2020 NBA Draft Props: Will the Top Overall Pick Cry?

This isn’t the busiest time on the sports calendar. With the baseball, hockey, and basketball seasons plus the Masters all in the rearview mirror, sports bettors are having to find ways to pass the time between football weekends.

Fortunately, sports bettors have a bit of a respite with the NBA draft taking place on Wedneday. NBA betting sites have a number of different prop bets posted in anticipation of draft night. So, you can make a little extra money on the side as a way of making an otherwise mundane event a bit more interesting.

BetOnline.ag is one of the sites with countless props available to the betting public. Some of these look an awful lot like the NFL draft props we saw several months ago. As was the case with the NFL version, this year’s NBA draft will be conducted virtually. That means we have the potential for some technical snafus, as well as some other general wonkiness that comes with putting cameras inside people’s homes.

Are any of BetOnline’s fun draft props worth your while?

Total Dogs Shown During First Round

• Over 3.5 (-140)
• Under 3.5 (+100)

With the draft being conducted virtually, we’re going to see most players’ reactions to being drafted from their own homes. Most of them will surely be surrounded by family and friends. Here’s hoping they do so as safely as possible. It’s also safe to assume that we’ll be seeing no shortage of furry friends on the broadcast, as well.

We saw plenty of cats and dogs hanging around during the NFL draft in April. You may remember seeing Bill Belichick’s dog getting some intel on Bill’s laptop when the coach was offscreen:

We’ve got 30 picks in the first round NBA draft. Obviously, fewer players lends itself to fewer opportunities to catch a glimpse of some dogs. Still, it’s also fair to wonder whether we’ll see team personnel (like Belichick) working from home. That gives us a bit more opportunity to see some pets making onscreen cameos.

We know the Ball family has at least one dog. LaMelo is expected to be one of the first picks in the draft, so don’t be surprised if he’s accompanied by the family pup, Deuce.

The over on 3.5 feels like a solid wager here. If we happen to see one particularly dog-friendly family, it’s not impossible to think that we could hit the over on 3.5 with just one camera shot. The over is the bet. The more dogs, the better.

Total Cats Shown During First Round

• Over 0.5 (-120)
• Under 0.5 (-120)

Cats may not be quite as popular as dogs from a sheer numbers perspective, but we still saw quite a few felines during the virtual NFL draft. First-rounder Tristan Wirfs was one of the many proud cat owners we saw back in April:

Any cats we see on Wednesday night are probably going to be doing exactly what Wirfs’ cat is doing: Sitting on the back of the couch, doing absolutely nothing. Families are going to be crowded around the living room TV watching the draft. This, of course, is prime real estate for cats.

All it takes is one to hit the over on 0.5 cats. Bet the over here, too.

Who Will the Top Overall Pick Hug First?

• Dad (-180)
• Sibling (+175)
• Mom (+200)
• Girlfriend (+600)
• Friend (+700)

This is another prop we had in advance of the NFL draft. Back then, top overall pick Joe Burrow was watching the draft with his parents. After the pick was announced, cameras showed him on the phone with Bengals head coach Zac Taylor. Unfortunately, we didn’t see whether his mom or dad got the first hug.

While Burrow going No. 1 was expected, we don’t have an obvious top overall pick in this NBA draft. Ball or Anthony Edwards are the likeliest candidates with Minnesota picking first. BetOnline has Ball as a -130 favorite to go No. 1, with Edwards at even money. It’s a coin flip.

If LaMelo goes first, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see LaVar Ball right by his side. Brothers Lonzo and LiAngelo will likely be there, too, along with a girlfriend. His mother hasn’t been one to seek out too much attention over the past few years, which is likely why dad getting the first hug is a -180 favorite. Edwards’ mother sadly passed away several years ago.

Lonzo was in New York back when he was drafted second overall in 2017, so the dynamic is obviously different this year. However, we did see Lonzo give his brothers some handshakes before hugging LaVar.:

A father getting the first hug is the safe bet, but I don’t mind taking a shot on a sibling here at +175. Edwards’ brother and sister are his closest family members, so they’re good bets to be right by his side when he hears his name called on Wednesday. Bet sibling at +175.

Will Any First-Round Draftees Wear the Wrong Hat?

• Yes (+900)
• No (-3000)

As was the case with the NFL draft, it’s fair to assume all of the draftees will have access to a variety of different team hats. When they get drafted, they can put one of them on, just as they would if the draft were happening in New York.

The NFL announces its draft day trades instantly. With the NBA, however, trades take a while to get processed. Because of that silly rule, we almost always see some draftees wearing hats of teams that didn’t really draft them.

Donovan Mitchell was technically drafted by the Nuggets, but we knew before they even announced the pick that he was heading to the Jazz.

Based on the odds, though, I’m guessing this isn’t what BetOnline is asking about. With the odds so heavily slanted in favor of “no,” it seems like they’re asking whether a player will just accidentally put the wrong hat on without a trade being involved at all.

The wording on this prop is a bit unclear, but it’s a near certainty that we’ll see players wearing the wrong hats on draft night because we see that exact scenario play out every single year. You can take a flier on “yes” at +900 just because the odds are so favorable, but this looks like a prop of which you’ll want to steer clear.

Will Lonzo Ball Be Shown During the Draft?

• Yes (-500)
• No (+300)

The Balls are a close-knit family. LaMelo has a strong chance of being the first overall pick on Wednesday night, and Lonzo certainly won’t miss it. Easy money.

Will LaVar Ball Be Shown During the Draft?

• Yes (-1500)
• No (+600)

If we know anything about LaVar Ball, it’s that he knows where the cameras are. This is the biggest moment for the Ball family since LiAngelo was freed from China a couple of years ago. LaVar is the king of making it all about himself, so he obviously won’t miss his youngest son’s big moment.

Will Pizza Be Shown in Any Draftee’s Home?

• Yes (+250)
• No (-400)

This year is different. The draft doesn’t usually take place in the middle of November, but COVID has forced the NBA to alter its schedule. The 2020-21 season is set to get underway just a month after the draft, so rookies won’t have much time to get used to their new surroundings after hearing their names called on Wednesday.

Of course, rookies want to make the best first impression possible. With so little time between draft night and opening night, it’s crucial for players to show up to training camp in better shape than they may otherwise.

However, draft night is a good excuse to party. While having large gatherings certainly not recommended right now, it’s safe to assume we’ll still see plenty of family members gathered together to celebrate. Someone will order a pizza for the occasion, right?

You can get decent upside in a pizza being shown on-camera here at +250. With 60 players set to get drafted, you might as well take a low-dollar flier on those plus-money odds.

Will the Top Overall Pick Cry?

• Yes (+400)
• No (-700)

Last year, Zion Williamson got emotional after hearing his name called first overall by commissioner Adam Silver. The same thing happened to Ja Morant when he went second.

It will surely be an emotional night for every player that gets drafted, but different players have different reactions to the news.

LaMelo doesn’t necessarily seem like the type that would break down into tears upon hearing his name called. Edwards has endured a lot of adversity in his life, so he would seem to be the more likely candidate to tear up if he gets the nod.

I think Ball will wind up going first, but the +400 odds on “yes” are attackable if you think Edwards ultimately goes ahead of him. This is essentially a 50/50 prop, but I’ll side with “no” at -700. LaMelo will keep a straight face, just like his brother did a few years back.