The NBA season has hit the All-Star break giving teams across the league a chance to rest up and reset while the stars shine the brightest on the national stage.
One of the more notable events of the weekend will be the three-point shootout as the league’s top marksmen compete to showcase their accuracy and endurance.
While there will be plenty of attention paid to the Celebrity Game, the Skills Challenge, the Rising Stars Competition, the Slam Dunk Contest, and the All-Star Game- there is some unique value on the board for the three-point contest which we will dive into here. This contest will be taking place as a part of the All-Star Saturday Night schedule.
There is an eight-man group of participants set to compete for this year’s award. This includes the defending champion in Damian Lillard, the 2022 champion in Karl-Anthony Towns, Malik Beasley who ranks 5th in the league in three-point percentage this year, and five other high-level shooters.
There also will be a new event this year in which Steph Curry will take on Sabrina Ionescu in a three-point contest of their own as Sabrina broke the all-time NBA & WNBA record for most made baskets in a three-point contest just last year.
NBA 3-Point Contest odds:
- Damian Lillard- +475
- Tyrese Haliburton: +550
- Trae Young: +600
- Malik Beasley: +600
- Karl-Anthony Towns: +600
- Jalen Brunson: +600
- Lauri Markkanen: +650
- Donvan Mitchell: +700
*Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
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NBA Three-Point Contest rules
While there have been subtle adaptations throughout the contest’s history, the contest has mostly stayed the same. This year, players will be given 70 seconds to shoot 27 three-pointers from five locations around the arc. Four of the five balls on each rack are normal NBA game balls and in addition, there is one “Moneyball” at each location.
One rack, at the location of the shooter’s choice, will be made up of five “moneyballs” with each shot being worth double points. There also are two additional “Starry Range” ball pedestals located between racks 2 and 3. These shots are worth three points each.
NBA Three-Point Contest favorites:
Damian Lillard: +475
The defending champion will be representing a new team this year following his offseason trade from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Milwaukee Bucks. Lillard has not quite played at the level of expectation with his three-point percentage slipping to 34.5% on the season, which is well below his career average of 37.1% from beyond the arc.
Even still, Lillard ranks 5th in NBA history for most three-pointers ever made and trails only Steph Curry and James Harden for the most three-pointers made of any active player. His ability to knock down long-range shots from well beyond the arc is a unique characteristic and he cannot be counted out from catching fire and successfully defending his title.
Tyrese Haliburton: +550
Tyrese Haliburton will be representing the home crowd and shooting in front of the Indiana Pacers fans in this event. He also is having a down year by his standards as a three-point shooter. Halliburton has connected on 39.1% of his three-point attempts which makes it the first year of his career he is shooting below 40% and holds a career three-point percentage of 40.5%.
While there are some questions about how quick the release of Tyrese Haliburton is, his form also does not call for as much use of his legs compared to some of the other shooters which could be an advantage.
Karl-Anthony Towns: +600
Already crowned as the greatest big-man shooter of all time and having won the NBA three-point contest in 2022, expect Karl-Anthony Towns to have a real chance this year again.
The former Kentucky product is shooting a career-high 43.8% from beyond the arc this season and has been a vital reason why the Timberwolves have been leading the pack in the Western Conference for just about the entirety of the first half of the season. Towns is not just a good shooter for a big man but one of the more elite shooters across the entire league.
NBA Three-Point Contest pick:
With each player possessing an elite ability to shoot from a distance, this is a contest more dependent on who gets hot at the right time.
When looking for the greatest value on the board, you should search for the player who connects at a high percentage, is comfortable taking a high volume of three-pointers, and has experience participating in shootouts before.
When diving into these factors, it is worth digging down the board and looking toward Lauri Markkanen at +650 odds.
On the season, Marrkkanen is averaging 23.6 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting 40.6% from beyond the three-point arc on 8.0 perimeter shots per game. Both these three-point numbers are a career-high for the Finland native.
The 26-year-old is among the most notable All-Star snubs which should add some fuel to the fire during this competition.
Markkanen looked solid in last year’s three-point contest by scoring 20 points in the first round which was tied for the highest mark of any player that did not advance to the following round.
With another year of experience and a compact shooting form that makes it possible to get off a significant number of attempts in a hurry, take the value and expect Lauri Markkanen to have a chance at winning the three-point contest for the first time in his career.
Past Three-Point Contest winners:
- 2023- Damian Lillard
- 2022- Karl-Anthony Towns
- 2021- Steph Curry
- 2020- Buddy Hield
- 2019- Joe Harris
- 2018- Devin Booker
- 2017- Eric Gordon
- 2016- Klay Thompson
- 2015- Steph Curry
- 2014- Marco Bellinelli
- 2013- Kyrie Irving
This year’s contest has pretty even odds across the board. In past years there has been some longshot value that has been beneficial to those looking to wager on the event.
One example of this is Karl-Anthony Towns winning the contest in 2022 after entering with +1200 odds. The even values on the betting board do not present the opportunity for such a massive payout, but also indicates that Vegas is not sure what to expect either.
Players who have won multiple Three-Point Contests:
- Larry Bird– 1986,1987, 1988
- Craig Hodges– 1990, 1991, 1992
- Peja Stojakovic– 2002, 2003
- Jeff Hornacek– 1998, 200
- Mark Price– 1993, 1994
- Jason Kapono– 2007, 2008
- Steph Curry– 2015, 2021
Steph Curry vs Sabrina Ionescu event
In addition to the traditional three-point contest, Steph Curry and Sabrina Ionescu will be competing in a three-point event of their own. Ionescu challenged Curry to a contest after she scored 37 out of a possible 40 points in the final round of the STARRY WNBA three-point contest last year.
This contest will follow the same rules as the traditional three-point contest however Curry will shoot with NBA balls and behind the NBA-mandated three-point arc while Ionescu will shoot with the WNBA balls and behind the WNBA three-point line.
As a part of the competition, both Curry’s Eat.Learn.Play nonprofit and Ionescu’s SI20 foundation will receive a donation from the NBA and WNBA.
Each made shot by the two stars will lead to a donation from State Farm to the NBA Foundation to support economic empowerment in the Black community.
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Steph Curry enters the matchup as a -280 favorite while Sabrina Ionescu is a +200 underdog.
Three-Point Contest trends
- There has not been a back-to-back champion since 2008
- No one has ever won the NBA three-point contest on their own home court
- Steph Curry holds the NBA record for making 31 of 40 shots in 2021
- Devin Booker holds the record for the highest percentage of shots made by making 28 of 34 in 2018
- Karl-Anthony Towns holds the record for most points in a final round with 29
About the author
Sean Barnard
Sean Barnard has worked in sports media for the past five years. He has spent time as the 76ers Lead Writer for Philly Sports Network, Associate Editor at CluchPoints, Eagles Beat Reporter for YardBarker, and more. He also owns and operates his own Podcast Network called Pick Swap Media and is a radio host on Fox 102.5 The Gambler presented by iHeartMedia. Sean has written over 1500 articles and recorded over 500 podcasts and is just getting started. Based out of the Philadelphia region in the United States, Sean is a lifelong passionate sports fan who can be reached on Twitter at @Sean_Barnard1 where he rattles off basketball breakdowns and other news.
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