National Basketball Association

NBA Draft 2022 odds: Four best bets to make now before the Draft

Updated Jun. 21, 2022 9:03 p.m. ET

By Jason McIntyre
FOX Sports Betting Analyst

The 2022 NBA Draft has a few gambling opportunities, and if you know anything about me, you know I'm not going to pass on a golden opportunity to get in on some exciting action.

Unlike the NFL, the NBA Draft rarely has major surprises as the information flow is much more transparent. The top three players in this draft have been set for over a month, but after those three go, chaos could ensue. This means there may be opportunities to unearth value in some gambling lines.

I've spotted some of those gems, so let's dive into four of my best bets for this year's NBA Draft.

Jeremy Sochan to get drafted in Top 10: +150 (bet $10 to win $25 total)

Given all the discussion about potential trades with the Pacers at six, Blazers at seven, Spurs at nine and the Wizards at 10, 19-year-old Sochan could sneak into the Top 10. He’s perhaps the best wing defender in this draft, but he is limited offensively. Sochan worked out for the Kings, who might slide out of fourth. He also worked of for the Spurs, another team to keep an eye on. This Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year is from Poland but grew up in the UK before moving to the states as a teenager and playing for Baylor. He fashions his game after Draymond Green — minus the noise.

Bennedict Mathurin Under 6.5: -140 (bet $10 to win $17.14 total)

One of my favorite players in the Top 10! Mathurin has dominated the workout news circuit and could go as high as the No. 4 pick. That's partially because Jaden Ivey refuses to work with the Kings and doesn’t want to be drafted by them.

It would be a shocker if Mathurin fell beyond the sixth pick. The only scenario where the former Arizona Wildcat falls further than No. 6 would be if there is a flurry of unanticipated trades.

Caleb Houstan to get drafted in first round: +380 (bet $10 to win $48 total)

A high-profile high school recruit, Houstan was considered a potential Top 10 player a year ago. He did lead Michigan with 60 3-pointers, but he averaged a modest 10.1 points per game on a veteran team, which was considered underwhelming.

He’s worked out for the Nuggets, who have the 21st pick, and the Raptors, who pick 33rd. But, apparently, Toronto is hot for Houstan which is fitting since he's Canadian.

Jabari Smith to go No. 1 overall: -138 at FOX Bet (bet $10 to win $17.25 total)

After the Magic won the lottery last month, I wrote that Smith would go first because Orlando has historically been smitten with player length, and the 6-foot-10 Smith perfectly fits that mold. Yes, so does Chet Holmgren, who towers at 7-1. Holmgren, though, has more questions regarding his value than Smith does entering the draft.

The former Auburn star's odds were as high as -200 last week to go No. 1 overall, but the numbers have crashed as Paolo Banchero has gained steam as the most NBA-ready prospect.

Obviously you’re not getting the best number taking Smith at -138 when he was plus-money a month ago, but it's still worth a sprinkle.

Jason McIntyre is a FOX Sports betting analyst, and he also writes about the NFL and NBA Draft. He joined FS1 in 2016 and has appeared on every show on the network. In 2017, McIntyre began producing gambling content on the NFL, college football and NBA for FOX Sports. He had a gambling podcast for FOX, "Coming Up Winners," in 2018 and 2019. Before arriving at FOX, he created the website The Big Lead, which he sold in 2010.

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