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NFL Draft betting gave fans plenty to follow on Thursday night, but sportsbooks had a harder time. Several first round surprises helped bettors cash on prop markets, while Circa and BetMGM both saw mixed results across player draft position, team selection, and top 10 markets.
Good to Know
Circa had another losing NFL Draft, according to Mike Palm, vice president of operations at Circa, The D, and Golden Gate sportsbooks in Las Vegas. The operator took smaller hits when Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love went third overall to the Arizona Cardinals and Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson landed with the Los Angeles Rams at No. 13.
The tougher result came from Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy. Bettors backed the over on his draft position, and he fell out of the first round. Circa also paid bettors who took the under on LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane after the Kansas City Chiefs traded up to No. 6 to take him.
Utah offensive tackle Spencer Fano gave Circa one of its few better results. Cleveland took him ninth overall, which helped the sportsbook on the under, but winning spots were limited.
BetMGM also called draft night uneven. Fernando Mendoza going first overall gave the book a strong result after his odds opened at +10,000 and later sat at -10,000 for a long stretch. However, Love at No. 3 and Simpson to the Rams both went against the sportsbook.
Simpson also helped the over 1.5 quarterbacks in the first round cash. He had been +800 to go to the Rams and closed with a draft position of 29.5. The under hit easily. BetMGM did keep money on another popular Simpson market, as the Steelers did not take him at +1,600.
Love drew heavy interest before the draft. His odds to go third overall were +800 a week earlier, then closed at -110. He also led the No. 3 pick market with more than 30% of the handle. Later, Seattle took his Notre Dame teammate Jadarian Price with the last pick of the first round, helping the over 1.5 running backs cash with 87% of bets and 61% of money behind it.
The No. 2 pick also brought heavy action at BetMGM. The New York Jets took Texas Tech pass rusher David Bailey, who closed at +175. Ohio State pass rusher Arvell Reese had moved from +115 on Thursday morning to -250 before the draft, but he went fifth to the Giants at +2,000.
Delane created one of the biggest long shot results. BetMGM had him as high as +10,000 to go sixth overall, and he still sat at +4,000 on Wednesday with limited tickets and handle. Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate also hurt the book when Tennessee took him fourth overall. BetMGM had offered +5,000 on Tate that day, while Love had been the clear favorite for that pick.
BetMGM avoided larger payouts in a few other markets. San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson was the only one of the three most bet first round players to get picked on Thursday, with Miami taking him at No. 27. Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez led by ticket share, while Iowa offensive tackle Gennings Dunker also drew interest but missed the first round.
Top 10 betting went better for BetMGM. Arizona State receiver Jordan Styles went eighth to the New Orleans Saints at -500, but USC receiver Makai Lemon fell to No. 20 after Philadelphia acquired the pick from Dallas. Lemon had been the most bet player by tickets to go in the top 10 at +850.