NBA Draft Odds: Cunningham, Green, Mobley Expected to Go 1, 2 and 3
NBA Draft Odds: Cunningham, Green, Mobley Expected to Go 1, 2 and 3
It’s basically snuck up on most of us, but the 2021 NBA Draft is just around the corner, scheduled for Thursday, July 29. The first round gets underway at around 8:00 pm ET at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
There is very little mystery at the top of the NBA Draft as the Detroit Pistons are expected to select Oklahoma State combo guard Cade Cunningham with the first overall pick. The latest NBA Draft odds confirm these reports, making him the heavy favorite to land in Detroit.
But what do the rest of the NBA Draft odds say? They indicate that the top-3 picks for Thursday night’s draft are all but decided, and there is even a strong feeling that the No. 4 overall pick of the NBA Draft is also known across the league, barring any surprises within the top-3.
How to Watch the 2021 NBA Draft
Date: Thursday, July 29
Time: 8:00 PM ET
Location: Barclays Center – Brooklyn, New York
How to Watch: The first round can be watched on ABC. Both the first and second rounds will air on ESPN
How to Stream: ESPN+
NBA Draft Odds: No. 1 Pick Odds
It’s a bit of a shame that there is no mystery when it comes to the first overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft, but the latest NBA Draft odds confirm that Cade Cunningham will be drafted by the Detroit Piston’s when they’re on the clock.
Cunningham has been the assumed No. 1 pick since he graduated high school and enrolled at Oklahoma State and nothing he did this past season was going to convince teams otherwise.
Teams are extremely high on Cade Cunningham’s potential. There was a report out this week that Oklahoma City was offering the No. 6 pick AND young phenom point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to the Pistons in exchange for the first pick. But, Detroit is locked in on Cunningham and it seems it will take a lot more to have them move from the first overall pick.
| Player | Odds | Implied chance |
|---|---|---|
| Cade Cunningham | -5000 | 98% |
| Jalen Green | +1600 | 5.9% |
| Evan Mobley | +2300 | 4.2% |
| Jalen Suggs | +5000 | 2% |
| Jonathan Kuminga | +10000 | 1% |
NBA Draft Odds: No. 2 Pick Odds
The chances are that your average NBA fan has never even heard of the player favored to go No. 2 overall by the latest NBA Draft odds. But, that’s because Jalen Green decided to skip NCAA basketball all together and instead sign a professional contract in the NBA G-League.
Jalen Green’s G-League stats were impressive for a player at any age, but when you consider the fact that he’s just 19 years old and was playing against grown men, they really pop at you. Green averaged 17.9 points per game on 46.1% shooting and 36.5% from 3-point range. He’s not only a good shooter but he can get to the rim and finish as well.
At 6-foot-6 and 180 pounds, Green is a prototypical two guard that can be dropped immediately into an NBA lineup. It just so happens that the team drafting No. 2 overall, the Houston Rockets, need all the help they can get. Green to Houston seems like the most likely outcome.
| Player | Odds | Implied chance |
|---|---|---|
| Jalen Green | -371 | 78.8% |
| Evan Mobley | +350 | 22.2% |
| Jalen Suggs | +1000 | 9.1% |
| Cade Cunningham | +3500 | 2.8% |
| Jonathan Kuminga | +3500 | 2.8% |
NBA Draft Odds: No. 3 Pick Odds
For some time this third overall pick was seen by some as a toss-up between USC big man Evan Mobley and Gonzaga standout guard Jalen Suggs. But in the end, it looks like Evan Mobley will be the pick for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
It’s rare that you see a player of Jalen Suggs’ caliber have the kind of March Madness performance that he had and lose out to another player, but Evan Mobley was just as strong when his team needed him most.
All things considered, Evan Mobley probably has the highest upside in the NBA Draft. Now, upside can be dangerous as lots of players never realize their full potential. But, if Evan Mobley pans out he will be one of the best players in the NBA, like another former No. 3 pick that was far too skinny when he came out of college, Joel Embiid.
| Player | Odds | Implied chance |
|---|---|---|
| Evan Mobley | -200 | 66.7% |
| Jalen Green | +400 | 20% |
| Jalen Suggs | +500 | 16.7% |
| Scottie Barnes | +1600 | 5.9% |
| Jonathan Kuminga | +2300 | 4.2% |
NBA Draft Odds: No. 4 Pick Odds
The Toronto Raptors have the luxury of sitting back at No. 4 overall and letting the 2021 NBA Draft come to them. If the Cavaliers pass on Mobley, they’ll surely swoop in and take the big man to pair with Pascal Siakam. But, most likely it will be Jalen Suggs that ends up in Toronto.
There are rumors that the Raptors are looking to tear it all down and start over, trading both Siakam and point guard Kyle Lowry in the process. But, who knows if that will happen. What we do know is that at -165, there is over a 60% chance Siakam goes No. 4 overall on Thursday night.
One player to watch at No. 4 overall that has been shooting up NBA Draft boards is former Florida State Seminole Scottie Barnes. Just two weeks ago, Barnes was +450 to go here and the fifth most likely option, according to NBA Draft odds. Now, at +400, he has the third shortest odds to be selected No. 4 overall.
| Player | Odds | Implied chance |
|---|---|---|
| Jalen Suggs | -165 | 62.3% |
| Evan Mobley | +350 | 22.2% |
| Scottie Barnes | +400 | 20% |
| Jonathan Kuminga | +1000 | 9.1% |
| Jalen Green | +1500 | 6.3% |
2021 NBA Draft Order
Round 1
1. Detroit2. Houston3. Cleveland4. Toronto5. Orlando6. Oklahoma City7. Golden State (from Minnesota)8. Orlando (from Chicago)9. Sacramento10. Memphis11. Charlotte12. San Antonio13. Indiana14. Golden State15. Washington16. Oklahoma City (from Boston)17. New Orleans18. Oklahoma City (from Miami via the LA Clippers, Philadelphia, and Phoenix)19. New York20. Atlanta21. New York (from Dallas)22. Los Angeles Lakers23. Houston (from Portland)24. Houston (from Milwaukee)25. LA Clippers26. Denver27. Brooklyn28. Philadelphia29. Phoenix30. Utah
Round 2
31. Milwaukee (from Houston)32. New York (from Detroit via the LA Clippers and Philadelphia)33. Orlando34. Oklahoma City35. New Orleans (from Cleveland via Atlanta)36. Oklahoma City (from Minnesota via Golden State)37. Detroit (from Toronto via Brooklyn)38. Chicago (from New Orleans)**39. Sacramento40. Memphis (from New Orleans via Chicago)41. San Antonio42. Detroit (from Charlotte via New York)43. New Orleans (from Washington via Milwaukee, Cleveland, and Utah)44. Brooklyn (from Indiana)45. Boston46. Toronto (from Memphis via Sacramento)47. Toronto (from Golden State via Utah and New Orleans)48. Atlanta (from Miami via Sacramento and Portland)49. Brooklyn (from Atlanta)50. Philadelphia (from New York)51. New Orleans (from Memphis via Portland, Dallas, Detroit, and Cleveland)52. Detroit (from Los Angeles Lakers via Sacramento, Houston, and Detroit)53. New Orleans (from Dallas)54. Indiana (from Milwaukee via Houston and Cleveland)55. Oklahoma City (from Denver via Golden State and Philadelphia)56. Charlotte (from LA Clippers)57. Charlotte (from Brooklyn)58. New York (from Philadelphia)59. Brooklyn (from Phoenix)60. Indiana (from Utah)