NBA Draft Odds 2018: Deandre Ayton, Luka Doncic Betting Props Hit Sportsbooks

Deandre Ayton had a tumultuous lone season playing under head coach Sean Miller for the Arizona Wildcats, but now the 7-footer is poised to become the No. 1 overall pick in Thursday's NBA draft, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.

Ayton is a massive -1500 favorite (bet $1,500 to win $100) on the 2018 NBA draft odds at the sportsbooks to have his name called first over European prospect Luka Doncic. The Phoenix Suns, barring a trade, will make the top selection.

The debate about who will eventually be the best player in the 2018 draft is still raging on like it has been every year leading up to the annual event, and rightfully so. There are few slam dunks among the top prospects nowadays, considering most only stay in college for one year before bolting for the pros.

Ayton seems to be a sure thing, though, after averaging 20.1 points and 11.6 rebounds in winning both Pac-12 Freshman and Player of the Year honors at Arizona, where Miller was under fire for alleged illegal recruiting tactics. The fourth-seeded Wildcats were then stunned 89-68 in the first round of the NCAA tournament by 13th-seeded Buffalo as nine-point favorites despite 14 points and 13 rebounds from Ayton.

Meanwhile, Doncic will be trying to follow in the footsteps of fellow Euro Kristaps Porzingis and not Darko Milicic as another successful top-five pick coming from outside the United States.

Doncic has been linked to the Suns as well because of his connection with new head coach Igor Kokoskov, who led the Slovenian national team to the EuroBasket gold medal in 2017 with him. However, Doncic is a +500 underdog to be the taken with the top overall pick.

Other players expected to go high in the NBA draft include Marvin Bagley III (Duke Blue Devils), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Michigan State Spartans), Mohamed Bamba (Texas Longhorns) and Trae Young (Oklahoma Sooners). All four played just one year in college like Ayton, while junior Mikal Bridges of the national champion Villanova Wildcats might be the first upperclassman drafted.

Bagley appears to be a lock as next in line to become a top-three pick, sitting as a -350 favorite to go third or better on the NBA draft betting props.

For more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week's top sports betting news check out the OddsShark podcast with Jon Campbell and Andrew Avery. Subscribe on iTunes or listen to it at OddsShark.libsyn.com.