Giannis and LeBron favored to win 2023 NBA All-Star MVP

  • Giannis Antetokounmpo (+550) and LeBron James (+650) are the favorites to win NBA All-Star MVP 
  • Luka Doncic (+200) is chalk to be the 1st overall pick in the All-Star Draft 
  • The 72nd NBA All-Star Game will tip off from Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah on Sunday, February 19 at 8:30 pm ET

For the first time ever, the All-Star Draft will take place right before the All-Star Game. As team captains, Giannis and LeBron will select the players they want to do battle with on Sunday night. Can James improve to 6-0 all-time since the format was introduced?

Let’s look at the odds for who might be picked first overall before looking at the frontrunners for All-Star MVP. You can also check out these tips for NBA All Star Betting and our 2023 guide for betting on NBA Basketball.

1st Overall Pick in All-Star Draft

PlayerBetOnline ReviewBovada
Luka Doncic+200+150
Nikola Jokic+300+600
Kyrie Irving+400+300
Joel Embiid+400+400
Jayson Tatum+475+550
Ja Morant+800+1000
Donovan Mitchell+1400+1000
Anthony Edwards+4000+4000
Lauri Markkanen+4000+4000
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander+4000+4000

LeBron and Giannis square off

LeBron James is playing in his 19th All-Star Game and has captained six-straight times since the format was introduced in 2018. Meanwhile, this is Giannis Antetokounmpo’s seventh-consecutive ASG start and third time wearing the ‘C’. As the top overall finisher in fan voting, King James will pick first on Sunday. But, he’ll have to find a new No. 1 this year after selecting the Greek Freak first in each of the past two seasons.

LeBron used his first pick on Kevin Durant in 2018 and 2019, and on teammate Anthony Davis in 2020. With those guys not suiting up, there’s a little mystery around who might go No. 1.

Doncic favored to go first

Luka Doncic (+200) leads the NBA scoring race with 33.3 points per game, and LeBron has picked the Slovenian in each of the past three years. However, with plenty of sharpshooters to choose from, James could go big with Joel Embiid (+400) or Nikola Jokic (+600). Keep in mind that LBJ has never selected the 76ers center in five straight years as captain. And, in 2022, he actually grabbed the Nuggets’ triple-double-machine before Doncic.

Luka Doncic1st Pick
★★★★★
+200
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Nikola Jokic1st Pick
★★★★★
+600
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NBA All-Star MVP

BetOnline ReviewBetUS Review
Giannis Antetokounmpo+500+550
LeBron James+550+650
Damian Lillard+600+900
Luka Doncic+650+800
Kyrie Irving+800+1000
Jayson Tatum+900+900
Ja Morant+1000+1000
Donovan Mitchell+1200+1200
Nikola Jokic+1800+2000
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander+2000+1600
Anthony Edwards+3300+3300
Lauri Markkanen+3300+2500
De'Aaron Fox+4000+4000
Paul George+4000+4000
Pascal Siakam+5000+5000
Bam Adebayo+7500+8000
DeMar DeRozan+7500+8000
Domantas Sabonis+7500+8000
Jaren Jackson Jr.+7500+8000
Jaylen Brown+7500+8000
Jrue Holiday+7500+8000
Julius Randle+7500+8000
Tyrese Haliburton+7500+8000

Captains lead the charge

Giannis Antetokounmpo (+550) won the MVP two years ago after shooting 16 of 16 for 35 points – the most baskets without a miss in All-Star Game history. However, with history on the line, LeBron James (+650) might be the better bet. By capturing his fourth ASG MVP, the 38-year-old would tie Kobe Bryant and Bob Pettit’s all-time NBA record.

Anthony Davis is the only big man to win the award in the past 13 seasons, not including unicorn Giannis. That means we’re fading Nikola Jokic (+2000) and Joel Embiid. It’s also wise to avoid longshots as the MVP has been awarded to a Hall of Famer or future Hall of Famer for the past quarter century. 

Best Bet

Jayson Tatum (+900) has led the Boston Celtics to the best record in the NBA at the All-Star Break, right after leading them to the 2022 NBA Finals. Averaging 30.6 points per game (sixth in the league), the 24-year-old may be motivated to take his stardom up another level against the best players in the game.

Jayson TatumAll-Star Game MVP
★★★★★
+900
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Steve Starr

Steve is the quintessential American sports enthusiast. He has mastered the art of Sundays, devoting them to football, and barbecue parties. He proudly wears the hats of a good father, husband and a great dog owner. Aside from his decades of contributing to different top-tier sports publications, Steve has also found his niche on Twitter, where he publishes funny and relatable sports-related insights. When he's not busy tweeting, Steve loves to watch each game unfold live. He possesses an innate talent for finding humor in the sports world, appreciating both the thrilling moments and the comedic mishaps that make each event unique.