NBA Slam Dunk Contest 2024: Odds, Picks, Prediction, Format and Participants (Can Jaylen Brown Win?)
By Peter Dewey
The 2024 Slam Dunk Contest features one NBA All-Star – Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown – in what could be a lopsided contest based on the odds.
Defending champion MacMcClung is heavily favored, but can he pull out a second straight win, putting him amongst some of the best dunkers in NBA history?
Here’s a look at the odds, participants, history and a pick for this year’s contest:
NBA Slam Dunk Contest Participants
- Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
- Jaime Jaquez Jr., Miami Heat
- Mac McClung, Osceola Magic (defending champion)
- Jacob Toppin, New York Knicks
NBA Slam Dunk Contest Odds
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NBA Slam Dunk Contest History and Past Winners
Let’s take a look at the last 10 winners of the Slam Dunk Contest to see if we can identify any trends to help us bet on this year’s event.
- 2023: Mac McClung
- 2022: Obi Toppin
- 2021: Anfernee Simons
- 2020: Derrick Jones Jr.
- 2019: Hamidou Diallo
- 2018: Donovan Mitchell
- 2017: Glenn Robinson III
- 2016: Zach LaVine
- 2015: Zach LaVine
- 2014: John Wall
In the history of the Slam Dunk Contest, only LaVine, Nate Robinson, Jason Richardson, and Michael Jordan have won back-to-back dunk contests.
McClung is a great dunker, but does he end up amongst this group as the odds on favorite this year?
NBA Slam Dunk Contest Format
The Slam Dunk Contest is going back to the usual format. Each contestant will get two dunks in the first round, which will be evaluated by five judges. The maximum score that the dunker can receive is a 50, and the minimum is a 40.
The two dunkers that finish the first round with the highest combined score will advance to the championship round. From there, they will have two more dunks to show why they deserve to be crowned the champion.
The player with the highest combined score after those two dunks will be crowned the champion.
NBA Slam Dunk Contest Pick and Prediction
McClung is a massive favorite to win the Slam Dunk Contest – but is it justified?
Sure, McClung put on an absolute show last season, but can he top that this season? It’s going to be tough, especially with the star power of Brown in the contest.
Toppin is also a high-flier, but we’ve seen taller players struggle at times because their dunks don’t look as impressive as a smaller player. It’s unfair, but it is what it is.
Personally, I think this is Brown’s contest to lose. The NBA would love to have an All-Star win the Slam Dunk Contest, as it may bring the event back to prominence in the future.
I think Brown will have the crowd behind him, which will certainly help him feed off energy wise, and I don’t want to lay -190 juice on a player to win the contest. Take Jaylen at this number.
Pick: Jaylen Brown (+420)
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.