Along with Curry, Lillard will be in the three-point shootout in Charlotte for All-Star Weekend. Charlotte is Curry’s hometown and expects to win. His younger brother, Seth Curry, will also be competing in this year’s contest, Lillard’s teammate in Portland. Stephen Curry is the best three-point shooter in the world, so it is no surprise to see him listed as a +175 favorite over the rest of the field on the Three-Point Contest odds. But despite Curry. 2019 NBA Three-Point Contest Odds: +325 The third year former Oklahoma Sooners’ star leads the Kings in points per game at 20.3. He’s not just a scorer, though. Buddy also averages over 5 boards and over 2 assists per.
The three-point contest has always been one of my favorite events of NBA All Star weekend. It trumps the dunk contest, in my eyes. So simple, so clean – and the talent this year is top notch.
The talent level is of course a product of the NBA trying to bring in as little amount of NBA players as possible for the weekend, so all six participants are All Stars.
Let’s break down the field, how they’ve shot the three this year, and my pick for the winner. I correctly bet Joe Harris to win in 2019, so no big deal but I clearly have a gift.
Three-Point Contest: The Field
We’ve got six shooters in this year’s 3-Point Contest, with a few past winners getting back in the ring.
| Shooter | Odds |
| Steph Curry | +180 |
| Devin Booker | +250 |
| Donovan Mitchell | +400 |
| Zach LaVine | +450 |
| Jayson Tatum | +750 |
| Jaylen Brown | +800 |
Steph and Booker have each won this contest before, and the odds give a nod to the past success. Booker in particular has had a lot of recent success, this being his fifth appearance in the contest.
Booker won in 2018, setting the record for most points, with a 28 of 34 mark. This will be his fourth straight appearance, coming within a point of beating Buddy Hield last year.
This highlight clip is as pure as it gets:
We all know the illustrious career of Steph Curry, sure to go down as the best shooter of all time. Curry won this contest back in 2015, last participating in 2019.
In a game like this, with so much randomness and “getting hot” – I see no reason to hitch our wagons to either of the favorites, though that Booker highlight sure makes it tough. The potential payout for the rest of the field is tantalizing and where I’ll be focusing my attention.
Before we get there, let’s take a look at how each of these stars have performed from behind the arc this season.
| Shooter | 3P% | Threes Attempted Per Game |
| Curry | 41.1% | 11.7 |
| Booker | 36.2% | 5.6 |
| Mitchell | 38.2% | 8.7 |
| LaVine | 43.5% | 8.1 |
| Tatum | 36.8% | 7.1 |
| Brown | 38.8% | 5.9 |
It’s a surprise to me to see that Booker is last among this group in both percentage and attempts. Meanwhile, Curry tops the league in attempts, which should come as no surprise.
The standouts for me here are Zach LaVine and Jaylen Brown. LaVine’s percentage is the highest in this group, and with odds at +450, he definitely has intriguing value.
Brown has shot well from three for the second year in a row, developing as the clear second scoring option for the Celtics behind Tatum.
My local bias may come into play here, but the context of watching Boston play so often is supporting my pick of Jaylen here. When Jaylen shoots threes, I find them to be designed plays for him to shoot from the corner, or spot up threes.
When you look at Tatum, he’s taken on the burden of creator in that offense, often taking fadeaway threes or iso threes at the end of the shot clock.
In a contest like this, I prefer the set plays: Advantage Jaylen Brown.
To round out the field, we have Mitchell and Tatum – two great young stars in this league. Both are making their Three-Point Contest debut, as is Brown, but don’t let that lack of experience keep you from following your heart. Since 2011, six of the ten winners were first-timers.
My Pick
Obviously, this is anyone’s game, and I can’t wait to take in the action. I’m rolling with two picks to up our chances.
GriffyBets Picks:
- Lavine +450
- Brown +800
Enjoy All Star weekend in its entirety. To stay up to date with my latest picks and breakdowns, make sure you’re following on Twitter, @griffybets.
Point spread betting is the most popular form of sports betting. The vast majority of sports wagers use a point spread thanks to the popularity of football and basketball. Even though this type of betting is so popular, it may take awhile to understand.
The point spread is sometimes known as an equalizer for sportsbook operators. All teams aren’t created equally, so sportsbooks can create a point spread for a game so that each team playing has an almost even chance of winning the game. In a way, the point spread will even the field for both teams.
The point spread gives a reason for bettors to risk money on both teams. The better team playing in the game is considered favorite. They have to win by the point spread offered by the sportsbook. The favorite in a game is listed as being minus (-) the point spread.
The worse of the teams playing in the game is called the underdog. The bettor wins if this team wins the game outright or loses by an amount smaller than the point spread. The underdog in a game is listed as being plus (+) the point spread.
Let’s use this past Super Bowl between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs as an example.
Using this example, the Chiefs were 3-point favorites over the Buccaneers. The Chiefs needed to win by 4 or more points to cover the spread.
Likewise, the Buccaneers were 3-point underdogs. That means the Buccaneers needed to win the game outright or not lose the contest by 4 points or more. At Chiefs -3, if they won by exactly 3 points, the betting result would have been a “push” and bettors for both sides would have gotten their wagers refunded.
The Buccaneers pulled off the upset, winning by a score of 31-9, and rewarded bettors who backed them at +3.
Point spread betting odds
Point spreads are usually set with -110 odds, but pricing often fluctuates at online sportsbooks. This is the sportsbook operators’ house edge. The odds guarantee the sportsbook operator will see a little money over time. When the odds are set at -110, the bettor must wager $110 to win $100 (or $11 to win $10).
The odds on a point spread are most commonly known as the vigorish or “vig” for the sportsbook. You might hear this small profit margin for the sportsbook called the “juice” by some sports bettors.
Point spread FAQs
What does ‘pick em’ or ‘pick’ mean in NFL betting?
A “pick em” (sometimes seen as “pick”) is when the teams have a point spread of zero, meaning neither team is favored. In this instance, you’re essentially picking moneyline and your bet will be determined on the winner alone.
What does -7 and +7 mean in NFL betting?
A spread of minus-seven (-7) means that a is favored to win the game by a touchdown (technically, a touchdown and the extra point). A team favored by -7 must win the game by eight or more points to win the bet. If the team wins by seven, the result is a “push” and the bet is refunded.
3 Point Contest 2019 Odds Ncaa Basketball
A spread of +7 means the team must win the game or lose by fewer than seven points to win the bet. A loss by seven would result in a push.
3 Point Contest 2019 Odds
What does -3 and +3 mean in NFL betting?
A -3 spread means that the favorite must win by more than a field goal to win the wager. A three-point win would result in a push and the sportsbook would refund the wager.
A spread of +3 means the team listed as the underdog must win the game or lose by fewer than three points to cash the bet. A three-point loss would be graded as a push by the sportsbook and the bet would be refunded.
Why are point spreads in the NFL so much lower than in college?
In 2019, the Baltimore Ravens led the NFL in point differential per game at +13.7 points; the Miami Dolphins ranked last in the NFL in point differential per game at -11.7. Even Kansas City– known for their explosive offense– had an average point differential in 2019 of just 9.7 points. The net point differential in the NFL is -14.1, or -0.9 points per game. Basically, the talent differential in the NFL is so minute that even mismatched teams often draw games within a score of each other.
NFL spreads are most commonly between one point and four, with six being a heavy favorite and extremes coming out around 15-20 point favors. (For those wondering, the 1941 Chicago Bears hold the NFL record of point differential at +15.7 points per game. Conversely, Ohio State had a +33.1 average point differential in 2019.)
Point spread and odds movement
Sportsbook operators often aim to have equal money on both sides of a point spread. When the money is exactly split the sportsbook operator will see the exact vigorish as their profit margin. If all things are equal over time this will maximize how much money the sportsbook operator can make.
In an effort to have equal money on both sides of a wager, the sportsbook operator will move the point spread to attract money on the side that customers aren’t betting on. The odds for a point spread might change before the actual point spread. There are certain point spread numbers, like 3 and 7 in football, the sportsbook operators would like to avoid moving away from since the final score margin falls on these two numbers most often.
For example, if a lot more money is wagered on the New England Patriots -3, the vig may shift from -112 to -115 and -120 before the line moves to -3.5.
Run and puck lines
3 Point Contest Odds 2019
Football and basketball games are mostly bet using a point spread. The less popular major sports, baseball and hockey, are mostly bet using a moneyline. In an effort to make baseball and hockey more appealing to point spread bettors, the sportsbook operators offer run and puck lines, respectively.
3 Point Contest 2019 Odds Nfl
These alternative lines give point spread bettors a chance to wager on other sports using a more familiar method of betting. Since points (runs and goals) aren’t as easy to come by in baseball and hockey, the odds with the lines may have a wider spread than a football or basketball game.