Although the start of the NFL season is still several months away, the league features several important events during the offseason.
One of the most significant is the draft. The 2021 NFL draft begins in about three weeks, and bettors in the state can now get their wagers in at West Virginia sportsbooks.
BetMGM Sportsbook WV released multiple markets around this year’s draft. You’re able to bet on which player gets selected with the top few picks, as well as several other props.
Like with everything else the NFL does, wagering on the draft continues to grow in popularity with the expansion of legal sports betting. Once the event gets closer on the calendar, all of the WV online sports betting apps will include odds.
Of course, there isn’t much drama surrounding the top overall pick. It seems fairly clear that the Jacksonville Jaguars are going to take Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence as the No. 1 choice.
Let’s take a look at the betting lines for the other top picks and a few of the additional best props listed for the upcoming NFL draft.
NFL draft betting At WV sportsbooks
BetMGM includes multiple ways to put some action down on the draft. Besides taking which player will go with the top picks, bettors can wager on much more.
There are other markets, like who will be the first taken at each position, along with several totals for the first round.
No. 3 overall selection
Since the No. 2 pick appears to be a foregone conclusion at this point, we’ll start with the third selection.
For those not paying close attention to the draft, it looks like the New York Jets are likely taking quarterback Zach Wilson from BYU. Despite just trading Sam Darnold, most of the chatter around the draft has the Jets finding their new guy.
BetMGM lists Wilson as the favorite at -1100 to go second.
The third selection gets much more interesting. Last week, the San Francisco 49ers traded up with the Miami Dolphins to acquire the pick.
Trading into the top three cost the Niners plenty of future choices, so it’s highly likely that they’ll use this pick on a quarterback. The question remains, which one?
The online sportsbook shows Justin Fields as the favorite, with odds of +130. He led Ohio State to the title game this season and was regarded as the second-best prospect at the position until lately.
Alabama’s Mac Jones is very close behind Fields in regard to betting odds. BetMGM has Jones at +140.
Jones recently saw these odds vastly improve. The speculation that the 49ers traded up to take the Crimson Tide quarterback moved his line significantly. Even just last week, he was posted at +250 to be the third pick.
North Dakota State’s Trey Lance owns the third-best shot of going to San Francisco, shown at +240.
This basically comes down to which quarterback the 49ers prefer and whether or not you believe all the reports you hear. There is typically a lot of misinformation put out by teams so they don’t give away their position.
All three of these options have a real chance of hearing their name directly after Lawrence and Wilson.
2021 wide receiver odds
This year’s wide receiver class is strong again. Last year saw multiple first-rounders; however, the 2021 draft could see several wideouts taken in the top 10.
Henry Ruggs was the first drafted a year ago as the Raiders’ 12th overall pick.
Interestingly, a player who didn’t even participate in college football this season is projected to go first. LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase is the favorite at BetMGM, with odds of -350.
This may shock those who watched this past season, as Alabama’s Devonta Smith scorched opponents on his way to claiming the Heisman Trophy. The receiver caught 117 passes for over 1,800 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2020.
While his skills are unquestioned, Smith is on the smaller side, and that could worry some NFL franchises.
On the other hand, Chase looks like his body is more ready for the next level. Even though he chose to sit out last year, his stats were also incredible during his last campaign.
With Joe Burrow passing him the ball, Chase put on a show. He recorded 84 receptions for almost 1,800 yards and 20 touchdowns during the Tigers’ run to the championship.
Chase opted out of this past season to focus on preparing for the draft.
There is another quality option at the position as well. Alabama will have two receivers drafted in the first round again when Jaylen Waddle also gets taken off the board.
BetMGM has the former Tide star at +600 to be the first of his fellow receivers taken.
What may hold Waddle back is the fact that he was injured for the majority of the year. Even though it may have been premature, he still caught three passes in the title game following nearly three months off.
Waddle might be considered the underdog in terms of this bet, but he could easily turn out to be the best among the three in the NFL.
Again, this will come down to the individual teams’ preference, but all three receivers could go in the top 10.
NFL draft specials
A few of the other most popular markets for the draft are the first defensive player and running back selected.
Penn State’s Micah Parsons is at the top of the list at -130, but Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II is right on his heels at +180.
As far as the running backs go, it appears as if it’s a three-man race, with some familiar names.
Alabama’s Najee Harris is favored at -125, with Clemson’s Travis Etienne at +160 and North Carolina’s Javonte Williams at +450.
BetMGM shows lots of totals available to wager on, too. You can bet on the over or under for the number of players drafted in the opening round at just about every position.
The online sportsbook shows the line for quarterbacks set at 5.5. Bettors in the Mountain State can take the over at +325, while the under has odds of -450.
This would mean that at least one other quarterback is taken who hasn’t been discussed. Lawrence, Wilson, Fields, Jones and Lance are basically locks to be first-rounders.
Florida’s Kyle Trask and Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond have the next-best odds for quarterbacks.
Another enticing prop is for the number of wide receivers. BetMGM set the total at 4.5, with the over at -175. The under option has odds of +140.
Outside of the top three mentioned, there are a few others who could be considered for the first round. Minnesota’s Rashod Bateman and Florida’s Kadarius Toney are the next two based on the odds.
Other fun props allow you to bet on how many total offensive and defensive players go in the opening round. The number of offensive players is 18.5, with the over at -140, and under at +110.
Defensive players are set at 13.5, with the over’s odds at +110 and the under at -140.
