Editor's Note: This preview was written prior to news that Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons will not participate due to COVID-19 protocols.
Captains LeBron James and Kevin Durant have picked their rosters for the 70th edition of the NBA All-Star Game and that means we can preview the matchup and give you NBA All-Star Game picks.
It appears the experience of being a captain in each of the four years of this new All-Star format has given James an edge as oddsmakers have set Team LeBron as 4-point favorites.
Find out who we like to cover the spread in an All-Star edition of our free NBA picks and predictions for Team LeBron vs. Team Durant on Sunday, March 7 with tipoff scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET.
NBA All-Star Game Team LeBron vs Team Durant betting preview
| Team LeBron | Team Durant |
|---|---|
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Kyrie Irving |
| Steph Curry | Joel Embiid |
| Luka Doncic | Kawhi Leonard |
| Nikola Jokic | Bradley Beal |
| Damian Lillard | Jayson Tatum |
| Ben Simmons | James Harden |
| Chris Paul | Mike Conley* |
| Jaylen Brown | Zion Williamson |
| Paul George | Zach LaVine |
| Domantas Sabonis | Julius Randle |
| Rudy Gobert | Nikola Vucevic |
| N/A | Donovan Mitchell** |
*Mike Conley was a late injury replacement for Devin Booker.
**Team Durant made an additional selection as a result of Durant's injury which will keep him out of the All-Star game.
Injuries
Team LeBron: Ben Simmons (Out).
Team Durant: Kevin Durant F (Out), Anthony Davis PF (Out), Devin Booker (Out). Joel Embiid (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
NBA sharp money and line movement report
By Patrick EversonPointsBet USA had Team LeBron a 4-point favorite most of the way, but as of 5:45 p.m. ET, the line is down to -3.5, despite the news earlier today that Team Durant would not have Joel Embiid due to COVID protocols. Ben Simmons, Embiid's 76ers teammate, is out for Team LeBron for the same reason. Bettors love the favorite tonight. "Heavy action on Team LeBron, taking 86 percent of spread bets and 87 percent of spread handle," PointsBet's Wyatt Yearout said. The total is a beefy 317 in a game notorious for its lack of defense. "The Over is also seeing heavy action, with 94 percent of bets and 95 percent of handle," Yearout said.
Check out the full line movement for this gameAgainst the spread (ATS) pick
The 2021 All-Star Game will use the same “Elam Ending” format as the 2020 edition, with the teams competing to win each quarter and playing to a final target score during the untimed fourth quarter.
The target score is determined by taking the leading team's cumulative score through three quarters and adding 24. So, if Team LeBron leads the game 120-110 after three quarters, then the target score would be 144. Don’t be surprised if it is Team LeBron heading into the untimed quarter with the lead.
It appeared that Kevin Durant let loyalty get the better of him while making his team selections in Thursday night’s NBA All-Star Game player draft.
LeBron had the first pick and selected two-time reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, while Durant, who won’t play due to a hamstring injury, took teammate Kyrie Irving with his first selection. LeBron countered that with another two-time MVP in Steph Curry, and you can see where the rosters went from there.
Take a quick look at Team LeBron and you will see they have the edge when it comes to playmakers and sharpshooters. LeBron grabbed four of the top seven scorers this season, while their roster also has seven of the top 11 players when it comes to dimes.
Durant, on the other hand, built more of a traditional roster. They can score, no doubt, but you could see a lot of iso-ball with this squad.
If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. LeBron is a perfect 3-0 SU as a captain in this new All-Star Game format, going 2-1 ATS, and now has the two former captains as teammates in Giannis and Steph. The creativity and shot-making ability of Team LeBron should win out in the end, so we’re laying the points with the King.
PREDICTION: Team LeBron -4 (-110)
Over/Under pick
The “Elam Ending” sure did what the NBA had hoped it would do in last season’s NBA All-Star Game, as it was the most exciting edition in years. While the new style promotes competitive play all the way to the final bucket, that didn’t necessarily mean scoring went way down.
The Team Captain format has seen the total go 2-1 to the Over, with an average of 319 points scored per game. That includes last year’s game, which only saw 55 points scored in the untimed fourth quarter, but still ended up eclipsing the 305.5 total by hitting 312.
This is still a modest total, at least in regard to recent All-Star Game outputs, and while you can expect both teams to actually play some defense in the fourth quarter once again, the first three should pile up enough points for this one to go Over.
PREDICTION: Over 309 (-110)
MVP Picks
With Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis sidelined, this edition of the NBA All-Star Game features just four former All-Star Game MVPs. They are Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James (duh), and last year’s winner, Kawhi Leonard.
Kawhi’s stoic nature and quiet intensity played well in last year’s game, in which defense was actually played. Not to mention, he was the game's highest scorer behind some killer three-point shooting. So, who is a good bet to bring home the award this season?
Well, you wouldn’t say he exactly has “quiet intensity,” but Joel Embiid is as competitive as they come. Embiid came out recently and said he wants to destroy everything in his path and you shouldn’t expect that to change in an All-Star game. The 76ers’ center is among the betting favorites to win the NBA MVP Award this season, averaging 30.2 points, 11.6 rebounds, and is shooting 41.6 percent from three.
His style should play very well in this one, and one area Team LeBron lacks a bit is size on the inside. Embiid is the second favorite to win the award behind LeBron at +600, but the NBA All-Star Game MVP almost never comes from the losing team. So, since we are betting Team LeBron to win, we’re going to have to sprinkle a little something on someone else to win MVP as well.
The best value is probably with the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic at +2,400. The Joker is less talked about than he should be, but his MVP candidacy is no joke. Jokic is putting up 27.1 points, 11 rebounds and 8.6 assists per game. Don’t be shocked if he records a triple-double and makes some passes that make your jaw drop.
Another guy with decent value is Damian Lillard at +1,400. The Blazers’ guard is one of the NBA’s leading scorers at 29.8 points per game and is jacking up a huge 11.3 threes per game. With the talent around him, he should get way better looks than he’s used to. Plus, as one of the most cold-blooded shooters in the Association, you know he’s going to want to take the final “Elam Ending” shot.
PREDICTION: Joel Embiid (+600), Nikola Jokic (+2,400), Dame Lillard (+1,400)
NBA All-Star Game betting card
- Team LeBron -4 (-110)
- Over 309 (-110)
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