NBA Draft Odds
Amidst a flurry of NBA playoff activity, cooler heads are looking to the future and eyeing off young, rookie talent to snap up at the first opportunity. There’s just over a month to go before the NBA Draft, but we’re not holding out for June 23rd when the contenders are declared and the scouts have them under a microscope.
It was only in late April that the underclassmen declared their intentions to enter the draft, giving us immediate insight into the selection pool of 2022. Coming up on May 17 is the NBA Draft Lottery – which is exactly what it sounds like – where the “winning” team gets the first overall pick for the draft proper. Which, from their seat in the house, is not too dissimilar to winning the lottery.
As any avid basketball fan will affirm, the annual NBA Draft is a crucial event on the basketball calendar as it’s the main avenue for fresh, all-star potential talent to enter the league.
For the teams, they get access to a cheap source of promising ballers that can help turn a flailing franchise’s fortunes around. For the players, it’s an easy and predictable route into the pro leagues, and for fans, it’s an exciting opportunity to scrutinise the next generation of talent heading to their team.
Previous Draft Talents
All the biggest NBA legends, past and present, have come through the draft. That includes names like LeBron James, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2003 Draft before going on to become NBA Champion and MVP on four occasions.
Other stars that have had the honour of being the first pick include five-time NBA Champion Magic Johnson, six-time champ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and, of course, Shaquille O’Neal.
So with such prestige, pedigree, and promise associated with being the primary pick, speculation is always rife over which player will be selected first each year. With this year’s draft right around the corner, Bodog has been taking its own fine-toothed comb to the main contenders in the NBA Draft odds to see who is likely to be snapped up first.
Jabari Smith -110
Jabari Smith has been one the favourites for the first overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft for quite some time now, but he’s seen his prospects improve even more in recent weeks.
The 6’ft 10’in American was a power forward for the Auburn Tigers, averaging 16.9 points, two assists, and 7.4 rebounds during his freshman season. The Tigers wasted no time in pouncing on his talent, and Smith was assigned a starting role right from the get-go.
By the end of his one and only collegiate season, he had been awarded no fewer than ten awards and accolades, showing just how successful and impressive his performance was.
Smith declared for the Draft in early April, saying he was seizing the opportunity to “chase his dream of playing in the NBA”, and we have a feeling we’ll be seeing plenty more of his talent on the lucky team that takes him first.
Chet Holmgren +160
Chet Holmgren had a bit of a slow start to his college basketball career going into the 2021 season, but it didn’t take him long to find his feet. Until very recently, when he was overtaken by Smith, Holmgren was the favourite for the first pick in the NBA Draft odds.
It’s clear Holmgren still has a good chance of being snapped up before anyone else, and for good reason. At 7ft, Holmgren is built for basketball. He’s also versatile on the court as he’s proven to be comfortable in both the centre and power forward positions.
Last July, he was part of the US team that won the Under-19 Basketball World Cup in Latvia and came away with the MVP award from the tournament. He then joined Gonzaga, starting 31 of his 32 games in his one and only season, averaging 14.1 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, stats that will certainly make him attractive to the teams that could be taking first pick.
Paolo Banchero +300
Paolo Banchero is another name from the college player roster to declare for the NBA Draft after just one season. The 6’ft 10’in power forward was named ACC Rookie of the Year after his impressive run at Duke.
He secured himself a starting position right from the get-go, and started all 39 games he played in during his freshman season. In these games, he averaged 17.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game.
Duke made it to the Final Four of March Madness in 2022 and Banchero, of Italian and African-American heritage, played a key role in the team’s success. During the tournament, he was the highest point scorer in all but one of their five postseason matches. A NCAA performance like that left no shred of doubt around the importance of his contribution to the team, which is another solid notch on his NBA draft odds belt.
Jaden Ivey +3000
Next up is Jaden Ivey – the first player on the Draft list to have completed more than one season at the collegiate level. He joined Purdue in 2020, competing in 23 games and starting in 12. During this time, the 6’ft 4’in shooting guard managed an average of 11.1 points, 1.9 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game.
In his second season, Ivey made a big step forward, moving into a starting role and boosting all of his key stats, with 17.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists on average across his 36 matches.
Shaedon Sharpe +5000
Shaedon Sharpe is an asset so valuable that he skipped the rack and plonked himself straight down in the front window. Just one year out from high school, where he regularly flew across the court to convert transitions into effortless points, easily outplaying his opponents.
Originally from London, Ontario, the 6’ft 6’in shooting guard spent less than one season at Kentucky. He declared for the 2022 Draft despite never playing in a college game. After joining the college during the spring semester, he had originally planned to train with the team this year and begin competing next season.
That’s all gone out the window, though, as Sharpe has decided to skip the college part altogether and go for an A-line to the big leagues.
Despite the lack of time-testing, Sharpe has managed to grab plenty of speculative headlines in the lead-up to the Draft, but Bodog odds still have him pegged as a bit of a long shot for that first pick.
Even as the NBA playoffs roll on at full speed, there are still plenty of NBA betting opportunities at Bodog. The NBA Draft is always a highlight moment of the season, even in the wake of a freshly claimed Larry O’Brien trophy. With so much top-notch talent nominated this year, the first pick could truly go any which way. It’s a fine time to get your slips in early to snap up the best NBA draft odds – before we catch wind of which player the scouts will snap up first.
Basketball is just as fun to watch as it is to play on the court. At Bodog Casino, we can go one better. Why not enjoy a game of Streetball Star to get you in the mood for the upcoming draft? Watching the draft unfold with your nearest and dearest is an event, which is what makes Bodog’s Refer-a-Friend scheme the perfect choice for you. Bitcoin betting is getting even bigger in the online gambling world, and Bodog have you covered in this regard.
Have you heard about the soon arriving Hot Drop Jackpots? With daily and hourly jackpots, the action is as frequent as it is on the court. They’ll be landing soon at Bodog, so keep your eyes peeled.