Ward huge favorite to be No. 1 pick of NFL draft

Miami quarterback Cam Ward is a big favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, and odds-on favorites also have emerged at picks two through five at sportsbooks around the nation.

Ward entered Thursday as a -20,000 favorite to be the top pick owned by the Tennessee Titans at ESPN BET. Colorado's Travis Hunter is the favorite (-5,000) to go second, followed by Penn State's Abdul Carter (-700) at No. 3, LSU's Will Campbell (-700) at No. 4, and Boise State's Ashton Jeanty (-230) at No. 5.

Ward opened as a 7-1 underdog to the No. 1 pick when odds were first posted in November, behind Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Hunter. Ward leapfrogged Colorado's two stars during the college football season, becoming the favorite to be the top pick in early January. His odds jumped to -1000 in late March and then to -20,000 and shorter last week. Caleb Williams, last year's top pick, also was a -20,000 favorite to go No. 1.

"Everything the Titans have hinted at over the past few months suggests that Cam Ward is their guy, and this is why we are offering -50,000 on Cam Ward to go No. 1 overall in the draft," Joey Feazel, head of football trading at Caesars Sportsbook, said.

Sanders opened as the favorite to be this year's No. 1 pick, but the over/under on his draft position dropped significantly Wednesday at sportsbooks, moving from 9.5 to 21.5.

Skepticism in the media about the New Orleans Saints taking Sanders with the ninth pick, rather than an influx of bets, drove the shift in odds, sportsbooks said. The Pittsburgh Steelers own the 21st pick. Sanders remains the favorite to be the second quarterback picked in the draft, at -200 at ESPN BET.