NBA All Star Weekend Contest Betting 2016: Skills Challenge, Slam Dunk, More
Carrie Stroup here with your NBA All Star Weekend Contest betting for the Skills Challenge, Slam Dunk Contest and the 3-Point Contest.
NBA Skills Challenge Betting Preview
Saturday, Feb. 12 at 8:30 pm ET - Air Canada Centre
For the first time ever, there will be guards, forwards and big men competing in the Skills Challenge on Saturday. This event used to feature only guards, but there will now be a tournament and one side of the bracket will feature big men and the other will have only guards.
The 2015 champion was Patrick Beverley, but he is injured and will not be featured in this year’s installment. The field will, however, include Isaiah Thomas (+180), C.J. McCollum (+350), Draymond Green (+450), Jordan Clarkson (+450), DeMarcus Cousins (+1200), Emmanuel Mudiay (+650), Anthony Davis (+1200) and Karl-Anthony Towns (+1500). With such an interesting mix of players, here is a list of the guys to really keep an eye on Saturday:
C.J. McCollum (+350) - McCollum is an excellent pick to win the skills competition. The Blazers guard is enjoying a breakout season, averaging 20.7 PPG, 4.2 APG, 3.6 RPG and 1.2 SPG. The reason he is such a threat to win this event is because he has a very balanced game. He can do pretty much anything on the basketball court and does not have the athleticism of his competitors. He is a finesse player and that bodes well for this competition. He is worth putting a few units on.
Jordan Clarkson (+450) - Like McCollum, Clarkson is another guy that can do a lot of things on the basketball court. Clarkson alternates between playing the point and playing shooting guard for the Lakers and he has really improved over the past few seasons. Clarkson is very fast and can shoot the ball, as he is now hitting 42.9% of his threes over the past five games. He’s somebody to really keep an eye on coming into this even, as he could blaze through the speed portions of the course and is now capable of drilling the top of they key jumper.
DeMarcus Cousins (+1200) - If there’s a big guy in this event that is going to come away with the victory then it’s Cousins. The Kings’ All-Star center is one of the most skilled big men the league has ever seen. He is a very good ball handler for somebody at his size and has expanded his range this season. Cousins is shooting 34.9% from the outside this season and that will come in handy with the top of the key shot. He is also a gifted passer, as evidenced by his 3.2 APG this season. At +1200, Cousins really is the only guy from the big man side that is worth putting a unit or two on.
Slam Dunk Contest Betting Preview
Saturday, Feb. 12 at 8:30 pm ET - Air Canada Centre
Odds to win the Slam Dunk Contest
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, Feb. 12 at 8:30 pm ET - Air Canada Centre
Odds to win the Contest
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.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
