Marco the man to back for NBA’s three-point contest

The key to winning the NBA three-point contest lies in the ability to find a rhythm. With four players from the All Star game taking part, it’ll be a hotly contested competition this season, with some lengthy odds to take advantage of:

Stephen Curry – Golden State Warriors – 3/1

Runner up in 2010 before a disappointing fifth last season, Curry is shooting at a worse rate from beyond the arc now (42 percent) than he did prior to his last two appearances.

Arron Afflalo – Orlando Magic – 5/1

Of the eight-strong field, only one player has a better conversion rate on threes this season than Afflalo’s 43 percent.

But he isn’t enjoying shooting from the top of the arc, having missed every shot he’s taken there over the last month, severely hindering his ability to rack up a score in this event.

Kyrie Irving – Cleveland Cavaliers – 5/1

Irving is back to defend the crown he claimed last season with a score of 23, and is in a good flow coming into the contest, shooting 40 percent from range over the last 30 days.

Damian Lillard – Portland Trailblazers – 6/1

The Rookie of the Year has been shooting less than 50 percent in four of the five areas which he’ll be tested from in the contest over the past month.

Marco Belinelli – San Antonio Spurs – 13/2

The Italian is the most effective three-point shooter in the contest, with a mark of 45 percent.

He doesn’t have a weak spot in any area of the court and should be given far better odds as a result. Back him to win it.

Bradley Beal – Washington Wizards – 7/1

Second-year Guard, Beal, is a streaky shooter which will harm his ability to win here. The Wizards man has connected with less than half of his three-point attempts in four of his last five games.

Kevin Love – Minnesota Timberwolves – 8/1

The All Star power forward only had Kevin Durant as competition when he won in 2012. This field will be a far bigger obstacle for the big man, who’s shooting less than 40 percent on threes this season.

Joe Johnson – Brooklyn Nets – 10/1

Famed for throwing up shots despite being heavily guarded, Johnson has a career three-point success rate of below 40 percent and is the right man to trail the betting.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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