Steve Starr
- Victor Wembanyama opened as -20000 chalk to go 1st overall to the San Antonio Spurs
- Scoot Henderson (-140) is favored over Brandon Miller (+100) to go 2nd overall to Charlotte
- The first round of the 2023 NBA Draft will be broadcast on ESPN and ABC on Thursday, June 22 at 8 p.m. ET.
While Paolo Banchero came out of nowhere to be the first overall pick in 2022, there will be no surprises at No. 1 this year. The 2023 NBA Draft Betting Odds have generational prospect Victor Wembanyama as a -20000 favorite to land with the San Antonio Spurs on June 22.
Who will follow the 7-foot-4 forward from France as the next player off the board? Before we look at the odds for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd overall picks, take a look at our guide to betting on NBA basketball.
1st Overall Pick
| Player |  |
| Victor Wembanyama | -20000 |
| Other | 1400 |
| Scoot Henderson | 2500 |
Wembanyama mania
There is absolutely no mystery around this pick. Victor Wembanyama (-20000) is the most-highly anticipated player to enter the NBA since LeBron James. In fact, San Antonio has already announced that five-time NBA champion Tim Duncan will be involved in the development of the 7-foot-4 phenom.
You could see the joy in the 19-year-old’s face when the Spurs won the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery. The French star will now get to team up with the same coach, Gregg Popovich, that led two of his countrymen, Tony Parker and Boris Diaw, to multiple championships.
"This is the most highly-anticipated player to ever enter the NBA. … Maybe the greatest prospect in the history of team sports."
—@wojespn on Victor Wembanyama 😳 (via NBA Today) pic.twitter.com/LNuOG2RdHR
— ESPN (@espn) May 16, 2023
2nd Overall Pick
| Player | |
| Scoot Henderson | -140 |
| Brandon Miller | +100 |
| Other | +750 |
Who will be the second pick?
Scoot Henderson (-140) has long been viewed as the second-best prospect in the draft class. However, the G League Ignite guard may not be the best fit with a Hornets squad that already has LaMelo Ball. Charlotte could opt for Brandon Miller (+140) instead. The 6-foot-9 prospect has surged up draft boards after averaging 18.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game for Alabama last year.
Despite Miller’s involvement in the shooting of a 23-year-old woman in January, Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that teams are not finding anything to disqualify the 20-year-old as a high pick. Take the Crimson Tide forward to go second overall at +140.
3rd Overall Pick
| Player | |
| Brandon Miller | +100 |
| Scoot Henderson | +140 |
| Amen Thompson | +425 |
| Ausar Thompson | +2000 |
| Cam Whitmore | +2000 |
| Jarace Walker | +2000 |
Surprise at three?
Draft expert consensus says there’s a clear drop-off before the next tier of prospects. But, don’t be too quick to assume Henderson or Miller will be headed to Portland.
Amen Thompson (+425) and Ausar Thompson (+2000) are 6-foot-7 twins with seven-feet wingspans. The 20-year-old brothers joined the fledgling Overtime Elite league instead of playing college basketball. While that decision could hurt their draft stock, the twins are praised for their high basketball IQs and tenacious work ethics.
Amen Thompson REVERSE JELLY DUNK 🤮 @OvertimeElite pic.twitter.com/5MKvbg52Nw
— Overtime (@overtime) May 15, 2023
If Scoot Henderson (+140) isn’t pick at No. 2 overall, the Trail Blazers may also decide to opt for a higher-ceiling prospect than a 6-foot-2 point guard with questionable shooting percentages. After all, the 19-year-old converted just 42.9% of his field goal attempts in 19 G League games, with an ugly 27.5% mark beyond the arc.
While Amen is viewed as a more natural playmaker than his twin brother, Ausar is the better shooter. He also has far longer odds to go third overall, even though “teams don’t perceive a significant difference between them.”
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
