The 2023 NHL Draft is upon us and although Connor Bedard being taken with the 1st overall pick is a foregone conclusion, the rest of the Draft is a mystery and will give bettors plenty of opportunities to make money. We’ve found the best offers for people looking to bet on tonight’s action as well as some popular odds markets.
How to bet on the 2023 NHL Draft
The 2023 NHL Draft features 3 primary markets – player to be picked at a certain number, an over-under on the draft position of a certain player, and head-to-head matchups of two players where you bet who will be selected first.
Best NHL Draft prop bets
The first two selections feel cemented. Connor Bedard will be a Blackhawk (unless there’s absolute chaos), and Adam Fantilli is likely going to the Ducks. However, the Blue Jackets will be left with the tricky decision of Leo Carlsson & Will Smith (not that one). That decision is likely to impact the rest of the draft and provides some upside to bettors.
It’s assumed that Carlsson will be drafted third overall, but you can get great odds on Will Smith going at that spot. He’s +150 to be drafted third overall, having previously been as high as +250. There is some clear momentum moving in his direction and there could be some value to be had.
Will Smith is also -160 to be taken fourth overall, but Matvei Michkov is +500. Even the slightest disruption in projected order could see some huge returns for the more adventurous bettors among us.
Ryan Leonard is +200 to be drafted with the fifth overall pick, with Michkov matching those odds. Leonard has been mocked outside the top 10 and as high as 4/5. Michkov’s draft line is 5.5, and betting on the over means that only two people outside of the ‘safe’ top 3 need to be taken before him for this bet to cash.
Best betting promo codes for the NHL Draft
The good news is that through signing up to different sportsbooks, you can get THOUSANDS of dollars worth of free bets for merely creating an account! Sportsbooks across the PA region are offering HUGE welcome offers to new bettors. So instead of betting $5 on a 12-fold MLB parlay, why not use it to create an account with one of these 5 sportsbooks and take advantage of some exciting bonus offers?
FanDuel
No-sweat risk-free bet worth up to $1k on the NHL Draft
Anytime you can get a promo from one of the biggest sportsbooks in the game, you grab it with both hands. The great thing with this is that there are no real requirements.
Let’s say you are betting $5 on Michkov to be drafted third overall. If your bet loses, FanDuel will give you a $5 bonus bet, giving you your money back in the way of bet credits. This works all the way up to the value of $2,500. So, a lost $100 stake would net you a $100 bonus bet. if you’re a higher-stakes player, you can bag a risk-free shot at some big money!
BetMGM
Bet any amount up to $1,000 on the NHL Draft, get a refund if your bet loses
So what if you want more bang for your buck? BetMGM is offering new users something a little different. If you bet any amount up to $1,000 on a single bet, they’ll refund your stake as a free bet if it loses. So if you wanted to bet $1,000 on Ryan Leonard to be taken at #5, there’s no risk if he doesn’t, as you get your money back if it loses as a free bet. Talk about value. If the bet wins, you have double your initial stake to bet on whatever you choose, or pull that money out and just play around with house money!
DraftKings
Bet $5, get $150 INSTANTLY to bet on the NHL Draft
DraftKings is taking a similar approach to FanDuel only they’re 1-upping the competition. If you deposit $5, they’ll give you $150 in FREE bonus bets to wager on anything of your choosing. This is by far the best offer for lower-stakes players, who will be given $150 just for depositing $5.
BetRivers
Get a matched deposit up to $250 when betting on MLB
A matched deposit is a little different than a free bet and actually gives you more freedom. A free bet can typically only be used on one wager, so you have to get creative to maximize the returns. A matched deposit will see a cash balance added to your account that can be spent on anything. If it’s a $50 matched deposit, you may want to spend $10 on The Braves to win the World Series, bet $20 on a game this weekend, or even try your luck at the roulette wheel. The choice is yours.
Unibet
Get a risk-free bet on the NHL Draft worth $500
Pennsylvania: $500
Arizona: $250
New Jersey: $250
Indiana: $100
Iowa: $100
Virginia: $100
Unibet is offering users a risk-free bet up to $500 depending on your location. They’ll refund any losing bets up to that amount, so it’s not as fancy as the DraftKings and FanDuel offers, but they do give you another avenue to get a free shot at some big money.
On top of that, they run live boosts during events such as NBA and MLB games, where odds will be given a 10/20% boost. This frequently sees Unibet offering the very best prices on a lot of the betting markets they offer.
Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP, File
