Four of the highest fliers in the NBA head to the court at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday night for the annual NBA Slam Dunk Contest. This year’s contestants include Charlotte Hornets player Miles Bridges. But although Miles has a shot to win the trophy, he’s not the favorite.
Favoritism has fallen to New York Knicks player Dennis Smith Jr. Will Bridges take the title? Or, will a player like Smith Jr., or one of the two dogs, John Collins or Hamidou Diallo, impress the judges enough for the championship?
2019 NBA Slam Dunk Contest Odds, Predictions & Picks
- When: Sunday, Feb. 17 at 8:00pm ET
- Where: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
- TV: TNT
- Radio: ESPN 1320
- Live Stream: NBA League Pass
2019 NBA Slam Dunk Contest Contestants
- Dennis Smith Jr., New York Knicks +125
- Miles Bridges, Charlotte Hornets +200
- John Collins, Atlanta Hawks +275
- Hamidou Diallo, Oklahoma City Thunder +300
First Place: Miles Bridges
- 2019 NBA Slam Dunk Contenst Odds: +200
Bridges is a power dunker, but he should throw in enough twist and turns to impress the judges. Although he has no experience in the Slam Dunk Contest, he’ll know what the judges are looking for before stepping onto the court.
Also, he should be fired up slightly more than the other contestants because he’s throwing down jams in front of his fans. Bridges gets the nod.
Second Place: Dennis Smith Jr.
- 2019 NBA Slam Dunk Contenst Odds: +125
Deserving of the chalk, Smith Jr. only provided 2 dunks in last year’s contest before heading to the bench. He’s got the burst of speed that should definitely impress the judges. Although he’ll throw some terrific dunks, he might overshoot on Saturday night.
Sometimes, going for the best possible dunk, or trying to be too creative, can really hurt your chances at winning this event. Smith Jr. might over compensate after his subpar performance in this event last season. If he does, he could end up out of the Top 4. Still, experience counts for something. So, second place is more than possible.
Third Place: Hamidou Diallo
- 2019 NBA Slam Dunk Contenst Odds: +300
Diallo’s a power dunker with length. He can flat out fly, but after the power dunks, it’s hard to see where the creativity will come in enough for Diallo to challenge either Smith Jr. or Bridges.
He’ll provide some fireworks on Saturday night. He might not provide the fireworks that take him into the final two. Diallo could pull off the upset if Bridges and Smith Jr. both try something too creative in the first round.
Fourth Place: Jason Collins
- 2019 NBA Slam Dunk Contenst Odds: +275
Visually, Diallo and Collins have almost the same dunking style. One thing that could give Collins an edge on Saturday night is that he has a bit more finesse than the other 3 contestants. That finesse could work against him as much as work for him, though.
If Collins tries power, Diallo, Bridges, and Smith Jr. should overshadow him. If he tries finesse, he might over finesse, which will makes his dunks look weak unless he showcases enough turns and length.
Collins could pull it off, though. Check him out and see if you believe he has what it takes to win the 2019 NBA Slam Dunk Contest at the nice +275 odds.
