When your favorite NFL team begins a season with eight consecutive losses, it’s hard not to start looking forward to next year. That’s what NFL fans in Michigan might be doing right now in consideration of a future Detroit Lions quarterback.
This weekend’s college football action includes a game that features two players with short odds to be the top overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft at Michigan sportsbooks. Although the quarterbacks will put their skills on display in the contest, it might not affect those betting markets much.
Two shortlist candidates to be the next Detroit Lions quarterback
If the NFL season ended right now, the 0-8 Lions would pick first overall in 2022. They do have some competition for that privilege with nine games remaining on their schedule. Both the Houston Texans and Miami Dolphins have recorded a single win thus far.
Those two teams play each other Sunday, so it’s likely that one will record a second win. Assuming Detroit does end up with the top overall selection, the quarterbacks in this weekend’s Liberty vs. Ole Miss football game are on sportsbooks’ shortlists.
DraftKings Sportsbook has Ole Miss’ Matt Corral at +300 and Liberty’s Malik Willis +500. Only Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux has shorter odds at that book. BetRivers Sportsbook also has Corral second in its market at +400.
BetRivers has Nevada quarterback Carson Strong +850, then Willis at +900. Thibodeaux is also the odds-on favorite right now at BetRivers. Thus, should the Lions end up with the first pick and go quarterback, Corral and Willis are strong candidates.
When the time comes to make that decision, Detroit will evaluate a number of factors, including both players’ entire bodies of work at the collegiate level. That’s why bettors on these markets shouldn’t put too much stock into Saturday’s game.
The value of Liberty vs. Ole Miss for 2022 NFL Draft bettors
Perspective on this market demands taking a step back. If you were considering betting on a quarterback to win the NFL MVP award, how much weight would you give to that player’s performance against another serious contender?
That’s one of several subjective questions. Would you give more weight to that game than others? How do you decide exactly how much more importance to give the game, if so? To what degree do you consider the performances of the teams around the quarterbacks?
Sportsbooks are asking themselves all the same questions about Liberty vs. Ole Miss when it comes to Corral and Willis in terms of their draft futures. The lines might not move much after this game, though.
The best value from this game could just be to add to the total wealth of available information about these quarterbacks. For that reason, Saturday’s game is worth a watch if you plan on betting on these markets. Don’t expect a massive shift in these particular odds soon after the game, though.
For the game itself, the odds have pretty much settled, too. Neither of the aforementioned books think Willis’ presence in the game alone is enough to make it a nail-biter between the two teams.
Taking a look at Liberty vs. Ole Miss Saturday
Both BetRivers and DraftKings have Ole Miss a 9.5-point favorite over Liberty on Saturday. That spread might look large given that this game is a matchup between two top-15 scoring offenses. However, Ole Miss has yet to lose against the spread this season when sportsbooks favor them by nine points or more.
The Flames actually might look like the more complete team on paper. Liberty has the nation’s seventh-best passing defense and 13th-ranked scoring defense. At the same time, they’ll be facing quite a challenge in limiting the production of Corral and his teammates. Corral contributes to the country’s third-best rushing attack.
If you’re uncertain about either side on the spread, the total might offer some more confidence. The over has hit just three times in Ole Miss games and a mere once in Liberty contests. The DraftKings total sits at 66.5 points right now, while BetRivers pegs its total at 67.5.
Regardless of the outcomes in this game, fans might get a glimpse at the next Detroit Lions quarterback Saturday. Don’t expect their head-to-head matchup to decide who that might be alone, though.
