There was no betting drama surrounding the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, but things got interesting after a league insider tweeted about Charlotte’s intention with the second selection.
The Hornets appeared to be locked in on Alabama’s Brandon Miller, but this tweet Thursday by The Athletic’s Shams Charania triggered some dramatic odds swings across the sports betting industry.
Sources: Scoot Henderson is gaining serious momentum at No. 2 with the Charlotte Hornets in tonight’s NBA draft. Hornets have been torn over the last week between Henderson and Brandon MIller. Team has final meetings today to settle on decision.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 22, 2023
Scoot Henderson‘s odds went from +175 prior to the tweet to as high as -700 afterward. Miller, who had been as high as -625 as the betting favorite at PointsBet earlier in the week, ballooned from -240 to +550 after Charania’s tweet was posted.
Per his Twitter bio, Charania is a “FanDuel Partner and co-host of Run It Back on FanDuel TV” with two million followers. This tweet from VSiN’s Jonathan Von Tobel was posted 10 minutes after Charania’s post, reflecting the wild swing in odds at FanDuel.
Scoot Henderson is -900 to go second overall at FanDuel pic.twitter.com/FpbJ6P1i5F
— Jonathan Von Tobel (@meJVT) June 22, 2023
BetRivers also saw some wild swings on its odds board.
The change in odds for the No. 2 overall pick in the last two hours at @BetRivers:
Brandon Miller: -910, -305, -215, +400, +210
Scoot Henderson: +300, +150, +110, -910, -490
— Troy Machir (@TroyMachir) June 22, 2023
Interestingly, FanDuel offers tips from non-employees under a section called “The Duel” on its platform. Miller was touted to go second in the NBA Draft at +145 odds on Thursday afternoon as one of the three best 2023 NBA Draft prop bets.
“As of Thursday afternoon, the odds and rumors now suggest that it will be Scoot Henderson at this pick, but the fit in Charlotte makes far more sense with Miller.”
Social Media, Brand Ambassadors’ Impact on Sports Betting Industry
Charlotte ultimately selected Miller at No. 2, and Henderson went to Portland at No. 3. The subsequent reaction on Twitter included its fair share of conspiracy theories and, well, more balanced takes.
https://twitter.com/mansurshaheen/status/1672059846718283776
I don't think there is anything nefarious going on but I find it puzzling that a regulated Sportsbook is allowed to take bets on the NBA draft and also employ an "insider" who can tweet nonsense that can move the betting markets.
— Haralabos Voulgaris (@haralabob) June 23, 2023
As others have noted, this reporter is paid by Fanduel, and after this tweet, a bunch of dopes bet on Scoot to go 2nd.
House wins.
Go read Woj's tweet after Brandon Miller was drafted and let me know what you think https://t.co/WPLzfnGnxo
— Jason McIntyre (@jasonrmcintyre) June 23, 2023
Here is the tweet from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski to which McIntyre was referring.
All along, the entire Charlotte Hornets organization has been all-in on Brandon Miller — ownership, front office, scouts, coaches. They see him as a perennial future All-Star player.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 23, 2023
Prior to his tweet on Thursday, Charania aired his sourced-based information on Henderson as a guest on “The Pat McAfee Show.” McAfee notably left FanDuel — and a reported four-year, $120 million contract — for ESPN last month.
This is an interesting case study on the influence of both social media and brand ambassadors on sports betting, an industry still in its infancy in the US. The line between traditional and social media has become irrevocably blurred, and influencers can wield their power now more than ever before.
Nobody is suggesting anything intentional, unethical, or illegal on the part of Charania here, either, but it might behoove commercial sportsbooks like FanDuel to make some policy adjustments moving forward.
The optics aren’t great.
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