NBA Draft 2023 Odds & Key First Round Picks Projections

When the NFL Draft took place in April, there was no suspense about who the first overall pick would be, as the Carolina Panthers had zeroed in on Alabama QB Bryce Young after acquiring the pick from the Chicago Bears. Similarly, there will be no suspense surrounding the first overall pick of this year’s NBA Draft, which will take place tomorrow night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York (8:00 pm ET, ESPN & ABC).

For quite some time now, it has been all but certain that 7-foot-5 French phenon Victor Wembanyama would be taken with the top pick of the 2023 NBA Draft.

The only question was where Wembanyama would land. The Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, and San Antonio Spurs, each of whom lost 60 or more games this past season, each had the best draft lottery odds. But just as they did in 1987 and 1997, the Spurs won the lottery and the chance to take Wembanyama.

Will “Wemby” go on to have a Hall of Fame career like David Robinson (1987’s top pick) and Tim Duncan (1997’s top pick)? That remains to be seen, but expectations are sky high for a player hyped by many to be the best NBA Draft prospect since LeBron James.

Wembanyama is the headliner, but there are many other highly touted talents who will also be hoping to land in the right home tomorrow night.

Trades are always a big part of draft night in the NBA and NFL, and you can expect some notable swaps tomorrow night. For now though, here is the draft order for the first round.

2023 NBA Draft First Round Order (as of Wednesday, June 21)

1. San Antonio Spurs
2. Charlotte Hornets
3. Portland Trail Blazers
4. Houston Rockets
5. Detroit Pistons
6. Orlando Magic
7. Indiana Pacers
8. Washington Wizards
9. Utah Jazz
10. Dallas Mavericks
11. Orlando Magic (acquired from the Chicago Bulls)
12. Oklahoma City Thunder
13. Toronto Raptors
14. New Orleans Pelicans
15. Atlanta Hawks
16. Utah Jazz (acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves)
17. Los Angeles Lakers
18. Miami Heat
19. Golden State Warriors
20. Houston Rockets (acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers)
21. Brooklyn Nets (acquired from the Phoenix Suns)
22. Brooklyn Nets
23. Portland Trail Blazers (acquired from the New York Knicks)
24. Sacramento Kings
25. Memphis Grizzlies
26. Indiana Pacers (acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers)
27. Charlotte Hornets
28. Utah Jazz (acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers)
29. Indiana Pacers (acquired from the Boston Celtics)
30. Los Angeles Clippers (acquired from the Bucks via the Rockets)

So, Wembanyama is going to San Antonio? But who will be taken second overall? As it stands, Alabama’s Brandon Miller is favored to be Charlotte’s pick at #2, well ahead of point guard Scoot Henderson, who has starred for the G League Ignite of the NBA G League the past two seasons.

NBA Draft 2023 Second Overall Pick Odds

• Brandon Miller -450
• Scoot Henderson +250
• Other +5000

In his lone season in Tuscaloosa, Miller averaged 18.8 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per game last season in helping the Crimson Tide sweep the SEC regular season and tournament titles and land the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

If Miller does go second, Henderson is the heavy favorite to be taken third. Also potentially in the mix at that pick are brothers Amen (point guard) and Ausar (shooting guard/small forward) Thompson, as well as Villanova small forward Cam Whitmore and Houston forward Jarace Walker.

NBA Draft 2023 Third Overall Pick Odds

• Scoot Henderson -400
• Brandon Miller +200
• Amen Thompson +1400
• Cam Whitmore +3300
• Jarace Walker +8000
• Ausar Thompson +8000

Looking further, Amen Thompson (-250) is the favorite to be taken fourth overall. Based on the tea leaves out there, the chances are high that he will be headed to Houston.

From that point though, things get a lot murkier. Which teams will make moves? Could we see a surprise fall? Who will opt for drafting the best player available over what may be their most pressing need?

If you are betting on this year’s NBA Draft, there’s not a great deal of value in betting on the top four picks, but does the risk outweigh the reward of betting on other picks in the lottery?

If you don’t want to bet who will be drafted with a particular selection, there is plenty of value to be found elsewhere.

For example, there are some intriguing draft position over/under possibilities on the board.

UCF’s Taylor Hendricks has generated a great deal of pre-draft buzz, and the odds have him as a strong candidate to land in the top ten. Michigan’s Kobe Bufkin also looks likely to go somewhere in the lottery.

You can also bet on a variety of NBA Draft props, from the number of freshmen, sophomores, juniors, or seniors will be taken, to how many first-round trades there will be.

Whether you are betting on or just watching the picks unfold, you can expect plenty of chaos as is often the case. But if you are betting on the action, we highly recommend being as plugged in to the latest news and reputable social media so that you can maximize your chances of coming out on the winning end with your 2023 NBA Draft bets.

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