2024 NBA Skills Challenge Odds & Betting Tips
NBA All-Star Weekend is here! Follow along as betting expert, Nick Galaida, breaks down 2024 NBA Skills Challenge odds and betting tips ahead of Saturday’s festivities in Indianapolis.
2024 Kia Skills Challenge Odds
- Team Top Picks Odds: +140
- Team All-Stars Odds: +180
- Team Pacers Odds: +190
- Date: Saturday, February 17th, 2024
- Time: 8 PM ET
- TV: TNT
NBA All-Star Saturday returns this weekend with another edition of the Kia Skills Challenge. The contest will be the first of three events as part of Saturday evening’s festivities, beginning shortly after 8:00 p.m. ET on TNT.
Similar to last season, the NBA has put together three teams for the contest. This year, there will be one team featuring former top picks, led by the top overall draft choice from this past summer – Victor Wembanyama. Team All-Stars will be led by the leading candidate for Most Improved Player this season, Tyrese Maxey. Tyrese Haliburton will headline the hometown Team Pacers in the Skills Challenge.
Team Top Picks (+140)
- Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic
- Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
- Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
Team All-Stars (+180)
- Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors
- Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
- Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
Team Pacers (+190)
- Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers
- Bennedict Mathurin, Indiana Pacers
- Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers
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Round 1 – Team Relay
The three-team competition will feature three rounds, with the winner being the team that accumulates the most “Challenge Points” by the end of the event. The first round of challenges will be a team relay, with each of the three players required to complete the course.
Players will be required to complete a 35-foot outlet pass, dribble through moving pylons, make a short shot in the lane, knock down a corner 3-point shot, and then dribble back to the other side of the court to make a shot before their next teammate can begin.
The team with the fastest time will win this round, earning 100 challenge points.
Round 2 – Team Passing
The second event in the Skills Challenge will be a team passing competition. Each team will have 30 seconds to compile as many points as possible, with each of the three players on a team competing at the same time. The most important rule for this round is that individual players are not able to make consecutive passes to the same target.
Passing targets will include a 35-foot outlet pass (2 points), 20-foot bounce pass (4 points), and 25-foot chest pass (6 points).
Similar to the Team Relay, the winner of the Team Passing round will earn 100 challenge points.
Round 3 – Team Shooting
If a team struggles in the first two rounds of the Skills Challenge, they will still be able to fight to be the champion if they put together a strong performance in the final competition – the Team Shooting round.
In the final event of the Skills Challenge, all three players on an individual team will once again participate at the same time, with one basketball shared among them. Each team will have 60 seconds to collect points while shooting from five different locations on the court.
The five locations include the following:
- Spot 1: Right side 10-foot shot outside the lane (1 point)
- Spot 2: Left elbow extended (2 points)
- Spot 3: Top of the key 3-pointer (3 points)
- Spot 4: Left corner 3-pointer (4 points)
- Spot 5: Right slot 30-foot deep 3-pointer (5 points)
Each player must attempt at least one shot during the 60 seconds, and teams are unable to shoot consecutive shots from the same location. Individual players must also alternate shot locations.
The winner of the Team Shooting round will be awarded 200 Challenge Points.
Tiebreaker (If Necessary)
If two teams are tied with 200 Challenge Points after the first three rounds of the competition, those teams will compete in a “Challenge Points Tiebreaker” to determine the winner of the Skills Challenge.
The tie-breaker will be a shooting competition from half-court. Each team will compete one at a time, with all three players on an individual competing together. The team that makes a half-court shot in the shortest amount of time will win the tie-breaker and be crowned the champion. If neither team makes a half-court shot in 90 seconds during their opening round, teams will repeat the final round to determine a winner.
NBA Skills Challenge Betting Tips
Looking at recent winners of the Skills Challenge, it is apparent that a team needs quality shooting to give themselves a chance. In 2023, Team Jazz featured Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton won the Team Shooting round and the Team Passing round to win the event. In 2022, Darius Garland handled the heavy lifting in the shooting round, with him receiving quality contributions in the other rounds from big men Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen — both of whom are athletic, skilled passers.
The Team Shooting round is obviously the most important, with 200 challenge points on the line. As a result, shooting should be factored into your analysis above all else when looking at picking a winner in this event. Quality passing and players who move well in the relay only further increase a team’s likelihood of winning. On Saturday, I will be publishing my full analysis for the event, hoping to correctly pick the champion.
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