While the NFL Draft doesn’t feature any physical activity, it’s constantly one of the biggest sporting events of the year. It only reinforces the fact that the NFL is king when it comes to betting. Fans are so invested in the league that they’re willing to spend hours in front of their televisions learning where some of the top college football players will end up. And that naturally means significant betting interest. The reality is that if people can watch it, they probably want to bet it. With that in mind, here’s a simple look at how you can bet on the NFL Draft, plus some tips for how to find success when doing so.
How To Watch The NFL Draft
Where: Campus Martius Park in Detroit, Michigan
Top NFL Resources:
When: Thursday, April 25th to Saturday, April 27th
Channel: Coverage on ESPN, ABC and NFL Network. We’ll also be doing live reactions to the action on VSiN.
Can I Bet On The NFL Draft?
As long as you’re not in Connecticut, Iowa, Mississippi, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia or Washington, you’re likely capable of betting on the NFL Draft in some capacity.
Types Of Bets You Can Make On The NFL Draft
First Overall Pick: The most popular bet in the draft generally comes down to who goes first overall. This will normally be the most discussed pick in the entire draft, and the most casual fans will likely know the players in the mix for the top selection. However, this is also a market that can become untouchable rather quickly. We generally have a great idea of who will be selected first, so you’re going to get some pretty intimidating odds if you want to get involved in this market.
Team-Specific Bets: One of the other ways you can bet on the draft is by trying to decide what a team will do with their pick. Again, this would set up a situation in which betting on the team with the first pick would be difficult. And it might even be tough for the second or third picks, as those teams also know who will be available for them. But you can occasionally get some great payouts if you nail a player-team bet.
Positional Bets: Betting on a single position is another popular NFL Draft option. Whether it’s betting on which player will be selected first amongst their peers, or how many players at each position will go in the first round, there’s never a shortage of options here. One of the most popular bets on a yearly basis revolves around how many quarterbacks will be selected in the first round.
Over/Unders: Another way to bet on the draft is by taking Overs and Unders. You can do this on a position’s total players selected, as previously mentioned. Or, you can look at a specific player and decide whether or not they’ll be picked before or after a certain draft slot.
Tips For Betting On The NFL Draft
Shop Around For The Best Prices: You’ll get this advice regardless of what you’re betting on, but you want to make sure you have a lot of options when betting on the NFL Draft. Some sportsbooks will offer more markets than others, and some will have much better prices on the same exact bet you’ll see elsewhere. So, take the time required to sit down and get yourself set up on as many sportsbooks as possible. But you will find some great options on DraftKings Sportsbook, which generally has everybody beat when it comes to available markets.
Look For Good Information: When betting, it’s sometimes best to lean on people that know more than you. With the NFL Draft, that’s absolutely the case. Some of the most well-known draft analysts have been doing this stuff for years, so don’t ignore what you hear from guys like Mel Kiper Jr., Daniel Jeremiah, etc. Not only do these analysts pour over film, but they also speak to actual NFL front office members. They know what real NFL teams are looking for, and that’s invaluable when the draft rolls around. That’s another reason to watch The Lombardi Line, which features former NFL executive Mike Lombardi.
Block Out The Noise: In 2023, there was some late buzz about Will Levis potentially going No. 2 overall. But that all started with some shenanigans on Reddit. Well, C.J. Stroud, who was regarded as the second-best prospect all year, ended up being selected second. Meanwhile, Levis ended up falling to the second round. So, even though it’s fun to consume NFL Draft content, you want to be careful about who you’re listening to.
VSiN NFL Draft Resources
Tim Murray NFL Best Bets & Mock Draft 2.0
Matt Youmans NFL Mock Draft & Betting Picks
