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The busy part of the NFL offseason is here, and sports bettors everywhere are gearing up for an exciting few days of NFL action — off the field.
This Thursday marks the start of the NFL Draft. On Thursday night, the first round of the NFL Draft will take place. Rounds 2 and 3 will take place on Friday night, while Rounds 4 through 7 will take place on Saturday afternoon.
The NFL Draft has become quite the media spectacle in recent years. A new city has hosted the event for the past few years, with fans attending in person and cheering along. It’s even become a huge event for TV, with millions of football fans viewing the selections from home.
But those restrictions won’t stop one trend that’s been building in recent years — betting on the NFL Draft.
Most sportsbooks will look to take advantage of the interest in the NFL by offering various prop bets on the NFL Draft. While these wagers are settled in the same way as typical football wagers, they revolve around picks at the draft rather than the outcome of a game.
Here are some of the more popular NFL Draft wagers that are seeing early action.
Offenses Versus Defense
The game of football is a constant battle between one team’s offense and the other team’s defense. In NFL Draft betting, one of the biggest battles will be whether more defensive players or offensive players will be taken in the first round.
Currently, most sportsbooks are predicting that more offensive players will be taken. The over/under for offensive players is currently 18.5, with odds of -135. The over/under for defensive players being taken in the first round is currently 13.5, with the under odds being -125.
You can wager on whether you think Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II will be the first defensive player taken in the NFL Draft. He currently has odds of +100 that he’ll be the first defensive player selected. This means if you wager $100 and you are correct, you’ll win $100.
Who Will Be Selected First?
The Number 1 overall pick is often the player who receives the most attention, and for good reason. In some years, it’s a surprise as to which player will be taken. There are often rumors as to who the team picking Number 1 will choose, but the ultimate decision isn’t made until draft night.
This year, it seems like a foregone conclusion that the Jacksonville Jaguars will pick Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the first overall pick. There have been next to no secrets about this pick — or some others at the top of the draft.
As such, the current odds for who will be selected Number 1 overall reflect this lack of secrecy.
Wager on a Team’s Pick
One other popular NFL Draft wager is betting on which position one team will select in the first round. A popular one so far has been on the Philadelphia Eagles.
Currently, sportsbooks are thinking that the Eagles are going to draft an offensive player in the first round. The current odds for them doing so are -155.
Many sports bettors have been jumping on this wager, even with the big odds, because most predictions have been that the Eagles will take an offensive player. Most have predicted they will take either a wide receiver or an offensive lineman.
Wagers like this are often available for just about every NFL team that has a pick in the first round.