If you can figure out how to start your own legal, regulated gambling company, I suggest you do it because boy, is it ever easy to make money (unless you’re Donald Trump, apparently). As they say, the glitzy casinos in Las Vegas weren’t built because people win. Case in point: according to sports gambling reporter Ben Fawkes, NBA draft bettors are making absolutely insane wagers that have absolutely zero chance to win.
On Monday, Fawkes reported that the player most frequently picked by BetMGM customers to be the number one selection in the upcoming NBA draft is USC Trojans guard Bronny James, the son of NBA legend LeBron James. More than 1-in-5 (22.5%) of bettors have put money on the younger James to go number one at 200-1 odds.
Now, it’s not always the smart bet to pick who you most think will win, or, in this case be the top pick in the draft. The odds aren’t always favorable and there is often a bet with a better payout that may be the more attractive choice. Bronny James is currently 200-1 (+20,000) at BetMGM to be the top pick, so perhaps some people are just going for the big score.
But really, it is almost impossible for Bronny James to go number one. He was essentially a non-factor as a freshman guard at USC this past season, averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 19.4 minutes per game. It’s one thing to draft based on potential – look at the Milwaukee Bucks taking Giannis Antetokounmpo at #15 in 2013 – but it is an entirely different thing altogether to pick someone at number one who has shown very little except for his lineage.
That’s not to say that Bronny James doesn’t have a chance to be a good NBA player. His father has and will teach him a lot and word out of the NBA draft combine is that his physical skills are impressive. He might be served better to stay in college, but no matter what he does, the pressure on him to perform and improve will be immense, considering his dad is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, is in the discussion for the GOAT, and is still playing.
Most NBA mock drafts have Bronny James going late in the second round or not drafted at all.
BetMGM has Alexandre Sarr as the odds-on favorite to be drafted first by the Atlanta Hawks, with the current line at -300. After Sarr are Zaccharie Risacher (+425), Donovan Clingan (+1,200), and Reed Sheppard (+3,500).
Image credit: Global Panorama via Flickr
