NBA All-Star Game: Prediction, Tips and Odds

The NBA has revamped this year’s All-Star Game in an attempt to bring a more competitive edge to the annual event.

After years of high-scoring games with little defensive effort, this year’s edition features a four-team tournament. The 24 All-Stars have been drafted into three eight-man teams. They’re joined by the winners of Friday’s Rising Stars Tournament - eight first or second-year NBA players.

The potential embarrassment of losing to a team of essentially rookies could be motivation from some of the NBA’s biggest names.

Outside of that, the NBA has called in TNT pundits Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Candace Parker to lead the four teams. The rivalry between those four should add an edge to the proceedings. 

NBA All-Star Game Semi-final One tips and predictions 

	Money Line	Spread	Total points
Team Kenny	6/4	+3.5 20/21	Over 75.5 10/11
Team Chuck	5/9	-3.5 20/23	Under 75.5 10/11

Team Kenny to win Semi-final One - 6/4

Charles Barkley’s team has a clear talent edge, but that might not translate to winning the game. Chuck has the three frontrunners for this season’s MVP award, but Giannis Antetokounmpo is missing through injury.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will likely be carrying the weight of his side, as Nikola Jokic rarely takes the All-Star Game seriously. Chuck’s side features generational talent Victor Wembanyama, but they lack any real perimeter defender to help them edge this semi-final.

Kenny Smith’s team is the third-favourite to win the tournament at 9/2 and he certainly lacks the big names of his rivals. However, the NBA is looking to push for competitive performances and they’re looking for the next generation of players to step forward, which is what Kenny’s team represents. 

Their roster includes New York Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson and Minnesota’s Antony Edwards, players who can win a game on their own. Kenny’s roster also has three strong defenders in Jaren Jackson Jr, Jalen Williams and Evan Mobley. 

Kenny’s side also has half of the entrants in Saturday’s Three-Point contest. Each game is a race to 40 points, so that mix of defensive versatility, shooting and elite scoring makes Team Kenny a good bet in their semi-final and a standout at 9/2 to win outright. 

Karl-Anthony Towns 2+ Made Threes - 13/10

Karl-Anthony Towns was a highlight of last year’s All-Star Game, scoring 50 points. He should take plenty of efforts from three on Chuck’s team, especially as he can hand center duties over to Wembanyama. Towns had an off night in last year’s game, shooting four from 13 from deep. He can improve this time around, but he needs only two made threes to land this bet. 

NBA All-Star Game Semi-final two tips and predictions 

	Money Line	Spread	Total
Team Shaq	4/21	-6.5 - 4/5	Over 73.5 10/11
Team Candace	39/10	-6.5 - 21/20	Under 73.5 10/11

Under 73.5 total points - 10/11

The second semi-final pits a star-studded group against Team Candace’s Rising Stars team. Shaq’s group features the core of the US Olympic team - LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant. 

Their prospects in the final are likely to be hampered by the absence of a traditional center, but the gulf between them and Candace’s young roster should be too great.

LeBron and Kyrie Irving can excel as point guards surrounded by some of the best shooters in NBA history. That dominance should lead to a lower-scoring game, as Team Shaq can quickly hit the 40-point target.

While Team Shaq’s giving up a start of -6.5 on the handicap is tempting, this could be even more one-sided. Instead, take the bigger price that Team Candace’s limited shooting will lead to a low final score. 

Damian Lillard 10+ points - 29/10

Damian Lillard has produced some fantastic All-Star performances through the years and he has always looked to make a splash in this game. 

Lillard’s display earned him All-Star MVP honours last year and his shooting threat from deep should see him rack-up points against an inexperienced side. 

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.