NBA Slam Dunk Contest 2020: Odds and Predictions for Entire Field

The 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend is set to get underway Friday, and the stars will be out in Chicago as the best and brightest in the league prepare to show out.

Saturday night will feature the Skills Challenge, 3-Point Contest and Slam Dunk Contest, not to mention a live musical performance from Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard, also known as Dame D.O.L.L.A.

The dunk contest has become the staple of All-Star Saturday, with some of the most explosive leapers in the league putting on a show for the crowd. Last year, Oklahoma City Thunder wing Hamidou Diallo brought home the title, thanks in part to a modified Vince Carter "elbow in the rim" slam where he also jumped over NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal.

There will be four participants, same as it has been since 2015, when the NBA decided to return to the voting style last used in 2007.

Here is a look at the participants and the latest odds.

Slam Dunk Contest Information

Date: Saturday, Feb. 15

Time: After 3-Point Contest concludes

TV: TNT 

Participants and Latest Odds

Aaron Gordon, Orlando Magic +115 (bet $10 to win $11.50)

Derrick Jones Jr., Miami Heat +180 (bet $10 to win $18)

Pat Connaughton, Milwaukee Bucks +375

Dwight Howard, Los Angeles Lakers +475

Odds via Bovada.

Slam Dunk Winner Prediction: Derrick Jones Jr.

It might not come as a surprise that Aaron Gordon is the favorite.

Gordon put on a show in an all-time classic with then-Minnesota Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine back in 2016, with LaVine winning the contest after multiple sudden-death rounds. Nevertheless, Gordon showed out. He involved the Orlando Magic mascot in two of the most memorable dunks in contest history, including one that saw him jump over the mascot and put the ball under his legs before throwing it down.

Dwight Howard has the worst odds, though he is the only former champion in the field. Howard won the contest back in 2008, which was the first time he brought out the Superman gimmick. Although he is no longer one of the best centers in the NBA, Howard should not be slept on. He still has tremendous bounce, and past indicators suggest he will be among the most creative participants in the field, using everything at his disposal.

The public might not know a whole lot about Pat Connaughton's explosiveness, but he is one of the best leapers in the league. Connaughton recorded a vertical leap of 44 inches at the 2015 NBA Draft Combine, and his jumping ability could lead to some fireworks.

Derrick Jones Jr. is also a phenomenal athlete, and he has made highlight-reel slams a staple of his NBA career. That includes a mean put-back dunk against the San Antonio Spurs earlier this year.

Both Jones and Gordon have come out on the losing ends of previous dunk contests, which should motivate them to go deep into their bags to thrill the crowd. However, Jones has a ridiculous combination of flash and power that might add some edginess to his dunks to help him come away with the victory.