:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71990028/1308751485.0.jpg "3-point contest odds 2023: Picks, predictions, best bets at NBA All-Star Weekend")
The 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend arrives in Salt Lake City, with the festivities highlighted by a packed State Farm All-Star Saturday Night schedule. Amid the league's evolution toward shooting from beyond the arc, the 3-Point Contest has slowly become the must-watch event of the night in years past.
Among this year's contestants, Damian Lillard and Buddy Hield are considered co-favorites over at DraftKings Sportsbook, with odds for each at +425. Not far behind is Jayson Tatum at +500, and both Kevin Huerter and Tyler Herro at +550. Rounding out the rest of the contestants is Tyrese Haliburton at +600, hometown hero Lauri Markkanen at +650, and finally Julius Randle at +700,
It's hard to argue against Lillard and Hield sitting as the favorites for the sharpshooter contest, as each is shooting 37.2% and 42.6% from deep respectively. Hield may get the slight edge with the better shooting percentage as well as experience on his side, having won the competition back in 2020. The Pacers guard also has the eighth-best shooting percentage from beyond the arc in the league heading into the All-Star break.
The sleeper among the group is Huerter, who is leading the Sacramento Kings with a 39.2% three-point percentage while averaging 2.6 made three-pointers per game. He's averaging a career-best percentage from deep and averages nearly seven attempts per game, and has garnered praise from his peers this season with Kevin Durant noting he's been “shooting like Klay Thompson.” With all threes being contested in the shootout, all it takes is one hot streak to build a rhythm and walk away with the hardware.