Basically, everyone knows how popular the NFL is to bet on. Whether it's weekly point spread wagers, playoff futures, or Super Bowl winners, every event is a caps-lock DRAW. This includes the NFL draft.
Sure, it might not be the most popular football event to wager on. But it still beats out most major games or series in the NBA, NHL and MLB. In particular, the NFL draft is a prop-betting gold mine, not unlike the Super Bowl props market.
From choosing who gets drafted in a specific slot to betting on the overall draft range to wagering on the first player to get grabbed at each position, you have a breadth of fun investments to make. Naturally, with the 2021 NFL draft just around the corner, we have our own NFL draft picks to drop for your enjoyment.
To kick things off, here are the odds for who will go with the No. 1 pick, courtesy of Bovada:
| No. 1 Selection |  |
|---|---|
| Trevor Lawrence | -100000 |
| Zach Wilson | +1800 |
| Justin Fields | +2800 |
| Penei Sewell | +10000 |
| Trey Lance | +10000 |
| Mac Jones | +12500 |
| J'Marr Chase | +15000 |
| Kyle PItts | +15000 |
| DeVonta Smith | +25000 |
| Rashawn Slater | +25000 |
| Micah Parsons | +25000 |
| Kyle Leatherwood | +50000 |
| Gregory Rousseau | +50000 |
| Najee Harris | +50000 |
| Jaylen Waddle | +50000 |
| Patrick Surtain II | +50000 |
Like always, make sure you're double-checking these NFL draft odds before deciding on a wager, as they will shift between now and the start of the festivities.
2021 NFL Draft Betting Breakdown
- When: Thursday, April 29 - Saturday, May 1
- Time: 8 p.m. EST
- Where: Cleveland, Ohio
- Watch: ESPN
Who Will the Jaguars Select at No. 1?
As you can tell from the odds above, this isn't really much of a decision: The answer is Trevor Lawrence.
Though sportsbooks are still laying lines for others, they are a waste of your money. Lawrence has been billed as the most transcendent QB prospect in quite some time, and the Jacksonville Jaguars are nothing if not desperate for a cornerstone under center.
OSB Prediction: Trevor Lawrence (-100000)
Who Will the Jets Select at No. 2?
Check out the odds for who the New York Jets will select with the No. 2 pick:
| No. 2 Pick | |
|---|---|
| Zach Wilson | -5000 |
| Justin Fields | +1000 |
| Trey Lance | +2800 |
| Mac Jones | +3300 |
| Penei Sewell | +5000 |
| J'Marr Chase | +4500 |
| Kyle PItts | +5000 |
| Trevor Lawrence | +6600 |
| Micah Parsons | +12500 |
| Rashawn Slater | +12500 |
| DeVonta Smith | +25000 |
| Kyle Leatherwood | +25000 |
| Gregory Rousseau | +25000 |
| Jaylen Waddle | +25000 |
| Patrick Surtain II | +25000 |
| Najee Harris | +50000 |
Pencil this in as another no-brainer. The Jets traded quarterback Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers because they are "all in" on BYU's Zach Wilson, according to multiple reports. Odd things can happen on NFL draft night, but this feels fait accompli.
Dark-horse hunters will point to Wilson's absurd rise-up draft boards over the past year as evidence the Jets could go another direction. He wasn't even considered a top-50 prospect ahead of this season. Still, he provides a mix of mobility and playmaking. If his skill set pans out at the next level, he has a chance to be the best player in the class—including over Lawrence.
OSB Prediction: Zach Wilson (-5000)
Who Will the 49ers Select at No. 3?
Check out the odds for who the San Francisco 49ers will select with the No. 3 pick:
| No. 3 Pick | |
|---|---|
| Justin Fields | -150 |
| Mac Jones | +130 |
| Trey Lance | +450 |
| Zach Wilson | +3500 |
| Kyle PItts | +3500 |
| J'Marr Chase | +10000 |
| Penei Sewell | +15000 |
| Trevor Lawrence | +40000 |
| Micah Parsons | +40000 |
| Rashawn Slater | +40000 |
| DeVonta Smith | +40000 |
| Patrick Surtain II | +40000 |
| Kyle Leatherwood | +50000 |
| Gregory Rousseau | +50000 |
| Jaylen Waddle | +50000 |
| Najee Harris | +50000 |
Misdirection abounds here. We know the Niners traded up to No. 3 so they could select a QB. But there is some debate over which QB.
The current rumor mill would have you believe they're smitten with Mac Jones. That might be true. But Justin Fields has been considered a consensus top-three pick for almost a year. If the Niners really preferred Jones, they probably could have forked over less value and traded up to a lower spot in the draft.
At -150, Fields provides great value in what, really, should be an effortless decision. For anyone inclined to roll the dice for a higher return, we get it. But Jones isn't an enticing enough selection at +130.
OSB Prediction: Justin Fields (-150)
Which Player Will Definitely Be Drafted Top 5?
Check out the odds for which players will definitely be selected with a top-five pick:
| Drafted Top 5 | |
|---|---|
| Justin Fields | -500 |
| Mac Jones | -400 |
| Kyle PItts | -160 |
| Trey Lance | -150 |
| J'Marr Chase | -125 |
| Penei Sewell | +110 |
| Rashawn Slater | +250 |
| Micah Parsons | +700 |
| Patrick Surtain II | +1000 |
| Jaycee Horn | +1400 |
| Kwity Paye | +1400 |
| Jaylen Waddle | +1600 |
| DeVonta Smith | +1600 |
| Jaelan Phillips | +2200 |
| Christian Darrisaw | +5000 |
| Travis Etienne | +10000 |
| Tevin Jenkins | +10000 |
| Najee Harris | +10000 |
| Gregory Rousseau | +10000 |
| Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah | +10000 |
| Caleb Farley | +12500 |
You'll notice Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson aren't on here. That's how certain oddsmakers are they will be going in the top five.
Mac Jones (-400) and Justin Fields (-500) are more interesting cases. We recommend steering clear of the former. If he doesn't go to the Niners at No. 3, he probably doesn't get picked in the top five. Fields' top-five case is more of a formality, but it's up to you whether -500 is worth an investment.
We like Penei Sewell (+110), an offensive tackle out of Oregon, for this prop. He was considered a top-five lock until the Cincinnati Bengals beefed up their O-Line in free agency. We still think they end up taking him at No. 5. They need all the protection for franchise QB Joe Burrow they can get.
OSB Prediction: Penei Sewell (+110)
Who Will Be The First Non-QB Drafted?
Check out the odds on who will be the first non-quarterback taken in the draft:
This steps on the toes of our last selection. We know quarterbacks are going with the first three picks. That makes the Atlanta Falcons at No. 4 the swing team.
There's a chance Atlanta trades out of this selection. That could throw things for a whirl. But we think they'll take a stab at selecting Matt Ryan's successor. Whether that's Justin Fields or Trey Lance, we firmly believe they'll snag a signal-caller.
That, in turn, brings us to the Bengals at No. 5. And that makes this a great chance to capitalize on a +275 for Penei Sewell.
OSB Prediction: Penei Sewell (+275)
How Many Offensive Players Get Drafted in Round 1?
Check out the odds for how many offensive players will be taken in Round 1:
Let's not mince words. You want the over. Just given how many offensive players are going alone in the top 10, we're probably looking at 20 total being taken off the board in Round 1.
OSB Prediction: Over 18.5 (-115)
How Many Running Backs Get Drafted in Round 1?
Check out the odds for how many running backs will be taken in Round 1:
This is a fun stab-in-the-dark pick. Najee Harris is considered the only running back to certainly get taken in Round 1, and he's expected to go within the top 20. So the question becomes: Will another running back be selected with one of the final 12 selections?
And our answer is yes, just because it pays out almost 4-to-1.
OSB Prediction: Over 1.5 (+375)
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