NBA Pick: Kenyon Martin Jr. to Win the Slam Dunk Contest (+375) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
The NBA All-Star weekend is here. One of the highlights of the All-Star weekend is the Slam Dunk Contest. Four men will try to crown themselves as the best dunker in the NBA. Let’s take a look at these four contestants and find a winning NBA pick.
2023 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest
Saturday, February 18, 2023 – 08:00 PM EST at Vivint Arena
Mac McClung (Philadelphia 76ers)
- To Win the NBA Slam Dunk Contest (-180)
Mac McClung recently signed a two-way contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. He previously was averaging 19.1 points per game for the Delaware Blue Coats. McClung was excellent from the field in the G League, shooting 57.6%.
McClung will be the shortest man dunking this weekend. At 6’2, his dunks will be extra impressive as smaller dunkers usually look more visually pleasing as they soar up to slam the ball.
NBA bettors love McClung to get the win based on his performance in high school dunk contests. McClung has an assortment of eye-popping windmills, 360s, and powerful jams. Looking at the tape of him in high school has caused bettors to move him from a plus 250 all the way to a minus 180.
It is safe to say that McClung is now currently the favorite in this contest. Unfortunately, the NBA odds have moved so much there’s no longer value on McClung. However, I do expect him to put on quite the show this weekend.
Kenyon Martin Jr. (Houston Rockets)
- To Win the NBA Slam Dunk Contest (+375)
Kenyon Martin Jr. is the son of former number-one draft pick Kenyon Martin. If you watch any Houston Rockets game this season you’ve seen Kenyon Martin Jr. throw down an impressive array of rim-rattling dunks.
Of the four players in the contest, Martin Jr. probably has the most hang time. McClung is more explosive getting his 6 foot 2 frame above the rim, but Martin seems to glide in the air longer than any other contestant.
This could be the difference in the event. With the NBA odds moving as such at US betting sites, Kenyon Martin Jr. is a great play to win the dunk contest.
Jericho Sims (New York Knicks)
- To Win the NBA Slam Dunk Contest (+375)
When this betting market opened, Jericho Sims was the favorite to win. Sims came out of Texas and has shown an impressive ability to get way above the rim. Sims is the tallest dunker in this contest which can sometimes be a detriment as it looks so easy for him to get up and slam the ball through the basket.
Sims will have to opt for more powerful-looking dunks as the biggest man in the contest. Judges have shied away from powerful dunkers in recent years making Sims less attractive as a bet. All four dunkers are live and I wouldn’t be opposed to a bet on Sims, but I prefer Kenyon Martin Jr. at the same price.
Trey Murphy III (New Orleans Pelicans)
- To Win the NBA Slam Dunk Contest (+600)
Trey Murphy III is a smooth dunker. Murphy’s in-game dunks have a subtle quickness in the way that he gets to the rim. He definitely has the hops to put on a show.
Murphy is 6’9 so is the second tallest dunker in this event. However, he will look much smaller than the biggest player in the event, Jericho Sims. Sims is 50 lbs heavier than Trey Murphy III.
Trey Murphy III is definitely a long shot to win this event. He is not big enough to be the most powerful dunker yet his dunks will not have the same aesthetic appeal as watching the smaller dunkers such as McClung and Martin Jr. get to the rim. Even though the NBA odds are tasty, I will not be placing a bet on Trey Murphy to win the NBA dunk contest.
2023 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest Best Bet
I do think that McClung is the rightful favorite and will not be surprised to see him win the event. However, at the price he is currently listed, there’s no value in making that play.
Therefore I will go with the man with the most hang time, Kenyon Martin Jr. His ability to stay in the air a little bit longer than the other contestants could allow him to put more twists and turns into his rim-rattling offerings.
When making a bet we must look at the implied odds and the implied odds on Kenyon Martin J. are too much here. We will go for the Houston Rocket to hoist the trophy at the end of the contest.
NBA Pick: Kenyon Martin Jr. to Win the Slam Dunk Contest (+375) at BetOnline
*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.
