When the extravaganza that is the first round of the NFL Draft unfolds this Thursday, general managers and coaches won’t be the only ones doing the gambling.

Thanks to a number of leading New Jersey operators – FanDuel Sportsbook, DraftKings Sportsbook, PointsBet and BetStars – Garden State bettors will be able to do their own fair share of prognosticating around the annual player lottery.

We’re almost a full year removed from the Supreme Court’s May 2018 landmark decision that opened up the possibility of non-Nevada sports betting markets via the eradication of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA).

Thus, in what has been nearly 12 months of sports betting “firsts”, we’re about to commemorate the first year that football/wagering aficionados outside the Silver State can wager legally on a wide array of NFL Draft-based props.

Public interested in No. 1 overall selection

Any time a quarterback is even in the conversation as a potential top overall pick, interest in the draft tends to be stronger overall. We have such a scenario this year with former Oklahoma Sooner Kyler Murray. He earned the buzz with a junior season in which he amassed 5,362 total yards (4,361 passing, 1,001 rushing).

While momentum for the two-way threat as the top selection seems to be on a definite upswing in the eyes of oddsmakers, that’s more of a recent development at FanDuel Sportsbook.

The operator’s representatives confirm that Murray actually opened with +160 odds to be taken at the top of the draft. That checked in just below initial favorite Nick Bosa (+110). Murray was subsequently bet down as low as -1200 after we got wind of a Kliff Kingsbury infatuation in Arizona.

Murray currently sits as the odds-on favorite at -500, with at least an element of doubt persisting with respect to his eventual destination (more on that below).

FanDuel also confirms the top overall draft pick prop has generated the greatest amount of handle thus far.

Meanwhile, it’s OSU’s Bosa that’s actually attracting the highest volume of bets from Garden State bettors as the potential N0. 1 overall selection.

Both FanDuel and DraftKings representatives report Bosa as the recipient of the most wagers to be selected at the top of the draft, with the latter specifying 56.0 percent of bets have come in on the former Buckeye. However, it’s still Murray who’s prompting the most handle at DraftKings in that regard — 56.0 percent of money wagered on the first pick is coming in on the quarterback.

Analyzing the most popular wagers

Team to draft Kyler Murray (all books):

The Cardinals as prohibitive favorites for Murray increasingly appears to make sense, although there’s certainly still a chance a team knocks their socks off with a lucrative enough offer.

It bears noting that a somewhat unlikely source – former NFL receiver Antonio Bryant – recently tweeted that he’s heard from people “inside the Cardinals’ organization” that Ohio State’s Bosa now tops the team’s draft board. But, there’s more billowing smoke than a five-alarm fire this time of year, so that has to be taken with a grain of salt.

Granted, the fact last year’s 10^th overall pick Josh Rosen remains on the roster is another proverbial fly in the ointment. However, a draft-day trade of Rosen may well be forthcoming.

Top overall pick (all books):

Murray seems to be the likeliest top pick even if the Cardinals aren’t the team to nab him. That’s the sportsbooks’ prevailing view, as Murray is currently a pretty clear favorite over the next-closest candidate in Bosa.

If the Cards do indeed choose to stick with Rosen – a player the new coaching regime has no inherent loyalty to – they’re probably more likely to take the king’s ransom that will undoubtedly be offered to them for the top selection. That would almost assuredly mean sacrificing a chance at Bosa in the process, since their potential trade partners would come from the No. 6 spot in the round down (with the Raiders at No. 4 as a possible exception).

Team to draft Dwayne Haskins (all books):

The quarterback-needy Giants are getting plenty of local interest as the team to nab the “other” big-name quarterback in this year’s draft. New Jersey bettors are plunking down plenty of cash at FD on Haskins heading to the Big Apple come Thursday. The athletic OSU alum makes for an attractive consolation prize should the G-Men decide the price to move up five spots to grab Murray is too rich.

Notably, the Giants’ NFC East-rival Redskins actually are the current FD Sportsbook favorites (+280) to grab Haskins. While Washington traded for Case Keenum this offseason, the cost was only a 2020 sixth-rounder. Haskins and the team have publicly displayed mutual admiration as well, adding to the intrigue.

But, to secure Haskins, the ‘Skins will presumably need to pay a fairly hefty price to move up from No. 15 and vault ahead of the Giants at No. 6, in the event New York’s reported interest in Jones is nothing but a smokescreen.

Second overall pick (FD Sportsbook, DK Sportsbook, PointsBet):

Bosa is the clear leader across all three books, while Alabama defensive end Quinnen Williams is a locked-in second choice. The current owners of the No. 2 pick, the 49ers, clearly can use the defensive line/pass rushing help that either player could provide in spades after tying for the seventh-fewest sacks (37) last season. And, both the Jets and Raiders, owners of the No. 3 and No. 4 picks, respectively, would undoubtedly stand to benefit from Williams’ vast talent in the interior of their defenses as well.

DraftKings giving local teams plenty of prop-based love

In a nod to three area favorites — the Jets, Giants and Eagles — DraftKings Sportsbook is also rolling out “team specials”. Bettors can find odds on who each of those franchise’s first pick in the draft will be:

Giants (sixth overall pick in 1st round)

• Co-favorites: QBs Dwayne Haskins and Daniel Jones (+300)
• Most Bet: LB Devin White (+1000)
• Most Money: Haskins

DraftKings oddsmakers clearly see the G-Men going quarterback with their first of two first-round picks. It’s easy to see why. Eli Manning isn’t long for the Big Apple and has no clear-cut successor on the roster. Haskins is widely considered to be a better prospect than Jones. However, Jones amassed a rock-solid college resume as a three-year starter at Duke (8,201 passing yards and 1,323 rushing yards/ 52:29 TD:INT) and turned in an impressive pro day. Recent reports that an unnamed team has Jones as the No. 1 QB on its draft board fuels speculation it could be toss-up between the two signal-callers when it comes to New York’s pick.

Then, White compiled 28.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks in three seasons at LSU. He would certainly help shore up a Giants defense that ranked in the bottom half of the NFL in rush yards per game allowed (118.6) and tied for second-fewest sacks (30). However, New York appears likely to address their sizable need under center with the first of their two first-round selections.

Jets (third overall pick in 1st round)

• Favorite: DT Ed Oliver (+200)
• Most Bets/Most Money: EDGE Josh Allen (+250)

Oliver seems to be gaining momentum after reports of the Jets’ intense interest. With 53 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks in three college seasons at Houston, that news isn’t surprising. That’s especially true when considering New York allowed the seventh-most rush yards per game (126.3) in the NFL last season, along with 16 rushing touchdowns.

However, Kentucky standout Allen is breathing down his neck and is the public’s choice thus far. He brings plenty of impressive credentials in his own right (42 tackles for loss, 31.5 sacks).

Eagles (25th overall pick in 1st round)

• Favorite: RB Joshua Jacobs (+600)

The Eagles have been trying to address the backfield for some time now. Their approach of mix-and-matching specialty backs hasn’t yielded too much success, so the oddsmakers seem to feel they’re most likely to nab the ultra-efficient (5.9 career yards per carry at Alabama) and multi-talented (2,062 total yards from scrimmage) Jacobs.

More NFL Draft betting options?

There’s no shortage of other options available for those who want to wager on more granular scenarios within the three-day event that kicks off this Thursday. If you’re in New Jersey, each of these sportsbooks has wagers and odds available for the NFL Draft:

If it has to do with Kyler Murray, it’s probably hard to pin down. Plenty of defensive players can vouch for that.

But his evasiveness isn’t just limited to the football field. Just ask Texas A&M University. And most recently, the jilted Oakland Athletics.

Given his knack for swerves, plunking down some cash on whether Murray is nabbed with the top pick in the NFL Draft later this month by the Arizona Cardinals might seem like a risky proposition.

Yet there seems to be some certainty developing with respect to Murray in the eyes of oddsmakers. Several New Jersey sportsbooks are increasingly confident the multi-talented, multi-sport star will head to the desert — Arizona, specifically — and become the 32nd quarterback in history to be taken at the top of the draft April 25.

The following are current NFL Draft futures odds on Murray going to the Cardinals:

• FanDuel Sportsbook: -1000
• BetStars NJ: -550
• DraftKings Sportsbook: -500

Cardinals just invested heavy draft capital in a quarterback

The Cardinals are where they are in this year’s draft order courtesy of a 3-13 record in 2018. Yet, unlike many other years where a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback is getting buzz as worthy of the top selection, the team holding that pick isn’t a clear-cut candidate to take him.

The reason for that is a tad complex. It just so happens Arizona invested the 10th overall pick in last year’s draft on Josh Rosen. A second-team All-Pac-12 selection in his junior season at UCLA, Rosen declared for last year’s NFL player lottery after throwing for 3,756 yards and generating a 26:10 TD:INT in 2017.

Rosen was named the starter prior to Week 4 by former Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks. The often shell-shocked rookie went on to throw for 2,278 yards, 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions while adding 138 yards on 23 rushes. To say he was thrust into some tough circumstances is an understatement. In addition to an overall lack of talent around him, Rosen also endured an offensive coordinator change from Mike McCoy to Byron Leftwich.

Therefore, there are enough open questions about Rosen and what he might be capable of with a fresh start in an offense that is extremely quarterback friendly. Enough to at least cast an element of doubt on whether the Cardinals stand pat at No. 1 and take Murray.

New coach’s offense and Murray a match made in football heaven?

The combination of Murray’s tantalizing skill set and the unabashed admiration Arizona’s new head coach displayed for him — albeit months before he was named to replace Wilks — seem to tip the scales in the young signal-caller’s favor.

Kliff Kingsbury will patrol the sidelines at the Cardinals’ head man this fall. As Texas Tech’s head coach, he famously (and perhaps prophetically) proclaimed he’d take Murray with the top overall pick prior to a game against Murray’s Sooners last October. Kingsbury now just happens to be in position to do just that, adding to the intrigue.

Then there’s the fact that on the spectrum of classifying head coaches as either “offensive” or “defensive” in their background, Kingsbury is off the charts in the former. He’s been a quarterback at the college, NFL, NFL Europe and CFL levels. The 39-year-old has enjoyed his greatest success as both player and coach running the wide-open spread offense authored by former Texas Tech and current Washington State head coach Mike Leach.

How much of that system he’ll implement and how well it will translate to the pro game remains to be seen. But having a talent the caliber of Murray — who supplemented his 4,361 passing yards and 42:7 TD:INT last season with 1,001 rushing yards — would seemingly up its chances of thriving.

Cards keeping cards close to the vest

As it always does when a team has a certain amount of flexibility with the top pick, it comes down to a basic equation: the player they’re assured of having versus those they could potentially have, should they trade down.

While naturally playing coy, Cardinals general manager Steve Keim acknowledged as much in a Tuesday press conference with Kingsbury at his side. Keim unsurprisingly played word games with reporters while fielding questions about whether taking a quarterback (i.e. Murray) was or wasn’t a consideration for him.

And, Kingsbury joined the fun by heaping praise on Rosen’s attitude through the first week-plus of classroom work in Arizona’s off-season program. If you didn’t know better, you’d swear he was reading off a teleprompter as part of a concerted effort to find the Cardinals a willing trade partner for the incumbent quarterback.

Handicapping Murray’s destination could certainly be tricky all the way up to Day 1 of the draft. After all, in addition to reports of multiple interested teams in the Cardinals’ pick, there’s technically a remote chance of a highly unlikely but still possible third scenario. One where Arizona stays put at the top and takes another highly rated prospect such as Nick Bosa or Quinnen Williams.

Looking at Arizona’s potential trade partners

In an effort to better gauge the overall situation, here’s the quarterback landscape for the nine next-closest teams to the Cardinals in this year’s draft order:

• San Francisco 49ers (2nd overall): Recently signed Jimmy Garoppolo to sizable extension and also have promising Nick Mullens behind him. Likely interest in Murray: Very low
• New York Jets (3rd overall): Invested third overall pick in 2018 draft in Sam Darnold. Likely interest in Murray: None
• Oakland Raiders (4th overall): Derek Carr under contract for four more seasons, but HC Jon Gruden and GM Mike Mayock are QB and personnel gurus, respectively, leaving the door open for a bold move. Likely interest in Murray: Potentially sneaky-high
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5th overall): Jameis Winston’s $20 million-plus player option picked up for ’19, but no long-term deal in place yet. Likely interest in Murray: Difficult to gauge but potentially creeping up
• New York Giants (6th overall): Eli Manning could be on last legs and is definitely on last year of contract. No clear-cut long-term replacement on roster. Likely interest in Murray: Very high
• Jacksonville Jaguars (7th overall): Just took the Nick Foles bait in free agency to the tune of four-year, $88 million contract. Major dead cap charges if cut any time before 2021 season. Likely interest in Murray: Very low
• Detroit Lions (8th overall): Matthew Stafford still entrenched as starter and Lions’ position in round dictates steep price to move up to No. 1 overall. Likely interest in Murray: Very low
• Buffalo Bills (9th overall): Invested seventh overall pick in 2018 draft in Josh Allen. Likely interest in Murray: None
• Denver Broncos (10th overall): Traded for stopgap solution Joe Flacco in offseason. No true long-term prospect behind him on roster. Likely interest in Murray: Medium-to-high

And finally, there are a couple of other quarterback-needy teams in selections 11-15 that could certainly have Keim on speed dial over the next week. They are:

• Miami Dolphins (13th overall): Signed Ryan Fitzpatrick to a two-year deal this offseason, but he could be released after the first season with just $1.5 million hit in dead cap money. Likely interest in Murray: High
• Washington Redskins (15th overall): Traded for Case Keenum in offseason, but price was only a 2020 sixth-rounder. Alex Smith’s future also very much in doubt, and rumors of Murray interest abound. Likely interest in Murray: Very high

Although the NFL railed against legalized sports betting for what seemed like forever, top executives in each of its franchises have enthusiastically engaged in a form of high-stakes, league-sanctioned gambling every spring for decades.

More commonly known as the NFL Draft, the late-April ritual sees multiple higher-ups in each organization put the fortunes of both their teams and their reputations as talent evaluators on the line each year with the players they deem worthy of selecting from college football’s ranks.

NJ sportsbooks taking NFL Draft bets for first time

Given that it’s long been a televised extravaganza during a time of year where the average football fan is jonesing for some NFL-related excitement, it’s no surprise the draft has also progressively turned into a betting event for the public. In prior years, Nevada sportsbooks were the place to go for any legalized wagering on the yearly player lottery.

Naturally, the options have expanded significantly ahead of the 2019 edition of the draft. Some New Jersey operators — DraftKings Sportsbook, BetStars, 888 Sport and PointsBet — have jumped on board to varying degree.

BetStars is currently the leader in the clubhouse when it comes to sheer volume of offerings. PointsBet, which just announced a marketing partnership with Topgolf in the state, is a close second for the moment.

Meanwhile, both 888 Sport and DK Sportsbook are playing things close to the vest at this point. Their currently available props center on arguably the most recognizable name in this year’s draft overall — Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Kyler Murray.

Murray’s draft presence driving plenty of betting options

Murray’s recent announcement that he’d forgo a professional baseball career with the Oakland Athletics to pursue football was a boon to the general interest level for this year’s draft. The 2018 Heisman Trophy winner brings some much-needed star power into the first round after racking up a whopping 5,362 total scrimmage yards (4,361 passing, 1,001 rushing) and 54 total touchdowns (42 passing, 12 rushing) in his just-completed junior season.

While the props selections and odds naturally differ from sportsbook to sportsbook, there seems to be consensus in one particular area: the quarterback- and excitement-starved Miami Dolphins, which are believed ready to move on from Ryan Tannehill, are the likeliest landing spot for Murray.

Prior to Murray’s announcement, the top of the draft was poised to be headlined by defense. While OSU’s Nick Bosa, Kentucky’s Josh Allen and Alabama’s Quinnen Williams are undeniably blue-chip prospects and make plenty of noise terrorizing quarterbacks, nothing gets buzz going like the signal-callers themselves.

On that note, Bosa’s teammate Dwayne Haskins, who’s shot up draft boards after a 50-touchdown sophomore campaign, is also a first-round luminary. Accordingly, he’s also drawing some draft-prop love as part of the aforementioned voluminous selection of wagers at BetStars.

A closer look at some of the sportsbook’s various draft-based offerings:

BetStars

Team to draft Kyler Murray:

• Miami Dolphins: +175
• Arizona Cardinals: +333
• Oakland Raiders: +450
• NY Giants:  +500
• Jacksonville Jaguars: +600

Kyler Murray Draft Position:

• Under 8.5: -150
• Over 8.5: +115

Team to draft Dwayne Haskins:

• NY Giants: +200
• Washington Redskins: +450
• Oakland Raiders: +550
• Jacksonville Jaguars: +650
• Miami Dolphins: +700

1st QB drafted:

• Haskins: -175
• Murray: +165

As mentioned earlier, PointsBet is already offering a solid menu of draft props as well. The operator even has a “Name A Bet” section that offers some options beyond the more conventional and encompass multiple possible first-round scenarios:

PointsBet

No. 1 pick:

• Nick Bosa: -200
• Quinnen Williams: +350
• Kyler Murray: +450
• Josh Allen: +1200
• Ed Oliver: +1400
• Dwayne Haskins: +1400

Team to Draft Kyler Murray:

• Miami Dolphins: +250
• Jacksonville Jaguars: +350
• Oakland Raiders: +550
• Arizona Cardinals: +600
• NY Giants: +750

Name a Bet:

• First RB selected from Alabama: -501
• Giants to draft 1st round QB: -275
• Kyler Murray drafted top 8: -200
• Nick Bosa and Quinnen Williams first two players picked: -167
• Giants, Jags, Dolphins to all draft QB in 1st round: +100
• Kyler Murray as first overall pick: +550

Notably, DK and 888 Sport both currently check in with matching betting options and odds on both Murray’s possible draft position and the top five teams most likely to draft the dynamic quarterback. With the draft still over two months away, there naturally could be plenty of other props added by both operators, as well as others in the state.

DraftKings Sportsbook

Kyler Murray Draft Position:

• Over 6.5: -139
• Under 6.5: +105

Team to Draft Kyler Murray:

• Miami Dolphins: +250
• Jacksonville Jaguars: +400
• Oakland Raiders: +500
• Arizona Cardinals: +600
• NY Giants: +700

888 Sport

Kyler Murray Draft Position:

• Over 6.5: -139
• Under 6.5: +105

Team to Draft Kyler Murray:

• Miami Dolphins: +250
• Jacksonville Jaguars: +400
• Oakland Raiders: +500
• Arizona Cardinals: +600
• NY Giants: +700

FanDuel still in wait-and-see mode?

FanDuel Sportsbook is one major New Jersey sportsbook that’s yet to offer any NFL draft odds. The operator does have NFL futures bets in the form of the next year’s Super Bowl winner, as well as conference champions for the 2019 season.

A request for further clarification on whether the company will eventually offer NFL draft odds is pending a final response as of this writing. However, based on how wagering options have unfolded in New Jersey thus far during the state’s brief history with legalized sports betting, it would appear likely we’ll eventually see FD follow suit to some degree.