Betting news, trends, odds and predictions from various handicappers and websites for Sunday 2/17/19
by Tom Wilkinson
NBA All-Star Game ATS Picks
The NBA All-Star Game takes place on Sunday night, as Team LeBron takes on Team Giannis at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina in a game that can be seen on TNT. Team LeBron is listed as a 6-point favorite in this contest and although a total hasn’t been posted yet, it should be at least 330.
Last year the total was 332.5, but the game went well under the total, as the teams combined for 293 points. Let’s look at the game on Sunday, odds to win the MVP and NBA All-Star Game picks.
Team LeBron vs. Team Giannis
Date and Time: Sunday, February 17, 2019, 8:00 p.m. ET
Location: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
NBA Odds at BetDSI: Team LeBron -6.5, O/U 310.5
NBA All Star Game TV Coverage: TNT
Sunday’s game is basically an exhibition where neither team is going to play much defense. It is a little bit surprising the number on Team LeBron is so high, as six points seems like a lot. Taking the points is usually the way to go in exhibition games, but oddsmakers believe that Team LeBron has better players than Team Giannis, but whether that is really the case is debatable. Let’s look at the two rosters, odds to win the MVP and then make some predictions.
Team LeBron
Starters
LeBron James
Kevin Durant
Kyrie Irving
Kawhi Leonard
James Harden
Reserves
Anthony Davis
Klay Thompson
Damian Lillard
Ben Simmons
LaMarcus Aldridge
Karl-Anthony Towns
Bradley Beal
Special addition
Dwyane Wade
Team Giannis
Starters
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Steph Curry
Joel Embiid
Paul George
Kemba Walker
Reserves
Khris Middleton
Nikola Jokic
Russell Westbrook
Blake Griffin
D'Angelo Russell
Nikola Vucevic
Kyle Lowry
Special addition
Dirk Nowitzki
NBA All-Star Game MVP Odds at BetDSI
LeBron James +400
Giannis Antetokounmpo +500
Kevin Durant +600
Stephen Curry +700
Joel Embiid +750
Kyrie Irving +800
Paul George +800
Kemba Walker +800
Kawhi Leonard +1000
James Harden +1000
Anthony Davis +1000
Russell Westbrook +1200
Dwyane Wade +2000
Ben Simmons +2800
Blake Griffin +3000
Klay Thompson +4000
Damian Lillard +4000
Karl-Anthony Towns +4000
Bradley Beal +4000
LeMarcus Aldridge +5000
Dirk Nowitzki +5000
Kyle Lowry +6000
Nikola Jokic +6000
Khris Middleton +8000
D’Angelo Russell +10000
Nikola Vucevic +10000
NBA All Star Game Free Picks
Scoring is up in the NBA this season, as teams are averaging nearly 111 points per game, the most since the 1984-85 season. The total on the All-Star game is going to be high, but defense in the NBA this season has simply been awful. It will be surprising if either of these teams plays any defense on Sunday night. Last year it was Team LeBron winning 148-145, but this year’s game should definitely be higher scoring. I will go over the total at BetDSI in Sunday’s contest.
The odds on who will win the MVP award are interesting, with a lot of intriguing longshots. Russell Westbrook could have some value at odds of +1200 and we know that Damian Lillard can score a lot of points and he is listed at +4000. Although I think you can make a case for taking one or two of the longshots, I think it is probably a better idea to choose one of the top contenders.
LeBron is the favorite at odds of +400, while Giannis is the second choice in the betting at odds of +500. Durant and Curry are the next two choices in the betting at odds of +600 and +700. I think you can make a case for any of these four players winning the MVP.
The most value is on Curry who is listed at +700 and it would not surprise me if Curry got hot from three-point range and won the award. I also think there is value in taking Giannis at +500, as I think his team is undervalued overall and he could have a big night on Sunday. I will take both Giannis and Curry and hope that one of them wins the MVP.
NBA All Star Game ATS Picks: Team Giannis +6.5 and Over 310.5
NBA All Star Game Score Prediction: Team Giannis 170, Team LeBron 165
Admir Aljic
For the second time in the history of the NBA All-Star Game, we’ll watch a new draft format instead of the clash between the conference teams, as Team Giannis will face off against Team LeBron at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Sunday, February 17, 2019. It was a real spectacle at the Staples Center last season when Team LeBron outlasted Team Stephen 148-145. We saw one of the most interesting and surely the most competitive All-Star Games of this decade, and the fans hope for another one Sunday night.
The bookies set Team LeBron as a -260 favorite to beat Team Giannis that is listed as a +215 underdog. We’ll take a closer look at both teams’ rosters and check out the latest odds for the All-Star Game MVP Award. Lines provided by BetDSI Sportsbook.
TEAM LEBRON
LeBron James is the team captain for the second year in a row, and everyone noticed that he has decided to recruit some of the major 2019 free agents. Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, and Klay Thompson all will play alongside Lebron Sunday night, some of which might end up in the Lakers uniform, if LeBron approves it, of course. However, James is the front runner for the 2019 All-Star MVP Award with the odds at +400. He will try to become the third man ever to win this award for the fourth time, and also the third man who did it two times in a row.
Kevin Durant is at +600 odds and will be looking for his second All-Star Game MVP after winning it in 2012. Anthony Davis will be highly motivated, as he’s forced to stay with the Pelicans until the end of the season, so the Brow is a nice wager at +1000 odds to prove his worth to the captain LeBron. James Harden is the only member of LeBron’s starting five that will not be a free agent this summer, and the NBA leading scorer is also at +1000 odds to win the All-Star MVP. The Beard is riding a 31-game streak with 30+ points, and he’ll certainly try to extend it during this weekend.
Kyrie Irving is a +800 favorite to earn the MVP Award in Charlotte, and Uncle Drew will have an intriguing reunification with LeBron James. Kawhi Leonard is at +1000 odds, while Klay Thompson is a long shot at +4000 odds, but he could drop a bunch of treys on his rivals. However, don’t expect to see eye-popping dunks from Klay. The other members of Team LeBron are Damian Lillard, Ben Simmons, LaMarcus Aldridge, Karl-Anthony Towns, Bradley Beal, and Dwayne Wade, but you will need to be very lucky to earn some money on these guys.
TEAM GIANNIS
While LeBron’s team is full of superstars, Giannis’ choice seems more exotic. The Greek Freak will lead his team as a captain and a +500 favorite to win the All-Star Game MVP. Be ready to see some monstrous dunks by Giannis who will try his best to outstrip King James. Antetokounmpo’s first draft pick was Stephen Curry who’s never been an All-Star MVP, so Steph is a nice bet at +700 odds. Paul George is another strong pick at +800 odds, as he’s playing the best season of his career. Joel Embiid at +750 and Kemba Walker at +800 odds will complete Team Giannis starting five, and Kemba will try to become the 15th player to earn the MVP Award on the home court.
We’ll see some quite interesting players coming off the bench, and Russell Westbrook is surely a guy to watch. Russ always works hard, and he’ll be looking for his third MVP Award at +1200 odds. Blake Griffin is not a highflyer as he was back in the days, but you can expect to see some highlight moments. Nikola Jokic will entertain the audience with spectacular assists, while Kyle Lowry and Dirk Nowitzki will have another chance, but I highly doubt their chances to win the MVP Award.
Jokic is an All-Star for the first time in his career, just as Nikola Vucevic, D’Angelo Russell, and Khris Middleton, so all these guys are the longest shots possible. From this point of view, only Westbrook is worth your money from the players on the bench.
2019 All-Star Game Predictions
We can argue about players’ qualities, but it seems that LeBron has more superstars among his roster, especially on the bench. This also means Team LeBron has way more All-Star experience than Team Giannis, as James and his teammates have 91 appearances while Team Giannis has just 49 All-Star Game apps. There are four debutants among Giannis’ roster, and on the other side, only Ben Simmons is a rookie.
Both teams have balanced rosters with plenty of quality options inside and outside. Many will say Team Giannis possesses better team players, while Team LeBron has better individuals. Giannis’ team huffs with more assists and rebounds this season, while LeBron’ team brings a higher field goal percentage, dunks, and blocks. Still, keep in mind this is a showcase of the best players in the league. There will be a few tactical plays and a ton of entertaining moves, so predicting a winner is a tricky task.
Team LeBron is a 6-point favorite as the bookmakers are pretty sure who has the better players. I won’t argue with them, as LeBron’s choice brings more experience, but I’m also convinced the debutants will be highly motivated to prove their worth. The last season’s All-Star Game was decided by just three points, while six of the previous eight games were decided by five or fewer points, so backing the underdogs could make sense from the betting trends standpoint.
The total has been set at 300.5 points, as everyone expects to see a competitive game along with all entertainment. We saw 374 points on the scoreboard in 2017 and 369 points in 2016, so the last season’s 293 points in the total are a completely different story. Only two of the last seven All-Star games had fewer than 300 points in the total, and I think the over will hit Sunday night.
2019 All-Star MVP Award Predictions
As I’ve mentioned, LeBron James will try to earn second in a row and fourth overall All-Star MVP Award. He’s having a rough time with the Lakers, so winning this prize could be a highlight of the season. I’m sure King James will give his best to win the award. On the other side, Giannis Antetokounmpo has stated he’s unstoppable and there’s no one who can guard him in the NBA, so the All-Star Game is the perfect place to prove it. It also means that some guys from LeBron’s team will try everything to ruin his campaign.
Paul George is enjoying a wonderful season and will be on the same side with his teammate Russell Westbrook which is nice. One of these two guys could easily upset the major contenders. And when it comes to the heavyweight contenders, Stephen Curry could be a nice selection. Looking for his first All-Star MVP, Steph is always capable of dropping a dozen treys, while I expect to see him logging a lot of minutes.