The best and brightest stars from the Eastern and Western Conference will make the pilgrimage to the Mecca of basketball – Madison Square Garden – for the 2015 All-Star Game this Saturday. Injuries have, as usual, meant a couple of big names will miss this year’s event, but their absences have only opened the door for other equally worthy All-Stars to shine.
Read on for a look at the teams of each conference and see how they stack up ahead of this year’s midseason showcase, and while you’re at it don’t miss our list of the bigger All-Star game moments in history, as well as our previews of the Slam Dunk Contest.
[sc:NBAArticles ]2015 NBA All-Star Game Betting Preview, Predictions and Odds
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York
When: Saturday, February 14, 1:00 PM ET
Line: Eastern Conference All-Stars vs. Western Conference All-Stars – view all NBA All-Star lines
Betting on the Eastern All-Stars
[sc:NBA240banner ]The Atlanta Hawks eventually did get their four All-Stars onto this team. Kyle Korver got his first All-Star nod as he replaces the Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade, who’s out with a hamstring injury. Korver joins teammates Al Horford, Paul Millsap and Jeff Teague, who’s also making his All-Star debut, on the East bench alongside their head coach Mike Budenholzer.
Chris Bosh of the Heat, Jimmy Butler of the Bulls and reigning All-Star MVP Kyrie Irving of the Cavs round out the rest of the East reserves.
The East could yet be forced into one more injury replacement as starter Carmelo Anthony of the Knicks aggravated a knee injury. If Anthony does indeed play, he’ll line up alongside fellow East starters LeBron James, Pau Gasol, John Wall and Kyle Lowry.
There’s hardly any size in this team, with Gasol the only one who plays predominantly in the paint, but that might be a good thing for entertainment purposes. The Hawks bigs, Horford and Millsap, are more than comfortable on the perimeter and Bosh can live exclusively on the three-point line.
This roster has all the makings of a souped up Hawks team with its mix of penetration and shooting, and Coach Budz certainly knows what to do with those. The East can spread the floor with shooters (Korver, Bosh) with LeBron and a trio of spitfire point guards (Wall, Lowry, or Teague) driving and kicking the West to death.
Or, Kyrie Irving can just shoot the lights out like he did last season, when he shot 14-of-17 from the field for 31 points and 14 assists. LeBron has also thrived in the ASG’s free-wheeling format, with averages of 22.5 points, six rebounds and six assists in 11 career appearances.
Betting on the Western All-Stars
Injuries have slowly withered away the Western All-Star roster. Three of the West’s starters in the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, the Clippers’ Blake Griffin and the Pelicans’ Anthony Davis have already dropped out due to injury. The Kings’ DeMarcus Cousins, the Blazers’ Damian Lillard and the Mavs’ Dirk Nowitzki have been tabbed as replacements after being snubbed in the coach’s vote.
James Harden and Klay Thompson have taken the place of Bryant and Griffin and in the West’s starting five, while Davis’ spot is still up for grabs. That leaves the Warriors’ Stephen Curry and the Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol as the only original West starters as voted in by the fans left standing.
LaMarcus Aldridge, who’s already playing with a broken hand, isn’t expected to play much, neither is the ancient Tim Duncan. The extent of Nowitzki’s participation is also questionable.
But despite the injuries, there’s still an incredible amount of talent in this team. Curry and James Harden are the two leading MVP candidates thus far, with Chris Paul a notch below. Lillard and Klay Thompson can get hot from deep at any moment, and the Thunder’s dynamic duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are close to unstoppable when they get going.
The absence of Griffin and his made-for-ASG dunks somewhat reduces the watchability factor in this West team that’s got quite a few ball-dominant players. Watching Harden or Westbrook go one-on-five for possessions at a time isn’t a particularly appealing proposition, but the threat of Curry rattling off five straight pull-up threes might be fun to watch, too.
Lock Durant in for 30 points; he’s scored 30 or more in his last four ASG’s. And it isn’t too hard to imagine someone like Harden or Curry getting hot and dropping 30 as well for the West.
Writer’s Prediction
James puts on an MVP-caliber performance to lead the East to a 154-142 win in the All-Star Game. While the NBA is still on break, create a betting account now and get yourself ready for the second half of the season.
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