Gambling Odds for Detroit Lions First Round Picks
Oh sports gambling what a fickle beast you are. Still, as we near the 2023 NFL Draft, fans want to know what their respective teams are going to do once they're on the clock.
This year, the Detroit Lions hold the 6th and 18th overall selections in the first round. While the team could very well trade back, public perception seems to stand that the Lions are more likely to stay put and use those selections to help flesh out a roster that just barely missed the playoffs a season ago.
Looking at several books, it seems fairly obvious what position the Lions will look to use the sixth overall pick on. Cornerback.
With The 6th Overall Pick...
DraftKings has the Lions at -130 to select a cornerback with the 6th overall pick. As for the player in mind, it appears Devon Witherspoon from Illinois is the favorite to land in Detroit. FanDuel has the Lions selecting Witherspoon at -110, while DraftKings has his draft position over/under set at 6.5.
It's worth noting, the Lions traded former top-5 pick Jeff Okudah to the Atlanta Falcons recently. While Okudah wasn't expected to be a starter, it does speak to the position being a need for the franchise.
DraftKings says the next likely position for Detroit with the 6th overall selection is defensive lineman or EDGE rusher, that being +100. No other position has better odds than +1000 for the first Lions pick. FanDuel seems to agree, as Georiga's Jalen Carter is the next most-likely player at +400, cornerback Christian Gonzalez out of Oregon is +550, Alabama EDGE backer Will Anderson is +750 and finally Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud, whose odds to be available at 6 have skyrocketed recently, is +1200.
With the 18th Overall Pick...
Odds this deep into the draft get a bit more difficult for the books.
But, we can still draw a few connections. Clemson EDGE backer Myles Murphy's draft selection over/under on DraftKings is set at 18.5. Since EDGE backer was one of the positions listed as second-most likely at 6, it would make sense for a player like Murphy to be in the conversation at 18.
However, the best odds on a combination at Fanduel matches Witherspoon with Pittsburgh defensive tackle Calijah Kancey at +750. The next best combination is Witherspoon and Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee at +900. The odds of the Lions going Witherspoon and Murphy is +1600.
A fan favorite for the 18th pick is Texas running back Bijan Robinson. Well, fans in that camp may be disappointed Thursday night. The Atlanta Falcons are +250 favorites on FanDuel, +200 on DraftKings, to take the presumed best running back in the class. Detroit is +1400 on FanDuel, +1200 on DratKings.
What About A Quarterback?
Maybe you're the fan that wants the Lions to walk away with its eventual franchise quarterback in this class. Which signal-caller is most likely to land with Detroit?
According to DraftKings, the Lions are +1700 to take Florida's Anthony Richardson, +1100 to draft Tennessee's Hendon Hooker and +2500 to take Will Levis out of Kentucky. As mentioned before, the Lions are +1200 to take Stroud at 6 according to FanDuel.
There is no gambling advice included in this article. If you or a loved one has questions or needs to talk to a professional about gambling, call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit 1800gambler.net for more information.