NBA All-Star Game Betting Picks – Team LeBron vs. Team Giannis
In an effort to spice up the old East vs. West version of the NBA All-Star clash, the league did a drastic number last season taking the top two vote-getters from each conference and making them team captains.
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The following article is courtesy of Bookmaker.eu
The remaining eight elected starters were picked in the first round in a playground style draft. The format worked so well last year that the league is using it again for the 68th annual All-Star Game, taking place Sunday in Charlotte.
Team LeBron vs. Team Giannis
Date and Time: Sunday, February 17, 2019, 8 p.m. ET
Location: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
Opening NBA Odds: Team LeBron -6.5, O/U 316.5
Team LeBron vs. Team Giannis TV Coverage: TNT
The greatest collection of basketball talent in the world will be on display, culminating All-Star Weekend with the 68th playing of the All-Star Game. And the greatest player of his generation and one of the best ever is back at it. LeBron James may have changed teams this season, but his status in the game remains the same. The top vote-getter in the Western Conference, James will serve as a team captain for the second straight year.
James got it right last season, selecting the players that led Team LeBron to a victory over Stephen Curry’s group in a close 148-145 decision. The new format of captains picking teams and doing away with the conference set up was successful in producing the closest All-Star Game since 2012 when the West eked out a 152-149 win over the East.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is a front-runner for league MVP honors leading his Milwaukee Bucks to the best record in the Association through the unofficial first half of the season. The Greek Freak collected the second-most votes among the fans for the second year in a row. With James now in the West, Antetokounmpo rose into a captain’s role by topping the Eastern Conference in voting.
Another change last season was in terms of how the All-Stars were compensated. The game is just a glorified exhibition and no one wants to risk his career in a game that means nothing. A few extra sheckles in the pocket provided a little more intensity in last year’s game and we should see similar results with a little bit – a very little bit – of defense being played.
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Team LeBron
James selected a well-rounded assortment of players with scoring, size, ball-handling and even some defense. And that’s just the starters. Kevin Durant was taken with the first pick with Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden following. That’s a wicked group with plenty of flexibility. Leonard is a two-time defensive player of the year and Irving has rekindled his bromance with the King.
We also saw James select a number of players who will be free agents this summer, possibly doing some recruiting for next season’s Lakers team. The Pelicans and Lakers were negotiating a possible deal for Anthony Davis before talks faded. Surprise, AD is playing for LeBron. Ditto Klay Thompson, another player LA management would love to see in the Forum Blue and Gold next season.
Team Giannis
The league is losing its need for size and is becoming more of a position-less game with each passing year. Nonetheless, four players were listed as centers and Antetokounmpo selected three of them. Granted Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic aren’t centers in the true meaning of the position, but they aren’t used to running around the perimeter and how many non-center minutes can Giannis get out of them?
It almost seems like Antetokounmpo was suckered into making some picks by the wily old man on the other side. After all, James did this last year and put together a similar squad that went on to claim victory. Team Giannis will definitely have the size advantage, but it hardly matters when Harden, James and Durant are launching triples from Raleigh.
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Bet Team LeBron vs. Team Giannis at BookMaker.eu
When it comes to the All-Star Game it’s all about putting on a show for the fans. And the league has succeeded in doing that. We saw point totals climb to ridiculous numbers until the league stepped in last year and made some drastic changes to the format. Spreading the talent around and having a monetary incentive was a good move. It made the game closer and eventually more exciting.
The point total opened at a whopping 316.5, a number that was actually exceeded in four straight games from 2014 to 2017. The new format produced a score more in line with what we saw in the years leading up to the 2014 game and it’s likely to continue this season giving under bettors a chance to cash a winning ticket.
All-Star Game Score Prediction: Team LeBron 155, Team Giannis 143
