Im showing a 8 point drop
Team LeBron vs. Team Stephen (+2.5, 341)
The best and brightest stars in the basketball universe converge upon Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon in the latest edition of the NBA All-Star Game. This year's version of the mid-season spectacle features a new wrinkle, with captains LeBron James and Stephen Curry choosing their teams. The result: Teammates facing off against each other, and allegiances you would never see outside of an Olympic Games. And while Team Stephen has enjoyed much better health in the weeks leading into the game, you can never count out a team with LeBron at the helm.
These games have been high scoring affairs in the past, but after last year's combatants combined for an absurd 374 points - 22 above the total - oddsmakers are not taking any chances, making this year's total the highest in All-Star Game history. And with these two lineups and their likely aversion to defense of any kind, look for the over to be a consideration. The format change brings an end to the Western Conference's All-Star dominance; it had won eight of the previous 10 games coming into this weekend, including each of the last three. This is the third All-Star Game held at Staples Center.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT, TSN
LINE HISTORY: Team Steph opened as a 3 1/2-point favorite but has taken a tumble since, and is now a slight underdog. The total meanwhile has seen one of the most remarkable moves you'll ever see in sports betting. Most books opened the number at 366 but since then bettors have hammered the Under moving the line a unfathomable 25-points.
WHAT BOOKS SAY: "Not much to report on regarding the spread. We opened Team LeBron -3 and haven't budged off that number. Right now, we have almost 70 percent of the bets on that side and most of it is public money. The total has been bet down four points to 342 since the open. Perhaps bettors are subscribing to the notion of this being a more serious game with the new lineups." - Scott Cooley, odds consultant BetDSI.
ROSTERS (* - injured and will not play)
Team LeBron Head Coach: Dwane Casey
Team LeBron Starters: G Kyrie Irving F, LeBron James, F Kevin Durant, F/C Anthony Davis, *DeMarcus Cousins (replaced on roster by F Paul George)
Team LeBron Reserves: G Bradley Beal, *G John Wall (replaced by Andre Drummond), G Russell Westbrook, G Victor Oladipo, F/C LaMarcus Aldridge, *F/C Kevin Love (replaced by Goran Dragic), *F/C Kristaps Porzingis (replaced by Kemba Walker)
Team Steph Head Coach: Mike D'Antoni
Team Steph Starters: G James Harden, G Steph Curry, G DeMar DeRozan, G/F Giannis Antetokounmpo, F/C Joel Embiid
Team Stephen Reserves: G Damian Lillard, G Kyle Lowry, G Klay Thompson, G/F Jimmy Butler, F Draymond Green, F/C Al Horford, C Karl-Anthony Towns
ABOUT TEAM LeBRON: It's hard to handicap James's team, since we don't yet know who the fifth starter will be; Cousins was supposed to round out the starting five, but his season-ending Achilles injury leaves that selection in the hands of Raptors head coach Dwane Casey. Regardless of who gets that spot, this lineup has plenty of length, between James, Durant and Davis. The bench is heavy on guards, and if Casey is smart, he'll consider starting the electrifying Westbrook alongside Irving. That might lead to awkwardness between Durant and Westbrook - and LeBron and Kyrie, too - but you can't top the skill level Durant, James, Irving and Westbrook bring. Rounding out that group with a superstar in Davis could mean a rough start to the game for Team Stephen.
ABOUT TEAM STEPH: Curry's five-man unit has remained completely healthy, and will be all about the ball handling; Harden and Antetokounmpo are elite passers at their respective positions, and Curry can thread the needle with the best of them. DeRozan should be in for a half-dozen uncontested dunks while Embiid is the biggest wild-card; he's nursing a sore right ankle and could be on a minutes restriction in this one, but he has proven to be positively destructive even in limited action. This bench is small but versatile, with Butler and Green expected to make life difficult for Team LeBron shooters. Lillard and Thompson can hit from anywhere on the floor, and Towns is considerably better than any reserve big on the Team LeBron roster.
ALL-STAR GAME MVP ODDS (PER PINNACLE):
LeBron James +463
Russell Westbrook +520
Giannis Antetokoumpo +598
Stephen Curry +632
Kevin Durant +701
James Harden +817
Anthony Davis +1027
DeMar DeRozan +1450
Kyrie Irving +1701
Joel Embiid +1763
Paul George +1823
Klay Thompson +1940
Damian Lillard +2662
LaMarcus Aldridge +4490
Bradley Beal +5078
Al Horford +5642
Andre Drummond +5642
Draymond Green +5642
Goran Dragic +5642
Jimmy Butler +5642
Karl-Anthony Towns +5642
Kemba Walker +5642
Kyle Lowry +5642
TRENDS:
* The favorite has covered in each of last five years and is 5-2 ATS the last seven games.
* The last three All-Star Games have gone over the total, and the game is 6-1 O/U in the past seven years.
* No All-Star team has scored fewer than 155 points since 2013.
* Both of the previous two All-Star Games played at Staples Center were decided by six points or fewer.
* Team LeBron boasts five of the previous six All-Star Game MVPs (Westbrook x 2, Durant, Irving, Davis).