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The 2020 NFL Draft is a little over two months away, and LSU quarterback Joe Burrow has settled in as the heavy favorite to go No. 1 overall. Virtually every mock draft has him going No. 1, making it a little more difficult each week to talk about him. SB Nation’s Dan Kadar is at the point in his weekly 2020 NFL mock draft where he is discussing a giraffe being named after Burrow. It’s that kind of draft.
But that won’t step bettors from considering alternatives! DraftKings Sportsbook offers odds on who will go No. 1 overall, and it is no surprise Burrow is a heavy favorite at -10000. The next closest is Ohio State edge rusher Chase Young at +1400. At some point this probably comes off the board, but for the time being, it remains an option.
In the latest betting splits on Presidents’ Day, we are seeing that people are willing to risk their money on players not named Joe Burrow going No. 1. The heavy majority of money bet is on Burrow, with 62 percent of the handle, but he represents “only” 20 percent of total bets. That is the highest percentage, but 18 percent of bets are on Young, 16 percent are on Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and ten percent are on Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert.
Tagovailoa has the highest handle after Burrow at 11 percent, which shows just how little bettors are actually willing to bet on the alternatives. People are willing to throw down a few bucks on long shot odds, figuring why not grab 14/1 or 20/1 or longer odds. If you go further down, quarterbacks Jake From and Jalen Hurts are each getting five percent of total bets, even though they combine for only three percent of the handle. But at 150/1 and 250/1, respectively, a $5 or $10 bet might be worth a roll of the dice if something crazy happens.
That is almost assuredly not going to happen, and Joe Burrow will end up with the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 1, but why not grab those huge odds?
2020 NFL Draft betting splits, Feb 17th
| Player | Odds | % handle | % bets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Odds | % handle | % bets |
| Joe Burrow | -10000 | 62% | 20% |
| Chase Young | +1400 | 9% | 18% |
| Tua Tagovailoa | +2000 | 11% | 16% |
| Justin Herbert | +3300 | 8% | 10% |
| Andrew Thomas | +6600 | 2% | 2% |
| Jeffrey Okudah | +10000 | >1% | 2% |
| Isaiah Simmons | +10000 | >1% | 1% |
| Jedrick Wills | +15000 | >1% | >1% |
| Jordan Love | +15000 | >1% | 2% |
| Jacob Eason | +15000 | 2% | 3% |
| Jake Fromm | +25000 | 2% | 5% |
| Jalen Hurts | +25000 | 1% | 5% |
| Tristan Wirfs | +25000 | >1% | 2% |
| Derrick Brown | +25000 | >1% | 2% |
| Jerry Jeudy | +50000 | 1% | 3% |
| CeeDee Lamb | +50000 | >1% | 2% |
| A.J. Epenesa | +50000 | >1% | 2% |
| D'Andre Swift | +50000 | >1% | 1% |
| Grant Delpit | +50000 | >1% | >1% |
| Jonathan Taylor | +50000 | >1% | >1% |
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