The Philadelphia Eagles are about to be on the NJ sports betting clock.
The first round of the NFL Draft starts at 8 p.m. Thursday night.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, there won’t be war rooms or fan parties. All picks will be announced virtually.
But after several weeks without live sports, fans will be glued to the TV.
As of now (pending a trade), the Birds have the 21st pick and eight total selections.
.@EaglesInsider has everything you need to know ahead of this week’s draft.#FlyEaglesFly
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) April 20, 2020
New Jersey sportsbooks are offering an endless list of props, parlays and free contests.
Introducing the NFL Draft Prop Sheet 🏈
For your Zoom watch party, family or whoever you may be quarantining with. pic.twitter.com/cTrvijRW6Z
— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) April 21, 2020
With South Jersey being Eagles Country, here are five wagers that could involve the home team.
1. Position of Eagles’ first-round selection
Much of the chatter heading into the NFL Draft has been centered around which wide receiver Philly will take. The odds have shifted slightly over the last couple of weeks.
But will the Eagles actually go offense in the first round?
They could use a safety to replace veteran Malcolm Jenkins.
A linebacker is another possibility.
FanDuel Sportsbook has odds on all these scenarios. The most unlikely picks are a quarterback or tight end (both at +10,000), thanks to Carson Wentz and Zach Ertz.
Here are the rest of the odds:
- Wide receiver -230
- Linebacker +500
- Cornerback +650
- Safety +850
- Defensive lineman +1500
- Offensive lineman +1900
- Running back +4000
2. Who will the Birds pick?
Besides betting on the position, there are players odds.
The tricky part is trying to figure out whether or not General Manager Howie Roseman is going to trade up. But for conversational purposes, we will assume the Eagles stay at No. 21.
Justin Jefferson, a wide receiver from LSU, is the favorite at +170. He finished his junior year with 1,540 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns.
Here are the odds that the Eagles will pick somebody else:
- Denzel Mims +500
- CeeDee Lamb +750
- Henry Ruggs III +750
- Jalen Reagor +950
- Kenneth Murray +1100
- Brandon Aiyuk +1200
- Patrick Queen +1300
- Jerry Jeudy +1400
Murray, a linebacker out of Oklahoma, and Queen, a linebacker out of LSU, are the only defensive players.
3. DraftKings Sportsbook odds boost
Some bettors out there may go with Lamb as the pick. But the majority of the mock drafts have the Oklahoma wide receiver going before the Eagles are on the clock.
Making a move, however, is not out of the question.
DraftKings Sportsbook is boosting the odds on the Eagles drafting Lamb to +1085 (from +1000).
4. Stick with the WR theme
Outside of the Eagles, how many teams are going to select a WR with their first pick?
DraftKings has set over/under odds for the number of players taken at each position in the opening round. For example, the wide receiver line is set at 5.5. The over is -200 while the under is +163.
5. Will the Eagles trade their pick?
BetMGM Sportsbook is offering unique NFL Draft props. This includes setting odds on which teams will make a first-round trade.
The Eagles odds, along with several other teams, are +110. Call it even money.
Bettors may prefer going with total trades made in the first round. The lines range from 3.5 to 6.5.
The palooza of props also includes the exact number of first-round trades. Exactly five (+225) is the favorite, while none (+3500) is the long shot. A scenario where no trades take place seems highly unlikely.
The bottom line is there isn’t any shortage of NFL Draft betting options. With no pro sports to watch, this as good as it gets for now.
At least until May when the Eagles 2020 schedule is released.