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NBA Draft day is here. While the draft has becoming increasingly difficult to bet over the last couple of years, there still may be a little bit of meat on the bone of draft day. I have been putting plays out on Twitter going back to last month when the NBA Draft Lottery took place, and wrote them up in an article back on June 6. Let’s breakdown some betting angles on DraftKings Sportsbook and add some plays to the card.
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
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Draft Position: Dereck Lively U10.5 (+175) — 1-unit
Lively is rumored to be climbing draft boards, and it makes sense given his background. He was a No. 1 overall recruit when he went to Duke just a year ago, and while he had trouble adapting to the college game, his style suits the NBA. He has great length, can run the floor, and has reportedly shot the ball very well in his workouts. The 7-10 range feels alive for him, with No. 10 to Dallas (in desperate need of skilled bigs) a nice safety net. At good plus money, I’ll take a shot on Lively cracking the top-10.
Draft Position: Jalen Hood-Schifino U14.5 (-160) — 1-unit
Hood-Schifino had a terrific freshman season at Indiana, looking the part of an NBA point guard. He has good size and athleticism and is a good shooter, leaving few holes in his game. He has generally been mocked as a lottery pick, hence the price tag here, but I think it’s worth laying the juice. He could be a surprise pick in the end of the top-10, but it’s very nice to have both the Raptors and Pelicans selecting at No. 13 and No. 14 overall, which feel like very likely landing spots.
Draft Position: Jarace Walker O6.5 (-130) — 1-unit
This was one of my plays in my previous article, and I’m adding to it at a better price on draft day. At the time I thought different players may be jumping Walker, but come draft day, I have a tough time finding where Walker fits in the top-six. If the Thompson twins are picking up a ton of steam to go in the top-five, that leaves Orlando at No. 6. The Magic have a ton of size, and would probably have to move a big if they wanted to add Walker. The backcourt and wing seem like much more likely places to add — think Anthony Black or Cam Whitmore. Just not enough spots to fit Walker, and I don’t think the price on his over has reacted enough to the steam on the Thompsons going top-five, particularly Ausar Thompson.
1st Round Pick: Trayce Jackson Davis (+300) — 0.75-units
1st Round Pick: Amari Bailey (+450) — 0.5-units
1st Round Pick: Julian Strawther (+1500) — 0.1-units
Some smaller dart throws on first-rounders at good plus money. Nothing particularly linked to teams, but just a gut call on some players that I feel should be shorter odds. Jackson-Davis has slide into the last few picks of the first round in plenty of mocks, and teams like the Celtics, Clippers and Nuggets could use a polished big man ready to eat some minutes.
Bailey was a very highly ranked freshman, and while he didn’t live up to the hype completely at UCLA, he finished the season strong for them when the Bruins were down some bodies. He’s a talented wing that a team could take a chance on.
Strawther likely goes second round, but he does provide something NBA teams need — shooting. He was once considered a back of the first round player, so maybe he sneaks in there at a massive plus-price. Worth a very tiny risk.
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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
The contents contained in this article do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment.