Betting The 2021 NBA Draft Odds

While much of the basketball focus these days is on Team USA in the Summer Olympics, the NBA Draft is scheduled for this Thursday. Not only will some dreams finally come true, we’ll probably see a lot of movement at the top of the draft. Cade Cunningham is heavily favored to go first overall but could we see some surprises? BetOnline has plenty of betting odds up on the board for Thursday’s events.

Cade Cunningham

Cunningham has all the talent that you would look for as an NBA team. The Detroit Pistons are in a very rough spot right now, they have talent but just can’t put the pieces together. Cunningham has the opportunity to be that franchise changer they desperately need. The six-foot eight guard is a fantastic scorer, who can consistently create his own shot off the dribble. He is also a talented defender given his wingspan and height, with versatility that Detroit badly needs on that end. He would also slot right into the starting lineup alongside Killian Hayes. It almost seems like a no brainer for the Pistons at this point, but the past has shown anything can happen.

Jalen Green

Jalen Green could end up slipping down to the number three slot in this draft class, but it is hard to imagine the Houston Rockets passing up on him at number two. Houston is in desperate need of talent in the backcourt outside of Kevin Porter Jr., making Green a perfect match. The young shooting guard can create his own shot and score as well as anybody else in the class. He is also a tremendous athlete who can attack the rim well. The only issue would be his court vision, but he’s made positive strides in that category last year and has only improved.

Evan Mobley

Evan Mobley is most likely the best big man in this draft class. The majority of scouts have him ranked as the second-best player in the class overall, but he is likely to fall to three given how the Rockets already have Christian Wood in their lineup. Mobley would fit in perfectly with this Cleveland Cavaliers team though, as they already have a young and talented backcourt in Colin Sexton and Darius Garland. Mobley can guard every position on the floor and has elite rim protection to anchor any defense. His offensive capabilities are still untapped, but he has can score in a multitude of ways already.  

Jalen Suggs

Then wrapping up the top four, we have the Toronto Raptors taking Jalen Suggs out of Gonzaga. Suggs burst onto the scene as he was able to lead Gonzaga to an undefeated record during the regular season, before eventually losing in the tournament finals to Baylor. He has immense leadership qualities and is talented at almost everything on the floor. He can pass, shoot, create and rebound really well, making him a top point guard in this draft class. The Raptors are likely to lose their franchise point guard Kyle Lowry in free agency this offseason, making Suggs a perfect replacement in the first round.