Olympic Bet of the Day – The first medal presented is scheduled to be in ski jumping, so it’s only fitting that it’s also our first pick. Pinnacle is the only place I have seen odds for the event so far. They list two jumpers – Austrian Gregor Schlierenzauer at +243 and Simon Ammann of Switzerland at +250. You can take either of them, or take the field at -111. Amman has two firsts and two seconds in five starts this year, while Schlierenzauer has six wins in 2010 alone. My pick for today is to take both Ammann and Schlierenzauer. They’ll pay well over even money if one guy wins, and that sounds better than the field.
NBA Skills contest tonight – by far the best part of any all-star event. The home run derby is the only one that comes close. Each of the five events tonight has something interesting to watch. I think the novelty factor will have worn off for Nate Robinson this year, so I like Gerald Wallace. The guy has serious hops. In the three point contest the favorite is Stephen Curry. The guy can obviously shoot, but I can’t back the rookie. Paul Pierce can be had at a much better price, he’s ice cold under pressure, and he’s been in so many all-star games that nothing is going to bother him. You can find him at better than 5/1 without trouble. I like that. The team challenge, where they pair an NBA player with a legend and WNBA player, is absolutely no contest in my mind. Sacramento’s legend is none other than Chris Webber – the best player Michigan has ever produced. You can never overlook a Michigan man. The point guard challenge comes down to three youngsters – Rose, Williams, and Jennings – against the wily veteran Steve Nash. Rose won it last year, and I’d take him again if I was sure he’d be healthy, but since I can’t trust that I’ll take Williams. Nash is smarter than the rest, but the young guys will have a step on him. Finally, the H-O-R-S-E contest is no contest – Kevin Durant won last time, and he’s going to win it again. Neither Omri Casspi nor Rajon Rondo are even in the same stratosphere as Durant. Not many people are.
