Ball, Edwards favorites to go No. 1 in NBA draft

FILE – Anthony Edwards #5 of the Georgia Bulldogs reacts following the Georgia Bulldogs win over the Auburn Tigers 65-55 at Stegeman Coliseum on February 19, 2020 in Athens, Georgia. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images/AFP

With the NBA draft less than 24 hours away and the Minnesota Timberwolves yet to spill their plans for the top overall pick, sportsbooks are split on who will be the No. 1 choice.

As of Tuesday night, DraftKings had LaMelo Ball at -121 to be selected first, a slight favorite over Anthony Edwards, who was at -118.

Meanwhile, FanDuel had Edwards at a -135 favorite, with Ball at +100.

Both books had James Wiseman safely in the No. 3 position, with +600 odds at FanDuel and +900 at DraftKings.

For gamblers seeking a longshot, FanDuel lists seven other players at +10000 to be selected first overall: Deni Avdija, Devin Vassell, Isaac Okoro, Killian Hayes, Obi Toppin, Onyeka Okongwu and Tyrese Haliburton.

DraftKings has Toppin at +10000, Avdija at +20000 and Hayes and Okongwu each at +30000. Haliburton, Okoro, RJ Hampton and Cole Anthony are all at +50000. Vassell is joined by Precious Achiuwa, Josh Green and Aaron Nesmith at +75000.

Ball, 19, confirmed Tuesday that he held workouts for the Timberwolves, the Golden State Warriors (who hold the No. 2 overall pick), the Charlotte Hornets (No. 3) and the Detroit Pistons (No. 7). The 6-foot-7 point guard eschewed his commitment to UCLA and played professionally in Lithuania and Australia before becoming eligible for the NBA draft.

Edwards, a 19-year-old, 6-foot-5 shooting guard, said last week that he had worked out for the Warriors, Hornets and Timberwolves. He played one year at the University of Georgia, averaging 19.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists.