NFL Draft Props

The NFL Draft begins on Thursday, so football fans get a temporary oasis in the barren wasteland that is the NFL offseason. If just watching the festivities isn’t enough for you, that is, if you want some action, then don’t worry, it can be had. Most sportsbooks in Vegas are offering prop bets for the draft, as is online gaming giant Bovada.lv (formerly Bodog). Here are your betting options, along with a couple of my favorites that I’ve listed at the bottom (odds courtesy of Bovada):

Which side of the ball will Mr. Irrelevant play Last player selected in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Kicker will be offense, Punter will be defense. Offense -105
Defense -105

How many QB’s will be selected in the 1st Rd?
Over 3½ (+170)
Under 3 1/2 (-250)

How many RB’s will be selected in the 1st Rd?
Over 1½ (+170)
Under 1½ (-250)

How many WR’s will be selected in the 1st Rd?
Over 3½ (-350)
Under 3½ (+225)

Most Draft Selections Wager is for rounds 1-7.
Wager is on the most draft selections made by one single team.
Over 12½ (-175)
Under 12½ (+135)

Fewest Draft Selections Wager is for rounds 1-7.
Wager is on the least amount of draft selections made by one single team.
Over 5½ (+200)
Under 5½ (-300)

Which side of the ball will the 11th pick overall in the draft play?
Offense +200
Defense -300

Which side of the ball will the 12th pick overall in the draft play?
Offense +225
Defense -350

Which side of the ball will the 13th pick overall in the draft play?
Offense -350
Defense +225

Which side of the ball will the 14th pick overall in the draft play?
Offense +170
Defense -250

Which side of the ball will the 15th pick overall in the draft play?
Offense +200
Defense -300

Who will be drafted 1st?
Morris Claiborne (DB LSU) -350
Justin Blackmon (WR Oklahoma State) +225

Who will be drafted 1st? Riley Reiff (OL Iowa) -200
Dontari Poe (DL Memphis) +150

Who will be drafted 1st?
Courtney Upshaw (DE Alabama) -350
Nick Perry (DE USC) +225

Draft Position Props

Trent Richardson (RB Alabama) Over 4½ (-150)
Under 4/12 (+110)

Ryan Tannehill (QB Texas A&M)
Over 8 (-150)
Under 8 (+110)

Kendall Wright (WR Baylor) Over 23½ (-140)
Under (EVEN)

Brandon Weeden (QB Oklahoma State)
Over 36½ (-200)
Under 36 1/2 (+150)

My Recommendations:

UNDER 3 1/2 WR Selected in 1st Rd (+225): I realize that most mock drafts have 4 or even 5 wide receivers coming off the board in the 1st round (which is why the OVER is -350), but I have my doubts, and I think +225 is a nice price, so the UNDER may be worth a play here. Justin Blackmon and Michael Floyd are the only two surefire 1st rounders, though most expect Baylor’s Kendall Wright to come off the board somewhere around pick 25. The assumption is that with Blackmon, Floyd, and Wright gone, a team like the 49ers will choose Stephen Hill of Georgia Tech or Reuben Randle of LSU. However, it seems like we see receivers slide in the draft every year, mainly because some believe that receivers are a dime a dozen and can be found in the later rounds. It’s been my experience that mock drafts usually overestimate the number of receivers in the 1st round and underestimate the number of offensive linemen. Receivers are more fun to talk about than o-linemen, as most fans just yawn when their team select a guard or tackle that they’ve never seen play. Fans don’t draft the players, though, so don’t be surprised if Randle, Hill, and Alshon Jeffery all slip to the 2nd round.

12th pick in the Draft will play OFFENSE (+225): The Seattle Seahawks currently have the 12th pick in the draft, and while I don’t pretend to know who they’ll pick (or even if they’ll actually pick at 12), I think there’s a pretty fair chance that an offensive player will be chosen, so the +225 odds offered make this a bet worth considering. Many think that if Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill gets by Miami at 8 then Seattle will pick him at 12, and another scenario has the Seahawks trading up to 7, where the Jacksonville Jaguars currently sit, to get Tannehill before Miami can. The Jags have made their desire to trade down public, and if they were to move down to 12, there’s a good chance they would draft a player like Notre Dame receiver Michael Floyd, who would help improve their league-worst passing attack. Of course, there are a million other scenarios and possibilities with the 12th pick, nothing’s a certainty at this point. Still, an offensive player being chosen at 12 is a distinct possibility.