2011 NBA All-Star Game Betting Preview
The Staples Center in Los Angeles will play host to the 60th annual NBA All-Star Game as the biggest and best stars in the league face-off against one another this upcoming Sunday night. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. (ET) and the game will be broadcast nationally on TNT.
The Eastern Conference roster will be led by Chicago’s Derrick Rose and Miami’s Dwyane Wade as the starting guards. LeBron James, also representing the Heat will join New York’s Amar’e Stoudemire as the starting forwards, and Orlando’s Dwight Howard gets the starting nod at center. This fab five will be joined by four-fifths of Boston’s starting lineup; Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Rajon Rondo, the third member of Miami’s big three Chris Bosh, and a pair of players from Atlanta; Joe Johnson and Al Horford to round out the East’s roster.
The Western Conference will go with Chris Paul from New Orleans and Kobe Bryant from the LA Lakers as the starting guards, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant and Denver’s Carmelo Anthony as the starting forwards, and Pau Gasol also from the Lakers at center. This ‘Best of the West’ crew will be joined by the Spurs Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili, the LA Clippers human highlight reel Blake Griffin, Dick Nowitzki from the Mavericks, Utah’s Derron Williams, Russell Westbrook from the Hornets, and Minnesota’s Kevin Love. Houston center Yao Ming was actually voted-in as a starter, but has been out all season due to injury.
The East will most likely be opened as a mild favorite given that they won four of the last six games, but in reality the best bet for picking the winner of this game could be simply flipping a coin.
A much more interesting betting strategy for this game would be placing a few wagers on the three main proposition bets that have been established by BetUS.com. The first and one of the hardest picks could be, which player scores the first basket of the game? Dwight Howard is the slight favorite at +400 with Amar’e Stoudemire and Derrick Rose from the East, and Chris Paul and Kevin Durant, from the West all next at +500.
Paul is joined by Bryant as the slight favorites to score the first three-point bucket at +400. They are followed by Rose and Anthony at +500. Howard is drawing the longest odds at draining a three at +1200, with Stoudemire next at +1000.
Check out the latest NBA All-Star Game Odds here.
The main prop bet of the night is picking this year’s game MVP. Traditionally, this is awarded to a player from the winning team, so keep that in mind when deciding on who you think will win. Bryant, a three-time All-Star game MVP, has been opened as the odds-on-favorite at +400, while the second favorite at +500 is James. After these two come Rose from the East and Durant from the West at +600. The next wave of players at +800 includes Stoudemire, Anthony, Wade, and Love. The longest shot in the field to win the MVP is a trio of players at +1400; Johnson and Allen from the East and Nowitzki from the West.
Need more help making your picks winners? Check out our top handicappers.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.