The 2024 NFL Draft begins tonight, and it has become a legitimate gambling event. Sportsbooks offer plenty of different ways to bet the draft, from player Over/Unders, positional Over/Unders and specific team props.
Last week, I gave you five wagers to consider placing from Caesars Sportsbook, such as Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to be a first-round pick at +150. Now, that same bet is -300. In fact, let's look at how the odds on the five bets I suggested have changed over the last 10 days.
| Bet | April 15 odds | April 24 odds |
|---|---|---|
Taliese Fuaga Under 13.5 | (-120) | Under 12.5 (+130) |
Penix Under 32.5 | (+150) | (-300) |
Dallas Turner first drafted defensive player | (-130) | (-105) |
Under 9.5 total offensive lineman drafted Thursday night | (+150) | (+155) |
J.J. McCarthy Over 5.5 | (+135) | (+165) |
As you can tell by some of these, it's good to strike early. But just because the draft is a few hours away doesn't mean you can't bet on the event. Here are five more bets to consider placing right now, before action gets underway at 8 p.m. ET.
Every year right before the draft, some of these lines can get very juicy. Remember, shop around at different books for your best number.
1. Johnny Newton draft position: Under 32.5 (-180) Caesars
Obviously juicy, but Newton was a 2023 Consensus All-American and the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. He knows how to rush the passer from the inside, which is valuable in today's NFL. Newton recorded 18 sacks during his time at Illinois, and recorded a whopping 102 pressures over the past two seasons. Those were the most pressures recorded by an FBS defensive tackle by a wide margin. Five of our six CBS Sports NFL Draft experts have Newton going in the first round.
2. Jared Verse draft position: Under 17.5 (+120) BetMGM
This is a flier, but Verse SHOULD go in the top half of the first round. Some will argue he's the best defensive player in the class, and CBS Sports has the Florida State product ranked as the No. 11 overall prospect regardless of position.
Verse is a two-time First Team All-ACC player who recorded the most sacks among players in his conference over the past two seasons with 18.0. He also led the ACC in pressures over the past two seasons with 98.
3. Big 12 players selected in the first round: Over 3.5 (-115) Caesars
The Big 12 players I have going in the first round are Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Guyton and then Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell. The wild card here is Texas wideout Xavier Worthy, who broke the 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine.
4. Ninth pick: WR Rome Odunze (+150) Caesars
Odunze is a stud, as he led the FBS in receiving yards last season with 1,640. He also caught 23 passes of 20+ air yards in 2023, which led the FBS as well. I have Odunze as the third receiver selected Thursday night, but I don't anticipate him making it out of the top 10.
The Chicago Bears make their second selection of the first round at No. 9 overall. ESPN reported that the Bears are rumored to love Odunze's skill set. In fact, Odunze took the same flight to Detroit with likely No. 1 overall selection Caleb Williams, and even caught some passes from Williams as well. There's also the possibility Chicago trades out of the No. 9 spot ... for a team trading up for Odunze.
5. Seventh pick: WR Malik Nabers (+700) Caesars
Let's get crazy. There's a possibility the Los Angeles Chargers don't move out of the No. 5 spot. If they stay put, I think they could take left tackle Joe Alt -- who is favored to go to the Tennessee Titans. If Alt isn't there at No. 7 but Nabers is, I think the Titans could select him. Tennessee already has DeAndre Hopkins and gave Calvin Ridley a lucrative contract in free agency, but the Titans are in the market for another weapon in this new-look offense.
