It will be all fun and games this weekend (February 16-18) as the NBA’s best and brightest head to Gainbridge Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Pacers to put on a show like no other. After all the skills competitions are done and dusted, fans get to witness the league’s very top players engage in a friendly. Sometimes, depending on how close the game is, things get a tad less than friendly.

The NBA All-Star odds believe that the Western All-Stars will emerge victorious. They’re pegged as -2.5 favourites.

So how is the action expected to go down on Sunday night?

NBA All-Star Game Format, East vs. West

The NBA has experimented a lot in recent years with how to modernize the contest itself. We’ve seen team captains draft their preferred players from lists of candidates. The league also established a Final Target Score, meaning that to win the contest a side had to hit a pre-determined points plateau. For that to happen sometimes a game could go on for a bit longer than expected, or even shorter.

For the 2024 edition, it’s back to basics. Two teams, the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference. Four quarters lasting 12 minutes each. But while the game’s structure reverts to the classic form, scoring more points than the opponent per quarter means the “winning” side for that period sends money to a charity of its choosing. A nice gesture amidst all the glitz and glamour.

NBA All-Star Lineups, Gilgeous-Alexander’s Rise

Fans, players, and the media all got to participate in the voting process to select each team’s five starters. The rosters are comprised of, unsurprisingly, two guards and a trio of frontcourt stars.

The injury bug has caused some changes to the lineups, but the results of the voting were as follows. Representing the Eastern Conference are:

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks, captain

Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers

Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks

Embiid’s knee injury and New York Knicks’ Julius Randle (reserve, see below) shoulder issues have resulted in Trae Young from the Atlanta Hawks and Scottie Barnes of the Toronto Raptors taking their place.

The Eastern Conference reserves, as decided by the league’s coaches, are:

Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat

Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic

Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics

Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks

Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers

Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers

Julius Randle, New York Knicks.

The Western Conference starters are:

LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers, captain

Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns

Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

This is Torontonian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s second participation in the All-Star Game and first as a starter. If anybody was still wondering how Canada is doing with its exportation of basketball players, Shai just answered the question.

The Western Conference reserves are:

Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns

Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers

Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves

Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers

Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers

Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves

NBA All-Star Game Betting Analysis, Over-Under

The past six editions featured a different format insofar as two captains from their respective conferences drafted players. King James was a captain every year, whereas Giannis, KD, and Chef Curry were on-and-off captains throughout that sequence of editions.

As for the traditional East vs. West format, the Eastern Conference has a 37-30 overall record. That said, the West had won three in a row from 2015 to 2017 and six of the last seven before the format adjustment. With behemoth teams like the early 2010s Lakers and Spurs and mid-to-late 2010s Golden State Warriors, small wonder they brought incredible players to the game.

Defence is mostly optional in an All-Star. The point is to put on a show for the fans and get creative with scoring. The last time fewer than 300 points were scored was 11 years ago in 2013. In 2017 a whopping 374 points were scored. Considering that in today’s NBA, in serious games when defences are supposed to make stops, we’re seeing final scores like 130-125 almost nightly. As such, the over seems like the obvious bet here.

NBA All-Star Game Prediction

Both sides are replete with talent and skills the likes of which can be seen, well, only once a year at the NBA All-Star Game. That said, it’s time to make a prediction.

The absences of Embiid and Randle could end up hurting the East. They’re replaced by fine players, but neither Scottie Barnes nor Trae Young are the ones who can out-duel the likes of Nikola Jokic or Shai-Gilgeous Alexander. The West has better frontcourt players – Anthony Davis has been on a tear this season – and its scoring touch is a smidgeon superior. Doncic, Durant, and Edwards can go off on a whim like nobody’s business. Tatum and Lillard can keep the East within striking distance, but ultimately…

Western Conference 170-160 Eastern Conference