Top three prospects and betting odds for the 2022 NBA draft
Jabari Smith
Jabari Smith is set as the favorite to go number one in the NBA draft to the Orlando Magic. His odds are set at -260, I personally think he is a lock to go number one and so do most NBA fans.
Smith had a tremendous freshman year at the University of Auburn where he was voted an All-American. The freshman averaged nearly 17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists on 42.9% shooting.
I personally would not bet on a -260 pick because it isn’t very good odds, but this is the most sure pick of NBA draft night. Jabari Smith would be a perfect fit for the Orlando Magic as they need a forward. If you bet on the riskier side and take him going second his line is set at +225. For the third pick his line is set at +700.
Chet Holmgrem
Chet Holmgrem has the potential to be a generational talent. The reason he most likely won’t get drafted number one is because the Magic are not in need of a big man. The freshman out of Gonzaga averaged 14.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists on 60.7% shooting.
The freshman’s odds to go number one in the NBA draft is set at +350, which like I said due to the magic being big man heavy, this would not be a good bet to take. His odds for the second pick are -200. His odds at pick three is +500.
The team selecting second is the Oklahoma City Thunder, I see Holmgrem getting selected by the Thunder because they are an extremely young team. At this stage in their rebuild, the best thing for them to do is take the most talented player available. If Jabari Smith is taken first then Holmgrem is the obvious pick talent-wise.
Paolo Banchero
Paolo Banchero will be a top-three pick in the NBA draft, the question is which team selects him. The freshman forward from Duke averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. The Houston Rockets are selecting third and they would rather have Chet Holmgrem, but they are happy to have any of the three between Jabari Smith, Holmgrem, and Banchero.
Banchero’s odds to be selected first are set at +260 which has created a stir around many bettors. Bancheros odds were just set at +2200 two weeks ago to be drafted first and today were switched to +260. This makes many fans think as to why his draft odds skyrocketed the day before the NBA draft.
The odds for him to be picked second are set at +500. The odds for him to go number three are -300.
In my opinion, the first three picks will be the same three picks as the favorites set by Las Vegas. Jabari Smith will go first, Chet Holmgrem will go second, and Paolo Banchero will go third.
