The Washington Wizards are widely expected to take BYU forward AJ Dybantsa after winning the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft lottery.
Field Level Media’s Ethan Ward immediately put Dybantsa atop his draft board, and sportsbooks made him the odds-on favorite to go No. 1 overall. That includes at BetMGM, where Dybantsa is being offered at -450 to be the first overall pick after opening at +360. He also leads with 38.8% of the total bets placed on the No. 1 pick and 74.1% of the money.
However, Dybantsa remained just the book’s third-biggest liability in the prop market as of Monday. The top spot went to Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr., followed by North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson.
That’s largely due to Acuff being backed by 28.1% of the total bets and 7.0% of the money wagered thus far despite having longshot odds at +1000. Wilson has far shorter odds to go No. 1 overall at +5000 and has been backed by 13.5% of the total bets but just 4.0% of the total money.
Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, who opened at -325 to go No. 1 overall, is now +350 after the draft order was set. Ward projects Peterson to go No. 2 overall to the Utah Jazz.
The 2026 draft class is considered to have multiple potential stars, setting the stage for some drama atop the June 23-24 event in New York. That includes Duke forward Cameron Boozer, who has drawn the second-most No. 1 overall pick money with 13.8%.
Dybantsa emerged from the draft lottery as the heavy favorite to land with the Wizards because he is seen as a good fit with Washington’s combination of young talent along with veterans Trae Young and Anthony Davis. The 19-year-old also wouldn’t be forced into an immediate starring role in Washington while coming off his lone season of college basketball.
The Jazz no doubt would be highly interested in adding the former BYU star and keeping him in Utah. But Peterson would make for an excellent complement to the Jazz’s massive front line with his ability to play either guard spot and work off the ball.
Boozer is one of the few top prospects to see his odds lengthen since the market opened at BetMGM, going from +875 to +1100 while garnering 11.8% of the total bets. He is widely viewed as a potential fit for Memphis at No. 3. The Grizzlies must determine whether to part with Ja Morant but in either event, Boozer is seen as a high-floor prospect likely to emerge as a consistent offensive presence in the NBA.
Outside of the top five, no other player has shorter than +25000 odds to go No. 1 overall next month.
It is the first time Washington owns the No. 1 overall pick since 2010 when it chose guard John Wall, who became a five-time All-Star. Overall, the Wizards hold the first pick for the fifth time in franchise history.
The 6-foot-9 Dybantsa led the nation in scoring with 25.5 points per game and has the look of a player who will soon be among the NBA’s top scorers. The 6-foot-6 Peterson was an injury-related enigma at Kansas, yet averaged 20.2 points and might have been the most gifted player in the college ranks.
–Field Level Media
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