NFL odds: 5 best NFL Draft bets to make now

By Geoff Schwartz
FOX Sports NFL Analyst

It's the most wonderful time of the year! With the NFL Draft on the horizon, the fun is back!

Betting on the NFL Draft has become huge because of all the different ways you can wager on it. One of those ways is betting on players' draft positions — a personal favorite.

Let's jump into some of those early positional bets I like, with odds courtesy of FOX Bet.

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David Ojabo drafted in the first round: +180 at FOX Bet (bet $10 to win $28 total)

David Ojabo, the pass rusher out of Michigan, was going in the first round of the upcoming NFL draft until he got injured at his Pro Day. I’m banking on Ojabo still being a first-round pick despite his unlikeliness to play this upcoming season as he rehabs his Achilles injury.

The reason he will be drafted in the first round is because of how first-round picks' contracts are structured. It’s a five-year deal instead of four, which saves money for organizations on players who hit. Plus you have multiple teams in the back of the first round with two first-round picks that could "gamble on" a player who might not play this season. The Lions and Chiefs come to mind.

Teams might trade up for a player like Ojabo for this reason. I just like the value here.

Tyler Linderbaum drafted Over 27.5: -105 at FOX Bet (bet $10 to win $19.52 total)

Drafting a center in the first round is a luxury item for an NFL team. It’s a position you take in the first round because you have a specific need for one, and there aren’t other players on the board that you believe can be helpful.

Thinking along those lines, I find it hard to see any team before pick 27 that really needs a center this season. Tennessee, Dallas, New England and Baltimore could all upgrade with Linderbaum, but they have other clear needs first.

While Linderbaum is a first-round talent and has a low first-round grade, I don't expect him to be selected on the first night of the NFL Draft.

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Charles Cross drafted Over 6.5: +120 at FOX Bet (bet $10 to win $22 total)

Let’s play the mock draft game. What positions will go in the first seven picks? Three defensive ends will go in the first seven picks, as will Cincinnati corner Sauce Gardner. And it’s unlikely that a wide receiver is drafted in the first seven picks as the Jets could grab one at 10. So that leaves two other positions with grades high enough for this part of the draft — quarterback and offensive tackle. Offensive lineman Evan Neal and Ikem Ekwonu will be selected by the Texans, Jets or Giants.

This wager will hinge on what the Panthers do at No. 6. They need a quarterback of the future and could use this opportunity to snag one. If Carolina takes a QB at six, Cross will go after seven. If the Panthers pass on a quarterback, they will draft an offensive tackle. If the Texans and Giants both grab QBs, then Cross would be next up. If the Giants go defensive end or corner at five and the Panthers draft an offensive tackle at six, the Giants will take Cross at five.

This is a long-winded way to say there are too many "ifs" for Cross to be comfortably drafted in the Top 7.

Trevor Penning drafted Under 16.5: -149 at FOX Bet (bet $10 to win $16.71 total)

I’d bet this now before the price changes. I think Penning does not get past No. 16 with the New Orleans Saints. As mentioned above, Neal and Ickey will be gone by pick seven and Cross will go off the board next — either with the Seahawks or possibly Texans at No. 13. That would put Penning at the 16th pick with the Saints.

It’s no secret the Saints want an offensive tackle to replace outgoing Terron Armstead, and I’ve been told they love Penning. Moving in front of tackle-needy Los Angeles Chargers via trade is another signal they could draft the big man from Northern Iowa. I like this wager a bunch.

Dallas Cowboys to draft an offensive player first: -162 at FOX Bet (bet $10 to win $16.17 total)

The juice on this wager might scare some away, but I do feel comfortable with the Cowboys' decision to go offense in this draft with their first pick. The Cowboys drafted six straight defensive players to begin the 2021 NFL draft, so it’s time to add some offensive play-makers to the team this week.

Dallas has a need at wide receiver and offensive line — both of which should be available at No. 24. The Cowboys could have their choice of either top interior prospect in Zion Johnson or Kenyon Green and at least two or three receiving options to take if they decide to add more weapons for Dak.

* Odds as of 4/26/22

Geoff Schwartz played eight seasons in the NFL for five different teams. He started at right tackle for the University of Oregon for three seasons and was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection his senior year. He is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him on Twitter @GeoffSchwartz.

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