NBA Draft sees massive odds swings in top three
With the 2023 NBA Draft just hours away, any chatter from prominent talking heads can have a massive swing on the volatile betting markets. The Athletic's Shams Charania had two big announcements that reshaped the betting landscpae of the top three picks in Thursday's draft.
Shams Charania said on Twitter Thursday that G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson is gaining "serious momentum" in the Charlotte Hornets front office for the second pick. This news came as a bit of a surprise. Despite Henderson commonly being viewed as the second-best prospect in the draft by the media, the Hornets — who hold the No. 2 pick in the draft — reportedly were more intrigued by the fit of Alabama forward Brandon Miller for a while.
As a result, the Portland Trail Blazers have been put in a dilemma. Portland has long been connected with Henderson under the assumption that Miller would go second, which was reflected in the betting market. Now, Portland will have to make a decision on what to do with the third pick if Henderson goes to Charlotte.
Charania also went on "The Pat McAfee Show" Thursday and said that Overtime Elite guard Amen Thompson "had a very strong workout in Portland ... [and] he made an impression on them."
This added a new wrinkle to the drama around the third pick, as Portland seems to be between Thompson and Miller.
Miller is still the odds-on favorite at major sportsbooks, according to OddsChecker, but Thompson's lines have closed in at the last hour. Despite some books having Miller as heavy favorites as far as -400, others now have Thomspon as short as +170. According to FanDuel Sportsbook specifically, Thompson's odds have crashed from +600 to +170 to be selected as the third overall pick.
The Trail Blazers are at an awkward crossroads as an organization, owning the third overall pick but looking to remain competitive to appease All-NBA guard Damian Lillard. The dream scenario for them is to see Henderson fall to No. 3 and have the option to either select him and teeter between two timelines or trade him for win-now assets, but that scenario seems to be fading away. Now, Portland likely has to choose between Miller, Thompson or working the phones to see who could be willing to trade up.
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