NBA All-Star 3-Point Shooting Contest 2015: Bettings Odds, Contestants And Predictions
Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry and Atlanta Hawks shooting guard Kyle Korver are heavy favorites to claim the 2015 Three-Point Shooting Contest on Saturday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The NBA has assembled the game’s eight best sharpshooters with Curry’s odds set at 13/4, and Korver’s 15/4 by Las Vegas site Bovada.lv.
The other contestants include Curry’s teammate and fellow “Splash Brother” shooting guard Klay Thompson, Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving, Los Angeles Clippers guard J.J. Redick, Portland Trail Blazers guard Wesley Matthews, San Antonio Spurs guard Marco Belinelli, and Houston Rockets guard James Harden.
Seven of the contestants are ranked in the top 10 in three-pointers made this season, with Korver, Curry and Matthews currently knotted in first with 161 apiece heading into the All-Star break. Thompson is right behind at 155 made, followed by Harden’s 140, Redick’s 119 and Irving’s 113.
Belinelli has been limited to 34 games this season, and thus he’s totaled only 45 threes but at a 38.1 percent rate. The contest's defending champion held off Curry and Irving last year. Belinelli is a career 39.4 percent shooter from beyond the arc, and could be tough to beat.
However, in terms of accuracy, Korver has blown away the competition so far this season. As the 43-11 Hawks primary long-range weapon, the 11-year veteran has knocked down an incredible 52.3 percent of his attempts in 53 games this season.
It will be the fourth go-round for Curry, and third straight, while Korver last appeared in 2005 in Denver.
Harden, Matthews, Redick and Thompson’s will enter their first venture in the competition.
Irving and Belinelli are the only previous champions in the field this year, having traded the title last year in New Orleans. The Cavs star has appeared in the contest the last three years, while Belinelli looks to be the first repeat champion since Jason Kapono in 2008 and the seventh all-time.
However, the last time All-Star weekend took place in New York, former Utah Jazz guard Jeff Hornacek started his own back-to-back streak in 1998, which leaves the door open for the rest of the field.
Full 3-Point odds
Stephen Curry, Warriors 13/4
Kyle Korver, Hawks 15/4
Klay Thompson, Warriors 4/1
Kyrie Irving, Cavaliers 6/1
J.J. Redick, Clippers 6/1
Wesley Matthews, Trail Blazers 7/1
Marco Belinelli, Spurs 7/1
James Harden, Rockets 8/1
Prediction: This could be one of the deepest fields in the contest's history, which would make it easy to pick the field. Korver seems unstoppable this year, though. Look for Korver to outduel either Thompson or Matthews in the final round.
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