NBA HORSE: Odds, Prediction, & Schedule
We've got basketball today! Well, we sort of have basketball today. The NBA has been suspended for a month now, and the plans for a return are still unknown. Thankfully, however, the league is attempting to hold basketball fans over as the COVID-19 pandemic prevents players from returning to action.
Soon, ESPN and the NBA will wrap up the players-only NBA2K20 tournament, which started a little over a week ago. Now, ESPN and the NBA will host the highly-anticipated HORSE competition between current and former NBA and WNBA prospects.
Who's Involved?
When word got out that a professional HORSE competition was in the works, ESPN's NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski teased that it would be a 'high-profile' game. It took a few days before any prospects were locked in to compete for the competition, but eventually, we learned that five current NBA/WNBA players and three former players were involved.
From the NBA, the current stars involved include Chris Paul, Zach LaVine, Mike Conley Jr., and Trae Young. Chicago Sky's Allie Quigley will represent the WNBA. Meanwhile, Paul Pierce, Tamika Catchings, and Chauncey Billups will get back in action for the tournament to represent the past generations of the game.
What're the Odds?
- Trae Young: +200
- Chris Paul: +285
- Zach LaVine: +400
- Mike Conley Jr.: +450
- Paul Pierce: +600
- Chauncey Billups: +900
- Allie Quigley: +1100
- Tamika Catchings: +1600
*Odds Provided by OddsShark
A Personal Prediction
Predicting a game of HORSE is extremely challenging. Everybody involved can shoot, but it's truly anybody's game. LeBron James' highly-documented HORSE loss to a non-NBA player recently proved that it doesn't matter how good you are on the court; it's all about what tricks you can pull out of the bag.
Throughout my research, I've discovered that Chris Paul has been garnering a lot of favoritism for this game because he's the talented seasoned-veteran, who was really heating up for OKC this year. Honestly, I wouldn't prefer to go with a top favorite in this game. There's no obvious winner to predict.
But if I had to put money on anybody (for the record, I am not), it would be Chicago Bulls' Zach LaVine. Now, I do have to note that dunking is prohibited, which is a severe blow for LaVine. However, just because there's no dunking involved, doesn't mean LaVine cannot use his dunk competition experience to his advantage. He's had to get creative before, and I believe LaVine will pull off some unexpected trick-shots.
An Overview of the Schedule
The competition will begin on Sunday, April 12th, 2020, at 7 pm EST. The event is set to run until 11 pm. The first matchups in place are Trae Young vs. Chauncey Billups, Tamika Catchings vs. Mike Conley Jr., Zach LaVine vs. Paul Pierce, and Chris Paul vs. Allie Quigley. ESPN NBA commentator, Mark Jones will host the event.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_
