2022 NBA All-Star Game: Last Chance Value Picks for Team Durant vs. Team LeBron (Archive)
The 2022 NBA All-Star Game will take center stage tonight between Team LeBron and Team Durant. Lines opened at -5.5 for Team LeBron and it looks like oddsmakers are actually changing the line from -5.5 to -6. Before we get into the NBA picks, let’s talk about the rules and the format.
Team Durant vs. Team LeBron
Sunday, February 20, 2022 – 8:00 PM EST at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Per NBA.com, Team LeBron and Team Durant will compete to win each of the first three-quarters of the game. Those quarters will be the standard 12 minutes but start with a 0-0 score.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the game clock will be turned off and a final target score will be set based on the leading team's cumulative score through the first three quarters. That target score will be the leading team's total score plus 24 points.
Once the target score is finalized, Team LeBron and Team Durant will play the untimed fourth quarter, and the first team to reach the target score will win the game. The rosters are as follows:
Team LeBron
| Player | Team |
| LeBron James* | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo* | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Stephen Curry* | Golden State Warriors |
| DeMar DeRozan* | Chicago Bulls |
| Nikola Jokic* | Denver Nuggets |
| Jarrett Allen | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Jimmy Butler | Miami Heat |
| Luka Doncic | Dallas Mavericks |
| Darius Garland | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| James Harden** | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Donovan Mitchell | Utah Jazz |
| Chris Paul | Phoenix Suns |
| Fred VanVleet | Toronto Raptors |
Team Durant
| Player | Team |
| Kevin Durant** | Brooklyn Nets |
| Joel Embiid* | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Ja Morant* | Memphis Grizzlies |
| Jayson Tatum* | Boston Celtics |
| Andrew Wiggins* | Golden State Warriors |
| Trae Young* | Atlanta Hawks |
| LaMelo Ball | Charlotte Hornets |
| Devin Booker | Phoenix Suns |
| Rudy Gobert | Utah Jazz |
| Draymond Green** | Golden State Warriors |
| Zach LaVine | Chicago Bulls |
| Khris Middleton | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Dejounte Murray | San Antonio Spurs |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | Minnesota Timberwolves |
* All-Star starters
** Will not play because of injury
When looking at rosters, it’s pretty apparent that Team LeBron is a bit more skilled. But that doesn’t take away from what all of these players have accomplished this season. Everyone is very deserving of being an NBA All-Star and either team has a chance to win.
That’s why I’d select Team Durant, at +6, in this game.
Team Durant
Despite Team LeBron winning by 20 points in last year’s game, there’s still reason to believe this game will be tight. The value is now on Team Durant. This is an all-star team that is getting no love. No team deserves to be this big of an underdog in this kind of game. In 2018, there was a three-point deficit once the format changed to a draft instead of East vs. West.
Team Durant has some young ballers who can really shine in this game. Guys like Joel Embiid and Ja Morant aren’t getting much love. And we saw how much LaMelo Ball is trying in these types of games from this weekend already.
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Plus, Karl-Anthony Towns is on Team Durant, and apparently, he’s trying to win every single All-Star Game Weekend award possible, after winning the three-point contest as a +1200 underdog.
So while Team LeBron is more established, Team Durant is more young and dumb and ready to put their bodies on the line to win the All-Star game.
Over 323.5
The new format killed those potential 200-200 games when the East played the West. However, Team LeBron has scored 170 or more points in two of the last three games. There’s likely going to be a bit more scoring in this game as Team Durant should put on a lot of offensive display too.
The line at the NBA odds board is going to continue to increase as we approach the night, so if you want the over, grab it now. Plus, it’s no fun taking the under in an All-Star Game!
NBA Pick: Over 324 (-110) with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.