2022 NBA Draft: Oddsmakers releases odds for first overall pick
With the NBA Draft lottery behind us, and the Orlando Magic holding the rights to the top overall pick, oddsmakers in Las Vegas have released their odds for the first overall selection in this year’s draft. If your name isn’t Jabari Smith, Chet Holmgren or Paolo Banchero, it’s going to be an incredibly tough task for any 2022 NBA Draft prospect to jump into the top three, let alone become the No. 1 overall pick.
Here are Las Vegas’ odds for who will be the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft.
- Jabari Smith | Auburn | -130
- Chet Holmgren | Gonzaga | +160
- Paolo Banchero | Duke | +475
- Jaden Ivey | Purdue | +3300
- Shaedon Sharpe | Kentucky | +3300
- Johnny Davis | Wisconsin | +15000
- Keegan Murray | Iowa | +20000
- Ochai Agbaji | Kansas | +20000
- Jaden Hardy | G League | +25000
- Emmanuel Akot | Boise State | +25000
- Bennedict Mathurin | Arizona | +30000
- A.J. Griffin | Duke | +30000
- TyTy Washington | Kentucky | +40000
- Caleb Houstan | Michigan | +40000
- Jalen Duren | Memphis | +40000
- Tari Eason | LSU | +40000
ESPN’s college basketball analyst Jay Bilas broke down the major attributes of each of the three players and what they’ll bring to whichever team drafts them.
“You’ve got Jabari Smith, who is an elite jump shooter at 6-foot-10, can knock it down off the dribble, off the catch and … Chet Holmgren, there’s not another player like him. His ability to shoot it from three, he can handle it,” Bilas said. “He’s an excellent passer with a great feel, and he’s tough and competitive.
“Banchero is the most powerful at 6-foot-10 and 255. Great spin move, he can shoot it; I think he’s got to improve his 3-point shooting , he he shot about 33%, but he’s got a ton of offensive talent.”
After the main trio, there’s an incredibly sizable drop in the odds, with Jaden Ivey and Shaedon Sharpe trailing behind at +3300 before an even steeper decline with Johnny Davis (+15000), and so on. Barring any Anthony Bennett-like surprise, the only question to be asked about the top three picks in the draft is simply which order they would be selected in.