This weekend Seattle Seahawks WR DK Metcalf will line up in a serious track and field race as NFL and racing fans debate whether he could possibly run fast enough to qualify for the Olympics.
Betting on whether he will or not was out of the question, until Friday afternoon. New Jersey's Department of Gaming Enforcement approved operators to offer the odds.
Metcalf, who ran a 4.33 40-yard dash at the combine in 2019 and was tracked at running 22.6 miles per hour when chasing down Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker last year, is competing in the 100-meter race at the USATF Golden Games and Distance Open in Walnut, Calif.
If Metcalf can run the 100 meter race in 10.05 seconds, he'll automatically qualify for next month's U.S. Olympic Trials.
DraftKings is offering three markets, all at plus-money or better, only in New Jersey.
| Event | Odds | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Win Final | 15-1 | 6.25% |
| Reach Final | 1-1 | 50% |
| Place Top 3 | 3-1 | 25% |
DraftKings is not offering a "no" option on any of these bets. Neither is PointsBet in Colorado, which has almost identical odds to DraftKings.
Track and field insiders we spoke to said it's going to be really difficult for him to even make the finals of this event.
"He'll have to run a 10.3 to get into the finals," said one experienced race director. "I mean, D.K. Metcalf is football fast, but that doesn't mean he's Olympic fast."
On Metcalf's side is the fact that the two fastest 100 meter runners, Noah Lyles and Justin Gatlin, aren't competing against him. Lyles, whose best in the 100 meters in 9.86 seconds, is choosing to run the 200-meter instead.
Veteran Justin Gatlin, who ran a 9.74 in Doha in 2015, is taking part in an event in Tokyo this weekend.
On Wednesday, Track & Field media brand Flotrack, on its Instagram page, set Metcalf's total at 10.35 seconds.
NFL Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe, who now is a broadcaster for Fox, responded with "OVA."
American discus star Reggie Jagers predicted "10.55-65." Kyle Clemons, who won the gold on the American 4x400 meter relay in Rio, predicted 10.77 seconds.
