2021-22 College Football and NFL betting has yet to reach the midway point of the regular season, but futures odds for which NCAAF player will be at the top of the draft boards next April are already posted and taking action.
Betting on the NFL Draft, at least on the top handful of picks, often lacks intrigue due to pro football franchises telegraphing their intentions. For instance, the first pick of the 2021 NFL Draft had been known for months, as the Jacksonville Jaguars were locked into selecting Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Projecting these football odds so far in advance does make them more attractive to 18+ NFL bettors because the teams that will make the first few picks have not been set.
The below NFL Draft odds for 2022 have been unveiled at Bovada Sportsbook and offers lines on the first three overall picks.
2022 NFL Draft Betting Odds For First Overall Picks |
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1st Overall Pick |
2nd Overall Pick |
3rd Overall Pick |
| · Kayvon Thibodeaux EVEN
· Matt Corral +333 · Malik Willis +550 · Carson Strong +550 · Evan Neal +900 · Sam Howell +1200 · DeMarvin Leal +1500 · Desmond Ridder +1800 · Derek Stingley Jr +2200 · Spencer Rattler +2500 · Kyle Hamilton +3000 · Kenyon Green +3000 · JT Daniels +3000 |
· Kayvon Thibodeaux -110
· Matt Corral +300 · Malik Willis +500 · Carson Strong +500 · Evan Neal +1000 · Sam Howell +1500 · DeMarvin Leal +1800 · Desmond Ridder +2500 · Derek Stingley Jr +2500 · Spencer Rattler +3000 · Kyle Hamilton +3500 · Kenyon Green +3500 · JT Daniels +3500 |
· Kayvon Thibodeaux +210
· Matt Corral +300 · Malik Willis +400 · Carson Strong +400 · Evan Neal +800 · Sam Howell +1200 · DeMarvin Leal +1200 · Desmond Ridder +2000 · Derek Stingley Jr +1800 · Spencer Rattler +2000 · Kyle Hamilton +2000 · Kenyon Green +2500 · JT Daniels +2800 |
Before determining which player will be selected first, bettors will have to think about which team will be making that pick. After seven weeks of play in the 2021-22 NFL season, the Detroit Lions hold the #1 pick in 2022.
It is hard to imagine a scenario where the Lions do not draft a quarterback. Jared Goff was never intended to be the answer following Matthew Stafford’s trade to the LA Rams, and Ole Miss QB Matt Corral is by far the best quarterback on the board according to the below NFL prop bet.
2022 NFL Draft – First QB Selected
- Matt Corral -140
- Malik Willis +275
- Sam Howell +900
- Desmond Ridder +1200
- Carson Strong +275
- Spencer Rattler +1500
- J.T. Daniels +2000
The next teams coming in behind the Lions are the Houston Texans, Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New York Jets. Of all those teams mentioned, only the Jaguars would be certain to select a position other than quarterback.
That either means that oddsmakers believe Jacksonville will secure the first overall pick in next year’s NFL Draft once again, or that whoever does hold the top spot will choose Kayvon Thibodeaux, an imposing defensive end out of the University of Oregon.
Thibodeaux has all the makings of an elite edge rusher in the league, and appears locked in as the first non-QB to be chosen. It doesn’t hurt that his Oregon Ducks are still alive in the odds for College Football Playoffs betting, as added national television exposure will certainly help his draft status.
With the Miami Dolphins now experiencing buyer’s anxiety over current second-year started Tua Tagovailoa, they could also be in play for Matt Corral, making a bet on Thibodeaux a risky proposition that could entirely depend on the futility of the Jacksonville Jaguars.