One year after a historic group of wide receivers, the 2025 NFL Draft class isn’t nearly as deep or talented. However, there should still be some 1st-round prospects, and that’s even with a top-rated sportsbook like Bet365 (check our Bet365 Review) considering Travis Hunter (Colorado) a cornerback for most betting markets this week.
Before the 2025 NFL Draft begins Thursday night, let’s look at the best NFL prop bets involving the wide receivers.
Picks Summary
- 1st Wide Receiver Drafted – Tetairoa McMillan (-300)
- 2nd Wide Receiver Drafted – Matthew Golden (-200)
- Matthew Golden Draft Position – Over 17.5 (+130)
- Exact Position of 1st Team Pick – Wide Receiver for Green Bay (+600)
- Over 2.5 Wide Receivers in 1st Round (-320)
- Emeka Egbuka Draft Position – Under 29.5 (-270)
*All odds from Bet365.
Wide Receivers: 1st and 2nd Drafted
At Bet365, you can find markets for betting on which wide receiver will be the 1st drafted in this class and which will be the 2nd. Given the odds, it essentially comes down to Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona) vs. Matthew Golden (Texas), with a longshot for Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State).
For the 1st wide receiver drafted, these are the odds:
- Tetairoa McMillan (-300)
- Matthew Golden (+225)
- Emeka Egbuka (+1600)
For the 2nd wide receiver drafted, these are the odds:
- Matthew Golden (-200)
- Tetairoa McMillan (+260)
- Emeka Egbuka (+500)
Again, Travis Hunter is a lot of people’s favorite wide receiver in the 2025 class, but he’s considered a cornerback for both markets here. Don’t worry about him.
Many experts agree that Tetairoa McMillan is the best pure wideout in this class. He has the size and consistent production (without NFL-caliber quarterback play) to back up the tape. He could be a WR1 or a strong WR2 behind an established star like CeeDee Lamb in Dallas, which is why McMillan has often been linked to the Cowboys at No. 12.
Matthew Golden is the “shiny new toy” who blew everyone away with his blazing speed in his athletic test. Texas has been killing it with fast wide receivers after Xavier Worthy shot up draft charts in 2024 thanks to his 40-yard dash time (4.22 seconds). He ultimately ended up going late in the 1st round to the Chiefs.
This is a smaller, less impressive class of wide receivers, but Golden should still firmly go 2nd and sometime after McMillan. But this is closer than the markets for the 1st quarterback (Cam Ward), 1st running back (Ashton Jeanty), and 1st tight end (Tyler Warren).
NFL Pick: 1st Wide Receiver Drafted – Tetairoa McMillan (-300) at Bet365
NFL Pick: 2nd Wide Receiver Drafted – Matthew Golden (-200) at Bet365
Matthew Golden Draft Position and Team
At Bet365, Matthew Golden (Texas) has a draft position set at 17.5 with these odds:
- Over 17.5 (+130)
- Under 17.5 (-160)
In this draft, no wide receivers (Travis Hunter withstanding) are considered favorites for a top 10 pick. The 49ers (No. 11 pick) would be a silly pick for a wide receiver after spending so much on Brandon Aiyuk and drafting Ricky Pearsall last year.
That’s why so many like the Cowboys (No. 12) to take Tetairoa McMillan as the 1st wideout off the board. Golden is likely to go later since he’s less polished as a smaller speed guy, and he had basically as much receiving production in 1 year at Texas as he did in 2 years at Houston.
While Golden is favored to go under 17.5 here, find the landing spot for him:
- No. 13, Dolphins – Already paying a lot of money to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle
- No. 14, Colts – Already drafted a Texas wideout (Adonai Mitchell) in the 2nd round last year and it was a little disappointing
- No. 15, Falcons – Already have a good WR1 in Drake London and need defense way more
- No. 16, Cardinals – Just drafted Marvin Harrison Jr. high last year and made Trey McBride the highest-paid tight end in NFL history; draft defense instead
- No. 17, Bengals – How much more help does Joe Burrow need here after the Bengals made Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins the most expensive duo in NFL history?
The value here clearly is with the over 17.5 for Golden. The only issue is if a team like the Panthers (No. 8) draft McMillan early, then the Cowboys take Golden at No. 12, which is a realistic outcome here. But we’re going with the simulation where McMillan goes No. 12, and Golden goes No. 18 or later for the over.
However, there’s also a team we want to specifically give Golden (or Emeka Egbuka) to as you can bet on the position a team uses its 1st pick on. The draft is in Green Bay this year, and it’s become a running joke how the Packers haven’t used a 1st-round pick on a wide receiver since Javon Walker in 2002, by far the longest drought in the NFL.
So, what if they end the drought here and draft Golden at No. 23? There’s a good argument for it when Christian Watson is always injured, and receivers like Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs have been very inconsistent. Let’s give the Packers a 1st-round wideout for a change.
NFL Pick: Matthew Golden Draft Position – Over 17.5 (+130) at Bet365
NFL Pick: Exact Position of 1st Team Pick – Wide Receiver for Green Bay (+600) at Bet365
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Emeka Egbuka Draft Position
At Bet365, Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State) has a draft position set at 29.5 with these odds:
- Over 29.5 (+210)
- Under 29.5 (-270)
Ohio State has been a wide receiver factory for the NFL in recent years, producing the likes of Marvin Harrison Jr. (Cardinals), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Seahawks), Chris Olave (Saints) and Garrett Wilson (Jets) – all should be No. 1 wide receivers in the 2025 season.
The next in line is Emeka Egbuka, who actually had his best season in 2022 when C.J. Stroud was throwing him the ball. There could be a reunion there as the Texans hold the No. 25 pick, and they lost Stefon Diggs (Patriots) and Tank Dell (serious leg injury), leaving a lot of open targets behind Nico Collins.
It would certainly make Stroud’s day if they got him Egbuka, so that’s a favorite landing spot for him. You also can’t rule out the Broncos, Chargers, Packers, Ravens and Lions all having interest too in picks that would be under 29.5.
The under is the right call on Egbuka, and if you wanted some decent value with more risk, take a wide receiver going to Houston with its 1st pick (+320).
NFL Pick: Emeka Egbuka Draft Position – Under 29.5 (-270) at Bet365
Total Wide Receivers Drafted in 1st Round
At Bet365, the line for the total number of wide receivers drafted in Round 1 is set at 2.5 with these odds. Keep in mind that Travis Hunter is counted as a cornerback only for this market.
- Over 2.5 wide receivers (-320)
- Under 2.5 wide receivers (+235)
Strong lean towards the over, and again, we need to find 3 without Travis Hunter involved. Tetairoa McMillan and Matthew Golden should be locks, and both could go in the top 20.
The tiebreaker likely to put this over 2.5 is Emeka Egbuka, but we already said above that he’s going under 29.5 in this draft. He also has -400 odds to be a first-round pick, so that’s encouraging.
Even if Egbuka gets passed over, don’t discount Luther Burden III going in the 1st round, which he has +220 odds to do. The Missouri receiver has been linked to playoff teams like the Ravens, Chiefs, Lions and Bills in mock drafts, so that’s a backup plan for hitting over 2.5 wideouts in the 1st round.
But the over should happen this Thursday night for your NFL picks.
NFL Pick: Over 2.5 Wide Receivers in 1st Round (-320) at Bet365
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*The line and/or odds referenced in this article might have changed since the content was published. For the latest information on line movements, visit OddsTrader’s free betting odds tool.
