3 Best Bets for the NBA All-Star Three Point Contest

The NBA's All-Star Weekend tips off tonight in San Francisco's Chase Center. Friday features the All-Star Celebrity Game and Rising Stars while Sunday is headlined by the 74th NBA All-Star Game. But as usual, Saturday is the big day with the Skills Challenge, 3-Point Contest, and Slam Dunk Contest.

FanDuel Sportsbook is offering various NBA All-Star odds, including lines for Saturday's events. Which sharpshooters will participate in the 3-Point Contest, and which players are the best bets to take home the trophy? Let's break down this field of loaded three-point specialists.

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.

2025 NBA Three Point Contest Participants

Three Point Contest Betting Picks

Damian Lillard (+300)

Before we dig too deep into these picks, let's go over the format of the 3-Point Contest. Eight players were selected, and each participant gets 70 seconds to launch 27 three-balls around the arc. There are five locations positioned around the arc with five shots each while the last ball of each rack is a "money ball" worth two points. Players also get to choose one location for a rack full of money balls, and the league recently added two deep shot locations worth three points, dubbed from "Starry Range."

Let's go over the "obvious" pick first. It's difficult to bet against the two-time defending 3-Point Contest champion. Damian Lillard has been a steady scorer in recent 3-Point Contests, logging 26 points in the final round of the previous two contests. Honestly, this isn't a mind-boggling total, though. The max score for a round is 40 points; there's plenty of points left on the board.

Two players have scored 31 points in a round -- Stephen Curry and Tyrese Haliburton. Prior to 2020, the 3-Point Contest had a max score of 34 points in a round. We saw some absurd performances through the years, including Devin Booker throwing up 28 points in 2018 and Curry logging 27 in 2019 and 2015.

Lillard is a "safe" bet, similar to another previous winner, Buddy Hield (+470), but we can get better value elsewhere. A three-peat has never been done; I prefer to bet against this.

Darius Garland (+500)

The only player who feels like an outlier is Cade Cunningham. He's shooting a mediocre 35.1% from three this season, as Cunningham has remained a streaky shooter even in his breakout season with 25.4 points per game (PPG).

Outside of Cunningham, I can't knock you for taking anyone else in this field. Lillard and Hield have past 3-Point Contest success, Norman Powell (42.8%) and Cameron Johnson (41.3%) boast elite efficiency from three, and Jalen Brunson is always a threat to get hot.

Frankly, this market can be quite unpredictable. We don't really know who will get hot as every participant is more than capable of getting hotter than fish grease. If you're simply looking for the best shooter from an efficiency perspective, it's Darius Garland.

Garland has always been hailed for his pretty jumper, dating back to his NBA Draft process. He's shooting his best three-point percentage yet at 43.1%. With 7.0 three-point attempts per game (33rd), Garland's volume isn't as high as most participants in this contest. At 3.0 made threes per contest, Garland is a little higher on the totem pole (21st) for this category.

The Cavaliers' All-Star guard was +600 to win this contest earlier in the week. Seeing these odds drop is intriguing.

Tyler Herro (+750)

My favorite pick from this field is Tyler Herro. He was +550 earlier in the week but has jumped to +750. That's fine by me as the value only gets better.

It's been a career-best season for Herro, who's averaging 23.9 PPG. The three-ball has been a big piece of his game as he's shooting 38.0% while averaging 9.7 three-point attempts (fourth-most) and 3.7 makes per game (fourth-most). Both are highs among the eight participants.

We know Herro is used to high volume shooting, but his efficiency is one of the weakest marks of the field. However, confidence is gained when seeing Herro launches 27.8% of his threes with no dribbles. Of course, these players are grabbing and launching as fast as they can -- no one is dribbling. Herro is an elite catch-and-shoot weapon, making him a threat to win the 3-Point Contest.

For comparison, Lillard takes 20.4% of his threes with no dribbles while Garland is at 19.5%. There is value in being comfortable with shooting without dribbling.

Our final nail in the coffin: Herro shoots 48.3% on left corner threes and 41.2% on right corner threes. This calms some of his percentage concerns as the contest starts and ends with corner threes. Hot starts and/or finishes can go a long way.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.