The NBA All-Star Weekend is a homecoming for reigning MVP Stephen Curry, who spent some of his childhood in Toronto when his father played for the Vince Carter-era Raptors.
The Golden State Warriors star and NBA scoring leader has the top betting odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com for both Sunday’s game MVP and for Saturday’s three-point Contest, where he is the reigning champion.
Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry is an outside challenger in both props, while shooting guard DeMar DeRozan has one of the higher MVP props among the Eastern Conference players.
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The Western Conference has won six of the last nine times. Curry has +300 odds to be named MVP, with all-star teammates Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook listed at +650 and +700. Kobe Bryant, who is playing in his final All-Star Game, is listed at +700.
Lowry and DeRozan each have +1800 odds. No player has won MVP on his home floor since Shaquille O’Neal in 2004. LeBron James has the top odds among the Eastern stars at +600.
Curry is vying to be the seventh player to win the three-point contest back-to-back, but first since Jason Kapono in 2007 and 2008. Curry is an even-odds favourite. Klay Thompson, the other half of Golden State’s Splash Brothers backcourt, is a +400 second favourite. The field also includes L.A. Clippers sharpshooter J.J. Redick with +450 odds.
Lowry is a +750 darkhorse. The three-point contest has never been won by a player from the host team. The Miami Heat’s Chris Bosh, an ex-Raptor, is back at +1600.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine has only three challengers for his slam dunk contest crown. LaVine has -300 odds, with the Orlando Magic’s Aaron Gordon (+400), Denver Nuggets’ Will Barton (+550) and Detroit Pistons’ Andre Drummond (+850) filling out the field.
Drummond is the only big in the dunk contest at 6-foot-11. Only three 6-foot-10 or taller players have ever won.
Another prop with a Canadian angle is Rising Stars Challenge MVP, which is a two-man race between Timberwolves teammates. The World team’s Andrew Wiggins, who is from Toronto, is a +250 favourite, with USA’s Karl-Anthony Towns at +450. There are +650 odds on the World team’s Kristaps Porzingis and +800 on USA’s Jahlil Okafor.
