Team LeBron the Betting Favorite on NBA All-Star Game Odds
A year ago, LeBron James led his own hand-picked All-Star squad to a 148-145 victory against Stephen Curry's team in his then-future home of the Staples Center in Los Angeles. This year, James is again leading Team LeBron as a six-point betting favorite on the NBA All-Star Game odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com against Team Giannis at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte.
James totaled 29 points and 10 rebounds to win All-Star Game MVP honors for the third time last year leading a team that also included a pair of current Golden State Warriors in Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins plus former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate Kyrie Irving and one player he hopes will be a future teammate in Anthony Davis.
The Los Angeles Lakers star picked Durant, Irving and Davis this year as well while James Harden of the Houston Rockets and Kawhi Leonard of the Toronto Raptors will join the starting lineup. Davis was picked as a reserve this time but may miss the game due to a shoulder injury suffered in Thursday's 131-122 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks looks to be the top challenger for Harden in the NBA MVP race, although his All-Star team will have a tough time pulling off the upset here. Antetokounmpo will have Curry on his side in the starting lineup along with Kemba Walker of the hometown Hornets, Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers and Paul George of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
George's Thunder teammate Russell Westbrook might be the top reserve in the game for Team Giannis after turning in 11 consecutive triple-doubles, but will they have enough firepower?
Curry and Walker will also be competing in the Three-Point Contest on All-Star Saturday Night, with the latter offering great value as the sentimental best bet at +900 odds (bet $100 to win $900). Curry—who ranks second in the league this season with 236 three-pointers—is the +175 favorite as he tries to win it for the first time in four years.
Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns is the defending champion and the co-second choice at +450 with Buddy Hield of the Sacramento Kings. Harden leads the NBA with 274 three-pointers but is not competing.
In the Slam Dunk Contest, New York Knicks point guard Dennis Smith Jr. is a slight +200 favorite on the NBA odds over Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins (+225), Hornets forward Miles Bridges (+225) and Thunder guard Hamidou Diallo (+400).
Smith finished third last year behind Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. and Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, who won it last year but will not be back to defend his title. As in the Three-Point Contest, go with the local Charlotte player Bridges as the pick to win the Slam Dunk Contest.
