National Football League

NFL Draft 2023 odds: Best bets for where Young, Stroud, Richardson, Levis land

Published Apr. 6, 2023 3:22 p.m. ET

While we're less than a month away from the first round of the NFL Draft, there’s still so much to be settled when it comes to the top four quarterback prospects.

Will Ohio State's C.J. Stroud be the first QB to hear his name called? Or will it be Alabama's Bryce Young? After a stellar combine, Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson's odds also shortened big time.

Lately, there has also been chatter about Tennessee's Hendon Hooker moving up the draft board. Perhaps the aging Volunteer can give the more highly touted prospects a run for their money.

Betting on the draft is fun, and the uncertainty allows us an opportunity to make a few bucks. Regarding the landing spots for each of the top quarterbacks, here is where I slot each of these guys to land.

C.J. Stroud: -285 to be first overall pick to Panthers (bet $10 to win $13.50 total)

During Frank Reich's tenure as a head coach and coordinator in the league, he's always had a big-bodied, strong-armed quarterback. I believe this trend will continue with Stroud getting drafted to Carolina.

He had Carson Wentz in Philadelphia and again in Indianapolis. Reich also had Phillip Rivers, Matt Ryan and Jacoby Brissett for one-season stints in Indy as well. Stroud is 6-foot-3, weighs 214 pounds and has a rocket arm. He fits the mold of the kind of franchise quarterback Reich has always sought.

I also do not believe the Panthers would trade up to draft an outlier in Bryce Young. While Young is the most-ready QB in this draft, his height and weight are concerns.

Stroud to the Panthers, while juicy from a betting perspective, will be the first pick.

Bryce Young: -225 to be second pick to Texans (bet $10 to win $14.44 total)

With Stroud off the board, the Texans will take Young to stabilize the franchise.

Houston needs a leader like Young to command the position and provide a guiding hand. Young is ready to play now and can jump start the offense early under new coach DeMeco Ryans.

The Texans will be thrilled to draft him.

Anthony Richardson: -150 to be third overall pick (bet $10 to win $16.66 total)

With less than four weeks until the first pick is announced, we are getting signals that this draft will be full of chaos, unlike others we’ve recently seen. While some believe the chaos will start at pick two if the Texans do not take a quarterback, I believe it starts at pick three.

The Arizona Cardinals own the third pick in this draft and do not need a quarterback. They would gladly take the extra draft picks to build their roster and move back if presented with that opportunity.

The teams that appear to be candidates for this type of trade are the Colts and Seahawks at four and five. These two teams clearly could use a quarterback to build their franchises' futures, so I'd keep an eye on them for this slot.

I can also see the Ravens moving to three after trading Lamar Jackson to the Colts and using that draft pick to get another franchise quarterback.

There appears to be some smoke with the Patriots having an interest in Richardson, and while a trade up doesn’t seem very Belichick-like, they might want an upgrade from Mac Jones.

Lastly, Could the Vikings be planning for life without Cousins and make this jump for Richardson?

Either way, I don't see him getting past three.

Bryce Young vs C.J. Stroud: Who is the best QB in the NFL Draft

Fox Sports’ RJ Young and Rob Rang discuss who the top QBs are in the NFL Draft.

Will Levis: +1500 to be drafted by Minnesota Vikings (bet $10 to win $160 total)

The list of teams potentially interested in drafting Kentucky's Will Levis is long. The Colts, Seahawks, Raiders, Titans and Bucs are five squads that could reasonably be in the market for a quarterback. And wagering on any of those to draft Levis would not be a bad bet.

The Vikings and Kirk Cousins are going to break up after this season. He’s paid too much to have one playoff win in five seasons. And with a relatively new general manager who inherited Cousins, this is the perfect draft to pick his replacement.

If Levis is on the board at No. 23, the Vikings can draft him with the full intention of letting him sit for a season to learn the NFL game and improve his footwork and accuracy without the pressure of playing time.

Levis can then assume the starting role in 2024.

I think the value in Levis at 16-1 to the Vikings is where I’d sprinkle some pizza money if you are looking for a long-shot bet.

Geoff Schwartz played eight seasons in the NFL for five different teams. He started at right tackle for the University of Oregon for three seasons and was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection his senior year. He is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him on Twitter at @GeoffSchwartz.

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