2026 NFL Draft Betting Guide: Where, When, How You Can Wager Today?
The NFL Draft takes place in Pittsburgh next week, from April 23-25. Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza remains the overwhelming favorite to go first overall at -20000 at FanDuel, one of the best betting apps. That means you’d have to wager $200 to win $1 if he goes number one. But before you bite at that ridiculous price, check out the 2026 NFL Draft Betting Guide to learn when, where, and how you can wager and/or trade on this spectacle.
The woebegone Las Vegas Raiders own the top pick. The Raiders come complete with part-owner Tom Brady and current veteran QB Kirk Cousins. Mendoza will definitely like that. That means the would-be rookie gets a long runway before taking the reins full-time at Allegiant Stadium.
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RELATED: NFL Draft First-Round Team-By-Team Predictions
As the NFL Draft approaches, would-be bettors will see their digital and social feeds flooded with potential trades – real and imagined.
Ohio State LB Arvell Reese currently stands at -310 as the projected No. 2 overall pick by the New York Jets in our 2026 NFL Draft Betting Guide.
Then things get complicated.
What To Know Before Betting On The NFL Draft
Legal betting on the NFL Draft began in Nevada in 2017. In 2026, bettors in 31 states and Washington, D.C., can legally wager on the event, with some books offering dozens of betting markets.
However, NFL Draft betting rules vary by state and sportsbook. Each entity has its own regulations and house rules. Bettors can wager on which player will be picked at a specific spot, which team will select a certain player, or what positions teams will prioritize. Some sportsbooks expand their offerings in line with operator guidelines, while others scale back due to the Draft's typically low profit margins.
Best Strategies for NFL Draft Betting
Timing is everything when wagering on the NFL Draft. In general, the earlier you bet, the better, as books will pull markets once news of trades or picks breaks or because of other unforeseen circumstances.
“Get your bets in beforehand because there are a lot of rules about when you can offer picks,” says Fanatics Trader Ethan Useloff. “If you’re looking to get a bet in. Get it when you see it offered.”
Johnny Avello, Director of Race and Sports at DraftKings, recommends betting on what you know — like the needs of your favorite team.
“If you know that the Miami Dolphins need an offensive lineman, and you know that's the way they're pointing, then look at that market. This is a good way to go because you’ve got a good feel for your team,” Avello said.
NFL Draft Betting On Prediction Markets
There's a new wrinkle this year in our 2026 NFL Draft Betting Guide. Multiple prediction markets offer trades on the NFL draft. Kalshi, for example, has 97 different draft-related markets. Those are focused on both players being selected at a certain spot in the draft. And on which team will draft a specific player? More than $1 million has been traded in its No. 1 overall pick market, which opened last July.
Mendonza trades at 98% after opening at 4% last summer. He spiked initially to 38% on September 24. His surge began following Indiana’s win over Ohio State in the Big Ten title game as he crossed the 50% threshold. He hit 62.9% after Indiana roasted Alabama in the Rose Bowl. And he crossed 85% after the Hoosiers wrecked Oregon 56-22 in the Peach Bowl.
Other prediction markets offering NFL Draft trades include Novig, Fanatics Market, FanDuel Predictions, DraftKings Predicts, and Robinhood.
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How Do Prediction Markets Work For The NFL Draft?
Unlike sportsbooks, some of the best NFL betting sites are prediction markets, which offer derivative contracts that can be traded at any time if someone else on the other side is willing to trade. The price is set by whatever traders are willing to pay for any given position, and not by the house.
Kalshi and other prediction markets face multiple lawsuits and cease-and-desist orders. A federal appeals court ruled Monday that New Jersey could not prohibit Kalshi from offering sports-event contracts because it is regulated by the Commodities Futures Trading Corporation and not on a state-by-state basis. Meanwhile, a judge last week ruled that a temporary restraining order issued by Nevada against Kalshi will remain in place until April 17.
How To Watch The 2026 NFL Draft
The Draft will air live on NFL Network, ESPN, ABC, and ESPN Deportes. Streaming options include NFL+, FuboTV, and ESPN apps
When & Where Is The 2026 NFL Draft
The main stage and Draft Theater will be located on the North Shore outside Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. Additional festivities, including the free NFL Draft Experience, will be centered at Point State Park.
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2026 NFL Draft Schedule
(All Times Eastern)
Round 1: Thursday, April 23 – 8 p.m.
Rounds 2-3: Friday, April 24 – 7 p.m.
Rounds 4-7: Saturday, April 25 – Noon
Which Player Is Getting The Most Betting Interest?
Most betting doesn't occur until Draft Day, according to John Ewing at BetMGM.
His book on Thursday shared these odds and splits on picks No. 1-10. These numbers will likely move between now and draft day.
Draft Picks 1-5
1st Pick
Favorite: Fernando Mendoza -10000
Highest Ticket %: Fernando Mendoza 52.6%
Highest Handle %: Fernando Mendoza 33.1%
Biggest Liability: Ty Simpson
2nd Pick
Favorite: Arvell Reese -125
Highest Ticket %: Arvell Reese 19.9%
Highest Handle %: Arvell Reese 39.2%
Biggest Liability: Fernando Mendoza
3rd Pick
Favorite: David Bailey +155
Highest Ticket %: Jeremiyah Love 15.3%
Highest Handle %: Jeremiyah Love 31.6%
Biggest Liability: Jeremiyah Love
4th Pick
Favorite: Jeremiyah Love +105
Highest Ticket %: Jeremiyah Love 20.9%
Highest Handle %: Jeremiyah Love 32.5%
Biggest Liability: Sonny Styles
5th Pick
Favorite: Sonny Styles +200
Highest Ticket %: Sonny Styles 17.8%
Highest Handle %: Sonny Styles 24.5%
Biggest Liability: Carnell Tate
6th Pick
Favorite: Carnell Tate +200
Highest Ticket %: Sonny Styles 21.9%
Highest Handle %: Sonny Styles 25.3%
Biggest Liability: Sonny Styles
7th Pick
Favorite: Jeremiyah Love +210
Highest Ticket %: Caleb Downs 12.5%
Highest Handle %: Caleb Downs 19.0%
Biggest Liability: Jermod McCoy
8th Pick
Favorite: Rueben Bain Jr. +375
Highest Ticket %: Mansoor Delane 16.5%
Highest Handle %: Mansoor Delane 21.3%
Biggest Liability: Jermod McCoy
9th Pick
Favorite: Rueben Bain Jr. +375
Highest Ticket %: Jordyn Tyson 19.2%
Highest Handle %: Rueben Bain Jr. 18.4%
Biggest Liability: Jordyn Tyson
10th Pick
Favorite: Caleb Downs +300
Highest Ticket %: Caleb Downs 27.6%
Highest Handle %: Mansoor Delane 29.1%
Biggest Liability: Mansoor Delane
To Be Drafted in 1st Round
Most bet by tickets
- Chris Johnson -135 (12.8%)
- Chase Bisontis +110 (7.6%)
- R. Mason Thomas +850 (5.5%)
Most bet by handle
- Chris Johnson -135 (11.8%)
- Aveion Terrell +160 (11.1%)
- Max Iheanachor -250 (10.4%)
Total Quarterbacks Drafted in 1st Round
- UNDER 1.5 Quarterbacks drafted most bet by tickets (68.2%)
- OVER 1.5 Quarterbacks drafted most bet by handle (76.3%)
Where Can You Legally Bet On The NFL Draft?
The NFL Draft has not been universally embraced by gaming regulators. Of the 39 states (plus Washington D.C) with live and legal sports betting, seven don’t offer Draft betting. Even though the NFL Draft takes place in Pittsburgh, residents of Pennsylvania cannot legally wager on its outcomes. The Keystone State is one of seven legal-betting states that prohibit Draft wagers. New York is another.
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States Where You Can Bet On The NFL Draft
Here’s a list of the 31 states (plus Washington D.C.) that allow online and/or retail sports betting on the NFL Draft. They are listed with any notable restrictions in our 2026 NFL Draft Betting Guide.
| State | Restrictions |
|---|---|
| Arizona | All markets must close before the start of the first round. Live in-draft betting is prohibited. |
| Arkansas | No restrictions. |
| Colorado | No restrictions. |
| Delaware | No restrictions. |
| Florida | No restrictions. |
| Illinois | No restrictions. |
| Indiana | No restrictions. |
| Iowa | Markets must close 24 hours before the draft begins. Live betting is prohibited. |
| Kansas | No restrictions. |
| Louisiana | No restrictions in parishes that have approved sports wagering. |
| Maine | No restrictions. |
| Maryland | No restrictions. |
| Massachusetts | Pre-draft bets must be placed before the No. 1 pick. Round-specific wagers must be placed before each round. Pick-specific bets must be placed at least 2 selections prior. |
| Michigan | Pre-draft bets must be placed before the No. 1 pick. Round-specific wagers must be placed before each round. Pick-specific bets must be placed at least 2 selections prior. All bets close the night before the draft. |
| Mississippi | Retail only. |
| Missouri | No restrictions. |
| Montana | No restrictions. |
| Nebraska | Retail only. |
| New Hampshire | No restrictions. |
| Nevada | Wagers on specific players must be placed at least 24 hours before the start of the first round. |
| New Jersey | No restrictions. |
| New Mexico | Retail only. |
| North Carolina | Pre-draft bets must be placed before the first pick. Round-specific wagers must be placed before each round. Pick-specific bets must be placed at least two selections prior. |
| Ohio | No restrictions in markets approved by the Ohio Casino Control Commission. |
| Oregon | No restrictions. |
| Tennessee | Pre-draft bets must be placed before the first pick. Round-specific wagers must be placed before each round. Pick-specific bets must be placed at least two selections prior. |
| Washington, D.C. | No restrictions. |
| West Virginia | All markets must close the night before the draft. |
| Wisconsin | Retail only. |
| Wyoming | No restrictions. |
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Legal Sports Betting States Without NFL Draft Betting
Here’s a list of the 7 states that allow legal sports betting but not wagering on the NFL Draft:
- Connecticut
- Kentucky
- New York
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Virginia
Overall Draft Has Been A Loser For Sportsbooks
Avello managed the Wynn sportsbook in Las Vegas when Nevada first permitted Draft betting a decade ago. One year later, betting expanded to include predictions about which players would be drafted to play in the upcoming NFL schedule.
“Since I started doing this, the number of markets has grown immensely. The Gaming Commission didn’t like us taking action on things that weren’t happening on the field,” Avello said. “The Draft has not been a resourceful proposition for books, overall. It's been a loser... Some places have kind of given up doing it. It's just too much work for them, given the revenue they make. But for us, we're full steam ahead with a full slate of options.”
In Las Vegas, the Westgate SuperBook's John Murray said his shop has cut back on draft offerings in recent years.
"We have really scaled back our NFL Draft offerings over the last few years. We offered a reduced menu on Tuesday afternoon/evening, and we saw a decent amount of handle on it but very few recreational customers betting into the numbers," Murray told Bookies.com. "It’s mostly people picking off numbers and/or shopping our number to a number at another sports book in town. It remains an extremely popular talking point, but in terms of betting, we see mostly wise guys play on it and keep our approach to handling it relatively conservative."
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How Sportsbooks Set NFL Draft Odds
Setting lines for the Draft is uniquely challenging.
“Everything is connected,” Useloff said. “One decision leads to another, and that’s what makes it tough to offer as a sportsbook.”
Fanatics uses a combination of internal data and external information to shape. The Draft’s fluid nature means traders must be ever vigilant for the latest posts from Adam Schefter or Ian Rapaport – in addition to the company’s bet ticket, which tracks every wager on the site.
“It does come down to where we think action will come while trying to prevent any huge liability,” he said.
Even popular consensus can be overridden if liability becomes a concern.
“The real crux of what we're doing comes down to where do we think bettors are going to end up moving their money towards?”
Odds and limits are set through consensus among traders and the risk team.
“It’s almost like an NFL War Room where someone stands on the table for their guy,” Useloff said.
The final call comes from the head of football trading and the risk team.
“The risk team sets the limits. Those are the folks who say we’re willing to take ‘X’ amount of dollars on ‘X’ individual bets. And the head of football is going to be the one who will be approving all of this.”
What Happens When A Trade Is Made
What happens when a Schefter Bomb drops?
“The first thing we're going to do is pull that market from the site to make sure that we have time to have a thoughtful conversation about what is responsible for our company, and what's responsible for the bettors," Useloff said.
Avello says DraftKings is prepared to adjust in real-time.
“We’ve got a lot of eyes on this. We know what’s going on,” he said.
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