NBA All-Star Odds & Picks: Trends, Predictions, Best Bets for Team Giannis vs. Team LeBron (Feb. 18)

Team Giannis vs. Team LeBron Odds

The 72nd NBA All-Star Game will have yet another wrinkle, one that isn't exactly ideal for bettors. For this year's game, team captains LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo will choose their teammates live an hour before the game.

The downside is not knowing which players will be on either team, but that doesn't mean you need to wait to bet on Sunday's showcase. Our NBA analysts are looking at ASG MVP odds and we've got betting trends courtesy of Bet Labs to find an edge in the game itself.

Check out our NBA All-Star odds and picks below.

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NBA All-Star Game MVP Odds

NBA All-Star Game Trends

Since the NBA switched from the Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference format to team captains in 2018, LeBron James has dominated the All-Star Game.

James is  undefeated as the general manager of his squad — he's 5-0 straight up in the All-Star Game and 3-2 against the spread over that span.

The NBA All-Star Game often has an inflated total since there's less of an emphasis on defense.

Betting the over in the NBA's famed exhibition game has typically been profitable — overs were 9-5 before the the introduction of the Elam Ending — and the adjustment hasn't impacted that outcome with the over hitting in the first two games with the new format.

NBA All-Star Picks & Predictions

Brandon Anderson

We’re flying dark here since we won’t even get rosters until just before tipoff on Sunday, but I think that might actually be buying us some value on uncertainty.

I already know who the MVP favorite should be, and it’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. He’s the best player in the world and the captain of his team, and he’ll be a sure favorite to win MVP if his team gets the win.

Giannis is exactly the sort of guy you want in an event like this because he always gives full effort. While Luka Doncic is out partying the night before and Nikola Jokic is throwing goofball passes and loafing down the court, Giannis will run in transition, crash the glass, and get easy stuff all game.

Antetokounmpo averages 29.0 PPG in six All-Star Game appearances, best of any player in NBA history, and he’s scored that on an absurd 71% from the field because it’s mostly dunks.

He has at least 25 points in all but one of those six games, so I think we get another 30/10 game and he’s one of the top three candidates and has won this before. His +650 might be twice what it should be.

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I’ll add a second name too, though. Give me Donovan Mitchell +1400.

Mitchell returns to Utah, and when he visited his old home in January he dropped 46 in front of the fans and took 18 3s to get there. We know Spida will try, and he could get up a ton of 3s and has shown how blazing-hot he can get when they start to fall.

He has six 40-point games this year including that 71-pointer against the Bulls. If it’s not an effort guy getting the easy stuff, MVP will go to someone who gets hot from deep and lights the nets on fire.

I’ll split my MVP bet on Giannis +600 and Spida +1400 (now +1200), giving me Antetokounmpo and Mitchell vs. the field at +377. Maybe we’ll end up with teammates or one on each side, but I like our chances either way.

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Andrew O'Connor-Watts

This is exactly the type of meaningless game that Joel Embiid will take seriously. Embiid was named an All-Star starter only because of Kevin Durant’s injury, and I’m guessing he’ll take that personally, as he tends to do.

We saw him absolutely cook Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets in an MVP “statement” game earlier this year, before promptly losing by 10 points to the Orlando Magic the next night. It’s in the so-called big-stage games where he really gives his full effort.

Embiid also played great in last year’s All-Star Game in a losing effort, but if Team Durant had won, he probably would have been named ASG MVP behind his 36 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.

I expect him to play hard once again and if his team is on the right side of the end result, he could be the one hoisting the Kobe Bryant Trophy at the end of the weekend. At +850 odds to win ASG MVP, I wouldn’t blame Embiid for taking offense at the disrespect.

Matt Moore

We have two extra problems this year. LeBron James (foot), Giannis Antetokounmpo (wrist), Kyrie Irving (back), and Joel Embiid (Joel Embiid-ness) all may not play. Plus, we don’t know who will be on which team; they don’t draft until Sunday in a huge blow to bettors and the books trying to set lines.

I bet Kyrie Irving at 10-1 (down to +750). Irving missed the Mavericks’ game Wednesday with back tightness, but that might have been just pre-All-Star caution, and with three days off before a non-intense game, he could be good to go.

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I’m also going to bet 1 unit on Donovan Mitchell (he's +1200 but I got him at 14-1). In his third NBA All-Star Game, he should play meaningful minutes and has the kind of game where he can get hot and just absolutely dominate.

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Finally, I’m going to put a half-unit on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at +2000. The players love SGA, and this could be a breakout showcase moment for him. I’m worried about him playing enough in his first All-Star appearance, but if Gilgeous-Alexander plays enough, he might absolutely tear it up.

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I won’t have a bet on the game without knowing the team makeup, but I’ll lean towards the under in this one with so many guys battling injuries and so many prolific scorers out entirely for the game.