One of the coolest parts about NBA online betting is the opportunity you're afforded to wager on betting odds for the NBA All-Star Game. For many other professional sports, finding and investing in All-Star (or Pro Bowl) odds can be a chore. Not for the NBA. They release lines as soon as the league heads into the break, giving you days to make your NBA All-Star Game predictions.
The 2022 NBA All-Star Game will be taking place on Sunday, February 20, and we've got predictions for the big showdown between Team LeBron James vs. Team Kevin Durant. We'll also be picking our best bet to win the 2022 NBA All-Star Game MVP.
Let's begin by taking stock of the latest betting odds on which team will win the 2022 NBA All-Star Game:
| Favorite |  | | Underdog |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team LeBron James | -250 | +210 | Team Kevin Durant |
It is paramount you double-check these NBA betting odds before settling on any NBA All-Star Game picks. Typically, NBA All-Star Game betting lines tend to shift more wildly than regular-season contests. Not only are we making NBA predictions based on All-Star Game odds as of February 18, but there always seems to be some last-minute absences from key players. So save yourself some costly mistakes by confirming the accuracy of these odds on the 2022 NBA All-Star Game.
And with a few days to go before the opening tip, we of course strongly encourage you to check out our reviews of the top online sportsbooks. They contain all the information you need to determine the best betting sites for NBA basketball in 2022.
Should Team LeBron be THIS Big of a Favorite Over Team KD?
We recognize that NBA All-Star Games have historically been difficult to predict. You never quite know which players are going to give it their all or log a ton of minutes. But the NBA has taken steps to minimize the uncertainty and incentivize the megastars involved too, you know, actually. Players from the winning team now each get a $1 million bonus, there is money for charity on the line each quarter, and the introduction of the ELAM ending—which basically ensures you can lose the first three quarters by a ton but still have a shot to win the game in the fourth—has incited renewed interest from participants in recent years.
Knowing all of this, it's surprising at first glance to see Team LeBron (+250) enter as such a heavy favorite over Team KD (+210). But then you start digging into the details, and it all makes more sense. For starters, Team KD won't even have their captain, the person who built this team. Kevin Durant is out with a sprained left MCL. Team KD will also be missing Draymond Green, a Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner, who's dealing with a back injury.
Granted, there is still plenty of talent on the roster. This is an All-Star Game, after all. But Team LeBron's roster is just so much more well-balanced, boasting at the bare minimum a lot more shooting and defense. Just consider the starting lineup for Team LeBron: LeBron himself, Giannis Antetokounmpo, DeMar DeRozan, Stephen Curry, and Nikola Jokic. You're arguably seeing four of the top-five MVP candidates this year playing together at the opening tip. That's absurd.
This isn't to say Team LeBron will dispatch Team KD without much effort. Team LeBron is a little bit on the leaner and smaller side. That could impact their rebounding and crunch-time defense. It also isn't clear whether Chris Paul's right-hand injury will prevent him from playing.
Still, it's hard to build a truly worthwhile case against Team LeBron. They have more shooting, more versatile defenders and just generally more top-end talent.
OSB Prediction: Team LeBron (-250)
2022 NBA All-Star Game MVP Prediction
Below you'll find the odds to win the 2022 NBA All-Star Game MVP award:
| NBA All-Star MVP | |
|---|---|
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | +375 |
| LeBron James | +500 |
| Joel Embiid | +600 |
| Ja Morant | +700 |
| Stephen Curry | +800 |
| DeMar DeRozan | +1000 |
| Luka Doncic | +1200 |
| Darius Garland | +1600 |
| Nikola Joic | +1800 |
| Jayson Tatum | +2000 |
| Trae Young | +2500 |
| Jimmy Butler | +3300 |
| Fred VanVleet | +3300 |
| Donovan Mitchell | +3300 |
| Chris Paul | +3300 |
| Zach LaVine | +4000 |
| Rudy Gobert | +5000 |
| Jarrett Allen | +5000 |
| Andrew Wiggins | +6600 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | +7500 |
| Khris Middleton | +8000 |
| Dejounte Murray | +8000 |
Forecasting the All-Star Game MVP is first and foremost about identifying which players will actually log heavy minutes. That's why we disagree with Giannis Antetokounmpo (+375) checking in as the odds-on favorite. He is in championship-or-bust mode and probably won't have it in him to play a bunch.
We also know enough about LeBron James (+500) and Luka Doncic (+1200) to understand they probably won't go all out on Sunday, either. Ditto for the perennial All-Star Stephen Curry (+800). We also expect Nikola Jokic (+1800) to play it safe given how many minutes he needs to play in the regular season for the injury-ravaged Denver Nuggets.
This year, we're inclined to select a first-time All-Star as the MVP. They tend to give more effort. And that brings us to Ja Morant (+700). He is not only appearing in his inaugural All-Star Game but his armory of dunks and off-the-dribble flair is made for exhibition contests like this one.
OSB Prediction: Ja Morant (+700)
Take a look at this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can decide which ones to use for all your NBA betting:
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