The BBC Sports Personality of the Year (SPOTY) Award is the sporting entertainment highlight of the festive season. Every year, the release of the shortlist gets the excitement building and sparks discussion over who is likely to win. Betting on who will win this award has become a favourite among casual and more serious sports bettors.
According to most betting sites in the UK, Mary Earps is the clear favourite to win Sports Personality of the Year 2023. With odds currently sitting at 1/7, it’s almost impossible to imagine anyone else being able to wrest the title from Earps. Her closest competitor is cricketing legend Stuart Broad, with odds currently at 10/1.
BBC Sports Personality of the Year odds
- Mary Earps – 1/7
- Stuart Broad – 10/1
- Katarina Johnson-Thompson – 22/1
- Frankie Dettori – 35/1
- Alfie Hewett – 66/1
- Rory McIlroy – 200/1
Mary Earps
Mary Earps has secured her place as a sporting legend, thanks to her performance for the Lionesses this year. Her work in goal was essential in the Lionesses making it to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final. The three clean sheets she maintained during the World Cup secured her the Golden Glove award.
Earps was also named England Women’s Player of the Year for the season and was fifth overall in the Ballon d’Or voting for the 2022-23 season. This is the highest a goalkeeper has ever made it since the award for women was introduced. Goalkeepers aren’t typically recognised at this level, so this just goes to show how outstanding her performance has been.
This isn’t the first time that Mary Earps has played a key role in a Lioness triumph. During the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022, she played every single game. With her in the box and the rest of the team running rampant on the pitch, it was no surprise that the Lionesses were able to bring home their first ever Euro win.
When she isn’t playing for England, Earps is the goalkeeper for Manchester United in the Women’s Super League. She has played for the team since 2019, after spending the first decade of her career playing for various UK clubs, including Leicester City and Reading, and a season at VfL Wolfsburg.
From the earliest days of her career, coaches and trainers could tell that she was incredibly talented and full of potential. One of the most impressive things about Earps is her consistency. Throughout her entire career to date, both club and international, she has maintained the same level of discipline and skill.
This Women’s World Cup also gave Earps the opportunity to prove her leadership abilities. She was the vice-captain for the Lionesses and will likely be named again for future international competitions. Her energy and emotion from the goal helped to inspire and guide her teammates.
If Earps wins, this would be the second year in a row that a female footballer has been named the Sports Personality of the Year. Last year, the winner was Beth Mead, the Lionesses’ goal scoring machine, who racked up five goals and six assists during the Euros. If Earp wins, it will be a clear statement on women’s sports finally being accepted as just as exciting and worthwhile as men’s sports.
The rest of the slate
Earps’ fiercest competition comes from Stuart Broad. The cricketer, who announced his retirement from international test cricket during The Ashes this year, has long been a larger-than-life presence in the cricketing world. The fact that his final act when batting was to score a six, and his final ball bowled took a wicket and prevented Australia from winning the series, adds that little bit of magic to the final moments of his career.
The other leading names on the slate are Katarina Johnson-Thompson, a heptathlete who has bounced back from serious injury to win her second world title, and Frankie Dettori, the legendary jockey who won two major races this year. Wheelchair tennis player Alfie Hewett, who won the Wheelchair Tennis Masters this year, and golfer Rory McIlroy round out the list.
Some years, the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award is tough to call, with so many athletes deserving of the title. In other years, it’s easy to point to a clear star who has risen above all of the rest and shone brightly. This year, Mary Earps is that shining star and the odds reflect that.
