NFL Draft odds: Betting market shifts in top three picks as a result of Travis Hunter-to-Cleveland buzz
Plus, where the value may be in betting Shedeur Sanders
The first pick of the 2025 NFL Draft is becoming a fait accompli, with Miami quarterback Cam Ward now established as a -5000 favorite to go No. 1 overall at DraftKings Sportsbook. The second pick of the draft? Not so much.
For much of draft season, Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter had been the favorite to go No. 2 overall to the Cleveland Browns despite their needs at quarterback. The other two clear candidates for the pick, Colorado's Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, had their pro day on Friday, with CBS Sports NFL Draft senior analyst Ryan Wilson praising in particular what he saw from the quarterback. But reporting from multiple sources, including The Athletic's Jeff Howe, indicates that there is growing buzz that it will be Hunter selected by the Browns with the No. 2 overall pick.
That buzz has led to a major shift in the NFL Draft betting market, with Hunter the -130 favorite as of Monday morning to be the No. 2 overall pick at DraftKings, meaning that in order to win $100, a bettor would have to risk $130. Prior to Colorado's pro day and the subsequent reporting about the remarkable athlete who can line up at cornerback or wide receiver, Carter was a -250 favorite for the No. 2 pick at the same sportsbook, where he is now +100 to be the No. 2 overall pick. Sanders is +750 to go second overall as of Monday morning.
Prior to the move, Hunter was around -150 to go third overall, a pick currently owned by the New York Giants, with Sanders around +120 to be the pick. As of Monday, Carter is -125 to be selected third overall at DraftKings, with Hunter at +100 and Sanders down to +400. The Giants signed both Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston this offseason, giving them two veteran options at quarterback should they decide to go with one of the two blue-chip standouts at different positions in Hunter and Carter near the top of the draft.
If Sanders slips out of the top three, he's in danger of a draft-day slide. DraftKings makes him just +3000 to be taken fourth and +2800 to be taken fifth, picks that are currently owned by two teams with established young quarterbacks in New England and Jacksonville. Bettors who believe Ward, Hunter and Carter will be the top three picks could choose to sprinkle a small play on both those teams and see if the Jets (No. 7) or Saints (No. 9) work out a trade up with either of those two teams to land a quarterback that on the surface seems to belong in the top five of the draft, according to Wilson.
Another way to back Sanders is by betting on his recently released draft position over/under at DraftKings. That position is set at 8.5, with the Over at -200 and the Under at +160. Bettors who take the Under are playing Sanders to be selected in the first eight picks, while those who back the Over win if he's selected ninth or later. While the Saints are seen as his most logical landing spot at this moment, teams get aggressive trading up for quarterbacks like Sanders who have starting potential.
As for the top of the draft, it'll be interesting to see if the Hunter-to-Cleveland buzz has legs as draft season rolls along. Taking him at -130 to go No. 2 overall is a play I believe has value, but I wouldn't play much shorter odds than that, probably jumping off the train at -150.
