All Star Stuff

[Udog]

2019 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest odds and predictions: Redemption for Smith Jr.?
Rohit Ponnaiya

The NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contests might not have the big names it used to, but it still provides some "oohs and ahhs" along with betting intrigue. The players this year aren't as well known as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Vince Carter were during the Golden Age of the event, so allow us break down the odds and best bets for you.

Let's take a look at the last three competitions so we can get a feel for the sort of players that tend to win this event.

2016 - Zach Lavine was the defending champion in 2016 and was a huge favorite to repeat at -300. He ended up winning over Aaron Gordon (+550) who was tied for the second best odds with Will Barton.

2017 - Glenn Robinson III, won the competition in a big upset. He went in with the lowest odds and came out with a victory over Derrick Jones Jr.

2018 - Donovan Mitchell took last year's competition after coming in with the second best odds at +220. He went head-to-head with Larry Nance Jr. (who entered with the third best odds at +265) in the finals.

That brings us to the competitors this year:

Dennis Smith Jr. +175

Smith Jr. is the favorite for 2019, but he was also the favorite last year and didn't make it into the final. He has an extra year of experience in this event which might help but it might also make it more difficult for him to come up with something fresh. That being said there's a very good reason he has the best odds this year and this video (and Julius Randle) can attest to that.

John Collins +200

Collins might be the most underrated player in the league. The 21-year-old is averaging 19.8 ppg on 57.8 percent shooting, along with grabbing 9.4 rebounds per game, but playing for a team that is 19-38 will cause you to fly under the radar a little bit. He is the token big man in this contest, following in the footsteps of Nance Jr., DeAndre Jordan (2017) and Andre Drummond (2016).

Keep in mind that a power forward or center hasn't won this competition since Blake Griffin in 2011, and that it's simply just harder for taller players to wow the judges with their leaping ability when compared to their shorter peers. Collins felt he was snubbed by not being invited to this constest last year and takes pride in his dunking ability. if you don't believe us just listen to him in this highlight clip.

Miles Bridges + 250

The Charlotte Hornets rookie might be just 20 years old but he's been blowing away crowds with his leaping ability for years. Check out the air he gets on the dunks in this video.

As a bonus he will be competing in front of his home fans so you know he will bring it and the crowd will be firmly behind the youngster.

Hamidou Diallo +300

Diallo might be the least known competitor this year (he was just sent down to the G League) but as he shows in this video from 2016 he can sky with the best.

Not going to lie, all that video did for me was make me look forward to next year while praying that Zion Williamson will compete.

Prediction: Miles Bridges +250.

Smith Jr. couldn't win it last year (and lets be honest who really wants to vote for a favorite in a fun competition like this), taller guys like Collins always have a hard time winning, and Diallo is too much of an unknown. We're going with the Hornets rookie, he flashes the power that makes crowds gasp and the hometown fans could give him the edge.

[Udog]

2019 NBA All-Star three-point contest odds and predictions: Curry brothers battle
Rohit Ponnaiya

Perhaps nothing better represents basketball in this era more than the three-point shot. And this year's three-point contest, featuring four All-Stars and a future Hall of Famer in Dirk Nowitzki, might be the most anticipated event this NBA All-Star weekend. We break down the odds and best bets for the long-range competition.

2019 NBA All-Star Three-Point Contest Odds (note: odds may vary depending on the sportsbooks)

Stephen Curry, Warriors +200

Buddy Hield, Kings +450

Devin Booker, Suns +500

Seth Curry, Trail Blazers +600

Joe Harris, Nets +700

Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers +800

Danny Green, Raptors +1000

Khris Middleton, Bucks +1000

Kemba Walker, Hornets +1500

Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks +2000

To nobody's surprise Stephen Curry, perhaps the greatest shooter of all time, is the heavy favorite this year. Curry hasn't competed in this event since 2016, when he was also favored but finished in second place to teammate Klay Thompson (who will not be attending this year).

Curry is converting 44.7 percent of this threes this season, which is only slightly higher than the 43.7 percent conversion rate for his career. He won this competition in 2015 and is the favorite for good reason, but if you're looking for some other smart bets with superior payouts these are a few that appeal to us:

Devin Booker +500

Last year Booker had the second worst odds at +1000 and ended up beating the favorite Klay Thompon 28-25 in the finals. This year the Suns shooting guard is still flying a bit under the radar with his odds at +500. Booker is as streaky a shooter as any player in the NBA, and when he's on he just doesn't seem to miss.

Taking the defending champion with these odds isn't a bad play at all.

Seth Curry +600

One thing I've been mentioning about the odds for all these All-Star events, is that depending on the books these numbers can really vary. Nothing encapsulates that point more than Seth Curry. Steph's younger brother is a whopping +250 on one book, sitting just behind his brother as a favorite.

Seth is second in the league in three-point accuracy at 47.5 percent, albeit on far fewer attempts than most of the others in the top-20, so if you like his chances then a +600 payout or better has got be very appealing.

Kemba Walker +1500

Walker is definitely a long shot but there's a couple things that suggest he could join Booker and Eric Gordon (+900 in 2017) as surprise winners of this event.

One, this isn't his first rodeo, he competed in 2017 and despite +1100 odds he managed to finish in third place.

Two, Walker is not the catch-and-shoot kind of player that some other guys on this list are (cough*cough Joe Harris). He usually has to create his own shot while defenders practically hang off him, but still hits over three triples per game this season and converts at a rate of 36.7 percent. Being able to pick up balls off a rack and shoot without a hand in his face should come easy for him.

[Udog]

2019 NBA All-Star Skills Challenge odds and predictions: Doncic the favorite
Rohit Ponnaiya

The Skills Challenge is one of the most interesting competitions during the All-Star weekend: Eight NBA players go through an obstacle course which tests their dribbling skills, passing ability, agility and shooting. We break down the odds and best bets for the competition this year while analyzing the recent history of the event.

When you think of those basketball skills the first thing that pops into your mind would probably be a dynamic guard or silky-smooth wing, dribbling the length of the court, dazzling opponents and breaking ankles before finishing with a well-timed pass or flawless jumper.

Well it might come as some surprise to you how well seven-footers have done in this competition in recent histoy. Since they started inviting multiple big-men to this event in 2016, power forwards and centers have more than held than their own against their peers. Karl Anthony-Towns won the competition in 2016, Kristaps Porzingis won in 2017 and Lauri Markannen was runner up to Spencer Dinwiddie last year.

Here are the six players who made it into the finals of this competition since 2016, where they finished and how their odds were ranked before the event:



Yep, that's right, the player with the worst odds won the competition twice and the player with the second-worst odds won it the other year. Not to mention that Gordon Hayward had the lowest odds of all the guards and wings in 2017 but still beat them all out for a finals berth. If this tells us anything it's not to put too much stock in the pre-contest odds for this year:

2019 Skills Challenge Odds (Note: because of the nature of this event different books may have completely different odds)

Luka Doncic +250
Nikola Jokic +300
De'Aaron Fox +350
Trae Young +400
Jayson Tatum +600
Mike Conley +700
Kyle Kuzma +800
Nikola Vucevic +1000

So even with Vucevic being the biggest underdog don't be so quick to count the massive Montenegrin out.

If you want to bet on this contest, just go with whatever your gut tells you. I know my gut is telling me to expect a finals between Conley and Jokic but only because I'm a huge fan of the Grizzlies point guard and think Jokic's experience from competing in this event two years ago as an injury replacement can only help.

[Udog]

All-Star Props & Odds

The 2019 NBA All-Star weekend takes place at the Spectrum Center from Charlotte, North Carolina between Friday, Feb. 15 and Sunday, Feb. 17.

Books are offering up odds on the main events before the game on Friday and Saturday, which include the popular Slam Dunk Contest and the 3-Point Contest.

Friday, Feb. 15

2019 NBA All-Star Rising Stars Winner

Team U.S. -135
Team World +115

2019 NBA All-Star Rising Stars MVP

Ben Simmons (PHI) +400
Luka Doncic (DAL) +400
Donovan Mitchell (UTA) +900
Jayson Tatum (BOS) +900
Deandre Ayton (PHX) +1000
Kyle Kuzma (LAK) +1000
Bogdan Bogdanovic (SAC) +1200
De'Aaron Fox (SAC) +1200
Lauri Markkanen (CHI) +1200
OG Anunoby (TOR) +1200
Trae Young (ATL) +1400
Jaren Jackson Jr. (MEM) +2000
John Collins (ATL) +2000
Kevin Knox (NYK) +2000
Marvin Bagley III (SAC) +2000
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (LAC) +2000
Cedi Osman (CLE) +3300
Jarret Allen (BKN) +4000
Josh Okogie (MIN) +4000
Rodions Kurucs (BKN) +4000

Saturday, Feb. 16

2019 NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest Winner

Stephen Curry (GSW) +200
Devin Booker (PHX) +450
Seth Curry (POR) +500
Buddy Hield (SAC) +550
Joe Harris (BKN) +700
Damien Lillard (POR) +800
Danny Green (TOR) +1000
Khris Middleton (MIL) +1000
Dirk Nowitzki (DAL) +1200
Kemba Walker (CHA) +1200

2019 NBA All-Star Skills Challenge Winner

De'Aaron Fox (SAC) +300
Luka Doncic (DAL) +400
Trae Young (ATL) +400
Mike Conley (MEM) +550
Nikola Jokic (DEN) +600
Jayson Tatum (BOS) +650
Kyle Kuzma (LAK) +700
Nikola Vucevic (ORL) +800

2019 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest Winner

Dennis Smith Jr. (NYK) +150
John Collins (ATL) +250
Miles Bridges (CHA) +275
Hamidou Diallo (OKC) +300

Sunday, Feb. 17

2019 NBA All-Star Game MVP

Giannis Antetokounmpo (GIA) +600
Kevin Durant (LBJ) +600
LeBron James (LBJ) +650
Stephen Curry (GIA) +700
Kemba Walker (GIA) +750
Joel Embiid (GIA) +850
Paul George (GIA) +850
Kyrie Irving (LBJ) +900
Anthony Davis (LBJ) +1000
James Harden (LBJ) +1000
Russell Westbrook (GIA) +1200
Kawhi Leonard (LBJ) +1400
Dwyane Wade (LBJ) +2000
Ben Simmons (LBJ) +3300
Blake Griffin (GIA) +3300
Bradley Beal (LBJ) +4000
Damian Lillard (LBJ) +4000
Karl-Anthony Towns (LBJ) +4000
Klay Thompson (LBJ) +4000
Dirk Nowitzki (GIA) +5000
LeMarcus Aldrigde (LBJ) +5000
Kyle Lowry (GIA) +6600
Nikola Jokic (GIA) +6600
Khris Middleton (GIA) +8000
D'Angelo Russell (GIA) +10000
Nikola Vucevic (GIA) +10000

[Udog]

NBA's Top ATS Teams at the All-Star Break:

1. Bucks 34-20-3 ATS
2. Mavs 34-22-1 ATS
3. Kings 34-23 ATS
4. Thunder 33-24 ATS
5. Nets 33-26 ATS
6. Magic 32-26-1 ATS
7. Clippers 32-27 ATS
8. Blazers 31-26 ATS

[Udog]

NBA's Worst ATS Teams at the All-Star Break:

30. Knicks 24-33-1 ATS
29. Suns 25-34 ATS
28. Warriors 24-32-1 ATS
27. Hawks 25-33 ATS
26. Lakers 24-31-2 ATS
t25. Cavaliers 25-32-1 ATS
t25. Bulls 25-32-1 ATS

[Udog]

NBA's Top Over Teams at the All-Star Break:

t1. Spurs 36-22-1
t1. Wizards 36-22
3. Celtics 34-24
4. Rockets 32-24-1
5. Hawks 32-26
t6. Warrior 31-26
t6. Timberwolves 31-26
t8. Raptors 32-27
t8. Nets 32-27

[Udog]

NBA's Top Under Teams at the All-Star Break:

1. Grizzlies 36-23
2. Lakers 34-22-1
3. Pacers 34-24
4. Bulls 32-25-1
t5. Pistons 31-25
t5. Mavs 31-25-1
t7. Magic 32-27
t7. Suns 32-27

[Udog]

Betting odds for Friday night's 2019 Mountain Dew Ice Rising Stars game from Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.
World All-Stars +3
USA All-Stars -3
Total: 290.5

[Udog]

Slam Dunk Odds & Props
Tom Wilkinson

The NBA All-Star Slam Dunk contest takes place on Saturday night in Charlotte, North Carolina, with Dennis Smith Jr. of the New York Knicks listed as the favorite.

A field of four players will compete for the title, as joining Smith will be Charlotte’s Miles Bridges, Oklahoma City’s Hamidou Diallo and Atlanta’s John Collins. Smith is the only player with previous experience in this contest, as he finished third last year. Let’s look at the latest odds and picks.

2019 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest Odds
Dennis Smith Jr. +150
John Collins +200
Miles Bridges +275
Hamidou Diallo +300

The Slam Dunk contest is part of NBA All-Star weekend on Saturday night in Charlotte. Smith Jr. does have experience in this event but experience doesn’t always mean much. Bridges will have the home crowd advantage, as he looks to become the first player to win the contest in his home arena since Blake Griffin in 2011. Smith will also have a lot of fans cheering for him, as he grew up in North Carolina and sent to NC State.

Smith has gotten some action on the betting board, as he was the second choice in the betting when the odds first came out and he is now the favorite. He did have a great 50-point dunk in the opening round last year but he still didn’t make it to the finals. Smith is just 6’3” so he needs to be creative and show some hang time to win this event, because he won’t win it with power.

Collins opened up as the favorite in this event, but he is now the second choice. Collins is a much bigger player than Smith at 6’10”. Collins will have the raw power and if he can come up with something creative he could very well win this contest. History is against Collins though, as the last big man to win the contest was Blake Griffin in 2011.

Bridges is going to get a lot of help from the crowd since he plays for the Hornets and this event is held in Charlotte. Bridges is 6’7” and he has good power and creativity. Bridges said he has planned for this contest and he will have some new dunks. "I'm definitely going to have to do a lot of great dunks that people haven't seen before," Bridges said to the media, "Just bring excitement back to Charlotte. ...The stuff I've got planned is pretty good." Bridges has the length to do some exciting dunks and it would not be a surprise to see him win this contest.

Diallo is the longshot in this event, but just barely. He is 6’5” and a shooting guard for the Thunder. Before you throw him out, it should be noted he has competed in lower level dunk contests in the past. He also said he will have some new creativity for the contest. "The dunks they used to do then are not in style anymore," Diallo said to the media, “People have seen those kinds of dunks in games and stuff like that, so you can't really bring that to a contest. So you've got to be really creative and really use the Internet to your advantage." Diallo would be an interesting longshot if you could get him at +600 or more, but there is not much value in him at +300.

NBA Slam Dunk Contest Pick

I am not surprised the odds have moved toward Smith, as I think he has a better chance to win the contest than Collins. I don’t, however, think there is much value in taking him at +150. I think the best value is on Bridges. He has two things going for him in this contest. First, he is probably the most athletic of the four players, so he can combine power and creativity. Second, he will have the crowd support for this contest. If it is close, the crowd support could be the difference, so I will take Bridges to win at +275.

[Udog]

Three-Point Contest - Best Bet
Kyle Markus

Stephen Curry has a splash brother in Golden State with Klay Thompson, but what about his real brother? Steph and younger sibling Seth will be among the top participants in the Three-Point Shooting Contest during All-Star Weekend.

Steph Curry might be the best shooter in NBA history, which makes it no surprise that the oddsmakers have instituted him as the favorite to win the event this year. While Steph and Seth Curry might be the main attractions, there are plenty of other big names and sweet shooters in the field.

Suns shooting guard Devin Booker is the defending champion of the Three-Point Contest and he will aim to defend his crown. While the dunk contest gets more publicity, the three-point shootouts have been fun to watch over the years and this event should be a lot of fun with the Currys leading the way in NBA gambling.

The Three-Point Contest will be held at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 16th, 2019. The showcase will be nationally televised on ESPN.

Odds Analysis

Steph Curry is used to taking three-pointers at a high level of difficulty and giving him open looks almost seems unfair. His odds to win the event are listed at +225, which is easily the best among the contenders. Curry won the Three-Point Contest back in 2015 when it was held in New York City.

Seth Curry isn’t quite the sharpshooter of his brother but is also potent from downtown. He has the second-best odds in the field at +468, but that seems like some of it is on name recognition. Stay away from any wager on Seth Curry.

Booker has struggled with injuries this season and the Suns are once again one of the worst teams in the NBA. However, there is no questioning his long-range ability. Booker won last year at the Staples Center and set the record for points in a round with 28. His odds of defending the championship are set at +523.

Buddy Hield has put together a breakout season with the Kings this year and has solid odds to win the Three-Point contest at +500. Other expected contenders include Joe Harris at +678 odds and Damian Lillard at +745 odds.

After this group, there are some longshot choices in the field. Milwaukee forward Khris Middleton’s odds are listed at +1105, followed by Kemba Walker at +1143 and Danny Green at +1400. Former Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki is on his last NBA legs and is in the three-point contest as more of a courtesy to him. Unsurprisingly, Nowitzki has the longest odds in the field at +2668 as he is not a true threat to truly win it.

Free NBA ATS Picks

In a contest such as this, there is enough random variance that the best shooters won’t always win. However, Stephen Curry is such a gifted long-range bomber that it’s impossible to ignore his greatness.

Curry has won the three-point contest once before and is a showman at heart. His competitive juices will be flowing with little brother Seth in the field. Steph Curry has good odds and they should be jumped on. Sometimes the most obvious choice is the right one. Booker should make a nice run once again but Steph Curry will hold him off for the title to add yet another honor to his prolific resume in NBA odds.

Even though the regular season games are on hiatus, All-Star Weekend still gives gamblers plenty of events to wager on, and the three-point contest is always one of the most fun to watch.

NBA ATS Pick: Stephen Curry to win the three-point contest

[Udog]

Team LeBron vs Team Giannis NBA All-Star Game betting picks and predictions

The favorite has covered the spread in the NBA All-Star Game in five straight seasons and this time around LeBron James has selected the favored squad personally.

The best and brightest stars in the basketball universe converge upon Spectrum Center in Charlotte on Sunday night in the latest edition of the NBA All-Star Game. It’s the second year the mid-season spectacle has gone pick-up style, with captains LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo choosing their respective squads. The result: Teammates facing off against each other, and allegiances you would never see outside of an Olympic Games.

Before last season, “defense is optional” didn’t even properly describe the All-Star Game and the compete level was at an all-time low after 192-182 West victory in New Orleans back in 2017. So, last year’s result made the new format was a resounding success. Team LeBron defeated Team Steph 148-145 in a game where the intensity turned up in the fourth quarter and came down to the final possession. Will this year’s edition put the Buzz in Buzz City and will Team Giannis put a stop to the Team LeBron All-Star Dynasty before it really gets going? We break down the best ways to wager the NBA All-Star Game.
Team LeBron vs Team Giannis (+5.5, 312)

First things first, here are the rosters for Team LeBron and Team Giannis:



QUICK HITTER

While many can make fun of the “GM” job LeBron has done over the course of his career, there is no denying that the King can sure put together an All-Star roster. LeBron is at his best when he is surrounded with shooters and that’s exactly how he built his team. He took Kevin Durant with his first pick (thanks to being the leading overall vote getter) and followed that up with James Harden and Kyrie Irving. Heck, his last starter pick was MVP candidate Kawhi Leonard. All five can shoot from deep and create their own shots.

It will be interesting to see who Joel Embiid will open the game covering. With James, Harden and Irving all elite playmakers, they could take advantage of the Philly big man not having a natural position to defend and find some open shooters and nab an early advantage.

PREDICTION: Race to 20 – Team LeBron (-150)

FIRST HALF BET

After seeing 374 total points two year’s ago and 369 the year before that, last year’s game was the first time since 2013 that neither team hit 150 points in the All-Star Game, but oddsmakers are expecting a bit of a regression to the mean we have seen for the majority of this decade, as the total currently sits a 312. But if things remain at least a little like last year, the opening half will be the one that is more carefree and lose, before things tighten up in the second half.

Last season 154 points were scored in the first half, while just 139 were scored in the second. Of those 154, 81 came in the second quarter, which makes a lot of sense. The starters will have found their groove and the reinforcements will come out firing. Expect a similar result this time around.

PREDICTION: Highest scoring quarter – 2nd (+270)

MVP Odds

The All-Star game MVP is essentially a crap shoot. Anyone could win it and it wouldn’t be a surprise. Steph Curry winning in his hometown would be a nice little story, so he’s got a little value. A much more fun player to back would be a guy like Nikola Jokic, whose skills can flourish in an All-Star setting and has crazy good value. Here’s the complete odds for the NBA All-Star Game MVP:



FULL GAME TOTAL

Last year was just the second time in eight years the All-Star Game went Under the total. It was of course record total of 334 after years of lackadaisical play. The total for this year’s edition of the NBA All-Star Game has settled around 312 at most sportsbooks. That’s quite the drastic change. But the game played out much different than in years past and went Under by a whopping 41 points. Like we said before, oddsmakers are expecting a bit of a regression to the mean here, but that’s still an expected increase of nearly 20 points.

If last year was any indication of how this year will be played that number is too high. So, while it looks like Giannis got a little out foxed on draft night, his reasoning for picking a lot of first-time All-Stars was that he thought they would “play harder.” Sounds like maybe a little defense will be played Sunday night.

PREDICTION: Under 312

FULL GAME SIDE

Tampering jokes aside. A quick glance at the teams is all it takes to see that LeBron selected the better squad here. Even if Anthony Davis is unable to suit up, the benches are ridiculously uneven. Team James will have the like of Davis. Karl-Anthony Towns and LaMarcus Aldridge to deal with Team Giannis’ big men. Plus, he has even more shooters with Klay Thompson, Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal coming off the bench.

Tampering jokes not aside, James is going to want to give his potential free agent targets a first-hand showcase of what playing with him everyday will be like. Some may like this pitch more than others, but either way it should promote a competitive environment. Team LeBron goes to a perfect 2-0 SU/ATS in All-Star games as the favorite will cover the NBA All-Star game for the sixth straight year.

PREDICTION: Team LeBron -5.5