The NFL has been largely quiet in the past three months, abut the only time of the year when nobody’s eating and breathing American football. But behind the scenes, NFL teams have spent that time studying, debating, and languishing over the next crop of players that are entering the league next season.
Everything comes to a head next week when (finally!) the 2014 NFL Draft arrives. Much has been made about the future prospects of a lot of this young players, some getting the spotlight as supposedly marquee rookies while others not getting as much shine as they would’ve hoped. Such is the delicate balance teams go through in the draft process. Look for need first, some would argue. Others, though, tell the importance of getting the best player on the board.
On our end, we’re here to tell you that you can actually bet on the NFL Draft so you can enjoy the whole festivities on a level you’ve come to miss since the NFL ended in February.
One of the more popular Draft bets this year is the player getting taken first overall. Unlike two years ago when everybody and their pastor knew that the Indianapolis Colts were taking Andrew Luck, this year’s a little more complicated because nobody knows the direction the Houston Texans are going.
The odds-on favorite to get picked first is South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney at 1/2 odds, but remember, Houston needs a quarterback and there are two, in particular that are right there with Clowney as the Texans’ top choices: UCF’s Blake Bortles (3/1) and Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel (6/1).
Another quarterback, Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater, is also up there at 12/1, although if you’re the Texans and you do decide to pick a quarterback, there’s little to no chance you pass up on both Bortles and Manziel to pick Bridgewater.
There is a nice little prop to look at if you’re into the whole Manziel vs Bridgewater debate. Some online sport books are putting up a “Who Gets Drafted First” odds between the two. Manziel’s got a slight edge at 4/9 odds but Teddy B. isn’t that far behind at 13/8 odds.
If you want to expand that to the top four quarterbacks and bet on who gets drafted first, Bortles becomes the favorite at even odds with Manziel at a close second at 2/1 odds. Bridgewater isn’t too far off either at 4/1, but if you’re feeling lucky, you can opt to take Fresno State QB Derek Carr at 10/1 odds.
