Which team will pick C.J. Stroud in the 2023 NFL Draft based on odds?
After the Panthers traded up to No. 1, it appeared that C.J. Stroud was going to be the 1st overall pick in the NFL Draft, but now it appears that Carolina is set on Bryce Young and Stroud has seen his stock plummet across the league. Stroud is now +800 to go No. 1 overall, and isn’t likely to have a clean landing spot next Thursday.
The Ohio State product is not a shoe-in to go No. 2 to the Texans, according to the betting odds, and it appears that he can be in for a slide on draft night given that he visited with the Atlanta Falcons on Wednesday, who pick at No. 8 as of this writing.
Are the Texans conducting a smoke screen and will select Stroud second? There’s a lot of contingencies that start with Houston’s decision at No. 2, but let’s look at the odds for Stroud to be selected at a handful of picks and make sense of it eight days from Draft night.
C.J. Stroud draft odds
Stroud is the second choice to be the second pick, behind pass rusher Will Anderson and tied with Kentucky quarterback Will Levis, who is the No. 2 quarterback prospect on Houston’s draft board behind Bryce Young, according to some in the Houston area.
However, Houston could also be picking a defensive player second, not Levis nor Stroud, which can open up other possibilities such as Arizona moving out of pick No. 3. The Cardinals have been reportedly trying to swap picks with a quarterback needy team, and that’s reflected in the odds, which are similar to pick No. 2. Anderson is +200 on the idea that Arizona can’t trade out, but Stroud and Levis are +250. It’s worth noting Tyree Wilson is +500.
Can C.J. Stroud fall to the Colts?
The Colts are certainly in the mix for a quarterback, and Levis is the betting favorite to be picked No. 4 with Indianapolis’ pick, but what if he goes early to Houston? What if Stroud is available when it wasn’t even a thought just a two weeks ago? With that in mind, Stroud is +250 to be the No. 4 pick as well, further indication that nobody knows what teams truly think of the Heisman Trophy runner up.
After No. 4, the odds start to fall off for Stroud as the betting market still looks for a firm grasp on him. Currently, FanDuel has the following odds for him to go in the following order:
- No. 5: +1000
- No. 6: +2000
- No. 7: N/A
- No. 8: N/A
Stroud is a name to keep an eye on over the next week or so given the lack of clarity of where he stacks up on draft boards, and the betting market reaffirms that.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
