NBA Draft Odds: Wizards Win Lottery, AJ Dybantsa Favored To Go No. 1

Sunday was a day to honor mothers everywhere and show them how much they are loved and appreciated. But it was also a day for fans of the NBA teams that did not make the playoffs to celebrate, as some of them received very good news from the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery.

(Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Washington Wizards were the big winners, winning the lottery and securing the No. 1 pick when the 2026 NBA Draft gets underway on June 23 (No. 2 — Utah Jazz and No. 3 — Memphis Grizzlies). Until then, fans and analysts will be busy dissecting the draft class and discussing, and betting on, who the Wizards will take with the No. 1 pick.

There is a clear-cut favorite, but there is more than enough time for that to change before Draft Day. So, let’s go over the latest odds now that the lottery is complete and discuss who may be worth betting on.

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2026 NBA Draft Odds: No. 1 Pick

DraftKings has odds to be selected with the No. 1 pick for the following players:

• AJ Dybantsa (forward, BYU) -400
• Darryn Peterson (guard, Kansas) +330
• Cameron Boozer (forward, Duke) +1600
• Caleb Wilson (forward, North Carolina) +2800
• Darius Acuff Jr. (guard, Arkansas) +12000
• Koe Peat (forward, Arizona) +25000
• Nate Ament (forward, Tennessee) +25000
• Mikel Brown Jr. (guard, Louisville) +25000
• Jayden Quaintance (forward, Kentucky) +25000
• Yaxel Lendeborg (forward, Michigan) +25000
• Kingston Flemings (guard, Houston) +25000
• Keaton Wagler (guard, Illinois) +25000

Duke has had the most players selected with the No. 1 pick in NBA Draft history with six (1963, 1999, 2011, 2019, 2022, and 2025), including last year’s pick, Cooper Flagg. Kentucky comes in second with three former No. 1 picks (2010, 2012, and 2015). Sixteen schools have had two.

What does this tell us? When it comes to going first in the draft, coming from one of the blue blood programs helps, but it isn’t a major factor. A player’s position isn’t an accurate indicator either. Yes, the last two No. 1 picks were both forwards, but if you go back 10 years, four were forwards, four were guards, and two were centers.

Just like the other professional sports, teams are looking for the best player available with the No.1 pick of the draft. It isn’t necessarily important where he played his college ball or what position he played.

According to how a team grades potential NBA draft picks, is he the best player they can take?

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Is it Worth Betting on Someone Other Than AJ Dybantsa?

According to the odds, it looks like a done deal. There is an 80% chance BYU forward AJ Dybantsa will be taken with the No. 1 selection of the 2026 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards.

His name is not the only one in the conversation, of course, but it has dominated it. Duke superstar Cameron Boozer has generated some buzz after a solid season for the Blue Devils. Kansas guard Darryn Peterson has been in the conversation, as well, along with Caleb Wilson from North Carolina.

But are any of them worth betting on?

If you put much stock into NBA mock drafts, the answer is “no.” The NBA Mock Draft Database at EDSFootball only has 25 mocks in it at the moment. But of those 25, the last 13 (from March 30-May 8) all have Dybantsa going No. 1. However, seven of the first 12 posted shortly after the last draft (June 25) to March 8, list Peterson.

NBA Draft Odds, No. 1 Pick: My Pick(s)

There is only one good choice here, Dybantsa. The odds are as heavy as they are for a reason. Of course, if you do bet on him, you’ll have to risk $400 just to win $100. If you are okay with that kind of risk, by all means, get in on the action now before his odds get even shorter.

But if you are open to some risk, knowing that NBA teams have done some crazy things in the past with the No. 1 pick, i.e., Michael Olowokandi (Clippers, 1998), Kwame Brown (Wizards, 2001), Anthony Bennet (Cavaliers, 2013), etc., consider Caleb Wilson. Why Wilson over Boozer or Peterson?

Because the risk is not worth the reward, betting on Boozer or Peterson. Whether it’s worth taking a flyer on Wilson is debatable. But if you want to roll the dice…