Georgia defensive lineman Travon Walker's odds to be the first overall selection have continued to improve this week.
Walker, who was not even listed as a betting option to start at some sportsbooks, moved past Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson over the weekend. Walker began the week as the -200 odds-on favorite to go No. 1 at Caesars Sportsbook. His odds had moved to -300 Wednesday morning.
At sportsbook PointsBet, Walker is the ninth player to be the favorite to go No. 1. Spencer Rattler, Sam Howell, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Hutchinson, Evan Neal and Ikem Ekwonu each sat atop the odds at one point since PointsBet opened the market in late July.
Odds to be the No. 1 overall pick (via Caesars Sportsbook, as of Wednesday)
· Travon Walker -300
· Aidan Hutchinson +325
· Ikem Ekwonu +450
· Evan Neal +2,500
· Kayvon Thibodeaux +5,000
Most bet on markets by tickets:
1. First overall pick
2. Second pick
3. Third pick
4. First drafted wide receiver
5. Kayvon Thibodeaux draft position
Most bet on markets by handle:
1. First overall pick
2. Aidan Hutchinson draft position
3. Kayvon Thibodeaux draft position
4. Second pick
5. Top five pick
NFL draft odds and ends
5:30 p.m.:
Hutchinson's odds to selected fourth overall improved 25-1 to 4-1 over the last 24 hours at DraftKings, the largest recent movement in the draft at the book.
Florida cornerback Kaiir Elam also has attracted line-moving attention at DraftKings. On Wednesday morning, Elam was +120 to be drafted in the first round. He's now -250 to get selected tonight.
4 p.m.:
Biggest NFL draft needs for the SuperBook:
Garrett Wilson to go in the first nine picks. His over/under is 9.5.
Jameson Williams to go later than pick 11 and not before Drake London.
Kenny Pickett to go later than pick 17.
"We don't have any decisions [on the NFL draft] that are going to significantly determine how we do today, and that's how we wanted it," John Murray, executive director of the SuperBook, said. Murray said the number of the bets on the Thursday night's NBA games dwarfs the number of bets on the draft. "So many of the draft bets are limit bets," Murray added. ""Very little public handle."
3 p.m.: The biggest odds movements on the NFL draft in the last 24 hours at sportsbook PointsBet are:
Steelers to draft a quarterback went from -130 to -175
Ikem Ekwonu to go No. 1 changed from +800 to +450
Quay Walker to be the first LB drafted went from +800 to +150
2 p.m.:
Walker has emerged as the clear-cut betting favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick this weeks at sportsbooks, but some recent interest on Ekwonu have shifted the odds. Ekwonu now has the second-best odds to go No. 1 overall at Caesars Sportsbook.
He has seen his odds improve from +450 to +350 over the last 24 hours, moving him ahead of Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson.
A representative for Caesars Sportsbook said some "big bets" on Ekwonu, in part, prompted the odds movement. Hutchinson had been the consensus favorite to go No. 1 since March, before being overtaken by Walker this week.
Walker's odds have improved from +150 to -450 this week. Hutchinson is now +400 to go No. 1. The Jacksonville Jaguars own the top pick.
Wednesday 4 p.m.
More bets have been placed on the draft position of Oregon's Thibodeaux than on any other individual player at Caesars Sportsbook. Thibodeaux's over/under on his draft position is 4.5 with a -175 price on the under. The over on Thibodeaux's draft position leads in tickets, but the under has attracted the second most money of any player.
The under on Ohio State wide receiver Garrett Wilson (9.5) is the most popular under by number of bets and amount wagered.
Sportsbook WynnBET reported taking a $500 bet on the Tennessee Titans to select quarterback Kenny Pickett at 75-1 odds from a customer in New Jersey. If Pickett lands with the Titans, on the 26th pick, the bettor would win a net $37,000.
94% of the money bet on BetMGM's over/under on the number of QBs taken in the first round (3.5) is on the under. The under is -300.