NFL draft betting: Travon Walker's odds to be No. 1 overall pick get even better

Nick Bromberg

Travon Walker’s odds to be the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft on Thursday keep getting shorter and shorter.

Walker was at -160 to go No. 1 to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday. He’s now -225 at BetMGM to be the Jaguars’ choice with the draft just over 48 hours away.

The Georgia edge rusher emerged as the favorite for the top pick over Michigan edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, thanks to murmurs about the Jaguars’ decision-making process and a flood of bets on Walker to be the No. 1 overall pick. As of Monday, Walker was getting 19% of the bets to be the top pick in the draft. Those bets were big money bets as they made up over a third of the total money wagered.

The Jaguars’ choice of Walker would be unique. Six of his 9.5 career sacks came in 2021 as Georgia beat Alabama for the national title in January. Walker played in 16 games with 28 total tackles over 2019 and 2020 before becoming part of a dominant defensive front in 2021. Most players taken with the No. 1 overall pick have been dominant for multiple collegiate seasons. But Walker’s pro ceiling is so high that the Jaguars may look past his statistics at Georgia.

Walker is such a heavy favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick at the moment that he’s at +500 to be the Lions’ choice at No. 2. Hutchinson is currently at -125 to go to Detroit, thanks to the home state connection while Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux is at +140 to go at No. 2.

KNOXVILLE, TN - NOVEMBER 13: Georgia defensive lineman Travon Walker (44) down and ready for action during the NCAA football game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, TN. (Photo by Kevin Langley/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Georgia defensive lineman Travon Walker (44) is down and ready for action against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. (Photo by Kevin Langley/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) (Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Odds to be No. 1 overall pick

Odds to be No. 2 overall pick

  • Hutchinson (-125)

  • Thibodeaux (+140)

  • Walker (+500)

  • Malik Willis, Liberty (+1000)

  • Ahmad Gardner, Cincinnati (+1400)

  • Derek Stingley Jr., LSU (+3000)

Odds to be No. 3 overall pick

  • Gardner (+300)

  • Walker (+350)

  • Ekwonu (+400)

  • Stingley Jr. (+400)

  • Neal (+500)

  • Thibodeaux (+800)

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