Round 1 of NFL Draft a Mixed Bag for Sportsbooks
Posted on: April 24, 2026, 02:11h.
Last updated on: April 24, 2026, 02:11h.
- Las Vegas Raiders, as expected, take QB Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick
- Eight trades mark first round of the NFL Draft, Rounds 2-3 scheduled for tonight
- New York Jets make three first-round selections
The first round of the NFL Draft last night in Pittsburgh was marked by trades, teams jockeying to improve their positioning to grab the player they wanted, with some wins and losses for sportsbooks.
New Dawn for Vegas Raiders
That was to be expected. As DraftKings Director of Race & Sport Operations Johnny Avello told Casino.org earlier this week, from a bookmaker’s perspective, the NFL Draft is about as chaotic an event as there is.
“It’s never a dull moment,” said Avello, a few days ago.
Last night, as everyone expected, the Las Vegas Raiders took quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick, their rebuild now in full motion.
OLB Reese Goes to Giants With Fifth Pick
After Mendoza went, there was the usual array of trades and surprise picks, most surprising of all being running back Jeremiyah Love going to the Arizona Cardinals at No. 3, and quarterback Tyler Simpson going to the L.A. Rams at No. 13, as the organization starts mapping out a plan at quarterback post Matthew Stafford.
In total, there were eight trades in the first round (the Buffalo Bills made three of those, taking themselves out of the first round, bolstering up later round picks), all involving draft picks.
After Mendoza, edge rusher David Bailey went to the New York Jets, Love to the Cardinals, wide receiver Carnell Tate to the Tennessee Titans, then another surprise, outside linebacker Arvell Reese dropping to No. 5, going to the New York Giants, after Reese was a betting favourite to go No. 2 overall.
To round out the top 10: cornerback Mansoor Delane goes to the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 6, linebacker Sonny Styles goes to the Washington Commanders at No. 7, wide receiver Jordyn Tyson to the New Orleans Saints at No. 8, offensive tackle Spencer Fano to the Cleveland Browns at No. 9, and offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa to the Giants at No. 10.
Mixed Bag for Sportsbooks
According to Christian Cipollini, Senior Trading Manager at BetMGM, the opening night of the draft was a “mixed bag” for the sportsbook.
“Bettors won on Love being the third pick and Ty Simpson being drafted by the Rams,” he said. “Fernando Mendoza being the first pick was one of the best results for the sportsbook. Mendoza opened +10000 but his odds moved quickly and were -10000 for a long time.”
Avello told Casino.org today that the big surprises of the night for DraftKings were Simpson to the Rams at No. 13, defensive tackle Caleb Banks to the Minnesota Vikings at No. 18, and offensive tackle Caleb Lomu to the New England Patriots at No. 28.
Simpson to the L.A. Rams a Big Surprise
At BetMGM, most bet props by tickets were Mendoza to go No. 1, Bailey to go No. 2, Reese to go No. 2, Under 1.5 total quarterbacks drafted in Round 1, and Love to go No. 3. Most bet props were the same, except flip Bailey and Reese, in terms of the order. Sixty-six per cent of the money was on Mendoza to go No. 1. In the Over 1.5 running backs selected in first round market, 87% of bets and 61% of money the Over 1.5 cashed in on the last pick of Round 1 when the Seattle Seahawks chose Notre Dame’s Jadarian Price.
Round 1 of the NFL Draft delivered several surprises that ultimately produced strong results for our bettors,” said Joey Feazel, Head of Football at Caesars Sportsbook. “Jeremiyah Love going to the Cardinals was a particularly positive outcome, as many expected a team to reach for him, and Arizona did exactly that. Ty Simpson being selected by the Rams was another major surprise that caught many people off guard, but bettors were bullish on Simpson being taken in the first round, making that a strong result as well.
“The first round wrapped up with the Seahawks selecting Jadarian Price, which turned out to be another win for bettors who played Over 1.5 running backs drafted in Round 1 at 4/1. As always, trades created challenges for the live draft markets, but we were able to adjust quickly and navigate the changes on the fly, something we’ve consistently handled well year after year.”
Rounds 2-3 of the NFL Draft is scheduled for tonight in Pittsburgh, starting at 7 p.m. EST. Rounds 4-7 start at noon tomorrow.
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