The 2023 NHL Draft is set to begin on Wednesday night as the league ushers in a new class of young players looking to make a name for themselves and hopefully become stars over the next decade. Connor Bedard is the consensus top prospect in this year's class and will be selected with the No. 1 overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks.
However, other game-changing prospects, such as University of Michigan center Adam Fantilli and Swedish center Leo Carlsson, are expected to be drafted within the top-5 and could be building blocks for their new teams. Most NHL mock drafts have Fantilli and Carlsson going after Bedard, which is fantastic news for the Anaheim Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets, who hold the second and third overall picks.
Below, we'll break down the value in betting on Fantilli and Carlsson to be drafted with the second and third overall picks in the 2023 NHL draft.
2023 NHL Draft Betting Odds: No. 2 overall pick
Odds courtesy of BetMGM. Click here for more odds and sign up for BetMGM today!
| Player | Odds |
| Adam Fantilli | -550 |
| Leo Carlsson | +400 |
| Matvei Michkov | +2000 |
| William Smith | +2500 |
| Ryan Leonard | +10000 |
| Branden Yager | +10000 |
| David Reinbacher | +10000 |
| Oliver Moore | +15000 |
| Colby Barlow | +25000 |
| Axel Sandin-Pellika | +25000 |
2023 NHL Draft Betting Odds: Who's the favorite to go No. 2?
Adam Fantilli, Michigan, NCAA (-550). Fantilli is the betting favorite to be selected with the No. 2 overall pick by the Ducks on Wednesday night. The freshman standout is receiving an overwhelming 31.5 percent of the tickets and 80 percent of the handle, according to BetMGM Insights. Fantilli is coming off an outstanding 2022-23 season at the University of Michigan, where he led the NCAA in goals scored per game (.83).
The 6-foot-2 standout from Nobleton, Ontario, scored 65 points (30 goals, 35 assists) this season en route to winning the Hobey Baker Memorial Award and being named first-team All-American and Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Fantilli also shined in international play this year, leading Canada to two gold medals in the World Juniors and World Championships. In NHL.com's final mock draft, Mike G. Morreale said Fantilli has "the tools required to become an elite power center in the NHL." If you are a Ducks fan, you should be excited about the team's future, as Fantilli will fit in perfectly with Trevor Zegras, Troy Terry, Mason McTavish, etc.
Meanwhile, bettors will be less excited as they aren't getting much value betting on Fantilli at No. 2 (-550). If a bettor wagered $100 on Fantilli, they would win $18.18 and their total payout to $118.18. That said, if there's a way to bet on the exact order with Fantilli at No. 2, it could be a nice pivot for bettors.
2023 NHL Draft Betting Odds: No. 3 overall pick
| Player | Odds |
| Leo Carlsson | -165 |
| Will Smith | +300 |
| Adam Fantilli | +400 |
| Matvei Michkov | +650 |
| David Reinbacher | +4000 |
| Ryan Leonard | +8000 |
| Brayden Yager | +10000 |
| Eduard Sale | +10000 |
| Olivier Moore | +10000 |
| Axel Sandin-Pellika | +10000 |
| Colby Barlow | +15000 |
2023 NHL Draft Betting Odds: Who's the favorite to go No. 3
Leo Carlsson (-165). The Swedish center is the betting favorite (-165) to be selected with the No. 3 overall pick tonight. But it's not clear-cut as it was for Fantilli going No. 2. Carlsson is receiving 26.2 percent of the tickets, and 44.9 percent of the handle, which is still a substantial amount of action. However, Will Smith is lurking in the background at +300 to go to Columbus. The USA U18 standout is getting 24.8 percent of the tickets and 34.3 percent of the handle, according to BetMGM Insights.
In his final mock draft, Sporting News' Bryan Murphy has Smith going No. 3 overall to Columbus and Carlsson going No. 4 overall to the Sharks. Murphy pointed out Smith is one of the most versatile players in this year's draft class and made a strong case for how he could fit with Patrik Laine and Johnny Gaudreau. With that in mind, bettors should consider splitting a unit to put on Smith and Carlsson to go No. 3.
As for Carlsson, he had a solid season in the SHL (Swedish Hockey League) with Orebro, where he scored 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists) in 44 games. The 18-year-old center was recognized for his play and named junior player of the year in the SHL. Finally, Carlsson is a playmaker with a high IQ and already has NHL size, making him an intriguing prospect in the top-5. It will be interesting to see who the Blue Jackets take at No. 3 as they try to bounce back after a rough 2022-23 season.