NBA Draft Betting Odds 2023 - Miller Bounces Back in Pre-Draft Hours

Most years, the leadup to the NBA Draft is a careful consideration of which prospect deserves the billing as the No. 1 pick.

As this draft's NBA odds clearly illustrate, 2023 is nothing more than a Victor Wembanyama hype train leading up to the French beanstalk's inevitable selection first overall.

Wembanyama's fate was decided May 16, to the delight of most NBA fans without a vested interest. The San Antonio Spurs and legendary coach Gregg Popovich landed the first pick for tonight's Draft, ensuring the phenom will be in good hands.

As the league gets set to welcome its most intriguing prospect in years, and the action behind the No. 1 pick continues to change on a whim, we've got an updated look at the NBA Draft odds. And don't forget to check out Jason Logan's NBA Draft prop picks for even more analysis. 

2023 NBA Draft: Odds to be first overall pick

Player Odds to go first overall 
Victor Wembanyama -20,000
Scoot Henderson +5,000
Brandon Miller +10,000
Amen Thompson +10,000
Jarace Walker +15,000
Ausar Thompson +15,000

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook on June 22, 2023, 5:50 p.m. ET.

Favorite to be picked first overall in the 2023 NBA Draft

Victor Wembanyama (-20,000)

There hasn't been this much excitement about a draft prospect in quite some time: Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-something adjective-defier fresh off dominating the LNB Pro A for Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92.

Wembanyama's dynamic combination of long-range shooting, transcendent rim protection, and fluid skill set, has made him a can't-miss atop this year's board, breaking even the most optimistic player comps from the NBA's recent crops of "unicorn" big men like Jaren Jackson Jr. and Chet Holmgren. 

While his frame is still rail-thin, the skill is undeniable and diverse enough that Wembanyama can excel in several areas right out of the gate for the Spurs next season. From there, the sky's the limit.

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2023 NBA Draft: Odds to be second overall pick

Player Odds to go second overall 
Brandon Miller -175
Scoot Henderson +105
Amen Thompson +8,000
Taylor Hendricks +10,000
Cam Whitmore +10,000

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook on June 22, 2023, 5:50 p.m. ET

This market has been chaos all week, with Henderson and Miller see-sawing back and forth.

First, Henderson was a -400 favorite to go No. 2 over the weekend. Then, Miller reportedly aced his second workout, and was himself a -425 favorite as of Wednesday. Thursday brought more movement, as buyback on Miller gave way to a Shams Charania report that Henderson was gaining steam, moving as high as -800 to go second. 

But with the Draft hours away, Miller is now -175 yet again. As written-in-stone as the No. 1 pick has been, everything after Wemby couldn't be much more uncertain.

2023 NBA Draft: Odds to be third overall pick

Player Odds to go third overall 
Scoot Henderson -150
Brandon Miller +105
Amen Thompson +150
Cam Whitmore +3,000
Ausar Thompson +6,000

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook on June 22, 2023, 5:50 p.m. ET.

With Miller now the No. 2 favorite again, Henderson assumes presumptive favorite status for No. 3.

Leading up to the draft, Amen Thompson is also trending heavily towards No. 3 shooting up to +105 after being priced +1,400 hours ago. 

2023 NBA Draft Top 3 exact order odds

Order Odds
V. Wembanyama, S. Henderson, B. Miller OTB
V. Wembanyama, B. Miller, S. Henderson OTB
V. Wembanyama, S. Henderson, Am. Thompson OTB
V. Wembanyama, B. Miller, Am. Thompson OTB
V. Wembanyama, S. Henderson, C. Whitmore OTB
V. Wembanyama, B. Miller, C. Whitmore OTB

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook on June 22, 2023, 5:50 p.m. ET.

Understanding NBA Draft betting

Most sportsbooks will display odds in the American format as listed above. When Zion Williamson opened as the heavy favorite to go first overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, his odds had a minus (-) sign ahead of the number. 

  • Zion Williamson -2,000

This meant that a bettor needed to wager $2000 to win $100 by betting on Zion. Everyone else in that field had plus (+) odds to win.

  • RJ Barrett +550

Williamson's teammate at Duke, RJ Barrett had the second-best odds at +550. A bettor would stand to profit $550 for every $100 wagered on Barrett. 

If American odds aren't your thing, simply use a tool like our odds converter to switch the odds to decimal or fractional format. Most online sportsbooks also give you the option to change the odds format that you see.

What is the NBA Draft?

The NBA Draft is an annual event conducted by the National Basketball Association to select new players for its 30 teams. It serves as a mechanism for distributing talent among the clubs and ensuring comPetitive balance in the league. The draft allows teams with poorer records from the previous season to have a higher chance of selecting top-rated players, while teams with better records receive lower picks.

The NBA Draft has a rich History that dates back to the early years of the league. The inaugural NBA Draft took place in 1947, although it was known as the BAA (Basketball Association of America) Draft at the time. The BAA and the National Basketball League (NBL) merged in 1949 to form the NBA, and since then, the league has continued to conduct its annual player draft.

In the early years, the draft process was much less formalized compared to today. Teams would often discover and sign players directly without going through a structured selection process. However, as the league grew in popularity and the number of teams increased, a more organized approach became necessary.

Over the years, the NBA has made several changes to the draft format to ensure fairness and promote parity. In 1966, the NBA introduced the coin flip system, where the two worst teams in each division would comPete in a coin flip to determine who would receive the top pick. This system was later replaced by a lottery system in 1985 to deter teams from intentionally losing Games to secure better draft positions. The lottery system provides higher chances of obtaining a higher pick for teams with poorer records.

Notable moments in NBA Draft history include the selection of legendary players who went on to have remarkable careers. In 1984, the draft class featured future superstars such as Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Charles Barkley. The 1996 draft produced an extraordinary group of players including Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Ray Allen, and Steve Nash, among others.

In recent years, the NBA Draft has become a highly anticipated event, attracting significant media coverage and fan interest. Draft prospects are scouted extensively, and their performances in college basketball, international leagues, or high school basketball can greatly impact their draft stock. The draft provides an opportunity for teams to add young, promising talent to their rosters and potentially reshape the future of their franchises.

Here are some recent trends you'll want to keep in mind when betting on NBA Draft odds:

  • Positions have been reasonably well-distributed among the No. 1 picks. Over the past 20 NBA Drafts, eight have been forwards, seven guards, and five centers.

  • "One-and-done" college freshmen make up the overwhelming majority of recent top picks, being selected No. 1 in each of the past 16 seasons since high schoolers were ruled ineligible.

  • Among NCAA schools, Duke leads the all-time count with five No. 1 overall picks, including Paolo Banchero in 2022.

How to watch the NBA Draft

The 2023 NBA Draft will air in its entirety on ESPN beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET. ABC will also offer coverage of the event, but will only show the first round. Basketball fans without cable can live stream the event from start to finish on ESPN+ and Hulu.

More NBA futures odds
  • NBA championship odds
  • NBA MVP odds

First overall NBA Draft picks since 2000

Year Player Position
2003 LeBron James PG/F
2004 Dwight Howard C
2005 Andrew Bogut C
2006 Andrea Bargnani F/C
2007 Greg Oden C
2008 Derrick Rose PG
2009 Blake Griffin PF
2010 John Wall PG
2011 Kyrie Irving PG
2012 Anthony Davis PF
2013 Anthony Bennett PF
2014 Andrew Wiggins G/F
2015 Karl-Anthony Towns C
2016 Ben Simmons PG/F
2017 Markelle Fultz PG
2018 Deandre Ayton C
2019 Zion Williamson PF
2020 Anthony Edwards SG
2021 Cade Cunningham PG
2022 Paolo Banchero PF
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