Vegas to offer prop bets on NBA draft for first time
Ben Fawkes
ESPN Staff Writer
6/12/17
With the NBA Finals wrapping up this week, Las Vegas is already looking ahead to the 2017 NBA draft. For the first time, bettors will able to wager on proposition bets.
In April the Nevada sportsbooks were allowed to offer prop bets on the NFL draft for the first time, and betting exceeded expectations, with some shops taking in as much as $60,000 in handle.
The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook remains optimistic but knows that it will be tough to match the interest that the NFL received.
"This is our first go at the NBA draft and it was a bit more challenging than the NFL, as position props aren't available for the NBA," Jeff Sherman, a manager at the Westgate, told ESPN. "We used props involving schools, so we're expecting the handle to be less than what we did on the NFL draft props."
For example, at Westgate, you can bet on the number of Duke players drafted in the first round (O/U: 3.5; over +145, under -165) or the number of Kentucky players in Round 1 (O/U 2.5; over -300, under +250).
Although you can't place a wager specifically on UCLA standout Lonzo Ball, he is part of the "total UCLA players drafted in Round 1" prop, set at 2.5 with the over at -400 and under at +330.
Wagering will close at the close of business on June 21.
The NBA draft will take place at 7 p.m. ET on June 22 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Ben Fawkes
ESPN Staff Writer
6/12/17
With the NBA Finals wrapping up this week, Las Vegas is already looking ahead to the 2017 NBA draft. For the first time, bettors will able to wager on proposition bets.
In April the Nevada sportsbooks were allowed to offer prop bets on the NFL draft for the first time, and betting exceeded expectations, with some shops taking in as much as $60,000 in handle.
The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook remains optimistic but knows that it will be tough to match the interest that the NFL received.
"This is our first go at the NBA draft and it was a bit more challenging than the NFL, as position props aren't available for the NBA," Jeff Sherman, a manager at the Westgate, told ESPN. "We used props involving schools, so we're expecting the handle to be less than what we did on the NFL draft props."
For example, at Westgate, you can bet on the number of Duke players drafted in the first round (O/U: 3.5; over +145, under -165) or the number of Kentucky players in Round 1 (O/U 2.5; over -300, under +250).
Although you can't place a wager specifically on UCLA standout Lonzo Ball, he is part of the "total UCLA players drafted in Round 1" prop, set at 2.5 with the over at -400 and under at +330.
Wagering will close at the close of business on June 21.
The NBA draft will take place at 7 p.m. ET on June 22 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
