nba-draft-first-pick-odds

Mark Halmas/Icon Sportswire

Author: Anthony Vlahovic

Last Updated: 22 January, 2026

2026 NBA Draft Betting Odds

The 2025 NBA Draft Class is neatly halfway through their rookie seasons. Last draft season was filled with talk about who would be drafted after Cooper Flagg. Now, with another season about to get started, new questions and debates will begin to be discussed about the 2026 draft class.

With both the NBA and college basketball seasons underway, true draft junkies can start looking ahead to the 2026 NBA Draft, which will likely include AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and plenty more exciting young talent. Now that the odds for the 2026 NBA Draft are released, we will break down the prices for all available markets.

2026 NBA Draft First Pick Odds

Player

Bet365

FanDuel

Darryn Peterson

-160

-160

AJ Dybantsa

+155

+165

Cameron Boozer

+850

+750

Caleb Wilson

+10,000

+10,000

Dame Sarr

+15,000

OTB

Jayden Quaintance

+15,000

+20,000

Koa Peat

+15,000

+20,000

Mikel Brown Jr.

+15,000

+20,000

Chris Cenac Jr.

+20,000

+20,000

Tounde Yessoufou

+20,000

+20,000

Karim Lopez

+20,000

+20,000

Nate Ament

+20,000

OTB

Kingston Flemings

+25,000

OTB

*Odds as of January 22, 2026

Current Favorites

Darryn Peterson: Leg injuries and trouble with cramping have limited the number of minutes the Kansas star has been able to play so far this season. Even with that, though, Peterson has proven to be one of the most dynamic scorers in the country. In 10 games, the freshman is averaging 21.6 points on 49.3% shooting from the field and 42% from three-point range. There isn't a shot on the floor that Peterson can't make, and he's also been able to average 4.6 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game.

AJ Dybantsa: Health has not been a problem for Dybantsa this season, which has shortened the odds gap between him and Peterson for the #1 pick. Through 18 games, Dybantsa is fifth in the country with 22.5 points per game, while bringing down 6.8 rebounds per game as well. College basketball fans and NBA scouts have seen the BYU standout take over multiple games, scoring 25 in a two-point loss to UConn, 28 in an impressive win over Clemson, and 25 in a conference win over TCU.

Cameron Boozer: Last season, Duke had the #1 pick in Cooper Flagg, who did everything for them, and this season, Boozer has assumed that role. The freshman is not only 4th in the country with 23.2 PPG, but he's 17th with 9.9 rebounds per game. In 18 total games, Boozer has recorded nine double-doubles, and his impact goes beyond scoring and rebounding. On top of his offensive statistics, Boozer is averaging 1.8 steals per game, helping Duke rank 6th in adjusted defensive efficiency rating, per KenPom.


2025 NBA First Draft Pick Odds Comparison - Closing Odds

Player

Bet365

BetRivers

ESPNBet

Cooper Flagg *Selection*

-50,000

OTB

-50,000

Dylan Harper

+3300

+25,000

+7500

Ace Bailey

+15,000

+25,000

+10,000

Tre Johnson

+20,000

OTB

+10,000

VJ Edgecombe

+20,000

+25,000

+20,000

Odds as of June 25, 2025

Odds To Be The #2 Pick in 2025 NBA Draft

Player

Bet365

BetRivers

ESPNBet

Dylan Harper *Selection*

-5000

-10,000

-10,000

VJ Edgecombe

+2500

+2200

+4000

Ace Bailey

+3000

+2800

+2500

Tre Johnson

+15,000

OTB

+6600

Cooper Flagg

+15,000

+18,000

+10,000

Odds as of June 25, 2025

Closing Odds To Be The #3 Pick in the 2025 NBA Draft

Player

Bet365

BetRivers

ESPNBet

VJ Edgecombe *Selection*

-300

-305

-350

Tre Johnson

+600

+525

+600

Ace Bailey

+700

+550

+600

Kon Knueppel

+700

+700

+600

Khaman Maluach

+4000

+1800

+3300

Odds as of June 25, 2025

Closing Odds To Be The #4 Pick in the 2025 NBA Draft

Player

Bet365

BetRivers

ESPNBet

Kon Knueppel *Selection*

-150

-150

-180

Ace Bailey

+275

+300

+290

VJ Edgecombe

+550

+500

+400

Tre Johnson

+800

+600

+475

Khaman Maluach

+2000

+900

+900

Odds as of June 25, 2025

Closing Odds To Be The #5 Pick in the 2025 NBA Draft

Player

Bet365

BetRivers

ESPNBet

Jeremiah Fears

+170

+250

+175

Tre Johnson

+230

+175

+200

Ace Bailey *Selection*

+280

+250

+250

Kon Knueppel

+450

+400

+425

VJ Edgecombe

+1200

+1000

+1100

Odds as of June 25, 2025

Past #1 Selections in the NBA Draft

Year - Player

Team

Opening odds

Closing odds

2025 - Cooper Flagg

Dallas Mavericks

-10,000

-50,000

2024 - Zaccharie Risacher

Atlanta Hawks

+275

-550

2023 - Victor Wembanyama

San Antonio Spurs

-2000

-50,000

2022 - Paolo Banchero

Orlando Magic

+150

-200

2021 - Cade Cunningham

Detroit Pistons

N/A

-8000

2020 - Anthony Edwards

Minnesota Timberwolves

N/A

-125

2019 - Zion Williamson

New Orleans Pelicans

N/A

-2500

2018 - DeAndre Ayton

Phoenix Suns

N/A

-2500

2017 - Markelle Fultz

Philadelphia 76ers

N/A

-750

2016 - Ben Simmons

Philadelphia 76ers

N/A

-650

2015 - Karl-Anthony Towns

Minnesota Timberwolves

N/A

-200

2014 - Andrew Wiggins

Cleveland Cavaliers

N/A

-250

Overseas Optical Illusions: How EuroLeague Context Warps Mock Draft Consensus

Unless you’re a full-time NBA Draft analyst, it can be hard to determine how well the games of the top overseas prospects will translate and how different lottery teams value those players. The structure of European pro basketball, particularly the EuroLeague, can make evaluating talent and mapping out which pick range they should land in challenging.

Unlike NCAA stars who went first overall, such as Cade Cunningham and Anthony Edwards, who dominate the ball in 30+ minute workloads, many European prospects operate in far more structured and veteran-heavy systems. Instead, a 17-year-old wing averaging 7.3 PPG in EuroLeague play might be showing flashes of elite court vision or innate defensive instincts that NBA front offices think will translate.

At the same time, some prospects thrive in less competitive domestic leagues, leading to high-usage roles and boosting their draft stock despite questions about their true ability to adapt to the physicality of the NBA. 

Looking at metrics such as usage rate adjusted for age, per-minute production, and assist-to-turnover ratio may help bettors further understand the scouting reports teams have on overseas players, leading to potential areas of value in betting markets. Look at Alex Sarr, for example, in the NBL, he averaged 9.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. However, his per-36-minute stats had him averaging 20.3 points and 2.8 blocks. For a Wizards team desperate for size at the time, they clearly felt confident his game would translate, leading to his selection before some elite college players.

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Editor: Anthony Vlahovic

A former professional baseball player who has had his finger on the pulse of sports betting since 2016.

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