2023 NBA Draft Best Bets, Prop Picks & Predictions

Mar 14th, 2024 7:22 AM EST

Feel free to earn a few pennies in profit by betting on Victor Wembanyama going first overall to the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night, but we’re looking for bigger wins during the 2023 NBA Draft.

Here are our best NBA Draft bets, which include a few considerable favorites but also a handful of plus-odds that can earn you some NBA betting profit as the NBA offseason truly kicks off. Here’s what we like.

2023 NBA Draft Best Bets

Pick	Odds
Keyonte George Drafted Before Jordan Hawkins	+155 on DraftKings
Ausar Thompson Drafted Before Jarace Walker	+115 at DraftKings
Cam Whitmore Drafted 6th or Later	-200 at DraftKings
Bilal Coulibaly Drafted in the Top-10	+250 at FanDuel
Amen Thompson Drafted Fourth Overall	-190 at BetMGM
Jordan Hawkins Drafted 16th or Later	-145 at Caesars
OMax Prosper Drafted in the Top-20	+125 at top rated betting apps
Kobe Bufkin Drafted 8th Overall	+700 at top rated betting apps

All NBA Odds current as of June 21, 2023.

Keyonte George Drafted Before Jordan Hawkins

Odds: +155 on DraftKings

See below for why we believe Hawkins might fall on draft night. That also means we believe George, a former McDonald’s All-American who showed flashes as a freshman at Baylor, will hear his name called first.

NBA teams want as many ball handlers and pure scorers on the floor as possible, and that’s what George brings to the table. He’s younger than Hawkins and is a bit more versatile. We like getting plus odds here, with George potentially sneaking into the top-10.

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Ausar Thompson Drafted Before Jarace Walker

Odds: +115 at DraftKings

Ausar Thompson might be a jump shot away from being the second or third-best player in this draft class. Still, the playmaking, athleticism, and above-the-rim finishing at 6-foot-6 make him an intriguing process that a team in the top-7 will certainly take a flyer on.

Walker is a great prospect, but we wonder about his ability to play full-time on the perimeter with his stocky 248-pound build. He’s worthy of a Lottery pick, to be sure, but Ausar Thompson will hear his name called first. We like the value here compared to Walker going first (-145).

Cam Whitmore Drafted 6th or Later

Odds: -200 at DraftKings

Not Earth-shattering odds here, but reports indicate that Whitmore has slid during the pre-draft process. Once thought to be a lock to the Pistons at No. 5, that’s no longer the case. He’s an outstanding hooper who seems to always be in the right spot at the right time and has a high floor because of it.

But we wonder about his ceiling when speaking about a top-5 pick. The odds tell the story here. Whitmore will fall more in the 7-11 range than in the top five.

Bilal Coulibaly Drafted in the Top-10

Odds: +250 at FanDuel

Jump on these odds as soon as you can. Coulibaly is a 6-foot-7 wing who, for now, is known most for being a teammate of Victor Wembanyama. But he’s so much more than that. Coulibaly is an elite defender with a 7-foot-3 wingspan and explodes when attacking the rim.

He’s a work in progress on the offensive end, but we could see a team like the Magic (with two first-round picks) at No. 6 or Utah at No. 9 take a flyer on someone who could wind up being a steal of the draft. These odds are worth a sprinkle.

Amen Thompson Drafted Fourth Overall

Odds: -190 at BetMGM

The first three picks are basically set in stone, with Victor Wembanyama going first overall and the Hornets and Blazers getting one of Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller.

The draft really begins at No. 4 and Houston, but the reality is Amen Thompson is the next best prospect on the board.

He’s an athletic freak who excels with the ball is his hand (especially in the open court) and fits the mold of what Houston has been building toward the last few years (Jalen Green and Jabari Smith). It’d be a surprise if Houston looked elsewhere with this pick.

Jordan Hawkins Drafted 16th or Later

Odds: -145 at Caesars

Jordan Hawkins is an elite shooter, that much is clear. His 6-foot-7 wingspan should also make him a plus defender at the next level. That being said, he’s only 6-foot-4 and doesn’t do much ball handling/playmaking of his own right now.

It’s tough to project him as a Lottery pick as a one-dimensional (he does that dimension at an elite level, for what it’s worth) undersized shooting guard. Our guess is he slips on draft night because of it.

O-Max Prosper Drafted in the Top-20

Odds: +125 at top rated betting apps

He was a late addition to the NBA Draft’s Green Room, and his stock has soared over the last week—he’s now -1000 to be a first-round pick. A stellar showing at the NBA Draft Combine has him in the mix in the early 20s thanks to a giant wingspan, NBA-ready body, and ability to defend multiple positions.

The 3-and-D wing fills plenty of needs for a few teams picking the late teens, including Utah (16), the Lakers (17), Miami (18), and Houston (20). We’ll bet on O-Max sneaking into the top-20 after the pre-draft process treated him as well as it could have.

Kobe Bufkin Drafted 8th Overall

Odds: +700 at top rated betting apps

Let’s go with a giant longshot to finish the analysis. The Washington Wizards recently agreed to send Bradley Beal to the Suns and likely will lose Kyle Kuzma—who just declined his player option—to free agency. That’s 45 points and four triples per game heading out the door.

Enter Bufkin, a lefty who has been rising up draft boards late in the process thanks to a polished offensive game in which he can be a lead ball handler and perimeter shooter. This would be high for Bufkin, who is projected in the late Lottery, but we can see the Wizards taking a shot on someone with a massive ceiling here to kick off their rebuild.

About the Author

Mark Strotman

More About Mark

Mark is a veteran sports betting journalist who has covered the Bulls and the NBA since 2012. His work has appeared on ESPN.com, FoxSports.com, The Chicago Tribune and Yahoo Sports. He regularly provides NBA betting picks, as well as in-depth sportsbook reviews and the latest promo codes for all the major sports gambling operators, including Caesars Sportsbook, BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel and more.