Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving was the only rookie to rush for more than 1,000 yards last season.
Station Sports has made Ashton Jeanty, the Raiders’ first-round pick at sixth overall, a toss-up to reach 1,000 yards rushing his rookie season. The sportsbook has posted an over-under prop on Jeanty’s total regular-season rushing yards of 999½ (-115 over or under).
“That’s why we put it up right under the 1,000 plateau, because it is tough for a rookie running back to achieve that,” Red Rock Resort sportsbook director Chuck Esposito said. “In their offense, too, that could be a team that’s trailing a lot.”
Irving also led all rookies in rushing touchdowns last season with eight, and Jeanty’s regular-season rushing touchdowns prop is 6½ (over-145). The props were posted Friday and bettors have already backed Jeanty, the Heisman Trophy runner-up last year, to go over his yards and touchdowns.
“I can see why the bettors went over in both cases because he is going to be the focal point of that offense,” Esposito said. “Him and (tight end) Brock Bowers.”
Jeanty is the 3-1 co-favorite with Titans quarterback Cam Ward at Caesars Sportsbook to win NFL offensive rookie of the year, followed by Jaguars wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter at 8-1.
Hunter is also the 8-1 third pick to win defensive rookie of the year. The Heisman Trophy winner from Colorado has already received support at Station to go over his receiving yards (675½, over-135) and receiving touchdowns (5½, o-130).
Book report
Station lost on the prop that the position of the Raiders’ first draft pick would be a running back. But the book won on the draft overall.
“We posted a winning number, which hasn’t always been the case, from an industry standpoint, over the last five or six years,” Esposito said. “Putting up more indexes than individual player props was beneficial. It wasn’t a huge win but it still was a winning day and it was definitely popular amongst our guests.”
The biggest loss for bettors at Station was on the position of the Saints’ first pick to be a quarterback. New Orleans took an offensive tackle, Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr., with its first pick at No. 9.
The Westgate SuperBook, which posted a small prop menu for a limited time, lost on the draft when Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham went No. 5 to the Browns. Cleveland traded the No. 2 pick to Jacksonville, which selected Hunter.
“We lost a little,” Westgate vice president of risk Ed Salmons said. “Our big decision was we needed Graham to go over 5½, then that trade kind of screwed it all up. But that’s how it goes.”
Back to the futures
The draft didn’t impact the futures odds at the SuperBook and had a minimal impact at Station, which lowered the Bears to 40-1 to win the Super Bowl.
Chicago took Michigan tight end Colston Loveland with the 10th overall pick and selected Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III in the second round.
“I thought the Giants, the Patriots, the Panthers, the Chiefs, the Raiders and the Rams all had good drafts,” Esposito said. “And I did think the three teams in the NFC North — the Lions, Packers and Vikings — did not.
“The Bears are a popular team anyway and we have seen some future book action on them since the draft, so we did drop them a bit.”
The Westgate posted NFL division odds and season win totals after the draft ended, and it took sharp action on the Buccaneers under 9½ and Bears under 8½.
Sanders slide
Shedeur Sanders was a heavy favorite to go over his draft position of 8½. The prop cashed easily as the Colorado quarterback slid all the way to the 144th pick in the fifth round. Originally projected to be the second quarterback selected in the draft, Sanders instead was the second quarterback selected by the Browns, who took Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel in the third round.
“You get down to the fifth round, it’s a throwaway pick,” Salmons said. “They took a shot. I don’t blame them. But the odds are if everybody passed on this guy four times each … I don’t think the whole league missed on him. I’d be shocked now if he turned out to be good.”
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at [email protected]. Follow @tdewey33 on X.
