Sportsbook takes $10,000 bet on Caleb Williams for low payout
Caleb Williams is considered a virtual lock to go No. 1 overall during Thursday night’s portion of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Williams has long been the betting favorite to be the top pick. As the betting odds reflect, there have been no indications that the Chicago Bears would take someone else at No. 1 or trade the pick.
At BetMGM, Williams is priced at -10000 to be the No. 1 overall pick. At those odds, it takes a $10,000 wager to win $100. According to the book, someone said “bet.”
BetMGM’s John Ewing shared with Saturday Tradition Thursday morning that the book received a $10,000 bet on Williams at -10000. If the Bears follow through with what’s expected, the bettor will pocket $100 for letting BetMGM hold their money.
Book would be glad to see Williams go No. 1
For sportsbooks, it’s best if Williams indeed goes No.1 overall as expected. There was enough buzz and betting interest for Jayden Daniels to become the biggest liability at No. 1.
At BetMGM, Williams opened at -1250. He was -1100 on March 1st, but the odds moved to -5000 by April 2. For the last week, Williams has been a -10000 bet to go first in the NFL Draft.
Daniels, meanwhile, opened at +5000 to be the No. 1 overall pick. In March, the odds were down to +1200. On April 2, Daniels was +2000 and has been a +3000 option for the past week.
The movement has made Daniels the biggest liability. A stunning move of Daniels to Chicago would have BetMGM paying out anywhere from 12 to 50 times what was bet.
Here’s a breakdown of how the No. 1 overall pick has been bet at BetMGM:
- Highest ticket percentage for No. 1 overall pick: Jayden Daniels 29.3% (Caleb Williams 19.5%)
- Highest percentage of handle (money bet): Williams 90.2% (Daniels 4.2%)
Biggest liability: Daniels
All signs point to the book and the bettor being happy with the name called at No. 1. Any name other than Williams would be one of the biggest surprises in NFL Draft history.
It all starts at 8 p.m. ET, with ESPN/ABC and NFL Network carrying the action.
