NBA Draft Betting Odds

Although the NBA Finals continue to play out in Boston and the Bay Area, the other 28 franchises find themselves prepping for this year’s NBA Draft. Fanbases for those franchises eagerly await the proceedings later this month, hoping their teams can land the next big star for the league. As the draft approaches, some sportsbooks started listing betting odds for the top-5 picks.

While bettors making NBA picks remain keyed in on the Finals, the NBA Draft betting odds are worth a look these days as well. The top-5 selections this season belong to Orlando, Oklahoma City, Houston, Sacramento, and Detroit. These moribund clubs missed the playoffs and now will pin their NBA futures on one of these potentially franchise-altering prospects.

This year’s NBA Draft is scheduled to take place on June 23 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Here’s a look at the 2022 NBA Draft betting odds for the top-5 picks.

NBA Draft Betting Odds: First Pick

Team		Pick		Player By Betting Odds
Orlando Magic		1		Jabari Smith, SF/PF, Auburn

Best Odds: -600 (FanDuel)

Next Closest: Chet Holmgren, +180 (Caesars)

The Magic finished at the bottom of the Eastern Conference last season, going 22-60. That futility translated into solid odds for the 2022 NBA Draft lottery last month, which they won for the fourth time in franchise history.

This opens the door for Orlando the land the top prospect in the draft, Auburn’s Jabari Smith. The 19-year-old hybrid forward stands 6-foot-10 and strokes from long-range (42 percent), something the Magic desperately need considering they were one of the worst shooting teams in the NBA last season.

A consensus All-American, All-SEC First Team selection, and the SEC Rookie of the Year, Smith has the size, length, and talent to be an NBA star. Smith remains the consensus favorite to be the No. 1 overall selection, holding the best betting odds to be the top pick at nearly every sportsbook.

The last time Orlando held the top pick, they selected Dwight Howard (2004). The Magic also won in back-to-back years, selecting Shaquille O’Neal from LSU in 1992 and picking Michigan’s Chris Webber in 1993 before trading his rights for Penny Hardaway from Memphis.

NBA Draft Betting Odds: Second Pick

Team		Pick		Player By Betting Odds
Oklahoma City Thunder		2		Chet Holmgren, PF/C, Gonzaga

Best Odds: -360 (UniBet)

Next Closest: Jabari Smith +200 (Caesars)

The Thunder finished 24-58, but have a budding backcourt star in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a young playmaking wing in Josh Giddey. What Oklahoma City’s missing is an interior presence, which is evident considering the fact that the Thunder used more than a half-dozen players at center last season.

The concern with Holmgren remains his slight build, but at 7-feet tall with a 7-foot-6 wingspan, he projects as a difference maker on the defensive end. Holmgren dominated the West Coast Conference last season for Gonzaga on both ends of the floor. His length will impact the game from Day 1. If he can handle the physicality of the NBA game, Holmgren could exceed his most common comp, Kristaps Porzingis.

The 20-year-old from Minneapolis should feel at home in Oklahoma City, and his playmaking ability on the perimeter will only help the development of the Thunders’ young stars, Gilgeous-Alexander and Giddey.

NBA Draft Betting Odds: Third Pick

Team		Pick		Player By Betting Odds
Houston Rockets		3		Paolo Banchero, PF, Duke

Best Odds: -560 (UniBet)

Next Closest: Chet Holmgren +700 (DraftKings)

The Rockets finished with the NBA’s worst record last season (20-62), and the losses continued in the lottery as Houston slipped to the No. 3 overall selection for the 2022 NBA Draft. It’s fortunate for the Rockets they didn’t fall any further, considering this class is largely considered a three-player draft.

Houston seems to have its backcourt of the future in place with Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr., so adding the player most scouts deem the most pro-ready prospect in the draft in the frontcourt could only accelerate their rebuilding efforts. The 6-foot-10 Banchero should complement Rockets’ big-man Christian Wood with his playmaking abilities.

Banchero’s elite skills and quickness should make him a tough cover for most bigs, and his length and strength will bother small players switching to him. The Rockets will be thrilled if the former Blue Devil is on the board when they pick.

NBA Draft Betting Odds: Fourth Pick

Team		Pick		Player By Betting Odds
Sacramento Kings		4		Jaden Ivey, PG/SG, Purdue

Best Odds: -330 (DraftKings)

Next Closest: Keegan Murray +350 (UniBet)

The Kings saw their postseason drought extended to an NBA-record 16th year in a row when they finished 30-52, four games from the 10-seed. But another dismal effort enjoyed a reward when Sacramento jumped up three spots, from No. 7, more than any other team this time around. This pick stands as a pivot point in the 2022 NBA Draft, as the Kings could trade the selection or reach for a lower-rated talent considering their current roster makeup.

Sacramento seems to have its backcourt in order with De’Aaron Fox and Davion Mitchell, but the best player available at this point is this draft’s most explosive guard, Purdue sophomore Jaden Ivey. Comps to Ja Morant and Russell Westbrook make Ivey one of this year’s most interesting prospects.

Should Sacramento go for best fit, the Kings could tap Iowa big-man Keegan Murray, considering the void at power forward beside Domantas Sabonis. Murray flashed defensive versatility and polished offensive skill that could make him the pick at No. 4 overall. Ivey, meanwhile, remains the betting favorite despite not being the best fit.

NBA Draft Betting Odds: Fifth Pick

Team		Pick		Player By Betting Odds
Detroit Pistons		5		Keegan Murray, PF, Iowa

Best Odds: -120 (DraftKings)

Next Closest: Shaedon Sharpe +200 (Caesars)

The Pistons finished with the third-worst record (23-59) in the NBA last season, but slipped to the fifth overall selection following the draft lottery. Detroit could go in a number of different directions considering the state of their rebuild. But following the selection of Cade Cunningham No. 1 overall last season, the Pistons could look to complement him with another dynamic playmaking partner.

The best fit in that regard would be Purdue’s Ivey, especially considering the lack of development from Killian Hayes in the backcourt. Ivey’s abilities as a slasher and scorer would alleviate some of the offensive pressure from Cunningham.

The betting favorite for this pick in the NBA Draft is Iowa’s Murray, though. If Detroit drafts him, they’d get an NBA-ready prospect that led the Big-10 in scoring last season and led the NCAA in total points scored. He rebounds well and can slide between positions defensively. The Pistons have other bigs, though, which makes Murray’s odds here intriguing. Should Ivey be off the board, Kentucky’s Shaedon Sharpe could be an option as a shooting guard.