If the Carolina Panthers are trying to throw everyone off the scent of the first overall pick, they’ve done an awfully good job thus far. Nonetheless, there’s still one prospect that keeps on gaining steam amongst oddsmakers atop the 2023 NFL draft.
And that prospect is Ohio State University quarterback C.J. Stroud, whose lead for No. 1 has widened for a number of sites.
FanDuel Sportsbook, for one, has him currently propped up as a -220 favorite—a solid jump from the -120 from a week ago. Behind him sits Alabama’s Bryce Young at +250 and then Florida’s Anthony Richardson at +350.
Over on BetMGM, Stroud is an even heavier favorite at -250. Richardson then follows at a distant +300 and Young a +350.
The Buckeye has shot up as the odds-on favorite ever since Carolina acquired the selection from the Chicago Bears last Friday. Per SportsBettingDime, who has aggregated odds from multiple books, Stroud—who was second entering that week—overtook Young on the Monday following the deal.