2021 NFL Draft: 5 bets you can still make right now
The 2021 NFL Draft is just hours away. In an information-driven market, lines move quickly. A lot of numbers that were available last week have since shifted out of playable range.
If you're just now arriving to the party and looking to get down on some action, here are five solid bets that are still available just 24 hours out.
Justin Fields draft spot under 6.5 (-115)
The 49ers are putting up one hell of a smokescreen.
The Justin Fields-Trey Lance-Mac Jones conundrum is the hottest topic leading up to the draft. All are in play at No. 3 to the 49ers, and each leg of the trio has unsurprisingly been linked to the franchise since it made the trade up last month.
In my blunt opinion, Fields is the best-kept secret in this draft. I'm frankly stunned that he's been punished in mocks despite Jones and Lance shooting up boards.
Fields has more experience than Lance, more athleticism than Jones, and didn't leave much doubt on the field at Ohio State: He posted 5,373 yards through the air and 63 touchdowns in 22 starts with the Buckeyes, leading the team to consecutive College Football Playoff appearances.
Whether it's to San Francisco at No. 3 or to another quarterback-needy team in the middle of the first that trades up, there's no way a prospect that was long considered QB2 in this class is still on the board at No. 7.
Over 5.5 wide receivers drafted Round 1 (+115)
If I could get 6.5 and 7.5 at even better numbers, I'd make wagers on both.
The second tier of receivers is deep, and most of the prospects continue to gravitate up the boards.
Rashod Bateman, Kadarius Toney, and Elijah Moore will all be solid consolation prizes for teams picking late, and don't count out Terrace Marshall Jr. or Rondale Moore sneaking in, either.
Kyle Pitts over 4 (-150)
This feels like a push at worst.
Pitts is a generational talent at tight end who will find a home within the top-seven picks, but he has to go No. 3 for this to lose, and I just don't see that happening.
Either the Falcons scoop him up at No. 4 and you get your money back, or they trade back and get replaced with a team needing a quarterback.
Under 3.5 defensive linemen drafted Round 1 (+140)
Jaelan Phillips and Kwity Paye are pretty much locks, but the wild card here is Miami edge rusher Gregory Rousseau: He's been perceived as a boom-or-bust prospect and continues to trickle back in updated mocks. Will a team in Round 1 get scared off?
Still, 'over' bettors would need one more to slip into the first, whether that be Christian Barmore, Joe Tryon, or someone else. The under is a solid plus-money look.
Micah Parsons draft spot under 13.5 (-115)
Parsons is the cream of the crop in the 2021 linebacker pool. He put on a clinic at Penn State in 2019 (109 tackles, five sacks, four forced fumbles) and should be fresh after opting out of last season.
His ceiling entering the week was likely No. 9 to the Broncos, who were also in the mix to go the quarterback route Thursday. However, after Denver traded for Carolina's Teddy Bridgewater on Wednesday, Parsons makes even more sense now.
If he doesn't go No. 9, the Giants (11) and Eagles (12) are also good fits.
Alex Kolodziej is a betting writer for theScore. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 12 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AJKolodziej.