Betting All-Star Weekend
By Bodog
The NBA must be doing something right. While the Pro Bowl and the Shrine Game got little attention this year, NBA All-Star Weekend is descending on Dallas with no shortage of hype. People want to see the stars come out to play, and they want some action in Jerry Jones’ huge new stadium. Our NBA betting lines for this weekend’s events are already up and running – we’ve got the skills competitions on tap as well as Sunday’s All-Star Game itself.
Friday
Rookie Challenge
This is the Rookies vs. Sophomores game, which the Sophomores have won eight times out of 10 and every year since 2003. Last year’s game was unusually close; the Rookies were up by as many as 10 points in the second half before Kevin Durant took the game over. He earned MVP honors with 46 points as the Sophs prevailed 122-116, barely cashing in as 4.5-point faves.
You may recall 2009 produced a bumper crop of one-and-done college prospects like Derek Rose, O.J. Mayo and Eric Gordon. Rose (17.32 PER) already gets to sit at the big table with the regular All-Stars, but Mayo (14.95 PER) and Gordon (14.90 PER) will be in action Friday night, alongside a very impressive frontcourt anchored by Kevin Love (22.72 PER). The Rookies are guard-heavy and in grave danger of getting rolled in this matchup. Check Bodog Sports for fresh NBA odds.
Saturday
Slam Dunk Contest
As usual, there is a change in format for this year’s event. Gordon will face DeMar DeRozan in a “Dunk-In” during halftime of the Rookie Challenge; the winner will join Shannon Brown, Nate Robinson and Gerald Wallace on Saturday. Odds for all five men can be found in the NBA Player Props section. Brown (7-5) has a ridiculous 44.5-inch vertical and is a slight favorite over Robinson (8-5), the two-time and reigning champion. But you have to handicap the voters as well as the players. There’s a built-in bias toward the 5-foot-9 Robinson – even more so now that the 1986 winner, 5-foot-7 Spud Webb, has been asked to sit on the judges’ panel.
Three-Point Shootout
The six-man field for this year’s event includes defending champion Daequan Cook at 11-4, but the favorite at 43-20 is rookie Stephen Curry. He lit up the college ranks at Davidson and continues to bomb away for Golden State at a 43.4-percent clip. Cook has been in and out of the rotation in Miami and is only hitting 31.7 percent of his trey attempts. The most accurate shooter among the six has been Paul Pierce (44.8 percent), but his shooting style and injury questions leave him trailing at 4-1 odds.
Shooting Stars Competition
This is a tough one to pick, because you’re relying on the performance of WNBA players (during their offseason) and retired NBA players – namely Kenny Smith and Chris Webber from TNT, plus Steve Smith and Brent Barry from NBA-TV in a clever bit of marketing from the host broadcasters. “Team Texas” is the favorite at 2-1 with local hero Dirk Nowitzki front and center.
H-O-R-S-E
This one’s also a bit of a toughie. The H-O-R-S-E competition made its debut last year in Phoenix, and it was Durant coming out on top over Mayo and Joe Johnson. Durant returns at 7-5 odds; Rajon Rondo is the 13-10 favorite but doesn’t have the same shooting touch from outside (25.5 percent) as Durant (38.1 percent). Omri Casspi (38.5 percent) is the third entrant at 2-1 odds. Of the three players, Durant easily has the highest true shooting percentage at 60.6 percent. However: No Dunks Allowed.
Sunday
59th NBA All-Star Game
The main event pits the stars of the Western Conference against the snowy East. The imbalance of power in favor of the West has manifested itself in the two All-Star rosters, but injuries have cut the defending winners down to size. Chris Paul (26.26 PER) and Brandon Roy (22.63 PER) are out for the West, and Kobe Bryant (23.14 PER) will also sit Sunday after missing three games with a sprained left ankle. All of a sudden, the weaker East backcourt doesn’t look so bad, even with Rose uncertain to play after he took a tumble in Wednesday’s game against the Orlando Magic. TNT has the TV coverage from Cowboys Stadium starting at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.