NFL Draft betting: Odds for No. 2 pick getting weird too, with a non-QB now favored
The wild swings in the odds for the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft have been fascinating to watch. And it's trickling down to the second pick now.
If we trust the odds, Bryce Young is in near-lock territory to be the first overall pick. The intrigue with that betting market might be done, though we'll see.
The drama has shifted to the second pick.
It has been considered a foregone conclusion that quarterbacks would go with the first two picks, but the betting market shifted away from that this week. Alabama pass rusher Will Anderson Jr. took over as the favorite for the second overall pick at BetMGM on Monday afternoon. On Tuesday morning, BetMGM had taken down odds for the first and second picks.
It's not just that Anderson is favored to go second. At other sportsbooks, CJ Stroud isn't even next in the odds.
Why is Will Anderson Jr. favored to go No. 2 overall?
The odds shift seems to be correlated to a high-profile reporter saying that he doesn't believe a quarterback will necessarily be going with the second or third pick of the draft.
ESPN's Adam Schefter said he believes the Houston Texans, who have the second pick, could pass on a quarterback. The Arizona Cardinals have the third pick, and they have Kyler Murray so presumably they wouldn't draft one either.
But the betting market is just worried about the second pick for now. On Monday morning, Stroud was still the favorite at +140, with Anderson right behind at +150. During the day that changed and Anderson was the +125 favorite.
The Texans have been projected to draft a quarterback since the season ended, and their Week 18 win cost them the first overall pick. The Chicago Bears got the first pick and they traded it to the Carolina Panthers. The Texans desperately need a quarterback, but the reports that Anderson could be the pick instead indicate they aren't sold on Stroud. Young and Stroud are the top two quarterbacks in most rankings for this draft.
Maybe the Texans will skip taking a quarterback and look into fixing that problem with next year's draft class. Bettors taking Anderson to go No. 2 overall would need to worry about a trade, or a really surprising pick by Houston.
What about Will Levis?
The odds past Anderson are interesting too, because they are anticipating the possibility of a surprise pick.
Some sportsbooks list Kentucky quarterback Will Levis as the second favorite to go No. 2 overall. If the Texans, or a team trading up, go with Levis over Stroud or Anthony Richardson, that pick would be debated for years. Levis is No. 4 on most quarterback rankings for this draft.
Draft markets are extremely volatile. Sportsbooks don't have inside information in most cases, which has led to bettors getting big wins over the house. Young is a huge favorite to go first, but we've seen other No. 1 overall pick odds change at the last minute. Anderson is favored to go second, but all it would take is one report to change that to Levis or Stroud or someone else.
If nothing else, at least we have some intrigue in the top few picks of the NFL Draft.
