NBA All-Star Saturday Odds: Will the Young Stars Shine in Dunk Contest, Three-Point Contest and More?
NBA All-Star Saturday Odds: Will the Young Stars Shine in Dunk Contest, Three-Point Contest and More?
NBA All-Star Saturday is one of the most fun nights of the NBA season. We get to see the Skills challenge, the 3-point contest, and the slam dunk contest. The night is a fan favorite, and has now become a place for young stars to show out. Oddsmakers don’t expect this year to be any different.
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NBA Skills Challenge Odds
The Skills Challenge is getting changed up this year with teams of 3 joining together in an attempt to prove who the most skilled trio in the NBA is. This year the three trios are Team Antetokounmpo, consisting of Giannis and his brothers Thansis and Alex, Team Cavs, featuring Darius Garland, Jarret Allen, and Evan Mobley, and Team Rookies, with Scottie Barnes, Cade Cunningham, and Josh Giddey.
Oddsmakers have a runaway favorite here, Team Rookies. The rookies are given -155 odds, or an implied 60.8% chance to win the Skills Challenge. Their biggest threat is Team Cavs, oddsmakers give them +225 odds, or an implied 30.8% chance. Bringing up the rear is Team Antetokounmpo at +375, or an implied 21.1% chance.
The odds aren’t that surprising. The rookie consists of three guys who can shoot and pass at a high level. The Cavs team lacks shooters, but may be the most talented total team. Meanwhile, the Antetokounmpos have one player who’s not on an NBA roster and another who’s averaging less than 10 minutes a game.
| Team | Odds | Implied chance |
|---|---|---|
| Rookies | -155 | 60.8% |
| Cavs | +225 | 30.8% |
| Antetokounmpo | +375 | 21.1% |
3-Point Contest Odds
The 3-points contest will have a new champion. None of the 8 competitors in this year’s contest has won the event before. Oddsmakers don’t know what to make of it.
5 of the players are essentially tied. Trae Young and Patty Mills are the favorites at +425, or an implied 19% chance to win. Luke Kennard is right behind at +450, or an implied 18.2% chance. Fred VanVleet is given +475 odds, or an implied 17.4%. Desmond Bane is at +500, or an implied 16.7%. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see any of them win the event.
Only two players are given worse than +1000 odds, CJ McCollum at +1100 and Karl Anthony Towns at +1400. Of course, KAT is looking to become the first big man to win the event since Kevin Love in 2012.
| Player | Odds | Implied chance |
|---|---|---|
| Trae Young | +425 | 19% |
| Patty Mills | +425 | 19% |
| Luke Kennard | +450 | 18.2% |
| Fred VanVleet | +475 | 17.4% |
| Desmond Bane | +500 | 16.7% |
| Zach Lavine | +850 | 10.5% |
| CJ McCollum | +1100 | 8.1% |
| Karl Anthony-Towns | +1400 | 6.7% |
Slam Dunk Contest Odds
The slam dunk contest used to be one of the highlights of the regular season. However, in recent years star players just stopped participating. Now the event Is often filled with rookie or bench players that hardly get to see the floor. In fact, there have been different winners of the event in each of the last 5 years, and this year will be 6.
Oddsmakers are backing #2 pick Jalen Green. He’s being given +130 odds, or an implied 43.5% chance to win. Obi Toppin returns with +210 odds, or an implied 32.3% chance to avenge last year’s loss.
Cole Anthony is given +350 odds, or an implied 22.2% chance to win. Last is Warriors' bench piece Juan Toscano-Anderson at +600, or an implied 14.3% chance to surprise the fans at home.
| Player | Odds | Implied chance |
|---|---|---|
| Jalen Green | +130 | 43.5% |
| Obi Toppin | +210 | 32.3% |
| Cole Anthony | +350 | 22.2% |
| Juan Toscano-Anderson | +600 | 14.3% |
A PR Associate at @OddsCheckerUS. Available for Podcasts, Radio, and TV. Quoted in Forbes, Chicago Tribune, Sports Illustrated, and more.