Sunday night brings us the 73rd edition of the NBA All-Star game taking place in Indianapolis as the best players from the Eastern Conference take on the best of the best from the Western Conference. This year’s game marks the return of the classic East vs West format for the first time since 2018. Prior to that change it was the Western Conference that dominated the proceedings with 7 wins during the 2008-2017 period, by an average of 11.1 points. This time around the oddsmakers are expecting a slightly closer game than that, with the spread currently standing at 2.5 points, favoring the West team. Interestingly enough, the last 6 games were decided by an average of 8.5 points, which means the winner would have covered Sunday’s spread in 12 of the last 13 all-star games.
On paper the West has the bigger names in my opinion, especially with Joel Embiid being ruled out with an injury which is a big blow to the ambitions of the East here. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum and Damian Lillard are the more experienced players, while hometown hero Tyrese Haliburton makes his first start in the ASG. Meanwhile, the West starters include all-time great players like LeBron James and Kevin Durant, accompanied by more current stars like Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and 2-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. This game is primarily here for entertainment purposes, but let’s not forget that bragging rights are also on the line with a few younger players looking to make some noise and establish themselves in front of a worldwide audience.
