Michigan Sportsbooks List Murray, Ivey As Favorites To Go To Detroit In NBA Draft

Don’t look now, but the 2022 NBA Draft is right on our doorstep.

Just a week after the end of the NBA Finals, the league will now transition to adding in a new draft class on Thursday night.

It’s a big opportunity for the Detroit Pistons to take another step forward as a franchise. It’s also a big opportunity for Michigan sports bettors to get one last NBA betting experience before the offseason really kicks in.

The NBA Draft is always very active with trades and surprises. Here’s all the information you need to know about wagering on the event, and what we might be able to expect from the Pistons.

NBA Draft Rundown

• What: The 2022 NBA Draft
• Date: June 23, 2022
• Time: 8 p.m. ET
• Location: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY
• TV and streaming: ABC (first round only), ESPN, ESPN+
• Detroit Pistons Selections: No. 5, No. 46
• Who holds the No. 1 Pick: Orlando Magic

Can I bet on the 2022 NBA Draft?

Yes, you absolutely can wager on the NBA Draft.

Michigan is one of nearly a dozen states to allow sports betting for drafts.

Similar to the NFL Draft, Michigan sports bettors will be allowed to place wagers on the draft up until the start of it on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.

Markets you can find right now are:

• Pick Number: Wager on which player will be taken No. 1 overall, No. 2, No. 3, etc. Most sportsbooks offer markets for picks 1-5, each player listed with a moneyline.
• Top 10: Odds for a player to be drafted in the top 10. Typically the players largely expected to be around the top five aren’t included in the market. Some sportsbooks offer similar wagers for the first round.
• Player Draft Position: A player is listed with an over/under for their draft position. Wager on the over or the under.
• Draft By Team: Some sportsbooks offer up whom a team will draft first, then offer a wide range of players in case that team jumps around the draft board.

NBA Draft odds for Pistons at No. 5

Unlike last year, the NBA Draft Lottery wasn’t too kind to the Pistons.

Detroit was one of three teams with the best odds to get the No. 1 pick in 2022. Instead, it found itself at No. 5.

Making matters worse is that most pundits view this draft as having four top pieces. The consensus top four players in the draft are:

• Chet Holmgren, PF Gonzaga
• Jabari Smith, PF Auburn
• Paolo Banchero, PF Duke
• Jaden Ivey, PG Purdue

Smith Jr. is the current favorite to go No. 1 overall, while Banchero and Holmgren follow closely behind. Ivey is favored at No. 4.

The Pistons likely have their eyes on any of these four players should one drop. The three power forwards definitely fill a need on the roster, while Ivey is a combo guard that could play well alongside Cade Cunningham.

When it comes to NBA Draft odds, Iowa forward Keegan Murray is the betting favorite to be taken No. 5.

He is listed at +130 at DraftKings Sportsbook MI and +145 at FanDuel Sportsbook MI.

Ivey is right behind him at +175/+240, as is Arizona forward Benedict Mathurin (+280 FD) and Kentucky guard Shaedon Sharpe (+1000 FD) also look to be in the mix.

Pistons could be looking for more picks

Detroit could be coming into Thursday’s draft looking to acquire more picks.

The team has been actively shopping 6-foot-8 forward Jerami Grant and a Draft-day deal could be in the works.

Grant has been a hot name around the trade rumor mill, as he could be an immediate asset for a team expecting to compete next season. The rumor mill has linked him to teams all over the first round.

Grant is on an expiring contract for 2022-23, earning around $21 million. Re-signing Grant to a new deal is likely to be part of any trade deal.

We’ve seen Pistons GM Troy Weaver be very active on draft night before. In 2020, he made moves to get three first round picks. After taking Killian Hayes at No. 7, he moved up to add Isaiah Stewart at No. 16 and Saddiq Bey at No. 19.

With Detroit likely to be active in free agency as well, their moves and selections on Thursday could be impacted by players they intend to pursue on the open market. Guard Jalen Brunson and center DeAndre Ayton have been names connected to the Pistons already.