Everyone has an opinion about where Rutgers forward Ace Bailey will be selected come Wednesday’s NBA Draft, but arguably the most important factor is where the money is going.
Bailey, who canceled his meeting with the third-slot 76ers last week and hasn’t met with a single team yet, is considered most likely to go No. 5 or 6 overall, according to DraftKings and FanDuel.
He was previously projected to go No. 3 overall, but his meeting cancellation and ensuing reports that he doesn’t want to be in Philadelphia have moved Baylor star VJ Edgecombe to favorite status at that draft slot, coming in at -320 odds at DraftKings.
ESPN BET tells The Post that their head-to-head market of Bailey or Edgecombe to be drafted first opened at -125 odds in favor of Bailey, but a flood of bets against the former Scarlet Knight has pushed the line to Edgecombe -325 vs. +250 for Bailey.
The sportsbook added that 94.1 percent of bets and 96.9 percent of the money is on Edgecombe to be drafted first.
| No. 1 (Mavericks) | No. 2 (Spurs) | No. 3 (76ers) | No. 4 (Hornets) | No. 5 (Jazz) | No. 6 (Wizards) | No. 7 (Pelicans) | No. 8 (Nets) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 180/1 | 25/1 | +390 | +320 | +300 | +210 | +500 | +700 |
With sportsbooks telling you it’s highly likely the 76ers won’t select Bailey, the attention then turns to where he could fall to and who may be looking to facilitate a trade.
Bailey is +320 to be selected No. 4 overall, a pick currently held by the Charlotte Hornets, although they were not able to bring neither him nor Edgecombe in for a visit.
Duke standout Kon Knueppel is the favorite at that draft slot, coming in at -195 odds.
There has been rampant speculation that the Hornets are said to be considering trading out of that draft pick for a team looking to move up for Bailey.
Most recent reports suggest that the Wizards (No. 6), Pelicans (No. 7), and Nets (No. 8), are Bailey’s preferred landing spots and those teams may be forced to trade up to No. 4 or 5 to get him.
It would seem that Bailey’s floor is in that range and that any team hoping to acquire him would be looking for a trade with the Utah Jazz, who own the fifth pick.
Erich Richter is a brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt but he has a black belt in MMA betting. During the football season he’s showcased massive profits at The Post in the player prop market the last two seasons. While constantly betting long shots, his return on investment is 30.15 percent since 2022.