2024 NBA Draft Prospects: Where Will Zach Edey Go?
Prop Bets Offered on College Big Men
Zach Edey didn’t end his college days with a championship, but he still had an amazing NCAA career. How his game will transfer to the NBA is another question. And wherever there’s a good sports question, there is usually a good proposition bet waiting to happen.
Edey isn’t the only college big man considered as a 2024 NBA Draft prospect. There’s also UConn‘s Donovan Clingan. He does have a couple of championships to his name. Where the two men are drafted is something you can wager on.
Donovan Clingan Draft Position Over/Under 9.5 (Under -130, Over -110)
Clingan is considered to be a better 2024 NBA Draft prospect than Edey. He’s several years younger and a little bit more mobile. That’s key in today’s NBA. It wasn’t that long ago that Clingan and Edey would have both been top five or top 10 picks. But the NBA game has changed.
How well Clingan holds up to the NBA game schedule is a valid question. The same can be said for Edey. The real question here isn’t how the two big men measure against each other. It’s where they will be drafted.
It’s difficult to tell if any NBA team will be hesitant to take Clingan real early after he battled some injuries this season. NBA injuries are much more likely to occur just due to the length of the schedule. Clingan does have some real positives, however, that might be too much for an NBA team to pass up. He runs the floor well and has improved defense outside the paint.
Portland could be a landing spot for him if the Blazers pick around No. 5 or No. 6. He could also slide down to around No. 11 or No. 12, but he looks to be the safer bet to be drafted earlier than predicted.
Zach Edey Draft Position Over/Under 20.5 (Under -130, Over -110)
There’s no question Edey is now considered a solid 2024 NBA Draft prospect. That wasn’t the case last season, but he returned to Purdue and did nothing but help himself in the draft. Most of the NBA mock drafts have Edey landing outside the top 21. But it only takes one GM who likes him to draft him higher.
The worst-case scenario for Edey is going to the Raptors early in the second round. Toronto would love to draft the Canadian-born big man. He also likely helps Toronto’s dismal 33-46 record against the NBA point spread (ATS).
There is a decent chance Edey will be taken before that, although the Raptors could grab Clingan with its No. 1 pick. Where Edey is taken largely depends on the draft order, which is still unsettled.
The two-time National college player of the year is a polished scorer and rebounder. But he’ll have a tougher time against more athletic players in the NBA. Still, if you’re picking late in the first round, passing on Edey, who possesses a 7-foot-4 frame, a 7-foot-10 wingspan, and is 300 pounds, won’t be easy.
He is most likely to go late in the first round, so from that perspective it makes sense to bet under 20.5 and expect him to go around No. 25.
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