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NBA 3-Point Contest Odds & Picks: Damian Lillard a Deserved Favorite (2024)

It’s the NBA All-Star Break, but that doesn’t mean we have to stop betting on it! Tonight, we’ve got the 3-point contest on tap, and with it comes a loaded field featuring several star players, including Damian Lillard, who is trading as a slight favorite. Let’s dive into the NBA 3-point contest odds for 2024 in hopes of identifying a few picks. If you’re hungry for more action, check out our NBA betting tools or our NBA betting promos! You can also check out our guide to NBA player prop betting.

NBA 3-Point Contest Odds & Picks for 2024

NBA 3-Point Contest Odds & Betting Strategy for 2024

PlayerOdds
Damian Lillard+425
Tyrese Haliburton+450
Trae Young+600
Malik Beasley+650
Lauri Markkanen+650
Karl-Anthony Towns+650
Jalen Brunson+650
Donovan Mitchell+700
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

In the NBA 3-point contest, I’m starting by looking for guys who I don’t think have a real chance at winning. We must keep in mind that this contest is only two rounds. While any NBA player can get hot and winning, which ones are least likely to do so, and how do we figure that out?

Firstly, I looked at each player’s shooting motion. In the 3-point contest, players grab a ball off the rack and then shoot it. There’s no dribbling or passing, so it’s very important to have a solid repeatable shooting motion that is consistent every time.

Next, there is only so much time to get all of your shots off, so if you jump relatively high when shooting, it will cost you precious seconds and tire out your legs

Lastly: how hot can each guy get if and when they do get hot? So, with all of that said, here let’s dive into my rankings for the 2024 NBA 3-point contest.


NBA 3-Point Contest Picks & Rankings for 2024

1. Damian Lillard: +425 | NBA 3-Point Contest Picks

Currently sitting as the slight betting favorite at +425 on DraftKings, the defending champion, Damian Lillard, is an obvious pick for the NBA 3-point contest. He simply checks all the boxes. He has a consistent shooting motion, doesn’t jump too high off the ground and can catch fire to put up a ridiculous score in any round.

One bonus with Lillard is the fact that some guys seem to just be happy to have an invite to this contest and give off a “too-cool-for-school” vibe where just simply being there is good enough. We know Dame will be prepared and ready to defend his title.

2. Trae Young: +600

At +600 on DraftKings, right behind Tyrese Haliburton, we have Trae Young. Young is another guy who checks all the boxes. Like Lillard, he has a consistent shooting motion, doesn’t jump very high off the ground and can catch fire to put up a huge score in any round.

Young and the Hawks are not having the kind of season they hoped for, and while the grind of the regular season, especially when it’s not going well, can wear on players, this nice little break from everything can be refreshing and give Trae a notch on his belt.

To be completely honest, there’s no reason Trae Young shouldn’t be getting around the same odds as Dame and Haliburton. So at +600, it’s worth putting a bet on him to win.

3. Tyrese Haliburton: +450

Next, we’ve got Tyrese Haliburton. Last year, Hali tied the all-time 3-point contest scoring record in Round 1, in which he hit a ton of his money balls. Unfortunately, he came out flat in the final round.

Hali checks a lot of boxes, as he has a weird but pretty consistent shooting form, doesn’t jump very high on his shots and can be streaky. However, while he’s able to get hot and put up a big number, I am afraid he cannot do it twice in a row to win this thing.

Also, because he’s an Indiana guy and this contest is being played in Indiana, you’re getting worse odds than you normally would on him.  So while I am ranking him third, he is one of my least favorite bets for this contest.


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4. Karl Anthony-Towns: +650

After the three guys I agree should be favored, we’ve got Karl-Anthony Towns up next. KAT finds himself in a group of four players with odds of exactly +650.

KAT won the 3-point contest two years ago but wasn’t able to compete in last year’s contest because of an injury. Say what you will about KAT, but the big guy can shoot the basketball.

Considering he won the contest the last time he competed in it, we’re getting pretty good odds at +650 on him to win again. KAT has a nice repeatable shooting motion, doesn’t jump very high off the ground, and can also get hot.

As a little bonus, he represents all the big men shooters out there in this contest, and he takes it personally.

5. Donovan Mitchell: +700

Surprisingly, the Spida owns the longest odds of anyone for the 2024 NBA 3-point contest. I do not understand this at all. He can get hot at any point and a few misses or a slow start won’t rattle him for the rest of his round.

Mitchell has a beautiful shooting motion, but the one knock on him is how high he jumps for every shot. That could be the reason for him not getting more respect because Vegas thinks he may run short on time by the end of his round, or maybe they think his legs could tire out quicker.

Still, if you’re giving me the best odds for one of the best scorers and shooters in the NBA, I am most definitely going to bet it.

6. Malik Beasley: +650

Malik Beasley slots in alongside KAT at +650. While he also has a great shooting motion and can get hot, just like Spida, he also jumps pretty high when shooting.

Truth be told, Beasley’s shooting motion is very similar to Mitchell’s, but he is not nearly the shooter that Mitchell is.

Beasley is more than capable of putting up a good enough score in Round 1 to make it to the final, but I cannot see him outshooting this field for two rounds. And if you’re going to give me better odds for Mitchell, I’d much rather bet him.

7. Jalen Brunson & Lauri Markkanen: +650

I’m grouping these guys because I will not be betting or hedging at all on them.

These are easily the two guys in the field that I have no problem removing. Jalen Brunson is a great scorer, but in terms of flat-out shooting — especially from 3-point land — he should not even be competing in this contest.

The same can be said about Lauri Markkanen. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if these guys finish with the seventh- and eighth-lowest scores of Round 1. 

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