A myriad of prognosticators and soothsayers will sell you on their conviction of a prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft, and the measurables and interview process in Indianapolis for the 2020 NFL Combine will help shape those narratives. Few, however, have the fortitude to bet their hard-earned dough on how things will go down at Lucas Oil Stadium during the NFL Combine’s drills and exercises. Allow the Pro Football Network betting team to satiate your thirst for an NFL Combine market. Without further ado, here are our five favorite NFL Combine prop bets — and act quick, because the betting market (MyBookie) will close on February 27th at 4:00 p.m. for these bets!
Shout-out to Andrew DiCecco, a PFN Senior Draft Analyst, who got into think tank mode with me in this hybrid of the NFL Draft and betting markets.
#5 — Will John Ross’ 40 record (4.22) get broken?
No, no it won’t. An agent or trainer’s camp would’ve teased something out by now if they thought their client could beat the record. The unfortunate circumstance, in this case, is the return on the bet, hence why it is number five on our NFL Combine prop bets list. The market sits at -1000 for a “no” answer (just divide whatever you’d invest by 10, and that would be your return). Typically on online sportsbooks, you cannot parlay this event, which would’ve been the ideal scenario.
Many bettors will avoid this bet because of the return. I’m gonna take the free cash.
#4 — Will Chase Young’s 40 time be faster or slower than 4.65?
Although with less conviction than #5, the Ohio State product running slower than 4.65 is a likely scenario by our estimation. On the surface, it may not be far-fetched, with eight edge players beating the 4.65 threshold in the 2019 NFL Combine, highlighted by Montez Sweat’s ridiculous 4.41. And to boot, Young has been in the national spotlight for a solid portion of the 2019 college football season and a potential top-5 pick. He has every incentive to measure well.
For Young’s context, the natural comparisons will be to his predecessors Nick Bosa, who ran a 4.79 (4.86 on his other attempt) and Joey Bosa, who was a 4.88. The market for slower than 4.65 is -500. And again, I’ll be taking the less-than-desirable odds in the pursuit of making a little coin.
#3 — Will someone have a higher vertical jump than 43.5″?
No. Two people in the last four years have achieved this feat. Well, hey, isn’t that a coin flip? Yes! And the “under 43.5” has the better juice at -115 compared to the -125 of the over bet, and in a coin flip, why wouldn’t you go with the more lucrative odds? Now, it’s not a coin flip to us, but it is on the surface. In our analysis, based on the college film that’s been studied, the likely suspects in this class don’t have the same on-the-field explosion as some of the people who have went beyond the 43.5″ barometer (Byron Jones, for example).
Defensive backs and wide receivers remain the apex performers in this event, and with the modern training process preparing football players for the Combine, we could see someone “sneak up on us.” However, we’re putting our money where our mouth is and going no for this bet at -115.
#2 — Will someone have higher than 38.5 bench presses?
No. Three people in the last five years have achieved this, but two of them came in the same year, so technically, this NFL Combine prop bet has hit 3 of 5 years. The return is +110 to boot, so when you couple recent history with the return, this is a “coin flip” that’s worth the investment. Plus, selfishly, as someone with media credentials to cover the Combine this year, the bench press is the only exercise the non-TV people have access to. I’ll see this prop bet go down live.
#1 — Will Jalen Hurts’ 40 time be faster or slower than 4.58?
The Oklahoma Sooners signal-caller from 2019 has as volatile a ranking as any QB in this draft — you either love him or you hate him. Regardless, the speed and explosion are evident on tape. DiCecco believes Hurts will have a time that’s faster than 4.58, and that’ll put you in position to profit from a +150 bet (slower is -200).
His best chance at a higher draft position is to ensure people know he’s the athlete he shows on film. Everyone coming into the NFL from an arm talent standpoint has work to do. But — and a big BUT — leaving any room for doubt in the athletic sphere puts a serious damper in his draft stock because any question marks about the arm will get magnified.
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