NBA All-Star Odds – Will Curry, LaVine Defend Titles?

The second weekend in February brings the NBA’s All-Star festivities north of the border. While Sunday’s game might be the main event, the skills competition offers fans the chance to watch the best athletes in the world display their various talents, and of course, wager on who will win.

We don’t know exactly who will vie for the title in the Three-Point Contest, Slam Dunk Contest, and Skills Challenge, but we do know which players have the chops to win.

Let’s look at some possible candidates and odds.

2016 NBA All-Star Odds

Odds to win the 2016 Three-Point Contest

Steph Curry (1/1)

The best shooter on the planet, and reigning NBA MVP, won this competition last year. He has hit 25-percent more triples than any other player in the league this year. There’s no betting value on one of the greatest shooters of all time, but bet against him at your own peril.

JJ Redick (9/2)

He ranks just outside the top-ten in three pointers made this year while connecting on over 48-percent of his attempts, second in the league. The former Duke star was fifth in the NBA last season with 200 threes while hitting at a 44-percent clip, sixth in the association.

Kyle Korver (6/1)

In 2014-15, he was was second in the league in three -point percentage, and third in total triples made. This year, he not been nearly as potent. But the veteran is a career 43-percent shooter from outside the arc and has been over 45-percent four times in his career.

Odds to win the 2016 Slam Dunk Contest

Zach LaVine (3/2)

The Wolves’ electrifying youngster won the prize last year and has turned into a talented overall player. He’ll be looking to become the first player to win back-to-back dunk titles since the diminutive Nate Robinson in 2009 and 2010.

Victor Oladipo (7/2)

The runner-up in last year’s contest, Oladipo’s defensive issues don’t matter in the dunk contest. He earns points for his creativity and ability to bring down the house with a wide array of slams.

Terrence Ross (5/1)

The All-Star Game is in Toronto, and the hometown high-flyer will be a popular choice among fans. The windmill he threw down against the Clippers in October was mesmerizing.  He was called for traveling, but there are no referees in the dunk contest.

Odds to win the 2016 Skills Challenge

Damian Lillard (3/2)

A two-time champion in this event, the Blazers guard should be fully back from injuries and ready to battle in a competition that really combines his greatest skills: ball handling, passing, and agility.

Trey Burke (5/1)

Burke has looked strong in this competition each of the last two years and, though he’s not having his best season, he coming on recently. He might be heating up just as the skill competition nears.

Patrick Beverley (5/1)

The surprise winner of this event last year, the Houston guard is a steady presence in the Rockets lineup. He’ll have confidence as the defending champ.

(Photo credit: Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA (Stephen Curry) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons. Photo has been cropped.)