2021 NFL Draft Betting Guide: Preview & Picks

Good news, football is back! Well, kind of. The 2021 NFL Draft is set to begin this Thursday and over the past few years, it’s become a popular event to bet on among sports bettors. Whether you’re betting on who your favorite team will draft or the exact order of the first five picks, there are plenty of betting options available.

Let’s be honest, if you’re going to watch the NFL Draft you might as well bet on it.

Below is a comprehensive guide to betting on the 2021 NFL Draft, including event details, handicapping tips and best bets.

2021 NFL Draft Details:

• Event: 2021 NFL Draft
• Dates: Thursday, April 29th – Saturday, May 1st
• Time: Round 1 begins at 8 pm ET
• Location: Cleveland, Ohio
• Watch: ESPN, ABC, NFL Network
• On the Clock: Jacksonville Jaguars

All odds listed are per BetOnline Sportsbook.

How to Handicap the NFL Draft

There’s no unknown secret to betting on the NFL Draft. It’s not like handicapping actual games where you can look at stats, trends, and other data to figure out where the value is. Instead, you have to rely on the information relayed to us through members of the sports media.

The best you can do is absorb as much information as possible from mock drafts, insider reports, and individual team needs. You can also take a look at some tendencies that certain general managers have. Back when Al Davis was the general manager of the Raiders, betting on them to select the WR with the fastest 40-time with their 1st pick would have been a great bet every single year.

At the end of the day, even the best draft analysts will be dead wrong on several fronts.

Do your research and have fun.

Best Bets for the 2021 NFL Draft

Trey Lance to be selected 3rd overall +195

Reports came out over the weekend that the 49ers have narrowed their QB search down to Alabama QB Mac Jones or North Dakota State QB Trey Lance.

As the #49ers close in on their decision of which QB to take at No. 3, sources say they are down to two prospects — and the belief is those two are #Bama QB Mac Jones and #NDSU QB Trey Lance. Several sources say the focus does appear to have shifted to those two.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 26, 2021

With Mac Jones currently set as the juiced favorite at -250, why not take a shot at Trey Lance at +195? It certainly wouldn’t be the first time that a surprise QB was selected early in the 1st round of the draft. In 2017, the Bears selected Mitch Trubisky 2nd overall despite Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson still being on the board.

With Justin Fields seemingly out of the picture, Trey Lance to be the player selected at +195 seems to be worth a shot.

Kyle Pitts to be selected 4th overall -125

Many people believe that the Falcons will go with a quarterback with their 4th overall pick but it may not be the smartest move to make with the number of holes the Falcons have on their roster. Matt Ryan is still under contract with the Falcons through 2023 and has still shown flashes of capability. Drafting a QB that won’t start for the first couple of years doesn’t make much sense when arguably the best TE prospect in draft history is still on the board.

"[Kyle Pitts] would be the No. 1 receiver in this draft, and certainly the best tight end I've ever graded in 43 years."

—@MelKiperESPN 👀 pic.twitter.com/lvTK5RNlSR

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) April 22, 2021

Devonta Smith Draft Position UNDER 11.5 EVEN

A lot of people are saying that Devonta Smith may be too small to be successful in the NFL, but the Heisman Trophy winner is coming off one of the greatest seasons for a WR in college football history and you have to think an NFL team will take a shot at him early.

With three teams in the top 11 potentially looking for a wide receiver with their first pick (Bengals, Dolphins, Giants), it’d be shocking to note see Devonta Smith being one of those three guys.

BetOnline Sportsbook has Devonta Smith listed third on the odds list to be the first WR selected at +900 just barely behind Jaylen Waddle at +850. If Smith ends up being the second WR taken behind Ja’Marr Chase, he will almost certainly be a top 11 pick. If he does end up being the third WR drafted, he still has a shot to go top 11.

Total Offensive Players Selected in Round 1 OVER 18.5 -112

BetOnline Sportsbook has the odds for this set as a pick’em so you can be sure this will come down to the wire. Despite 18.5 seemingly being a high number, the OVER may just be the bet to make. With this draft being as deep as it is at QB, WR, and OL, expect the offensive side of the football to dominate the 1st round.

The key position to keep an eye on for this bet to hit will be running back. If the Steelers select Alabama RB Najee Harris at 24th overall, it will have a great chance to hit. If Clemson RB sneaks in the 1st round as well, this bet will be all but locked up as a win.

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