NBA 3-Point Contest
February 18, 2023 9:30 pm EDT
The Line: Over/Under: -
(Get latest betting odds)
The 2023 NBA 3-point contest during all-star weekend will take place Saturday at the Vivint Arena. Let’s preview this event and give out a pick and prediction.
Buddy Hield Betting Odds +420
Buddy Hield has topped 40 percent shooting from deep three times in his career, and he’s shooting 42.6 percent from 3 this year. Hield won the 3-point contest in 2020 at the United Center. Hield is 31st in NBA history with 1,647 made threes, which is 13th among active players. Considering this is just his seventh season, it’s fair to see why Hield is the betting favorite.
Damian Lillard Betting Odds +470
Damian Lillard is shooting 37.3 percent from 3 for his career and 37.2 percent this season. Lillard has 2,334 made threes for his career, which is sixth best all time. Only Steph Curry and James Harden have more made threes among active players. Lillard is also shooting 40.3 percent from deep in 37 career games against the Jazz.
Jayson Tatum Betting Odds +550
You don’t first think elite outside shooter when hearing Jayson Tatum, but he has topped 40 percent twice in his career, and he’s shooting a solid 35.7 percent this year. Tatum has made 1,010 threes for his career and there’s only 143 shooters to have topped the thousand mark. I’m sure Tatum’s popularity is playing into this line a bit.
Kevin Huerter Betting Odds +550
Kevin Huerter isn’t on any leaderboards yet with just 270 starts under his belt, but he’s shooting 38.2 percent from three for his career on an average of 5.6 attempts per game. Huerter has made 706 threes in 328 NBA games. Huerter is sixth all time for the Atlanta Hawks with 563 made threes, which is ahead of Steve Smith, Dominique Wilkins and Mike Bibby.
Lauri Markkanen Betting Odds +650
Lauri Markkanen is having his breakout season and that includes a career high 41.2 percent shooting from deep on 7.4 attempts. Markkanen’s 164 made threes this year are the most he’s made in his career, and there’s still 28 games to go. Of course, Markkanen will be the crowd favorite, which could help as well.
Tyrese Haliburton Betting Odds +650
Tyrese Haliburton is shooting 39.9 percent from deep this season and 40.7 percent for his career in 183 NBA games. Through 3 seasons, Haliburton has established himself as one of the better shooters in the league, and he has 9 games this season where he’s made at least 5 threes.
Tyler Herro Betting Odds +800
Tyler Herro is shooting 36.9 percent from 3 this season and 38.1 percent for his career. Herro set an NBA record this year by becoming the first player in NBA history to make at least 9 threes in consecutive days. Despite just turning 23 years old, Herro is seventh in Heat history with 533 made threes, which is ahead of Dwyane Wade. However, Herro has been dealing with a knee injury all week, so that needs to be considered before placing a bet.
Julius Randle Betting Odds +950
Julius Randle is shooting 33.8 percent from 3 this season and 33.4 percent for his career. Easily the least accomplished player on this list from the outside, but he is making a career high 2.7 3s per game on 8 attempts, so he has been far and away more aggressive from deep. Only 10 players this season have attempted more than Randle’s 161 three pointers.
Randy’s Free Pick
It’s always a coin flip on predicting these things, as it’s really a matter of who gets hot. Everybody outside of Randle, (Sorry Knicks fans) can win this thing. I’d consider Herro as a dark horse bet, but he’s been dealing with a banged up knee and hasn’t played in a week. I wouldn’t talk you out of siding with Hield or Lillard, but I like a little more meat on my bone when betting these things. So, I’m going with Markkanen. He’s 12th in true shooting percentage, ninth in 3 pointers made and this is his arena where he knows the rims and has the crowd behind him. In terms of bang for the buck, it’s tough to do better than Markkanen at this price.
