NBA Draft Betting Odds

One of the best times during the NBA offseason is the draft period.

For NBA bettors, this is also a great opportunity to get some action going as new players arrive to the league.

This guide will help you in every way, shape, or form to get the best chance to grow your bankroll during the NBA Draft.

NBA Draft Betting Odds

All sportsbooks, both online and retail, use odds to show how probable it is for a certain event to happen. These betting odds are displayed as a three-or-more digit number, with a plus (+) or minus (-) sign before it.

These signs portray who is the favorite and who is the underdog.

The bigger the number next to the plus (+) sign, the less likely it is for the event to happen, according to the sportsbook. The larger the number is next to the minus (-) sign, the more probable it is for the outcome to occur according to the bookmakers.

Odds that have a positive (+) symbol attached to their number tell you how much ROI you would get for every $100 you bet.

For instance, say Gonzaga’s C Chet Holmgren is +1500 to be drafted first overall. A $100 wager on him would give you a $1500 profit plus your original $100 wager back.

The final payout is a whopping $1600. However, such a large number tells you the sportsbook is not high on the likelihood of Holmgren being the first pick.

If the odds are joined by a minus sign, this implies how much money you’re needed to lay on the line to have a profit of $100.

For example, Duke’s PF Paolo Banchero is -250 to be the second overall draft pick. This means you’ll need to risk $250 on him in order to make a $100 winning on the bet.

Hence, the return for this bet will be $350 (your $250 wager plus the $100 earnings of winning the bet).

In both of these examples, you will get the initial amount you wagered back as part of your earnings, as well as the amount of money you won.

Betting On The NBA Draft

There are a lot of market selections to bet on when the NBA Draft comes around.

From the first, second, and third players to be drafted, all the way to draft positions of each individual player. You can also bet on the exact order of the first four draft selections, and a plethora of more options available as well.

Depending on the sportsbook, you’ll have more or fewer markets and higher or lower limits. So, be sure to check many sites before placing bets.

It’s fair to say that betting on the NBA Draft isn’t the easiest way of betting. Thus, we’ve gone searching through some of the more known markets on display and explained some of those below.

Let’s check them out!

First Player Drafted Market

When it comes to the NBA Draft, this is one of the simplest markets to bet.

Here, you are betting on the player that will be selected first in the upcoming 2022 NBA Draft. Plain and simple.

Say the Oklahoma City Thunder have the first pick for the 2022 NBA Draft. The only thing you’ll need to get right on this bet is which player is drafted by the Thunder.

The factors like which team that drafts at one will not come much into play here. It’s symbolic. The odds for this market will be listed here once they become available.

The first round of the NBA Draft will be on June 23rd, 2022. It’s important to remember the date to get your bets submitted before the event begins in order for them to be accepted by the sportsbooks.

In addition to the ‘First Player Drafted’ market, you can also find others like ‘Second Player Drafted’ and ‘Third Player Drafted’ markets. Most online sports betting sites offer these markets too, as they are highly popular.

Just like the ‘First Player Drafted’ market, your only focus should be on the players that are drafted second and third overall. No other factors should be taken into consideration here.

Exact Order Market

Now, let’s talk about the exact order markets. In these, you are betting on the order in which certain players are going to be selected.

Most sportsbooks will offer you the ‘Top 3 Exact Order’ and ‘Top 4 Exact Order’ markets, as those are one the NBA Draft bettors seek constantly.

In these cases, it’s crucial for you to take the teams that have the highest picks into consideration. For instance, say the top two picks in the 2022 NBA Draft belong to the Thunder and Houston Rockets.

Since there is no clear-cut player above the rest (as Zion Williamson a few years ago), their decision to draft a player depends on a lot of factors.

One of the most important may be boosting areas in their squad that need reinforcement the most. If a team has a top-tier player, and the best prospect plays the same position, the team has no need to draft him.

This will cause them to change directions and go to the next best player in another position, where they need depth or playmakers.

For example, let’s take a look at last year’s draft. Players like Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, Evan Mobley, and Jalen Suggs were all projected to be picked in the top four.

The sportsbooks display the ‘Top Four Exact Order’ market like this:

Top Four Exact Order Odds

1. Cunningham 2. Green 3. Mobley 4. Suggs +110

1. Cunningham 2. Mobley 3. Green 4. Suggs +410

1. Cunningham 2. Green 3. Suggs 4. Mobley +435

1. Cunningham 2. Green 3. Mobley 4. Kuminga+700

1. Cunningham 2. Mobley 3. Green 4. Kuminga+850

Here, you are not just betting on the first four players chosen at the draft. You need to also pick their position, hence studying the teams that have those picks.

Draft Position Market

The ‘Draft Position’ markets are for individual players.

You are betting on whether you consider a certain player’s draft position to be over or under a set line that the sportsbook predetermines.

In this market, the betting lines look as follow:

Chet Holmgren Draft Position

Over 3.5 +115
Under 3.5 -143

The sportsbook projects Holmgren to go between the third and fourth pick. You bet whether it goes before the fourth, or after the third.

These markets are great if you have a hunch on a given player and what position they’ll be drafted on.

Top Draft Picks Market

In this market, you’re betting on specific players to be chosen between a certain number of picks. Your sportsbook will provide this projected number for you.

Most sportsbooks will offer a menu of ‘Top Draft Pick’ markets. ‘Top 5’ and ‘Top 10’ both are usually available for the NBA Draft. There are a nice amount of players to choose from too, so you won’t have to nit-pick.

There are a number of factors that aren’t considered in this market. The team which drafts them or the position in which they play is not as key.

Since the position in which they’re selected in the draft is the only focus of this bet, those other things are non-relevant.

The betting for ‘Top 10 Draft Pick’ for the upcoming NBA Draft looks like this

Chet Holmgren-400
Paolo Banchero -188
Jaden Hardy -175
Jalen Duren +100
Jaden Ivey +115

When betting on this market, it’s important taking the draft order, as well the rosters of the teams that have the first 10 picks as reference.

This could play a big part in helping you decide which players you think will make a top 10 pick or not. This year is seen as a developmental draft, so it’s even more crucial to take those two factors into account.

Player Draft Matchup Market

In these markets, you’re betting on one of two players. The winner is the player that’s picked ahead of the other in the NBA Draft.

The only thing you need to focus on here is whether the player you’re backing is drafted before or after the player they are pitted against. The players’ matchups are offered by the sportsbooks.

An example for the upcoming 2022 NBA Draft looks something like this:

Chet Holmgren -130
Paolo Banchero+100

For example, if your bet is on Holmgren, you will win as long as he is selected ahead of Paolo Banchero in the NBA Draft. If Banchero gets his draft hat before Holmgren, you lose the bet.