NBA Betting – All-Star Game Preview & Pick
Orlando will be the host for this year’s NBA All-Star Game. Dwight Howard has been rumored in many trades, but the Magic have kept him around long enough to have him be the main attraction at this game.
Time: Sunday February 26, 7:00 PM EST
Venue: Orlando: Amway Arena
TV: TNT
NBA Gambling Odds from Bookmaker
NBA Betting Favorite: Eastern Conference -2.5
Over/Under: 282
A few years ago the Western Conference was dominant, but the talent is spread out pretty evenly at this point.
Both teams are stacked and this should be a tight battle all the way.
Kobe Bryant received the most votes in the Western Conference. Bryant will play in his 14th career All-Star game this weekend. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are both starters from the Clippers.
Andrew Bynum and Kevin Durant finish out the starting five.
LaMarcus Aldridge and Marc Gasol both got their first All-Star nod this year. Aldridge has carried the Blazers this year and Gasol has stepped in a big way with Zach Randolph out of the lineup. Notably absent from this year’s roster is Tim Duncan. Duncan had been to 13 straight All-Star Games.
Kevin Love only made it as an injury replacement last year, but he is solidly on the roster this year.
Dwight Howard ended up getting more votes than any other player in the NBA. It will be Howard’s weekend to shine in Orlando.
Derrick Rose and Dwyane Wade will start in the backcourt for the Eastern Conference. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony will start in the frontcourt. It will be interesting to see who guards Blake Griffin in this one. Roy Hibbert, Andre Iguodala, and Luol Deng are all making their first All-Star appearance this year. Kevin Garnett had been to 14 straight All-Star Games, but he wasn’t selected this year.
Joe Johnson was selected to the team, but will miss the game due to injury.
I would argue that the Eastern Conference has a couple more superstars than does the Western Conference, but the West appears to have the deeper bench.
I like the Eastern Conference to win this one in front of a friendly crowd.
Western Conference vs Eastern Conference Last 5 Meetings
| Year | Home/Away | MVP | Team | |||
| 2011 | Western Conference 148 – Eastern Conference 143 | Kobe Bryant | West | |||
| 2010 | Eastern Conference 141 – Western Conference 139 | Dwyane Wade | East | |||
| 2009 | Western Conference 146 – Eastern Conference 119 | Shaquille O’Neal Kobe Bryant |
West West |
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| 2008 | Eastern Conference 134 – Western Conference 128 | LeBron James | East | |||
| 2007 | Western Conference 153 – Eastern Conference 132 | Kobe Bryant | West | |||
Prediction: Eastern Conference 142 Western Conference 137
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