Now that the NBA Finals are in the rearview and the 2023 NBA Draft is rapidly approaching, it's a perfect time to familiarize yourself with the bevy of prop markets available to bettors for this year's draft. Although there isn't much intrigue around the outcome of the first overall selection with Victor Wembanyama sitting as a -10000 favorite to go the Spurs, hoop heads can make draft night more entertaining by making some wagers on the NBA's next prominent event.
DraftKings Sportsbook's dropped several various NBA Draft-centric markets, and we've sifted through their offerings and pinpointed our five favorite picks. How will the top three picks shake out? Which projected first-round picks will hear their name called before their counterparts? What players have actionable over/under draft position odds?
Let's break down the odds and hopefully start the offseason on a profitable note!
NBA Draft 2023 Odds: Best prop bets
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
Over/Under Draft Position
Cason Wallace UNDER 12.5 (-115)
We like Wallace to hear his name called before pick 12, as the former Wildcat projects as a reliable two-way player who can be an impact performer from day one. Wallace's ended his freshman campaign at Kentucky with an impressive steal percentage of 3.7 while shooting a respectable 34.6 percent from deep.
Sporting News' draft expert Kyle Irving pegs Wallace to the Jazz at No. 9 in his most recent mock, and we agree with Irving's analysis in that Utah looks like a sound fit for the 6-3 lead guard.
Gradey Dick UNDER 10.5 (+190)
With the Mavericks currently slated to pick 10th overall, Dick's floor spacing abilities could come in handy for a Mavericks team that ended the regular season hoisting the third-most threes per game (41 3PA). Although the odds indicate he'll likely be selected outside the top 10, we're enticed by the +190 price tag and think there's a chance he starts his career as a Maverick.
The former McDonald's All-American splashed in 40.3 percent of his triples on high volume in his lone season at Kansas but also showed the ability to be an impactful cutter along with being able to score off the bounce when necessary.
Who will be drafted first?
Keyonte George (+155) vs. Jordan Hawkins (-195)
Pick: George (+155)
Although recency bias may lead some bettors towards rolling with Hawkins after his efficient NCAA Tournament run, we think George could be the one coming off the board first.
Despite George sporting an effective field goal percentage of just 47 percent last season at Baylor, he appears to have a slightly higher ceiling than Hawkins at the next level due to his overall scoring prowess.
While Hawkins is the superior shooter, George could actually become the better pure scorer down the line, as he has the advantage when it comes to creating his own shot and scoring off the bounce. Either way, GMs won't lose much sleep selecting either guy in round one, but we'll give the slight edge to George.
Anthony Black (-230) vs. Taylor Hendricks (+180)
Pick: Black (-230)
While Hendricks has continued to shoot up mock draft boards, he still seems unlikely to be drafted ahead of Black. Even though he ended his freshman season at Arkansas with a 102.0 offensive rating per KenPom, Black didn't look like a freshman on the court.
He routinely found ways to impact teammates as a lead guard and was thrust into a more prominent role with fellow freshman Nick Smith Jr. missing key chunks of the season. Black should only improve as a three-point shooter, and what team wouldn't want a 6-6 lead guard who can defend multiple positions while being able to get to the cup at will?
Black was -190 in this market but has since shot up to -230. We understand one's hesitation to avoid laying -230 in a head-to-head market like this, but we think there's a high probability (north of 70 percent) that Black gets selected ahead of Hendricks.
Top Three Exact Order
| Exact Order | Odds |
| V. Wembanyama, S. Henderson, B. Miller | -230 |
| V. Wembanyama, B. Miller, S. Henderson | +170 |
| V. Wembanyama, B. Miller, Am. Thompson | +1800 |
| V. Wembanyama, S. Henderson, C. Whitmore | +2500 |
| V. Wembanyama, B. Miller, C. Whitmore | +4500 |
| V. Wembanyama, B. Miller, Am. Thompson | +4500 |
Pick: V. Wembanyama, S. Henderson, B. Miller (-185)
With Scoot Henderson returning as the odds-on favorite to go No. 2 overall, we agree with the betting market's assessment of this market and think he goes to Charlotte at pick two with Miller going to Portland at pick 3. A Wembanyama, Henderson, Miller top three exacta was listed at +195 last week, and while betting on that exacta now won't yield the same payday, we'd still lean in that direction.
Even if Charlotte doesn't trade the No. 2 overall pick, drafting a second ball-dominant guard to play alongside LaMelo Ball isn't as crazy as some make it out to be. Charlotte can easily find a way for both guards to fit in their offense, and if the Hornets' draft board has Henderson as the superior prospect, they'd be foolish to pass up on him because of a perceived logjam in the backcourt.
