NFL Draft Betting
Written by: Matt Wiesenfeld
Last Updated: Mon Apr 26, 2021, 13:31 PM
Read Time: 4 minutes
The Super Bowl has always been one of the biggest sports betting events of the year but wagering on the NFL Draft has been slowly gaining popularity. NFL fans who have been missing football season for the past few months have a chance to get their fix when the draft happens every April.
Despite it being an NFL event, betting on the draft isn’t quite the same as betting on games. Those people who have been buried in mock drafts for the past few months finally have the opportunity to put their money where their mouth is.
NFL Draft Betting Sites
Here are some of the most popular ways you to bet on the NFL Draft:
Who will be Selected in what Position?
One of the more straightforward types of bets is wagering on who will be selected in what position. Odds for this are usually only available for the first three to five picks of the draft as we all know how crazy things can get once we get deeper into the first round.
Here’s an example of what this market could look like at a sportsbook:
Who will be selected first overall in the NFL Draft?
- Player A -500
- Player B +300
- Player C +1000
Most years, it’s usually no secret who is going to be selected 1st overall before the draft takes place. Because of that, the odds for who will be selected 1st overall are generally pretty chalky.
Take the 2021 draft for example, Trevor Lawrence is a virtual lock to go 1st overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars, therefore, BetOnline Sportsbook has the odds of Lawrence being selected 1st overall at -100000. Those odds have an implied probability of more than 99.9%.
The draft starts getting interesting once you get to the 2nd or 3rd overall pick. This is where who is going to be selected is unknown to most people. If you think you know what player a specific team is going to take with their top 5 pick, then this is the bet for you.
OVER/UNDER Draft Position
Another option is to wager on what a specific player’s draft position will be. The sportsbooks will set a number for when they’ll be selected and then you can bet on the OVER (player will be selected AFTER the set number) or UNDER (player will be selected BEFORE the set number).
For example, BetOnline Sportsbook has the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner Devonta Smith’s draft position set at 11.5. You can either bet on him to be drafted after (OVER) 11.5 at -144 or before (UNDER) 11.5 at +118.
Here’s what it will look like at a sportsbook:
Devonta Smith Draft Position
- OVER 11.5 (-144)
- UNDER 11.5 (+118)
If Smith is drafted at position 11 or sooner, UNDER bettors will win. If he’s selected at position 12 or later, OVER bettors will win.
First Position Drafted
Think there’s an offensive lineman that the public is undervaluing? Do you think a team is going to reach for a certain position instead of taking the consensus best player? Then you can also bet on which player at each position will be the first to be selected.
For example, BetOnline Sportsbook has Najee Harris penciled in as the -190 favorite to be the first running back selected in the 2021 NFL Draft. If you think a team will take Clemson running back Travis Etienne before Harris, you can bet on it at +155.
Here’s what a first position drafted betting prop might look like at a sportsbook:
First Quarterback Selected in the NFL Draft:
- Quarterback A -200
- Quarterback B +150
- Quarterback C +500
Round 1 Totals
If you’re looking for more of a general bet for the 1st round of the NFL Draft, betting options are also available for how many players at each position will be selected in the 1st round. For example, in what seems to be an offensive line heavy draft, BetOnline Sportsbook has the OVER/UNDER for offensive lineman selected in the 1st round set at 6.5.
You can get even more general and wager on how many offensive players will be taken in the 1st round or how many defensive players will be selected in the 1st round.
Some sportsbooks will also have odds set for how many players from a specific school will be taken in the 1st round.
Team Specific Picks
Finally, you can also find odds for what player or what position a certain team will select with their 1st round pick. While the options will vary from sportsbook to sportsbook, if you have a hunch on who your favorite team will draft then this bet is for you.
NFL Draft Betting FAQs
Free Betting Picks