NBA All-Star Saturday Night Betting
By Jason Logan
Covers.com
All-Star games have gotten a bad rap in recent years, leading many professional sports leagues to drastically alter their standard showcase format, be it a “fantasy draft” like the NFL’s Pro Bowl or whatever the NHL All-Star Game mutated into this year.
The NBA, however, pretty much has it right. The All-Star Game itself can be a bit sloppy at times but for the past few seasons, the East and West have gotten serious come the fourth quarter – and you just know Kobe’s trying to make this year’s game all his. Then there’s All-Star Saturday Night.
The night before the All-Star Game, the NBA holds its annual competitions: the Skills Challenge, 3-point Shootout, and of course, the Slam Dunk Contest. Outside of some rules and format tweaking over the years, this fun evening has remained a rock-solid appetizer to Sunday’s ASG finale.
NBA All-Star Weekend is also the most betting-friendly event during the pro basketball schedule. Online sportsbooks offer odds on just about every All-Star Saturday Night event, as well as props for the All-Star Game, and even offer wagering on the NBA Celebrity Game, which takes place on the Friday.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the exciting wagering options for the NBA All-Star Weekend in Toronto:
All-Star Celebrity Game
Comedian Kevin Hart is now a staple of NBA All-Star festivities, kind of like how "The Fresh Prince" was in the early 90’s. The diminutive funny man – retired from Celebrity Game action – is now the coach of an All-Star Celebrity team, facing off against Canadian hip-hop star Drake, who has close ties with the host Toronto Raptors – when he’s not busy cheering for the Golden State Warriors.
Oddsmakers have Drake’s Team Canada squad set as 2.5-point underdogs, but I don’t know how. Drake actually has some real athletes on his roster, including Canadian tennis star Milos Raonic (8/1 to win MVP), along with former NBA players Tracy McGrady (7/4) and Rick Fox (6/1), and former WNBA standout Tammy Sutton-Brown (15/1).
Toss in TV and film personalities Stephan James (25/1) (plays Jesse Owens in an upcoming movie), “Property Bros” Drew (20/1) and Jonathan Scott (20/1) (one of which renovates houses, so he’s man strong), and actor/singer Kris Wu (15/1) (seems fit enough), and Team Canada could control the boards and get up and down the floor pretty quick against a slightly doughier Team Hart.
Hart’s roster – dubbed Team USA – does have some talent, like former NBA players in Chauncey Billups (6/1) and Muggsy Bogues (3/1), as well as current WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne (2/1). But even those two former NBA pros are on the shorter side. And that’s being nice. Behind the actual basketball players are ex “Mr. Mariah Carey” Nick Cannon (8/1), Joel David Moore (25/1) (the tall, geeky guy from Dodgeball), former SNL crack-up Jason Sudeikis (20/1), and actor Anthony Anderson (25/1), who is playing in his third NBA Celebrity Game.
The total for Friday’s All-Star Celebrity Game is set at 109.5 points.
Taco Bell Skills Challenge
The Skills Challenge has undergone some facelifts in recent years. Last February, they went to a bracket format, which had players going head-to-head to advance rather then moving on based on their overall times. While this doesn’t seem fair, the NBA couldn’t care less about fairness and they’re sticking to the tourney style.
You know what would really make things interesting? Make every contestant eat Taco Bell 45 minutes before the Skills Challenge. You wouldn't see anyone "lollygagging" from station to station then. Those guys would be a big hurry to finish. That'll mix it up.
Instead, this time around, the Association has opened the field to non-guards - more specifically big men DeMarcus Cousins (17/2 to win), Anthony Davis (8/1), Draymond Green (5/1), and rookie standout Karl-Anthony Towns (10/1). Things like the bounce pass and 3-point shot could be troublesome for the bigs, but we’re in a new age of hoops now, where even a 7-footer is a threat from downtown.
As for the guards, defending champ Patrick Beverly (9/2) is back, joined by Isaiah Thomas (33/10), Jordan Clarkson (5/1), and C.J. McCollum (5/1). Seeing as no player taller than 6-foot-4 has ever won the Skills Challenge, it’s a safe bet to stick with the guards when handicapping the field.
But if you have to go big (both figuratively and literally), Cousins could be the play at +850. Boogie isn’t afraid to pull up from deep and is shooting better than 35 percent from beyond the arc on the season, including going 7 for 11 in his last three games heading into Wednesday. Thank goodness there’s no “biting your tongue” aspect to the competition, because Cousins would be a bust for sure.
Foot Locker 3-Point Contest
The 3-point shootout is the wild card of the All-Star Weekend. It has produced the most long-shot winners of any of the three major events on All-Star Saturday Night, and while Stephen Curry did win as a +300 favorite last year, it’s about as predictable as a Donald Trump debate response.
Before Curry broke Craig Hodges’ single-round record last year, San Antonio’s Marco Belinelli won the 2014 event as a +800 underdog. The year before that, Kyrie Irving hit at +550. In 2012, Kevin Love won at +500. James Jones was +450 when he won in 2011, following Paul Pierce (+400) in 2010 and Daequan Cook (+750) in 2009.
In fact, before Chef Curry cooked up a winner at 3/1, the slimmest odds to come in over the past seven seasons was Jason Kapono at +350 in 2008 – and he was the fourth overall favorite on the board in New Orleans that year.
For the 2015 3-point contest, Curry is an overwhelming +225 chalk heading toward the weekend. And that will likely change, with the public jumping all over the NBA MVP at plus money. Behind him on the board are teammate Klay Thompson (7/2), J.J. Redick (5/1), Devin Booker (11/2), Kyle Lowry (11/2), James Harden (8/1), Khris Middleton (8/1), and Chris Bosh (12/1).
As mentioned above, if you like someone other than Curry, it’s best to sit on this until Saturday night and watch the plus-money tick up. It’ll be like dropping a tri-color money ball if that long shot happens to come through. SPLASH!
Verizon Slam Dunk Contest
Zach LaVine is trying to do something only three other leapers have done in the history of the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, and that’s win back-to-back titles. Michael Jordan did it in ’87 and ’88, Jason Richardson did it in ’02 and ’03, and Nate Robinson did it in ’09 and ’10.
Oddsmakers have pegged the T-Wolves high-riser as a runaway favorite to win the dunk off Saturday, posting him at -250. That leaves pretty big payouts on the other three contestants, with Will Barton at +360, Aaron Gordon at +485, and Andre Drummond going off as a 9/1 long shot.
The dunk contest has been dominated by the betting favorites in recent years, with seven of the last nine winners coming into the event among the top two favorites and at +350 odds or lower. The only two dunkers to pull off an upset were John Wall in 2014 (+450) and Robinson in 2009 (+450) with the Kryptonite.
LaVine won in 2015 at -110 and his current price tag of 2/5 puts him on the same level as past champs like Blake Griffin (-250 in 2011) and Dwight Howard (-180 in 2009). And so he should be. The second-year pro out of UCLA is the perfect combination of explosive hops, size (big enough to get tough dunks down but small enough to look cool), and power.
Not sure how large a bet you can get down on these All-Star props at your online book, but something tells me it might not be worth the hefty cost on the fave (a $100 wager will get you $40). You might be better off throwing flyers on Barton and Gordon and hoping LaVine misses some tough dunks early on.
As for Drummond, well… the dunk contest has never been kind to bigs (outside of freaks like Howard). Watching a near 7-footer dunk is like watching a Liam Neeson from Taken play Hide and Go Seek with a bunch of toddlers (I will look for you, and I will find you…). Maybe if Drummond brings out ex-girlfriend and Disney star-gone-bad Jennette McCurdy and jumps over her or something, he’d have a chance.
All-Star Props & Odds
VegasInsider.com
The 2016 NBA All-Star weekend is upon as the best basketball players in the world head to the Air Canada Center in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The exhibition game takes place on Sunday night and will be televised nationally on TNT.
The event begins Friday on Feb. 12 with the Rising Stars Challenge game which features first and second-year players squaring off an in exhibition. The game pits “Team World” versus “Team USA” in the exhibition.
Team World
F Bojan Bogdanovic - Brooklyn Nets
F Clint Capela -Houston Rockets
F Mario Hezonja - Orlando Magic
F Trey Lyles - Utah Jazz
F Kristaps Porzingis - New York Knicks
F Dwight Powell - Dallas Mavericks
C Nikola Jokic - Denver Nuggets
G Emmanuel Mudiay - Denver Nuggets
G Raul Neto - Utah Jazz
G Andrew Wiggins - Minnesota Timberwolves
Team USA
G Jordan Clarkson - Los Angeles Lakers
G Rodney Hood - Utah Jazz
G Zach LaVine - Minnesota Timberwolves
G Elfrid Payton - Orlando Magic
G D'Angelo Russell - Los Angeles Lakers
G Marcus Smart - Boston Celtics
C/F Karl-Anthony Towns - Minnesota Timberwolves
C Jahlil Okafor - Philadelphia 76ers
F Jabari Parker - Milwaukee Bucks
Last year was the first time the NBA went with this format and Team World captured a 121-112 victory over Team USA as Andrew Wiggins captured the MVP.
Saturday’s festivities feature a handful of individual events and Sportsbook.ag has odds posted on all of them.
The winners from the 2015 All-Star events are listed below:
Skills Challenge - Patrick Beverley
Three-Point Contest - Stephen Curry
Slam Dunk Contest - Zach LaVine
Odds to win 2016 Skills Challenge (2/13/16)
Isaiah Thomas (Celtics) 3/1
CJ McCollum (Blazers) 4/1
Draymond Green (Warriors) 4/1
Patrick Beverley (Rockets) OFF
Jordan Clarkson (Lakers) 6/1
Anthony Davis (Pelicans) 10/1
DeMarcus Cousins (Kings) 10/1
Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves) 15/1
Odds to win 2016 Three Point Contest (2/13/16)
Stephen Curry (Warriors) 6/5
Klay Thompson (Warriors) 7/2
Devin Booker (Suns) 5/1
JJ Redick (Clippers) 5/1
James Harden (Rockets) 10/1
Kyle Lowry (Raptors) 10/1
Khris Middleton (Bucks) 20/1
Chris Bosh (Heat) 50/1
Odds to win 2016 Slam Dunk Contest (2/13/16)
Zach LaVine (Timberwolves) 1/3
Aaron Gordon (Magic) 5/1
Will Barton (Nuggets) 5/1
Andre Drummond (Pistons) 12/1
The Western Conference dropped the Eastern Conference last season 163-158 at from Madison Square Garden from New York City. Oklahoma City point guard Russell Westbrook captured the Most Valuable Player, becoming the third straight guard and fifth in the last six All-Star games to do so.
Eastern Conference All-Stars
G Dwyane Wade - Miami Heat
G Kyle Lowry - Toronto Raptors
F LeBron James - Cleveland Cavaliers
F Paul George - Indiana Pacers
F Carmelo Anthony - New York Knicks
F/C Chris Bosh - Miami Heat
G John Wall - Washington Wizards
F Paul Millsap - Atlanta Hawks
G DeMar DeRozan - Toronto Raptors
C Andre Drummond - Detroit Pistons
G Isaiah Thomas - Boston Celtics
Pau Gasol - Chicago Bulls
Western Conference All-Stars
G Stephen Curry - Golden State Warriors
G Russell Westbrook - Oklahoma City Thunder
F Kobe Bryant - Los Angeles Lakers
F Kevin Durant - Oklahoma City Thunder
F Kawhi Leonard - San Antonio Spurs
G Chris Paul - Los Angeles Clippers
F/C LaMarcus Aldridge - San Antonio Spurs
G James Harden - Houston Rockets
F/C Anthony Davis - New Orleans Pelicans
C DeMarcus Cousins - Sacramento Kings
G Klay Thompson - Golden State Warriors
F Draymond Green - Golden State Warriors
Based on odds from Sportsbook.ag, they believe a Western Conference player will capture this year's MVP award. For those buying the narrative that the host city will be represented with the MVP, they can place wagers with either Kyle Lowry (18/1) or DeMar DeRozan (25/1) from the Toronto Raptors.
Odds to win 2016 NBA All Star Game MVP (2/14/16)
Stephen Curry 4/1
Kobe Bryant 6/1
Russell Westbrook 6/1
Kevin Durant 15/2
LeBron James 17/2
James Harden 15/1
Kyle Lowry 18/1
John Wall 20/1
Klay Thompson 20/1
DeMar DeRozan 25/1
Kawhi Leonard 25/1
Paul George 25/1
Anthony Davis 30/1
DeMarcus Cousins 30/1
Draymond Green 30/1
Carmelo Anthony 40/1
Isaiah Thomas 40/1
Chris Bosh 50/1
Chris Paul 50/1
Dwyane Wade 50/1
LaMarcus Aldridge 50/1
Pau Gasol 60/1
Paul Millsap 75/1
Andre Drummond 100/1
Saturday's All-Star Best Bets
By Sportsbook.ag
Slam Dunk Contest Betting Preview
Some of the NBA’s best leapers will compete in the Verizon Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday. This event has received some harsh criticism over the years, but it was an exciting one in 2015. That was mostly because of Zach LaVine, who put on a show on his way to being crowned the champion. LaVine (-300) is back this year and he’s a very heavy favorite coming into the event. LaVine will be going up against some talented guys though, as Aaron Gordon (+450), Will Barton (+550) and Andre Drummond (+1000) are all very good dunkers. With that said, here are the two guys that are maybe worth putting a play on this weekend:
Zach LaVine (-300) - LaVine is getting some very unfavorable odds, but that is for good reason. LaVine put on an electrifying display in the 2015 Dunk Contest and he said afterwards that he did not even bring out some of his better dunks. It’s easy to believe him, as he gets up higher than almost every player in the NBA. LaVine’s vertical leap was 46 inches coming out of college and he’s an easy guy to put a lot of units on with that type of athleticism.
Aaron Gordon (+450) - Gordon is the next best leaper after LaVine in this year’s contest. Coming out of college, Gordon boasted a 39-inch vertical leap and he is also 6’9’’. His blend of size and athleticism makes him a very interesting choice coming into this event and he should be able to put on a show on Saturday. It’s tough to say that LaVine is going to lose, but if anybody is going to beat him then it’s likely going to be Gordon. He’s worth putting a unit or two on at this event.
Three Point Contest Betting Preview
Saturday’s Three Point Contest will feature some of the best shooters in the league and Stephen Curry is back to defend his 2015 crown. The format this year will be the same as it was in 2015. There will be five racks and the shooter will get to pick one rack that contains only the money-ball. Those shots are all worth two points and there is also one money ball at each of the other four spots.
Under this new format, Stephen Curry set the record for the highest score ever in a single round in 2015. He will, however, have some tough competition in this one.
The field includes Curry (-110), J.J. Redick (+400), Klay Thompson (+400), Devin Booker (+1000), Kyle Lowry (+1200), James Harden (+1500), Khris Middleton (+1800) and Chris Bosh (+4000).
Let’s now take a look at some of the guys that are worth picking to win this thing:
Stephen Curry (-110) - Taking a favorite to win in anything usually doesn’t get you a price like this, and Curry is certainly the favorite to win this by a mile. The 2015 winner is shooting 45.4% from the outside this season and he is doing it on an absurd 10.8 attempts per game. Nobody in the league shoots from the outside as often as he does and the frequency with which he hits is phenomenal. Curry is quite possibly the greatest shooter ever to play the game and when he is hot there is nobody on the planet that can keep up with him. He’s worth putting a few units on for Saturday.
Kyle Lowry (+1200) - Lowry isn’t on the same level as Curry in terms of shooting, but he is capable of getting extremely hot and there are some factors that will greatly benefit him in this game. Lowry plays for the Raptors, so he is going to be more than comfortable shooting at the Air Canada Centre on Saturday. He’ll also have the fans in Toronto behind him in this one. Lowry is as good a pick as any outside of Curry and at +1200 he is worth putting a unit or two on.
Khris Middleton (+1800) - Middleton is a serious sleeper heading into the Three Point Contest on Saturday. The Bucks’ forward is shooting 40.5% from the outside on the season and is the type of guy that should be very good in a setting like this. Middleton is a spot up shooter that is used to taking stand still shots. He has a smooth release and is capable of getting very hot at times. At this price in a contest like this, Middleton is definitely worth putting a unit on.
All-Star Game Preview
By Sportsbook.ag
EASTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STARS vs. WESTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STARS
Sportsbook.ag Line: West -6.0, Total: 317
The best from the West and the best from the East will clash in the All-Star Game in Toronto on Sunday.
The All-Star Game will be taking place on Sunday and this is the first time ever that the event will not be played in the United States. The stars will instead be heading up to Toronto for what should be a very exciting weekend.
One thing worth noting heading into this game is that the Western Conference has really owned this battle in years past. The Western Conference team won 163-158 when the teams met in New York in 2015 and Russell Westbrook took home the MVP honors in that game. It was the fourth time in the past five years that the Western Conference defeated the Eastern Conference, but the Eastern Conference has been a lot stronger this year than it has been in the past. There is a lot more talent in the East now and that should translate to a better game on Sunday.
The line in this game currently sits at -6.0 in favor of the Western Conference, but only one of the past six All-Star games has been decided by more than six points. It’s worth noting for the East that Jimmy Butler is out for the new few weeks and has been replaced by Pau Gasol. Chris Bosh is also going to miss this game and he’ll be replaced by Al Horford.
Lacing them up for the Western Conference in this game will be Kobe Bryant (16.9 PPG), Kawhi Leonard (20.2 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.8 SPG), Kevin Durant (27.7 PPG), Stephen Curry (29.8 PPG, 6.6 APG), Russell Westbrook (24.1 PPG, 10.0 APG), Draymond Green (14.2 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 7.2 APG), James Harden (28.0 PPG, 7.0 APG, 6.3 RPG), Chris Paul (19.3 PPG, 9.4 APG), Klay Thompson (21.3 PPG), Anthony Davis (23.4 PPG, 10.0 RPG), DeMarcus Cousins (26.8 PPG, 11.1 RPG) and LaMarcus Aldridge (17.0 PPG, 8.4 RPG).
With Curry and Thompson, the West will have the Warriors’ starting backcourt and two guys that can shoot the ball better than anybody else in the league. Both of them will be serious threats to win the MVP award, along with Kobe Bryant and Russell Westbrook. Westbrook won last year and is the most explosive player in basketball. He goes 100% no matter what type of game it is and it’ll definitely be a goal of his to win it again this year.
Bryant, meanwhile, just may be the favorite to win the award. This All-Star weekend is all about him with it being his last year in the league and he’ll play and shoot as much as he pleases.
Harden, Cousins and Durant also can’t be counted out in this one. They are some of the best offensive players in the league and will have their moments against the East in this one. Guys like Davis, Green, Leonard and Paul will likely be as much of role players as one could possibly be in a game like this.
Green and Leonard are hustle guys that will dig in and get stops when it gets late in the game and Paul will rack up double-digit assists by finding his teammates for easy alley-oops.
The Eastern Conference team will feature LeBron James (25.0 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 6.5 APG, 1.4 SPG), Paul George (23.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.8 SPG), Carmelo Anthony (21.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 4.2 APG), Dwyane Wade (18.7 PPG), Kyle Lowry (21.0 PPG, 6.3 APG, 4.9 RPG, 2.2 SPG), Pau Gasol (17.0 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 2.0 BPG), DeMar DeRozan (23.4 PPG), Paul Millsap (17.7 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 1.4 BPG), Andre Drummond (17.0 PPG, 14.9 RPG, 1.5 BPG), John Wall (20.0 PPG, 9.9 APG), Isaiah Thomas (21.5 PPG, 6.6 APG) and Al Horford (15.3 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.5 BPG).
The East doesn’t have the shooting that the West has in its backcourt, but it does have a ton of explosiveness. Thomas, Wall, Lowry, Wade and DeRozan are going to put a ton of pressure on the opposing defense. They are all capable of getting to the rim whenever they please and guys like Lowry and Thomas will make their defenders pay for overplaying on the drive. They can both knock down the outside shot and it will be fun to see them go up against the guards in the West.
James and Anthony, meanwhile, are guys that both have the firepower to take over this game and win MVP. James has done it before and his all around style of play makes him a threat to put up a triple-double here. This is a game that features the best in the world and he lives to steal the show in that setting.
Horford, Gasol and Drummond will all be menaces around the paint. Gasol and Horford can face up and knock down jumpers, but they’ll mostly be asked to get boards and send outlet passes to the faster players on this team.
NBA All-Star Game Betting Preview
Covers.com
Western Conference vs. Eastern Conference (+5.5, 318.5)
The NBA's showcase of its biggest stars will take place outside of the United States for the first time in history as the 65-edition of the NBA All-Star Game goes down at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada this Sunday. This year's game is expected to be the swan song for Los Angeles Lakers legend - and 18-time All-Star - Kobe Bryant, but all the big names will be there, including LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant.
The annual star-laden showcase has always been a high-scoring affair, but the last two years, its been at another level - the teams combined for a stunning 319.5 points over the last two games, with the East pulling out a 163-155 victory in 2014 and the West coming back with a 163-158 win last year. It was the West's fourth win in the last five year's and while the West may not be as dominant in year's past, the depth of their star-power and Kobe's significance to the game still has them as 5.5-point favorites according to bookmakers.
LINE HISTORY: The West opened as 5.5-point favorites and have yet to move off that number. The total has yet to be released.
ROSTERS:
West Starters - G Stephen Curry, G Russell Westbrook, F Kobe Bryant, F Kawhi Leonard, F Kevin Durant.
West Reserves - G Chris Paul, F LaMarcus Aldridge, G James Harden, C Anthony Davis, C DeMarcus Cousins, G Klay Thompson, F Draymond Green.
East Starters - G Dwyane Wade, G Kyle Lowry, F LeBron James, F Paul George, F Carmelo Anthony.
East Reserves - F Chris Bosh (injured), G John Wall, F Paul Millsap, G DeMar DeRozan, G Jimmy Butler (injured), C Andre Drummond, G Isaiah Thomas, F Pau Gasol (injury replacement), F Al Horford (injury replacement).
WHAT BOOKS SAY: "We moved to West -6 after an influx of action on that side today. The Kobe factor is certainly in full effect as the public believes the West will get the win in his swan song All-Star game. Currently, we have around 75 percent of the total wagers on the favorite and 65 percent of the handle. The over is getting hammered, per usual in this game, so we'll be rooting for a lot of missed shots." - Scott Cooley of BookMaker.eu.
ABOUT THE WESTERN CONFERENCE: The West is all about Kobe. Well, not really. While Kobe should get every opportunity from his co-workers to win another All-Star MVP, putting a cap on his outstanding career, this side is all about the West's top three teams and their stars. The Warriors' trio of Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, the Thunders' dynamic duo of Durant and Russell Westbrook and the Spurs' understated tandem of Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge.
ABOUT THE EASTERN CONFERENCE: The East's roster is led by the usual stalewarts of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony who have all suited up in All-Star games at least nine time apiece. Look for the East to get a boost from Raptors Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan playing in front of their home town crowd. First time All-Stars Isaiah Thomas and Andre Drummond should also look to impress in their first appearance in the showcase of teh league's best.
TRENDS:
* The West is 4-1 in the last five All-Star games, averaging 152.2 points per game.
* No All-Star team has scored less than 138 points in the last six games.
* The West has won the last four All-Star games when an East team was hosting.