With the 2020 NBA Draft set to take place on Wednesday night, LaMelo Ball has strengthened his position as the favourite to be selected first overall, sporting strong -215 odds on the NBA draft props at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
The youngest brother of 2017 second overall pick Lonzo Ball, LaMelo has taken a somewhat unorthodox path towards a potential career in the NBA. Unlike Lonzo, LaMelo elected to forego an opportunity to play college basketball at UCLA, instead spending last season with the Illawarra Hawks of Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL).
The 19-year-old was steady in limited action, averaging 17.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per game in 12 appearances before suffering a season-ending injury. However, that proved to be good enough to earn the talented point guard NBL Rookie of the Year honours.
Georgia Bulldogs shooting guard Anthony Edwards sits second to Ball with +150 odds to emerge as the top pick on Wednesday night, followed by Memphis Tigers big man James Wiseman at +550 at online betting sites. Widely considered the No. 1 recruit going into last season, Edwards did not disappoint in his lone season of college basketball at Georgia. The 19-year-old finished the abbreviated 2019/20 campaign among the top 20 in three-pointers made, and tallied 19.1 points per game to earn SEC Freshman of the Year honours.
Forced to miss considerable time due to injury and suspension, Wiseman appeared in just three games in his rookie year with the Tigers. While serving a 12-game suspension, the 19-year-old cut his season short by leaving Memphis to focus on preparing for the NBA Draft. Despite seeing limited game action over the past year, Wiseman’s draft stock has remained high, with his impressive mix of size and athleticism earning him comparisons to Portland Trail Blazers center Hassan Whiteside.
Further down the NBA Draft odds, USC forward Onyeka Okongwu has emerged as the best of the rest, climbing to a +5000 wager to go first overall, while Obi Toppin is joined by Deni Avdija and Killian Hayes at +6600.
Okongwu had an immediate impact in his rookie campaign at USC last season. The Los Angeles native led the Trojans with 16.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game to claim spots on the Pac-12 All-Freshman team and the All-Pac-12 first team.
Toppin opted to go pro after two seasons with the Dayton Flyers. The 22-year-old power forward filled his trophy cabinet after enjoying a breakthrough last season, earning consensus first-team All-American honours and taking home the National College Player of the Year award after racking up 20.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
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