NFL draft odds: Which teams stand out in Tagovailoa sweepstakes?
Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.
Former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was the clear favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft before the start of the 2019 college football season. But following a serious hip injury and LSU quarterback Joe Burrow's record-breaking exploits, that's no longer the case.
While Tagovailoa may not go first overall, he's still favored to be drafted in the top five. So which team will select Tua? Here are the odds and breakdown of his most likely landing spots.
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | -115 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | +150 |
| Washington Redskins | +600 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | +1200 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | +1400 |
| Detroit Lions | +1800 |
| Carolina Panthers | +2500 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | +2500 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | +6000 |
The Miami Dolphins are the -115 favorites and team most often linked to Tagovailoa dating back to last season. The Dolphins hold the No. 5 pick and would strongly consider selecting Tua if he's still available when they are on the clock. Miami has Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback, and he's the perfect bridge until Tagovailoa is healthy and ready to play. The biggest obstacle to Miami landing the signal-caller is another team trading up with the Detroit Lions or New York Giants to move ahead of the Dolphins.
The Los Angeles Chargers are the team most likely to trade up, and they pick one spot behind Miami. The Chargers made a run at Tom Brady but lost out to Tampa Bay. Like the Dolphins, Los Angeles has a competent quarterback in Tyrod Taylor to start the season, which would allow Tagovailoa to come along slowly. The Chargers have also been linked to former Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert, so there's a chance they sit tight at six and select whichever QB is still on the board.
Do any teams offer value?Not really. On paper, the Detroit Lions make sense at No. 3 and are sitting at juicy 18-1 odds. Matthew Stafford is 32 years old and coming off a back injury that cost him eight games last season. The issue with the Lions is that head coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn face a make-or-break campaign and must win now. The duo really doesn't have the luxury to select a quarterback for 2021, so the club is more likely to select an impact player that can help it compete immediately.
The only other realistic team that's worth a look is the Jacksonville Jaguars at 12-1. The Jaguars only have two quarterbacks on their roster: starter Gardner Minshew and untested backup Josh Dobbs. Based on need, Jacksonville is one of the best fits. But the Jaguars pick ninth, so Tagovailoa must slip or Jacksonville trade into the top five. For a team with the lowest projected win total in 2020, a move up to grab one player isn't likely.
Best betLos Angeles Chargers +150
It looks to be a two-team race between the Dolphins and Chargers. Miami has a slight edge because it picks one spot earlier, but don't count out a trade up for Los Angeles. The Chargers have a strong roster and can afford to give up a couple picks to leapfrog the Dolphins. Not only would Tagovailoa be a good fit on the field, but he'll become a star off it and help drive ticket sales. Tua is the perfect long-term replacement after the team parted ways with Philip Rivers this offseason. Grab the better odds with the Chargers.
Thomas Casale is theScore's supervising editor of sports betting. He's been following the sports betting industry for almost 30 years. A devoted fan of the wishbone offense, Thomas bets on all sports but specializes in college football, NFL, and college basketball. Find him on Twitter @TheTomCasale.
Copyright (C) 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.