The NBA Draft betting markets are lighting up like a Christmas tree on draft day.
With endless reports and rumors circulating across the country, bookmakers have been taking bets and moving lines at an extremely furious pace. I stared at the PointsBet Sportsbook draft position markets for five straight minutes earlier this morning and the betting boxes fluttered between red and blue colors the entire time.
The lines they are a-changin’.
The biggest shift at PointsBet involves the first overall draft pick market. Two days ago, LaMelo Ball was a -200 favorite to be taken No. 1 by Minnnesota. On Tuesday morning, Ball and Anthony Edwards were both -110 to go first. Edwards was -140 by Tuesday night and at this very moment, PointsBet is dealing the Georgia superstar at -304. Ball currently checks in at +205, which is a noteworthy slide from -200.
“Everything is coming in on Edwards,” PointsBet senior sports analyst Andrew Mannino told NBC Sports. “It seems like the market has really coalesced. He was the favorite early on then drifted as the Ball talk started to heat up, but now Edwards is firmly the guy."[[ad:athena]]
All signs point to Memphis center James Wiseman going in the top two. His draft position prop sits at 2.5 u-313, which means you have to risk $313 to win $100 on him being off the board by the third pick. That number was as low as 2.5 u-130 yesterday. If Golden State holds on to the second pick, it’s difficult to see them selecting another guard (Ball or Edwards) when they have other holes that need to be filled immediately.
Florida State winger Patrick Williams has seen his stock rise rapidly over the last 48 hours. One respected rumor has the Chicago Bulls showing interest in Williams with the fourth overall pick. PointsBet’s draft position number was 9.5 u-140 on Monday and 7.5 u-135 this morning. The Williams betting option is now off the board.
Elsewhere, USC forward Onyeka Okongwu is falling fast. Rick Bonnell from the Charlotte Observer reported that Okongwu has a foot injury that could keep him out for a while. Other reports say it’s just a toe injury and not too serious. Only Okongwu and those close to him truly know the severity and everybody else is likely just guessing.
Bettors are still firing though – Okongwu’s draft position prop is 6.5 (o+110, u-145).
“We’re scrambling to keep everything straight with all these different props,” Mannino explained. “It’s certainly been more hectic than we’ve seen in the past. You tend to see a lot of movement around drafts though. People are reacting to every bit of steam that they hear. We’re updating the prices constantly.”
PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner, and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links.
