The Southeastern Conference is so good that they are not even listed with the NFL draft lines. To illustrate the Alabama Crimson Tide will go up against the Big Ten on the board instead. Which is a powerful statement considering the Big Ten is the second-ranked conference in college football. That being said there are some intriguing wagering possibilities for the 2020 NFL Draft regarding conference matchups. Accordingly, NFL Draft betting success is not about judging the best conference. It’s about which individual conferences are better than one another.
2020 NFL Draft – Conferences with Most First Round Picks
| Date: | Thursday, April 23 through Saturday, April 25 |
|---|---|
| 2020 NFL Draft TV Coverage: | NFL Network, ESPN, ABC |
Big 12 .5 -260 vs. Pac 12 .5 +175
At the beginning of this matchup is the offshore betting perception that the Big 12 is superior. Marginally at best would be the best way to evaluate that. Both conferences are top-heavy with one or two good teams followed by mediocrities or worse. Oklahoma WR CeeDee Lamb is the top prospect of either conference. While Oregon QB Justin Herbert is first among Pac 12 Conference players. Towards the end of the first round, the Big 12 may prevail. Oklahoma LB Kenneth Murray and TCU DL Ross Blacklock bring conference depth.
Compared to the rest of the board Herbert could be the most hotly debated prospect. Some draftniks have him rated as high as fifth. Correspondingly does Herbert have the cannon arm that NFL teams covet?
ACC -.5 -130 vs. Pac 12 +.5, -110
In view of perennial national power Clemson does the ACC look potentially stronger here. LB Isaiah Simmons of the Tigers gives the ACC an immediate advantage here. And Clemson CB AJ Terrell adds more depth against a Pac 12 that lacks first-round quality.
Even for a team that may not have a priority need for a defensive lineman is Simmons too good to ignore. He is the most versatile defender is the 2020 NFL Draft.
Big 12 +.5 -135 vs. ACC -.5 -105
On the whole, this seems more like a matchup of Oklahoma and Clemson with the NFL draft lines. Which, means that Ross Blacklock of TCU could prove to be the difference-maker.
Big 10 -185 vs. Alabama +145
Of course, Alabama and their players are going to be a big draw with NFL teams and gamblers at the NFL Draft. Namely QB Tua Tagovailoa, OL Jedrick Wills Jr., WR Jerry Jeudy, WR Henry Ruggs III, S Xavier McKinney, CB Trevon Diggs, Roll the Tide. Such an overload of talent makes one wonder why there weren’t more national championships in Tuscaloosa. In the same way, the fact that stacked Alabama is up against a strong and deep Big 10 Conference impresses.
It begins with the top-rated player in the 2020 NFL Draft, edge defender Chase Young of Ohio State. Following is Ohio State CB Jeff Okudah, Iowa OL Tristan Wirfs, Penn State edge defender Yetur Gross Matos, and edge defender AJ Epenesa of Iowa. Yet despite this lineup of talent, the Crimson Tide make for a potential value dog in this matchup.
Certainly, Okudah makes for an interesting topic as the consensus number one defensive back in the draft. By all accounts, he is the ultimate lockdown corner.
The Pick: Alabama over the Big 10