NBA All-Star Game Betting Preview: Best Picks for World vs. USA and MVP Odds | Deadspin.com

What we would give for one real bona fide 48-minute All-Star Game, even if team point totals approach 200.

Instead, there will be four mini-games that total 48 minutes involving three teams on Sunday at Inglewood, Calif.

There will be two squads of United States players and one team of international players. The top two teams in the round-robin format will play in the championship game. A point-differential tiebreaker will be held if all three teams go 1-1.

The World team will be missing reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and former two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the USA Stripes will be without former two-time MVP Stephen Curry. The USA Stars have no injury absences.

The 3-point shooting and dunk contests are on Saturday.

World team looks more stout than USA squads

Good thing for the two USA squads that Gilgeous-Alexander and Antetokounmpo are sidelined as the World team would be ultra powerful to have that duo along with three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic and Victor Wembanyama. Jamal Murray, Karl-Anthony Towns and Pascal Siakam are among the other players for World (+155), which is a slight favorite to win the event.

USA Stripes (+160) is just back of World and features former MVPs LeBron James (four times) and Kevin Durant (once) and two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard on the roster. The high-scoring trio of Jaylen Brown, Donovan Mitchell and Jalen Brunson will certainly overcome the loss of Curry’s scoring punch.

The underdog USA Stars (+200) have the second tier of All-Stars – oh shoot, don’t tell Anthony Edwards I said that – but have some players who love to shoot the ball. Edwards, Tyrese Maxey and Devin Booker will be ready to fill the net and guys like Cade Cunningham and Jalen Johnson can do it all on the floor.

World team to win NBA All-Star Game final — +155 (FanDuel)

An out of this World MVP

To win MVP in this format, you need to be in the championship game and preferably on the winning side. Wembanyama (+400) is the favorite to win the award as the Frenchman could block a lot of shots and knock down 3-pointers while collecting points and rebounds. Doncic (+1400) might not play full minutes due to his recent hamstring injury. Towns (+1600) is another possible candidate if he gets on a long-range hot streak.

Brown (+1000) and Durant (+1400) lead the USA Stripes candidates and Brown makes sense as he’s been on career-best scoring spree with Boston running mate Jayson Tatum (Achilles) out for the season. James (+1600) doesn’t seem to be a real threat due to the foot injury that has bothered him of late. Donovan Mitchell (+1800) could be a real possibility.

Edwards (+1500), Brunson (+1500) and Booker (+1600) are a solid trio for the USA Stars but could cancel each other out. For example, Brunson could be on fire in the first game, Booker could go nuts in the second and Edwards could take over in the title game if the team makes it that far.

Towns to win All-Star Game MVP – +1600 (DraftKings)

Skip the dunks, watch the long-range shots on All-Star Saturday

It would be quite the feel-good story if Damian Lillard (+460) were to join Larry Bird (1986-88) and Craig Hodges (1990-92) as the only three-time winners of the 3-point shooting contest. Lillard is sitting out the season after the Achilles tear he sustained last May and has been ramping up his 3-point shooting in pregame warmups in recent weeks to get ready for this event.

Rookie Kon Knueppel (+250) is the favorite and his shooting range stretches from Inglewood to the Santa Monica Pier. Veteran sharpshooters like 2018 winner Booker (+600) and Murray (+650) could go on a tear, and Maxey (+650) also could take center stage. Mitchell (+750) can be had at a great price and he leads the NBA with 185 treys.

The dunk contest has a lackluster quartet and that means everyone will yearn for G-League lifer Mac McClung, who won the contest the past three years. Journeyman Jaxson Hayes of the Lakers is the biggest name and the other contestants are Carter Bryant (Spurs), Keshad Johnson (Heat) and Jase Richardson (Magic).

Mitchell to win 3-point shooting contest +750 (DraftKings)