NBA Draft Betting Guide

The 2019-20 NBA season reached completion with almost no issues in the Disney World Bubble and now the field is set for the NBA Draft, to be shown Wednesday, Nov. 18 on ESPN. Here we look at NBA Draft odds.

In this article, we analyze the betting market for the top picks and the propositions available at DraftKings Sportsbook. NBA Draft odds are up for all the favorites to be selected No. 1 overall by Minnesota, with Anthony Edwards (-125) and LaMelo Ball (-112) atop the field. James Wiseman is the favorite to be selected No. 2 overall (-182), and DK offers odds on every individual pick down to No. 29 at the end of the first round.

There is an extensive proposition market for Player Draft Position with an Over/Under for 22 players available at DK Sportsbook.

Finally, DK is offering a proposition on how many college freshmen will be drafted in the top 10 and how many international players will be taken in the top 10, as well as markets for how many players will be taken from specific conferences or schools (Arizona, Duke, Washington).

ALSO READ: James Harden Trade Rumors To Nets Heat Up, Alter NBA Futures Markets

Best NBA betting sites

2020 NBA Draft odds: No. 1 overall pick

View all the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook and BetMGM.

2020 NBA Draft odds: Player drafted by position

Draft position over/unders listed here are from DraftKings Sportsbook.

LaMelo Ball (Over 2.5 at +115 or Under 2.5 at -139)

LaMelo Ball owns a 6-foot-7 frame, great court vision, and a deft ability to finish in the paint. His ceiling is higher than any other player in this draft and he’s worked his way up the draft board over the course of the year. However, LaMelo is an extremely polarizing prospect given the fact he shot 25% from 3-point range in the NBL and is from a family with a notorious father and a disappointing No. 2 overall pick in Lonzo Ball. Since we can essentially guarantee the Warriors won’t take Ball at No. 2 this year, there is excellent value at betting him to go Over 2.5.

James Wiseman (Over 2.5 at +226 or Under 2.5 -286)

If the Warriors decide to keep the No. 2 overall pick, they will likely use it on Wiseman. He’s a new age 7-footer with a 7-6 wingspan and great ball skills, who would pair perfectly with the Splash Brothers. Defensively, he’s a rim protector who can switch and wreak havoc alongside Draymond Green. The Warriors were impressed by Wiseman in pre-draft workouts and his shrinking odds indicate that pundits think Golden State will use their premium pick to add the versatile center.

Anthony Edwards (Over 1.5 at -115 or Under 1.5 at -106)

This proposition is as simple as asking whether the Wolves want to take Edwards first overall and pass on LaMelo Ball. The Wolves are looking to build around Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell, so drafting either Ball or James Wiseman could create some redundancy, but their front office may be afraid to pass up a potential franchise-changing talent like Ball. Edwards is a safe pick as a guaranteed two-way contributor with excellent athleticism and the ability to improve his offensive repertoire.

Obi Toppin (Over 4.5 at -250 or Under 4.5 at +200)

A quintessential late bloomer out of Dayton, Toppin is 6-foot-9 with a 7-2 wingspan and decent footspeed. Toppin averaged 20 PPG and 7.5 RPG while being named Naismith Player of the Year as a red-shirt senior and is being compared to a new age Amar’e Stoudemire.

Deni Avdija (Over 4.5 at -110 or Under 4.5 at -110)

Luka Doncic is one of the favorites to win NBA MVP next year in just his third season, so teams are becoming more intrigued with international prospects. Avdija is a 6-foot-9 wing with extensive experience in FIBA and the Euro League. He’s shot up the board and many expect the Bulls to take him at No. 4 despite some potential redundancy next to Lauri Markkanen.

Onyeka Okongwu (Over 6.5 at +125 or Under 6.5 at -150)

Okongwu can be a fantastic asset as a rim protector with great lateral quickness. But the Bulls, Cavs, and Hawks could all pass up on adding another center given their current roster construction. The 6-foot-9 USC product is very raw on the offensive end and could wind up going to the rebuilding Pistons or Knicks in the 7-8 range.

Tyrese Haliburton (Over 7.5 at +125 or Under 7.5 at -155)

Haliburton’s draft position is likely tied to that of French teenager Killian Hayes. Both are elite playmakers who should draw the eye of the Cavs, Hawks, and Pistons in the 5-7 range. Both guards are around 6-foot-5, 175 pounds, but Haliburton is the more explosive athlete with a proven track record at Iowa State. He could fit alongside Trae Young or Cleveland’s Darius Garland/Collin Sexton combination much better than Hayes. So we’re taking the Under on his prop and the Over (-134) on Hayes going No. 8 or later.

Cole Anthony (Over 20.5 at -125 or Under 20.5 at +103)

Earlier this summer Anthony was projected to be a top 10 draft pick and now he’s getting favorable odds to fall within the top 20. The 6-foot-3 UNC product has been tied to the Celtics at No. 14 and the Sixers at No. 21. Philly is desperate for a PG and has a revamped front office that could move up to snag Anthony.

Tyrese Maxey (Over 17.5 at +130 or Under 17.5 at -159)

The odds clearly don’t provide much value for Maxey to go before No. 18, but he’s extremely likely to draw enough interest to get drafted in the first half of the first round. Kentucky players are dominating the NBA and Maxey is the latest 5-star recruit to shine (19 PPG against teams in the AP Top 25) in one year under John Calipari.

TheLines NBA Mock Draft

Pick	Team	Player
1	Minnesota Timberwolves	Anthony Edwards, Georgia
2	Golden State Warriors	James Wiseman, Memphis
3	Charlotte Hornets	LaMelo Ball, Illawarra, NBL
4	Chicago Bulls	Obi Toppin, Dayton
5	Cleveland Cavaliers	Deni Avdija, Israel
6	Atlanta Hawks	Tyrese Haliburton, Iowa State
7	Detroit Pistons	Patrick Williams, Florida State
8	New York Knicks	Onyeka Okongwu, USC
9	Washington Wizards	Killian Hayes, Germany
10	Phoenix Suns	Isaac Okoro, Auburn
11	San Antonio Spurs	RJ Hampton, New Zealand
12	Sacramento Kings	Saddiq Bey, Villanova
13	New Orleans Pelicans	Devin Vassell, Florida State
14	Boston Celtics	Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky
15	Orlando Magic	Kira Lewis Jr., Alabama
16	Portland Trail Blazers	Aaron Nesmith, Vanderbilt
17	Minnesota Timberwolves	Cole Anthony, UNC
18	Dallas Mavericks	Precious Achiuwa, Memphis
19	Brooklyn Nets	Leandro Bolmaro, Spain
20	Miami Heat	Josh Green, Arizona
21	Philadelphia 76ers	Tyrell Terry, Stanford
22	Denver Nuggets	Desmond Bane, TCU
23	New York Knicks	Jaden McDaniels, Washington
24	Milwaukee Bucks	Isaiah Stewart, Washington
25	Oklahoma City Thunder	Aleksej Pokusevski, Greece
26	Boston Celtics	Malachi Flynn, San Diego State
27	Utah Jazz	Theo Maledon, France
28	Oklahoma City Thunder	Cassius Winston, Michigan State
29	Toronto Raptors	Tyler Bey, Colorado
30	Boston Celtics	Jalen Smith, Maryland

How to bet on the NBA Draft

The primary way to bet on the NBA Draft is to take a proposition or “prop” bet on when a player will be drafted. The most popular prop is which player will be taken 1st overall, with varying odds at different sportsbooks.

If a player is slated with -150 odds to be selected first overall, that means a bettor would have to wager $15 to profit $10 if the player is selected first. If an underdog with +300 odds is taken first overall, a bettor who backed that player would profit $45 on a $15 bet.