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Casual Bettors are Backing Bronny James to go First Overall in 2026 NBA Draft

King Orson

Updated on May 23, 2026 at 2:32 PM EDT • Read time: 1 minute and 59 seconds. Links to Twitter and Google News available.

Bronny James of the USC Trojans looks on in the second half against the Arizona Wildcats.
Bronny James of the USC Trojans looks on in the second half against the Arizona Wildcats. Photo by David Becker/Getty Images via AFP.

Despite a lackluster freshman year at USC, Bronny James is now considered one of the top picks to be selected first overall in the 2026 NBA Draft by leading sports betting sites.

Bronny, the son of basketball superstar LeBron James (in case you’ve been living under a rock), had a modest first collegiate season, averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 19.4 minutes per game. Surprisingly, he is considered a major liability at two of our top sports betting apps.

Both BetMGM and bet365 are identifying James as their top liability for the June 26 draft. About 22.5% of the bets at BetMGM are on James being the first overall pick, making him the most popular player in their NBA draft market along with 19-year-old French professional Alex Sarr.

James is listed at +20000 by BetMGM to be the first overall pick, with Sarr as the favorite at -300. Despite this, BetMGM is not worried, as most of the bets placed are said to be smaller in size compared to others.

Fawkes reports that everything is under $100.

James has seen a significant shift in his odds at bet365, moving from +10000 to +3300 due to his increasing popularity.

Why all the action?

It is puzzling why there is a growing number of casual bettors who are placing their bets on James to be the first overall pick. Despite his struggles in his first season at USC and his average physical attributes (6-foot-1.5, 210 lbs), he is not considered elite at the NBA level.

Bettors with smaller bankrolls may be taking a chance on James due to his high odds. The rise in bets at BetMGM and bet365 could be because James is not available at all top NBA betting sites.

DraftKings has not listed James as an option for their first overall pick market, and it remains uncertain if they will add him in the future.

It is interesting to note that FanDuel has James listed at +20000 odds, even though he is not among the top five in terms of bets placed on him.

Who will draft Bronny?

The market for betting on which team will draft James on his draft night is both intriguing and realistic. This market is available at most top sportsbooks, with the Los Angeles Lakers being the favored choice.

There have been numerous reports indicating that LeBron has expressed interest in playing with his son in the NBA. The Lakers are currently favored at +150 to draft Bronny.

Nevertheless, Los Angeles may not have a first-round pick if the New Orleans Pelicans choose to use their option to claim the Lakers’ initial selection at 17th overall. In that scenario, Bronny would need to drop to the 55th overall pick for the Lakers to acquire him.

This is probably why the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have the 20th overall draft pick, are considered favorites to draft Bronny and have the highest betting activity at BetMGM with the second-highest number of tickets placed.

According to FanDuel, the Cavaliers and Lakers are the top choices for the son of the NBA’s all-time leading scorer when it comes to draft destinations.

Written By:
King Orson
King Orson is a publishing editor for Underscoreg Review. He’s been a Boston Red Sox fan for over 20 years and a Liverpool supporter for nearly a decade. He’s probably watching, talking about, or thinking about sports while you read this.