- What: 2025 NBA All-Star Slam-Dunk Contest
- Where: Chase Center in San Francisco, California
- When: Saturday, February 15 at 8 p.m. ET
- How to watch: TNT
In the blink of an eye, we've reached NBA All-Star Week, as the best players on the planet are going to be ready to put on a show this weekend for the festivities. The league will be ready to steal the spotlight from the NFL following the Super Bowl last weekend. It goes without saying, but Mac McClung is the favorite to win the 2025 NBA Slam-Dunk Contest. Will he come out on top?
McClung has posted back-to-back wins in the dunk contest and he's hoping to post a three-peat. It's not going to be easy for him, though, as he's facing some stiff competition this year. Other stud participants include Matas Buzelis, Andre Jackson Jr. and Stephon Castle. While those playmakers will hope to put on a show, McClung is feeling great about things.
| NBA Slam Dunk odds |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| McClung to win | -220 | -220 | -220 |
| Buzelis to win | +650 | +650 | +650 |
| Jackson to win | +850 | +850 | +850 |
| Castle to win | +1100 | +1100 | +1100 |
“It felt awesome to get that one,” McClung said after winning the title last year, dunking over Shaquille O'Neal en route to the glory. “My friends and I practiced the dunk by having them stand on top of boxes to make them as close to (O’Neal’s) height as possible. I’m just glad it all worked out.”
According to the best sports betting sites, McClung holds -220 basketball betting odds to post a win in the dunk contest for the third consecutive year. Buzelis holds the second-best odds per the NBA betting sites. Soon enough, we'll find out if McClung will be victorious or not. Again, it's not going to be easy for him, but we're going with him as our pick to raise the trophy by the end of the night.
The crowd was STUNNED in 2023 after this Mac McClung throwdown in #ATTSlamDunk 🤣😲
Who had the best reaction? pic.twitter.com/pbVFPH1Yht
— NBA (@NBA) February 11, 2025
Steph Curry is the slight favorite to be named All-Star Game MVP
As for the main game coming on Sunday night, Steph Curry is the slight favorite to be named All-Star Game MVP. There is a new format for the showcase this season, as there will be four teams set, with games being to 40 points. The winners of the two opening games will then meet in the final, which will also be with the first team to score 40 points being the winner.
This is much different than what we've seen in the past, but NBA fans are quite excited about things. As for Curry, he wants to do his best to make a statement during the All-Star Game, especially with the festivities being on his home floor. This makes things extra special for Curry, as he's going to have a ton of support from the local fans of his team. The stands are going to be packed all weekend, no doubt.
This stat on Steph Curry's 3-PT shooting is ridiculous 😲 pic.twitter.com/k6vVgdZY1W
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 11, 2025
If you're looking to get in on the betting action, now sure is the right time to do so. The best sportsbooks out there, including Bovada, BetOnline and others have special promotions and sign-up bonuses geared around the NBA All-Star Game festivities. It provides users with an extra reason to join. The betting action is sure to be fun for the All-Star Game all around the board, which people always enjoy.
As for the odds for Curry to be named MVP, he's been set at +700. LeBron James is also going to be in contention with his +800 odds. It will be interesting to see how things play out there, but Curry is no question going to be a superstar to keep an eye on come Sunday night. Having said all of that, we're going with the Warriors sharpshooter as our pick. He's going to light up the state and play quite well.
Will Damian Lillard end up winning the 3-point contest?
Lastly, will Damian Lillard end up winning the 3-point contest? Just like McClung, Dillard has been the champ the past two years. He's one of the best shooters in the game and Lillard is going to look to be electric once again shooting in front of everyone. However, similar to the other competitions, there's a loaded field trying to take down the reigning champ, who will all be ready to make things interesting.
That's right, Lillard is going to try and hold off Buddy Hield, Tyler Herro, Norman Powell and others. From our chair, Hield is going to give Lillard the most issues in trying to come out on top. If these two end up meeting in the final round, it'd be primetime television for everyone to enjoy. Lillard is tough to take down whenever he catches fire and he's going to want to post a three-peat here.
While it wouldn't be a surprise to see Hield or Herro lift the trophy, something tells us Lillard will be the best shooter of the night. We're picking him to win the 3-point contest once again. It'd be wild to see both McClung and Lillard make history and win their respective competitions for the third year in a row, but things could end up trending in that direction. We'll find out this weekend how things shape out.
