2024 NBA Draft No. 1 pick odds: Alexandre Sarr favored; Clingan rising

The NBA Draft lottery came and went, and we now know the Atlanta Hawks own the No. 1 pick. 

It was a bit of a shocker, considering the team with the worst record in the league, the Detroit Pistons, fell all the way to the fifth pick. 

The Pistons, along with the Wizards, had a 14% chance to nab the No. 1 pick. Atlanta had a 3% chance. 

Now the conversation turns toward what the Hawks will do with the pick — select the next potential superstar or trade the pick away? 

Let’s take a look at which players are favored to go No. 1 at DraftKings Sportsbook as of May 21. 

2024 NBA Draft — First overall pick odds: 

Alexandre Sarr, France: -260 (bet $10 to win $13.85 total)
Zaccharie Risacher, France: +240 (bet $10 to win $34 total)
Donovan Clingan, UConn: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total) 1200
Nikola Topic, Serbia: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
Reed Sheppard, Kentucky: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
Matas Buzelis, G League Ignite: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Rob Dillingham, Kentucky: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)
Ron Holland, G League Ignite: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)
Stephon Castle, UConn: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)
Dalton Knecht, Tennessee: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)
Cody Williams, Colorado: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)

* odds as of 5/21/24

It appears that for the second year in a row, the No. 1 pick in the draft could be a lengthy Frenchman.

Last season, the Spurs selected French phenom Victor Wembanyama at No. 1. He went on to lead the NBA in blocks during the regular season, win NBA Rookie of the Year (he earned all 99 first-place votes), and finish second for Defensive Player of the Year — behind fellow French big man Rudy Gobert. 

Sarr is a 7-foot-1 19-year-old who most recently played for the Perth Wildcats of Australia’s National Basketball League. He averaged 9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 31 games this past season. 

However, making a huge jump up the oddsboard and into the top-pick conversation is UConn’s Clingan, whose odds moved from +2500 to +1200 over the past week. 

As a sophomore, he averaged 13 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.5 blocks, anchoring the Huskies’ defense, as UConn won back-to-back NCAA titles. 

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