2025 NBA Dunk Contest Odds and Best Bets

The NBA Dunk Contest gets a lot of flak, and I think that’s undeserved. I’m not sure how you could calculate this, but I think we’ve seen at least 90% of all dunks a human being will ever do. Barring some sort of weird rules or use of props, it’s rare that we get to see something we haven’t already seen.

Some say that has to do with the competitors, but I think we’ve all but reached the limits of possibility for dunking. Yes, it would be better to see All-Star players competing in the dunk contest, but look back through history and some of the greatest dunkers of all time were not among the league’s best players. Nate Robinson, Gerald Green, Jason Richardson and Desmond Mason gave of us some of the most spectacular dunks we’ve ever seen, and now Mac McClung continues that tradition.

So, instead of whining about how LeBron James has never entered a dunk contest just enjoy that we get to watch four incredible athletes do incredible things.

Dunk Contest Odds and Best Bets

Here are the current odds to win the 3-Point Contest, per FanDuel Sportsbook:

Andre Jackson Jr.

“I’ve been looking forward to this my whole life,” – Andre Jackson Jr. That’s the kind of thing I love to hear from someone in the dunk contest. To add to my excitement, Jackson is arguably the best athlete in the competition. He regularly gets his head up to and above the rim to throw down some of the most impressive dunks we’ve seen this season. Jackson has put work into his dunks for this weekend and has hinted at doing a Vince Carter 360 windmill tribute. With just four people, it’s hard for me to think anyone should be priced at +750 and I certainly think price is too high for Jackson. Let’s bet on him to win.

Stephon Castle

The San Antonio Spur has been one of the best rookies in the league this season and could even be the Rookie of the Year. He’s an explosive athlete and a great in-game dunker. His highlight reel is littered with shots of him rising up past a defender to flush the ball down into the hoop. What you don’t see is Castle getting his head above the rim. He doesn’t have the kind of vertical leap or incredible athleticism that tends to be rewarded in these contests. At 6-foot-6, he won’t get the benefit of some kind votes because he’s short. Who knows, maybe being a rookie motivates him to do something incredible, but I don’t see that happening and I’m certainly not betting on it.

Matas Buzelis

At 6-10, Buzelis is the tallest, lankiest player in the competition. That kind of size can help make dunks more impressive, and the long arms make it easier to do creative things with the ball. He’s not as athletic or as explosive as some of the other contestants, but Buzelis has had some success in a dunk competition when he was younger. Two years ago, Buzelis was impressive in a dunk competition at the Brickley Invitational. He’s talked publicly about how excited he is to be in the dunk contest and has spent time working on the dunks he’ll unleash Saturday night. I don’t think he should be the favorite, but I do think his price should be lower than the current odds of +490 and well worth a wager at that price. Give me the big guy who’s worked hard to prepare some hopefully impressive dunks.

Mac McClung

McClung is the seventh person in history to win two dunk contests, the fifth to win two in a row, and can become the first ever to win three dunk contests in a row. He’s played in five NBA games for four different teams over four seasons spending most of his time in the G League. McClung is brought up to the NBA level just to take part in this contest and deservingly so. He’s an incredible athlete, and at just 6-2 he looks impressive flying through the air. The dunk contest has been a focus for McClung his entire life and he’s thought about dunks since he was a kid. He’s won comfortably the last two seasons and, honestly, might win comfortably again but -195 is crazy for a small sample size event like the dunk contest. Bet him if you want, I just don’t think there’s any value in doing it.