NBA All-Star Weekend will continue with some of the most anticipated events scheduled to take place at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland on Saturday night.
The NBA skills challenge will kick off Saturday’s slate followed by the three-point contest with the dunk contest closing the night on a high-flying note. The NBA All-Star Game is scheduled for Sunday with Team LeBron a 5.5-point favorite against Team Durant and over/under set at 321.5.
While some fans will be tuning in Saturday to see what NBA stars have to offer, there are others who will be watching because of a wager they made. And for those interested in doing the same, here are a few bets worthy of consideration, courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Taco Bell Skills Challenge
Team Rooks -125
Team Cavs +200
Team Antetokounmpos +320
Pick: Team Rooks -125
Fun storylines could hinder the lack of competitiveness in the event, and Team Rooks could be who capitalizes. Team Rooks will be made up of three Rising Stars selections including No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham (Pistons), No. 4 overall pick Scottie Barnes (Raptors) and No. 6 overall pick Josh Giddey (Thunder). They’re three perimeter players in an event based on shooting and passing with a team relay and half-court shot mixed in. Still, those three rookies enter with an advantage over Team Cavs, a group that will be made up of three players from the host city — NBA All-Stars Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland along with rookie Evan Mobley. That’s a group that includes two bigs (Allen, Mobley) and a point guard. Last but not least, Team Antetokounmpos will include the three brothers with NBA superstar Giannis, Milwaukee Bucks’ Thanasis and Alex of the NBA G League. It’ll be fun to see the three compete together, but they’re the contest’s long shot for a reason.
MTN DEW 3-Point Contest
Luke Kennard +400
Patty Mills +450
Trae Young +500
Fred VanVleet +550
Desmond Bane +600
Zach LaVine +650
CJ McCollum +800
Karl-Anthony Towns +1300
Pick(s): Patty Mills +450, CJ McCollum +800
There is no Steph Curry or Klay Thompson in the lineup this time around, and it essentially means there is not a major gap between anyone set to compete in the three-point contest.
Mills, who signed with the Brooklyn Nets after 10 seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, is shooting 42% from long range this season on a career-high 7.7 attempts per game. CBS Sports shared that Mills has shot 49.3% from 3-point range this season when wide open. Additionally, given the fact there’s not as large a gap as in years past, McCollum at 8-to-1, double the payout of the favored Kennard, may entice some. McCollum has shot 45.9% from long range when wide open this season — fourth in the contest behind Kennard (50.9%), Mills and Towns (48.1%).
AT&T Slam Dunk Contest
Jalen Green +140
Obi Toppin +200
Cole Anthony +330
Juan Toscano-Anderson +400
Pick: Obi Toppin +200
Toppin, the New York Knicks high-flying forward, is the only one of the four contestants who has dunk contest experience. The explosiveness of Green could make it a great showdown, but overall the athleticism and bounce of Toppin feels like this could be his event to lose.
