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AJ Dybantsa Skyrocketing Up NBA Draft Prediction Market for No. 1 Pick

AJ Dybantsa is favored to be drafted first in the 2026 NBA Draft.
AJ Dybantsa is favored to be drafted first in the 2026 NBA Draft. | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Prediction markets are leaning heavily toward AJ Dybantsa being drafted first overall. Both Kalshi and Polymarket have Dysbanta going No. 1 (in all likelihood to the Washington Wizards) as by far the most likely outcome.

In his lone season at BYU, Dybantsa posted elite top-pick numbers, leading the nation with 25.5 points per game, adding 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists across 35 contests. He helped lead BYU to its third consecutive NCAA Tournament.

NBA Draft First Overall Pick - Kalshi

  • AJ Dybantsa 79%
  • Darryn Peterson 23%

NBA Draft First Overall Pick - Polymarket

  • AJ Dybantsa 80%
  • Darryn Peterson 21%

Kalshi’s NBA Draft price of 79% offers $2.46 in profit if Dybantsa goes first and $2.43 on Polymarket’s NBA Draft prediction board.

Drama at the top

Drafting behind the Washington Wizards are the Utah Jazz, whose owner Ryan Smith and CEO Danny Ainge helped recruit Dybantsa to BYU as the top player in the country. With that, Dybantsa not only took an official draft meeting with Washington, but also with Utah.

There have also been rumors that Dybantsa wants to end up in Utah over Washington, given his time there dating back to high school. Adam Finkelstein of CBS Sports weighed in.

“He’s been in Utah now for two years (one season at Utah Prep and one season in Provo at BYU). His family is now with him in Utah, and they’ve grown to like the state and were hoping to stay… Now that has led some to wonder whether we could see some “workout shenanigans” where Dybantsa could potentially refuse to work out for Washington in hopes of forcing his way to Utah.”

Pushing that narrative even more, per ESPN’s Shams Charania, Darryn Peterson has decided to only attend one pre-draft interview, with the Washington Wizards, and to skip out on visiting with the Jazz. As a true freshman last season, Peterson averaged 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game and is a 56% favorite on Polymarket to be drafted with the second pick.

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Published | Modified
Samuel Profeta
SAMUEL PROFETA

Sam has over six years of experience in the sports media industry with a focus on sports betting, covering lines, trends, shopping lines, and finding the most obscure betting specials. He joined SI as a part of their sports prediction market coverage. He’s a Florida State grad where he majored in Editing, Writing, and Media. He’s also covered college sports for The Sporting News.

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