With the Chicago Bears set to make the first pick in Thursday's NFL draft, a mysterious bettor with some cash to spare (and then some) has decided to bet the farm on Caleb Williams.
A release from BetMGM ahead of the hallmark night on the NFL calendar revealed that an unnamed bettor has put down $10,000 for GM Ryan Poles and his Chicago Bears to snap up the USC QB and former Heisman Trophy winner with a grand total potential winnings of a relatively paltry $100.
A bettor at #BetMGM wagered $10,000 on Caleb Williams -10000 to be the 1st Pick in the #NFLDraft.
— John Ewing (@johnewing) April 25, 2024
Bet would win $100. ? pic.twitter.com/rGeQgtBjNU
Not to be outdone, a bettor at Caesars in Jew Jersey placed $100,000 on the same bet.
A bettor in NJ wagered $100K on Caleb Williams to go No. 1 overall (-20000) in the NFL Draft ?
— Caesars Sportsbook & Casino (@CaesarsSports) April 25, 2024
Potential win: $500 pic.twitter.com/PpaZQVYdQq
To say these enigmatic bettors have confidence in the pick might be an understatement given the sheer gulf in payout, though by all accounts, Williams to the Windy City seems all but certain. Even Poles, who has been sheepish with his plans for the picks, doesn’t seem to be able to contain the anticipation.
“So unfortunately it’s one of those things I think everyone’s got to tune in on Thursday to watch and figure out, but I feel really good about our process and where we are and where we’re headed,” Poles told the Associated Press, smiling. “So we know what we’re going to do but everyone is going to have to wait until Thursday to go there.”
Williams set college football ablaze during his three seasons, passing for 10,082 yards with 93 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in three seasons between Oklahoma and USC. He also became the eighth Trojan to snatch the Heisman and was once again remarkable for USC despite the squad's relative struggles in 2023.
What could the rest of the draft look like?
The Bears, positioned to select first overall thanks to a shrewd trade last season that saw them package last year’s top pick for a bounty of draft choices from the lowly Carolina Panthers, appear quite excited to be able to select the Washington, D.C. native with their top pick and have expressed excitement about the character their future QB1 has demonstrated.
"What I loved to see was the interaction with the other players," head coach Matt Eberflus told ESPN. "You can see that, and we talked to every person that was on that team. At the Senior Bowl, we interviewed them and interviewed them at the pro day. We talked to those guys at the dinner, and you can certainly see those players love him and respect him and what he's brought to that program."
As for the rest of the intrigue around the draft and the betting that has followed, it seems as though most bettors feel confident Williams will be the top pick, with more than 90% of the handle invested in Williams.
Following that selection it’s expected that the Washington Commanders and New England Patriots, who hold the second and third selections, respectively, will also look to the QB ranks in a class loaded with signal callers, though some chaos could emerge. Jayden Daniels, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner out of LSU, is the favorite to go second at -1000 and has the largest handle% at a shade over 62%, in the latest NFL draft odds. The Patriots, meanwhile, are favored to select North Carolina QB Drake Maye by bettors, though Ohio State wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. is also reportedly in the mix, with Maye favored at a far more conservative -300.
