NBA 2024 All-Star Slam Dunk contest: Prediction and Betting Tips | February 17
The much-awaited NBA 2024 All-Star weekend is on the go, and the fan-favorite NBA All-Star Slam Dunk contest is scheduled for Saturday night in Indianapolis. The contest will feature four of the current big names in the NBA slam dunk.
Defending champion, Mac McClung is the only NBA G-league player to participate in the All-Star festivities. McClung represents the Orlando Magic's G-league team, the Osceola Magic.
He will seek to defend his title this year against Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics, Jaime Jaquez Jr. of the Miami Heat and Jacob Toppin of the New York Knicks.
The format of the contest will be consistent with previous years. There will be five judges, and the average of the judges' scores will be used to determine the score for each dunk. Each judge will assign a score ranging from 40 to 50 for every dunk.
In the Slam Dunk Contest, players are rewarded for creativity, high-difficulty attempts and style. The time limit for the participants is 90 seconds along with a three-attempt limit to complete a successful dunk.
If a contestant makes a dunk, they will be scored on that and will not be allowed any re-attempts, which are only available if they miss their previous dunk.
NBA 2024 All-Star Slam Dunk Contest: Prediction and Betting Odds
Betting Odds
Mac McClung (-190)
Jaylen Brown (+420)
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (+650)
Jacob Toppin (+600)
Reigning champion Mac McClung is highly favored to defend his title. If he does so, he will become the fifth player to repeat as NBA Slam Dunk Champion, joining Michael Jordan, Zach LaVine, Nate Robinson and Jason Richardson.
Last year, Mac McClung earned a perfect score of 50 on all but one of his dunks, setting the bar very high. It's even more impressive that he made all the dunks on his first attempt.
His dunks included an over-two-people board tap dunk and a 360-degree and reverse dunk, both of which he converted seemingly with ease. His final round 540-degree reversal sealed the deal.
Some even said McClung's Slam Dunk contest performance last year was the greatest they've ever seen.
Jaylen Brown is the lone superstar player in this contest. He has a long reel of highlight dunks that make him an intriguing challenger to McClung. Brown has 342 dunks in his NBA career, while his three competitors combine for just 27.
Despite Jaylen Brown's elite in-game dunking ability, Mac McClung is expected to emerge victorious due to his spectacular display in last year's Slam Dunk contest. The odds are not even close.