Thursday night is another massive night in the NBA as the playoffs roll along, but it will be overshadowed by the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
This year’s draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin, is scheduled to start with the Tennessee Titans on the clock at 8 p.m. ET.
Between the lack of mystery around the No. 1 pick (the Titans are -20000 to take Miami QB Cam Ward at DraftKings) and the perceived drop-off in quality from last year’s QB class to this year’s, the 2025 NFL Draft is a bit lacking in excitement and drama as of Thursday morning.
Still, there are bound to be some plot twists, even if the first few picks are light on drama and intrigue, and there are plenty of high-upside ways to bet on the action tonight.
How to Watch 2025 NFL Draft
- Start time: 8 p.m. ET
- TV: ABC, ESPN, NFL Network (Streaming: ESPN+, NFL+, Hulu+)
NFL Draft Betting Odds For Top Five Picks
2025 NFL Draft No. 1 Pick Odds: Cam Ward a Lock
As we mentioned above, Cam Ward is a lock to go No. 1 to the Titans. While DK lists him at -20000 to be this year’s first pick and BetMGM has him at -10000, his odds are even shorter at FanDuel (-50000).
For what it’s worth, Penn State DE Abdul Carter and Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter have the shortest odds after Ward, but both are +4500 or longer across the board.
Recommendation: Stay away
2025 NFL Draft No. 2 Pick Odds: Browns to take Travis Hunter?
The two-way superstar out of Colorado, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2024, is a slam-dunk to go to Cleveland. His odds to go No. 2 are -1200 at DK, -2000 at FD and -2500 at BetMGM.
Carter is the most likely player, if anyone, to be taken over Hunter at No. 2, but he’s +650 or longer at every major sportsbook.
Recommendation: Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but stay away
2025 NFL Draft No. 3 Pick Odds: Abdul Carter to the Giants?
There’s been a consensus top-three in this draft for several weeks. Carter comes into Thursday night’s draft as the heavy favorite to be drafted by the Giants with the third pick.
His odds to go No. 3 range from -800 at DraftKings to -2000 at both FanDuel and BetMGM, but again, even casual NFL fans probably know who the Giants have their eyes on.
One wrinkle here is that there’s been buzz this week about teams expressing interest in trading up to this spot to draft Carter, but that hasn’t made Carter any less of a slam-dunk to be taken here.
Recommendation: If you insist on betting on one of top three picks, Carter at -800 is more tempting than Ward at No. 1 or Hunter at No. 2, but this is yet another stay-away.
2025 NFL Draft No. 4 Pick Odds: Pats Expected to take LSU OT
LSU tackle Will Campbell enters the draft with less name recognition than Ward, Hunter and Carter, but the Pats have made no secret about their plans to take him.
Campbell is -475 to go No. 4 to the Patriots at DraftKings, and he’s -600 and -800 at FanDuel and BetMGM, respectively.
Recommendation: Once again, it’s hard to imagine anything other than the obvious pick taking place.
2025 NFL Draft No. 5 Pick Odds: Jacksonville Eyeing Jeanty
Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty is expected to go in the top 10 picks, and it would be a shock if he fell outside of the top five. As of Thursday morning, Jeanty is -230 to go to the Jaguars at both FanDuel and DraftKings, and he’s -300 to go No. 5 at BetMGM.
There’s at least a slight chance that someone other than Jeanty will be taken here, though. Michigan DT Mason Graham and Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan are both shorter than 8-to-1 across the board, with Graham a solid possibility at +300 (FD).
Recommendation: Consider an exacta bet on picks 1-5 all going as expected: Ward at No. 1, Hunter at No. 2, Carter at No. 3, Campbell at No. 4 and Jeanty at No. 5. This is available at -195 at FD.
Needing to bet nearly $200 to win $100 is never ideal, but it’s far more tempting than any straight bets on the top five picks tonight.
2025 NFL Draft Best Bets: 3 Best Value Plays
After the top five, there’s some money to be made if you can correctly pick who a given team will select.
No. 6 Pick — Kelvin Banks Jr. (+175 at DK)
There are three players (four if Jeanty doesn’t go to Jacksonville) in contention to be taken by the Raiders with the sixth pick: Texas OT Kelvin Banks Jr., Missouri OT Armand Membou, Georgia EDGE Jalon Walker and Jeanty.
Banks and Membou are both +175 to be drafted No. 6 overall at DK, while Banks is the favorite at both FD (Banks +145; Membou +210) and BetMGM (+125; Membou +250). That makes No. 6 Pick — Kelvin Banks Jr. (+175 at DK) a tempting value play.
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