By Dave Schwab
The 2017 NFL Draft in Philadelphia is a little more than two weeks away, so it is time to get serious when it comes to betting on a few of the player props that have already been posted in advance of this highly anticipated event.
The two props that I have zeroed in on today is the “over/under” play for how many players from SEC powers Alabama and LSU will be selected in the first round on Thursday, April 27.
Alabama Crimson Tide First Round Picks
The “over/under” on how many Alabama players will come off the board in the opening round of the 2017 NFL Draft has been set at 4.5 with the moneyline odds on the OVER set at -150 and at +120 for the UNDER.
Breaking down this year’s draft class, one of the top Alabama players on the list would have to be defensive end/tackle Jonathan Allen. Some draft gurus have him going as high as No. 2 to San Francisco or No. 3 to Chicago, but it is pretty safe to say that he is coming off the board in the first 10 picks.
The next Crimson Tide player ranked pretty high on this year’s list is tight end OJ Howard, who should also be a top pick, possibly as high as No. 5 to Tennessee or No. 6 to the New York Jets. I like as Buffalo as a possible landing spot with the 10th spot in the draft. None the less, just about every mock draft that I have seen has him coming off the board in the first round and I would have to agree.
My third player from Alabama going in the first round would be linebacker Reuben Foster, who has been linked to Cincinnati with the ninth pick in the first round. A few other landing spots include 11th to New Orleans or at No. 14 to Philadelphia. He is another solid first rounder to bring my total to three.
Moving down the list of Alabama prospects, I also have offensive tackle Cam Robinson projected as a first round pick. He could go as high as No. 19 to Tampa Bay and the general consensus is that he go with one of the first 32 picks.
There is still quite a bit of talent on the Crimson Tide’s list of available players, but I did not come up with anyone else coming off the board in the first round. This sets up the perfect opportunity to take the added value in the betting odds on the UNDER 4.5 for this prop.
LSU Tigers First Round Picks
The “over/under” for first round picks from LSU has been set at 2.5 with the betting odds favoring the UNDER at -140. The moneyline odds that this prop will go OVER have been set at +110.
The Tigers’ top draft prospect would have to be running back Leonard Fournette. While most NFL teams have the tendency to shy away from running backs in the first round, Dallas proved that theory wrong when they transformed its offense around former Ohio State standout Ezekiel Elliott with the fourth overall pick in the 2016. Look for Fournette to follow in his footsteps as the fourth overall pick this year to Jacksonville.
The second player from LSU coming off the board in the first round would be safety Jamal Adams. I have seen him go as high as No. 2 to San Francisco in a few mock drafts, but he will most likely fall to the Jets at No. 6 or to San Diego at No. 7. Given the quality of this player at such an important position, he should not fall much deeper than No. 10.
The reason that I am taking the better value in the OVER in this prop is Tigers’ cornerback Tre’Davious White, who has been tied to Philadelphia at No. 14 or to Tennessee with the 18th pick in the first round. Some mock drafts do have him falling to the second round, but once again this is a quality player at a highly desirable position, so I do believe he will come off the board with one of the first 32 picks.
