It may be new, but NFL Draft gambling leaves you with plenty to sink your teeth into. We’ve weighed them all and picked your best prop bets for 2017.
Did you know Las Vegas is allowing NFL Draft gambling for the first time this year? This is right up our alley, and 2017 feels like a perfect year to make some selections. After pick number one, the rest of the draft feels very unsettled.
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Of course, the gambling is limited. You cannot wager on specific players going in specific slots or being taken by specific teams. Here is an outline, via ESPN, of the type of wagers that are allowed. Instead of player and team selections, NFL Draft gambling is about amounts of players. For example, how many SEC players will be taken in round one, or how many quarterbacks.
Two brothers from New York, Dan Salem and Todd Salem, discuss NFL Draft Gambling in today’s NFL Sports Debate.
NFL Draft gambling feels like a long time coming, so this is an exciting development! Look for things to expand in the coming years, but for the 2017 NFL Draft, these are your best prop bets. The options aren’t ideal, but still leave room for fun. Go with your instincts and with our picks.
Number of Alabama Players Selected in Round 1
Over 4.5 (-140)
Under 4.5 (+120)
Dan Salem: There are exactly four Alabama players in Scouts Inc.’s Top 32 for 2017. While I do believe that the Crimson Tide will produce a rather large draft class, I don’t see five Alabama players going in Round 1. Add the sweet odds on your bet, and this is an excellent pick to make.
Number of SEC players Selected in Round 1
Over 11.5 (Even)
Under 11.5 (-120)
Todd Salem: Golly, 12 SEC players have to be taken in the first 32 picks for this to hit. That feels like a ton. And yet, CBS Sports ranks 11 SEC players in its top 32. So does Scouts Inc. And I think there are another half dozen right after that who have legitimate first-round chances. I am going over. This is the best conference in college from a talent standpoint every season. 2017 is no exception.
Round 1 Conference Selections
SEC players -4.5 (-110)
Big Ten players +4.5 (-110)
Dan Salem: While the SEC is going to have a ton of players drafted, I believe the Big Ten also has a high number of first round players. Take the extra 4.5 players and feel great about it. That means, if the SEC covers the 11.5 bet above with a total of 12 men drafted, you only need eight Big Ten players to win here. That’s some good math.
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More Offensive or Defensive Players Selected in Round 1
Offensive players +5.5 (-120)
Defensive players -5.5 (EVEN)
(Doesn’t include kickers, punters, long snappers)
Todd Salem: The offensive side of this bet is getting 5.5 additional “players.” That’s 17 percent of the entire round. Even though I agree that more defensive players should be selected straight-up, grabbing +5.5 makes me choose the offense. This will be benefited by teams unnecessarily forcing quarterback selections! On that note…
Number of Quarterbacks Selected in Round 1
Over 3.5 (+140)
Under 3.5 (-160)
Todd Salem: According to some analysts, zero quarterbacks this year warrant first-round grades. However, two are expected to go in the first guaranteed: Deshaun Watson and Mitch Trubisky. I could see one other sneaking in, but two others? Eh, I seriously doubt it. Give me the under 3.5, even though the odds aren’t great.
Round of First Place-Kicker Taken
Rounds 1-3: +240
Rounds 4-7: -280
(If no PK is selected, bet is a refund)
Dan Salem: The odds aren’t great, but seeing a kicker go in the first three rounds feels highly unlikely. Several teams, including the New York Giants, have been rumored to be targeting kickers in this year’s draft. Yet I doubt any of them take the plunge early on. Plus, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected kicker Roberto Aguayo early in last year’s draft and he has been a bust thus far. The team brought in Nick Folk to battle with him for the job. Tampa Bay serves as a cautionary tale when drafting a kicker. The later rounds feel probable and make for a solid bet.
Number of Running Backs Selected In Round 1
Over 2.5 (-160)
Under 2.5 (+140)
Todd Salem: I was going to grab the over right away just by default, since we have been hearing about three first-round backs for weeks now. However, I am going to take the better odds and take a chance on the under. Teams seem to be souring on Dalvin Cook because of his off-field issues and poor combine showing. I could see him dropping out of Round 1. Christian McCaffrey is popular with a lot of teams, but he isn’t a definite top 20 guy. A small drop for him could push this figure to one.
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I know that taking the under for QBs and RBs makes the offensive players pick less likely, but there are enough pass catchers and linemen to still cover.