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NBA All-Star Game Odds: Team LeBron vs. Team Durant Picks and Predictions

Nick Galaida Mon 2/21 7:03am PT
(Image Credit: Imagn/USA TODAY)

NBA All-Star Game Odds

Team Durant Odds+5.5
Team LeBron Odds-5.5
DateSunday, Feb. 20
Location Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse

On Sunday evening, NBA All-Star Weekend will conclude at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse with the main event–the 71st All-Star Game. Similar to previous seasons, this year’s rosters were assembled by Captains, the player in each respective conference with the most All-Star votes. This year, LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets selected their teammates in a live draft on TNT.

Regarding the format of the event, each of the first three quarters of the contest will begin with each team’s score at zero points. Each team will compete to win each quarter, with the winner of each quarter earning money for their respective beneficiaries. In the final quarter, which will be untimed, the winner of the NBA All-Star Game will be determined by a Final Target Score. The Final Target Score will be the leading team’s total score after the first three quarters plus 24 points. In this highly-anticipated event, oddsmakers are anticipating a win for Team LeBron, pricing them as 5.5-points favorites on the spread.

Team Durant (+5.5)

Starters:

Reserves:

The absence of Kevin Durant on this team opens up the MVP discussion substantially, if this team does happen to pull an upset victory. Joel Embiid (+700) and Ja Morant (+900) are priced as the two favorites to win the award on this roster. Devin Booker (+3500) has tremendous value as a longshot bet, considering his elite scoring ability in a game that is likely to feature little defense. Despite being 5.5 point underdogs, there is little doubt that there is enough talent on the floor for Team Durant to have a legitimate opportunity to win on Sunday. Going to work with the current favorite to win MVP, Embiid, in addition to some of the best young stars in the league in Morant, Jayson Tatum, and Trae Young, is hardly a disadvantage.

Team LeBron (-5.5)

Starters:

Reserves:

LeBron James has little left to prove in this event. Sunday will be his 18th All-Star appearance, and any points he scores will only add to his commanding lead as the all-time leading scorer in the history of this contest. James is joined by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who holds the NBA record for most points per game in All-Star Game history. For what it is worth, Team LeBron features three of the top-four current favorites to win the regular season MVP, with Nikola Jokic, Antetokounmpo, and Stephen Curry ranking 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, respectively, in current odds to secure the award. There is plenty of talent on this roster, and it is easy to see why oddsmakers have shown this group deference on the market ahead of tip-off. Still, it would be a mistake to crown this roster a winner prematurely, based solely on regular season talent.

NBA Picks and Predictions

Four of the last six All-Star Games have been decided by double-digits, so it is not surprising to see a rather large number on the spread in this contest. Still, this weekend’s festivities have the creme-de-la-creme of NBA talent on the floor, meaning that either team is capable of winning this matchup. If looking for a bet on the spread, lean towards Team Durant, getting 5.5 points of insurance.

In the history of the NBA All-Star Game, only three of the previous 70 events have eclipsed a game total of 321 points. There is likely to be a shortage of defensive effort, similar to past years, but scoring more than 321 points is still a difficult task–especially now that the final quarter has been reduced to 24 points maximum by the leading team. The under appears to be a relatively strong lean in a contest that has tremendous volatility each year.