They're still sweeping up the confetti inside of Ball Arena. However, if there was ever a moment where any NBA team wasn't thinking about improving for next season, that minuscule period of time has come and gone. Even if there's no drama regarding whose name will be called first at the 2023 NBA Draft on Thursday night at Barclays Center, there's intrigue later on.
Player to be drafted first overall
| PLAYER | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Victor Wembanyama | -25000 |
| Scoot Henderson | +5000 |
| Brandon Miller | +15000 |
| Amen Thompson | +20000 |
| Ausar Thompson | +20000 |
(Odds source: theScore Bet)
*Others at 300-1 or longer aren't listed
There hasn't been any question about who's going first overall. If you've got $25,000 just lying around, you can put it on the San Antonio Spurs selecting Victor Wembanyama first overall and net yourself a $100 bill.
But that's not the case with the No. 2 overall pick. According to the oddsboard, the G-League's Scoot Henderson is in a neck-and-neck battle with Alabama's Brandon Miller to see who's headed to Charlotte.
Player to be drafted second overall
| PLAYER | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Scoot Henderson | -225 |
| Brandon Miller | +150 |
| Amen Thompson | +7500 |
| Ausar Thompson | +10000 |
| Jarace Walker | +10000 |
| Cam Whitmore | +15000 |
| Anthony Black | +20000 |
| Emoni Bates | +20000 |
| Gradey Dick | +20000 |
| Keyonte George | +20000 |
| Victor Wembanyama | +20000 |
Unlike in the NFL draft, where the teams selecting second and third overall might not have interest in the same player, the odds for the No. 3 pick Thursday are flipped relative to the No. 2 selection. Brandon Miller is +150 to go second, while Scoot Henderson is +150 to go third. It's the same bet.
This market was much closer to a coin flip as recently as Monday morning, but the odds have started to lean toward Henderson. If that's based on anything substantial, it might be time to hop on that price before it looks more like Wembanyama's odds to go No. 1.
However, it gets really interesting once those first three prospects are off the board. If it wasn't hard enough differentiating between a pair of 20-year-old 6-7 guards, NBA general managers have to pick between actual identical twins: Amen and Ausar Thompson.
Player to be drafted fourth overall
| PLAYERS | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Amen Thompson | -130 |
| Cam Whitmore | +160 |
| Ausar Thompson | +900 |
| Brandon Miller | +2500 |
| Jarace Walker | +3000 |
| Scoot Henderson | +3000 |
| Anthony Black | +4000 |
| Taylor Hendricks | +4000 |
| Gradey Dick | +10000 |
| Emoni Bates | +15000 |
Evaluators - and in turn oddmakers - seem to like Amen Thompson more than his brother, or maybe that's just the vibes coming from Houston. Remember, it doesn't matter if NBA prospect analysts think there's little to choose from any two players if the team drafting in a certain slot has a preference.
Player to be drafted fifth overall
| PLAYER | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Cam Whitmore | +110 |
| Ausar Thompson | +300 |
| Jarace Walker | +300 |
| Amen Thompson | +500 |
| Taylor Hendricks | +1800 |
| Anthony Black | +3000 |
| Brandon Miller | +5000 |
| Cason Wallace | +7500 |
| Gradey Dick | +7500 |
| Scoot Henderson | +10000 |
| Emoni Bates | +15000 |
Who can blame you if you didn't realize Cam Whitmore was a top-five prospect? Whitmore was the fourth-highest scorer on a non-tournament team - Villanova - but he's just 18 years old. He also has the size of, and a similar skill set to, the Thompson twins.
However, Whitmore's a vulnerable favorite in this market, and the Pistons may be looking to trade down. Detroit could still get a non-sure-thing wing later in the draft, while a unique-enough prospect like Jarace Walker could be ready for a role on a more mature roster.
Matt Russell is the lead betting analyst for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.
