2020 NBA Draft order, odds to go No. 1: Anthony Edwards passes LaMelo Ball as betting favorite
There is no clear-cut betting favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in Wednesday's 2020 NBA Draft via William Hill sportsbook.
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Wednesday could be one of the wildest days in NBA history as more trades are likely -- the Suns already have acquired Chris Paul, the Lakers have landed Dennis Schroder, the Bucks have dealt for Jrue Holiday, and the Rockets could trade away both James Harden and Russell Westbrook -- with the rescheduled 2020 NBA Draft set to start at 7:30 p.m. (held virtually). Four first-round picks already have changed hands this week, with the latest deal Wednesday seeing the Knicks sending picks No. 27 and 38 overall to Utah for No. 23.
There is no clear-cut No. 1 overall prospect this year as in 2019 with Zion Williamson. The Minnesota Timberwolves won the draft lottery and hold the top pick for the second time in franchise history. As recently as Tuesday, William Hill sportsbook listed LaMelo Ball as the -140 moneyline betting favorite to be the top pick, followed by Anthony Edwards at +100. However, now Edwards is the -130 favorite (we always liked him going first) and Ball at +100.
It's important to note that the prop is simply who goes first, not necessarily chosen by Minnesota. In fact, it's about unanimous by the NBA media who cover the Timberwolves that they ideally would trade down and pick up win-now assets that would help them reach the playoffs in the coming season to appease superstar Karl-Anthony Towns – who was the top overall pick in the 2015 draft by Minnesota.
There's also the fact the neither Ball nor Edwards nor James Wiseman (+650 to be picked first) really fits what Minnesota needs. The Wolves have a ball-dominant guard (i.e. Ball and Edwards) in D'Angelo Russell and an All-Star big man in Towns (i.e. Wiseman). What the Wolves need is help on the wings. The top wing prospect, Israeli Deni Avdija, is not worthy of the top pick but could go No. 4 to Chicago. William Hill lists Avdija as the +130 favorite to go fourth.
For months, Edwards was the betting favorite to go first after an up-and-down freshman season at Georgia. Ball was as high as +300 and had the third-lowest odds. As recently as Nov. 9, Ball was the +140 second-favorite. The first Ball/Edwards flip-flop happened last Thursday at William Hill, so clearly Ball was taking heavy action.
The Edwards buzz at No. 1 has been growing in the past 24 hours or so and heavy action has shifted to the former Georgia star. From Monday to Tuesday, for example, Ball had shifted from -200 to -140, and Edwards from +150 to even. Now, it's Edwards in the favored role, and he should stay there by the time the Wolves make the pick barring a trade early Wednesday.
"Draft odds tend to shift heavily due to rumors and bets. Much more so than your usual spreads, moneylines, etc.," said a William Hill spokesperson.
Ball is considered a much better prospect than older brother Lonzo, who went No. 2 overall in 2017 to the Lakers but is now with Zion on the Pelicans. The one issue with LaMelo, who is a passing genius, is similar to that of Lonzo: He doesn't shoot very well from the perimeter and has somewhat unusual form. Scouts also haven't seen LaMelo vs. top competition because he didn't play any college basketball but instead played a bit professionally overseas.
The Wolves finally got a private workout with Ball on Wednesday, and on Thursday he also worked out in front of representatives from the Warriors, Hornets and Pistons. The Bulls have interviewed him. Golden State picks second and will not be trading up for Ball, but Charlotte (No. 3), Chicago (No. 4) or Detroit (No. 7) in theory could.
Wiseman is now the -140 favorite to be picked second, and nearly every mock draft has the Dubs taking him if they stay put. Edwards is +150 to go No. 2 and Ball +250.
Edwards is also the +140 favorite to go third to Charlotte, followed by Ball (+150) and Wiseman (+180). If the Hornets trade for Westbrook at some point Wednesday, that could certainly affect what they do with the No. 3 pick (but they aren't giving that up for Russ).
Free NBA Picks: Assuming no trades, Edwards goes first, Wiseman second, Ball third, Avdija fourth to Chicago and Dayton's Obi Toppin fifth to Cleveland.
NBA Draft Order (may change)
Who wins every NFL game this week? And which teams cover more than 50 percent of the time? Get picks here from the SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times and ranked in the Top 10 on NFLPickWatch three of the past four years on straight-up NFL picks.