The NBA online betting sites have been updated with just 13 days to go. That’s right. The 2022 NBA Draft will take place from the Barclays Center on June 23rd, 2022. In this article, we have our early NBA Draft Top Pick Bets for the upcoming draft. Will the Orlando Magic go in the expected direction and draft Mr Smith?
| 2022 NBA Draft Top Pick Odds 6/10/22 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Jabari Smith | -699 | -700 |
| Chet Holmgren | +280 | +300 |
| Paolo Banchero | +1025 | +1000 |
Now, the NBA Draft Top Pick Bets features a few twists along the way. One of them will not be Mr. Smith err Jabari Smith from Auburn. Even three weeks ago, Smith’s number was ranging from -150 to -160. It was far from certain that he would be at the head of the draft class. Honestly, there were few concerns about Smith and once the Orlando Magic won the lottery, things starts to become crystal clear.
That development alone probably led to the biggest shift in these numbers. When one fast forwards to three weeks later, it is as if there was no debate at all. It is like Jabari Smith was the consensus number one pick all along. Though that was certainly not the case. What is certain is that Smith has incredible talent and displays good to very good defensive fundamentals.
So, the Orlando Magic have a history with the number one pick. Remember, in back to back seasons, they drafted Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway. That led to an eventual NBA Final appearance in 1995. Can a player like Jabari Smith (now at -699) make that kind of impact in the new NBA? This is a great question. Some have gone so far to compare Mr. Smith to players like Kevin Durant and even Dirk Nowitzki. Talk about some heady names.
Therefore, NBA Draft Top Pick Bets agrees that the Magic should not overthink this. It is a luxury to have some more options to further examine. Naturally, here at VegasBetting, our NBA number one pick for the 2022 NBA Draft is below.
So, the NBA Top Pick Best Bets have some needed adjustments. Why? It is becoming more and more apparent that Chet Holmgren and Oklahoma City may not be a fit as the second overall pick. Pundits argued that Holmgren might even fit better as the top pick as opposed to Jabari Smith. They referenced Holmgren’s BPM (14.97) which rivals several current NBA All-Stars. Smith and Paolo Banchero lag a little bit behind.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, there are several other metrics to consider. Also, there is how Holmgren looked in his conference tournament and the NCAA Tournament as well. Again, the body of work adds some credence to the earlier numbers (+130 on May 19th for Holmgren). Since then, things have changed dramatically for the forward/centre. The lengthening to around +700 still has caught people by surprise. Then, there is more.
This debate has continued as Oklahoma City is definitely a bit of a wildcard here. Holmgren held his own at Gonzaga with a group of veteran players including Drew Timme. He played well in a pressure cooker of a situation for the most part even if the tournament did not go quite as planned. Now, the problem is where does Holmgren get drafted IF he is not picked by Orlando. As everyone has seen, that reality is more and more likely by the day.
If not Oklahoma City, then would Houston come calling? The scary part is that Jaden Ivey is moving up some boards including the Thunders especially. Those rumblings grow louder as the draft approaches. Therefore, even Houston is not an automatic destination for Holmgren. However, more and more, the Rockets are looking to be the best fit In our NBA Draft Top Pick Bets, numbers shift at the third slot indicates a wager to be made.
The NBA Draft Top Pick Bets has something else to consider. What does the Oklahoma City Thunder actually do between Paolo Banchero and Jaden Ivey? The Thunder have become more and more enamoured with Ivey as the Purdue guard made himself into quite a star in college. His entertaining nature and ability to slash defenses apart make him a viable rookie of the year pick. Okay, we may be getting ahead of ourselves.
Again, there are more dicey picks to make. This may be one of them but some have mocked Ivey in the fifth or sixth spot and yet he could go as high as second. It is also part of the reason why Paolo Banchero, from Duke, could go anywhere from second to fifth. Team needs and wants to play a role here. If there is again, not a viable fit, why would a team risk their top-pick? That makes sense. Banchero is still quite a talent, however.
For what it is worth, the once multi-sport star garners comparisons to Jayson Tatum among other pros. The belief is that Banchero could slim down while strengthening a bit. Bulking up might not serve the former Duke player so well. Again, the real question is where does the forward who can easily play the 3 or 4 slots? So, does Oklahoma City go with the dynamic guard or the blue-collar Banchero who has plenty of offensive upsides?
For the NBA Draft Top Pick Bets, watch the spread go wild here as we take a flier on Paolo Banchero going second ultimately to Oklahoma City.
MyBookie has the draft shift prices you need. Now, one can take plus-money shots across the board.
