There may not be a Zion Williamson or Anthony Davis-type talent in this year’s NBA Draft, but there’s plenty of intrigue at the top on NBA betting sites. 

Jabari Smith, Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero all are vying to be the first name called on June 23 in New York City. And while only one of them will earn the title of the first overall pick, bettors can earn plenty on draft night by tailing these five best bets on betting apps.

RELATED: NBA Draft 1st Overall Pick Odds And Analysis

2022 NBA Draft Best Bets To Back

Odds accurate as of publication.

New York Knicks to draft A.J. Griffin 

Odds: +400 at DraftKings

A Tom Thibodeau-led team is always going to hang its hat on defense, and the 7-foot wingspan that Griffin possesses fits that bill. So, too, does the fact that he shot 45% from beyond the arc (and 49% from deep in ACC play)—his 61.3% true shooting percentage would help a Knicks offense that has ranked 30^th, 29^th, 23^rd, and 26^th in that category the last four seasons.

Griffin may never be a true No. 1 scorer, but the Knicks believe they’ve found one in R.J. Barrett. Getting a 3-and-D wing to complement him (and a do-over on the Kevin Knox debacle) makes sense. 

For what it’s worth, Thibodeau’s former longtime assistant in Chicago, Adrian Griffin, is AJ’s father. He’s been mocked around where New York is currently picking at No. 11, and we think he winds up in NYC on draft night. At DraftKings, these odds are pretty solid.

Johnny Davis’ draft position under 10.5 

Odds: -160 at Caesars Sportsbook

We know that three of the first 10 spots will be taken by Smith, Banchero and Holmgren. That leaves seven slots for Davis to go before the 11^th pick rolls around. If we also assume that Jaden Ivey and Keegan Murray are locks, that gives us five spots. And that’s really where the draft gets interesting.

Arizona’s Bennedict Mathurin, G-League star Dyson Daniels and Kentucky’s Shaedon Sharpe are all younger than Davis, the Wisconsin star who turned 20 during Big Ten play last season. But the teams picking in the 7-9 range (Portland, New Orleans, and San Antonio) are in relative win-now mode scenarios. 

Davis will be Day 1 ready and could be a 15-point-per-game scorer as a rookie. We think his name gets called before some of the projects in this range. We’ll slot him in at No. 8 to the Pelicans. We love the value here at Caesars Sportsbook.

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Jalen Duren’s draft position over 10.5 

Odds: -115 at DraftKings

His measurables add up and he’s an incredible athlete. But Jalen Duren isn’t exactly what teams are looking for in the early portion of the Lottery. He didn’t attempt a 3-point shot during his freshman season at Memphis, and he’s somewhat limited offensively. 

He’s still discussed as a Lottery pick because he’s that good defensively—averaging 2.1 blocks and 0.8 steals in just 25.3 minutes—but we’re not sure it means he’ll be a top-10 pick.

While there are teams that theoretically could use help inside, we think the 18-year-old Duren sees a slide on draft night. There are a number of talented wings in that range that we believe Lottery teams will target over a one-dimensional center. Duren is good, he’s just more a backend of the Lottery talent.

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Jalen Williams to be drafted before MarJon Beauchamp 

Odds: -225 at DraftKings

These odds won’t break any banks on betting sites, but it’s still a solid selection. Jalen Williams, the 6-foot-6 wing from Santa Clara who shot 40% from deep with a 7-foot-2 wingspan, is rising up draft boards. 

Beauchamp is talented in his own right—but he’s not ranked all that high on draft boards and could even slip into the second round. Williams is going the other way, with a shot to sneak into the backend of the Lottery. This bet doesn’t feature high-profile names that will get the air time on draft night, but Williams is a pretty safe wager to hear his name called well before Beauchamp.

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Keegan Murray to be drafted fifth overall 

Odds: +140 at Caesars Sportsbook

We can pretty much guarantee that the first three picks of the draft will be, in some order, Holmgren, Smith and Banchero. Ivey is the best guard in the draft, meaning he’s likely destined for Sacramento—unless the Kings trade the pick. Even still, our bet is that a team trading up to 4 would nab their point guard of the future.

A team that doesn’t need to draft its point guard of the future? The Pistons, who are picking fifth after selecting point guard Cade Cunningham with the top pick in last year’s draft. Murray checks a ton of boxes for Detroit as a replacement for Jerami Grant.

Cunningham and Murray would form a terrific 1-2 punch. He’s a sure bet in a range where there are a bunch of unknowns (Sharpe and Daniels, among others) so even if a team traded up to 5, Murray is a likely bet. Getting plus odds here on this NBA futures market is great value.

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