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The NBA Finals only ended about a week ago and we’re already looking ahead to next year. That’s mainly because tonight is the NBA draft. It’s one of my favorite days of the sports calendar year. I love the NBA, I also love college basketball, and tonight is the moment where the worlds collide. This gives all teams a chance to strengthen their roster and potentially get a team-changing piece. It also gives us the opportunity to bet and win money.
AJ Dybantsa declares for the NBA draft during an event at Davis K-8 School in Brockton, Massachusetts on April 23, 2026. (Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe/Getty Images)
The obvious choices
The top three picks, likely in that order, will be AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer. Dybantsa will end up with the Wizards as the first overall pick. There’s no value in betting on him at -700, and US-based books won’t let you play him with other picks (or really with any bet for that matter). However, it might still be worth betting on Peterson at -250 to be the second overall pick. The reason is if Dybantsa was not in this draft, Peterson would be the first pick in the draft.
Cameron Boozer is a very good player, but there are many questions about his talent as a professional. Rumor has it he ends up third with the Grizzlies. His father, Carlos Boozer, played for the Jazz, so if anyone goes second, it could be him. However, Peterson is considered the better player and the more likely pick.
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North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson will also go to the Bulls. These first four choices are pretty much set. If any of these four guys aren’t in the top four, it would be Boozer, in my opinion.
Keaton Wagler of the Illinois Fighting Illini dribbles against Isaia Howard of the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first half of the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on March 28, 2026. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
What to bet
I really like Keaton Wagler under 7.5 for his draft position. There are two teams that have talked a lot about Wagler – one is the fifth-ranked Clippers. The other is the Nets in sixth place. Most reports indicate that Wagler is a better fit for the Clippers if they keep the pick. If they trade him, who exactly is a team trading for the draft? There aren’t three players better than Wagler in the draft. He’s -290 to be drafted seventh or lower, so it’s very expensive, but it should be -600 or higher, or maybe the line should be closer to 6.5. To be very clear, I’m not telling you it’s a good bet. -290 isn’t exactly a steal, but that number still has significant value.
Aday Mara is rumored to be heading to Dallas, which has the No. 9 pick. This makes sense considering they could use a center and their new coach is Dusty May, who coached Mara in college. Outside of him, there really aren’t many teams looking for him. I would lean towards a score higher than 9.5 in case Dallas chooses a different direction. It looks like he’ll go ninth or potentially much later, so there’s no reason to take the under unless you think he’ll go to Dallas for sure.
No. 15 Yaxel Lendeborg +1000. I’m not sure he’ll still be there, but the Bulls are rumored to be very interested in Lendeborg. He fits into their team quite well. He can shoot, he can drive, he can rebound and he can defend. The problem is he doesn’t do any of that at an elite level. I can see it falling, but it would be a great spot and there are rumors of interest, so it’s a decent risk to take.
Yaxel Lendeborg of the Michigan Wolverines reacts after being fouled and scored during the second half of the Elite Eight game of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament against the Tennessee Volunteers at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois on March 29, 2026. Michigan won 95-62. (Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
Darius Acuff is one of the most polarizing players. There is no doubt about his goal-scoring prowess. However, there are a lot of good guards in this draft – Peterson, Acuff, Wagler, Mikel Brown, Brayden Burries. Acuff is the one who had a good college coach (John Calipari), known for recruiting many great NBA talents. His size is going to be an issue, but Jalen Brunson just won Finals MVP. At -120 for him to finish exactly seventh, I don’t think it’s a good bet, but if you see him at over 7.5, I’d take that. Rumor has it he’s going to the Kings, and he’d be a perfect fit, especially since the team doesn’t have a point guard. However, if any of those guards I mentioned earlier are available (besides maybe Burries), I think he’ll handle it.
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For the night, there aren’t many great opportunities. In terms of value, Wagler at -290 under 7.5 is my favorite (he’s -450 at Caesars Sportsbook). In terms of opportunity, Lendeborg at 15th represents a good amount of money; he also has more than 13.5 years at the Césars. I would also take Mara over 9.5. Acuff is rated between 6.5 and 115 on Caesars; I’ll take that. Shop around, because the numbers are drastically different.
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For more news and sports betting, follow David on X/Twitter: @futurprez2024
