Power Narrowly Favored to Win 2019 BIG3 Basketball Championship
- Power won the BIG3 Championship last season
- The league has now expanded to 13 teams
- There could be value with 3 Headed Monsters, who finished 7-1 last season
Ice Cube and company are back for the third season of the BIG3 3-on-3 league. It’s a nice little bridge of summer basketball as we work our way through the NBA offseason.
Sportsbooks have posted odds on the third season of action and Power are favored. Are they the best bet on the board?
2020 BIG3 Championship Odds
| Team | 2019 BIG3 Championship Odds |
|---|---|
| Power | +550 |
| Enemies | +600 |
| Triplets | +600 |
| 3 Headed Monsters | +650 |
| 3’s Company | +700 |
| Aliens | +700 |
| Trilogy | +700 |
| Killer 3’s | +800 |
| Tri State | +800 |
| Bivouac | +859 |
| Ball Hogs | +1400 |
| Ghost Ballers | +1400 |
Odds taken 06/24/19.
Power Captured Second Season
The Power were the best team in the BIG3 last season from start to finish, so it was no surprise that they ended up as the champs. The team, which was comprised of Corey Maggette, Cuttino Mobley, Glen Davis, Chris Andersen and others, won seven of their eight regular-season games and clinched the top spot in the standings.
This was a balanced roster as Maggette proved to be the league’s MVP, Birdman was named Defensive Player of the Year while leading the league with 1.4 blocks per game, and Nancy Lieberman was named coach of the year. They only lost one game all season long, which shows just how cohesive they were.
Can Power Run it Back?
One of the key storylines heading into the 2019 season will be who can stop Power. There are rosters that have more talent – especially teams like Tri State, who have Jermaine O’Neal, Nate Robinson, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Jason Richardson – but Power’s team chemistry just seems perfect.
When you take a look at what happened around the league last season, six of the eight teams were 5-3 or worse and four of those six teams were at .500 or worse. The league was top-heavy. We’ll have to see if that changes in 2019.
Enemies Look Strong on Paper
It’s important to note that the BIG3 is expanding as there will now be 13 teams in the league in its third season. One of those teams that looks particularly strong is Enemies. They’ll have Gilbert Arenas as their captain, Lamar Odom as co-captain, Royce White, and Perry Jones III.
There looks to be plenty of talent surrounding “No Chill” Gil, but the question is what will their team chemistry be like? These things take time to come together. It could be a challenge for this team – especially at the defensive end.
Take a Shot on 3 Headed Monsters
Although 3 Headed Monsters are further back at +650, I’m willing to take a flier with this team. They were 7-1 last year and seemed to have strong chemistry. I like that they have balance with a shooter like Rashard Lewis, who is the team captain, and defense and rebounding with co-captain Reggie Evans, and ball-handling with Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf.
They also have some depth with Larry Sanders, who is still young and talented, and Mario Chalmers, who can score and handle. At +650, I’ll willing to take a shot with this team. They were close last season.
Pick: 3 Headed Monsters (+650)
For over 15 years, Dave has been working in mainstream media and sports betting. He hosted a station on Sirius Satellite Radio for four years, and is currently a senior writer for AskMen. He's interviewed hundreds of hundreds of high-profile sports stars like Shaquille O'Neal and Floyd Mayweather.
