The NFL Draft is one of the most exciting times for football fans, as they get to see their favorite College Football athletes join the professional league. However, the 2025 NFL Draft is also fun for bettors, who rely on talent evaluations and value differences between players to find valuable bets instead of focusing on game outcomes.
If you want to learn how to bet on the NFL Draft, you’re in the right place. We’ve compiled a complete guide on everything you need to know about NFL Draft betting and how and where to bet legally. So, without further ado, let’s dive right in.
NFL Draft Betting Odds 2025
The early numbers of the 2025 NFL Draft aren’t very exciting. Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward is almost sure to go off the board first. The Tennessee Titans hold the #1 pick, and the team needs a franchise quarterback.
Ward’s impressive 2024 season, during which he led Miami to several comeback victories, makes him an obvious choice. His odds have shortened significantly, which indicates a strong market confidence in him being the top pick.
Shedeur Sanders, the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame Deion “Prime Time” Sanders, also remains among the top quarterback prospects despite a slight dip in his draft stock. Some evaluators see him at the top of the draft due to his outstanding performance in the 2024 season, where he led the Colorado Buffaloes to a 9-4 record.
He finished the season with 4,134 passing yards and 37 touchdowns, which earned him Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year honors and showed just how talented he is. It wouldn’t be surprising for Sanders to be a #1 pick instead of Ward.
Lastly, Travis Hunter, a versatile two-way player from Colorado, is another unique talent worth considering, as he’s capable of impacting the game on offense and defense. After finishing the regular season playing nearly 1,400 scrimmage snaps on offense and defense—382 more than any other player in the country—Hunter Won the Heisman Trophy.
Additionally, he’s the first player in College Football history to win the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Fred Biletnikoff Award for the nation’s top defensive player and best wide receiver, respectively. The Patriots hold the #4 pick and need a dynamic playmaker. The franchise is the current favorite to draft him.
NFL Draft Odds Explained
If you’re new to NFL Draft betting or sports betting overall, it’s essential to know how to read and interpret different types of odds, as this allows you to place smarter bets. So, understanding how odds work is crucial when it comes to betting.
While there are three main types of betting odds, the US mostly relies on US odds. These odds are often represented by either a negative (-) or a positive (+) sign and indicate the amount of money you need to wager to win $100 or the amount you would win for every $100 staked.
For example, if there’s a positive (+) sign next to a three-digit number (denoting an underdog), the number tells you how much you’ll profit by staking $100. If the odds are +585, a $100 bet would win you $585. Your original bet is returned along with your winnings, so you’ll end up with $685.
If, on the other hand, the odds are -200 (denoting a favorite), you’ll have to stake $150 to win $100. Just like before, your original bet is returned along with your winnings, so you’ll end up with $250. The larger the gap between the favorite and underdog odds, the higher the favorite’s chances of winning.
Choosing an NFL Draft Betting Site
There’s really no shortage of NFL Draft betting sites in the US. Choosing the best option ensures safety, transparency, reliability, and best odds. Here are a few tips for choosing the best NFL Draft betting platform:
Legal Considerations
It’s important to note that NFL Draft betting isn’t legal in a handful of jurisdictions. While most states allow NFL Draft betting, some have imposed state-specific limitations, such as Massachusetts, where pre-draft bets must be submitted before the draft begins.
So, it’s really a good idea to research before you start betting or even look for the best NFL Draft betting site. This ensures you know all the legal considerations and potential limitations of NFL Draft betting in your state.
User Interface
A cluttered and confusing user interface is difficult to read and follow, potentially resulting in a bad bet. So, look for a betting platform with a clean, intuitive UI that helps you find and place the bets you want without any issues.
Payout Speed
Payout speed affects how quickly you can access and withdraw your winnings. The quicker the payout, the sooner you can withdraw and control your betting funds/winnings. The best platforms will process withdrawal requests within days.
Information about payouts and payout speeds, as well as any possible limitations, is usually found on the platform’s Terms of Service (TOS) or Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section—usually both, but the former often offers more detailed elaborations on payouts.
Odds and Line Shopping
While betting is about having fun and making money, making a profit impacts how you bet on the NFL Draft. And with different platforms and sportsbooks offering different odds, shopping around for the best odds across various platforms is crucial.
Types of NFL Draft Bets
As previously stated, NFL Draft betting is a unique segment within sports betting, as it focuses on draft predictions rather than specific game outcomes. As such, these bets are significantly different from those in regular-season contests. Even then, not all bets are the same.
Fortunately, you can place different bets on the 2025 NFL Draft. The most straightforward wager is betting on a player to be drafted at a certain number. However, you can also bet on what positions a team will draft and the over/under for certain players being taken in a round or the draft.
Here’s a list of some of the most popular NFL Draft bets:
- Exact Pick Bets: These bets require that you predict the exact order in which the players will be drafted, with sportsbooks offering individual odds for each pick (first overall, second overall, etc. This is the bet you want to make if you have strong insights from mock drafts or insider news.
- Over/Under (O/U) on Draft Positions: Instead of betting on a specific draft placement, you can bet on whether a player will be selected before or after a specified pick number.
- Head-to-Head Bets: These prop bets pit two draft players against each other to see who will be selected higher on draft day. The sportsbooks usually create player matchups.
- Position Prop Bets—these bets are segmented and focus on positional trends and team needs.
- Conference/School Prop Bets: These focus on groups of prospects based on their college affiliations rather than individual players. You can capitalize on trends if you follow college football closely.
- “Mr. Irrelevant” Bets: Also known as last pick bets, these bets focus on which position will be the last selection.
- Team-Specific Bets: These focus on specific NFL teams and what they’ll do with their draft picks or trade influences.
Where and When to Watch the 2025 NFL Draft
The NFL Draft is quite a popular segment of the NFL, so several streaming services and channels show coverage of the event, from the first pick to the last. Here’s the list of streamers/broadcasters covering the 2025 NFL Draft:
- NFL Network
- NFL+
- ESPN
- ESPN2
- ESPN Deportes
Round 1 starts at 20:00 ET on April 24, while Rounds 2 and 3 are broadcast at 19:00 ET on April 25. Rounds 4 through 7 are scheduled to begin at 12:00 ET on April 26.
2025 NFL Draft Betting Trends
While every group of prospects is different, some trends carry over from year to year. This allows you to make more accurate NFL Draft 2025 predictions and bets. Therefore, our team has listed some of those trends to consider this year.
More Value on Offensive Players
The 2024 NFL Draft saw a record of 23 offensive players taken in the first round, starting with 14 offensive players consecutively. This indicates a larger shift towards more offense-focused drafting plans for some NFL teams, which is worth considering when placing this year’s bets.
Focus on Interior Linemen
Only one defensive tackle was taken in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. However, mock drafts had three or four defensive linemen going in the first round, so this year might feature a heavier focus on both offense and defense, especially interior defensive linemen. This could provide some interesting head-to-head matchups.
Look for Trade Activity
Trades have become common in NFL Drafts, and several trades occurred during the 2024 NFL Draft. Of course, we can expect the trend to continue this year. Thus, don’t take your favorite team’s starting draft position at face value, as trades could reshuffle expected player selections.
NFL Draft Betting Strategies
While some types of bets can offer some degree of predictability to NFL Draft betting, the unpredictability makes betting on the NFL Draft so fun. Who could’ve seen the Falcons drafting QB Michael Penix Jr., especially considering the Kirk Cousins contract and Penix’s injury history? Nobody saw that coming.
However, you can follow a few strategies to improve your chances of landing successful bets despite surprises that might catch the audience off guard.
Follow Team Activity
While teams often strive to keep their short-term and long-term plans and intentions a secret, including potential drafts, it’s nearly impossible to hide what each team tries to do. It pays to follow team activity closely for any cues as to what they might do. For example, if the team invites a prospect for a private workout days before the draft, it is more likely to draft that particular player.
Look at Past Tendencies
It’s always worth looking into past drafts for clues, especially if you’re paying close attention to team activities. For example, it’s a safe bet that the Philadelphia Eagles’ Howie Roseman will be busy trying to engineer trades and look to build through the trenches.
Study Multiple Mock Drafts
Mock drafts can provide insight into what bets you should be making, but considering a single source often isn’t enough. Cross-reference different sources to get the best picture of how the draft might unfold with a certain degree of accuracy.
Recent NFL Draft Updates
- April 15, 2025: Sources say QB Sedeur Sanders will hold a final workout for members of the New York Giants to watch.
- April 14, 2025: 17 players confirm attendance at the first night of the NFL Draft, including Travis Hunter, Cam Ward, and Abdul Carter.
- April 10. 2025: Abdul Carter undergoes a medical recheck in Indianapolis, showing his foot stress reaction is healing and doesn’t require surgery.
NFL Draft Betting Sites FAQ
What states can I bet on the NFL Draft?
Most states, such as Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Washington D.C., and Wyoming, have unrestricted betting on the NFL Draft. Meanwhile, Arizona, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, and West Virginia allow betting but impose specific limitations.
Who will get the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft?
The Tennessee Titans have the first pick in the NFL Draft 2025 after scoring the worst record in the NFL 2024 season—unless the team trades the pick to another franchise.
Where is the 2025 NFL Draft?
The 2025 NFL Draft is taking place at Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers, in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Can you bet on the NFL Draft on FanDuel?
Yes, you can bet on the NFL Draft with FanDuel in states where NFL Draft betting is legal, and FanDuel is licensed to operate.
Which player will go first overall in the 2025 NFL Draft?
This is impossible to know, but the Miami QB Cam Ward is the current favorite for the first draw, with the Tennessee Titans in dire need of a quarterback and having the first pick.