What are the best NFL Draft bets?

NFL Draft Betting Guide

NFL teams can improve their rosters in the offseason in one of two ways: (1) signing free agents and (2) the NFL Draft. Rather than wait until the next season starts to bet on football, sportsbooks will offer odds on a variety of different NFL Draft markets.

Since 1994, the NFL Draft has had seven rounds, with the team with the worst record in the previous season picking first and the Super Bowl champions going last. Starting with the 2015 Draft, the location has been chosen through a bidding process.

But how can fans bet on the NFL Draft? Keep reading and we’ll explain NFL Draft odds, review some NFL Draft markets often available for betting, and the top sportsbooks for betting on the NFL Draft.

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NFL Draft Odds Explained

Whether you are betting on a player to be selected with the # 1 pick, a related market, or one of the many OVER/UNDER props, the odds will consist of a three-digit number preceded by either a + or a – sign.

Should a prop have odds with a + sign, i.e. Player X  to go # 1 at +220, the number listed (in this case 220) is how much you can win with a $100 wager. But if a prop has minus money odds, like Player Y to go No. 1 at -140, the odds are how much you must bet to win $100.

So, a $100 bet on Player X would result in a $320 payday, your stake ($100) plus $220 in winnings. But if you bet on Player Y at -140, you’ll need to bet $140 to win $100.

NFL Draft Props

Waiting until the fall to bet on football again can feel like an eternity, but you don’t have to wait until then to put money down on your favorite team. As the NFL Draft draws near, sportsbooks will post a wide variety of markets related to the annual event. But why bet on the draft? Isn’t it kind of risky?

Well, look at it this way: you know the game, you know your favorite team(s), and you know where they were lacking last season. If they don’t meet those needs via free agency, then they’ll have to do it in the Draft.

With the aim of reinforcing your NFL prediction knowledge, let's review some of the common draft props and the odds for each:

NFL Draft Pick Order Bets

Who will go # 1? Bettors can often find odds for that market posted at their favorite online sportsbooks for most of the year.  But as Draft Day gets closer, it is not uncommon for books to post odds for who will be taken with the # 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.

Similar markets that sportsbooks may/will have odds posted for when it gets closer to Draft Day include:

  • Position of player to go # 1, 2,3, etc.
  • Team to select with the # 1 pick
  • Position of player to get selected in first round by Team X
  • Player X to go # 4, Top 5, etc.
  • Team X will select the offensive/defensive player with the first-round pick.
  • Position of Mr. Irrelevant
  • The first player drafted at each position
  • First non-QB to be selected: Wide receiver Marvin Harrison was the betting favorite in the 2024 NFL Draft at -500 and was the first non-QB taken when the Cardinals selected him with the No. 4 pick. At -500 odds, bettors had to risk $500 to win $100.

NFL Draft OVER/UNDER Prop Markets

Many NFL Draft betting markets are presented as OVER/UNDERs, where you bet whether the answer to the question being asked is more or less than the number provided. Here are some examples from the 2024 NFL Draft:

  • OVER/UNDER 4.5 quarterbacks selected in the first round -300/+240
  • Six quarterbacks were selected in the first round. So, bets on the OVER paid out at -300, meaning it took a wager of $300 to win $100.
  • J.J. McCarthy to be selected with the No. X pick of the Draft,  OVER/UNDER 5.5 +124/-166
  • McCarthy ended up going to the Vikings at No. 10. So bets on the OVER paid out at +124, meaning a $100 wager resulted in a $224 payday, your stake plus $124 in winnings.

The following list is of some of the common O/U draft props sportsbooks may carry ahead of the Draft:

  • Player X to go at a given number
  • Number of players selected from a conference in the first round
  • Number of players selected from a particular team in the first round
  • How many players of a certain position will get taken in the first round
  • Total first round trades

Where to Bet on the NFL Draft

FanDuel

Get $1000 in bet reset tokens!

No code required
Check the offer
Valid on 7/16/26
DraftKings

A first bet gets you $200 in bonus bets for new customers!

No code required
Check the offer
Valid on 7/16/26
Caesars Sportsbook

Win or lose, your first bet is matched up to $250 as a bonus bet.

Promo code
Check the offer
Valid on 7/16/26

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