2022 NBA Dunk Contest Odds & Picks – Jalen Green, Obi Toppin Co-Favorites
- The NBA Slam Dunk Contest will be held Saturday night at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland
- Jalen Green and Obi Toppin are co-favorites at +180
- Toppin finished in second place in last year’s contest – see who we like below
The oddsmakers can’t decide on a clear-cut favorite for the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, which will be held Saturday night at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland.
The Houston Rockets’ Jalen Green and New York Knicks’ Obi Toppin are co-favorites at +180. Rounding the four-man field is the Orlando Magic’s Cole Anthony and Golden State Warriors’ Juan Toscano-Anderson.
2022 NBA Slam Dunk Contest Odds
Contestant | Odds |
---|---|
Jalen Green (Rockets) | +180 |
Obi Toppin (Knicks) | +180 |
Cole Anthony (Magic) | +280 |
Juan Toscano-Anderson (Warriors) | +500 |
Odds as of February 18th at Barstool.
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At +180, Green and Toppin have implied win probabilities of 35.71%. The dunk contest will be the third and final event of All-Star Saturday, which begins at 8pm ET and will be televised by TNT, following the Skills Challenge and Three-Point Contest.
Dunk Contest Previous Results
A look at the last five Dunk Contest winners does not show any specific trends on what type of player might impress the judges more.
Two wing players, Glenn Robinson III (2017) and Hamidou Diallo (2019), have won the crown. So have two guards in Donovan Mitchell (2018) and Anfernee Simons (2021), and one forward in Derrick Jones Jr (2020).
Anfernee Simons is the 2021 Dunk Contest champion 🏆#NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/wDir2SwB1s
— ESPN (@espn) March 8, 2021
Mitchell and Diallo both took home the trophy in their rookie seasons. Robinson and Simons were in their third seasons and Jones was a four-year veteran.
This year’s contestants include a rookie guard (Green), a second-year forward (Toppin), a second-year guard (Anthony) and a third-year wing (Toscano-Anderson).
Obi Toppin Betting Analysis
From an experience standpoint, Toppin has an edge as the only contestant who has previously participated in the Slam Dunk Contest.
Toppin lost by one point to Simons last year in Atlanta. The former Dayton standout, who was noted for his dunks as a college player, had 94 points and Simons finished with 95.
new work 🎥✂️: Obi Toppin x Slam Dunk Contest 2022 #NewYorkForever pic.twitter.com/79LWAXHETg
— Myles Tanner (@MylesT_ST) February 10, 2022
The other contestant was Cassius Stanley. He finished a distant third with 81 points.
The 6-foot-9 Toppin has an outstanding blend of size and athleticism, though it hasn’t translated into great results in games. He is averaging 5.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 15.1 minutes this season for the disappointing Knicks.
Jalen Green Betting Outlook
Despite just turning 20 earlier this month, Green carries himself with the swagger of a veteran. That type of attitude should help him in the Dunk Contest.
Green readily admits to being a showman. That is something he has shown all season after being the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft following one season with Ignite in the G League.
Jalen Green practicing for the dunk contest 🔥 pic.twitter.com/wAw8Q6cWoc
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 11, 2022
Considered an integral part of the rebuilding Rockets’ future, Green is averaging 14.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 30.4 minutes.
Cole Anthony Betting Analysis
Anthony is the son of former NBA guard Greg Anthony and that could play on the judges’ emotions. The younger Anthony seems certain to break out one of the jerseys his dad wore while playing for six teams in an 11-year career that spanned from 1992-2002.
That’s not to say Cole Anthony could not win the contest on his own merits, as he was the 15th overall pick in the 2020 draft from North Carolina. He is an explosive player and one of the key building blocks for the Magic, who tore their roster apart at last season’s trade deadline.
Cole Anthony getting Dunk Contest ready for tomorrow 🤩 @The_ColeAnthony #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/za70XCxmy0
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 18, 2022
Anthony is contributing 17.7 points, 5.9 assists and 5.8 rebounds while playing 33 minutes a game.
Juan Toscano-Anderson Betting Outlook
Toscano-Anderson often gets overlooked on a star-studded Warriors team that includes Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson. He has been limited to just 14.5 minutes a game this season.
However, Toscano-Anderson can make his mark Saturday night because of his leaping ability.
JTA for the dunk contest please! Juan Toscano-Anderson just sent jaVale McGee to middle earth. pic.twitter.com/kyi8h8mWtn
— At The Buzzer (@AtTheBuzzer1) December 4, 2021
Winning would be the highlight of the season for a player with averages of just 4.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists – unless, of course, the Warriors wind up winning the NBA title.
2022 NBA Slam Dunk Winner Prediction
The oddsmakers have it right by making Toppin and Green co-favorites. They are the class of the field. Look for Green to win it as he is built for moments like this.
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