The 68th NBA All-Star Game takes place on Sunday night between the teams drafted by LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Before those teams take the court on Sunday, though, the festivities dial up with the Slam Dunk Contest and the Three-Point Contest on Saturday night.
NBA All-Star Game, Slam Dunk, Three-Point Contest odds
The NBA’s All-Star weekend offers up plenty of action for basketball bettors, including odds on the Slam Dunk and Three-Point events plus the game itself on Sunday.
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Dennis Smith Jr. is a +200 favorite on the Slam Dunk Contest odds in Charlotte at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. Smith Jr. is the only returning player from last year’s Slam Dunk Contest, an event which he finished in third place after being doomed by a low score of 39 on his first dunk. He rallied with a perfect 50 on his second dunk, but wasn’t able to advance to the finals.
The New York Knicks point guard will be joined by three players making their first appearance in the Slam Dunk Contest in Atlanta’s John Collins (+225), Charlotte’s Miles Bridges (+225) and Oklahoma City’s Hamidou Diallo (+400). Diallo’s 44.5-inch maximum vertical at the 2017 NBA Draft Combine was the second highest ever recorded.
Stephen Curry is the best three-point shooter in the world, so it is no surprise to see him listed as a +175 favorite over the rest of the field on the Three-Point Contest odds. But despite Curry’s elite shooting, he has only won this event one time in five years of participation.
Right behind Curry on the betting board are last year’s winner Devin Booker (+450) and a pair of excellent shooters making their debut in this event in Buddy Hield (+450) and Steph’s brother Seth Curry (+550). Rounding out the field are Damian Lillard (+900), Kemba Walker (+900), Joe Harris (+900), Danny Green (+1200), Khris Middleton (+1200) and Dirk Nowitzki (+1500).
In Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game, Team LeBron is a 6-point favorite over Team Giannis.
LeBron James’ team is stacked with the likes of Kevin Durant, James Harden, Klay Thompson, Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving if he is well enough to play. Antetokounmpo’s squad includes Steph Curry, Paul George, Kemba Walker and Joel Embiid. The total for the game is set at 316 points after last year’s game went under 300 in a 148-145 victory for Team LeBron over Team Stephen (Curry).
For more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week’s top sports betting news check out the OddsShark podcast with Jon Campbell and Andrew Avery. Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify or listen to it at OddsShark.libsyn.com.
