2023 NFL Draft Odds: Colts Favored To Draft Richardson

Since the end of the college football season, one of the fastest risers up NFL draft boards has been former Florida Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson. From being an interesting project to a superior athlete to now possibly being the top pick in the draft, his ascent has been incredible to watch.

Some sportsbooks like DraftKings now have Richardson favored to go to the Indianapolis Colts at No. 4. However, after a quick BetOnline review of their odds shows that they have him most likely to go third. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the most likely landing spots for Richardson.

Oddsmakers Expect Richardson To Land With Colts

This looks like the most likely scenario, according to most oddsmakers as well as mock drafts.

It’s fairly clear that the Colts are in dire need of a quarterback. They probably want that quarterback to start right away, so some might expect them to go with a player that has more starts under his belt than Richardson. However, new head coach Shane Steichen was instrumental in molding Jalen Hurts into an MVP-caliber player, so the thinking is that he’ll be able to work similar magic with Richardson.

BetOnline – known as one of the sports betting market makers – has Richards as a -130 favorite to be the No. 3 pick in the draft, which is a bit of a surprise. Maybe they’re expecting someone to trade up for him. Meanwhile, DraftKings – also a big oddsmakers – has the Colts as a +200 favorite to land Richardson.

Titans Second In Line, According To The Odds

What’s interesting to derive from the betting odds is that if Richardson doesn’t go to the Colts, the next favored team is the Titans at +300. While the odds are quite close, the teams are far apart terms of draft order. While the Colts are fourth, the Titans are No. 11. It looks like the oddsmakers believe that if Richards doesn’t go in the top four, the Titans are going to be the next quarterback-needy team looking to fill the role. 

Of course, there is the possibility that the Titans trade up – maybe as far as No. 3 to undercut the Colts. 

Could Richardson Crack The Top Two?

Taking a look at what the Vegas oddsmakers think, the general consensus right now is that Richardson is a longshot to go in the top two. Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud is a heavy -330 favorite to go first overall to the Carolina Panthers. It’s likely down to either Stroud or Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young, but incoming Panthers head coach Frank Reich reportedly has an affinity for taller quarterbacks. Even if it’s not Stroud, it’s Young who is viewed as the other player in the tight decision; not Richardson. Both quarterbacks seem to have higher floors and definitely have more in-game experience under their belts.

Taking a look at the latest odds, Richardson is at +700 (or 7/1) to be the first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. A seven-to-one longshot suggest it’s very unlikely to happen. By most accounts, Richardson is an even longer shot to go second overall as the current odds of that happening is +1000 or 10/1.  

If we put all of the pieces of the puzzle together in terms of the betting odds, it looks very likely that Richardson is going either No. 3 or No. 4 in the 2023 NFL Draft, and that he’s likely landing with the Colts or the Titans. At this point, anything other than those outcomes would be a surprise.