Yahoo Finance NBA betting: As usual, the over/under for the NBA All-Star Game is absurdly high
Even if it happens once every year, seeing an over/under for a basketball game above 300 points is still a shock.
The NBA will have its All-Star Game on Sunday after some griping. BetMGM doesn't believe that the lack of excitement from some of the players will affect the offense.
The over/under for the game is 308.5. That line opened at 307.5 but was immediately bet up. That's not even the highest total ever for the NBA All-Star Game — it was as high as 315 in 2019 — but up a little bit from 305.5 last year. You've seen the NBA All-Star Game. No number for the total seems high enough.
Along with the other early odds from BetMGM on the NBA All-Star Game, the book must believe that LeBron James is better at picking a team than Kevin Durant.
LeBron James' team is favored
Team LeBron opened as a 3.5-point favorite over Team Durant for Sunday's All-Star Game.
Setting a line for a game like this has its challenges.
“Team LeBron is loaded with talent, which is why we opened them as 3.5-point favorites, but it is an All-Star game so anything can happen," BetMGM sports trader Christian Cipollini said.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was James' first pick. James also picked guards Stephen Curry and Luka Dončić as well as center Nikola Jokić. That's a ridiculous team.
Durant kept the peace and picked Brooklyn Nets teammate Kyrie Irving with his first pick. The rest of the starting lineup is filled out by center Joel Embiid, forwards Kawhi Leonard and Jayson Tatum and guard Bradley Beal.
While All-Star Games are toss-ups, there's a reason Team LeBron is favored. That looks like the much better team on paper.
Odds for 3-point, dunk contest
BetMGM offered odds on the skills competition, 3-point contest and dunk contest as well.
Chris Paul is the favorite to win the skills competition at +230, followed closely by Dončić at +250. Curry is the 3-point favorite at +200. Zach LaVine is next at +400 and Devin Booker is +450. There are only three competitors for the dunk contest: Knicks rookie Obi Toppin is the favorite at +150, Anfernee Simons of the Trail Blazers is +175 and Cassius Stanley of the Pacers is +200.
"We opened Steph Curry, Chris Paul and Obi Toppin as favorites to win their respective contests and anticipate solid action on each to win," Cipollini said.
The All-Star Game will be different this year, of course, due to COVID-19. But the one familiar thing should be a lot of baskets from both teams.
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