NBA Draft Betting Preview and Props Roundup
The NBA Draft goes Thursday night in Brooklyn, and despite most experts believing the first few picks are already determined betting is open at the Bovada Sportsbook.
But there isn’t a lot of money to be made on some of the current offerings of NBA Draft prop bets if the experts turn out to be right on Thursday night.
The Boston Celtics had the first overall pick in the draft after making out like bandits in a previous trade with the Brooklyn Nets. Boston decided to pass on the selection and instead shipped it to the Philadelphia 76ers.
No matter which team is making the first overall selection the consensus is that Markelle Fultz will be the first pick. At the Bovada Sportsbook on the Who will be the first overall pick? prop Fultz is a massive favorite at -10000.
What if Philadelphia does the unexpected and doesn’t take Fultz? Next in line on the NBA Draft props is Lonzo Ball at +1200, followed by Jayson Tatum at +5000. Any other player is also available at +750.
You could make a bet on Fultz and count your pennies on a win, or have a better shot at some actual profit with the Bovada Sportsbook over-under draft position props.
We already mentioned Tatum, who according to the oddsmakers is favored to go in the top three picks. On his over-under prop Over 4 is listed at even money, while Under 4 is at -140. Some mock drafts have Tatum going to Boston at No. 3, while others have him sliding all the way down to No. 5 and the Sacramento Kings.
Most experts think if the Celtics pass on Tatum at No. 3 they’ll go with Josh Jackson instead. The latest over-under prop odds on Jackson have the total set at 3.5. The under is favored at -175, while the over is at +135.
Two interesting over-under props are asking how many international players will be picked in the first round, and how many players combined from Duke, Kentucky and UCLA will be first rounders.
For the international prop the total is set at 4 with the under favored at -200. With many mocks listing Frank Ntilikina, Terrance Ferguson, Anzejs Pasecniks and Isaiah Hartenstein in the first round it will be close.
For the Duke-Kentucky-UCLA prop the over-under is set at 9, with the over favored at -140. Whether the end results go over or under the total will likely depend on Duke’s Frank Jackson and UCLA’s Ike Anigbogu going late in the first round or early in the second.