2022 NFL Draft 1st Overall Pick Betting Trends

Neil Parker

Last Updated: February 24, 2022 6:53 AM EST • 2 minute read

The 2022 NFL Draft begins Thursday, April 28, and sportsbooks have already been releasing odds for bettors to wager on who will be the No. 1 overall pick. BetMGM released their betting trends on the prop Thursday.

https://twitter.com/johnewing/status/1496868737550635019

Highest Ticket Percentage

Evan Neal 33.2%Aidan Hutchinson 15.7%Kayvon Thibodeaux 11.8%Charles Cross 5.8%Matt Corral 5.6%

Highest Handle Percentage

Evan Neal 43.2%Kayvon Thibodeaux 13.7%Aidan Hutchinson 13.3%Matt Corral 5.7%Charles Cross 3.6%

Biggest Liabilities

Evan NealCharles CrossKayvon Thibodeaux

The 2022 NFL Draft will be a little different than most recent drafts.

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected their franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence last year with the first overall selection, so it’s likely the Jags look to either protect Lawrence with an offensive tackle or target a promising game-breaking edge rusher.

For what it’s worth, a quarterback has been selected first overall in 10 of the past 13 drafts.

As highlighted, Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal is receiving the most betting attention at BetMGM. It would be a logical selection, and most mock drafts are in agreement with the betting public.

There’s also a growing consensus that while Aidan Hutchinson is probably a more NFL-ready prospect than Kayvon Thibodeaux, the latter might have the higher ceiling, so seeing the two with a similar handle percentage isn’t surprising.

While Neal, Hutchinson and Thibodeaux are the favorites to be chosen with the No. 1 selection, what if Jacksonville trades the pick?

Perhaps, a quarterback-needy team pushed all in to move up to the top spot and select Liberty product Malik Willis, for example.

As it stands, there are three clear favorites with Neal backed significantly more than Hutchinson and Thibodeaux, but it’ll still be an interesting market to monitor over the next two months leading into the 2022 NFL Draft.

Make sure to keep an eye on our Live Odds page throughout the week to get the best lines possible and connect with others in the SBR community on our popular sports betting forum.

Written by:
Neil Parker

A lifelong Cowboys, Cubs, Maple Leafs and Gators supporter, Neil has been covering sports in print and online since 2011. His past stops include USA TODAY, theScore, DraftKings Playbook and RotoWire among others. He's a graduate of St. Thomas University and Acadia University and spends ample time at KenWo Golf Club.