Article:2009 NBA Draft Betting

Kobe Bryant and the Lakers are barely done celebrating their championship win earlier this month, but all NBA teams, including the champs, are now 100% focused on the NBA Draft.

IN case you were wondering, the Lakers are the favorites to win it all again next year, as the NBA future basketball odds are already out and getting betting action for the 2009-2010 Championship. LA have odds of +225 at SPORTSBETTING.com to win back-to-back titles. The online books are taking Laker money, as bettors look for the repeat. Bettors are also feeling that Lebron James and his team learned something from their third round exit this year, as the Cavaliers are getting betting volume as well at odds of 4-1.

But I digress….back to the draft.

In the sports betting world, the NFL Draft gets the most attention, as you would expect, when looking at betting volume, but the NBA Draft holds its own for betting action.

Betting on the draft became popular several years ago and the attention the sports betting community pays to it has increased every year.

Online sportsbooks have the odds posted up and a full selection of NBA Draft 2009 Betting options.

One interesting draft prop bet offered at SPORTSBETTING.com caught my eye.

It is “ Who will go third overall?”

You can put your money down on which player you think will be taken with the third pick. The team holding the third pick right now is the Oklahoma City Thunder (formerly the Seattle Sonics). They’re on the clock after the sadsack LA Clippers go first and the “just as sad” Memphis Grizzlies select second overall.

So who might they take?

In the “you can’t teach height” category is UConn center Hasheem Thabet (7’3” and weighing 267 lbs), who has a great chance. He is being touted as a potential Hakeem Olajuwon type of player. To that, I say hold on, let’s not get carried away. No way this kid becomes an Olajuwon, but he might have a similar career to Dikembe Mutombo.

NBA Odds : Thabeet is currently listed at +250 at the online sportsbook to land as the #3 guy.

Also in the mix is James Harden. Harden averaged 20.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 steals a game last season for the Arizona State Sun Devils. He’s smooth and will be a decent player. Like Thabeet, he’s currently listed at +250 to be No. 3 overall.

I’d be shocked if the Clippers took anyone other than Oklahoma Sooners power forward Blake Griffin with the first selection (poor kid).

But it really does seem pretty wide-open after that. Adding some foreign flavor to the mix is Spanish point-guard Ricky Rubio, who has a real shot at going in the top three. He would pay out at +250 as well.

The most likely scenario however, based on the basketball odds, is that someone other than Rubio, Harden or Thabeet will go third overall as any other player (Field) would pay out at +150.

Another cool prop play offered by SPORTSBETTING.com is whether or not all four UNC prospects; Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green. Will all be drafted.

The odds are:

Will all four get drafted (+500), three (+100), two (+140), one (+500) or none (+10,000)?

You know it won’t be none and I’m leaning that three will get drafted.

Enjoy the NBA Draft and all the NBA Draft betting.

Check out SPORTSBETTING.com for all the NBA Draft prop betting options.