Tuukka Rask minding the net. Rask finished second in GAA and third in save percentage.

Anaheim Ducks (+1000) – Anaheim — tied with the Montreal Canadiens as fourth favorites — snagged the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, so it cannot face Chicago until the conference finals. Will the Ducks feature Jonas Hiller or Viktor Fasth at goalie? They really can’t go wrong with either one.

Dwight Howard’s first regular-season game next season

Los Angeles Lakers (-300) – Tee times in April were not exactly what the Lakers had in mind when they landed Howard and Steve Nash to team up with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. Is the disaster of a season enough for L.A. to go in a different direction, namely a parting of ways with its biggest big man? The team will be paying a steep luxury tax even without Howard, but it can afford to pay whatever it takes if it truly wants him back.

Houston Rockets (+250) – Howard’s girlfriend reportedly wants him to sign with Houston. Howard reportedly likes to change girlfriends every few weeks. So this current one’s wishes may not be a factor when push comes to shove. The Rockets have the cap space, and they also have the roster to be an immediate title contender with Howard on board.

Dallas Mavericks (+350) – Perhaps nobody needs “Superman” more than Dallas, which is going in the wrong direction with an aging roster. Mark Cuban’s club is more than a Howard signing away from contention, but you can bet the proud owner would make additional moves to appease Howard sooner rather than later. It’s also worth mentioning that with either Houston or Dallas, Howard would get a friendly break on his taxes.

Atlanta Hawks (+1000) – The Hawks have been pointing to this moment for a long, long time; not necessarily for Howard, but for this offseason in general. They will have a ton of cap space, what with their current roster composed almost entirely of expiring contracts. Howard is from Atlanta, but there has been very little indication that he wants to return home.

Kentucky Derby

Verrazano (+400) – Verrazano is undefeated in four races this year, including one victory of 16 lengths in addition to a triumph at the Wood Memorial.

Orb (+500) – Orb’s best performance to date is a convincing win at last month’s Florida Derby. This is his trainer’s first foray into the real deal at Churchill Downs.

Revolutionary (+800) – Trainer Todd Pletcher will be starting at least five horses on Saturday, only one (Verrazano) with a better shot than Revolutionary. He is the reigning Louisiana Derby champion.

Goldencents (+1000) – Rick Pitino is a minority owner of Goldencents, and Pitino has been straight winning of late (aside from that hideous tattoo he got). This horse is not all about his ownership; he is legit. Goldencents won the prestigious Santa Anita Derby in early April.

Read more articles by Ricky Dimon