2021 NBA Draft Betting Guide: Odds and Picks at Online Sportsbooks

It has been less than a week since the NBA Finals ended, but conversations about the upcoming season will be in full force in only a few days, when the 2021 NBA Draft places new and exciting young pieces around the league. Perhaps the most intriguing storyline to follow concerns the Golden State Warriors and their two lottery picks. 

Will the Warriors package the two draft selections to acquire an established star in an effort to win one more championship with their core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green? Or will General manager Bob Myers invest in the long-term future of the franchise by keeping those picks and letting two young players learn from veterans with years of title-contending experience? The implications of Myers’ decision could have widespread implications on how sports bettors wager on the draft.

Let’s take a look at some of the top storylines heading into the event and some NBA Draft betting picks. 

Odds to be First Overall Pick

Although Detroit’s front office has been coy–at least publicly, about who they plan to take with the top overall selection, -5000 odds on Cade Cunningham at BetMGM should erase all doubt in the mind of those still curious.

2nd Overall Pick — Evan Mobley +180

However, the second overall draft pick has far more legitimate ambiguity. A month ago, many pundits had Evan Mobley favored to be selected in this spot, but then the market shifted dramatically towards Jalen Green, who is still favored in this position. It is easy to look at the current construction of the Houston Rockets roster and argue that they need Green, arguably the best scorer in the draft, but there is also tantalizing potential in pairing Mobley with Christian Wood in the frontcourt. Guard-play has been notoriously unpredictable at the top of the NBA draft board in recent years. A team like the Rockets might prefer to gamble on a guard later in the draft, based on evidence in the own locker room–Kevin Porter Jr., who was drafted 30th overall in 2019, but appears to have all of the tools necessary to be an NBA star. 

Pick: Evan Mobley (+225) BetMGM

4th Overall Pick — Jalen Suggs -160

While there is a healthy amount of uncertainty over whether Mobley or Green will be drafted second overall, there seems to be a consensus forming that both of those players will be selected in the top three. In a draft that many experts see as having four clear-cut top-talents, Jalen Suggs becomes a near-lock to be picked fourth overall, unless Houston or Cleveland shocked everyone by taking him with their pick.

The probability that Suggs’ goes in this position is further increased by the fact that Golden State owns the seventh and fourteenth overall pick. Even if Toronto is not crazy about Suggs, the Warriors could unquestionably use an explosive, versatile scorer, who has All-Star potential. Suggs averaged 14.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.5 assists last season at Gonzaga with strong shooting numbers from all over the court. Golden State has been very clear about their intention to be in win-now mode for the upcoming campaign. If they are trying to be a contender this winter while concurrently investing in the future, trading up for Suggs in this spot makes a lot of sense.

Suggs is a coveted prospect in this draft. If he does not fit Toronto’s needs, it is almost a guarantee that someone lower on the draft board would trade up here to grab him.

Pick: Jalen Suggs (-160) BetMGM

Draft Position: Franz Wagner, Over/Under 9.5 Pick

Franz Wagner is a well-rounded 6’9’’, 220 pounds backcourt player, who spent two seasons at Michigan. He has undeniable potential to become a great shooter at the NBA level after hitting on 46.5 percent of his shots in college, including 32.5 percent from deep, and 83.5 percent at the free-throw line. Wagner is someone with great court vision and appears ready to be a contributor from the first moment that he takes the floor in the NBA.

Wagner is unlikely to go in the top five in this draft, meaning that one of Oklahoma City, Golden State, Orlando, or Sacramento (assuming no trades are made) would need to select him for his under prop to cash. The Thunder have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luguentz Dort in their backcourt, but the Warriors (if they stay at No. 7) or the Magic seem like possible good fits here. 

Pick: Franz Wagner Under 9.5 Draft Position (-105) BetMGM