First Overall Pick Odds
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Jabari Smith Jr. | -105 |
| Chet Holmgren | +155 |
| Paolo Banchero | +300 |
| Jaden Ivey | +2500 |
| Keegan Murray | +8000 |
| AJ Griffin | +25000 |
| Shaedon Sharpe | +25000 |
| Johnny Davis | +25000 |
| Jalen Duren | +25000 |
| Bennedict Mathurin | +25000 |
| Ochai Agbaji | +25000 |
| TyTy Washington | +50000 |
| Dyson Daniels | +50000 |
| MarJon Beauchamp | +50000 |
| Tari Eason | +50000 |
| Jaden Hardy | +50000 |
| Nikola Jovic | +100000 |
| Blake Wesley | +100000 |
*Odds courtesy of BetMGM
The NBA Draft is rapidly approaching and more and more players are declaring for the draft each day.
Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren is the latest to declare and likely won't have to wait long to hear his name called on draft night as the 7-footer is currently rated No. 1 among ESPN's top 100 prospects.
Holmgren took to Twitter to announce his decision Thursday.
❤️🐾🐶 pic.twitter.com/omlY3aZMlc
— chet holmgren (@ChetHolmgren) April 21, 2022
The Minnesota native averaged 14.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game during his freshman season at Gonzaga.
Holmgren currently has the second-highest odds at BetMGM to be the No. 1 overall pick at +155, while Auburn's Jabari Smith is the favorite at -105.
Duke's Paolo Banchero is the only other prospect who has a legitimate shot at going No. 1 and is currently listed at +300.
1. Jabari Smith -105
Smith is almost even money to go No. 1 overall. Much of the talk prior to the college basketball season was about Banchero and Holmgren, despite Smith also being very highly rated as a recruit. Smith made some noise early in the season and showed why he deserves to be in the conversation for the top pick.
2. Chet Holmgren +155
The aforementioned Holmgren has been talked about like a potential No. 1 pick for at least five years. He is considered a unicorn with his freakishly long limbs and ability to both shoot and handle the basketball.
3. Paolo Banchero +300
Banchero got plenty of media attention during the year as he was a part of Mike Krzyzewski's last season at Duke. With that, there was a microscope on Banchero and his weaknesses started to show. Still, he averaged 17.2 points per game as a freshman.
4. Jaden Ivey +2500
Ivey appears to be in a tier of his own for this draft class. He's not talked about in the same breath as the top three picks, but he has been able to separate himself from the rest of the pack. The Purdue product spent two years in college which might be one reason scouts have shied away from him discussing him as a potential No. 1 pick.
5. Keegan Murray +8000
Another two-year player in college, Murray didn't get a chance to fully blossom until his sophomore year. And, boy, did he ever. Murray finished fourth in the nation in scoring at 23.5 points per game.
6. A.J. Griffin +25000
Griffin showed some weaknesses under the scrutiny of playing for Duke. But he also proved he belongs. Griffin isn't going to light the world on fire as a scorer, but he's shown he can be a high-level contributor as a defender and shotmaker when called upon.
7. Shaedon Sharpe +25000
After Murray, the next five guys are all tied at +25000 which means just about anybody could be the sixth overall pick. Sharpe never played for Kentucky after enrolling a year early. The original plan was for him to sit out this year and play for the Wildcats in 2022-23. But after learning he was eligible for the 2022 NBA Draft, those plans were thrown out the window.
8. Johnny Davis +25000
Davis might have been the biggest surprise of the college basketball season as he was a finalist for just about every player of the year award. He averaged 19.7 points per game as a sophomore at Wisconsin this past season.
9. Jalen Duren +25000
Many thought Emoni Bates was going to be the best freshman at Memphis this past season, but it was Duren who excelled. At 6-foot-11, 250-pounds, Duren brings a different type of body to this draft class. There's plenty of length, but not too many prospects have the power Duren possesses.
10. Bennedict Mathurin +25000
The reigning Pac-12 Player of the Year took a massive leap to vault himself into a possible lottery pick selection. Mathurin was the best player on a resurgent Arizona team and averaged 17.7 points per game.
11. Ochai Agbaji +25000
There were plenty of arguments to be made that Agbaji deserved to be the National Player of the Year. That honor ended up going to Oscar Tshiebwe. Still, Agbaji proved he's more than just a defensive stopper and offensive role player. He can truly score the rock.
