Jacob Toppin to Win (+350)
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- This contest should come down to McClung and Toppin and there’s no way we’re laying -200 with McClung.
- Jaylen Brown and Jaime Jaquez Jr. aren’t likely to be able to keep up with what the top-two contenders in this contest are doing.
The NBA Slam Dunk Contest is both one of the most-anticipated and highly-criticized events in the NBA each season. While the athleticism of the competitors is always incredible, the contest still invites critics to complain about a lack of new dunks and the fact that the loose rules of gravity and physics make some maneuvers tough to accomplish. Here, we break down the 2024 NBA dunk contest as we look forward to seeing what this year’s competitors have in store.
Why Bet Jacob Toppin to Win the NBA Slam Dunk Contest?
Our pick for this year’s Slam Dunk Contest is Jacob Toppin of the New York/Westchester Knicks. Toppin has spent the majority of his time this season with the Knicks’ G-League affiliate, but he has also spent some time with the NBA club as the Knicks have dealt with some injury woes before the All-Star break. More important than that is the fact that Toppin is an elite athlete who has a real chance to win this event at a nice plus price.
Toppin is the brother of former Knick and current Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin, who is known for his athleticism, as he showcased when he won the dunk contest in 2022 in Cleveland. Jacob has similar athleticism and is more than capable of pulling off dunks that are good enough to land him at the top of this year’s competition.
Other Dunk Contest Competitors
The clear favorite to win this year’s contest is Mac McClung, who is currently a member of the Osceola Magic of the G-League. McClung has played in a total of four NBA games in his career which, understandably, causes some raised eyebrows when he is allowed to compete in an NBA dunk contest. But McClung’s ability to dunk is not in question, even if his current price makes it hard to want to bet on him to win this event.
After McClung and Toppin, two full-time NBA players make up the rest of this year’s dunk contest field. Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics is a rare All-Star taking part in this event, while Jaime Jaquez Jr. of the Miami Heat is having a great rookie season. Neither of these players is expected to do anything eye-popping to prevent a final-round clash between Toppin and McClung. But it is nice just to see some legitimate NBA-level talent in the contest again, a trend we hope continues into the foreseeable future.
Other NBA All-Star Event Previews
If you want more NBA All-Star Weekend event previews, you are in luck. All you have to do is click the links below to get our thoughts on the All-Star Game itself, along with the other marquee events that should help make for a fun weekend of hoops.
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