2024 NBA Draft Betting Odds: Risacher Keeps Trending Towards No. 1 Pick

As consensus begins to emerge in the 2024 NBA Draft odds, but still with much uncertainty throughout the lottery, get the lowdown on the current favorites to go No. 1, including Zaccharie Risacher.

AJ Salah • Publishing Editor
Jun 26, 2024 • 19:05 ET • 5 min read
Zaccharie Risacher NBA Draft odds
Photo By - USA TODAY Sports

(Check out NBA Draft odds for Round 2 as well as our NBA Draft Round 2 picks & predictions!)

2024 NBA Draft betting odds continue to evolve. With the big night upon us, Zaccharie Risacher is looking increasingly like the No. 1 pick, now at -500 as of early Wednesday evening.

While Risacher separates his NBA odds to go first overall, Donovan Clingan, Alexandre Sarr, and Reed Sheppard all look like strong Top-3 options.

With just minutes to go, let's see where the main markets are heading, including odds to be the first overall pick in the NBA Draft. 

Odds for 2024 NBA Draft

Let's take a look at some of the most important numbers to know heading into tonight's NBA Draft, including the favorites for the Top 5 picks:

NBA Draft Odds at a glance

  • Zaccharie Risacher to go No. 1: -500
  • Donovan Clingan to go No. 1: +500
  • Alexandre Sarr to go No. 1: +1,200
  • Bronny James Draft O 54.5: -158
  • Zach Edey Draft U 15.5: -122

NBA Draft No. 1 overall pick odds

Player DraftKings
Zaccharie Risacher -500
Donovan Clingan +500
Alexandre Sarr +1,200
Stephon Castle +1,600
Reed Sheppard +2,500
Matas Buzelis +10,000
Ronald Holland +15,000
Rob Dillingham +15,000
Dalton Knecht +15,000
Nikola Topic +20,000

Odds as of 6-26-2024, 7:00 p.m. ET.

NBA Draft No. 2 overall pick odds

Player DraftKings
Alexandre Sarr -1,000
Zaccharie Risacher +1,000
Donovan Clingan +1,600
Reed Sheppard +2,000
Stephon Castle +3,000
Matas Buzelis +5,000
Dalton Knecht +7,500
Tidjane Salaun +10,000
Ronald Holland +10,000
Rob Dillingham +10,000

Odds as of 6-26-2024, 7:00 p.m. ET.

NBA Draft No. 3 overall pick odds

Player DraftKings
Reed Sheppard -240
Donovan Clingan +240
Stephon Castle +1,400
Zaccharie Risacher +2,000
Matas Buzelis +2,500
Dalton Knecht +3,500
Rob Dillingham +4,000
Alexandre Sarr +4,000
Ronald Holland +5,000
Tidjane Salaun +6,000

Odds as of 6-26-2024, 7:00 p.m. ET.

NBA Draft No. 4 overall pick odds

Player DraftKings
Stephon Castle -170
Matas Buzelis +600
Reed Sheppard +650
Donovan Clingan +750
Zaccharie Risacher +1,600
Alexandre Sarr +2,500
Cody Williams +3,000
Dalton Knecht +3,500
Rob Dillingham +3,500
Devin Carter +5,000

Odds as of 6-26-2024, 7:00 p.m. ET.

NBA Draft No. 5 overall pick odds

Player DraftKings
Matas Buzelis +125
Donovan Clingan +170
Cody Williams +600
Rob Dillingham +1,400
Stephon Castle +1,600
Reed Sheppard +1,800
Tidjane Salaun +2,000
Dalton Knecht +2,000
Ronald Holland +2,000
Zaccharie Risacher +2,500

Odds as of 6-26-2024, 7:00 p.m. ET.

2024 NBA Draft analysis

Zaccharie Risacher

Zaccharie Risacher has become to new first-overall pick favorite over the past month. Risacher missed the combine due to JL Bourg making a run in the French League playoffs, but Hawks GM Landry Fields and head coach Quin Snyder were courtside to watch him play against Nanterre. 

As a 3-and-D wing who doesn't need the ball in his hands and has plenty of upside, Risacher has a skill set that any team could use. Although he doesn't have great shot-creating ability, he's knocked down 38.8% of his threes this season and exploded for 28 points in the LNB Elite quarterfinals. With fellow Frenchman Alexandre Sarr ducking the Hawks during draft workouts, the market has moved more in Risacher's favor, almost tripling his implied probability in the past week. 

Donovan Clingan

Donovan Clingan is next on the board as the consensus second choice for the No. 1 pick. Clingan has been one of the draft's fastest-rising prospects after helping UConn to back-to-back national titles. Clingan is a 7-foot-2, 282-pound monster who averaged 13.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks in just 22.7 minutes per game as a sophomore this year. He's a dominant rebounder and shot-blocker, but also has the agility to defend the pick-and-roll, and his shooting touch shows promise. 

Alexandre Sarr

While Alexandre Sarr isn't anywhere near the level of a prospect like Victor Wembanyama, his high ceiling has kept him in the virtual Top 3 despite falling from the No. 1 spot. Sarr checked in at 7 feet tall with a 7-foot-4-inch wingspan at the combine, showcasing excellent athleticism for his size. He also flashes the ability to handle the ball, and while he needs to improve as a shooter, he has good mechanics.  

Reed Sheppard

Guard Reed Sheppard is a longer shot for No. 1. Sheppard was arguably the top freshman in college basketball this past year, averaging 12.5 points, 4.5 assists, and 2.5 steals per game while shooting 52.1% from deep for Kentucky. While there were questions about his athleticism, he shocked onlookers with a 42-inch vertical at the combine. Sheppard's shooting ability and high basketball IQ should make him a safe pick for any franchise.  

Bronny James NBA Draft odds and news

Bronny James at Draft Combine Usa Today.jpg

While he stands virtually no chance of actually being picked so high, public money has flooded in on Bronny James draft odds to go No. 1. BetMGM is reporting Bronny as their biggest liability to be taken first overall, while also previously holding the largest ticket count (25.2%) before being overtaken by Donovan Clingan. 

Bronny's Over/Under to be picked sits at 54.5, shaded heavily to the Over (-158) with the Lakers owning the 55th pick.

Zach Edey NBA Draft odds and news

Previously slated as a mid-to-late first rounder, the possibility of Edey going in the lottery is being more realistically considered, with FanDuel moving Zach Edey draft odds to an O/U 15.5, shaded to the Under (-122). 

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2024 NBA Draft order (first round)

1. Atlanta Hawks
2. Washington Wizards
3. Houston Rockets
4. San Antonio Spurs
5. Detroit Pistons
6. Charlotte Hornets
7. Portland Trail Blazers
8. San Antonio Spurs
9. Memphis Grizzlies
10. Utah Jazz
11. Chicago Bulls
12. Oklahoma City Thunder
13. Sacramento Kings
14. Portland Trail Blazers
15. Miami Heat
16. Philadelphia 76ers
17. Los Angeles Lakers
18. Orlando Magic
19. Toronto Raptors
20. Cleveland Cavaliers
21. New Orleans Hornets
22. Phoenix Suns
23. Milwaukee Bucks
24. New York Knicks
25. New York Knicks
26. Washington Wizards
27. Minnesota Timberwolves
28. Denver Nuggets
29. Utah Jazz
30. Boston Celtics

Here are some recent trends you'll want to keep in mind when betting on NBA Draft odds:

  • Positions have been reasonably well-distributed among the No. 1 picks. Over the past 20 NBA Drafts, seven have been forwards, seven guards, and six centers.

  • "One-and-done" college freshmen make up the overwhelming majority of recent top picks, being selected No. 1 in 16 of the past 18 seasons since high schoolers were ruled ineligible.

  • Among NCAA schools, Duke leads the all-time count with five No. 1 overall picks, including Paolo Banchero in 2022.

History of first overall NBA Draft picks

Victor Wembanyama's 2023 selection with the No. 1 pick marked just the second time since 2005 that an international player was taken first overall (Andrea Bargnani, 2006). 

Year Player Position
2004 Dwight Howard C
2005 Andrew Bogut C
2006 Andrea Bargnani F/C
2007 Greg Oden C
2008 Derrick Rose PG
2009 Blake Griffin PF
2010 John Wall PG
2011 Kyrie Irving PG
2012 Anthony Davis PF
2013 Anthony Bennett PF
2014 Andrew Wiggins G/F
2015 Karl-Anthony Towns C
2016 Ben Simmons PG/F
2017 Markelle Fultz PG
2018 Deandre Ayton C
2019 Zion Williamson PF
2020 Anthony Edwards SG
2021 Cade Cunningham PG
2022 Paolo Banchero PF
2023 Victor Wembanyama C

NBA Draft Odds FAQ

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AJ Salah covers.com publishing editor
Publishing Editor

AJ brings years of gambling experience to the Covers editorial team. A champion tournament poker player, he began writing about the NBA in 2009 and parlayed the popularity of his blog into gigs with several websites including HotNewHipHop.com and Fansided. He’s since appeared on BetMGM’s The Daily Tip, and has delivered steady profits for Covers readers for nearly a half-decade.

AJ’s sportsbook of choice is bet365, and he urges all sports bettors to educate themselves about trends: “Instead of blindly betting a team that is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games, look at WHY that happened. Is that trend sustainable, or did that team benefit from opponent injuries, scheduling quirks, or garbage-time noise?"

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