| Seemingly every pro sports league these days is at least taking money from gambling sites.
Media outlets are more filled than ever with money lines and point spreads.
The prevalence and acceptance of wagering on sporting events has never been greater.
And there's no denying the economic advantages for leagues and teams to become affiliated with gambling sites.
But while all of this has gone on, there has been a fear among many onlookers that it would lead to a significant scandal that would rock sports to their foundation of competitive integrity.
Outside of some NFL players getting suspended for betting on sports from their team's facilities, not much has gone wrong — yet.
But the warning signs are there, and they are potentially getting brighter.
 Shohei Ohtani walks with interpreter Ippei Mizuhara during Dodgers spring training.
AP
The loudest alarm came Wednesday, when MLB opened its 2024 season.
After the first regular-season game of the year was played between the Dodgers and Padres in South Korea received almost no attention outside of the MLB Network, the league found itself in the middle of a mess.
The Los Angeles Times was the first to report Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani's interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, had been accused of stealing "millions of dollars" from Ohtani to place bets.
Ohtani's name surfaced during an investigation into alleged illegal bookmaker Mathew Bowyer, who lives in Orange County, California.
Ohtani has not been accused of any wrongdoing, and he has not addressed the situation publicly. On Thursday, a day after Mizuhara was fired and Ohtani's camp offered evolving descriptions of Ohtani's awareness of Mizuhara's gambling activities, his representatives reportedly asked authorities to investigate the alleged theft.
But the fact that one of the closest associates of the biggest star in baseball was allegedly so closely tied to that scale of gambling — though Mizuhara's bets reportedly were on other sports, not on baseball — is sure to raise red flags.
And MLB has to hope it stays that way.
 Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff talked about having his family threatened by gambling interests.
USA TODAY Sports
The shocking news came the same day as Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters he received threats from gamblers last season that he reported to the NBA.
"They got my telephone number and were sending me crazy messages about where I live and my kids and all that stuff," Bickerstaff said. "So it is a dangerous game and a fine line that we're walking for sure."
Bickerstaff was responding to a question regarding Pacers standout guard Tyrese Haliburton, who recently said he spoke to a sports psychologist because of how he feels he's viewed by fans.
"To half the world, I'm just helping them make money on DraftKings or whatever,'' Haliburton said. "I'm a prop."
As far as we know, gamblers haven't yet successfully corrupted a pro player or coach since the marriage of leagues and gambling sites. Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy, the pivotal figure in an NBA gambling scandal in the early 2000s, said the bigger threat comes from less rich, lower-level team employees with access to inside information.
 Greg Olsen shills for DraftKings as sports wagering opened in North Carolina.
AP
Still, it's becoming more and more evident how blurry the lines are.
And with this weekend being one of the top times of the year for betting on sports around the start of the NCAA Tournament, there's plenty of opportunity for issues to arise.
When will we find out it's not just someone with close ties to a player or a coach who can brush off threats and that the outcome of a game was affected?
Today's back page  New York Post
The Mets have a new DH The Mets agreed Thursday evening to a one-year, $12 million contract with designated hitter J.D. Martinez.
The 36-year-old Martinez, who hit .271/.321/.572 with 33 home runs and 103 RBIs last season for the Dodgers, projects to bat behind Pete Alonso in the No. 4 or No. 5 spot of a suddenly deeper Mets lineup.
The signing will push Mark Vientos to the bench or perhaps to Triple-A to start the season.
 J.D. Martinez will add a proven power bat to the Mets lineup.
AP
Martinez, a six-time All-Star, was among the Scott Boras clients who lingered as free agents deep into the spring.
The Post's Joel Sherman reported the contract contains deferrals that will slightly lower the luxury-tax hit. Still, the Mets will owe $2.10 for every dollar spent on Martinez because they are over the highest luxury-tax threshold.
— Jonathan Lehman
Dodger blues Is it too soon for the Dodgers to have buyer's remorse?
After a rough spring during which Yoshinobu Yamamoto was knocked around in the final two of his three Cactus League outings, the $325 million right-hander had a chance to silence any doubts with his first regular-season start in the majors.
Instead, Yamamoto — the biggest free agent of this past offseason other than Ohtani — was roughed up for five runs in just one inning against the Padres in South Korea on Thursday.
Including his final two spring training outings, Yamamoto has allowed 14 earned runs in just 8 ⅔ innings in his past three starts.
 Yoshinobu Yamamoto walks off the mound after allowing five runs in one inning in his Dodgers debut.
Getty Images
It's hardly what the Dodgers expected when they gave Yamamoto the richest contract ever for a starting pitcher, a deal worth $1 million more than Yankees ace Gerrit Cole's current nine-year pact.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Yamamoto didn't have his typical command, as he walked a batter, hit another and threw a wild pitch in his short stint on the mound.
The Mets and Yankees were both in hot pursuit of Yamamoto, and given each team's reluctance to sign any other high-priced pitchers this offseason, it shows how highly they thought of the 25-year-old.
The early results are hardly promising.
W to the Izzo Good for Tom Izzo, I guess.
The Michigan State head coach spoke up for mediocre programs from major conferences when he defended the Spartans for making the NCAA Tournament despite a 19-14 record.
"What's happening now, everybody likes the upsets on the first weekend, but I'm not sure moving on that's what's best for the game," Izzo said before the Spartans routed Mississippi State, 69-51, on Thursday in the first round of the tournament. "I think it's got to be looked at seriously."
 Tom Izzo was fired up during Michigan State's first-round win in the men's NCAA Tournament.
USA TODAY Sports via Reuters
The longtime Spartans coach knows it's all about money, and the fact his team, which finished 10-10 in the Big Ten, advanced to the next round only helps his cause.
Michigan State next faces classic money-maker North Carolina, which crushed the small-school dreams of Staten Island's Wagner College.
"It's all about what is best for the financial part of it, if I'm going to be very blunt, more than it is the players and teams," Izzo said.
One wonder what Izzo thinks is the financial ramifications of blue-blood Kentucky falling as a No. 3 seed to No. 14 "We're not a Cinderella" Oakland.
In other action, 11-loss Oregon rolled past No. 6 seed South Carolina.
All this, while 20-14 St. John's is watching the Dance from home.
The scoreboard Nuggets 113, Knicks 100: Nikola Jokic (30-point triple-double) and Co. prevented the Knicks from finishing off a perfect road trip. Jalen Brunson scored 26 points, Isaiah Hartenstein dropped a career-high 20 and Alec Burks came alive with 18. The Knicks slipped to fifth in the East behind the Magic.
 Artemi Panarin's Rangers hat trick was acknowledged with hats on the ice, even in Boston.
USA TODAY Sports
Rangers 5, Bruins 2: Led by Artemi Panarin's hat trick — bringing his season total to 41 goals — and Jonathan Quick's work in net, the Rangers won the battle of NHL heavyweights. Matt Rempe even stayed out of the penalty box.
Red Wings 6, Islanders 3: That's six losses in a row, a disastrous plummet out of playoff position for the Isles, who fell five points behind the Red Wings for the second wild-card spot. Ilya Sorokin made 18 saves on 23 shots.
Bucks 115, Nets 108: Five consecutive losses as the Nets play out the string. Mikal Bridges led the team with 24 points.
USMNT 3, Jamaica 1: The USMNT equalized via an own goal off a corner kick on their very last ball — at the death, as they say. Then Haji Wright scored two goals off sublime Gio Reyna assists in extra time as the Americans advanced to the Concacaf Nations League final.
What we're reading 👀 ⚾ The Yankees should explore a reunion with Jordan Montgomery, writes The Post's Joel Sherman.
🏈 The Giants, owners of the No. 6 pick in the NFL Draft, will be very interested onlookers Friday at former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy's Pro Day.
⚾ How Brett Baty won the Mets' third-base job.
🏀 After missing more than three months with an ankle injury, Mitchell Robinson is back practicing for the Knicks and anticipating being a part of a playoff run. That's when "it's go time," Robinson told The Post's Stefan Bondy.
🏈 Tyron Smith talked about his decision to sign with the Jets.
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