The NFL Draft takes place from Thursday 23 April to Saturday 25 April and there are hundreds of betting options for gamblers who have been starved of entertainment for weeks. Here are the Top bets from the NFL experts:
Sports are back! Well, not really but the NFL Draft is a key date on the calendar and modern technology means that this particular sporting event can go ahead behind closed doors, with the Head Coaches able to video conference into the Draft and make their selections.
This will be an unique Draft as there’s not been the chance to see and assess the players both in terms of fitness and attitude so everything will be down to scouting reports. It could be a blessing for some teams and a curse for others, but it’ll definitely make things interesting, particularly when it comes to trades on the day. Will there be less because of less whispers from the Draft Room floor? Or will there be more because of the perceived power of secrecy and a wild card move?
It’s certainly going to be must-watch TV and with every coach and commentator having had an unprecedented amount of time to make their predictions, there’s more betting opportunities than ever. Here we collate what we consider to be the best bets we’ve seen on the 2020 NFL Draft:
Over 4.5 CornerBacks in the 1st Round at -125 with BetMGM
QuarterBacks, as usual, dominate the Draft chatter but the position that most NFL franchises need right now is CornerBack. There are at least 10 teams that are in need of a quality cover in the secondary and this year there is a great crop of CornerBacks. Jeff Okudah is likely to be the first non-QB pick (either at 3 for the Lions or further down if the Chargers or Dolphins trade up) and CJ Henderson will also go in the Top 10. Kristian Fulton, AJ Terrell and Jaylon Johnson all feature in the 1st Round of Chad Reuter’s NFL Mock Draft, while Trevon Diggs, brother of Stefon, is also tipped to go on Thursday. That’s six, and enough to easily cover the 4.5 CBs line, before hot prospects like Jeff Gladney, Bryce Hall, Damon Arnette and Cameron Dantzler have been factored into what could be one of the most CornerBack heavy Drafts in memory.
Derrick Brown Draft Position U8.5 at -138 with bet365
Defense is at a premium in 2020 and Derrick Brown is the top rated Defensive Tackle in this year’s Draft. The Auburn star is expected to be picked by the Arizona Cardinals at number 8, in a move designed to balance the roster after Kyler Murray’s selection last year. However, there have been rumors that the Carolina Panthers may move for the DT at number 7 and even some reports claiming that the Detroit Lions are interested. What seems certain is that Brown will go before the Top 10 is concluded.
Justin Jefferson Draft Position U21.5 at +110 with DraftKings
There aren’t many superstar Wide Receivers in this year’s Draft, with Jerry Jeury and Henry Ruggs III arguably the pick of the bunch. However, Ruggs is small and small WRs don’t tend to occupy the top positions in the NFL Draft. Tavon Austin (2013), Corey Coleman (2016) and John Ross (2017) didn’t exactly work out great for any of the teams involved in the recent sub-6ft Top 15 WRs. Odell Beckham Jr did, but then he’s an exception. Justin Jefferson, at 6ft 1in produced a 4.43 40-yard dash time, which was the equal of OBJ’s. He tied for leading catcher last year with 111 receptions and it’s not inconceivable he actually goes ahead of Henry Ruggs III. Even if not, there are enough franchises looking for a good WR to push him into the Top 20 with the Jets, Raiders, 49ers, Broncos and even Bucs in the market for a target for their new QB and that’s before trade-ups.
Andrew Thomas Draft Position O10.5 at +110 with FanDuel
There are four solid OTs in this year’s Draft and by all accounts Andrew Thomas is the fourth ranked of them. Tristan Wirfs seems destined for the Giants, while Jedrick Wills and Mekhi Becton seem to be in higher demand than Andrew Thomas. Given the needs of the teams at the top of the Draft, it seems impossible that Thomas will be drafted in the Top 10 if he’s the fourth OT selected and it’s actually unlikely that he’d even make it there if he was third. It’s easy to see four QBs in the Top 10 plus Chase Brown, Jeff Okudah, Wirfs, Derrick Brown (see above) and Isaiah Simmons. That leaves one spot and with the likes of CJ Henderson, Wills, Becton, plus every WR in the Draft still available, Thomas won’t be filling it barring a real shock. Some sportsbooks have him at -170 to be outside the Top 10, which makes these odds look very nice.
More Defensive Players Than Offensive Players in Round One at +155 with DraftKings
As has been mentioned already, defensive players are at a premium in this year’s Draft and there is sure to be a rush on the top defenders over the glut of average offensive prospects. Two of the projected first three picks are on defense and there is set to be a high number in the second half of the First Round, once the glamor QBs have gone. The only likely RunningBack to get selected on Thursday is D’Andre Swift and it’s been explained above how many CornerBacks are in demand. Most mock drafts have a split of round 17-15 in favor of defense, so getting odds against, plus the push, seems like a great bet to fade the public, who will always go for offense in this pick as they’re sucked in by the QBs and WRs. Some GMs are as well, but not all, particularly if they’re planning for the long haul.
