5 hours ago
2
David PurdumJun 25, 2025, 12:04 PM ET
- Joined ESPN successful 2014
- Journalist covering gambling manufacture since 2008
Cooper Flagg is causing sportsbooks to instrumentality utmost measures during the 2025 NBA Draft.
Flagg's likelihood to beryllium the apical prime successful the draught had reached -100,000 astatine aggregate sportsbooks Thursday morning, meaning a bettor would request to hazard $1,000 to triumph $1 connected the Duke merchandise going first. The Dallas Mavericks ain the rights to the No. 1 pick.
Victor Wembanyama's likelihood besides climbed to -100,000 astatine FanDuel, earlier the San Antonio Spurs selected him No. 1 successful 2023. Flagg's likelihood varied astatine sportsbooks Thursday, ranging from -50,000 astatine ESPN BET to -10,000 astatine BetMGM. But astatine FanDuel, Hard Rock Bet and Caesars Sportsbook, Flagg was -100,000, a terms reserved for lone the biggest favorites and not often seen successful the American betting market.
"The pricing of Flagg to spell Number 1 wide is simply a relation of our expectations that helium volition astir assuredly beryllium the pick," a trader for FanDuel told ESPN successful an email. "While we each expect him to spell No. 1, we privation to marque definite customers who are betting connected the draught person the accidental to stake connected the astir talked astir player."
Flagg had attracted 95% of the wealth wagered connected FanDuel's No. 1 prime odds, but lone 10% of the full bets placed connected the marketplace arsenic of Thursday. Rutgers' Dylan Harper (200-1) had attracted astir 4 times much bets than Flagg. There were besides bets connected Rutgers' Ace Bailey (200-1) and Baylor's VJ Edgecombe (250-1) to beryllium the No. 1 pick, the sportsbook reported.
Neil Walsh, elder vice president astatine Hard Rock Bet, called Flagg's -100,000 likelihood "highly unusual" and "as adjacent to a surely arsenic our strategy tin handle." Walsh noted that immoderate bets successful the past that had -100,000 likelihood had lost, including this play successful the NHL. Walsh recalled a wager midway done the hockey play placed connected the Montreal Canadiens to miss the playoffs astatine -100,000. The Canadiens, who got disconnected to a dilatory commencement to the season, rallied down the agelong to gain a spot successful the playoffs.
"Even astatine -100,000, our players are inactive utilizing it arsenic an engagement accidental with the draft, and betwixt singles and parlay legs, Cooper Flagg to beryllium the top-pick is our most-bet marketplace for tonight's draft," Walsh said successful an email. "And hey, a winning stake is simply a winning stake - sometimes you conscionable got to spot 1 spell done the hoop."
Favorites astatine each apical 10 prime [via ESPN BET; Thursday morning]
No. 1 - Cooper Flagg -50,000
No. 2 - Dylan Harper -7,500
No. 3 - VJ Edgecombe -350
No. 4 - Kon Knueppel -180
No. 5 - Jeremiah Fears +175
No. 6 - Ace Bailey +125
No. 7 - Khaman Maluach +200
No. 8 - Jeremiah Fears +450
No. 9 - Khaman Maluach +260
No. 10 - Derik Queen +400
