Damian Lillard defends his crown at the NBA 3-point contest during all-star weekend.
The narrative: Lillard is favoured to three-peat from 3-point land with a bunch of sharpshooters right behind. Buddy Hield — who won this event in 2020 — is next on the odds board but I’m looking toward Norman Powell as a value play.
Check out our NBA 3-point contest odds for the all-star event on Feb. 15.
NBA 3-point contest odds
Click on linked odds below to bet now. Note: Lines have changed/market no longer available if grey.
| Player | Odds to win | Odds to reach finals (1-3) |
| Damian Lillard | +300 | -121 |
| Buddy Hield | +400 | +100 |
| Tyler Herro | +500 | +110 |
| Darius Garland | +600 | +125 |
| Jalen Brunson | +700 | +150 |
| Cade Cunningham | +800 | +200 |
| Cameron Johnson | +800 | +200 |
| Norman Powell | +800 | +200 |
NBA odds as of 3:00 p.m. ET on 02/13/25.
Go to full NBA all-star weekend betting markets.
Lillard won each of the last two contests … so is he a lock to do it again?
- Lillard secured 26/40 points in the final round of both victories.
- But Karl-Anthony Towns (29), Steph Curry (28) and Hield (27) all had better scores in the previous three seasons.
- Lillard is shooting 38.2% from deep this year, his best mark since the 2020-21 season.
Darius Garland (43.1%) has the highest 3-point percentage out of anyone in the field.
Best 3-point contest bet
Best bet: Powell to reach final (+200)
Powell is within spitting distance of Garland in 3-point efficiency (42.6%) while taking 7.8 threes a game.
He’s been lights out all season for the Los Angeles Clippers and should probably be playing in the actual all-star game instead of just this competition.
With that said, I think the former Toronto Raptor will have some extra motivation to shoot the lights out on Saturday night.
Three of the eight players make the finals which gives us a 37.5% chance, assuming all things are equal. This bet carries a 33.33% implied probability so that’s a nice start.
I’m also going to write a few players off.
- Cade Cunningham is shooting 35.1% from deep and is a career 33.6% three-point shooter.
- Hield is on the wrong side of 30 and has posted his worst 3-point rate (36.7%) in five years.
Powell is on the top of his game and is firing on all cylinders. Don’t be surprised if he wins this thing.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.