Unlike last year, there is some competition atop the NBA Draft No. 1 pick oddsboard — and it’s only getting more tense.
Let’s check out the odds for who will be next year’s first selection at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Feb. 19.
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NBA Draft No. 1 pick odds
Darryn Peterson: -220 (bet $10 to win $14.55 total)
AJ Dybantsa: +260 (bet $10 to win $36 total)
Cameron Boozer: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Things are starting to get … weird.
Kansas star Darryn Peterson has been atop this board for a majority of the season, and just last week, he was at -425, creating a little separation between himself and BYU standout AJ Dybantsa, who was at +400.
But now, Dybantsa has crept closer, as he continues to shine for the Cougars, while Peterson shines for the Jayhawks … then sits.
On Wednesday night against Arizona, Dybantsa scored 35 for the Cougars in a loss. That performance comes in the midst of a stretch of recent big games. He scored 36 against Baylor on Feb. 10, 28 against Houston on Feb. 7, 36 against Oklahoma State on Feb. 4, and 43 against Utah back on Jan. 24.
Here is the key, however: Dybantsa is averaging nearly 34 minutes per game, and hasn’t played fewer than 30 minutes since Dec. 16.
Then, there is Peterson.
On Wednesday night, he had 23 points in just 18 minutes against Oklahoma State, including hitting six 3-pointers. Then, just minutes into the second half, he asked for a sub out of the game and never returned.
This isn’t the first time Peterson has mysteriously asked out of games. And considering he’s viewed as the best player in college basketball, he’s played 28 minutes or fewer nine times in 15 games played this season.
On the year, he’s averaging 20 points in 26.9 minutes per game. Dybantsa is averaging 24.8 points in 33.5 minutes per game.
