Who will win the All-Star Game and All-Star MVP? Odds, best bets, & expert predictions
With the NBA All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City, we have a lot to look forward to in the coming days. The action begins on Friday night with the Celebrity All-Star Game and Skills Challenge and continues on Saturday with the fan-favorite 3-Point Contest and Slam Dunk Contest. The main attraction of the weekend will of course be the All-Star Game between Team LeBron and Team Giannis. Let’s unpack all the odds and make our predictions for every key bet related to the NBA’s midseason classic, including players drafted for each team, money line, spread and over/under bets, and the NBA All -Star Game Kobe Bryant MVP Award.
The NBA has made great strides over the years to make its All-Star weekend one of the best in pro sports. Commissioner Adam Silver introduced the ASG draft and adopted the Elam end, two unorthodox concepts that have quickly become popular among basketball fans. Now we’ve got a new wrinkle to look forward to this weekend — LeBron and Giannis will be picking up their squads pickup-hoop style in a schoolyard just before the All-Star game (7:30pm ET on Sunday) – select draft. Starting with James, the two Superstars will first select from the pool of 14 reserves, then select from the eight remaining starters until their rosters are full.
MORE NBA ALL-STAR GAME DRAFT: Who will be the first pick to be selected? | SN pundits mock draft as LeBron & Giannis
As fun as this all sounds to fans, it certainly creates more volatility (or should we say downright unpredictability) for sports bettors. Not only do we not know which players are on each All-Star team – and we won’t until just before the tip – but we also have no idea how the sportsbook will handle the odds for the No. 1. So, before we even delve into our betting advice and predictions, here’s a quick word for the wise: Make sure you fully understand how your sportsbook handles each betting situation before placing a bet. The last thing we want is to be surprised by something involving money!
Let’s jump straight to the odds for the All-Star Weekend. We start by predicting the players that will be drafted for each team, then picking a winner and finally predicting the NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant MVP award. Let’s get it!
NBA All-Star Game 2023 Betting Guide: Team LeBron and Team Giannis Draft Picks
We’re not very good at picking an All-Star Game winner before predicting which players will add LeBron and Giannis to their rosters. Well, maybe we can. Ever since the NBA introduced the Captain/Draft format, LeBron has consistently built his ASG rosters like a GM champion (how ironic!). His teams went 5-0, including victories over Team Giannis in 2019 and 20. So, naturally, we expect LeBron to once again put together a well-rounded lineup that moves the ball and flows well offensively.
My colleagues Scott Rafferty and Gil McGregor ran a mock draft Thursday in which they played roles as LeBron and Giannis, and I have to say I broadly agree with a number of their tips. However, we differ on some choices, so I’ll make my predictions on safety here. Here’s my complete mock for this Sunday’s All-Star Game Draft at 7:30pm ET.
As a reminder, as of Friday, February 17th, we learned that the captains will first move in from the pool of reserves and then choose from the remaining starters. Be sure to check with your sportsbook how they are handling this sudden announcement so you know how this crease will affect your open and/or future bets related to the ASG Draft.
| Choose | Team LeBron | Team Giannis |
| 1 | Damian LillardBlazer | Jrue Holiday, Bucks |
| 2 | Paul George, Clippers | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Donner |
| 3 | Bam Adebayo, heat | Pascal Siakam, Raptors |
| 4 | Jaylen Brown, Celtics | Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies |
| 5. | Domantas Sabonis, Kings | Tyrese Haliburton, pacemaker |
| 6. | Anthony Edwards, Wolves | De’Aaron Fox, Kings |
| 7 | Julius Randle, Knicks | DeMar DeRozan, Bulls |
| 8th | Luka Doncic, Mavericks | Jayson Tatum, Celtics |
| 9. | Nikola Jokic, Nuggets | Joel Embid, 76ers |
| 10 | Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers | Yes Morant, Grizzlies |
| 11 | Kyrie Irving, Mavericks | Lauri Markkanen, Jazz |
As you can see, I expect LeBron to build his roster while emphasizing a pace-and-space approach. His teams traditionally move the ball well and have strong outsiders to knock down open three-pointers on drive-and-kicks. A lot of my planned picks for LeBron’s squad are his personal friends, players he’s praised or even recruited in the past, or just elite scorers and/or passers. Lillard appears to be a no-brainer first reserve pick as he’s been on an absolute heater lately, and LeBron once attempted to recruit Dame for the Lakers. Also Doncic as the first starter from the board acts like a lock. LeBron has made it clear that he “loves” Luka, while the current NBA leading scorer has publicly stated many times that he was inspired by King James growing up.
As for Giannis, he tends to design guys who play intense, physical basketball on both sides of the floor. He cares more about whether guys play defense and seems to have an affinity for players like him who slash to the brim and do the little things like hit the glass. We’re sure the Greek Freak will pick his teammate Jrue Holiday first, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Undoubtedly, Giannis will have the better defensive squad, but he’s still set to score plenty with SGA, Tatum, Embiid, Morant and of course hometown favorite Markkanen.
Best bet for the first selected starter: Doncic (+320)
NBA All-Star Game 2023 Betting Guide: Odds and Best Bets
Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook and BetMGM
| team | spread | money line | In total |
| Team LeBron | -3.0 (-110) | -155 | Over 325 (-110) |
| Team Giannis | +3.0 (-110) | +130 | Under 325 (-110) |
Caesars listed the full list of odds (see above) long before we even have any idea how captains will be called up. It’s a testament to the respect LeBron, the ASG-GM, has had over the past half decade. BetMGM seems to be a bit more cautious and currently only lists the money line (LeBron -150/Giannis +125). The best bet out of these eight options is Team LeBron 150 on BetMGM. There’s no arguing the story – he’s the greatest player of the 21st century, the all-time leading scorer and a brilliant basketball mind. He will pick winners and shoot the “W” to maintain his unbeaten streak as an All-Star GM.
As for the grand total, I’d decline UNDER 325 (-110). A handful of offensive stars are missing from Sunday night’s action, including Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Zion Williamson. The presence of defensive lugs like Jaren Jackson Jr., Bam Adebayo, Joel Embiid and Giannis could also affect the score, as could perimeter clamps from ever-underrated Jrue Holiday and Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Do you want to be creative with your money while reducing your risk? Set a six-point teaser and pair Giannis +9.0 with UNDER of 331. With the Elam ending, the chance of an all-out bloodbath win is greatly reduced, and with a slew of battered stars (including Brown and DeMar DeRozan missing out on time before All-Star Weekend), we’re just dressing me don’t see either team flirting with 165 points.
NBA All-Star Game 2023 Betting Guide: MVP Odds, Trends and Best Bets
| All Star | opportunities |
| Lebron James | +600 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | +600 |
| Damien Lillard | +700 |
| Joel Embid | +700 |
| Luke Doncic | +850 |
| Jayson Tatum | +900 |
| Yes Morant | +1000 |
| Kyrie Irving | +1000 |
| Donovan Mitchell | +1400 |
| Nikola Jokić | +1700 |
| Anthony Edwards | +2500 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | +2500 |
| PaulGeorge | +3500 |
| Pascal Siakam | +4000 |
| Lauri Markkanen | +4000 |
| De’Aaron Fox | +4000 |
| Jaren Jackson Jr | +8000 |
| Jaylen Brown | +8000 |
| Julius Randle | +10000 |
| Jrue holiday | +10000 |
| DeMar DeRozan | +10000 |
| Bam Adebayo | +10000 |
| Domantas Sabonis | +10000 |
| Tyrese Haliburton | +10000 |
Before we dive into who we think could be good bets on winning Kobe Bryant’s MVP trophy, it seems prudent to double-check which players those are not probably get away with the honor. First off, centers rarely win All-Star Game MVP. The last time a center won was Shaq in 2009, and he was co-MVP with Kobe (who holds the distinction of modern All-Star GOAT after defeating Bob Pettit for a record four career All-Star -MVPs bound). This isn’t an exhibition of one center, as defense often takes second place to alley-oops, perimeter drives, and long-range bombs.
Another trend we’re noticing is that some guys just don’t aim for the award while others don’t aim for it if they already have one in their trophy case. Curry won his first All-Star MVP in Cleveland last year after putting on a three-point show for Team James, and Giannis accepted the honor the previous year when he helped LeBron’s side win by 20. LeBron himself has won the award three times, while KD and Russell Westbrook are the only other players since Kobe and Dwyane Wade to have won multiple awards.
After all, storylines count for a lot. When the 2017 contest was held at the Smoothie King Center, we saw then-Pelican AD Ball retire and score a whopping 52 points, breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s all-star scoring record of 42 points in a game. A year later, LeBron went to the Staples Center, which he would call home just months after signing with the Lakers. We also saw Chef Curry light it up in Cleveland, and Kobe and Shaq both defeated MVPs on their home LA court
Knowing all these factors, we could see a hot flamethrower Damian Lillard (+700) or Jayson Tatum (+900) give it a try and take the award. Lillard has been arguably the leading scorer that calendar year, while Tatum consistently impresses the league as the top player on the NBA’s top team. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+2500) has also been scorching hot lately, and Anthony Edwards (+2500) has already stated that he would shoot for the award, but he could not get enough playing time to pull off the stats required.
Yes Morant (+1000) always plays with a chip on his shoulder. Other strong options are pure scorers Donovan Mitchell (+1400)who spent his first five NBA seasons at Utah, and we can’t forget the captains themselves (assuming they play) at +600 apiece.
Want a Dark Horse candidate? Cash Lauri Markkanen (+4000), who has home court at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City and has enjoyed a career year with the young, up-and-coming jazz. Who are we that we suddenly doubt this child? He’s defied the odds all season.
Prediction: Jayson Tatum (+900). We would honestly distribute our bets like a roulette wheel. Consider putting 60 percent of your MVP stake on Tatum, 30 percent on Mitchell, and 10 percent on Markkanen.