NFL Draft 2023 position prop, Michael Mayer: Daily Best Bets
Each day, one of our experts at bet.NOLA.com will offer up a best bet (or two or three) that mobile sportsbooks in Louisiana are offering. It might be a traditional spread bet, a player prop or one of the various odds boosts that books offer.
A reminder for those who haven’t signed up yet: New users can get a risk-free bet at Caesars Sportsbook, meaning that if your first bet loses, you get a bonus bet for the same amount up to $1,250. New users also get 1,000 Caesars Rewards points to redeem for hotel or casino credit.
Here are our best bets for Thursday, April 27:
TOP PLAY
The play: NFL Draft, tight end Michael Mayer’s draft position under 23.5
The odds/bet: -160 ($32 to win $20)
The book: Caesars Sportsbook
Time/TV: Beginning at 7 p.m. across many platforms, including Bet.NOLA.com
Our take: Since 2010, eight tight ends have been drafted with pick 23 or higher, as we continue to watch the evolution of the position continue to grow in the NFL.
Thursday’s first round should be no different, where Notre Dame’s Mayer and Utah’s Dalton Kincaid are projected to go in the top 25 by most mock drafts (not that we believe every mock draft we read).
However, while many fans seem to like Kincaid over Mayer, the latter is -200 to be the first tight end to be taken, which means the oddsmakers know a little more than the average Joe Q. Public. With that, it would be a surprise to see the first tight end go off the board later than 23.
WIDE RECEIVER SPECIAL
The play: NFL Draft, wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s draft position under 12.5
The odds/bet: +200 ($10 to win $20)
The book: Caesars Sportsbook
Our take: There are plenty of quarterbacks and defensive players who will go early in this draft, but there also will be plenty of movement. One of those teams is going to want to jump ahead to get the consensus top receiver in this draft.
We also could see Smith-Njigba going as high as 7 to the Las Vegas Raiders, who certainly have a big need there.
This seems like one of the better positional values in the draft odds, at 2-1 for a player of his caliber.
HOW WE’VE FARED
NBA playoffs money-line parlay: Cavaliers over Knicks and Grizzlies over Lakers (LOST $30)
PGA, Mexico Open: Wyndham Clark to finish in top 20 (PENDING)
Tuesday’s profit/loss: -$30 (0-1, 1 pending)
Total for the week: -$86 (1-3, 1 pending)
Total for April: -$405.20 (21-29, 1 pending)
Total for 2023: -$429.30 (86-99, 1 pending)
If a line or odds are minus, it considers the juice one must lay to place the bet. Ex: Team A is -160 on the money line, one would have to bet $160 to win $100 (or $16 to win $10). OR Team B is a 5-point favorite at -110, one would have to bet $110 to win $100 (or $11 to win $10.)
Conversely, on positive lines, if Team C is +140 on the money line, a $100 would bring in $140 (or $10 to win $14).
