NFL draft odds: Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud commanding favorite to be No. 1 overall pick

After dominating the NFL combine with his physical traits and tools, all anyone could talk about was Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson. His betting value significantly dropped. It opened at 100-1 to be the 2023 NFL draft’s top pick, and fell as low as +350 at one sportsbook days after testing in Indianapolis.

However, that all changed when the Carolina Panthers traded from No. 9 overall to No. 1 with the Chicago Bears last month. Alabama’s Bryce Young, even as recent as early March, was the heavy favorite to be the draft’s top pick.

Now, three weeks before the draft kicks off, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud is expected to come off the board first in Kansas City at several sportsbooks. Here’s a look at the latest NFL Draft odds to be the top pick.

(Odds courtesy of FanDuel as of 10:45 a.m. April 6. They are subject to change.)

Although the Panthers haven’t tipped their hand just yet on who they might pick with the top selection, Stroud seems to be trending toward being their pick. The talented passer who finished his final season with the Buckeyes completing 66% of his passes, tossing 3,688 yards and 41 touchdowns, is a precision passer who excels at delivering passes all over the field on time and on target while showing great touch on his deep passes.

Especially after his Ohio State pro day, where new Panthers head coach Frank Reich and 10 other personnel were in attendance, it makes sense why Stroud gained significant steam to come off the board first.

In our last top pick update, Stroud was valued as high as +400 at BetMGM, and tied with Anthony Richardson at +350 at Caesars to be the draft’s top pick.

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The simple answer is yes, as Young is expected by the three aforementioned sportsbooks to be Houston’s pick at No. 2 overall. FanDuel has Young valued at -200, while BetMGM (-225) and Caesars (-250) have the Crimson Tide quarterback as a slightly heavier favorite to come off the board second.

Like Carolina, the Texans are in need of a franchise quarterback, and Young fits the bill despite being undersized. His creativity and elusiveness in the pocket, while delivering the ball with accuracy between the hashes and outside the numbers, makes him an intriguing prospect at the top of the draft.

What’s intriguing, though, is after Young, Stroud is listed as the second-favorite to go second overall, but third overall is led by Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. at FanDuel and BetMGM, with both valuing him at +1000. Caesars, however, has Kentucky quartertback Will Levis as its third option (+1200).

Back on March 31, Florida’s Anthony Richardson was tied for the third-best odds to go to the Texans with Levis at +1400. The Gators quarterback still has 14/1 odds to be picked second overall, but Anderson’s odds jumped from +2500 to 10/1.

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FanDuel has a handful of special props where a bettor can predict a certain player’s landing spot in the draft. One in particular that’s worth watching, with four quarterbacks expected to come off the board early in the first round, is where Richardson may land.

An explosive runner with dual-threat ability and a cannon for an arm, Richardson is the ideal quarterback to bet on his traits with, and he will have plenty of suitors. Currently, the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans are the co-favorites to land the Gators quarterback at FanDuel, valued at +200. The Colts hold the No. 4 overall pick, while the Titans hold the no. 11 pick.

The Titans listed as a co-favorite is surprising, considering most analysts expect Richardson to go inside the top 10. There’s been buzz on the Titans potentially trading up to select one of the top four quarterbacks, but nothing concrete or confirmed.

The Las Vegas Raiders sit with the third-best odds (+500) to land Richardson. Currently, Richardson is the top option at FanDuel to be the third overall pick (-150) and tied for the top option with Alabama’s Will Anderson (+125) at BetMGM.

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The Inquirer is not an online gambling operator, or a gambling site. We provide this information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only.