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The 2026 NBA draft is almost here and the betting market is telling a fascinating story
Tuesday night’s NBA draft is shaping up to be one of the more compelling in recent memory, loaded with talent at the top and genuine uncertainty beyond the first pick. While oddsmakers and bettors largely agree on who goes first, the selections that follow are sparking real debate, with multiple players in the mix at nearly every spot from two through nine.
Here is what the betting market, powered by DraftKings Sportsbook, currently says about how the first nine picks could unfold.
Pick 1: Washington Wizards, AJ Dybantsa, SF, BYU, odds minus 550
The debate between Dybantsa and Kansas guard Darryn Peterson has consumed draft analysts for over a month, but the oddsmakers have made up their minds. Dybantsa is the overwhelming favorite at minus 550, with Peterson having drifted to plus 475. BetMGM and DraftKings both report the BYU freshman forward as their top attractor of bets and handle in the entire draft market. At those odds, the books are not especially worried about him as a liability. The money is essentially settled here.
Pick 2: Utah Jazz, Darryn Peterson, PG/SG, Kansas, odds minus 225
If Dybantsa goes first as expected, Peterson becomes the immediate focus at No. 2. The Jazz hold this pick and Peterson is the favorite at minus 225, with Duke big man Cameron Boozer carrying plus 270 odds right behind him. Utah has a notable family connection to Boozer, whose father Carlos played for the Jazz from 2004 to 2010, but Peterson remains the market favorite. Both DraftKings and BetMGM report heavy handle backing Peterson at this spot.
Pick 3: Memphis Grizzlies, Cameron Boozer, PF/C, Duke, odds minus 250
Boozer is the 2026 Naismith College Player of the Year and widely viewed as too talented and too proven to slide past Memphis at No. 3. The Grizzlies would potentially pair him with Zach Edey in a young frontcourt built for years of competition. Should the Jazz surprise and take Boozer at two, Peterson at plus 290 becomes the next most likely option for Memphis.
Pick 4: Chicago Bulls, Caleb Wilson, PF/C, North Carolina, odds minus 750
Wilson is a massive favorite at No. 4, reflecting near-universal expectation that both Dybantsa and Peterson will be off the board before Chicago picks. The Bulls represent his most likely landing spot by a wide margin. Boozer at plus 650 has the next shortest odds, while Peterson and Arkansas point guard Darius Acuff Jr. each sit at 25-1, the only others with meaningful probability at this slot.
Pick 5: LA Clippers, Keaton Wagler, PG/SG, Illinois, odds plus 145
The odds at No. 5 shifted notably on Monday, with Wagler overtaking Louisville combo guard Mikel Brown Jr. as the favorite by midday. Brown sits at plus 240, Acuff at plus 450 and Arizona shooting guard Brayden Burries at plus 750. This is where the draft opens up meaningfully, with several point guards expected to compete for spots between picks five and eight.
Pick 6: Brooklyn Nets, Mikel Brown Jr., PG, Louisville, odds plus 175
Even more uncertainty surrounds the Nets’ pick. Brown leads the odds but only narrowly, with Acuff at plus 240, Wagler at plus 350 and Tennessee forward Nate Ament at plus 750 all carrying genuine probability. Brooklyn could go in several directions here and the market reflects that reality clearly.
Pick 7: Sacramento Kings, Darius Acuff Jr., PG, Arkansas, odds plus 135
If Acuff slips to Sacramento, the rebuilding Kings are widely expected to jump at the opportunity. The Arkansas point guard holds a narrow odds edge at plus 135, but Wagler at plus 350, Brown at plus 500 and Houston point guard Kingston Flemings at plus 500 all remain live possibilities at this spot.
Pick 8: Atlanta Hawks, Aday Mara, C, Michigan, odds plus 250
Flemings held the favorite position at No. 8 earlier Monday before Mara, the 7-foot-3 Michigan center, overtook him by midday. Mara played a significant role in Michigan’s run to the national championship and holds a narrow edge over Flemings at plus 330. Wagler, Acuff and Burries each sit at plus 650, keeping this pick genuinely open.
Pick 9: Dallas Mavericks, Brayden Burries, SG, Arizona, odds plus 250
Burries leads a crowded field at No. 9, but six other players carry odds of 10-1 or shorter at this spot. Flemings at plus 425, Mara at plus 425, Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg at plus 650, Michigan big man Morez Johnson Jr. at plus 650, Wagler at 10-1 and Brown at 10-1 all remain in play. Dallas has options and the market knows it.
One pick the odds cannot yet predict
Notably absent from clean projections is the Milwaukee Bucks’ pick at No. 10. DraftKings has taken that selection off the board entirely due to the swirling Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors, which could change the entire complexion of what Milwaukee does with that pick depending on how the next 24 hours unfold.
Tuesday night promises plenty of surprises. The betting market has spoken clearly on the first pick, but from No. 2 onward, this draft is very much still anyone’s game.
Source: ESPN
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